Chapter 7: Remember
False Remnant #10,435,794: Beacon Academy
Weiss
Weiss gasped awake, sitting upright instantly. Looking around the room, she saw that the rest of team RWBY was still asleep. Not wanting to cause a scene, she stood and left the dorm. She made her way to the roof alone, making sure that all the lights were still off before she slammed her fist into the metal door behind her, putting a small dent into it and bruising her hand. "Damn him!" she shouted angrily.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself. Concentrating, she willed Ouroboros to existence once more. The master King Taijitu sprung into the world in a small flash of light as she summoned him into a small form. He looked around himself confused and flicked at the air. "How long have I been unsummoned?"
"Not long. A few minutes at most. You should have dissipated after I died. What's the last thing you remember?"
"Ozpin shooting you. I was unable to attack him." The snake's head drooped. "I am sorry."
"Don't worry about it," Weiss said with a hint of anger. "I'll make him pay eventually." She placed her hand over her heart where Ozpin had shot her; it seemed to still ache. "We have work to do, Ouroboros. Let's go."
The snake slithered up her leg and rested himself inside of her shirt where he'd grown accustomed to hiding from others. "As you wish, Witch."
Weiss strode calmly through the empty streets of Vale as the snow fell in the night, blanketing the nearly dead world in a cold blanket. She wore a pair of white jeans, thick winter boots, and a large white wool coat. Ouroboros was coiled around her neck as a sort of scarf with his head resting on her shoulder.
It had been nine months since she'd awoken from being killed by Ozpin. That night she'd packed her gear and abandoned Beacon altogether; team RWBY never saw her leave, nor did she tell them where she was to go. Not that it mattered. Ozpin may have wrongfully killed her, but he was right; she'd stopped caring about the lives of those around her, and for some reason that scared her more than she thought it would.
She hadn't been at Beacon these last nine months, having left the Vale area for quite a long time. Only five months ago she'd been in Mistral after hearing rumors of a massive boar Grimm terrorizing the survivors; Calydonian. With the help of Ouroboros and Cerberus she successfully tracked him down and dispatched him, adding the pig to her collection. A month after that she'd been in Menagerie to hunt Scorpius, the master Deathstalker. It, too, fell to her power. Each Master unit seemed weaker than the last to her as she began claiming their power for her own.
After all these months she still only kept Ouroboros in material form, dismissing Cerberus after she used him in the battle and not even summoning Calydonian or Scorpius. After nine months she'd finally returned to Vale because the next on her list had reared his face at last; Callisto the Ursa.
Weiss paused, looking around at the ruined city before her. "How many died this time?" she asked aloud.
"I wouldn't bother counting," Ouroboros answered. "I truly wish Harbinger had never returned."
"So you wish you'd never been born?"
The serpent scoffed. "What's left of you that is human has rubbed off onto me, Witch. My mind is a part of yours, after all. Do not judge me now that I have grown a conscience."
She shook her head. "Look at it this way; thanks to us, this world no longer has to fear the two of the Master Units. Word has it that Cerberus was killed not too long ago by the remnants of the Beacon force. That just leaves three of the six."
"True," he agreed. "But the worst of us all is still out there. Nidhogg can bring it all crumbling down."
"Well, we'll kill him soon enough. I have four of you now."
"And soon to add Callisto, it seems." Ouroboros chuckled. "You truly are a witch."
The ground beneath Weiss's feet began to rumble rhythmically, as though something large was moving. "Right on time. Here she comes."
A building a hundred yards away exploded into a pile of rubble and bricks as the gargantuan bear rounded the corner. It scanned the area before its gaze landed on Weiss. "My, I didn't expect there to be anyone else left. What a bother," it said in a slow, lazy, female voice.
Weiss smiled and calmly approached the bear. "You act as though you can't be bothered to kill me, Callisto."
It seemed to raise an eyebrow. "You know me?"
"I know all of you."
"What a nuisance."
"She seems a bit uncouth," Ouroboros said. "And she has rude manners."
"I had hoped that all the humans were already dead so that I could sleep here. I'd prefer to sleep. But now I have to kill you. How taxing."
"Very much the embodiment of laziness. Sloth even," Weiss agreed. She drew Myrtenaster and heated the blade with her fire magic. "Let's go, Ouroboros!"
"Of course!" The serpent leapt from her neck and grew to his full size, striking at the bear and slamming into several buildings, coating the area in a layer of concrete dust.
Penny and Rose marched through the cold field, trotting through the snow uncomfortably. "You know," Rose began. "I hate to admit it, but we've been here for all of an hour and I hope that Weiss isn't here. It's far too cold!"
Penny, untouched by the freezing temperatures, merely laughed. "Suck it up, Rose. You'll live."
"I hope your joints freeze," she said coldly.
"Ouch." The two Shifters began to climb up a hill when they heard the sounds of destruction from the other side. "What was that?"
"I don't know," Rose answered. Sharing a brief glance, the two women raced up the hill. On the other side was the city of Vale. The city was dark without power, but the two Shifters could clearly see the dust cloud of a felled structure. "A battle?"
"Perhaps." Penny focused her eyes and gasped. "There's a giant white snake fighting a giant bear Grimm."
"Are they Master Units?"
"Probably." She paused, glancing towards Rose. "But I've never seen a solid white Grimm before.
Rose gasped next as she watched the battle rage. "That looked like fire magic!"
"What!" Penny exclaimed, returning her attention to the battle. Streaks of red and orange whizzed by and rammed into the giant bear. "You're right! But who could be casting it? It doesn't look like it came from Dust!" She stared intently, but the battle of beasts and the dust in the air wouldn't let her focus. "Damn it! We have to get closer."
"Do we, though?" Rose asked.
"The caster might need our help! Two Master Units fighting in the same city can't be good, Rose. Let's go."
"Alright. But we're booking it the first chance we get!" The pair of them, using their own magic to aid, ran as fast as they could. They were surprised by the city's lack of Grimm activity, but also thankful that they wouldn't be required to fight too much either. Without getting too close, the two of them jumped and climbed atop a nearby building to get a better vantage point. Penny stood closer to the edge than Rose, who asked, "What can you see now?"
Penny stared intently at the battle, forcing her mechanical eyes to focus harder and harder. A white blur zoomed through her field of vision. Could it be? She searched for the blur until she saw it again, this time accompanied by a Glyph. "Weiss!" she exclaimed.
"Are you sure?" Rose asked.
"It has to be! She's using Glyphs! We have to help her!"
"Alright." Rose holstered her guns and brought her hands together.
"Finally bringing it out?"
"I love my Forty-Fives, but they're useless against Master Units. I need it." She closed her eyes for a moment, and when they opened again her green eyes had turned purple with the pupils taking the shape of a four pointed star; her Oculis spell used to enhance her vision. Then Penny noticed that the black rose shaped tattoo that she bore seemed to be melting into liquid shadow, sliding down her arms and forming in her palms. Jerking her hands apart rapidly, the shadow solidified and revealed its true form; a black bladed scythe with a silver handle. Rose took a deep breath and held the blade close to her chest for a moment. "I'm sorry, love," she muttered.
"Darkstar would understand. He'd want you to use it."
"I know," she replied. "But I hate to use it. It's all I have left of him." She shook her head and readied herself for battle. "Let's go."
Callisto slammed into Weiss with the pack of her paw, forcing the huntress to slide across the snowy ground. She took a deep breath and regained her composure. "Hold her, Ouroboros! Give me an opening!"
"I'm working on it!" the snake shouted back.
"Fuck!" Weiss muttered. She gripped Myrtenaster tightly and willed the blade to ignite into flames. "She'll be mine." She began to charge into the fray once more when she saw movement in her peripheral vision. Assuming it to be a Grimm that she'd missed, she halted her assault and poised herself for defense; instead, she saw Penny and another unknown woman leaping into the fray. "What the hell?"
"Rose, go! I've got Weiss!" Penny shouted.
"Roger!" the other woman, Rose, replied as she leapt towards the beasts with a scythe in hand.
Penny landed next to Weiss and placed a friendly hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay, Weiss?"
Weiss stared at her in confusion. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to break your curse," she replied matter of factly.
"My curse? How do you..." Her eyes went wide as she gasped. "You're the Penny who became a Shifter!"
Penny nodded. "I've been digging through the Multiverse to find you. Been at it for three months. I didn't expect to find you so fast."
Weiss shook off her surprise and returned to her combat posture. "Tell your friend to leave the snake alone. He's mine."
"You intend to kill it by yourself?"
"No. I already have. I meant that he is mine. He belongs to me, and he's fighting for me. Don't kill Callisto either. I have to be the one to kill her."
"Weiss, we need to get out of here so that we can..."
"Fix me later, Penny. I have other plans for now." She gripped her blade tighter. "Do as I say, or so help me I will kill myself and make you start your search all over."
Penny gasped. What has happened to you, Weiss? "Fine. You get that, Rose?"
"Yeah!" she answered in Penny's ear. "Leave the snake alone. Got it. Hyaah!" Her blade impacted Callisto, leaving a large gash.
"We'll follow your lead, Weiss."
"You're god damn right you are," Weiss stated harshly. Using a Glyph, she launched herself at the bear. "Now, Ouroboros, while she's distracted by the girl!"
"Of course!" The snake lunged at Callisto, striking at its neck and injecting it with his venom. Callisto roared in pain and was promptly silenced as the serpent coiled around her and flexed himself to restrain the monstrosity. "She's all yours, witch!"
Weiss fell from the air and landed on the bear's head. "You intend to destroy me?" she asked Weiss lazily. "How dreadful!"
"Fuck off!" Weiss shouted as she plunged her blade deep into the bear's skull, heating it up to roast the insides. She smiled and started to laugh. "Mine! Mine! Mine!" Callisto began to fall limp, so Weiss ripped the blade out and jumped to safety just as its corpse began to dissolve. She could feel Callisto's essence join her own, causing her laugh once more briefly. "Yes! Yes! Five down! I've killed five of you fuckers!"
Ouroboros shrunk back down to his pocket sized form and rejoined Weiss around her neck, resting his head upon her shoulder. "Do not celebrate just yet. That last one will be the toughest yet."
"Don't spoil the moment, Ouroboros! Nidhogg won't stand a fucking chance against us! Now we just need to wait for him to show his ugly face!"
Penny and Rose approached Weiss, unsure of what to make of her. "What's happened to you, Weiss? What's going on?"
Weiss paused and turned to face the pair. She ignored Rose and stared harshly into Penny's eyes. "So, the young immortal arrives to save the princess. Was it funny, watching me grow old and die of cancer?"
Penny gasped. "Weiss, I didn't-"
"Of all the ways I've died, cancer was by far one of the most painful. At least you eventually lose feeling when you burn alive. You pass out from blood loss, so that's not too bad. Cancer? You're not even real, Penny, so I don't expect you to understand the feeling of your organs shutting down one after the other. Imagine your body killing itself very, very slowly, Penny."
"Weiss, that was forty years ago for me. I had no idea that you were caught in a time loop. If I had known, I would have saved you back then. I swear it."
Weiss approached the mechanical girl slowly, placing a hand on the girls chin. "So you're, what, about a hundred and something now?" Penny nodded. "I've lived millions of lives, Penny. Not like you or Ozpin who can't die naturally, either. I've died. I've died millions of times. It's not pleasant. You don't know how much I wish I could die and actually stay dead. I want to rot. I want to fade away. I can't. Can you fix that, Penny?"
"My colleagues...they fixed Ruby when it happened to her. They can fix you too."
Weiss laughed coldly, making the Shifters feel uncomfortable. "I appreciate the offer. I really do. But I have a dragon to slay."
"Witch," Ouroboros interrupted. "They are offering you salvation. Do not throw it away so lightly. Is Nidhogg truly that important to you?"
"It talks!" Rose exclaimed.
"And I hear, girl. I can kill you in an instant, child. Do not tempt me." He turned to Weiss. "Answer me, Witch. Do you not wish to be free? To be free to die?"
Weiss stared at the snake angrily for a moment before a light smile crossed her lips. "You're right, Ouroboros. But if I am mortal when I face Nidhogg, and I die, that's the end of it. He must die before I do. He will be mine, Ouroboros. I swear it." She turned to Penny. "You can follow me, or you can wait until I die again and start searching for me once more. I don't care which. I have a dragon to hunt. She turned and began to walk away.
Ouroboros turned to face Penny, a look that seemed pleading on his snake face. Penny nodded, having grown angry herself with Weiss's disposition. "I don't have time for this," she said. She grabbed Rose by the hand and dashed after Weiss, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're coming with me. Now!"
A flash of rainbow light erupted from the ground. "What!?" was all Weiss could mutter as the flames engulfed the trio, launching them through the Labyrinthus.
Song: Remember - Disturbed
Author's Note
I didn't expect to finish another chapter so soon, and I'm afraid that the pacing of the story seems to have sped up. But, admittedly, I was running out of ideas for how to stretch the middle out. We're closing in on our climax. It'll be a few more chapters. I'd like at least 50,000 words if possible, but I'll settle for 45,000 if need be. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!
Please, leave a review or a PM to let me know what you think. Personally, I feel like the story is going down hill, but I'm still having fun writing it so I guess it doesn't matter.
Fun Fact: I did absolutely nothing on 12-26-16. I lazed about all day, and it was fantastic!
Till next time! :D