RWBY: The Verdant Light of Remnant
Chapter 18: A Conficted Rose
Author's Notes: Wow, this came out faster than i expected. It helped that 95% of this chapter was already done by the time C17 was released since like i said in the LAST author's notes, these 2 chapters were originally one in the same... & Now you'll learn why i split them in half, both for the sake of BOTH of our sanities & because i felt this would be better paced.
Did you like these last 3 chapters being full of cute & dynamic character interactions & fluff? Well, i hope you enjoyed those cause we're back in action for both this one & the following 2 chapters that will be released later in March, which will be The Garnett Papillons' first mission as a team. With this one in particular bringing back Ruby into her roots as a solo fighter & why i love writing her fight scenes in this story.
Speaking of Ruby, i noticed how she didn't have a centric chapter yet like Weiss & Yang did... I suggest we fix that! As the name inplies, we'll also see some parts of Ruby where she doesn't usually show to other people, mainly her insecurities. We'll also be seeing how her relationship with Byleth develops in this chapter, but i'll be talking about THAT more in-depth later in the end notes.
Alright, i've said my piece. Let's take a look at this chapter & close off February with 3 new chapters, chapters 16, 17 & 18! Let us begin & remember!
The following is a non-profit Alternate Universe fanfiction.
RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, Warner Bros. & the late Monty Oum. While Fire Emblem: Three Houses is owned by Nintendo, Intelligent Systems & Koei Tecmo. Please support the original release.
Also, major spoilers for both RWBY & Fire Emblem: Three Houses, specifically the Verdant Wind Route. If you haven't caught up with either of them, it's recommended that you catch up with both of them before reading this story.
& On that note, enjoy this chapter.
After her talk with Byleth, Blake went on ahead to The Valean Central Park herself, she wanted to find some peace & quiet after showing some vulnerability to her Professor. During her little rest, she comes across 3 human bullies harassing a small Faunus Girl, a Cheetah Faunus to be more precise. Her name was Celeritas Gele, or Cellie for short, she decided to stick around & look after the young child for the rest of her afternoon.
As for the Garnet Papillons, they decided to have a walk in the Valean Central Park. They noticed that there was an open market today, so they decided to take a look & see what they could get for themselves… Well, half of them at least, the other half explored the park to spend their afternoon. With Ruby in particular helping Gayelette getting out of her shell & giving her some advice. Unbeknownst to them, the threat of The Fall Empress only increases as time goes by. Will our heroes be ready for what's to come or are they doomed to fall? Find out all & more now
Our tale begins where Ruby's group making their back to where the others are until they eventually spot them from afar, with Yang in particular waving at them from afar.
Yang: Hey guys, over here! Ya really took your sweet time, didn't ya?!
Byleth: Well, we wanted to enjoy our time here. Did you guys get anything?
Yang smirks before showing her a bag full of Fire Emblem merch, alongside Weiss, Pyrrha & Ren who have some bags of their own.
Ren: I've managed to gather some new recipes & ingredients.
Nora: Ooh, I can't wait to try them all out!
Weiss: As for me, I've gotten some jewelry made out of instruments from the Ocean.
Byleth: Really? I didn't know you were into that kind of stuff.
Weiss blushes before turning away from Byleth.
Weiss: You expect me to tell you everything about me?!
Byleth just chuckles at Weiss being a Tsundere before turning to Pyrrha.
Byleth: What about you, Pyrrha? Did you managed to get something?
Pyrrha: *Nods* Yes, I've managed to get myself some old maps & manuscripts from eras long since forgotten.
The group are surprised by that statement, not expecting Pyrrha to be into that stuff.
Jaune: Huh, didn't know you had a thing for old McGuffins.
Pyrrha: *Giggles* Well, Ruby isn't the only one who's into History. As a matter of fact, I happen to be an archeologist. I always collected these things back home.
Weiss: Well, hopefully this'll help Jaune get better scores in the near future.
Jaune: Yeah… *Shoots a glare at Weiss* HEY!
The rest of the group couldn't help but laugh at Weiss teasing at Jaune, finding it nice to see them all having fun & enjoying their time together… Except for Ruby. She's been quiet for a good while as she looked to another direction. Byleth takes notice of this & turns to Ruby, wondering if she's alright.
Byleth: Something wrong, Ruby?
Ruby stays quiet, not really listening to her Professor. The others take notice of this & decided to look at Ruby, curious as to why she's so quiet.
Pyrrha: Hey um… Ruby? Ya okay there?
Ruby holds onto her hood tightly as she closes her eyes for a moment, reminiscing about something from her past. She looks back at the others to reassure them.
Ruby: I'm alright… There's just something else I want to do before we go.
None of them know what Ruby's implying except for Yang, who knows why she's acting that way. Jaune decided to speak up & offer a hand, oblivious to what she's thinking.
Jaune: Oh? Well- in that case, let's-
Ruby: No.
Jaune is taken aback for a moment along with everyone else.
Ruby: I'm going there alone, just head back to Beacon Academy... Don't follow me.
Jaune: Ruby, wait-!
Before Jaune could tell Ruby to wait, Yang places a hand on Jaune's shoulder to reassure him that it's alright.
Yang: Let her go, Jaune.
Jaune looks back at Yang with a confused expression on his face before she continued.
Yang: She'll be fine, she'll catch up with us later… *Looks at Ruby* Right?
Ruby: *Nods* Yeah, I will… I'll be back soon.
With that said, Ruby dashes towards a certain direction, leaving everyone in the dust. Weiss goes up to Yang & asks her what was that about.
Weiss: Yang, why did you let her go? Aren't you afraid of her getting lost?
Yang: *Shakes her head* Nah, the 2 of us know this park pretty well, she'll be fine… Well, I hope so, given where she's going.
Weiss: Going where?
Yang turns to look at the others to answer Weiss' question.
Yang: Tell me, did any of you ever gone to the center of The Valean Central Park? There's a big statue there where we occasionally sat around, one where Ruby always goes to whenever we come here…
They're all confused by what Yang means, but Byleth can understand where she's going & what the statue may be like. She turns around & starts walking towards the direction Ruby went just a moment ago, something the others take notice of.
Pyrrha: Uh… Prof. Eisner?... Where are you going?
Byleth stops & tilts her head back to her students before answering Pyrrha's question.
Byleth: You kids go on ahead & return to Beacon without me, I'll make sure Ruby's okay.
Gayelette: Are you sure, Prof. Eisner?
Byleth smiles as she kneels down to Gayelette's level & gives her headpats.
Byleth: Yeah, I'm sure. We'll be fine & catch up with you kids soon, okay?
Gayelette looks down concerned before she looks back at Byleth & nods, to which Byleth stands back up & looks back at the others.
Byleth: I'll be back before it gets too dark. You kids head back home safely, okay?
Yang looks down before shooting a nod at Byleth.
Yang: Y- Yeah... Just- be careful, alright?
Byleth nods as she begins heading towards the direction Ruby suddenly ran off in a flash, wondering what suddenly got through the young Reaper's head at that moment. Maybe she's thinking about that Mission of hers again? The one where she wants to find the truth of her deceased Mother? Byleth doesn't really want to think about it all that much, she just wants to go find Ruby & make sure she doesn't do anything stupid… Again!
[Music: "Roxas" from Kingdom Hearts 2]
After a couple of minutes of searching, Byleth eventually arrives at the center of The Valean Central Park, where she finds something that completely blows her away. A large statue of Team STRQ back in their glory days, when they were a proud team of Huntsmen. It appears that the legacy of Team STRQ is even greater than Byleth thought. As she looks at the statue from afar, she spots Ruby kneeling before the statue while praying.
Why is she praying? Ruby said that she doesn't believe in gods, let alone believe in an otherworldly force that exists to guide people into a brighter future. She's expressed her dislike towards the gods & how no matter how much they begged; they never came to their aid. She remembers Dimitri & Edelgard saying something along those lines back at Garreg Mach Monastery. She slowly begins to approach the praying Ruby, the latter of which standing back up & adjusting her hood before turning around to face Byleth.
Ruby: I thought I told you not to follow me.
Byleth chuckles as she eventually reaches Ruby & stands right before her.
Byleth: Sorry, but I'm not one to take upon stupid requests… Besides, I'm your Professor. Whenever one of you kids need some help, I'm going to do so whether you like it or not. That's just how I do my job.
Ruby huffs in annoyance before she looks back at the statue, to which Byleth looks up at the statue, now being able to see it from a closer view.
Byleth: Do you always come here? Whenever you come to the park, I mean?
Ruby: *Nods* I always come here to pay my respects, to let them know that I'm okay… To let her know that I'm okay… This statue is the embodiment of what I must become in order to change this world, it's a reminder of what I need to do to keep my promise.
Byleth: Your promise?
Ruby: *Nods* I made a promise to my Mother that I would change the world with my own hands. I don't know how she went missing, but one way or another, I'll find the truth of her fate & finish what she started… No matter what I have to sacrifice, I won't stop until I get to that point… Whatever it takes…
Byleth smile sadly at Ruby before replying.
Byleth: Your determination is unrivaled, Ruby… I haven't met someone quite like you in a very long time… However, is this mission all that you can think of? What about the rest of your life? Or better yet, what about the here & now?
Ruby closes her eyes before looking down, turning her head away from Byleth before she answers her question.
Ruby: I'm trying to make use of whatever life I have left… My 4 years at Beacon will be the last time I'll ever be free, where I can actually be myself…
Byleth is confused at that statement, not understanding what Ruby's talking about.
Byleth: What?... What are you talking about? You're not ill, are you?
Ruby: No, it's nothing like that. I'm sorry, I should've been more specific. What I meant is that unlike the others, I can't promise a future to someone… I don't plan to have a big family or settle down like they do, my destiny is far greater & more important than that… After I graduate, I will travel around the world & look for the answers I'm after…
Byleth gets a little scared before asking the following question.
Byleth: But then… Then what about what happens after that? If you find the answers you're looking for, what will become of you?
Ruby shakes her head before looking at Byleth with a sad expression on her face.
Ruby: To be completely honest, I don't have a real answer to that question… Like I said, I can't promise a future to anyone… Not that I plan to anyways, settling down in a small house & a family isn't really my style to begin with… What I do know is this!
Ruby places a hand on her chest before having a confident look in her face.
Ruby: If I don't do something to change this broken world, then nobody will!... My Mother wished for a better Remnant where all could live their lives freely & it is my duty to finish what she started! I'm the only one who can do this, because nobody else will…
Byleth's soft, yet concerned expression becomes one of shock & disbelief. "Only I can do this, because nobody else will", those are the exact same kinds of phrasing the House Leaders of The Officers Academy occasionally spoke of whenever they talked about their dreams, their ideals, their inspirations, ETC. Ruby herself is no different, showing her strong resolve to save Remnant from itself, no matter what she has to sacrifice in order to achieve that goal.
At that moment, she saw the spirits of the 3 House Leaders of The Officers Academy through Ruby. Byleth can see Edelgard's strong resolve to do what must be done through Ruby, just as she begins to see Dimitri's noble sense of honor & compassion through Ruby & finally, she sees Claude's high aspirations & dreams for a better world through Ruby. She struggles to hold back a teary eye as she envisions the 3 young children who are now raging war back in their Home, knowing that she can't do anything to stop it. Byleth takes a deep breath before she speaks up.
Byleth: Then what about your friends? Don't you cherish them as well? Don't you wish to live with them? With Yang? Why burden yourself with something this big of scale? You're still a kid, you're 15 years old now!... Why are you even thinking of such things?
Ruby looks down before she slowly looks back at the statue, mainly the one of her late Mother… A faint tear flows through her right cheek as she replies to Byleth's question.
Ruby: What else can I do? I'm a Huntress, I must live my life as one… It's that simple…
Byleth begins to understand Ruby's view on what makes someone a true Huntress, their willingness to sacrifice who they are in order to have the power to change the world & fight for those who you hold dear, even if it means giving up your life. The faint tears on Ruby's eyes don't escape Byleth's sight, she can see right through Ruby. Instead of saying anything else, she walks closer to Ruby & places a hand on her shoulder, to which Ruby widens her eyes in surprise as she looks at Byleth. The Ashen Demon takes a good look at the Red Reaper before slowly wrapping the young girl in her arms, holding her in her warm embrace. Ruby gets a little confused by this sudden act from her professor & begins to blush a little. Her tone becomes a little awkward as she asks Byleth.
Ruby: Uh- Professor?... What are you-?
Byleth begins hugging Ruby a little tighter before speaking.
Byleth: Look, just-… Let me hold you in my arms for a little while… Okay?
Ruby begins to tear up a little more before a soft smile grows on her face, she sinks into Byleth's embrace & reciprocates her kind gesture by wrapping her arms around her waist.
Ruby: {Okay…}
The mood then goes quiet, nothing can be heard other than the slow gusts of wind that blow across the park. Byleth begins to soothingly run her hand through the back of Ruby's back, just as Ruby sinks in her embrace even more… It's a little awkward due to their height difference, but they don't mind. Neither of them can't really explain it, but they just want to stay like this for a little while. After a few minutes, Byleth steps away & looks to the other side while a small blush grows in her face.
Byleth: S-… Sorry, I just felt that you needed this… Sorry if I made things a bit awkward…
Ruby giggles as she begins drying her faint tears.
Ruby: No problem at all, it made me feel a little better… Thank you, Professor.
Byleth looks back at Ruby with a soft smile before ruffling her hair, making her laugh cheerfully like the young girl she is.
Ruby: Hahahah! Come on, Prof. Eisner! You don't have to do that, Hahahahahah!
Byleth: Ya'know… When it's just the 2 of us, you can just call me Byleth.
Ruby looks back at her Professor with a curious expression on her face before asking.
Ruby: Are you sure? You wouldn't mind that?
Byleth: No, I don't… In fact, I'd prefer it.
Ruby smiles softly before she's the one who gives a hug to Byleth, with the Ashen Demon feeling a bit hesitant at first, but she soon reciprocates the embrace.
Ruby: Okay… Thank you Byleth…
Byleth: *Giggles* You're welcome, Ruby… Now come on, let's go ho-
[Music end]
-BOOOOOM!-
They both get spooked as they let go of each other & looked at the direction where the explosion was heard & spot a lot of smoke coming from that area, Ruby can only think of one person who might've done something like this.
Ruby: Roman & The Fall Empress… Looks like they're back for more!
Byleth suddenly looks at Ruby, who immediately ran towards to where the smoke is coming from. Byleth tries to stop her, but to no avail.
Byleth: RUBY, WAIT-!... Urgh, goddamnit!
Byleth groans in annoyance as she begins heading to where the explosion came from, hoping to catch up with Ruby & stopping her from doing anything too reckless.
Cut to the scene of crime where The Phantom Pumpkins are causing trouble again, this time, it's in The Valean Museum. They're looking for an artifact that they think might be hidden away in the museum. Roman himself is on a flying pod as he looks down below, where his men have everyone inside of the museum hostage as they also look around for what they're looking for.
Roman: Keep them all at bay, men. The police force will be here in a few minutes, every moment spent here is valuable! *Groans in annoyance* Damn that Empress, why didn't she come with me this time? No matter, I came well prepared this time!
As Roman takes a look at his small flying pod, he hears someone calling out his name.
Ruby: Hey Pumpkin-head! What 'cha doing here this time?!
Roman turns around to see Ruby Rose landing on a rooftop, a confident smirk grows on her face as she gets up with Crescent Rose in hand.
Roman: Oh? Why, if it isn't Little Red herself! It's been a while, have you been a good girl while I was away doing my work?
Ruby begins cracking her knuckles & her neck as she talks down to Roman.
Ruby: As good as I will be once I get my hands on you! What are you up to this time?!
Roman: Oh, nothing much. I'm just looking for something that's supposed to be hidden away in this museum… No luck so far, though… That damn Empress owns me big time!
Ruby: The Fall Empress isn't here?... Well, where is she then?
Roman: How should I know?! That woman's a pain in the ass to deal with as it is! Now get the hell out of my sight, I'm very busy right now!
Ruby: & What will happen if I don't, huh?
Roman turns around as he prepares to just ignore Ruby, but then he thinks of an idea. A malicious smirk grows on his face before he turns back to face the Red Reaper.
Roman: Actually, why don't I just show you? Tell me, do you like my shiny new mode of transportation? I got this baby from Atlas not too long ago, it's quite phenomenal.
Ruby takes a look at the flying pod Roman's riding. It's a small, oval pod that looks like it came from The Atlesian Empire given how well made it is.
Ruby: *Whistle* Not bad, Pumpkin. You didn't get this on the off chance we would cross paths again so you'd have a chance to keep up with me, would you?
Roman chuckles as he presses down a few buttons on his keyboard.
Roman: But of course! I knew I'd deal with you one way or another, so I decided to get me some powerful tools to take you down!... While I normally try to avoid casualties as much as possible, I made an exception for this one… Just for you!
[Music: "Egg Cerberus/Egg Genesis" from Sonic 06]
Ruby then looks up as she noticed that one of their ships opened a hatch, one where Roman gets inside of immediately. Soon after, he drops down with a large walker with many firearms, including a missile launcher & a homing laser shot. This actually catches Ruby off guard for a moment as she didn't expect Roman to fight with a battle mech.
Ruby: Woah, hold the phone! You're not seriously going to fight me with that thing here, are you?! There are many people around here, what if they get caught in the crossfire?!
Roman: Casualties of war, I suppose… It's your fault for meddling into someone else's business! If you just stayed back, I wouldn't have to bring this baby down with me!
Ruby gulps as she looks down at the battle mech, already aiming its weapons at Ruby.
Ruby: You're one crazy son of a-
Roman: FIRE!
The gatling guns of Roman's Mech fire as Roman commended & tried to shoot Ruby down, who quickly gets out of the way & begins running & jumping across the rooftops to avoid the many firearms Roman shoots her with. None of them hit Ruby, but they're starting to cause some serious damage! Ruby decides to stop running & fight the large walker head on! She jumps down to the floor & begins dashing towards Roman as he continues firing at the young Huntress.
Roman: Oh? Are you approaching me? Are you sure that's a wise decision, Little Red?
Ruby: I have to approach so that I can turn your little toy into scrap metal!
Roman: Oh, how confident!... A fool's substitute for intelligence!
Ruby just ignores Roman as she gets into her position & charges towards one of the mech's legs, with the intention of cutting it down. But as soon as Ruby's about to reach her target, Roman activates a Hard Light Dust Shield that protects the entire mech. Once Ruby takes notice of this, it's already too late as she gets pushed back with a lot of force when her attack made contact with the Hard Light Dust Shield. Roman begins to laugh at the sight of Ruby being pushed away like this.
Roman: AHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Nice try, Little Red! But brute strength & speed won't be enough to leave a dent on me! These gatling guns aren't the only thing this mech can do, for it also has a homing laser shot & a missile launcher… In fact-!
Roman aims his missile launcher at Ruby, who's slowly getting back up to her feet. She takes notice of the missiles that are about to rain down at her, so she runs away the moment the missiles are fired. As she begins running through the battlefield while she keeps dodging the many weapons Roman has in-store for her, she begins thinking about what she can do to stop him.
Ruby: (Crapbaskets! This guy isn't pulling any punches this time, how am I suppose to damage a weapon if it'll activate its shield the moment I'm about to hit it?! It's not like I can just blind a machine or anything like that!)
She starts thinking about what she can do to fight Roman, knowing that he can just reactivate his shields whenever she comes close. If only she could attack this guy without him seeing her coming, like attacking him under a huge cloud of smoke… Wait, that's it!
Ruby: Wait, I got it!
She suddenly hops back into one of the rooftops once again, looking down at Roman as she takes out a Fire Dust Bullet Pack for her rifle.
Ruby: Say Roman, that mech of yours wouldn't happen to have any Ice Missiles to make me go any slower, would it?
Roman: As a matter of fact…
Roman then changes his missile launcher's ammunition from normal missiles to Ice Dust Missiles, just as she begins to aim at Ruby once more.
Roman: I was going to save these babies as a part of my last resort, but since you asked so nicely, I can give you a little demonstration on what they can do!
Ruby smirks as she motions her hand to Roman & taunts him.
Ruby: Come at me, Pumpkin.
Roman begins to get irritated by that nickname Ruby's using.
Roman: Stop calling me that, you little pest! Ready? Fire!
Roman fires his ice missiles at Ruby, just as Ruby quickly aims her rifle & fires a few Fire Dust Rounds on each missile, making them explode in contact & release a giant cloud of steam due to the ice missiles being shot down by Fire Dust Bullets. This catches Roman by surprise as he didn't expect Ruby to trick him like this.
Roman: What in the-?!
The cloud of smoke that envelops the area takes Roman off guard, the tractors of his battle mech cannot track anything in the area due to the poor visibility. While he's busy looking around, he feels a huge bump hitting his mech on the legs.
Roman: Argh! No!
Ruby: Hah! Not so tough now, are ya?!
Roman: *Growls* You cheeky little b- ARGH!
Since Roman couldn't see the attack coming, he wasn't able to activate the Hard Light Dust Shields to protect himself. While the smoke's still spreading, Ruby begins unleashing a barrage of rapid slash attacks at Roman's mech as she runs around as fast as she can to deal quicker & stronger hits.
Ruby: What's wrong, Pumpkin?! Is that size just for show?!
Roman: Grh! Don't celebrate just yet, you pesky little rat! Thunder Shield, Activate!
Ruby: Thunder what- AAAAAARGH!
On Ruby's next attack, she suddenly hits Roman's mech the moment he activates the Thunder Dust Shield to both protect himself & counter Ruby's attack. She's zapped with hundreds of volts before she was sent away flying & crashing down, just as the cloud of smoke dissipates. Suddenly, Ruby hears a rather familiar voice.
Lacus: All of you, freeze! You're all under arrest, release those hostages at once!
[Music end]
As Ruby starts to get up & regain her consciousness, she looks up at the young cop that was standing in front of her, almost as if he's protecting her from whatever comes next. This young cop looks kinda familiar… Hang on, isn't this-?
Ruby: Y- you?... What are you doing here?!
Lacus: Don't push yourself any longer, miss! Conserve your strength & let us hold that man off, reinforcements are coming!
Ruby uses Crescent Rose to get back up at her feet, just as she begins to look around & see all of the Valean Police cars & trucks surrounding the battlefield & having many men armed with rocket launchers & powerful fire arms to hold off Roman. When Ruby sees the Cop in front of her, she finally remembers who he is.
Ruby: Wait, I remember you now! You're that policeman I helped out when Roman has attacked Vale last month, aren't you?
Lacus turns around with a smile on his face as he takes off his cap & adjusts his hair before he greets Ruby, finally glad to meet this brave young girl in person.
Lacus: Correct, that was me. Even though we met before, we never introduced ourselves, have we? My name is Lacus Silva, high ranking officer of The Valean Police Force.
Lacus offers his hand to Ruby, to which she takes it & shakes hands with the young cop without hesitation before she pointed a thumbs up at herself before introducing herself.
Ruby: I'm Ruby, Ruby Rose! I'm glad you guys came here to help, but Roman isn't pulling any punches this time. That mech of his is pretty tricky & we can't fight against it without having any civilians get caught in the crossfire!
Byleth: In that case, we just have to keep them at bay while they evacuate!
Both Ruby & Lacus turn around to see Byleth, who finally managed to catch up with Ruby & given how much she's panting & how she's sweating, it was no easy task.
Byleth: *Pant* *Pant* *Pant* Holy Mother of Seiros, Ruby! *Pant* *Pant* Why are you so freaking fast?!
Ruby: Prof. Eisner?! You followed me?!
As Ruby said that, Byleth walked towards Ruby & pinched her cheek a little bit before she began scolding the young girl for her reckless actions. To make sure she gets her message across, Byleth pinches Ruby with her Dragonscale fingers. Combine that with her Aura infused fingers, Ruby's cheek is going to feel sore for quite a while.
Byleth: Of course I did! I'm your Teacher & is my job to make sure you don't do anything stupid 24/7! Couldn't you have at least helped me catch up to you instead of leaving me behind? But no~! You wanted to be the hero all by yourself again, didn't you?!
As she's scolding Ruby, she realizes that she's suddenly acting a bit like Glynda right now. What, is she rubbing off on her too much or something?!
Ruby: OWOWOWOWOWOW! Prof. Eisner, stop! Please stop pinching me, it hurt- OW!
Byleth sighs as she lets go of Ruby's cheek, which left a red mark on the young girl's face.
Byleth: Lucky for you, I'm not as merciless as Prof. Goodwitch…
Ruby: Then why did you suddenly started talking like her?
Before Byleth could answer Ruby's question, they hear Lacus clearing his throat, causing them to look back at him.
Lacus: Uh… Forgive my interruption, but… Who are you? I don't believe we met before.
Byleth goes to Lacus & flashes him her Huntress License before speaking.
Byleth: My name is Byleth Eisner, Professional Huntress & Professor of Beacon Academy. I was originally a wandering mercenary before I decided to work for His Majesty.
With that, Byleth puts her license back before offering her hand to Lacus, to which he shakes it without any hesitation before introducing himself. But before he could say his name, a loud explosion is heard. They look out of their defensive position for a moment to see the police force defending themselves from Roman's attacks with large Hard Light Dust Shields. But by the looks of things, they won't be able to hold the line for long.
Byleth: So Ruby… Care to share us anything that could help us beat that thing?
Ruby: Well, we can't exactly attack it head-on. It'll either use its Hard Light Dust Shields to block the attack & push you back or electrocute you with his Thunder Shield… That said, I noticed something that could be of use to us.
Lacus: Oh yeah? What's that?
Ruby points at the missile launcher Roman's currently reloading.
Ruby: For one, it looks like he's beginning to run out of missiles to fire. So he's starting to lose some fire power, but there's something else that I learned during my fight with him. He has a radar that spots you wherever you go, but it seems to be working on some kind of-… I don't know, eyesight? If that makes sense?... When I lured him into my trap earlier, he wasn't able to see anything & by extension, see my attacks coming.
Lacus: In other words, the mech doesn't have a very powerful radar… We could use that to our advantage.
Ruby: That said, there's still one weapon he hasn't used yet… Look over there!
Ruby points at a small blaster on the middle of the mech, just under Roman's pod. Byleth & Lacus look at the direction where Ruby's pointing as she begins speaking again.
Ruby: Roman mentioned that this "prototype" of his had some kind of "homing laser shot", maybe that little laser blaster was the thing he was talking about?
Lacus: Wait, a homing laser shot?! He has a homing shot ready to fire at any moment?!
Ruby: If what he said is true, yeah.
Lacus: What are we supposed to do if he fires that thing? Even if the beam doesn't hit us directly, it might hit the hostages back at the museum!... Damn, this is bad!
While Lacus is trying to keep his cool over the fact that their enemy has a freaking homing attack ready to fire, Byleth thinks of an idea that might work. She looks at Lacus before she decides to put her plan into action.
Byleth: Say, um…
Ruby: Lacus.
Byleth: Lacus! Did you send any men towards the museum where the hostages are?
Lacus: Huh? Yeah, I did. My Sister is there to neutralize the Phantom Pumpkins & save the civilians stuck in there. Given our own situation, I can only hope she's having better luck than us.
Byleth: Alright, I'll go help your Sister & make sure everyone's evacuated safely! *Looks at Ruby* As for you, Ruby. You're going to go back out there & find a way to deactivate Roman's shields… More specifically, be his little "target". *Wink*
Ruby: Wait, what?! How am I supposed to do that?! Even if I use the same smokescreen trap again, he's not gonna let that get in his way a second time in a row! Not unless-… Well, I somehow make him shoot me with his las- OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHH~!
Ruby has an "ah-hah!" moment as she realizes what Byleth was trying to say, all the while Byleth has a proud smirk on her face once Ruby pieced things together. Lacus just look at these 2 girls & smiles, happy to be working with these Huntresses.
Lacus: That's quite the risk, but I think we can pull it off! I'll provide backup & make sure none of those bastards get out of this area! I wish you both the best of luck on your own respective assignments, stay safe out there!
Ruby shoots Lacus a thumbs up before she jumped out of their defensive position & headed back to fight Roman once again. Just as Roman's about to fire out more missiles & break down the police force's shields, he suddenly flinches as a sniper round hit his cockpit, leaving Roman's precious pod with a crack on his window.
Roman: Argh! What in the-?!
Ruby: HEY PUMPKIN! UP HERE!
They all look up & spot Ruby on top of a tall building, pulling back her rifle before she continues taunting Roman.
Ruby: You didn't think I'd be down for the count this early on in the fight, did ya?!
Roman groans in annoyance at the sight of Ruby, very upset to see her still standing strong & getting in the way of his plans.
Roman: Why couldn't you just stay in bed like a well-behaved little girl?!
Ruby: Happy to disappoint you… Now come on, let's get this show on a row!
Roman obliges to Ruby's requests & reloads his many gatling guns & missile launcher, aiming right at the small Huntress… With Ruby herself sticking out her tongue & pulling down her lower eyelid to taunt Roman even more.
Roman: Oh don't worry, I'll wipe that stupid look right out of your face in just a minute! All systems, full power!
While Ruby's distracting the very angered Roman Torchwick, Byleth uses this as a chance to run straight towards the museum. She spots some policemen led by Fluvius, Lacus' Sister, being on a stalemate with the Phantom Pumpkins. Both forces are armed & ready to fire, without either side showing any hints of dropping their weapons.
Fluvius: You bastards, get the hell away from there! If you don't, then we'll-
Thug: Then you'll what? "Open fire"? What happens if you accidently shoot down of one these poor little civilians? Unless of course, you don't care about what happens to them.
Fluvius groans in annoyance, knowing that he's telling the truth in a sense.
Fluvius: (Goddamnit! If we shoot now, we'll be getting those people in the crossfire! Hell- even if we ourselves don't hit any of them, what's stopping those guys for doing the deed for us?!... Damnit, what do I do?)
While Fluvius struggles on what she must do, she hears Byleth's voice coming from afar, with Byleth herself drawing The Sword of the Creator as she approaches the museum.
Byleth: Hey, all of you! Get down!
Fluvius turns back for a moment & sees Byleth coming they're way. Due to not really having the time to ask for questions, she goes along with her request as does the other cops who are with her. The Thug is confused on why did the policemen suddenly ducked down until he spotted Byleth jumping high in the sky, with her Sword of the Creator in its chain-whip form & swings it at the Phantom Pumpkins, landing a powerful blow at them & sending them all flying & crashing to the wall. Byleth then lands in front of Fluvius as they get back up, with Byleth herself tilting her head back to speak to them.
Byleth: Your Brother told me that you could use some backup, are you all okay?
Fluvius groans in annoyance as she takes out her cap, dusts it off a bit & adjusts her hair before putting the cap back on, all the while she makes snarky comments about Lacus.
Fluvius: Good grief, Lacus… I thought I was the one who's supposed to watch your back!
Despite the rather snarky remark, a small smile grows on Fluvius' face as she silently thanks her Brother for watching her back. However, Byleth knows that this isn't over just yet, so she approaches the young policewoman & asks her something.
Byleth: Tell me, are there any more of them deeper in the museum?
Fluvius: Affirmative! Those guys said something about "An ancient relic" that's supposed to be here… I don't know why something like that would be in a local museum, but if I were a betting woman, I'd say it'd be somewhere on the underground vaults.
Byleth: & That's where I'm going.
Before continuing, Byleth flashes her Huntress License for Fluvius & introduces herself.
Byleth: I'm Byleth Eisner of Beacon Academy.
Fluvius decides to do the same introduction as Byleth by flashing her police badge.
Fluvius: Fluvius Silva, high ranking officer of the VLPF. (Valean Police Federation) I have some personal business with these guys, mind if I tag along with you?
Byleth: *Nods* No, I don't. Any kind of help is welcomed in my eyes.
Fluvius nods before she looks at her own squadron.
Fluvius: As for the rest of you, centralize the museum! Evacuate as many civilians as you can to safety & don't let any of those Pumpkin Bastards get away, understood?!
Policemen: Yes Ma'am!
They all salute as they begin to restrain the knocked-out goons of The Phantom Pumpkins & take the hostages to safety, just as Byleth & Fluvius head inside of the museum, with Fluvius taking the lead since she knows where the vaults are.
Once they reached the vaults, they find many knocked out guards. Fluvius goes to check on an unconscious guard to see if he still has a pulse, she later sighs in relief.
Fluvius: Oh, thank the gods, they're not dead. *Looks back at Byleth* Go on ahead without me, I'll keep an eye on these guys.
Byleth nods before she goes in, looking at every room she can get in, but finding nothing… Well, nothing except a lot of Lien & jewelry, but she's not after those & apparently The Phantom Pumpkins aren't after them either despite having a lot of cash to get from this bank. Once she finds the last room is where things get interesting.
Byleth: Stop right there!
In the last room, Byleth spots a small looking girl who's standing on higher ground. She appears to be holding some sort of scepter in her hands as she turns to look at Byleth. Once the girl begins speaking, Byleth notices how… Off she sounds.
Thief: Well, Well, Well, looks like someone finally found little ol' me. Unfortunately for you, you're already too late! *Shows off the scepter* To think that something like this would be in a random museum?... Then again, most people don't know the true history behind this little scepter, so they treat it as some lost treasure from the past.
Byleth: Oh yeah & what would the Phantom Pumpkins want with something as rusted as that little "treasure" you got in your hands?
The girl just shrugs before putting the odd-looking scepter back in her hip.
Thief: Nothing really, it's our "business partner" that wants this disgusting pile of junk! She would've come to get it herself, but she had some business outside of Vale… So she asked Fa-… She asked us to do it in her stand. That girl is one giant pain in the ass…
The girl then begins stepping down the stairs, just as Byleth gets in her battle stance.
Thief: Come on, don't be like that. I'm just doing my job, it's nothing personal.
Byleth: Maybe not, but I'm still not going to let you go!
Byleth charges at the young girl, ready to strike her down. But the moment she's about to land a hit, the girl just smirks as she turns her entire body into tiny shards of glass & disappears entirely, almost as she was never there. Byleth is surprised by what she just did, looking around to see where did the girl go. The thief then reforms herself right behind Byleth & begins to taunt her.
Thief: Ya'know, I've learned about you from our spies… & I must say, I'm disappointed.
Byleth: Spies?! What spies?!
Thief: *Chuckles* Oh, come on. Would a young maiden such as myself reveal all of her secrets? You should have better manners than that, "Professor". *Giggles maliciously*
Byleth gets a bit ticket off as she turns back to strike the Thief, only for her to backflip & sit on a large container looking all fancy & smug while opening her parasol. Before Byleth could go after the thief again, Fluvius arrives & has her sight straight at the Thief.
Fluvius: Alright young lady, put your hands where I can see them!
Thief: Oh no, a young woman has me, a small girl, at firing range. Oh, how cruel~!
Fluvius: I don't give a damn who you are! If you cause trouble on our turf, you're going to have to deal with me!
Byleth: Fluvius, wait! That girl isn't just some random Thief! She's strong, I can feel it!
Thief: *Chuckles* Indeed I am… Unfortunately for you, I don't have time to play games with a busty professor & her cute little police sidekick. So allow me to introduce myself before I take my leave.
The small girl gets off from her seat as she spins her parasol around.
Neo: The name's Neo… Neopolitan Torchwick, got it memorized?
Neo pokes her forehead twice on that last bit, all the while she grabs a smoke grenade from her belt.
Neo: I'd love to stick around, but I have business elsewhere. Arrivederci, Byleth Eisner!
Neo throws the smoke grenade & blindsides Byleth & Fluvius by enveloping the entire vault with a big cloud of smoke. When the smoke clears, Neo's already gone.
Fluvius: Damnit, she got away!
Byleth: Not like we could've easily stopped her, that girl had some moves & could turn her entire body into glass & teleport away.
Fluvius: Hm, not unlike that Ruby girl… We definitely have a case in our hands.
Byleth just sighs in frustration before sheathing her blade & turning back to Fluvius.
Byleth: For now, we should head back up & help the others. We can deal with this later.
Fluvius nods as they make their way out of the vaults, climbing back up the stairs as we cut back to the fight with Ruby & Roman. After a while, Roman eventually ran of missiles to fire & is starting to get low on bullets for his guns as well. Ruby sits on one of the police trucks as she taunts Roman a little more.
Ruby: What's the matter, Pumpkin? Ran out of juice?
Roman groans in annoyance at Ruby's taunting while pushing some buttons on his monitor, ready to try one last thing to finish her off.
Roman: Don't think you've won just yet, you little brat! I still have one trick left up my sleeve!... Remember that homing laser shot I told you about? You're about to get a real taste of what that's gonna feel like in a minute!
Roman finished pressing buttons & activates his laser gun, which grows in size as it's now moved to be above Roman's cockpit as opposed to being in front of it.
Ruby: *Whistles* That's quite the laser gun, I'll give you that. You don't suppose that baby's fast enough to catch little ol' me, do you?
Roman: Only one way to find out…
Roman smirks as he takes aim at Ruby, just as she's getting back in her feet before fixing up her hood & taunting Roman once again.
Ruby: *Takes a deep breath* You complete me.
Roman: FIRE!
[Music: "It Doesn't Matter (Instrumental)" from Sonic Adventure]
Roman fires his homing shot & as quick as the wind, Ruby bursts out & begins running around as the homing laser chases her down around the same speed she's running, but the laser itself is slowly catching up to Ruby. Roman begins celebrating as he believes that he has Ruby cornered.
Roman: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! You can run all you want, Little Red, but not even you can escape this attack! It's a shame our little feud will end on our second encounter… Oh well, can't ask for too much, I suppose.
Ruby doesn't listen to Roman's words as she keeps herself busy with the tracking laser, just as she figures out the perfect route to take that laser. She knows the streets the Vale from inside out due to her many "trips", so she knows which route will work the best.
Ruby: Alright, time to show Little Ol' Pumpkin what I'm really made of!
Ruby picks up her speed & runs up the high buildings as the laser keeps chasing after her, she then hops down from building from building, eventually landing back on the floor & a couple of miles away from the battlefield. She dashes back at where Roman is at full speed, enhances her legs with Aura & does a long jump, landing right at Roman's cockpit.
Ruby: What's up, Pumpkin? Did ya miss me?
Roman: WHAT THE HELL?!
Ruby gives Roman a cheeky smile before she smirked & turned her entire body into scattering petals to avoid the incoming homing shot, which hits Roman's mech head on. The laser hits at the cockpit, causing Roman's mech to malfunction & lose power.
Roman: WHAT?! Nononononono! Come on, COME ON!
While Roman is struggling to control his mech, Ruby's high in the air with Crescent Rose in its Scythe form. She smirks before she starts spinning like a tornado as she quickly dives back down to where Roman is & finish him off. By the time Roman looks up to see the Red Reaper, it's already too late for him.
Ruby: Alright, time for the grand finale! [SCATTERED MOONFALL]
Ruby lands a powerful diving slash attack at Roman's mech, dealing tons of damage. Combined with the malfunction it was having from getting hit with the homing shot from earlier, it was more than enough to bring the mech down. When the smoke is cleared, they can only see Ruby dusting herself off as Roman's mech is now in pieces.
Roman: NO! MY BABY!
[Music End]
[Jingle: Round Clear from Sonic Adventure]
Ruby smirks as she spins around Crescent Rose for a while until she strikes an elegant, yet flashy victory pose.
Ruby: Hey, I'll play with you some other time!
[Phase 1: Ashen Rose – Boss: Pumpkin Walker: Defeated]
[MVP: Ruby]
Ruby: Yosha! That's what I'm talking about!
The police force all come out of their defensive positions & begin approaching Ruby, mainly Lacus. Ruby herself is just scratching under her nose as she looks all smug from defeating Roman.
Lacus: W- wow… You actually did it! You won!
Ruby: Well, I definitely needed your back up so that he could run out of weapons at a faster pace. If I was doing this all by myself, I wouldn't be able to do much without getting innocents in the crossfire… Speaking of which… *Turns to the other cops & some of the hostages that were watching the fight* Is everyone alright?
They all nod their heads as they begin thanking the young Huntress. Ruby just looks away as she gets a little flustered, scratching her cheek a little bit as her face gets all red… Sadly, things can't always end with a positive note like this one. They notice a giant bright light coming from the remains of Roman's mech, they can see a silhouette through the smoke… But it doesn't belong to Roman, but rather… a Girl? Once the smoke clears, they see a small girl with multicolored hair, a parasol & bandages on her neck standing tall on Roman's disassembled mech, she looks down at Ruby with a smirk on her face.
Ruby: What in the-… You're not Roman, what's going on?!
[Music: "The 13th Reflection" from Kingdom Hearts 2: Final Mix]
Neo: Well, well, well, what do we have here? So you must be that "Little Red" I've heard so much about. I must say, I didn't expect to see you again in a place like this.
Ruby: "See me again"?! What are you talking about?!
Neo just chuckles as she opens her parasol & begins spinning it around.
Neo: That matters not, I've been wanting to meet you for a while now… I've seen how great of a fighter you are, so I was hoping if you could share a little dance with me… After all, when was the last time you & I have-
-BANG!-
Before Neo could finish her sentence, a gun shot was fired. They all look at Lacus who has his gun pointed at Neo, just as his revolver begins cooling down from the shot.
Lacus: I don't know who you are, but you better stay right where you are! Move from that spot & my next shot won't be another warning shot!
Ruby suddenly begins to panic as she turns her attention to Lacus.
Ruby: Lacus, stop! This isn't someone you want to mess with, let me handle th-
Neo: "Let me handle this, I can take her on". That's what you were going to say, right?
They all suddenly flinch in fear as they see Neo suddenly appeared right behind Ruby, she tilts her head back to look at Neo with a very shocked expression on her face.
Ruby: What the- how did you?!
Neo: Oh, I'm sorry… Am I too fast for your poor human eyes? Or are you just too slow?
Neo begins to chuckle as Ruby starts to get angry for getting mocked like this.
Ruby: Why you little… I'm not gonna let some brat with multicolored hair & a broken voice box get the better of me!
Ruby turns around & tries to attack Neo, only for her to dodge the incoming attack by turning her body into glass & shattering her body into pieces before Ruby's attack could connect. She gets angry as she starts looking around to find Neo until Ruby hears her.
Neo: Over here, slowpoke!
Ruby spots Neo sitting on one of the large police trucks, looking all smug as she taunts her. This gets to the young heroine as Neo taps her forehead before she speaks again.
Neo: Much like you, my Semblance is to turn my body into an inanimate object. In my case, it's shards of glass. Got it memorized?
Ruby: So we have the same time of Semblance, huh? Wonderful! Why not try to fight me for real, you coward?! Then I'll show you who's the real slowpoke here!
Lacus: Wait, Ruby! Don't let her words get into her head, she's trying to-
Ruby doesn't listen to Lacus' warning & dashes out of the battlefield, with Neo happily taking the challenges as she hops back down & goes after Ruby. During her run, Ruby looks back & noticed how Neo was able to catch up with her & even run at similar speeds as she can, which surprises her.
Ruby: What the-?! I thought I was the only one who could run that fast!
Neo: Heh, didn't you say it yourself earlier? Our Semblances are of a similar type, it modifies my body to let me run at high speeds just like yours!
Ruby groans in frustration as she keeps running through the streets of Vale, just as Neo is catching up to the young Huntress without any issue.
Neo: Hitting a nerve, are we?
Ruby decides to run a little faster to get in front of Neo, then come back running towards her & try to land a flying kick at her. Only for Neo to turn her body into shards of glass once again to avoid the attack, cause Ruby to regain her balance before she crashed into something & got herself hurt. Out of nowhere, she's suddenly feels getting a cut on the left side of her torso.
Ruby: OW!
Ruby turns back around to see Neo holding a rapier of sorts, most likely being her parasol. What catches Ruby's attention is the fact that the tip of that blade has Ruby's blood, but how is that possible?
Ruby: It can't be! I had my shield active; how did you manage to cut me like that?!
Ruby charges at Neo once again, only for the small girl to dodge her attack & appear right behind Ruby like she's done prior.
Neo: Ya'know? I was very curious to see how strong you've become since the last time we've met as kids… & I must say, I'm very disappointed.
Ruby gets triggered even more as she keeps running towards Neo & trying to attack her, but she can't land a hit on this girl because of her amazing acrobatic abilities. When Ruby decided to use ranged attacks instead, Neo just turns her back on her & uses her Parasol as a shield. No matter what Ruby does, she can't catch a break. After avoiding one more attack, Neo suddenly reappears standing on top of a light post. After fighting her for who knows how long, Ruby learns a little more about Neo's Semblance.
Ruby: Wait, I get it now! She creates illusions to trick me & teleport around the place!
Neo: Congratulations, Ruby Rose! You're beginning to understand how my Semblance works. While we share similar speeds & invincibility frames, you cannot teleport like I can… But that's not all I can do, let me show you one more magic trick of mine.
Neo takes the tip of her blade & licks the remains of Ruby's blood that she took earlier.
Ruby: YUCK! That's gross!
Neo: AB-? My favorite… [SCATTERED MEMORIES]
Neo's body begins to break down in shards of glass, almost as if she's a snake shedding her skin. She's enveloped in shattered pink shards of glass until she starts to change form, something that catches Ruby off guard. Once she stopped changing forms, the shards begin to fall apart as Neo suddenly turns into… Ruby?!
Ruby: Wh- What in the world?! Is that-… Me?!
Not only does Neo now look exactly like Ruby, but she sounds like her as well. Despite her artificial vocal cords, Neo captures Ruby's voice & personality almost to a tee.
Neo-Ruby: Well, what did you think? Quite the magic trick, wouldn't you say? When I take my enemy's DNA, I can perfectly replicate them like a mirror… & Not just their looks or voice either, let me show you what I mean!
Neo-Ruby suddenly disappears in a burst of petals, causing Ruby to panic as she begins looking around the area to find Neo.
Ruby: (Okay, so not only can she keep up with me & create illusions, but she can also copy me?! just who the heck is this girl & why does she act like we know each other?!)
Neo-Ruby then suddenly appears behind Ruby & before the young Huntress could react, Neo-Ruby places a hand on her back & sends her flying with an Aura Shockwave. She then suddenly appears to the place where Ruby's suppose to crash into & kicks her high up, sending her flying into the air. She then enhances her legs with Aura to jump high into the sky, unsheathes her blade & begins unloading many powerful strikes at Ruby. All of which go through her Aura & pierces her like she's being bombarded with bullets. After another slash, she grabs Ruby's hood & throws her down back to the ground. Ruby's descent leaves a small crater on the road & leaves her Aura flickering, but just as she's about to get up, Neo pierces her one last time.
-STAB!-
Ruby: WRAAAAAAAAAAARGH!
[Music End]
Neo dives back down & quite literally steps on her rapier to pierce Ruby's back, landing a powerful blow that Ruby will be feeling for weeks to come. After she had enough fun toying around, Neo undoes her illusion & goes back to normal. She takes a hold of her blade & swiftly takes it back, causing Ruby to scream in pain.
Ruby: ARGH!
Neo: Well, that was dull. I wished you could've entertained me a little more.
Ruby struggles to get up due to her injuries, she looks back at Neo who's cleaning her blade. Ruby hasn't felt this powerless in a long time & she hates feeling that way.
Ruby: Why you… You didn't even take this fight seriously, have you?!
Neo looks back down at Ruby as she's taking care of her blade.
Neo: Wasn't that obvious? I was merely testing you, nothing more! If I wasn't holding back my "urges", I would've killed you the moment I laid my eyes on you… Unfortunately for you, you failed the test. As you can see, you couldn't even land a scratch on me!... Then again, you were always the loudmouth between us… All talk, but no action!
Ruby: Alright, I've had enough of your little mind games! Who are you & how come you act like we know each other?!
Neo sighs in disappointment at Ruby's words as she sheathes back her weapon, turning back into a normal parasol before she answers Ruby's question.
Neo: You really can't remember me, huh?... Some childhood friend you are…
Ruby: *Groans in annoyance* Can you please just talk like a normal person?! Your weird radio-like voice is triggering enough as it is, don't get all cryptic with me on top of it!
Neo adjusts her hair before replying to Ruby's question in a rather offended tone.
Neo: Well, excuse me for needing artificial vocal cords for my throat, you insensitive little pest!... Then again, I'm not the same as I was before either & it has been a long time since we last saw each other. & So instead, I'll be making the introductions & give you my new name... My name is Neo; Neopolitan Torchwick! Roman Torchwick's right hand lady & assassin first-class! Got it memorized?
Neo pokes her forehead on that last bit as a painful smirk grows on Ruby's face.
Ruby: "Neo", huh? Alright Neo, so what's your beef with me & what are you going to do with that fancy little rod you got on your belt?
Before Neo could respond, she hears the sirens from the police coming their way. Neo spins her parasol around before looking back down at Ruby.
Neo: Unfortunately, our conversation will have to continue some other time. I've gotten what I needed & already saw what you're capable of, so I'll take my leave for the night. If you want me to give you some answers, then get stronger & come find me at Mountain Glenn. I'll be waiting for you there… Arrivederci, Ruby Rose!
As quick as the flash, Neo's body turns into shattering glass once again before scattering to the wind & disappearing as if she was never there to begin with. As Ruby struggles to get up, the police arrive at the scene, with Byleth rushing towards her student.
Byleth: Ruby!
Byleth picks up the injured Rose in her arms, feeling horrified by the many wounds she has around her body & how much she's bleeding. Byleth wonders how can something like this even happen, Ruby's Aura Shield hasn't completely broken yet. Before she can think of a possibility, Lacus & Fluvius come by to check on her as well.
Lacus: What happened?! Where's that girl who chased after you?!
Ruby groans in pain as she looks at Lacus before answering his question.
Ruby: {She-… She got away… I did everything I could to stop her, but- Urgh!}
Ruby feels a sharper pain in her chest after she finished talking, her bleeding starts to get worse. Byleth panics as she takes the child in her arms & gets up to her feet.
Byleth: I'm sorry, your officers, but I have to get going! I'll come by the Valean Police Department tomorrow to explain this better, please be careful on your way back!
Lacus: W- wait! What about Ruby, shouldn't we let the ambulance take care of her-
Byleth doesn't listen to Lacus' request as she uses her Aura Enhanced legs to jump from building to building & leave the area while carrying Ruby in her arms.
Lacus: -& They're gone… *Sighs* Well, I'm sure she knows what she's doing… As for what happened today, I can only pray that this isn't a lead up to something bigger.
Fluvius: If things keep going like this, we might have to ask for the military's help. I know that this won't be the last time we'll see of that girl, she's one dangerous brat… For now, we should make sure our men are okay & report back to the chief. We have quite the investigation on our hands.
Lacus looks at the direction Byleth ran to one last time before nodding at his sister & giving commands to the others, mainly about checking on the injured.
We then cut back to Byleth finding a safe place to do her little magic trick as she places Ruby down. Ruby weakly opens her eyes to see Byleth about to place her hands on her injuries, but Byleth reassures her that it's going to be okay.
Ruby: {P-… Professor… What are you-}
Byleth: {Shh~… It's okay, sweety, I got you. Just hold still for me, okay?}
Byleth closes her eyes as she's enveloped with an emerald green light, with her hands being fully submersed by this light. In a matter of seconds, Ruby's injuries begin to heal like she has a healing factor of sorts. A few seconds later, Ruby's injuries are gone & she looks like she doesn't have any injuries on her. She gets up & takes a closer look at herself, mainly her hands & her now healed chest wound.
Ruby: It's… It's all gone! Prof-… Byleth, how did you do that?!
Byleth: It's-… It's something I've been working on; how do you feel?
Ruby: I… I feel great! Thank you, Byleth!
Byleth: Good… Now then!
Byleth immediately throws a Dragonscale punch upside Ruby's head, she holds her head in pain as she screams from Byleth's sudden smack.
Ruby: OWH! GEEZ!... What was that for?!
Byleth crosses her arms before glaring at Ruby.
Byleth: Oh, I don't know… Why don't you ask yourself when you got yourself involved in all of that mess you just made against Roman?!
Ruby: Me?! What are you talking about, I was doing just fine! You didn't have a problem with how I did things beforehand, so why start now of all times?!
Byleth then gets a little frustrated by Ruby's lack of understanding the bigger picture & begins to scold her for her reckless behavior in battle.
Byleth: "You were doing just fine"?! That "heroic" reckless attitude of yours got yourself hurt & almost got you killed!...AGAIN! What's the point of us working as a team & keep everyone if you keep throwing yourself in dangerous situations like this?! You got severely beaten by Glynda in the Mock Battle last month & almost crashed down from a huge altitude, you jumped off a flying aircraft from a huge height & ran through many woods of Vale just so you could come back to Beacon, you've thrown away your safety out the window & used yourself as a meat shield to save Pyrrha & just now, fought that battle mech by yourself, knowing it wasn't a very good idea & right after beating Roman, you tried picking a fight with the girl who almost killed you!
Ruby sighs before replying to Byleth while rubbing the back of her head.
Ruby: Look, I'm grateful for you to have my back, but I can take care of myself! What happened today was just bad luck, I'm not gonna let that Neo girl get the better of me again the next time we cross paths!
Byleth groans in frustration at Ruby's words, feeling like she doesn't truly understand where she's getting herself into.
Byleth: Ruby, you're our leader! If something happens to you, it's over! I know how much you want to protect others, but how are you suppose to do that if you can't even take care of yourself?! You need to be more car-
Ruby: "More careful", yes, I know! You're not the first one to tell me those words & you won't be the last either, but you know I can't just turn my back on people who need me! If I see you or anyone else in danger, I'm not just gonna sit around & do nothing! I don't care how dangerous it could be, this is how I fight & nothing will change that!
Ruby turns around as a somber look grows on her face & she starts rubbing her arm, all the while she looks up at the sky, gazing at the many stars above them.
Ruby: I know better than anyone what it's like to feel powerless… What it's like to feel week… I've been there a lot when I was growing up & I've lost many people because of that, all because I wasn't strong enough to make a real difference!… {& I refuse to go back to being that pathetic little girl!}
Byleth's expression softens at Ruby's words, mainly that last portion about not wanting to go back to being a helpless girl again. While Byleth herself has never gone through such events where, at least not to Ruby's extent, her students in Fódlan have. Mainly the 3 House Leaders, who each had their own history about becoming stronger because they hated feeling weak & helpless. Byleth goes to Ruby & kindly wraps her arms around her shoulders, hugging her from behind.
Byleth: I'm sorry… I was just worried about you; I shouldn't have smacked you like that…
Ruby takes a deep breath before placing a soft hand on top of Byleth's arms.
Ruby: I'm sorry too, Byleth… I'm not one who usually snaps like that either… Look, at least we were still able to stop them from making things worse… They still got away, but it doesn't matter right now… Let's just head back home, Weiss & Prof. Goodwitch will probably give us an earful when we head back & ask what took us so long…
Byleth chuckles before letting go of Ruby & begins walking away.
Byleth: Alright… Come on, it's already nightfall.
Ruby follows Byleth & begin making their way back home, Byleth then remembers about what Ruby told her when she told Byleth about her mission, mainly about needing her. She looks at Ruby before speaking her mind.
Byleth: Hey Ruby, I've been meaning to ask you about this for a while…
Ruby: Hm? Ask me about what exactly?
Byleth stops walking & turns to face Ruby, just as Ruby stops in her place as well.
Byleth: Remember about that mission you told me about after our Mock Battle? How you said I was going to help you?... What were you trying to say back then?
After taking a few seconds to remember, Ruby recalls what Byleth's referring to.
Ruby: Oh yeah, that!... It's simple, you're the only one I can trust to help me in a quest like this, the only one I can trust to do what must be done…
Byleth: What do you mean? Can't your Sister or your friends do the same?
Ruby shakes her head before gazing at the stars yet again.
Ruby: If I dragged them into my own mess, I'd only be in the way of their own struggles. They have their own personal wishes & goals, both of which conflict with my own… Mine is to change this world, while their goals go from finding self-improvement or finding a way to improve their nation & people... I don't want any of my comrades to sacrifice their happiness for my sake, especially for something as grand as changing the world.
Byleth starts to become a little concerned at Ruby's words, noticing how soft, yet sad she sounds. It sounds like someone who's both confident, but also remorseful in a way.
Byleth: Okay, but then-… Then why me?
Ruby looks back at Byleth before she answers her question.
Ruby: Because like them, you're different. You don't have a clear goal or path to follow, which makes me feel better in dragging you into my mission. Not only that, but you're strong… You're intelligent, wise, powerful, I'm not any of that… I need someone like you to help me in this mission, this isn't something I can do alone, I'm smart enough to know that much… What I need is an ally, one that'll fight by my side & make sure I don't stray from my path… We may have only met for about a month or so, but you already check my qualifications perfectly… *Smirks* Then again, you might as well be perfect.
[Music: "Broken Routine" from Fire Emblem: Three Houses]
Byleth can't exactly argue with what Ruby's saying, even if she's acting a little selfish about it. Much like Edelgard, she wanted Byleth to be her ally for her quest to reunite Fódlan. But because Byleth chose Claude & The Golden Deer instead of Edelgard & The Black Eagles, that wasn't the case… It's that last bit about Ruby calling her perfect that really throws her off, making her clench her fist as she remembers her time in Fódlan…
Byleth: You're wrong, Ruby… I'm not perfect, I'm the complete opposite of it!
Ruby gets confused by that statement, wondering what Byleth's talking about.
Byleth: I've never told why I've left the church last year, have I?
Ruby: Uh… No, you haven't… All you talk about it is how you worked for them for about a year until last February, I just assumed that you left on your own accord….
Byleth thinks of something to mask what actually happened to make sure Ruby doesn't learn that Byleth's from another world, after thinking of something, she tells her student her little story.
Byleth: Unfortunately, that couldn't be farther from the truth… Around February, when my first year as their teacher was about to end, one of the students of an opposing class was revealed to be an enemy of the village, one who was the heir of a neighboring town which wanted to get more power… In other worlds, that student was a spy… Her name was Edelgard, she was a very smart & determined young girl, one who doesn't know the meaning of giving up… Not unlike you, actually.
Ruby blushes at that statement, being praised in such a way is something Ruby can never get used to, no matter how hard she tries.
Ruby: She is?... Well- what happened after that?
Byleth: War…
Ruby widens her eyes in shock at that statement, not being able to find words to express such a thing happening in a time like this.
Byleth: The 2 sides battled with everything they've got; it was a bloody conflict that has resulted in many casualties… Once things got bad enough, that's when the Grimm took their chance to attack us while we were still fighting against each other… Sothis & I were among the few that survived that disaster…
Ruby is left speechless, not knowing what to say after hearing such a horrible tale.
Byleth: That's why I was hesitant to accept Ozpin's offer at first, because I was afraid to make the same mistake again… I've let that tragedy happen, I'm responsible for a war & many innocent lives… I should've acted when I still had the chance, but I didn't!...
Ruby looks down sadly after Byleth finished her story, feeling sorry for what happened to her in the past… She even regrets calling her perfect, now that she knows it brought some bad memories for her Professor.
Ruby: I'm sorry… It wasn't my intention to open any of your old wounds…
Byleth shakes her head before goes to Ruby & placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
Byleth: No, it's alright… Since you shared bits of your own past, I figured I should do the same… & You're right, I'm not like the others either… I'm basically an anomaly, it's kinda hard for me to fit in if I'm being honest… But you're also wrong, I actually do have a clear goal… It just so happens to not be similar to the others, that's all?
Ruby looks at Byleth curiously before asking her.
Ruby: You do? What's that?
A soft smile grows on Byleth's face as she ran her hand through Ruby's head.
Byleth: It's simple, to watch your back & make sure your life is a happy one…
Ruby's face gets completely flustered when she heard that, turning away from Byleth & hiding her face with her hood.
Ruby: Oh, come on! If you're gonna make fun of me like that, could you do it in a way that doesn't sound this embarrassing?! I'm just a girl from Patch, I'm nobody special!
Byleth can't help but laugh from how adorable Ruby's acting right now & like back in the park, she wraps her arms around her student & pulls her in a gentle embrace.
Byleth: Well, you are to me! I don't plan on leaving your side anytime soon!
Ruby's blush grows more from Byleth's embrace, but she couldn't turn down a hug from her, hugs are nice. Byleth then gets a little more serious as she tells Ruby something very important, something that will remain in their minds forever.
Byleth: Ruby… No matter what happens, promise me that you're never going to stop doing the right thing… Even if everyone else tells you otherwise because it's foolish or meaningless, never stop fighting for what you believe in… As for me… I'll make sure you stay on that path & don't eat off more than you can chew, no matter what… Okay?
Ruby nods as she starts to get a teary eye, sinking closer to Byleth's arms & relaxing in her warm embrace.
Ruby: Okay…
They stay in that position for a minute or 2 longer before they separated. Byleth offers her hand to Ruby, to which Ruby takes it & they begin to walk towards the direction of the Valean Airport. Byleth may have failed in Fódlan, but she won't fail here!... Not her!...
[Music End]
Cut to Roman's hideout where he's in bandages, all the while his personal pod is getting repaired on the other room. Roman can hear the mechanics & their tools from the other room, making him feel even worse about his loss. That's when Neo comes by with a mug of hot cocoa for him, she sits down next to him & offers him a warm mug.
Neo: Well, I've certainly seen you in better days… Need to take a break?
Roman smiles at Neo's sass, but also concern for him as he takes the mug of hot cocoa from her hand & begins drinking it.
Roman: Well, at least I managed to get home to take a sip of your wonderful hot cocoas, I always loved the way you make them.
Neo: *Chuckles* I'm always happy to make them for you, Dad… So, about that kid, Ruby Rose… Hmph, she wasn't like how I remembered her…
Roman: Man, someone's disappointed… Weren't you the one who kicked her ass?
Neo: Yeah & it was a lot of fun! But at the same time, it didn't feel as satisfying as I've hoped… No matter, at least I managed to get my hands on this!
Neo reaches for the Scepter of Okami from her belt & shows it off to Roman. Roman's impressed by the architecture of this scepter, as well as the faint energy that resides in this small artifact.
Roman: My, my, now this is a sight to see… Hopefully, that annoying woman won't be on our case so much after this!... Ah, who am I kidding? She's gonna spout her random "Change the world & achieve heaven" bullshit again, isn't she?
Neo: Most likely, yes! Now come on, let's get you to bed. You need your rest
Neo pulls Roman by the arm & starts dragging him away, making him feel a little pain as his injuries aren't fully healed yet & he's still in bandages.
Roman: OW! OWOWOWOWOWOW! Hey, take it easy! I'm still hurt all over- OW!
Neo just giggles from her Adoptive Father's whining as she drags to his quarters, all the while everyone present see how they look right now & feeling speechless about what they're seeing at that moment.
Ruby was able to defeat Roman this time around, but he was still able to get away. Not only that, but she was faced with an enemy that utterly crushed her, no matter how hard Ruby fought back. Who truly is Neopolitan Torchwick & what's her connection with our heroine? What's the story behind The Scepter of Okami & what powers does it hold? Will Byleth & Ruby keep the promise they made to each other? Who will succeed in their mission to change the world? Will it be Ruby or The Fall Empress, find out all & more next time on RWBY: The Verdant Light of Remnant!
RWBY: The Verdant Light of Remnant - Chapter 18: A Conficted Rose - End
Author's Notes: Wow, holy shit... I kinda feel bad for giving Ruby such a spanking in the end there, Neo just kicked her ass... DAYUM!... Now, i know some people are wondering why her Semblance works a little differently here, like how she & Ruby (& To a lesser extent, Blake) share the same time of Semblance, which is turn their bodies into an inanimate object/a form of mass, letting them move around their bodies & dodge attacks normal people normally wouldn't be able to dodge. But then comes her way of turning into other people, there's a reason for this. I can't speak for everyone, but i think Neo's Semblance is WAY too powerful in canon. It is broken beyond belief both figuratively & extremely literally! So to make sure i nerfed her, i decided to give her some restrictions. In this case, she needs to absorb the DNA of whoever she wants to transform herself into. This is important since not only does she take their appearance & voice for a certain amount of time (despite the latter being a bit iffy because of her artificial voice) but also their abilities, as show in this fight. I'll be diving into how Semblances work in this universe AFTER The Garnett Papillon's first mission, since i feel like that warrants a chapter of its own, so get ready for when we get there.
Now for the whole Ruby & Byleth thing... First of all, to ANYONE who expects a romance between these 2... Don't get your hopes up, it's not happening! I don't need to tell you why a student dating her teacher is weird, right? "Eh, but you can do that in the original 3 houses games" to which i say YES, you can!... But by the time you marry one of them, it's in the end of the freaking game, where BOTH sides are in their 20s & the student itself wasn't a student anymore, they were already someone who went on wars. So it's not the same, so i don't even wanna READ that argument in the comments! Got it? Good! As you could probably tell by now, the main focus of this story & it's emotional core is the relationship between Ruby & Byleth, from going to Teacher to Student, to close Friends & Allies, to something similar to a Mother & her Daughter. We see bits of that last one here where Byleth holds Ruby in her arms as a way to comfort her & embarass her in the end (albeit by accident), these are some hints of what's to come for these 2 later in the story, ESPECIALLY at Part 3 where their bond will hit their lowest of lows & highest of highs, i can't WAIT to get there... in 5-6 years, fock my inconsistent writing & release schedule!
As to why Byleth suddenly has a problem NOW with Ruby being reckless when she didn't so earlier? Well, consider this. 1: Byleth's ENTIRE REASON to being in Remnant is to be Ruby's personal guiding light & body guard, she can't afford having Ruby getting herself into situations where she'll bite more than she can chew, KNOWING she's not ready! Which brings to my second point, her battle with Demonic Beast Cardin really showed just how willing Ruby is to throw herself in danger to save someone's life, even if she knows it might not work. While this is a great strenght of her character, it's also something that brings her down & it will be the flaw that will bite her in the ass later in the story, mainly in the latter half of Part 2 where Ruby will start to go downhill & her her burdens & stubborness get the better of her on MULTIPLE occasions. Because of those reasons + the fact that Byleth genuinely cares for Ruby, she HAS to step up sooner rather than later... However, i confess... I didn't do a very well job LEADING to this back at chapters 14 & 15, so i'll take the L for THAT one! I'm still a human being guys & i fock up just like everyone else, i just happen to do more often because i'm a stubborn jackass who's unlucky as all hell!
Ok, that's enough self loathing & Ruby goodness for one day, i better head off. This has been Remnant Bardock & until our next meeting, have a wonderful day, my friends!