Forever Fall
[Disclaimer, this is a RWBY AU and RWBY belongs to Roosterteeth and the dearly departed Monty Oum. This is inspired by artwork on Dishwasher1910s Deviantart Page, IE the Team PJRP, Future Ruby, Future Jaune, Penny Persephone, and Pyrrha the Fall Maiden.]
"… And they will be. But right now they're still children, so why not let them play the part? After all, it isn't a role they'll have forever."- Headmaster Ozpin
Chapter 05: Growing Up
Penny
The Beowolves continue the pointless attack as I swing the corded blades about me like Ruby swings her precious weapons Crescent Rose and Blazing Rose. The swords cut through them as I walk calmly across the battlefield and back to General Schnee, her saber flashing as the Grimm attempt to overwhelm the defensive line of the Division. How many Grimm can Salem summon before she runs out of pawns to send our way? Even in a war of attrition, we are winning without Cinder aiding her and fighting us from within. There must be something we're missing…
"Persephone!" the shout rings out from the defensive line and I watch as one of the Beowolves steps underneath my swinging blades and I unlock the weapons from my pack sending them flying off in every direction as my right hand locks itself into position and a blade ejects from what would be the palm of my hand. The Beowolf howls as its jaws open wide and it moves to bite down on my left arm which was still out to manipulate the weapons as I ejected them. I wait until the jaws are close enough that I can feel the breath of the beast on my artificial skin before my right arm flies into action and I stab the thin blade directly into the Beowolf's jaw locking it into the open position causing it to skirt away from me as another one of the blades ejects and raise my palm aiming for the Beowolf's eye.
"I'm Combat Ready," I growl at the beast as I eject the blade sending it shooting towards the intended target; the Beowolf didn't stand a chance as the blade tears through its eye and out the back of its skull. The beast is already half dissolved as it falls to the forest floor.
"Penny, you should not gamble with your life so easily. What, if I may ask, caused such a distraction?" Winter says as she strides towards me on long legs covered by a green Military Combat Armour.
"I apologize General… I became distracted…" I whisper. Winter gives me a telling look and places a hand on my shoulder as she leads me away.
"I can see that… what distracted you? Was… was it about going back to town? Penny you don't have to worry about that anymore you know that right?" Winter questions harshly, but I recognize the edge of concern and anger layering her voice, it's the same thing underlying her conversations with Weiss when someone does something to her little sister. How you have changed since I activated Winter…
"I was distracted by something else, something more troubling… Winter what if we're playing into her hands again?" my voice wavers as I finish the question and I can feel hydration at the corners of my optic nerves. Arms wrap around me completely and I feel Winter's armour dig into me even through my clothes.
"You don't have to worry about that Penny… I promised the day you were activated that I wouldn't let anything happen to you, that she would never get the chance to. I will always keep that promise, you are like my daughter Penny, I've helped you just like Qrow has to become human once more. I would never let something hurt you, do you understand?" Winter coos as she presses my face against the chest plate of her cold hard armour. Somehow though it feels comforting, odd isn't it, that an android could ever consider having a family… a mother and father… friends… and to find a cold metal plate which would easily be replaced by a warm body to be comforting.
"Alright Winter… I believe you… You can let me go now," I say smiling as she lets me go, a blush dusting her cheeks as she turns around and nods.
"Then come along Persephone we have a division of soldiers that we need to get to Vale for some much needed rest and relaxation," Winter commands as she walks away, once more a picture of grace and elegance, just as she was raised to be. I smile widely and giggle as I start skipping after her back towards the lines of soldiers.
Five Hours Later
"General?" I question lightly my swords unfolding from my back once more.
"Penny get out of here, I'll cover you!" Winter shouts as her swords flash slicing through the Draugr foot soldiers marching at us. A glyph flashes throwing one of the Draugrs back into the ranks behind it.
"Negative General, I'm Combat Ready!" I shout and step forward, expertly swinging the strung blades around to wade through the Grimm that had attempted to flank us.
"Persephone I have ordered you to retreat, do as you are told. I'll watch our flank, get going!" Winter yells at me as I continue forward carving a path into the horde of Grimm. Soldiers appear behind me their rifles firing on full automatic to keep the monsters at bay. "We're out-maneuvered Penny get back and make sure the soldiers make it to Vale!"
"Negative General, I can't leave you behind. Our chances of surviving this ordeal are better if the entire battalion is together General. My calculations conclude this, we should retreat to the hill a few klicks back to make our stand," I advise Winter, she only growls in response as she contemplates the decision. "General you need to make a decision now!"
"All units fall back to the hill, form a defensive perimeter. First Company cover the retreat!" Winter shouts into the scroll set into her arm bracer. The troops move as ordered and the soldiers behind me follow suit. A Beowolf howls as it charges past my slicing blades and goes after one of the retreating soldiers. No you don't Grimm, I hiss in my thoughts as my left hand slides back dropping another one of the ejectable blades out. I move my left arm to face the Beowolf and fire the blade without a second thought. The sword blade enters through the back of the beasts head as my hand slides back into form and I twist my entire body throwing all my weight behind the swinging swords as an Ursa growls and stands upon its two legs to get more power behind the next attack. My swords go straight through the Ursa bisecting it and causing the corpse to begin dissolving.
What the! I think as a Beowolf jumps into the dissolving body of the Ursa and strikes at me. My blades are tugged from my pack sending them flying as the Beowolf's jaws lock onto my left arm.
"AHHH!" I scream as pain sears through my body and I fall to the ground with the Beowolf still atop me. My right hand slides apart another blade slipping into place as I stab it through the Beowolf's Grimm mask and into its brain. The beast begins dissolving from the blade's point of entry and I shove off what remains as I stand and fire off the blade at another one of the approaching Grimm. I summon two more swords and grip the handles of them as I stand up once more.
The sounds of automatic fire fill my ears as soldiers push forwards toward me, selecting and eliminating their Grimm targets as quickly as they can. One of them grabs my upper arm and starts pulling me backwards. I shake them off to go after one of the soldiers in front of me only to see blood pouring from her torn open chest plate. No… it's happening again. I refuse to lose anymore, it's happened too many times. I turn and bring my sword down on the neck of a Creep which launched itself at the soldier to my right. A gasp of pain escapes my lips as my left arm shudders to a halt and the fingers go numb. I lose my grasp on the blade and it drops to the ground, Dust that Beowolf got me a lot better than I thought.
"Persephone, you're injured. Fall back we've established the perimeter we're just waiting for you and the General and this squad," a soldier explains. I should get going they'll need my help to… They're waiting for the General and me?
"Sergeant where is the General?" I growl. The soldier shakes his head at me before continuing.
"I thought she was with you Captain Persephone?" the Sergeant wonders. Dust Winter's gone, I need to find her.
"Get the rest of the troops to the defensive square, I'm going after the General, if she isn't here than she is in danger," I command. The sergeant nods and begins waving at the different soldiers around me. I flick the scroll out of its case on my belt and set the channel to Winter's. "General Schnee, please come in. I repeat, please come in."
"argh… This… this is she…" Winter says weakly.
"Winter just hold on, I'm coming for you," I growl across the channel as I charge after the tracker which pops up.
"Just… just wait a second Penny… jus… just wait… I'm sorry… I'm so so sorry… I promised you…" Winter struggles to say. Just stop talking, hold on a little longer, I'm almost there! I want to scream at her, but my voice locks up in my vocal modulator as more liquid pools at the corners of my optics, blurring my visual acuity.
"Don't you make a girl a promise," I growl at her. That's right keep her talking, keep her with you Penny. "You don't get to fade Winter, your place is here with me, with Weiss, with Ruby. Don't tell me you'd forget your promises to them either! You swore you'd be there for them when they needed you most! Dust! Winter say something."
"So… so… sorry… I don't… I don't want to…" Winter sputters coughing in every pause. Don't die, I'm so close Winter… Stay with me, stay with us… I ignore my reduced visual capacity and slice through a Boarbatusk and see her leaning up against a tree. The green armour is slick and dyed scarlet by her blood. A single broken tusk sticks from her side as I slide up next to her eyes flutter open and turn to me. "I… don't… want… to… go."
I rip off the cloak I'd been given by Ruby and expertly wrap the tan and green garment around the wound before picking Winter up lightly. I refuse to lose anyone else!
"Don't worry Winter… you made me a promise, and you'll see it through, just stay with me a bit longer."
Author's Note:
Trust me I've been reading the comments and keeping an eye on this story, because of that I'll definitely try to continue this, as for some of the questions I've gotten, those will be answered in time, but the point of where this story started is for people to see that this war that is being fought in RWBY won't end quickly and will take years, if not lifetimes and lots of sacrifices to see it won. I hope people will continue to read, and I hope I can continue to write this. Thanks for the support, I hope you all like the direction this heads in, I've been editing the chapters as I post them but if I missed something feel free to tell me! Until my next update!