Author's Note:
I do not own Library of Ruina or RWBY. These series belong to Project Moon and Viz Media. Everything I say is to not be taken as canon, they are merely add-ons to the story to flesh it out.
Hey guys, I'm back again. Sorry for not posting earlier, college hasn't been easy with all these projects and assignments. It's getting to the point where almost all my free time is being used up, but I managed to finish this up. Regardless, I'll keep going till it ends.
As for recent news in the Project Moon verse, all I gotta say about Don. God damn. It makes me regret kinda dropping Limbus Company. But I really don't wanna do Mirror Dungeons…
Anyways, that's it from me. Thank you all, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Reviews:
VGBlackwing - It may be a prison, but at least it's like a coma. One day, you'll just wake up somewhere and somewhen.
Konmek43 - I try to make her brutal :)
Argorok - I hope you enjoy her reaction!
Jack Hood - I'm still caught up in that, but I don't know about it.
Basov818 - Continuing on from the previous response, I'll think about it. Also, I didn't read Leviathan, but I knew about Roland and Vergilius's interaction.
The Dark Hour - Oh boy.
Grappleshot - I was planning on having Chesed, someone who plays the cello, be the one to make the actual songs during the Dance, but I forgot to put it in
Emm - Unbooking's always been a process we've seen. Angela did it in the true ending where she released all the Guests.
—FLOOR OF SOCIAL SCIENCE, THE LIBRARY—
"And there you go~ A freshly made cup of java coffee. Good work~," Chesed complimented the boy.
Ren smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Chesed."
Although Ren was already decent at making coffee, he lacked knowledge about the different types. He never knew there could be so many variations, each with unique tastes, aromas, and acidity levels. He made a mental note to come back another time to learn more. For now, he was content to enjoy his small accomplishment, taking a sip.
"No fair, Ren!" Nora complained, standing next to him. "I want to try some too!"
After taking his first sip, Ren handed the rest to her, knowing exactly what was coming. Nora immediately gave him a big hug, grabbed the cup, and downed the coffee in nearly one gulp. While Chesed looked on in mild surprise, Ren sat there with his eyes closed—knowing what would've happened from the beginning. Despite that, he still had a smile on his face.
Chesed glanced around the room, noting that nearly everyone in the Library was present, enjoying a coffee break. Those absent included Angela, Roland, Tiphereth, Hokma, Binah, and Gebura. Alongside the Librarians were Teams RWBY, JNPR, CFVY, and two members of SSSN.
With most of the cafes in Vale temporarily closed due to the Grimm attack, and even Beacon suspending lessons while they cleared out the tunnels underground, Chesed had invited the three student teams and the Librarians to relax and hang out.
"What a serene place," Weiss commented as she looked out the window.
The Floor of Social Science, though it shared the same wooden floors and bookshelves as most of the other floors, had a distinct atmosphere. Unlike the lively or rugged feeling of other areas, this floor exuded a calm, tranquil aura. The entire room was bathed in a soft blue light from a single bright phenomenon hovering above, distorting the surroundings in subtle ways—lifting cars and bending buildings in an almost dreamlike manner. Off in the distance, the floor's arena, a wooden ship with its hull torn apart, could be seen.
Near the bookshelves, a few couches and coffee tables were scattered about. At the far end of the floor, Chesed stood behind a cafe bar, shelves of various coffee types behind him, casually preparing more drinks for whoever stopped by.
As for the visitors, most had split into different groups, while others opted for some quiet time on their own. Blake, Netzach, Hod, Fox, Gebura, and Yatsuhashi were among those enjoying some quiet relaxation, sipping coffee or, in Blake's case, milk, while reading. Netzach, however, had already fallen sound asleep on one of the couches.
"It feels like we're in another world or something," Ruby mused, staring out at the distorted scenery, curious to see if she could float alongside the cars.
"I don't think we're allowed to leave this room," Velvet said, taking a sip of her coffee. "But I do wonder how this counts as a Semblance. I've never seen anything like it."
Ruby immediately started coughing as she tried to drink her coffee. Struggling to recover and make an excuse, Weiss stepped in for her. "Well, there are still a lot of mysteries in the world. Semblances are still being researched."
"Hmmm… yeah, you're right," Velvet agreed.
On the other side of the room, Yang and Coco were discussing fashion with Malkuth. Despite her hard work to impress others in the past, Malkuth didn't have as much of a fashion sense as her colleagues. She preferred to dress as efficiently as possible. Before long, though, the conversation would inevitably derail, with Coco and Yang plotting to take Malkuth shopping with them.
Sun and Neptune, on the other hand, bounced from group to group, showing off their social skills. At one point, they had somehow become fast friends with Yatsuhashi and Fox, joking and exchanging banter like old pals.
While others chatted among themselves, two assistant librarians and two members of JNPR were locked in an intense battle on the high seas. With four vessels still in play, Jaune and Pyrrha were dominating the game, while BongBong and Dakota, each with two ships left, waited for their turn. Well, "waited" was an understatement.
"Jaune, dude, you've been at this for the last 20 minutes," Dakota groaned, slapping her forehead.
"BongBong…"
"I know, I know, but this is hard!" Jaune replied, clearly struggling.
"Just choose a letter then a number," the purple-haired librarian demanded. "It's not that difficult."
As Jaune wrestled with his indecision, Pyrrha stepped in, offering a suggestion. "Jaune, maybe try D4? We don't have any information there, so it might be worth checking."
"...But we don't know if they could still be around here." Jaune pointed toward the bottom of the board. Almost the entirety of it was filled with white markers with the occasional straight red lines. "There are some spots left that could be hiding their destroyer. I gotta get this right."
"Jaune…" Pyrrha watched him with concern.
Over the past few days, Jaune's confidence had surged after his first real kill during the breach. But now, it seemed like that confidence was pushing him too far—he was desperate to keep up the momentum. First, it was excessive training, then late-night study sessions, now it's almost anything. Pyrrha worried it was becoming too much.
Before she could say anything, BongBong suddenly chimed in. "BongBong BongBong Bong Bong." She pointed accusingly at Jaune. "BoooongBong BongBong."
"Uhh…" Neither Jaune nor Pyrrha could make sense of her words, both blinking in confusion.
Dakota, however, snickered and translated, "She said you don't need to try so hard to impress Pyrrha."
"W-What!?" Jaune stuttered, turning red. "No, no no no! I wasn't trying to show off, I was just…"
"Yeah?"
"...Yeah, I guess I was," Jaune admitted, sounding defeated. With a resigned sigh, he played his turn. "Whatever, uh, H7."
"Hit."
"Aw man, I kne— Wait, what!?"
"Finally."
"Nice job, Jaune," Pyrrha congratulated him.
"Bong!" BongBong added, her tone satisfied.
While the four of them got rowdy, a certain cat Faunus was sitting near the counter with Chesed, who was overlooking what she was reading. He smiled as he glanced at the book's title, and, without prompting, asked, "What do you think?"
"Hmm?" Blake looked up at Chesed. "The book or the milk?"
"Both~?"
"I've had better milk. It's a little on the sweeter side, but I don't mind it. As for the other, I'm not a fan of this book," Blake said as she held up the book to see the cover. It's bright orangish and yellow and had the main characters displayed on the front cover. A giant grayish armor, a scarecrow, a weirdly colored lion, and a little girl. "I, for one, think that this story is a little too crazy for children."
"It certainly wasn't for children, that's for sure~. It's one of the more recent additions to the Library," Chesed chuckled.
"The characters sound stupid. Like the wizard, he literally gave them worthless gifts and insulted them. Then, he was killed by all of them. How is this a story? It justified murder."
"Well, that's how some storybooks go, Blake. Not every ending is going to satisfy everyone," Chesed responded with a smile.
"Anyways, where's Roland? And the other Librarians?" Blake questioned. "I thought they would come too."
"Well, I couldn't say for sure, but I think Roland is talking with Miss Angelina about… things."
"Like… those kind of things?"
"Hehe, Miss Belladonna, I don't think children like you should be thinking about such matters. It's too early for those kinds of things~," Chesed teased with a mock-stern tone.
"I'm practically an adult already," Blake sighed.
Chesed continued, "As for the others, Angela and Hokma have been discussing something recently that I'm not sure what is. And I'm pretty sure Gebura is whipping up something special for your team."
"'Something special?'" Blake asked, her curiosity piqued. "What exactly?"
"That's a secret~," Chesed replied with a grin.
Blake groaned, "What about Miss Tiphereth?"
"Last I hear, she's supervising a group of 'special' individuals," Chesed chuckled.
"'Special?'" Blake repeated, even more curious now.
—THE NEXT DAY—
—HALLWAYS, BEACON ACADEMY—
"So this is where this world's heroes come to train! I can feel the justice entering my body~."
"Shut up!" Tiphereth snapped. "You're too loud!"
"Oops, my bad. Just got a little too excited, ya know? Lmao."
"Can you, for once in your life, speak normally?"
"Apologies, Miss Tiphereth. I will scold Queen later," Knight said with a sigh.
"Whatever. I wanna see where the action is. If it's a hero school, there's gotta be a training ground here. And if there's a training ground, there's a King. And there can be only one King around these parts. Me!"
"Yes, yes, yes. We'll get there when we get there," Tiphereth groaned, regretting ever agreeing to Angela's offer.
Free time off from Library duties during the Vytal Festival if she could help integrate the Magical Girls into society. What a bargain! Not! These four had been behaving relatively well in the Library—if by "behaving" as in not destroying the place.
Then, she spotted a familiar blob of green hair in the distance. Reaching out, she shouted, "HEY, SERVANT, GET BACK HERE. DON'T TOUCH THAT!"
"'Touch' what?"
A piece of the marble wall corroded, melting into a green goop. Smoldering black ash rose from the remains of the building. Tiphereth froze, realizing she would be responsible for the damage. And thus, would have to pay for it.
"Holy shit!" King exclaimed. "Think I could do that?"
"Not in a million years lol!" Queen retorted.
"Girls…" Knight sighed..
Servant, her head lowered, walked up to Tiphereth, stopping just out of reach. With her bandaged eyes, she looked up at the librarian and pleaded, "I'm sorry, Miss Tiphereth. I didn't mean for it to happen. I'm really sorry…"
"Haaughh, it's fine," Tiphereth groaned. "Let's just be glad that not a lot of people are around today."
"Oh, Miss Tiphereth, and… some students?"
Of course, she just had to say it. Tiphereth slowly turned, matching the voice to its owner. Standing before her was the jolly Professor Port, holding a cup of something warm. With a twitch in her eye, she responded, "Professor Port. Good evening. There are no classes today. What are you doing here?"
"Ah, well you see, young Tiphereth, I'm very much still adventurous to the heart. Even if I have traversed these halls millions of times over, there is always something new every day. Each new discovery is a new experience. And from what I can see," Port said, stroking his chin, "I have not experienced that part of the building collapsing."
"Err…"
"And the same could be said for you. What brings you and these... unusual students to campus? I don't recall seeing them before." He further narrowed his squinted eyes. "Also, this young girl seems far too small to be a student, hmm?"
Before Tiphereth could respond, someone leaped over her, using her head as a springboard. The force made her face plant into the floor.
"To, like, fight villains, beat up monsters, and make peace around the world! Like a real hero!" Queen announced triumphantly.
King jumped in next. "Kick some fucking ass when the time comes!"
"Make friends with a lot of people!" Servant cheered.
"...To look after these three," Knight sighed, walking over to Tiphereth. "Are you alright, Miss Tiphereth?"
"Does it look like I'm alright?" Tiphereth mumbled into the floor. As she got to her feet, she realized that only she and Knight remained in the hallway. Panic flared in her voice. "Knight, where did the others go?"
"They had left when you were on the ground. Queen and Servant wanted to hear the Professor's stories—though I've never seen someone move as fast as him before. And King... well, she probably went off to explore the rest of Beacon," Knight explained.
"And you didn't stop them?"
"They're my sisters, and I wanted to make sure you were fine."
"...Right," Tiphereth groaned. "Let's go find them."
—A RANDOM CLASSROOM, BEACON ACADEMY—
Following the sound of someone speaking, Tiphereth and Knight assumed they were headed toward Servant, Queen, and Professor Port. The sheer confidence in the voice made it clear that the storyteller was, indeed, the professor.
"And there I was: cornered on the top of a sheer cliff face, surrounded by those troublesome boarbatusks. With no way down, I held my back against the wall," the professor chuckled, remembering the moment vividly. "But I was not about to let my end come this way, no!"
"What happened next!?" Servant eagerly asked, bouncing in her seat.
"Did you kill those boars?!" Queen chimed in, just as excited.
"I will get to that, my dear. A story is no fun with spoilers. Hahaha!" Port laughed. "With three boarbatusks charging toward me and my weapon slung behind me, I was quite in a pickle! Nevertheless, as I was not a huntsman for nothing, I looked around for something as a means of respite. Then, my gaze drew upon a large tree hanging above me."
As Tiphereth and Knight slowly entered the classroom, the professor could see them as clear as day. Yet, he did not pause his story as he had enraptured these two in his stories. Regardless, the librarian and blue-colored abnormality wanted to hear the rest of the story.
"And so, I sprinted toward the dastardly beasts, vaulting over one and latching myself onto a branch. My feet, dangling above the ground. I felt weightless as I swung my body ahead using the branch," Port demonstrated, recreating the motions. "Using that momentum, I launched myself toward the back of one of the Grimm!"
"What!" Servant gasped. "But don't those Grimm thingies have pointy sharp thingies that could hurt?"
"Fear not, my fellow green adventurer! The boarbatusk is one of few Grimm species that rarely develop such features." He pulled out an image of the Grimm. "The spikes on its back would only inhibit its innate ability to curl up into a ball and roll—devastating all in its path."
"So like, a freaking hedgehog?" Queen asked rhetorically. "Gosh this world is so weird, but like, weird means there's evil somewhere! And evil is always evil! So I'm like fine with it!"
""Haha, yes! Evil will always exist, and it's up to us huntsmen to quell the darkness!"
"Man! It's totes a good thing that we came here from that stinky libr—"
"And I'm going to cut in right here," Tiphereth interrupted, grabbing Queen by the neck in a mock strangle. Despite the grip, Queen's face remained a mix of excitement and mild discomfort. "Sorry about these two, Professor. They're... a handful."
"Don't mind me, young Tiphereth! It's quite a breather to have more than one student interested in my tales," he chuckled warmly. "You got some fine students. What team name are these three a part of?"
"Uh, these three aren't huntresses," Tiphereth quickly replied, wincing as she realized she needed a cover story. "I'm… uh… letting them get to see Beacon because… they're not huntresses… yet."
The professor's face was blank for a moment as he processed this information, then broke into a broad smile.
"Well, if it comes to future adventurers, I can't let myself keep them down here in a classroom. They should be seeing what else Beacon has to offer. This is a wonderful school, you three," Port said, addressing the Abnormalities. Then, looking back at Tiphereth, he added, "Then, when they're accepted, they can come back whenever they want to hear more stories, no?"
"Yay!" Servant cheered, her enthusiasm contagious. "Miss Tiphereth, when we become Huntresses, I want to hear more of teacher's stories!"
"No."
"Awww. Why not?!" Servant whined.
"Because I said so," the yellow librarian replied, sternly folding her arms.
"Plwease, Big Sis Tiphereth?" Servant begged as she tried putting all her hardest to make puppy eyes, even though the bandages wrapped around her head made it hard to even notice it.
Tiphereth froze for a moment, letting out a defeated sigh. "Fine, but no hurting people."
"Yay!"
"Wait a minute," Queen paused as she groggily got up from her forced nap. "Does that mean we get to fight evil…? Like, legally?"
"..." Tiphereth said nothing, but her expression was telling.
"Oh hells yes! I'm totes in."
"I didn't even say anything," Tiphereth muttered, frowning.
Knight, who had been silent until now, suddenly felt Tiphereth's gaze. The librarian's dead eyes stared into her empty ones. Embarrassed, Knight hesitated before speaking, "W-Well, it would be nice to do something good… for a change."
"Fuck my life."
"Language, young lady."
Tiphereth let out another deep groan of frustration.
—TRAINING HALLS, BEACON ACADEMY—
"And where could this be?" King muttered to herself, squinting at a sign. "I think it says 'Training Room…?' Welp, only one way to find out!"
She leaned her head against the door, picking up the muffled sound of blades clashing. Her pulse quickened—this was it. It was time for her to make her appearance back on the outside. Without Tiphereth or her sisters getting in the way, she was ready to show everyone who was boss.
King gently opened the door.
"You're miserably swinging that hunk of metal."
King immediately ducked behind the door, panic flooding her veins. Her breathing grew ragged, flashes of old trauma filling her mind. She remembered that terrible underground cell, the giant red cleaver that had split her in half, painting the floors with her blood.
'Why the hell is Miss Gebura here?!' King frantically thought. She scanned for an exit, praying Gebura hadn't spotted her.
"I know I'm trying my best, but don't call my baby that!" came another voice from inside.
Peering around the door, King saw Gebura fighting someone—or rather, training someone from the looks of it. Upon closer inspection, she realized there were three other girls with them—two of whom she recognized from the Library, though their names escaped her.
It seemed like Gebura had gone through the white and black one first, as their clothes were scratched and roughed up. The red one was training with the librarian and the yellow one that King took interest in before was most likely going to train next. King could only hope the gods have mercy on her soul.
"You're fast, but too predictable," Gebura commented, swinging her sword at Ruby, who narrowly dodged by sidestepping. Smoking a cigarette, Gebura remained calm, even as she grabbed Ruby by the collar, lifting her off the ground. She exhaled a cloud of smoke into Ruby's face, causing her to cough. "Your speed's an advantage. Use it. Confuse your enemies. Make feints, throw dirt, chip away at their legs, blind them with those petals. Anything to win."
"That's fighting dirty!" Ruby protested, struggling in Gebura's iron grip.
"It's called surviving," Gebura said coldly.
""Why are you being so rough?" Ruby whined.
"The world is a much more cruel place than you think, and I came from an even crueler one. Life isn't going to magically give you everything you want. Instead, it'll creep up on you and take something you hold dear. One day, you'll think to yourself: 'I could've done better.' And regret is a bitch if you can't cope with it."
Gebura put out her cigarette, smothering it under her boot, and made her sword disappear into the Light.
"Uh… can you let me down now?" Ruby asked awkwardly, still hanging from Gebura's grip.
"If you want to be a huntress, use your skills and get yourself down," Gebura demanded, her tone harsh. She seemed particularly tough on Ruby, more than the others.
Ruby gulped nervously. "Well..."
"What? Is there something wrong?"
"Just a teensy, tiny problem."
"What?"
"I... I can't fight without Crescent Rose..." Ruby admitted, awkwardly tapping her fingers together.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"I told you, Ruby! Should've trained with me and dad!" Yang teased from the sidelines.
"Shut it, Yang! Crescent Rose is all I need!" Ruby huffed.
"..." Gebura paused for a few seconds only to sigh afterward. She dropped the poor girl onto the floor—not even giving her a warning so Ruby fell to the ground on her butt. "We'll talk about this later."
"Ow."
"Go sit down," Gebura ordered. Once Ruby shuffled away, Gebura called out to the next victim, "Yang, you're up. No gauntlets."
Yang groaned, "Fuc–"
"Don't complain."
"Okay, okay..." Yang muttered as she reluctantly stepped forward. "Man, I miss training with Roland... What did we ever do to yo—"
Gebura threw a jab at Yang who immediately put up a defensive stance and blocked Gebura's hand. Only for the fixer's hand to grab onto Yang's arms and pull them toward her. Surprised by the sudden movement, Yang tried to free her arms by dropping her weight below Gebura's legs—trying to make the librarian drop with her. However, it only served to make Gebura hold up Yang just by her arms.
After that attempt, Yang went for a counter by using her legs to swipe underneath Gebura's. She managed to get her legs into the right position, but she managed to push Gebura's legs slightly. However, the librarian still stood firm as Yang tried anything. Afterward, Yang gave up by swinging from Gebura's hands much like how her sister did earlier.
Yang, now dangling awkwardly from Gebura's grip, tried to play it off. "Uh… weeee?"
Gebura unceremoniously dropped Yang, who landed with a yelp.
"Ouch!"
"You're fine. Your Aura protected you," Gebura said flatly.
"It still stings," Yang muttered, rubbing her sore butt.
"Whatever." Gebura turned her attention to Ruby, who watched the scene with wide eyes. "Ruby, you saw what just happened. Your sister couldn't break free from my grasp."
"That's because you're way too strong!" Yang protested.
"I went easy on you," Gebura replied, silencing her complaints. Turning back to Ruby, Gebura's voice hardened. "You need to understand that being a Huntsman isn't about perfecting one thing. To survive: if you can't fight without a weapon, then you don't deserve to use it."
"But, I'm not. With Cresent Rose, I do kicks! I shoot! Cut! Anything!"
Gebura shook her head. "What if you're disarmed? No cutting, no shooting, no boosted kicks, no directional changes, no spinning. Just you and your body."
"Well… I'll just use my Semblance. They can't hit what they can't see," Ruby replied confidently, throwing up some playful jabs.
"There are limits, Ruby," Gebura said, her voice grave. "Even I have limits."
Suddenly, a voice called out from the doorway, "Yeah right, you fucking monster!"
The room froze.
Gebura whipped around, her eyes narrowing at the spot where the voice had come from. King was nowhere to be seen, having vanished into thin air the moment she realized she'd spoken out loud. Although she saw nothing there, she quickly realized the owner of the voice.
"Sorry girls, I've got something to catch," Gebura said calmly.
Suddenly, Ruby felt a slight chill creep up her back. She turned to see the area around Gebura's eyes darken—hiding her face. Then, a golden burst of light surrounded her. Soon, Gebura started to walk toward the wall.
"What... what was that?" Weiss asked, completely bewildered.
—HALLWAYS, BEACON ACADEMY—
"Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck! I messed up! I messed up!" King shouted as she sprinted through the halls, cursing her own loud mouth.
As she burst into the main corridor, a thunderous explosion echoed behind her. Turning around, she saw Gebura fully clad in her Key Page, a hole blown in the wall behind her. King caught a glimpse of the four girls watching her—fear gripped her heart as Gebura's massive bladed weapon glinted ominously in her grasp.
"Fuck! Shit!" King gasped, scrambling away.
"Woah, is that the… Abnormality thing we saw the other day?" Yang asked, eyes wide as she watched Gebura pursue King.
Blake answered, "Yeah, she said her name was King."
"Wait, she's the Abnormality you guys met?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah, and it looks like she pissed off Gebura," Yang shrugged, half-amused.
As King fled, she darted past unsuspecting bystanders, her mind racing. Maybe she could use one of them as a shield or hostage—she didn't care who they were in that moment, though guilt flickered within her for dragging them into this chaos. Glancing back, she saw Gebura hot on her heels, a fiery glare and smoke trailing behind her.
"GET THE FUCK BACK HERE!"
"SCARY!" King shouted, panic bubbling up.
Forgetting her initial plan, King tapped her bracelets, causing them to emit a brilliant glow. The light faded to reveal her enormous gauntlets, gleaming in the daylight. She charged up a punch—not aimed at Gebura, but rather at the ground in front of her. A golden glyph appeared, but without the luxury of an exit point, she would have to jump blindly.
With her punch fully charged, King rushed ahead to escape—only to be halted in her tracks.
"You fucking dirty abno," Gebura snarled, emerging through the portal in front of her.
Somehow, Gebura popped through the portal in front of her. Turning around, King realized that the blind exit appeared behind her. Saddened by the fact that her own weapon would betray her, the Abnormality could only barely turn to face Gebura before getting picked up by the collar.
"Wait! Wait! I'm sorry! I'm really fucking sorry!" King pleaded, panic-laced in her voice. "Please!"
Undeterred by her words, Gebura pulled back her grotesque weapon. Kong watched as its multiple eyes started to stare at her, begging to see King's blood be spilled. Just as it seemed her fate was sealed, Team RWBY arrived.
"Gebura!" Ruby called out. "Wait!"
"Hey, hold on a moment!" Yang added, placing a hand on Gebura's shoulder in an attempt to pull her away. But the blonde couldn't even budge the red fixer.
"Y-Yeah, you sh—amazing person. Please, can you let go of me? I won't r-run away," King stammered as chills entered her body.
Seconds past as Gebura barely even considered letting the thing in her hands go free. She looked around the place, noticing that she was garnering a lot of attention. With some hesitation, Gebura dropped King and sighed. The hallways of Beacon reminded her too much of the past—chasing Abnormalities, leading her team on missions to hunt them down and eliminate them. It stirred bitter memories she'd rather forget.
"Fine," Gebura relented, her tone dripping with irritation. "But the moment you step out of line…"
She didn't need to finish the threat. King nodded frantically, the weight of Gebura's presence looming over her. With the spectators still watching, Gebura gathered Team RWBY and King, dragging them back toward the training rooms. She shot a glare at the onlookers, commanding them to disperse.
Immediately, the bystanders scrambled away from the scene, eager to avoid the brewing conflict.
—TRAINING ROOM, BEACON ACADEMY—
"So, what the fuck are you doing outside?" Gebura demanded an answer as she tapped her foot. "I thought the Abnormalities couldn't leave the Library."
"It was a test! Miss Angela wanted to see if we could leave." King stammered, desperate to explain.
"What."
"T-These people are always f-fighting against those monsters so we wanted to help! It's a part of who we are! We're always there to help the innocent."
"...How many?"
"J-Just four: my sisters and I."
Gebura pinched the bridge of her nose in disbelief. She couldn't believe this shit—well, she had to because the evidence was right in front of her. Her eyes turned cold as she began to scratch her head, the frustration mounting.
"The fucking snake and corrosive thing are out. Great. Fucking great. At least Bluie is fine enough. As long as she doesn't bless anyone," Gebura concluded, glancing at a nervous Weiss who instinctively touched the invisible gift on her face.
While Gebura interrogated King, Team RWBY huddled closer together to whisper among themselves.
"So, is like, Gebura really mad or something?" Yang bluntly asked.
"Geez, you really can see the elephant," Blake shot back, rolling her eyes. "Regardless, I think it has something to do with their past lives."
"Like when they were in that company?" Ruby offered.
"Yeah, Lobotomy Corporation," Blake confirmed. "They mentioned that some Abnormalities broke out of their rooms."
"And that they had to contain them, forcibly," Weiss added, crossing her arms.
Ruby couldn't help but wonder why some Abnormalities were rude. Not all the ones she had met were bad—Scorched Girl and Servant had become her friends. As she glanced back at King and Gebura, who were in stark contrast to one another—Gebura practically chewing out the Abnormality—she thought about the Librarians' claims that all Abnormalities were monsters. But who was truly the monster in this situation?
Suddenly, the doors to the training room busted open.
"Oh King~! We're here to get—" The voice stopped abruptly as Gebura's eyes snapped to the doorway, spotting the Queen of Hatred standing there with her arms outstretched. The Abnormality froze at the sight of the red fixer. "And I'm outta here. See ya!"
Just as Gebura thought she needed to chase another one down, Queen was blocked by Tiphereth who grabbed her just before she could escape. While Queen struggled to free herself, her other two sisters reacted quite differently. Knight was somewhat uncomfortable in the gaze of the Red Mist and Servant was quite unbothered by anything.
"Oi, Tiphereth," Gebura called over. "What the hell is Angela thinking? These Abnormalities could kill someone."
"I don't know," Tiphereth sighed as she shrugged. "It's probably something to do with the Headmaster. During the dance, he told us that Angela was working on a project for Beacon. I think Roland knows what it is but all I know is that it's under the Library and has something to do with that girl and her friends. The Abnormalities are probably just to bulk up our fighting power."
"I don't buy it," Gebura replied, skepticism etched on her face.
Tiphereth couldn't agree more. "I get it. I don't like it either, but at least she's only allowing sapient Abnormalities to come out. We don't have to deal with Aleph Class."
Gebura clicked her tongue in annoyance. Although she disliked the situation, there was little she could do about it. Her only responsibility was to keep them in line, or there would be blood on their hands. Thankfully, Tiphereth's reassurance eased some of the weight on her shoulders.
While the fixer talked with Tiphereth, Gebura hadn't noticed Team RWBY conversing with the Magical Girls. She did nothing to intervene, but watched as the four magical girls chatted with the four girls she had just been training. The sight made her stomach churn. Taking a cigarette out of her mouth, Gebura let out a long sigh.
"They met before," Tiphereth said. "For some reason, they're attached to them."
"Ugh," Gebura groaned in annoyance. "Abnormalities and their 'favorites.'"
"Hey, knock it off," Blake demanded as Queen started tugging on her bow. She recalled Chesed mentioning something about supervising a "special" group; she hadn't expected this.
Instead of doing so, Queen continued. "But whyyyy? You look super duper cutes without it tho."
"Didn't I tell you to mind your business?" Yang interjected defensively, stepping in Queen's way.
"Hey, c'mon guys, we're all friends here right?" King nervously chimed in, still thinking about how Gebura almost sliced her head off. "I think we should chill out."
"Eww, King's being weirdly submissive right now," the pink and blue-haired Abnormality said with disdain, though a blush crept across her cheeks. "I don't know if I like it or hate it."
As always, Gebura hated these two Abnormalities— their personalities were too dynamic for her liking. The fact that they were now conversing with Blake and Yang only made it worse. Meanwhile, the other members of both teams seemed much less hostile.
"Weiss, how have your classes been?" Knight asked, her tone warm.
"Wee!" Ruby squeaked.
"Splendidly," Weiss replied, pleasantly smiling. "I believe our team is going to the Vytal Festival, although I don't think we've trained enough."
"Yay!" Servant jumped.
"Regardless, that's good to hear," Knight praised, but her expression shifted to something more serious. "If I may ask, there was a spike in negative emotions outside the Library a few days ago. Do you have any idea what caused it?"
"Wee—ouch!" Ruby cheered just before she noticed Servant not playing with her anymore.
"Oh, the Breach?" Instantly, the rest of the Magical Girls' attention shifted toward the Schnee heiress. "Some lowly thief named Roman Torchwick and his lackeys blew open a hole in Vale for the Grimm to enter from. Thankfully, Professor Goodwitch was able to seal the hole. Although, some people died."
"Was this Roman Torchwick killed?"
"What? No, sadly. He escaped just before the explosion. A few White Fang members survived, but they were arrested," Weiss answered. Then she caught the Abnormalities staring at her intently. "Wh-What's wrong?"
Suddenly, Queen fell to her knees, shaking violently. Her breathing turned ragged as she collapsed. Gebura was the first to react, instincts kicking in. She recalled how the Queen of Hatred transformed. When she reached for her weapon, she noticed Tiphereth's steady gaze and hesitated, choosing to trust her judgment.
Blake and Yang were closest, but Ruby was the first to rush to Queen's side. "Are you okay?" she asked, concern etched on her face.
The red-hooded girl noticed the Abnormalities standing still, as if frozen by an invisible force. Shadows cast over their eyes, hiding their expressions. Then Ruby heard Queen's faint words.
"I… feel…" Queen paused, her trembling subsiding. "Wonderful."
Suddenly, sparkles and rainbows appeared around Queen's face, replacing her earlier pained expression with one of bliss.
"A villain~," she moaned, her voice dripping with delight.
Confusion spread amongst the group of girls. Yang immediately jumped to Ruby's side and dragged her away from the blue-and pink-haired weirdo. Even Blake, the most cultured of the four, was creeped out by how Queen was wriggling on the ground.
"Apologies, Team RWBY," Knight calmly said with a flustered expression. "I wasn't hoping for all of you to see this shameful display."
"What in the Brothers is happening to your sister?" Weiss questioned.
"She's just experiencing a—" Knight began.
"Bad guys make her happy!" Servant interrupted, eyes bright with enthusiasm.
"Villain~," Queen echoed.
Knight slowly nodded, "Since we can sense the emotions of others, as Servant said, we also get a sense of fulfillment in defeating those with evil intentions. Queen's the only one of us who gets stronger when a villain appears, it's like a drug for her."
Blake could only remember when she met the Queen of Hatred for the first time. Her begging to know if Torchwick was a villain was all too familiar to her. Even if she had gotten over some of her problems, Blake couldn't help but wonder if this is what her friends saw when she was obsessing over Roman Torchwick and the White Fang. Though, it still doesn't help that Blake still worries about what could happen in the future.
"That's kind of…" Ruby started to speak but stopped herself.
"Weird," Yang finished. "She wasn't like this last time."
Solemnly nodding, Knight continued, "Staying cooped up in the Library bottles up our emotions. After the recent attack, this 'Breach,' Queen's been restless. It takes time to adjust, but I'm sure we won't be around here most of the time."
"What?!" Servant cried out, her expression suddenly sorrowful beneath her bandaged face. "Does that mean we aren't becoming huntresses?"
"Yeah, I thought we were gonna kil—I mean, kick Torchwick's ass?" King argued. The girls stared at King's slip-up but chose not to comment, recognizing it wasn't the right moment.
"Hold on a minute," Yang countered, stepping forward. "Torchwick is Team RWBY's! If anyone's going to take him down, it's gonna be us!"
Annoyed, King stood up defiantly. "A puny girl stepping up to the throne? Let the heroes do their jobs, and you can stay here playing pretend."
"What did you say?!"
"You heard me."
"Ladies, please, relax," Queen chimed in, putting herself between King and Yang. "The hormones are getting out of control."
"I think you're the main culprit," King deadpanned, but her comment fell on deaf ears as the tension in the air hung thick.
"I think 'I' alone should be the one to take down this heinous criminal because you're all a bunch of—"
"Shut. Up." Everyone turned to face Gebura, who looked visibly ticked off. Her threatening tone silenced the group, each member now wary of her anger—everyone except Tiphereth, of course.
"Ugh," Tiphereth sighed, turning her attention to Team RWBY. "If you four are going to be so noisy, why not go fight or something? This is a training school for combat. Go train. I'll take these four back to the Library."
Gebura suddenly had an idea. "Wait a sec, Tiph," she interjected, halting the yellow librarian. Pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with a flick of her wrist, she continued, "I'll borrow these four as well."
"What? Why?"
"Ruby," Gebura called, prompting the leader of Team RWBY to jump, caught off guard. "Get your team and their asses to the training field."
Visibly confused, they reluctantly agreed. The group of girls got off the benches and moved their way toward one side of the arena. Then, Gebura turned to the four Abnormalities, "Go fight, but don't kill."
She radiated a threatening aura that clearly conveyed her message: Don't kill these girls. The four Abnormalities nodded, understanding the weight of her words, and walked to the opposite side of the arena. A bright light emitted from their team, showcasing their weapons. King stood at the forefront, brandishing her signature golden gauntlets.
"You got something to say?!" Yang jeered, glaring at King, who returned the look with equal intensity.
With a blackened rapier in hand, Knight bowed, prompting a surprised Weiss to reciprocate. "May I ask for a spar?"
"Gladly," Weiss concurred.
"Let's have some fun, Big Sis Ruby!" Servant cheered, wielding a small green mallet.
"Sure!" Ruby responded enthusiastically as she reloaded her weapon. "Tiny weapon you got there! Don't worry! It's not about the size; it's about how you use it! I learned that from my uncle!"
"Blakey Blake! Can I touch those ears of yours?" Queen asked, brandishing her magical staff, which featured wings and a star with a heart-shaped hole. Despite its whimsical appearance, it sent a chill down Blake's spine.
"No."
"Plwease?"
"No."
"Why?"
"No."
"Grrr," Queen angrily growled. "I'll get you."
"Well, this will be interesting," Tiphereth groaned, rolling her eyes.
Meanwhile, the two librarians stood on the sidelines, watching the spectacle unfold. Tiphereth was already exhausted by the day's events, and this only added to her fatigue. She glanced over at Gebura, wanting to ask why she was pushing for this sparring session when it was clear Team RWBY was outmatched.
However, when she looked at Gebura's face, she saw a fierce determination in the red fixer's gaze. It was as if Gebura was hoping for something to happen during the fight, something that would tip the scales in a way only she could foresee. Despondently, Tiphereth took a seat and awaited the outcome.
"Begin," Gebura commanded.
—THE BASEMENT, THE LIBRARY—
In the darkest depths of the Library, Cinder sat firm on a chair next to a table.
The past year has been nothing but horrendous to her. A group of unknown nuisances randomly appear in Remnant and align themselves with Beacon, bolstering their strength significantly. Roman both failed to completely remove all the Dust in Vale and garner more White Fang idiots to their side—also wasting a Paladin in the process.
Just as she managed to infiltrate the Library, she was caught. Frustratingly so. She shouldn't have trusted Mercury and Emerald's intelligence gathering; they had somehow missed one of the biggest threats to their plans. Now, she was captured and held hostage—tortured for information.
And just when she thought those good-for-nothings would come through for her, they had only failed miserably. The evidence lay in her hands as she clutched the book before her.
"If only I had better people," Cinder mumbled to herself. "If I had searched around a little longer, stopped by a few more locations, drafted a stronger roster, those bumbling idiots would still be… No."
Her gaze fell to the book in her hands—the Book of Emerald. She wanted to throw it against the wall and never look at it again, but curiosity had taken over. She had read it several times by this point.
She knew that the girl she "rescued" that day would end up becoming loyal to her. But she didn't expect for Emerald to devote so much of her life toward her.
"While Cinder was going to do fulfill her own business, Mercury and I were stuck waiting in these Brother-forsaken dorm rooms. That little bitch, Neo, skipped out on us just after Cinder had left. Regardless, I could tell that some retard was sleeping here before we were assigned this room. The beds were worn down and I think the lightbulb was dying.
I couldn't let Cinder sleep in this awful room that didn't suit her. Just before she could come back, I had Mercury help replace all the furniture and other necessities for our stay here at Beacon. Unimpressive is all I could say. For a top notch, prestigious school, I expected them to have higher quality standards. After an hour, we finished the entire dorm room including the bathroom.
Once Cinder came back, I could tell that she was in a bad mood. But, upon seeing the room, I saw that her expression had lightened a little. In my book, that is a mission success. Later, I secretly snuck out to investigate and kill whoever did this. Turns out, it was a vending machine that didn't dispense her favorite drink, so I immediately swapped out the machine and made it only sell her favorite. Needless to say, I think she loved it."
"You didn't have to do all that. You could've exposed us," Cinder dryly chuckled. "You idiot."
Just like these passages of text, there was a book full of them—ranging from her hardships to her loved ones. Cinder read their books to completion. For some reason, she felt weird. It was almost like what she felt when she trained under that man. Regret? Cinder Fall regretting something? That couldn't be.
What was that saying?
"You never know what you have until—"
"It's gone."
Turning to face the door, she spotted the Head Librarian alongside people she despised: Glynda Goodwitch, General Ironwood, and the one she hated most, Ozpin. If they were here, Cinder could only assume they wanted something from her.
In an instant, Cinder broke off a piece of the wooden floor and used her Semblance to heat it, hurling the burning shard at the group, hoping to catch them off guard.
Just as they prepared to defend themselves, the flaming wood shattered into a thousand pieces midair.
"Thank you, Angela," Ozpin thanked.
To the side, Angela held her hand raised as if she had snapped her fingers, actively preventing Cinder from attacking. Left with no other options, Cinder halted her assault and sat back down, simmering in frustration.
"Well, if it isn't Ozpin and his bunch of lackeys," Cinder snarked. "Come to lecture me like your dear students, or have you finally gained the galls to—"
"Silence, Miss Fall!" Ironwood demanded, cutting Cinder off. "You will give up the Fall Maiden powers without protest and face trial for your crimes!"
Unfazed, Cinder turned to the headmaster. "Ozpin, would you please control the leash on your pet? It's barking up a storm."
"Excuse the General here, Miss Fall," the Headmaster of Beacon interjected, casting a glance at Ironwood. "This will not be an interrogation nor a threat. We intend to act like civilized people."
"Was this decided before or after she tried to attack us?" Ironwood sternly asked.
"Oh please, we all know that you'll just get rid of me when you get your hands on the power," Cinder scoffed. "If you're going to kill me, at least have the audacity to not lie in front of my face."
Ozpin stared at the girl for a moment, complying, "...If you say so, Miss Fall. What are your plans for Beacon? I don't think an agent of hers would casually attend the Vytal Festival for fun."
"As if I'll tell you, Ozpin," Cinder said with venom in her voice.
Much like he had expected, Ozpin realized this part would not be easy. If he were younger, he might have resorted to extreme measures to get what he wanted from Cinder. Even now, he felt those temptations, but he had grown older and wiser. He observed the girl, noting how tightly she gripped the two books in her hands.
Ozpin didn't believe it was possible to turn someone into an inanimate object; he might have transformed two into birds, but no magic could accomplish what Angela could. Suddenly, a bright idea struck him.
He slightly turned his head in Angela's direction and smiled. Attentive as she is, Angela noticed the meaning and nodded in response.
"Miss Fall," she began, "out of common courtesy and respect, I have allowed you to hold onto those books for quite some time—a full day, in fact. You've read them repeatedly, but as the Library could benefit from new books, I will remove them from your possession if need be."
Anger flared across Cinder's face, and she adopted a defensive posture, clutching the books tightly. "Touch any of these, and I'll incinerate you!" she threatened, flames flickering dangerously in her hand. Angela narrowed her eyes, slightly taken aback by Cinder's outburst. She had no idea what Maiden fire would do to her in this state.
"This is going nowhere!" Ironwood complained, frustration evident in his voice.
"Ozpin," Goodwitch said firmly, "while I tolerate how you handle situations like these, I cannot allow this threat to continue terrorizing this school and Vale. She needs to be dealt with immediately."
After a few seconds of contemplation and a resigned sigh, Ozpin made his decision. He spoke sternly, "Miss Fall, if you do not cooperate, I'll be forced to 'extract' the powers from you, forcibly. And it won't end well."
"Oh really, I dare you. Explain to the people how Beacon, top huntsmen academy in all of Remnant, lost three students. No excuses can satisfy those curious."
"You can't hide behind your student status forever! We'll contact Leonardo to expel you and your friends after we return the Maiden powers. Speaking of which, find out who the fourth member of Team CMSN is; they may be involved," Ironwood instructed, gesturing for Glynda to search through her Scroll.
"Nea Politan," Goodwitch answered. "An unusual lady, not talkative, and barely shows up in classes."
"Alright, I'll send a team to get her. Glynda, can you provide the room Team CMSN is staying in? She'll be waiting for her 'team' to come back."
Everyone looked at the General with questioning eyes.
"James, let's not get overzealous here. Armed soldiers busting into Beacon would set off dozens of people. Especially in the student dormitory. Plus, we might not even be aware if she knows about what happened to her team."
The General of Atlas stood firm as he looked at Ozpin, thinking about the consequences that would follow his actions. He gave himself a few seconds to mull over it. He grunted and lowered his head as if to show that he would comply with what Ozpin wanted.
"Alright then, I believe there will be no further questions, shall we move on? If you would, Angela?"
—AMBER'S ROOM, THE LIBRARY—
With one snap, Angela teleported the five into another room. Much like when Angela and Roland were in this room, Amber was still placed in the machine keeping her alive.
Although Ozpin told Angela about Amber and the other Maidens, they hadn't really told her what their relationship entailed. The Head Librarian looked over to the guests of the Library to gauge their reactions. While Ozpin and General Ironwood looked at the girl with a resolved look, Professor Goodwitch looked at her with a sorrowful expression.
"...We'll get you back…" Glynda softly spoke.
Cinder, on the other hand, looked amused.
"This is where you hid her… underneath a rotting tree of all places… fitting," Cinder smirked.
"Quiet." Cinder rolled her eyes along with her head in response to Professor Goodwitch.
"Regardless, you return what was once Amber's," Ironwood intently spoke. "Step inside the Aura Transfer Machine."
"I find it repulsive, but I'll do as you please."
Without much resistance, Cinder made her way toward the second coffin—Amber's motionless body glowing in the other one. Before Cinder could step inside the machine, she saw the scars and lifeless expression on the Fall Maiden's face. She could only laugh at how lowly a Maiden had become.
Once inside the Aura Transfer Machine, Ironwood operated it from the panel between the two coffins. Upon pressing a switch, the Aura from Cinder's coffin would transfer to Amber's, finally returning what was once theirs. Then, it was only a matter of what to do with Cinder afterwards.
Ironwood's expression softened as he began the countdown. "ATM preparing to transfer Aura. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Initiating Transfer."
"Really? 'ATM?' A money dispenser is the name of this thing? You couldn't come up with a better acronym for this?" Cinder nitpicked as she watched the Aura leave her body.
For some reason, to Angela, things were going too smoothly. Cinder had done what they wanted, but something felt off about it. She gave in too easily. The Head Librarian looked over to see Glynda and Ironwood somewhat relieved to see the machine work properly, while Ozpin had a somewhat cautious expression. It was like he was waiting for something terrible to happen.
Suddenly, the panel monitoring Amber's condition started to light up—her heart rate was getting faster. She would wake up soon. It was the sign of good news Ozpin that got him to relax. Clearly, after a strenuous two semesters, the Beacon Headmaster can finally breathe without a weight on his chest.
Although, there was one person in the room who still believed everything can and will go wrong. Countless loops and unpredictable ordeals made sure that she couldn't expect a sure-proof plan. Angela was still sure something would happen, but she knew next to nothing about how Maiden powers work nor had any experience with transferring Auras.
"If I may ask, General," Cinder questioned. "This machine transfers all of my Aura to her, correct?"
"Yes, and you'll become a husk of a person once it's finished!" Although Glynda never hoped to kill anyone, she accepted that this was for a good cause.
"Then, I hope she'll enjoy the present."
As the transfer progresses, Amber starts to stir slightly, but the process falters. Her breathing becomes erratic. The Aura between Cinder and Amber flickers, then turns dark, pulsing a deep red and black color into the light. Cinder winces as she feels her Aura and Maiden powers leak from her body.
Ironwood notices the changes, demanding, "What's happening?!"
"Something's wrong—Amber's heart rate is spiking!" Ozpin said with panic laced in his voice.
On the monitor, Ozpin tries to figure out what is going on. However, all he could see was Amber's vital signs going haywire. The beeping of the heart rate monitor increases as her body starts to convulse. The scars on her face start to deepen with black—her face warped into a pained expression.
"Stop the machine! She's dying!" Goodwitch shouted, almost on the verge of tearing up.
"It's too late…" Cinder grunted through the pain. "You can't take back what is MINE."
The room filled with tension as Ozpin struggled with the controls, in the end, Ironwood moved Ozpin aside to take control. The white-haired headmaster stepped back as he felt something grip his soul. He looked toward the Fall Maiden and noticed the black and red aura emanating from her scars.
He could only mutter, "Sal–" Before he could speak her name, he stopped himself. He couldn't afford to remind himself of the past, he needed to focus on the now. "Angela, can you use some of the Light to help?" He urgently asked her.
"I will attempt to," Angela nodded, putting up a hand. Soon, Amber began to scream out in pain. Quickly as she could, Angela controlled the Light. However, in any way she tried, the Light seemed to burn away in the darkness. It seemed like something was preventing the Light from helping. "I cannot, apologies."
Ozpin only grimaced in response.
"And… there!" Ironwood exclaimed. All of the sudden, the ATM started to slowly shut down, relieving everyone present. However, upon closer inspection of Amber's vitals, a look of horror spread across their faces.
"Heart rate is… low, and slowly dropping," Ironwood stood firm. "She's… dying…"
Collapsing onto her knees, Goodwitch broke down.
"It's only a matter of time before Amber dies," Ozpin solemnly said. "We need to prepare for the next bearer."
"That could take months to prepare," Ironwood responded before repeating the conditions to himself. "A young woman willing to bear a burden and is someone we can trust enough. And, they have to be someone stronger than Amber this time."
"...How could you say that, James?" Glynda muttered.
"It's necessary."
"She's your friend too!"
"..."
"...I need to leave."
Before the blonde professor could stand up, Angela lent out her hand. Without any hesitation, Goodwitch grabbed Angela's hand. She pulled the professor up to her feet; and with a glare, Glynda pointed daggers at the General. And in that moment, Angela teleported both of them somewhere else.
Seemingly, Ozpin looked at his fellow headmaster with sorrowful eyes. "That was unpleasant to witness," Ozpin commented.
Ironwood sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose with his hands, "We can't let this happen, Oz. Though I may feel the same as Glynda, we cannot afford to let Vale lose their Maiden. It's better for us, and for the future."
"...After all this, I might just agree with you on that."
After Ozpin spoke, both Headmasters stayed silent as they looked at the sleeping Amber and the unconscious Cinder. Neither knew what they would do with either of them: Amber's condition was too severe already, and Cinder still needed to be locked up somewhere. And judging from what happened by Angela's account, they needed someone to monitor her at all times.
Preferably not a certain Arbiter.
Thankfully, Ozpin has all the resources needed and just the right people to ask.
—TRAINING ROOM, BEACON ACADEMY—
Life is strange.
That's what Blake understood when she first entered Beacon Academy all those months back. She never really understood what normal was like. Born as the daughter of an influential Faunus rights activist and former-White Fang, she never understood what it was like to be a normal person.
Life never really turned out well for her—she always thought that life never really had anything in store for her. But then, she entered Beacon, casting away her past. While she thought that her nightmares would continue, she hadn't realized that they would become dreams.
Beacon, Initiation, the Food Fight, the Dance, fighting Roman Torchwick, and… Team RWBY.
If she was going to tell the past version of herself that she would meet some amazing people and have the best moments of her life, she probably wouldn't believe it.
She also wouldn't believe that she was fighting a magical girl floating through the air blasting hearts and lasers at her.
"Oh Blakey! Arcane Beats~!" Blake heard as she dodged when a pink laser carved the ground beside her.
The fight between Huntresses and Abnormalities had taken only a few minutes before everything had gone wrong.
Weiss was outmatched by Knight's expertise with a rapier. Whenever Weiss used her Semblance, all of her Glyphs or ice projectiles would be shattered by Knight's floating swords. When it came down to melee, Knight's presence and awareness prevented Weiss from ever landing a strike.
Ruby was overwhelmed by Servant's strength and speed. When Servant had been playing with Ruby before, she had been keeping all of her power in check. Now in a fight, she was using that explosive energy to grab Ruby whenever she wanted. It wasn't quite fair when Servant would dodge Ruby's attacks by flying high up.
Yang was knocked out by King in a brawl, not even being able to use her Semblance. The portals would confuse and distract the blonde brawler for the Abnormality to jump in and out of nowhere.
And here was Blake, using her agility and Semblance to avoid Queen. Much like Servant, Queen had the ability to float around the battlefield. And unlike Servant, Queen had the weapons to rain fire upon her enemies. Each attack had the firepower capable of shattering Blake's Aura, so she opted to dodge and wait.
"Blakey! Do you need some love!" Queen shouted from above.
"What? That doesn't sound like a question," Blake groaned before turning to Gebura and Tiphereth, who were sitting on the benches. "Can I give up?"
Immediately flying toward the ground, slowing her descent right before she hits the ground. Queen stopped flying in front of the Faunus. "Whaa, nononono. That's no fair. I wanna play with you."
"Why me in particular?"
"I like the way you feel love~"
"...What?" Blake said with shock and disgust..
"Ahhh~" Queen moaned from Blake's disgust. However, she composed herself and explained, "You suck at expressing love, but when people give you love, it feels wonderful to me. Like a child being given his favorite candy: sweet! Conversely, you have massive mood swings and I fuck with it!"
"T-Thank…you?"
"No biggie!" Queen hastily said. "Alright we fight now!"
In that moment, Queen raised her magical wand and pointed it toward Blake. It was faster than what Blake could perceive, so she couldn't react to it in time. However, just before Blake could get hurt, Gebura stepped in and snatched the wand away from Queen.
Confused, the Abnormality didn't realize where her wand went. She looked in her hand and the other hand, flipping them over to make sure they weren't on the backside. Then, she realizes that Gebura had her wand.
"Wah? W-Wait, gimme it backkkk!" Queen started to sob. Dropping to her knees, she crawled over to Gebura's legs and started to hug them. "Plwease Miss Geburaaaa! Give it back!"
"The fight is over," Gebura announced. "Go back to the Library with Tiphereth, the day is almost over and I don't want you four wandering around outside. Team RWBY, get yourself to your dormitory, we'll pick this up some other time."
She dropped the wand, falling directly onto Queen's head. Gebura walked away while she shook her head, annoyed but thankful that the day was over. Then, the four Abnormalities walked up to Tiphereth—all of them without a single scratch—and started to walk alongside the yellow librarian.
Team RWBY, still fresh from their beating, gathered together. While Yang and Ruby carried each other, Weiss used her rapier as a support to walk up to Blake. The four young girls looked at each other and thought the same thing.
"I miss Roland."
Author's Note:
And that's that.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter! After all the fighting from the underground tunnels to the Breach to the Reception, I wanted to have a chapter where we can chill from that (disregarding the tension during the training section and Amber's room, I think it was less intensive on action and more focused on comedy).
Nevertheless, I'm happy to continue this story and await all your responses! Please tell me if there are any mistakes in grammar or any story-related things, I tend to overlook some things. Anyway, thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day.