RWBY: Rusted Rose
Chapter 3: Acceptance
"Hey Jaune…you think we'll ever see the others again?" A teenage Ruby said while sitting on a log. She was folding her hands and legs together nervously; having bags under her eyes, it was clear she hadn't slept for a while. A teenage Jaune with a small blonde beard and slightly rusted armor sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulders.
"I…I don't really know. This world is so strange, it even sent us back in time. I don't know anything anymore." He said dejected, Ruby shivered as she heard these words without confidence, it made her heart sink from the uncertainty.
"What if Yang didn't make it from the fall? What if we don't make it long enough to find out!?" she yelled fearfully. Jaune formed a worried look and took a moment to think what to say. This was certainly a warranted fear, being in an unknown world with strange creatures they weren't sure could be trusted. One false step could spell their doom and ruin any chance of reuniting with WBY. Jaune eyed the destroyed clock from the time fruit ahead of them and tighten his hug on Ruby.
"We, just have to hope. Hope we can last that long to meet up with them. Hope we can find them and get out of here together. That cat said it was possible for people." Jaune said, forcing a smile Ruby shut down with a tearful frown for she knew it was fake assurance.
"And how do I have hope after all we lost? How do I stay strong long enough for that?" she asked painfully.
Jaune quickly wiped the tears from her eyes tenderly with his fingers, eliciting a small blush from them at the affection, as he found the words he felt would keep her and him strong.
"You'll have me here supporting you. You'll always have me Ruby, I won't leave you." He softly said with confidence, as he tenderly grabbed her hand, shining his gold aura into it. Ruby gasped a bit as she felt a strange warmth from it that soon spread around her body. But her aura wasn't what was flaring up inside her.
She met Jaune eye to eye as he aura boosted her, feeling the weight in her chest vanish as she drew closer to those eyes. She wanted to keep seeing them, more than anything right now.
"Jaune" was all she whispered before narrowing her eyes and planting a warm kiss on his lips. Though his eyes widen at first in shock, he soon closed them and pulled her closer to his chest for a hug as she wrapped her arms around his neck, soon the two collapsing behind the log as they embraced.
"It's a promise" he thought to himself.
Present day…
Neo's mansion begins to crumble after its creator's departure. Walls crack and tiles rain down upon our heroes, who can only look on desolate at the pool of Ruby's blood still in the center of the room. The sound of glass window's shattering startled them awake as they gasped for air before getting on Juniper to escape. They looked in the center to see Jaune, still rubbing his hands with her blood as his body quivered, horrified at the loss of his wife.
"She…she can't be gone too. I-I promised!" he slowly then violently screamed as he collapsed on his knees in anguish over his failure.
"Jaune we have to go now!" Blake screamed, knowing the building would crush them soon, but her voice fell on deaf ears. All he could do was stare at the blood and the spot that claimed Ruby. The spot he was too slow to get too to save her from that fall. Once again, he was helpless to save someone right in front of him, and it made him clench his bloody fists in despair as images of Pyrrah, Penny, and the Paper pleasers filled his mind, making his eyes flood with tears.
"Why? Why did she have to go too?" he said with a broken tone and sobs, imagining his wife's warm smile, one that use to fill him with confidence and assurance, but now….
He soon gave off a frighten scream and gasp as he felt Ruby's cloak wrap around his neck and was jerked onto Juniper by Guardian the mouse.
"You can lick your wounds later! Now we gotta go before we get flattened!" Guardian yelled as Juniper sprinted out of the Mansion, Jaune dangling from behind while choking slightly until Weiss and Blake helped him onto the back of the rabbit deer, him giving off gags before collecting his breath.
They all nearly fell off Juniper as they felt a small shockwave and jerked their heads over their shoulders to see the cause. The mansion just collapsed a yard away from them, sending a chill down their spines as they realized how close they were to being crushed. Jaune had Juniper start walking them into the forest, they couldn't stay here less they attract some unwanted attention from that loud crash. As they traveled away, Weiss felt her chest tighten at the sight of the rubble, it reminding her of Atlas, and how they narrowly escaped its destruction as well.
"We really dodged a bullet huh?" Weiss said, giving a small exhale in relief to get rid of the discomfort in her chest. She didn't like to think of her homes destruction for long and wanted to focus on more positive things…like Ruby would do. The thought of her made Weiss wince a bit, before she froze up entirely when Jaune grunted and said this.
"Ruby sure didn't." Jaune bitterly said quietly.
Everyone else jolted at this reminder, soon remembering Ruby's lifeless and bloody body as she lay before them in that now ruined mansion. Yang gave a few choking sobs before clasping her face as she wept into Blake's arms that supported her, the latter having a few tears of her own as she hugged her lover. She didn't know what to say, how could she understand losing family? This helplessness filled Blake with extreme dread as she and Yang cradled each other. Weiss rubbed her eyes as she bit her lip in frustration, trying to find some hope in this situation to aide her friends, despite her own despair at the loss of her partner. Then suddenly something clicked as she saw something up ahead that gave her that sense of hope.
"We-We should head for the tree!" She yelled, drawing confused looks from everyone but Jaune, who merely clenched his stained hands and trembled. Blake's ears perked up as she realized Weiss's intent.
"Yeah that's right! The pleasers said they got to the tree when they die, maybe we can find Ruby there before she reincarnates!" Blake said, shaking Yang a bit with this news before she wiped the tears from her face.
"C-Could we really save her?" Yang asked, hope in her tone as she lightly smiled before a yell startled everyone.
"NO ONE COMES BACK FROM THERE!" Jaune yelled. Guardian covered their large ears as he heard this, before turning to Jaune and giving a confused look.
"But all of us in the Ever After have evolved at some point and came back. I was a weak little mouse before I was stepped on at a parade and came back- They said before Jaune smacked their head and cut them off, to the girls surprise.
"You don't come back as you! She won't be Ruby anymore!" Jaune yelled, tears flooding his eyes as his tone grew raspy.
The girls held hands to their chests at this declaration, that possibility…it shook them the core. Yang shook her head, trying to regain her hope, she couldn't lose it now after just getting it.
"What if she chooses to stay Ruby? Could that be possible guardian?" she asked, ignoring a stink eye from Jaune as she focused on Guardian, fearful of his gaze right now.
"Well it is very rare, but a few After En's who wanted a second try at their purpose have come back in the past. A monkey I knew was really bad at music, but wanted to keep playing as himself because it reminded him of his wife's singing voice, he couldn't lose those memories." Guardian said.
Jaune gasped as he heard this, before seeing his village in front of him. He quickly got off Juniper and eyed the flooded village he lived so long in before soon grabbing his sword and scabbard and gazing it.
He saw it vividly, the day of his wedding to Ruby here.
We are shown a small altar covered in flowers at the village. The Paper Pleasers stood in attendance as Lewis stood in the center with Ruby and Jaune, wearing their clothes but covered in flowers as well for wedding attire.
"Ladies, Gentlemen and um….Paper Pleasers!" Lewis announced awkwardly as he couldn't determine what to call the paper creatures before eying the couple.
"We are gathered here today to unite Ruby and Jaune in-" he began saying, but Ruby and Jaune drowned his speech out as all they could do right now is eye each other. There was no fear, no jitters, just a warmth they hadn't felt in so many years. They knew this was the right choice, that they were perfect for each other, they really wanted this moment to last forever, but were startled as Lewis nudged them slightly.
"Will the couple now exchange vows?" he asked them making them blush nervously as they collected themselves.
Jaune, wanting to be a man, decided to take the first step and coughed a bit to find his voice.
"Ruby…since our first day at school, I always looked up to you, despite being taller that is." He chuckled, earning a grin from her as she shook her head teasingly at his joke.
"You were always so strong, so confidant it made me realize how much a loser like me was lucky to have a friend, a hero to have in his life. It's what inspired me to better myself everyday. The only thing I feel can't get better anymore is the days I'm with you. They're always perfect." He said warmly as he grasped his sword scabbard, while she grabbed Crescent Rose tearfully. They didn't have rings in this world so they decided to exchange weapons for a night to substitute. It actually meant more to them as they trusted their lives to those weapons many times, it was a symbol of their love and trust to entrust them to the other even if temporarily.
"With my sword, I promise to love and treasure you during each of those days for the rest of our lives." He said softly as he hand her the sword.
"Jaune, when I went to Beacon I was so nervous. I didn't have any friends and felt so lost and weak, but…You were like my knight in shining armor from those books mom and Yang read to me as a kid. Your were my first friend at Beacon and it gave me the confidence to challenge the world. I know a lot of things haven't gone so well over these last few years together-" she said sadly as Jaune frowned at this before being shocked a bit by her following words.
"But each and every year, there was at least one day I felt safe and happy no matter what, and it was always because I at least had you there supporting me. Without you here and now, there's no way I'd have been strong enough to last this long. You're a shiny new weapon I can trust with my life more than even crescent rose." She confidently said as she handed him her closed scythe.
"With this scythe, I promise to love, protect, and cherish you till the day I die." She said warmly.
"Then do you Jaune take Ruby as your wife?" Lewis asked, fighting tears in his eyes to remain formal for his friends.
"I-I do, you don't even have to ask!" Jaune replied crying in his stead.
Ruby also didn't need to asked as she cried and jumped onto her lovers chest as he said that and kissed him passionately.
"Well then I pronounce you man and wife." Lewis happily said as he clapped followed by cheers from the Paper pleasers who threw small clumps of white paper in the air in celebration.
Epiphany
Jaune kept his eyes closed, desperate to keep remembering this happy memory and avoid looking at the lake that was once his village before him.
The girls and Guardian stood a few feet away with Juniper, too scared to speak as he stood their motionless. They just didn't know what to say, they just knew he needed space right now before they could even think of going to look for Ruby at the Tree.
Suddenly they all heard splashing in the lake, alerting even Jaune who gasped and eyed the water. A small part of him was hopeful perhaps a lone paper pleaser survived. He could have family to protect again.
To his confusion, he instead saw a little red crystal ball with small triangle looking legs and arms walk towards him.
"Hello! I am a Genial Gem. Can I help you today sir?" The red gem asked.
Jaune and the others stood by in silence, unsure what they were really seeing before their eyes widen to see more different colored gems walk out of the lake.
A purple, orange, lime green, orange, blue, and pink gem shake some water off them as they approach Jaune.
"Hello, can we help you today sir?" they all said in unison. Jaune stood shocked, before slowly shaking his head in denial, eyeing the red one especially.
"Ruby? Is that you?" he asked the red gem.
"I don't have a name sir? Is taking that name how I can help you?" The gem asked.
Jaune gasped a bit as he heard "help" again. He took a moment to think, before crouching to the Gem's face level.
"No, but it would be nice if it helped you. If that's what you want." He said. The girls jaws hung open slightly from this question.
The Gem tapped its hands together seemingly out of confusion, not that Jaune could tell.
"I think it's a nice name, I think I would like it." The gem said thrilled.
"Then its nice to meet you Ru-" he said, suddenly choking on the name, making the gem tilt its head a bit in confusion.
"Are you okay, why are you wet? You weren't in the water with us." They said, noticing the tears in Jaune's eyes he failed to notice until then.
He wiped the tears from his face and chuckled.
"Sorry, I'm fine. Do you need any help?" he asked while eyeing the flooded village. It surely would be a handful for such tiny gems to build new homes by themselves… was what he mistakenly thought.
"No thanks, we can handle it no problem!" they cheered in unison as they glowed the same colors of their bodies and ran into the lake forming a rainbow colored tornado of water that soon crystalized into a tower for them to stand on, waving to Jaune and the others cheerfully to the groups shock.
"Wow! They really are powerful now aren't they?" Blake said amused.
"Yeah, no water or fire could hurt them now." Weiss said amazed.
Jaune smiled as he eyed his reborn friends and returned their waves before a startling thought entered his head.
"If only I didn't keep them confined like my parents did to me. Maybe they could have been happier and healthier sooner?" he mused to himself bitterly. He had become the very thing he rebelled against and it made him hate himself all the more.
"I'm a failure and a hypocrite." He said sadly before Weiss put an empathetic hand on his shoulder.
"I think your being too hard on yourself Jaune." She smiled at him.
"Yeah, your heart was in the right place, just like your parents. Me and dad did the same thing with Ruby and she… she was okay for a while." She said before her smile turn sour as Blake held her hand tenderly.
"We all made mistakes, we all failed, even the best of us like her. But they were ours to make. It's what makes us who we are. It's how we and those before us bettered ourselves, just like them." Blake said as she pointed at the gems.
"Jaune, maybe its okay to fail at times? They wouldn't have gotten stronger without yours." Weiss said, careful to make it sound as positive as she could for him.
Jaune smiled as he eyed the gems. That's right, his failures helped them. He wasn't worthless he was just, one man. He couldn't do everything, he just had to accept his limitations, and ask for help to get what he wanted. He turned towards the girls, easing them with a smile as he opened his arms, inviting them for a hug.
"Then lets go find Ruby, after we let blow off some steam." He said cheerfully as they smiled and accepted the hug. But as they did this, the group felt a chilling breeze as soon a storm of rainbow leaves surrounded them to their confusion. They closed their eyes, desperate not to have them get anything in them. As they felt the wind die down and opened them, they soon found themselves in a wooden area surrounded by branches and rainbow tree leaves.
"W-Where are we?" Yang asked.
"I think we got sent to the tree?" Jaune said.
"Your right. This is the Great Tree. It's the only thing I could remember when I ascended last time." Guardian said as they got down from Juniper.
Yang soon darted her head around to everyone's confusion, looking for something as she learned this.
"Yang? What are you-" Weiss asked before her eyes trailed off as she pointed to the east to the groups surprise.
They saw a wooden statue of Ruby, folding her hands to her chest, showing a hole on her stomach that was surrounded by roots with a few rainbow leaves.
"Ruby!?" Yang yelled, she didn't know if this was really her sister, but as she placed her human hand on the statues wooden one, she felt a warmth almost heartbeat like feeling and realized it was the truth. She gasped as she looked down to see more leaves sprout on her branches and frantically began pulling them out.
Jaune placed a hand on her shoulder and gripped to get her attention, but she slapped it away as she gave him a desperate look.
"We have to get her out!" she pleaded but Jaune gave her a somber look despite empathizing with the desire. He knew better now.
"No." he simply said, making Yang and the others recoil.
"What do you mean "NO"? Isn't this what you wanted Jaune? To get your wife back?" Weiss asked confused.
"I get it now, this is how we got here, why the tree let us come. It was acceptance. Acceptance of our failings, mine." He said solemnly. He knew he had his chance to save her, but he failed. He had to live with that. Weiss rubbed her arm nervously as she realized this as well. As much as it pained her, she knew this wasn't their place to judge.
"Look, we tried everything we could to save her, but we failed. This is up to Ruby. If she changes or comes back to us? We should support it." Weiss said with sadness in her tone.
Black saw Yang sobbing and her hands, still clutching a branch trembling, and helped her to her feet. She eyed ruby's statue solemnly, having felt the same desire to change for years, to become human and escape the hatred and indignity the world showed her because she was a faunus. But she accepted years ago she had to accept who she was and hoped Ruby could too, but that was her own battle to face.
"But what if she doesn't come back as Ruby?" Yang cried, fear in her broken voice before she gasped as Blake rubbed her cheeks.
"Please look at her first Yang." She said as she pointed to wooden Ruby's face. Yang looked hard past the watery blurs to see a pair of wooden lines from her sisters face on the statue.
"She's…crying?" Yang asked confused.
"Yang, she's not happy. I don't think she's been for years? Maybe…this isn't our right to decide for her?" Blake questioned.
Yang eyed her sister's cocoon sadly, giving sniffles as she felt the creeping fear of her sister's destruction grow ever closer to her heart.
She wanted nothing more right now then to shove Blake aside and rip her sister out of that cocoon, but could remained frozen in place as she eyed those wooden tears.
"Yeah…I can't make that choice for her again." Yang said. She had smothered Ruby too much growing up for fear of losing her like Summer, for fear she'd leave her like Raven did. Ruby had 20 years alone with Jaune, a life she chose. It clearly wasn't an easy one, but it was something she saw yesterday made her happy to a degree as she remembered the kiss the two shared. Maybe Jaune was right, maybe she should accept her sister's choices and not do everything for her.
As she backed away from her sisters statue, Jaune's hands paused Yang's retreat, startling her as he gave her and Ruby a solemn look.
"I know we don't want to talk like this but, maybe we should…." He started saying before Yang's eyes widen and she shook her head slightly in denial.
"No, no don't talk like that!" she begged, but Blake and Weiss tearfully hugged her silently, trying to calm her down.
"Maybe we should talk to her? Tell her how we feel about her, at least while she's definitely still Ruby." Jaune suggested sadly.
The girls eyed the statue solemnly at this suggestion, pain tugging at their heartstrings as they knew what that implied.
Knowing they needed a push, Jaune took a deep breath and exhale as he walked over to Ruby's statue and kissed its wooden lips, solemnly staring at it's closed wooden eyes.
"Ruby, I am so sorry I didn't make it in time. Now I get what you felt like when you lost Pyrrah, when you lost Penny. But I don't blame you either of those things. You can't do everything and I shouldn't have made you feel you had too. I failed as a husband then, but I won't fail you now. Being your husband was the only thing keeping me sane around here. It was the happiest thing that could have happened to a loser like me. Here I go talking about me when it's you that means more, you've always meant more to all of us. We always loved every part of you, good and bad and even the bad seemed cute and blissful because it was you who it came from... I love you." He said with sadness and joy in his tone.
Weiss cried a bit as she walked away from Yang, nearly tripping her from the sudden lack of support, and walked to the statue beside him.
"Ruby, I know I was a total snobby bitch to you when we first met. I know I said I deserved better than you all those years ago, but I have never been happier to be proven wrong by you. You always kept a strong face and tried your best to keep us safe in battle. You always showed me the craziest most unpredictable moves that made each battle of each day like a present on my birthday I just wanted to open up and find out more about. I really hope you come back because… because I can't think of anyone else I'd rather have for a partner." Weiss said.
Blake supported Yang to Ruby's statue as they decided to take their turns. Blake received a nod from Yang with her blessing to go first.
"Ruby, I know I said I always looked up to you and I wasn't lying. I really wished I got to know you sooner in life. I probably never would have joined the White Fang, you would have been all the support I needed for my goal of peace between humans and Faunus. If anyone could do the most crazy and seemingly impossible things it was you. You inspired me, you inspired all of us and I can't think of anyone more deserving to call my leader, my best friend than you. I really hope you come back so you can see Yang and me get married one day, become closer than my friend, and become my sister. I want us to be a family because I love you almost as much as I love Yang. I miss you." She sweetly said with a few broken sobs here and there. Yang clutched Blake's hands as she herself felt inspired by this speech. Ruby really rubs off on others that way.
As she eyed her sisters statue, Yang gasped for air as she choked on what she wanted to say but couldn't. As she breathed heavily, Blake cradled her to her chest as she cried, only uttering one short sentence that summed up her feelings.
"I love you baby sis, so freaking much!" she cried.
Everyone closed their eyes mournfully as they could only hope she could hear these words and come back to them soon.
Payback
Suddenly they heard the sound of clapping in the distance and opened their eyes to see the source.
Neo cat was giving off a sadistic smile while clapping sarcastically.
"Touching eulogy my dear friends." They mockingly said.
Yang's eyes redden as she heard this and bolted to her feet as she bared her fists in a fighting position with her team.
"I thought we were finally rid of you, you little pest!?" She yelled earning a mad laugh in response from them.
"Yes, I did so at first, but it seems I chose the wrong host." They said.
We are shown a flashback of the Neo Cat finding the door to Remnant in the sacred tree. It glowed as it large wooden doors opened, showing a bright light.
"But since this girl has no ties to Remnant anymore, the tree wouldn't let her leave this wretched place!" they bitterly growled.
Neo cat is shown getting propelled onto their back and looking in shock at the door to Remnant as it continuously repels them as they try to run into the light. They scream silently in frustration, baring their fangs and claws.
"Honestly, she's as useless as Alyx was!" Neo cat growled with a disdainful look. The team and Guardian looked at them surprised.
"I thought she was your friend? I thought you got her home?" Jaune asked confused.
"I did! She told me if I helped her and her brother she'd take me with them to Remnant. It was all suppose to be purrfect. I get a willing host for a bit, go to her home and explore. But after her brother went through the door first she suddenly changed her mind and backed out of the deal!" they screamed.
"She suddenly had a crisis of consciousness and said she wanted to stay and undo the damage she did to this world, to you! So I did what I had to do to liars." they roared as they pointed a claw towards Jaune who gasps in shock at this revelation.
We are shown a flashback of Alyx holding the dagger she used to stab Ruby's stomach, sadly eyeing it intensely as she soon drops it from guilt.
The cat then bares its fangs and lunges at her.
"What did you do to her?" Blake asked, glaring at the cat as if already knowing the answer, and she didn't like it as they chuckled evilly and picked up a branch.
"What anyone does with worthless pieces of trash!" They yelled while snapping the branch in two.
Outraged hearing the cat killed Alyx after she wanted to right her wrongs, Jaune grit his teeth as he took his sword out.
"You didn't you…YOU MONSTER!" He screamed. The cat merely sneered at him amused before eyeing what was behind him and gasping in shock. It was Ruby's statue.
"She's still here? YES! All my work isn't lost!" They cheered, making our heroes stomach's knot as they realized what Neo cat implied.
"Deep down this little lady wants nothing more than to go home and be a hero. I can help her with that, I just have to cut her out and she will take me there!" They growled gleefully as they bore their claws menacingly.
Yang and the others then formed a wall between them and the cat girl.
"No, whatever happens to Ruby is her choice now, not yours or mine." She angrily said, her hair sizzling with protective anger flaring up, making the cat snarl.
"Then before her….I'll put you in the ground first!" they roared as they lunged, claws sharpened for battle. The other's stood firm, they knew if they failed here, Ruby would also fall after getting this predator to Remnant. They would gladly die before ever entertaining such a ridiculous notion. They just hoped Ruby heard their words and would come back soon as herself.
Void
Ruby sadly didn't hear anything anymore but her own thoughts.
"What should I choose?" she thought as she eyed the room filled with glass cases of various weapons. She walked up to one with a hammer similar to Nora's.
"Whose was this?" she asked the blacksmith.
"It's not matter of who it did belonged too, but rather who it could belong too." The spirit said supportively.
"Why do After En's always give fortune cookie nonsense?" Ruby groaned with a thought.
Ruby sighed as she walked through the void and examined each weapon. Various daggers and swords or spear didn't catch her attention long. None felt right for a bitter reason.
"Each and every one. They all feel the same way. Heavy!" she groaned, feeling the weight of each items past and responsibilities on her.
"I tried to hard to be a great leader, strong and resilient with my weapon. But at the end Neo battered and broke me and made me realize it was impossible. What can any of these do to change that, to change me?" She asked the spirit who smacked her hands together, sending the glass cases plummeting into the ground, all but two that is.
One glowed bright gold while another glowed bright purple, drawing Ruby's focus.
She gasped and covered her mouth fearfully as she saw the two weapons before her.
The gold one was her mother's gun axe: Sunder Rose. But that was impossible! Mom's weapon was lost with her decades ago.
As she approached the axe, she felt a warm feeling in her heart as it pounded violently. It felt nostalgic and brought back happy memories making her smile as she reached for it.
"Would this be capable of easing your burdens?" The smith asked, causing Ruby to freeze and stop just before touching it, making its glow fade. She frowned as she remembered the Grimm hound with silver eyes and Salem.
"No. If she couldn't cut it….how could I even with her help?" she said bitterly, walking away from it in disappointment. She just knew she couldn't be the hero her mom was, so what right did she have to it either. She then eyed the purple glowing case and felt her heart sink, almost stop in fact as she painfully recognized it as well.
It was Alyx's dagger, the same one used to stab her and kill her unborn baby. Ruby painfully rubbed her stomach as she tearfully averted her eyes.
"Yes, a weapon that belonged to a friend that betrayed you. Why would it appear now to ease your burden?" The smith asked curiously.
"To kill me? To end it all? Would that finally do it? or….do I need to be like her? A liar, cheat, murderer to get what I want?" Ruby fearfully asked. It went against everything she believed in, but then a dark thought crossed her mind.
"Alyx, Cinder…they cheated and stole. And they got what they wanted." She said. Cinder stole the spring maiden's powers and Alyx stole her chance to go home. Why do these monsters get to have everything they want when they didn't do anything good to deserve it? Was the thought that crossed Ruby's mind. A part of her felt indignant at this, but also a strange pull to the dagger. She suddenly saw her arm reach out for it, inches away from touching before she screamed and smacking it away just in time.
"I-I can't be like them! Mom and the others wouldn't forgive me they…" she yelled before she gasped. With a heavy sigh she hung her head in shame.
"All I ever do is think of them. What about me? When do I get to be cared for, to be happy?" she asked out loud, desperate for an answer.
She soon felt a warm presence behind her and saw a red glow as she turned her head around. Only she frowned to find she didn't like the answer.
It was Crescent Rose, refurbished in a glass case.
"Crescent Rose huh? I just have to be me? To keep fighting as me and failing forever?" she asked as she eyed the weapon, almost tempted to push it away.
Meanwhile….
Yang and the others fought hordes of Neo Cat clones, desperate to keep them away from her sister's statue. She engaged in a lock with the claws of the cat pressing up against her robot arm and Ember Cecilia.
"There's no way were letting you get to Ruby!" she screamed with red eyes, her fist catching a little fire as she forced the cat to backflip and dodge the strike. They chuckled in response mockingly.
"Why not? I already had a taste of her body before." They said as they licked their lips perversely, making Yang's eyes widen in terror as she realized what that implied.
"You little….perverted…MONSTER!" She screamed as her hair caught fire and she lunged to the cat's joy as they plopped on their back to deliver both legs of Neo to Yang's face, making her aura flicker yellow and sending her crashing a few feet from Ruby.
Neo Cat then lunged for the statue, only for Gambrol Shrouds carbon fiber black wire to grab its left claw, stopping its motion as they eyed her angrily. They soon felt a hot punch to their gut as they saw Yang, with a red footprint mark on her angry face come close to theirs as she roared and pile drive them away. As this clone of Neo got up, Yang took a second to look at Ruby as she panted in exhaustion.
"Like I said *pant* your not getting to her." She said.
"Don't you see child, whatever comes out of that cocoon, might not even be your sister anymore!" the cat chuckled as they formed clones of teenage Ruby, clenching her stomach with a hole in it all begging Yang to help her.
Rather than make Yang stop her assault like the cat planned, this only served to further fuel her fire as she became encased in flames and plowed through each Ruby clones and incinerated them.
"HOW DARE YOU TAKE HER FORM!" She screeched. The cat felt nervous as she drew closer to them, one strike like this would surely kill them. They soon felt someone's presence close behind them fighting a clone and got an idea. With a flash of pink aura, Neo cat morphed it's legs into the long legs of a Jabberwalker and jumped extremely high into the air to avoid her fire punch at the last minute. Yang soon saw Jaune in her path, but couldn't stop her momentum, only having enough time to yell and warn him.
"Jaune move!" She yelled as he briefly saw her, only having enough time to block with his shield, saving himself from the brunt of her blow, but the impact sent him flying down the tree into a pile of branches with tree leaves that caught fire from his burning shield. As Jaune was encased in a rainbow smog, Yang stood desolate as what she had done.
"Noooooooooooooo!" she screamed at the apparent loss of her friend.
Void
Ruby eyed her scythe, not moving her head an inch despite hearing the clanging sound of metal boots approach her.
"You are running out of time. A danger is creeping closer to your stasis. You must choose soon Ruby." The smith said with a concerned tone.
But Ruby remained silent, unable to respond. She didn't know if she could do this anymore, at least as herself.
"Why should I choose me? What can I do to help when I couldn't even save myself, my child?" she asked the blacksmith, who remained silent for a moment before they smiled as they saw someone approach in a mist that could answer.
"I don't have that answer you seek, but he does." The smith said warmly as she motioned Ruby to look at the mist nearby.
Ruby gasped to see Jaune walk towards her, his armor covered in soot.
"Jaune?" she said fearfully while quivering in fear. She still remembered him choking her as she couldn't recall that was really a clone of Neo. She covered her neck with her hands, still feeling the pressure of his (or really Neo's) on them. She retreated a little to his shock.
"Ruby, Ruby it's me, Jaune. I'm here to help you." He said supportively, his calm tone making her pause her retreat as she felt a strange force keeping her in place despite her fear.
"W-Why? I thought you hated me for killing our baby?" she fearfully asked, making him gasp.
"What!? I never blamed you honey. What garbage did Neo fill you head with?" he asked in shock.
"Your wife has suffered a great torment at the girls hand, or rather made her feel it was by yours." The smith explained to Jaune, more surprised at this revelation than the fact he was talking to a robot.
He crouched down to his wife and clasped her hands softly, trying not to threaten her like Neo did.
"Ruby, I am so sorry I couldn't save you. That I let Neo hurt you, but were together now. You don't have to be in pain alone anymore. Let me carry some of your burden, that's what your husband should do." He asked sternly but supportively as he kissed her lips softly while eyeing her. She soon felt the fear in her for him fade as she saw his eyes. They were the same eyes she locked onto during their confession of love, their wedding day, there nights of passion. She chided herself internally for having felt an ounce of fear of those eyes.
As their lips separated, Ruby gave Jaune a warm smile before he gasped and shocked her with a reveal of what was going on outside her cocoon.
"We got to get back out there then!" Ruby said as she reached behind her back in habit for her weapon. She paused to his confusion,
"Ruby? Are you sure your ready?" he asked, noticing her hesitation as she eyed crescent rose behind her.
She slowly stood up and eyed it nervously, thoughts of her team flooding her mind.
"I-I'm not sure I am but…they need my help. I just wonder if I can give it?" she asked him before he grabbed her hand and gave her an assuring smile.
"Well, maybe I can lend you some too then?" he said with confidence. She smiled and soon turned her attention back to her weapon and exhaled, finally finding her answer.
"This one then." She said as she touched the case, becoming enveloped with Jaune in a bright red light.
OST ( watch?v=zBi7Uigs43Y)
(viewer choice)
Ruby and Jaune held hands as they fell through a black void, seeing crescent rose falling in front of them followed by a trail of rose petals.
Meanwhile, Neo cat notices cracks appear in Ruby's statue and shudders, getting a smack to the face from Weiss's sword making their aura flutter.
"No, No not yet!" they screamed as they realized she was about to ascend and their plan was close to ruination.
They opened their mouth and released a beam of blue and purple light that blasted WBY and Guardian away as they gave painful screams.
Neo Cat grunted as they had no time to gloat and saw more cracks appear on Ruby's cocoon and lunged for it.
"You will take me their!" Neo cat screamed.
"Ruby no!" Yang screamed in horror as she saw the cat grow closer to her sister.
Ruby and Jaune smiled in the void as they grabbed the scythe, causing the cocoon to shatter right before the Neo Cat could touch it. The bright white light released momentarily blinded it with its powerful radiance, making them drop their aura guard a bit as they closed their eyes in pain before feeling a sharper pain on their left arm.
As the cat opened its eyes, it soon felt the pain in its left arm gone…as it was completely severed by a flash of red and yellow light from the one's responsible.
WBY gave gasps and smiles of pure joy as they saw their adult friends Ruby and Jaune hand in hand, completely wound free holding their scythe and sword respectively.
"Ruby, Jaune!" Weiss cheered.
"Your both okay!" Yang yelled joyfully.
"And your both the same!" Blake added happily.
The couple nodded,
"We decided who we wanted to be." Ruby said as she eyed her husband proudly, a gaze that was returned in full.
Neo cat grunted as they reeled in agony over their lost arm, before baring their teeth at the sight of the two.
"You…You ruined everything!" they screamed as they realized all their work, all their chances to go to Remnant were now lost. They were at least going to ruin their days forever for this.
Neo Cat released a beam of energy again at them only for Jaune leaned forward to block it with his shield, now fully restored while Ruby used her husbands back as a stepping stool to somersault over the cat and transition Crescent Rose, no longer rusted, into gun and fired a lightning bullet at Neo Cat. Neo cat felt a jolt as its body twitched from the electricity, giving Jaune and Ruby a change to transition to their scythe and sword and launch a tandem attack on the cats sides, flickering its aura more as it nearly shattered from the sharp strikes.
Angered, the cat plunged its last good hand into the ground, sending a shockwave of blue and pink energy into the ground that knocked them off their feet. Trying to take advantage of that, Neo Cat jumped at Jaune, preparing to slice his face, a secret hope his death would ruin Ruby again and let them possess her.
As the claw reached closer to Jaune's face, he gave off a cocky smirk as he saw something the cat didn't noticed until too late. A flurry of rose petals that enveloped him as it flew past the cat and caused Jaune to disappear. Ruby petal burst to grab him and dodge the attack, but not before grabbing his sword and plunging it into the cats hand where her husband once laid.
Neo Cat painfully yelled, trying to force the blade out of its hand before hearing metal clang and looking up in fright.
Jaune had grabbed Crescent Rose and had changed it to Scythe Form and was aiming it at Neo Cat.
"This is for killing my wife you bastard bitch!" he screamed as he thought of both Neo and the cat for what they did to Ruby, rage fueling him as his heart desired vengeance for her torture, a desire he was going to fulfill as he fell down with the scythe and severed the last claw on Neo Cat, shattering their aura and making them scream in agony.
Ruby then petal burst by the arm and grabbed Jaune's sword as they threw and swapped them and charged, both delivering a swing of their blades that severed Neo Cat's head. But instead of releasing a torrent of blood, the severed neck released a stream of pink and blue light as the ground beneath them consumed both.
Above them they saw two faces appear in wooden cocoons on a giant husk of the tree. Neo and the Cat, both looking like they were sleeping
Going Home
Ruby and Jaune panted heavily in exhaustion. Ruby felt a massive weight in her chest leave as she saw her two tormentors gone for good.
She fell to her knees and dropped her scythe, tears soaking her eyelashes.
"It's over…it's finally over!" she cried, soon getting a hug from Jaune, followed by WBY and Guardian.
"Ruby, I'm so glad your back. Don't worry me like that again please!" Yang tearfully said as she gripped her sister, almost afraid this was some twisted dream and needed reassurance.
"Okay…promise!" Ruby choked, begging for air as she was released by Yang and her friends. She soon gazed upon Guardian especially.
"Did you guide them here?" she asked.
"Yes, but it was them who had the key to begin with. In fact, you and them taught me something." Guardian explained.
"And what's that?" Ruby asked raising an eyebrow.
"That its important to get out there and explore the world, make mistakes, and most of all make bonds. I can't just protect the forest like the smith said, I have to protect all of the Ever After." Guardian said confidently.
Jaune and Ruby then eyed the door to their home, their world as well as Juniper and sighed. Not only did they knew this was no small feat, but it was basically impossible, at least alone. As sad as they would be, they knew where Juniper belonged just as they knew where they did.
"Then Juniper, please help Guardian out from here on." Jaune ordered Juniper, whose head tilted curiously. Jaune and Ruby frowned as they walked up to it, sad to see it go.
"I know we go way back, but our worlds our different. We need to go back to ours and you need to help Guardian protect his." Ruby said sadly as she pet Junipers head, the latter giving a small smile as they nodded in understanding. Juniper kneeled before Guardian, who got on their saddle and gave a smile and wave to their human and cat girl friend.
"I'll make sure your never forgotten, even if I or others ascend. I promise!" they yelled as Juniper took off in the distance, climbing down the tree back into the forest towards a city near the sunset.
"It's our turn to go home then." Ruby said softly as she eyed the door.
"Yeah, just hope Uncle Qrow or dad won't kill Jaune for ruining their little flower." Yang joked while pointing at Ruby's pants, making her blush.
"Yeaaaaaaah, I'm gonna get an earful when they learn we married. Don't worry hubby I'll protect you!" Ruby said teasingly as she grabbed her scythe and made a playful grin.
"Thanks, no way I'm facing them alone. I think I need to get an extra shield for a cup too." Jaune said as he covered his crotch with his big shield, making Ruby and the others laugh.
She knew her dad and uncle wouldn't really kill her husband, but still dreaded a bit the awkward explanation she'd have to give once she reunited with them. Qrow's probably thought she's been dead for a while. This thought made her want to go home all the more as she grabbed everyone in a petal burst, ignoring the complaints of nausea from Blake as she drew near the door. They all held hands as they drew closer to the light, ready to finally head home.
"Okay then, 3…2….1…..GO!" They all yelled as they jumped into the door.
Aftermath
Rather than appear in Remnant, the group, especially Ruby and Jaune were confused as they instead appeared in the void again.
"Where are we?" Weiss asked confused.
"This is where me and Jaune went when we died. But shouldn't we be home now like Lewis?" Ruby said confused as well. Soon the blacksmith in the distance, whittling some wood and alerting them with a laugh.
"Just think of this as a pit stop to your destination." They said warmly.
WBY looked at the mechanical woman in awe, before brushing her off as they realized they shouldn't be surprised, considering they met a talking cat and flying pigs already. They were now seriously annoyed with all the craziness.
"Can we just go home now please?" Yang asked with a somewhat rude tone.
The blacksmith chuckled as they put down the wooden statue of a cat. Both the statue and the knife in their hands earned a frightening gasp from Ruby and Jaune.
"What's wrong?" Blake asked concerned.
"That dagger its…." Ruby stuttered as she recognized it.
"Alyx's" Jaune bitterly said as he cradled his wife.
"Yes…many years ago she too died and came to this dimension. But rather than Ascend, she asked me to give you this as a gift to make amends. Such as curious soul I should say, one full of paradoxes." The smith said as it offered the dagger. Jaune gave an offended look as they did so.
"Do you have any idea what that did to us?! What is cost her!?" he yelled as he rubbed Ruby's stomach as she cried.
"What if I said she could regain what she lost? All she'd have to do is touch Alyx's gift." The smith asked with a raised eyebrow.
"But she…" Ruby said quivering. The last time she was offered a peace offering from Alyx, she was poisoned and then stabbed by that very blade. She couldn't trust it. She decided to slap it out of the smiths hands, but as she touched it to do so it became enveloped by rainbow light like the leafs and turned into smoke to everyone's shock.
Soon a little black girls spirit appeared in the smoke, giving a smile and wink to Ruby and Jaune.
"Alyx?" was all Ruby and Jaune said as they were enveloped by the smoke, coughing hysterically as their bodies glowed rainbow.
"Ruby, Jaune!" Yang screamed before the smith grabbed her shoulder and stopped her.
"Ruby and Jaune are okay, in fact…better then ever." They confidently said as they pointed to them.
From the light Ruby and Jaune did appear alright, but in their teenage forms to everyone's confusion.
Ruby and Jaune yelled in shock as they saw their young selves again, rubbing their faces now devoid of wrinkles and facial hair.
"Were young agai….wait, this is how we sounded?" Ruby asked frantically, aghast their voices were much more high pitched 20 years ago to Weiss's amusement before she eyed the another carving on the smith's table.
"Hey, is that Guardian?" she asked, alerting her team and jaune to the table. The smith smiled as they grabbed the small wooden carving, showing guardian with a sabor and ruby's old cloak.
"Yes, Guardian is yet another wonderful miracle in this world. Though, it did take a couple of hiccups from them to earn that miracle." The smith said as they placed it by a carving of a little mouse Jaune recognized as their previous form before he and Ruby recoiled seeing a third carving beside it.
It was a carving of a small human baby, probably only a few months old, rubbing its own stomach tenderly. Ruby and Jaune's eyes flooded as they grasped the carving.
"This is...you mean guardian was...?" Ruby asked the Smith, who smiled with a nod, confirming her suspicions making the couple choke on sobs and cuddle with the carving to Yang's confusion.
"What does this mean?" she asked her teammates who rolled their eyes at her denseness.
"If one dies here in the Ever After they reincarnate. Guardian was their baby reborn." Weiss pointed out, making Weiss gasp before giving the crying couple a joyful hug at the revelation. They smiled despite their eyes growing red and sore from happy cries, returning their hug as they passed the carving around for Yang and Blake to see. Weiss then turned to the Smith, giving them a warm smile.
"Thanks for giving them that. Now, can we please go home so we can all enjoy our youth?" she asked politely, earning a nod from the smith as they pointed to a large rainbow colored portal.
"Go through there, and you'll arrive at home, at a time where you are needed most." They said.
"Finally…home." Blake said as she and Yang held hands and ran into it, followed by Weiss who was as giddy as a school girl to see Winter and her mom again.
Ruby and Jaune took a moment to look at the Smith thoughtfully.
"Thank you, for honoring her wish. It really means a lot to me." Ruby said as the Blacksmith merely gave a silent smile and nodded.
Ruby then took Jaune's hand as she motioned it to her stomach to his confusion.
"Ruby?" he asked confused.
"Jaune, I don't feel it anymore, the burns. I think she took it away, I think we can…." Ruby said with a warm smile as Jaune lifted her shirt a bit. To his joy he no longer saw her scar, it had completely vanished.
"You think we can?" he asked, face alit with hope.
Ruby simply gave a warm smile and kissed him softly.
"After we kick Salem and Cinder's butts lets try." She said confidently. Jaune grabbed her by the arms and swung her around as he cheered, joyful at her approval as they ran to the portal and jumped, ready for their next challenge.
3 years later…
The war of Remnant had finally ended. Salem and Cinder were defeated, but a new battle was taking place at home. One that threatened to rip Ruby's family apart.
"Push ! One more push Ruby!" Blake yelled through a doctors mask, having been chosen as a midwife and trying hard to drown out Ruby's painful screams. Ruby gripped Jaune's hand like a vice.
"It's too much…I can't." she weakly groaned. She had been in labor for hours, having finally gotten pregnant again after her ascension. But the strain on her young body was killing her. She didn't know if she or her baby could make it. Soon Jaune hugged her sweat covered head lovingly.
"Yes you can Ruby, this is our last battle, then we can live happily ever…oh well be happy just push!" he said, stopping himself from that cheesy line as he hated to think of that world at a time like this.
Outside the room, Ruby and Jaune's family gave concerned looks, worried for the couple. Ruby had been screaming in pain for hours now, and each minute and scream filled them with panic. Yang was especially nervous as she didn't have Blake to comfort her and tell her Ruby would be okay. All she could do was silently pray.
"She already lost one kid, please gods don't take this one from her too." She prayed, basically begging before she heard a screech from Ruby that turned her pale, worried more than ever before she and everyone brightened up to hear a shrilled cry from an infant.
A few minutes later, Blake came out, telling everyone they could see them now as they entered the room with bright smiles.
Ruby and Jaune sat in their bed as Ruby and Jaune's family, Weiss, and Jaune's team entered. They all gave off bright giddy smiles, even Qrow to Tai's teasing as he playfully slugged his brother in laws arms.
"Hey can you blame me, this day doesn't come by often. Just wish I had some whiskey and a cigar to celebrate." Qrow joked, having long given up booze for his niece's sake. He didn't want to get drunk and miss the wonderful sight before them.
"Say to hello to our new baby girl everyone." Jaune announced as he pulled a cloth in a bundle in Ruby's arms, revealing the face of a small blond baby girl with silver eyes and red cheeks in it. Everyone gave awe's as they saw her sweet little face. Yang couldn't resist rubbing those chubby cheeks, illicit a cooing sound from the newborn that melted her heart as she collapsed on the floor from cuteness overload.
"What…niece…name" she choked on air as she dramatically pretended to die of cuteness to her sister's amusement. Ruby and Jaune had a small kiss as they looked at their daughter. If she had been a boy they would have named him Arthur, like Jaune's grandpa but they knew who they'd name if it was girl…well it was a three-way tie between names but they decided they would choose the one who embodied more bravery than anyone they ever met.
"Welcome our daughter, Penny Rose-Arc, to the world." Ruby said.