Yo Peeps, GMG back with chapter 4 of Phantom Rose. Over 110 of you all received a PM from me, due to the site being a bit mean and not sending out the normal email alert. I found an old CD I used to listen to it, still was able to sing about 90% of what was on there. Not every good singing, mind you, but I did know the words.
DankoThunder, thanks for pointing out the very big error. I have rectified it, as promised, so Nevermore is the word on the chapter. Also, your username makes me think of Denko Sekka.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY…
The eight applicants were booking it, an angry Deathstalker on their heels. The giant scorpion surprisingly fast, given its extensive armor. A big issue for the teens were the slopes on either side. They weren't able to move freely and split apart effectively, being bottlenecked with ruins on either side. Ahead was the only option, a large formation, built upon the cliff and wrought with stone.
From above, the Nevermore flapped its massive wings, the thundering burst of air bringing with it numerous feathers (1), all aimed at Ruby and her friends. Out of necessity, the group split apart loosely, dodging the feathers as they impaled the ground. Ruby ducked under one, jumping over another that blocked her path and narrowly evading a few more. A feather landed before her, blocking her way and bringing the caped girl to a stop.
A large crow from the Nevermore caught her attention. Looking up, she saw it bring its wings forward again, another volley of flying death being launched at her. Ruby's eyes went wide and she darted around the feather, trying to use her semblance to outrun the feathers. One lodged into her cloak, causing her to shriek as she was jerked to a stop. She tugged fruitlessly at the white fabric, trying to free it, but it wouldn't come loose.
The scraping of bone plates sliding over one another brought her gaze up from her cloak. Luminous red eyes stared at her blankly, a large stinger bearing down at her. As it approached, she heard someone screaming her name.
In a jerk of motion, the stinger pierced Ruby, digging into the ground behind her.
XXXGMGXXX
"Thus kindly I scatter… Ruby, worry not, for I am always watching over you."
Ruby expected being impaled to be at least somewhat painful. Looking down, it clicked. Her appearance was flickering, from her hands to the cloak on her back. In a small corner of mind, she understood a bit more of her secondary semblance. Cautiously, she took a step to the side, removing herself from the creature's tail, her cloak also phasing through the feather that had it pinned.
The edges of her cloak flared out as a breeze ruffled them. Around her, her usual red rose petals were now swirling, except they were now stark white. Reaching behind her, she freed Crescent Rose from its holster, the weapon shifting to its scythe form. Ruby felt her semblance settling and aimed her scythe, firing herself away from the Deathstalker with her weapon's recoil, mixed with her primary semblance.
Ahead she saw the other seven already at the bridge of the ruins, heading off the Nevermore. Propelling herself with another handful of shots from her sniper scythe. The first ones she reached were Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren. She blurred by them in a storm of petal, only two goals in her mind: find Yang, find Blake. Looking up, she saw the aforementioned two, plus Weiss, taking shots at the large raven like Grimm. Yang's eyes were rimmed with tears, her irises a blazing red.
Ruby boosted herself up the stonework, falling in line with the other three, causing them to look at her in surprise. A goofy smile reached Ruby's lips. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Something wrong?"
Yang pulled her into a tight hug, laughing. "I'm so glad you're ok! I thought Dad would break down, if I had to tell him that we lost you too." She pulled back and wiped away the tears in her eyes. "Not to mention how I would've felt."
"While I hate to interrupt your family moment, we still have a major issue," Weiss stated, gesturing towards the behemoth of a Grimm that flew above.
The caped girl nodded. "She's right." Looking around at the area around them, her eyes brightened as a thought came to mind. "I have a plan.
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Yang leaped off the stone pillar as the Nevermore swooped in for another pass at the quartet. Landing in its open beak, she used her impressive strength to keep the creature's maw, peppering its throat with explosive shells from her Ember Celica. When her clip ran dry, she freed herself, the injured Grimm barreling into the cliff face, roaring as it stood upon an old piece of stonework.
As the blonde retreated, Weiss zipped forward, leaping up and pressing forward with a glyph that sent her right at the Nevermore. She landed near its tail as it tried to fly away, using her rapier to coat the tail feathers in ice and freeze them to the ruins before leaping back as well.
Yang had gotten atop one of the pillars, Blake calling for her from the pillar across from the blonde. Gambol Shroud shot across the open space between them, Yang catching it and sliding down the pillar, looping it around and securing it with her weight. Blake's arm felt the force Yang was applying. Reinforcing her arm with conscious application of her aura, she felt the pain recede from her arm.
Below, Ruby shot herself towards the ribbon. Turning in the air, she positioned herself, landing with pinpoint accuracy and dragging the ribbon down and back away from the pillars. She heard the ringing sound of Weiss' glyph behind her, the runic circle holding her in place. Weiss turned her outstretched hand, the glyph shifting to black before she let loose, sending Ruby blasting upwards at the Nevermore.
The blade of Crescent Rose hooked the creature around the neck as it pulled itself free. Ruby's momentum, dragged herself and the Grimm into the cliff face, though she was able to dig her boots into the rocky surface. A sharp ringing started, a line of white glyphs lighting up on the cliff above.
Ruby jerked upwards, instinctively running into the glyphs and firing her sniper as she went, effectively dragging the Nevermore up the cliff with her. The cliff's edge was pushing out above her, making it all the easier for her. Jumping right as the two reached the top, Ruby felt her arms jerk as the Grimm's body caught on the lip of the cliff. For a second, she thought the plan wouldn't work, but a sick slicing sound signaled that Crescent Rose had pulled through, separating the Nevermore's head from its body, the caped teen landing on the cliff, scythe positioned behind her.
Sighing in relief, she turned back to look at the others. Yang, Weiss, and Blake waved at her, while the other four were staring in awe. The Deathstalker, Ruby noted, was nowhere to be seen. Collapsing to her knees, she laughed. They had done it!
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"Team RWBY, led by… Ruby Rose!" Ozpin said, the audience clapping as the girls stepped off the stage, now officially a team.
Heading back to the room they had slept in on the first night, they gathered up their things and made their way to the dormitories. Weiss led the way, having gone over the various pamphlets and maps offered to interested peoples whom might join the academy in the future. Scaling a few staircases, they reached their room, unlocking it with the assigned Scrolls that each girl had received from Glynda.
Dumping their stuff in one place or another, each fished out a set of pajamas, changing quickly. Weiss had elected to change in the room's single bathroom, grumbling about a certain 'Brute' and her perverted nature. Yang had a good laugh at that, blowing a kiss at Weiss, who ignored it and slammed the door closed behind her.
Blake sat on her bed chosen bed, pulling out her novel from the night before and reading it. Meanwhile, Ruby and Yang were talking. It took a short while, but Ruby had ensured Yang that she would be more careful in the future, but refused to give up her mother's cloak, something the blonde understood, leaving it at that.
Issues resolved, they lay back on their own beds, Yang out within mere moments. Ruby pulled out some paper and started writing, intent on finishing the letters for her friends at Signal.
This was the site Weiss emerged to see. The heiress smiled very faintly before claiming the last bed, settling under the duvet. Blue eyes fluttered shut and she fell asleep with nary an issue.
End…
(1) Fatal Feathers!
Well, that would indeed be a thing. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to writing the next one. As far as it stands, the story will be proceeding like the normal storyline, though with alterations for both her semblance and the pairings I will be introduced. For the readers of Snow White Roses, the true pairing for Ruby won't be BlakeWinterRuby, unless something changes. Sorry 'bout that!
Adieu for now!