The Shadow of Fire
Chapter 33: F is for Friendship
A/N: Ok, there have been some people who have complained about my OC's, especially the god characters, the fact is though that I'm doing things this way because of how I have envisioned the story. Saturn was meant to help team RWBY develop and grow and it also allowed me to introduce the OC characters i needed to without making them too Mary-Sue'ish. The Fact is that the Gods are the main storyline here, and even then, they aren't perfect. They can't snap their fingers and banish someone from existence, and they can't heal extreme injuries with NO problems, the mortals still need to do these things themselves. If you still don't want to read then that's fine, but I won't make any apologies for the ideas I have.
I will thank everyone supporting me, Orion Matrix, G.N Over-Kite, Scourge From BloodClan, Kerosene Desire, and so many others.
This isn't an attack on anyone, just needed to say this to clear up confusion about plot.
The OC in this chapter belongs to jetscythe7.
And thanks to ElfCollaborator for putting this in TvTropes in the RWBY section, Thanks Elf!
Help my friend Scourge From BloodClan out, her works are very good in my opinion, and she doesn't get as many readers as she should, go check her out.
Sorry for any spelling errors!
April 21st
9:30 PM
Three Months Later
Weiss Schnee sobbed into her pale hands, ignoring the calm hand on her shoulder. She was in too much of a mental funk that she couldn't respond even if she wanted to.
The ringing in her ears only reminded her of the situation; Ruby Rose was dead, her heart monitor flat lining, and the sound echoing down the halls of Beacon Academy.
The bubbly girl of Beacon, powerful Huntress, savor of Vale, and girlfriend of Weiss Schnee was dead.
How did it all end up like this?
Several hours earlier
Team RWBY Dorm Room
7:30 AM
"GOOD MORNING TEAM RWBY!" Ruby Rose called out to her team, giddy as ever as she jumped from her top bunk, shaking the bed as she moved to the floor.
The Faunus brushed off a bit of pillow fluff from her black and red tail before putting a closed fist to her mouth, clearing her throat before plucking a whistle from thin air. The young girl did a quick look around the room, locking eyes with an awake Blake, who placed a pair of earmuffs over her cat ears, covering her real once with her hands before nodding.
Ruby grinned and put the silver whistle in between her lips and blew hard into the device.
The previously still and quiet room was instantly flooded by the sound of several sounds: The whistle blowing, Weiss and Yang screaming in a panic, the sound of Yang hitting the floor as she fell from her top bunk, and several others.
"GOOD MORNI-" Ruby began shouting as a pillow slammed into her face, effectively pausing her in mid sentence.
"NO!" Weiss shouted downward as Yang groaned on the flooring, rubbing her aching head. "We don't do that!"
"How else am I gonna wake you up? You two are deep sleepers."
"I am not!" Weiss retorted, climbing out of bed.
"And Yang isn't obsessed with her hair." Blake stated bluntly, the blonde in question hoping up onto her feet.
"So, plans for the day?" Yang asked, fixing a patch of her blonde mane.
"Well, classes start in an hour today, so I recommend everyone takes a quick shower and eats quickly." Weiss stated wisely, the group of girls nodding in agreement. "And-" Weiss added, turning to directly face Ruby. "YOU need to brush your tail."
Ruby suddenly paled, clutching the appendage tightly in her palms, her ears flattening on her mop of hair. "But-!"
"No buts!" Weiss interrupted the younger girls pleads, waving an accusing finger at the latter. "You told me you would yesterday."
"I was kidding?" Ruby attempted to sneak her way out of the brushing, tapping her index fingers together.
"No." Weiss rolled her icy blue eyes, groaning at her antics as Blake tossed her a brush. "You shower first, and then brush time."
Needless to say, Ruby's' groans of despair could be heard from all over Beacon that morning.
Ruby felt off.
As she sat in professor Ports first period class, next to her girlfriend and her partner, she felt strange. The feeling from back at Saturn's' fortress was returning to her body, and it didn't feel normal. Not one bit.
'Tear out their throats!' A feminine voice echoed deep within her mind, growling with pure anger.
'Ignored.' Ruby thought, leaning her head on her right palm, staring blankly as Port rambled on about meeting a strange creature in his past, deep within the Emerald Forest.
'Destroy them!' The voice commanded, drawing Ruby in a bit. After all, this was the first time that the voice responded twice in a row.
'Who is this?' Ruby asked, her head growing heavy in her hand.
'The true you.' The voice spoke, stunning Ruby for a moment, her ears perking upward on her mop of hair.
'Explain yourself, please?' Ruby asked sweetly, a harsh bark responding back as soon as she thought the words.
'You are weak! I am strong! The animal within is growing, devouring you...' It trailed off, a loud snap of fingers echoing deep in her mind.
Ruby felt her eyes grow heavy, her Aura levels lowering dramatically, her mind slowing down to a animalistic state of mind.
'No... Stop it...' Ruby growled back at the voice in her head, forcing herself to try and determine what the source was.
Suddenly, a replica of Ruby herself appeared in her head, her silver eyes once filled with warmth and love now full of hate and anger.
'I am you, poor weak girl, and I will devour you for my master.' The voice spoke back at her, sinister laughter filling her ears as she felt her Aura completely depleting.
"Miss Rose!" Port asked out, snapping the Faunus from her deep conflicts within her mind, just before she would have lost control. "Since you are so inclined to pay the upmost attention to my story, remind the class what the creature I encountered looked like." The Master Hunter asked the girl, twirling an end of his mustache, awaiting her answer.
"Uh..." Ruby trailed off, all eyes in the room on her, including Weiss, who seemed more concerned than upset about her getting called out.
"It was very... Purple?" Ruby asked, thinking of the first color to pop into her mind.
"Is that a question, or an answer?" Port asked in a quizzical tone, gesturing for her to continue.
"An answer..." Ruby said slowly, awaiting her future hours of detention with fear.
"Well, it appears that you were paying attention after all. Ten points of extra credit to you, Miss Rose." He said happily, continuing his speech. "The creature seemed human, or most likely Faunus in origin, and it seemed hostile towards the Grimm, and not myself. I never got a good look at it, besides seeing that it stood upright and used a strange glowing purple pole-like object as a weapon, and large shadowy claws. May that be a lesson to you all: always keep a camera on you!" Port summarized the lesson, reaching for a stack of papers on his desk. "Now, to return the tests from before Christmas."
"Mister Arc!" Port announced first, following last name rule to pass out papers. "Congratulations my boy! A 91% for you, excellent work!"
Port passed through the alphabet, delivering papers to the corresponding students: Blake earning a solid 97%, Yang taking a 86% happily, and several others passing the test.
"Miss Rose..." Port said slowly, reaching her desk, looking down at the scared Faunus. "Your scores were... An odd sight, to say the least..."
"I'm sorry..." Ruby said slowly, having rehearsed the line after failing many tests in her classes.
"... Which in this case is a excellent thing." He said proudly, placing a small crystal in her palms: Pure Black Dust, a rare Dust, if found in its pure form, and immensely powerful for Crescent Rose.
Port held up her test booklet, all eyes on it, looking to the red pen ink that showed the score.
"A perfect score, 100%. May it be luck or from studying, I don't know. Only seven people have earned this score on this test in my teaching career, and Miss Rose is the eighth, and the only one this year. As a prize, she earns a Black Dust crystal." He said with the up most respect, handing her the paper as Weiss watched in utter shock.
"And finally, Miss Schnee..." He said, plucking a pen of his from thin air, quickly writing something down on her test as he recalled something important about the date today. "A 99%, I am very proud." He said, handing her the test.
Weiss looked down at her paper with satisfaction, happy that at least she had the second highest score behind Ruby. As Weiss read her grade, she noticed the small message that Port had written on her test booklet.
See me after class, ALONE.
"Now, you all are dismissed early, enjoy your day." He said, walking slowly towards his desk.
"I did it Weiss!" Ruby chirped out, hugging the heiress in a death grip, squeezing the air from her body.
"That's- Great-" Weiss managed out as the smaller girl kept the hug firmly in place. "Need- Air-"
"Ack! Sorry Weiss-y!" Ruby quickly apologized, scratching the back of her head while grinning. "Forget my enhanced strength sometimes. Haven't really gotten my Faunus powers under control."
"We have time, it will be fine. Just you wait and see." Weiss said wisely, sending a small smile to the bubbly girl before her. "Here," The heiress said, placing her wallet and purse in Ruby's hands. "Can you go get me a cup of tea from the drinks stand near the cafeteria? I'll catch up, meet me in Professor Peaches room." She said, Ruby nodded quickly as Yang and Blake began leaving.
"See ya soon Weiss-y!" Ruby chirped out, racing out of the room.
Weiss gave a small sigh of relief as she made her way down to Ports desk, standing with perfect posture as she awaited whatever it was that he needed.
"Miss Schnee... I was informed this morning by Headmaster Ozpin that you are to begin proceeding to his office at once." He said with a small cough. "He will hand you a hallway pass so you will not be counted absent from your next period."
"Understood sir, thank you." Weiss said as she turned to the exit, stopping when a hand firmly grasped her shoulder.
"Weiss..." Port began, deciding to use her first name. "When speaking to him today, please promise me you will answer all of his questions." The blunderbuss wielder sounded nervous, almost fearful.
"I-" Weiss began, curiosity overwhelming her at this point. "I promise."
"Good," He said softly, removing his grip on the girl. "Now hurry, he is awaiting you."
"Come in." Ozpin spoke aloud from his clockwork chair, tapping a small button on his Scroll as he faced the window of his office, looking down at the courtyard.
Weiss entered in the room slowly, making her way across the marble floor to the front of his desk, clearing her throat.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" Weiss asked, getting straight to the point.
"Yes," Ozpin said, turning to face the girl before him. He placed his coffee mug down on his desk and gestured to a seat before the desk. "Please sit down, we have much to discuss."
Weiss complied, doing as she was told and sitting down, awaiting his words.
"As you know, the rescue of Orion and the subsequent death of Saturn Laos were very big news articles for the past few weeks. I couldn't be prouder of you all for your efforts." Ozpin started, adjusting his glasses.
"Thank you sir, it means a-"
"And we both know that there was more to that report than was given on. Correct?"
"I-" Weiss stuttered, shifting in her chair. "I don't understand."
"Your team reported to me the day after the attack on his fortress, and I paid close attention to Miss Rose and your own reports..."
"I can promise you that I told you everything that happened at his base, and I am more than happy to repe-"
"But what about what happened outside of the base?" Ozpin interrupted bluntly, a look of anger and pity mixed together adoring his face.
Weiss felt the temperature in the room drop, her body feeling colder than normal. "What are you asking?"
"Orion gave me his story, one that I find strange. That you all passed out at the scene, then woke up later on? Orion is a trickster, as you may or may not know by now, so I am asking this one thing of you, Miss Schnee..." Ozpin said, leaning forward to get closer to Weiss "What happened after the battle?"
"Um..." Weiss said slowly, gulping and swallowing what felt like twenty pounds of bricks. "We..."
"Weiss." Ozpin said simply, no emotions on his face as he looked into her own eyes.
"Orion was sort of right. I did pass out, or I died. I'm not really sure." Weiss admitted, playing with the ends of her school uniform.
"This isn't the first time you've been killed, has it?" Ozpin asked bluntly, raising an eyebrow at the heiress.
"No... It's the second time now." Weiss said solemnly, perking up for a minute. "How come I keep coming back to life? Shouldn't dead people, stay dead?"
"Are you complaining?"
"Not at all, I just want to know why I'm so special. Why my family members are dead but haven't come back."
Ozpin sighed loudly, taking a quick sip of his coffee. "You have favor with the Gods, and it's nothing new to be killed and come back for me."
"How so?"
"I've been killed... How many times is it now Luna?" Ozpin asked aloud, Luna suddenly appearing before him, the Beacon A.I.
"The last death would make this your 14th time coming back to the living." Luna stated before moving off towards the window.
"You've died fourteen times?!" Weiss exclaimed, in utter shock at the man's confession.
"Yes, it comes in handy from time to time. Being the Grand Master Hunter in all of Remnant has its perks and downsides. I have made friends with the Gods, so anything that you are hiding would not be new news to me. But Weiss," The Headmaster ended softly, resting his head in his hands. "I need to know what you saw, regardless of how insignificant it is. Otherwise, I could simply switch you out with Miss Rose, and we both know she has too much on her mind as it is."
Weiss let out a small sigh, glancing back up at the older man before her.
"I don't know where we went, but we went somewhere that wasn't physically connected to our world."
Ozpin nodded, taking a small sip of coffee, gesturing her to continue.
"Well, the first thing I did was wake up in a large garden..."
Sea of Despair
Realm of Xalveris
Xalveris stood atop his tower of darkness, built of solid ebony, towering over any sized skyscraper in Remnant by comparison. The tower had a medieval style to it, looking as if were a guard tower that would be connected to a castle.
The Elder God of Destruction and Darkness looked downward at his realm, a pure black ocean, spanning thousands of miles in all directions. Millions upon millions of souls belonging to his collective army floated aimlessly, just waiting for his orders.
Within the lower floors of the towering building, were the Halls of Pain, where his personal guard, the Fallen Gods and Goddesses, resided. While his numbers were plenty, the Elder God knew he needed much more force to conquer the Universe and slay his enemies.
The tuxedo wearing man looked down at a pure black watch, the silver hands to the small clock ticking away.
"Soon, all of my decades of planning will come together." The tuxedo man said evilly, chuckling to himself as Rook appeared from the shadows behind him.
"My Lord and one true Master," The Fallen God of War, Commander Rook, bowed down on his right knee. "Lady Sear is in position."
"Excellent work, Commander." Xalveris said with genuine happiness in his tone, proud of his most loyal soldier. "Tell her to commence Operation Archangel at once." The man of Darkness said with a vile grin.
"Now let us see if the Fallen Goddess of the Hunt can prove her worth."
Headmaster Ozpins Office
Beacon Academy
10:57 AM
"I see..." Ozpin said solemnly, tapping his trademark cane on the glass floor of his office. "Yveltal, or Lord Yveltal, has indeed taken an interest in you two."
"I spoke to Dagonus recently, he told me that Yveltal dislikes Mortals. And that Ruby was an exception." Weiss said, adjusting herself in her chair, the gears on the ceiling casting a shadow over the pair.
"While Lord Yveltal doesn't like Mortals to an extent, he doesn't hate them. Think of it this way: If you were an immortal being, chief of all other Godly figures, and creator of all existence, would you prefer to spend your time interacting with Mortals while you have a war on your hands?" Ozpin reasoned, tapping his fingers on his desk, the gears within said desk spinning onward.
"I suppose..." Weiss admitted softly, a near mutter due to how low it was. Weiss had a strange sense of jealously, something about Ozpins words seemed to bother her. She wouldn't ever know that feeling of being immortal, even if she somehow kept coming back from the dead.
"Is something troubling you?" Ozpin asked, tilting his head to the side, his silver hair moving with the motion.
"Back to the topic of repeated death... Do you happen to know if it is preventable?" Weiss asked awkwardly, a strange question to be asking.
"Are you perhaps asking if you could stay dead?" Ozpin questioned.
"Yes."
"Well, from what I've gathered, only two things can truly kill you in this state. One would be total destruction of your body, where your soul cannot physically stay back in your body. If you were caught in an explosion, and it disintegrated your body, then you would remain deceased." Ozpin explained, standing up from his chair to walk across the room, continuing his answer to her question. "The second is simply old age, and you have many years ahead of you." He said, pouring some water from a pot into one of his many exotic plant stationed on tables around the room.
"I see." Weiss said slowly, looking down at her lap. Her fears seemed more real now, that she wouldn't live forever.
Deep in Weiss's mind, was a dark thought. That if Ruby were immortal, and Weiss was not, one day they would need to say goodbye forever, and Ruby would one day forget about the Schnee heiress, possible move on to another lover. As much as Weiss wanted to ignore this idea, she couldn't shake the feeling that it was entirely possible.
"Miss Schnee?" Ozpin asked, now back at his clockwork chair, looking deep into her icy blue eyes. "Did you hear me?"
"What?" Weiss said quickly, nearly jumping in her seat. "I'm sorry, sir. I haven't been thinking straight these last few days, what did you say?"
"I said, would you like me to escort you back to class?" Ozpin asked once more, his cane already in hand, clearly refusing to take no for an answer.
"Why not." Weiss said with a minor shrug of the shoulders, standing up before pushing her chair in, following the Headmaster towards the elevator exit.
Ruby sat alone in class, holding her teammates cup of tea in her hands, the girl in questions white purse on the floor next to her.
Class was on break, professor Preach had called in sick last minute and thus left the class free to roam around without guidance of a teacher, until the staff found out of the anomaly of the classes standard routine.
"Come on sis," Yang had said ever so cheerfully, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "Let's go to the library, I brought the board game for lunch, but we can get a good practice round in."
"But I can't. I promised Weiss that I would meet her here." Ruby said softly, a near whimper in sound, like she was fearing punishment.
"Ruby," Blake said quickly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Are you feeling well? You seem out of it."
"Yeah," Yang noted. "Ya haven't been as hyper as usual. Did you forget your cookies in the dorm or something again?" The busty brawler questioned, placing her hands on her hips.
"It's not that." Ruby said, not wanting to spill the beans about the strange voice in her head. All she could assume that it was her animalistic personality. Blake had once told her that it would feel like she is fighting herself as she grows more mature, so she didn't believe it warranted any worry. "I'll wait till Weiss shows, okay? Then we will catch up."
"Alrighty then, sis. We will be in the library at the usual spot." Yang told the pouty Faunus, patting her on the back. "Give a kiss to Princess for me." She added before walking off, Blake in tow, leaving Ruby all alone in the dull class room.
'Destroy this place!' The voice from before demanded, the more animalistic version of herself resurfacing from his dormant state once again. 'Crush all within!'
'Stop it!' Ruby demanded, letting go of any and all polite or friendly notions that she had towards the strange clone of herself within her skull.
'I take no orders from you, worm!'
'Cut it out, you're annoying.' Ruby countered back, unaware that while she was arguing with the voice, her whole body was shaking slowly, her grip on Weiss's tea cup growing tighter and tighter.
'How dare a mere Mortal speak to me in such away! I will tear out your throat!' Other Ruby growled out at the real Ruby, growing angrier by the second.
'Whatever, I'm not letting you have control again. All Blake said to do was keep focusing on nice things and you'll go away eventually.' Ruby thought simply, her mind drifting off towards other, more pleasant thoughts, when the voice barked out at he again, sending a vibration through her ears.
'No one underestimates Lady Sear!' Other Ruby roared out, the tea cup being crushed in her hand in the real world; Ruby remaining in her shaking and dormant state.
'Who?' Ruby asked, attempting to recall the strange name. Did she meet this person before?
'No, you insolent beast! I am your destroyer, not some easily forgettable person!' The voice, Lady Sear, barked at Ruby, Ruby's Aura levels once more dropping.
'Quit it!' Ruby demanded, a growl escaping her throat, very low yet menacing nonetheless.
'I don't follow your rule, beast! Only my masters! Now,' The voice paused, the image of the other Ruby in her mind shifting its form to one of a large Beowulf, its blood red eyes staring deep into Ruby's thoughts.
As Weiss waved goodbye to the Headmaster of the school, the young heiress felt a small spark in her heart, a tad bit of hope that this day wasn't lost just yet! Good things could happen; all it takes is the will to move forward past the darkness.
Weiss turned the silver handle to Professor Peach's classroom, slowly clicking in the lock as she entered, trying not to be noticed by anyone. The last thing she wanted was to be asked by a random student where she was.
Weiss spun around and was greeted to a bare and empty class room, save for the tables, the main desk, and Ruby Rose, who was sitting all by herself.
'Awe...' Weiss thought warmly, a loving feeling filling her body. 'She decided to say, even if she was all alone...'
Weiss made a mental note to take her to the Cookie & Sweets factory in Vale this coming weekend, a small treat for being nice.
"Thanks for waiting for me, Ruby. It really means a lot to me." Weiss said happily, plopping down in the chair next to the girl.
No response.
"I mean, after growing up in a family who treats you to the lap of luxury and then some, and then thrusted into Beacon expecting everyone to bow before me, I've learned to try and be nicer to everyone... And I have Blake, Yang, and you to thank for that."
No response.
"You mean a lot to me, Ruby, more than you could ever understand. You are like a sister to me..." Weiss said, quickly realizing the implications of the statement. "B-but not like a sister sister, since I'm dating you. I mean since you are always so nice to me, and Winter was always distant from me, but I still like you!"
No response.
Weiss sighed. "What I mean is, you're my everything, Ruby, and you're all that I will ever need. So thanks for giving me a second chance at friendship after I pushed you away many times. So thanks Ruby."
No response.
At this point, Weiss casually glanced over Ruby's shoulder, looking at the tea cup.
"Oh? You got me some tea? Why thank you Ruby." Weiss said happily, beaming at the strangely quiet girl beside her, reaching for tea cup.
That's when Weiss realized something was very wrong.
The tea cup she was reaching for was in pieces, the liquid dripping off the front end of the long table, creating a small puddle on the floor.
Weiss looked over at Ruby, much more closely, and noticed her eyes seemed to be darting around wildly, her pupils in a different place every second. A low growl was emanating from deep within her throat, a small, sharpened tooth showing from her closed mouth.
"Ruby...?" Weiss asked, getting a strange feeling from the girl. Weiss quietly projected a small white Glyph beneath her feet, scooting back a tad in her chair. "Are you okay?"
Ruby's vision distorted, the class room giving way to what seemed like the Emerald Forest. Ruby slowly turned to her left, noticing a small, white Beowulf, which was examining the red cloaked teen. It felt so real to Ruby, down to the puffs of air from the Grimm.
Weiss blew gently on Ruby's face, her now glazed over eyes were finally still in place, just staring at her, not moving but to blink a few times.
"Ruby? You okay?" Weiss asked once more, echoing her pervious words.
The white Beowulf before Ruby growled a incomprehensible sentence, seemingly curious about Ruby. And Ruby was curious about it.
'Its custom to play before you eat.' The voice demanded, Ruby's animalistic side taking in, but in a much stranger way than before.
Ruby suddenly pounced where Weiss was, the white haired girl only dodging the attack by activating her hidden Glyph, propelling her backward to the back of the class, landing gracefully on her feet on top of a table.
Ruby looked towards the rare white Grimm, a playful melody echoing in her mind as she ran at it again, determined to play with it.
Ruby was sudden upon Weiss in a cloud of roses, the girl tackling the heiress to the floor, creating a loud thud.
Ruby had a goofy look on her face, the look of a puppy who was lost but still wanted to play. Weiss wore a look of shock mixed with fear and confusion, trying to crawl backwards from the girl.
Ruby let loose a dog-like bark, nibbling on the Beowulf's fur covered arm as it too barked back, rather than attacking her instantly. It seemed that it wanted to play too! And Ruby was more than happy to oblige to its desires.
"Ruby! Stop! That hurts!" Weiss cried out, the girl on top of her nibbling her arm, her sharpened teeth slowly bit surly cutting into her skin.
"Ruby! Please stop it!" Weiss shouted out, trying to push Ruby off of her being. Ruby is one to act strange and do questionable actions, but this? This was incredibly weird.
Ruby nibbled a tad more on the wolfs arm, pinning it to the ground as it continued to bark. Ruby wore a smile on her face, happy that the Grimm was a friend. Ruby liked having friends; the more the merrier.
The happy girls playful nibbles paused as she bit a bit too much into the Beowulf's arm, the small red liquid of blood exiting the area where she was assaulting, the substance touching her tongue and filling her nose with its scent.
Weiss winced as Ruby's teeth drew blood on her arm, the heiress groaning as Ruby simply sat on her, pinning her to the ground, now unmoving.
Ruby's vision was turning red, the world around her shaking and distorting, the friendly Beowulf now taking form as a white deer, injured and laying under her. Something deep within Ruby snapped at the moment, the voice from before, Lady Sear, laughing wildly in her Beowulf form.
'Now, the Hunt begins.' Lady Sear spoke with a cackle, howling in Ruby's mind, severing all ties to the fun loving girl and replacing them with animalistic hunger for blood.
Weiss gulped audibly as Ruby's head slowly turned, her face now looking down at Weiss's own. Ruby was flashing her teeth, licking her white fangs and lips as she growled at the girl.
"R-Ruby?" Weiss asked, a small eep escaping her throat afterwards.
All was still for a few moments, and then Ruby attacked.
Headmaster Ozpin walked along the hallways of his renounced academy, his two friends alongside him; Ulysses and Professor Goodwitch, both helping the Headmaster with his mandatory check of the dorms for any illegal items or signs of parties without permission from his office.
The pair of Goodwitch and Ulysses walked behind the Headmaster, bickering as per usual about the activities of the students.
"They aren't animals; you can't keep them locked in their dorms at night and not letting them have the least bit of fun. They are children after all." The bear of a man reasoned, glaring over at his crop wielding rival. "We had a few hours every week to mess around when I attended classes."
"Times have changed, David." Glynda Goodwitch stated harshly, using the man's middle name. "You need to grow up."
"I have, Glynda. And I still can fulfill my duties as a Master Huntsmen, while finding time to visit old friends and relax."
"You're impossible."
"And your standards are improbable."
Ozpins sudden change in posture silenced the pair before they could rip out each other's throats, looking on at the Headmaster with concern. The man was leaning on the wall with his left hand, his coffee mug laid forgotten on the red carpeted floor, his cane in his right hand.
"Headmaster?" The duo asked at once, ignoring each other's presence.
"Something's... wrong..." Ozpin said in a near hushed whisper, looking out the window of the hallway, directly into Professor Peaches classroom. "Something is very wrong."
"I don't understand..." Goodwitch sad softly, Ozpin gesturing to the room from the glass to quiet her.
"You two, get there now. I will arrive soon." Ozpin ordered, Ulysses nodding quickly before racing off down the hall, in full sprint, leaving Goodwitch with her mouth slightly a gap.
"Headmaster Ozpin, I don't-"
Ozpin cut her off with a raised hand for silence. "No time, I will catch up. This is paramount, Glynda."
Glynda Goodwitch nodded quickly before racing down the hall as well. After all, Ozpin reserved the word "paramount" for only the most important of situations.
"Ruby!" Weiss shouted out, diving across the marble floor as Ruby once again jumped at her, slashing her hands in the air as if they had claws. As unthreatening as it would seem, coming from Ruby that is, even with not claws, the murderous intent in the younger girls eyes told Weiss that she was in danger of being decapitated; And soon.
"Snap out of it! I'm your friend!" Weiss called out in an attempt to appease her crazed leader, and try to escape with her life.
Weiss locked eyes with the silver door handle to the classroom and bolted towards it. The heiress was within its safe and warm grasp when she was suddenly flung towards the opposite wall of the room.
Ruby had thrown a bolder, or in reality a broken piece of a desk, at the white haired heiress, crushing her against the solid wall, preventing her planned escape.
Ruby stalked towards Weiss, gripping the end of the desk pinning Weiss and tossed it back across the room, shattering several other desks as it landed. Weiss spun around to run, but was faced with a murderous Ruby, who gripped the singers throat and shoved her back against the wall, or in her mind a large oak tree.
Ruby growled at the heiress, ignoring her whimpers as Ruby's grip tightened, moving her head closer to her neck. Ruby's mouth opened to reveal her sharpened teeth, a low growl escaping her throat as she neared Weiss.
Weiss felt her heart racing, her mind going into over drive. Flashbacks to reading the wolf book as a child emerged into her vision; Ruby changing into a giant red wolf, about to tear out her throat.
As Ruby pressed her mouth to Weiss's neck, she chomped down into the heiress flesh.
Weiss blinked a few times as she took in what had just happened.
In a split second, the door to the classroom had been sent off its hinges and flew across the room, slamming into Ruby, and sending the red head flying into Professor Peaches desk, sending papers and paper clips soaring into the air above.
"Weiss? Are you okay?" Ulysses asked in his thick accent, his blood red eyes full of concern as he ran to her side, helping the girl in question to her feet.
"Ulysses..." Weiss spoke quietly, shaken up by the sudden attack on her life. A harsh growl and bark mix drew her attention to the blood lusting red head.
'So, the mere Faunus wants to duel!' Lady Sear growled internally at the Master Huntsmen, who was activating his quarter staff. 'It's time to skin the bear!'
Lady Sear howled in Ruby's mind, the Goddess of the Hunt's power taking its hold on its hosts body.
Ruby's heart began beating at an increased and unnatural rate, her body fueled with adrenaline, boosting her power and Aura in the process.
Ruby- no, the animal before Weiss suddenly flew forward, slashing in the air as if she were an Ursa. Ulysses spun his quarter staff, deflecting Ruby back after each attack, using non-lethal movements to defend the heiress.
"Weiss! Get out of the classroom!" The bear Faunus ordered the heiress behind him, who began nodding fiercely in understanding, spinning on her heels towards the exit and raced out of the room, fleeing towards the direction of her dorm room.
Ruby let loose a fearsome growl towards the new contender, obviously pissed that her prey escaped from her grasp. Ruby was too far gone at this point, the Goddess of the Hunt in complete control of the young Huntresses body.
'How dare you!' Lady Sear hissed at the Hunter before her, the man standing in a mock combat stance, his quarter staff in hand pointed towards Ruby.
"Ruby," Ulysses spoke loudly, locking eyes with said Faunus. "Snap out of it. I don't want to harm you."
"Prey doesn't order me!" Ruby suddenly spoke aloud, her voice sounding ancient and raspy, growling the first word with a hint of amusement, as if this was some sort of twisted game.
Ruby, or Lady Sear, bolted forward, diving over the Master Hunter as he jabbed forward with his staff, the young girl landing behind the man before spinning to face him. Ruby quickly ducked as Ulysses spun around in a 180 degree angle, swinging the staff in her direction at an arc. Ruby easily dodged it with her enhanced speed, gripping the top of the quarter staff in mid air as she jumped upward.
As Ruby landed to greet a confused Ulysses, Ruby rapidly spun in a complete circle, still gripping the staffs end. Thanks to her newly increased Aura by Lady Sear, the young girl easily pulled the Master Huntsmen off his feet, flinging him off of it, and sending him on a wayward path across the room and into a cabinet of Dust shards and powder.
Ruby raced out of the class room with the mans staff in hand, howling in victory as she sped down the hallway, following the scent of Weiss's still bleeding arm.
Back in the classroom, Ulysses groaned as he stood back up, dizzy from the sudden collision with the cabinet, tumbling into a nearby table holding several lit scented candles.
It took the Master Hunter a few seconds to process the situation, giving him only one thought as he looked down at the fallen candles and the Dust covered floor.
Explosive materials.
"Well, shi-"
The gargantuan explosion from Professor Peaches classroom was heard by more than half of Beacons students and staff, including Weiss Schnee as she bolted towards her dorm room, knocking other students out of the way as she ran, shouting at them to run as well.
Weiss turned a left hand corner before running directly into a wall of flesh and a purple and black cape, landing on the floor in pain.
"Miss Schnee, what did I tell you about running in the hallways?" Professor Goodwitch demanded, rising up from the floor before brushing off specks of dust and dirt from her usual attire, glaring at the Schnee heiress.
"Professor Goodwitch! Thanks the Gods you're here! Ruby is-"
"Bah! I am quite busy Miss Schnee, and I have no time for games." Glynda said harshly before she adjusted her glasses, walking on past Weiss despite the younger girls protests.
As soon as she rounded the corner that Weiss has come racing by like a prized race horse, Goodwitch was met with the sight of Ruby Rose soaring down the hallways at speeds that would put any athlete to shame. The professor instinctively brought up her riding crop, generating a large force field barrier before her.
Ruby slammed into said barrier at such speeds that her body was flung back down the hall and into a decorative table holding several potted plants. The blood lusting teen growled as she jumped back up, pulling the broken clay pot pieces from her lower leg, drawing a bit of blood. However, Ruby didn't feel a thing, after all, she wasn't Ruby right now, she was something else entirely.
Ruby plucked up the quarter staff of Ulysses and spun it quickly before pointing it towards the older woman's throat, seemingly inviting Goodwitch to battle. The blonde haired professor felt her right eye twitch at the girls antics, lowering her riding crop for a moment, letting the purple Aura barrier drop.
"Ruby Rose! Assaulting a teacher is a offense at this academy, and I will not tolerate it. You are going to be locked up in detention for a very long time, young lady." Goodwitch explained to the growling wolf before her, unaware of the danger just a few brisk steps from her. The teacher glanced over her shoulder to just see Weiss Schnee turning another corner down the other end of the hallway.
Goodwitch quickly turned her head back to face the troublesome student before her, ready to drag the wretch off to detention, when she was greeted face-to-face with Ruby Rose, who now stood just a few inches from the professor. Before she could raise her ridding crop or let out a single peep, Ruby brought down the stolen quarter staff down on her head, causing the object to break in two, the ends falling to the floor.
Goodwitch instantly collapsed, having been just knocked out by the Huntress in training, simply laying with limbs sprung out on the carpeted flooring, moaning in her sleep in pain. Ruby looked to her fallen weapon and witnessed the broken staff reform into the two watches. Sear, deducing that the threat of interference was gone, ignored the weapon, leaving the watches with the now motionless teacher, running down the hall in hot pursuit of the heiress.
"You can't hide forever, prey!" Ruby spoke in Sears voice, having fully taken hold of the girls body. Her master would be pleased, having nearly accomplished her goal. All that was left was the young heiress, and then delivering the vessel which she currently resided in that was Ruby Rose.
"No one escapes me!" The possessed Ruby shouted out, a few students poking their heads out of their door frames to see all the commotion, simply shrugging it off as another one of team RWBY's everyday antics.
Meanwhile
Forever Fall Forest
A lone figure sat below a large, dead tree towards the center of the grand forest, poking around at the various orange and red leafs that coaxed the surface of the land. The boys short ebony hair blew slowly, yet constantly as the soft and gentle winds of the Forest flowed ever onward, scattering many leafs around the paradise.
The boy made not once sound, examining a small orange leaf, which rested upon his black combat boots, refusing to be blown away by mere wind.
His navy blue eyes scanned the small object as the sound of leaves crunching underneath a large object drew closer, several objects approaching in fact.
A pack of Beowulf Grimm, lead by their much larger alpha, stalked up towards the lone figure, awaiting their latest meal with wet mouths and claws ready to tear his flesh away from his bones.
The boys wolf-like ears made no moment towards the sounds, nor did he move at all. He was one at nature for the moment, his black cargo pants and navy blue shirt causing him to stick out like a lion in a deer pen.
As the alpha moved into to swipe down at the young Faunus, the elder Grimm failed to notice the sudden movement of the boy; a large arm firmly grasping its own. The strange thing was the arm, a large Beowulf arm to be exact.
The boy man no movements, glaring into the beasts eyes as he held up the orange leaf, crushing it in his hand.
Moments later, several dead Beowulf laid with their bodies raked with claw marks, their red blood oozing out of their fatal wounds and on to the leafs below.
The young boy spoke not a word, looking emotionlessly at his work, his now both normal arms to his side.
'Hayden~" A friendly yet commanding voice spoke from among the leafs, causing the boy to look towards the source: a small piece of paper left among the sea of leafs.
Hayden plucked the note up from the ground, reading it over before pocketing it, making his way to his temporary home, ready to prepare for a new battle.
Beacon Academy
11:16 AM
Weiss let loose a sigh of relief as she glanced back down the hallway, glad when she was greeted with the lack of people. She had finally lost Ruby, at least for now that is.
Weiss took this moment to catch her breath, trying to gather up her strength incase she needed to break back into a sprint. After all, Ruby was quite quick. She needed to find a teacher or something, someone to help her get out of here.
Weiss pulled out her scroll from her pack, accidentally spilling the bags contents all over the floor, causing Weiss to make a sharp hiss as she sucked in air.
No sound followed; Weiss let out a sigh.
The heiress began quickly re-acquiring her dropped items: her Scroll, note books, a textbook, Aphrodite's Ring, her pencil pouch...
"Wait..." She hummed to herself, pulling Aphrodite's Ring back out from her bag, a small gift from the Goddess of Love back from their encounter in Vale, all those days ago...
The Goddess DID say she could call her if she needed help...
With this in mind, Weiss placed the ring on her ring finger, examining the gleaming diamond in the center, hovering her other hand above it.
And with that, Weiss gently tapped the ring three times, per her instructions to summon said Goddess.
And Weiss waited...
"Hello?" Weiss asked into the ring upon her finger, tapping it a few times. "Anyone home?"
The sound of a wooden table breaking along with glass shattering echoed down the hallway, Weiss nearly getting whiplash as she turned her attention to it.
Ruby was getting closer.
"Come one, where are you?" Weiss spoke back to the ring, nearly a growl in her voice.
Ruby suddenly appeared at the end of the corner down the hallway, her silver eyes flashing with anger.
"SCHNEE!" Sears voice barked out, in total control of her victims body, forcing Ruby to break into a full sprint down the hall.
"Come on, come on..." Weiss hissed, worry coaxing her words as Ruby drew near.
The ring upon Weiss's slender finger let out a muffled "ding," the diamond glowing a mild pink light. Weiss looked towards the speeding Ruby and, on a hunch, pointed the ring towards Ruby.
As Ruby dove at Weiss, her teeth poised to chomp down on her throat, the ring shot out a blast of light pink energy.
Ruby, or more specifically Sear, widened her eyes before the blast of light slammed into her, sending her flying off down the hallway once more, crashing into a students dorm room door.
Weiss silently thanked the Goddess of Love before she turned away from Ruby, about to run off down the hall.
The heiress was sent back down to the floor as Ruby seemingly teleported from the broken door, growling downward at the heiress.
"Ruby..." Weiss said, a small whimper forging itself deep within her throat as Ruby neared her neck, poised for the kill.
"Cease your hostilities!" A powerful voice echoed around the group, causing the duo's heads to turn and face its source.
Headmaster Ozpin stood in the center of a hallway branching off from the pair's current one, only six feet away from the heiress and the wolf.
"Ruby Rose." Ozpin said in a worried yet demanding tone, his cane in hand. "Remove yourself from Weiss. Now."
"Silence!" Sears voice growled out, lifting herself off of Weiss's body, standing up and flashing her sharpened teeth towards Ozpin.
"Ah... Sear..." Ozpin muttered under his breath, looking down at the floor, his Aura slowly activating.
'Sear!' A dark voice echoed within Ruby's mind, Lady Sear momentarily looking away from the battlefield to think.
'Lord Rook, what is your command?' Sear asked within the young girls mind, still in complete control.
'Commence operation Archangel, our Lord demands it!' Commander Rook demanded Lady Sear, his voice disappearing from her mind as soon as his message was delivered.
Sear let loose a ear shattering howl deep sighing Ruby's mind, the sound echoing throughout her body.
As Weiss quickly crawled backwards on the floor, moving away from Ruby, she could hear a faint yet rapid beeping coming from under her body. As Weiss shifted, she noticed two things, one much worse than the other: she was sitting on her Scroll, and that the Aura energy bar that listed the teams collective and individual Aura count was flashing a warning sign. Ruby's Aura bar, which was dark green, was extending itself so far towards the right side of the screen that the Scroll ran out of display room to show it all.
Ruby's Aura count was increasing rapidly, breaking past the maximum possible count for Hunan or Faunus.
Ruby's body was flaring a dark crimson colored liquid-gas-like Aura, melting anything that it came into contact with. The paint of paintings began running, potted plants started shriveling up, and bits of the red velvet carpet below began lighting.
Ozpin tapped out a small flame upon the carpet with his cane, cracking his neck as he calmly stood there, his Aura building up for one moment of maximum power.
The Aura exerting Ruby suddenly lashed forward, letting loose a fearsome howl as she jumped at the man she knew as a friend.
Ozpin tapped his cane on the velvet carpet, the world around him slowing down to a still like state, save for Ozpin himself. The elder Huntsmen examined the airborne girl before him, several yellow flashing lights appearing at various points on her body; neck, lower stomach, right shoulder, left palm, etc.
Ozpin raised his cane upward, the bottom of the device glowing a dark green color as he jabbed at the glowing spots on the girl, a sharp "ding" echoing as the end of the cane made contact.
Once all the yellow spots had been tapped by his trusty cane, the Headmaster of Beacon took a step to the right, tapping his cane on the floor once more, resuming time once again.
Ruby's now unconscious form landed a few feet away on the velvet carpet, motionless and no longer a threat to anyone, especially Weiss.
"Miss Schnee," Ozpin said solemnly, holding a hand towards her as she sat on the floor, in a minor state of shock before snapping out of it, looking upward at the man who saved her.
"We need to talk, now."
And thus, Hayden, the third Hero, finds his way back to civilization.
More to come soon, been feeling down the past few days, and it was my birthday yesterday. Woot...
Note: The contest from last chapter has been closed, after I decided it would be too difficult to solve.
The only thing I'll say is that the 8th Hero has been in this story already.
Faith out.