RWBY: Tales From The Paradox
Kingdom of Remnant, Act II: The Princess of Fire
Rose stood before the pedestal. Her hand ran on the simple picture frame. It was old, charred in the corner. The surface hadn't been polished in a long time. It looked like something you would find in some forgotten corner of an antique store. But still, she felt like she was pulled toward it.
"All her horses, all her men. The sooner you find the picture, the sooner you get out of this place."
Qrow, with a teapot in his hand, strode toward her. Rose tightened her grip, eyes still fixed onto the frame.
"Any idea what it would look like?"
Qrow put the teapot down, taking three cups out. As he poured the tea, he replied.
"I expected that they would manifest the same as paradoxes on the surface."
"So… a pillar of light? That's it? I just need to find some big light pillar and then get out?"
Jaune jumped to her side. She gave him a pat on the head. The porcelain jackalope then turned to one of the tea cups and drank from it. Rose was taken aback by his behavior, while Qrow only smiled as he sipped his own tea.
"If only it was that simple. This world, its spiral, isn't simply just a piece of land, but a story. A story with its beginning and its end. You too, was and still is part of a story. So am I."
"What do you mean by that?"
He pointed at the last cup. It was steaming, but soon would grow cold. Rose turned from the frame, to him, then to the cup. Hesitantly, she picked it up with both of her hands.
"Your story, the tale of the 'Lonesome Drifter', had begun. So was the tale of the world above. I suspected that the reason you could find me was because of the tale leading you here. The same should be applied to them."
"You are saying that I would have to go up there, dance around like some kind of fool and follow some weirdo's story?"
If only she wasn't fighting for her life, she would laugh. Then again, why shouldn't she?
"A fairy tale, to be exact. "
"Do you want to tell me how you know all of that?"
Qrow chuckled.
"A story for another time. Now you have a different story to hear, don't you?"
"Right…"
Rose took a sip of tea. She almost spat it out. 'Too bitter!'
Long, long ago, there was a princess. Her hair was as fiery as the sun. Her skin was fair and smooth as silk. But it was her eyes, those emerald stars, that had captured the souls of many men. However, she wasn't your gentle, frail little princess who sat upon the high tower, waiting for her knight in shining armor to slain the dragon.
Rose geared up, Harbinger on her back. But as she reached for the dust canisters, Qrow stopped her.
"Be wise. We don't have much dust to spare, only use them when necessary. I suggest that you should save them for the Undercroft."
"Yeah… thanks for the advice…"
She put the pair of gauntlets on and changed them into a pair of bracelets. Myternaster holsted on her side while Gambol Shroud sat nicely in the leather gun holster. She focused, trying to awake her aura. Letting out a small breath, she smirked when she saw the red aura covered her hand. Qrow, once again, broke her concentration.
"And you shouldn't use your aura and semblance up there, they would attract the wyvern."
"Geez, I know it, you told me that already." Rose grunted. "Are you my father or something?"
To which, Qrow only laughed.
Her horse came by her size, snuggled its muzzle to her right cheek.
"Alright, Oscar. Ready to go?"
She mounted her ride, looking at Qrow. He looked back at her with a confused face.
"You named it Oscar?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
Qrow mumbled something, then waved his hand.
"Nothing, nothing, just some… old things. We shouldn't dawdle any longer."
Rose nodded. She and Oscar turned to the portal.
"She's in a mood… See for yourself."
Rose braced herself, eyes closed shut as she and Oscar made it through the portal. When she opened her eyes, greeting her was fire and brimstone.
The sky was burning, in the literal sense, by colorless fire. Smoke hung in the air, the smell of freshly charred wood followed it. She felt warm at first, then the heat became more and more intense. Her eyes became dry and then began to tear up. She rubbed her eyes, smoke filled her nostril. It was irritating. Far up in the sky, motes of fire rained down upon her, brought to her searing pain while not burning her up. The pain was internal too, like a forge was being heated up within her.
Rose's breath became ragged as she tried to adapt with the world around her.
Oh, a mistake of mine! The princess was gentle, the most gentle of them all. But frail? Oh, no she wasn't. Like I said, she didn't wait inside a tower to be saved. If anything, she was the dragon. She herself was a warrior. A warrior of highest renown. A warrior well known by all of the citizens of Remnants. A defender of the weak, a champion of her time.
Her name once echoed from the high mountains of Menagerie, to the lowest point of the Mantle Depth. On top of the Beacon, her story was sung. We all knew her name, once. My dear audiences, might we hear her name being sung, one last time?
"You have angered the Queen, and because she is a creature of emotion, her world follows."
Rose struggled to keep herself steady upon Oscar's saddle. Pulling out her water canteen, she took a swing. The lukewarm water wasn't pleasant by any means, but it was soothing, considering the fact that she was standing on a burning wasteland.
"Hah… What the hell? Is this what they called 'burning hatred?'"
"Do not mistake anger for petty hatred. Though, in her case, the line blurred."
"Now what? How am I supposed to follow the story, or whatever that thing is?"
"The spiral has its way. You only need to let it guide you."
Far away, she saw a pillar of light. Raising her gauntlet up, an ethereal sphere shot out and flew toward it.
"Be wary. In the story, the king's men had blades made of molten steel!"
She put the canteen back on her belt. She then realized that something was wrong with that statement.
"Wait, the king?"
"From the Tales of Remnants,... The Princess of Fire…"
During the reign of the King of Names, his champions were many. The Red Huntress, naive and young. The Rusty Knight, ever vigilant. And his invincible maiden, Pyrrha Nikos, the Princess of Fire. She was amongst his most trusted aides, his most faithful student. His chosen champion.
Following the light, she came across a stadium. An empty stadium, which oddly shone with color amidst the monotonous wasteland. It was dug down to the ground, creating a pan on the earth. As she descended down, she began to hear praises, the sound of claps and cheers.
They all were silenced by a thundering voice coming from the center of the stadium.
"YOU! I've seen you, drifting among the isles of MY kingdom!"
It was Pyrrha's voice. Her figure materialized at the center of the stadium. In her hand was a scroll instead of her spear. Her eyes were burning, metaphorically. Her entire body lit up like a torch, challenging the burning sky in a battle of heat.
"If it weren't for that manic little Imp...she's got it in for you. If you're not a COMPLETE idiot, you'll see that we should help one another."
"Helping you?! After all of the times you killed me, you expected me to help YOU?!"
Rose spat. Oscar followed with an audible huff. If anything, she would gladly stab the executor's heart.
"Listen here, you miscreant! If I speak just a single word, she would know exactly where you are. But I haven't, because we can work together, and dethrone that IMP!" Pyrrha stomped down, striding toward her. "You help me put her down to the ground, and I will help you get out of here."
"No, I know you. I know what you did." She felt it, the pain of a spear impaled into her chest. "You burn any prisoner who dared to speak against you. You destroyed villages because they didn't pay you any respect. You think you are the one with power here? You don't. You have nothing but an anger issue!"
"You harlot-" Pyrrha roared, porcelain skin cracked revealing scales underneath. Her eyes was akin to the sun on the desert, spiteful and malevolent.
"My name is Rose!" She shouted back. "How can I trust you to not stab me in the back?"
"You can't." Pyrrha admitted. "But you know that we are both sick and tired of following her orders, killing you again and again, being toyed with by that wretch! So 'Rose', do you want to cooperate or not?!"
Rose could see the scroll on her hand slowly being burned away.
Rose began to hesitate. Of course, she would gladly stand down and engage with her. Surely, that wouldn't end well for her. She waited for a response or guidance from Qrow. But none came, she was all alone. Join the damned woman who executed her countless times before, or face the Queen's army? She bit her lip.
Lowered herself down from Oscar, she strode toward Pyrrha.
"What is your plan?"
Pyrrha smirked.
"Kneel."
"What?!"
"Kneel before your queen, and I shall grant you my brilliance!"
Then, came the day of coronation. The day when she would earn her rightful place in the kingdom. The day the people of Remnant call her 'Queen'.
Pyrrha was loved by the people, that was as clear as crystal. Her talent was unmatched, even when the rest of the champions challenged her. Yet, the king gave her one last test. A duty she must fulfill, to prove that she was worthy of the throne.
Riding on their horses, Pyrrha and Rose moved through the kingdom. Catching a glimpse of the executor, the citizens quickly find a place to hide. The few unfortunate cowered as she strode past them. Pyrrha paid no mind to that, however, she did notice the eyes they gave to Rose. To her, they cowered, to Rose, they bowed.
"Bunch of miscreants. They don't even pay respect to their princess. Once I regain my throne, I shall put them all into prison, until their rotten corpses learn how to properly greet their ruler."
"Ain't that a bit too much?" Rose huffed.
"You don't have the right to speak here!" Pyrrha yelled at her. "I do the talking, and you shall do as I planned."
"What a good ruler you are." She added the right amount of mockery in, making Pyrrha steaming but not bursted. "But a princess? You?"
"You doubt my rights?" She could feel Pyrrha's voice shaking. Like molten iron inside of a crucible, waiting to be poured out, she began.
"I was, no, AM, the chosen ruler of the kingdom! The next in line, it's my birthright to take my seat upon the throne."
"Then why are you here?"
"Because that damned IMP was chosen! I was supposed to be the Queen, but she was the one to ascend!"
"If she is the Queen, are you still even a princess? I doubt that you are anything but her executor." Rose chuckled. Pyrrha turned to her, eyes blazing with fire.
"Alright,... Please accept my apologies, your Highness."
"Hmp!" Pyrrha… pouted. "If you think that is enough, you are dead wrong. Put as your future queen, and my valuable pawn, I shall spare you for now."
They stopped at a cliff, overlooking the Queen's castle. With Pyrrha's signal, they split. Rose headed to the meadow, while Pyrrha made her way straight to the castle.
'Listen, the Queen took something of importance from me. And I want it back. With it, I can reclaim my rightful throne, and free you.'
Tempting, very tempting. Rose had to give her that. Then again, it was no easy feat to pull off. The plan was simple, at least its layout was.
A voice came from her transmitter, it was Pyrrha's.
"Do you remember what I told you?"
"Distracting the guard, right?"
"Then you better GET GOING!"
The voice was like a musket going off right next to her ear. Talk about a loud woman.
Lucky for her, the road in front of her was a path regularly used by the Guards. How did she know it? She wasn't quite sure. A group of Grimm Guard was escorting a chest filled with tithe collected from the citizens of the kingdom should be coming any time soon. If she is able to stop it, the commotion will surely attract the guards within the castle.
Waiting on her ambush point, Rose eyed the road beneath. The fire was still burning around her, it was distracting, but her body had adapted to it. She wiped the sweat on her forehead, readied Harbinger. Oscar was prepared, with a single command given by her, he would leap upon them.
There they were, the caravan. Leading them was a captain, riding a horse similar to Oscar. Behind him were a dozen guards, armed with spears and swords.
"Alright, let's do this."
With a whistle, Oscar leapt out of their hiding spot and into the air. The guards immediately reacted and faced them with their spears. However, it wasn't just a leap, as Oscar dived down, hooves raised. The moment his hind legs touched the ground he stomped his front legs down, creating a shock wave and knocked the guards around him down. Rose dismounted from Oscar, Harbinger shifted to a scythe, and joined the fray.
Her scythe swung forward, claiming the head of the first guard. Not letting them have any time to recover, her next strike followed, planting her weapon down, she used it as a fulcrum and threw herself up, boot kicking at the next guard.
The captain shouted his commands while the rest of the guards began to return to their formation. Knowing well that it could mean her end, she strode toward them, Harbinger shifted into a great blade. With her improvised spear, she broke into their line, carved another guard down. Such action had its consequences, as the guard next to her pulled his sword out and struck her. Luckily, she moved out in time, the cut on her side was shallow enough for her to keep going. Switching from Harbinger to Ember Celica, she moved even closer and engaged them in close quarters. Spear is a dangerous weapon, it can reach its target from a safe distance, and in an open field, polearms always excel in a fight. But against a fast moving close target, they were rather cumbersome. Rose danced from one guard to another, not letting them have a moment to reform their line. The captain pulled his horn out and blew it, the burning sky became even redder than it already was.
'Being bold today, aren't you?'
The Queen's voice echoed in the air, she tried to be as calm as possible, but clearly, the mask was broken.
'Thinking that you can mess with me? How adorable. Guards, bring me her head.'
The princess would have to travel deep into the caverns of Beacon, grant the audience of the great Maiden of Fall. There, she shall show her worth to the Maiden, to gain her acceptance as her next successor, and the heir to the throne.
And, let's not fool ourselves, we all believed that she would succeed, that's nothing could stop her. Unfortunately, fate has its own twisted sense of humor.
Pyrrha stood before the vault. There she was, the chance she had always wanted was there. Years she planned and schemed. For years the damned imp locked her away from her right, sending guards to 'protect' her, 'visiting' her to rub even more salt to her wound. But there she was, she couldn't stop giggling. For a moment, she felt her anger left her mind, even if it was just seconds. For only a moment, as it came back to her. All of the things the imp forced her to do, all of the things she took away from her, she would take all of them back, and make the imp pay double for them.
She felt a tug from behind. A tiny voice in her head but not hers, begged her to leave, to not let what inside of it out. It called her friend, apologized to her.
Another trick of the imp, one she would never fall to.
The vault slowly opened. A blinding light basked over her being, making her raise one hand up to cover her face. Smiling, she gazed upon the treasure within the vault. Soon, she shall rule over this land, as it was intended to be.
She took a step forward, trying to see it. The smile dropped.
It was empty, a lonely mirror sat on the table at the end of it. Confused, she stepped in further, reaching for the mirror. It was a small little hand mirror, similar to the one she would use everyday. But it was broken, the glass shattered, why would the Queen keep something like this?
She looked into it and saw her shattered image. A worthless little thing, where is the succession scroll? Her regalia? The proof of her rights? It must be here somewhere.
The more she looked into the mirror, the more its images changed. Slowly, it became a scene, playing right in front of her eyes. At first, she paid no mind to it. But as she got more and more irritated, she began to inspect the mirror more. It was then she realized what the scene was. The feeling of being betrayed hit her. Tears welled up in her eyes. She kneeled down. She clenched her teeth, grip tightened until blood ran on her porcelain skin.
"No… No… No. No. No. Nonononono- I won't accept this. I. WON'T. ACCEPT. THIS!"
When she came to the Maiden's home, it was too late. The Maiden was slain, her spirit taken away. Standing there, was a witch. Her laugh echoed across the kingdom, as she held the Maiden's heart in her hand, and devoured it.
And so, they fought.
'Quit this cat and mouse game already! Do you know how tiresome this has become?'
The Queen's voice whispered to her ears. Mocking her, berating her.
'You are trying to escape this land? Don't you see how futile it is?'
"Shut UP!" Rose yelled. Her scythe swung down, claiming another guard's head. They began to outnumber her, this was by no means good. It would be just the same as last time.
"Damn it, I know I can't trust that damned woman!" What took Pyrrha so long, she wondered. Was this in fact a plan they made to trap her?
Only one way to find out.
Whistling, she called Oscar to her side. The horse charged through the guard's line, picking her up. Secured on his saddle, she signaled the horse to fly. Oscar leapt to the sky, wings spread wide and soared.
'Stealing my kaithe and making him yours? How typical.'
Following her from behind, the guard captain dived toward her, blade pointed at her back. Quickly, Rose turned away, Harbinger's barrel pointing back at him and fired. The captain was knocked down from his steed, falling toward the ground. Without any other pursuer on the sky, she urged Oscar to fly faster, heading to the Castle.
There, she saw the gate wide open. No guards in sight. 'What is going on?' She wondered. No time to think, she rode Oscar all the way into the Castle's inner chamber, down to the vault. How could she know where it was?
Stopping her was the gate of the vault. Dismounted from Oscar, she reached for the gate.
'STOP!'
The Queen entered her mind, once again. This time, however, it sounded less like a warning or threat.
'Do NOT open that gate. You don't know what's behind it.'
"And I am going to find out."
Rose kicked it open. Light blinded her momentarily.
She stepped in, observing the room. It was… odd. Pictures, gilded with gold held on the walls, faded with time, showing the image of a girl with emerald eyes. Scratches, scars and holes scattered within it, as if someone fought there. At the end of the room was a sarcophagus. Someone was there, kneeling next to it. Their hand caressed the vessel, a scythe laid by their side.
Rose reached her hand out, trying to call the figure. Before she could do so, the figure slammed their hand upon the sarcophagus. With each hit, the fist gained more momentum, until a visible dent was made on its surface. The figure wailed. The wail then turned to a cry of anger.
Rose covered her ears as the figure's cry became more intense. It hit her hard, hard enough to make her dizzy.
When she opened her eyes. She was at the stadium once again. Just not on the surface of Remnants. The ethereal sky and mismatched constructs was a telltale sign that she was standing on the Undercroft. At the center of it were Pyrrha, kneeling down.
The porcelain woman turned to her. Her entire body shook as she spoke.
"You… Ahhhh… I remember it now. It wasn't her, who took my life away…"
"Pyrrha, what is the meaning of this?"
Rose stepped back, Harbinger unsheathed.
"No no no no no,... I was wrong… It was you."
Pyrrha scroll burned away, in its place was Miló. She laughed hysterically.
"You are the one who took everything from me. My rights, my future! MY LIFE!"
The princess fought against the witch, with all of her might and her power. The witch however, didn't even care. All she wanted was to humiliate her. In an act of total dominance, the witch lifted the princess up and threw her up onto the square of Beacon, where the people were waiting for their champion.
Blades met blades, arrows met shield, and magic clashed with magic. The princess, burning with hate, shame and anger. Oh so bright the anger BURNED. They fight for one long night.
Pyrrha lunged at her, spear low and shield high. The executor wasted no time to cover the distance between them and landed her first strike. Rose only had a split of a second to react, raising Harbinger up, redirecting the strike from hitting her vital organs. With the same swing, Pyrrha changed her weapon from a spear to a xiphos and began her barrage of blows.
She fought with grace and speed, accurately deathly and swift, a clear opposite to her demeanor. Rose struggled to keep her feet on the ground. Harbinger had range and power, not speed or versatility. Each time she tried to get some distance to use her weapon, Pyrrha immediately got closer and stomped her attempts down.
"You MISCREANT! I shall show you what a REAL fight is!"
The only way to fight her was to up the ante.
Dropping Harbinger down, Rose raised her arm up as Ember Celica unfolded. Giving Pyrrha a hard haymaker, she finally landed a hit upon the executor. Pyrrha was pushed back, a crack formed on her porcelain face. Her fingers touched the crack, feeling it. Her aura flared up as she raised Miló once more, this time with caution. Her emerald eyes no longer shone with hate, but focus.
The Princess of Fire returned.
They traded blows after blows. Pyrrha knocked Rose away using her shield, followed by her spear. Rose repelled by using Gambol Shroud to pull Pyrrha's weapon away and giving her another blow. Pyrrha raised her shield to block the attack, the force was enough to push her back a few steps.
"And when I am done with you, I will show them all who the real ruler of this land is!"
They continued to fight until the stress of it began to take its toll upon them, yet the heat of the battle remained.
As Rose moved in for her next assault, an arrow flew toward her. They both turned to the arrow's origin. Surrounding the stadium was the Grimm Guards, longbow held high, ready to be released.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Pyrrha roared. Spoke to her was the Queen's cold voice.
'Enough playing around, Pyrrha! If you could, move out of the way. I will end this wretch's life right here, right now.'
"And what? Robbing me of my right? My victory again? I have enough of this! YOU! Your games! I will take my rightful throne right after this, you IMP!"
The Queen stopped. A deadly silence hung between them.
'Move out of my way, Pyrrha. Don't make me do this.'
"I dare you!"
Rose heard a small 'ting' in the air. Then, came the pain. An arrow logged itself into her side. The pain was the last straw, she strained herself too much fighting both the guards and Pyrrha. Rose kneeled down, hissing.
Another arrow flew toward Pyrrha, she raised her shield and deflected it.
'This is the last warning.'
"I will not yield."
'Then so be it.'
The guards synchronically released their arrow. A rain of burning metal fell upon them. Rose struggled to call Oscar, but wasn't fast enough, they had already fallen half way down.
Pyrrha dropped her shield, raised both of her hands up. She grunted, pushing all of her energy out. The arrows stopped on their track, suspended in the air. With a quick movement, Pyrrha slammed her hand down, sending the arrows back to their sender. Each one of them pierced the guard clean, turning them to a pile of dust.
Pyrrha laughed.
"How's that?! Still thinking that you can get rid of me this easy? I will take the throne back! And about you…"
She turned to Rose. Pulling the arrow out, Rose felt her aura slowly healed her body back. If only she could master her semblance too. With renewed vigor, she pointed Myrtenaster at Pyrrha.
"Ready for round two?"
Pyrrha picked her spear up from the ground, laughing.
"I will make you kn-"
She could see something behind Rose. A small glimpse of light, coming from a tower behind them. An archer stood upon a nearby tower, pulling their arrow, aiming for Rose's back. Suddenly, her body moved by itself.
"Watch out!"
The archer loosen their arrow. It came flying toward them. Just a second late, it would have pierced Rose's heart if Pyrrha didn't intervene. She jumped toward Rose and pushed the young woman away, placing her right where the arrow would land. Unfortunately, she didn't have enough time to raise her shield before it came
'NO'
The arrow found its way to her chest, pierced through her porcelain shell. Pyrrha fell down, her breath became ragged.
Instinctively, Rose rushed to her side. "Pyrrha!"
Rose caught Pyrrha into her embrace. A sudden rush of emotion flooded her. She saw the porcelain shell slowly crumble away, revealing human skin underneath. An old face, buried deep in her memory, slowly resurfaced.
"No… Nonononono." Rose panicked, her hand caressed Pyrrha's face. The persistent anger on her face was gone. Instead, it was the face of a gentle girl. She began to laugh, a sudden shift of personality, as her voice became mellow.
"Haaa… Ha ha… ha ha ha ha… And here I thought it was just another trick of hers. So the thing in the Vault, it was true after all."
Tears began to run on Rose's face. She was confused. She was supposed to hate this woman, why was she crying for her? She didn't understand, couldn't comprehend and couldn't make herself hate this woman. She felt guilty.
"What are you talking about…?" She pushed Pyrrha's messy hair from her face. Her kind emerald eyes looked back at her.
"You are… Rose, right? Have you heard the story about the Princess of Fire?"
The princess was exhausted, she knew she couldn't keep up. The witch knew that too. In a moment of hesitation, the princess was caught in the witch's hand. An arrow to her chest, and the champion was felled.
When the princess came to be, the coronation ceremony had come to its end. But who was it on the throne? It wasn't her. Opening her eyes, she saw other champions around her. They too, were wounded. They told her what happened. Of the fight between them and the witch. They came to her side when she fell, faced the evil witch, trying to save her.
She asked them, 'Who is that, on the throne?' They looked at her, worriedness painted their faces, and sadness filled their eyes.
'The king deemed you unworthy.' The first spear struck.
'The Red Huntress ended the witch with one single strike.' The second found its mark.
'So the king decided that she was truly worthy.' The last ended her.
The Red Huntress ascended to the throne.
'From here on out, you shall be known as the Red Queen of Remnants.'
Hate, it was all she had. Anger, it was all she could feel. Fallen from grace, dropped down, down below. From the champion of the kingdom, to an executor. From a pristine princess loved by the people, to a dirty killer who was feared by the lowly scums. The wound from the witch left her in a broken state, she could no longer fight. Her seat in the council was taken away.
It all was because of her. Because of the Red Huntress. She could have saved her, she could stop the witch from harming others, but she watched. She stood aside and watched as the witch twisted laugh echoed in the air. She only came in when the other had already fallen, when no one could oppose her ascendence. She waited until Pyrrha could no longer challenge her, to take everything from her, her life, her future, everything!
Churning within her was an anger unmatched by any other. A fire of hate, fueled by betrayal and lies. She thought the Huntress was her friend, but no, she left her to die, to take her place away.
And so, the princess of fire, forever remains as a princess. A mockery, a shameful name, a princess of nothing. A princess whose life was taken by her friend, right in front of her eye.
"But that isn't how it ended, nor what truly happened. I am not her, I am not Pyrrha, but a ghost in the Queen's memory, created to haunt her, by herself."
Rose hugged Pyrrha tight. She could feel her heartbeat slowed down, her body grew cold. The anger once burned to keep her alive died down, replaced with a serene peace.
"The Queen kept me, as a reminder of her sins. Her own anger manifested. But now I am free…"
Her body slowly withered into dust, scattering in the wind. She smiled, her hand caressed Rose's cheek. Rose's hot tears ran on her palm, making her feel alive, for the first time of her life. Suddenly, Pyrrha the executor was no more, in front of Rose was her old friend, even if she couldn't remember her..
"Thank you, Rose… And please, forgive yourself for what you did."
The last of her scattered away, leaving behind only a fragment of the picture in Rose's hand.
"You have returned."
Qrow stood by the pedestal, Jaune in his hand. The two greeted her.
"Yeah, I found it, just a fragment…"
Rose said, melancholically.
"As expected."
"Why can't it be just a single whole picture? How much more do I have to search?"
Qrow dropped Jaune down and strode toward Rose.
"Anything you want to share with us?"
She shook her head, tired eyes turned to the frame.
"Nothing, just a little tired. So... should I just put it in?"
"Whenever you are ready."
Rose took the fragment out, and put it in the frame. It wasn't much, just a simple piece of paper, with a word on it.
'Team RWBY?' She whispered. Suddenly, the name awoke something within her. She fell down, holding her head, grunting in pain.
The world around her shifted. She was no longer standing in the cave, or under the burning sky. Surrounding her were ruins, ruins of a tower. Atop of it, were figures crafted from shadow. A woman, standing tall, a bow in her hand. Her eyes were glowing red. The other two sat in front of her. A girl, not a day older than 15, kneeled down. In her lap, was her friend, lying lifeless. Her red hair was dirty, her emerald eyes lost their life. Then, came the sounds. The victorious laughter of the woman, the sorrow of the girl. She hugged her friend close, desperately calling out her name.
'I guess we're born with anger.'
It was Rose's voice, her perspective. The girl cried, she cried while her friend's hand reached to her face, caressing it. She hugged her tight, feeling her warmth slowly being drained away.
'An instinct, like any other.'
Her friend's voice was tuned out. Something else filled her vision. It was red.
'Like squinting at the sun… or flinching from a burn.'
Her hands tightened. Her soul boiled, and her face shifted. It was no longer grieving. It was demanding.
'But some of us…'
She demanded blood. She demanded that her friend's sacrifice must be paid. With all of her might, she channeled her inner power. Her silver eyes shone.
'May be we learn it.'
Silver light engulfed the world, as the girl cried out in anger and hatred.
Rose struggled to stand up. The headache was persistent, like someone was hammering a nail into her head. She became furious, furious against the futility of her attempts to shake the pain away, of her own futility against the world.
"Easy, I have you."
Qrow came closer, putting his hand on her shoulder.
She turned and pushed him away, voice made of pure anger.
"DON'T!"
Qrow used his cane to steady himself, his gaze shifted to her face. Tears ran on her cheek, eyes blazing with rage. A terrible air of sorrow and hate surrounded her.
"I… I didn't mean to…" She looked down. Her hand was shaking. Her warmth was still there, as if it was just yesterday.
They sat down by the bonfire. Jaune was lying on her laps, letting her hand fondling him. Her eyes fixed on the jackalope, too shameful to look up. Qrow sat in silence. No point in poking her, not yet. Let her be stable first.
'So… how'd you end up here, anyway?' She spoke timidly.
Qrow hummed, stroking his beard.
'Through the eye of a storm… I'm not sure if I was dead or alive at the time. You?'
Rose turned to Jaune. The jackalope sniffed her face, it was ticklish. She let out a small smile.
'It's been a long time for me… Maybe I was on a floating island somewhere… Or maybe… the same way you did.'
Qrow nodded. His pot was whistling, the tea was ready.
'The world above changes everyday following what The Queen feels. Ready yourself for the next day, and consider what you have learned.'
The curtain fell as Leverian frolicked to the backstage.
Ruby's eyes couldn't move away from the stage. She felt her strength left her.
'Well, I wouldn't say I saved you. But I managed to buy some time for you to escape.'
Is this… what would happen? If Rose wasn't there, what would happen to her? To Pyrrha?
'This is how the story should have ended.'
The implication made her shiver. Then, there were the visions, not hers, but Rose's. She saw it too, felt it too.
She saw her friend die in her hands.
Needless to say, the rest of her friend was concerned too. Yang prepared herself, should Ruby have another 'episode'. She and Weiss held Ruby tight.
Ever vigilant, Blake turned to Rose. Her face was stone cold, as if she didn't care much about what was happening to Ruby throughout the play. But she knew it was a farce. The woman's eyes stole some glances at her younger counterpart whenever they didn't pay attention to her.
"You don't have to watch the rest of it if you don't want to."
Rose said, eyes still on the falling curtain.
"No… no, I am fine."
"You sure you are? You don't look like it." Gretchen said, passing her a bottle of water.
"I am FINE!" Ruby nearly shouted. Her emotion was in turmoil, and she expected it to turn worse as the play continued. "Sorry, and thank you." She took a small sip of water.
"Want to tell us anything, Rose?" Yang asked, shifting her gaze.
"I just… don't know where to start."
"But those things we saw in the play, it was true, right?"
"To some degree…" Rose said, melancholically.
"So that will happen to me? All of what happened to you?"
Rose could 'see' what Ruby was thinking, as if their mind was linked.
"I hope not. Pyrrha is still alive, right?"
Ruby turned to her friend's direction. Pyrrha was there, sitting next to Jaune, Nora and Ren. She felt somewhat relieved.
"Yeah… thanks to you."
"We are on break, right?" Weiss asked Gretchen. The woman turned to the stage, Leverian was nowhere to be seen.
"Seems like it."
"I am going to get some drinks. Do you want anything?"
Witnessing her own death was rather unnerving to Pyrrha. She had many opinions about the character sharing her name and her look, but it hurt to see her death regardless. Worst part was, she could picture in her mind what could have happened that day, if the rider didn't come to her rescue. Could it be that this isn't just a play? Where exactly were they?
"Ren, let me go!"
"Nora, please calm down!"
Nora nearly jumped from her seat, had Ren not kept her down. Tears poured down from her eyes as she began to sob. Her voice was a little too loud.
"They killed Pyrrha, Ren! Let me go, I have to-"
"Nova, I am here." Pyrrha put her hand on her teammate's shoulder, gently pulled her down. "See, I am not dead."
"But-"
"It's just a coincidence. It's a play, remember, it isn't real."
Nova pouted, slumped down on her seat. Ren tried his best to cheer her up.
"Are you alright?" Jaune turned to Pyrrha. She could see his worriedness show in his eyes.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a play after all." She tried to muster a smile. It must be quite obvious, considering Jaune's silence. He sighed.
"Something on your mind?"
"It's just… uncanny, you know? The more I watch, the more real this play becomes. I… I actually saw you died."
"And Ruby too?"
While Jaune was clearly focused, his face was somewhat goofy, like a curious golden retriever. Pyrrha couldn't keep her eyes out of him. Giving her the most dorky face possible, Jaune asked her a weird question with the most serious voice he had ever used.
"Yeah… Do you think that this play is about her future?"
Pyrrha giggled.
"What? Was it that weird?" Jaune scratched his head, blushing.
"It was, kind of. But do you really think so?"
"I don't know. But it does feel like it."
"Well, I am alive."
"You are right. I think Nora is getting to my head."
"HEY!" Said girl grappled Jaune from behind, startled him. "What do you mean by that?!"
"Nora, please let him go."
Ren really is going to need a day off Nora after all of this.
He was at it again. Drowning in his sorrow while being chained down. His body slowly regenerated after his last confrontation, despite his unwillingness.
'Still lamenting? Trying to hold on to your humanity, while you aren't even one anymore?'
The voice echoed in his mind, like a swirling vortex trying to wipe him away. He was torn in half, his body instinct shifted into something beyond human a long time ago. Still, he tried to keep himself sane.
A pitiful attempt. She knew exactly how to drag him back, playing him like a fiddle.
Rage, that was the only feeling he could fathom. Sometimes, he could feel two others inside of him, sorrow and guilt, only when she needed to remind him of the failures he made.
He snarled, the sound came out was beastly and wicked. His teeth bared out like a wild animal. His arms tensed up, desperate to break his bindings to no avail. The body she gave him denied him freedom.
There she was, the woman who was behind all of his sufferings, the bane of his life. She looked the same, but different at the same time. The Queen was defeated, but she remained, somehow even more powerful than she was before. She couldn't control him, not completely like the Queen. But she could still pull her string.
She was in the same attire she wore that day, the day his world broke. The day SHE died. The day he realized all of his mistakes and weaknesses. She wanted to mock him.
"My dear Umbra, haven't I told you already… No matter how hard you try, they won't come back. Why even try? Why not take revenge upon them, like they once did? After all, it was Ozpin who decided that she should sacrifice, not us."
Even with the bone mask blocking his eyes, he could see her mischievous face, the smirk on her lips, the pettiness and pride in her eyes.
They called her by a different name now, The Prophet, the Daughter of Salem. What a joke. He swore, if he had the chance, he would put his fingers on her little neck and snap it swiftly.
Yet, why can't he remember them?
Why can he remember and even feel her, down to every little detail, yet he couldn't even remember the names of his friends and their faces? His mind was in a haze. He tried to keep himself sane. He tried…
He saw it once more, that day when Beacon fell, when they failed to protect Atlas, the day he had to kill his own friend, the strike he gave his only comrade when he first turned into this… thing.
She made sure he remembered all of it.
His mind once again drifted back to the past.
To her embrace. To the warmth of her hands, the happiness he was too blinded to see and the future he couldn't protect.
And that girl, who wore his friend's face.
"R… ose…"
Author Note:
This took… *look at the calendar* more time than I thought it would. Huh…
You would think that having that amount of time would allow me to churn out something good. I would say that this is readable. No reaction in this one until the very end. I felt it was more natural this way.
I wonder when Oscar would drop the bombshell that is Salem's victory upon the 'original' Ozpin's group.
Have you seen the new Spiderman movie? I wonder if Pyrrha's death could be considered as a canon event.
So anyways, college sucks.
One of the things about me that I hate the most is the lack of commitments and the flow of ideas coming to me. While I was writing this chapter, I was also working on a side story about Vauban and Lavos, and how they fit into the world of TFTP (yes, it is an acronym of the story title).
Have I told you that they are my favorite frames?
Then there is also Kullervo. I really want to put him in, but couldn't find a character fitting for his role in Duviri. I am not going to just replace the names and be done with it. I am trying my best to blend them together as smoothly as possible.
Self reminder: Call this section Author's Rant next time, since this isn't even a note anymore.
Second self reminder: Find a proof-reader ASAP and get your deadline straight.