Author's Notes: Alright, before we actually start, I need to bring something up, for everyone.
Originally, I wanted to be respectful, and keep this person anonomous. However, given the details I'm going to go into, it won't be hard for you to figure out who this person is, so I'd rather not waste the time. Just to be clear, I don't want you to go harrassing this person, as, in my mind, that makes you nearly as bad as him. Let's be better than that.
In the previous chapter, a user by the name of '0 Jordinio 0' posted a rather...interesting review on my story. This person has never reviewed any of my stories before, nor has he fav/follow me or any of my stories. I've read aggressive reviews before, but it didn't bother me so much, because, while harsh, they were at the very least either respectful or aggressive criticism. Jordinio was neither of those things, and one particular sentence in the review 'particularly how RWBY should've been executed in Vol 7/8, there bodies swinging from the gallows, prompted me to contact this person, explaining the circumstances, such as how, since the Ever After is an alien world, with alien customs, you can't try to equate human values to their culture, or how calling Jaune a tyrant, while a hyperbole, isn't too far fetched.
He then gave a much longer response, which, if anyone is interested, you can PM me and I'll give the details. He also called me a terrorist sympathizer, and a suicide apologist. At that point, I realized that this person is just vile, and, while I initially made a reply to it, and even sent it, I knew that it wouldn't go anywhere, so I did something I never thought I'd do since coming to this website over five years ago: I blocked him. I don't even know all the details about blocking someone, only that it prevents them from sending PMs to you. I don't know if he can no longer review my stories, or whatnot. But I had to do something.
Let set the record straight, if you don't agree with my opinion on something, or if you don't like the direction a story is going, that's fine. Hell, I'd find it quickly boring if I was surrounded by Yes Men. But don't be toxic about it, because that convinces no one.
Again, don't go harrassing this guy, as I want us to be better. Now, onto the story.
Tea Amidst Terrible Trouble
*Ruby can be heard running and panting as she runs through the forest area of the Origami Acre. She then stops by a tree to catch her breath. She sits down at the base of the trunk with her head to her knees and her arms folded. Little pops out from her hood. They run out onto her arm.
LITTLE: Ruby? Ruby?
Ruby finally raises her head.
LITTLE: (hopping onto Ruby's knee) What are you doing? Why did you shout at everyone like that?*
"Little guy," Sun started, unaware of the pun he said, "Doesn't understand what Ruby's going through. Hell, he probably doesn't understand a lot of human things."
"But maybe," Kali offered, "That innocence might help turn Ruby around."
*Ruby doesn't say anything, simply sighing. She looks at her surroundings.
RUBY: Where…am I?
LITTLE: It's okay! I can guide us back. You shouldn't run off though. You all need to stick together if you wanna go home.
RUBY: (sighs) Why are you still here?
Ruby folds her arms again, and her face has a scowling expression. Little grows concerned.
LITTLE: Uh… what? I promised.
RUBY: I promised to serve Atlas as a Huntress… That I'd keep people safe… That I'd be there for my friends…
LITTLE: But, we can go back and–
RUBY: No!
Ruby stands up and Little hops off her knee to the ground.
RUBY: You don't know what I've done. What I couldn't do! I can't do this! (punches the tree trunk) I could never do this… If you stay with me, you're going to end up dead too… Just. Go. Home…
LITTLE: But you're–
RUBY: I said GO!
Little yelps and quickly crawls away from Ruby. Little watches Ruby marches away, their ears flop down in sadness.*
'Mind if I have a moment?'
Oscar nodded, and Ozpin took control. "Miss Rose is clearly suffering from many things. Failing to save Atlas, Pyrrha, time and again she has felt like a failure. That every decision she makes gets people killed. Worst of all, it's all amplified by the belief that she needs to be the one to defeat Salem. Even if she's not alone, she feels like she needs to lead the charge. Whether she believes it or not is irrelevant, it's that she feels like she needs to."
"Well then how do you get her out of that mentality?"
Ozpin turned to Whitley. "Normally, there'd be multiple ways. Explain to them that they aren't perfect, that they have friends and family to turn to. However, this case…makes that difficult."
"Yep," Qrow added, "The stakes are too high for Ruby to not give it her best, so the perfect route doesn't work. And she likely doesn't want to be anywhere near her teammates right now. And she just sent away the one person who didn't apply to either of those."
Nora chimed in, "So, is there anything that Little could say that would help her? Because, if Little stays as adorable as he has, there's no way he's going to stay away from Ruby."
*Ruby walks through the forest. It begins to darken around her as she continues to walk. A glowing blue butterfly flutters past Ruby. As Ruby continues walking, a spotlight appears above her. Each spotlight shows Ruby walking slowly and much slower than the first two.*
"An idea came to my mind."
"Oh boy," Ilia dreaded, "What's your idea, monkey boy."
"It's an old quote from a TV series, and I don't know if Little understands the idea of 'Good' and 'Evil', so it might not work. Hell, I haven't seen the show, but I know the quote. I think the quote went, 'Evil only wins when good men do nothing'. Sure, beating Salem is the most important thing. But, frankly, the fact that you fight to begin with is just as important. I mean, when Ruby's speech broadcasted around Remnant, Vacuo went into a battle frenzy. When we discovered you guys teleported from Atlas, Headmaster Theodore was already getting a team ready to get to Vale and get Goodwitch on the horn. Ruby didn't win the battle of Atlas, but her standing up got everyone else involved."
"..."
With a couple exceptions, everyone was surprised by Sun's statement. He could read the room, and scowled.
"Hey! Just because I like messing around doesn't mean I'm a complete idiot. I have my moments."
That earned a chuckle from a few people.
*She crosses the bridge between the Origami Acre and the Abandoned Acre.*
"Isn't that where the Jabberwalker lives?"
"Used to live, Schnee," Qrow retorted, "And, if Neo has anywhere for a base, it's likely there. Ruby just unintentionally walked right into the lion's den."
*She arrives at a pink-colored extravagant manor. Everything goes dark.*
"Speaking of bases," Nora exclaims, "Looks like you were wrong, Emerald."
Said girl gulped, "Yeah, Neo most definitely has me beat if she can now do this."
*Another spotlight appears above Ruby again, but this time, Ruby is inside a room standing in front of a portrait of a family of three.*
"Who are they?" Sun says.
Glynda responds, "If I had to guess, the Vanille family."
"Who?" Kali questions.
"They were a relatively wealthy family in Vale. There were some accusations of underworld dealings, but nothing came up. And, after their deaths, any cases on them were dropped."
"So why is Neo showing this?"
"Well, obviously because she's one of them." Nora retorts.
Glynda nodded, "The investigation did report that only Jimmy and Carmel Vanille's bodies were found, while their daughter, Trivia, was never found."
"How did they die?"
"Their mansion exploded."
Everyone who knew of Neo looked at Glynda in shock.
"That…doesn't sound like something Neo would do. Kill them, yes, but that obviously?"
Ozpin took over for a moment. "To correct you, Miss Valkyrie, it wasn't Neo who killed them. Rather, it was Miss Malachite, an underworld crime boss from Mistral. Her gang had come to Vale and launched an attack on the mansion. It did validate some concerns that the Vanilles dealt with the underworld, though."
*The other portraits appear in few spotlights. The first two portraits depict Trivia Vanille, both as a child and adolescent, with her parents Jimmy and Carmel Vanille. The other portrait depicts Neopolitan with Cinder standing besides Salem's throne. Ruby slowly walked towards the largest portrait, depicting Roman Torchwick and Neo with her parents lying on the ground, apparently dead.*
"Welp," Nora exclaimed, "Maybe she didn't kill them, but she definitely had a hand in their deaths. Probably had Roman involved in it."
*RUBY: What is this?
As Ruby stares at the portrait, Roman's left eye moves to gaze at her direction.
ROMAN: Hello, Red!*
A few people jumped slightly at the portrait coming alive. They should've expected that the entire mansion was under Neo's control, having made it herself.
*Ruby gasps and brandishes Crescent Rose's scythe form, backing away from the portrait. Roman stands up from his seat.
ROMAN: Been a while. (jumps off from the trunk and casually walks) How's the hero biz treatin' ya? I gotta say, you're not looking too good.
Roman gives a kick at Jimmy's corpse.
RUBY: Where's Neo?
ROMAN: Yeesh, no manners. And after everyone came out to see you! (echoes)*
"What?"
*The lights begin to turn on in the room Ruby was in. Ruby turns around and becomes astonished to see certain people at the table: Penny Polendina, Pyrrha Nikos, Leonardo Lionheart, Clover Ebi, Ozpin and General James Ironwood. Each of them has a cup of tea in front of them.*
Whitley immediately regretted his words.
"Ok, what the FUCK!" Sun cried out. Normally he wouldn't have been so crass, but this felt justified.
Everyone else had similar thoughts at what they were seeing. Most of them scowled at Neo using their dead friends as foot soldiers for Neo, all to torment Ruby.
Pietro especially wasn't pleased, if the whitening of his clenched hands was anything to go by.
"Hold on!" Nora exclaims, "Everyone I can get, but why would Lionheart be there?"
"What do you mean?" Saphron questioned.
"Well," Ren answered, "Penny, Pyrrha, and Ozpin are obvious, Ironwood was on our side, and it was our actions that partly resulted in his death, and Clover Ebi was a close friend of her uncle, Qrow."
"But Lionheart was a traitor-" Nora stepped in, only to be interrupted by Glynda.
"Wait, what?!"
"Right," Oscar interjected, turning to Glynda, "You guys wouldn't know. Lionheart had, for months, been working with Salem, sending Huntsmen into traps. It's why, during the battle for Haven, there were barely any Huntsmen to help us. He died during the battle, likely killed by one of Salem's Grimm. Ozpin suggested that we say that LIonheart died protecting the school, rather than be remembered as a traitor."
Glynda scowled. She couldn't fathom why Lionheart would turn traitor. He was always skittish, but to go this far…
"As for why Neo is using his ghost, that…might be a side effect. I don't believe Neo was aware that Lionheart was a traitor, so she might be using him as simply another soul lost because of Ruby's actions."
"That kinda makes sense," Nora replied, "It would rely on Cinder not telling Neo, though."
"Don't see why she would," Emerald retorted, "After Vale, Cinder never bothered talking about Neo or Roman, at least until she showed up back at Atlas with Neo."
*PENNY: (saluting) Salutations, Ruby!*
Winter clenched her teeth. Hearing those words, coming from, what is essentially, Neo's mouth.
*PYRRHA: (waving) Hello again!*
Ren scowled, while Nora nearly growled.
*Lionheart is seen fiddling with his lion tail before he looks at Ruby and sits up straight. Clover adjusts his clover badge.
OZPIN: (adjusting his glasses) Miss Rose.
IRONWOOD: (smiling and gesturing) Why don't you take a seat?
Ruby looks on at the sight of the people she knew with horror.
RUBY: How is she doing this?
Everyone at the table laugh at Ruby's bewilderment.*
"This is beyond creepy." Ghira commented, which was a sentiment shared by everyone.
"Yep," Qrow replied, "And, after everything Ruby's gone through, Neo's chosen the perfect time to play a mental battle against her."
*RUBY: Stop it! This isn't real!
ROMAN: Isn't real?
Ruby becomes startled by Roman's presence beside her and falls to the floor.
ROMAN: You're the one following a talking cat around a fairy tale.*
"In all fairness," Sun exclaimed, "Those are real. You, buddy, are just an upjump figment of Neo's imagination of a dead boyfriend!" Sun then muttered, "Man, that felt weird to say."
*Roman walks away from Ruby, twirling Melodic Cudgel. He jumps onto the table. Everyone stops laughing and stares at Ruby.
ROMAN: Reality's gettin' fuzzier by the minute, kid.
Ruby twirls Crescent Rose scythe and changes to sniper gun at Roman and the others.
ROMAN: Y'know once Neo realized where she was, everything changed. Always loved the idea of a place to run away from it all. Do whatever you want. (sits down cross-legged on the table between Lionheart and Clover) I offered that to her back on Remnant. (gives a frown) But we all remember how that ended.
RUBY: Is that seriously what this is all about? You still blame me for what happened to Torchwick?!
Roman growls.*
"Revenge is one hell of a drug," Raven says, "That can get you through the most difficult times. But it's also one of the most difficult to put down."
"When did you become philosophical?"
"Since you started chasing skirts, brother."
*RUBY: If you're looking for an apology, you've wasted your time!*
"I mean, she's not wrong," Whitley exclaimed, "Is Miss Rose the type to harbor hatred?"
"Not from what we've seen, even after Beacon."
Tai nodded at Ren's words, "Even as a kid she wasn't that kind of person."
"Then killing Torchwick wasn't personal. It was just a job. Neo's the one who made it personal. And on the wrong person, on top of that."
*On atop of the tea party room, Little arrives and watches.*
"Oh, dear," Kali shuttered, "What is Little doing here?"
"Little sees himself as Ruby's friend," Tai replied, "So he isn't going to just abandon her, even if she yells at him."
"And, unfortunately, it might've just doomed Ruby."
Most turned to Raven.
"In what way?" Nora questioned.
"Remember what Ruby said. She gets people killed, and that's what's going to happen to Little if he stays with her. It's why she yelled at Little to go home, so he wouldn't get hurt. And now…"
"He's about to be in the middle of a battle," Winter replied, "Yes, he was before, but this is different. If something went wrong, her teammates could help."
"Not only that, but, if Little dies, it'll validate everything Ruby fears. I can almost picture it. Neo's going to bring Ruby to the breaking point, Little tries to help, only to be killed by Neo-"
"Which will make Miss Rose's fear true, as well as whatever Neo says to her. At that point, she might just ascend there and then."
Taiyang clenched his fist in dread.
*ROMAN: They say everyone thinks they're the hero of their own story.
Everyone at the table gives a wry grin; their eyes change to Neo's eye colors.*
"Okay, yeah," Sun muttered, "I thought Jabber mouth was a nope, then this is a 'N'ope."
"Hate to admit it," Emerald added, "But Neo's certainly gotten one up on me."
"How much," Pietro questioned, "Do you think is her Semblance evolving, or the Ever After messing with it?"
"Hard to say," Winter replied, "I would give it about 50/50."
*ROMAN: But… (stands up) I knew what I was. And deep down, I think you know you are too.*
"Though," Raven states, "Roman, or, I guess, Neo's, words do have merit. It's best if you know exactly who you are, and what you want to be. Though, even that can be dangerous."
"How so?"
Raven gave a sad smirk to the Schnee boy. "In my mind, I thought 'Why be a good mother, when I could be a better bandit'. It was what I was good at, after all. Then again, we all know how well that turned out."
"Considering you never tried, that doesn't say much." Qrow grumbled.
*Roman steps onto the teacup containing multi-colored liquid, breaking it with his shoe, as he walks towards Ruby. He takes out a multi-colored leaf in his hand.
RUBY: The leaves from the Tree?
ROMAN: Oh, you're familiar? How about a little reset?
RUBY: Is that what you want? Well, if you want me dead, then come get me!
ROMAN: (chuckles) You don't deserve to die, Red. You deserve to be broken down… (casually releases the leaf) … Torn apart… wiped from existence.*
While most were infuriated at Neo's plan to 'erase' Ruby (Tai most especially), Whitley was actually confused.
"Seriously? That's your plan? It's a little short-sighted."
"Um, Whitley," Willow muttered, "You may want to explain, because some people seem to be infuriated that you're taking this so casually."
As in Taiyang and Qrow.
"Right, sorry. I mean, if Neo's entire plan to make Ruby suffer is to make her drink the tea and then ascend, then that defeats the entire purpose of making her suffer, because her new self, while retaining a portion of Ruby, wouldn't be the same person. And the only satisfaction you'd get would be brief. The better way-"
"Please don't tell me you're actually trying to give Neo a better way to torture my girl."
"Sorry, just specifying that her plan is bad."
Taiyang was caught in a conundrum. On one hand, he didn't want to hear Whitley's suggestion. On the other, the longer he can delay seeing his girl getting tormented by Neo…
He relented, and motioned for him to continue.
"If Neo wanted to make Ruby suffer, then the better idea would be to make the others ascend. If Ruby ascends then, while the heart of Ruby would remain, the soul would be altered, and this soul would go to the afterlife, possibly unaware of the deep connection it shared with the others. Or, it might be the other way around, with soul remaining, but heart changing. But, if, say, Yang ascended-"
Raven's eye twitched, but she said nothing, and was noticed by no one.
"-then, if Ruby should die, one day, she'd never get to see her Yang ever again, even in the eternity that is the afterlife."
"Okay, wow," Nora chimed in, "That is strangely demented."
"Believe me, it's horrible for me to even think about it. But it also shows that Neo isn't thinking things through."
"It's as they say," Ghira finished, "On the road to revenge, dig two graves."
"Not exactly the quote to use," Oscar retorted, "But close enough."
*The multi-colored leaf falls into the teacup. Ruby hears the sound behind her and turns around, aiming Crescent Rose at Neo. Neo jumps over Ruby as she blocks the potshots with Hush. As Neo flies over Ruby, Roman shoots at Ruby with Melodic Cudgel. Ruby is sent backwards away from the table. Roman catches Neo with a chuckle as everyone at the table applauds. Neo smiles at Roman before they both look down on Ruby. Roman places Neo to the ground.
ROMAN: I'm gonna enjoy…
EVERYONE: (stands up from their seats) ...Watching you break.
Everyone has their eyes closed with eerie smiles. Roman kneels behind Neo, who gives a closed-eye smile.*
"Um," Ilia exclaimed, "How well can Neo mimic someone else's fighting style?"
"The scary part," Emerald replied, "She only needs to see someone fight once in order to copy their moveset."
"Kinda like Velvet's." Nora responded.
Emerald tilted her head. "Actually, yeah. Only differences are, while bunny girl can only use it once before she needs a new picture, Neo can use it as many times as she wants. The only reason it wasn't broken before was because all it took was one good hit to break the illusion."
"But, since her semblance has evolved, they can deal all the damage."
"This…isn't going to be easy to watch."
"Mrs. Belladonna, you are correct," Glynda replied, "And I strongly advise, no matter what we see, that we try to keep chatter down to a minimum, so we can get through this."
*Elsewhere in the forest area of Origami Acre…
JAUNE: (off-screen) Ruby!
Jaune, Juniper, Weiss, Blake and Yang are searching for Ruby.
WEISS: Ruby. Ruby…?
Yang stops walking.
YANG: (sighs) Damn it! How can she just run off like that?!
BLAKE: She was clearly upset.
YANG: That wasn't upset! That was… Ugh! She could've talked to us!
WEISS: Maybe she didn't feel like she could… Ruby has always been the one to get us through the hard times. We say things like "We believe in you", "We can count on you". I know we mean well, but…
Jaune feels guilty over what he said to Ruby back then. Juniper becomes sad and Jaune comforts them with a pat.
YANG: It's not like we're asking her to be perfect.*
Oscar's eyes flashed, "You may not have asked her for that, but perhaps asking wasn't needed."
"Um, what?"
Ozpin continued, "Simply circumstances creating an impossible situation, Miss Amitola. Miss Rose suffered a great tragedy when Beacon fell. Two of her friends, dead. Her sister, an arm, and her faith, lost. Her team, scattered. Yet, even through that, she decided to not quit, to continue the fight, leaving home to follow Cinder's trail. Unintentionally inspiring others to follow her. Now that the weight of her decision is crashing down on her, she's unsure if it was the right choice, stepping up."
"Jaune," Ren commented, "Once told me something Pyrrha said. When you're place on a pedestal for so long, you become separated from the people who put you up there. When Beacon fell, Ruby put herself on that pedestal."
Ozpin nodded. "Correct. And now she wants to come down, but, with so many looking to her, she knows that, if she steps down, people will die. It's an impossible situation. Wanting to stop, but the price of doing that being too high. It boiled in her until she exploded in the last episode. And now we have the fallout."
"Everyone became used to Ruby leading the charge," Winter added, "That they didn't notice that she no longer wanted to lead it."
*They hear something and look to a certain direction.*
"Oh my god," Sun cried out, "They have to be close if they can hear it."
"Yes," Ghira agreed, "But how likely is it that Ruby might accidentally attack them, thinking it's more of Neo's tricks."
"Or," Raven added, "They arrive just in time for Neo to mentally break the girl."
*Back at the tea party room, Ruby uses her Semblance to dodge the attacks from Neo-Penny, Neo-Pyrrha, Neo-Lionheart and Neo-Ironwood with their weapons while Roman, Neo, Neo-Ozpin and Neo-Clover are watching.
NEO-IRONWOOD: Who were you to think you knew what was best for Atlas?
NEO-PYRRHA: I was the best and brightest Beacon had to offer.
Ruby gets shot down and clings onto the chandelier.
NEO-PYRRHA: But I traded my life so my friends could live!
Neo-Pyrrha throws Miló javelin at the chain of the chandelier. Ruby falls to the floor, the impact breaking her Aura.*
"Already?!" Nora cries out.
"Against overwhelming odds," Glynda replied, "And her own Aura might've been damaged before due to Neo's previous attack, it's not surprising."
Both Ren and Nora wanted to yell at Neo, how Pyrrha would never have acted like this. But they also knew that it would be a waste of energy, and would only pause the show.
*She gets up to try and reach for Crescent Rose, but is stopped by Neo-Penny's Maiden powered Floating Array. Ruby looks back at her.
NEO-PENNY: Just like you were too late to save me at the Vytal Festival… I died in Atlas too, didn't I? (walks towards Ruby) Can you imagine what that's like? To be completely and utterly failed... time and again... (kneels down to Ruby) by someone who meant the world to you…*
Winter could see that Pietro was…clenching his teeth in rage. She had never seen the man so furious. She left a mental note that, regardless of what happens, she's not letting Neo get away with this.
*Ruby reaches her hand towards Neo-Penny with her eyes on the verge of tears, but Neo-Roman uses the curved end of Melodic Cudgel to choke her from behind.
NEO-ROMAN: You ready for that drink yet?
Ruby manages to break free from Neo-Roman's choking grip and runs but gets attacked by Neo-Pyrrha.
NEO-PYRRHA: How many more people are going to die because of you?!
Neo-Pyrrha swings her body around Miló javelin and delivers a kick at Ruby, sending her to the wall. She struggles to walk along it.
RUBY: I'm trying to save everyone!
Ruby gets punched in the gut by Neo-Ironwood, who then pins her to the wall.
NEO-IRONWOOD: And yet with all your best intentions…
Little gasps in shock, watching Ruby getting overwhelmed.
NEO-IRONWOOD: Have you ever stopped to wonder if you'd done more harm than good?!*
So many of them wanted to say something to counter. How simply trying is better than nothing. How nothing is certain in war. And so much more.
But they knew Colva's rules. And they didn't want to stop. Like a bandaid, they needed to rip through this.
*Neo-Ironwood throws Ruby to the floor.
RUBY: It's not my fault…!
Ruby attempts to reach Crescent Rose, only to get beaten up by Neo-Ozpin with The Long Memory.
NEO-OZPIN: How many more lives do you have to ruin before you realize you're not cut out to save anyone?!
RUBY: (grabs Crescent Rose and slashes at Neo-Ozpin) NO!
The Long Memory falls to the floor. Ruby becomes horrified to see that she slashes Neo-Oscar Pine in Neo-Ozpin's place.
NEO-OSCAR: (stares at his hand tainted with his own blood) Ruby…*
Oscar gulped, placing a hand on his own neck, taking a deep breath.
'You're taking your illusion's death rather well.'
'Just figured there are more important things to consider, rather than a fake version of me dying.'
'A…mature approach.'
*Neo-Oscar falls backwards and dies. Ruby drops Crescent Rose and collapses on her knees. Neo-Penny and Neo-Clover approach Neo-Oscar's corpse. Neo-Penny, covering her mouth in shock, then changes to Neo-Yang. Neo-Clover changes to Neo-Qrow, now horrified over Neo-Oscar's "death". Neo-Lionheart changes to Neo-Blake looking at Ruby in disbelief. Neo-Ironwood changes to Neo-Weiss looking down at Ruby.
NEO-ROMAN: Do you really think you can stand to watch more of your friends fall?
RUBY: Please… stop…
NEO-ROMAN: Or are you ready to admit the truth? That the world would just be better off without you?*
Tai's hands were clenched so tightly, that, for a split second, he actually pierced his skin. He engaged his aura, but that didn't stop the clenching.
He's killing Neo, regardless of the outcome here. It doesn't matter if, somehow, the others become big friends or some fairytale bullshit, he's killing her. As any father would, in his mind.
*Neo-Jaune appears in Neo-Pyrrha's place with Neo-Nora and Neo-Ren, mourning over Neo-Oscar. Ruby begins to hyperventilate in fear and panic as Neo-Jaune, Neo-Ren and Neo-Nora join the others. Ruby breaks down in broken sobs, placing her head and hands to the floor. Neo carries the teacup and approaches Ruby. She places down the teacup and moves it with her boot towards Ruby. Ruby lifts her head slowly, staring at the teacup filled with a multi-colored liquid. Neo kneels down before Ruby. Ruby stares at the teacup before she looks at Neo, who stands up and looks down on her with a smirk. Neo turns and gets attacked by a beam. She is sent flying backwards to outside of the manor. Her Semblance suddenly dispels over the manor.*
Everyone jumped at the sudden attack.
"What just happened?" Willow exclaimed in shock.
"More importantly," Qrow responded, "Who shot that?! We haven't seen anything in the Ever After that can do that!"
"Little?" Ilia offered, but the moment the words left her mouth, she realized how ridiculous it sounded.
"I don't care!" Sun cheered, "Someone is there, and they saved Ruby!"
"She might not be safe just yet," Ren retorted, "In her mind, everything Neo said wasn't wrong."
*Ruby, in her perspective of view, slowly opens her eyes. A hole of the manor is shown with the Great Tree in the background. She then blinks and opens to multi-colored leaf brewing in the teacup. She later blinks to see the Cat.*
"YES!" Nora cheered as others sighed with relief, "The Cat saved Ruby."
"Despite his earlier words," Klein added, "He might not have gone too far, and came to help."
*CURIOUS CAT: It's all right, Ruby. It's over now.*
"Hmph." Raven said, leaning forward, "For such a little guy, he packs a punch." Raven's eyes then widened in shock.
'Something's not right.' Ozpin said.
"What?" Oscar muttered.
*RUBY: What? I'm sorry… (moves her body over) I don't want to be me anymore…
Ruby softly sobs, the Cat rubs their paw on her shoulder.*
Tai wanted so badly to rip open the screen, go to his daughter, and never let her go. All he can see is that little girl, hiding under her blanket during a storm.
"Man," Sun began, "The Cat may not have been completely honest, but-"
"Ruby needs to run, NOW!" Raven cried out, with enough concern in her voice that it bordered on panic, which definitely got everyone's attention.
"Rae," Tai exclaimed, "What's wrong?"
"The Cat's the only one there, right?"
"Yes…?" Glynda replied.
"No one else, just him, came to help her."
Another nod.
"Which means that the Cat's the one who fired that beam, right?"
"Where is this going?" Willow questioned. Emerald widened her eyes.
"Why didn't he use it back in the marketplace? Instead, he brainwashed the birdman to help, rather than use an obviously effective attack."
Everyone realized the concern on both Raven and Emerald.
"That's," Klein stated, "A good question. Why would it brainwash an innocent person, getting them killed in the process, instead of using a weapon that could do that."
Saphron gasped in horror. "Because this was the Ever After's plan the entire time!"
Sun, and others, looked confused. "Um, gonna need an explanation there, Mrs. Arc."
"Okay, this is only a theory, but, what if, this entire time, the Cat has been trying to get Ruby to ascend? That is his purpose, after all, to help others ascend. Back with the caterpillar, Ruby's friends were each able to defiantly oppose their opposites, showing their resolve. Ruby, though, faltered. The Cat might've been preying on Ruby's emotions, breaking her down, to the point that she wants to ascend. He brainwashed the bird, getting him killed, which Ruby would likely blame herself. He mentioned earlier how, with Salem having two relics, how could they possibly defeat her, which Ruby took to heart. Then, in his last interaction with them, the Cat tried to gaslight them, which Ruby was obviously affected by. This entire time, the Cat has been trying to make Ruby ascend, and it seems like he's won."
"That's…" Oscar stated, "Horrifyingly possible."
Tai clenched his teeth, enough that, without his aura engaged, they might've been damaged. He already knew the Ever After was targeting Ruby, ever since the Blacksmith scene. But to know that it was to THIS extent?!
'Mind if I?'
"Huh? Sure." Ozpin then took control.
"There's a hole in your theory," Ozpin retorted, "The Cat stopped Ruby's vision from the Herbalist. If the Cat wanted Ruby to ascend, why did he stop it? Wouldn't it have been easier to allow the vision to play through, thus making her ascend there?"
"That's the only part I don't know."
*CURIOUS CAT: It's okay, little Huntress… (jumps onto Ruby's torso.) I can be you instead…*
"What?" Several people questioned.
*Ruby opens her eyes in realization.
CURIOUS CAT: (chuckles) I have been trying to wear you down for so long!
Curious Cat phases their paws through Ruby's chest, causing her to scream in pain and agony.*
"What the fu-" Nora yells out, only to be interrupted by Qrow.
"This is definitely different!"
"What's he doing?!"
"This can't be ascension!"
*RUBY: What are you… doing?! (gasps)
CURIOUS CAT: My purpose. When a poor little heart is broken, I can fill it with mine. I'm afraid I haven't been entirely honest with you, Ruby. (bares their fangs)*
"So, is he trying to possess her?" Ghira questioned.
"That's a terrifying thought," Winter replied, "And what would happen to Ruby? Would she be a prisoner in her own body? Would her soul ascend? Or…would it simply cease?"
*RUBY: No!
CURIOUS CAT: I'm not like the other Afterans here, I'm cursed with curiosity. I need to know everything! (their eyes turn black) But more than anything, I need to know why my makers left me here… (hisses) Only to leave and make all of- OW!
The Cat turns around to find Little biting their tail.*
While most felt either relief or stress for Little coming to try to help Ruby, mixed with the obvious concern for the mouse, one person was filled with terror.
'What?...'
'Oz?'
'His makers?...'
'Ozpin, what's wrong?'
*LITTLE: You're not a friend! Friends don't–
The Cat swats Little away from their tail, sending the mouse to the floor. Little slowly recovers. Neo runs inside the manor. The Cat hisses at Neo. They try to fire another beam, but Neo turns out to be another glass copy. The real Neo is behind them and she swats away the Cat with Hush.*
"Oh my gods!" Ilia stresses out, "This is insane. Both of them are fighting over who gets to kill Ruby, and it's stressing me out on which one I want to win."
"Let's be honest," Winter replied, "It's more like who we want to lose."
*LITTLE: Ruby! (pulls Ruby by her finger) You have to get up. We have to go!*
"Little-" Kali began, about to say that Little should run, because-
*As Little tries to drag Ruby, Neo stomps on Little with her boot, apparently killing them ruthlessly.*
Almost everyone was shocked at the sudden stomp. A few of them, particularly Raven and Qrow, had a feeling Little wasn't going to get out of there alive.
"And so," Raven muttered darkly, but also somberly, "The camel's back has broken."
*Neo sneers down on Ruby with Roman standing behind her. Ruby becomes utterly horrified after Little was killed in front of her, the light in her eyes is gone. The teacup is slided to Ruby.
NEO-ROMAN: Hmph. I think it's about time we all got what we deserve.*
Tai's breathing started increasing.
*Ruby slowly moves her body. Weiss, Blake, Yang, Jaune and Juniper finally arrive only to see Neo looking down on the wounded Ruby.*
"FINALLY!" Nora cries out, "They're here!"
"That might not help," Ren retorts, "If Ruby thinks that they're only illusions from Neo."
"And," Willow added, "Even if she does believe they're real…as Miss Branwen said, Ruby's broken. She might not care anymore."
Tai's breathing increased. "Ruby."
*NEO-ROMAN: Are you ready to admit the truth? That the world would just be better off without you?*
"Ruby…" Tai spoke a little louder.
*Ruby stares at her teammates, Jaune and Juniper. She then slowly picks up the teacup in her hands. She gives them one last look.*
"Ruby!"
*Yang watches in shock as Ruby drinks the entire tea. Ruby drops the teacup and lies there.
YANG: (muted) Ruby?
A hole appears below Ruby and she falls into it along with Little and Crescent Rose, engulfed in a bright light.*
"RUBY!" Taiyang screams, lunging forward, only to be grabbed by both Qrow and Glynda. Everyone else was in muted horror. It's one thing to anticipate it, but another to see it happen. No one could say a word, and just watched the show, the silence only broken by Taiyang's sobs.
*Neo becomes astonished after she witnesses Ruby fall.
NEO-ROMAN: (voice in Neo's head) You've finally done it!
Neo sits on her chair, seemingly giving a frown as the manor begins to slowly crumble.
NEO-ROMAN: (voice in Neo's head) Little Red's gone. With your Semblance stronger than ever now, we can take over this whole absurd place!
Neo shuts her eyes and shakes her head.
NEO-ROMAN: (voice in Neo's head) Why not? Offing Little Red can't be all you wanted… Right?
Neo opens her eyes before she is filled with mixed emotions of confusion.*
A few were able to snap out of their horrified state to comment on that.
"The road of revenge," Raven muttered, "Ends with two graves."
"And Neo's about to feel the full effect of it." Willow added.
*Weiss becomes shocked over Ruby's fall. Blake holds Yang over her shoulder, the latter seemingly catatonic. Jaune closes his eyes in silence.
CURIOUS CAT: No, no, no, no!
Jaune looks to find the Cat running towards the vine-covered hole.
CURIOUS CAT: I needed her!
The Cat attempts to scratch the vines that cover the entire hole pointlessly. They growl in anger. They hear the loud sound and look up to the Tree. The Cat looks away before slowly turning around, giving a sharp sneer. Neo, still sitting on her chair, has a still dazed look on her face.*
"Oh dear." Ghira stated.
"With Ruby…gone," Winter replied, "Neo has nothing. And the Cat knows that."
*JAUNE: (points Crocea Mors sword at the Cat) Take us to her…
CURIOUS CAT: You still don't get it, do you? It's not a place you go. It's a place you know.
Weiss, Blake, and Yang watch the manor continuing to crumble with large cracks on the walls.
CURIOUS CAT: But no matter… I actually found a much better solution to my problem.
The Cat gives a powerful roaring beam at Jaune, Weiss, Blake and Yang. Weiss, Blake and Yang are sent flying backwards, crashing against the walls. Jaune lands onto Juniper, who catches him in time. The Cat's form begins to grow bigger with their colors changing to white with clear black square patterns.*
"Ooookay," Sun mutters nervously, "Big cat."
*The Cat flies towards Neo.
CURIOUS CAT: You've lost something most important, haven't you? And now you have nothing left. (chuckles) How delightful! An empty host, perfect for me to fill.
Neo widens her eyes in utter shock as the Cat forces her mouth open and dives inside of her. Jaune regains his posture before turns around to see the Cat attempting to take over Neo's body, to his shock.*
Pietro, for a brief, dark moment, was almost…glad at what was happening to Neo. But, realizing his own thoughts, he gasped. As much as Neo probably deserves death, this was likely something far worse. And he knew that Penny wouldn't want anyone to suffer whatever the Cat is going to do.
Didn't mean he'd feel pity for Neo, though.
*JAUNE: (runs to stop the Cat) No!
Neo's eyes begin to turn into the Cat's checkered-pattern design as the Cat continues to take over her body. Jaune runs as fast as he can, jumps and grabs the Cat's tail but fails as the Cat is already completely inside Neo's body. Jaune glares as Neo goes unconscious temporarily after the Cat takes over her. Weiss slowly gets up after she recovers. Yang helps Blake up slowly before they both look on.
NEO?: (sighs) The Rusted Knight. Goodness, am I tired of your little sob story. (slowly stands up from their seat) You can't even accept your own futility.
Neo, now possessed by the Cat, reveals her face with a monstrous smile. The sclera of her eyes turn light blue with cat-like pupils. Her teeth are now sharp feline-like.*
"Okay, that is my new 'NOPE' for this entire show."
Few would disagree with Emerald's comment.
*Jaune is taken aback over NeoCat's visage. NeoCat looks at themself.
NEOCAT: This body will do.
Combined with the Cat's powers and Neo's Semblance, NeoCat turns themself into something similar to Ruby's Semblance and flies out of the manor, heading towards the Great Tree.*
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTINUE: YES/NO
"Yes, absolutely!" Saphron cried out. She could see that Taiyang was still in a crying, near catatonic state. They had to figure out Ruby's fate, and quickly.
"What?!" Oscar said, turning his head to no one.
"Oscar?" Glynda asked.
"Ozpin…says we need to have a break. He's acting almost…scared."
"Take a break?!" Qrow exclaimed, "Do you see Tai right now, Oz!"
"Agreed," Raven nodded, "You need to let the man."
Oscar's eyes briefly widened in shock, before they flashed yellow.
"I NEED A MINUTE!" Ozpin roared, shocking everyone. Even Tai turned his eyes towards him, but didn't respond.
"Ozpin?" Glynda replied, having never heard the man so angry. Ozpin's eyes blinked, and his face softened.
"I'm sorry," he muttered, "I'm sorry."
His eyes flashed, and Oscar put a hand on his head.
"Oscar?" Ren inquired, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Oz is…silent. It's like before, he's in the farthest corner of my mind."
Ghira sighed, "And, without him, we don't have all of us watching the show, so it can't continue."
"It…" Glynda added, still in shock at Ozpin's outburst, "It seems that we'll need to take a break and…process what just happened."
No one was looking forward to that.
Author's Notes: Next up will be the third, and final, interlude. A few of you can guess what the catalyst for Ozpin's outburst was, but I'm not sure you can guess the reason why he's gone silent. It'll be fun for you to guess why, though I'm guess most of you will guess the catalyst, but not the reason for it.
As for Lionheart, it's sorta my headcanon on why he's there, as he is the odd one amongst them all. Given Cinder's character, she does seem like the type to never mention someone again unless someone else brings them up, or they get involved in her life again.
As always, leave a review, fav/follow, and I'll see you all next time.