#cem

... memory lane ...

The New Yorker November 26th, 1966

Underdog

So, a quick RWBY thought! Thanks to @hamliet's wonderful meta, we know RWBY is an alchemical story, which metaphorically illustrates how to create the philosopher stone. This stone symbolically brings life, which means that:

RWBY will save the world (the macrochosm)

Ruby (and the others) will self-actualize and grow up (the microchosm)

The journey to the stone is a process made of 4 phases + 1 quick moment:

NIgredo or the Black Phase

The Rainbow phase - the quick moment

Albedo or the White Phase

Citrinitas or the Yellow Phase

Rubedo or the Red Phase

RWBY plays with these phases, as it associates each one of the protagonists to them:

Blake is the Nigredo

Weiss is the Albedo

Yang is the Citrinitas

Ruby is the Rubedo

Jaune Arc and his team are the Rainbow Phase

All the phases together make the stone (RWBY = ruby = the stone). So, our main team is a metaphor for the journey towards the Self (the stone), as they are all growing up together. Team JNPR too ties into this, as another metaphor for alchemy's final product is a tree (JNPR = Juniper + Pine = pine). So, our 8 protagonists are all part of this trasformative process, which will lead them to grow up and save the world.

Still, there is another team, which might tie into this:

Cinder, Emerald and Mercury might be tied to the process of creating the philosopher stone themselves. In which way?

First of all, let's consider volume 9 for a second. Our Little Red Riding Hood faces three different parts of herself in the form of three weapons:

Penny's sword is green, like the prima materia. It represents the child-self and Ruby's past self. It is Ruby's initial form that she is leaving behind.

Alyx's knife is gray, like mercury. It represents this metal, as mercury is associated with both poison (Alyx poisons Jaune) and medicine (Alyx heals Jaune). Similarly, Jinxy asks for the knife both your saddest and your happiest memories. It represents Ruby's present self and the transformation she is undegoing.

Crescent Rose is red, like the philosopher stone. It also represents Ruby's final self. She is still growing up (Crescent), but will eventually become her own person (a Rose).

In short, these three weapons are linked to three different substances that are key in the alchemical process: the prima materia (green), mercury (gray) and the philosopher stone itself (red).

Well, interestingly these three substances share CEM's colors:

Emerald is green like the prima materia. She is also the first one to start a redemption journey and to make positive progress in her arc.

Mercury is gray and is obviously linked to the metal mercury. He is set up for redemption and his arc should be symbolically important for the story as a whole.

Cinder is red and she is obviously going through her own personal journey of self-actualization (even if it will probably be a tragic one). She is meant to be Ruby's foil and parallel, after all. So, she is the cinder, which becomes the stone. She will probably be the last one of CEM to get her redemption.

Now, this could be a coincidence, but it is fun to theorize about it! What is more, another way to describe the philosophical process is this:

The prima materia is separated in sulphur and mercury

Sulphur and mercury come together again through a chemical wedding

They give birth to the stone

Right now we have Emerald being separated from Mercury:

Their separation will probably lead to a chemical wedding between them, where they unite again. At this point, they will probably face Cinder together and help her in her arc. After all, they are her slippers!

So, CEM might just be the third team, which will self-actualize and help saving the world!

Speaking of which I wonder if Somewhat's short story in RWBY Beyond foreshadows the ending of Cinder's arc. The story is a short fairy tale, which tells Somewhat's Adventures in the Ever After. It is clearly foreshadowing of future events, as it teases Ruby and the others going back to the Ever After. That said, it also clearly works as foreshadowing in a metaphorical sense. Especially since it is Ruby herself who narrates the story.

So, Somewhat (aka Ruby) is asked to fix what's wrong in the Ever After (aka Remnant). As they try to do so, they meet several characters:

-They visit the genial gems, who are now taking care of themselves. This mirrors Ruby's own arc. She tried to spread herself too little for the sake of others. Still, she is now able to prioritize herself when she needs it. (microchosm)

-They visit the market place, where everyone has come together after the Jabberwockys' attack. This mirrors Remnant's situation. After Atlas (and Vale)'s destruction, humanity will come together against Salem. (macrochosm)

-They visit the Red Prince, who is now alone after having sent everyone else away. Somewhat and the Prince play a game, as they chat. Somewhat tells the Prince it is not fair his purpose is to win:

Somewhat: "That doesn't seem very fair. What if my purpose was to win too?" The Red Prince: "Such is the way of our life" Somewhat: "What if it doesn't have to be?"

They add they could change their purpose and teach others how to win:

Somewhat: "Who knows? Maybe you could teach others to win."

In the end, Somewhat wins, but the Prince thanks them and says he has learnt a lot. It is also implied the Prince will ascend and become something new. The narration ends by saying "there was one less wrong thing in the Ever After".

-Somewhat goes to the Abandoned Acre and here is where the story ends with a surprising creature popping in front of our hero. (This part may allude to a final confrontation with Salem or with the Gods)

Now, I believe the game between Somewhat and the Red Prince foreshadows Ruby and Cinder's final confrontation. Sure, you can read the Prince as Salem too, if you want to, but I personally think Cinder makes more sense.

First of all, the Red Prince and Ruby's game in volume 9 mirrors RWBY's story up until Atlas. Atlas itself has a strong chess-motif, whose whole purpose is to show everyone thinks Salem is the chessmaster, but it is actually Cinder playing. To be precise Cinder wants to be a player, but she can't stop being Salem's most precious pawn aka the Queen. This fits with the Red Prince. He is both a regressed Red King and the one playing. Similarly, Cinder is the Black/Red Queen, who wants to play her own game.

Secondly, the Red Prince gets corrupted because of Alyx's betrayal. After this, he meets Ruby, but projects his own hurt on her and lashes out. Similarly, Cinder was hurt by Rhodes and is projecting this betrayal on the whole world. She is especially fixating on Ruby, whose eyes negate Cinder's newfound power.

Thirdly, the Red Prince's purpose is to win. In short, he is obsessed by victory. The same goes for Cinder, who thinks she needs to be more powerful than everyone else to have value. This leads her to enter into conflicts with others, whereas she should build bonds.

Finally, Somewhat tells the Prince they should find a new purpose. The idea of destiny or purpose is linked to the theme of "Choice" since volume 3. Cinder is meant to fully bloom into the Maiden of Choice. So, it makes sense for her to finally find her own purpose. Moreover, Somewhat saying the Prince can teach others how to win might foreshadow Cinder's important for RWBY's final victory.

Salem: You are the key to our victory.

Cinder is the one who will decide who wins and who loses.

I also think Cinder will be the Red Death aka the final death needed in an alchemical story to solve the conflict. The Red Prince ascending might foreshadow this.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself" HRH POW 👑

Im not fully sure what your talking about but uhhh here! :

Chem: he would be the one leaving the other

Koi: he'd try and fix but probably make it worse

Pom pom: she'd notice it and blame herself and overthink it

Betty: she'd be upset but nobody would notice

Tellie: he's gone through this enough he only has a very small friend group