Chapter 45: Pyrrha vs Ruby
Ozpin paid no attention to the sounds of his secretary (not that either of them would refer to each other that way, but to an outsider, it was just as good an explanation) impatiently tapping away at her pad and occasionally sparing glances at him, perhaps hoping to finally get his attention. Though she was one of the best and one of his most trusted allies, the enigmatic headmaster had to admit it was too tempting not to take such opportunities to tease her.
Given her normally stern and strict personality, he felt even she could use a break once in a while and learn to take things slow and relaxed. He was well aware she had a million things she wanted to ask him, especially with Ironwood now in Beacon. There had already been some tension between the two, which was made worse by the fact that the general chose to arrive at Beacon with a good show of his military might as he always did. With the Vytal festival just around the corner and the warning left behind by Qrow through Ironwood, it was understandable to both Ozpin and Glynda why such a show of authority was sailing a little too close to the wind.
"You looked stressed" mused Ozpin, taking another sip from his cup of coffee, rewinding the security footage once more, this time showing him another shot of the Emerald Forest. Considering that the forest was so close in vicinity to the academy, no amount of security cameras was considered too much for an area infested with Grimm. Though the Grimm inhabiting the area were relatively weaker compared to those elsewhere, Ozpin knew better than anyone that there was power in numbers. It was the perfect training ground given its close proximity to the school as well as the large number of weaker Grimm, but that also meant that when not in training, the students shouldn't have to worry about being killed in their sleep by a massive Grimm invasion.
The academy being situated on top of a cliff was a natural barrier by itself, as well as the fact that apart from Nevermores, which were few in number, were about the only ones that could fly and reach the academy. But even a little chance of students, children being killed, children who were under his protection meant that he could leave nothing to chance. And thus, he spared no effort in making sure he caught any sign of unrest well before they happened. Of course, he couldn't just cover the entire forest with cameras or surveillance equipment, they did have to consider the limitations of such an undertaking after all. But by studying the concentration and behavioral patterns of the Grimm, they could do it select locations. But that also meant that there were parts of the forest that they couldn't clearly see, and this didn't account for the occasional straggler within the Grimm packs.
"Stressed? I look stressed, you say? And just who do you think is responsible for that?" huffed the disciplinarian. "Here I am, trying to keep things running as normal, with Ironwood and his gang of musketeers going about as if the world's about to go to war, Qrow dropping off warnings about Fall and leaving like he always does with nothing more to go on about, the million things I have to keep in track of for the Vytal festival with students from all over the four kingdoms coming over to our academy and from what we know, we have an interloper here, the very same one that we suspect was responsible for Amber's….condition. And not too long ago, Team RWBY dragged not just themselves, but some members of Team SSSN as well into a tussle with Roman Torchwick and the White Fang, an incident which YOU asked me not to mention to Ironwood in case he came snooping around. And on top of all that, I have combat training with the kids that always seem to be around whenever something happens outside town. So you tell me, headmaster, whether I should be stressed when you clearly seem to enjoy taking a backseat while blissfully sipping coffee and watch security footage from the forest when you should be thinking about how to find this interloper that Qrow spoke of. Oh, and did I mention how I'm telling you all of this during my lunch break?"
Ozpin gave an exasperated but assuring sigh. "Come now Glynda, it's not all that bad. Most of the things are things beyond our control. We are doing everything within our abilities to tackle the things in our plate. And besides, even if the interloper was indeed at our academy, it wouldn't be that simple to detain them. For one, they're most likely students from outside here to participate as part of the Vytal Festival. It would explain why they were able to settle in Beacon without raising suspicion despite the efforts we've put into locating them. And I've already asked our inner circle of headmasters to provide me any info about irregularities amongst their student rooster. And assuming they're here, we also need to consider that we can't risk raising an alarm with the students. Added with James's military pompadour, it would only raise fear and suspicion if it was discovered that a student from another academy is our enemy, here to bring an end to the peace we've worked so hard to achieve. And all that fear and panic would do no good in keeping the Grimm away"
"True….but…"
"Here, for now, take a look at this and tell me what you think" he said, showing her the screens he had been observing. There, Glynda could first see an overhead view of the forest, and from the timestamp, she could tell this was just last night around 3 AM. At first, there was nothing. And then, a tree fell, slowly toppling to the forest floor. And then another. And then another. It went on until the final one well with a loud crash accompanying it.
"…..Grimm?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "Unusual but not out of the realm of possibility"
"Too intentional for the kind of low level Grimm that inhabit the Emerald Forest. Look at those trees. They are all aligned along one direction. Now, one could argue that the first tree falling caused the rest to fall like some domino effect. But these trees here aren't connected to the ones that fell before it. And some of the trees here in the line of sight are still intact but still visibly shook. And there's that sound at the end as well. Clearly something or someone caused them to fall down that way" replied Ozpin, pointing to the aforementioned places on the footage. "And besides….the Grimm are only hostile towards Humans and Faunus. There is little to no probability that this was caused by them infighting"
Glynda gulped. "Then…..are you suggesting that there may be something…or someone responsible for whatever happened there? That's a lot of damage done in such a short time. There aren't that many things that can do that, not without us finding out about it. Atlas tech maybe? Knowing James, I wouldn't be surprised if he decided to try out some new 'toy' of his in a forest laden with Grimm"
"Possibly. Naturally I asked him discreetly if he had been involved in any kind of military drill, which he denied under the notion that 'this wasn't Atlas'. I imagine even if he did have a secret up his sleeve, he wouldn't want to openly flaunt it for the world to see. And that brings us to this" he replied switching the screens. There, it showed a close up of some of the trees in the area.
"What is that…?" asked Glynda, pointing to what appeared to be a red, blurry object whizzing towards the trunk of the tree.
"I don't know. But whatever it is, it's fast enough that even a slowed down footage only shows it as a something more than a blur. I wouldn't be surprised if it was supersonic or even hypersonic. It looks about as big as a cannonball and about as fast as a bullet or maybe even faster. And if I am right, this is what was responsible for whatever happened to the nearby vegetation. Not only was it fast, it was also powerful enough to punch through several trees. And…" he said, switching screens and advancing the frames once more.
"There are more….." remarked Glynda slowly. "One…two…three….four…four of them…."
"When I tried matching the direction they seemed to be coming from, this is what I found" said the headmaster, now showing a screen with a few beowolves. Glynda blinked her eyes in surprise.
"You mean…..it was a bunch of Beowolves that did that?!" she exclaimed.
"Look closer" Ozpin advised, advancing the footage frame by frame. The image looked like it was taken from a camera that was some distance away from the pack. In one frame they were present, and in the next, a red blurry thing punched clean through the head of a beowolf, before it even realized what happened. And then, many more spheres appeared, doing the same to the rest of the pack. Rewinding the footage, the disciplinarian looked around the area in front of the Grimm, and then immediately paused at one particular frame.
"Is that….a human…?" she questioned, looking at the blurry, humanoid shape standing by the side of a tree. The humanoid shape appeared to be making finger guns, pointing at the Grimm.
"Look even closer.." Ozpin advised zooming in as much as the footage allowed. "Here….now, what does that look like?"
Glynda raised her eyes in confusion. "No…that's no human….that's definitely a tail….so…a Faunus…a female faunus and….are those…..pyjamas….?"
"Amusing, isn't it? And that's not all. Here…" said Ozpin, fast forwarding a few frames, until it stopped at another shot of the same humanoid figure now pointing at the tree next to herself, with a thin, shining rope shooting out of the faunus's finger and wrapping itself around the tree. And then, a few moments later, the figure turned around, appearing to do something. Then, a gaping void appeared, following which the figure runs through and disappears entirely. When Ozpin ran the footage forward, nothing more appeared.
"…..so…..a faunus that's powerful enough to punch through a pack of beowolves like they were nothing more than distractions, not to mention toppling several trees using the same unknown means, as well as opening what appears to be a version of Raven Branwen's semblance. And possibly using some kind of dust powered weapon to generate an energy rope of sorts…..headmaster….just what are we dealing with here…?" asked Glynda.
"I don't know, and that's what I've been trying to figure out. But surprisingly, to me, the clothing is what gives me a few clues. Think about it. A female faunus wearing PJ's and just happens to be near a location where the academy and its dorms also happen to be located? Now doesn't that tell you something?"
"So….you think it's a student…." Answered Glynda, voicing out her thoughts. Ozpin nodded. "But…that can't be. We know our students. Almost too well. There's no one with such abilities, and almost no one that's so skilled that they could take out a pack of beowolves in less than a second—no…..you don't think this could be our interloper do you…?!"
"We can't say, although there's good reason to think it might be. We know that our interloper has infiltrated the ranks of our students thanks to Qrow's intel. And we know they're skilled enough to put Amber, who was a maiden, in critical condition. And that they are female, because she has part of Amber's powers. Given that our interloper works with Salem and the knowledge of magic she has, it could very well be that this faunus is who we need to look out for. But it might also be that this faunus is completely unrelated. After all, if our interloper was skilled enough to avoid being seen and remained hidden even from Qrow, I find it hard to believe she would openly show herself like this. But even so, I like being cautious given the gravity of the situation. Because even if this faunus is completely unrelated to the maidens, the fact is that she is still someone to be wary of, until we can determine who and what her motives are. Luckily for us, we have a few hints to go on about" Ozpin explained, draining the contents from his cup.
"I'll keep an eye out for any female faunus with a tail who show or demonstrate any of the abilities we've seen" answered Glynda. "Would you like me to inform any of the others?"
"No. Keep them in the dark for now. We don't want to get off on the wrong foot by giving what could be a false alarm. For now, just keep an extra eye out for what we've discussed and go on about your duties as usual. We can decide what to do next after further developments"
Glynda adjusted her glasses. "Very well. In that case, I shall take my leave. I have combat class in less than 17 minutes, and I'd rather not handle that troublesome bunch on an empty stomach"
"Perhaps I'll join you" offered Ozpin, getting off his chair. Glynda raised her eyes. "Come now, it's not so odd that I get the urge to take a walk around and observe how the children are doing, is it? And this especially has been some rather…ominous news. Even I need a breather once in a while, and despite what you think, I find it rather calming to watch those children being children. Plus, you're not the only one who missed the opportunity to maintain a filled stomach today"
Glynda sighed, giving Ozpin the usual 'Very well, do what you want' look that she always did. With that, the two promptly made their way out of the headmaster's office.
"So this is what how you've been hearing and perceiving the world. Now I can finally see why you always seemed extra cranky around crowded areas" mentioned Ruby, looking around.
"I know, right? I'm glad finally someone else can understand that! And it's especially brutal when people start using those obnoxious ultasonic whistles! Gah I hate those!" cut in Blake, animated.
"True...I feel bad for poor Zwei whenever I've used those...still...other than that, it's rather amazing...as a human...I never would've imagined the world had so much more...things for you to see and hear. But of course, I've always known that for a long, long time now" Ruby chuckled, going silent and almost talking to herself towards the end.
"Tell me something...I'm not sure if this fits but...have you ever felt the craving to climb trees all of a sudden? Usually I'm outside and it's not a problem but it can become real annoying when I'm held up and can't leave what I'm doing. I only wish I knew how to satiate myself at those times..." mused the black haired faunus.
"Trees huh...? Well, not exactly but I do get the urge to go up high. It could just be climbing the roof of the building I'm in. Or sometimes I go on a hike or a trek and look down at the city below. Or at times a tree just works fine. Though for a good portion of my life I never had access to trees. All there was around me was endless sand. I used to make do by just going out and sprinting after things, which used to work just fine" answered Ruby.
The two continued chatting away about their animalistic tendencies, much to Yang and Weiss's amusement.
"So...this is now going to be a thing, isn't it?" Weiss asked her blonde companion in a deadpanned manner.
"Why do I get the feline that it's going to come back to bite me in my ass one day" she mused to herself in a similar manner, making Weiss and Pyrrha snicker and then looked at herself surprised.
"I must be losing my mind or that this is just a really weird dream. First I find out that our team leader is like...this and then I find myself snickering atone of your jokes" sighed the ice queen, facepalming herself.
"So….Ruby…I just remembered, your clothes don't fit you as you are right now, right? Are you really planning to fight in your uniform?" Blake asked, "I..if you'd like I can lend you mine. They're more open and there should be enough to allow you to keep your tail out freely"
Ruby chuckled. "It's alright, Blake. I….don't think those clothes would suit me. They look better on you. I'll be fine with my uniform for now. After all, your combat skills shouldn't really depend on your attire"
"True….however you can't argue the advantages that come along with the proper clothing. Like wearing light armor or having the feasibility to stow away weapons or dust" added Weiss.
"And here I thought my cute lil' sis couldn't go two steps without boasting about her combat skirt and their 'little red riding hood'" remarked Yang, changing into her combat uniform.
"Both of which don't fit me as I am right now ahahahaha! And besides, what can I say? Now that I look back, I don't think I'd be comfortable wearing them anyways, I think I've more or less grown out of them….if you ask me, I would rather prefer something more….like a white colored long sleeved tail coat and simple pants that allowed me to move about freely with something to keep my sword to my left" she replied, looking up. "Well, that's just my preference though. I'm not saying I need one or the other to fight"
Weiss, Yang and Blake looked at her and each other incredulously. Somehow, their mental image of Ruby in a tailcoat didn't seem to work at all.
"Are….you ok, sis? A tailcoat…? Really? And a sword…? I thought your weapon was Crescent Rose?" questioned Yang, looking at Ruby with her eyes raised.
"Huh…? Yeah that it is. Of course, that's what I meant" she replied awkwardly, before retreating to herself. The air of confusion and awkwardness remained even as Ruby said nothing more. But it was clear that despite how she presented herself, there was no enthusiasm in Ruby's voice, nor any willingness or eagerness to actually fight, for she looked rather forlorn and lost in her own thoughts unless interrupted by one of them.
Having changed and equipped themselves for class, they slowly made their way along with the boys, with each team seated together around the auditorium styled battle arena that they used for combat class, with Ruby choosing to keep herself as far away from view as possible, sitting behind her team members and ignoring the whispers and looks she was getting from those around her.
"Class, I'd like to announce that our current session today will be overseen by the headmaster himself. So be sure put on your best performances" announced Glynda as she arrived right on schedule alongside Ozpin. Excited and nervous murmurs began spreading throughout the seats.
"Probably here because something happened…." Mused Summer inwardly.
"You don't think…..he saw us….do you?" asked Ruby back, making sure she was the only one who heard herself.
"Well…..it could be possible. If he did, there's nothing we can do anyways. And….sooner or later, we do have to talk to them. Atleast I do. If I want to find Ray and Qrow" Summer answered.
"Ray…? You don't mean….Raven do you?" snickered Ruby silently.
"She hated that name" Summer snickered back. "Which of course meant that I loved it"
Similarly, another team was having their own discussion.
"Now that's unexpected…..who'd have thought the big guy would come and watch himself" remarked Mercury to himself. "Jeez these little fucks are so annoying. I can't wait to pound one of them in their place"
Emerald rolled her eyes. "And I can't wait for the day someone finally cleans out that mouth of yours. Please try not to screw things up…."
"That's enough" snapped Cinder. It was unsettling how her voice and tone sounded sultry and ensnaring even when she was openly hostile in her tone. "I'd like to remind you that we are here for one reason only. There is no need to invite any kind of trouble unnecessarily, no matter how much our….peers pressurize you. The headmaster being here changed nothing. Focus on getting your job done. We have a rather busy week coming up after all"
"Yeah…sorry" apologized the green haired girl, giving a small head bow. Mercury however scoffed it off. "You don't have to tell me twice. I know what I'm doing, alright? And you don't have to worry about screwing anything up. They're just brats without a care in the world. This'll be too easy. And boring"
Back to the podium, Ozpin gave a reassuring smile. "Now, now, children. There's no need to mind me. Please, just continue as you always do"
"For our first match, I would first like to call upon Miss Nikos" announced Glynda, looking straight at the red head. The murmurs and whispers increased, with some talking about 'calling out the strongest from the get go' and others talking about how a match against the one known as the strongest rookie would go. Almost as if prepared for it, Pyrrha stepped down towards the arena. Cinder gave a small smirk inwardly, pleased to see that things were going to her predictions.
"As for your matchup, I would like to-" started Glynda, but was interrupted when the red head raised her hand.
The blonde disciplinarian raised her eyes. "Yes, Miss Nikos? Is something the matter?"
"Yes. Professor…..I have a request. If possible, I'd like to choose my opponent, just this once" said the red head. Murmurs ran across the stadium, more audibly this time. Pyrrha Nikos wanting to choose her own opponent? The message such a thing sent to them was clear as day.
Glynda raised her eyes, and threw a questioning look at the red head. "I'm sorry to say that I cannot accept your request, Miss Nikos. The entire point of assigning random opponents is to give the best possible experience of being in a situation where you cannot predict who or what you will be facing out there. Choosing your own opponent whom you may be familiar with defeats that purpose. Which is why, I would now like to-"
"What's your reason, Miss Nikos?" cut in Ozpin, making Glynda click her tongue in annoyance. She did NOT like people interrupting her as and when they please.
"Professor Goodwitch, headmaster, it is as you say. Because she is someone who is so foreign to me now that I do not believe I can best her. I don't think anyone could. And that is exactly why I wanted to be the one to face her. I'm sure you'll understand when you see for yourself" replied Pyrrha.
"Oh? May I ask who this mysterious warrior is that commends praise from the 'Pride of Mistral' herself?" inquired the headmaster.
Pyrrha gulped, knowing that what she was about to do was not going to please her to-be opponent at all. But…she just had to know. For her friends and for herself.
"I'd….I'd like to cross blades with Ruby….professor" she finished. Silence ran across the stadium, and every single eye was either scanning across the spectator seats for the aforementioned huntress in training or had them locked at her. Ruby herself could only look at Pyrrha with looks of mild surprise and the smallest hint of displeasure.
Cinder was not pleased. This is not at all what she imagined would happen. Her own eyes were looking for Ruby, and when she did, she raised her eyes in recognition.
"Wait a second….that brat….she's the one that Torchwick has had trouble with all this time…! And I remember seeing her alongside Ozpin's lapdog….but….I can't quite put my finger on it but she looks different. A lot different. For one, I don't remember her being a filthy faunus" she cursed under her breath.
"You mean that's her….?" asked Emerald, glaring at Ruby. "Wait you're right! I remember we ran across her just a few days back! She was definitely not a faunus back then! And she was just a runt!"
"I don't like it…." Said Mercury quietly. "Those eyes….I don't like how they look…."
"What, big strong Mercury scared of a faunus girl because she gave too much trouble for Roman Torchwick?" sneered Emerald, rolling her eyes.
"Fuck no" spat the gray haired underling of Cinder. "Like hell I'll be scared of some broad that beat a loser like Torchwick. And I'm not scared, for the record. I just….don't like her eyes. They remind me too much of my bastard father. Take it from me, that faunus bitch may look like a brat no older than the rest of the dirt around her, but she's definitely gotten her hands dirty. There's no way someone has that look in their eyes without dirtying their hands"
"You don't say…." Remarked Cinder, electing to rethink her next steps.
Glynda and Ozpin looked at each other and then at Pyrrha in surprised. "Ruby…? You mean Ruby Rose?" asked Glynda, to which the red head nodded. Looking up the spectators, they scanned their eyes for the girl.
"Ah, there you are Miss Rose, you-" Ozpin stopped midsentence, narrowing his eyes when he found her shirking away behind her team. Then he understood why the red head put forward her request. Glancing sideways, he could see that even Glynda was perplexed. "I see. Very interesting. Miss Rose, if you could please come join us here" he called out, keeping his tone as neutral as possible. Ruby was hesitant at first, not moving from her said spot. But after her team mates urged her forward, she slowly got down and walked up to them, with her tail and faunus ears in clear view.
"Well well….what sharp eyes you have, Miss Rose….." commented Ozpin, leaning in closer.
"Miss Rose….is that really you?" asked Glynda, adjusting her glasses. The concern in her voice was evident, as well as her bewilderment. "Something has….. changed about you. You look older….and different than before…..and are those ears and a tail that I see?"
"Those are accessories, professor Goodwitch. And she only looks older because of those tattoos on her face. She told us she was doing it in order to support Blake and all other faunus kind. I wanted to fight her because technically I've never fought Ruby one on one before. She's a speed type fighter and I don't have experience fighting too many of those" explained the red head quickly, surprising Ruby.
"What?! Accessories? Miss Rose, this is absolutely unacceptable and against the academy's dressing code, no matter the reason! And I see that you are still in your uniform instead of your combat attire for combat class. And tattoos…Miss Rose, I am sorry, but I would like you to accompany me to my office-" chided the blonde professor before being interrupted by Ozpin yet again.
"Very well Miss Nikos, as our star student, I couldn't possibly refuse a request that only seems just as reasonable. Rather than interrupting class in middle, why don't we just deal with this after class?" proposed Ozpin.
"Headmaster, you can't possibly be…! Leaving aside the fact that she isn't in proper combat attire or the proper dress code for that matter, don't you think there are some other things that need discussion?" hissed the blonde professor.
"I think this will be just fine, Glynda. After all, if our combatants don't have any problems with it, there really is no reason to stop them is there? And the other students do seem to be getting impatient. Tell me Ms. Goodwitch, do you really want to interrupt class in middle to investigate something that could easily be handled later?". Glynda spent a few seconds glaring at Ozpin, deciding on whether to argue back or simply give up. Choosing to do the latter, she breathed out a tired 'Very well, if you would take your positions' before taking a few steps back. However, that was when Ruby decided to cut in.
"Professor….I don't mind fighting like this, but do I really need to participate?" she asked. "I don't want to sound rude, but I don't think Pyrrha would gain much from fighting me. And I don't need training"
"I'm amused at how you sound both humble and yet so sure about your own abilities. Confidence is one thing Miss Rose, but overconfidence, no matter how big or small can be a very detrimental thing for a huntress. And besides, if I choose to delay this any longer, when professor Goodwitch here is already rearing to chew me out for not escorting you to my office alongside your own peers who are getting impatient, things wouldn't look so good for our class. Come now, off you go Miss Rose" he said, almost shooing her off. Ruby sighed, taking a casual stance in front of Pyrrha who stood her ground with a very practiced stance, holding her shield on her left arm and her xiphos on her right hand.
"This is gonna be good!" chirped Nora excitedly.
"Indeed. I doubt this will be like anything we've seen before" added Ren.
"But….she still doesn't look remotely ready to fight" pointed out Yang.
"And I'm not sure that's such a good idea against someone like Pyrrha" thought Weiss.
"Maybe she has something in her mind.." Blake thought out aloud.
"Pyrrha…..I'm surprised. Do you really want me to stay here and fight that much?" asked Ruby softy. "You even lied to professor Goodwitch. Knowing you, I never thought I'd ever see you do that"
"I'm sorry….I really respect what you said earlier Ruby. I really do. But….I suppose I'm just trying to do what I think is the best course of action after taking the wishes of everyone into consideration. If one small lie was all it took, then it's a price I'm willing to pay, if it means that your team can stop being suspicious and stop doubting you. Are you upset…?" asked the red head.
Ruby shook her head with an assuring smile. "Not at all. If I were in your position, I probably would've done the same. It's just that….you could've just asked me you know? After all, combat class IS part of our studies and you're not really doing anything wrong by wanting to fight me. It's really on me if I don't feel like fighting. You don't need to feel bad about that"
"I see…..yeah, I suppose you're right. Sorry about that and….thank you. I'll keep that in mind next time" said Pyrrha with a relieved smile. "Still….will you be fine without even drawing your weapon?"
"It's fine. Don't worry" assured Ruby. In the big display, two green bars appeared, with their pictures underneath them. Ozpin was intently observing them both, as were teams WBY and JNR and Cinder's group.
Glynda appeared between them, raising her hand. "The match is concluded once either of your auras drops below critical or if one of you is unable to continue. You may now…..begin!"
Even before the match had started, the red haired warrior considered all the possible options she had against such a potentially powerful opponent. She had no idea about just how skilled the dark haired girl really and her open stance and casual, relaxed demeanor told her nothing that could help. She was tempted to use her usual tactics, but decided against it. After all, the point of it all was to get a feel for Ruby as she was, and there was no better way to do it than by close combat, even if her primary instinct was to keep her distance and observe how she retaliated. But close combat was not a bad move at all, considering that Ruby hadn't even drawn her weapon and her Scythe would definitely take a bit of time to unfold, time that she could use to step inside Crescent Rose's range and get a solid hit in. Pyrrha had a feeling she couldn't afford to keep her semblance hidden, and if she wanted to get the first solid hit, she knew she'd have to boost her first hit with her semblance. And the whole point of it was to learn more about Ruby as a person, and she couldn't have done that without engaging her in close combat.
And so, once Glynda's hand swung down, Pyrrha's body automatically moved to rush forward with a burst of speed.
*CRAAAAAAACK!*
Except, she couldn't.
The stadium that was once filled with whispers, chatter, murmuring had gone completely silent. So much so that it was deafening when the sound of Pyrrha's aura shattering echoed throughout the arena. The moment her aura shattered, all attention fell upon the red-haired warrior, who looked lost herself. It had taken a full second to even register that it was already over.
But it was only after that she realized something else. She was missing her weapons. Her hands that were once tightly holding on to her shield and xiphos were grabbing nothing but air. Pyrrha went wide eyed, lost and confused. She slowly looked at Ruby.
Standing right in front of her, holding her own spear and shield at her neck, was Ruby, her sharp eyes narrowed down on her. One moment she as several paces away, and now, she was right in front of her, with her weapons no less. Neither had she seen her do anything, nor did she have any idea when Ruby disarmed her and used her own weapons to finish her off. What's more, she couldn't tell if she was defeated in one hit or several. And not an instant later, Ruby relaxed her stance, drawing the spear away from her neck and put it away. The silver eyed girl then slowly reached for Pyrrha's hair, tussling it like a mother would her child, giving her a warm and bright smile. Almost as if cheering her up and telling her not to feel bad. And in all that time, she spoke not a single word and yet, Pyrrha felt as if she could feel every single emotion coming from the silver eyed girl in front of her.
Every single person went wide eyed the moment, and many of them found themselves gaping at the ridiculousness of the situation. But all in all, there was no doubt that the entire arena had their breaths taken away.
With an expression of extreme disbelief and utter speechlessness, Pyrrha could do nothing but fall flat on her legs. "Why….did I ever think I could hope to best her…..? How utterly…naively foolish was I! In that one instance….she could've killed me a thousand times over if this had been for real…..One moment she looks as if she's ready to end me without any hesitation and yet in the next….she looks at me with such fondness and care that…..how…preposterously ignorant was I to think that I could hope to understand her…. I'm sorry Blake….Weiss…..Yang….my abilities are simply incapable of even comprehending someone at Ruby's current level….I doubt that even if we banded together we can reach her….."
And then, the entire arena erupted.
"WHHHHHHOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAA!"
"WHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAATTTTT THHHHHHHEEE FFUUUUUUUUUCCCKKKK!"
"HOOOOOOOLYYYYYY SSHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIITTTTTT!"
"NOOOOO WWWWWAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!"
"DID YOU SEE….?! DID ANYONE FUCKIN SEE THAT…?! WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED…!?"
"That faunus girl just defeated Pyrrha Nikos instantly, that's what fucking happened!"
"Wasn't she like a nobody?! Where the heck did she pop up from?!"
The reactions were only natural after all, considering that the one they considered the strongest amongst them was beaten that quickly without anyone even realizing what had happened. And of course, that included several others who were just as dumbfounded as the rest, despite having known the dark haired girl up close.
"O…oy…..did….did you guys see what I just saw….?!" Stammered Yang, wide eyed. "When did she get in that close….?!"
Weiss was having her own delirium. "Ridiculous….absolutely incomprehensible…that wasn't human ….why…..why is Ruby….so…..?!"
"Well damn….who would've thought she became so OP that she took down Pyrrha instantly…..I don't know how but all I know is that it was AWESOME! Ahahahahahaha she's so strong! I wanna fight her!" exclaimed an excited Nora.
Jaune was looking rather shocked himself. "I'm not so sure Nora…..So….no one saw her do anything? Like no one?! Come on, I mean….that's just…..!"
"It wasn't just that…..from the looks of it, she was so fast that she had time to close in the distance, disarm her without Pyrrha ever noticing it, use it to break her aura in an instant and then get her, all in less time it takes for our eyes to blink…it's….I can't…..it's just so incredible…..not even professional huntsmen can do something like that, especially against someone as skilled as Pyrrha….I knew it….there was definitely something different about her….to have changed so much overnight…" remarked Ren. He was shivering from excitement and disbelief merely having witnessed their battle, if it could even be called that.
Blake on the other hand, was having her own thoughts "She wasn't just fast…to break someone's aura like that…..it requires dealing enough damage….and yet, she did it instantly…ho..how is this possible…..was this a consequence of her turning into a faunus…? Or….is this something else…..Ruby….!"
On the other side of the arena, Cinder Fall was having her own fuming moment.
"Did…..did anyone just see that…..or is it just me….this wasn't a trick right…?" asked Emerald, shocked and confused. "I've never seen anyone move like that…."
"I knew it…I fuckin' knew it…there's something seriously fucked up with that bitch…" snarled Mercury. "She could've cut off her head….any of our heads….. and none of us would've have known a damn thing…..how the fuck did we miss someone that powerful…?!"
Cinder on the other hand, was completely deaf to the roars and cheers around her, as well as the musings of her companions. She was biting her nails in frustration as well as an innate sense of fear and disbelief. Her first instinct was to call it quits and retreat, making a new plan before doing anything more. But their primary objective was already a no go. And she needed to know everything she could about this new development. And so, she forced herself to stay put just a little longer, even if it meant she had to hide her own feelings regarding the matter from those around her.
In the many, long years Ozma stayed alive, there was none who knew better that sometimes, the most unexpected things can happen out of nowhere at times when no one expected it and at places where no one would think to see. Over the many millennia he'd stayed alive through his reincarnations, he had seen many diverse, powerful semblances, abilities and potential amongst his fellow humans and faunus. All of whom he'd made sure was prepared to repel the forces of Salem one way or another, no matter the methods he had to use. But he had to admit, as his eyes went wide, his mouth hung agape and his self speechless that this trumped anything he'd ever seen and witnessed. And as a testament to that, lying down by his side was his all time favorite coffee mug, the pristine coffee inside it spilling out uselessly onto the floor.
Looking at his companion, he knew instantly that were he to take a picture of Glynda's current face and expression, it would sell for a million lien. For she was just as flabbergasted and shocked as he was, an expression he'd never seen on the blonde disciplinarian in the longest time.
"Ozpin…..just….what did we just witness…..I…..even I couldn't even tell when she moved…..and she broke Ms. Nikos's aura in an instant…no professional huntsman we've seen is that skilled….is that really Ruby Rose…?! Please tell me you could follow her movements…please tell me we have an explanation…."
Ozpin gave a somewhat amused and nervous chuckle. "Not at all, Glynda. I couldn't see anything. And given my current semblance….that's saying something. It appears that as we've both suspected, there is indeed something very different about Ms. Rose. And rather than the vague theories I have, I hope we can get one from Ms. Rose herself. One thing I do know for sure is that we've just found out our winner for the Vytal Festival's tournament. And true to her word, it appears that she does not need training after all"
"This isn't the time to be joking around! Do you even comprehend what this means?! Urgh, regardless…this match is over. I am going to call off the rest of the class so that we can do what we should've done when we first saw Ms. Rose" proposed Glynda, raising her hand to signal the end of the match, but found herself being stopped by Ozpin.
"Hold on just a moment, Glynda. I think we should wait just a little longer. It appears that Ms. Rose has something to say to her opponent" pointed out the headmaster.
The eruption of cheers was slowly dying down, quieting down to audible murmurs and whispers. The students had no idea what would come to pass next, and they were already making theories about the victor of the battle. However, what would happen next would baffle not just the students, Cinder and her gang, Teams WBY and JNR, but even Ozpin and Glynda themselves.
While those around her were busy expressing their disbelief over the match, Pyrrha watched in amazement as Ruby was completely undeterred from all the attention she was getting, and was instead absorbed in swooning over Pyrrha's weapon. She was taking her time observing and examining it, cradling it with such care as if it were her own child. She took the time to swing it around slowly a few times, and unfolding and folding it into the various forms her weapon could take. Pyrrha picked herself from the ground, having gotten over her shock and reaching out with her hand to thank Ruby for the battle and praise her for her skill.
"That was amazing, Ruby! Honestly, I'm really taken aback! I didn't realize you liked Milo and Akouo that much but well, you were a weapons enthusiast so I can't say I'm that surprised….I….what are you doing…?" she asked.
One second she was examining her weapon, and in the next, as if something caught her attention, she snapped around, intently staring up at a part of the audience, her sharp eyes narrowed as if they were locked on her prey.
Pyrrha felt a cold shiver run across her back. That glare. It was so much different than any expression she'd seen on Ruby. Despite the fact that she was not even looking at her, it made her freeze in in her tracks. She couldn't even reach out for her and ask her. In fact, a certain part of the audience had gone completely quiet.
"O..oy….she's….she's looking right at us…."
"..I…I'm scared….."
"You don't think she's…..why's she looking at us like that….!"
She walked over to Pyrrha, slowly handing over her back Milo and Akouo.
Ruby gave her a soft smile. "Thanks Pyrrha, for letting her look at your weapons. She wanted to play more, but something came up, so I asked her to wait for a bit longer" There was no hint of her earlier expression on her face.
"N…no problem. Thank you for the match….Ruby…." replied the red head slowly. "Is everything ok…?"
Ruby nodded her head. "Yeah. Everything's fine. In fact, you could even say I'm quite happy. I didn't expect to find her here so soon. But…well, it'll just be another forgotten memory for you, Jaune, Yang, Weiss, Blake, Ren and Nora" Reaching out with her hand, Ruby patted Pyrrha's head.
"You don't need to look so dumbfounded you know. But…you look rather cute when you do. It's not an expression I imagined I'd see on you. Makes me wonder what took that lovable idiot so long to finally pay heed to the one who's always been there for him rather than chasing after Miss prickly snow white" chuckled Ruby, causing Pyrrha to fluster rather awkwardly.
"Wh..wha…Ruby..I don't…"
"It'll be fine. In fact, the gods themselves think you both were meant for each other. There's no better approval than that. The two of you will live long, happy lives, long enough to have your own children and grandchildren. And so will everyone else. I'll see to it if it's the last thing I do" she said, leaving the red head more confused than before.
*BZZZT!*
Audible and surprised gasps followed after the enigmatic faunus appeared right in front of them, seemingly having teleported from the arena. In particular, her silver eyes were staring right at the surprised faces of Cinder, Emerald and Mercury.
"Wh..wh…what…how did you…?!" started Emerald, jolting from her seat.
"Stay away….or…!" growled the gray haired underling of Cinder.
"I thought I sensed an unusually high spirit energy coming from somewhere. And surprisingly, you have the same spirit energy as Ozpin or atleast some part of your spirit energy is definitely his…..but then again, that only makes sense, considering how the tale goes" Ruby said slowly and in a dangerously low tone, ignoring the looks and whispers she was getting from the ones around her. "I never thought you'd show yourself here, Cinder. You know, technically, you haven't done anything yet. But that doesn't mean you wont do them now or the fact that to me, your actions were indeed real at some point in my life. In a way, I owe it to you for everything that happened to me. The good and the bad. If not for you, I probably wont be here, in this moment. So…..thanks"
Cinder Fall considered herself a survivor, a person who did what was necessary, be it to survive another day or get what she desired. Even if that meant she had to fight adversaries far, far stronger then herself. She had done so against Amber when she still had all of her maiden powers, and she had fought against several huntsmen all by herself even when she was disadvantaged. She would use any means necessary. Like entering into what was likely a lifelong period of servitude under Salem, her current master.
Though she regretted it more than anything, she had even taken the life of her previous master with her own two hands. The same master who pulled her out of the abyss of slavery. The same one who taught her everything he knew about fighting. The same one who gave her a place to call home and who was no different than a father figure to her young mind. And yet, when he stood against her wishes, she did what she needed to do, despite not wanting to.
And now was no different. She was able to infiltrate the very core of the enemy's location itself, despite the fact that practically each and every one of Ozpin's allies were out on the hunt for her after what she did to the Fall maiden. And so far, she had done so by being more than just powerful. Either by using her connections with Arthur Watts and the headmaster of Haven, or by using her own wits and tenacity. No matter who stood against her, she would face them with a confident and fearless persona, managing to work her way around whatever obstacles came her way.
And yet, this time, she could do nothing but quiver under the sharp glare of the faunus in front of her. Eyes that were far, far worse than even her master's, promising a fate far worse than anything her master had for her before.
"I..I'm not sure I follow" she replied, trying to maintain a steady tone and calm demeanor. "You must have me mistaken for someone else. I believe we've only met briefly a few days back in passing. We're all students from Haven, visiting for the Vytal Festival. You can confirm this yourself with our headmaster and your headmaster if you wish"
"Oh please" replied Ruby, rolling her eyes. "You know Cinder, I don't hate you. Not at all. In fact, I don't think anything of you. You could say that there was a time when I might've killed you without a second thought for what you did. But….thanks to everything I've had to go through and see, throughout my life, you could say that at this point, I really just don't care. But I will stop you. I can't have you ruin the peaceful lives of my friends and family here in Beacon, now can I? I rather cherish my life here. And the lives of my friends and family. So, don't think too badly. Actually, I don't care what you think of me. But you really had this coming, if not for what you're about to do, then most certainly for what you've done in the past up until this point" The enigmatic faunus then extended her palm towards them. "Bakudo 61, Rikujokoro"
Instantly, six shining yellow bars of energy manifested around Cinder, Mercury and Emerald, clamping around their waist. Several students around them let out yelps and shrieks.
"Sh…she's attacking them..!"
"She just attacked someone from the stand…!"
"Someone stop her…!"
"Me..?! What can I do against her…?!"
"Call Professor Glynda…!"
"W…what is this…?!" growled Emerald as she struggled against her bonds.
"I…I can't move…! I can't fuckin' move…!" rasped Mercury.
Cinder tried moving her arms and legs, but to no avail. "Thi….this is magic….! What are you….! How…?!"
But Ruby said nothing more, grabbing Cinder and Emerald in one hand and Mercury in the other.
*BZZZT!*
And appeared right in front of Glynda and Ozpin, dropping them in front of them.
Glynda brought out her riding crop by reflex. "M..Ms. Rose, what is the meaning of this?! Attacking innocent students without any warning…! And what was that you did..!? Let them go-"
"Ozma, she's the Fall maiden. These three are working for Salem" said Ruby, looking straight at them and making sure no one else heard them.
Their reactions were instant, and so were Cinder, Emerald and Mercury's. Cinder looked as if her dead master came back to life in front of her, Emerald looked as if Cinder just revealed to her that she was her birth mother, while Mercury looked as if Cinder professed her love for him. Glynda's face made yet another expression that was ten times worth than her previous one, and Ozpin's face looked as if he just witnessed his evil queen ex-wife had just given up her evil ways because she wanted to become a hardcore gamer on the popular online streaming platform 'Quiver'. And Summer was relishing all of their expressions from within.
Perhaps it was the fact that the girl in front of them used the term 'Fall Maiden', something that nobody save for a very select group of people were supposed to know, or the fact that she captured three students, insisting that one of them was the very same fall maiden they were hunting for days. Or perhaps it was her mention of the name 'Salem'. Or likely the fact that she just called Ozpin 'Ozma', a name that Ozpin never told anyone, even his inner circle. But all in all, regardless of what it was, Glynda and Ozpin instantly knew that this girl was no longer the Ruby Rose they knew her to be, and this was concrete proof of that. And the fact that despite the million more questions they had in their mind, there was only one thing to do now.
And that was to take this somewhere else first, away from prying eyes and ears.
"Attention all students! Starting this very instance, all students WILL proceed to their respective dorms IMMEDIATELY! There will be no more classes for the rest of the day. You may choose to go to the library to continue self-studies, but all forms of practical training are OFF LIMITS! Otherwise, students not at the library are expected to remain at their dorms! Updated schedules for your future classes will be sent out to you later today. That is all!" As the microphone carried Glynda's absolute yet foreboding sounding message throughout the arena, confused chatter, whispers and murmurs began wafting throughout the students.
"Miss Rose, you will come with us, as will you three" said Glynda in an almost desperate fashion, lifting the three up with her semblance. Ruby gave a quick nod while Ozpin led the way. The six then promptly left the room, leaving further audible and confused discussions to spread amongst the students.
"W…what was all that about…?" pondered Yang, confused and with a hint of irritation in her voice. "Seriously….what the fuck's going on…!"
"Language, Yang!" scolded Weiss, annoyed herself. At this point, some of the students, as confused as they were, chose to empty the arena, considering that they were not getting any more information regarding the situation. "From what we saw, Ruby disappears right in front of us, appears in front of three student invitees from Haven, uses some weird dust like attack on three of them to somehow bind them, carries them over to Professor Goodwitch and the headmaster, following which they look as if they were told the world was about to end and then she makes that announcement, taking Ruby with her along with those that she bound. Now, does that sound about right?" she huffed.
"That wasn't all" said Pyrrha, who walked up to her friends from the arena floor. "She said something to them. I couldn't quite catch the words, but she definitely said something to them that made then react that way. Because I do remember Professor Goodwitch raising her weapon at Ruby, asking why she bound them and attacked students not involved in an official battle"
"Wait….Blake, couldn't your ears catch what she told them?" questioned Yang.
"No….I'm afraid not. I might have heard them if the arena had been a little less festive at the time, but with all the noise around us…." She explained.
"Huh…what a mystery" mused Nora. "Maybe she struck a secret deal with them! Or wait wait! Maybe…..Ruby, with her super strength and speed, just captured aliens in the guise of human beings! And that's why she didn't attack Ruby and instead asked her to follow them along and asked US not to"
"Be sensible Nora" sighed Ren. "Although….you may have a point. The professor and the headmaster may be….difficult at times, but I do know that they genuinely care for all of us. There's no way they would've simply let Ruby walk away after trying to hurt students in front of everyone. I'm sure there must be something going on, something that they couldn't talk about in front of everyone"
"My sister wouldn't hurt anyone like that without a good reason…." Despite the tone she used, Yang no longer sounded sure. If there was anything today's events showed her, it was the fact that the one she knew to be Ruby was no longer the same person she knew from a day ago. She looked down, in doubt and in helplessness. "…right..?"
"Hey…..it's ok….you don't need to sound so…." Started Jaune. "Although….I understand what you mean…..I mean….I….I just don't know. I may not have talked to her as much as you guys have, but…..it just feels as if she's not the real Ruby at all…..she feels like a completely different person…"
"No" cut in Pyrrha firmly, in a tone that was ill suited on the normally calm and composed red head. "You're right but…you're also not completely right, Jaune. She's Ruby. I have no way of proving it to you now, but I know she is. Sure, she may not look the same or even fight the same anymore. But deep down, the part of her that we know is still there, somewhere. I was…terrified. I was scared….when she looked at those at the audience after our short lived battle. I thought…..the very same things you did. Terrible things about her. But….even before that and after she glared at them, she was also genuinely kind. And caring. And her love for weapons was there, just the same as we always knew her to have. Otherwise, she wouldn't have looked and handled Milo and Akouo like that. When she….when she patted and assured me, somehow…I could feel it. Her warmth, her happiness and her worry. She was….so….motherly. I know it's weird to put it that way but….to me, that's what it felt like"
"Pyrrha….."
"Ah…..well, you did fight her. If you're saying that then…..I suppose…I was wrong" said Jaune.
Pyrrha shook her head. "Not at all. Because despite all that Jaune, she also has a very foreboding and dangerous side, a part of which we all got to witness. And yet, I'll give it to you straight. Unless we hear it from her, none of us can hope to understand her. I certainly didn't. And she knew that. That's why she asked us to wait. And we were too foolish to see that and instead…..this happened"
Pyrrha then went up to the Yang, placing her hands on her shoulders. "Anyway, what I want to say is…..Yang, you have no reason to feel any doubts about her. If there was one thing I managed to learn, it's that she's still your sister and still our friend. She cares for you just as much, if not more. Of that…..you have no doubt"
Upon hearing those words, some semblance of relief entered the blonde. "Thanks….Pyrrha…" she said softly, with a weak smile.
"But…what do we do now? I know Ruby told us that she would talk about things later but….what if Ozpin keeps her there all day long? What if she has to leave?" questioned the ice queen.
"Couldn't we just wait for her to come back? I'm sure she has her own reasons to go with them. I doubt, given how strong she was, she would've gone along with Ozpin and Glynda if she didn't want to" answered Blake. "We've already learnt how much of a wonderful idea it was to force her to give us answers, don't you think we should maybe, just maybe, learn from that?"
"That's boring~~!" cooed Nora. "Instead, I say that we go into ol' Oz's office and then burst in them having their little secret meeting! That way, we'll know the secret too and then they'll have no choice but to tell us too! Because you know, they can't really silence us since we're all innocent lil' students. Howzzat sound?!" she grinned.
"No!"
"Yes!"
Blake + Weiss and Yang looked at each other, raising their eyes exasperated.
"What did I just say literally seconds ago! This is exactly what we did and look where it landed us! You were literally doubting if she was your own sister just moments ago because we were too stupid to wait for her to come and tell us everything herself!" argued the black haired faunus.
"Then are you saying that you're ok with her being the way she is?!" argued Yang back. "Tell me you're not the least bit interested in why she became a faunus. Admit it!"
"That's….that's….it's not that I'm not interested but I'd rather wait when she promised to tell us on her own!" retorted Blake.
"Then why are you on her side? Weren't you just as angry and curious about her? Saying that it was a 'team leader's duty' to tell her problems to her team?" asked Yang to Weiss.
"I still am, and after watching today's spectacle, I'm even more determined to find out. Don't get me wrong. But I'm not risking that by breaking rules and possibly getting suspended or disqualified for the Vytal Festival. Plus, she has a point. WE might make things worse not just for us but for Ruby too" she replied.
"I am also opposed to this" said Pyrrha. "I'm sorry everyone but….I don't think it's right. I trust in Ruby. Even when she knew that we were challenging her to a battle for our own curiosity, she didn't say a word to me. I don't want to break that trust"
"Then…we could just listen in from outside his office. That way, they won't have to know a thing. We could use Ren's semblance to make sure we aren't seen. And besides, Glynda only said that we were expected to stay in our rooms, not that we had to be there" proposed Nora.
Jaune's eyes lit up excited. "Oh yeah, we could do that! It'll totally be like a top-secret mission! Cool!"
"Jaune!" scolded Pyrrha, looking at him with a slight hint of disappointed.
Yang pumped her fists in the air "Now we're talking! Come on Ice Queen, Blakey, even you both shouldn't have problems with this"
"No" said Blake firmly. "Feel free to go, but leave me out of this"
"And me as well" added Weiss. "Seriously Yang, I'll never forgive you if you get us disqualified or suspended because you couldn't hold in your stupid thoughts"
"Yeah…no. You're right about one thing. One way or another, I'm going to find out. With or without help. Which is why, if we're all going to get into trouble anyway, we might as well do this together. I say we go by majority vote" proposed Yang. "Who's with me" she asked. Jaune, Yang, Ren and Nora's hands went up.
"And that's that, Ice queen, cat lady" smirked Yang, grabbing her two friends. "Come on, if something happens, we'll just make a break for it. I promise that even I won't stray beyond the slightest hint of trouble. Deal?"
Blake glared at Yang, while Weiss let out an irritated sigh. "…..fine. Whatever. As you said, you're not going to stop. Then we might as well make sure you don't screw us all up and drag us down with you" said Blake.
"…..very well. I suppose I have no choice. I will however say that I don't like doing this one bit. We're out of there the moment something happens and then, regardless of what happens later or how long it takes, I will not assist you. Is that understood?" stated Pyrrha. After she got collective nods from her friends, she eased herself. "Then, let us be off"
With the arena almost empty, teams JNPR + WBY moved out to enact their plan.
Raven Branwen was just about ready packing up her essential items and clearing up anything else that was unneeded. As the leader of the Branwen tribe, they could never afford to stay at one place, be it because of their next objective or because it was one of their primary tactics to keep their location from being discovered.
They led a very nomadic and minimalistic lifestyle. Which of course, was a part of their whole 'Survival of the Fittest' lifestyle. Take what you need to survive and will help you survive, and throw away everything else. She had no qualms about her men looting and pilfering personal treasures for themselves if they could hold on to it for more than a day before they were robbed of it or somehow didn't get themselves killed. They didn't need her to tell them that, which is why it was not her business to begin with.
But she would protect them as the only people loyal to her and the only ones she truly belonged with. As their leader, it was her pride and her responsibility. And as a whole, they gave her the power of being a united, rag tag group of bandits, a force that few dared to tussle with.
"Raven, we're all done here, we can leave whenever you'd like" informed one of her tribe members, carrying a small bag over his back.
"We're finished here. Prepare to-"
Before she could say anything more, she could hear a commotion at the camp entrance.
"AAAAARRRRGGGH! AAAAA! AHHHHHH! M..MY HAND…! MY FUCKING HAND….! I…I'LL I'LL KILL YOU…! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS….!"
"Seriously? You're going to pin this on me? You're the one that came in too close pal, even after I warned you what would happen if you came close to me with your pathetically low spirit energy. But still, I can't believe these losers have some of the higher spirit energies we can sense for miles compared to the rest of the lot in this whole place….say, why are we even bothering with this? They're pretty weak to be of any help to us" said a man with green eyes and red hair worn in a long mohawk. He was wearing a hooded cloak, a thigh length trench coat, black gloves and pants cropped just above his pair of black military boots. Apart from his gloves and boots, his entire attire was completely white. He was also wearing a thin chain with a cross shaped emblem around his neck.
"Patience, Bazz-B. There is a method to everything. Let me handle this" suggested his companion. He was a tall young man with a thin build and long blond hair that descended past his shoulders and blond eyelashes. He too was wearing the same kind of white attire his companion wore with some minor variations.
"Who are you?! State your business here! What have you done to him?!" rasped Raven, drawing her weapon and approaching the two by the gate.
"Our apologies for our intrusion, as well as for the condition of your companion. It was not within our intention to cause trouble or harm. We did warn your companion not to get too close to us lest misfortune befall him" said the blond man, his tone polite and calm.
"Enough! State your name and business and tell me why I shouldn't be cutting off your heads for what you've done!" demanded the Branwen tribe leader, pointing her dust sword at the man.
"My name is Jugram Haschwalth and this is my companion, Bazz-B. We are here under the orders of our Majesty to learn about and recruit potential allies from this world to aid his Majesty's grand cause. And as such, we have come in search of those possessing the latent ability to be formidable in the upcoming battle against our greatest enemy, as well as locations to serve as our strongholds. And pardon me for saying this, but at your current level, you are incapable of approaching us without destroying yourselves, much less harm us" he said, grabbing her sword and shattering it with a single touch. "We dislike having to use violence, so please, let us sit down and discuss this in a more civilized manner, shall we fräulein?"
And I'm finally back! That was a much needed break and I got to use that time to draw up some neat little fanarts/illustrations about how Ruby looks like now and another one with her and Crescent in casual clothes. You can find both at my DA page which is simply sreshtiyer . deviantart . com. So yeah, things are finally moving one bit at a time, and now you can see that Salem is the least of Ruby's problems. The two worlds are slowly merging and now this finally has the flair of a crossover. Thanks for the support and as usual, see you soon next time!
Next chapter, Ruby confronts the inner circle, while her companions get dragged into something far greater than they can comprehend, as well as a dangerous premonition that accompanies the leader of the Branwen tribe.
Response to Reviews:
L4 of the WEST: I understand and we really didnt get much of that now as well. Next chapter for sure. Yes exactly! The whole point was that she missed her old days and rather wanted things to be that way. So in her own helpless desire, she's trying to keep things that way, not realizing that she could really no longer do that.
cassnova5242: Thanks a lot! Haha maybe! Summer would for sure!
rama alif: Thanks! I'm finally back!
Skittles382: I'd say normally she looks like an adult in her mid to late twenties. You can check my DA page for an illustration titled 'Mama Rose' for that. Biologically, she's around 30. Mentally, the time she experienced is a million years of subjective memory. This troupe is one of my favorites too, which is why I was always excited to get to this part of the fic. And it's the reason I'm taking things step by step, making sure to show their reactions/actions to every significant detail of Ruby's change. Thanks a lot for your support!
Monster King: Thanks a lot!
Ninguem248: Haha nice! Yeah, that's for the best, thanks!
Crimsongear: Oh yeah and our team got to witness a small, small part of that. Still, things are not going to be that easy for Ruby. Especially with what's happening on the otherside of Remnant without her knowledge.
Argorok: Yup. Kinda makes sense, since she's technically no longer a pure human and that in Remnant, your spiritual and physical bodies are not separate and instead exist one over the other. Well, she doesnt want to traumatize her friends, so she might not tell them everything.
MaxHD2490: Yup. I really dug deep into both lores and how I've established my story to make sure I went with an explanation that made sense. Hoh boy, she definitely got more than a Oh crap moment from her.
Spellflame: True. It is.
firewyrm2: I just did actually! You can check it in my DA page. Huh, never noticed that. Canon is weird in that sense, because in RWBY chibi, Ruby claims that she hates tea because it's too bitter, which should mean coffee should be something she doesnt like even more. I know the chibi verse may not be technically canon, but the writers do use them as such, so I went with it. This pertains to Yang's puns as well, which she makes a lot more in chibi. But...I won't have her making too many. Because it's hard for me to come up with good ones that fit her. Yeah, I know, I'm not really that good at thinking up puns. But it's a small minor thing. True, but Salem is not the only obstacle Ruby has now. Which brings all the tension into it.
g4ame4life: Ahaha she is indeed using hax! She made Ozpin drop his coffee mug after all! Thanks a lot!
ranjira1988: Glad you liked it! Oh boy true. Which is why Ruby is so hesitant to tell them anything more than they need to know. And why she wants to take it slow.
Fregreg: Well, they just got the surprise of their lifetime! Though, I dont think Neo was there until much later. Her old combat gear wont fit her, so she simply fought in the uniform she borrowed from Yang.
Dregley: Thanks! Oh they will! For sure! After all, we do need a Yang + Summer reunion, as well as Crescent meeting all of them! Yup she still has it. In a way, a semblance is kinda like a release, isnt it?
AnimeA55Kicker: Well...I wouldn't say he was really abusive. Not at all. It's kinda like Vegeta and Bulma really, except that Ruby isnt nearly as bossy/pushy as Bulma is. And Grimmjow isnt as much of an ass to her.
Guest-Questioner: That was the idea. To have a sort of intro chapter. Perhaps the first couple of chapters even, you know, to just set up things.
Arashi Uzukaze: Yup, and she knows that. Summer does for sure, considering that the very reason she even left her home to fight off Salem before she got yeeted to bleach verse was because Oz was hiding secrets. But here, it's about how not to traumatize kids with her own messed up story but at the same time, telling them everything.
Sky Tempest Z: Thank you so much! I won't, thank you for asking!
Mobian: Haha yeah that is definitely a reunion that should happen, as well as Crescent meeting everyone. Well, Blake did always get along well with faunus kind. And Ruby, her own teammate being one of them now really helped. Yes she did. And it was an overwhelming defeat.
Vedahzii: Haha it is, but then again, Summer herself is rather weird herself at this point, to Tai atleast. Imagine when he sees her full craziness when she has her own body.
PoofyOhio: I can see what you mean. True, Masaki was never supposed to have any major roles. In fact, she was supposed to be a part of Ruby's journey, which she indeed was. This was really only me just giving some final closure/clarification to what happened to two of her most influential people in her life. I just thought it would be weird if I made it seem as if I forgot about them totally. Because true, she has had a lot of people to support her, something that she knows herself. True, and the expectation was not all that unrealistic at all. But it will happen. I just thought it would be better to take things a bit slowly, to really expand upon some of the newer cast from Remnant since they've been absent from the story for this long. And also to set up a few things and unwind Ruby as she is now to the new cast a bit at a time. Because there's just so, so much about her to unwind. Thank you so much for pointing it out! I hope this made it somewhat clearer!
Xeno01: Yeah..something like that. But I can tell you that her current body isnt how she will look permanently. Indeed, and we could see a part of that at the beginning. That's really what I wanted to go for, to make her teammates act in a very realistic manner fitting each of their personalities as I understood them. Indeed, that she will, because she has done this before with her other siblings when she returned to Karakura town after 6 years. It wont be that different here. Thanks a lot as usual!
Lucian Naruto: Well...I wouldnt say they grew all that much! For reference, you can check out my DA page for an illustration of faunus Ruby! But wait till the rest of her friends arrive at Remnant. Nel, Tier...hoh boy, if Weiss does get jealous about such things, then yeah.
Zifryt: Glad to see you back! True, and like all of us, we do feel embarrassed at times looking at some of our younger photos! It will definitely be like her resurreccion, but yeah, their reaction to her hollow hole is something to look out for. Well...she's more alive now than dead really, since she is technically a soul inhabiting a living body. Thanks a lot, it wasnt easy but I can't believe I have 45 chapters in such a span of time myself! Oh yeah, I can totally sympathize with that! Here in Sweden, we also normally have Milk/Coffee + Cinnamon Buns for breakfast or even during work coffee breaks, amongst other things!
PUSSYSMASHER: True. You could say that they were a little overwhelmed with everything that was happening and now, we got to see a small part of that. In the next chapter, you'll see more of this, especially from Ozpin.