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Chapter 33: I Bow to No One!
Kurama had called for a recess in order for everyone's nerves to calm down. A wise decision indeed that in hopes to settle down the crowd from the fact Fatalis has emerged for the first time in one thousand years. Even the very few gods that have arrived at the royal palace were at full alert with the revelation of Fatalis before them. Fatalis was feared as a living apocalypse, capable of ending entire pantheons if he so desired. He was quite literally the boogeymen of gods alike, so it boggled them why he entered such a minor tournament set up in celebration of a young Yokai's birthday.
The real reason for Fatalis's emergence was the rise of a new dragon of tremendous power, Ruby Rose. The Red Dragon Empress had retreated from the attention of the crowd and seclude herself. If any of them were to see her, it wasn't the strong, proud dragon that entered the arena in the first match. Instead hiding behind a wall was a girl shaking like a leaf, her emerald-encased silver eyes dilated from the fear coursing through her. Every time she blinked, Ruby found those crimson orbs of Fatalis leering down on her, judging her worth. That look struck terror at her heart, and her clawed hands dug into the wall she leaned back into in an attempt to stop her body from shaking.
The dragon part of Ruby was loathing herself for succumbing to what it felt was a weakness long ago. Even now, Ruby felt her veins of her temples bulge from the growing fury at her fear. Yet it hardly overcame the fear every time she was reminded of those damn eyes of Fatalis. She believed herself to be so pathetic to be reduced to such a state by one look from one dragon, but Ddraig assured that was not the case.
[It's not your fault, Ruby.] Ddraig explained calmly. [All dragons are born with an instinctual fear of Fatalis. He is both a progenitor of our kind and one of the most powerful out there that dragons must bow before him or flee in terror. Even myself in my younger days succumbed to him, and that was because he emerged because of my growing power. He knew I and Albion would soon surpass him, but he wanted to fear him enough to be kept under his claw. Fatalis is a cruel beast, taking pleasure from the terror that he inflicts on those lesser than him.]
"Is there any way to stop... this?" Ruby responded, careful to not project her fear through her thoughts.
Ddraig deilvered a sigh. [Poor hatchling. It is not as simple as that. I was able to overcome by becoming who I am to this day as the Heavenly Dragon of Domination. Yet even then, Fatalis had already done his work on me and I still fear him to this day. But you Ruby - there is no escaping from this. Even without me, you are strong, Ruby Rose. You, who have lived in a span of fewer than two decades that most would consider a practical infant, managed to muster your own power to equal the Dragon Kings. I am proud to tell you that, but I'm afraid to say that you are not strong enough to resist Fatalis. That is why he is here for you. He knows you are young, younger than you rightfully should be with the strength you hold and he is here to make you fear and submit to him. Fatalis does not take direct challenges well.]
With each word Ddraig spoke, Ruby felt her knees buckling till they almost gave out. Her back slid down the wall until her clawed fingers grasped to anchor herself in place. Ruby's breathing turned into hyperventilating as the feast sunk her chest.
"What do I do?" Ruby begged, not able to hide the whimper in her voice.
[At this point, it is no longer a matter of winning or losing.] Ddraig advised. [Fatalis himself has come for you to see where you stand in his pecking order. You can either face this head-on or run from it. The choice is yours to make.]
Ruby gasped outwardly that Ddraig would ever suggest fleeing, and in effect split her mind in two. From the choices of fighting or fleeing, pride and fear warred within Ruby for victory in the course of action. She wanted to flee from that menace, but her pride as a powerful dragon wouldn't allow that. So Ruby wanted to fight Fatalis, but her fear was screaming at her to run as far as she can.
"Hey, Rubes, whatcha doing here?!" Barged in a wild Yang as the blonde bombshell peeked her head from the left.
The sudden intrusion from her sister sent Ruby's body in a flight-or-fight response, and it wasn't any better with her the whirl of emotions she had succumbed to. Her hands drew out claws of a dragon, which then swiped through the wall she was leaning on as Ruby turned around to face the would-be intruder. Yang widened her eyes at the incoming right hook Ruby was sending. She could hardly blink her eyes in time before it would make an impact, but Ruby came to her senses in time to stop her fist just inches from Yang's face. A shockwave reverberated out from the power in the punch that was suddenly stopped from making contact and as a result blew a gust around them.
"Y-Yang!?" Ruby exclaimed, her eyes widening in horror at what she had almost done. "I-I-I'm so, so s-sorry, Yang. Oh fuck, I didn't mean to hurt you. Shit, shit, shit. L-Look, I'm just not feeling well and-"
"Ruby!" Yang cried, grabbing her cousin by blood yet sister by spirit at her shoulders. "Damn, Ruby, no need to freak out. It was just an accident that didn't even happen."
"Y-Yeah." Ruby answered, but her voice was shaky at best.
Yang was silent to take a good look at her sister, and she didn't need to go deeper to know something wasn't right with her sister. The frantic darting of her eyes, the tension in her shoulders, and her fidgety movements pointed to one possibility. She's seen fear from her sister from time to time, but never did Yang imagine witnessing terror as clear as day from Ruby. Not since that day when little Ruby was being pulled in a cart after Mom's death.
"You're not right." Yang said with squinted. "You're definitely not right. Did that guy mess you up that much?"
"I-It's nothing, Yang." Ruby exclaimed, latching onto her right forearm to stop it from shaking. "It's nothing."
"Yeah, and my hair is pink." Yang said in sarcasm, but her expression softened. "Ruby, I get what this is. You're scared. In fact, I haven't seen you this terrified in a long time. You've always put on a brave front, but you don't have to hide anything from me. I'm here for you always."
"...What do I do, Yang?" Ruby murmured, her eyes locked onto her shaking hands. "I feel if I go out there, I... I..."
"Hey, easy there, Ruby." Yang interrupted, softly holding Ruby's chin to turn her gaze towards the blonde's own. "You know what? Don't even say anything. Just listen to my voice and maybe - hopefully - that'll help. I wouldn't be a good big sister if I didn't at least try, right?"
A dry chuckle tried to escape Ruby's throat, but it came out so brokenly that it wasn't even recognized as a laugh. Yang looked to her sister with greater concern and took a moment to compose herself. A breath later had Yang change her expression to a soft facade that Ruby recognized growing up. The one only meant for her as Yang's precious little sister.
"I guess I can say is... it's normal to be afraid." Yang said with careful thought. "After all this time, I think it's one of the only things you never picked up. you pretty much focused yourself on getting as badass as you are today, but not any of the finer things as Dad would say. No matter how strong you are or how confident you are, you are never without fear. Because it's always there in the back of your head. Maybe you can ignore it but it's never gone.
"And sometimes we can't ignore it, like what's happening to you. You're terrified I get it, and it's okay to be that. But trying to ignore that fear isn't going to help. You can't push it down because that's not being brave. Having courage is accepting that you have that fear and still pushing through. I mean, take myself for example. Even with how awesome I am, I still have that fear. In every fight I come into, there is always a doubt that says, 'This is where I might die.' I don't ignore it, but I don't let it get to me. I know it's there, but it's not gonna stop me because if I just, ya know, quit then I don't know if I would have actually made it through. You with me so far."
Ruby gave a small nod to let Yang continue. "If you're not convinced yet, then think of Mom. Our Mom, Summer Rose."
Now that perked up Ruby by the widening of her eyes, and if she could her ears would have flapped. Whenever her mother was brought up it resonated with something deep within the Red Dragon Empress. Ruby's love of her mother is mostly responsible for who is Ruby Rose to this day all the way to the drive that has made her as strong as she is today. To say it was a heavy topic to mention Ruby's mother around the Rose Dragon Empress was putting it very lightly.
"Think of the times she had to go on the hunt for Grimm." Yang spoke, her gaze aimless for a moment as loving memories came up. "She was one of the best, but even she had fear too. And that fear grew when Mom had to look after me and grew further when she had you. That not only could she die on any hunt she goes but also leaves behind the ones she loves most of all. Yet Mom still went on those hunts. She still fought Grimm hordes and even ancient monsters that could tower over her. She still went onto those hunts because if she didn't it would mean more people would get hurt. A regret that would too heavy to carry. Mom kept fighting to the end, even... even on the one that meant her last. Because she faced that fear and the possibility that came with it head-on and with no regrets."
As those words processed through Ruby's mind, it brought a sudden clarity. For a moment, the fear was put aside to a realization that left Ruby horribly awful. Was that how it had always been to those who looked upon her? This fearless, unremorseful person was unreachable to others. The persona Ruby tried to live up to with the power she was given as the incarnation of domination. A persona Ruby hoped honored her mother. To be undaunting, unwavering, heroic - everything that Ruby saw was Summer Rose.
But take all that fearlessness and bravado to live up to the legacy of the Heavenly Dragon of Domination, there was only the girl that misses her mother. A daughter whose mother was taken away too soon and has dedicated her life to make her mother proud in a way to hold onto the bare memories she has.
Ruby knew that Yang was right. Even with all the power Ruby had mustered, what did mean if she was too terrified to go into the fight of her life? It was the fact her mother was human and still faced Remnant's monsters with fear yet without regret. Even now her mother was more powerful in death. Indeed Ruby was powerful herself, leagues beyond what human or Faunas could achieve in Remnant with the immortal body of a dragon, yet as inhuman as she was deep down Ruby still possessed the soul of a human.
The spirit of the human was unlike any other entity in its capacity to grow stronger through endurance. That same spirit gave Ruby the resolve to push the boundaries of the power her body was gifted to higher levels. If she were a naturally born dragon, Ruby would never be as strong as she was today because she would not have the drive humanity, Boosted Gear or otherwise. It is that same drive that allows humans to face impossible odds and find courage from fear. And Summer Rose exemplified those qualities of humanity that made Ruby hold her mother on such a high pedestal.
'What would you do if you faced Fatalis?' Ruby thought imagining her mother alive right now. 'You would probably try to turn him into dragon stew for what he did to me, wouldn't you Mom?'
"Ah, what the heck am I saying?" Yang exclaimed, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment. "I'm not good with this stuff, am I. All of that probably sucked anyway. Sorry if I-"
"Yang," Ruby interrupted, getting Yang's attention to see the smile on the taller woman's face instead of the frantic terror, "thanks... I really needed that."
"Really?" Yang said, blinking for a few moments before putting on bravado. "I mean, yeah. It's nothing really. A pep talk is just another job for your big sister."
Ruby rolled her eyes. "Yang, you are about to be demoted to lame sister if you don't stop yourself."
"Oh no!" Yang cried in fake drama, complete with the back of her palm pressed to her forehead. "Oh, woe is me. Please have mercy on this poor soul. Please don't put the title of lame sister upon myself."
A silence descended between the two cousins yet sisters by spirit. For a few seconds, Ruby and Yang stared back at each other with none of their expressions betraying what lay underneath. Then it started with the noticeable quiver of their lips and the next moment the two were laughing out loud. They had to lend a hand to support the other by their shoulder to keep them falling off until the sisters managed to gain their wits a few seconds later.
"So did you figure out what you are going to do?" Yang asked, hiding her worry.
"After all this, I think I'll just wing." Ruby answered. "Might not win, but I'll leave my mark if I have anything to say about it."
"If that's what you want." Yang relented. "I'll support you the whole way. Just be careful alright."
Ruby scoffed. "Yang, I'm going to fight a dragon. There is no being careful."
Instead of the near quivering wreck Ruby was moments before, the Red Dragon Empress stood tall and proud. A new resolve lit up in the silver within her eyes, and she turned around flaring her red hood to make her way back to the arena. Here she shall make her stand as Fatalis and may even lose this fight, but she won't give the Elder Dragon the satisfaction. He came here to face another of his kind to quail under his authority but Ruby will face Fatalis as a human in a dragon's stead.
(Later)
"Are you sure about this?" Asked Kurama, sparing Ruby a sideways glance where she stood at his side just below the platform the Otsutsuki sat.
Kurama had recalled the recess to resume the tournament on behalf of Ruby, despite his own apprehensions. Meaning he was going to put a family friend in the practical pits against one of the world's most feared entities. He knew full well the effect Fatalis had on other dragons and had even seen the terror that was inflicted on Ruby's face. When Ruby returned to him, he had half a mind to cancel the tournament. Yet he did not find the fear that plagued her and found a new resolve glowing in the silver of her eyes.
"Yeah." Ruby answered flatly. "Yeah, I'm sure."
Her eyes focused on the arena floor where there stood the ancient dragon in the barely conceived humanoid form. Fully crimson eyes were locked on her, yet they were narrowed dangerously upon the Red Dragon Empress. It did not take a genius to tell that Fatalis was quite displeased to not have Ruby quivering under his gaze like before, and he was going to make sure to pay for it in this match. Ruby herself was prepared to face that sort of wrath.
"Alright." Kurama said. "Just don't die on me, okay?"
"I don't plan on dying for the next million years." Ruby snarked back.
"If that is all." Kurama concluded, standing up to his full height and butting the end of his staff loud enough to get the attention of the crowd. "Attention all those in attendance. The semifinals of the tournament shall commence with the first match between Ruby Rose and Fatalis."
There was none of the applause or roaring cheers from the earlier matches. Only the nervous murmurs on the fight itself and most of the words spoken did not speak well of Ruby's victory. She heard them well enough but paid them no heed as she made her way to the arena floor. Before she took her first step into the arena, Ruby felt a tugging at her left calf. Looking down, her eyes widened at the familiar bundle of golden hair and tails of Kunou. Even when her head was dipped, Ruby could see the glimmer of the young Yokai's golden eyes caused by growing tears.
"Kunou, go back to your father." Ruby said, trying to keep her voice from being too stern. "You can't stop me."
"Onee-chan..." Kunou muttered, making Ruby's expression soften, "please be careful."
A light titter escaped Ruby's lips and she proceeded to ruffle the top of Kunou's head in a playful manner. The action caused Kunou to look up to meet with the dragon's own green eyes encasing silver pupils.
"Don't worry your pretty little head." Ruby said. "I'll be fine. Now get back to your dad before he gets a bit uppity."
Kunou squirmed in place a little as if her body could not decide to go back to her family or continue to cling onto Ruby's leg in some vain attempt to stop her. It was only assuring gaze in Ruby's eyes that allowed Kunou to make the decision of letting go of her leg and returning to her family, where she was then snuggled into the tails of her family wrapping around her protectively.
"Well, let's face the music." Ruby muttered under her breath, stepping into the arena.
[If I know as much as I believe I do, then I know you won't be using my power.] Ddraig said. [Tis expected really. You're a dragon through and through yet tempered by your human spirit. It makes you incredibly hardheaded even to my standards. All I can do is give you the advice to come out of this hopefully with all of your limbs intact.]
Ruby took a steady breath and had the last step into the arena. As soon as all two of her feet were across, black kanji of eastern arts wrote themselves on the perimeter and glowed to life to indicate the activation of the barrier. It was sealing arts similar to the formal craft that belonged to mages and devils, and Ruby was sure in its defense since it is powered by Kurama's chakra directly. While it kept the spectators safe, it basically left Ruby trapped with the most vicious of beasts.
That monster had those pools of crimson trained on her. Fatalis' humanoid body was barely so, more like a miniature version of his true form. White scales glistened in the light of his own power radiating off of him. It shook through the air and Ruby could feel it vibrating off her own skin. Yet the worst was the glare from his eyes that demanded Ruby shake in fear of him in reverence. Ruby almost gave in, feeling her inner dragon wailing in terror, but instead Ruby held on the idea of her mother at the forefront of her mind. She pushed down the dragon within her, which in effect receded any dragon-like appearances on her person. When she returned her gaze to Fatalis, it was a human that faced a dragon instead.
[So I see.] Ddraig spoke, and Ruby could feel the smirk he was making. [Yes, that is right. While your body is that of a dragon, at your very soul you are still a human. Despite how weak and mortal humanity is, in the end, they are the ones with the courage to face odds insurmountable. How else could your people have the audacity to actively hunt my kind? However, it seemed to have only irritated Fatalis more.]
"Then I'm doing something right." Ruby replied.
Indeed, Ruby's defiance seemed to have hit a nerve on the old dragon. He raised his neck, emphasizing how wrong his try at a smaller form was when the neck lifted to nearly twice as tall as Ruby. Steam hissed out of his nostrils hot enough that Ruby felt the heat from where she stood. The intense glare was lessened to usher in a new confrontational look for battle.
"Mal kril mey." Rumbled Fatalis in the ancient tongue of dragons, the words themselves causing an indescribable shake in the air. "Hi fen qiilaan mulhaan. Nunon faaz saraan fah hi."
Ruby said nothing but returned a glare of her own at Fatalis. The ancient dragon literally slid into a stance if one could call it that. His rags of cloth barely held onto his form as it slithered ready for battle with his tail whipping forward from his left flank and his claws raking marks into the floor. His small opposition got ready herself, slipping her body into a steady stance with her feet spread apart for a more defensive foundation while one foot stepped forward to bend the knee in order to leap at any given moment.
The spectators were left in a very tense silence watching the two dragons size each other up. To most, they already had their minds on Fatalis's victory over Ruby. The only speculation brought up was how that victory would come about, and none of the predictions were to the faint of heart. Kurama stared between Ruby and Fatalia, his gnawing gripe with his student in danger causing him to grip his staff tighter. In the end, he could only put his trust in Ruby to make kt out of this.
"Are both fighters ready?" Kurama announced. "Hajime!"
Kurama barely got the word out when the battle started with a loud crack of thunder. Ruby's first move was her quickest sidestep off to the left to avoid the red bolt smiting down on her previous location. Her peripheral vision was filled with bright crimson and more so Ruby felt the heat on her skin. She had not touched the ground before Ddraig's voice bellowed in her head.
[Whatever you do Ruby, do not let his lightning strike you.] Ddraig warned. [A single graze from his power will mean your defeat.]
"Couldn't you have told me this before I stepped in this mess!?" Ruby bit back heatedly.
No further mental conversation could take place when Ruby had to dodge again and again. It took pushing her Semblance to the limit making her teeth grit in exertion just to avoid them from touching her. Yet the entire time Fatalis had not moved away from his spot and the only movements he gave were the sways of his head locked onto Ruby's form. Power continued to crackle off his body like a steady stream into the air itself, making all space his domain to unleash his power.
Ruby did not plan to simply dodge the entire match; she promised to leave her mark. As she continued to dodge out of the continuous rain of lightning bolts, Ruby concentrated on surging fire within her lungs. It wasn't until her crimson flames were licking between her lips. Her next dodge from another bolt came in the form of the Red Dragon Empress leaping into the air high enough to look down at Fatalis. To any observer, it was a fatal mistake that left Ruby open to a bolt to smite her down, but all she needed to do was attack before that could happen. So as Ruby angled her head down, her cheeks puffed with red fire to be unleashed.
"Rose Dragon Roar!"
Her voice echoed like a dragon's call followed by the roar of crimson flames so bright the spectators had to wince from the light, and so powerful were the flames the force itself kept Ruby aloft in the air. The breath of flames fully encompassed Fatalis's form from sight. Ruby was not done as she canceled her flames to put herself into a fall aimed at Fatalis. She then began to spin in midair till she was straight with her left foot raised above her head engulfed in her rose-colored flames.
"Rose Dragon's Talon!"
Her flaming foot careened through the air sending a blazing trail of red fire reminiscent of a dragon's clawing talon to then smash her heel down where Ruby knew was Fatalis's head like a hammer. On impact, her heel thundered like a crashing rocket while flames fanned out to every side of the arena. The force dissipated the flames away to reveal only the harrowing sight of Ruby's heel stuck on Fatalis's head, who had not even budged. There wasn't even a dent in the very scale she smashed her foot on.
It was too late to move away when Fatalis simply flexed and Ruby felt herself being hurled away towards the edge of the arena. A quick burst of fire from her leg shot her towards the ground and her fingers clawed into the floor to anchor herself down. She wasn't given time to take a breath when she had to frantically flee from another series of lightning strikes. All the spectators could see was only the blitzing smear of a speeding Ruby with a rain of red bolts following in her step while Fatalis still stood in the same exact spot.
"Hey so can any of you actually track Ruby?" Jaune asked, more than a bit meek at the display of power he could literally almost taste.
"Nope." Weiss answered promptly, her gaze listless as her mind tried to comprehend the battle that was happening before her. "I don't think I will ever get used to this."
"This is awesome!" Nora and Yang cried in unison, their eyes reflecting off the red flashes of Fatalis's dragon lightning.
Meanwhile, Ruby was gritting her teeth in frustration, wanting to get somewhere against Fatalis. Deciding to up the amptee, Ruby switched from her red flames to her own personal creation of crimson lightning. As crimson embers escaping her lips were replaced by crackles of red electricity, it was the first time Fatalis took pause and his solid crimson eyes widened.
"Thunder Dragon's Final Annihilation."
A literal tidal wave of red plasma was practically blasted upon Fatalis at point-blank range. The breath was so bright that everyone had to avert their eyes from the light lest their eyes burn out of their sockets. It continued on to the edge of the arena only to be halted by Kurama's barrier flaring to life where the plasma could only climb up till it dissipated.
Yet again it revealed the ancient dragon unscathed if only the slight smoke coming off his unblemished scales. But now there was new look in his eyes, one that made everyone take careful steps back. His brows were fervently furrowed and his already solid crimson eyes were giving an intense neon glow. He then gave a tremendous roar threatening to get Ruby off her feet.
[Ah, using red lightning.] Ddraig surmised. [That's a sure way to get him pissed off.]
"MEY!" Fatalis bellowed in outrage. "HI YAH WAH FIK DII QO AHRK KOD NAU ZU'U!? PAHLOK LIR! MINDOK HIN GOLT AHRK AUS!"
Ruby was given no time for thought when Fatalis's body crackled with so much power his chest gave a red glow. From his maw, he unleashed a wave of red lightning similar to Ruby's, but the two could not compare. Where Ruby's lightning was plasma fueled by magic to the absolute most intense, Fatalis lightning was pure dragon energy unleashed into literal bolts of power. It was so sudden and fast Ruby fell down to all fours to avoid the blast that would have nailed her head. Then rolled when Fatalis aimed his head down upon her.
A burst of explosive fire from Ruby's palms launched her away to a safer distance. It was just enough time for Ruby to get back to her feet before Fatalis's dragon lightning was upon her yet again. She jumped over and unveiled her wings to finding evasion to be easier in the air. Ruby twirled, flipped, and rolled to avoid getting even a small scratch of Fatalis's dreaded lightning.
Ruby did not want to stay in this pattern. She didn't want to just attack; she wanted to inflict damage on the Elder Dragon. This time, Ruby did not summon flames or lightning to her beck and call. When she turned down to gaze back at Fatalis, she merely spoke.
"YOL TOOR SHOL!"
Upon the words of dragon tongue, Ruby unleashed a wave of fire in its bright orange brilliance. She did not breathe the flames but rather the words she spoke forced reality in making the column of flames burn the entity below her. It was this attack brought on by the shout of dragons did Ruby finally hear Fatalis give a whine to something. For a split second, Ruby lost concentration into savoring the thought of actually wounding the Elder Dragon.
It would cost her too dearly when Fatalis's lightning breath shot through the flames. She tried to move out of the way once she saw the flash of red, but she was too slow. Ruby gave a cry of pain when she felt the lightning breath sear through the webbing of her left wing leaving a scorched hole. Unable to keep afloat in the air, Ruby flailed through the air till she crashed back to earth quite roughly. Right in front of Fatalis no less as his head leered down at her prone figure.
From the sidelines, Kunou had given a sharp squeak of fear and hid her face in the tails of her mother the moment she saw Ruby struck down. RWBY stood in varying states of shock and disbelief, more so Yang who was stricken with horror. Sieg and Jeanne bit their lips in worry at Ruby's condition as their eyes trailed to the hole in her wing.
Yet, even with the injury and the great dragon staring down at her, Ruby mustered up the strength to get to her feet. Her legs were shaky but miraculously held their weight. She lifted her head up to stare back at Fatalis and made a sly smile.
"That your best shot." Ruby taunted. "I can do this all day."
In response, the dragon's lips curled ever so slightly into a sadistic word. He spoke only one word to render Ruby's resistance moot.
"Qilaan!"
With that word, Ruby knew only pain. She couldn't even hear her own pained screams as that very pained caused her head to ring. From the outside perspective, Ruby's body was violently releasing red lightning that matched that of Fatalis. It stopped a few seconds later, leaving Ruby's body smoking but she dared not bend the knee.
As soon as Fatalis uttered that word, she understood the context behind it. The word was for 'Bow', a very simplified translation for what was essentially a demand to Ruby to submit. It also clicked in Ruby's head why Ddraig warned her about not getting hit by Fatalis's lightning. There was a poison-like effect where his energy lingered in her body, ready to be unleashed at his command to torture Ruby until she submitted or died.
"Qilaan!"
Again he uttered the word and the pain returned tenfold. The lightning lashing out of her body more violently; they were melting the ground where they struck. A horrid burnt smell was starting to hang in the air, and Ruby's impressive constitution was failing with the sight of black burns on her skin. Her footing stumbled, but she still Ruby righted herself.
[...Ruby stop!] Ddraig cried. [That's it. You're done! You can't continue like this! He doesn't want to win! He wants you to surrender! He will torture you until you are ashes!]
But Ruby did not bow before Fatalis. Instead, she gazed back at the Elder Dragon with her eyes giving a sharp emerald glow. They showed her willingness to not back down, and it only caused Fatalis to growl in fury.
"QILAAN!"
Unimaginable pain coursed through every part of her body. It felt as if her insides were boiling while she was burning on the outside as well. It went further than the last two and went on still without stopping. Soon the world was turning into white noise then followed by her vision blurring into nothingness. Vaguely, she heard the cries from Yang and Kunou calling out to her, but to what they were saying it was impossible to know.
Was she going to die here?
...
Guess she won't have that fight with Vali. It would have been... amazing.
It's getting cold.
...
Ba-thump.
What was she doing?! She made a promise, didn't she!? Was she giving up just like this?
Was she leaving them just like... like...
All of the joy that I had known all my life. Gone in an instant.
Like Mom. She made a promise, didn't she?
Ba-Thump.
Memories buzzed in her mind. Too early to be clear, but just enough to be considered her first. She was in bed when she heard the news. You were gone. I was wide awake. I felt they had to be wrong. You couldn't leave me, Mom. You promised to come back.
BA-THUMP!
How could you leave me when you swore you would stay!?
How could she leave everyone when she promised to stay!? She can't die here. She must not die here! She has to get back to them. Back to Yang, Kunou, Blake, Weiss... and Vali. To prevent their lives from turning into the same nightmare she had. She had to live!
Live.
Ba-Thump.
Live!
Ba-Thump!
LIVE!
From the haze of her mind, from the depths of her very soul slept the Red Dragon. Trapped in the black void that was the Sacred Gear, he was blind to the world outside. Left with the only lamentation and regret of not being able to save his own host. Yet his attention was directed when his emerald eyes picked up a white blip. It was so small, yet in this expanse of black that was his prison within in the Boosted Gear it may as well be the sun right in front of him.
It started out small upon the 'floor' of the expanse, like a fresh sprout breaching the dirt. That soon grew exponentially with the calling of the soul this light belonged to. Cracks appeared in all manner of space from the floor to the sides and even to the sky above like broken glass all glowing that brilliant white light. Ddraig jumped up in alarm when his senses were being overwhelmed by what he sensed from this power. He knew this power; it was the very same born within his host buried under in favor of using the Boosted Gear.
Yet now it has emerged, and it was different from before. Ruby's unique power as Ddraig remembered had a potent holy feel similar to an angel. Now it was far more potent than before that Ddraig felt he was in the presence of a divine. This light was seeping into every pore of Ruby's soul to her very body, mixing together to become a sole part of her. It was all becoming too much that Ddraig had no idea what was about to happen even as that was black became naught within the white.
"What the shiiit-" Ddraig cried as the light of the divine flooded over him.
For Ruby's soul proclaimed: Let there be light. And the light answered in fervor.
In the real world, the unimaginable happened. For one second, everyone was watching the scene of Ruby tortured by Fatalis as dragon lightning erupted from her body along with her screams of agony. Then the next, everyone was blinded when Ruby practically exploded in the purest white light. All had to avert their eyes from the sight, all except Fatalis who was in stunned silence when he felt his dragon lightning simply dissipate. Sirzechs, Grayfia, and Millicas as the only devils present felt a sharp sting on upon their sting, causing the Super Devil to release a small amount of his enormous demonic power to shield his wife and son from more harmful effects. There was a new feeling in the air and the source belonged to where Ruby stood.
(Cue "Immigrant Song")
The light did not simply dim away, but more as if it sucked back into one singularity like a drain in a tub of water. At the source, the light congregated around Ruby's form, condensing into a solid aura around her body healed of all of her injuries. Where the was a white glow, this aura also had a lustrous gold corona to it sticking to her skin. Golden lightning sparked across her form, and her hair was a more vivid shade of red like roses than the red-tipped burgundy she usually had.
Her eyes opened, and Yang gave gasp where she studied them. White light seemed to burn from her eyes protruding out to either side of her head. But if one looked closely, they would notice that she no longer possessed emerald eyes. For the first time, Yang could weep at the sight of silver eyes, the very same possessed by the mother they loved. Yang thought those eyes were lost forever, the last reminder of the woman that was Summer Rose.
However, the members of the supernatural had a different, more profound reaction to Ruby's new transformation. It wasn't in the appearance, but the aura Ruby was generating. An aura so impossible that it made Sirzechs and Kurama sit up straight in shock, and Odin's face took on a more serious expression as his lone eye gave a curious glint. For Ruby was doing the impossible of producing both dragon and god energies at the same time; two powers that have no room in ever mixing with each other.
"I..." Ruby spoke under her breath, yet all could hear it as she took a step that made lightning burst off her form, "bow to NO ONE!"
The statement was exemplified as her body became a literal storm of golden lightning crackling off her body. Fatalis at this point was shaking in rage. His body grew in size as he disengaged his "humanoid" form till he was of a size adequate to swallow Ruby whole. Instead of blasting a breath, Fatalis took the charge forwards intent on swallowing the defiler whole. In response, Ruby met the charge and leaped towards Fatalis's head with her fist cocked back. Her jump managed to place her under Fatalis's jaw where she sent her fist into an uppercut. Upon impact, her fist made a thundering crash with golden lightning exploding on contact that Fatalis was blown back while the surrounding arena was made into a large crater.
The Elder Dragon was felled onto his back and when he rose his head there was the mark Ruby promised. For where her fist made contact, Fatalis's chin now sported a bleeding wound all the way to where his head met the neck. Even when his scales heal, a scar shall remain as a constant reminder of what Ruby did to him.
Fury could not describe the look in Fatalis's eyes, and he brought the full might of his crimson lightning. Pure dragon energy crackled from his body into the sky, where they darkened the sky in newly formed thunderclouds over the palace. His spines and chest lit up crimson and the back of his maw glowed red. In return, Ruby arched her back as her spines visibly glowed gold along with a growing hum of energy. Simultaneously, Ruby and Fatalis released their breaths of lightning where then golden white and bloody crimson met in a tremendous beam clash.
Everyone could feel the raw power washing out from the struggle that the spectators had to brace themselves from flying off. Tables and chairs were flying away and crashing into the walls of the palace. Even Kurama's barrier was struggling to maintain itself under the pressure of what were two God-class entities clashing together with all their might.
Neither opponent seem to gain any lead upon the other - that is until Fatalis gave a heave and put his true all into his breath. His breath widened with greater strength and won the struggle instantly. As such Ruby was blasted by Fatalis's dragon lightning, practically consumed by it. It didn't stop there as the beam carried her to the edge of the arena and smashed her right through the barrier. As Fatalis was facing away from the main palace, his breath went past the walls to where his dragon breathing blasted into the lands farther out, where Ruby was at the end of it.
"Oh my gods." Mumbled Weiss.
Fatalis was not sated and he unveiled his wings to take chase to Ruby. Before he could beat his wings, his vision was met with the piercing glare of crimson eyes with tomoe spinning around. Black rods then descended down, taking the shape of clamps at the last minute to pin Fatalis's limbs and wings to the ground. A foot stomped on his snout to keep the dragon closer to the floor and force his eyes to look up to an ominous Kurama.
"You've already won, Fatalis." Kurama growled, his nine tails waving ominously behind him. "She is no longer your concern. So I suggest you behave in my festivities, or would you rather have to deal with me?"
Fatalis was not cowed by the Shin Yokai. He growled as any irate dragon would, but he made no move against him either. The girl shall live for now... if she wasn't dead from his last attack.
"Don't worry about Ruby." A voice suddenly spoke in the ears of RWBY. "I'll take you to here right now."
So suddenly did Kurama disappear, and before Yang could process it a furry appendage had wrapped herself and her friends in the Kyuubi's embrace. Her vision swam for a moment, and her eyes took in a dramatically new sight of a recently destroyed forest. Trees had not just been torn down, but burnt to crisps. And not too far from all that destruction, there Yang found Ruby laying down in a crater of black ash. Her clothes were a mess of burns and tears, but the worst were the black burns sporting Ruby's right shoulder where Fatalis's lightning made contact.
Yang stood there in shock until she heard a slight groan from Ruby's lips. She didn't even need to think to run up to her sister and kneel down to her level. Carefully yet frantically Yang slid her hand behind Ruby's back to gently prop her up.
"Ruby!" Yang cried. "C'mon speak to me! Please be fine! Please say something that I know you're fine."
Shakingly, Ruby's eyelids managed to open to the sight of her sister looking down at her with a horribly worried expression. Shining silver eyes took a second to look at Yang till Ruby's lips stretched out into a faint smile reminding Yang of a certain drunk uncle.
"Heh heh, I showed him." That was all Ruby said before her dropped back limply and her mind fell into unconsciousness.
This is probably the longest chapter I ever had for Rose Dragon Empress. There was simply too much in this one that I wanted to get done before anything else. I wanted to make it special because not only was it Ruby facing an opponent she can't beat, but the reveal of a new form. Just how did this come about? All answers shall come in time.
Why is it that this took so long? A major reason is that that I have a new job. Simple as that, yet that alone explains so much as to why I have even less time to work on fanfiction. Don't expect updates from now on to be soon.
Up next is Chapter 34: Black Blade and White Dragon
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