Heyo, my first commission :D Admittedly I don't think this chapter is my best work, but the subsequent ones have me really pumped up for what comes next. Hopefully, you guys enjoy and thanks to Anon for giving this out. This story takes place during V7, so the cast are older and more experienced with craziness.

If you want to request a comission of your own, hit me up on storylover543 gmail . com


Ruby looked down at the floor of the bullhead with an uncharacteristically serious expression. The rest of team RWBY and team JNR, Oscar having stayed behind to train, were similarly morose with little in the way of the lighthearted banter they were used to. There was a heavy tension in the air and Ruby almost wanted to scream and pretend that nothing was wrong.

Ruby took a deep breath and finally leaned up to look at the ceiling. They'd gotten a report of an entire squad of Atlesian Troopers being ambushed by an unknown assailant. Only one of them survived, and when he came back, he talked about a woman with pink and brown hair and a parasol who shattered into glass with every hit. None of them stood a chance. She knew what it meant.

Neo was here.

The multicolored assassin had slipped Ruby's mind ever since the fall of Beacon. The last time they'd seen one another was when Ruby had caused her to fly off that Atlesian battleship...right before Roman got eaten in front of her. Did it make her a bad person that she didn't feel guilty about that? Or that she hoped Neo got eaten by a Nevermore? Cause no matter their reasons, she couldn't forgive that.

"You look tense, Rubes," Yang said with a forced grin. Apart from Ruby, she was the only one who really knew Neo. Weiss and Blake saw her briefly, but they didn't fight her. Team NPR hadn't seen her at all, but everyone here knew she was part of Cinder's group and the role she played in the Fall. It was why they'd all been so eager to join in with team RWBY when she volunteered to lead the charge.

They were halfway to their destination - some out-of-the-way refueling station in the Atlesian tundra - when her scroll rang, "Salutations!" Penny chirped, causing the reaper to smile. Even now, Penny's perpetual cheerfulness was enough to lift her spirits, "Friend-Ruby, I am pleased to inform you that I shall be joining your group to assist in the capture of this notorious criminal. I shall meet you all in the rendezvous location."

"Thanks for the help, Penny."

"It is no problem. Also, I have been outfitted with a new upgrade that should be useful in counteracting this Neo's illusion-based Semblance. I shall tell you more when you all arrive. Safe travels, friends!"

The call cut out. Penny's chipper announcement was enough to lift the miasma of tension and Ruby finally felt like she could breathe, "Eight on one. Seems a bit overkill, doesn't it?" Blake asked.

"Maybe, but Neo doesn't play fair, and neither should we." Yang shrugged.

"Besides, if she's here then that means the rest of Salem's ilk can't be far behind. We can't discount the idea that she's not alone. Better to be overprepared than under," Weiss added.

"You said she was part of Cinder's group, right?" Jaune asked. Apart from him and Yang, he'd been the most tense ever since they got the report. While Cinder was the mastermind for it, he still considered the rest of her evil minions equally responsible. She wouldn't have gotten as far as she did without help.

"Yeah, with Roman. They were the ones who hijacked an airship and turned those Atlesian Knights into..." Ruby trailed off. Even if they weren't directly down there killing people, she and Roman still had a lot of innocent blood on their hands. Ruby wasn't going to let her get away this time.

"Then we need to get her no matter what."

Ren stayed quiet, eyes closed and in a meditative pose, while Nora bounced on her seat and tapped Magnhild against her knee. Jaune looked at each of her friends and sister in turn and she forced another deep breath. It was going to be different now. This time she wasn't alone.

It didn't take long to arrive at the refueling station. Penny was already there and waved happily as they arrived, "Greetings, friends! I've taken the liberty of doing a scan of the perimeter. It should be safe."

"What upgrade did ya get?" Nora asked with a big grin on her face.

"A temporal device, current name pending." Penny tapped her chest proudly, "We believe that it could be useful in conjunction with Ruby's Petal Burst and Weiss' Time Dilation. It will allow us to attack her before she has the chance to put up any illusions."

"So we go super duper fast? Cool!" Nora rubbed her hands together, "I can think of a few uses for that..."

Weiss sighed, "Nora, we will not use it to help you sneak into the cafeteria."

"They're holding out on the good stuff! I know it!"

Ruby laughed. At least everyone was feeling better now. Everyone except Jaune, that is. He didn't join in on the banter and kept an eye out for any signs of danger. He'd gotten better since his reckless attack on Cinder back at Haven, but he, along with Yang, had lost the most in the Fall.

They split up into two teams of four with her, Jaune, Weiss, and Penny in the first group and the other four in the second. Penny's sensors would give their team a leg up while Blake and Ren's tracking skills would give the other group an advantage. All their scrolls were connected too so if Neo chose to attack one team then the other would come running. That and Jaune's Aura Amp could really help with Penny's new temporal thing and their Semblances in a pinch.

"Why do you think she's here?" Jaune asked, still looking around, "Cinder's dead, so why is she all the way over in Atlas? Do you think it's because..." Because of her, he didn't say, because it'd sound like he blamed her. She knew he didn't.

"I dunno." Ruby shook her head, "We can deal with that after we catch her."

"Yeah, you're right."

Searching the left side didn't lead anywhere and Yang's group didn't have any luck either. They decided to double back when Ruby felt the hairs on her neck stand on end, Huntress-trained instincts suddenly screaming at her. Moving on instinct, she unfurled Crescent Rose and shifted it to its full form just in time to block Neo, who'd jumped down from nowhere and almost impaled her throat.

Neo snarled without a sound and kicked Ruby back, sending her feet skidding back on the snow, "Ruby!" Penny and Weiss were quick to rush in while Jaune stayed to check on her. Just barely, she heard Yang screaming through her scroll that they were coming.

"Were you hit?" he asked.

"No." She shook her head and shifted Crescent Rose to rifle mode. Neo was fast - fast enough that it was hard to get a good shot. Jaune joined the fight Ruby scowled, trying to focus and make sure she didn't hit anyone. It was just like when Uncle Qrow fought with that crazy Tyrian guy.

Seconds passed before she finally saw her chance. Ruby held her breath and squeezed the trigger just as Neo dodged back from Weiss' stab. Multicolored eyes widened for just a moment before the bullet hit and the sounds of shattering glass echoed echoed throughout.

"Look out!" Ruby screamed. Jaune turned back just in time to get a slash straight across his less-armored stomach. His Aura flickered from the attack and he raised his shield to block her next strike.

"Friend-Ruby, we should use it now!" Penny shouted as she flew to her side. She was glowing, almost shimmering; the effects of Weiss' time dilation, "I detect a high probability of success if we work together!"

"Hurry!"

Weiss and Jaune were fighting Neo at the same time but she was easily keeping pace with them both. Yang and the others were close; she could hear them, "Use your Semblance on my go."

"Got it!"

Penny's eyes suddenly took on an ethereal green glow and a sphere of energy surrounded her like a shield, "Now!" she shouted. Ruby activated her Semblance and charged towards Neo and Jaune, Weiss having been knocked back from a powerful kick to the gut. Ruby felt a rush faster than she'd ever experienced and it felt like everything and everyone else was moving in slow motion. She saw Jaune's sword swing down through the air like it was deep underwater and Neo was only halfway to turning her head in Ruby's direction.

Ruby made contact with her in less than a second. The sounds of shattering glass echoed even louder and Ruby was almost deafened by the ear-piercing crack. Everything went white for a moment as all momentum suddenly stopped and she went from faster than a bullet to a dead pause. If it wasn't for her Semblance, she was sure she'd have turned into a smear.

The ringing in her ears continued for a few more seconds before she sat up with a gasp. The path she took to attack Neo had been cleared of all snow with the rocky path leading to a crater stuck at least twenty feet deep into the earth. Inside the crater, Neo and Jaune lay unconscious. Ruby winced at the sight of Jaune without his armor facedown on the ground. Was he hit so hard that her Semblance blew it away? She'd have to apologize to him later.

"Ruby, are you alright?!" Weiss called out.

"Y-Yeah, I'm good!" She stood up and gave a shaky thumbs up, "Let's get Neo!"

Ruby jumped into the crater and unfurled Crescent Rose again. The multi-colored assassin was stirring and Ruby quickly pressed a foot to her chest and aimed the rifle end at Neo's face, "Don't move." Ruby warned. The others, Yang's group included, were moving to join her with Ren and Nora moving to check over their fallen team leader, "You're surrounded, Neo. Give up now. There's nowhere for you to run."

Ruby expected defiance and even a final attempt at an attack. Instead, Neo just looked utterly confused and looked at Ruby and the rest of the assembled group like she had no idea what was going on. Ruby almost rolled her eyes at that. If she was going to claim amnesia then Ruby was going to laugh.

"Put your hands up and keep your palms open. Don't make any sudden movements, you hear me?" Ruby said. Jaune groaned awake behind her, but she was too focused on Neo to look back.

"Hold a moment, Friend-Ruby. Something is wrong," Penny said suddenly, looking between Neo and Jaune, "My sensors are indicating differences in both Neopolitan and Friend-Jaune."

"What do you mea-"

"NEO!" Jaune's sudden scream nearly made her jump. Crunching footsteps came from behind and Ruby suddenly found herself being tackled through the air. She hit the ground in a painful crash and turned around only to see Jaune practically crawling over to where Neo lay and holding her in a tight embrace. And even more insane, Neo hugged him back and smiled.

"...What the fuck?" Yang said, looking at the bizarre scene. The rest of the group mirrored her shock sans Penny who was just staring at the two through probing eyes. They were all fast enough to stop the sudden attack, but the unexpectedness of the whole thing kept them from reacting.

"Jaune, what are you doing?!" Weiss screamed, "That's Neo! She's been-"

"I have no idea who any of you are, but stay away from her!" Jaune growled, holding the smiling assassin even closer. "If any of you touch my wife again I'll make sure you pay!"

...

What the fuck?


It took them close to half an hour to convince Jaune that they weren't going to shoot Neo in the face as soon as he let her go. Ren had to do most of the talking with Penny doing her best to try and explain the situation. Ruby and the others just stayed back, afraid that if they got close Jaune would try to attack them.

None of this made any sense. He had no idea who any of them were and kept saying that Neo was his wife. What was even worse was that Neo seemed to believe it too. Her smile was genuine and she held him just as close as he held her. It made her dizzy. Did her attack give them both amnesia or something? No, that didn't make sense. Why would they remember being married to each other if they lost their memories?

"Are you alright?" Blake asked softly. They were far enough away that they couldn't really make out the conversation but close enough to stop Neo from escaping if this really all was just some elaborate trick.

"Not really." Ruby shook her head, "What the heck's going on? Jaune wanted to stop Neo more than most of us and now he's making kissy faces with her."

"There has to be a rational explanation," Weiss said.

"Rational? You think anything about this makes sense?" Yang threw her hands up, "Vomit boy's looking at Neo like she's the love of his life and she's doing the same thing. It's nuts!"

"Maybe they were secret lovers," Nora added last, eyes wide, "Maybe he was trying to convince her to turn to good and they've been married since before the Fall. That would explain why he's so protective."

"Even if that were true, and that's a very big if, it doesn't explain his sudden change in behavior." Weiss crossed her arms, "He was perfectly willing to attack her before and she felt the same. Now they can't stop hugging one another?" She scoffed, "Besides, I'm sure Jaune knows better than to involve himself with a wanted criminal. He was there during the Fall. There's no way he could forgive her."

"I guess we just have to wait and see if Penny can make sense of it." Ruby sighed.

It took another quarter of an hour before the awkward foursome finally walked closer. Ren looked confused and Penny had an expression of surprise and excitement. Meanwhile, Jaune and Neo hung back and...ugh, held hands. Seeing it ticked her off in ways she couldn't explain. The fact that it was with Neo made her want to gag. The only thing worse would've been if Cinder did that with her icky Grimm arm.

"Things are...they are-"

"There are not the Jaune and Neo we are familiar with," Penny said, cutting Ren off, "It appears that these two are from a different dimension where their paths diverged. Jaune never attended Beacon and ended up making the acquaintance of Neopolitan, where they later married a month before being taken here."

...

What?

"What?" Weiss said blankly, vocalizing all their thoughts, "That makes absolutely no sense!"

"It makes perfect sense," Penny countered, "My temporal device reacted unexpectedly to both your and Ruby's Semblances and switched the Jaune and Neo of our dimension to the other one." That...still didn't make much sense, but honestly, she didn't really have any other way to explain it besides the world's most specific amnesia. That and they did find out magic was real and she had magical eyes that could blast Grimm to nothing.

She expected the others to protest like Weiss, but no one did. Just like Ruby, they'd all gotten used to crazy stuff happening.

"Wait, does that mean Jaune's alone with the bad Neo?! We gotta help him!" Nora cried.

"Nora's right," Ruby said. Despite the situation, it didn't change the fact that their Neo was still a danger.

"Unfortunately, things are not that simple." Penny frowned, "The temporal device is currently malfunctioning, and using it now has a high likelihood of jettisoning all of us across separate dimensions. I recommend going back to Father's workshop so he can conduct some repairs."

"But what about Jaune? Our Jaune, I mean," Blake said, looking past her to the dimensionally displaced couple.

"H-He should be fine," Jaune - not their Jaune, Ruby reminded herself - said, "Me and Neo...we were on a date at a restaurant for our one-month anniversary. There were a couple of Huntsmen hanging around too, I even got their autographs, so they'd stop her if she tried to start a fight." A pause, "I'm still not sure I believe it, though. I mean, Neo being some...killer and thief? That's just wrong! Neo's the sweetest girl in the world."

The Other Neo smiled sweetly up at him and squeezed his hand tighter. Ruby almost stuck her tongue out at the sight.

"Yes, well, we'd be lying if we said that we expected you two, of all people, to be married." Weiss wrinkled her nose, "Come, let's return to Mantle. The sooner we can get our Jaune back the sooner we can make sure he's safe. No offense to either of you, of course."

"Ahaha...none taken. Just, uh, don't attack us again, alright?"

They shuffled back to the bullhead in an awkward silence. Ruby sat down on her seat while Weiss activated the autopilot to send them back to the Mantle docks. Her mind was filled with constant worry. Was their Jaune alright? Would Neo keep picking a fight even in a public place with other Huntsmen around? Even if they both got arrested, at least then Jaune would be fine, right?

Her eyes were laser-focused on the lovey-dovey couple sitting across from her. Or rather, at the Other Neo. The Other Jaune was the same as he always was at first glance - the only difference was his lack of armor and Crocea Mors - so was she really supposed to believe that the Other Neo just happened to be the complete opposite? The 'sweetest girl in the world'? She didn't buy it.

"So..." Yang said, trying to break the heavy silence, "You two are married...how'd that happen?"

"It's...well, it's kind of an awkward story." Jaune laughed and rubbed the back of his head. Just like their Jaune, "See, I...uh, tried to get into Beacon with fake transcripts," he said slowly. He probably figured there was no harm in telling people who couldn't use it against him after today.

"Ah...that's familiar." Ren laughed under his breath while Nora grinned.

"Yeah, our fearless leader did the same! It all worked out. Mostly." Her smile twitched slightly, "Wait, what do you mean tried?"

"My transcripts didn't hold up. I got so excited that I went over to Vale before I found out." Other Jaune cringed, "I could've just gone back home, but I didn't want to come crawling back to my family saying I failed, so I stayed in Vale. Tried to look for a job, didn't really work out." He cringed again and Other Neo patted his shoulder, "Almost got mugged but then my little kitten here came to save me. It was love at first sight."

Nicknames too? Ugh.

Other Neo pulled a scroll out of her pocket and tapped the screen to spell out a message, [Same with me. My big man's the sweetest guy in all of Vale. I'm so lucky!] She giggled, the first time she'd ever heard Neo vocalize, and hugged one arm lovingly. Other Jaune hugged her back and kissed the top of her head.

Gross.

It was a thought shared by the rest of the group. Yang, Weiss, and Blake looked disturbed at the sight while Ren did his utter best to look stoic despite how crazy it all looked. Nora looked torn between being happy for the alternate version of their leader or thinking it was weird like the rest of them. Off to the side, Penny had absolutely no reaction and just stared outside at the frozen plains with a placid smile.

And yet the two lovebirds paid them no mind, just off in their own world. Maybe it was wrong for Ruby to act so spitefully, but she just couldn't trust Neo, alternate dimension or not. This was the same woman who worked with Roman to kill so many people.

"This is an adventure, at least," Other Jaune said, "Heck of a one-month anniversary to have, traveling dimensions. It's like when Huntsman crossed over with-"

"With the Red Huntress. I remember that issue," Ruby cut in, almost forgetting how freaking weird the whole thing was.

"How old are you both, by the way?" Weiss asked, curiosity overriding suspicion, "You look identical to our Jaune save for your clothes. You even changed your hair." Ruby wasn't a fan of it, but she kept that to herself.

"Yeah. I thought it'd make me look cool." He rubbed his hair awkwardly, "And I'm twenty. We were dating for three years before we got married."

[Never ask a lady her age.] Other Neo winked.

"That's not an answer." Weiss frowned.

[Everyone has to have some secrets.]

"So...you don't know any of us?" Ruby asked after.

"Nope, sorry." He shook his head, "Ren there said that I - sorry, your Jaune - met you all in Beacon, and since I flunked out I wouldn't have met any of you. No offense, but I think it worked out for the best." He smiled at Other Neo again.

"I'm surprised you didn't see them in the news. Team RWBY was always getting into trouble back at Beacon," Nora quipped.

"We did not!" Weiss shot back hotly.

"Blowing up the docks, fighting Torchwick in a mech-" The side of Neo's mouth twitched and Ruby's eyes narrowed, "-being right at the center of the Breach...you guys did a lot for that first year. And you call me crazy." Nora rolled her eyes.

That finally got the conversation to be less tense with Blake and Weiss arguing with Nora while Yang tried to play mediator. Ruby paid them no mind and just kept looking at Other Neo. Something in her gut was telling her that the wholesome loving wife image wasn't all there was to her. And if Ruby knew one thing, it was to always trust her gut instincts. They were the reason she'd gotten this far.

They arrived at Mantle in record time. Ren and Blake volunteered to go with Penny back to Dr. Polendina's lab while the rest of them went back to Atlas. General Ironwood would have to be told, though thankfully Weiss agreed to do it for them, recognizing that they weren't really in the right place for it. That left her, Yang, Nora, and their dimensionally displaced guests.

"You guys said you were eating at a restaurant, right?" Nora grinned, "You must be starving! Come on, let's go to the cafeteria!"

"Just don't expect any fine dining. The general thinks rations are all Huntsmen need," Yang said. Her mood had lightened ever since the talks at the bullhead.

[Do they at least have ice cream?]

"Vanilla and dark chocolate only," Nora replied grimly.

[...Thank the Sisters we're not staying here.]

Ruby sat to Other Neo's right while Nora and Yang sat across from her and the happy couple. Ruby forced herself to eat and ignored how Other Jaune lovingly fed the small woman some pudding. She knew she was acting bitter, but she couldn't help herself. The churning feeling in her gut wouldn't stop and she was convinced that this Neo was hiding a dark secret under those sweet smiles.

And then she saw it. Neo had set her scroll down on the table and it was still open so she could access the messaging screen. If there was anything secret she had then it'd be there, right? She reached out a hand for it before stopping herself. Some part of her still thought stealing was wrong (even though they stole an airship to get into Atlas...). Maybe she should just let it go.

She mentally slapped herself. No, she couldn't doubt herself now.

"Hey, I gotta wash up," she said. As expected, neither of the two lovebirds paid her any mind. Using a burst of speed from her Semblance, she swiped the scroll before anyone could notice and fast-walked her way to the bathroom, tapping the screen to make sure the device wouldn't lock down. All she had to do was sneak a peek and make sure that Other Neo wasn't secretly a bad guy.

She locked the door to the stall behind her as soon as she got there and checked her old messages. Messages from Torchwick, Hei 'Junior' Xiong, and...Cinder. Her grip on the scroll tightened and she took a deep breath. No, calm down, she told herself. Maybe every other bad guy here was good over there too. She didn't believe it, but she had to tell herself that so she wouldn't slam the scroll in a rage.

With shaking hands, she tapped Roman's name. She expected the messages to try to be subtle, and use double meanings so nothing looked too incriminating. Another part her of hoped that she was wrong and that Other Neo really was just as good a person as Other Jaune told her.

It was neither of those.

[Ready for the heist?]

[Of course, I am :) ]

[And your hubby doesn't know?]

[He thinks I'm going to a sewing circle. He's so sweet :3 I gotta give him something nice when we find a buyer.]

[Just makes sure not to kill anyone this time. It was a pain to get rid of the bodies.]

[No promises :P ]

Okay...so, subtlety went right out the window. Ruby let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding and tapped the message from Junior.

[How much did we make on that deal?]

[100 grand easy, and that's just the first hit. Addicts will do anything.]

[Alright, make sure not to give him too much this time. Guy's a junkie but we get more money if he's still alive to keep buying. We need long-term profits here.]

[That last one wasn't my fault. How was I supposed to know he'd overdose?]

[Just be careful this time. We're dealing with high-class customers. Cops won't ignore those like dead bums on the street]

So...theft, murder, drug dealing, and manslaughter. Ruby almost dreaded what she'd find in Cinder's message chain. Despite her dread, she tapped the Cinder's name.

[If you destroy Vale I will end you.]

[You knew the plan going in. Why change your mind now?]

[None of your business. Take your plans and leave.]

[No. You know your role. The plan will continue in two weeks' time regardless if you help or not. The only difference is whether you, Roman, and your little boytoy survive. Be smart about this.]

[One last chance. Back off.]

[Or what?]

[Or I'll make you.]

That...wasn't what she expected. The top of the screen said the last message was sent...three years ago? From how old Other Jaune was, that would've been the same time as...

As when Beacon fell.

She almost dropped the scroll as the realization clicked in. This Neo...she turned against her Cinder, and Other Jaune mentioned on the ride back that they were still living in Vale, so...did that mean she successfully stopped the Fall? Ruby didn't know how to feel about that. Happy, of course, that there was a world out there that didn't have to deal with such a tragedy, but she was still an unrepentant criminal.

Ruby took a deep breath and steeled herself. No matter her reason, she was still lying to Other Jaune, and even if he wasn't her bestie, she couldn't leave him so clueless like that. He deserved to know.

With her mind made up, she walked out of the bathroom with her head held high...only to run straight into Other Neo. The shorter woman's eyes were narrow slits and she stared at the scroll Ruby held in her right hand. Then she lashed out and took the scroll back before Ruby could stop her.

A moment of tense silence passed as the two just looked at one another. She was tempted to lie and claim that she just found the scroll on the ground, but the look in her eyes told Ruby that she wouldn't buy it, "...I know you're lying to him," she said instead. The multicolored assassin's lips curled up in a snarl, "Either you tell him or I will."

Neo typed a message with one hand, eyes never leaving Ruby's, [It's none of your business. He's my husband.]

"I don't know this Jaune, but I can tell he's a good person. And he doesn't deserve you lying to him." Ruby pursed her lips, "You turned away from Cinder, and I know that must've been hard, but that doesn't excuse everything you've done."

[Tell him and you ruin everything.]

"...Are you going to tell him or not? Last chance."

[Go fuck yourself.]

Out of nowhere, Neo suddenly had a knife in her right hand. Ruby dodged back to avoid the slice aimed at her neck and zoomed past the shorter woman with her Semblance. A quick pass at the cafeteria showed that the rest of the group wasn't there, so she zoomed toward team RWBY's dorm room instead. Yang said the two could stay there while Penny had her upgrade fixed.

Ruby crashed through the door to find Other Jaune alone. He jumped up from the bed in surprise as she turned back to normal, "Ruby?! Geez, you scared the heck out of me! Nora and Yang are-"

"I need to tell you something," Ruby said in a rush, "Your Neo is-"

With a silent roar, Other Neo jumped on her back and grabbed her neck in a tight chokehold. Ruby stumbled back and tried to pry away the surprisingly harsh grip while Other Jaune could only watch in shock and confusion. The assassin couldn't attack her with a knife, not with her Aura and Other Jaune watching, but she could try to choke her out. Then she'd take her husband and run, making up some other lie so she could keep him in the dark.

Ruby used her Semblance again and ran circles around the room, even zipping to the ceiling in her rush. The sudden, dizzying speed was enough to loosen Other Neo's grip and she went flying when Ruby suddenly stopped, crashing against the wall and falling to the ground with all the grace of a thrown brick. Other Jaune moved to help his wife on instinct and Ruby screamed.

"She's a criminal!" He was about to tell Ruby off when she continued, "If you don't believe me then just check her scroll! That should be all the proof you need, right?"

Again, he looked like he was going to refuse on principle till he saw the look of utter fear on Neo's face. Other Jaune knelt down and looked her in the eyes, "Honey...is that true?"

She looked down and chewed on her lower lip before she nodded. Other Jaune looked hurt and Ruby felt bad seeing the look, but she knew it was for the best.

[It's true.]

"Why didn't you tell me...?"

[Because you look at me like I'm the most amazing person in the world. If I told you, I was scared that you'd leave me.]

"Didn't you think you could trust me?"

[It's not that. You're so good, so sweet, I didn't want you to get hurt. I'm sorry. Please don't leave me."

"I..." Other Jaune pulled her up and held her shoulders, "You can't keep doing bad things, okay? It's not right. If you want us to stay together then no more crimes. Can you do that?"

[I will if it means staying with you.]

"Alright...that's good enough for me!" Other Jaune smiled and hugged her with the smaller woman reciprocating the gesture. "I can never stay mad at you, angel! Just no more crime from on, okay?"

[Promise.]

...

"WHAT?!" Ruby screamed, ruining the happy couple's moment, "You just found out she's been lying to you for three years and that's your reaction?"

"She says she'll stop."

"And how do you know she'll keep her promise? She didn't have a problem lying to you all this time!"

"Because I love her."

Ruby wanted to bang her head against the wall. If she'd found out someone was lying to her for so long she wouldn't let it go after a conversation that lasted less than five minutes!

She didn't get a chance to say anything else before two green spheres of energy covered the pair. Other Jaune looked around in confusion while Other Neo gave Ruby the biggest, cockiest smirk and a silent laugh. The sounds of shattering glass came soon after and Ruby was forced to look away to keep herself from being blinded by the sudden flash of white light that engulfed the room.

When she looked back, she saw Jaune - her Jaune - looking around in confusion while Neo was on her hands and knees with an expression akin to a kicked puppy.

Nora and Yang came back with Weiss in tow seconds later and it was stupidly easy to take Neo into custody. She didn't even really fight back and just walked without resisting when the Ace-Ops came to take her to a cell. Ruby would find out later that she'd met the other dimension's Roman and being taken away from him again had caused her to break. It almost made Ruby feel sorry for her. Almost.

It didn't take them long to catch Jaune up on everything that happened. He'd figured it out more or less on his own. Mostly when he was forced to have a Guy's Night with Torchwick and Mercury, of all people. How that worked when Roman and his Neo betrayed Cinder, she had no clue.

Penny arrived an hour later, face set in a small frown, "Apologies for all the troubles, friends. I didn't think this would happen."

"Eh, it worked out in the end." Yang waved her robotic hand, "We found out alternate dimensions are real, and Neo's in prison."

"At least we won't have to deal with this ever again." Weiss sighed.

"Yes, about that." They all looked at her with varying expressions of dread. Or excitement, in Nora's case, "The temporal device's malfunctions are more severe than father expected. It will take some time before everything is fully repaired and...in the meantime, it will cause dimensional switches every now and then. Oh, but don't worry, like today the switches are temporary and only our group should be affected given that we were outside Atlas proper. We only need to wait before they're returned to their proper places."

"That's not as comforting as you think it is." Blake palmed her face.

"Can't they just turn it off?" Jaune asked. He clearly didn't want a repeat of what happened today.

"I'm afraid not. The device is already integrated into my system and the malfunctions have caused havoc in the software. To shut it down would heavily risk permanent damage to myself. I'm willing to take the risk if you all-"

"No!" Ruby cut in, "We're not going to risk your safety. We'll just...deal with it as it comes. Right, guys?"

They all answered in the affirmative. As weird as today was, and Ruby couldn't help but feel like Other Neo still won despite her efforts, they could go through it again while they waited for Penny to be fixed.

Besides, she doubted it could get any worse than today...

"Sensational! Penny clapped her hands and embraced Ruby tight enough to hurt, "Don't worry, I'm sure that Father will come up with a solution soon. Until then, I recommend staying all together as a group to minimize any confusion for any new visitors we have. I would also be interested in alternate versions of you, Friend-Ruby. Parallel universe theory is quite an interesting study and to see it firsthand is amazing."

"Don't get too excited there. Pretty sure you've got the objectively best Yang right here." Yang grinned.

"How humble of you," Weiss scoffed playfully. Ruby smiled at the lighthearted ribbing and let the tension she'd held melt away. Yang was right. At the end of it all, Neo was caught and Ruby...well, she tried. If Other Jaune didn't see what was wrong then at least she gave him a chance.

Right now, she just wanted to collapse in bed and fall asleep. She was exhausted.


That's one down. Now we've got a few chapters left with the next one being something I'm looking forward to. An alternate Ruby and Yang where Taiyang died and Summer lived to raise them. This made Ruby more of an aggressive fighter who fights with her fists (not even with weapons like Ember Celica) and dyed her hair blonde for Tai along with adopting his fashion sense. Meanwhile, Yang is still a skilled Huntress but is far more ladylike and elegant.

And to explain, unlike this chapter, transfers aren't always 1:1 anymore since now alt Ruby and Yang can replace other people besides prime Ruby and Yang. This allows some interactions between counterparts.

Wanna help support me? Then check out the link below. I also made some tweaks on the tiers that some people might find interesting:

P a treon . com (slash) Vendetta543