A/N: Daaaang the new season really is a trip.
RWBY's lack of trust is really starting to show, and ironically, that motivated me to update this early instead of next month.
Seriously, those girls just can't stop talking behind their ally's backs, can they? And now look what happened to Jaune. Have they learned nothing?
Still dealing with aches and shakes and a cough. Some days are better than others.
But onto other matters.
As my fifteen year anniversary on this site draws ever nearer, I find myself reflecting on the little things in life. What was once a lazy pastime meant for me and a few friends really grew and evolved over time. There are days when I look back on the last fifteen years here and I wonder if anyone will remember me; if I made an impact, despite never making a single cent on any of these stories. Some days were happier than others, and some stories I enjoyed writing WAY too much; to the point where I'd stay up all night working on them.
And of course, there are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.
Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. The recent earthquake in Turkey/Syria serves as a terrible example. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.
No questions this time. I've kept you waiting long enough.
As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes! They're tributes to legends far better than me.
Now, then. Are you ready? Yes? No? Maybe so? Because! Here. We. Go.
Some minor RWBY: Arrowfell references here as well.
"Why, why, WHY did you think this was a good idea?
If only someone could have warned you against such a miserable idea...oh, wait! I DID!
But you pushed ahead and you lost it when all you had to do do was your job! You think you're entitled to everything just because you've suffered, but suffering isn't enough. You can't just be strong! You have to be smart! Can't just be deserving, you have to be worthy! But all you have EVER been IS A BLOODY MIGRAINE!
~A Savage.
When it Breaks
She couldn't win.
The realization galled Cinder.
No, more than that, it humiliated her.
She was the Fall Maiden. She possessed unprecedented power; she'd killed Ozpin himself with it and brought Beacon crashing down.
And yet!
"Don't stand still now," a familiar voice crooned. "You'll die if you do."
Cinder's aura snapped into place as she raised her guard; even then it wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. A wave of black nanites crashed down upon her like a tidal wave, smothering her in the street, trying to drown her in their cloying embrace. She could feel them grinding against her aura, trying to get into her skin. To consume her. Eat her alive.
No! Not like this!
Her good eye widened as a scream built in her throat.
Fire flared and she burned them away to rocket into the air. Safe! She was safe up here-
Something-that blasted Ciel!-struck her from behind and send her slamming into the street. She crashed down onto a knee but there wasn't even time for breath. A spiraling sphere smashed into the small of her back and quite suddenly she found herself airborne again, launched across the streets of Mantle, crashing through building after building like a human pinball.
She wasn't quite sure when the pain ended, only that it eventually did; leaving her to flop onto her hands and knees, wasted and gasping for air. This wasn't a fight she could win fairly. She hated to admit, but there it was. They'd already rattled her with the reveal of Rhodes. This...if not for her faltering aura, she would've died outright just now. Already she could taste blood in her mouth. Damnit. Damn him! Damn it all! She'd burn them all, him and those bitches of his...! He had planned this, the blond bastard. Gathered intel on her Neo, and probably that mystey masked girl Watts was so keen on.
Something moved in her peripheral vision. "Did I say you could take a breather?"
Mindless animal panic bleated in her brain. She flung herself aside.
Naruto waved a hand and a fresh wave of nanites burst forth from his body, consuming all in their path. The more they devoured the more they made. The more they made, the faster they moved. One caught at the edge of her cloak as she ran and raced up the dark fabric, multiplying as it went. She flailed away with a yelp, tearing the fabric free before it could consume her.
The tattered threads were eradicated before they struck the ground. Something deep in her whimpered at the sight.
If it could devour stone and cloth she didn't want to know what it did to flesh.
Naruto didn't pursue. He simply raised both arms on either side of himself, as though he were reaching up to embrace Atlas above. Nanites surged up around him, gnawing at the street.
And his eyes. Not blue anymore, these; they were worse. Glowing golden eyes, rimmed with a hint of violet.
"How does it feel, Cinder? His voice chased her, even when he didn't. "To be deconstructed?" A wave of his hands forced her to tumble aside as a wave of black death consume the space she'd occupied a moment ago. "To be the victim! To watch your dreams die!" He brought his hands together and the vacant buildings on either side of her crumbled, hemming her in. "How do you think Amber felt when you and yours ganged up on her in the countryside and she had no way out! Now its your turn! I hope you enjoy it!"
There! An opening between waves! She lunged!
Her blade shattered on his chest.
Her eye bulged. "How are you doing this?!"
Naruto didn't answer. He reached up, grabbed her arm at the wrist, and squeezed.
CRACK.
Someone screamed.
'Oh. Its me,' she realized. 'I'm the one...
"Nanomachines, missy." he let her go, allowing her to stumble away, clutching at her broken limb with her Grimm arm. "They harden in response to physical trauma and heat. But you...you remind of me of four girls I know." he caught that fist in an open palm, and thrust his face against hers. "You're just like them, in a way." She glimpsed the anger-the madness!-burning behind those amber orbs and it terrified her to no end. "I almost pity you."
"Wha-?!"
"You're selfish." He slapped her across the face, slamming her against a wall. His fist crashed down into the mortar as she flung herself to the right, narrowly avoiding a split skull. One of his clones came in from the side when she tried to flee and drove a knee into her ribs, forcing her back to him. "You think you know best," he kicked her when she was down, sending her tumbling through a trio of trash bins. "That your way is the right way, and to hell with the rest."
"SHUT UP!"
She launched a cone of flame at him.
Fire splashed harmlessly off his hardened skin as he walked through.
Another slap cracked across her face, denting her cheek to send her stumbling away. He touched a hand to a nearby wall in passing and it dissolved into a stream of black death. He flung it at her. It snagged her heels and frantic, she kicked them away.
"You don't believe in anyone but yourself and to hell with the rest." he snarled the last word, swaying under the blade that sought his throat before blocking a second with an armored elbow. "You stormed in here thinking you could steal the power of the Winter Maiden when she was isolated. But you couldn't."
His fist found her stomach, folding her in half.
"Now she's with me," his lips brushed her ear. "And you'll never beat her-
Her temper sparked and she flung frost forth -one of her weaker elements- to freeze him where he stood. Naruto didn't even try to dodge. He took the attack head on, uncaring as his body instantly became a pillar of ice. Triumph blazed through her. There! No more words from him! Now she'd-
"No!"
Ciel snarled somewhere above her and the nanites swarmed Naruto's frozen form.
Cinder leaped away without a second thought; she wasn't willing to sell her life to kill him.
The ice cracked instantly and he emerged. Skin black as pitch, eyes glowing gold, he advanced upon her.
-or me." he continued without missing a beat. "Do you understand, now? We've been humoring you. All this time."
No, no, no! "Stop...talking...!"
"Your life is just full of bad decisions, isn't it, Cinder?" Aura sparked as he parried her clumsy one-handed thrust. "Oh, and lets not forget your deal with Raven Branwen." whiskered cheeks dimpled in a sardonic grin as he swept her legs and tripped her. "Get all your enemies in one place so you could have a shot at revenge. Tell me, how did that turn out?
"SILENCE!" Steel flashed out.
Naruto caught it in his teeth, bit down, shattering the blade. Then he smashed his forehead into hers and rang her skull like a gong.
"Ciel?" she heard his words through ringing ears. "Its time."
Cinder's vision blurred. She saw the nanites swarm up the blond's arm, fusing into the shape of a blade.
A single spinning swipe sent her skidding across the ground.
.
..
...why did her right arm hurt?
She turned a baffled look on her human limb...what remained of it. A crimson stump just below her shoulder.
Then came the pain.
She screamed, shrieking in pain, falling to her knees.
"Don't worry." Naruto stomped after her, Ciel at his side. "We're not going to kill you...yet. We have no way of knowing where the power of the Fall Maiden would end up."
His head tilted just so, lending his smile a manic air.
"But you don't need your arms and legs.
Cinder balked. "No! No, wait, please-
(.0.0.0.)
Neo was good.
She was very good, far beyond what a normal huntress should be.
Penny respected the girl's skill, if not necessarily the purpose she put it toward.
This one fought not with force but flexibility, actively using the strength of her foe against her. And why wouldn't she? Doubtless such tactics had served her well in the past.
...yet they did not here.
It was not enough against a Maiden
Not nearly enough. Not by a long shot.
Penny truly felt no animosity towards this girl, truly, but she showed her no mercy all the same. She didn't play Neo's game. She hemmed her in with walls of ice, used cold air to sap her strength, froze the street underfoot to ruin her footing. Aura and skill didn't mean spit when you couldn't find your feet; or when you were freezing to death.
Time and time again Neo tried to close with her; time and again Penny denied her.
Eventually she began to flag, as they'd known she would.
"Will you surrender now?"
The small girl stamped a foot.
"I'm afraid I do not understand."
The little hellion raised her hand. A middle finger stabbed into the air in a singular salute.
"There's no need to be rude." Penny frowned. The ice wall behind her shattered as she spoke and that masked madwoman came barreling through. She caught her blade without looking back. "You are being rude as well!" She whirled and flung her down the street, hardening her heart to the cry of pain that followed.
Two against one hardly seemed fair...for them.
She'd fought four times this number when she trained with Naruto and his clones.
Half a maiden she might but, but she'd prepared for this moment. They all had.
"Team RWBY is in en route." her earpiece crackled. "ETA five minutes."
"Sensational." The more backup they received the better their chances of taking them alive. "Has Robin been delivered to Atlas safely?"
"Affirmative. Team BRIR intercepted a Grimm incursion from the walls, but she's with the Ace-Ops now."
Ahhh. So that was the enemy's play. They'd gone for Robyn after all. Pity it wouldn't work-
A shrill scream split the air behind her; not a cry of rage or sorrow, but purest pain and horror. Well, she supposed that was her cue.
"I'm afraid playtime is over." She pirouetted to face her exhausted foe. "Would you care to surrender?"
Neo dove on her, striking in a whirlwind of motion, desperate to break through her defenses. She had no other choice really; her parasol was handy with that hidden blade of hers, but without a ranged equivalent, there was no option but use her illusions to close into melee range. It was her only chance. Her last chance.
This time Penny humored her.
A kick swept in at her head and she swayed back with a small smile, gladly giving ground as she discarded her spinning blades. Neo's face writ itself in a scowl as she gave chase. Errors were made. In her anger, she never saw the trap until it was too late. Those very same hidden blades danced under her guard and slashed through her, biting into her back through her faltering aura.
Blood flew through the air.
Neo changed her face at the last instant, conjuring Ruby's agonized visage as she struck again. Penny scowled and carried through. A wordless gasp of pain was her reward. Neo slumped, clutching at her bloodied arm. It would've been childs She could've killed her, then. Cut her down and finished what she started. But that was not her objective. She recalled Naruto's words well:
"I'd rather turn her than kill her. She could be a useful ally.
"How?"
"Revenge is an excellent motivator. Tell her the truth."
A shadow fell over her. The masked girl from before again. Persistent.
Her blades scythed up, forcing the mystery fighter to abort her charge or be skewered mid-lunge. Penny kicked back and crashed through them to drive a fist into her face.
The mask shattered. The blades that followed did not. The girl hit the ground with a shrill cry of pain and tumbled away, clutching at her bloodied visage.
Penny thrust a sword at her quivering form. "Reveal yourself at once! Do so, and you shall be shown mercy!"
The quivering girl righted herself with an effort, retrieving her battered blade. Her gaze rose and the shadows fell away.
Penny was no longer a machine. She couldn't process thousands of thoughts in real time; only a few dozen at most. She was human. She would live and die as a human. There was no need for her old processors now. She knew this one. Oh yes, she had been there for her first "death" so long ago.
Her eyes widened. "You're...
Pyrrha Nikos.
That was impossible. All records indicated her death. Friend Ruby had even told her of it; how she'd been burned away to nothing atop Beacon Tower.
And yet. Here she was. Wasn't she?
"Pyrrha...?"
The redhead glared back at her through her fingers clutching the cut that ran across her face. It was an ugly wound that ran at a slant across her forehead, across the bridge of her nose, halting just under her left eye. An angry, shuddering gasp escaped her. "Who the hell is Pyrrha?"
She flung out a hand and made a fist.
Nothing happened.
Penny smiled.
"I'm sorry," she chirruped, fighting down a flash of dark glee. "It would appear your intelligence is outdated. I am no longer a machine."
Energy blades circled behind her, drawing power. She saw the light dance in the startled girl's eyes, confusion warring with horror as aura fed into the whirling weapons. Ah, yes. She'd never seen this...
.
..
...good.
A massive beam of green shot forth from her conjured weapons at blistering speed. It caught the redhead dead in the chest and blasted her into a wall, drowning out her cries of pain. She slid down it with a groan. Once again she tried to rise.
Penny marched over to her and stomped down on her back, pinning her prey in place to make sure that wouldn't happen.
"Do not worry, friend of Jaune." she smiled down at her captive. "I won't kill you. You will be interrogated first. The girl who was-and-was-not Pyrrha Nikkos squirmed under her boot. Penny tutted down at her. "If you do not cease your struggles, I will be forced to knock you out.
An angry growl was her sole reward.
"Sleep well~!"
A quick stomp broke the last of her aura and sent her to dreamland.
"Sensational!" she hummed, turning to face her final foe. "That's one down. Now for you."
Neo eyed her warily, clutching her shoulder. Her eyes strayed to her weapon; only a few feet from Penny. She could see the fear in her eyes.
"Do not worry! I'm not going to finish you off. Here." Rather than engage, she dipped a hand into the pouch she'd prepared at Naruto's behest. "This is for you."
It sailed through the air and landed in the girl's grasp. She pulled out a scroll from within and squinted at her, not quite comprehending."
"That scroll contains a copy of the footage we salvaged from the fall of Beacon." Penny informed her. "Moreover, video from the cameras on the battleship you fought upon." Mismatching eyes widened as she bulled on. "It is the truth. Go on, watch it." she banished her blades with a thought and crossed both arms before her bosom. "I will wait."
Neo needed no further prodding-not from her. She did just that, her gaze glued to the screen for what felt like an eternity.
Finally her hands began to tremble, followed soon thereafter by the rest of her. Pale eyes shone with tears.
The scroll fell from nerveless fingers. Penny preened. 'Gotcha.'
Naruto's plan had worked.
"Your friend was about to kill my friend. Then a Grimm ate him." She adopted a saccharine smile as she stepped closer. "Ruby Rose did not kill Roman Torchwick. She lost to him. If the Grimm hadn't interfered...well." she gave a shrug of her shoulders. "Who can say what would have happened? But Ask yourself this. Who brought the Grimm here? Who was responsible for the Grimm coming to Beacon? Who planned all this?"
Neo went terribly still.
"A woman named Salem did this." she smiled sadly. "Cinder is her pawn. She lied to you, Neo. That's what she does. Cinder always lies. She used Roman, just as she used you, as she's using you right now. Are you going to be her pawn?" She picked up the parasol at her feet. Threw it at her, now. "Or will you fight back?"
Neo knelt to retrieve it.
Then she lunged...not at Penny. Past her.
Penny blanched. "Oh, dear. I might've miscalculated...
(.0.0.0.)
One thrust.
One kill.
Death.
Neo was good at killing. No one better. She didn't care if she died. She saw the arrogant woman yards away flat on her back, missing both legs and an arm besides. Vulnerable. Weakened. Neither of her attackers paid her any mine. They were far too busy tormenting the Fall Maiden. She'd never get a better chance than this one. The ginger was closing in on her from behind, no doubt realizing her intentions.
Tough tits. She wouldn't be denied.
The blond one whirled with frightful speed and grabbed her, catching her by the coat. His grip was firm. Didn't matter. She wouldn't be denied. The garment tore as she surged by-exposing her bra-but she didn't care. She was through, and in the nanosecond it took his hand to find her shoulder, Neo planted her feet, braved her blade with both hands and-
Her blade pierced faltering aura and stabbed deep into Cinder's heart.
The Fall Maiden bucked upright with a ragged gasp. A dim golden eye focused upon her. "You...!"
'Me!' she hissed, twisting the blade, wishing she had the words to curse her. 'Die! Die you hateful bitch!'
Everyone yanked her aside, and someone shoved her to the ground, but she didn't care about that, either. Vengeance was hers.
"Penny, what the hell?!
"I'm sorry, I didn't think she would go for her that quickly!"
"Well, she did! Damnit. Ciel, grab her. We can't let the power go to someone else."
Ciel grabbed Cinder by the face and forced her to look deep into her eyes. The wicked witch tried to avert her gaze, to no avail; a vicious squeeze forced her remaining eye to focus upon her. No one else. She grabbed the blade and yanked it free. Neo dove to retrieve it. That got a weak growl from Cinder.
"I...deserved...more...!"
She expired with a rasping gurgle.
In the same instant, golden light burst from her body and struck Ciel square in the chest. The operative crashed backward with a yelp, hit the street, and immediately curled inward on herself, spitting expletives fit to make a sailor blush. Neo found herself arching a brow at on or two of them.
"Ciel...?"
After a long moment she climbed to her feet. Azure flames bled fro her eyes, flickering at the edges. A wan smile creased her dark face.
"I am...alright." she glanced down at herself and conjured vivid blue flame to her right hand. "I think...
Penny jumped her. "Sensational, sister! Now we match!"
Neo looked away from the excitement and began to cleaned her blade. Huh. The blood was black. That couldn't be good.
She made a face and looked back to Cinder's body.
The ground beneath it had also turned black.
Definitely not good!
Countless grasping Grimm hands took hold of her corpse and dragged it down into inky depths. Penny tried to retrieve it, only to recoil as one caught her wrist. More came after, trying to drag her down with Cinder. Naruto and Ciel tore it away but it was too late. In the brief time it took them to save her, Cinder's corpse sank down and vanished from sight.
No matter. Her dumb-dumb was avenged. Everything else was secondary.
Only then did he realize that the unlikely trio was looking at her.
Wuh-oh.
(.0.0.0.)
Only one loose end remained.
Naruto turned a stern look on Neo.
She quailed a little under his gaze, but didn't try to fight. Smart girl.
"You've caused us a fair bit of trouble." She stood her ground as he spoke, looking resigned, ready for death, even. Poor girl had to know there was no chance of her escaping, not now. Faced with a half-maiden, an actual maiden, and him? Yeah...not happening.
She looked toward the space Cinder's body once occupied and huffed.
"You do realize its not over, right?" his words drew a black look from her. "You've killed the one responsible for what happened in Vale...but not her boss. For some reason that seemed to agitate her. "So long as Salem lives, Roman will never truly rest. I wish I could bring back the dead, but...
Wait. Couldn't he? He'd seen a certain jutsu during the war...
Neo must've seen his hesitation; because her face was suddenly inches from his, eyes wide and pleading.
"Sorry," he nudged her back, face red, "Already in a very complicated relationship!"
She grabbed his hand and pointed at his face with the other, all but bouncing in place.
"There...might be a jutsu. I don't know the signs, but I know how it works". She yanked his face to hers again. "Stop that!" He batted her hands down. "Its not a kind jutsu, and it isn't complete. You need to understand that. It requires a sacrifice." Her eyes lit up. "A living sacrifice." he clarified.
Neo began to grin.
"Oi, oi, no innocents!"
Callows might do." Penny posited.
"Or any other rank criminal." Ciel supplied.
"Maybe." Naruto chewed at his lower lip, shoving down a pang of nausea. "I don't like the idea of researching this, let alone using it.
"We could, though." leave it to Ciel to be the devil on his shoulder. "Just think, an army of immortal soldiers-
-who can't eat, feel, or live a normal life." he snapped at her. "There's too much chance for corruption. I already said I don't know the signs. It would take research, time we don't have...
"And the completed version?" Bloody relentless, this partner of his!
He winced for another reason this time." I'm not sure I can use that. I'd need the Rinnegan."
Penny blinked. "Rinne-what?
"Something I'm fairly certain I don't have." he touched a hand to his face. "Just as well, they're broken, frankly. Lets me push and pull things, not to mention other abilities.
"Push?" Ciel thumbed her chin. "But when you first woke up, you used something similar. Remember your battle with the Ace-Ops?"
Did he? There was no way of telling; much less remembering. He'd been in a blind panic at the time, fighting for his life.
"We'll work on that. Look," he flicked a sidelong glance at Neo, "if I'm going to help you, I'd appreciate you returning the favor. Work with us and I'll do my best to bring him back. Sound fair?"
She held up her borrowed scroll, three words within. "I want proof."
"I can give you that, but I need a bit of time...and DNA or, their genetic material. Something that would have his hair, or...
Neo thrust Roman's hat at him.
"Yeah," he took it with a sigh, that might work"But the rest ain't not that simple. If I was back home, this jutsu would've been broken. We could've resurrected powerful shinobi. Here? I might be able to revive the odd hunter or huntress, and even that's toeing a dangerous line.
"Meaning you can't just resurrect anyone as you please."
"Nope."
Penny giggled. "That's Ruby's line!"
Naruto looked to Ciel. By all rights it had been a successful mission. They'd laid a trap and sprung it. Cidner was dead, Neo had turned her coat, and the masked mystery girl would be interrogated when they returned to base. They were still connected. He could feel the Maiden power burning through her -through him!- but he couldn't touch it. Only a woman could. Ozpin's rules still applied.
"James is gonna have a cow when he hears about this...
Penny tilted her head. "Why would he have a cow?"
"Its...a figure of speech." he chuckled. "Maybe ask Ruby about it sometime. A bullhead swooped lowe overhead, eliciting a sigh from him. "Speak of the devil. They're not going to like this...
"And what of it?" Ciel scoffed. "It is not for them to like. Lions do not concern themselves with the opinions of the sheep; or in this case, bratty girls with inflated egos. This is our kingdom, not theirs.
"Yeah, suppose it is...
Felt nice thinking of Atlas as a proper home; he'd been afraid to consider it such for the longest time. He'd fought for this kingdom, bled for it, cried and more. Why should he care what four uppity girls thought?
Team RWBY disembarked with their usual landing strategy. Ruby righted herself first, looking only a little nervous as she beheld the carnage.
"Why are you here?" he glared their way. "You're supposed to be helping Pietro."
Ruby winced beneath his glower. "Well, we heard the alert! Sorry we're late but we came as soon as we couldaaaaaandisthatPYRRHA?!" Her voice piqued into a squeal as she beheld the battered redhead slumbering under Penny's heel. "I...you...how?!"
Naruto palmed his face. "This is not my day...
A/N: Aaaand scene.
In a way this is the opposite of Volume 9. Ruby's stabilizing, while her team's falling apart.
And is that truly Pyrrha? Or is she a clone? Questions upon questions. Riddles upon riddles. Do let me know what you think!
As ever, the Embers rule remains. If folks don't like this story, welll...it won't be continued! That's no joke, folks. I'm so busy these days with virtually no days off. That makes my free time terribly limited and as such, I can't afford to focus on something folks don't like.
Reviews are my fuel. I can't write without them~! Not a wit or a word!
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review, Would You Kindly?
And enjoy the previews!
And as ever:
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS AHEAD!
BEWARE~!
(Previews!)
"Pyrrha...?"
The girl glared at Jaune, hands still shackled to the table. "Who is Pyrrha?"
James heaved a sigh. "Are you with me? Even now?
Naruto thumped a fist against his chest.
"To the end."
"We already have Tyrian in captivity, but not his accomplice.
"You believe it to be Arthur Watts?"
"I do. Who else could mess with the code in Mantle so easily? Then there's Hazel, and this girl...
"Take...the...girls!"
"You won't take them. You won't hurt them. You won't touch a single hair on their heads."
The Hound snarled at him, baring its fangs.
Naruto snarled back. "COME ON THEN!"
You can't reach her. Not through the many Grimm. You'll die!"
...never tell me the odds. I have a plan."
"And what, pray tell, is this plan?"
He told James.
EDIT: Hey, you made it!
As ever the Embers rule persists, reviews are my fuel, my fire, my life. Without them, I lose all inspiration, all hope, all ability to write. That's no joke. I have so little time to write these days with two jobs, and silence hurts. So by all means, speak up! Make yourselves heard! Every bit of feedback, no matter how small or large, matters! Really, it helps a lot. Its a joy to talk with you all and bandy ideas back and forth; it really is. Sorry if this seems shorter than usual, working on a tight schedule here.
Looking forward to talking with you all after work!
R&R~!