Hey hey, back again! Sorry again for the wait, just been busy travelling around and finally reached back home for Summer vacation! Hopefully should be able to pump out more and longer chapters once I'm properly out of quarantine and testing.

Something big I wanna get out of the way in regards to the last chapter, Reviewers who I've replied to them in regards to this topic should just skip this section since it's a copy and paste. As to why both Ruby and Pyrrha took so much damage, I actually alluded to this in the very first chapter, along with Ruby's fight against Weiss. Aura in the Canon show is... EXTREMELY inconsistent with its rules, not because of flexibility but solely because of bad writing. In this retelling, something I want to establish here since the very beginning is that aura is NOT an absolute defence. If you remember, Ruby broke Torchwick's ribs with one of her kicks on the rooftop fight back in chapter 1. Think about it like this: aura is by all means a 'blanket' that covers and originates from a person's body, or rather a self-knitting chainmail inside out, and this 'layer' offers good protection the stronger it is, naturally (this also includes reinforcing a person's insides to an extent, though not as much if you don't either focus on it or have greater control/mastery). However, a super-concentrated array of attacks or AN attack with high enough force can punch through and overwhelm a specific section of that layer, while leaving the rest of the blanket essentially 'intact'. The hole still closes extremely quickly and the healing process starts rapidly, but it doesn't change the fact that the damage still got through in that specific section, hence why damage can still be done through a person's aura (again, look towards Ruby breaking Torchy's ribs and bruising Weiss' arm). Technically speaking, someone skilled enough can target that 'weak-point' in another instant to do even MORE damage in that specific area. Now you've lost aura not just defending, but also healing the damage as best as it can AND continuing to reinforce the user's body. Aura is still a VERY good to have, it just doesn't make you entirely invincible until it runs out. That's why Ruby (and similar fighters) are so dangerous in this fic: Yang punches you full force and takes a whole chunk of aura away, possibly breaking a few bones in the process. RUBY kicks you full force and her foot goes clean THROUGH. I hope that explanation makes sense!

Another REALLY important thing I want to address is something that I REALLY should have done at the very beginning of the story, and I'll be doing it as soon as the chapter goes up, so listen close. The story was originally meant to be short and relatively simple, but I've honestly found myself enjoying it so much that I've branched out WELL beyond the simple 'What if Ruby could fistfight' route. Hence, there have been a NUMBER of changes to certain characters and to a big extent the LORE of RWBY itself. So... this has become a lot more than a 'What if'. It's almost more like a pseudo/soft rewrite. I know the fandom is... EXTREMELY divided on this opinion, but while RWBY isn't dying per se, it's still not what it once was, nor has it really filled the shoes of what it COULD have been. This story actually started as a project to vent my frustrations about the dumb writing moments of the show, but now I've come to love this fic, and I hope you can stick with me for the ride knowing this.

With that out of the way, I know this chapter is shorter than normal but I hope you enjoy!

Fighting Rose

Chapter 16

Poor start

Ozpin watched the footage closely, tapping his index finger to his mouth. He watched as the two warriors traded blows that they should not have been trading. He saw reckless abandon tinted with deeply ingrained skill. He saw emotions run rampant in a way he'd only seen a handful of times before. For the first time in many years, he was nervous.

"… you've been staring at the footage for a good few minutes now," Glynda said harshly, her face creased in genuine fury, "We're lucky that they both gave into exhaustion at the end. I still cannot fathom why you forced me to let that fight happen."

"Because Glynda," Ozpin stressed, "This is Summer Rose's daughter we're talking about. Have you so easily forgotten the capabilities of what lays within her?"

Glynda suddenly turned pale.

"Y-you don't think…?"

"Mother and daughter, different yet utterly the same," Ozpin said gravely. "She may have lost control of her emotions here, yet I'll ask you one more time: did you see any sign of her eyes acting up? Especially in an abnormal way compared to the others."

"…no." Glynda answered, "No, they… they didn't even flare up in the slightest during that outburst."

"…Really now?" Ozpin asked, the tension suddenly leaving his body. "Not a single flash of light, no auditory ques, no unnatural change to her voice to the point where she outright doesn't sound like herself?"

"No, none at all."

"Huh." Ozpin leaned back in his chair. "…well I suppose then we have nothing to worry about." He barely managed to supress his jump of surprise and Glynda smacked her riding crop onto his desk, her fury back on her face.

"Nothing to worry about!? Ozpin, you threatened to FIRE ME if I either stopped that fight from happening or stepped in too early! Let's not even START on the fact that a brawl like that pushed them to the brink! Especially Ruby!"

"Oh please," He held up a hand as it glowed an emerald green, the simple act making the hair heavy and the gears above his head halt entirely. "I could have healed them whenever necessary, if not stepped in to stop the fight before you could even react. I very much understand the importance of Rose and Nikos, and I would not allow them to be lost in such a way. Not to mention, I was bluffing about firing you."

"…I'm going to strangle you for your foolishness one day," Glynda ground out.

"I'll be back to ruffle your feathers as per usual," Ozpin chuckled. "Now tell me, what is Miss Rose doing right about now?"

"She's… she's been training nonstop ever since her loss to Pyrrha."

"Oh, that's quite good."

"Non-stop," Glynda stressed. "The entire week break was nothing but her training. She barely eats, sleeps far less, and she overworks herself constantly."

"Oh, that's quite bad."

"…You knew she'd do this!" Glynda outright accused.

"Guilty as charged," He sighed. "Glynda, here we have the opportunity of a lifetime to end this conflict. Summer herself proved to be the closest we have EVER come to winning, regardless of us not knowing what became of her. And now here is her own daughter, showing even more martial promise than Summer ever had, along with a drive that, if tempered correctly, can become not just our greatest asset, but our winning shot."

"You make it sound as if we're in the endgame."

"… Not just yet," Ozpin agreed tiredly. "But that time is closing in on us fast, and I can feel this… disturbance. Grimm populations are rising and more dangerous ones are showing up in places they shouldn't. Port had opted to take a quick trip to the lands outside the kingdom. Angelo-types are beginning to roam around Mt. Glenn Glynda, as if they're waiting for something... or someone."

"You… don't think the Harbinger of War is going to wake up so soon, do you?" Glynda asked, worry clear on her face. "Motosega Angelo was relatively friendly towards civilians before the Wyvern attacked him and caused Mt. Glenn's destruction. If that means he's been turned back to Salem's side be it willing or unwilling, and is being awakened now…"

"Like I said, not just yet," He assured. "But it's possible that it'll be quite soon. Five years perhaps? Friendly as he was, the Black Queen would be foolish to lose a weapon as potent as a Harbinger, especially Motosega. Regardless, this presents the perfect opportunity for the strongest members of our newest students to become even stronger. Ruby Rose, Pyrrha Nikos, and Yang Xiao Long."

"Xiao Long?" Glynda raised a brow at that. "She's certainly physically talented and she trains well enough, but it's nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, I'd caution you about her: she seems to be exhibiting traits similar to her mother, granted to a much lesser degree, but the point still stands."

"Perhaps, but… there's something oddly familiar about her…" Ozpin mused, "Something I felt in her mother, yet is far stronger in Yang herself… we shall see what becomes of that. If Ruby Rose cannot see past herself, then it is up to those who she has bonded with to rise to the challenge and have her return to form."

"You're confident Xiao Long can do so?"

"She's the one with the best chance. And if she doesn't, then I suppose I'll have to intervene."

"…But what exactly are you going to do though?" Glynda questioned, still lost.

"Intervene."

"How ominous," She sighed tiredly.

…

"I can't lie, that's… quite intriguing," Weiss said, a bit of amazement in her voice. "Admittedly, I'd always thought that the White Fang tactics were entirely hit and run."

"If it was, don't you think that they would've been as big as they are today? Especially since Sienna started to insist on actual military-style training, a lot of new tactics were put into place depending on the situation. My father may have initially coined the Fang's members to be more of a defence and support force, Sienna and Ad- her protégé," Blake quickly corrected herself, earning a raised brow from Weiss, "Played a big part in its new policies."

"Even I'm not so blind that I don't know who Adam Taurus is," Weiss said wryly, Blake seeming to wilt a bit. "I assume you know him well?"

"…He was my mentor," she admitted, "And my… idol. Well, you've probably guessed that him being in the White Fang, he's something of an idol for all Faunus."

"A charismatic leader of the Vale Branch, an honest believer to the cause, and an immensely terrifying combatant. I've been kept up at night from my father's rants thanks to of some of his exploits. I can't help but wonder if some of them are a little… exaggerated? I mean, entire squads of elite Atlas soldiers? Destroying some of the most advanced combat androids without backup?" She pointed out as politely as possible.

"You'd think so, since stuff that that does wonders for recruitment, but… it's not. It's really not." She was silent for a moment, wringing her fingers. "… You've seen what Ruby can do, and she's only fifteen. In terms of raw aura-manipulation and potential, she's the second most skilled I've ever seen, better than me to be honest. Adam's almost twenty years old, has been practicing with aura since he was a child, and hasn't stopped since. He's… a monster in combat. Everything Ruby can do, he does better, faster, with raw power unlike anything I've ever seen from someone his age."

Her most recent memory of him surfaced, the fight on the train… if it could even be called a fight. He stood proudly in front of the Arachnid Droid, not a scratch on his body as he stared it down. He didn't even bother to draw his blade at first as it opened fire at him, batting the armour-piercing bullets aside with his sheathe alone. The moment it stopped, his aura spiked, the world awash in red as the depths of his soul encompassed the entire battlefield, his hand slowly going to his sheathed sword.

"You are not worthy as my opponent… so now, you are set free!"

"Well, that's… ominous…" Weiss muttered, snapping Blake out of her memory. "… do you think any of us can beat him as we are now?"

"No," Blake answered sharply. "I'm sorry, but unless a Professor was fighting him, he would win without a doubt. I might last the longest because I know how he fights, Ruby may be able to match him skill-to-skill for a time, you can keep him at range, and… and Yang can brawl with him for a while, but he'll still win in the end." Blake's flinch at the mention of Yang was again not missed by Weiss, her eyes narrowing at the sight.

Things between the black and yellow pair had been… estranged since the docks. As nice as Weiss had found her budding companionship with Blake, the fact of the matter was that team RWBY was more fractured than before. At the surface, it seemed that Yang for whatever inane reason still refused to truly trust Blake, constantly eyeing her up as if to find any perceived slights. Weiss though could see the regret and conflict in the blonde's eyes, the uncomfortable realization that her actions had consequences, and Yang clearly had no idea how to deal with that, the poor brute. Arguably the worst thing that befell the team was Ruby's breakdown after her loss to Pyrrha. As… relatively thankful as Weiss was for it to take place right during the break, it still broke her heart to see her young leader reduced to such a state. She was confident in her own diligence when it came to training and studying, but Ruby was taking it to a level that could at minimum be described as insanity, her eyes dull and sunken in from a lack of sleep, her body noticeably thinner yet also more defined and corded. Forgetting to eat meals, training until complete muscular failure, bloodied knuckles and knees that she didn't even let properly heal, overwork to the point of randomly passing out… Ruby herself seemed to be in this maddening trance, her only purpose being to train, train, and train some more.

Yang, naturally, had not been taking well to this. She had been calmer towards at the beginning of Ruby's madness, disturbingly familiar with Ruby's mannerisms before becoming utterly distraught at her sister's depravity. A shiver ran down her back, and she instinctively knew that something had just been broken in their dorm room.

'Wait, how do I know that?' Weiss wondered. '…oh well. The fact of the matter is, none of us can really get to Ruby as she is right now, and the only one who has the best chance is probably Yang. That still doesn't change the fact that Yang herself isn't exactly in the best shape.'

She glanced towards Blake, the Faunus still shifting uncomfortably at the thought of Yang.

'… then… all I need to do is get Yang back to normal, and things should work out from there, right?' She wanted to berate herself for daring to think so simply, to believe that such an inane plan could actually work, and yet… 'Thinking too much and acting on my own… has tended to be my downfall.' She grimaced at the realization that it was her insistence to bring the team out to Vale played a big part as to their current state, guilt coursing through her before she steeled her resolve. 'So be it.'

"Blake?" Weiss started, "I have an idea… but I'm going to need your help."

"… Alright, I'll bite," Blake sighed wryly, "What do you have in mind?"

…

"Haah, haah, haah…"

Her mind was a haze of exhaustion, her entire body drenched in sweat for the third time that day. Or was it the fifth? Maybe the eighth? She couldn't bother herself to remember as she forced more aura to burst from her circuits, her muscles ravaged by the sensations of micro-tearing, rapid healing and auric enhancement all at the same time. Her already overworked heart was forced to pump even harder, her mind entirely focused on her semblance accelerating the speed of her blood-flow as much as her body could safely withstand. Even then, her control wavered, flinching in pain as the capillaries in her nose popped. Again. She stopped and idly wiped her upper lip, her hand coming away with blood and bits of scabbing from old bursts she'd never allowed to fully heal.

'Doesn't matter,' She thought as she stood and put her fists up, shutting her aura away from her wounds to ensure that she didn't heal herself and focusing solely on her muscular enhancement. 'Back to work.'

She could barely feel herself moving, the only consistent sensation being her elbows, knees, legs and fists hitting the reinforced leather. They stung and felt really slick for some reason, but she didn't really care. Right roundhouse, jumping left-knee, chopping right elbow, one attack followed the next in a continuously fierce barrage as if to spite her body's agony and complete exhaustion. The bag, designed with the purpose of withstanding even the strongest hunter's attacks, had multiple and permanent dents in its structure, the black silicate beads infused with gravity-dust created to absorb force spurting out of the largest punctures with every strike landed. She went on for five minutes straight, a hoarse shout of effort as she unleashed a final roundhouse kick into the back before she promptly folded like a lawn-chair. She fell face-first onto the floor, content to just breathe while hearing her heart practically explode over and over in her chest. Having lost all sense of control, she inadvertently allowed her aura to flow from her closed circuits… what little of it was left anyway.

The minuscule 'relief' she received was enough to let her vision return, just enough of her muscles healed to let her roll over onto her back before forcing herself to sit up, making sure not to use her arms and only her abdominals, regardless of the shrieking pain. Silently eyeing herself, she saw her knuckles, shins, elbows and knees raw and bleeding freely.

'Oh. I'm bleeding a lot.'

Her limbs shaking, she grunted as she pulled herself to her feet, almost slipping on the sweat that had pooled onto the floor as she made her way to her bag. She took out the gauze within and wrapped it around her wounds, the white quickly staining red. Ignoring the agony as best as she could, she ensured that her backpack was on before she shakily made her way through the gym. The other students there gave her a wide berth, her violent battle with Pyrrha still clear in their minds. Literally nobody in their right mind was foolish enough not to see the terrifying power she displayed, in tandem with the fact that ever since then, she had been doing nothing but honing it to the point of collapsing multiple times in a day.

She trudged her way out and back towards her dorm room, far too tired to think of much other than what had been repeating in her mind for the past while.

'Need to put more weight behind my strikes. Haven't gained much muscle, but I know that it makes a difference. If I just had more striking power, if I was just a little faster, if I was just a little stronger…' The scar on her stomach started to burn and bile sharply forced itself up her throat, quickly running to a nearby bush and vomiting up whatever was in her stomach. As often as this happened nowadays, it still shocked her just how much it hurt, her legs shaking and head spinning as each heave threatened to make her collapse.

'Huh. There goes breakfast and lunch. Again.' She hummed to herself as she wiped her mouth and continued on her way. 'I'll just eat again, no big deal. Anyway…' She muttered under her breath all the way back, oblivious to the scared looks she was getting from people as they quickly moved out of her way, right up until she reached her dorm.

"Ruby-!" Yang was already there, moving in the moment she saw the bloodied gauze on her limbs.

"Not now Yang," Ruby sighed, letting her bag drop to the floor.

"Ruby, you need to stop," Yang stressed, "You haven't rested at all since…" She paused, carefully choosing her words, "Since the break started."

"So?"

"You gotta…" Yang's eyebrows furrowed as she leaned in and sniffed, her eyes going wide. "Ruby, you've been vomiting."

"… what about it?" Ruby ground out, her frustration quickly reaching a boiling point.

"Oh my God, you've vomited more than once," Yang uttered breathlessly, her face pale and hands shaking. "Ruby, you're working yourself to the point where your body is rejecting food. You need to stop now."

"And you need to fuck off Yang!" Ruby snapped, "I get that you think you're the shit, that you can just barely train and still get away with all the shit that you pull, but I don't have that luxury because I AM NOT STRONG ENOUGH! I've spent enough time fucking around. I swore that I would surpass you and Pyrrha, and I'm not going to take a break until I'm at least at that level. You should know Yang, you can't protect anything without power. I couldn't beat Pyrrha, I couldn't beat the Angelo, and I couldn't protect myself. So just fuck off."

"Ruby, stop." Yang growled, her eyes glowing red as she grabbed Ruby by the back of the neck. Weakened as she was, Ruby just snorted and raised a brow.

"What's wrong? Gonna throw a tantrum again? Or how about you slap me like you slapped Blake, bet that'll turn out great. Now stop bitching and let go of me. I don't want to see your goddamn face right now… go act like Raven somewhere else."

Yang had turned pale again, flinching away as if struck, her lip quivering before she hung her head low as Ruby shakily walked into the bathroom. Ruby tried to ignore the overwhelming waves of hurt and anger and frustration pouring from Yang. She tried to ignore the cry of rage and sorrow and the sound of Yang breaking something. She tried to ignore how her throat locked up and the heat of the tears running down her face at having lashed out at her own sister like that, curling into a ball under the shower and letting the icy water consume her senses.

(TWBY Continued...)

And that's a wrap! Rap? Shwarma? Pretty sure the last one isn't a wrap of any kind, but oh well. Like I said before, actions have CONSEQUENCES. ALL the events of the first part are gonna come to a head in the second season.

The Harbingers that serve 'you know who' are naturally based off the biblical 'Four Horseman', and to kick the start of the second season off, we've got a glimpse into the Horseman of War! The clue's in the Italian name ;D

Also two slightly unrelated things. The Mayweather v. Paul fight was a waste of EVERYONE'S time, and ELDEN RING TRAILER IN THE NEXT FOUR DAYS LEZ GOOOOO.

Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed and peace out!