Hello there! If you are reading this, I'd just like to thank you for checking out this story of mine.
Let me explain to you how this fanfic came to be. Originally, I was never that interested in Infection AUs. But then I came across a really good Infection AU on TikTok based on Super Smash Bros. (It's called Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: World in Dark by Luft-P. Highly recommend it if you're a fan of Nintendo or Smash Bros)
After that, I sort of became obsessed with Infection AUs and started to look for some good ones in the fanfiction world. Sadly, I was unable to find one in the RWBY fandom. So I decided to make one of my own!
For context, this AU starts in the middle of Volume 2 during the Mount Glenn mission. Hope you enjoy!
*I do not own RWBY or any characters/settings associated with it. Everything belongs to Viz Media.
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Ruby Rose's (Apocalypse) Journal
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Day 1 - Fairytale Turned Nightmare
After today, I decided to start keeping a journal. Dad got me this cute little rose-themed journal before I left for Beacon. He wanted me to "record all of my experiences", but I totally forgot about it until now. Why am I using it now? Not sure...it just felt right. Maybe this is my way of trying to come to terms with what happened...
It all started during the first night of our mission outside the Kingdom in the city ruins near Mount Glenn. We set up camp in one of the old buildings after a whole day of kicking Grimm butt. We all took turns keeping watch to make sure we would all get the same amount of sleep.
It was Yang's turn to keep watch when I woke up to find Zwei running off to do his business, though I still don't get why he had to go so far when he could've just done that anywhere. Though I guess I shouldn't complain since he did help me find the White Fang's hideout by accident.
When I started to head back to the campsite with Zwei, I spotted two members of the White Fang walking off somewhere. Thinking that they might lead me to their hideout, Zwei and I tailed them. But as we got closer to the hideout, I could already tell that there was something off about these guys...
Once I found the entrance to their hideout, I immediately started heading back to tell the others only for the ground to collapse under me. I fell into the White Fang's hideout...and just like that, our mission to find the White Fang turned into a living nightmare.
All of the White Fang members...they were all totally deformed. Their skin and hair were as white as snow with black veins running everywhere, their bodies looked stretched out and had pieces of bone-like armor forming in certain places. They had these grins that were so wide, it pretty much took up the entire lower half of their faces. Their eyes looked like they were clawed out, black blood flowing from their empty sockets. They almost looked like some sort of Grimm...
They all came at me so fast, and I dropped Crescent Rose earlier so all I could do was run and hide. Since they didn't have eyes, they were pretty much blind. All I had to do was stay hidden and not make a sound. From my hiding place, I saw some of the White Fang members loading stuff onto a train. I thought that maybe they weren't completely mindless but...now I thibk they were all being controlled by something...They were moving a little too efficiently.
Eventually, my team and Professor Oobleck found me thanks to Zwei warning the others. I was so relieved, I didn't notice the bite mark on Blake's arm until later. Apparently, she was so caught off guard by the sight of her old friends and allies that one of them managed to bite her even though she was pretty sure her Aura was up. I still feel bad. If I hadn't run off and fell down that hole, Blake wouldn't have gotten hurt. But she promised me she was fine and that she was just glad I was safe.
(Update: I'm so sorry, Blake...This is all my fault...)
We immediately tried to escape that place as soon as we reunited. I'm still a little worried about that train and what those...whatever-they-are plan to do with it. But I was too focused on getting out of there. Hopefully, I'm worried over nothing.
(Update: We should've stopped that train...I SHOULD'VE STOPPED THAT TRAIN.)
Before we could leave the hideout, we got surrounded by the White Fang. Professor Oobleck had to stay behind to hold them off so the rest of us could escape. He said he'd be right behind us, but...we haven't seen him since. I wanted to waot for him, but the Grimm in the city were attracted to our fear would've swarmed us. In the end, we had no choice but to leave...But I'm sure he's okay! He's a Huntsman! No way he'd go down that easily...right?
...We ran as far as we could away from the city. With no way to call an airship to pick us up thanks to the lack of service in the area, we have no choice but to walk back to Vale. Right now, we've set up camp in a cave after making sure there weren't any Grimm inside. Everyone is mostly quiet aside from Yang making the occasional bad joke to lighten the mood...it doesn't really work.
Even though it's almost morning, we thought it would be best to catch up on lost sleep. Blake volunteered to keep watch while bandaging her arm where she got bit. I think she volunteered because she couldn't sleep, she looked really restless. Guess I can't blame her. The White Fang used to be her family. To see them turned into something so...horrifying, I can't even imagine what she's feeling.
Speaking of the White Fang, I wonder what we're gonna do about them when we get back to Beacon. We found their hideout, but obviously we didn't learn much about their operations. I also didn't see Torchwick down there so there might be a chance that he's still out there. Either way, we're pretty much back at square one on our investigation. Probably another reason why Blake seems stressed.
It'll take a few days to get to Vale on foot so I should make sure I get as much sleep as possible. I just want to put this whole day behind me...
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RWBY
The Eclipsed
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Status Report
Ruby Rose - Healthy
Infection: 0.0%
Health: 100.0%
Aura: 100.0%
Sanity: 93.5%
Fear: 14.8%
Hunger: 0.0%
Ruby's Summary: I'm still a little shaken up after what happened tonight. But other than that, I'm A-Okay! :)
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Weiss Schnee - Healthy
Infection: 0.0%
Health: 100.0%
Aura: 100.0%
Sanity: 97.0%
Fear: 5.4%
Hunger: 0.0%
Ruby's Summary: Weiss, though worried like the rest of us, still manages to retain her usual composure. Never change, Ice Queen!
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Blake Belladonna - Ǐ̶͈̬̥̮͈̲̉̓̚͝ ̵͇̲͕͔̟̈́ ̶̗͍̦̊̈́̋̀͌̉͌̐͐ ̷̢̪͖̝̯͛̇̐n̸̤͙͚͛̋̑̆f̸͎͇̫̺͙̫̔̾̇̈́̂̆͝ ̷͖̠̥̓̓͝͝ ̷̻̭̇̇̅̌͂͜ͅe̶̡͚̤̥̰̤̘̍̀̍ ̴̖̳͎̣͖̯͉̀͋ͅ ̵̨̥̝̟̈́̈͊͑̀̄̑̕ ̴̡̘̯̈́̋̕C̵̙̤͎̳̟̼͖̃̊̏̕͝ ̸̝͈̫̠̪͖̔̔̿̑͐̏̂͋̓ͅt̵̯͇̩̦͓̝͂̈̃̄̀͜͝é̵̢̛̺̭̆͗̌͝d̶̮̰͓͎͂ͅ ̵̢͓̣̯̪̘̲̀̆̌́͑̈́̔͝ͅ ̴̲͈̘̥͎͉͉̄̍͝ͅ
Infection:̴̛̳̋̀͆̓͠1̶̈́̑̉͋̐͘ͅ.̵̬͇̖̤̈́5̵̢̧̱̩̿̿͆͊̕͝͠%̵̨̛̻̼̮͕̓̔̚
Health: 96.9%
Aura: 100.0%
Sanity: 90.2%
Fear: 11.0%
Hunger: 0.0%
Ḧ̸̘̤̻͕̤͓́̅́̈́͘͝o̸̧̫̓ ̴̧̻̬͚̈́̀̔́̋͜ ̷͔̍͆̕ ̵̱̯̫̊̒ͅs̵̨̛̹͇̳̐̏͆͒͝ ̴̪͓͒ͅ ̵̫͍̗̹͍̈́̓͊̕͠t̷̟̑̍̉͆͘i̷͕̭̺̖̜̺̔̒̚͝l̸̠͔̓͐̀͆i̴͚̫̳̩̳͆͐ͅ ̷̭̤̍̂̓̌͐͋ ̸̭̰͖͗́͝͠t̷̳̫̓y̸͚͒̈́͐: 0.0%
Ruby's Summary: Sometimes, I see Blake scratch at her bandages. Yeah, I can relate. Bandages can be really itchy. Oh! I just remembered, I still need to give her back that book I borrowed from her last month. Hopefully I remember by then...
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Yang Xiao-Long - Healthy
Infection: 0.0%
Health: 100.0%
Aura: 100.0%
Sanity: 99.0%
Fear: 8.0% (Mostly for Ruby's safety)
Hunger: 0.0%
Ruby's Summary: Ever since we left Mount Glenn, Yang hasn't taken her eyes off of me. In fact, I don't think she's left my side since then. Fair, I guess, considering that I snuck off and put myself in danger tonight. I should really apologize to her later. The last thing I want is to make her worried.
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Zwei - Healthy
Infection: 0.0%
Health: 100.0%
Aura: 100.0%
Loyalty: 100.0%
Fear: 0.0%
Hunger: 0.0%
Best Dog in the World: 1,000.0%
Ruby's Summary: In hindsight, I wish I had just left Zwei at the dorm where he'd br safe. Then again, it was only thanks to him that the others found me in time. Good thing I made sure to bring some of the food Dad sent us! A leader must always be prepared!
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Dr. Bartholomew Oobleck- MIA
Ruby's Summary: Please be alright, Professor...er. Doctor...Whatever you wanted us to call you. Stay safe...
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Tomorrow's another day... (End Entry)
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And that's the first chapter of this story! Hope you liked it! If you want more, feel free to show your support in the reviews!
If you have any questions or comments, please leave a review. I will try to adress as many as I can.
Just to clarify, whenever I put something in parentheses during a journal entry, it means Ruby added that after the recorded date. A little bit of foreshadowing on my part. Of course, the date on which these updates were added are not specified, so the way Ruby speaks in these updates may vary for...reasons.
Oh, and this fic won't all be journal entries. I'll sprinkle in real-time moments from time to time.
Wish Team RWBY good luck!
...They'll need it.