Ruby Rose sighed as she stood in front of Alyx's dagger. The memory of Summer's departure was still fresh in her mind. How could her mother lie to Tai? Well, she didn't exactly lie about anything but she didn't say anything about the mission to him either so wasn't that a sort of lie? A lie of omission?
She for sure didn't imply that she was going to go with anyone else, much less Raven of all people. That child abandoning terrible excuse of a mother. And who did Raven teleport to? Qrow?
Raven didn't seem like the type of woman who would form strong bonds with people she wasn't forced to interact with like her family or teammates. But that would mean Qrow knew the truth about Summer's death and hadn't told either Tai or Ruby in the years since. That just hurt too much to think about.
The very few and blurry memories of her mother bubbled to the surface of her thoughts. Tears welled in Ruby's eyes and she gripped the case Alyx's dagger was inside of. White hot anger and the familiar sadness so hollow it didn't have a bottom coalesced in her heart.
How could someone's mother just leave them? How could her mom just leave her? Why did she have to die?
Ruby collapsed in front of the dagger, her knees sending ripples in the tree-constellation space. The duct tape around her heart ripped apart. Tears gushed out of her in torrents as she was wracked with sobs. She tried to stop crying but that only made it worse. She clutched her side and howled in misery, falling to the floor. Her cries and heaving breaths echoed through the air.
Why? Why? Why?
The blurry image of a feeble young girl looked back at her from the reflection of the dagger.
Why did everything have to break around her? Why did everyone have to die? Why couldn't she die? Why did she have to be Ruby Rose? Why wasn't she just born a normal girl? What right did they have to grow up with a mom but she didn't?
She was so tired, oh so tired.
I love you, no matter what you are…
"Mom?" Ruby murmured, breaking out of her sobs.
Red light flooded past her shoulders, growing stronger and stronger. The dagger and the surrounding weapon cases melted into the floor. Ruby slowly stood up, wiping the tears and snot from her face.
She turned around and the light blinded her. On instinct, she covered her eyes and walked forward. The intensity of the light decreased until she could uncover her eyes.
She stood in front of two weapon cases. Both of them held Crescent Rose. The scythe on her left glowed a bright cherry red while the scythe on her right glowed a dark velvet.
The Crescent Rose on her left was her current weapon while the one on the right was the model she had when she started Beacon. Her old Crescent Rose looked meek in comparison to her current Crescent Rose, missing a key few components and upgrades.
The blacksmith faded into existence next to her in a whirl of multi-colored maple leaves and a whoosh of wind.
Ruby turned to the strange metallic woman to ask a question, but the woman spoke first, "You have two choices in front of you, Ms. Rose, either you can choose to stay as you are…"
She pointed to Ruby's current version Crescent Rose. The gleam of the weapon's metal shimmered to reveal team WBY and Jaune fighting a hulking black and white feline figure.
The blacksmith continued. "Or, you can choose to become who you were with what you have now."
She pointed to the older version of Crescent Rose. The gleam of the weapon's metal shimmered to reveal old memories. Jaune throwing up on Yang's shows, Ruby and Yang in front of the landing port at Beacon, Ruby blowing up Weiss, and many more other memories in rapid succession.
Ruby's eyes widened in realization. She turned to the blacksmith and asked, "Are you saying what I think you're saying? Can I really go back?"
The blacksmith nodded, betraying no emotion in her empty eye sockets. "You are correct. If you choose to go back you will return to your old body. You will keep your memories but this timeline will be erased."
"So if I chose to go back I would leave all of my friends behind?"
The blacksmith nodded. "Correct. Only you will be able to go back. The friends that you know and all the events that you have experienced would simply cease to exist."
Ruby bit her lips as the blacksmith's words tumbled through her head. She looked between her two weapons—one a mirror of the present, the other a mirror of the past.
Could she do this? Could she go back and fix everything? She could save Penny, save Atlas, and make sure Salem never got the relics. She could do more than that. She could stop the fall of Beacon from ever happening and prevent any of those things. She could save everyone.
Those thoughts were oh-so enticing. She moved in front of the older Crescent rose. Scenes of happy times at Beacon flashed over the weapon's metal. Muted laughter and hope-filled voices rose from the memories. Nostalgia filled her at the sight of the smiling faces of her friends.
They were so innocent back then. They had so much potential. So much to look forward to. Why did their lives have to be ripped away from them?
But her friends. She moved over to the current version of Crescent Rose. In its gleam, the fight between WBY and the monotone feline, which could only be the curious cat in its grotesque form, raged on. The sounds of fighting emanated from the vision.
If she went back and changed the things that she was thinking of changing, her friends wouldn't be who they were now. If she changed enough things they might not even be her friends.
Ruby stepped away and stood between both weapons, biting her lip harder. She looked between both weapons and frowned. To go back or not to go back. She closed her eyes and sat down. She needed to think through this carefully.
The blacksmith stood next to her in silence. She was grateful for the strange woman's neutral presence.
If she went back, she would change everything for certain. She wouldn't let the universe take the reins and ruin their lives. Yet, her thoughts circled back to her friends. No, they were her family. If she changed things they would change too, for the better hopefully, but maybe for the worse as well.
But, even if they didn't become her friends or they became worse people, they would be happier in her new world. She would gladly give up everything they had together if it meant that they could live their lives in peace.
She let out a deep breath and opened her eyes, a smile on her face. The heavy sadness and tiredness in her heart became a faint memory, replaced by a rush she hadn't felt in a long time: pure unadulterated excitement.
She stepped toward the old version of Crescent Rose. The velvet light from the weapon danced across her face.
I'm sorry everyone, but I can't let something like this pass by. I'm going to save the world. I promise.
The blacksmith hummed. "I see you've made your choice. A final warning before you take the final step Ms. Rose: be wary of the beating of the butterfly's wings. The choices you make, whether big or small, might alter your path towards wholly different destinations than what you are prepared for. Are you willing to take such a risk?"
Ruby nodded. "I am."
Her reflection replaced the flashing memories on the weapon. There was a gleam of hope in her eyes.
"Then so be it. Touch your weapon Ruby Rose and live the life you want to live." The blacksmith placed a comforting hand on Ruby's shoulder.
The shorter girl nodded and touched the case of old Crescent Rose. Her hand moved through the glass as if it were water, sending ripples through the rest of the case. The velvet light from her weapon grew stronger.
She touched the old Crescent Rose.
The velvet light from the weapon exploded outward, filling her vision.
"I pray that your fight against destiny bears fruit Ruby Rose," the blacksmith whispered as the small huntress exploded into a million rose petals glowing velvet.
Ruby Rose opened her eyes.
She was hurtling through a black void towards a white light. Crescent Rose, glowing velvet, flew in front of her, leaving a stream of rose petals in its wake. Faint music echoed throughout the void. It was familiar but she couldn't place where she had heard it before.
This will be the day we've waited for
She caught one of the rose petals from Crescent Rose. She enjoyed the simple feel of its soft texture. Feeling like a little girl, but not caring, she wove the petal above her ear. Let it be a symbol of something new.
This will be the day we open up the door
Something tugged on her boots and threw them off. She yelped and tried to spin around but an invisible force kept her in place. Another tug and her socks were pulled away as well. Bit by bit, all of her clothes were simply tugged off along with any shred of modesty.
I don't wanna hear your absolution
Face flushed in embarrassment, she tried to cover herself. Even if she was hurtling through the void, she wasn't willingly going to be indecent.
A velvet light flared to life in her chest. It pulsed and in a flash, a layer of velvet light covered her body up to her neck.
Hope you're ready for a revolution
Pain erupted from the top of her head down to her feet. She screamed and clutched her head as a throbbing headache exploded to life within her.
Welcome to a world of new solutions
The layer of velvet light around her body rippled, matching the rhythm of her headache. Her bones compressed and shrunk. Her hard-earned muscles atrophied. The rest of her development reverted until she was back in her 15-year-old body.
The painful headache faded.
I can't believe I'm going to be 15 again. I'm gonna miss those extra few inches of height.
She frowned. She was going to miss being 17 but she wouldn't bemoan the fact of going back to her 15-year-old body if it meant she could change the entire world.
A yell of pain escaped her mouth as the velvet light flew past her neck and coated her head with a sharp kick to her brain. She clawed at the light as she somehow felt it enter through her nose and mouth and flood her insides in an instant.
She tried desperately to breathe but no air passed through the light. She ignored the pain and stopped struggling. The light dissipated in an instant into velvet smoke. Ruby coughed wildly and waved the smoke away, taking big gulps of sweet air.
She found herself wearing her original huntress outfit. Her face had lost all of the hard lines of maturity, replaced with her previous baby fat. Her hair was back to its old style as well.
Welcome to a world of bloody evolution
She couldn't help but be amazed. Of all the wonders and sights she had seen, it was a shock being in her younger body. It didn't feel bad per se. It was like wearing a pair of shoes that you hadn't worn in a while. It wasn't uncomfortable by any means, it was simply a novel experience.
Maybe it had to do with the fact that there was only a two-year difference between her 15 and 17-year-old body.
In time, your heart will open minds
The white light grew closer. She reached out and crossed the distance to Crescent Rose. She grabbed a hold of her weapon as the music grew louder. It was tugging at the edge of her consciousness. Where had she heard this before?
A story will be told
The cool metal of her weapon sent shivers down her spine. It felt good to be holding it again, this time without fear. She clutched it close to her chest as the white light enveloped her vision.
Her eyes widened as she recalled where she had heard the song before.
And victory is in a simple soul
Ruby Rose blinked as she stared down at an issue of Dust and Weapons, the song This Will Be the Day blaring from her headphones.
The tangy electric taste of dust was in the air. Polished wooden floor. Cases of dust hanging on the wall in front of her. She was back in the dust store Roman had robbed.
It worked. She had gone back in time. She couldn't keep the grin from her face. Her hands began to shake. It worked! She had a chance.
Now she had to make sure that she didn't waste it.
Through the blare of the music, she could make out footsteps approaching her from behind.
She recalled the dust robbery and guessed that the person advancing toward her was the goon she threw out of the store window. This time, she vowed not to cause property damage as a plan quickly formed in her head.
She would start changing the future right here.
The footsteps stopped and the goon said something to her that she couldn't make out due to the music.
Ruby wiped the grin from her face and pretended to be a normal girl. She pulled her headphones down and turned around. At the sight of a gun pointed at her face, she froze in mock terror.
"Hand over your money and any dust you have on you, kid. Don't make me repeat myself," the goon behind the gun growled,
Ruby immediately shot her hands up and forced herself to shake in fear. Internally, she rolled her eyes. She could break this guy in half with her hands behind her back and with a blindfold on but she didn't let any of that show on her face.
She whimpered, "Please don't hurt me."
She forced herself to tear up for extra effect, imagining that time she ran into the corner of the kitchen table at full force using her semblance.
The goon lowered his gun a little bit. "Kid, I'm not gonna kill you. Just hand me your money. You can even keep your scroll. I know how much those things mean to you kids."
She nodded eagerly with an exaggerated gulp and took her wallet. Better to lose some money now and let them get away so she could fight them in an open area without causing too much of a scene.
"What are you doing?" A familiar voice shouted.
Roman Torchwick sauntered over next to the goon, twirling his cane. Behind him, one of the goons was holding the old man shopkeep at gunpoint while the rest were stealing dust.
At the sight of Roman, Ruby's eyes almost popped out of her skull. It had only been an hour or so since the Neo-Roman illusion had goaded her into proxy suicide.
The sight of him sent a shiver down her spine but she quickly forced her fear down. She wasn't scared of Torchwick nor would she ever be. It was just that the pain, both mental and physical, from that horrific fight with Neo was still there.
The goon pointed at Ruby, "I'm just trying to make some extra money Torchwick. Thought we could hustle this kid."
Roman swung his arm around the goon and tutted. "My good man. First of all, it's boss when you address me. Second of all, seriously? Shaking down a poor little girl-"
"More like a poor teen girl," Ruby butted in before she could control herself.
Roman gave her a glaring side-eye.
She blushed, looking away from his gaze. "Uh sorry, you can continue."
"As I was saying, shaking down a poor teen girl, who has some spunk, in her? For shame, man. You have no dignity and, dare I say, not a drop of gentlemanly grace. We're criminals, not highway robbers."
"But uh, boss," the goon tried to interject.
Roman shoved the man toward the rest of his fellows. "No buts while you're on the clock. Go and be useful. I'll look over the girl."
The goon huffed and walked away.
Roman turned around and leaned on his cane, looking her over. "You know, you can put the money away."
Ruby blushed again and put her wallet away. She brought both of her arms back up.
"...And you can put your arms down."
Ruby slowly put her arms to the side and coughed, "I'm sorry, I've never been in a …"
"Robbery?"
Ruby nodded glumly, puffing her cheeks out in a way that always made her dad give her an extra cookie.
Roman broke out into a laughing fit, holding his bowler hat to his head. "By the brothers, you are the cutest thing in the world."
Ruby blushed and couldn't keep the genuine smile that blossomed on her face.
Roman was a criminal but he was practically harmless. He was only a well-known gentleman thief who stole from the rich. He hadn't been caught doing any heinous crimes such as murder. But maybe that's what he had Neo for?
She was planning on capturing him today without that whole mess with Ms. Goodwitch and Cinder. She needed to get to Beacon early and catching a well-known criminal would draw Ozpin's attention like last time.
However, now that she thought about it, was Ozpin going to approach her anyway considering her silver eyes and the fact that many important people were coming into Beacon, such as Pyrrha and Weiss, this year? It also didn't hurt that she had perfect grades at Signal and that she had the highest combat rating in the entire school, second only to Yang.
No. She couldn't go down that line of thinking. She needed to get into Beacon early with all of her friends and bagging Roman Torchwick was her guaranteed ticket in.
She had no ill will towards the gentleman thief either. He was just on the other side of the tracks. If he were a non-criminal huntsman Ruby might have gotten along with him. He might have become like a second uncle to her similar to Qrow.
But, what was most important was that she wasn't going to let him die. She would make sure that Neo never became her enemy. That girl was broken in all the wrong places. she would make sure he lived until 100 if she needed to.
Roman stopped laughing and wiped a fake tear. "Hey kid, I saw your eyes light up when you saw me. You know who I am?" A faint hint of desperation tinged his words.
Ruby tried not to giggle at an adult man trying to get an ego boost from a teenager.
She instead nodded eagerly and gushed, "Yeah, your Roman Torchwick. Ex-huntsman gone criminal mastermind. You've been running around Vale for years stealing left and right, especially from a lot of Vale's wealthiest."
She added a twinkle in her eye to sell her "awe" of Torchwick.
A quick smile moved across Roman's face.
He chuckled. "Looks like we've got one of my super fans here."
"So, what's going to happen to me ?" She squeaked not to add to her mock fear but due to her body's own 15-year-old accord.
Roman shook his head and patted her hair. "No need to fret little-red. My boys and I just need to finish our business and then we'll be out of here."
One of the goons shouted, "Boss, all of the dust is secure."
"And that's my cue. I would love to give you a signature sweetheart, but duty calls. Have a safe night. You might never know what undesirable sorts you might meet in Vale at this time of night." Roman barked out a laugh.
He spun and aimed his cane at the old shopkeep as his goons ran out of the store, stolen cases of dust in hand.
Roman followed the last goon out of the store. He and his men ran into the nearest alleyway.
A black van screeched out of the alleyway a moment later and disappeared down the street. Ruby ran to the front of the store and tried to make out the license plate of the van but it was already too far away.
She turned to the shopkeep. The old man had a hand underneath the counter, repeatedly pressing something.
She asked him, "Are you sending an alarm to the police?"
The old man nodded.
Ruby flew out of the store and shouted behind her, "Good, tell them a huntress in training is going after Roman Torchwick as well!"
She burst out into the night, a smile on her face.