(HELLOOOOOOOO EVERYBODY! OH MAN, IT IS GOOD TO BE BACK AFTER FINALLY WRITING THE LAST CHAPTER!
But sadly, I must say that this is the last time I'll be posting in this last chapter for my good friend Chris Nest. I apologize to all of you who have left or lost interest in this story because of the length of time it took from when I took over for Chris in 2016 to now. The years around that time were very stressful for me and, deep down I felt like something was missing so I had to wait for Kingdom Hearts III to come out. I was surprised by how much of my gut feeling was right about this, especially when Re:Mind came out the following year where that scene when Sora went in Ven's heart proved that there was something more going on than what Xehanort professed when he had his Seekers of Darkness be filled with the darkness of his heart. Instead of having them search for the True Thirteen Darknesses like how he planned to get the New Seven Hearts involved should the guardians of Light not be able to get their full numbers set by the time of his Keyblade War.
But after I got the information and proof I needed I was able to finally complete this story for Chris Nest. And I hope you are ready for this because there are definitely hard-times in this chapter that would break hearts as it broke mine when I saw the Volume 3 Finale of RWBY those years ago when it came out after Monty Oum passed away.
Thank you all for your time, patience, and loyalty to this story throughout the years.
And To my friend, Chris Nest: Thank you for letting me write out the rest of Ruby Heart for you.
Reminder: I spoke to Chris Nest some time ago and he assured me that he has confidence in me and permission to end it as how I talked it over with him before now.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or RWBY, they are the properties of their owners.
The only ones that I do own are my OCs Vino, Gin, and Wolfe.
No Flames, please. If you read this story before and don't like it, don't read it.
Please read, review, and enjoy.)
Inside the Vault under Beacon Tower.
It was dark, with only flashes of green and vermilion are illuminated in the darkness. More flashes appeared as Ozpin and Cinder clash weapons against each other. After a clash, Cinder slides back, using her hand to melt the floor below her, and summons ice crystals from the newly-formed substance, hurling them towards Ozpin. Ozpin deflects them all by moving at superhuman speed, and then darts forward and delivers a bunch of strikes at Cinder with his cane, with the last blow launching her back. Cinder then floats mid-air by unleashing her Maiden power. Ozpin slammed his cane into the floor, forming a spherical force-field around him. Next, Cinder unleashes a powerful fire blast, with Ozpin leaping into the attack, his barrier protecting him. As he closes in on her, everything turned white.
Jaune and Pyrrha ran out of the front door of Beacon Tower. The muffled sounds of Ozpin and Cinder's fight could still be heard even though it's a great distance below the surface.
"Okay, I think I have Glynda's number." Jaune said, before he walked away, looking at his Scroll, "Oh, where is it?"
Pyrrha turned and stared silently at Beacon Tower. Jaune's voice soon broke her concentration.
"Pyrrha? What was all of that?" Jaune asked, gesturing to the tower, "Who was that guy in the black coat and the guy with the red bandages on his face?"
Pyrrha turned to look at Jaune, and tried to speak, "I..."
Their conversation was interrupted by an explosion, followed by Cinder using fire to fly up through the elevator shaft. The two teens stared at the tower in surprise, hearing the sound of fire from the elevator shaft.
"But... Ozpin..." Jaune breathed, unable to believe someone like the headmaster could have been defeated…
"There's no time. Pyrrha said, shaking her head. She then looked at Jaune and quickly adopted a determined tone, "Go. Get to Vale and call for help."
"Huh?" Jaune asked, confused, "What are you gonna do?
Pyrrha slowly turned her head to stare up at the top of Beacon Tower. Following her gaze, Jaune realized what she planned on doing, "No... no, Pyrrha, you can't."
He then grabbed her shoulders, trying to convince her not to, "You saw how powerful she is! Pyrrha, I won't let you do-"
Suddenly, Pyrrha stopped Jaune from talking by placing her hands to his face, pulled him in, and pressed her lips to his. It was a long kiss between them. After a moment of hesitation, he gently pulled her in and returned the kiss, while Pyrrha slightly raised her foot behind her. She then pulled away, ending the kiss, and stared into his eyes, one hand on his cheek and the other on his chest.
Sadly, Pyrrah, with a heartbroken lament, said, "I'm sorry."
Pyrrha used her semblance to force the blond huntsman to one of the rocket lockers, which slams shut from the impact, "Hey!"
"Wait! Stop, stop! Pyrrha, please don't do this!" Jaune pleaded. As he did, Pyrrha walked over to the locker and began typing coordinates into it. She looked him in the eyes one last time, "I love you."
Before Jaune could say anything about this new revelation, The scarlet-haired huntress stepped back and watched the locker fly away, even as Jaune cried out, "PYRRHA!"
Once it vanished into the distance, she clenched her fists and, once again, with a determined demeanor, walked toward the tower. After she stepped back through the entrance, she ran to the nearest elevator and used her Semblance to force the doors open. Inside the Elevator, Pyrrha noticed the damage, which showed Cinder, and most likely the Beowolf, had gone. She focused her energy and used her Semblance to push the elevator up to the top of the tower.
Outside of Beacon, at the cliff side where the academy skyport was being turned as a refugee zone for those who survived the assault of the White Fang, Grimm, and Heartless. Air buses were seen picking up the last few civilians and students. Professors Port and Oobleck oversaw the evacuation, as the former spoke to the crowd, over the sounds of roaring that were coming from inside the Academy, "That's it! Everybody on board! This is a mandatory evacuation!"
"A safe zone has been established in Vale!" Oobleck called with his colleague, "Please, remain calm and listen to Atlas personnel!"
Weiss Schnee stared at what was in front of her, in disbelief. As Ruby and Sora came running down the path, Zwei barked to alert Weiss to her leader's presence, and Weiss turns around to greet her, "Ruby!"
Hearing the barking, Donald and Goofy looked over and called out, "Sora!"
"Donald! Goofy!" Sora called back at his friends.
"Oh, I found you!" Ruby shouted in relief to find one of her teammates and friends.
"Ruby, where have you-" Weiss began, looking at her young leader.
"We were worried sick!" Donald interrupted getting in Sora's face. Goofy came over hugging them, happy they were unharmed.
"Don't worry, We're fine!" Ruby told her team partner.
"Yeah, don't worry guys." Sora assured his friends
Looking around Ruby asked, "What's going on?"
Unsure of what to say, Weiss, Donald and Goofy lowered their gazes sadly.
Ruby looked concerned, "Guys? What is it?"
Weiss stepped aside, giving Ruby a clear view of Blake and Yang lying on the ground. Both girls had bandages wrapped around their wounds, and the latter was unconscious. Behind them sat Nora and Ren, who are too battered and bruised to fight. Blake reached over and placed her hand on Yang's and said with tearful eyes, "I'm sorry."
Ruby reached out, her mouth open as though she wanted to say something, but in her emotional state, she had no idea what to say. Sora looked concerned at Donald, unable to understand how the court magician's magic couldn't help Yang and Blake, but seeing how roughed up his feathered friend was as well as how tired, Sora understood… though he wasn't sure if any of the healing spells the wizard knew would had been able to help Yang regrow her arm compared to the injuries they recieved when fighting the Heartless before arriving to Remnant.
Curling up, Blake closed her eyes, muttering, "I'm so sorry."
"Yang ..." Ruby breathed looking at her sister. Sora looked at Ruby, worrying and wishing he could do something to make things better for her.
Walking over, Sun spoke to her, "Hey. She's gonna be okay. The soldiers have a ship ready to take you guys to Vale."
"But Jaune and Pyrrha are still missing." Nora said, as she attempted to stand, but she quickly sat back down, groaning and holding her side.
Both Sora and Ruby were shocked to hear that, "What!?"
"Look, guys, that giant Grimm/thing is circling the school! Even the White Fang are pulling out! The only ones who aren't are those Heartless things and the Grimm! And that was before this thing started to attack them all at once!" Sun explained looking at them, Blake's eyes as she remembered what happened in the main dining hall, that power… The Power of Darkness… It was a horrible feeling. How could Vino stand such things? What sort of monster…
"We all have to go, now!" Sun urged before he turned and cast a worried look at Blake, he had never seen her so scared before since he had known her and that scared him. What could have caused her to be so scared?
"We're not ... leaving!" Ren said and tried to stand up, but then fell to his knees, with a grunt.
"I'll find them..." Ruby said, catching all of their attention, "I'll find them, and I'll bring them back."
"No!" Weiss shot as she got up and stood with Sora, Donald and Goofy, the heiress telling her leader, "We will find them."
The three-man team nodded as they shared Weiss' sentiment. The heiress turned to Nora and Ren, telling them, "Watch after Blake and Yang. We'll be back."
Ruby and Weiss rushed back toward Beacon Academy, SGDX followed behind. Sun watched them go with an annoyed exhale breath, "You better be!"
He then muttered, "Idiots."
Ruby, Sora, Weiss, Donald, & Goofy continued on their way back to Beacon campus, when Weiss' Scroll began ringing. Seeing who it was she told them, "It's Jaune!"
She then answered, "Where are you?"
Jaune spoke up, and everyone could hear that there's panic in his voice, "Weiss! Please, you have to stop her!"
Weiss asked, confused, What!?"
"Jaune, try and calm down!" Sora said into the phone.
"Pyrrha!" Jaune shouted for them to hear, "She's going after that woman and that Wolf-Grimm-man at the top of the tower! She doesn't stand a chance!"
"Jaune, what are you talking about!?" Weiss asked shouting, trying to make sense of what he was telling them.
"Where are you?" Asked Donald, concerned about the blond huntsman.
"Don't worry about me!" Jaune screamed into the scroll. He then pleaded, his voice full of sadness now, "Please, you have to save Pyrrha."
"We will." Sora promised. Next Goofy asked, "Are you okay?"
They only heard Jaune screaming before the sounds of the scroll hitting the ground as well as the sound of it cracking, when they faintly heard him beg, "Please..."
Weiss, taking back the scroll, asked, "Jaune? Jaune!"
The ground suddenly shook, alerting five of them to the danger that approached them. The Great Wyvern flew into view, circling Beacon Tower with black ooze dripping from it. It perched itself on one of the arches that stemmed from the main tower and made a screech-like roar. Ruby drew Crescent Rose, shifting it into its scythe form in preparation for the Grimm, Heartless, and Grimm-Heartless spawning from the ooze, appeared from darkness, or rose up from the pustules of Darkness in the middle of the black liquid. Ruby then told them, "I have a plan."
Drawing her rapier, Myrtenaster, Weiss commented, "You always do."
Sora, Donald, and Goofy got themselves ready to fight the monsters that had either spawned or appeared around them.
After entering the top floor, formerly known as Ozpin's office, Cinder and Wolfe went to the window as they glanced over the horizon. Soon the Great Wyvern climbed up the tower and glared inside, roaring.
The Fall Maiden saw the hostility in the Dragonic Grimm-Heartless' eyes and assured it, "Shh... This is your home now."
Wolfe knelt down before the large monster, its size showing how more experienced it was than him.
The Hybrid monster calmed down as if it sensed truth in her words. Cinder backed away from the window and holds her hand out to the side, creating a fireball in her palm. Wolfe was already morphing his arms into Beowolf like claws.
It then sensed the presence of another as it snarled. Both Cinder and Wolfe heard the sound of sparks, as it distracted Cinder and bothered Wolfe. The New Fall Maiden looked over her shoulder at the elevator, her fireball dissipating. Wolfe growled, agitated, readying his claws for the fight.
On the ground below, Ruby, Sora, Weiss, Donald, & Goofy fought off the monsters around them.
"We've gotta hurry!" Ruby shouted to them.
Weiss looked around for a moment, before casting a series of glyphs up the side of the tower. She then told Ruby, "You can do this."
"Wind!" Sora cried out, casting an Aeroga spell, which he directed to help increase Ruby's speed.
"Ruby! We'll catch up, hurry and help Pyrrha!" Sora called, striking down one more Heartless . Donald doing the same with a Fire Spell on a Grimm, while Goofy slammed his shield against a Grimm-Heartless. They flashing her a Thumbs up. Ruby nodded, eyes lingering on they Keyblade wielder, before she ran forward, then used her Semblance to propel herself up to the first glyph. She then sprinted up the wall, the glyphs propelling her forward and keeping her from falling off.
Down below, however, a large heartless that none of them had ever seen before appeared and got ready to fight the Wielder of the Keyblade. It readied it's wrist blade-like spikes at them the cat-like face opened wide with its sharp teeth and roared at them.
After an intense battle up on the top of the tower, the Grimm-Heartless had flown through the top of the tower, knocking it down to the ground making it without a roof now. Getting to her feet, the woman in glass shoes noticed Wolfe, lying motionless on the floor after he used himself as a shield to protect her. Taking in all that debris must have done a lot of damage to him. Narrowing her eyes at this, Cinder formed an obsidian glass bow in her hand. As she raised it up and drew back an arrow made from the same obsidian glass, Pyrrha charged forward, spun, and threw her shield at her. Cinder loosened her grip on the arrow, which shattered upon impact with the side of the red-head's shield. However, as the fragments' moved around the shield before rejoin with each other after the shield went passed them, reforming into the shape of the arrow again. The newly reformed weapon continued its path directly into Pyrrha's ankle. Pyrrha collapsed in pain. She attempted to pull herself to her feet, but the pain was too much. Both ends of the arrow broke off, making its removal from her leg impossible. She turned over onto her hands and knees as Cinder moved to stand in front of her.
"It's unfortunate you were promised a power that was never truly yours." Cinder said, walking to her defeated enemy.
Cinder then, after she knelt down and lifted Pyrrha's chin, staring into her eyes and smiling, promising "But take comfort in knowing that I will use it in ways you would never had imagined."
"Do you believe in destiny?" Pyrrha asked, still weakened by her fight with the Maiden and the Half-grimm as more of the Heartless arrived, sensing the eminent arrival of the greatest and most fleeting of Darkness. As if they were hyenas anxious to feast.
Cinder frowned; eyes narrowed before she glanced briefly to the reawakening Wolfe. Seeing him awake and recovering, the black-haired femme-fatale answered, "Yes."
Cinder stood back up and formed the obsidian bow and arrow that she had used to end the life of Amber. Again, she pulled back the arrow, lowering the bow to aim at her weakened opponent.
Nearby, Ruby finally reached the top of the tower, landing in a kneeling position. The sixteen-year-old looked upon the scene, seeing Pyrrha sitting with her eyes closed, seemingly accepting the fate that awaits her, thinking, 'I'm sorry Jaune… I would've liked to see you one last time…'
A tear flowdown her face wanting, with all her heart, to be with the blond. But seeing Jaune's smiling face in her mind made Pyrrha snap her eyes open, with a look of realization on her face. Something that Cinder and the exhausted Ruby noticed.
'What am I doing?' She thought, forcing herself to stand up, despite the pain in her ankle, 'I can't give up like this… not while Jaune is still there waiting… The one boy who treated me like a regular girl despite my accomplishments… the one who I… Who I love…'
Cinder looked confused, witnessing this change, 'What's going on? She was just about to give up… how is she still standing?'
Remembering what she learned from Maleficent, the Fall Maiden asked, 'Is this what she was trying to tell me? The supposed power of the heart?'
'If I… if I fall here… then what was the point of it all? Of meeting Jaune? Nora? Ren? Ruby? Sora? Everybody!? Everything!?' Pyrrha asked herself, the memories and emotions she experienced with her friends and teammates giving her the strength to keep going, limping to get what was left of her weapon Milo. Aligning it before her, Pyrrha then charged forward with a defiant yell at Cinder.
Cinder looked shocked. Just moments ago the girl was accepting her fate, but now it was like something was pushing her to keep going… what could possibly do that to someone when their Aura has spent itself? Cinder was so shocked that she let go of her arrow prematurely, hitting Pyrrha in the left arm, piercing her shoulder. But Pyrrha bore with it as she continued to try and defeat the woman before her. The one who caused all this pain and suffering here at the festival of peace between Kingdoms.
On reflex, Cinder fell back and shouted, an arm raised, "NO!"
And a NeoShadow came in wake of Cinder's flare of Darkness, thrust it's arm forward at Pyrrha's chest, causing her to gasp as she felt the claw break through her, touching the core of her being…
Pyrrha felt the Heartless pull out something important, the source of her warmth and life, and it's absence made her feel cold and weak. She then saw the glowing, red, crystalline Heart, in its claw. Pyrrha stared, her vision slowly becoming blurry as she thought, 'Is that- Is that my heart? I never thought… it'd be… so beautiful…'
She hadn't seen anything so beautiful before, even as she felt her body becoming weak and collapsed, her headdress falling off her when she hit the ground. The NeoShadow looked at her emotionlessly before crushing the heart in its claw which resulted in Pyrrha's body to begin vanishing in whisps of darkness, as the scarlet-haired Huntress, wished with all her heart, 'I wish… I could… see Jaune… One more time…'
Wolfe, though knowing Pyrrha was an enemy let out a howl in respect for a worthy and powerful foe. He then helped Cinder up, after getting her breathing in order as she walked over, past the NeoShadow and other Heartless that appeared around them, thinking, 'Even with all that talk about the power of the heart… it's no match for the power that I wield… the power that I embrace.'
Cinder picked up the abandoned headdress, looking at it before the villainess let it fall on the floor clattering against the stone floor. This entire event had been reflected in Ruby's silver eyes, which widen in despair and become filled with tears. Ruby clenched her fists, curled her arms to her body, and then suddenly flung her arms out to the sides and begun to levitate slightly off the ground. Brilliant white light flowed from her eyes as she screamed out the name of her dear friend. Ruby felt warmth in her wanting to come out as she cried out, in despair, "PYRRHA!"
In her hand appeared a weapon, it shaped that was similar to the Keyblade that Sora used. The Grimm-Heartless roared in shock as the light began hurting it. The light was powerful enough to cause any nearby smaller Heartless disperse in puffs of darkness, some of them releasing the Hearts captured within.
Cinder, shocked and outraged at this unforeseen development, screeched, "WHAT!?"
"CINDER!" Wolfe howled, fearing for Cinder's safety, rushed to her side, reaching for her with his right arm.
The light enveloped them all, blinding those nearby.
Sora, Donald and Goofy had finished the large Heartless which dropped it's cat-like face-mask. Once the Mask fell, the Heart flew out and shimmered away. Seeing this Heartless gone, made the three of them feel faint before they saw the light shining from the top of the tower. Sora saw this and cried out fearful, "RUBY!"
And hurried, only for his Keyblade to glow and had his arm point away, skywards as light shot out from the Keyblade and hit a Keyhole. Meaning a Gate had been opened. Sora shook his head, not wanting to leave when everyone here needs them now more than ever. The image of Ruby's face when she saw her sister and teammate in such a way filled his mind as he said, "Not now!"
Weiss turned asked, "Sora?"
Even as the Keyblade wielder, the court Magician, and Captain of the Guard floated up as they seem to be pulled skyward even as they struggled, "Ruby!"
As the light engulfed them all.
While outside the tower, and watched the entire battle. Someone in Oganization XIII's Black coated held an arm up when the power inside Ruby was brought to the surface. The power forcing his hood back, revealing the hooded figure to be Xigbar, who commented, "Who'da thunk it. That girl is something dangerous to our plans."
Hearing someone coming, he turned to watch the scene unfold before him.
The scene remained white for the girl, even as she heard her uncle Qrow say to his niece, "It's alright. I got ya, kiddo. I got ya."
Qrow picked her up in his arm, using the other one to destroy any of the Heartless that came their way. While King Mickey took care of most of them himself, crying out, "Qrow! We need to hurry!"
"I know, your majesty! I know!" Qrow shouted back, his eyes on the frozen Grimm, unable to believe that his niece was able to do that. Looking around he saw that the other two were gone as well, as if they were disintegrated by the light he and others surely saw.
He was unaware of Xigbar, still watching them, as he said to himself, "Can't believe that he was right about what happened right now either. This might make the old coot pleased to have an extra for their side as well as ours."
He then disappeared into the darkness.
Time passed as there was nothing but static coming over the radio. Two people sat in the room trying listen to any signs of what's going on in Vale after Taiyang saw his brother-in-law and a small mouse-man before the said man left concerned about the light that came from Beacon.
"Nothing." Taiyang commented, hearing no signal what so ever.
Qrow looked at his brother-in-law and dejectedly said, "Just turn it off. Without the CCT, there's no point."
"Communications down across the entire Kingdom, no way to contact the outside world... and Ozpin's still missing not to mention those others." Taiyang said sitting down in his seat, worried.
"Yeah." Qrow agreed.
Turning his head, Taiyang said, "This is bad, Qrow."
"Yeah, it's bad." Qrow admitted, not sure what else to do.
Ruby groaned feeling her head foggy as she sat up in… her old gray pajamas? In her bed? In her room? In her home? Birds were tweeting and sunlight was on the wall behind the bed's headboard. She looked over to see her father, Taiyang Xiao Long, asleep in a chair that faced her bed. Sighing quietly, Ruby had unintentionally caused her father to stir awake. He was surprised when he saw his youngest daughter, "Ruby!"
Getting up, he rushed to her side, "You're awake!"
"Ugh... what happened?" Ruby asked confused holding her head.
"Your uncle Qrow found you, unconscious." Taiyang explained, "He got you out of there, though. He brought you home safe."
Ruby thought for barely a second before what she could remember came to her, "Wait! Yang! Is she alright!"
"Uh, she's uh..." Taiyang's smile faltered as he explained, "She's gonna be alright. I think she's just... I think it's just gonna take some time for her to get used to things. She's too strong to let this stop her."
Ruby looked down sadly at this. Her father then hid his eyes behind his head, sniffling before he said, "I'm just glad to have my girls back at home."
"What happened to the school!? And Vale!? Were they able to clear out the Grimm? The Heartless?" Ruby asked, desperate to get some answers after who knows how long she was asleep.
"Things at Vale are under control, but the school... it's ... it's not that simple. That thing, whatever it is, doesn't seem to be dead. And don't get me wrong, you did a number on it." Taiyang told her, before explaining in greater detail, "But, it's not disappearing. It's ... kind of ... frozen. I know that doesn't sound too bad, but it keeps attracting more Grimm to the school. It's also been attracting more of those things that your three friends: Sora, Donald, and Goofy, called Heartless…"
Ruby, confused at her father's words, asked, "I did... what?"
"Hm?" Taiyang confused by what his youngest daughter asked.
"You said I did a number of things on it." Ruby said, reminding him of his own words before she asked, "What do you mean?"
"I..." Taiyang stopped his eyes shifting uncomfortably, before saying, "-look that's not important right now. We can talk about it later. Things are just... kind of a mess."
"It's always a mess." Qrow commented making the two look behind them. Looking over to his former brother-in-law and teammate who took a swig, Qrow asked, "Mind if we have a minute?"
Taiyang, feeling insulted asked, incredulous to the request, "What, I can't stay here!?"
Qrow's expression softened as he pleaded, "Tai. Please."
Taiyang forced his anger to stay down. He then stood up, kissed Ruby on the head, and said, "I'm glad you're alright."
He then walked away from her bed, telling her, "I'll go make us some tea."
As he left, Taiyang passed Qrow with a glare in his eyes before leaving the room. With the father out of the room, Qrow picked up the chair that fell to the ground, moved it closer to his niece and asked, softly, "So, how you feeling?"
Ruby groaned as she told how she was feeling, "Um, I ... kinda hurt. All over."
Qrow chuckled, crossing his arms as he sat on the chair, "That makes sense, after what you did."
"You guys keep saying that! That I did something! What are you talking about!? Ruby demanded, her expression becoming a glare at her uncle for the secrets.
Qrow shifted over to lean forward, then asked, "What's the last thing you remember!?"
"I ran up the side of the tower, and when I got to the top..." Ruby recounted, before it came back to her, making her gasp, with a saddened expression, asked, "Pyrrha! Is she...?"
"She's gone." Qrow answered, looked down.
Tears filled Ruby's eyes as she shakily retold what happened, "I... I... I got to the top, and I saw Pyrrha,"
Anger burned through the sadness, "and Cinder..."
"and then everything went white!" Ruby gripped her blanket as the tears fell.
Still keeping his gentle demeanor, Qrow asked, "Anything else?"
"I remember... my head hurting!" Ruby answered wiping the rears away, before looking at her hand, "And something appeared in my hand… it felt so warm and… familiar!"
Qrow then asked, "The night you met Ozpin, what was the first thing he said to you?"
"I ... I don't know!" Ruby answered. It had been a long time since that night; she could not remember off the top of her head, "I think it was something about..."
"Silver eyes." Qrow answered her and told her, "That's an extremely rare trait."
"So?" Ruby was confused why that should matter.
"You're special, Ruby. And not in the 'Daddy loves you, his special angel' kind of way." Qrow clarified, "You're special the same way your mom was."
He then told her, "Remnant's full of legends, and stories. Some of them true, some made up. But there's one Oz told me from a very long time ago."
"Back before Huntsmen, before Kingdoms, it was said that those born with silver eyes were destined to lead the life of a warrior. You see, the creatures of Grimm, the most fearsome monsters mankind had ever encountered in our world, were afraid of those silver eyed warriors. They were the best of the best. It was said that even a single look from one of these fighters could strike a Grimm down. Heh. It's a ridiculous story." Qrow snorted before speaking up again, "And there's the story of the Keyblades told by King Mickey. Those ridiculous looking swords shaped like a key. Supposedly linked to the heart of their wielder from the time they first made them appear to when their hearts expired. Those weapons are what the Heartless fear as much as the Grimm fearing the silver-eyed warriors and they use that weapon like a homing beacon to never lose track of the heart that wields it unless their hearts are freed by the Keyblade and the person that they were is restored. Only those with the strongest of hearts filled with Light can wield them, at least that's what Mickey said about what's necessary to wield one of those things."
"But ... you think that I might be..." Ruby asked, letting this info sink in, not just about the silver-eye warriors, but also about Sora's Keyblade.
Qrow chuckled, answering his niece's question, "Well, a giant monster made from Darkness and Negativity is currently frozen at the top of the tower. And you're here, safe in bed, and from what I know about you and a bit of your family history, you got what it takes to wield one of them if that kid Sora's any indication of a wielder."
Getting to his feet, Qrow walked over to the window on Ruby's side, leaning on the sill to stare outside.
"Wait, wait, how did you know what Ozpin said to me? The night we met?" Ruby asked, looking at her uncle confused more.
"All those missions I go on ... all the times I'm away to some far-off place ... it's been for Ozpin." Qrow answered, "But he's missing now. Something's been set in motion. With Oz gone, I'll have to pick up where he left off."
"And what could I do?" Ruby asked, catching her uncle's attention, "If I'm so special, then I can help, right?"
Qrow's expression became less serious as he said, assuring the girl, "You really wanna help? Get some rest. You're in no condition to go anywhere right now."
He then made his way to the door, before telling her, "Besides, our enemy's trail leads all the way to Haven."
"That would be quite a trip for a pipsqueak like you," He teased with a wink, before bringing up, "and you're still don't have a handle on how to summon your Keyblade, let alone how to use it compared to your Cresent Rose."
"Catch ya later, kiddo." Qrow told his silver-eyed niece before leaving the cabin.
Ruby sat alone for a while, the conversation she had with her uncle still in her head. She then looked at the window that Qrow looked out of, and stared at herself in a mirror hanging on the wall across from her bed. Wondering what she should do before she got out of bed.
Ruby entered the room where her sister, Yang, was sitting in after what happened in Vale. the remaining piece of her shotgun-gauntlet on the nightstand next to her. She asked, "Yang?"
Yang didn't answer for a brief moment, until Ruby turned to leave, "Ruby."
Ruby turned back around, and Yang turned her head to look at her younger sister, tears now in her eyes. Ruby ran over and hugged her, exclaiming, "I'm so glad you're okay!"
"But I'm not." Yang told her, which made Ruby frown and release her older sister. While Yang continued, Ruby could see the bandages on what remained of Yang's right arm as she spoke, "It's all gone: the school, Penny, Pyrrha, and..."
Ruby then asked, "Yang, where are Weiss, Blake, Vino, Sora, Donald, and Goofy? Are they alright?"
"Weiss' father… came for her." Yang answered the first part.
Ruby was shocked asking, "What? What do you mean?"
Yang looked away as she explained, "No one outside of Vale knows what really happened here. Before the tower fell, the last thing people saw was Atlas robots attacking innocent people, Heartless turning people into more of them, and Grimm destroying the city. Everyone's scared. No one knows who to trust. So, Weiss' father came to take her back to Atlas, where he thinks it's safe."
She then broke off before she said, "Before she left, Weiss said she saw Sora… He, he and his friends disappeared in a bright light… No one's seen them since…"
"But what about –" Ruby began to ask, only…
"And Blake ran!" Yang snapped, interrupting as she explained, anger burning, "Sun saw her go. After she got to the city, she just... ran!"
"Especially Vino… He just… disappeared… after this happened." Yang said, feeling very empty inside, gesturing with the stump of her arm, muttering angrily, "Like nothing between us was important…"
Ruby felt her heart hurting at this news about Sora, as she asked, "But... why!? Why would they leave like that!?"
Yang however remained as she was then said, heartbroken, uncaring, "I don't know, and I don't care."
Ruby stood determined and began to say, "There has to be a reason they-"
"No there doesn't." Yang snapped, making Ruby become hurt, as Yang shouted, in pain, "Sometimes bad things just happen, Ruby! And the people we think we know just turn tail and leave…"
Looking at her sister in the eye, the blond brawler dismissively said, turning away again, "Just… Forget about Sora…he, and his friends, aren't coming back…"
Ruby looked down sadly before asking, "So, what do we do now?"
"You can do whatever you want." Yang callously told her, still upset about everything, "I'm... gonna lie here."
"Yang..." Ruby began. Yang, still frustrated on what happened muttered, defeated, "Just leave me alone."
Ruby sadly left the room, but stopped and, pausing at the doorway, looked back at her sister and said, "I love you."
Yang remained silent in bed, tears flowing down her cheeks at what happened, as a leaf fell from the tree outside of her window, slowly drifting to the ground. The last leg of fall ready to welcome the next season in the cycle of life and time.
As soon as Ruby left the house, it was already winter. She turned to see Jaune, Nora, Ren, and Gin waiting for her. The three surviving members of Team JNPR had backpacks like her while the pigment-less haired brother of Vino remained without a backpack.
Jaune, smiling sadly, greeted his friend, "Hey."
Ruby smiled back, "Hey, Jaune. Haven's a long way to go."
"I know. It's the only lead we have." Jaune answered, determined.
Ruby looked at them, "Are you sure you want to come along?"
"The journey will be perilous, and whether we'll find answers at the end is entirely uncertain." Ren informed her.
Nora then said, "But we wouldn't be here if we weren't up for it."
"The foundation of life has been shaken because of the assault. I believe that this is the best course to set things right." Gin said looking at the redhead.
Ruby looked at them before telling them, "Then let's get started."
Everyone began walking to Haven. Gin took one last look from his path to the Rose/Xiaolong Residence before following the others.
"A smaller, more honest soul. It's true that a simple spark can ignite hope, and breathe fire into the hearts of the weary."
As they left, Taiyang was seen bringing breakfast to Ruby's bedroom, but dropped the tray down when he saw she was not there. The concerned father then ran out of the room, unaware of the note Ruby left behind on her bed. As Taiyang ran past Yang's bedroom, she noticed a raven perched on a branch, before watching it fly off.
"The ability to derive strength from hope, is undoubtedly mankind's greatest attribute. Which is why I will focus all of my power ... to snuff it out."
"How does it feel, knowing that all of your time and effort has been for nothing? That your guardians have failed you? That everything you've built will be torn down before your very eyes?"
Where Beacon stood, barren of the life that once filled its halls with students and faculty, Grimm, Heartless, and the hybrids between them were seen marching toward the ruins of Beacon. A Grimm-heartless roaring, almost of victory.
"Your faith in mankind was not misplaced. When banded together, unified by a common enemy, they are a noticeable threat."
In Vale, Glynda tried to repair a shop with her Semblance, but failed to hold it together after how much strain she put herself under since Beacon fell.
"But divide them, place doubt into their minds and hearts"
Elsewhere, Blake was seen running across rooftops. She stopped to notice Beacon in the distance before continuing onward.
"and any semblance of power or light they once had will wash away."
Weiss was sitting in a private airship, next to a man with a white suit, hair, and mustache, her father, Jacques Schnee.
"Of course, they won't realize it at first - like you, they'll cling to their fleeting hope, their aspirations, their delusions. But this is the first move."
Ruby was visiting her mother's gravestone again, before turning to join her three friends who took this journey with her, as she proceeded to lead them to Haven.
"So, you send your guardians, your Huntsmen and Huntresses, even your allies from other Worlds, and when they fail and you turn to your smaller soul, know that you send her to the same pitiful demise."
Standing on top of an ominous-looking stone stairway lined with dark, purple crystals, stood a woman wearing a black robe over her body, which stopped at her elbows revealing her bone white skin and pale white hair, the majority of it was put in a large half-bun of her hair with six offshoots wrapped together that also had several suspended obsidian dark ornaments. Her face was lined with dark purple veins and so also were her arms. Her face was framed by two strands of hair on either side over her shoulders. At the center of her forehead was a black diamond-shaped mark that could be mistaken for a closed third eye. Her eyes were the opposite of what you would find on a regular person, her sclera were ink black with her irises were glowing crimson in the darkness.
{Play "Divide" from RWBY Vol.3 OST}
"This is the beginning of the end, Ozpin." The woman stated, finishing her speech, her eyes shining with her anger at the name, "And I can't wait to watch you burn."
The woman with the deathly white skin turning back to face the approaching, tall form of Maleficent, who came and stood next to the woman.
"You have done well tempering the darkness in your heart, Salem. You will be a great associate for what lies ahead for this, if not all worlds." Maleficent identified the woman next to her, as she stared off into the dark horizon.
"After everything you've done for our cause: how can I not be happy to allow your Heartless to remain here while you regather their forces throughout the worlds." Salem told the Evil Fairy as she looked back to horde of Heartless in the valley below, "Is there any sign of young Cinder and the Half-Grimm Wolfe?"
"None as of late, but I am having the Heartless searching." Maleficent stated, her eyes gazing out in the landscape that her 'partner' called her domain. The Evil Fairy had kept her expression neutral during this entire exchange, she did not wish for her latest ally to know that an attachment between herself and the girl had been formed. This woman, Salem, certainly felt like someone to exploit weaknesses. Even as the two were unaware of a different individual in a black coat watching them from afar, his arms behind his back.
(AN: Finish listening "Divide" while reading the rest of the Outro below.)
(And with that Ruby Heart, originally created by Chris Nest, has ended and I have fulfilled my promise to him. Despite how things were for me at the time I started this, I couldn't follow through due to how stressful things were in rl as well as that gut feeling I had mentioned before. And who knows, maybe there will be a final mix to it all in the future?
To Nuyen55: You are close, I was hinting how because Vino had embraced the darkness in his own manner was in reference as to a theory I had when I heard about the 13 True Darknesses and the 7 True Lights and not the stand-ins that had clashed in Xehanort's Keyblade War had forged his X-Blade copy from back in KH:3D. When they spoke of how the 7 Pure Lights found homes within the Hearts of the Princesses after the Worlds became what they are now. I wondered "Hey, if the seven lights could do this, then why can't the 13 True Darknesses?"
And I began my search as to where they could have gone after the First Keybalde War shattered the real X-Blade. As well as what would be required for someone to be a 'host' for some of the 13 True Darknesses. KHX revealed how the Thirteen True Darknesses that were shown during First Keyblade War were free, and had a more active role in Union X. Dark Road revealed more to me about how M.O.M. would allow his pupils to fight amongst themselves when he wanted to safeguard and protect the Light. The Plan he explained to Luxu about how to defeat the Darkness but putting them in his ideal hosts.
Only… everything DID NOT go as M.O.M. planned when he first thought of how to defeat Darkness. The seven most power Darknesses were indeed trapped inside himself, and his apprentices (the Foretellers & Luxu), and yes, Ven does have one locked in his heart too (As seen with Vanitas and in KH3 Re:Mind). But the four that were supposed to go to the other Union Leaders of the era after the first war, went to a Digital Daybreak Town as a prison where they had remained since the "Player" had sealed those four in. And the last member of the 13 True Darknesses' fate was clearly unknowable.
Then I thought seeing that: "What if they escaped?"
So, I thought if one or all of them were to 'resurface', they (like their counterparts the 7 Pure Lights) would find strong hearts to be able to hold the depths of their darkness without suffering adverse effects like insanity or those hearts succumbing and then becoming Heartless. The Darknesses want to keep their sense of will intact, meaning they need to find hosts to prolong that for them for as long as it takes. Even if it means they had to go into newborn Hearts to do so.
Vino, despite his disposition and attitude does have a strong Heart and him embracing the Darkness to avenge Yang was the key to let it be confirmed by the power he unleashed last chapter. And as you will see in one of the 'secret endings' (similar to Xehanort) his embracing the darkness allows him to travel the Dark Corridors without fear of it consuming him.-
As to what had happened to the Baldr in Dark Roads, that was a True Darkness that was create from his negative emotions and darkness due to the Keyblade Masters at the time believed that isolation would be a better way for him to heal from his sister's death (Yeah right!). So I guess the only difference between one that was created in a modern era and the one that was freed from the X-Blade was their memories since that Darkness had admitted it wasn't one of the ancient Darknesses from the first Keyblade War.-
So, there you are, and I enjoyed this story as much as I had enjoyed writing it for you and for my friend Chris Nest.-
To you all that feel themselves lost, hurt, or confused about what to do when darkness or negativity reaches out or take root inside you. Look for people to talk out your troubles to family, friends, loved ones, professionals even.
And with that, I say this to you all: May your Heart be your Guiding Key.)