Chapter 4: Not Meant For Me

False Remnant #10,435,793: Beacon

Weiss

Vale was engulfed in flames as Weiss watched from a distance. It didn't matter to her. If anything, she almost saw it with disinterest. She'd seen it countless times, and she'd long since run out of tears to shed. Her arms were crossed, folded before her chest as she stared into the distant blaze feeling only boredom. Ouroboros slithered out from the breast of her shirt with a hint of curiosity about him. "I almost pity them," he muttered.

Weiss gave a dry, cold laugh. "You've been around humans too much, Ouroboros. You're feeling sentiment like them."

"You are human as well, Witch."

She scoffed. "Once."

The serpentine head arced around to face her, staring curiously into her ice blue eyes that stared into seemingly nothing in the distance. He remembered the day that she'd killed him. He had never felt fear during their battle, and even when she pierced his brain with Myrtenaster he had only experienced a brief wave of anger before fading from life.

Now that he was a part of her being and he could truly see her up close and personal, she terrified him. "You truly are a witch," he whispered.

"What was that?" she asked, returning partially to her senses.

"Nothing," he answered solemnly as he looked back at the flames of Vale. "Nothing at all." His tongue flicked and tasted the ash in the air. "Beowolves are the prevalent Grimm of the region. I suspect a Cerberus will begin to form any day now."

"And how long after birth will it reach its peak strength?"

"It took me a month or two to reach maturity. I suspect about that long. When that time comes, I pray you are prepared to destroy it, lest we die again."

She shook her head. "Death if of no concern to us, Ouroboros. We get a fresh start. I will try as many times as I have to."

The serpent flicked his tongue in thought, analyzing what she had just said. "Death may not be the end, but I imagine that it is still quite unpleasant. Are you sure about this?"

"What else is there to do, Ouroboros?"

"You could observe. Just watch and wait. Witness how the time flows. See how it all pans out. Maybe somewhere in the sequence of events is the secret to breaking free."

She laughed again. "I've tried, Ouroboros. For hundreds of thousands of lifetimes I have tried to break free. This is the new absolute in my life. I will never stay dead. I don't know what sin I committed before to cause this, but this is my eternal Hell now. Never ending and agonizing. My only solace is the growing numbness that comes with each death." She shook her head. "This is my life."

The snake nodded before returning to the inside of her blouse, snuggling into her breasts for his own warmth; she didn't care. "Long may it last," he whispered bitterly. On one hand he resented the literal control she held over him. Yet, on the other, he pitied her. Perhaps there was a way to fix this.

Perhaps.

True Remnant: Atlas

Neo

"Can we truly trust these Shifters?" asked an elderly man wearing a blueish suit; Turk Koyce of the Atlesian council. "What of Penny? She's gone for years at a time! And what does she give for an excuse? Previously ordained engagements! What in the hell does that even mean? Is she putting other worlds before Remnant? How can we trust her if she isn't here to do her duty!?"

Neo shook her head. On days like today, she was thankful for being built as an android, otherwise this ignorant old man would be giving her a headache.

A middle aged woman with mostly brown hair, marred by small streaks of gray, scoffed at the sound of Turk. "Penny has enhanced the world of Remnant since she ascended to the power of Shifting. We have seen a fifty-five percent decrease in the Grimm Growth Rates in the past forty years alone! The introduction to true magic into our society has also exponentially lessened the energy crisis from the impending fuel shortages brought upon by aggressive Dust mining! Tell me, how is any of this detrimental to the world's current state?"

The woman, Cobalt, was correct. Penny had done all of this and more since she became Remnant's guardian. But while Penny was away dealing with other worldly problems, Neo was stuck here dealing with these foolish bureaucrats.

"Back in the day, if Ozpin or Ironwood had ever left their office for years at a time without saying a word, the majority of the world would be in an uproar! What makes this machine so special if she can ignore her purpose?" Turk said angrilly.

This pissed Neo off, but she bit her tongue.

"Ahem!" came the sound of another man, this one in his mid thirties. White suit and black hair, he was the spitting image of one James Ironwood; the grandson of the general himself, Richard. "Turk, you're out of line with that statement. In case you forgotten, your superior is a Synthetic. One of the first I might add." He turned to Neo and gave a polite smile before returning a stern gaze to Turk.

Turk himself seemed to stutter. The foolish old man was without a doubt the oldest member of this global council, and Neo gave him a seat out of a sense of good will. She regretted that decision ever since. "M-m-my apologies, of course. I only meant that she blatantly ignores her home for other worlds, in spite of the fact that she should-"

"I would like to remind you," Neo began. "That while I am your superior, Penny is mine. I will not have you so blatantly disrespect her in my presence."

The man's eyes narrowed as he stood angrily. "Am I to understand that I am not allowed to voice my concerns and criticize the system that I serve? Are you so corrupt, Neopolitan?"

Richard started to stand, but Neo gently motioned for him to sit. She remained seated as well as she continued. "Not at all. You are entitled an opinion. If there is something wrong with the system or how its operated, then you may voice your concerns and criticisms. But, I would caution you to think very, very carefully when you make false assumptions about matters that you know nothing about. You are aware that Salvation was at war not too long ago, correct?"

"Yes, I am. But that war was-"

"And that war breached Remnant's borders for a brief time. Grimm were involved, beings of otherworldly power threatened to steal our resources, and they were stopped. Tell me, Turk; who stopped Flamma from advancing into populated areas on Remnant?"

He stared nervously at Neo before his eyes wandered the room searching for something to say. "P-Penny."

"Yes. And were it not for her and Salvation, the organization that she answers to, Remnant would have been conquered by living shadows and darker Grimm than we've ever seen before. There is a reason that it was nicknamed the Three Day War on this world. Isn't that right, Major Ironwood?"

"That's right," Richard said with a smile. "My specialized battalion, as well as Garnet and her trusted huntsmen, met Flamma in the field with Penny and her squad of Shifters. The battle itself only lasted for less than a day; the first two were spent regrouping and preparing to push the bitch back from Remnant."

Neo smiled. "So you see, Turk, Penny only does what she feels is necessary for Remnant. She doesn't ignore us, and she doesn't abandon us. Is that clear?"

The old man sat down solemnly. "Yes."

Neo nodded. "Good. Now, if this farce of an emergency meeting is over with, I believe most of this council would like to go home." She stood. "Dismissed."

About a dozen men and women were in the room total, many of whom were just us pissed at Turk as Neo was. They all filed out of the room bit by bit, and Neo herself was straightening her dress shirt and tie.

"Miss Torchwick," Richard said, gaining her attention. "May I walk you home?" She always noted how similar he looked to his grandfather. In a few more years, she suspected that the first wisps of grey and silver would seep into the edges of his hair. His smile was intoxicating at times, and Neo had to remind herself that he was human and she was metal.

She smiled all the same. "Now, Major, you can't just offer to walk your boss home like that. Your coworkers might get the wrong idea. It could start a scandal."

He chuckled. "Of course. Still, I feel that it is the proper thing to do. Besides," he paused and pointed out the window. "It's going to rain." He bent down and picked up a black and silver umbrella from under his chair. "So?"

She giggled silently to herself. "If you insist," she agreed. She picked up her parasol from behind her own chair and smiled coyly at the major. "But I carry my own umbrella."

The two of them left the rather ornate government building and began to walk relaxed down the streets of Atlas, leading to the high end apartment complex that Neo called home. Like Richard had said, the rain began to come down and the two of them opened their respective umbrellas.

Neo always loved the rain. It helped her think. It was in the rain that she'd come to terms with what she was. It was in the rain that she discovered how much she loved him, and that she would do anything for him. She also knew that it was in the rain that he committed his first and last murder; he killed that man that had killed her. The real Neo. The rain reminded her of her beloved father; Roman.

From there, her thoughts drifted to her other loved ones, many of whom are now dead and gone. True, she would visit their descendants, the members of the elite huntsmen team KING, but they weren't their ancestors. They weren't RWBY.

But finally, her mind went to Penny. Where was she? How much time had passed for her since she began this mission?

"You okay?" Richard asked, made uncomfortable in the silence.

Neo was startled back to the real world for a moment, which made her realize just how human she'd become in the last hundred years. "Sorry. Was just thinking about Penny."

He smiled gently to her. "You love her very much. It's plain for all of us to see."

Neo nodded. "She's the only companion I have that will live long enough for me to die of old age." There was a hint of humor to her statement, and Richard chuckled.

"Hey, now. Don't go and wish for that on me. Don't forget, my grandfather practically ran the robotics division of Atlas's military. I'm sure we could keep you going until my grandson walks you home, and then some."

Neo laughed, giving the younger Ironwood a gentle punch in the shoulder. "You grew up way too fast, little boy. I remember when you were still in diapers."

He blushed as she said those words. "Hey...I'm not little boy now. I've become quite the man, don't you think?"

"Whatever you say, General Awesome Ironwood." She held back a strong giggling fit and gave him a teasing smile.

His blush deepened. "Hey, hey, hey! I'm thirty-seven, not four. I was a child when I said that!"

Neo gave in and laughed heartily. "When you were still shorter than me you wanted to be just like your grandfather. You'd find every way imaginable to convince your parent's to let you visit him here in Atlas, and he'd come see me in my office with you in tow, and you'd just stare up at me with those dead serious eyes you had and you'd say, When I grow up, I'm gonna be the general!" Her laughing fit grew stronger. Had she been human, her chest would have hurt from the spasms. "Whatever happened to that cute little boy, Richard?"

His blush was ever present, but he conceded defeat and shrugged with a light hearted smile. "Boot camp happened. You don't choose to grow up there; you're made to." He turned his head to look down at her short, petite frame with that same smile plastered on his face before he continued. "You may be a Synthetic, but you hide your feelings like a real human woman. What are you actually worried about?"

Neo sighed. "Is it that obvious?"

"You started rambling on about me when I asked about Penny in an attempt to change the topic. I know that this isn't about longevity or age as you implied. Is something wrong?"

Neo nodded, then shook her head. She wasn't sure herself. "Penny's not in our Universe right now. She's...on another Remnant right now."

"Oh," Richard said nervously. "And like that, you've lost me." He smiled sheepishly as she looked up at him accusingly. "I'm just a soldier. Cosmic magic is a little out of my field of expertise."

"Well, the point remains. Penny has been gone for about three months now. We've heard nothing of her progress."

"So you're scared that she may be lost outside of our area of influence?" She nodded. "I wouldn't worry. She's practically a god now, after all. In addition to being a Synthetic no less."

The shorter woman nodded again. "I suppose you're right. We can only continue with our work here on our Remnant." She smiled. "How's the hub coming along?"

He chuckled nervously. "Remnant's hub is...tricky. We're not used to working with real magic. The stone and steel of the structure is complete. The arcane enchantments being placed upon it...not so much."

By now they have arrived at the surprisingly extravagant looking apartment complex that climbed seventy stories into the sky. The two of them paused while Richard explained the situation, and Neo politely let him finish before she gave him a polite and friendly hug. "I'm home. Thank you for walking me, Richard. You're as sweet as ever."

Richard whistled, impressed by the building. "Isn't that a little too much?"

She shook her head. "It's what my father would have wanted."

True Remnant: Beacon

Garnet

The sun was setting over Beacon Academy, and Garnet Rose found herself sitting in her office. It never ceased to amaze her that when her great grandmother was a student the great Ozpin used this same room as his own office. A part of her felt like the giddy child that she once was when she sat in her comfortable chair, but she'd grown to be a serious woman when it came to her work.

On this day in particular, the new school year was beginning at Beacon in about a week and she was forcing herself to stay conscious long enough to review all of the new student dossiers. She took pride in her ability to study and nearly perfectly memorize who where first years were, and she tended to keep most of that information as the students progressed into their higher studies until graduation. Granted, it caused more than one major headache over the years, but she felt it was the proper way to handle it.

It's no wonder that she was unmarried at her age. She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes with a groan. "Ooooh!" She stretched, popping various joints and moving the stiffness out of her muscles. "I'm out. Can't go on like this today." She stood up, and pulled her suit jacket off of the coat rack. Her top shirt button was undone and her tie was loosened to help her breath, and while part of her considered fixing it as she walked to her on campus house, she decided that she didn't care. The few students who lived her during the down time between semesters had seen her in her pajamas in the morning checking the mail, so a little loose neck tie wasn't an issue.

She entered the elevator, and decided to check the underground Gamma site before heading home. A few minutes of rabid descent later, the doors opened and she made her way into the antechamber. Gamma herself had stood guard in front of the residual portal for months without moving, still as diligent as before.

Garnet felt a pang of regret for never giving her a proper name, but she was one of the first true Synthetics. She was made from the same program as Penny, but not as advanced as far as Garnet could tell. Her silver hair was brushed and tidied, and her body was no covered by a skin tight black and silver combat suit. Unlike Penny, who's built in weapon system was a series of wires and swords, Gamma's weapon was her left arm, which could transform from a human hand into an energy based firearm. Her bright orange eyes were covered by an orange tinted visor; the screen was scrolling with information, most of it being diagnostics and other idle processes that Gamma did in her downtime.

"Hello, Gamma," Garnet greeted.

The scrolling text vanished and the visor cleared as the mechanical girl stopped her background processes to face her superior. "Good evening, Headmistress."

"Any change?"

"Negative. Connection to sister unit, Lambda, has not been established. She is still outside of range."

"Any other contacts?"

"No hostile threats detected. Scanning the anomaly leads only to white noise."

"I see," Garnet said with a sigh. She stared at Gamma curiously for a few moments while the robotic girl turned her attention to the remaining portal, standing by just in case. "Carry on, Gamma."

"Azure," Gamma muttered, almost too low for Garnet to hear.

"Pardon?"

"This unit wishes...I wish to be called Azure," she repeated.

Garnet wasn't expecting to hear any of this, but a part of the exchange warmed her heart. She gave the girl a smile. "If that's what you want."

The girl nodded. "How long will I be down here all alone?" She sounded sad.

Garnet approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Only until Penny returns. After that...that will be up to you."

"Do you promise?"

The head mistress nodded. "Yes, Azure. I promise."

Hearing her new name, Azure smiled, and Garnet's heart broke.

Song: Not Meant for Me- Wayne Static

Author's Note

An update! So soon after the previous one! It's almost like the good old days!

Don't get too excited. I can't promise how long this new found strength will last. I can only promise that I want to finish this story as soon as possible, and tidy up the end of this trilogy.

What sounds better: the Shifting Remnant AU, or the Shifting Remnant Trilogy? Truthfully, this is the first time I've ever written this much for one set of stories. I haven't even written this much for my Shifted Universe books, which is where the Shifting part of the title comes from.

Taking a break from Penny and Rose, fleshing out the other three main characters of this installment; Weiss, Neo, and Garnet. I've been fleshing out Garnet and Team KING in my head for quite some time now, and I like the idea of maybe doing a one off spinoff story about those four from when they first joined Beacon Academy.

Who are the fabled members of team KING?

Kuroi Wukong (later known as Kuroi Schnee)

Ignis Xiao Long

Noxell Weiss Schnee (prefers middle name, but Garnet just calls him Nox)

Garnet Rose

Well friends, I hope you enjoyed another chapter! I 'm already writing Chapter 5! Look forward to it!

Fun Fact: As of this chapter, the current word count for the entire Shifting Remnant trilogy is well over 150,000 words. And that's not including After Story, or the other multitudes of random fan-fictions I've written.I would like to thank all of you who were patient enough to sit through that many poorly edited words over these last two and a half years, going on three. I love you all, and I hope to keep making more in the years to come!

So, please leave a review, a PM, or a comment on Reddit. :D

Till next time! :D