Hey everyone, I'm finally back with chapter 11! I wanted to get this done before Christmas but that didn't happen, unfortunately. This is a long chapter, word count wise. A bit over 10k (minus the author's notes.). Didn't intend for it to go that high, but hey, its happens lol. Plus, I really wanted the next chapter to be the big confrontation between Ruby and Red, and it will. I'm excited to work on that.
Anyway, may this chapter be my New Years gift to you guys. Hope you enjoy!
Summer storms down the underground hallway in a red whirlwind of rose petals.
She whips around corners and barrel down staircases, putting as much distance between her and the lab as possible. Possession is a bizarre and unsettling thing. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine doing something like this. A part of her feels wrong for hijacking Ruby's body like this, but it had to be done. Speaking of feeling, Ruby's body feels different, much slower compared to her own —which is already wormfood and bones by now.
As she races through the stone corridors, she feels a small tug in her chest, a second presence stirring from within. Ruby is waking up.
"What's happening? Where am I?" Ruby groggily asks, sounding as a voice in her own head.
Summer sighs in relief. "You came too. Thank goodness, I was worried."
"Everything feels…funny. I'm moving, but I…I can't move my body. W-What going on?! What happened to me?!" Panic rears its head in Ruby's voice, and Summer can't blame her.
"It's okay, you're safe. I'm… I'm in control of your body."
"What?!" Ruby exclaims. "In control of me?! What do you mean?! Did you…possess me?"
"It's strange. I don't know how I did it, but I'm glad I did. I had to get you out of that lab, Ruby. Get you far away from them."
"Oh…" Ruby lets a brief moment of silence linger, reflecting on her experience in Ozpin's lab. Even though Summer is using Ruby's petal burst to get her safety, it's a feeling that doesn't feel right. "This is too weird. Can I have my body back, please?"
"Oh… Right." Summer complies, rounding one last corner and stopping. The moment Ruby is put back into the driver seat, her knees jerk and she falls back against the stone wall, sliding down until she's sitting on the floor. Her body trembles and she pants from exertion with beads of sweat trickling down her brow.
"Sorry," Summer says a bit shamefully. "I shouldn't have pushed your body that hard."
"It's okay," Ruby says between breaths, finally catching her wind. "Now I know how Oscar feels."
"Oscar?"
"A friend of mine back in my world. He shares his body with our Ozpin; reincarnation type of stuff. Sometimes Ozpin takes control, only when he needs to." Ruby chuckles, getting a taste of being in Oscar's shoes.
"Really? Huh. I guess this kind of stuff isn't all that weird after all."
"It is, if it never happened to you."
"Fair point," Summer agrees with her own chuckle before she takes a more serious tone. "Hey… Back there, that door Salem tried to get you to open, what's behind it?"
Ruby pauses, allowing another lingering silence in the conversation before she finally answers.
"I think I know. It…has something to do with my mom."
"Oh. You said Salem killed her." Summer recalls their previous conversation in Ruby's old jail cell.
Ruby presses her lips together with a subtle tremble, feeling the warm wetness of tears wail up in her eyes. "I…hope that's the only thing she did to her…"
"Why would you say that?"
"I met another silver-eyed warrior besides Maria. Salem, she… She turned him into a grimm." Ruby pauses again, allowing the weight of her words to dawn on Summer. "This whole time, I believed my mom was dead. But after what Salem said to me, after seeing what she did to that guy… I…don't wanna believe… I don't wanna accept that she's a monster. I can't… I'm not ready to face that."
So that is what's keeping her from getting a firm grip on her power. Fear. Uncertainty. All locked behind those walls in her mind. For the memories Summer witnessed behind those walls, it's clear Ruby's Salem is the source and cause of those tragedies. Summer reflects on the battle that took place in Ruby's mind, a curious thought coming to her.
"Hey Ruby, how are you feeling right now?"
"Huh?" Ruby wipes the tears from her eyes. "I'm fine. Why?"
"You don't feel different in any way?"
Ruby shakes her head. "No, not really. Why?"
"Hm. Try summoning a weapon."
"What? I tried it before and she saw what happened. I can't do it."
"Just hold out your hand and try it. I wanna see something."
"But…"
"Just close your eyes and imagine a weapon like I taught you. Don't think about anything else." Summer instructs.
Ruby nods slowly and closes her eyes, inhaling a deep breath and exhaling steadily as she concentrates. Her mind isn't in the right place and her emotions are like a drowning sea. Summer can feel that. With the way Ruby is right now, there is no way she can call forth her power.
As Ruby concentrates, Summer focuses on channeling her power and emotions through her. The choking fear and anxiety in Ruby's heart begins to melt away, a stronger emotion filling her to the brim; a sense of determination that feels alien to her. Just as this feeling takes over, a radiant light manifest in Ruby's hand and a scythe made of white light appears in a flash.
Ruby's eyes shoot open and lets out a gasp. "I… I did it?"
"We did it." Summer interjects with emphasis on the 'we' part, yet her tone carries her own surprise. "I…tried using my power to strengthen yours. In other words, my silver eyes gave yours a jump start. By sharing my emotions with you, I made up for what you lacked. Thus, achieving this."
"Whoa…" Ruby whispers with amazement as she gawks at the light weapon. "Have you done this with anyone else before?"
"I have, but never like this. One of my abilities is strengthening the spirits of others. Basically, a morale boost. Sounds meager compared to summoning weapons, obliterating things with our eyes, and…other capabilities I never thought possible…," she thinks back to Little Red for a brief moment before continuing. "But it's definitely a lot when you rekindle the will of your comrades."
"Wow. I wish I could do that. My friends would've really needed it back home. Especially now…." Ruby sighs as gloom takes over her mood.
"It can only do so much though," Summer states. "You're only inspiring them for the moment, meaning you don't have control over their change of mood. Also, it largely depends on the mental state of the person you're trying to lift up. If their mind is in turmoil, it won't help them. When I grabbed your hand back there, I was trying to strengthen you so you could push Salem out. Which is why we're like this now."
"Are you…stuck in my body?"
"No. At least I don't think so. It's…hard to explain, but it feels like our auras are still separate."
Ruby takes a moment to process everything. "So, what did you mean by-"
"Sound the alarm! Check every corridor of this level!" The voice of a man shouts from somewhere down the corridor. More voices and footsteps follow soon after, echoing in the distance.
"We can talk about this later," Summer tells Ruby, prompting the young huntress to hop to her feet. "Go! Run!"
"What?" Yang stands there dumbfounded, slack-jawed and staring straight at a mysterious woman. The two are standing at a vintage point that gives a clear view of the Vault. Ever since humanity moved down here to hide from Little Red, this has always been her spot to get away, light a cigarette, and stare aimlessly at the emerald city glow. But not this time. No. Instead, she finds herself with a woman named Raven, who is disturbing what little amount of alone time she has with nonsense. "What did you just say?"
"You heard me right," Raven says with a small sigh. She leans back against the guardrail, crossing her arms with a cool composure. "I'm your mother."
A long moment of silence lingers between them, the sounds of the undercity playing as white noise for this bizarre moment. Two guards —who are acting as Raven's escorts— stand nearby but far enough to give the two some privacy.
"What the-" Yang finally snaps out of her shock, eyes burning red with confused rage. "If this is some kind of jok-"
"Yang Xiao Long. You were born on Patch Island on July 28th. Your father is Taiyang Xiao Long and he used to call you his sunny little dragon." Raven's calm composure doesn't break, not even in the face of her daughter's fiery temper. "You have my old temper; I'm willing to bet you also have my brashness."
"Stop screwing with me!" Yang fires. "Dad said my mom died during the war!"
Raven arches an eyebrow at this before letting out another sigh. "So, that's what he told you. I can't blame him. Better for you to believe I died with honor instead of running away like a coward."
Yang thinks back to the recent incident when Raven appeared in front of her with Weiss, Salem and her two subjects; remembering what Glynda said to Raven. "That's why she said desertion?"
Raven nods in confirmation. "After I brought you into this…messed up world of ours; I ran. I abandoned Vale in her time of need. Marking myself a deserter. Scum to the kingdom I once called home."
"Why? Why did you leave?" Yang asks. The fire in her eyes die down, returning back to their normal lilac color; but her hardened expression makes it clear that she wants an answer.
"Fear. Stress. Anxiety. Exhaustion. I just wanted out," Raven replies solemnly. "You've seen it yourself, that war was a meat grinder. It chews you up and spits you out, and if you survive, they'll throw you back in. And being a huntsmen also-"
"I'm not asking about that," Yang cuts her off. "Why did you leave me? Why did you leave dad? Why come back after all this time?"
Raven shuts her eyes for a moment, pressing her lips into a thin line as if to hold back the answer. She relents with another sigh, "Yang… You were a mistake from one drunk night with your father; a night where we just wanted to forget about the world for a moment. Because of our dumb decisions, you came out of it. Once a huntress becomes pregnant, she has to carry and deliver the baby. I don't need to explain why that law was in place. I…felt guilty bringing you into this world, Yang. I was expected to help train you, groom you as a lamb to the slaughter. I just couldn't do it…"
Yang takes a moment to process Raven's words. She's a mistake. Something that was never meant to happen. That's one heckuva thing to hear from a mother you thought was dead your whole life. "Why didn't you take me with you? If you really felt guilty for giving birth to me, you could've at least ran off with me and kept me away from the war."
"And then what? It wouldn't have made my situation any better. I was a fugitive, Yang," Raven remarks solemnly. "Tell me. If you were in my shoes, what would you have done? Train your daughter for a war that will get her killed at a young age? Or drag a crying baby along the harsh Sanus desert with barely enough food and water for yourself?"
Yang parts her lips to respond, but not a single answer comes to mind. What can she say?
"Look," Raven continues, seeing Yang's puzzled look and lack of words as a cue for her to speak again. "This may not mean much to you but… I'm sorry…for leaving you."
"Don't you think it's a little too late for relationship building?"
Raven chuckles at Yang's wisecrack. "With the world ending, it would seem so. Honestly, I don't know how we're gonna weasel our way out of this. But if this is really how it all ends, I want to at least see my daughter one last time before I die. Good thing I could still open a portal to you."
"A Portal. You mean when you came here with Weiss."
"Right," Raven confirms. "I can open portals to those I have a bond with. I had one for your father. Now I only have two, you and….," she pauses, her lips stopping mid-sentence, hesitating to say the second name.
"A bond, huh? I've never known you my entire life, yet we somehow share a bond?"
"Emotional attachment would be a more accurate description. Just because I left you doesn't mean I never loved you."
Yang rolls her eyes dismissively before turning her attention to the undercity lights. "Tch. Whatever sense that logic makes," she drags out a cigarette from her jacket pocket and lights it.
Raven side eyes her as she watches. "You know, cigarettes are bad for you."
"Shut up. You're not my mom," Yang responds coldly as she puffs out a cloud of smoke into the air. "My mom is already dead."
Raven doesn't flinch at the harsh remark, but a hint of pain glimmers in her eyes. "You're mom?"
"Summer Rose. Ring a bell?"
Another moment of silence lingers, this one much longer than the last. Yang doesn't care though. Why would she? Her family is dead, the world is ending, and she has zero attachment to a mother who flat out said she was a mistake. This reunion only turned her mood from bitter to sour.
Just then, the city's siren blares and the guards' radios buzz to life.
"All units! The test subject has escaped the lab! I say again! The test subject has escaped!" Glynda's voice screams over the radio with urgency and authority. "Lockdown the city! Clear out the streets! Force all patrons into their homes! No one, I mean no one, can see her face!"
Both mother and daughter look back at the bickering guards before side eyeing one another. Almost immediately, a strong gust of wind and petals rush past them and darts down into the city. Rose petals. Yang is familiar with this semblance all too well. It can't be that little red monster; they're thousands of meters underground. It must be that other one. That look-alike.
"If you're gonna go, then go. I'm under watch, so I can't help you." Raven said.
"I wasn't gonna ask," Yang responds before vaulting over the rail and falling into the city.
Muggy air rushes against Yang's face as she drops full speed from the upper level of the Vault, free falling straight into UnVale. Rushing straight for a stone rooftop, she takes a vial of liquefied burn dust from her belt, opens a compartment in her mechanical arm, and slides it in. Her arm engages, thin sleek lines flowing with a crimson glow. The red liquid enters her body with a sharp, burning pain and her semblance kicks in. The burning quickly turns into a thrilling rush as her eyes burn red, her aura brightens and impacts the roof with enough force to crack the stone beneath her. Every muscle tensing from the shock of the fall, her semblance absorbing the impact into every fiber.
She notices platoons of soldiers clearing out the streets below, some shouting and demanding civilians to stay in their homes while others carry on with their search for Ruby.
That was fast.
Yang scans the area from her vantage point, quickly catching sight of a gust of petals flying over the streets and whipping around a corner. This chase is going to be a challenge, if not impossible. Ruby is faster than Yang. As long as she's zooming about as rose petals, Yang isn't catching her in a straight up chase. But there is one thing Yang has over the look-alike; she knows the city. More specifically, the sector they are in.
Yang doubts Ruby knows where she's going in the undercity, and seeing the direction she's headed, she'll hit the edge of the city and the layout will force her to make a big u-turn onto a street further ahead. Coming right back in her direction.
She better get moving.
Loading her mechanical arm and gauntlet, she breaks into a sprint and leaps off the roof's edge. She swings her arms back and fires a double blast, rocketing herself across the wide gap and landing on the next rooftop with a roll. She springs back up and runs. The city is on high alert, soldiers and huntsmen mobilizing through the streets to cut off Ruby.
"Sir! She's hit the east end of the city and is making a u-turn! She's coming down 50th street!" A soldier shouts from below.
"Have the net set up and ready to drop at the intersection! I want any speed-type Glass Cannon huntsmen ready in that area. We'll chase her down if we have to!"
Their target is almost there. And from the sounds of it, they might not need her. But if that rose semblance is anything like her late sister's… It'll take more than a net. Yang channels some of her stored energy to her legs, jumps with a mighty leap and flies off with another shotgun blast.
She reaches the end of the city block, and just in time too. While soaring through the air, she notices a giant net has already been set up on a bridge walkway over the street; still rolled up and ready to be dropped. Down below, there are a few huntsmen on standby, primed and ready for the chase to come.
Yang flies over the street and lands with a roll onto the rooftop on the opposite side. She quickly recovers and runs to the building's edge, watching and waiting with anticipation. Sure enough, at the end of the street, a visible gust of rose petals can be seen, careening like a miniature storm. The soldiers bide their time, waiting for the mini whirlwind to get closer. Someone shouts a command and the net is cut free, dropping just before Ruby reaches the intersection.
The whirlwind splits, rose petals spreading out and slipping through the net.
Figured.
Yang backs up from the ledge, watching the rose petals regroup and shoot upwards, flying right over the roof she is on. Now is her chance. One shot. Catch her by surprise. Her hair flares to life, setting itself ablaze with her aura igniting into a golden wave of heat. She readies her stance and throws her arms back with all the might and force of her semblance.
Boom!
The big shot creates an explosion of dust, debris, and fire, blasting Yang through the air like a fireball shooting straight for the rose whirlwind. She lets out a roar and slams right into Ruby, knocking the younger girl out of her semblance.
Ruby screams as Yang latches onto her tightly, both girls tumbling through the air, passing over rooftop after rooftop before finally crash landing on one.
They both hit the stone roof, their auras taking the blow as they separate. Ruby rolls and slams her back against a wall, letting out a short yelp of pain. Yang groans as she recovers from her landing, shaking the stars from her eyes while getting back on her feet. She sees a chance to catch Ruby off guard and sprints for it.
Ruby shakes her head and blinks a few times to clear her vision, but by the time she realizes what's happening; it's too late.
Yang grabs Ruby and pins her chest down on the cold stone, straddling her back and pulling back her arm before twisting her wrist.
"OW! OW! LET ME GO!" Ruby winces and tries to fight back, but Yang keeps a tight grip on her arm.
"Stop struggling, unless you want me to knock you out," Yang commands harshly and reaches for her radio on her hip. "I'm calling someone to get you."
Ruby's eyes snap open in a panic. "N-No! Don't! I can't go back there! PLEASE!" Her struggle becomes even more frantic and the sheer terror in her pleading makes Yang pause. Tears trickle across the bridge of her nose and her expression contorts in fear. "I know I said I'd help, but not like this! Please, don't send me back! I can't go through that again!"
"Go through what?" Yang asks.
Ruby continues her sobbing, babbling out her pleas through more tears and snot.
"Hey!" Yang jerks Ruby roughly, gaining her attention. "Go through what? What are you talking about?"
"I-I…" Ruby manages to say through her sobbing. "I made a deal with Ozpin. He said he'd find a way to help me go back home. In return, I let him study me; so he can find out how to beat Little Red. But…" Ruby trails off, her light sobbing taking over.
Little Red. That name always put a tight knot in the deepest pit of Yang's stomach. And with that knot, a smoldering flame she pushes down for the moment. "You said he was studying you. Is that why you busted out of the lab? What did he do to you?"
Ruby keeps sobbing, squeezing her eyes and lips tight as if refusing to recall.
"Spit it out!" Yang demands sharply.
"She was in my head…." Ruby finally says through a sob.
"Who?"
"S-Salem… They wanted to know how my eyes work. So…he let Salem get in my head. It felt like she was dissecting my memories, making me relive the ones I wanna forget. Please… Yang…" Ruby finally opens her eyes again, red and swollen with tears as she looks back over her shoulder; making eye contact. "I know I'm not your Ruby, but please….let me go. I need to get out of here. I don't feel safe. I really wanna go home, but I don't think I can…" Her voice dies down again, returning to light sobbing.
Seeing Ruby like this reawakes something in Yang, or rather, revives. A pang of sympathy hits her right in the chest, piercing straight through to her long-thought cold heart. In that same moment, her long dead sisterly instincts wakes up and whispers a thought she never considered.
I have to protect her.
What? Why? Why is she starting to give a crap all of a sudden? Isn't this the same girl she tried beating to death in that jail cell? This girl said it herself; she's not her Ruby. So why does she feel this alien sense of longing to help her? An old memory from two years ago resurfaces, the night she lost both her mother and sister. Yang grimaces and pushes it back down. Letting out a small growl, Yang lets go of Ruby's arm and gets off her. "Get up."
"Huh?" Ruby looks back in confusion.
"I said get up. You're coming with me."
Ruby gasps subtly and she visibly tenses up, seeming ready to take at any moment.
"I'm not taking you back," Yang quickly reassures her, not wanting to chase her down again. "I want to know exactly what is going on, but not here."
"So, to find a way to beat her, they used you as a lab rat," Yang answers to Ruby's retelling of events.
"Well… Yeah, when you put it that way."
With Yang as the guide, the pair navigate through the backstreets and alleys of the city, avoiding the main roads and areas of traffic as much as possible. The blonde's pace is quick and her strides are long, forcing the much shorter Ruby to jog here and there to keep up.
Ruby told her everything, from the deal she made with Ozpin to her horrifying experience with Salem. Well, she didn't tell her everything. At Summer's request, Ruby left some parts out. She can't blame her reasoning. How will this Yang react to hearing about the spirit of her dead mother being inside someone else's body; especially that someone being her sister from another world?
"Why am I not surprised?" Yang answers with a hint of resentment rather than shock. "He never shied away from sending kids to fight his war; and I've seen the messed up crap the witch cooked up."
Ruby thinks back to her dream, witnessing the Great War through Red's memories. She remembers the Mistrian camp Team RWBY had found; that giant freaky black tree literally growing batches of Grimm in its inky body. She wonders; is that also how Grimm are born in her world too? Has Salem ever done something like that? She hopes and prays she'll never see something like that in person.
"Where are we going?" Ruby asks, pulling her thoughts back to reality.
"Jaune's place," Yang answers. "My place is too far and too risky to get to; Jaune's is the closest. Also, everyone should be there; if they're not out looking for you."
"Everyone?"
"Jaane, Nora, and…Blake. None of us got the chance to talk to Weiss when she showed up. Everyone agreed to meet up at Jaune's."
"Oh…" Ruby has met every alternate version of her friends except for Weiss. When she last saw her, she looked no different from her Weiss. Speaking for alternate versions, there is one more question she's been itching to ask this Yang. "Hey, um… Why are you helping me? Is it because…I look like her?"
Yang's steps slowly come to a stop and a moment of silence lingers. Ruby stops just a couple feet behind her, her guard immediately coming up. Maybe she shouldn't have asked that question. Maybe she should've just kept quiet, enjoying the fact that Yang is helping her rather than trying to kill her again.
"I… I don't know," Yang finally answers. "I don't know exactly why I'm sticking my neck out for you. Maybe it is because you look like my sister. Or…her from another world or whatever. I never believed in that whole parallel universe or alternate reality stuff. But back on that rooftop, when I had you pinned down and you were begging me to let you go; I felt something wake up in me. Then I wondered, how will the other me feel if you don't make it home?"
Yang pauses for a moment and Ruby swears she heard a slight sniffle.
"I know how it feels to lose my Ruby. No other Yang should go through that," she grabs onto her yellow shirt, clenching a tight fist above her heart. "It burns…and it doesn't die out. Not ever."
So, it's more of a sisterly instinct rather than logical reasoning. If the roles were reversed, Ruby would do the same thing for her without a second thought. Hm, maybe… "Ruby isn't gone, you know. At least, I don't think so."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, I know myself better than anyone else. I don't know what made her do all this, but…I'm sure deep down she still loves you; loves everyone else. If we can talk to her, maybe we can bring her back."
"She made Ren's body burst with thorns. Is that a show of love?" Yang retorts flatly, turning to face Ruby.
"Uh…"
"The last time I talked with my sister, that wolf gave me this as a parting gift." Yang holds up her mechanical arm as an emphasis. "You are like my sister… Optimistic. Hopeful," her eyes soften, a thin layer of tears building under her eyelids before she blinks them away, her gaze hardening again. "My sister is dead, Ruby. That is reality."
"B-But-"
"Let it go, Ruby," Summer interrupts Ruby from within her mind, her words carrying an exhausted sigh.
The continued walk to Jaune's place is filled with silence, mainly due to Yang shutting down any attempts at small talk from Ruby. With soldiers and huntsmen scouring the city streets, all it takes is for one of their voices to carry and someone will hear them.
Yang stops in front of a back alley door, cautiously looking both ways before pounding three loud bangs. Ruby keeps a lookout, swiveling her gaze from one end of the alley to the other. Each second that ticks by after the bang feels like a whole minute to her. The longer they are still outside, the more she expects someone to come around the corner and see them. Finally, they hear muffled voices and movement from behind the door; a relieved breath escaping
Ruby's lips.
The door opens to reveal a young girl with blonde, shoulder length hair; no younger than preteens. Her baby blues look up at Yang, sporting a shine of hopeful innocence, something that seems to be rare among the people down here.
"Yang!" The girl's eyes light up with recognition and excitement before looking back into the building. "Jaune! Guys! It's Yang! She's here!"
Yang greets the girl with a small chuckle and a smirk. "Hey, Julia."
Julia turns back to Yang, her wide smile slowly fading when her gaze drops to Ruby. The girls lock eyes and Julia tilts her head, a spark of curiosity rather than panic. "Is that…her? The girl from another world?"
Yang arches an eyebrow. "He told you?"
Julia nods. "Everyone talked about a lot, as much as I can follow anyway. But yeah, she came up in the conversation."
"Good, then that means Weiss is filled in," Yang sighs in relief.
"Yang," Jaune walks up behind Julia. "We heard the calls on the radio and were just about to head out. What's going on?" He notices Ruby standing behind her. "Why is she with you?"
"Let us in first," Yang said. "Unless you want someone to spot her outside your door."
With a nod, Jaune motions for the two to quickly come in.
Jaune's living space is no bigger than your average apartment; a small kitchen, a bathroom, two bedrooms and a living room. Smoothed out stone makes up the walls and ceiling with glass tubes and pipes running along with Liquid Spark —a name Ruby heard people call liquefied lightning dust— flowing through to provide lights and power.
Ruby notices how warm it is compared to outside. Well, the cavern is already muggy and humid, but an enclosed space like this makes it even more uncomfortable.
"It's a bit dank," Jaune says to Ruby. "But it's livable."
Entering the living room, Blake is seen sitting with Weiss on the couch, holding her in a comforting embrace as she consoles her. Nora sits on the arm of the couch, looking down at the floor with a distant stare. The incoming group draws the trio's attention and Weiss gasps when she sees Ruby, pushing out of Blake's arms as she jumps up from the couch. She swiftly swipes up Myrnaster, points the tip at Ruby, and clicks the revolver; eyes wide and breathing sharp and ragged.
Ruby jumps back, bumping against a bookshelf.
"Weiss, wait!" Blake shouts, grabbing her teammate's hand and the handle of Myrnaster. "That's not her, remember?"
A flash of remembrance comes across Weiss' face and she starts to calm down, placing her free hand on her heaving chest and lowering her weapon. "R-Right… I forgot. Sorry…" Her eyes are still glued to Ruby, a stare of familiarity mixed with confusion. "She…really does look like Ruby."
"Why is she here?" Nora asks Yang, but looks directly at Ruby. The anger and distrust she had towards Ruby before no longer shows in her eyes. In fact, Ruby doesn't see anything. Just cold, dull blue eyes.
Blake arches an eyebrow at seeing Ruby before turning her attention to Yang, silently demanding an answer.
"We'll get to her," Yang answers Nora, rolling her eyes at Blake, resting her hands on her hips and turning her attention to Weiss. "I wanna focus on you first, Ice Queen. We thought you were dead this whole time. Where have you been? And why were you with the Witch?"
"Well, Weiss," Nora looks back at the former heiress. "You knew this was coming. No use staving it off any longer. So, out with it."
Weiss pauses, a troubled expression showing on her face before finally relenting with a nod. "Okay. I'll tell you. You guys have the right to now." Weiss sits back down on the couch and sets Myrnaster back on the table. The room goes silent with anticipation. Even Ruby waits with morbid curiosity.
"When Ru- Little Red attacked Atlas, I wasn't there. I was with my sister in Anima at an Atlasian outpost tasked with surveying any activity from mistral and reporting it back to Atlas. The last order we've received from General Ironwood was him telling all detachment's not to return to Atlas, but to join up with Vale instead. But, before we could prepare everything to leave…a horde of Grimm came charging from the north, trampling everything in their path."
"Were they coming after you? Jaune asks.
Weiss shakes her head. "No. They were heading straight for the Witch Kingdom. We just happened to be in their way."
"And you guys ran," Nora adds, earning a nod from Weiss.
"We loaded up what we could in our vehicles and drove off, leaving everything else to the Grimm."
"Didn't you guys have Mantas to fly you out of Anima?" Jaune asks.
Weiss shakes her head again. "While that would've been a great help in the situation, there were two reasons why we didn't have one at the outpost. Firstly, the mission was a reconnaissance operation. Having an Atlasian aircraft in Mistrian airspace would be giving ourselves away to the Witch. And lastly, we couldn't get a manta over to the outpost if we wanted to; all because of the Veil. It was too dangerous to fly through the fog, and it reached too high for any aircraft to fly over."
"How high?" Ruby asks curiously.
"We're not entirely sure, but it did reach beyond the stratosphere. The only way we've found to get around it was by submarine, but…even the ocean wasn't safe. With Atlas locked in a fight against Little Red, no one could send a submarine to come get us. And with the horde chasing us…"
"You were stuck," Yang finishes for her.
Weiss nods.
"What happened after that?" Blake asks."
"We… just drove, trying to outrun the Grimm. They were relentless, it was like being chased by a black tide wave of teeth and burning eyes. Some…didn't make it. The Grimm rammed into them and caused them the crash. Like I said before, we were just in the way. Eventually it was just me, Winter, and our vehicle. Yang… I saw your uncle, or that Grimm that looks like him.
He.. It flipped our truck…" Weiss pauses, pressing her lips in a trembling thin line before continuing. "I blacked out from the crash, but when I came too, Winter was fighting it. I crawled out of the wreck wanting to help her, but as soon as I did, it lunged at me. Everything happened so quickly. And before I knew it, Winter pushed me out of the way. That… That monster ran through her," Trickling tears line down her cheeks and her fists ball tightly on the hem of her dress; knuckles whitening.
Yang only listens, her brows furrowing in response to Weiss' story. "Is that when Raven saved you?"
"That masked woman? Yeah," Weiss confirms while wiping tears from her eyes. "I remember a red portal opening up behind the Scarecrow, and she jumped out. After that, the Witch came and took us in —surprisingly."
"I doubt she did that out of the kindness of her heart," Blake remarks skeptically.
"Definitely not," Weiss confirms. "In exchange for her generosity, she wanted us to aid in her fight with Little Red."
Nora scoffs. "But since she's here begging us for help, that plan stunk, didn't it?"
"We've barely made it out alive, Nora. I barely made it."
Nora lights up with realization and grits her teeth in regret. "Sorry, Weiss. I didn't mean it towards you."
Ruby continues to lurk in the back, being more as a ghost than an actual participant in the conversation. As she listens, she notices Julia staring at her in her peripheral. The younger Arc rocks slightly on her heels with her hands behind her back, her stare filled with curiosity. "Um… Yes?" Ruby turns her attention to her.
"Oh!" Julia snaps out of it, cringing with embarrassment. "Uh… Sorry for staring. I just get lost in my own head, ya know?" she tries to laugh off the awkwardness.
Ruby chuckles softly and gives the girl a friendly smile. "Honestly, I should be used to it by now."
"Hey, if you don't mind, I wanna ask you something."
"Hm?"
"What's it like in your world? What are huntsmen like? Are they heroes too?"
The energy and spark in Julia's eyes remind Ruby of how she was during her Signal and early Beacon years. Her smile widens. "Yeah, we're heroes. People call us the Defenders of Humanity. We largely fight Grimm, but we also guard towns, protect trade routes, fight criminals, and other stuff. You know, helping those who can't help themselves."
"Sounds romantic," Julia remarks, her baby blues drifting off into a small daydream. "Are they…forced into military service?"
"Nuh uh. All the kingdoms allow huntsmen to work independent of the military, since our job is to help people. Well, except for Atlas, they make their huntsmen join the military."
"Are there any wars?"
"Uh…" Ruby pauses, remembering the countless conflicts linked to Salem. "I'll just say, my world isn't perfect."
"Ah, okay. So, say if a big war did break out in your world. Like, I don't know, Vale against another kingdom, would huntsmen get involved? Since, you know, your job is to help people."
Ruby's not must of a history buff, if she can recall from history class, the last time a big war like that happened was the great war, which huntsmen weren't a thing until after it. A war against Salem, yeah huntsmen would get involved. But a war between kingdoms… "I… I don't have an answer for that."
"Oh. Well either way, I admire huntsmen and I'm glad that in another world they are still heroes. It bothered me, seeing my parents and siblings go out to war. I don't have a semblance, so I couldn't go to Beacon. Honestly, I'd give anything to become a huntress, but Jaune doesn't like hearing me say that."
"Julia, not this again," Jaune remarks, having overheard their side conversation.
Julia slumps her shoulders with a tired sigh, turning around to face her brother. "Why? You guys are heroes, Jaune."
Jaune looks down at his sister, dipping his shoulders slightly with a quiet, exhausted breath.
"Heroes save the day. We haven't saved anything."
"But you're still fighting, aren't you?" Julia comes back, staring defiantly. "This is gonna sound cliche, but heroes keep fighting; even if they're not winning at the moment, right? I wanted to join the Army once I got older, so I can fight with you and everyone else. I still want to fight with you, Jaune."
"Julia, please… Can we just not? Not right now."
The young Arc holds her gaze with her brother, but relents with a heavy huff. "Fine, but I wanna say this. I believe in you guys," she looks at the entire group. "I don't care what things look like now, I believe you'll beat Little Red and make everything right somehow. You're still heroes to me." Just then, a loud, high-pitch whistle comes from the kitchen, alerting Julia. "Oh, the tea! I'll be back with fresh cups for every one!" She darts into the kitchen.
"She's quite patriotic," Blake comments with a faint smile.
Yang cracks a small smirk. "She's got spunk. I'll give her that."
"Anyway," Jaune huffs before turning to Yang. "What's going on out there?"
"Yeah, Sorceress Goodwitch sounded pissed," Nora adds before looking to Ruby. "Is it her?"
"Go ahead," Yang tells Ruby. "Tell them what you told me."
All eyes shift to Ruby simultaneously, making Ruby shrink a bit from the sudden attention. "Well, um… I made a deal with Ozpin. He agreed to help me find a way home, but in return I let him study my eyes so he can find a way to beat Little Red. I was okay with it until… Until he let Salem get in my head. She made me relive all of my bad memories. From my Pyrrha's death to when my Salem attacked Atlas."
"Wait, hold on," Weiss stops her. "She made you relive memories?"
"And how exactly is he getting you to another world?" Nora adds with a hint of skepticism.
"I, uh…"
"Easy guys," Jaune steps in. "I know we all have questions, but let's not bombard her. Okay?"
"Yang," Blake calls out, looking at the coffee table with a contemplating gaze. "Why did you bring her here?" Her tone demands an answer.
"She wanted to get out of the city," Yang responds plainly as she leans against the wall with her arms crossed. "But since we're so deep underground, she has no chance of making it out. So, I decided to help her."
"And how are you gonna do that exactly?" Blake questions again, looking up at Yang.
"Hey, you got a problem with me trying to help someone?" Yang asks harshly, but keeps her temper under wraps.
"Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against you helping her after hearing her story. Honestly, the fact the Wizard is working with our sworn enemy has me concerned. But I'm also looking at the immediate issue right now."
"And what's the issue?"
"They are looking for her, Yang." Blake states with a sharp tone of her own. "If the wrong person finds her here, it'll put Jaune and his sister under suspicion and scrutiny; along with everyone in this room. Did you not think about that?"
Yang pushes off the wall, making eye contact so intense that the air becomes charged with tension. "Okay then, Blake. What do I do with her, hm? They are flipping the city upside down right now. You know any places where they won't find her? Or are you saying I turn her in so they can do gods know what to her?"
Ruby shivers at the thought.
"Or do I just charge right up to the Wizard and say 'Hey, what are you doing to her behind our backs?'
"That's not what I'm saying-"
"Then what are you saying, Blake?! Huh?! If you don't have any better ideas, then shut up!"
"No, I won't!" Blake shoots up from the couch with a scowl. "You act before thinking, Yang! You always had! Just like when you pushed Ruby to use the devil's breath gas!"
Yang's eyes burn scarlet, and she marches straight for Blake. Jaune and Nora spring into action, both blocking Yang's path to prevent a fight from breaking up. Ruby watches from the sidelines, gaze darting from Jaune and Nora struggling against a pissed off Yang to an unfazed Blake with Weiss standing as the voice of reason between them. She notices how Yang balls her fists as if on the verge of taking on her obstacle but seems to restrain herself.
Julia darts out of the kitchen, swinging out of the doorway to see the commotion.
"Don't you EVER bring that up! You hear me!?" Yang warns venomously.
"Both of you stop it!" Weiss shouts, trying her best to exert some authority in the midst of the argument. "That was two years ago and you're still at each other's throats?! Seriously, I want my friends back!"
"Because it's her fault!" Blake yells. "She came up with the idea, she pushed it on Ruby, and all those innocent people died! Everything that happened was her fault!"
"I know!" Yang screams. Her fight slowly dying down and tears brim at her eyes before trickling down her cheeks. Her intense scarlet glare softens, her tears putting out her burning rage. "I know it's my fault… And because of me, I lost my mom. We lost Ruby. I lost Ruby. I wasn't there when she needed me, and now…" She squeezes her eyes tightly with more waves of tears, grits her teeth, and her fists tremble as she balls them even tighter.
The living room falls silent.
"Yang…" Summer says her daughter's name, more as a whisper of sorrow then calling on for attention.
"You sure you don't wanna talk to her?" Ruby whispers, just low enough so the others won't hear her.
"I want to, but…"
Yang pulls away from Jaune and Nora, signaling she's calmed down and wiping her tears with her sleeve. She gestures to Ruby. "I don't know where her Yang is, but she isn't here to protect her little sister. So, let me do it."
The sight of this Team RWBY tearing themselves apart cuts Ruby deep in her heart. Her minds goes to her dream, remembering the devil's breath incident. She has to say something. "Um, excuse me," she finally musters the courage to step in. "I know it's not my place to speak, but… Think about what your Ruby would say if she saw you guys like this. Honestly, if you guys were my team, I'd be upset. Really upset. Especially with you, Yang. My sister was always the one to keep us together. So please, for Ruby, stop fighting. You're supposed to be sisters, right?"
The team allows Ruby's words to sink in.
"Yang…" Blake calls out, seemingly regretting her words."I'm-"
The city's sirens suddenly cut her off, their bellowing wails filling the city with a foreboding atmosphere. Everyone's radios buzz to life with Glynda's voice once more. "Code amber! I say again! Code amber! Scout-class huntsmen on the surface have spotted Little Red with two gargantuan-sized Centinels. We're not certain if she discovered where we are, but if she starts digging we'll be at risk of a breach! All available huntsmen, head to the surface!"
Cool and fresh air. To Ruby, it feels like it has been months since she was last on the surface, something that a part of her is grateful for despite the dark-clouded sky and the red moon looming overhead.
Fresh air isn't the only reason why Ruby is glad to be on the surface. She tails behind Yang as they prowl the alleys and ruined streets of Vale City, her stomach squirming and doing back flips.
Yang stops at a corner of an alley, scanning the streets for Little Red before looking back over her shoulder. "You okay?"
Ruby nods reassuringly despite her expression. "Yeah. Just…still feeling squeamish from that elevator ride."
"You'll get over it," Yang smirks before looking back at the moonlight streets..
Off in the distance, somewhere in the ruined city, loud bellowing travels along with explosions. Sounds like the other huntsmen are engaging those two giant Centinels. Well, the ones that aren't hunting down Little Red.
Yang's radio buzzes to life with Weiss on the other end, concern and caution ever present in her voice. "Guys, something feels off about this."
Yang answers the radio. "What do you mean?"
"Besides the Centinels, there is little to no Grimm out here as far as I can see."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Yang asks. "Less work for us."
"Yeah, but think. She normally has Grimm swarming around her. Not only that, I don't see that giant manta Grimm anywhere."
Yang looks up at the bleak sky, seeing the enormous Harbinger nowhere in sight. "Yeah… I've noticed that too."
"Still keep an eye out guys," Jaune chimes in on the comms. "Even without the Grimm, shes still trouble."
"Grimm or no Grimm, I don't care," Nora said coldly, a smoldering rage present in her tone. "When she pops up, she's mine."
"Get in line, Warhammer," Yang responds, her tone taking a cold turn of its own. "I got first dibs."
"You two may be heavy hitters, but you're not invincible," Blake says matter of factly. "Remember what happened to Adam…"
"Oh right. Your boyfriend," Yang responds. "Shouldn't he have his replacement arm by now? I oughta welcome him to the club when I see him."
"Yang…" Blake sighs into the radio, but not one of irritation. "I'm sorry…for what I said back at the Vault. I shouldn't have pinned that on you. RWBY did it as a team… We all share the responsibility…"
Yang stares at the radio in her hand, a small smile slowly curving on the edge of her lips. "I'm sorry too… We'll hug it out later."
Ruby lets out a quiet sigh of relief, allowing a warm smile to form. But just then, she feels a strange jolt within her, like some unseen rope or string is trying to pull her somewhere.
"You felt that…" Summer states rather than asking.
Ruby nods slowly and looks up. A gust of rose petals fly overhead, passing over the street like a mini whirlwind. Ruby gasps, shaking Yang's shoulder and pointing upward.
Yang sees the rose petals and her expression turns grim, determined, and cold. "Got eyes on Little Red," she announces as she and Ruby watch the petals disappear over a building and into the next city block.
"Where?!" Nora is the first to ask, her tone sounding more as a demand.
"I'll send a signal. A big one."
"Yang, wai-" Before Weiss can stop her reckless teammate, Yang cuts her end of the line and takes off in the direction of the petals.
"H-Hey! We should wait for the others!" Ruby shouts after Yang and chases behind her.
"Red, why are we here?" Wolf growls with slight irritation
"This dust shop, I wanted to check it out," Red responds gently and monotone.
"The hunt is the other way. Why are we wasting time coming here?"
Red stands in the middle of the moonlit street, observing a particular rundown dust shop in front of her. Its two front windows have long been busted to pieces, and the single door in the middle shattered to splinters. Nothing but darkness waits for her on the inside. Despite the old establishment being abandoned and in a wreck, the sign bearing its former name still rests above, a callback to better days.
From Dust Till Dawn.
Red looks up at the sign, memories of how the shop once been coming back to her. The image of clean windows, a polished wooden door, and the golden glow of interior lights flash in her mind. Seeing the shop's dilapidated state in contrast to its once pristine one feels like it has been ages since her first and last visit with her uncle. Along with those memories come the ones from her dreams; Ruby's memories. She remembers the fight Ruby had with the blacked suited men and chasing after a ginger haired man with a bowler hat.
She steps inside the old shop, the crunching of glass and wood under her boot greeting her like a door chime. Red moonlight reaches far into the wide space, providing enough illumination for the red reaper. Much like the outside, the interior has seen better days. The entire place is vacant and a total mess. The dust dispensers on the walls are empty, shelves are cleaned out of all the valuable merchandise they've once held, and the glass counter where the old shopkeep would have Dust on display is busted open and its contents gone.
Wolf drifts around impatiently, showing very little interest in Red's trip down memory lane.
Walking to the back of the store, Red draws her gaze to a shelf with dusty, left behind books and magazines. She takes one and cleans the layer of dust off the cover, revealing a weapons magazine with a huntsman and huntress posing valiantly on the cover.
"Hm"
She flips through the pages, seeing pictures of different weapons and skimming through a couple short articles. It's strange. She remembers how that bubbling feeling rises in her chest when seeing anything about weapons or weapon crafting. But now, she just looks at the magazine; unmoved and clinical. She looks over at Wolf, seeing a tear roll down his snout before he growls, shaking his head, and blinks it away.
Red sighs and gently closes the magazine. "Just hold on a bit longer, Ruby. We're almost done."
Wolf's ears perk up sharply, picking up a small crunch of glass from behind them. He snaps around quickly and lets out a fierce, bone rattling roar at the appearance of new prey.
The sound of something ripping from the floor fills the store and the shadow of the ripped object appears on the wall in front of Red, quickly growing in size as it eclipses the moonlight.
Something is coming.
Red dodges with a short burst of rose petals, just in time to see the counter from the front of the shop smash against the wall, creating dust and flying splinters.
A familiar bang of a shotgun rings out and Red jerks her head towards it, knowing exactly who it is.
Yang.
The brawler bellows, rocketing towards Red with her metal fist cocked back, glowing bright hot with her fiery hair and aura.
She's coming in hot.
Red lifts her forearm in front of her and her eyes glow, conjuring a shield of pure white light to take the blow. Yang's metal fist slams into the shield and she fires an explosive round. A giant fireball engulfs the back of the shop, the sheer might of Yang's rage and the explosion lifts Red off her feet, the big boom blowing her out of the building along with the entire back wall.
Red reels from the impact, her world spinning as she tumbles through the air. She smacks against a roof, tumbles more, and barrels straight for a brick wall.
"Flora!" She shouts her command to nature. Hearing her call, a mass of vines and vegetation burst up from the asphalt of the street, creating a protective blanket. It catches her, taking the brunt of the impact as she crashes a hole into the wall.
Yang's primal screams fill the air once more and Red recovers just in time to see her enraged sister fire off another shotgun blast and flies straight for her.
Red petal bursts again, shooting out of the wall right before Yang crashes with another explosion.
Red looks up from the street below, watching as smoke billows out from the now partially destroyed wall. Yang has always been the aggressor in every fight. Close. Personal. A complete juggernaut. She wasn't the team's heavy hitter for nothing. But her temper though. It makes her formidable, but it's also a liability.
Yang's silhouette appears and she steps out of the billowing smoke. She glares down at Red, eyes burning bright scarlet and gnashing her teeth so hard that they might crack. Her fiery glow begins to dim, her semblance losing its steam. She reloads her rounds and slides fresh new burn dust capsules into her metal arm, the pain reuniting her flame.
"Hey sis," Red greets her plainly.
Yang snaps, clenches her fists, and bellows another primal scream of unbridled rage. She starts jabbing relentlessly, firing round after explosive round.
Rose petals fly again. Red darts and zig-zags the incoming fireballs, each one dodged creates explosion after explosion that tears up the already ruined city street. She allows a few to hit her, her aura, thanks to her silver eyes, absorbing the fiery element of the attack.
Yang jumps down from the wall and lands next to a burned and destroyed car; a shell of a car if anything else. With her semblance still pumping energy through her veins, she heaves up the car, tosses it up, reels back her fist, and punches it at her former leader.
Red doesn't miss a beat. She unfurls Crescent Rose, winds back the blade as she readies herself, and slices the car clean in half.
Yang is nowhere to be seen.
Bright yellow lights burn from above, snatching Red's attention upward. Yang punches a barrage of five to six fireballs at the reaper, each one coming right after the other.
Red takes a brief moment to calculate the situation. Battlefield tactics were never much of Yang's strong suit, but when it comes to a head-to-head fight, it's clear that she is avoiding a straightforward assault with her.
She's probably expecting me to try and dodge all of them, and then get in close to surprise me. That does sound like a Yang-tactic.
"Flora!" Red calls out again.
The destroyed street breaks apart and bursts open, giant roots reaching out and blocking each fireball with a series of explosions. Yang bursts through the mess of smoke and burning roots, flying straight at Red.
Smaller roots surround Red, closing her in a durable and protective cocoon. Red feels a violent shake as Yang delivers a strong punch to the roots. Yang digs her fingers into the space of the roots and pulls them apart, letting out another yell as she slowly cracks open the cocoon with all her might.
Now.
The palm of Red's free hand glows a bright orange, drawing up the fire she stored from the fight and shoves it in Yang's face. "What comes around goes around, right sis?"
Yang's eyes widen in reaction, but there is no time.
BOOM!
A large explosion detonates, reaching down the street as a long orange fireball and sending Yang flying and crashing through roots, smacking a dent into the side of a semi-truck. Yang's aura flashes and her body goes limp, sliding out of her dent and hitting the ground with a thud.
Red retreats the roots around her, makes her way over, and kneels next to her sister. It's subtle, but Yang is still breathing. A small relief. She wraps Yang in vines from the chest down, securing her.
Just then, Wolf's howl echoes through the city block, the same howl he gives when chasing prey during the hunt. A different whirlwind of rose petals shoots out from an alley, narrowly avoiding a giant set of crimson teeth snapping down at her. The shadowy beast emerges from the alley as billows of dark clouds and mist, his claws digging into the corner of the building and his eyes burning their fiery red.
Ruby is in the middle of the street, backing away from the giant phantom and gripping a scythe made of white light in her hand.
Red tilts her head upon seeing the scythe. She can make weapons too.
"This is crazy!" Ruby yells seemingly to herself. "I've fought a Gheist before! How is this thing any different?! Yes, I actually thought it was a Gheist!"
Wolf lunges for the kill. Ruby jumps, evading Wolf's bite as he pursues her. Thanks to Ruby's speed, she is able to dodge Wolf's teeth and claws, but only by mere inches. Wolf spews a black fog from his mouth in an attempt to catch her, black thorns growing out of the concrete and asphalt; anything the fog touches.
"Wolf, stop," Red commands her other half, prompting Wolf to jerk his head towards her.
"Why?! She fled us last time and now she helps our prey!"
"I know," Red replies as she walks in between the two, making Ruby take a step back and tighten her grip on her scythe. "But I also said I wanted to talk with her. Remember our dream?"
"Dream?" Ruby repeats with a blink of confusion before realization hits her. "Wait… You saw my memories too, didn't you? You saw my life, just like I saw your's."
Red slightly arches an eyebrow, tilting her head in response. "Yeah. Weird. Wolf, go get Yang."
Wolf grumbles but complies, floating over to a tied up Yang and picking her up in his maw.
"Yang!" Ruby panics.
"She's alive," Red reassures her as she watches Wolf. "For now, anyway…"
"Why are you doing all this?" Ruby jumps to questioning. "I understand the Great War was bad, but… Why?"
Red sighs quietly, letting a moment of silence linger. "You're not the first person to ask me that question. But if I tell you the answer, will you understand or will you still fight me?"
Ruby cocks an eyebrow. "How can I understand anything that involves ending the world? Betraying your family? Your friends?"
Betrayal. Yeah. Red would think the same thing if it were someone else doing this. "Will you come with me? It's clear we've experienced similar dreams, and we both have questions for each other. So, I'll hold off the hunt so we can talk."
"Really?" Ruby blinks with surprise. "So… Those giant Centinals…"
"I'll call'em off," Red reassures. "Though, you guys showing up must mean my hunch is correct."
"What do you mean?"
"The Grimm combed every inch of Remnant for that city you and Blake escaped to, but with no luck. And with the Dark War happening, negative emotions should be skyrocketing, but the Grimm can't sense anything. So, I had a thought. What if you're hiding underground and have a way to hide your emotions from me? Like Ren's semblance."
Ruby perches her lips together.
"Hm. Maybe I'm onto something."
An enormous shadow slowly blankets the area they are in; the gargantuan one-eyed manta ray Grimm, The Harbinger, looms overhead. Ready to receive its master.
"LITTLE RED!" Nora bellows from a nearby high rooftop, the hatred and disdain in her voice traveling with an echo. She inserts a lightning dust capsule into Magnhild, and it roars to life with electricity; kickstarting Nora semblance and charging her body with pinkish lightning. She jumps off the roof with her hammer and plummets like a streak of lightning.
"Nora?!" Ruby shouts.
"Not now, Nora," Red sighs from the interruption. She acts swiftly, bursting into her own gust of petals, snatching up Ruby, and flies off with Wolf towards the Harbinger; just in time to escape Nora as she hits the street with a seismic boom, erupting an explosion of fire and lightning.
Whelp, there we have it folks. Set up is done and the stage is set. As I've mentioned before, once Red hits the stage again, there will be no brakes.
Before I close things out, I wanna say thank you for reading and sticking around as I work out this story. I know it's not perfect, and definitely not the top RWBY stories out there, but I appreciate the small follow you all gave me. It may not mean must to you guys, but it means a lot to me. I had a fun ride.
Only two chapters left guys, let's finish this.
Until next time, Outlandish Storyteller, sighing out.