Chapter 4: Where do We go from here?

With the battle over, the safe zone was in shambles. Much like their first fight, the grounds were reduced to craters and debris, most of the trees and their habitable areas had been completely decimated. At least none of their equipment had been caught in the crossfire as Hex ensured to leave nothing behind before they went exploring.

On the other hand, everyone was exhausted and this left the question: If a bonus trial was this hard... then what were the rest of the real trials like?

"RUBY!" Yang Prime called, rushing over to her little sister and hugging her, "Where were you?!"

They hadn't seen her since they split off and her team was rightfully worried. Their leader could only return their sentiments, trying to hide the growing insecurities that surfaced everytime she saw the Universe-13 team in action.

Ruby Prime laughed airily, "I met someone along the way," she pointed to where Nova was standing. The boy in question had spotted his team and was walking over with a proud smile on his face.

"Who's this guy?" Weiss Prime asked, squinting her eyes at the newcomer. "I don't recognize him..."

Yang Prime raised her eyebrow, "Another one that doesn't exist in our world. Exaggerated fashion sense and what's with the weird arm?"

Blake's ears flickered as she observed the other team. It was like watching something that was missing a piece suddenly become whole again, strange how one extra person seemed to incite a strong reaction from the others. Luna was giggling and latching onto his arm as he swung her around, before exchanging a spartan handshake with Nitro and giving the redhaired boy a noogie. Even the Universe-13 Team RWBY were group hugging him. The biggest reaction however came from what happened when his eyes locked with Ruby-13.

"Is it just me or does everyone on that team just look really good?" Weiss folded her arms.

Blake snapped out of her observation and smirked, "You sure that's not your narcissism talking?"

"Quiet you!"

Yang Prime's brows furrowed, "No she's got a point. Like… they're us… but somehow better looking? Maybe it's the fashion sense? Or we just get better in a year?"

Ruby Prime shot them a look, "Really?"

"RUBY! GUYS!" Nova waved as he jogged up to meet them, waving with a bright smile on his face. "I finally found you!"

Ruby-13's eyes locked onto him and they just stood there for an intense moment, like her entire mood shifted instantly as she petal burst toward the boy in a red flurry. He just smiled warmly and caught her in his arms, holding her by the waist as he set her down, their eyes were level with each other the entire time, not breaking contact for a second.

It was the brightest smile anyone had seen on Ruby's face… ever. Her face was practically glowing, a radiant smile that outshined anything they'd encountered from their leader.

"NOVA! I missed you!" Ruby-13 squealed as she hugged him tightly, coming to rest in his arms.

...

Team RWBY Prime stood shocked as they witnessed Ruby Rose, even if it wasn't their Ruby, run up to a boy and hug him like that. It was… the first time they'd seen something like that, even Ruby Prime was struck.

Yang Prime whistled, "Wow, they look… super close. I'm starting to feel my theory is right~" she elbowed her sister.

Ruby Prime laughed awkwardly, "Pfft, no way! They're just close friends…"

"I don't know, I think your counterpart found someone before you could… and a gorgeous one to boot!"

Ruby Prime shot her a look, "Please, maybe she just missed him. He is their precious teammate, and he was missing. They were probably worried sick."

"Maybe, but I know that look anywhere. It might be a different Ruby but she's giving him a look I've only seen you give to weapons. I think at the very least she has a crush on him." Yang offered.

"Nothing is confirmed!" Ruby Prime defied.

"Ruby…" Weiss smirked at her leader, "are you getting jealous… of yourself?" she accused with a smug grin, "HAHAHA THIS IS RICH!"

"Shut up Weiss."

...

Ruby-13 gazed into Nova's eyes, "Gosh it feels good to have the bond back. It feels like something was missing…" she spoke through their bond. To the outside world, they looked like they were just staring at each other silently.

Nova chuckled and placed his hand on her cheek, "Yeah, I think this place, whatever it was, blocks the bond when we're too far away. I didn't even think that was possible."

"Did you get lost again?" she accused leaning forward and flicking his forehead.

Rubbing the sore spot he shrugged, "Well... you know how I am with directions."

Rolling her eyes she smiled again, "At least you showed up when you did. You know how dangerous using the Silver Eyes is without the soul anchor."

...

Team RWBY-13 made their way over to their Prime counterparts as the rest of ASHN were preparing to unpack the camp.

"You guys okay?" Yang-13 asked, fixing her hair back so it was out of her face.

"Yeah we're fine, but what's up with them?" Ruby pointed at the other two having their silent conversation.

Upon seeing them Weiss-13 groaned, "Goddamnit they're doing it again."

Yang squinted, "Looks like they're just… staring at each other? Now they're laughing. I'm so confused."

Yang-13 just groaned, "Don't worry about it. Sometimes it's better you don't know."

"Know what?"

That's when they watched, in astonishment, as Nova leaned down and Ruby-13 leaned up.

"No way…" – Yang.

"They aren't going to…" – Weiss.

Team RWBY Prime's jaws dropped as they watched the two get closer until their lips met in a deep, passionate kiss. It was mind-boggling, almost surreal. Ruby Rose was kissing someone… anyone for that matter.

"Wow…" Blake stared in awe.

"Holy shit…" Yang mouthed, "I was right!"

Weiss had to rub her eyes, "I know we were teasing Ruby but… it's shocking to see… well Ruby… kiss someone"

"I never thought I'd see the day…" Blake said awestruck.

Ruby Prime spun around on her team, blushing furiously. It wasn't her but it was also her, so it was embarrassing. "HEY! I'm not so bad off that you gotta say it like that!"

Eventually, the two stopped locking lips and made their way toward the others. "Wow," Nova stared, "There really are two of everyone."

Ruby-13 just shook her head and dragged him over to their side, "These are our… counterparts from another timeline."

Nova gaped, "It's more than just that Ruby," he pointed to the Prime, "It's nice to meet you guys! Is there a Nova on your side too? Is he cooler than me?" he asked that part squinting.

Ruby Prime was still trying to process the scene she just witnessed so Weiss Prime answered for her, "No, no one that looks even remotely like you."

Yang Prime snickered as she tried to snap her Ruby out of the daze.

After the battle settled and the park was fully repaired, they once again settled down for a much-needed break. Hex began organizing all the repair kits obtained, taking everyone's weapons one by one and repairing them. Ruby Prime was hesitant to give up her Crescent Rose, but Hex assured her that she'd worked on Ruby's weapon so there wasn't a need to worry.

"So… we were telling each other stories of our adventures. Seems things happened a lot differently for them than they did for us," Ruby-13 said as she began catching Nova up on what he missed.

"I see…" Nova's face got serious, "You guys lost your Pyrrha… fuck… I can't imagine what Jaune went through…"

"Beacon was one of the best times of our lives. It's where we became friends and where we learned so much." Blake Prime smiled fondly remembering her early days and looking at her team, specifically toward Yang who locked eyes with her for a brief moment.

Ruby-13 chuckled, "Yeah, that's where we met Nova and Team ASHN. It's where we started and we'll never forget those days."

This prompted Yang Prime to lean forward at the two, "Sooo… other Ruby. Are you and Nova are like… dating? 'Cuz you know… we saw you kiss and all that…"

"YANG! That's none of our business!" Ruby Prime reprimanded her sister.

"What? I just want to know how your Ruby managed to land someone like that, maybe you can shed some pointers to ours."

Ruby Prime coughed violently, "EXCUSE ME?! Yang! I do not need dating advice from my alternate timeline self!"

"Who else would be better? This is an opportunity!"

"Ugh…"

Ruby-13 giggled, "It's fine. I met Nova on our second day at Beacon. We went into Vale for a new weapon store grand opening and he was there. Cliché as it sounds, we both wanted the same weapon mod and… well at the time he didn't look like this…"

When she was met with confusion, Nova followed up, "I used to hide my identity, so Ruby thought I was a dark-haired boy whose personality didn't match his fashion sense."

"He was super awkward at first," Ruby-13 teased.

Nova turned red, "Hey! So were you! We started off trying to be friends because neither of us wanted to admit we had a crush. Of course that could only go on for so long before the casual flirting and teasing turned into a confession."

Yang hummed, "So who confessed first?"

"That was me…" Nova rubbed the back of his head awkwardly and they noticed his left arm was completely draconic and scaly. Then Ruby Prime recalled that Nova had lost that arm, so maybe it was replaced. "It was after the breach in Vale when our mission to Mount Glenn turned sour."

Blake was intrigued, "That happened to you guys too?"

"Yup, though we closed it up pretty quickly, Luna almost died and honestly it prompted me to realize how fragile our lives were… and I didn't want to have any regrets should we ever fall so I told Ruby how I felt when the mission was over. I thought she would reject me but… well… here we are. Three years later." Nova said with a warm smile.

"Wow… so you've been dating for three years? That's… a long time." Weiss Prime hummed, impressed at their relationship.

Ruby-13 let out a nervous laugh, "Well, two months were spent where we thought he was dead… and then after Atlas, we lost him for almost 8 months again…" She turned to Nova and pinched his arm, "You really need to stop being so damn reckless!"

Nova flinched at the reminder, "I can never apologize enough for that."

Ruby -13 just sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, it was clear they were comfortable with minor PDA. "At least you came back, every time, and I know you'll never leave again."

Blake clasped her hands together, "You guys are so cute."

Weiss-13 snorted, "Sure it's cute now but try living with them. It gets old, really quickly, but then again they hardly act all lovey-dovey in public so it's fine I guess."

"Still, to manage to lockdown a boyfriend for this long, good on you other Ruby," Yang Prime said with genuine happiness.

Ruby-13 glanced at Nova and then back at Yang Prime, "Well… actually we're not just dating," she giggled.

"Huh?"

"We're engaged," Nova and Ruby-13 said simultaneously, Ruby held up her promise ring to show them.

"WHAT?!" Team RWBY Prime almost fell over from shock.

"SO SOON?!" Yang Prime exclaimed, "Aren't you like still so young?!"

Ruby-13 answered, "Well, when you quite literally live rent-free inside someone's head, and their soul becomes a part of you… there really isn't anyone else in the world you'd rather be with," she said endearingly, "Nova is… honestly the most amazing person I've ever met, and he means the world to me."

"She's my other half, someone I could never think to live without anymore," Nova followed up.

Ruby Prime was absolutely flabbergasted, "How the hell did you have time to maintain your relationship with the world being crazy? Isn't that a little irresponsible?"

"Ruby! That's rude!" Yang Prime chastised but her leader was adamantly staring down her counterpart.

Ruby-13 simply smiled, "It's a valid point, Yang. True it would be difficult if it was a standard relationship, but when you're with the right person… everything will find a way to work out. We never let our feelings dictate our actions…" Her eyes grew dark as if remembering a very hard choice she had to make, "Even if we want nothing more than to help them…"

Ruby Prime wanted to argue but the look on her counterpart was so deeply ladened with a mixture of emotions that she couldn't.

"Anyway… so what happened after Beacon?" Blake Prime asked after the awkward pause. "For us… well… I ran away to Menagerie. Something I'm not super proud of…"

Yang Prime quietly gave her a forgiving look before turning back, "Well, I went off to find Mom…"

"I got roped back to Atlas by my dad…" Weiss answered.

"And I went with the rest of Team JNPR to Mistral. Eventually, we all met up, found Ozpin's reincarnation, and fought Cinder and her goons for the relic in Haven." Ruby Prime answered finally.

Blake-13 flinched at her counterpart, "I… sorta did the same thing… but Luna followed me and Sun. They… set me straight."

Luna smirked and reached up to pet Blake-13, "Hey, what are friends for? For the record, we didn't follow you. I was heading over with Mom to deal with the White Fang and warn the people of Menagerie because that was Nova's plan before he died."

"Which you know… didn't happen," Nova answered sheepishly, "I recovered from my injuries, and caught a boat ride back to Patch trying to find Ruby but met up with Yang instead. We trained with Tai for a while before going after Raven."

"I was pretty much in the same boat as you, other me," Weiss-13 answered with embarrassment.

"Same here," Ruby-13 answered, "Speaking of Cinder… how is she in your world?"

Ruby Prime grits her teeth, "Rotten to the core and spiteful. I hate her... I don't hate many people, but I despise her. Everything she's done... from killing Pyrrha to ruining everything."

Nova nodded, "Our Cinder turned into a Grimm like Salem. Just when we thought we'd gotten rid of her, she comes back like a cockroach."

Blake squinted, "Wait... gotten rid off?"

This prompted a dark look to wash over Nova's face as his expression grew quite serious, "I killed her once. She came back to life after that."

"YOU KILLED HER?!" the collective gasp came from the RWBY-Prime.

Nova sighed, "Well… when things are as bad as they were. Sometimes you don't have the luxury of sparing your enemies. Have you killed someone before?"

Ruby Prime's head bent low, "N-No. Killing is wrong, especially toward other people!" The revelation struck like a hammer to Ruby's core. She'd always been in dire situations, but not once had she thought of killing another person. What was wrong with that universe?

Ruby-13 looked at her with morbid understanding, "We used to think like that too… honestly, we didn't want to take any lives that weren't out of necessity. But… when you're in a war, sparing an enemy is just giving them a chance to come back against you."

"It's still… wrong…"

"I'm not saying that it's right either," Ruby-13 countered.

"Then why?!"

"Some lessons you need to learn the hard way to understand. You can't save everyone, Ruby… and some people just aren't worth saving." Her older counterpart said with a heavy heart. Ruby Prime grit her teeth, it felt like she was being talked down to by an adult who believed she didn't understand how the world worked. It irritated her.

Weiss Prime clenched her fists, "I'm not sure I fully get it… but I think I understand where you're coming from. Things have happened to you that we haven't experienced…"

"Wait… if Cinder is dead in your world, then who's the Fall Maiden?" Yang Prime asked with a puzzled expression.

The Prince rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "That's... complicated. I'd be happy to tell you guys later, but honestly it's getting kind of late, we'll pick back up tomorrow."

Once everyone was turning in for the night, Ruby was left to sit alone at the table. The night was crisp and cold, at least now a subtle draft blew through the air sending away some of the fog that had gathered, revealing the night sky.

"There are so many stars..." Ruby said, gazing up at the glittering night, "The constellations are different from on Remnant."

No one was around, everyone else was asleep, and despite being alone, it was eerily the same way she felt when she was awake. The loneliness, she realized, was present regardless of who was around.

Pulling out her scroll she filtered through old pictures from when they were at Beacon. Stopping on one of Team RWBY just outside Amity Arena before their first fight. A bitter smile crept over her face.

"I wish we could go back, before things got this bad..." she glanced at her sleeping team. She remembered when they shared everything, did everything together. Now it just felt like they weren't who they used to be. After the Fall, Yang changed, Blake changed. Weiss was still Weiss but it felt like a wall had been driven between them since the team split up for the first time. A wall that hadn't been broken.

In the beginning they all had a common goal they were eagerly working toward but after the truth about Ozpin was revealed... doubts had already been spread in their minds. Ruby knew what she needed to fight for... but why did it feel like they just weren't on the same page anymore. First Yang and Blake lie and tell their plans to Robyn, an act which she forgave them for but it didn't change the fact they acted without consulting her. She was their leader, their friend. Why didn't they trust her?

Then her sister doesn't trust her plans after they got kicked out of Atlas, and goes off with her own team splitting them apart.

They were supposed to be a team... so why did it feel like she was alone?

Her eyes glanced to the sleeping Team ASHNRWBY, thinking about how they acted. Their team was so cohesive, always prepared for any situation and they trusted their leaders wholeheartedly. Even that Nova guy just showed up, issued a few words, and suddenly their whole demeanor shifted from a well-oiled machine to a complete unit.

Finally her gaze stopped on Ruby-13, her sleeping bag tucked away while she slept in Nova's arms. The root of her insecurities.

What did that Ruby have that she didn't? Ruby-13 seemed to be better in every way, stronger, smarter, more charismatic. Just what exactly did she need to do better?

Now onto Chapter 5