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 in the Red Prince Acre, where the four Huntresses stuck in the Ever After are approaching the square where a purple wagon was set up, the sail covering half of the wagon, which was hiding a stage, read 'JINXY'.../div
div id="djs-bd8mv" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""So…any plans on getting your weapon back? I say we rough him up!", Yang with the diplomatic answers. Probably the reason she got Oscar caught in the first place. Ruby was not in a healthy headspace, but like a true Leader, shoved it down and refused to acknowledge them. Blake wasn't eager for that plan either, looking at the Red Guards standing about town. "In the book…Alyx had to barter for her dagger"/div
div id="djs-dn470" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Yeah I'd have Yang hit him…", Weiss adds in. Sure the book, but they were not Alyx. And that thief still owed Weiss for stealing her sword. As she said that, the part with Jinxy's name on slammed open and revealed a 'floor' of sorts. Accompanied by a heavy fog of purple fog with fireworks going off. For a thief he sure as heck knows how to sell himself, Weiss had to give him that much. "Aww he's adorable!"/div
div id="djs-dg82h" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Weiss threw a look at Yang. Adorable? He's a thief! Blake wasn't helping either "And a lot older…than I remember from the book…"/div
div id="djs-4kdl0" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Because we're not in the book, else we'd be mentioned in the book", Weiss rubs her nose bridge before she saw Jinxy revealed his 'finest treasures in the Acre', an emerald puppet, pink rabbit statue and a gray-ish scepter with five spikes at the top that were all coloured differently. One red, blue, yellow, purple and white. "rats…I don't see my weapon at all"/div
div id="djs-906ms" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""All Jinxy's treasures are items in disguise, so people think they're getting something extremely valuable", Blake exposites as they turn their eyes back to the wares. Ya know with a name like 'jinxy paddler' it's a wonder the Afterans don't expect foul play like that. Everything here is bound by it's name to a purpose. Imagine if your purpose was to be a shady peddler? Oh, that's just Jacques Gelé. Nevermind. Weiss sighs as her train of thought is interrupted by Yang, "Ok…how are we supposed to know which one is Myrtenaster?"/div
div id="djs-61sin" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""What does your heart tell you? That's how Alyx knew", Yang snickered and Weiss rolled her eyes. SHe did have her eye on the gray scepter, colour wise, it matched her weapon the most. "The Scepter looks kind of like Myrtenaster…"/div
div id="djs-auiss" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Blake groans. There's no way she can get these two to understand the beauty and intricacies of the book. No one here…hey wait! Ruby! She likes books! Blake turns to her leader and smiles, yet there's a vacancy in Ruby's eyes. Staring at the Emerald Puppet as if mesmerized. "Ruby..?"/div
div id="djs-1oppp" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""There's…something…about that one…", Emerald. In her heart, Ruby found something to be important there. Something Important that she'd lost. Something she needs, desperately…/div
div id="djs-44p63" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""How do we pay…? We have no Lien…", Weiss ponders, watching as the 'Diamond Studded Rabbit' is being auctioned off to a random Afteran. Blake giggles. Leave it to a Schnee to try and solve it with money, "I doubt Lien has any Value in the Ever After. Instead Jinxy just names whatever price he wants"/div
div id="djs-3iuti" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""So what did Jinxy want from Alyx? It's been a moment since last I read a children's fairy tale…", Blake's ears drop at the question, after all, that part was always a bit moody in the book, "Her saddest and happiest memory"/div
div id="djs-clr09" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""That doesn't seem too bad…right?", Yang chimes in, as Jinxy announces that the Rabbit was sold for a hug. Little even put power to that statement as they claimed hugs were very valuable./div
div id="djs-eoqjk" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Next item…The Silver Scepter!"/div
div id="djs-2720q" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""ME!", Weiss and a Red Guard both announced their attempts to claim the price. Weiss threw a glare at the guard but given she'd been in a few auctions with Jacques and Mother back in the day, she relented. I'll just have to outbid them, as she was taught. Such a pain./div
div id="djs-2n8hr" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""The Bidding starts…at knowing what it is to be loved! A fair price…I'd say", There was an evil smile in the raccoon's eyes. Weiss staggered. Fair?! That was so evil and unfair! Not knowing…If this was the year when she went from Atlas to beacon, she'd have taken it, no questions asked. After all, there was no love in the Schnee family. But now, having went to Beacon, having laughed and enjoyed her time with friends, having shouldered their burdens during semesters at school, having griefed for the fallen and wounded at Beacon's fall, having found a family and a home with her friends, having been saved from the loneliness of her mirror by Ruby, Blake and Yang. Weiss wasn't so eager to give that up. She met Jinxy's eyes, furious and angry, but didn't bid, giving the soldier the ability to get the Scepter. "By royal decree, I will pay that price!"/div
div id="djs-e76gj" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""SOLD!"/div
div id="djs-8n3u4" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""But that's…my weapon…", Weiss hisses. Seeing her friend in distress, Yang's rebellious anger begins building./div
div id="djs-c9rpr" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Whatever it is…it's royal property now! No price is too high for his majesty's birthday!"/div
div id="djs-64olo" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Last item…the Jade Marrionette"/div
div id="djs-avgv8" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Yang punches her fists together. Her eyes red as she looks at Weiss and then cracks her knuckles. "We tried it your way Blake…time for-"/div
div id="djs-4su9v" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Me…"/div
div id="djs-7r9g7" 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-e4bvr" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Ruby wasn't paying attention to her friends. The entire time she just had this yearning, this need to get this item for herself. It was like a part of her, materialized. The green had a familiar hue to it…the same colour that appeared when Penny had used her Maiden powers. And she knew she needed this, else she'd sink even deeper. She didn't even listen or refused to hear her friends scoff. "Ruby..what are you doing?!"/div
div id="djs-210bf" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Bidding starts at…", Jinxy reached under his counter and pulled out a small jar. One that wasn't even big enough to hold like three cookies. What a simple price that would be, Ruby thought, almost too naive at the plight she was in. "...enough Hope to fill this jar"/div
div id="djs-9nj9u" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Hope?! Oh no…why did it have to be that thing. Ruby's dull eyes, turned darker. What a useless thing. Hope. She had trusted on that concept for far too long. Now she had nothing, trapped in a world from a fairy tale. A book she had often been read by her mother. A mother who left. Left to fight in a war. A war that was hopeless to win since Salem can't be killed. The same hope that had left Yang when she discovered this truth, the same pointless hope that had pushed James to risk and threaten Mantle just go get Atlas away. A hopeless and pointless struggle. Her own hope that she'd get so many innocent people to Vacuo. 's hope had been drained ever since Anima. Destroyed villagers, promised help that was never given, allies turned enemies, friends who were gone, crippled or dead. The darkness in her eyes deepened. Hope is for the foolish. For the childish. For those who can afford to be stupid. "My…you don't have enough..do you?"/div
div id="djs-6dohf" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Shut up. Stupid trash panda! I don't need your life advice! Anger and fury begin boiling in Ruby's heart, a dark and vast pit that stands before her, ready to pull her under and deeper into the darkest part of her soul, the depths of a depression she'd never get out off. How could she? While the raccoon had deliberately said she was without hope, none of her friends had pieced that together. If dad was here he'd say 'find new friends' yet all Ruby could do was stare. Stare at the puppet being taken by Little. Mentioning that 'you weren't looking, so fair is fair' thing. That's when suddenly the magic broke and all the items lost their illusion charm. The Rabbit appeared to be a talking mouse stolen from their home, the Scepter was indeed Myrtenaster and the puppet was Penny's Maiden created sword!? Chaos spread. Yang and Weiss jumped the Red Guard as they took Myrtenaster back and made a big fuzz, but all Ruby could do was run towards the stage and grab the blade. Penny! Her friend. A memento! She was with her, like Summer! Ruby broke, crying as she held the sword close, like a lifeline, the dark pit opening before her heart closing, slowly. Little looked at her with a big smile. Alright, I take it back, I take it all back. I'm sorry I doubted you…Little, my friend! Ruby picks Little up and puts them in her collar. "RUBY! We gotta go!"/div
div id="djs-58in3" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Blake slammed the wood and Ruby looked away, quickly wiping her tears away as she chased after Blake. Yang and Weiss having bolted with the weapon safely returned in their possession. With a decent speed, and the people angered and annoyed at Jinxy's peddling, the chaos allowed the four of them to get to a safe distance in the redwoods. Not like Forever Fall but it was almost similar. Yang was laughing and clearly enjoying herself. Blake had a worried expression and Weiss was annoyed. Weezing, Yang spoke; "those people take Auctions way to seriously! High five!?"/div
div id="djs-5u1ec" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""We're making the same mistakes as ALYX!", Blake refused the high five but Weiss accepted it, if only because Yang had helped her return her sword to her. Safely tucked on her belt, Weiss seemed to be slightly more happy. Whole, even. "We're ruining everything!"/div
div id="djs-33he8" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""THAT is your biggest concern? We're still in this magical fairy tale land, that trash panda stole my weapon, we stole it back and that's what you're being catty over?!", Weiss smirked, liking her little pun, but Blake rolled her eyes. Not the time, Weiss. Why do I keep trying?/div
div id="djs-d7n41" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""I've read so many stories…", distraught, Blake sat down on a log and grabbed her head in her hands. "I never thought I'd be the moral of one…"/div
div id="djs-7p3bl" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"It's only after they saw Ruby standing behind them, depressed, deep in thought, glaring at the green sword in her hands like it's a lifeline that they all get shaken from their ruse. Yang raises her hand at her. "Ruby?"/div
div id="djs-c38ae" 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-34urt" 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-dekco" 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-6e1mj" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""STUPID TREE!", Weiss, having tried to get closer to the tree, kept going in a loop, the same kind that Ruby had been stuck in. Reaching for a stone and throwing it, proved to be rather dangerous as the thing soared towards the back of her head. Using her Shadows, Blake launched forwards and caught the stone before it slammed into Weiss. Little adding, rather late, "Yeah…we already tried that, can't get to the tree that way"/div
div id="djs-96eq0" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""gee thanks for warning me", Weiss sighs, as she gently hugs Blake. Ruby, who was sitting at the side, Having opened up about how she felt, how she had wanted the blade, felt more alone now than she did when having the sword. It was PENNY's weapon! I'm hurting here. Yet all she can do is put herself away. After all, when all your life all you do is try and help others, what happens when YOU are the one needing help? How do I help myself? Ruby's heart darkens, once more. And soon she'd be trading away one of her two safety lines. As the Red Guard approaches them. Ready for the next step, Ruby closes her eyes, gotta stay focused. Gotta get home. Follow the story to the tree./div
div id="djs-bs5c8" 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-bf1g7" 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-2a4n2" 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-6i5sb" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Are…we sure we wanna do this…?", Yang asked as they were getting closer and closer to the big and scary castle. She had been all for an all out brawl. But something about this felt…off. Wrong. Ruby had traded part of Penny away. The last memento probably. Was she sure of this?! And that outburst. It's not like we expect you to know, Rubes, Yang thought./div
div id="djs-9domt" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""The red King helped Alyx. He'll help us", we don't know what we're doing Yang. And unlike your antics I'm still trying to keep moving forward and get us out of here. So get off my back!/div
div id="djs-bmjh0" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""We aren't…Alyx", I know that Weiss! But unlike throwing a stone at my own head I'm still trying! Anger slowly festered in Ruby's heart as a blue butterfly nestles itself high atop the nearest spire, observing and following, focusing on Ruby's pain as it follows and stalks. Wanting to know and inform. Similarly a robin follows them. A robin of a pink, white and brown design. Observing, scheming. Hunting with bad intentions, also centered around Ruby. The events play out, meeting the Red Prince, his outbursts and dramatic posing. Causing Weiss to ask Blake; "Was…I ever this pompous?"/div
div id="djs-cu0m5" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""No, you were far more coordinated…", Blake snickers, with a wink./div
div id="djs-3t6fm" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Your majesty! We acquired you a gift!"/div
div id="djs-ejeim" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Befitting of the Royalty that is you!"/div
div id="djs-cgdbm" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""The weapon of a great warrior!"/div
div id="djs-j800" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Obtained by us and no help at all!"/div
div id="djs-8g97i" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""At all!"/div
div id="djs-9n7pg" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""But we're the ones-", when one of the soldiers pushes Weiss back to silence her, preventing these suck ups from escaping with their lives in the process, Ruby watches with a pained heart, as the Red Snob walks towards the gift with sparkles in his eyes. Whatever happened to the King, it was not a good look. She recalled how he had been kind, forgiving, gentle even. And that's why Alyx managed to outsmart him in the game. Sure the King had never lost, a strategic genius, according to the book, yet he never anticipated that Alyx would cheat. Supposedly this would teach kids that cheaters never prosper, but Ruby wasn't so sure. She'd played by the rules all her life, and look where it got her, stuck in a fairy tale with a small infantile prince who was as spoiled as Weiss had been during their first conversation back in Vale. No Ruby, that's not true, you know Weiss' history now, don't hold it against her. Maybe the prince has some redeeming qualities?/div
div id="djs-2akks" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Green?! WHY is it GREEN?!", WHAT?! Ruby's eyes glass over in shock as she watches this little spoiled jerk kick the sword! Ruby reaches for it, is blocked by a guard but speeds past them with Petal Burst, yet as she reaches the place it lands, the blade shatters into tiny pieces. Much like Ruby's heart. No…How could you…/div
div id="djs-bii9o" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Sorry sir! We are colour blind! We didn't know it was green!"/div
div id="djs-1ff81" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Forgive us your royal amazingness!"/div
div id="djs-aat0p" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""For giving me a gift that's not red…you two will lose your head!", Ruby watches as the two guards, the same two who had boasted they had no help at all, were pulled behind a red bush. Screaming for help, to be forgiven. Yet they weren't nice to her and her friends, so Ruby doesn't. She reappears next to her friends, in shock at what's befalling the guards, before their voices are silenced and a thick hit of a bladed ax hits wood. Lost their heads indeed. Ruby watched as the Prince began stomping his tiny frame away. We need to get out of here, and fast. Ruby takes a deep breath, she wants nothing more than to make this jerk pay for breaking Penny's blade. So why not put him in his place! "No wait!...Maybe we can help cheer you up"/div
div id="djs-6lfkt" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""You're right…beheading is rather fun…GUARDS!"/div
div id="djs-18g4d" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""How about we play a game instead…your majesty", Ruby says, smiling mischievously as the Guards surround her and her friends. There's a moment of silence, before the Prince similarly gives a toothfilled grin!/div
div id="djs-djshj" 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-7tqr9" 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-1gar7" 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-ap4uh" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Have some faith?! How can I have faith!? Last time I did, we all got dumped in this stupid place! As the game, or rather the fight progresses as the show depicts it, with Weiss taking a space, the Prince becoming annoyed and asking questions, Yang throwing a piece over and going all overkill on it, smirking confidently at the irritable prince, Blake using Gambol to trip an enemy and spin attack it to death, having Weiss compliment her and causing the feline to blush, Ruby felt a bit of faith, but not enough. Because once Ruby revealed the truth about them being humans, all the pieces attacked her friends! And while at first she was worried. After all her friends were in danger of being ganged up on by the toy soldiers. Yet Weiss, Blake and Yang managed to work together, rather perfectly. And that's sort of the problem. Ruby saw her friends, the ones she had caused to fall, leading them to their death, the friends she had seen splinter in Atlas, work perfectly together. Without her help. As they swept the board, clearing out most of the pieces, all to the issue of the Prince, there was one feeling that truly haunted Ruby. They were doing perfectly fine, without her. They didn't need her to order them around. In fact, when she had ordered the white pieces, they lost. Ruby…was a failure. As a leader, as a person and now as a protector./div
div id="djs-4dhrj" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Yang got cornered, dogpiled and held down by the white pieces. Stupid traitors! As Blake and Weiss each retreated to a different high ground on Ruby's side of the board, she wanted to shout, get them help. Yet from a burst of orange flames, Yang rose to her feet and pushed the dogpile away in a massive puff of Burn. Screaming like a berserker: kick their wooden butts!. Yang's rallying cry rejuvenated Blake and Weiss, who threw each other a look as HardLight Dust Glyphs appeared and connected the two endings of the board. Blake sped across them, fighting her way through waves of wooden toys after one another. Throwing Gambol around like a ranged blade, while using Passion to carve through all that got in her way. The purple steel biting and causing deep damage in the pawns that got in her way. A vow she had made upon its reforging, a vow she was keeping. To protect her friends. Weiss sprang from her spot to another, Summoning Nevermore wings to keep her aloft in the air as both of them linked Gambol like a slingshot between them. Yang who saw that, sprang upwards and caught the ribbon, Weiss and Blake pulled, fastball-special-ing Yang into the board who blew aside every pawn in her range, clearing the board fully. The Prince threw a temper tantrum before clicking his fingers! "As the Prince, I can use a special power in this game! I reset the board with everyone on my field versus your three pathetic friends!"/div
div id="djs-cg36o" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Pathetic?! We just wiped your field, you cheater!", Yang bellowed, her intimidation factor none existent, after all she was an inch tall. Even Little was bigger than her./div
div id="djs-bqfiq" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""So? Humans are known cheaters in my Acre! I'm just repaying the favor!", as the horde of pawns rushed her friends, Ruby's inactivity was turned upside down. Not because of the danger her friends were in, but the duality of this jerk! She reached forwards, to the dismay of Yang; Blake and Weiss, pulled them from the board and in her collar, placing her hands on the board as the Prince's expression turned from victory to shock. And then Ruby flipped the table over!/div
div id="djs-fuj3f" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Cheating?! We came here with good intentions. We offered you a gift that you disrespected! A gift of a friend of mine who's DEAD! Then you right the game and then accuse me of cheating!? Screw you, nutcracker!", surprised by her own potty mouth, Ruby's eyes were vengeful, angry and hateful. Yang, in her collar looked at her sister break like this and tilted her head. Where in Grimm did that come from? Sure he had disrespected Penny's memory, but she didn't need to help them. They'd just clear the board again. And again! "Ruby…"/div
div id="djs-bhl35" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""I KNEW IT! If I lose my temper…YOU lose your HEAD! GUARDS!", The red guard surrounded Ruby. Suddenly her anger and her refusal to take the abuse vanished as she realized one key error in her plan: she had no weapon and her friends were an inch tall. She gulped as she looked around the room, praying to the Brothers for a miracle. Since she had no idea how to beat this thing now. That's when two inhuman eyes manifest behind the Prince. "Wait…what's that?!"/div
div id="djs-en183" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""You think I'm stupid?! I won't fall for that old trick!"/div
div id="djs-f5kpr" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Well he's right, I do think he's stupid", Weiss snarks as she also noticed the eyes. Ruby followed the eyes, who winked at her, before a cat appeared out of thin air, Cyan eyes and patches of fur, while the rest was a mixture of purple. Mischievous smile on the lips and a soft and purring voice. "Your majesty…"/div
div id="djs-6lpve" 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-3r9l3" 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-57cii" 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-9nvgl" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""So while this is the part where the writer pretends to like the show and skip ahead to a thing he'd like to 'change' to fit better in his own vision, it's also the part where I, the Curious fourth wall breaking Cat, Deadpool my way around the scenes and make snarky comments. Ciel not returning, putting shame on Kara's voice acting and being either a self insert for the Writers of CRWBY to mock the fandom, but also maybe that's just what some members of the Youtube platform say about me as a character in the show. Because there's also a good possibility the writers, taking off their oversized clown pants and making me just that, a tongue and cheek funny reference machine to levy the depressive nature of how they've written and go about destroying Ruby's mental game. But given that this is a different version, and a rather dull one since there's no flat pictures of myself to enjoy, let's forget I said anything and return to your regular scheduled written programming! And skip ahead to where I, the Cat…still talking to you (hi there) make the exceptionally clever play and mention how hopeless it is for Ruby and her friends, now that Atlas has gone the fate of a certain city in Greek mythology. Oh yes I'm a smarter Cat here than you expect in the show. And can I say that Robbie Daymond knocked it out of the park? Especially since he isn't just screaming at Tanjiro for breaking his katana?"/div
div id="djs-e5mbu" 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-alqhj" 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-2f4d6" 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-4lv1v" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""WHo's to stop Salem…saliem…simone…now that Atlas is gone…and you're stuck in The Ever After…part two, the Madness continues?", Ruby's heart stopped. She stopped entirely. Her sight going dark as she found that to be an interesting question. After all she had always thought she'd be able to stop her. She had even said so to the illusionary version. And with a mere sentence, young Rose was scattered and wounded on the floor. Lamenting the loss of her mother, off course Salem had caused it. Almost as if every bad day ever happening to her was somehow orchestrated by that monster. A monster that she hadn't even 'personally' seen. Yang had, and she had lost. Then again, in Altas, Yang had lost more than just a fight with Salem. "Uhm…Rubes?"/div
div id="djs-4ai9m" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Shut up Yang. I hate that nickname. I know I need to get you all home, stop trying to push me. I don't need your condescending self. Like in Atlas. I miss the sister I had before…before Beacon. Things were simpler then. Easier…painless. "I…"/div
div id="djs-2lko" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Maybe we shouldn't worry about home right now? We got enough problems as-", Sure Blake…no time to worry about home. No time to worry about what I feel or want. Gotta keep going. Well you are six inches tall…maybe you have a point./div
div id="djs-73oc0" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""THE CAT!", What?! Oh rats! Stupid Ruby! Now you lost the only one able to guide you out of this place! "I wasn't paying attention…"/div
div id="djs-49ki6" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Some on Ruby…do better!", Yang said as she threw her gaze around the forest, trying to see if the cat was anywhere in sight. Ruby's eyes watered. Why am I always screwing up? I'm…sorry…/div
div id="djs-57das" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Where did they go now!?", Yang barks, causing Little to pipe in: "they saw a bug!"/div
div id="djs-2mes" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""And you didn't say anything?!", Ruby's tears evaporated. Why am I thinking i'm sorry for how she's treating everyone? I don't care, she pushed me off. She thinks only of herself! Blaming me for James going full metal jacket, tore the team apart. And now she's taking it out on Little! The only one that's helping me, kind off. "it was an interesting bug"/div
div id="djs-3ifq" 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-8tq3n" 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-b2s64" 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-ed5ub" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"That was indeed an interesting bug. Interestingly messed up! Hookah pipe and the leaves of the tree?! Ruby had not enjoyed feeling the smoke claw it's way into her mind. Coughing and huffing. In a poetic piece of writing, the three who had no purpose, no idea what they wanted in life, who thought they had the answers but when grilled by a caffeinated history teacher during their field trip, had come to realize they had no idea. All three of them had been grilled by themselves, put before a mirror, a mirror that spoke. Laid bare their faults and their growth. Yang accepting that she hadn't lost part of herself when Adam took her arm, but rather she had found herself. A new version, stronger, better, faster, stronger. Blake who had spend her life running away, leaving shadows to take the fall had accepted that running isn't the answer. It's to stand proud of who you are, holding your head with pride and smile at your culture, yourself and where you came from. Weiss, who had thought that her name defined her, her legacy of a villain taken from a heroic grandfather, driven by a purpose, longing for freedom, understood that it was HER to define her name. You cannot get something so personal as 'inner honour and respect' simply from a name given to you. You had to earn it. Like Grandfather Nicolas who's name had meant nothing, until he worked his back to the bone and reduced his health from all his hard work. Broke his body to define the name of a Schnee. And now Weiss would do the same. She wouldn't be shamed by the legacy of a villain or glorified for the achievements of another. She would make her own path, achieve her own greatness! Yet when those three had gotten through that, the one, the only one who had her life on the rails back then, now, doesn't. And her dark mirror, was that childish naivety./div
div id="djs-doptl" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Am I a Huntress? Like in the books? Who fought for what was right and romantically saved the day? No I'm not. I'm not at all the image of a Huntress. I'm the image of a failure. I fought for what I believed in and lost. Time and again. I trusted people, was betrayed. Not just from friends, but mentors. I had to save everyone from the Apathy. I desperately wanted to give up like them. But I HAD to keep going. And I don't know why. In the great stories, people held on, because what mattered was overcoming and transcending their limitations. Those were the stories that mattered. Yet here Ruby Rose, the daughter of her heroine mother the slayer of monsters and baker of cookies, sat on her knees, looking at herself. A simpler, smaller, more honest soul. Because had I really wanted to make a career out of helping others and fighting the good fight. A fight that…had she really wanted that? To endlessly fight the Grimm and protect others? Sure Maria had said the Silver Eyes were destined to be great warriors. But what happens when a protector, a savior, needs saving? Who's MY hero? Who saves my day, knows what I should do? If only she could be saved by a rusted Knight, a magician to pull her from the Tower. Or perhaps just save her and make her life a fairy tale!/div
div id="djs-ch0op" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"But life isn't a fairy tale. It isn't up to me to fix everyone's problems. I was born with these eyes and they have shaped my life since day one. As soon as I came to existence, destiny took my strings and puppeteered me into doing what I needed to do. Fight. Endless. Uphold the memory of Mom. Keep her alive in my heart, by fighting Grimm and saving everyone. Save Dad from his sadness. Save Yang from her loneliness. Save Blake from her issues and save Weiss from her shackles. Yet she hadn't managed any of that. Instead she hadn't even managed to save Pyrrha. Her ankle was destroyed. Her dream of being a Huntress was gone. She had dragged Jaune and Nora and Ren across Anima without any sort of plan. Sure they claimed it was their choice, but then, Yang also claimed that she'd follow me because I always knew what was right. And she had lied about that and even pushed me overboard. I wasn't rescued, I was abandoned. Even now I'm alone, in a fogged expanse that holds me to the standards of my mother. A standard I'll never achieve…not alive…and not dead either. If mom couldn't beat Salem…what chance do I have? Everyone depends on me, to keep going forward, to keep fighting the good fight, yet all I can do is flail. Pretend to be Summer. I never became a Huntress, because I'm not my mother. She had talent and skills. A heart of gold and eyes of silver. And my heart is an empty stone and my eyes are aluminum…/div
div id="djs-2uh22" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"It's not fair. Why does it have to be my fate? Why has this come to me? I don't want it, don't need it. I'd rather stop being me than fail again. Yeah that's it, I'd rather not be Ruby Rose. Being Ruby Rose is pain, hurting, loneliness, failure. And I can't handle that anymore. I'm tired. I want it to stop. Stop being…Ruby..Rose../div
div id="djs-e80j0" 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!", A voice came to her rescue. A soft and gentle voice. Ruby's dull dead eyes turned and saw a familiar cat, whafting away the puffy smoke and a clarity came to her, like waking from a long cold nightmare and slowly feeling the warmth of the bed she was in. Slowly, waking…from death../div
div id="djs-3u4mt" 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-1ube3" 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-cchn1" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"And just like that, she was alone for real. Blake, Yang and Weiss had gone with the cat to gather…whatever it was and I'm stuck with my only remaining friend. Little meant well, but what Ruby needed was something more than what little the mouse could give. Finding the teapot lady shouldn't be that hard, right? Ruby sighed. Now that she WAS alone, she had the ability to go over what she had experienced. Well, what MORE was piled on. Had she honestly nearly accepted that mindset? Confronted with her own self from years ago, suddenly all Ruby could think was how horrible she had become in the end. But to resort as low as to take the emergency exit from life? She had told Penny that there was never an answer in that. Even as young and naive as Ruby was, the act of self harm was not an answer. How could that ever be the answer? Although…/div
div id="djs-9gkou" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"As the darkness crept into her heart she found the world becoming darker. Literally! Parts of the multilevel bazaar vanished in impenetrable darkness. Ruby gulped. Oh no this isn't more of the same right? More weird leaf smoke? Ruby heard a calming sound, the hammering of steel. Slowly her sight returned. Yet the only thing in the world that she could see, was a single and rather humble forge. It looked comfortable. Warm. Like how Summer was with a plate of cookies and a book to read before bed. Letting her eyes wander, lost in the many trinkets and weapons being made, she spies a shade of green and gasps! Running up to the counter and grabbing the green blade of Penny, made once anew. "Does that one interest you?"/div
div id="djs-37bck" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Standing there, at a large burning fire, the heat feeling rather nice on Ruby's cheeks and nose, stood a mechanical wonder. Not like Penny had been, but a fully automated automaton with a hammer. The Armorer? Or the Smith? She wasn't in the book. Weiss was right, this was the stupid sequel. "Yes..I…I thought this was lost forever…how do you have it?"/div
div id="djs-1su6j" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""I have it…because nothing is ever truly lost. Even those who wander alone and forgotten…", in the words was a pain. Penny was lost, never to return. Ruby looked at the blade and for a second, she saw her face! Gasping she stepped back, but the door had vanished. Replaced by a solid wall. Ruby gulped. Before the Blacksmith addressed her directly; "...like you. Are you Lost?"/div
div id="djs-21ggk" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""No…No I…", I wasn't lost…was I? I mean sure I had an existential crisis in the Herbalist's place but that's because of the smoke. And not all who are lost are alone, even if her friends weren't here right now. Maybe she was? No! "My friends just went someplace else…"/div
div id="djs-234cq" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""You're doing this all alone…?", No..I'm not alone. My friends are…not here at the moment sure but I'm not alone. That…that would be sad. And I have Little! Ruby wiggled her shoulder, causing Little to wake up, take in their surroundings and shiver./div
div id="djs-fb60r" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Ruby…I don't think we're supposed to be here…", you're telling me. But somehow this place called to me. I like it here; it feels safe./div
div id="djs-epg04" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Are you her guide…Little mouse?"/div
div id="djs-4fdpa" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Yes! Ruby is my friend and even though I don't know where her home is or how to get there, I want to make sure she gets there!", aww, thanks Little. Seems you're the only one around nowadays who actually cares for me./div
div id="djs-6d3sh" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Hmmm…", the Blacksmith begins hammering away again, at the butterfly wings held in her prong, "You appear to carry a heavy burden. One that is slowly eating away at your core"/div
div id="djs-3bnl2" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""I'm fine…I can handle it", Ruby's voice was harsh, punctual and filled with intent. Yet perhaps feeling that she was lying to herself, the Blacksmith merely shrugs, not sold on the lie. Simply hammering away./div
div id="djs-3ifh8" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Should you change your mind….you're free to pick out any one you like, and cast away your burden", a hammer clanged again and this time Ruby's hands held…a mere dagger? Penny's blade was gone. She looked up at the Blacksmith, wanting to shout at her. Liar, see Penny really is lost! Yet as she opens her mouth, a flicker of silver catches her eyes. Ruby looks at the dagger and sees the reflection of Alyx, smiling at her. "I…already have a weapon…or…I did"/div
div id="djs-fkai" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""And yet here you are…looking for something not knowing, so if you find it, how would you know?", All these cryptic and stupid ways of speaking! Why can't anyone talk sense in this dreadful place! Ruby threw the dagger aside, making it stick into the wall and wiggle. The sound is irritable as the young confused girl turns to stop the wiggling blade. Yet as she does, she's met with a thing she never expected to see here! Sundered Rose?! In the Ax blade a reflection of her mother appears, smiling warmly as her silver eyes flicker and shine bright and intensely, blinding Ruby as a voice comes through the clanging of a hammer./div
div id="djs-73bke" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""RUBY"/div
div id="djs-fla19" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""RUBY"/div
div id="djs-9amsc" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""RUBY!"/div
div id="djs-bnqtt" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Coming to herself again, Rose blinks away the silver flash. She's back in the Bazaar, having not moved a step from where she had separated from the Cat and her friends. She gulped. What did that mean?! You don't know what you're looking for, yet? Was I looking for Mom? Is mom here to help me? Finally? Has the nightmare ended? "Who are you talking to? Did you get the nosehair?"/div
div id="djs-656l8" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""N-no but…I…I was…"/div
div id="djs-5qf9" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Ruby…come on, we already got everything else. Lets hurry this up, no time to dillydally!", Weiss was clearly tired of being six inches tall. But that didn't mean the words didn't hurt. Right…no time. Gotta help them…; "I'm…sorry"/div
div id="djs-94lkn" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""There, the teapot lady!", Ruby hangs her head and approaches the table, it was just as advertised. A massive tea pot, that had eyes. Hey wait, wasn't she from a different fairy tale? Glamour and Grimm? She has a whole family and an adorable son named Chip. "Welcome to Things n' Things! How can I help?"/div
div id="djs-9tuso" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""We're looking for nose hairs…no not the ogre ones…"/div
div id="djs-1bpsg" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Watching the Cat do cat things, tossing over pottery and other things, Ruby barely registered the sounds of fireworks. Yang sure did, cheering for a festival! However, Hawker, the Mud Cookies merchant suddenly broke through Ruby's haze as she absentmindedly kept trying to piece together the Blacksmith's message./div
div id="djs-3adv1" 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-685l2" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""JABBERWALKER! RUN FOR YOUR SOUL!"/div
div id="djs-fehkf" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Or not…", Yang shrugs./div
div id="djs-62is6" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Jabberwalker!? Business' closed darlings!", Teapot Lady began nose vacuuming up all her wares, including the nose hairs that the Cat had picked up and was holding. Ruby's instincts kicked in, a clarity in her mind. Action needed to be taken and fast. Her job as a leader easing her into the role./div
div id="djs-6s58k" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Wait, we need those nose hairs! How much-"/div
div id="djs-f5bk" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""No time!", Ruby looked at her six inch tall friends. She looked at the Lady trying to high tail out of here. She checked herself in a second. What did I have that…Summer! Looking for something that you don't know you needed! She grabbed the last remnant of her mother, Scatter and held it up! "Here, it holds a mother's promise…very powerful magic!"/div
div id="djs-9cv6j" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""TAKE IT!", with a snort and a huff, the last lifeline Ruby had, the last physical memory of her mother, was gone, traded for a pointless jar of nose hairs. A sharp sting hit Ruby's heart as regret began tearing through her. What had she just done?! Oh stupid! You stupid incompetent-/div
div id="djs-9hn4s" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""This is exceedingly bad!"/div
div id="djs-e3oo9" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""What is a Jabberwalker?", Blake, the expert on this book, never heard of a creature like that! She jumped from the basket followed by Yang and Weiss. Ruby pained her brain, she had heard that name somewhere. It was associated with something else. Something just as otherworldly and terrifying. "A truly unsightly creature. If it eats Afterans, they don't Ascend…they-"/div
div id="djs-qg70" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""They die…I knew things had to die sometime!", Weiss says, feeling smug before a voice was heard. A familiar one. Unnatural and vile. "Hunting. Searching. Maiming"/div
div id="djs-avs4i" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""It's that thing again", Ruby gulps, the creature that had attacked them before finding Weiss! So that was a Jabberwalker. What sick twisted world is this?/div
div id="djs-84mpi" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""How do we make the parfait thing?"; Yang looks around, desperation in her words and fear in her eyes. Perhaps it's terrifying being six inches tall./div
div id="djs-g160" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Toss everything in the Nose hair jar! But be careful, eat too much and we'll need to shrink you down. Which is a whole other potion. With its own properties and mysteries", Ruby quickly throws the ingredients together, and as if by magic, or perhaps a video game, suddenly a delicious looking dessert appeared before her. Ok this was a handy thing in this world. As Blake, Yang and Weiss all take a solid handful and chow down, they begin growing, slowly. Yet not big enough! There's a loud crack. The Jabberwalker appeared, turning it's head right towards the others. No wait. Not the others. Me!? Why is everything after me!? This is getting old and bothersome. Ruby closes her eyes and quickly throws Little on the table next to her friends. "HURRY"/div
div id="djs-6b3m1" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""FOUND. HUNT. GRAB. MAIM. TAKE!", the Jabberwalker rushes after Ruby, who Bursts into Petals and dashes away. Sure enough, the thing mindlessly forgoes her friends as it's singular focus was on Little Red. Yet as it passed by, it's tail flailed around and slammed the desk, causing the parfait to be scattered to the floor. In the heat of it's swing, a small glob gets stuck on the tail as the Jabberwalker grows even bigger! A terror gasp escapes her lungs, as Ruby dives through a trinket stall, causing the Walker to destroy it in a flash. It was just like the Hound! It was fast, lean and dangerous. Ruby felt panic soar in her heart as she zig zagged through the Bazaar, leaving destruction in her wake as the enlarged monster swipes at her heels. With screams all around her suddenly a deeper voice sprang from the depths of Ruby's awareness. "Get the girl!", She gave a loud scream as she kept racing up the Bazaar. Until she reached a point where she couldn't move further. Stuck and cornered she faced the Jabberwalker, who looked at her and began salivating. There was a galloping sound, as a figure riding a rabbit with antlers raised a rusted shield and bashed it into the bigger monster. Atop the Jackalope sat a Rusted Knight. Ruby, who was saved by this masked hero, felt her panic subside, as the Knight turned towards her, nodded and charged off, shield raised and broken sword in hand! Yet before he could inflict any real damage, there was a roar of victory as the other three Huntresses had returned to their normal size and Weiss smiled: "now the hunter becomes the Hunted!"/div
div id="djs-88ubt" 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-b3lpa" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"While fight itself progresses as was in canon, Ruby once more sees her friends and teammates work better together, without needing callouts. Perfectly in sync and fighting to the best of their ability. Even the Knight watches on in an amused way. Yang delivers the uppercut, but instead of killing it, the Jabberwalker is flung upwards, where the Knight dives for it and drives the broken blade deep into it's heart and sighs through the visor of his helmet. "Rest now…my old nemesis…"/div
div id="djs-ebkk4" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"But the creature fades out. Splintering like glass that shatters. An effect they had all seen before and experienced in the field. That was a Semblance. And a particularly nasty one at that! Ruby shivers. This explains why it was only interested in her; "Neo!?"/div
div id="djs-2n74d" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Anger"/div
div id="djs-87ojk" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Retaliate"/div
div id="djs-ecjv2" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Hunt"/div
div id="djs-8fb3n" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Seek"/div
div id="djs-bafkl" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Slaughter"/div
div id="djs-5mva8" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Take"/div
div id="djs-1bv4j" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Hunt"/div
div id="djs-5ah7s" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Capture"/div
div id="djs-8238b" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Vengeance"/div
div id="djs-9fimk" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""What!?", The Knight staggers back as nine distinct different yet identical copies of the Jabberwalker appear. All looking, twitching and gazing, sniffing the air and turning their eyes towards the five protagonists standing at the top of the Bazaar. Creaking and whining metal echo as the Knight mounts the Jackolope creature. "There's only supposed to be one. This isn't good. Fall back!"/div
div id="djs-avnej" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Smashing through the barricade as the nine twitch and motion into pursuit, Hawker and the Cat appear, smiling at Ruby: "go, we'll hold them off!"/div
div id="djs-bd8mv" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""So…any plans on getting your weapon back? I say we rough him up!", Yang with the diplomatic answers. Probably the reason she got Oscar caught in the first place. Ruby was not in a healthy headspace, but like a true Leader, shoved it down and refused to acknowledge them. Blake wasn't eager for that plan either, looking at the Red Guards standing about town. "In the book…Alyx had to barter for her dagger"/div
div id="djs-dn470" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Yeah I'd have Yang hit him…", Weiss adds in. Sure the book, but they were not Alyx. And that thief still owed Weiss for stealing her sword. As she said that, the part with Jinxy's name on slammed open and revealed a 'floor' of sorts. Accompanied by a heavy fog of purple fog with fireworks going off. For a thief he sure as heck knows how to sell himself, Weiss had to give him that much. "Aww he's adorable!"/div
div id="djs-dg82h" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Weiss threw a look at Yang. Adorable? He's a thief! Blake wasn't helping either "And a lot older…than I remember from the book…"/div
div id="djs-4kdl0" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Because we're not in the book, else we'd be mentioned in the book", Weiss rubs her nose bridge before she saw Jinxy revealed his 'finest treasures in the Acre', an emerald puppet, pink rabbit statue and a gray-ish scepter with five spikes at the top that were all coloured differently. One red, blue, yellow, purple and white. "rats…I don't see my weapon at all"/div
div id="djs-906ms" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""All Jinxy's treasures are items in disguise, so people think they're getting something extremely valuable", Blake exposites as they turn their eyes back to the wares. Ya know with a name like 'jinxy paddler' it's a wonder the Afterans don't expect foul play like that. Everything here is bound by it's name to a purpose. Imagine if your purpose was to be a shady peddler? Oh, that's just Jacques Gelé. Nevermind. Weiss sighs as her train of thought is interrupted by Yang, "Ok…how are we supposed to know which one is Myrtenaster?"/div
div id="djs-61sin" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""What does your heart tell you? That's how Alyx knew", Yang snickered and Weiss rolled her eyes. SHe did have her eye on the gray scepter, colour wise, it matched her weapon the most. "The Scepter looks kind of like Myrtenaster…"/div
div id="djs-auiss" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Blake groans. There's no way she can get these two to understand the beauty and intricacies of the book. No one here…hey wait! Ruby! She likes books! Blake turns to her leader and smiles, yet there's a vacancy in Ruby's eyes. Staring at the Emerald Puppet as if mesmerized. "Ruby..?"/div
div id="djs-1oppp" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""There's…something…about that one…", Emerald. In her heart, Ruby found something to be important there. Something Important that she'd lost. Something she needs, desperately…/div
div id="djs-44p63" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""How do we pay…? We have no Lien…", Weiss ponders, watching as the 'Diamond Studded Rabbit' is being auctioned off to a random Afteran. Blake giggles. Leave it to a Schnee to try and solve it with money, "I doubt Lien has any Value in the Ever After. Instead Jinxy just names whatever price he wants"/div
div id="djs-3iuti" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""So what did Jinxy want from Alyx? It's been a moment since last I read a children's fairy tale…", Blake's ears drop at the question, after all, that part was always a bit moody in the book, "Her saddest and happiest memory"/div
div id="djs-clr09" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""That doesn't seem too bad…right?", Yang chimes in, as Jinxy announces that the Rabbit was sold for a hug. Little even put power to that statement as they claimed hugs were very valuable./div
div id="djs-eoqjk" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Next item…The Silver Scepter!"/div
div id="djs-2720q" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""ME!", Weiss and a Red Guard both announced their attempts to claim the price. Weiss threw a glare at the guard but given she'd been in a few auctions with Jacques and Mother back in the day, she relented. I'll just have to outbid them, as she was taught. Such a pain./div
div id="djs-2n8hr" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""The Bidding starts…at knowing what it is to be loved! A fair price…I'd say", There was an evil smile in the raccoon's eyes. Weiss staggered. Fair?! That was so evil and unfair! Not knowing…If this was the year when she went from Atlas to beacon, she'd have taken it, no questions asked. After all, there was no love in the Schnee family. But now, having went to Beacon, having laughed and enjoyed her time with friends, having shouldered their burdens during semesters at school, having griefed for the fallen and wounded at Beacon's fall, having found a family and a home with her friends, having been saved from the loneliness of her mirror by Ruby, Blake and Yang. Weiss wasn't so eager to give that up. She met Jinxy's eyes, furious and angry, but didn't bid, giving the soldier the ability to get the Scepter. "By royal decree, I will pay that price!"/div
div id="djs-e76gj" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""SOLD!"/div
div id="djs-8n3u4" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""But that's…my weapon…", Weiss hisses. Seeing her friend in distress, Yang's rebellious anger begins building./div
div id="djs-c9rpr" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Whatever it is…it's royal property now! No price is too high for his majesty's birthday!"/div
div id="djs-64olo" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Last item…the Jade Marrionette"/div
div id="djs-avgv8" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Yang punches her fists together. Her eyes red as she looks at Weiss and then cracks her knuckles. "We tried it your way Blake…time for-"/div
div id="djs-4su9v" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Me…"/div
div id="djs-7r9g7" 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-e4bvr" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Ruby wasn't paying attention to her friends. The entire time she just had this yearning, this need to get this item for herself. It was like a part of her, materialized. The green had a familiar hue to it…the same colour that appeared when Penny had used her Maiden powers. And she knew she needed this, else she'd sink even deeper. She didn't even listen or refused to hear her friends scoff. "Ruby..what are you doing?!"/div
div id="djs-210bf" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Bidding starts at…", Jinxy reached under his counter and pulled out a small jar. One that wasn't even big enough to hold like three cookies. What a simple price that would be, Ruby thought, almost too naive at the plight she was in. "...enough Hope to fill this jar"/div
div id="djs-9nj9u" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Hope?! Oh no…why did it have to be that thing. Ruby's dull eyes, turned darker. What a useless thing. Hope. She had trusted on that concept for far too long. Now she had nothing, trapped in a world from a fairy tale. A book she had often been read by her mother. A mother who left. Left to fight in a war. A war that was hopeless to win since Salem can't be killed. The same hope that had left Yang when she discovered this truth, the same pointless hope that had pushed James to risk and threaten Mantle just go get Atlas away. A hopeless and pointless struggle. Her own hope that she'd get so many innocent people to Vacuo. 's hope had been drained ever since Anima. Destroyed villagers, promised help that was never given, allies turned enemies, friends who were gone, crippled or dead. The darkness in her eyes deepened. Hope is for the foolish. For the childish. For those who can afford to be stupid. "My…you don't have enough..do you?"/div
div id="djs-6dohf" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Shut up. Stupid trash panda! I don't need your life advice! Anger and fury begin boiling in Ruby's heart, a dark and vast pit that stands before her, ready to pull her under and deeper into the darkest part of her soul, the depths of a depression she'd never get out off. How could she? While the raccoon had deliberately said she was without hope, none of her friends had pieced that together. If dad was here he'd say 'find new friends' yet all Ruby could do was stare. Stare at the puppet being taken by Little. Mentioning that 'you weren't looking, so fair is fair' thing. That's when suddenly the magic broke and all the items lost their illusion charm. The Rabbit appeared to be a talking mouse stolen from their home, the Scepter was indeed Myrtenaster and the puppet was Penny's Maiden created sword!? Chaos spread. Yang and Weiss jumped the Red Guard as they took Myrtenaster back and made a big fuzz, but all Ruby could do was run towards the stage and grab the blade. Penny! Her friend. A memento! She was with her, like Summer! Ruby broke, crying as she held the sword close, like a lifeline, the dark pit opening before her heart closing, slowly. Little looked at her with a big smile. Alright, I take it back, I take it all back. I'm sorry I doubted you…Little, my friend! Ruby picks Little up and puts them in her collar. "RUBY! We gotta go!"/div
div id="djs-58in3" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Blake slammed the wood and Ruby looked away, quickly wiping her tears away as she chased after Blake. Yang and Weiss having bolted with the weapon safely returned in their possession. With a decent speed, and the people angered and annoyed at Jinxy's peddling, the chaos allowed the four of them to get to a safe distance in the redwoods. Not like Forever Fall but it was almost similar. Yang was laughing and clearly enjoying herself. Blake had a worried expression and Weiss was annoyed. Weezing, Yang spoke; "those people take Auctions way to seriously! High five!?"/div
div id="djs-5u1ec" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""We're making the same mistakes as ALYX!", Blake refused the high five but Weiss accepted it, if only because Yang had helped her return her sword to her. Safely tucked on her belt, Weiss seemed to be slightly more happy. Whole, even. "We're ruining everything!"/div
div id="djs-33he8" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""THAT is your biggest concern? We're still in this magical fairy tale land, that trash panda stole my weapon, we stole it back and that's what you're being catty over?!", Weiss smirked, liking her little pun, but Blake rolled her eyes. Not the time, Weiss. Why do I keep trying?/div
div id="djs-d7n41" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""I've read so many stories…", distraught, Blake sat down on a log and grabbed her head in her hands. "I never thought I'd be the moral of one…"/div
div id="djs-7p3bl" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"It's only after they saw Ruby standing behind them, depressed, deep in thought, glaring at the green sword in her hands like it's a lifeline that they all get shaken from their ruse. Yang raises her hand at her. "Ruby?"/div
div id="djs-c38ae" 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-34urt" 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-dekco" 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-6e1mj" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""STUPID TREE!", Weiss, having tried to get closer to the tree, kept going in a loop, the same kind that Ruby had been stuck in. Reaching for a stone and throwing it, proved to be rather dangerous as the thing soared towards the back of her head. Using her Shadows, Blake launched forwards and caught the stone before it slammed into Weiss. Little adding, rather late, "Yeah…we already tried that, can't get to the tree that way"/div
div id="djs-96eq0" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""gee thanks for warning me", Weiss sighs, as she gently hugs Blake. Ruby, who was sitting at the side, Having opened up about how she felt, how she had wanted the blade, felt more alone now than she did when having the sword. It was PENNY's weapon! I'm hurting here. Yet all she can do is put herself away. After all, when all your life all you do is try and help others, what happens when YOU are the one needing help? How do I help myself? Ruby's heart darkens, once more. And soon she'd be trading away one of her two safety lines. As the Red Guard approaches them. Ready for the next step, Ruby closes her eyes, gotta stay focused. Gotta get home. Follow the story to the tree./div
div id="djs-bs5c8" 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-bf1g7" 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-2a4n2" 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-6i5sb" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Are…we sure we wanna do this…?", Yang asked as they were getting closer and closer to the big and scary castle. She had been all for an all out brawl. But something about this felt…off. Wrong. Ruby had traded part of Penny away. The last memento probably. Was she sure of this?! And that outburst. It's not like we expect you to know, Rubes, Yang thought./div
div id="djs-9domt" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""The red King helped Alyx. He'll help us", we don't know what we're doing Yang. And unlike your antics I'm still trying to keep moving forward and get us out of here. So get off my back!/div
div id="djs-bmjh0" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""We aren't…Alyx", I know that Weiss! But unlike throwing a stone at my own head I'm still trying! Anger slowly festered in Ruby's heart as a blue butterfly nestles itself high atop the nearest spire, observing and following, focusing on Ruby's pain as it follows and stalks. Wanting to know and inform. Similarly a robin follows them. A robin of a pink, white and brown design. Observing, scheming. Hunting with bad intentions, also centered around Ruby. The events play out, meeting the Red Prince, his outbursts and dramatic posing. Causing Weiss to ask Blake; "Was…I ever this pompous?"/div
div id="djs-cu0m5" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""No, you were far more coordinated…", Blake snickers, with a wink./div
div id="djs-3t6fm" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Your majesty! We acquired you a gift!"/div
div id="djs-ejeim" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Befitting of the Royalty that is you!"/div
div id="djs-cgdbm" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""The weapon of a great warrior!"/div
div id="djs-j800" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Obtained by us and no help at all!"/div
div id="djs-8g97i" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""At all!"/div
div id="djs-9n7pg" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""But we're the ones-", when one of the soldiers pushes Weiss back to silence her, preventing these suck ups from escaping with their lives in the process, Ruby watches with a pained heart, as the Red Snob walks towards the gift with sparkles in his eyes. Whatever happened to the King, it was not a good look. She recalled how he had been kind, forgiving, gentle even. And that's why Alyx managed to outsmart him in the game. Sure the King had never lost, a strategic genius, according to the book, yet he never anticipated that Alyx would cheat. Supposedly this would teach kids that cheaters never prosper, but Ruby wasn't so sure. She'd played by the rules all her life, and look where it got her, stuck in a fairy tale with a small infantile prince who was as spoiled as Weiss had been during their first conversation back in Vale. No Ruby, that's not true, you know Weiss' history now, don't hold it against her. Maybe the prince has some redeeming qualities?/div
div id="djs-2akks" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Green?! WHY is it GREEN?!", WHAT?! Ruby's eyes glass over in shock as she watches this little spoiled jerk kick the sword! Ruby reaches for it, is blocked by a guard but speeds past them with Petal Burst, yet as she reaches the place it lands, the blade shatters into tiny pieces. Much like Ruby's heart. No…How could you…/div
div id="djs-bii9o" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Sorry sir! We are colour blind! We didn't know it was green!"/div
div id="djs-1ff81" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Forgive us your royal amazingness!"/div
div id="djs-aat0p" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""For giving me a gift that's not red…you two will lose your head!", Ruby watches as the two guards, the same two who had boasted they had no help at all, were pulled behind a red bush. Screaming for help, to be forgiven. Yet they weren't nice to her and her friends, so Ruby doesn't. She reappears next to her friends, in shock at what's befalling the guards, before their voices are silenced and a thick hit of a bladed ax hits wood. Lost their heads indeed. Ruby watched as the Prince began stomping his tiny frame away. We need to get out of here, and fast. Ruby takes a deep breath, she wants nothing more than to make this jerk pay for breaking Penny's blade. So why not put him in his place! "No wait!...Maybe we can help cheer you up"/div
div id="djs-6lfkt" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""You're right…beheading is rather fun…GUARDS!"/div
div id="djs-18g4d" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""How about we play a game instead…your majesty", Ruby says, smiling mischievously as the Guards surround her and her friends. There's a moment of silence, before the Prince similarly gives a toothfilled grin!/div
div id="djs-djshj" 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-7tqr9" 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-1gar7" 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-ap4uh" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Have some faith?! How can I have faith!? Last time I did, we all got dumped in this stupid place! As the game, or rather the fight progresses as the show depicts it, with Weiss taking a space, the Prince becoming annoyed and asking questions, Yang throwing a piece over and going all overkill on it, smirking confidently at the irritable prince, Blake using Gambol to trip an enemy and spin attack it to death, having Weiss compliment her and causing the feline to blush, Ruby felt a bit of faith, but not enough. Because once Ruby revealed the truth about them being humans, all the pieces attacked her friends! And while at first she was worried. After all her friends were in danger of being ganged up on by the toy soldiers. Yet Weiss, Blake and Yang managed to work together, rather perfectly. And that's sort of the problem. Ruby saw her friends, the ones she had caused to fall, leading them to their death, the friends she had seen splinter in Atlas, work perfectly together. Without her help. As they swept the board, clearing out most of the pieces, all to the issue of the Prince, there was one feeling that truly haunted Ruby. They were doing perfectly fine, without her. They didn't need her to order them around. In fact, when she had ordered the white pieces, they lost. Ruby…was a failure. As a leader, as a person and now as a protector./div
div id="djs-4dhrj" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Yang got cornered, dogpiled and held down by the white pieces. Stupid traitors! As Blake and Weiss each retreated to a different high ground on Ruby's side of the board, she wanted to shout, get them help. Yet from a burst of orange flames, Yang rose to her feet and pushed the dogpile away in a massive puff of Burn. Screaming like a berserker: kick their wooden butts!. Yang's rallying cry rejuvenated Blake and Weiss, who threw each other a look as HardLight Dust Glyphs appeared and connected the two endings of the board. Blake sped across them, fighting her way through waves of wooden toys after one another. Throwing Gambol around like a ranged blade, while using Passion to carve through all that got in her way. The purple steel biting and causing deep damage in the pawns that got in her way. A vow she had made upon its reforging, a vow she was keeping. To protect her friends. Weiss sprang from her spot to another, Summoning Nevermore wings to keep her aloft in the air as both of them linked Gambol like a slingshot between them. Yang who saw that, sprang upwards and caught the ribbon, Weiss and Blake pulled, fastball-special-ing Yang into the board who blew aside every pawn in her range, clearing the board fully. The Prince threw a temper tantrum before clicking his fingers! "As the Prince, I can use a special power in this game! I reset the board with everyone on my field versus your three pathetic friends!"/div
div id="djs-cg36o" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Pathetic?! We just wiped your field, you cheater!", Yang bellowed, her intimidation factor none existent, after all she was an inch tall. Even Little was bigger than her./div
div id="djs-bqfiq" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""So? Humans are known cheaters in my Acre! I'm just repaying the favor!", as the horde of pawns rushed her friends, Ruby's inactivity was turned upside down. Not because of the danger her friends were in, but the duality of this jerk! She reached forwards, to the dismay of Yang; Blake and Weiss, pulled them from the board and in her collar, placing her hands on the board as the Prince's expression turned from victory to shock. And then Ruby flipped the table over!/div
div id="djs-fuj3f" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Cheating?! We came here with good intentions. We offered you a gift that you disrespected! A gift of a friend of mine who's DEAD! Then you right the game and then accuse me of cheating!? Screw you, nutcracker!", surprised by her own potty mouth, Ruby's eyes were vengeful, angry and hateful. Yang, in her collar looked at her sister break like this and tilted her head. Where in Grimm did that come from? Sure he had disrespected Penny's memory, but she didn't need to help them. They'd just clear the board again. And again! "Ruby…"/div
div id="djs-bhl35" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""I KNEW IT! If I lose my temper…YOU lose your HEAD! GUARDS!", The red guard surrounded Ruby. Suddenly her anger and her refusal to take the abuse vanished as she realized one key error in her plan: she had no weapon and her friends were an inch tall. She gulped as she looked around the room, praying to the Brothers for a miracle. Since she had no idea how to beat this thing now. That's when two inhuman eyes manifest behind the Prince. "Wait…what's that?!"/div
div id="djs-en183" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""You think I'm stupid?! I won't fall for that old trick!"/div
div id="djs-f5kpr" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Well he's right, I do think he's stupid", Weiss snarks as she also noticed the eyes. Ruby followed the eyes, who winked at her, before a cat appeared out of thin air, Cyan eyes and patches of fur, while the rest was a mixture of purple. Mischievous smile on the lips and a soft and purring voice. "Your majesty…"/div
div id="djs-6lpve" 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-3r9l3" 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-57cii" 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-9nvgl" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""So while this is the part where the writer pretends to like the show and skip ahead to a thing he'd like to 'change' to fit better in his own vision, it's also the part where I, the Curious fourth wall breaking Cat, Deadpool my way around the scenes and make snarky comments. Ciel not returning, putting shame on Kara's voice acting and being either a self insert for the Writers of CRWBY to mock the fandom, but also maybe that's just what some members of the Youtube platform say about me as a character in the show. Because there's also a good possibility the writers, taking off their oversized clown pants and making me just that, a tongue and cheek funny reference machine to levy the depressive nature of how they've written and go about destroying Ruby's mental game. But given that this is a different version, and a rather dull one since there's no flat pictures of myself to enjoy, let's forget I said anything and return to your regular scheduled written programming! And skip ahead to where I, the Cat…still talking to you (hi there) make the exceptionally clever play and mention how hopeless it is for Ruby and her friends, now that Atlas has gone the fate of a certain city in Greek mythology. Oh yes I'm a smarter Cat here than you expect in the show. And can I say that Robbie Daymond knocked it out of the park? Especially since he isn't just screaming at Tanjiro for breaking his katana?"/div
div id="djs-e5mbu" 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-alqhj" 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-2f4d6" 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-4lv1v" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""WHo's to stop Salem…saliem…simone…now that Atlas is gone…and you're stuck in The Ever After…part two, the Madness continues?", Ruby's heart stopped. She stopped entirely. Her sight going dark as she found that to be an interesting question. After all she had always thought she'd be able to stop her. She had even said so to the illusionary version. And with a mere sentence, young Rose was scattered and wounded on the floor. Lamenting the loss of her mother, off course Salem had caused it. Almost as if every bad day ever happening to her was somehow orchestrated by that monster. A monster that she hadn't even 'personally' seen. Yang had, and she had lost. Then again, in Altas, Yang had lost more than just a fight with Salem. "Uhm…Rubes?"/div
div id="djs-4ai9m" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Shut up Yang. I hate that nickname. I know I need to get you all home, stop trying to push me. I don't need your condescending self. Like in Atlas. I miss the sister I had before…before Beacon. Things were simpler then. Easier…painless. "I…"/div
div id="djs-2lko" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Maybe we shouldn't worry about home right now? We got enough problems as-", Sure Blake…no time to worry about home. No time to worry about what I feel or want. Gotta keep going. Well you are six inches tall…maybe you have a point./div
div id="djs-73oc0" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""THE CAT!", What?! Oh rats! Stupid Ruby! Now you lost the only one able to guide you out of this place! "I wasn't paying attention…"/div
div id="djs-49ki6" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Some on Ruby…do better!", Yang said as she threw her gaze around the forest, trying to see if the cat was anywhere in sight. Ruby's eyes watered. Why am I always screwing up? I'm…sorry…/div
div id="djs-57das" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Where did they go now!?", Yang barks, causing Little to pipe in: "they saw a bug!"/div
div id="djs-2mes" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""And you didn't say anything?!", Ruby's tears evaporated. Why am I thinking i'm sorry for how she's treating everyone? I don't care, she pushed me off. She thinks only of herself! Blaming me for James going full metal jacket, tore the team apart. And now she's taking it out on Little! The only one that's helping me, kind off. "it was an interesting bug"/div
div id="djs-3ifq" 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-8tq3n" 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-b2s64" 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-ed5ub" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"That was indeed an interesting bug. Interestingly messed up! Hookah pipe and the leaves of the tree?! Ruby had not enjoyed feeling the smoke claw it's way into her mind. Coughing and huffing. In a poetic piece of writing, the three who had no purpose, no idea what they wanted in life, who thought they had the answers but when grilled by a caffeinated history teacher during their field trip, had come to realize they had no idea. All three of them had been grilled by themselves, put before a mirror, a mirror that spoke. Laid bare their faults and their growth. Yang accepting that she hadn't lost part of herself when Adam took her arm, but rather she had found herself. A new version, stronger, better, faster, stronger. Blake who had spend her life running away, leaving shadows to take the fall had accepted that running isn't the answer. It's to stand proud of who you are, holding your head with pride and smile at your culture, yourself and where you came from. Weiss, who had thought that her name defined her, her legacy of a villain taken from a heroic grandfather, driven by a purpose, longing for freedom, understood that it was HER to define her name. You cannot get something so personal as 'inner honour and respect' simply from a name given to you. You had to earn it. Like Grandfather Nicolas who's name had meant nothing, until he worked his back to the bone and reduced his health from all his hard work. Broke his body to define the name of a Schnee. And now Weiss would do the same. She wouldn't be shamed by the legacy of a villain or glorified for the achievements of another. She would make her own path, achieve her own greatness! Yet when those three had gotten through that, the one, the only one who had her life on the rails back then, now, doesn't. And her dark mirror, was that childish naivety./div
div id="djs-doptl" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Am I a Huntress? Like in the books? Who fought for what was right and romantically saved the day? No I'm not. I'm not at all the image of a Huntress. I'm the image of a failure. I fought for what I believed in and lost. Time and again. I trusted people, was betrayed. Not just from friends, but mentors. I had to save everyone from the Apathy. I desperately wanted to give up like them. But I HAD to keep going. And I don't know why. In the great stories, people held on, because what mattered was overcoming and transcending their limitations. Those were the stories that mattered. Yet here Ruby Rose, the daughter of her heroine mother the slayer of monsters and baker of cookies, sat on her knees, looking at herself. A simpler, smaller, more honest soul. Because had I really wanted to make a career out of helping others and fighting the good fight. A fight that…had she really wanted that? To endlessly fight the Grimm and protect others? Sure Maria had said the Silver Eyes were destined to be great warriors. But what happens when a protector, a savior, needs saving? Who's MY hero? Who saves my day, knows what I should do? If only she could be saved by a rusted Knight, a magician to pull her from the Tower. Or perhaps just save her and make her life a fairy tale!/div
div id="djs-ch0op" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"But life isn't a fairy tale. It isn't up to me to fix everyone's problems. I was born with these eyes and they have shaped my life since day one. As soon as I came to existence, destiny took my strings and puppeteered me into doing what I needed to do. Fight. Endless. Uphold the memory of Mom. Keep her alive in my heart, by fighting Grimm and saving everyone. Save Dad from his sadness. Save Yang from her loneliness. Save Blake from her issues and save Weiss from her shackles. Yet she hadn't managed any of that. Instead she hadn't even managed to save Pyrrha. Her ankle was destroyed. Her dream of being a Huntress was gone. She had dragged Jaune and Nora and Ren across Anima without any sort of plan. Sure they claimed it was their choice, but then, Yang also claimed that she'd follow me because I always knew what was right. And she had lied about that and even pushed me overboard. I wasn't rescued, I was abandoned. Even now I'm alone, in a fogged expanse that holds me to the standards of my mother. A standard I'll never achieve…not alive…and not dead either. If mom couldn't beat Salem…what chance do I have? Everyone depends on me, to keep going forward, to keep fighting the good fight, yet all I can do is flail. Pretend to be Summer. I never became a Huntress, because I'm not my mother. She had talent and skills. A heart of gold and eyes of silver. And my heart is an empty stone and my eyes are aluminum…/div
div id="djs-2uh22" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"It's not fair. Why does it have to be my fate? Why has this come to me? I don't want it, don't need it. I'd rather stop being me than fail again. Yeah that's it, I'd rather not be Ruby Rose. Being Ruby Rose is pain, hurting, loneliness, failure. And I can't handle that anymore. I'm tired. I want it to stop. Stop being…Ruby..Rose../div
div id="djs-e80j0" 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!", A voice came to her rescue. A soft and gentle voice. Ruby's dull dead eyes turned and saw a familiar cat, whafting away the puffy smoke and a clarity came to her, like waking from a long cold nightmare and slowly feeling the warmth of the bed she was in. Slowly, waking…from death../div
div id="djs-3u4mt" 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-1ube3" 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-cchn1" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"And just like that, she was alone for real. Blake, Yang and Weiss had gone with the cat to gather…whatever it was and I'm stuck with my only remaining friend. Little meant well, but what Ruby needed was something more than what little the mouse could give. Finding the teapot lady shouldn't be that hard, right? Ruby sighed. Now that she WAS alone, she had the ability to go over what she had experienced. Well, what MORE was piled on. Had she honestly nearly accepted that mindset? Confronted with her own self from years ago, suddenly all Ruby could think was how horrible she had become in the end. But to resort as low as to take the emergency exit from life? She had told Penny that there was never an answer in that. Even as young and naive as Ruby was, the act of self harm was not an answer. How could that ever be the answer? Although…/div
div id="djs-9gkou" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"As the darkness crept into her heart she found the world becoming darker. Literally! Parts of the multilevel bazaar vanished in impenetrable darkness. Ruby gulped. Oh no this isn't more of the same right? More weird leaf smoke? Ruby heard a calming sound, the hammering of steel. Slowly her sight returned. Yet the only thing in the world that she could see, was a single and rather humble forge. It looked comfortable. Warm. Like how Summer was with a plate of cookies and a book to read before bed. Letting her eyes wander, lost in the many trinkets and weapons being made, she spies a shade of green and gasps! Running up to the counter and grabbing the green blade of Penny, made once anew. "Does that one interest you?"/div
div id="djs-37bck" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Standing there, at a large burning fire, the heat feeling rather nice on Ruby's cheeks and nose, stood a mechanical wonder. Not like Penny had been, but a fully automated automaton with a hammer. The Armorer? Or the Smith? She wasn't in the book. Weiss was right, this was the stupid sequel. "Yes..I…I thought this was lost forever…how do you have it?"/div
div id="djs-1su6j" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""I have it…because nothing is ever truly lost. Even those who wander alone and forgotten…", in the words was a pain. Penny was lost, never to return. Ruby looked at the blade and for a second, she saw her face! Gasping she stepped back, but the door had vanished. Replaced by a solid wall. Ruby gulped. Before the Blacksmith addressed her directly; "...like you. Are you Lost?"/div
div id="djs-21ggk" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""No…No I…", I wasn't lost…was I? I mean sure I had an existential crisis in the Herbalist's place but that's because of the smoke. And not all who are lost are alone, even if her friends weren't here right now. Maybe she was? No! "My friends just went someplace else…"/div
div id="djs-234cq" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""You're doing this all alone…?", No..I'm not alone. My friends are…not here at the moment sure but I'm not alone. That…that would be sad. And I have Little! Ruby wiggled her shoulder, causing Little to wake up, take in their surroundings and shiver./div
div id="djs-fb60r" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Ruby…I don't think we're supposed to be here…", you're telling me. But somehow this place called to me. I like it here; it feels safe./div
div id="djs-epg04" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Are you her guide…Little mouse?"/div
div id="djs-4fdpa" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Yes! Ruby is my friend and even though I don't know where her home is or how to get there, I want to make sure she gets there!", aww, thanks Little. Seems you're the only one around nowadays who actually cares for me./div
div id="djs-6d3sh" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Hmmm…", the Blacksmith begins hammering away again, at the butterfly wings held in her prong, "You appear to carry a heavy burden. One that is slowly eating away at your core"/div
div id="djs-3bnl2" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""I'm fine…I can handle it", Ruby's voice was harsh, punctual and filled with intent. Yet perhaps feeling that she was lying to herself, the Blacksmith merely shrugs, not sold on the lie. Simply hammering away./div
div id="djs-3ifh8" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Should you change your mind….you're free to pick out any one you like, and cast away your burden", a hammer clanged again and this time Ruby's hands held…a mere dagger? Penny's blade was gone. She looked up at the Blacksmith, wanting to shout at her. Liar, see Penny really is lost! Yet as she opens her mouth, a flicker of silver catches her eyes. Ruby looks at the dagger and sees the reflection of Alyx, smiling at her. "I…already have a weapon…or…I did"/div
div id="djs-fkai" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""And yet here you are…looking for something not knowing, so if you find it, how would you know?", All these cryptic and stupid ways of speaking! Why can't anyone talk sense in this dreadful place! Ruby threw the dagger aside, making it stick into the wall and wiggle. The sound is irritable as the young confused girl turns to stop the wiggling blade. Yet as she does, she's met with a thing she never expected to see here! Sundered Rose?! In the Ax blade a reflection of her mother appears, smiling warmly as her silver eyes flicker and shine bright and intensely, blinding Ruby as a voice comes through the clanging of a hammer./div
div id="djs-73bke" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""RUBY"/div
div id="djs-fla19" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""RUBY"/div
div id="djs-9amsc" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""RUBY!"/div
div id="djs-bnqtt" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Coming to herself again, Rose blinks away the silver flash. She's back in the Bazaar, having not moved a step from where she had separated from the Cat and her friends. She gulped. What did that mean?! You don't know what you're looking for, yet? Was I looking for Mom? Is mom here to help me? Finally? Has the nightmare ended? "Who are you talking to? Did you get the nosehair?"/div
div id="djs-656l8" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""N-no but…I…I was…"/div
div id="djs-5qf9" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Ruby…come on, we already got everything else. Lets hurry this up, no time to dillydally!", Weiss was clearly tired of being six inches tall. But that didn't mean the words didn't hurt. Right…no time. Gotta help them…; "I'm…sorry"/div
div id="djs-94lkn" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""There, the teapot lady!", Ruby hangs her head and approaches the table, it was just as advertised. A massive tea pot, that had eyes. Hey wait, wasn't she from a different fairy tale? Glamour and Grimm? She has a whole family and an adorable son named Chip. "Welcome to Things n' Things! How can I help?"/div
div id="djs-9tuso" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""We're looking for nose hairs…no not the ogre ones…"/div
div id="djs-1bpsg" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Watching the Cat do cat things, tossing over pottery and other things, Ruby barely registered the sounds of fireworks. Yang sure did, cheering for a festival! However, Hawker, the Mud Cookies merchant suddenly broke through Ruby's haze as she absentmindedly kept trying to piece together the Blacksmith's message./div
div id="djs-3adv1" 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-685l2" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""JABBERWALKER! RUN FOR YOUR SOUL!"/div
div id="djs-fehkf" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Or not…", Yang shrugs./div
div id="djs-62is6" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Jabberwalker!? Business' closed darlings!", Teapot Lady began nose vacuuming up all her wares, including the nose hairs that the Cat had picked up and was holding. Ruby's instincts kicked in, a clarity in her mind. Action needed to be taken and fast. Her job as a leader easing her into the role./div
div id="djs-6s58k" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Wait, we need those nose hairs! How much-"/div
div id="djs-f5bk" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""No time!", Ruby looked at her six inch tall friends. She looked at the Lady trying to high tail out of here. She checked herself in a second. What did I have that…Summer! Looking for something that you don't know you needed! She grabbed the last remnant of her mother, Scatter and held it up! "Here, it holds a mother's promise…very powerful magic!"/div
div id="djs-9cv6j" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""TAKE IT!", with a snort and a huff, the last lifeline Ruby had, the last physical memory of her mother, was gone, traded for a pointless jar of nose hairs. A sharp sting hit Ruby's heart as regret began tearing through her. What had she just done?! Oh stupid! You stupid incompetent-/div
div id="djs-9hn4s" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""This is exceedingly bad!"/div
div id="djs-e3oo9" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""What is a Jabberwalker?", Blake, the expert on this book, never heard of a creature like that! She jumped from the basket followed by Yang and Weiss. Ruby pained her brain, she had heard that name somewhere. It was associated with something else. Something just as otherworldly and terrifying. "A truly unsightly creature. If it eats Afterans, they don't Ascend…they-"/div
div id="djs-qg70" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""They die…I knew things had to die sometime!", Weiss says, feeling smug before a voice was heard. A familiar one. Unnatural and vile. "Hunting. Searching. Maiming"/div
div id="djs-avs4i" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""It's that thing again", Ruby gulps, the creature that had attacked them before finding Weiss! So that was a Jabberwalker. What sick twisted world is this?/div
div id="djs-84mpi" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""How do we make the parfait thing?"; Yang looks around, desperation in her words and fear in her eyes. Perhaps it's terrifying being six inches tall./div
div id="djs-g160" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Toss everything in the Nose hair jar! But be careful, eat too much and we'll need to shrink you down. Which is a whole other potion. With its own properties and mysteries", Ruby quickly throws the ingredients together, and as if by magic, or perhaps a video game, suddenly a delicious looking dessert appeared before her. Ok this was a handy thing in this world. As Blake, Yang and Weiss all take a solid handful and chow down, they begin growing, slowly. Yet not big enough! There's a loud crack. The Jabberwalker appeared, turning it's head right towards the others. No wait. Not the others. Me!? Why is everything after me!? This is getting old and bothersome. Ruby closes her eyes and quickly throws Little on the table next to her friends. "HURRY"/div
div id="djs-6b3m1" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""FOUND. HUNT. GRAB. MAIM. TAKE!", the Jabberwalker rushes after Ruby, who Bursts into Petals and dashes away. Sure enough, the thing mindlessly forgoes her friends as it's singular focus was on Little Red. Yet as it passed by, it's tail flailed around and slammed the desk, causing the parfait to be scattered to the floor. In the heat of it's swing, a small glob gets stuck on the tail as the Jabberwalker grows even bigger! A terror gasp escapes her lungs, as Ruby dives through a trinket stall, causing the Walker to destroy it in a flash. It was just like the Hound! It was fast, lean and dangerous. Ruby felt panic soar in her heart as she zig zagged through the Bazaar, leaving destruction in her wake as the enlarged monster swipes at her heels. With screams all around her suddenly a deeper voice sprang from the depths of Ruby's awareness. "Get the girl!", She gave a loud scream as she kept racing up the Bazaar. Until she reached a point where she couldn't move further. Stuck and cornered she faced the Jabberwalker, who looked at her and began salivating. There was a galloping sound, as a figure riding a rabbit with antlers raised a rusted shield and bashed it into the bigger monster. Atop the Jackalope sat a Rusted Knight. Ruby, who was saved by this masked hero, felt her panic subside, as the Knight turned towards her, nodded and charged off, shield raised and broken sword in hand! Yet before he could inflict any real damage, there was a roar of victory as the other three Huntresses had returned to their normal size and Weiss smiled: "now the hunter becomes the Hunted!"/div
div id="djs-88ubt" 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-b3lpa" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"While fight itself progresses as was in canon, Ruby once more sees her friends and teammates work better together, without needing callouts. Perfectly in sync and fighting to the best of their ability. Even the Knight watches on in an amused way. Yang delivers the uppercut, but instead of killing it, the Jabberwalker is flung upwards, where the Knight dives for it and drives the broken blade deep into it's heart and sighs through the visor of his helmet. "Rest now…my old nemesis…"/div
div id="djs-ebkk4" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"But the creature fades out. Splintering like glass that shatters. An effect they had all seen before and experienced in the field. That was a Semblance. And a particularly nasty one at that! Ruby shivers. This explains why it was only interested in her; "Neo!?"/div
div id="djs-2n74d" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Anger"/div
div id="djs-87ojk" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Retaliate"/div
div id="djs-ecjv2" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Hunt"/div
div id="djs-8fb3n" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Seek"/div
div id="djs-bafkl" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Slaughter"/div
div id="djs-5mva8" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Take"/div
div id="djs-1bv4j" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Hunt"/div
div id="djs-5ah7s" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Capture"/div
div id="djs-8238b" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""Vengeance"/div
div id="djs-9fimk" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;""What!?", The Knight staggers back as nine distinct different yet identical copies of the Jabberwalker appear. All looking, twitching and gazing, sniffing the air and turning their eyes towards the five protagonists standing at the top of the Bazaar. Creaking and whining metal echo as the Knight mounts the Jackolope creature. "There's only supposed to be one. This isn't good. Fall back!"/div
div id="djs-avnej" class="daeditor-paragraph" style="margin: 24px 8px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"Smashing through the barricade as the nine twitch and motion into pursuit, Hawker and the Cat appear, smiling at Ruby: "go, we'll hold them off!"/div