RWBY Crimson Timeline

by CrimsonPhoenixRWBY

Some say we're the heroes of our own story. But what if someone could tell it better?

33. Vol9 Dreadful Teaparty

div id="djs-foo" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"In the grand probability of endless potential and opportunity, there exists a timeline where everything goes right, rather than wrong. A timeline where events play out as close to the current one, yet key subtle differences alter and change the fates of those touched. Within the endless reaches of time, space and opportunity, we find ourselves seconds after the moment Ruby ran off, with Little in her collar after the huge meltdown. In the chaos, Jaune instantly sprang at attention! "Blake, follow her! Now! You're the fastest and best tracker around here", as he watched her attempt to argue he once more tapped into his leader voice; "No buts! GO! The Jabberwalker acre is close by! Meaning so is Neo! GO"/div
div id="djs-2v7ma" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""On it!", Blake, having startled at the intensity of old man Jaune's vocal order, turned and gave chase in the direction Ruby had bolted. Weiss, who wanted to go with her, sighed and turned to Yang. Who had buckled under her knees and was giving loud wailing cries in agony as the pain of what she'd said settled in. Jaune turned to Carp and Juniper. In the shouting, they had fixed up Juniper with a wooden brace around the claw wound so she'd be able to run at her usual speed. Jaune sighs, "I'm sorry…about the Walker…"/div
div id="djs-6odoi" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Pay it no mind, sir Knight. No need to worry. I'll just workshop a new arm for myself! Inspiration is ever lively", they said with a snicker and held a branch, the mind wild with mad and bright ideas for new arms, tools and tricks. Frabjous a day like this! Lively with possibilities and potential! A new purpose, and that without the tree! Oh how supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!/div
div id="djs-11vik" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Well…I probably will. And thanks for spending those years looking out for me", Jaune said as he mounted up to Juniper and slowly began walking. The Carpenter smiled. "Think nothing of it! Your presence reminds me of things with the letter C…companion…comrade…company…"/div
div id="djs-62jmo" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Alright…take good care of yourself, Carp!"/div
div id="djs-bmpvl" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Zimm…I should like a Name…inspired by Lively dreams"/div
div id="djs-ca7jq" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Alright Zimm…take care!", Jaune hoists Yang, who's gotten a little hold over herself up Juniper as well as Weiss and they bolt off. Leaving the Lively Zimmerman to stand behind and wave goodbye, before vanishing into their workshop once more. The sound of tools, chiseling and crafts echoing for endless times around the Acre, forever in the Ever After./div
div id="djs-f83pd" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-4e9ra" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Meanwhile, as Jaune's having his moment with Carpenter, Weiss slowly approaches Yang, who's sitting on her knees and crying. It was jarring. Even seeing Yang open up and be vulnerable that one time in Mistral about Blake was quite the interesting experience. But seeing her like this?! It wasn't jarring as it was shocking. Yang, who had always been the life of the party, the brawler and the heart and joy of the team, was a wreck. Crying, pounding the floor and utterly defeated. It broke Weiss' heart. She could imagine the pain. After all, she and Winter weren't always seeing eye to eye. But neither Schnee had ever disavowed the other one. Or slapped the other in the face. "Yang…I'm sorry that happened"/div
div id="djs-1pb5n" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Why…", Yang glared at the floor as she smashed her first into the floor. Why did Ruby say those things?! Why did she push the buttons that way!? What did she hope to achieve?! Yang was distraught until Weiss gently cradled her shoulders and pulled her up, forcing her to look at the Schnee woman, smiling softly. "I don't know. But we'll make it right. Trust me Yang"/div
div id="djs-ee0k3" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""How…? The things I said…", Yang's eyes were so vulnerable. Was this the same girl that Weiss once thought was the unbreakable pillar of the team? A tree standing tall, bent, but not broken. "Were said in the heat of an argument. It doesn't have to mean anything. If we get the chance to stop Ruby"/div
div id="djs-2ugbj" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Damn straight! Now get on! Last direction was towards the Dark Acre. I just hope Blake could stop Ruby", with his head in the game and the fight to be fought, Jaune lifts both girls on Juniper's back and they rush off. They'd all have a lot to talk about, once they save Ruby, properly. Jaune how could you've been so stupid! Mom and Dad would have words to say…/div
div id="djs-8hgu4" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-1mhp4" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"…/div
div id="djs-4pp0p" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-dbtcj" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Ruby!", the cry came from the trees as a shade of black and white dashed through, hoping to catch up but even before the Ace Ops training, Ruby had been a speedy character. Why did Jaune order me to track her?! I'm not nearly fast enough. Yet I can at least track her a little. Blake held out a hand and caught a few discarded rose petals. Something had been so wrong about what happened. How can someone so pure, innocent and bright harbor such a dark, vile and nasty wound? Have I made a mistake like how Adam changed? No, Ruby didn't slowly become brutal and murderous. She was 'normal'. Even back in the Schnee Manor. She was focused and…No wait. She cowered and feared the Hound. Had they all not feared it? No Ruby had broken down when they met Salem, only to shrug that off without properly addressing it. Blake didn't know the thick of it, since the stories she'd heard about what happened when she ran away to Menagerie had been a sensitive subject. Sure she knew Yang and Weiss met up in the bandit camp Yang's criminal mother had led, Weiss had escaped her family mansion's prison, living in a cold isolated place with a childhood that was way worse than she had ever considered, a small amount of shame hitting Blake for calling her a pampered princess and Ruby had been able to cross Anima on foot between villages and Grimm hordes. Sure it wasn't as big as Sanus, but it was still an achievement, especially considering her younger age./div
div id="djs-flri0" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Is that the reason? Have I looked up at Ruby for too long to realize I should treat her as an equal? Not that I didn't treat her horrible, but, I mean, she is the leader. Yang had to make the first steps for me to even acknowledge Ruby. She mentioned the books she read. And only then did I try and understand her. And even then, I've spent more time with Yang and Weiss, sidelining Ruby. Was that the reason for some of that outburst? Because those words weren't just frustration. They were the same kinds that Blake had thrown at her mother and father before running off with Adam. Blake hesitated. She stood in the canopy, the trail of Ruby fresh and clear, yet she doubted she was gaining ground on the runaway Rose. But just like her parents, who forgave her for the words, surely she could forgive Ruby for hers. And perhaps add a few clarifications to Weiss, when they caught up with her. As Blake stood still for a moment, there was a whiff in the air. Tuna? She looked at the horizon and noticed a mansion in the far distance. How? Well for one she's got excellent eyesight. But she can also notice the massive lights that draw attention towards the mansion. Even from back here, the colour was pinkish. Surrounded by darkness. And somehow, Blake knew that's where she needed to go! Yet as she began to move, a voice drew her attention. "Blake, See anything from up there?"/div
div id="djs-d5pej" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Jaune…", Looking down she could see her friends riding on Juniper. She pointed towards the mansion. "There's a lot of lights from that direction, I can see a normal Remnant house. I think we go that way"/div
div id="djs-9845f" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Alright, get down here, we'll go together!", Blake nods, before diving off the canopy and with a fluidity of her feline nature, lands perfectly fine on her feet and saw Weiss and Yang get off Juniper, running along the forest floor at a hastened tread. Seeing Weiss run next to her, she gently bumped her and hold her hand, "Weiss…i'm not dating you to stick it to the Fang…you know that…right?"/div
div id="djs-2obc2" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Off course I do!", Weiss smiled as she gently, while running, pecked a kiss on Blake's cheek, causing her to blush, "Just cause Ruby said that in a fit of anger and frustration, doesn't mean it's right. I know you Blake, I know you'd never do that. You put your heart and your entire being into what you do, that includes loving me. And I'd feel insulted if you wouldn't, because that's what I'll do"/div
div id="djs-f3eaq" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""But why did Ruby say it then?", Blake wonders, looking back at Jaune and Yang, since they'd have the answer, probably./div
div id="djs-2o207" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Most likely because she's hurting. I feel ashamed I didn't see it. It's almost like Pyrrha. Ruby's been isolated, feeling alone, more and more. And eventually, instead of being saved, she fell deeper and deeper away. Stupid idiot", Jaune slapped his forehead, before shaking off the negativity. It was done. No use talking or moping about it. Now it was time for actions to speak, to save his friend. "How can you say that, even after everything that happened? That wasn't hurting…that was…vile…she could just talk to us!"/div
div id="djs-3mjs1" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Maybe…she didn't think she could? Or rather…maybe she tried and we didn't let her", Weiss answered Yang, earning her a dirty look, followed by a silence that lasted a few seconds too long to remain 'normal'. Breaking the awkward energy in the air, Blake breaks it, "what do you mean by that?"/div
div id="djs-2t98u" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Well, like she said…she has pulled us all through the hard times. Kept going and fighting when I was whisked away by my father, you were finding yourself and Yang dealing with an injury. She kept going when we weren't in sync on the train, bought bracelets, saved us from that nightmare farm. We say things like 'we believe in you, we can count on you'...I know we mean well…but…", trailing off, holding her girlfriend's hand for comfort, she looks at her friends and sighs, Yang has her own words to add, "Well…it's not like we're expecting her to be perfect…"/div
div id="djs-8dri7" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-8f1og" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Once again, the silence hangs. A look on Jaune, Weiss and Blake's face spoke more than a thousand pages. And Yang noticed them staring. "Ok yes I did tear the team apart in Altas, but it worked out! And we got through it in the end!"/div
div id="djs-drla1" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Yang…you blamed us being here on Ruby…", Jaune said, feeling he should tell her this, given that with how their relationship had developed he'd be in the 'clear'. As Yang turned to face him, he wasn't met with fury and 'defensive anger' that Weiss or Blake would have received. And in that moment, if Tai or Qrow could see her, they'd see the splitting image of her mother, the face she made when Summer left./div
div id="djs-8a4h1" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""I…I didn't mean…I even said… I did! I tried to reach out to Ruby after. I told her how mom was my hero. I praised her for the Hound I…", there was another silence. Until finally, "I…I didn't apologize for breaking up the team…I…I saw my sister on that chair…and instead of letting me help her, she closed herself off. I wanted her to look at me. She..she hates me.."/div
div id="djs-4m8ei" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""No she doesn't Yang. You just both need to talk things out", Jaune rubs her shoulder, but Yang doesn't agree, "how can you say that?! I told her I didn't wanna be her family anymore! She was hurting and I didn't see it. I was…I was wrapped up in myself. I have become like my mother…"/div
div id="djs-7toc9" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""No you haven't! You'll be like your mother if you don't talk things out! Has Ruby always been this hard about opening up?", Weiss cuts in, trying to help Yang. Jaune scratches the back of his head. "You know…in the months we walked around Anima…she only once opened up about how she felt. Telling me she felt bad about pulling me, Nora and Ren into the depressive trip. I told her then that it was our choice."/div
div id="djs-8j2st" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""She…", have I been that blind since the start? Dad shut down, our mom was gone. I always thought Ruby never truly understood what was going on. But maybe she acted 'happier' and 'less sad' to spare me? Had Ruby always been that considerate of others? She helped me with my weapon. And she only came to me about the bully..because I heard him call her names. Oh sister, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry for thinking you stole my childhood. I'm sorry I tore the team apart! And I'm sorry for expecting you to be perfect all our life. "..Is in trouble!"/div
div id="djs-b4gnu" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Blake hissed as she broke into a sprint, a loud pained scream had echoed over the dark lands. They had crossed the bridge into the dark Acre, seeing the mansion, the pink right door and the brown left door with white door knobs. Neopolitan was inside this mansion, and a rose petal was scattering through the broken front window. JBWY reached the front door and kicked it open…/div
div id="djs-735p2" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-c2k7e" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"…/div
div id="djs-da3rm" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-659ho" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Here I am. Standing before a mansion that even an idiot like James could see was linked to Neo. The colour, the lights, everything screams that this is death. Ruby clutches her left hand into a fist, she'd do the right one as well, but she had punched a tree so hard she actually bruised her fingers and wrist. Unlike Yang, Ruby didn't know how to throw a proper punch without breaking your own wrist. She got lucky that the tree wasn't as thick as the one in Carpenter's courtyard. Else she'd have a broken hand by now. She had punched a tree after chasing away Little. The last friend she had, after snapping at her friends like that. With Yang disowning her, her friends not caring about her at all, the world being doomed because of her failed plan and she had no home to go back to, thanks to Yang's words. So Ruby, who was in a very dangerous mindset, took her chance and walked the distance as fast as she could. She stood before the doors, knowing this was Neo's doing. She had accepted her death at the hands of the Jabberwalker, why not end it all by coming here? No longer welcome at home, friends and allies would be better off if I was dead, Ruby reasoned with herself as she kicked the door open./div
div id="djs-9ohh0" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Entering, she walked into what felt like a doll house. A dollhouse that had to have been a replica of Neo's childhood home, a hunch Ruby got as she saw the open party hall and foyer, surrounding the entrance hall and corridor leading into the foyer, which was cloaked in shadow, were paintings. Similar to the many ones she'd seen in the Schnee Estate. Somehow Ruby's memory of that time was also muddied and turned darker, as she suddenly felt like it was her fault the Hound had entered and destroyed parts of it. Willow and Whitley probably also would have benefitted from me being dead as well. Not existing, having entered their lives. Perhaps that's why Blake kept her distance that much. She rolled her eyes and stomped into the hallway. She could see images of Neo locked in her room, lockpicking the door, a different girl that didn't look at all like Neo, aside from her face. An image of that girl, 'Neo' wearing a uniform that even a Patch inhabitant knew: Lady Browning's Preparatory Academy for Girls. Any successful woman in the Kingdom of Vale came went there. If Ruby didn't want to become a Huntress, something she was regretting now, she wondered if she might have went to that school. Not likely, with a father on a teacher's budget and an uncle who did Brothers knew what! Ozpin likely didn't pay him a single Lien for being a bird and flying around like a scout or a recon crow. Or maybe he did, how else could Qrow afford that alcohol addiction of his? Ruby groaned and stomped inwards. She didn't look at the paintings anymore, she didn't have the time nor the energy for it. She wanted this over with, now!/div
div id="djs-6tj47" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""What is this? Come on, I'm sick of waiting! Get out here Neo and finish it, coward!"/div
div id="djs-edeh" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""My…where are your manners Lil Red…I remember you being better educated than that", the voice was one that she hadn't heard in forever. How could it be? The last time she heard it, all she could remember was the pain of a solid steel cane clobbering into her body while fighting Neo. Ruby threw a quick glance at the painting that showcased two dead people, who mattered not to her since she'd be a third one on there, with Neo and Roman looking at one another. Or rather, that's what it should be because Ruby could see the eyes of Roman look directly at her! And not just that! He was moving! Like the paintings in that other series of books she'd read as a kid. About magic and school and the noseless villain. But Roman wasn't just moving, he reached the frame of the picture and stuck his head through the canvas! Walking off the painting! Even the smell of his cheap cigar was accurate! "Been a while! How's the hero biz treatin' ya? Gotta say y'ain't lookin' too good!"/div
div id="djs-21b7q" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Shut up. Where's NEO!", Ruby turned around, hearing giggling around the place yet kept an eye on Roman. She had long ago learned not to put her back towards this jerk./div
div id="djs-cu8ev" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Yeesh…no manners! And to think everyone came out to see you!", As Roman raised his arms, the light in the open area, the foyer, lit up and revealed a table, triangle shaped. Having several figures seated at the table. Friends and enemies. Ranging from Penny as she was during the fall of Atlas, even down to the human look and scent of pennies. Pyrrha, from before she had her achilles tendon torn apart by Cinder's arrow, Leonardo from Mistral, Ozpin and James Ironwood. And Clover? Wasn't he the leader of the Ace Ops? What even happened to that guy? Ruby never learned the truth that Tyrian had killed him and Qrow took the fall, because Harriet was an overly critical and idiotic looney bunny. Ruby's eyes were cold. She gazed from all six of them back to Roman and ducked, causing him to miss with the walking cane he used. His eyes were sinister but impressed. "You've grown clever"/div
div id="djs-7lj3r" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""SALUTATIONS RUBY!", how dare that mad hat wearing murderous obsessed lunatic besmirch Penny's legacy by copying her in a clone and pretend to be her. It was insulting! She walked a distance away from Roman, ,keeping his happy swinging tendencies out of reach, as the other clones begin talking to her./div
div id="djs-2vjr" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Hello Again!", yeah you can't be real either. The Pyrrha I know lives in Argus, is chained to a wheelchair and gave up her dream. Something she and I have in common, perhaps. At least I did one good thing in life, saving a friend from death./div
div id="djs-2v0to" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Miss Rose", adjust your glasses all you want. You're also dead. And are living rent free in Oscar's mind. Which is creepy because I like Oscar. Is it weird him and Ozpin are a package deal? Not that it matters, Ruby would never escape this place alive. And if she did, she'd never get home either. She was stuck, literally and emotionally. She also didn't bother to give Leo or Clover the dignity of talking to her. Whatever Neo was planning, she failed to do her homework./div
div id="djs-571ee" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Come, have a seat, have a cup", James said, acting particularly out of character. He never drank tea, he drank strong liquor. Why else would he have a flask like Qrow to 'flavor' up his coffee?/div
div id="djs-abkrv" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Have a seat with liars, corpses and people who're not real? No thanks", Ruby said, keeping her eye on Roman as she emphasized 'corpses'. Seriously, what was Neo's plan? Even without her weapon, all she needed to do was attack her, like she did atop the Inbetween. Why not do it now?/div
div id="djs-9r76q" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""What is real anyway? I mean you're the one following a talking cat around a fairy tale", at Roman's comment, as he walked past, giving up the 'sneaky trying to get closer so I can 'wack-a-red', kicked a few cups over as he stepped up the table, his remark causing the clones to give a very mocking laugh aimed at bullying and distressing Ruby. Except she missed her intended purpose since, as mentioned, RUby was smart enough to know that these people weren't real! "Reality's getting fuzzier by the minute, kid! Ya know, once Neo realized where she was, everything changed! Always loved a place to run away from it all! I offered her that once, but we all know how that-"/div
div id="djs-5n4s" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-5v59f" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Oh is that what this is? Blame me for the death of your delusional boyfriend?! Newsflash Neo-dumbass! I didn't kill Roman Tortwick, he killed himself by following Cinder. I thought you'd be smart enough to understand that…guess I was wrong", Ruby hissed, she was weaponless, weak, barely slept, hadn't eaten and things were getting woozy before her eyes. Yet the fight from before had only sharpened her venomous fangs. She spat poison that didn't miss. Roman, who had sat down cross legged when he was monologuing, gave an angry scowl. The clones were also forgoing the mocking laughter and glared daggers at her. "So if you're looking for an apology, look elsewhere. You've wasted your time!"/div
div id="djs-3mu9a" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Annoying pest…they say everyone thinks they're the hero of their own story", as he spoke the words, the eyes of everyone on the table changed to mimic Neo's crazy eyes. Glaring, mocking, taunting. Ruby knew she was surrounded, trapped, she didn't care. She almost wanted this. "But I knew what I was. And I think, deep down, you do as well…"/div
div id="djs-7ehce" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""And what's that, Neo, delusional? Talking to your dead boyfriend because no one loves you for you?", Ruby hissed, earning another wave of dagger glares at her. Roman got up, stomped his foot once as he marched over the table and produced a single leaf from the tree. "You know what this is?"/div
div id="djs-4i9kr" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""I know I don't care. Seriously Neo, stop wasting my time and just come out and kill me if you want me dead", Ruby glared at everyone. Maybe Neo's hidden among them? She always did love that whole trickster and impostering schtick of hers. "Oh she doesn't want you dead Red! You're not worth killing! You deserve to be broken down into little pieces! Wiped from existence!"/div
div id="djs-a35cc" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"There was a moment of nothing. Silence. Lingering, tension building. Until a single, shrill and haunting laugh was heard. But this time, it was Roman and all the others to recoil backwards. Ruby was laughing. And not her usual happy, full of life smile. No it was a crazed, daunting and mocking laughter. She glared up at Roman, her eyes dead and empty of life as she shook her head and sighed. "First you hunt me down, try to kill me in the Inbetween and now you're actually using your dead boyfriend to talk to me like some freak? Oh you two deserve each other. Because you both were thieving cowardly obedient little bitc-"/div
div id="djs-bqobo" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""You have some nerve Red! Ruining this big moment for Neo!", Roman snapped as a loud shriek of pain broke from Ruby. Her Aura had not been able to recover well. As a well known fact, Aura regenerated notoriously terrible when one hadn't slept enough, causing the hidden blade from Hush to sink a few inches deep in Ruby's left shoulder. A small river of red began soaking her clothing, sticky and warm as blood poured from the wound. Neo's expression was angry, furious and destructive, as she sprang over Ruby and drew her blade back. Ruby stumbled backwards as her left arm became useless, heavily damaged from the attack. Neo was good. She drove the blade in deep, cut through flesh and muscle and effectively severed the right amount of nerves and skin to make it near impossible for Ruby to move her arm. Roman caught her, like some prince from the books she read as as a kid, after Summer stopped reading them for her. It made Ruby sick, and not just because she had a massive urge of pain in her body. She spat out a drop of blood as the clones Neo made all spoke with a single mind in their garbled voices: "I wanted to enjoy watching you break, but it seems someone beat me to it…"/div
div id="djs-9pkfh" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Yeah…and if you wanna waste your time again, go hunt Salem. But you won't. Because you're a coward! You come after me, because you're too coward to fight Cinder when she was pulling the strings, too stupid to 'not' follow Salem who's the reason Roman's dead and now too obsessed with me like some freaky stalker. So stop wasting time and do it!", Ruby's dull gray eyes met with Neo. And for the first time, she hesitated. Roman also noticed the hesitation and sighed. "Well damn, Red, when I said you didn't look too good I wasn't actually expecting you to be this dead inside already."/div
div id="djs-2f2r2" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Friend Ruby…Why are you not making this-", before the clone of Penny could finish whatever insult or backwards logic Neo had cooked up, Ruby sprang forwards and punched the clone with her damaged hand. Penny's form shimmered into glass, Ruby's hand turned to a lacerated extremity as drops of more blood started dripping over the floor, now it was her turn to throw a vile look at Neo: "A big coward and a dumbass idiot! Penny's dead. You can't use her to hurt me. Pyrrha's alive, so she won't hate me, as I saved her life! Leonardo I never knew long enough before he sprang a backstab double cross. So I barely care for his inclusion here. Clover arrested my uncle and I don't even know where he is, James wanted to nuke a city so his opinion doesn't matter either. And Ozpin isn't worth remembering anymore. So, like your boyfriend, you screwed u-"/div
div id="djs-e3vho" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Stop it!", Roman dashed for her and grabbed her by the scruff of her hood and lifted the small girl from the ground. Ruby didn't resist. She couldn't. She was notoriously bad at fighting humans, her scythe was thrown away earlier by her own volition. The way she had seen warriors who threw away their scabbards when they charged into a fight they would lose, but that was just a holovid trope! Ruby looked back at Roman and smiled. If she could make this bad for Neo, then she would die with joy! Seeing her smile, Roman threw the girl on the table, in the chaos the tree leaf had fallen into one of the few remaining teacups. "You're not supposed to LIKE IT! Stop that! Neo won't savor your death, useless girl!"/div
div id="djs-4jrit" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""I miss the part where I care", Ruby stood up and threw a destroying look at both Neo and Roman. Causing the multicolored girl to lose her patience and throw out her weapon, trying to run Ruby through. If she wasn't gonna play along, why bother! But Ruby dodged, her bleeding right hand reeled back like a piston and shot forwards, connecting with Neo's chin before a sickening crack caused the silent gasp from Neo to be overshadowed by a pained scream as Ruby's punch, which was terribly alined, put more strain on her already hurt wrist from punching the tree earlier, causing it to break entirely! Yet that wasn't the pain Ruby felt./div
div id="djs-ftr84" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-bjvdg" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""How dare you!", Neo staggered back, noticing the hand imprint on Ruby's cheek as she punched her. Roman's cane, Melodic Cudgel, slammed in the back of Rose's head and forced her to drop on the table. The heavy thud being repeated as Roman heaved the steel rod back up and brought it down, with the grace of a baseball swinger. As if he was hammering a nail in the pavement, Cudgel slammed into the youthful depressed girl's head. Over and over again. The pain adding up as the already blurred vision began having black dots added in there. Yet who had given Lil Red that slap mark? Having had her father slap her once, also leaving a red mark on her skin, Neopolitan could recognise the familiar wound. The only ones here were. Wait a minute. "That was uncalled for Red! Did your mother do such a poor job raising you?!"/div
div id="djs-8rnb3" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"There was a flinch, Ruby curled into herself, raising her arms to try and defend against the beatdown. But the flinch wasn't from the blows. Neo smirked. Now I have a way to break you fully. She flashed her smile at Roman, who stopped his wacking, the blood trickling from his weapon, as Ruby gasped and coughed, droplets of red leaving the corners of her mouth. "But then…how could she not? How could she not raise a failure like you?"/div
div id="djs-fecod" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Heh…resulting to your mom jokes now…and here i thought you were some evil boogeyman", Ruby said, yet her strength from before was gone. Neo could see it in her body language! She had struck a nerve! She grinned, looked at the remaining clones she had and snapped her finger. They shattered like glass. "Oh I'm not the boogeyman Red, I'm disappointed. You're a failure. A failure of a victim, a failure of a hero and the most sad failure of a daughter to a mother who's turning in her grave"/div
div id="djs-7kv0k" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""SHUT UP!", Ruby sprang to her feet, loopy and disoriented, yet Roman was gone. And so was Neo?! Ruby staggered. SHe didn't feel too well. Probably have a concussion. She gulped before she fell to her knees and threw up. Yet all she saw was blood. "Ruby?"/div
div id="djs-2d86h" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Huh…", Ruby turned around and saw…Weiss. Blake. Yang. And Jaune! Had…had they come for her? She wanted to believe they cared. Wanted to think that she was finally saved. But she knew better. As she looked at Blake, she turned her head away. Life isn't a fairytale. "What do you want…"/div
div id="djs-6qfbk" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Just…making sure you're alright. Or rather, making sure you're not causing more trouble. Like the disappointment you are", Ruby's eyes flashed in anger as she looked at Yang, who gave her a glare. This was more like that was it? She turned away, tried to stand up. But before she could, a new pain hit her. She gulped and threw up more. "sister…You are-"/div
div id="djs-d5387" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Ruby gasped. It wasn't Yang that had kicked her! It was..Weiss?! "Please, childish and uncoordinated. How could you EVER be chosen as a leader? I should have been the one. I'm far more capable"/div
div id="djs-7gtvr" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""What…? But I…we were-", another sharp pain as Ruby screamed and gagged. Jaune had grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up, choke holding her a few inches off the ground. Weak, with one arm unusable and the other hand broken, RUby couldn't fight back at all. "It's about you. It always has! YOU killed people during Beacon, YOU stood in the way of Ironwood, YOU caused the deaths of our friends! YOU got us trapped here!"/div
div id="djs-52cnh" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Jaune threw her against the wall. The impact making things even more fuzzy in her eyes. Roman was right. How can I tell the difference between Neo's clones now, and the harsh words she had thrown and received from her friends? It was getting hard to breathe as two arms wrapped around Ruby's waist, pinning her arms to the sides as Blake lifted her up. "I can't believe I once looked up to you! You are a failed leader and an even worse person! How many more people have to die before you realize you're not cut out for this!?"/div
div id="djs-e79s" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Blake…I know I'm not! That's wh-", a new pain in her guts. Ruby inhaled sharply as her eyes rolled back into her eyes. Yang had punched her in the guts. Strong and deep. She coughed blood on Ember Celica and sagged down in Blake's grip, who pushed her face first on the floor. "Mom was my hero. And you were a nuisance. I'm tired of caring for you. It would be better if you didn't exist!"/div
div id="djs-34vuk" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"From behind Yang, Neo stepped out and placed the tea cup on the ground, before Ruby. Making sure that Yang was the one to slip it closer to her sister! Yes, Neo relished in this power! It felt just as at that time she had tricked Jimmy Vanille! Before he was sealed into the room and blown up! Now you'll truly pay for Roman's death! but before Neo could see it through, a small butterfly of cyan color flew into her field of view. Before a blast of energy threw her through the wall and out of her replica parental home. As she was thrown back, the four clones of JBWY stood there, like puppets without strings to be played. Slowly, reeling from the rollercoaster of her friends beating her into a bloody pulp, a heavy concussion and the broken wrist and torn arm, Ruby opened her eyes and saw the tea. It smelled like strawberries./div
div id="djs-209si" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-dq300" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""it's alright Ruby…you're safe now", slowly, with a vision more blurry than when she had ran away crying, since now Ruby was crying once more, she saw the Cat! Her friend! An ally! She coughed. "I'm…sorry…"/div
div id="djs-2dh03" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Oh don't be sorry…you fought so bravely, Huntress", nudging her, the Cat made Ruby roll on her back. Coagulated blood dripping from the corner of her mouth as she closed her eyes and lay there, overtaken by the physical pain and the mental torture she had endured. She was so hurt. She was so alone. She almost cried for her mother again. Like when she had fallen off the Inbetween. But Summer Rose couldn't save her. Instead the Cat had done so! "But…I'm tired…I want…wanted her to kill me…I don't want to exist anymore…"/div
div id="djs-bbsgm" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Oh I know…", Curious hopped on Ruby's chest, slowly patting their paws like a cat does when they're about to lay down. Purring, especially from a cat, was done at a low frequency, one that assisted the mending of bones and the healing process. She closed her eyes. Wanting to be helped by her one true friend. "...after all I can be you instead!"/div
div id="djs-9samc" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Wha-", Ruby's vocals produced the largest, loudest and most intense scream of pain she had ever let loose, coincidentally this would be the same scream that Blake had heard Urging her and her friends to move faster, ditching the ride from Juniper as Weiss summoned a flock of Queen Lancers to carry her, Blake and Yang. Jaune still rode on Juniper, begging her to show him the meaning of haste as she sped up even faster! The scream however was the result of two catpaws that phased through Ruby's ribcage as two clawed paws dove into her heart. A loud cracking as an intense pain unlike anything Ruby had experienced before coursed through her body. It was unnatural. It felt like her heart did when Yang slapped her, when she disowned her, but then physical. A broken heart, only far more painful. Ruby arched her back as the pain oddly paralyzed her. "I have been trying to wear you down…"/div
div id="djs-fb9ft" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""What…Are you..doing?", Betrayed. Again! And by another stupid talking animal! The whole world was after me! And I'm sick of it! Let the pain stop! Something's got to give. AS the intense pain rocked through Ruby's body, the essence of what made her beginning to dim even more as something else began manifesting in her soul. She gasped as her form went limp. Her eyes glazed over and her voice dying down. "My purpose. When a poor little heart is broken, I can fill it with mine. I'm afraid I haven't been entirely honest with you, Ruby…you see, I'm not like the other Afterans here, I'm cursed with curiosity. I need to know everything! But more than anything, I need to know why my makers left me here, only to leave and make all of- OW!"/div
div id="djs-709ie" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""You're not a friend! Friends do-"/div
div id="djs-4nsol" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""No…", Weakly, Ruby looks between the cat, still trying to literally and painfully claw their way into her soul and body. Possessing her. Little. Her one true final remaining friend. Had tried to save her from the cat by biting their tail. She moaned and stretched a hand out to Little. Yet she didn't have the strength anymore. Deep down, Ruby felt like she was dying, alongside Little. A body was moving in her periphery, Ruby couldn't see who. She heard a cat hiss, before the pain in her chest vanished. Slowly her vision turned a little better as she felt a tiny Little pull on her left arm's hand. She could see Little, begging her to get up, to get out of there. But then a familiar shoe stomped down and snuffed out Little's light. Ruby wanted to scream, to howl in anger and fury but she could barely wince. Neo looked at her in absolute victory, Roman appearing behind her. He spoke, but Ruby didn't understand what she said. She wasn't all there anymore. Slowly she felt the hands of Weiss and Blake pick her up, with Yang looking at her, holding the teacup and smiling wickedly. A cheshire grin across her face, holding open her mouth and putting the cup to her lips, tilting it. Slowly inching closer towards her lips, the embrace of oblivion closer and closer…/div
div id="djs-6d6iu" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-7oqq8" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""GET AWAY FROM HER!", Yang blasted into the hallway as she had seen a reflection of herself, her friends, holding Ruby, feeding her a cup of tea. One that smelled like ramen to Yang, but she had heard from Blake earlier it smelled like tuna for her. She didn't hesitate and with a loud and heavy blow of twelve gauge slugs, the illusion of Yang shattered as Neo's cheek received a blow so bad it should have broken her neck! How dare that BITCH use her likeness to hurt her sister! As the fake Yang shattered into a million pieces of glass, Weiss and Blake also attacking Neo, who got backed up by the clones of themselves, Ruby fell back on the floor, hitting her head, causing her to swallow hard, ingesting a few droplets of the cup that Neo-Yang had managed to feed her. Ruby lay still, her body hurting intensely as someone leaned over her, lifting her up, further helping the tea down her esophagus. And into her system./div
div id="djs-2tud0" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Ruby…easy…we're here", Jaune said as he cradled Ruby and held his shield to prevent her from taking damage. Blake, Weiss and Yang were relentless in bashing on Neo. But she was unstoppable. She dove like a snake between their attacks, letting her Neo-fied clones deal additional damage. It was chaotic and messy, with the only one truly taking damage being Roman. Who huffed, puffed and cussed his way through the fight, being mopped to the floor by the advanced training and skills of team WBY. Ruby coughed, blood trickling over her lips, slowly a cold spread over her body, followed by a strange numbing sensation. She couldn't move her legs as she turned her eyes towards Little. "Sorry it took us a while"/div
div id="djs-9cfvp" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Jaune lifted Little and placed them in Ruby's hand, as he gently began focusing his Aura Amp into Ruby, hoping to save her life. Yet before he could, a blast of energy knocked him back. "Well if it isn't the Rusted Clueless Knight"/div
div id="djs-80cog" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Get back from her…you won't take her like Alyx", Jaune drew his broken sword, staring down Curious who simply smiled. Brandishing claws before a sound broke the fighting, Everyone, including Neo, turned their eyes to Ruby, who shimmered, as if her Aura was about to break, but the color was a weird orange, green and magenta color. Like…oh no! Jaune looked at the cup of tea, the cup that Ruby had to her lips before they arrived, it was half empty. With a shock, as he drove Corcea Mors into the Cat's paw, he deduced a very terrible reality: they weren't fast enough. Despite Yang breaking the hold fake Yang had over Ruby and knocking the cup away, she had ingested a little of the tree leaf tea! "RUBY!" Yang shouted as she ran for her sister! She slid over the floor as the ground beneath Ruby opened up and she fell in, catching her by the broken wrist, making her wince and look up. Yang gasped, she had never seen Ruby's eyes this dull, gray and dead! She started crying as well! "No Ruby, please! Remember what you said to Penny? Suicide isn't the answer! I wanted to say-"/div
div id="djs-4o52q" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""You…can…have your…live now Yang…I'm…I'm sorry…I…was a…burden…"/div
div id="djs-75bdr" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Don't say that! I love you! You're my family! I even saved Crescent-", Yang looked around the hole, since Ruby wasn't falling in fast enough, roots from the tree, with leaves from it's vine, reached up and slowly wrapped themselves around Ruby's boots, pulling her in deeper. Yang slammed the floor and braced herself, trying to lift her sister out of it. But the vines held strong. More reached out, sprouting the leaves she had ingested. She looked around, Jaune fighting to keep the cat away and Blake and Weiss keeping Neo's clones at bay, who herself was watching in that 'yes, almost, just let it happen' expression. I will kill you! Yang looked back at Ruby, hearing her couch, "it's ok Yang…I want this…I'm sick of being the bees knees…without me…your life will be better"/div
div id="djs-l3m4" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""NO…Ruby it won't! You won't be in it! Now come on! Become petals, you can do it! I still have to tell you-", More vines pulled Ruby down. Yang was being pulled into the hole as well. She had braced one foot against each end of the hole and tried not to fall in, but soon the vines would reach her. Could she just let go and save herself? No she didn't wanna lose Ruby! "It's…better this way…I could never be…like Summer…I'm not made for this…"/div
div id="djs-ds5dn" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""But I…I wanna tell you that I'm sor-", Yang screamed as she sank in, her legs dangling out of the pit as Ruby was pulled in deeper, her skin becoming browner, as the vines pierced her skin and began transforming her. Yang didn't wanna let go! She couldn't. No, not my sister! I haven't had the chance to apologize properly! Yang felt vines tangle her hand as she tried to pull out, slowly sinking deeper into this 'rabbit hole' of weirdness./div
div id="djs-9n5jm" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""YANG", Jaune rushed over, having used a Gravity Dust blast to knock the cat back. He reached into the hole, cut the vines holding her hand and pulled her out, yet she refused to let Ruby go. He sighed and forced her to look at him. "Listen to me. You have to let her go…if you don't, you'll both end up in there!"/div
div id="djs-dvdvr" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"A moment Yang couldn't decide! How could he ask this of her?! I can't let go! But she knew he was right. She couldn't beat the tree. She was just Yang, a brawler. She looked at her sister, who gave her a faint smile, before she shook her arm and broke Yang's hold over her broken wrist. Yang screamed Ruby's name as Jaune quickly pushed her and himself away, before the hole closed fully. Ruby Rose, daughter of Summer Rose, dreamer, Huntress from the books, innocent soul that almost had victory, was no more…/div
div id="djs-7gl24" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-2f7fv" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"…/div
div id="djs-6i73m" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-6dgks" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""You've finally done it! Little Red's gone, avenged my death, despite that Grimm having eaten me. With your Semblance stronger than ever now, we can take over this whole absurd place!", I should feel happy. I should feel an explosion of euphoria. Ruby Rose, the girl that Aschen had convinced me was the reason why I lost the One Thing, that Cinder had taken from me, was dead. I broke her. I shattered her mind. Made her drink the bloody tea! She was dead! Reduced to nothing and stopped existing! Wiped from the face of the earth! Every goal I had in mind since I realized that Cinder was dead. But like that feeling of having finished a show on the net, a convention you go to or a gathering with friends, the empty sensation of having finished that, being alone after that intense explosion. It was an empty void. And even then, her attacks, her hopes and goals. They weren't her own. No, Roman was right…the Grimm had eaten him, ended his life. And it wasn't Lil Red's fault, because she was only there to stop the ship. Sure she had caused me to fall off the ship. But if that woman, Cinder, hadn't put Roman on that ship to start with, he'd still be alive. And not this figment of my active imagination. Not like Neopolitan had been back when I was still going by the name of Trivia. Neo shook her head as she thought of her previous life, she had fled that. She had wanted to be free. And with Roman gone, there was no one who understood her like he did. No one to praise her when she did good. She looked back at the roots that covered over the ground where the hole had been. She felt her body freeze up. "Why not? Offing Little Red can't be all you wanted… Right?"/div
div id="djs-1rdqs" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Yang was being held up by Jaune, crying into his shoulder as he tried to comfort her. But honestly, how can you?! They had all seen her being forced to drink from the cup by a perfectly identical version of Yang. Sure it was Neo's clone version, but how do you tell the girl, who mere hours ago told her sister she didn't want her in her life, that this wasn't her fault? Ultimately there was only one person at fault. He turned to face Neo, but she was blank thousand yard staring as she sat on the chair. Blake and Weiss found comfort with one another, hugging each other as they mourned the death of their leader and friend. Their sister. Family. Blake flinched as she felt Passion, the sword she poured her Aura in, shimmering and vibrating. She had broken her vow. She knew from her sensei that this meant the blade would betray her. So she didn't pull it, having to live with the buzzing on her back, until she reaffirmed her vow of protecting her friends./div
div id="djs-a28f7" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""No. No! NOOOO! I Needed her!", Jaune's gaze darkened. He put Yang on Juniper who nuzzled her affectionately, softly purring to soothe Yang's pain, as he picked up his sword once more and walked towards the cat, still clawing at the vines that had covered the hole. A breaking in the mansion's roof pulled the cat's attention towards the tree. And in doing that, spying the 'blue screening' Neo. A grin crawled over their feline face./div
div id="djs-9ur8e" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Take us to her…NOW", Jaune raised his blade, threateningly. Curious merely laughed. "You still don't get it, do you? It's not a place you go. It's a place you know…Rusted Dork! But no matter, It appears there's an even better solution to my problem!"/div
div id="djs-1gmqq" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Curious turned to Jaune, hissing and letting a wave of energy shoot out. Hitting him back and crashing against the wall. Blake and Weiss were similarly caught off guard. Yang was the only one who managed to avoid it, since she had been on Juniper, who moved away in time to get at Jaune, wanting to help. She saw the Cat, flickering colours until they were monochrome, growing in size to the form of a beowulf. She acted, blasting the shotguns and threw herself over the Cat, through the air and stood between the Cat and Neo. Curious however smiled deviously at her. "So…Yangie, are you REALLY gonna stand between me and the girl that killed your sister? I will kill her for you…give her the same treatment she put Little Ruby through. Break her down to her very core. Wipe her out of existence…"/div
div id="djs-ba5ou" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Yang froze. She looked back at Neo. A real hero would stop him from doing that. Yet in a moment of weakness, Yang's attention weakened, which opened her up for the Cat, who slammed her out of the way! "Sucker!"/div
div id="djs-dh27s" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""You lost something most important haven't you? A reason to keep going forward. And now you have nothing left. WHich is perfect for me…an empty host!", Neo's frozen blue screening mind snapped back in attention. This thing was trying to attack her!? She raised her feet and kicked the Cat away! Succeeding, but only half way, since the legs of the cat broke off and split it's body in half! "Oh don't struggle my dear..it'll go easier if you just give up!"/div
div id="djs-8ai1h" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Neo wanted to move. She put her feet to the floor and tried to bolt, but Curious simply shoved her back into the chair and pushed her against the back support of the chair, claws digging into her Aura to keep her still. She winced. "Oh and you're a mute..how delightful…I'll give you a voice, puppet!"/div
div id="djs-2kpgg" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Roman appeared behind the Cat, holding Melodic Cudgel and swinging. Yet before he could, the bottom half of the Cat kicked out Roman's legs from under him and forced him to fall on the floor. "Oh you can't get me with the same trick twice. Now…open…WIDE!"/div
div id="djs-c35ua" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Instinctively Neo closed her lips. But the cat's paw simply forced her lips to part and shoved into her mouth. She could feel something was terribly wrong! As the Cat slowly dove into her body, her lungs and mind sparking with a conflicting possession, since she was a strong personality but with her lack of a goal and in her stunned state she was forced down. Neopolitan felt her consciousness grabbed by the Cat, entering her more and more, similar to what Jimmy Vanille had done, by the arm and shoved her into the darkest furthest part of her mind and locked her in. Ironic that she had made her childhood home, the Vanille Estate, to mess with Ruby. And now here she was, being locked away into her 'room', except her room was nothing but the edge of her consciousness, where she could only bang on the wall as she saw her body rise up. She could see, like a weird out of body experience, as if she was a passenger of her own body, how the lower half of Cat joined it's topside and ducked further into her mouth in this horrifying reverse vore scene. Tall and Blond in rusted armor ran over, swinging his sword. But the old man wasn't fast enough and missed the cursed feline's tail. Leaving Curious in control fully while Neo could do little but accept she was being used. It made her angry, yet she couldn't do anything./div
div id="djs-5vjp7" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;" /div
div id="djs-ot6h" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Heehhhh the Rusted Knucklehead…", Neo wanted to protest! She wanted to scream! She pounded her feet, swung her arms. But she was like a flea trying to distract the entity that possessed her. She couldn't even prevent the Cat from using her vocal cords! Neo hated the 'text to speech' thing her scroll did during the schooldays at Beatrice's hellhole. It sounded robotic and not 'super amazingly stylish' like Neo was! So a soft cat voice coming from her vocal cords? Neo was livid! But she couldn't do anything about it… "Goodness, am I tired of your sob story, can't even accept your own futility."/div
div id="djs-4stiq" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Stop speaking for me! That's not at all what I want to say! Stupid cat! Get out! Let me FREE! "I should have ended you the moment I had the chance…"/div
div id="djs-4f38k" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""But you didn't Knucklehead…and now…with a body this powerful…I'll get out of here, find out what my creators did what they did!", the Cat lept over the group and vanished in the night. Jaune roared in frustration as he ordered everyone out, the building they were in collapsing since Neo wasn't sustaining the illusion. As they ran out and looked back, the only evidence that anything had happened there, was the roots on the ground, Ruby's grave…/div