'Kid…'

'What?'

'I know you're not about that stuff. Why?'

Why the hell did she do that? It was weird. It didn't make logical sense, but… nostalgia? It was one of her classic designs, though this one was almost miniature by comparison. 'I… I don't know. I'm used to it, I guess.'

Or was it to upstage her mother? Was she really that petty? She'd never be able to upstage Summer Rose— not her weapon, not her skills, not her prestige; no part of her would ever be ranked below Ruby Rose.

So long as she didn't want to be a Huntress.

'Uh, kid? You good?'

'Y-yeah. I'm good. Come on, old man, see if you can gimme a warm up.'

WINTERFAIRE AT VYTAL

TOURNEY BLOCK 4

ROUND 1:

Should Ruby have looked at the roster? Probably. Did she regret not doing so? Eh. Well, yeah. A little. But whatevs, honestly.

RUBY ROSE [BEACON, TEAM RWBY, Y1]

vs

ARNO S. JÄGER [ATLAS, TEAM SWSZ, Y3]

He was a man sized in excess— Large, with a capital 'L'— boasting an appearance that was almost every bit jacked. His jaw? Huge, square. His shoulders? Giant, veiny. His legs?

Eh… kinda puny, to be honest— Weiss might've had more beef on her gams— but Ruby had skinny, stick-like bird-legs, so she didn't really feel confident in judging him.

He was wearing some kind of spandex onesie— a unitard, the kind wrestlers wear— with no shoes, no gloves, no nothing. In terms of weapons, he had a big sword. Just a big sword.

The match didn't last very long. He immobilized Ruby as soon as the round started, having some Semblance that put huge invisible weights on her skinny ankles, but he didn't seem to be ready for her to actually stand her ground. Mobile or not, she was able to bat at his heaving sword well enough that she could dodge his blows while standing in place. Over time she found the weights around her ankles getting lighter, then disappearing as soon as she could lift them. After that, his blows were magnitudes heavier— a weight transfer Semblance, though it seemed to have an inverse effect on himself. Each blow became larger, huger, the sword cleaving the air like a mountain in Arno's hands.

Ruby probably would've been hewn if it touched her, but it didn't. It was a stupid Semblance for a stupid weapon being used by a stupid guy— all three things that are mostly unobtrusive in the pursuit of killing Grimm, all three things which were extremely obtrusive in the pursuit of beating Ruby Florabel Branwen Rose. He visibly took more weight into the sword, his Semblance granting the blade an ethereal coat of cobalt Aura, but his massive arms were bulging, his veins pulsing obscenely against his bronzed skin, and the increasing mass tipped them over to bursting. Ruby watched his right bicep deform, moments of real-time passing more like slow motion as the muscle divorced its ligaments and uselessly bunched up beneath the skin, the contracting tissues clenching unimpeded.

His neck wrenched back as he bit down on a cry to the heavens, his torn arm falling limp as the sword flashed cobalt and dragged his remaining arm down as if to punish him for failing to wield it. Ruby pursed her lips, said something biting, and hit him in the head with impunity until the match was called. The crowd went mild.

ROUND 2:

Ruby shouldn't have been surprised, really. Hers wasn't the only school out there— surely other schools would have different values— but seeing another Faunus was like catching a falling star.

RUBY ROSE [BEACON, TEAM RWBY, Y1]

vs

ANDREANNE KINGSLEY [HAVEN, TEAM AMVR, Y2]

And of all things— of all things from the lush armpit of Haven— she was a fucking penguin, though the striking oddity of that thought might have been a little prejudiced, Ruby realized. She wasn't really much of a penguin-ologist, and it's not like Faunus were distributed according to where one would find their 'origin' animal.

At first, Ruby thought she had some elaborate royal mantle around her shoulders, but observing it a few more seconds revealed that the fluffy white collar was attached to the flesh of her neck as distinguished, organized pinions. Her feathers were extremely dense, stopping and starting without any gradient in length like Ruby had, giving it the appearance of an old-timey ruffled frill. She couldn't imagine what kind of nightmare they'd be to preen.

Other than that, she didn't have anything crazy: a white dress-shirt, some high-rise black trousers, and sneakers that were almost dark enough to be mistaken for office-shoes (at least from Ruby's distance). Her lips were painted red, her skin was white, and her pinned-up bun was blonde. All-in-all, she looked like Goodwitch sans stupid cape and glasses. Ruby couldn't see any weapons on her.

Andreanne bowed, then extended her hands, displaying fingers that were webbed to the first knuckle. She flattened her right hand, thumb out, and tapped her pointy chin with her fingertips before motioning that hand towards Ruby, then made two thumbs-up and bumped her fists together.

Ruby felt a way she didn't usually feel: stupid. "Uh, sorry!" she shouted across the arena. "I don't know signs!"

Andreanne waved her off, a devious smile coming to her lips. She opened her mouth wide, displaying 0% teeth and 100% freaky-as-fuck frills, spikes, and backwards-facing papillae that made her maw look like a nightmare. She seemed to speak backwards, syllables forming as she inhaled, her voice a shrill and airy stutter.

"Goo-oo-oo-oo-oo-ood— ga-a-a-ame."

The brand-new 'oo-oo' sound would tickle her throat later, but Ruby tried not to make it look too obvious that she was freaked the hell out. "Yeah! You too!"

Anreanne rolled her dusky eyes. The match began.

Ruby went for her first, buckler held out in her right hand, staff pointing forward in her left. She plotted.

Except she didn't.

Why the hell couldn't she plot?

She had the line, she had the endpoint, but she couldn't bend the line around any more points— what the fuck? It was like she'd forgotten how to do it or— no, it was more like someone was holding her back from doing it. Someone or something. She couldn't plot between A and Z. What the fuck?

Ruby popped out of the line, too stuck in her confusion to gather herself before she appeared in a multicolor puff (wait, was it less saturated than usual?), barely catching herself on her clawed feet. Andreanna, her hands stuffed in her pockets, slowly turned towards Ruby.

Ruby jabbed with her staff. Andreanna pulled her shoulder back, barely slipping the strike without an ounce of visible effort. Ruby squinted, jabbing again, only for the woman to slip by it just the same.

Ruby stabbed twice— slipped again— before bouncing back with a third easily-slipped jab. Ruby let the staff slip out of her hand until she was holding the lower third, then pulled the weapon back and spun, swinging the staff low for Andreanna's feet. The penguin Faunus hopped over it like a slow-moving jump-rope. Her hands were still firmly stuffed in her pockets.

Ruby huffed. She didn't have the time (or blood, really) for this.

She pushed Andreanna, jabbing, swinging, making her hop again before she lunged forward with her shield, swinging the Multi-Weapon Discus Platform into her abdomen while she was stuck in the air and unable to dodge. Andreanna twisted with the impact. Her Aura ebbed violet.

Ruby's buckler slipped off like butter on a hot car. The lack of impact made Ruby overextend, following through until she was tripping over her own feet, to which Andreanna responded by slipping around and shoving her hard.

Ruby suddenly felt her feet slip over the smooth grey floor— both feet, each step sliding like she was on ice— turning a simple trip into a more catastrophic tumble. She skidded straight for the edge if the arena, doomed to be rung-out within a minute of her fight because of something as stupid as a fall!

Fuckit.

Ruby fell into the line again, vertigo hitting like a train as soon as she reformed into her corporeal self. She vomited almost instantly, which made it really hard to land when she discovered her feet were still fucking slippy! Ruby slammed her staff down and steadied herself with it, finally ceasing the movement.

Each of her claws spread out on the ground, but each one still slipped. She looked at Andreanna. The penguin Faunus winked.

"Anti-friction Semblance," Ruby noted to herself, shaking her head. "Damn."

Andreanna was about halfway across the grey arena, hunched forward (kinda like Qrow did), watching Ruby struggle to formulate a plan with a bemused look. Her hands were still deep in her pockets. Ruby scanned over the crowd.

She caught Yang— she couldn't not catch Yang— the woman was wearing all bright red, waving a giant foam finger around with a huge sign that said 'KICK ASS' in red marker. Qrow sat beside her, waving the same kind of giant foam finger. Blake wasn't there. Ruby didn't know how to feel about that.

She didn't see Weiss either, but that didn't mean anything (it meant everything). She didn't need to see to know when Ruby won (but Ruby really wanted her to see). Her coming worthiness was assured (though she still wished Weiss were there to watch).

Ruby felt the friction return to her feet. This, stupidly, made her look at her claws even though she instantly knew in her brain what was happening. By the time she looked back up, Adreanna was almost upon her, moonwalking at an unreasonable, unfrictioned speed. Ruby slid right, trying to clothesline the woman's legs with her staff, but Andreanna dove over it back-first. Her hands finally flashed out of her pockets— right first, casting a multicolor spray of glimmering dust that stuck to the sweat (and remaining bile) on Ruby's face as lefty came out next with a tiny pistol. The din of gunfire was pathetic. The doom it heralded was not.

What must it have looked like to the crowd? A plume of colorful smoke, eyes tracking the edge of the arena Ruby would've been blown towards. Confusion when she wasn't there.

'M-mom, it tastes like— h-heurk—'

'Swallow it, Ruby.'

'B-blood—'

'Swallow. It.'

Three times. Three consecutive blinks. That was the most she could do before… before…

Ruby hacked onto her opponent, spraying her with blood and bile as she fell out of the line and landed sprawling atop the woman. Still frictionless, Ruby was essentially surfing on Andreanna, but that didn't stop her from flicking her buckler's dial around to KNIF and stabbing wildly at her opponent— with perhaps a little too much fervor for a sanctioned match, but what's life without living, y'know?

Andreanna's Aura flashed violet again, passing the frictionless nature onto Ruby so her knife slid off the other Faunus with ease. This left the penguin Faunus at the mercy of her re-frictionable back against the floor, which went about as one would expect. Her shirt bunched up, then she started to twist, then she was rolling in a heap until she finally rolled to a halt, hopped up to her feet, and dusted herself off. She looked considerably better than Ruby, still, despite the fact that at that exact moment Ruby was sliding toward her at top speed, slotting her knife into the head of her staff and turning it into a lance.

Andreanna moved to the side, but Ruby redirected herself by fanning out her feathers and catching the wind, turning her. She was a knight on feathered sails, charging towards her fellow Faunus with a look of wild satisfaction and smug anticipation. The Aura meter readout said that Ruby shouldn't be doing this.

Mom's scoffing, dismissive advice: 'Aura meter? Who gives a fuck. Don't worry about that bullshit, fledgeling.'

Mum's disinterested, eye-rolling advice: 'Ruby, if you have time to look at the Aura meter, that time's better spent fighting.'

Andreana strafed further aside, her hands diving back into her pockets as the raven Faunus approached at full tilt, but Ruby just kept turning with her feathers (as much as she could) as her thumb pressed a button along the staff.

With a fwa-krng of metal, the staff overrode the Multi-Weapon Disc Platform, shunting the knife out sideways as the squat blade split and lengthened. The staff bent slightly for torque. Andreanna's Aura pulsed again.

Ruby leapt as the friction slipped, her spear-turned-scythe catching the other Faunus before she could build enough momentum to escape, hooking around the back of her waist as Ruby landed. Andreanna's hands started moving, preparing to dust Ruby up and blow her to pieces again, but Ruby pulled her frictionless body towards herself, jumped up, and drop-kicked the woman's chest with her huge, sharp claws, wrapping them around so her arms stayed still. Andreanna toppled backwards and Ruby surfed her again, standing this time, the woman visibly panicking until it was far too late. Ruby dismounted.

Andreanna slid out of the arena.

THESE WERE THE TIMES OF MEN FIGHTING; IT IS IN THESE DAYS THOSE THINGS DID PROPAGATE, THOSE DARK THINGS WHICH COME FROM THE GREAT VASTNESS; THOSE THINGS WHICH WE DID MAKE SILENT; THOSE THINGS WHICH IN TIME WE HAD COME TO FORGET; IT IS IN THESE DAYS THAT THOSE THINGS DID RETURN.

Ruby's second and final batch of fights came after a rest day, most of which she spent retching and having forays with Nora to siphon her soul. It made her feel like a garbage person, but physically it helped recover from her overtaxed Aura quite well. By the time she was standing in the Arena again, the fight was already over, having found that she could still plot multiple points with her Semblance, but not without being freshly fuelled by someone else's soul.

There was something tight in her two-part heart, a bouncing anxiety that felt as much like her own as it did someone else's. Someone else for whom she had to win. Someone else for whom she had to focus— no time to be standing around in the arena, comforting the gawping dumbass she'd so easily floored. She rushed back to the locker room to practice her old scythe forms. Even if she didn't use it again, mum was probably gonna challenge her about it once she saw that penguin-lady fight.

THE FIRST DID RALLY HIS FOLK, AND THE SECOND AND THIRD, TOO; THEY DID TAKE UP ARMS AND MAKE OF THEMSELVES INTO WEAPONS.

IT IS IN THESE DAYS THAT GREAT RIFTS DID LEAVE THE FACE OF THE WORLD RIVEN; THESE DAYS WERE A TIME OF ICHOR AND BELCHING SMOKE; AND THE ARMIES OF MAN WERE SWALLOWED BY THE WORLD AND THEY WERE CHOKED BY THE VAPOR AND THE SMOKE THAT DID RISE FROM THOSE RIFTS.

IN THOSE DAYS MANY MEN WERE UNMADE, AND MANY OF THESE MEN WERE THE MEN OF THE FIRST; AND WITH SUCH GREAT SWATHES STRIPPED AWAY MANY OTHER MEN DID DIE; A GREATER NUMBER OF MEN WAS UNMADE AS THE MEN OF THE SECOND AND THE THIRD DID FLEE THE FIELDS AND THE APOTHECARIES.

AND THOSE TIMES WERE THE DARKEST OF TIMES; IN THOSE TIMES MEN BECAME LIKE BEASTS AND BEASTS CAME TO POWER AS IF THROUGH THEIR OWN PROVIDENCE; IN THOSE TIMES THE WOE OF MEN WAS SO GREAT THAT SOME WERE GIVEN TO A BLACK MADNESS; THESE MEN WERE THOSE OF THE FIRST WHO DID SEE THEIR ARCH UNMADE AND TURNED UPON THEIR OWN PHALANX; THESE MEN WERE THOSE OF THE SECOND WHO KNEW NO SUCH CRUELTY UNTIL THOSE CREATURES DID MAKE THEM KNOW IT, FOR THIS THEY DID BLEED ICHOR UPON THEIR FIELDS; THESE MEN WERE ALSO THOSE OF THE THIRD WHO DID SEE THE WOUNDED WORLD SPLIT WITH UNHEALING RIFTS, AND THEY TOO SWAM IN THAT BLACK DEATH TO FIND SOME PEACE IN THE END.

"And that's a second ring-out for Ruby Rose of Beacon— a bit underwhelming to squeeze into the finals off of that, don't you agree?"

"I am usually less than favorable towards your opinions, but on this we are agreed. She really needs to learn how to play the stage— this is a tourney! An exhibition! And in the Singles, as well— a shame, but a victory is unfortunately a victory! Miss Branwen-Rose is moving into the final bout!"

IT WAS IN THOSE DAYS THAT OUR GREAT KNOWLEDGE WAS BLACKENED BY ICHOR; IT WAS IN THOSE DAYS THAT WE DID LOSE OURSELVES IN THE DARK; IT IS IN THOSE DAYS WE WERE MADE NIGH TO BEASTS ONCE MORE.

MANY TIMES DID THE FIRST ARCH DIE IN THOSE DAYS; MANY TIMES WAS HE AND SHE UNMADE; IN THIS WAY SHE WAS LEFT A THING OF DOGMA; HER SOUL EVERLASTING LOST ALL BUT ITS FLAME AND ITS SWORD.

MANY TIMES DID THE SECOND ARCH ALSO DIE BACK IN THOSE DAYS; HE AND SHE WAS UNMADE MANY TIMES AS WELL; IN THIS WAY HE WAS MADE A CORNERED THING, HIS GATES AND FIELDS BARRED TO ALL BUT HIS OWN; HIS GILDED HEART WAS SCORED TO THE FEEBLE FLESH OF MAN.

AND THE THIRD ARCH, WITH HIS SOUL UNMOVING, DID ALSO DO SOMETHING WHICH WAS LIKE DEATH IN ITS WAY; IN THOSE DAYS HE DID SEE SUCH GREAT BRUTALITY; IN THOSE DAYS HE DID WATCH HIS FLOCK AND HIS BROTHERS' AND SISTERS' FLOCKS BECOME LOST; IN THOSE DAYS WHEN THOSE SOULS OF HIS BROTHERS AND OF HIS SISTERS WERE MADE INTO SMALL AND TARNISHED THINGS, HE DID LOSE HIMSELF AS WELL; IN THOSE DAYS THAT ARCH, THAT THIRD BROTHER OF HIS KIN, DID FEAR SO GREATLY THAT HE FORGOT; IN THOSE DAYS HIS IMMUTABLE MIND WAS AS PUMICE, AND FOR THAT WHICH HE DID LOSE CAME THE BLACK MADNESS IN ITS PLACE.

"Facing off, it's Beacon versus Beacon in the final round, but any of you whining about home favor can refer to our challenger, who claims their power and prowess comes from the mighty nation of Atlas!"

"To the stage, your first Singles finalist: Weiss Schnee!"

Ruby's heart clenched. Why didn't she look at the roster? What kind of fucking idiot was she— wait, how the fuck had Weiss gotten to finals when she couldn't—

Dear sweet fuck, she hadn't been hit once.

That… that didn't make any sense— it was Weiss! And Weiss sucked! Did she figure out her Semblance? Her Aura? Did some kind of epiphany hit her after unlocking it? Maybe it was like her own, unable to use unless fuelled— wouldn't she have heard about somebody manifesting fucking Wendigos in the middle of a tourney? Or was it her fault for keeping her ear firmly off the ground; for training herself in too much isolation?

It didn't matter. She should've expected this. If she was gonna prove herself worthy, she'd have to do it against Weiss herself— Weiss in top fucking form, apparently. God, what she would give to go back now and watch what masterpieces she'd painted across this arena— and with her sword! Her sword that she made! Fuck! That is so fucking hot!

Ruby slammed her staff into her buckler and pressed the button for its scythe-override form. Weiss deserved her best. Weiss deserved her respect. Her life. Her heart. Even her thumb.

Everything. Everything for her. Just to be her nemesis again.

Ruby's piecemeal heart clenched. It beat hard. Fast. Words for snowblindness— the things which lurk in the white veil— things which snatch your buried body out of an avalanche, just to feast on your soul while the last bits of fleeing, freezing consciousness remain.

Anxiety. Fear— terror— anger— rage—

"We're being informed our resident LARPing Atlesian is bowing out of the fight! This is—"

"This is an outrage! Ruby Rose wins by default, new Winterfaire champion, yadda yadda, Beacon wins again— what the hell! Someone go find that girl!"

Ruby was two steps ahead on that front.

THESE TIMES WE DID NAME CRISIS; THESE TIMES WE DID DAMN; IN THESE TIMES WE DID FALL TO OUR KNEES AND WAIL CURSES UPON THAT ONE WHO DID MAKE US; IN THESE TIMES WE DID MAKE OURSELVES PROFANE; BUT IN THIS CRISIS WE WERE MADE HOPELESS; AND THAT ONE WHO DID MAKE US COULD SEE THE PLIGHT UPON US; AND THAT ONE WHO DID MAKE US IN HIS GRACE MARKED THIS BLASPHEMY AS TO THE CHITTERING OF A SQUIRREL; AND BY THIS WE FOLK WERE FORGIVEN OUR PROFANE FOLLY;

BUT FROM THIS TIME, FROM THESE DAYS, FROM THIS CRISIS OF MADNESS AND ICHOR AND SKIES OF BLACK, THAT ONE WHO DID MAKE US WOULD GRANTED A MERCY MOST GREAT.

FROM THE BOUNTIFUL STRENGTH THAT THE ONE DID GRANT THE FIRST, HE WAS GIVEN A SHARE; AND FROM THE PEERLESS LOVE THAT THE ONE DID ENDOW THE SECOND, HE WAS GRANTED A PIECE; AND FROM THE WELL OF KNOWLEDGE THE ONE DID MAKE INTO THE THIRD, HE WAS MADE TO SUP; AND ALSO WAS HE GIVEN A MARKER OF HIS OWN; FOR IT IS IN THIS CRISIS THAT THE ONE DID MAKE THE GREATEST OF THE ARCHES; ENDOWED WITH THE WISDOM OF LIFE AND SOUL, THE ONE DID FULFILL THAT LAST PROPHESIED POINT; AWASH IN THE INFINITE LOVE AND MERCY OF THE ONE WHO DID MAKE US, THE FOURTH ARCH DID COME TO SAVE US ALL.

Ruby's claws went chkchkchkchkchk as she sprinted through the halls at full tilt, her mind emptied as she followed Weiss' heart like a compass, chasing the rage and anxiety in whichever direction made it stronger. With so many people out on the stands watching the Doubles and Team fights, the halls were empty. Besides the occasional snogging couple hiding in a corner, Ruby shouldn't have seen anybody.

Especially not some redheaded Fourth, some thief, some shitty robot who looked at Ruby and smiled!

"Hey!"

"Bell-bell! So good to—"

Ruby blinked to the Fourth and put the scythe to her, its long blade scraping over Aura, but Penny twisted out of the crook before Ruby could trap her properly. She blasted backwards on a burst of green energy, her hand shooting out to let off a rapid report from the pistol that she'd stolen from Ruby— the one Ruby had illegally modified with a full-auto switch.

Ruby ducked lower than human legs would allow, rounds whizzing just over her head as she rolled to the side to dodge the rest of the magazine. Desperate not to lose the bot, Ruby risked taking shots in order to sprint towards the Fourth, but Penny kept flying away. Ruby sprinted after her, rounding corners, barely keeping the girl's bright green trail in her sights as Penny rocketed through the halls of the floating ceremony platform.

Ruby blinked as soon as she wouldn't be sick, reforming with her scythe held far in front of her. Still flying, Penny couldn't stop her momentum from carrying on, trapping her back against the crook of the Faunus' scythe. The sudden weight sent Penny and Ruby careening into a wall, Penny's back smashing through every mounted light fixture on the way, but she crashed into the floor before she could manifest any of that green energy in her palm.

Penny's hard body was a good cushion— good enough that Ruby's Aura didnt crack at the impact, even if Penny's did. Ruby rolled forward as they finally started to come out of their skid, using the last dregs of momentum to rip her scythe away and slash backwards, knowing that Penny would respond by casting her hand out to catch her.

Penny's pale, fake hand spurted thick and viscous ooze as it flew off the arm, shorn at the wrist by Ruby's scythe. Ruby turned and caught it. Anchors limply dangled, having never even deployed before Ruby severed them from their wielder. She slipped the hand out of the wire gauntlet, replacing it with the one that belonged. It felt good to wear again.

"Where's Weiss."

Penny, her wrist spurting black liquid as she clutched it to her chest, grinned without pain. "Sorry, did you think I had her?"

"Where were you going."

Penny grinned. "Places."

"Why're you here."

Penny gave her a genuine look of confusion. "You… haven't guessed? Look around you, Bell, you couldn't have been that focused this whole time."

Ruby did look around, and she realized she had been shouting over something— a loud klaxon like a fire alarm, blaring over and over again as the Vytal platform shook. How long had it been shaking?

"You've got a real one-track mind," Penny joked. "Why'd you assume I'd be taking you to her?"

Ruby spun her scythe hand-over-hand, the momentum carrying its point deep between Penny's eyes. Ruby jerked the weapon back, making the bot's hand flex out, her legs twitching as she scrambled whatever the thing used for brains.

"Y-you dumb a-an…imal," Penny croaked struggling to form words with what remained in her skull. "D-did you t— thi-ink— your-days-would— would— las-ss-sst… for-ever?"

WITH THE KNOWLEDGE HE WAS ENDOWED, THAT ARCH THE FOURTH DID STRIKE A PATH FOR SECURITY; IN THE FIELDS AND THE WOODS OF HIS AND OUR MAKER HE DID FIND VESSELS; AND INTO THESE VESSELS HE DID CHANNEL THAT WHICH REMAINED FROM OUR MYRIAD KIN UNMADE; AND OF THESE VESSELS HE DID MAKE SOMETHING NEAR MEN; AND ABOVE THESE THINGS WHICH WERE MORE VESSEL THAN MAN HE DID DECREE HIMSELF; AND THOSE THINGS WHICH DID LOVE THEIR CREATOR AS WE LOVE OURS, THEY RAISED THEIR HANDS AND DECLARED HIM KING.

"Sister."

"What?"

"Stop."

"Why?"

"You're reading it in a silly voice."

Winter snorted, letting the tome of Fourth scripture drop to her lap. "You are not allowed to call my voice silly."

Weiss cringed; it felt to speak Mantell again, good enough to forget how stupid she sounded to everyone else outside of her mother tongue. "Shut up," Weiss sniveled, glaring at her sister through the vanity mirror. "Who let you wear that stupid costume around, anyways?"

Winter looked down at herself, confused. "Costume? I was on vacation."

Weiss barked out one harsh laugh. "You? Vacation? And a tropical one, at that?"

Winter squinted as if there was a thought right at the forefront of her brain but it kept slipping out of her fingers. "Yes. I've… never been to the tropics." She closed her eyes, remembering. "The… warm air? And… sand?" With more certainty, she said, "But who cares! Tell me about your partner."

Weiss winced— not for a good reason, not for any kind of reason, there was no reason to wince at the mention of that feathered fool, she was… awful! She hated her!

"Uh… Weiss?" A hand touched Weiss' face, making her jump. "Sister, are you okay? Your cheeks are red."

Weiss put her face in her hands. "I don't know!" she squeaked. "I— I— she's— I don't know!"

Winter took one of her hands— the right one. "When did this happen?"

Weiss snatched the hand back. "I don't want to talk about it," she lied. "I was protecting my partner. That's all you need to know."

Winter stared. "No… dear god, sister, you are blushing!"

Weiss swatted at her. "I am not!"

"You are—" she paused, searching for a word. "You… damn! What is the word!"

Weiss glared, but her mental search of Mantell came up just as blank— a million words for cold weather, none for a girl who likes girls.

"Girl… kisser?" Winter tried. "Sure. Ha!"

"I—"

"And— my god, and with a Faunus!"

"You—"

Winter squealed. "Oh that is so damn cute, damn! Dating? Dates? Anything? Tell me everything!"

Weiss grabbed her brush and threatened Winter with it. When the older woman raised her hands in defeat, Weiss started brushing her hair. Winter naturally took over a second later. Weiss closed her eyes and sighed. "We have not been on a date," she grumbled bitterly. "Things are… craggy, right now."

"'Craggy?' The hell does that mean?"

"She needs to prove herself to me."

Winter cocked her head. "Why?"

Weiss sighed again, though this time with dread rather than relief. "Because she… she keeps…" Now was Weiss' turn to fumble for words. "Ignoring— no, disrespecting herself. It is awful! The idiot girl cannot choose a damn thing for herself! Too sacrificial!"

Winter's burgeoning smirk became a full smile. "You think she will focus on you, not herself?"

"Yes!" Weiss declared bitterly.

Winter dropped the brush and started sectioning her sister's hair. "That is so sweet, sister, I really did not know you were capable of such… love."

Weiss grabbed the brush and threw it back over her shoulder, striking Winter in the face. "Do not say that. That is not happening. She is to be my nemesis, and she is a girl."

"But you are a kisser of girls," Winter stated, confused.

"No, I am not," Weiss reasoned. "What I do with her is… hormonal. Things our bodies drive us to do because of the heady rush of our combat."

Winter did not believe her, and she let that show quite plainly over her face. "And what have you two done?" she interrogated, staring Weiss down as she braided her hair. "Because I have never been driven to kissing anybody— much less another woman— because of 'the heady rush of combat.'"

Weiss went from reddened to blanched. "We… kissed."

Winter, without stopping the practiced movements of her hands, leaned closer to Weiss' face like a snake. "You did the freaky-nasty, didn't you?"

Weiss slapped her sister, but Winter's Aura rebuffed it easily. Instead of admitting that she had, in fact, done the freaky-nasty with Florabel, she commanded: "Enough of this. We're going to be late to the fight if we chat all day."

Snickering, Winter finished her braid with a light blue ribbon tied into a bow. It was how mother used to tie her hair. She got all the garments Weiss had prepared specifically for this match: a snug white dress that flared out around her knees, hand-made from purchased fabrics and scraps of decommissioned work uniforms. The sleeves were short and puffy, reaching only halfway down each bicep, while the keyhole neckline offered a teardrop-shaped spot of chest visible. It was simple, modest, and conservative. Why did it feel like she was about to fight Florabel in lingerie?

A shaky chuckle rose to Weiss' lips as she slipped the thick belt of her sword around her waist. It was such a wonderful thing, that sword. Elegant, beautiful, swift but not without its own heft; god, Florabel was so talented. She deserved to look at that sword as Weiss did.

"I… I must admit, sister," Weiss started. "I am a little nervous— do you think she'll like—"

Winter stood ramrod-straight, her phone pressed hard against her ear. Her mouth hung open slightly, words ghosting out without sound. Her eyes were wide.

The door swung open.

"Ah! Miss Schnee! You're late to your—"

Winter killed him. It was some guy with a clipboard and a headset. Winter killed him with a dismissive flick of her saber, opening his throat. He fell onto his knees and died. Winter rushed forward, grabbed Weiss' wrist, and kidnapped her.

HIS FLOCK OF VESSELS DID CARVE INTO THOSE DARKENED LANDS; BY HIS HAND THAT ARCH THE FOURTH CLAVE DARK FROM LIGHT.

IN THIS WAY HE DID JOURNEY TO THE SOLACE OF THE THIRD, AND THE FOURTH DID TAKE HIS BROTHER IN HIS ARMS; HE DID PRESS THAT MADDENED HEAD AGAINST HIS HEART; THAT ARCH THE FOURTH DID TELL HIS BROTHER, MY KIN, MY HEARTSBLOOD, DO YOU FEEL WHAT ARMS HOLD YOU?; AND THE FOURTH DID CLUTCH HIS BROTHER, TO HOLD HIM WITH THE STRENGTH OF HIS SISTER THE FIRST; AND THE FOURTH DID SAY, MY BROTHER, MY KIN, MY LOVE, HEAR ALSO THE HEART OF YOUR BROTHER THE SECOND; AND HIS BROTHER THE THIRD HEARD THE HEART OF HIS BROTHER AND FELT THE ARMS OF HIS SISTER, AND HE DID WEEP; HIS YOUNGEST BROTHER THE FOURTH DID LAY A KISS UPON HIS HEAD; AND THROUGH THAT KISS, THE KISS OF THE ONE WHO DID MAKE HIM AND WHO DID ALSO MAKE US, HE DID SOOTHE HIS BROTHER OF THAT BLACK SICKNESS; IN THE ARMS OF ONE ANOTHER, THE BROTHERS DID REJOICE.

IN THIS WAY HE DID ALSO FIND HIS BROTHER THE SECOND, AND WITH HIS BROTHER THE THIRD THEY DID REMIND HIM OF FLOCK AND FAMILY; AND IN THAT FLOCK OF VESSELS-MADE-MEN THE SECOND DID SEE HIS SOUL'S SALVATION; THAT ARCH THE SECOND DID CLAIM THEM FOR HIS OWN, AND HIS LOVING BROTHER THE FOURTH DID GRANT HIS BROTHER THE SECOND A FLOCK.

IN THIS WAY HE DID FIND HIS SISTER THE FIRST AS WELL, AND HE CAME UNTO HER WITHOUT FLOCK OR FAMILY OR ARMS; THE FOURTH DID FIND HIS SISTER AND HE DID SMILE TO SEE HER; THAT ARCH THE FIRST DID CHARGE UNTO HIM WITH A GREAT AND SAVAGE FURY, BUT THE FOURTH DID STAND WITHOUT FEAR; SHE DID FALL UPON HIM WITH BLADES, BUT HER BROTHER THE FOURTH DID TAKE HER BLADES FROM HER HANDS; HE SAW HER GNASHING TEETH AND HE DID THROW HER DOWN; AND IN BEING DEFEATED DID THE HONORABLE FIRST REALIZE HOW BESTIAL SHE HAD BECOME; SHE DID REMEMBER THOSE DAYS OF SHINE AND GLORY; SHE DID WEEP, AND SHE DID SAY, O BROTHER, HAVE I NOT KNOWN YOU ALL OF MY LIFE?; AND HER BROTHER THE FOURTH DID LIFT HIS SISTER UP REJOICING, AND HE DID SAY, SISTER, I HAVE KNOWN YOU FOR ALL OF MINE.

It was pathetic. All of it. Everything Ruby saw made her incensed: a platform full of the greatest Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Hunters across the kingdoms, and none of them could get these fucking Grimm off her ass!

Ruby dashed forwards, leaping over a fledgling Grimt hat she didn't care to identify before she killed it, continuing on in the direction of the docks, the way her pounding half-heart was guiding her. More tried getting in her way, but she had enough blood in her veins to keep mowing through the mass of viscous black. She made it outside before long. By then, she could feel the ichor of dozens of dead Grimm seeping through her clothes, drying on her skin as the hosts desiccated and turned to dust.

The dockyard was hell, probably. An Ur-Dragon— a great, nightmarish parody of a Grimm, a mockery of its proud namesake— flew by with a roaring gust from its six blood-red wings. Glynda Goodwitch was flying in front of its face, doing something complicated. Qrow and Yang were fighting some kind of giant pustule of a creature, a bulbous, inky blob twice as tall as them, with lesser Grimm birthing out of its sides with gouts of stringy black sludge. Other students were fighting other Grimm. A million things were happening.

Ruby only heard the ringing in her own ears. Her eyes were searching for an airship.

She caught a blur of white moving to one— two blurs of white, and she burst in that direction before something yanked her back by the neck. Ruby slashed back blindly.

There was a loud, thick sound of crashing metal, and Ruby's arms were forced down as her scythe was pushed to the floor. She twisted, shouting, "Let me—"

Raven held her collar. Summer's massive scythe pinned her own, much smaller one.

"My— my partner," she rushed to explain, needing to go. "They took her! Someone—"

Raven opened her mouth, but Summer spoke first: "She doesn't matter, Ruby! You're a Huntress! Hunt!"

Summer let her scythe go and zipped away as a flurry of rose petals. Raven looked at her daughter sadly. "Come on, Ruby. I'm sure your girlfriend's fine— she seemed like a tough girl." She looked behind her, where Summer had managed to cleave the Grimm pustule in the short time they weren't watching. Yang stared at her step-mom like Summer was her hero. Qrow moved on to the next target.

"Ruby, snap out of it. We'll get her, okay? Right now, we need to focus on saving lives." Raven let her go and drew her sword. "Come on."

Weiss would be okay. That, or she would be gone. Either way, Ruby was too late to be useful. What was she supposed to do? Besides being the thing she didn't want to be, what else could she do?

Ruby's mind rang. Her head was an empty, hollow whoosh of noise. Her heart— Weiss' heart in her— wasn't thrashing anymore. Everything made perfect sense. The world was simple, and she moved easily. She followed her mother. She followed her mother across the Vytal platform, cleaning up after Summer as she reaped ichor from the Grimm pustules across the area. Ruby slayed the newborn Beowolves that poured forth with their long, gasping snouts. Ruby slayed the Creeps that tumbled from the viscous centers, landing on their stubby two legs, looking naked with white plating only on their horns. Ruby slayed the Ogumo that crept out on their eight skinny bug-legs, thrashing and gurgling with both of their wolf-faced heads. Ruby hooked Ursas beneath their jaws and held their massive skulls still while Yang made black pulp of their heads. Ruby cleaved through a dozen Bilgelings at a time. Ruby covered herself in black ichor.

And when the Ur-Dragon crashed into the side of the Vytal platform, Ruby shoved her scythe down and held still. When the platform started to list, she stayed. When the Vytal Platform started drifting from above Lake Castellan and plummeting towards Beacon itself, Ruby remained.

Ruby followed her mum as she sprinted towards the colossal Grimm, its massive upper body pushing Vytal towards the heart of Beacon Academy. Ruby followed her mum as she leapt up on the Ur-Dragon's arm like a flea. Ruby followed her mum's directions when Summer told her what to do. Ruby scaled the Ur-Dragon and, in sync with her mother, drove her scythe in its eye.

The thing made an unspeakable noise and let the platform go, its body going into free fall as it careened blindly from the air. Anchored by their scythes, they both fell with the creature. It caught the wind, at some point, and Ruby wrapped her scythe in wires— not a thoughtful effort, but not instinctive either, something that passed by the logic centers of her brain and got stamped through without question. When the Ur-Dragon bottomed out of its fall, what little blood was left in Ruby was shunted out of her brain at once by the intense G-forces.

She regained consciousness among rubble. Her hands were cut up a bit, but not as mangled as last time. She still had her scythe. Her ears were ringing.

Ruby pushed herself up slowly, so as not to remind her anemia it existed, and cast her gaze around. It didn't take more than a moment to realize what was happening.

Mum was still fighting the Ur-Dragon. They'd crashed into Beacon's primary spire. It was just them. Wherever Goodwitch was, wherever Ozpin was, it sure as fuck wasn't here. If Ruby was lucky, or if god saw fit to grace her godless ass, they'd be dead. Not like it mattered. She'd probably be dead, too, before long.

A roar— somehow both shrill and booming— shook the tower, nearly knocking Ruby off her broad, clawed toes. She broke a window and pulled herself up the stones, using one hand to wield her scythe like a climbing pick. It was heavy, and hard to use with one hand, but she didn't feel much of anything. Her whole body was a grey wash. Her mind was blank paper, a whole stack, wet through and through until it was a pulpy white block. She eventually made it to what constituted the top. Her mother was indeed fighting the Ur-Dragon. Summer turned to her.

Summer Rose had one arm. She didn't seem bothered by the fact that her arm was chomped off, squirting blood at the mangled rip that was now the shoulder-to-collar area of her right half. She wielded her gigantic scythe with one hand, the rest of her a shredded mess of bleeding red, her cloak little more than stray threads around her neck. She wasn't even panting.

The Ur-Dragon didn't look much better. It had one wing left, hanging on by little more than a few viscous sinews, twitching uselessly. Its eyes were both pouring out ichor by the gallon. Half-impaled in the tower's girders, its upper body was held still so it was forced to glare sightlessly at Summer.

"Ruby," mum croaked. "I'm going to die. I'm gonna kill him first, but I'm going to bleed out."

Ruby nodded. "Okay."

Summer nodded. She didn't smile. Her eyes didn't warm. It was all cold silver. Ruby ticced, cawing or making some kind of noise she couldn't be fucked to stop. Summer didn't join her. She heaved her giant scythe overhead with one bloodied arm, slammed it down through the floor, and let the autocannon roar.

She killed the Ur-Dragon. Ruby wasn't sure if her mother was still alive by the time the thing was dead or if Summer's corpse just happened to still be pulling the trigger, but coming closer gave Ruby her answer. With the last of herself, Summer heaved the scythe back out of the ground, falling backwards before her daughter with the weapon on her chest. She lifted it off herself like she wasn't dying, her eyes steel as they met Ruby's.

"Ruby," she said slowly, clearly. "Take it. You're my legacy." Summer coughed wetly. Redly. "You wouldn't fail me. The greatest Huntress in the world is you, now."

'What about mom?' 'You don't have to die;' 'But I love you!' 'Don't die, mum!'

Ruby took the scythe. It was as heavy as it looked. "Okay."

Summer sighed. "That's… my girl."

Only now she said it. Of course.

"Now, you know… what to do," Summer stated. "Otherwise your mom… is gonna…"

Ah. Ruby got it. She understood. "Okay."

Ruby dropped her scythe. She dropped her mom's scythe. "R-Ruby? What're you—"

Ruby put her hand over Summer's mouth.

WITH HIS BROTHERS AND SISTER THE FOURTH DID STRIKE OUT INTO THE DARK; WITH HIS FLOCK AND THEIR FLOCKS THEY DID BURN AWAY THE ICHOR; WITH THEIR MIGHT THEY DID DRIVE OUT MALEVOLENCE; THEY DID RECLAIM THE WORLD.

THE SISTER THE FIRST DID REJOICE; AS DID HER BROTHER THE SECOND; AND HIS BROTHER THE THIRD DID CELEBRATE AS WELL.

BUT THE FOURTH DID SEE THE WORLD THAT HE HAD SAVED: THAT RIVEN, BARREN, BLACK-STAINED LAND, AND HE DID WEEP; HE DID FALL TO HIS KNEES AND CRY OUT, MY KIN! MY BROTHERS, MY SISTER! MY LOVES, MY HEARTSBLOOD, MY FAMILY!

AND THEY DID COME TO HIM, EMBRACING HIM AND KISSING HIM UPON HIS CHEEKS AND HEAD; AND THEY DID TELL HIM THEIR GRATEFULNESS; THEY DID REMIND HIM THEIR LOVE; BUT HE WAS NOT EASED.

THAT ARCH THE FOURTH DID WEEP; HE DID TURN HIS FACE TO THE SKY AND CRY OUT, IS THIS WHAT I WAS SENT TO SAVE? IT IS NAUGHT BUT REMNANTS.

Mom came by in an airship a bit later. Raven fell to her knees at Summer's side. Ruby had never seen her weep before. Ruby had seen her mother die before she saw her mother weep. Yang was there, too. And Blake. And Qrow. All of them were there, looking at the corpse Ruby had made. The corpse that fed her, that she felt writhing between the threads of her own soul.

Ruby dragged her scythes behind her, ignoring the shouting voices that asked where she was going. She fell from the tower and blinked to the ground near the bottom. She felt nothing for how hard the weapons were to drag along. She felt nothing at the sight of the Ur-Dragon's corpse slowly dusting away. She felt nothing at Summer Rose's soul in hers.

The docks were a long walk away, but Ruby didn't care to feel the strain of her mother's weapon. She found a landing airship, let the panicking students pile in, and invited herself aboard. She dropped the burden. She pressed in the release of her other scythe. The blade fell out in its LSWD form. Ruby held it against the pilot.

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