I do not own RWBY, which is the property of Viz Media, or Destiny 2, which is owned by Bungie. All characters, locations, and lore from these franchises belong to their respective creators. This fanfiction is purely for entertainment purposes and not for profit.

Chapter 18: Echoes of the Dark Age

The Tower courtyard was quieter in the evening, the usual bustle of Guardians replaced by the gentle hum of the City below. Blake found Penny near the railing, her form silhouetted against the Traveler's glow.

"Penny," Blake called softly, approaching with measured steps. "Can I ask you something?"

Penny turned, her ever-present smile warming at the sight of her friend. "Of course! What's on your mind?"

Blake leaned against the railing, her golden eyes reflecting the City's lights. "Earlier, Cayde mentioned that Adam used to run with the first Vanguard council. I was wondering if you knew anything about them?"

Penny's smile shifted to a thoughtful expression. "I'm afraid that's well before my time. The first Vanguard council existed during the Dark Age, centuries ago." She gestured toward the Crucible master's station. "But Lord Shaxx would know. He's been around since those early days."

"Shaxx?" Blake's ears perked up with interest.

"Mhmm," Penny nodded. "He wasn't part of the Vanguard, but he was there for the City's founding. If anyone knows the truth about Adam's past with them, it would be him."

Blake's fingers drummed thoughtfully against the railing. "The Dark Age... it must have been a different world back then."

"From what I've studied, it was chaos," Penny replied, her voice softening. "Before the City, before the Vanguard... Guardians weren't always the protectors they are now. Some used their power to help others, but many became warlords, ruling through strength alone."

Blake's expression darkened slightly. "And Adam? Which was he?"

Penny placed a gentle hand on Blake's shoulder. "That's something you'd have to ask Lord Shaxx. But Blake..." she paused, choosing her words carefully, "remember that who someone was in the Dark Age doesn't have to define who they are now. We all have the capacity to change."

"We should ask him now," Blake decided, pushing away from the railing. "Yang! Weiss!" she called out to her teammates, who were examining weapon mods at a nearby kiosk.

They joined Blake and Penny near the railing, Yang's armor catching the evening light.

"What's up?" Yang asked, noting the serious expression on Blake's face.

"Penny says Lord Shaxx might know about Adam's history with the first Vanguard council," Blake explained. "I think we should ask him."

Weiss nodded thoughtfully. "The more we understand about our... situation, the better."

They found Lord Shaxx in his usual spot overlooking the Crucible boards. His massive frame cast a long shadow in the dying light, his helmet's horn cutting a distinctive silhouette.

"Ah, the new lights!" Shaxx's booming voice carried across the courtyard. "Come to test yourselves in the Crucible already?"

"Actually," Blake stepped forward, her voice steady, "we wanted to ask you about the first Vanguard council. About Adam."

Shaxx's posture shifted almost imperceptibly. The usual enthusiasm in his voice dimmed slightly. "Adam... now there's a name that carries weight." He turned to face them fully. "What do you want to know?"

"Cayde said he ran with the first Vanguard," Yang explained. "We're trying to understand who he was... who he is."

Shaxx was quiet for a moment, as if weighing his words. "The Dark Age was... different. Before the City, before the Vanguard, we were all trying to find our way. Some of us became warlords. Others, like Ruby Rose, tried to protect people."

Blake's ears twitched at the name. "Ruby Rose?"

"One of the first Hunter Vanguards," Shaxx confirmed. "She found Adam in the Russian wilderness, dying over and over from starvation. She took him in, gave him purpose. He became her right hand, helping her protect a settlement called Moroznyy Kray."

Weiss leaned forward slightly. "What happened to them?"

"During the Great Disaster on the Moon, Ruby's forward team was separated in the chaos during the battle against Crota," Shaxx's voice carried the weight of old losses. "We thought she'd died her final death. Oscar... he took it the hardest."

"The loss changed him," Shaxx continued. "He became obsessed with finding a way to defeat the Hive. Started conducting strange research, pushing the boundaries of what Warlocks should know. Then one day, he left the City, seeking answers among the Awoken."

Weiss leaned forward. "What happened then?"

"Not long after, Jaune Arc went searching for him," Shaxx replied, his voice heavy with old memories. "Neither of them ever returned to the City. We lost two of our strongest Guardians, two members of the first Vanguard, to whatever mysteries they were chasing."

"And then Ruby returned," Blake said softly.

"Yes," Shaxx confirmed. "She'd been trapped on the Moon all that time, fighting to survive, searching for a way back. Unlike Eris Morn, she didn't have to sacrifice her Light to escape, but..." he paused, "when she finally returned and learned what happened to Oscar and Jaune... it broke something in her."

Blake's ears flattened. "What did she do?"

"She spent decades searching for them. Wandering Earth with a bottle in hand, following any lead she could find. Then, a few decades ago, she thought she'd found something concrete. She left again, more determined than ever."

The group stood in silence, processing the weight of this history. The Tower's evening winds carried the distant sounds of the City below.

"That's why Adam helped us," Blake realized. "It's what Ruby would have wanted him to do."

"Ruby Rose had a way of seeing the best in people," Shaxx agreed. "Even those who couldn't see it in themselves. She believed in helping others, in making the world better than she found it. And Adam... well, some lessons stick with you, even after centuries."

Yang's eyes glowed softly in the gathering darkness. "So he's trying to honor her memory."

"In his own way," Shaxx nodded. "Though he'd probably never admit it."

Weiss crossed her arms thoughtfully. "It explains why he brought us to the City instead of just leaving us to fend for ourselves."

Shaxx straightened to his full height. "The past has a way of calling to us, young Guardians. But remember—you're not bound by it. Whatever path Adam chooses, yours is your own to forge."

The four of them nodded, understanding the weight of his words. They were new Guardians in an ancient conflict, but perhaps understanding these echoes of the past would help light their way forward.

The four of them found a quiet corner of the Tower plaza, settling onto a low wall overlooking the City. The Traveler's light painted everything in soft silver, a stark contrast to the weight of the history they'd just learned.

"Ruby Rose," Yang said the name slowly, testing how it felt. "It's strange... we remember almost everything from Remnant, but the end is just... blank."

"Everything except how we died," Blake agreed, her ears twitching thoughtfully. "Beacon, Mountain Glenn, Haven Academy... it's all there, clear as day."

"I remember it all too," Penny added softly. "The Vytal Festival, Atlas, fighting alongside Ruby..." She paused, a small smile touching her lips. "Even being rebuilt with a soul."

Weiss nodded, her Warlock robes rustling in the evening breeze. "We remember who we were, what we fought for. Our relationships, our struggles... everything except those final moments."

Yang leaned back, staring up at the Traveler. "And then there's Adam. The person we remember from Remnant versus this centuries-old Guardian who helped raise the first City."

"Who Ruby believed in," Blake added quietly. "Even back then, she saw something in him worth saving."

Yang's expression darkened, her fists clenching slightly. "And now we find out she was a Warlord? Ruby? Sweet, optimistic, always-do-the-right-thing Ruby? It's hard to wrap my head around."

Weiss hesitated before speaking. "And now he's here, acting... different," she mused. "But maybe he's not the only one who's changed. Ruby had to make impossible choices as a Warlord. Choices we can't even begin to imagine."

"Do you think it's real?" Blake asked, looking at each of them in turn. "That he's changed?"

Yang leaned back, her arms crossed. "I don't know. But I can't shake the feeling that this Adam is carrying something heavy. It's like he's trying to make up for... everything."

"He's still distant," Penny added thoughtfully. "But not unkind. It feels like he's searching for something—maybe even himself."

"The question is," Penny interjected thoughtfully, "do we want to be?"

They sat in silence for a moment, each weighing the implications. Finally, Weiss spoke up.

"These aren't just memories—they're who we are. And if we remember everything up until the end..." she trailed off, gathering her thoughts. "Maybe we're meant to be part of this."

"But we need to be ready," Yang added firmly. "Whatever mysteries Ruby was chasing, whatever happened to Oscar and Jaune—it was dangerous enough to claim three of the first Vanguard."

"That's why we start with the Cosmodrome tomorrow," Blake said. "Learn to work together with our new abilities, understand what it means to be Guardians."

"Just like old times," Penny smiled. "Team RWBY, back together."

"And then?" Weiss asked.

"Then we face whatever comes next," Yang said with quiet determination. "Together."

The night deepened around them, but none of them moved to leave. Their memories of Remnant weren't just echoes—they were the foundation of who they were, even in this new life. And whatever the future held—whether it led them to Ruby's final mission or down their own path—they would face it as a team.

Just as they always had, in this life and the last.