RWBY: Avenge Me
Chapter 1:
If It was me who Fell
"Penny Polendina and Pyrrha Nikos. I didn't know them long, but they were some of the bravest people I ever met. But that didn't save them. When Beacon fell, they were killed by Salem's forces. I am scared, but I can't quit fighting. I have to fight for them because I know, if it were me who fell at Beacon, they would do the same for me." – Ruby Rose
Ruby's words, many times over, had been the spark that ignited the hopes of everyone around her. Little did she know at the time she comforted Oscar's fears with what if's was that sometimes our imaginations are what birth endless possibilities, different paths in life, alternate realities even. This is the story of one such reality.
1 Year Ago…..
"Weiss Please! You guys gotta save Pyrrha!" Jaune cried through the scroll. He just informed her that Cinder Fall had engaged Pyrrha At the top of CCT In a death match. He was out of aura and couldn't hope to save her. His only hope was to call his friends for backup.
"Don't worry Jaune! We'll bring her back, I promise!" Ruby yelled with confidence as she grabbed Weiss's scroll before hanging up. She looked up and eyed the massive CCT Tower, Almost getting dizzy, seeing how high it was. She turned to her partner Weiss, who rolled her eyes in exasperation, already guessing what she wanted.
"I have a plan!" Ruby said with a grin. Weiss couldn't help but form her own.
"You always do!" Weiss yelled confidently as she waved her Myrtenaster and formed several white glyphs alongside the tower, forming a straight line to the top.
"Thanks Bestie!" Ruby said with glee.
"You can do this partner." Weiss said firmly with a smile. In a flash, Ruby jumped on each glyph, increasing her speed as she darted up the tower.
"I'll save her Jaune! I promise!" Ruby thought to herself.
Meanwhile, Pyrrha winced as she clasped her aching knee. Blood was dripping down from the arrow lodged within it. It felt like it was melting from the burning sensation of the spike imbedded in it, making it impossible for her to run. She wished she could do so as she saw Cinder walk towards her with a cocky grin, brandishing her bow in her hands.
"So the "invincible girl" finally lost one huh? Shouldn't be surprised." Cinder gloated. Pyrrha grit her teeth as she heard that. Many times over she had heard complaints from those she beaten in matches, calling her that. She couldn't help but feel a bit of pride at times at those sore losers declarations; they were testaments to her strength. Her power was something she felt truly did make her invincible at times, but now as she eyed her attacker, the instigator to the chaos her school was plagued with on this blood moon night, Pyrrha couldn't help but chide herself for her cockiness. It was about to get her killed. Her only comforts being Jaune wasn't and that menacing Dragon Grimm Cinder summoned to get the drop on her earlier wouldn't make her its next meal.
"You might have been able to have that title forever if you got my powers first. It's unfortunate you were promised it, even when you didn't deserve it." Cinder mockingly said as she used her bow to lift Pyrrha's chin up, looking her straight in they eyes with a gleeful yet murderous gaze. "Just take comfort in knowing that I will use it in ways you could never imagine." Cinder finished her gloat with a chilling tone that made Pyrrha's spine tingle. The Dragon Grimm bellowed a low growl as it sensed her fear and she had right to be frightened as she saw Pyrrha form a flame arrow in one hand.
"So this is it huh?" Pyrrha thought to herself. She took a deep breath as she eyed the ruins of her school swamped by Nevermores and Beowolf's attacking it, picking up on faint yells for help down the tower. "If only I could have stopped her, stopped all this by getting that witches power she craved." Pyrrha thought as she saw Cinder prepare to insert her dust arrow into her bow. Pyrrha thought had one question plaguing her mind this whole time about this woman. Why does she want power so badly? To lord over others? So what if she just kills everyone with her actions like right now? Pyrrha just had to know.
"Tell me one thing before I go. Do you believe in destiny?" Pyrrha asked Cinder who paused as she heard this weird question. She took a moment to think about before narrowing her gaze bitterly.
"Yes." Cinder coldly said as she drew back her arrow, ready to make her killing blow. "And your about to have yours fulfilled."
As the two prepared to end this battle once and for all, they failed to hear the footsteps of a 15-year old girl running frantically on the glyphs her partner formed on the tower.
"Oh Please! Oh Please! Make it in time Ruby! I have to keep my promise!" Ruby panted as she thought this. Jaune, Pyrrha, her team, everyone was counting on her to stop Cinder and save the school from this invasion. She already lost Penny and her sister's arm, helpless to do a thing for them both. The guilt she felt knot her stomach wasn't going to stop her thought. She still had one chance left to make things right, one chance to be the huntress, the hero they all needed now. She wasn't going to let anyone else she cared about die today, that was her vow.
As Ruby jumped on the last glyph, propelling herself to the top of the tower, she gazed upon a horrific sight. Pyrrha was kneeling with a stabbed knee in defeat as her enemy, Cinder, had an arrow aimed at her heart. Ruby heard Cinder's nails release the string holding the weapon destined to end her friends life right before her eyes, Pyrrha wincing as she closed her eyes, bracing herself. Penny's lifeless one's stained her image, Ruby closed her eyes and screamed as she threw away all thoughts of anything else and charged, breaking the sound barrier with her semblance by using all her aura at once.
"Huh?" Pyrrha said in confusion as she felt no pain in her chest, despite hearing the arrow's release. All she felt was a small gust of wind and…a rose petal lodged on her cheek? But as she opened her eyes out of curiosity, Pyrrha soon indeed felt pain in her heart as she caught sight of a red-cloaked girl kneeling in front of her, gasping for air as she cried a single tear and held a hand to her own chest, now stabbed with Cinder's arrow.
"R-Ruby?" Pyrrha stuttered, her own breath hitching as she heard those painful chokes, almost unable to process this horrible situation. Her rival, her teams source of fun this whole year, and her friend had taken a blow for her. Ruby was dying!
Cinder however, was not in shock like the two girls she stabbed. Merely humming in joy as she slowly walked up and placed a hand on Ruby's cheek, enjoying the frightened look on her face and choking squeaks Ruby gave off as if music to her ears.
"You were promised a bright future by Ozpin too. Guess he let you both down huh Little Red?" Cinder mockingly said as her hand glowed orange to Pyrrah's fright, knowing what she was planning.
"NO DON'T DO IT!" Pyrrha pleaded, but her screams were ignored as Ruby's body began to glow the same color, Pyrrha gasping in terror as she noticed her boots beginning to dissolve into ashes. She was roasting Ruby alive! Wasn't stabbing her heart enough already!? Apparently Cinder didn't think so as she chuckled slightly at the desolate look in Ruby's eyes as she held her face up with her Grimm infected palm.
"No last words Rose?" Cinder mockingly asked. But the second her hand, the same one that stole Amber's power touched Ruby, the little girls eyes widened as she grit her teeth, feeling a surge of energy arise in her despite her body being on fire. Cinder recoiled as she saw a faint glow appear in her enemies irises.
"CINDER!" Ruby's yell echoed throughout the area as her eyes unleashed a massive wave of white energy that enveloped all of Beacon, making everyone wince as they closed their eyes to avoid the bright light. All the Grimm suddenly evaporated as the light consumed them, even the massive Dragon Grimm screeched in pain as the light consumed it, freezing it in place in a stone cocoon.
"WHAT!?" Cinder yelled in shock as the light made her burn like hell, making her scream in pain as she felt it melt along with her left eye. Her right one was nearly as unfortunate, but before Cinder saved it by closing it, she caught a glimpse of something she grabbed at before flew down the tower, her body wobbly as she was panting in pain and exhaustion. She stole a quick glance with her remaining eye, past the initial fog, the tiny glowing ball of light radiating in her right hand.
"W-What…the hell was that?" Cinder thought as she eyed the orb cease its shine, revealing a small, slightly bloody silver eye.
As the light faded, Pyrrha heard a piece of metal hit the ground and nearly jumped in startling fright if not for the ache's in her stabbed leg. She rubbed her aching eyes as she slowly adjusted them back to 20-20. She soon wished she hadn't as she caught sight of Crescent Rose, Ruby's signature Scythe sniper-rifle combo weapon, without its owner. All Pyrrha found were ashes and small clumps of rose petals she tried to grab.
"No…No she can't be-" Pyrrha gasped softly before a gust of wind came, blowing away the remains of her friend towards the bloody moon above. Pyrrha's eyes watered as she saw the starry night sky, desperate to see a shooting star so she could wish for Ruby back, or just wish this horrible night never happened. Her friend died for her, her school was in peril, and she was now crippled, helpless to do anything to have prevented either of those. Pyrrha felt all her stress and guilt overwhelm her as her vision grew hazy, her head and eyelids getting heavier as she began falling unconscious, only to have a pair of firm hands, probably a mans, caught her before she hit the concrete floor and lost all her strength.
"I gotcha kid. I gotcha…wait…Ruby?" A familiar gruff voice was all she heard before everything went hazy.
Scars that Burn
A few bullheads had landed on General Ironwood's order. Not knowing where the mysterious light that eradicated the Grimm currently at Beacon, the General wanted to take this time to evacuate all personal and students injured or not. His patrols spotted more Grimm from afar heading to Beacon, even seeing a pair of small Nevermore Grimm flying in circles but staying around the Dragon Statue above the CCT. He could tell they were attracted to it and knew more would come for it. Until they returned with more forces to destroy the statue, Beacon wasn't safe anymore. The students and faculty had to leave.
Weiss was clutching her lance tightly as she saw her friends and her own team being loaded onto stretchers. It hurt so much to see them riddled with bruises and wounds, especially poor Yang's. She lots her arm and Blake had a deep stab wound in her gut she ignored as she rubbed Yang's remaining arm, still pleading for forgiveness.
"I'm the one who should be apologizing." Weiss thought to herself, still mindful of the depressing room it was not appropriate to voice this. She was part of a team, a family even that she as a huntress should gave protected but failed too. Her own family had tried to grab her and transport her away on a private Atlesian cruiser but she insisted she at least get to check and make sure her team would receive treatment on the bullheads first which was allowed. Honestly it sickened Weiss to her core her Father wouldn't at least let care for people who got hurt protecting his own daughter. She glanced around, not seeing any sign of the fourth and final member of their team and the most important.
"Ruby? Are you here!?" Weiss called out. Blake even ceased her crying and tender massage of Yang's hand for a minute as she too grew concerned hearing this, yet did not hear a reply.
"She's not on board?" Blake asked fearfully. Weiss's eyes widened as she looked to the tower, that dragon statue and nevermore pair brining a chill to the heiress's spine.
"I'm going back for her!" Weiss cried out and Blake clasped her stab wound and began to try and follow before a pair of Atlesian knights blocked their path.
"We can't allow wounded or you miss Schnee to go back to that warzone." They said firmly.
"My partner is back there possibly hurt or worse! Now move!" Weiss hollered with ferocity, unnerving the two guards who eyed each other shakily.
"Uh…what's your partners name miss Schnee?" One guard asked before tapping on an earcomm, ready to get in touch with his fellow soldiers to look for her partner and alleviate this tense situation.
"Ruby Rose and don't bother." A bitter yet sad voice of a middle-aged man said as he walked up to the cruiser. Everyone's eyes widened as they laid eyes upon the legendary Hunstman Qrow Branwen, carrying in his arms another powerful hunter Pyrrha Nikos unconscious.
"Why "don't bother"?! Ruby might-" Weiss hollered in protest before her and Blake's eyes widened in shock seeing something laying in Pyrrah's lap.
"C-Crescent Rose?" Blake stuttered. The pain in her gut wasn't causing her fright, it was the horrible thought creeping into her and Weiss's head right now as they as Ruby's treasured weapon not with her. As Qrow slowly entered the ship with Pyrrha, they noticed his sad and angry gaze, his lower lip red from bite marks they saw were from frustration. They knew he was Ruby's uncle, and she meant the world to the snarky deadpanned alcoholic. It could all only point to one thing.
"No. Then she's really…really!?" Weiss stuttered, unable to find the strength to finish her horrible question as Qrow hung his head and said 2 horrible words that made both girls hearts rupture in agony worse than any stab wound or cuts to their eyes a Grimm or Adam could make.
"She's gone." Qrow sadly said. His confirmation broke both girls, their trembling legs finally giving out as they collapsed onto their knees, weakly waving their arms as they slowly embraced each other with them, desperate for warmth tonight, something to hopefully wake them up from what felt like a cold nightmare.
"Please no. Not her. Please." Blake pleaded through broken sobs as Weiss buried her face into her chest.
Little did they know, past both girls horrified cry's of sadness at their loss, Pyrrha's eyes twitched, having been in and out of consciousness, but collapsed fully as she heard this reminder of her own loss.
When Pyrrha woke up the next day in the hospital, all she could feel was bitterness, not bothering to eat let alone speak as she eyed her cast on her knee. It didn't matter to her the doctor's said she'd need a prosthetic since Cinder's arrow apparently melted the knee, nor did Jaune and her teammates hugs and cry's with joy at her survival comfort her in any way. All she felt was a rage burning in her heart worse than the fire that consumed her knee. She just kept remembering that smug witch's face as she burned to death her friend Ruby. She couldn't stand how helpless she was right now in this hospital bed, unable to get out there and finish off that bitch for what she took from her. As she glanced at her nightstand, eyeing a bouquet of roses near Crescent Rose she had carried on her way here, Ruby's bright smile soon replaced that evil smirk Cinder Fall had, Pyrrha soon forming one herself.
"That's right. You'd probably run off to the next big adventure and help someone huh?" Pyrrha figured as she slowly reached for it, touching its cold handle tenderly as she traced her fingers on it, almost swearing she felt its old masters presence. "Now maybe that someone can be me." Pyrrha thought.
With that, Pyrrha was filled with even more rage as she remembered the cost her survival had came with. She wasn't going to let this end her, Cinder had to pay for depriving the world of a pure soul like Ruby's, and Crescent Rose was going to help her do it.
"Mark my words Ruby, I'll avenge you…or die trying." Pyrrha bitterly said as she grabbed the gun, her last memento of her friend she was determined to use to for some payback.
Author Notes
For the record, Ruby is my favorite character, which is why I love to write so much about her, happy or not. I don't hate her and still have plans for her beyond her death in this Fanfic. Next chapter we have WBY, Qrow and Tai mourning Ruby's death and Cinder learning more about her "prize" and what it did to her. JNPR will begin their journey to Haven to avenge their fallen friend, with Qrow backing them up in secret. "It's what Ruby would have wanted" in chapter 2: Lick your wounds.