Next chapter. Consider it a late Christmas present, I guess :) We get a bit more plot at the end.
Also, I kinda wanna go back to Seasons, at least for a bit, but I know I have a couple more comms to do first. I also have more of a plan for the Mt. Glenn arc's conclusion now. Anyone play Sonic Frontiers? Imagine the four juiced-up Maidens fighting legendary Grimm to keep it from getting to Vale. It'll probably be my most 'anime' fight scene in that fic to date.
For anyone interested in making a commission, email me at: storylover543 gmail . com
This world - Remnant - was an interesting place, Jaune thought. The two that had created it abandoned it a short few hundred thousand years ago and seemingly decided not to return, leaving their creations to fend for themselves against the castoffs of their sibling rivalry. Even now these Humans and Faunus found themselves harried by the creations the so-called Brother Darkness unleashed on his playground.
Jaune simply didn't see the point of it. While they'd accidentally destroyed a civilization or two in their eons of existence, it was always just that: an accident. They never understood beings that liked to be summoned so they could destroy the world. What was the point of that? They at least understood the concept of being worshipped, but mass destruction always seemed so wasteful to them.
Regardless, the laziness of these so-called Brothers had proven a boon to them. Any self-respecting entity would have taken umbrage with their appearance in their world, even if they did so under the guise of a perfectly Normal person, but their abandonment meant that Jaune didn't have to worry about the both of them trying to end their existence.
Not that they did worry. Among the cosmic scale, the brothers were nothing more than children swatting at their betters. If they came back to try and force them off this world, Jaune would've had no problems ensuring they were removed from the cosmos permanently. They hoped it wouldn't come to that, however. They were having so much fun being Normal and they'd hate to end it over some being's temper tantrum.
"This meal is very enjoyable, Friend Jaune!"
One reason for their (or rather her currently) newfound enjoyment was her new friend. Penny was very excitable and focused on Normality, just as she was. She'd had also introduced Jaune to the wonders of the Remnet. While she'd delved into the minds of mortals many times in her eons of existence, and done so prior to their arrival in Remnant, the Remnet was an archive of profane knowledge that would drive even other cosmic entities mad were they to gaze upon it.
Yet despite the madness that lay in its archives, it was also a font of knowledge more valuable than the tome of eternal darkness. She had learned so much just by barely scratching the surface with her spindly Human fingers. Such as asserting dominance by spreading their arms. It was apparently a very common thing to do and many of the Beacon students found themselves shrinking back when she greeted them with her arms outstretched.
And she had Penny to thank for that.
"Indeed, Penny. This meal is very enjoyable." Jaune grinned and shoved another spoon of pizza into his mouth. This squishy Human body didn't need to consume food to function and defecating had proven tiresome. As such, any food that arrived in her stomach simply disappeared once it was out of sight. While it wasn't Normal, she cheating now and then wouldn't hurt anyone.
The people in this world that matter could neither be created nor destroyed. Such an amusing and limited idea.
The two friends ate and basked in each other's Normality. Truly, she'd been blessed by the formless one that lay in the center of the universe to find such a kindred soul. Metaphorically speaking. She still didn't have one of those. Penny might not have had one despite being able to use an Aura. The Remnet was very insistent that gingers did not have souls. For some reason, they considered that to be bad. So prejudiced.
"May I ask you a question, Friend Jaune?"
"You may." Jaune nodded three times.
"I overheard from numerous students that you used to present as male before our meeting. We also discussed this briefly beforehand. Is this true?"
"Yes. It is because of my Semblance." Another nod. She could change back to male, but apparently, reconstituting one's bodily shape was frowned upon or considered odd. Perhaps she'd do so at a later date when she was alone, "Does this bother you?"
"Of course not!" Penny shook her head from side to side while her body remained completely still, "I simply found it intriguing. A Semblance that can alter one's body at such an extreme state has never been recorded before."
Never recorded? Did that mean it wasn't normal? She didn't like that. Not at all.
"It is a very Normal semblance, Penny," Jaune said insistently.
"It is? I've never seen such a Semblance across hundreds of years' worth of databanks."
"Perhaps it was simply not recorded. Maybe the ones writing it forgot. Humans can be such forgetful creatures."
Penny tilted her head to the side, "You talk as if you are not Human yourself."
"Of course I am. I am a perfectly Normal Human male. Or female." Jaune nodded forcefully, "You are Human as well, Penny. Can you not sense that I am also a squishy meatbag?"
"I...of course I can! Forgive me for doubting you, Friend Jaune!" Penny gave him a wide smile that showed off all her teeth.
"I'm glad we can understand each other. Now we can go back to being Normal."
"Absolutely!"
The two Normal friends ate their Normal meal before going their separate ways in a Normal manner. It was all very average. Jaune made her way back to her dorm room humming a tune. That was very Normative behavior, from what she'd gathered.
She stopped when she caught sight of Cardin walking down the hall. The man stopped when he saw her too and stared at her chest. Males were often drawn to breasts, though she found it confusing as to why. Even in the minds she'd read, it was always something they couldn't explain. They were drawn to it like a flyap to a kuastuari flesh. Or Starspawn to ruling worlds.
"Cardin. Hello." Jaune waved her noodly Human arms. Both of them. If one arm was friendly, then two arms must have been very friendly, "You look like you're doing better."
"Uh...yeah?" He looked uncomfortable now.
"That is good. You seemed in distress after our match." She stepped closer until they were practically chest to chest. According to the Remnet, many males found it enjoyable when a female violated their personal space.
"Yeah, well...your guts were spilling everywhere, man. Uh...woman. You know what I mean."
"My apologies. That was due to my Semblance." Her chest squished against the armored plate on his torso. He appeared regretful for some reason, "But I am looking forward to sparring with you again. I believe I am getting better at moving around with this body."
Squish.
"Yeah...if you say so." Cardin stepped back, "So, uh...how long are you gonna stay a woman?"
"I am not sure. Why?"
"Ah...no reason." He coughed and walked past Jaune. She watched him go for a moment before humming. Such odd creatures, these Humans were. Jaune continued to make her way back to the dorm room.
Nora and Blake were there. The latter was on her bed and reading a book while the former was pacing around in...worry? Or was she hungry? Jaune still had trouble reading emotions now that she could no longer pry open a person's mind and see their innermost thoughts.
"What is the matter, Nora?" Jaune asked because she was a good teammate.
"I'm worried about Weiss," Nora brought a hand through her hair, "She went out hours ago and she hasn't come back! She's not answering her phone either! She might be in trouble!"
"You're being paranoid." Blake rolled her eyes.
"But this is Weiss we're talking about here! No way she'd stay out past curfew!"
"It's the weekend, students are allowed to stay in Vale until classes start next week. She's probably staying at a hotel or something."
"Probably! So you don't know!"
"And neither do you." Blake scoffed and shut the book she was reading, "Calm down. Weiss hasn't exactly made it a secret that she's not fond of us. I'm not surprised she's taking the chance to spend some time alone. I'm sure she'll be back tomorrow whining about how she deserves to be the leader and that 'she can't believe' she's on the same team as a Faunus. Till then, I'm gonna enjoy the peace and quiet."
Nora frowned at Blake's flippant response but didn't say anything else. Jaune watched the two go back to what they were doing - pacing and reading - and frowned. There was clearly discontent between them both, but she didn't know what to do. Normally she would've delved into their minds and molded their thoughts, but Humans did not do that and many conspiracy scholars on the Remnet frowned on their thoughts being tampered with. Such a limited viewpoint.
Jaune lay down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. Beacon was such an odd place, but it provided a chance for the Normalcy that she craved. Perhaps tomorrow she would meet another friend like Penny, someone who desired Normalcy just as much as she did.
For now, she would pretend to sleep because that was what a Normal person did.
The hours passed and the sun rose. Jaune opened her eyes and sat up, legs completely flat and upper body pointed straight up, "Yawn. That was a good rest." She raised her arms above her head and stretched...then heard a snap. Jaune blinked and looked at the bone jutting against the skin below her elbow. Ah, she'd stretched too hard and broken her arm. She hated it when that happened.
"Are you alright...?" Blake looked at him with a raised brow from her bed. Nora was still asleep.
"Yes." Jaune pushed the bone back into place and smiled, showing off all her teeth, "It doesn't hurt."
"So your Semblance heals you, changes your gender, and you don't feel pain. Anything else I missed?" She scoffed.
"Nope. I will tell you if you did." Jaune nodded rapidly.
"That's alright. I think I'd rather not know." She paused, "Actually...I'm curious. You change genders at the drop of a hat. Does that mean you can have breasts but male...parts?" she asked slowly.
Parts? What did she mean by 'parts'? Again, Jaune lamented that she couldn't just pry open Blake's mind. Instead, she decided to take a chance, "Oh yes, parts. I can absolutely have breasts and male parts. Yes." Jaune nodded.
"Hm. Good to know...good to know."
Nora woke up soon after and frowned when she didn't see Weiss. She kept frowning all the way to the cafeteria when they met with team RPYR in the cafeteria. Again, Jaune did her best to ignore the Starspawn pretending to be Human.
"Where's Weiss?" The Starspawn asked as soon as they sat down.
"We don't know." Nora shook her head with a frown, "She hasn't shown up since last night. Blake thinks she's in town trying to avoid us."
"Makes more sense than you thinking she got kidnapped or something," Blake grumbled.
"Have you tried calling her?" The Starspawn tapped her fleshy hands on the table.
"Not answering." Nora's shoulders sagged.
"I'm sure she's fine." Yang rolled her eyes, "She's a Huntress-in-training, she can take care of herself. I'm more curious about Jaune being a guy again."
She was? Jaune looked down and saw a completely flat chest and broader shoulders. Ah, he was, "My Semblance," he said because that explained everything.
"...Sure, whatever." Yang rolled her eyes again. Was she trying to see through the back of her skull? If so, she would be disappointed. Jaune already tried.
"I'm still worried about Weiss," the Starspawn said.
"Oh, I have an idea!" Nora slammed her hands on the table and stood, "We should go look for her!"
"Are you serious?" Blake looked at her with a constipated look. It was constipated, right? He'd seen similar expressions in those who needed to go to the bathroom, "You want us to go around all over Vale and, what, scream Weiss' name like she's a lost child?"
"Sounds good to me!" Nora nodded quickly.
"...I think I'll pass." Blake shook her head.
"Oh, come on!" Nora pouted and turned to him, "You agree with me, right Jaune? We gotta help Weiss?"
Hmm...what would be the proper response to this? He racked his singular Human mind for the correct answer. In all the shows and Mistralian comics he'd consumed in preparation, the main characters were always quick to help their friends. The power of friendship, they called it. He had existed a long time and knew from experience that it was not a quantifiable force in the universe, and yet these Humans believed it so.
And so he must as well.
"If Weiss is in trouble, then we must help her. That is what a Normal teammate and friend would do."
"Yes!" Nora pumped her fists.
"Ugh, seriously?" Blake groaned. Perhaps she really was constipated, "You two are overreacting."
"I think Nora's right!" The Starspawn suddenly said. Jaune still refused to look at her, "Maybe Weiss isn't in trouble and we're just doing all this for nothing, but why take the chance? If she's not in trouble then great, there's nothing wrong and we only lose a few hours. But if she is in trouble then we owe it to her to do everything we can to find her! Anything else means we're not worthy of being Huntsmen and Huntresses!"
"Wow." Yang whistled, "You're super invested in this, Rubes. Maybe you have a crush on our resident Ice Queen?"
"N-No, I don't!"
"I agree with Ruby," Pyrrha added, "It won't cost us anything to at least go check."
Ren nodded silently.
"Alright, fine." Blake sighed and threw her hands up, "But when she ends up being fine and makes fun of us, don't say I didn't tell you so."
Weiss was not fine.
She'd woken up...actually, she didn't know how long. It felt like hours, but that might've just been her imagination. She'd been blindfolded and gagged with her arms tied behind her back and her legs bound, "Mmph!" Weiss struggled for what felt like the dozenth time in minutes. She was lying on the ground and had been since she woke up. They didn't even give her the courtesy of an uncomfortable wooden chair.
It wasn't the first time she'd been kidnapped in her life. Given the life she led, it was a sadly common fact that she learned very early on in her youth that others wished her harm. Most people did it in the hopes of a ransom, though a few others did it to send a message. They couldn't hurt her father, so of course they went after his innocent children. One reason she became a Huntress was because she hated the idea of being so helpless.
And now here she was, helpless once again.
She continued to struggle against her bindings and scream through the gag. If they thought she was going to be a meek captive, they were sorely mistaken, "Mmph!" She tried to move her arms, ignoring the way the cuffs dug into her wrists. Even without her scroll, she could tell her Aura was barely there. It wouldn't have surprised her if these bastards beat her while she was unconscious.
She heard the sound of a door opening followed by footsteps in front of her. Weiss looked up just in time to receive a kick to the gut, "NGH...!" She tried to scream, but the gag kept her muffled. Spit and vomit pooled inside her mouth and she had to force herself to swallow it back down before she choked.
A hand roughly gripped her jaw and forced her to look up. Another pulled the blindfold off. Weiss winced at the sudden bright light that assaulted her senses, "Don't look away." A rough voice growled. The grip on her jaw tightened, keeping her from looking away.
The face that greeted her was an unfamiliar one. Pale skin, blood-red hair, and a blindfold that kept his eyes hidden from view. Despite the dark strip of cloth, he had no problem seeing her nor did it do anything to mask the absolute hatred radiating off him as he looked down at her.
Her eyes flicked up to the dark horns protruding from his scalp A Faunus. He was a Faunus. Her eyes flicked to another figure standing behind him. The figure was easily seven feet tall with bulging muscles bigger than her head. If she didn't have Aura - and she didn't right now... - she imagined that he'd be able to snap her in two with those arms alone.
More noticeable than all of that, however, was the mask that covered his face. She knew that design.
The White Fang.
A pang of both fear and rage ran through her. This wasn't a ransom then. They were going to kill her, a voice at the back of her mind whispered. The White Fang despised her family and blamed them for their problems. As if it was her family and her family alone that was responsible for their plight. There would be no ransom. They would use her to send a message to her father.
Weiss stubbornly refused to show fear and looked up defiantly at the blindfolded figure, "I'm not scared of you." Weiss sneered.
"A prideful creature to the end, hm? Good. I'll enjoy breaking you of that ego."
"Schnee..." The figure behind the blindfolded man growled. There was so much hate in that single word, "Let me kill her."
"Not yet." The blindfolded figure said, "We need to make sure that we send a message. Besides, she deserves worse than a quick death out of sight." He let Weiss fall back down to the floor and stood back up, "Come, we've got to set the stage."
The juggernaut growled but followed the shorter man out regardless. Why did they come here? Just to scare her? To see if she'd break? Well, they were going to be disappointed. Weiss groaned and started struggling again, not stopping even when another masked figure stepped into the room. He was far less intimidating at a glance. Short - just a few inches taller than she was - with a somewhat pudgy figure and glasses over his mask.
"Hey, uh...I'm here to guard you." Weiss glared at him and he shrunk back slightly, "Hey now, let's just be professional about this. I'm just here to keep an eye on you while they...prepare to horribly kill you live on camera." A beat, "Would it help if I said it wasn't personal for me?"
...
Weiss screamed in a rage so loud it was audible even through her gag. The glasses-wearing terrorist shrunk back slightly and rubbed the back of his head, "Knew I shouldn't have told Deery I'd cover her shift. Bad call, Perry." He groaned. Weiss' struggles increased, fueled by the thought of getting out of here and killing everyone in her way. Starting with the wretch right in front of her.
The painfully awkward situation continued for minutes. The glasses-wearing terrorist tapped his foot and continued to look at his wristwatch, "Ugh, where are they?" he muttered, looking between Weiss and the door worriedly.
She could feel her Aura coming back. It wouldn't be enough to help her escape - the chains around her hands and feet were obviously reinforced - but she could at least use a bit of her Semblance now. But how? She couldn't summon yet, much to her annoyance, and she didn't have any of her Dust to be able to use her glyphs aggressively. At best, she could use the glyphs as platforms, but she only had enough for one. It wouldn't be enough to escape.
Her eyes looked around the room before settling on her hapless guard. A grim thought settled in her mind. The glyphs were solid and she could finely manipulate them. What if...
An explosion came from outside followed by screams. Perry yelped and looked at the shut door, debating on whether he should investigate or stay to keep guard.
He also turned his back on her because of it.
Shelving any hesitation, Weiss concentrated and formed a glyph around his neck. There was a hold large enough to hold his head at the center, "Ngh!" She clenched her teeth and snapped the hole shut, constricting his neck in an agonizingly tight squeeze.
The terrorist tried to scream, but no words came out besides choked, panicked cries. Weiss ignored any pity she felt and continued to strangle him with the glyph. Aura kept his windpipe from being crushed, but it did nothing for the lack of air going into his lungs.
He finally noticed that she was responsible and desperately lunged for her. Weiss hurled herself to the side to avoid his clumsy charge and the terrorist smacked hard against the wall face-first, almost breaking his mask and definitely destroying his glasses on the harsh impact.
He didn't get the chance to try again. The suffocation had reached its peak and the blow to the head only worsened it. Weiss watched as his struggles weakened and he eventually collapsed to the floor in a crumpled heap.
She kept the glyph around his neck for a few seconds longer to ensure he wasn't faking it, "Mgh..." She let the glyph dissipate and panted. She'd killed him. As a Huntress-in-training, she'd been prepared for the possibility that she would have to kill someone one day. After all, not every criminal surrendered, and taking a life to protect yourself or innocent people was something that needed to be understood.
And yet, seeing his lifeless body, she couldn't help but feel guilty.
Weiss shook her head. No, she wouldn't let it weigh her down. He was complicit in a plan to murder her. He didn't deserve her guilt. Weiss squirmed and forced herself to sit up. She could still hear the sounds of fighting outside, "Mgh..." She pressed her back against the wall and looked at her chained bare feet. Moving would be difficult, but her years of fencing and ballet training would serve her well.
She stood and, after a deep breath, twisted her body till her bound hands slipped under her raised feet and went from her back to her front. She pulled out the gag and spit, "Ugh..." She bunny-hopped over to the dead body and searched his pockets for the key, "Come on, come on..." She turned him over and searched both pockets before finding what she was a looking for. A big, rusted key that looked like it fit perfectly in the locks.
"Yes...!" She fumbled and unshackled her feet first, heaving a sigh of relief when the chains fell away. It took a bit more to do the same for her hands. She had to grip the key between her lips and twist her head to jimmy the lock.
Weiss panted and pressed her hands against the wall as soon as the chains fell away. She felt...actually, not as tired as she should have. Her Aura should've been drained, especially after her last glyph, and yet she felt oddly energized. Was it just adrenaline? No, didn't matter. Judging from the sounds outside, the White Fang was distracted. Now would be the perfect chance for her to make her escape.
She stepped outside, unable to hear the disembodied, anguished scream of Perry echoing at the back of her mind and begging for mercy.
They couldn't find Weiss.
It wasn't for lack of trying. The seven of them had spent hours walking around town calling her name and they visited the highest most expensive hotels in the kingdom in the hopes of finding her. They did not. Weiss was nowhere to be found and both Nora and the Starspawn became more and more worried as the hours passed and day turned into night with no sign of their friend.
"Hm..." Jaune paused and mused on what to do next. Clearly, wandering around and shouting Weiss' name had not proven successful.
"Salutations!"
He looked up and blinked as Penny ran up to him, "Penny." He spread his mouth wide, showing off all his teeth.
"Friend Jaune? You are male now." She looked him up and down with an expression of wonder. That was an expression he was used to seeing.
"Yes, I am." Jaune nodded, "How did you know it was me?"
Penny froze for a moment before she gave him a wide smile, "Because we are such good friends! It's not because I tracked your scroll. Absolutely not!" Scroll? Ah yes, that odd device people used to communicate across distances. It was such a limited idea. He bought one alongside his sword and shield but never found a reason to use it.
"Okay." Jaune nodded again.
"What are you doing out so late?" Penny asked, "It is past curfew for Beacon students, is it not?"
"Ah. We are looking for Weiss. She is missing and-"
"Jaune." A feeling of annoyance coursed through his squishy mortal shell. Jaune turned his singular head and frowned at the sight of the Starspawn walking towards him. His instincts told him to destroy this world so that she may die with it, but he refused. That wasn't what a Normal person did, "Listen...we need to talk."
"I do not think we have much to talk about."
"No, we do!" She stomped her foot. The road cracked under her foot, though she didn't seem to notice, "Look, I...I don't know what you are, not really, but you've obviously got something going on." She held up a hand, "I'm not asking and I don't want to know. Okay? This isn't about that. It's just..." She chewed on her lower lip. "Could you help find Weiss using...whatever the heck your deal is? Please?"
"I can't. I am a perfectly Normal human."
"Stop lying!" The Starspawn scowled, "Just...please! I'm really worried about her! What if she's hurt or...or worse? We need to find her! Don't you care about her? You said she's your friend!"
"I cannot do anything." Jaune shook his head and looked at Penny with a sideways glance, "This...form is limited. I cannot find her unless I do more, and that comes with risks." A pause, "I am sorry."
The Starspawn chewed on her lower lip and looked as if she wanted to argue more when Penny interjected, "Forgive me for asking, but is Weiss in trouble?"
"Yeah. She's been missing since last night and we can't find her."
"Oh..." Penny looked down at the ground for a moment, "Friend Jaune, may we speak alone?"
"Of course." The two of them walked a short distance away from the frowning Starspawn, "What is the matter, Penny?"
"I find myself facing a conundrum. Father and Uncle Ironwood told me to always be a Normal girl, but I also wish to help you find Weiss. To do that, however, I must do something not Normal. What should I do, Friend Jaune?"
She needed to be not Normal to find Weiss? That truly was a conundrum. Jaune crossed his arms and rubbed his chin. From what he understood, it was a 'thinking pose'. He did wish to find Weiss - to be a good friend if nothing else - but would he give up Normalcy for it? Perhaps. It was Normal to be a good friend, after all, but he'd been doing so well on being average since he arrived on Remnant. No one would be able to tell he was anything more than a regular Human.
"What will you do? Is it a permanent change?"
"Oh no, it would not be anything that I am not already doing, but Father and Uncle Ironwood would be mad if they found out I'm breaking the rules."
"Well...is teenage rebellion not a Normal part of one's existence?" At least that was how the shows always made it look. Penny's eyes widened at the response and he continued, "That and helping a friend in need is what one Normally does."
"You...You're correct, Friend Jaune!" Penny held his right hand with both of hers and smiled brightly. She was actually glowing, "How could I not see it before? Please, give me some time and I can find Weiss."
A second passed.
"I found her, Friend Jaune. Apologies for the delay. I sent the location to both your and Ruby's scrolls."
The Starspawn checked her luminous rectangle and ran over to them, "What is this? Is...Is this where Weiss is?! How did you find this?!"
"It was simple. I looked through CCTV footage of every location across Vale and triangulated her location. Despite their attempts otherwise, the ones who kidnapped her couldn't hide their presence from me." She smiled proudly, "I found her location, which is that warehouse. To ensure I had the correct one, I traced the signal to Weiss' scroll and found it at the same location. They made a very careless mistake in not destroying the device. Not that it would've stopped me."
"Are you sure about this, Penny?" The Starspawn asked.
"I can guarantee with a 99.67% probability that Weiss was kidnapped and taken to that location. The other .33% is that this is all an elaborate roleplay on her part, but that is doubtful given Weiss' psychological profile."
A moment passed before the Starspawn suddenly disappeared, likely to where Weiss was located. Rude.
"Thank you, Penny," Jaune said because he wasn't rude and knew how to express gratitude like a Normal person.
"You are welcome! Shall I forward the location to the rest of your teams?"
"Yes, please. Nora will be happy."
"Understood." Another second passed, "All of them received the locations and 3D maps of the warehouse's structure. Apologies for the delay once more."
"This is what you were afraid to do before? Because it wasn't Normal?"
"Yes." She frowned, "I...wish to tell you of who I truly am, Friend Jaune, but could it wait until Weiss has been secured?" She poked her index fingers together, "I do wish to be honest with you since you're my first friend, but please promise me one thing. Please say that you will not see me as anything different once I tell you who I truly am. I do not wish to lose your friendship."
"That will not happen" So long as she wasn't a filthy Starspawn, at least.
"Sensational!" Penny hugged him tightly and smiled, "Thank you! Now let us go rescue Weiss!"
Patch. It had been years since he'd set foot in this place.
Ozpin stepped off the boat and sighed as his shoes made contact with the sandy beach. It had been over a decade since he'd been here last. Not since Summer Rose's tragic and unexpected death. While Taiyang had stated he didn't blame him for his wife's disappearance, Ozpin was no fool. The man clearly held him responsible, and while he truly didn't know the reason for Summer Rose's disappearance (though he could make an educated guess...), guilt made him keep his distance.
Until today.
The headmaster of Beacon Academy tapped his cane against the ground and walked the unfamiliar path. He would've kept his self-imposed exile if not for the sudden change in circumstances. Ms. Rose - or rather, the creature pretending to be her - had originated from Patch. Her following was also at its greatest here. The cult had spread far and wide to cover almost every corner of the island now.
Just as she planned it, he was sure.
If he was to endear Remnant to their new ruler, he would have to talk to her followers. Convince them that he could be trusted. Thankfully, finding the one he needed to talk to wasn't difficult. The alien magic was practically a beacon to him and he knew exactly where to go. Ozpin continued on his quiet march until he found himself in front of a newly built temple far away from the main settlement.
"Halt. Who goes there?" One of the followers, an older man with a bushy beard, called out.
"Nothing more than humble supplicant," Ozpin bowed, "I saw the glory of the Starchild first hand and wish to pledge my allegiance to her."
The show of submission satisfied the sentry and he let Ozpin pass, "Meet the high priestess and give yourself to the Starchild, supplicant." The immortal stepped into the threshold of worship and shuddered at the overpowering magic in the air. It made even the Grimmlands feel like a pleasant walk.
He walked down the hall till he ended up in a wide room that contained nothing but a singular altar at the center. Kneeling in front of it was a single figure, her body almost completely covered by the red cloak she wore. The hood was pulled over her head, masking her face.
"...I knew it was you." Ozpin stopped behind the figure and forced himself to smile, "It's nice to meet you properly, Ms. Rose."
Ruby Rose, the real one, stood up and turned to face him. She looked no different than the one who took her face, and yet, he knew that she was no innocent teenager. Her eyes spoke of someone who had seen things man was not meant to know and came out of it intact. Not completely, perhaps, but intact all the same.
"Headmaster Ozpin." Ms. Rose smiled. Her silver irises, once containing the innocence of a simple soul, were all but unrecognizable to him now, "Have you come to pledge yourself to the child of the stars?"
"Yes, and so much more." Ozpin took a deep breath, "I come to you with an offer..."
So...surprise? Ruby's not dead, but she isn't the Starspawn either. I'm sure Eldritch!Ruby will in no way be freaked out or have an identity crisis when she finds this out. No sir.
Next chapter will be Ruby rescuing Weiss in a hilariously graphic way and then spreading more insanity to the rest of the cast. Particularly Blake and Weiss. Meanwhile, Jaune's just having the time of his life being Normal.
Anyway, this'll probably be my last fic update before the year ends. Hope you guys enjoyed it and give me your thoughts on the chapter :) I'm curious how you guys feel it's going so far.
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Question:
1. So what do you guys think of the two Rubys being separate characters? A lot of readers had their own theories on what the deal with Starspawn!Ruby was given how she woke up in the crater and yet already had a cult when she went to town.