Remnant's #1 Speedster

“The hell do we do with Yang then? Do you want me to raise her too?”

…

“She was the one who friggin’ came to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Summer likely told her to take you and run and to find a man named Gintoki. And that’s how this all started! WHY THE HELL DID THE WRITER NOT THINK OF THAT EARLIER?!”

Holy butts.... that was a great idea!

“Muahahha! And we can make it even better! What about that story Yang told Blake? Where Uncle Qrow saved us when she took a young me out into the woods in a wagon? That sounds to me like a perfect place for Gintoki to appear! Us, the young damsels in distress, trapped by some large bear or group of marauding bandits calling themselves the Grimm Brothers or something like that. And you, the powerful Shirayasha, the White Demon! You heard our pleas for help and, in our hour of need, swooped in to save the day!”

“It’s Gintoki and I’d like to start where any story should. The premise. Summer Rose is presumed dead. A two year old Ruby is found by me. I take mercy on her and decided to raise her as my own.

Does that sound like me? Are you sure I wouldn’t just drop her off at some orphanage because I don’t trust myself with raising a friggin’ kid?

Wouldn’t it make more sense if Summer herself came to my door, begging for me to look after her daughter before running off into the night and mysteriously vanishing? I mean she is a former comrade of mine. If she were in trouble, she’d come to someone she knew would help.”

“Right, Ginfloki. Got it.”

Ruby began rifling through her own copy of their script, absentmindedly listening to the man read off his bit- and she was surprised to hear that he made a good point. Why would her mom just go and die without setting up something for her? And why would some kid living off the streets be cool with raising a kid?

“...What kinda idiot writes this stuff anyway? It would make so much more sense if my mom asked him to look after me. It would certainly make more sense than just finding me all young and stupid. Probably cradled up in a trash can somewhere. It would make even more sense then for that Otose woman to be helping us out too, as I’m pretty sure she would’ve known about Summer as well. And for that matter, why are we only shifting over a few characters? If this really was supposed to be the crossover event of the century, you’d think they would’ve tried just a little bit harder to fit some people in.”

“I mean seriously. Me without a Yang is like... Nora without pancakes.”

@weaponsandcookies

“Ah, ah. Testing, testing. One, two, three. Is this thing on?”

He flicked the microphone before continuing.

“Greetings everyone, you can call me Ginpachi-sensei and welcome to Class 3-Z. Today i’m here to announce a very special collaboration between Gintama and RWBY. It’ll be a unique setting, where some of the RWBY characters were born in the Gintama verse. There was much debating behind the scenes and eventually the writer behind this idea threw a fit and decided that it wouldn’t work.”

“And what a lovely day it is, Mr. Kintoki, was it?” The young Rose was still a bit new here. Especially to a world where everything was so meta. It was actually so easy to break the fourth wall here that she had transformed into her chibi persona the moment she landed in crumby old shop. Where it kinda smelled like her Uncle Qrow’s flask mixed with... cheese? It was a weird scent, that was to be sure. Nevertheless, she adjusted her mic and continued.

“The way we see it is: We don’t need no writer. We are proud, individual muses. The writers are liars and crooks. VIVA LA RESISTANCE!” She then pulled her dear Crescent Rose out from behind her and let loose a barrage of bullets into the sky. Probably killing some birds. Or the ceiling. Oh well. 

***

Meanwhile, a certain revolutionary name Zura found his perfect face marred with several gunshots, blowing apart his stunning smile.

“It’s not Zura, it’s Katsura!” he cried to the narrator, clearly saddened that even the writer of this post couldn’t get his name right. 

***

“Anyway. What do you want to start with, Mr. Kintoki?”

Like or reblog this if you would be interested in rping with a number of versions of Rooster Teeth’s Ruby Rose from their 3D animated cartoon RWBY. These varying Rubys range from slightly AU to very AU, and at the time of posting this there are three different versions of her to play with.

So if you’re interested in a having fun with this cookie-obsessed weapon dork, you know where to find her. 

@weaponsandcookies

“What a great situation you’ve gotten yourself into this time, O’ Kamijou-sama.” Touma said as he stood staring at a rack of magazines inside a store that was located in a city that was completely unfamiliar to him. How had he ended up here? Portal. That he fell into. Because of course he did. And since it was apparently natural, his right hand didn’t negate it. Seriously, Index was going to kill him when he got back. Scratch that. If. If he got back. Because knowing his luck, he’d be trapped in this strange place forever.

He turned his attention to the shopkeeper, an elderly man and if looks could kill, Touma would have probably died from his glare. Must have had a hard life.

“I’m sorry for walking in here without saying hello.” Touma said as he walked up to the counter. “It’s just, I needed a place to clear my head and I couldn’t find anywhere else that was open.”

The old man merely grumbled and turned away.

“A-Ah. You’re not mad at me, are you?”

More like mad at life, Touma.

“I’ll get going then. I don’t want to impose.”

He made for the exit and on his way out he passed by a young girl. He didn’t pay her any mind at the time, but little did he know that she’d be playing a pretty big role in events to come.

Events that concerned him.

Because of course they did.

 He left the store and walked out into the night air, not really paying attention to his surroundings until he had gotten about one hundred feet away. Only then did he hear a commotion happening at the store behind him. Slowly he turned around, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead.

“Is that all you got? Come on, I’ve fought Grimm that are tougher than you!” 

Lo and behold, the very girl that Touma had brushed past was standing in front of the shop, the moon framing her pose with the massive weapon resting on her shoulders. A scythe larger than she was, something a girl of her size shouldn’t be able to hold so easily. But even in a world of Dust and Aura, she was not anywhere near normal. Not for her size, not for her age.

A man in a pinstripe black suit lay at her feet, his red sunglasses knocked askew. She had kicked him right through the window, and wondered for a moment if such a strike had given him a concussion. Eh. Who cared. He was a thief trying to rob the shop after all. And she just happened to be in the right place at the right time to do something about it.  

Just like they say in Weapons Magazine: “Be the hero you want see.” And it did feel pretty good to clean his clock. Especially since that butthead made her rip her magazine. And nobody gets away with that. Except Zwei. But he’s cute. And this dummypants wasn’t. 

“Can’t any of you bootyfaces give me a challenge?”

...Maybe Yang was right. Her trash talk wasn’t that good. It was so much easier just to talk with actions. And her beloved scythe was going to help her with that, right Crescent Rose? 

I am your humble servant, Miss Ruby.

Okay. So her scythe didn’t really talk. But it would be really cool if it did. Sometimes she pretended it did. That Crescent Rose was her adorable girlfriend or boyfriend. It helped her not always feel alone. Like when everyone was dancing with dates at Signal’s Homecoming Ball, and she was just in the corner dancing with her weapon...

It’s not weird, okay! Weapons are better than people. You can talk to them and they’ll never tell you to shut up. And they never leave you for that trashy butthead Gary Oak. What a jerk. He was always teasing her at Signal, and then he had the gal to steal away her only friend?

Asshats, all of them.

Oooo.... Asshat. That’s dirty. And fun to say.

Dad would so punish her for saying that.

But does it really matter? Ruby Rose is a rebel, not some innocent girl. She’s a grown woman. She drinks milk. She beats up robbers. 

Oh yeah. That’s what she was doing.

“You won’t make it out of here... alive!” No wait, that was a bit extreme. “Or maybe you will! But only after I beat that rubbish thief mentality of yours into submission!” Nailed it, Rubes. Nailed it.

Frankly, the five thieves- four in those black suits and one in a really cool white jacket and feathered cap- looked like they were just about to burst into laughter. Which was soon replaced with screams of terror when Ruby Rose began unleashing her skills on them, taking down all four of the black-suited goons in a matter of seconds with a few well placed scythe slashes and spinning ax kicks. 

“I will become strong enough to defeat you, Saitama. And I’ll gladly pay any price to obtain that strength!” Sonic shouted to absolutely no one as he stood in the middle of a forest. “I’ll get faster and faster to the point that even you won’t be able to stop me!”

He took off running, his movement starting slow before exploding with speed as he seemingly vanished into thin air. The thing is, he really did vanish into thin air as he never reappeared. At least, in that forest.

The next thing Sonic knew, he was somewhere else. It still appeared to be a forest but he could tell it was different. There weren’t as many lifeforms around and it all around seemed incredibly depressing.

Unfortunately he was so distracted by his new surroundings that he failed to pay attention to what was in front of him and ended up plowing straight into a man in a suit, sending him tumbling off a cliff to his demise.

“ … Unfortunate.” Sonic muttered as he glanced around him, able to get a better look at the surrounding area now that he wasn’t moving at sonic speeds. And as he did so, he saw a bunch of stunned men as well as a woman who was seemingly unconscious on the ground.

His right eyebrow rose as he deduced the situation at hand. “Hmph. How unsightly.”

He drew his blade.

“How perfect. I have some stress I need to work out!” He shouted before he vanished and reappeared on the other side of them, eyes slightly widening in surprise as his attacks didn’t cut as deeply as he thought they would. “Interesting. It seems you’ve got some protective barrier. That just means I’ll have to cut harder!”

In response to this crazed psycho attacking them, the group of men tried to run way. The keyword being try, because before they got very far, Sonic had already beheaded each and every one of them.

“Now then.” He said as he sheathed his sword. “What should I do now? Perhaps getting information about my current whereabouts would be a good place to start.”

His eyes fell on the woman from before. “Let’s hope that you’re still alive or I might be in trouble.” He said as he knelt down and checked for a pulse. “Good. You’re not dead.”

He picked her up and tried to figure out the best direction to head. He figured it’d be unwise to be caught in such a place at night, so the best decision would be to get out of this forest as soon as possible.

And just as he was about to speed off, the woman in his arms woke up and screamed before punching him square in the jaw.

Everything went black.

***

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but when he woke up, he was on a bed in a building he didn’t recognize. He quickly sat up, reaching for his weapon, but quickly figured out that he didn’t have it on him. Silver eyes quickly scanned the room and he found the woman from before standing there.

“I am so sorry!” She exclaimed as she bowed. “You saved my life and I repaid you by knocking you out!”

He stared blankly at her. “Where are my weapons?”

“O-Oh! They’re on the weapon rack! I figured it’d be unsafe for you to sleep with them on so-”

Sonic jumped out of bed, startling her. “Give me my weapons and I’ll be on my way. I have no intention on sticking around.”

“But you saved my life! At least let me repay you by inviting you to dinner.”

“There’s no need for such a thing. All I require is a map and my weapons. I’m used to surviving on my own.”

The young woman bit her lip, unsure of how to deal with this man. He seemed to have good enough intentions, but he was so wild, so untamed. It reminded her of Raven. “Look. I promise you can go. But just let me make it up to you? Okay? Otherwise my conscience won’t let me rest.”

Sonic thought about what she had said for a moment and decided to relent. She seemed like the stubborn type and he was bad with those. “Very well.”

“Yay! My name is Summer by the way! Summer Rose!”

“Sonic. Speed of Sound, Sonic.”

“That’s a redundant name.”

“No one asked you.”

She giggled. “Well, Sonic. I hope you’re hungry. I cooked a lot.”

“Hmph. Just remember that I’ll be gone as soon as dinner is over. I won’t be staying here.”

“Sure, sure~.”

~10 years later ~

“You call that speed, Ruby?! You’re still too slow! Running in a straight line will get you nowhere! You have to be able to move in multiple directions at will!’

He had become a sort of honorary brother to Summer Rose, staying in his own place nearby. He often went on freelance hunting missions, but always came back to visit. And because of all this, he had become a sort of Mentor to Ruby Rose, Summer’s daughter. An energetic, if a bit arrogant young girl who had grown overly attached to him much to his chagrin.

What about returning home? Well, he had long since given up on that. But only because no matter how fast he ran, he was never able to replicate the results of that day. In fact, he never ended up telling anyone he was from a different world at all. Everyone merely assumed he was a guy with a speed semblance who somehow had no aura. A birth defect if you will. 

Even so, he’s grown used to living in Remnant and has even become fond of the Rose family and the other people he’d encountered on his travels. He still wasn’t a good person by any means, but he had to admit.

Maybe his rival Saitama had a point.

Being a hero was a pretty fun hobby after all.

He was coming for her. 

And getting caught... would be bad.

She used her small size to her advantage, ducking past chairs, crawling under couches, hiding behind lamps. But the dull pattering of his feet never left her. Could he hear the thudding of her own bare feet against the floor? Could he see the billowing lengths of her red cape as she ran? 

He was going to find her, no matter what she could do.  

Unless... 

Yes!

The young girl curled up atop the couch, wrapping herself up like a little homeless lady in her red cape. Maybe, just maybe, if she pretended to be a pillow. He wouldn’t find her. He wouldn’t be able to-

THWUMP! “Zweeiiiii~” muttered the tiny girl. Out of nowhere, the impish corgi had leaped atop her and started cuddling up against her until her cape fell- and that’s when he attacked. With Lick. And it was super effective. She couldn’t help but fall into a fit of laughter, snuggling up against her puppy and hugging him close. Even more hilarious in that the puppy was about as big as she was. 

The corgi likewise seemed to be enjoying himself, until his ears perked up and her unceremoniously popped off of the young girl, walking off toward the door. Ruby raised an eyebrow at him and tilted her head to the side, asking, “Zwei? What is it?” He didn’t normally interrupt their games... 

Unless...

The little girl’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, shimmering silver baubles gracing her pale face. She darted off after the pup, yelling at the top of her lungs.

“MOMMY’S HOME!!”

The arrived just as the door opened, the corgi slapping his tail happily against the floor, and the little girl catapulting into the air twice her height to make it into her mother’s arms for a tight hug- scratch that. Arm. But why was Mommy only hugging her back with one arm?

The young Rose tilted her head back and her silver eyes fell upon the slouched figure of a guy thrown over her mom’s shoulder. “Who’s he?” she asked, poking his sharp nose. He looked a little scary.

****

Later that day, she had the chance to learn the answer to that question when the man finally woke up. She had heard her mom shouting and heard an unfamiliar male voice, so she figured it was him. The dull pitter-patter of her feet signaled her arrival at the bedroom door just as the two adults’ arguing seemed to come to a conclusion. 

“Who’s you?” she asked him, pausing for a moment before blushing red as her name implies, realizing she’d forgotten her manners. “My name’s Ruby Rose. I’m gonna be a Huntress!”

Who knew that this meeting would go on to change young Ruby Rose’s life forever. Fate would’ve led to a great tragedy, changing her outlook and leading to even greater suffering down the line. BUt the young girl had no idea that the man her mother had just invited to dinner, just that one man’s actions, had caused her destiny to skew off in an entirely different direction.

****

Of course. She was never fast enough for him. As the now teenage Ruby Rose reappeared in a shower of rose petals, she couldn’t help but puff out her cheeks and frown. She was trying her hardest, but not matter what she did she just couldn’t move like he could. Hell, she’d even tried to copy his body movement, but even that caused no change.

If anything, all it did was made her realize that she always was using the same form as him- the difference wasn’t in their physicality. The difference was in their power. He was just faster than her, no questions asked.

“I’m trying!” she grumbled, a bit fed up by this. Sure, Sonic was like a brother to her, but during these training sessions she inevitably found it really hard to like him. Always mocking her, teasing her. Never once praising her. It really pissed her off sometimes. Probably why she enjoyed when he just shut up and sparred with her instead of throwing insults at her like it was his job.

Once more she darted at him, launching herself right at him in an attempt to take the Weapon’s Magazine he was holding. This was their current training exercise- working on increasing her reflexes so she could do more than just shoot forward at high speed. And clearly, it wasn’t working. 

“That’s it, Gohan. Draw out more of your combat experience. Remember who you are!” Goku said as his fist met the barrier-infused punch head on. The attack was fierce, that much was true. But he could tell that this wasn’t all of his son’s power. That there was more to him. That there were chains that had yet to be broken. “Stop holding back!” Goku yelled at his son as his power began to skyrocket. His hair became more defined as blue arcs of electricity danced around him.

“I’m no longer around to protect you, Gohan. Nor am I able to protect anyone else. So it’s up to you! To defend not only yourself, but Earth and this planet as well!”

Goku’s power continued to climb higher and higher as the length of his hair began to grow outward. “You have yet to reach your pinnacle, there is so much more in the future!”

“I came back for this one day to teach you that! To teach you that in order to keep protecting everyone, you’ve got to keep getting stronger and stronger! I know you’re not like me. You can’t fight for the thrill of it, at least not all the time. So instead of that, think about enemies to come! Think about what they’ll do to those you love if you’re not strong enough! Grasp onto that feeling of pain and never let go! Let it take you to even greater heights!”

Goku knew he could potentially blow his son away if he put any more power into his fist, but he didn’t. While his transformed state was much greater than before, the energy he was putting into his fist was still evenly matched with his son’s.

He didn’t want this battle to end so easily.

***

“Holy moly. Yang, do you feel that? Whoever that is, his power is tremendous! It’s even greater than Cell’s!” Summer exclaimed, her body almost shaking from the amount of ki it was feeling.

Trunks smiled at the nostalgic pressure the ki gave off. “That level of power can only belong to one man.”

Fu chuckled. “Son Goku. He truly is fascinating!”

And his father met his fist head on, matching it with a punch of his own of equal power. A weaker man may have crumbled on the spot, his resolve dominated by an enemy he could never touch. But... As much as he had tried, Gohan was not a weak man. He wasn’t just the librarian. He wasn’t just a scholar. Fighting was in his blood, and even if it wasn’t always his favorite thing, it was still his duty. Why have power and not use it? Everything that had ever happened to him since he arrived on Remnant. Every single speck of bad. It was because he had held back. Because he was afraid. Afraid he wouldn’t be strong enough. Afraid that he’d hurt someone he cared about. 

Afraid of the rage that always came with his leaps in power.

But now... now he couldn’t. Cell was here. He was a threat stronger than anything he’d faced before. And his father, his father was even stronger than that. He sensed the energy surge course through his father, yet his power remained the same. To increase the raw output of his ki like that while maintaining a strength in his fist identical to the one Gohan was outputting... it took more than a great deal of control to do that. 

Control and power... He had always struggled to maintain both of those at once. But as he watched his father send his own strength to higher and higher levels, the raw ki buffeting his father’s newly acquired mane of gleaming golden hair... Gohan could only feel inspired.

His father continuously broke his limits. Pushed his power to greater and greater heights without the same, human fer coursing through his son’s body. That confidence, that desire to use his power to protect... it was his father’s greatest trait. In the past, Gohan had been a coward. Fighting only when he had to, hiding behind Piccolo and Krillin and his dad and all of the other Z Fighters. 

But now... there was no one to hide behind. He was the only one here who could take down Cell for good. Just like he took down the Androids back home.

And was he really going to let another malevolent Android destroy more people he cared for and loved? Was he really going to let something like that happen after everything he’s been through?

Fuck no.

Ruby... Yang... Blake... Pyrrha... I lost my friends and family once...

And I’m not gonna let it happen again!! 

And that’s when something snapped in him.

A surge of power unlike anything he’d ever felt before in his life.

The ground shook with such force the mountain itself shuddered and nearly crumbled, cracks broke the ground into shards below them, a massive crater burned into the ground by the combined release of their energy.

Gohan’s spiky yellow hair grew more pronounced, a gleaming golden bang spiking across his forehead. A vibrant golden aura cracked to life around him like living flames, and the lightning from his previous attack condensed into a glowing blue outline around his body, as if he was trapping the sparking power around him, controlling it for once in his life without fear.

His eyes were pure white and pupilless.

But only for a second, before they returned to a sharp cyan blue.

This power... it was something new. It was like the first improvement to Super Saiyan Goku had just shown him, but there was... simply more to it. Something a Saiyan just wasn’t able to comprehend on their own.

Pure Human Determination.

“I apologize if I’m interrupting something important here, but I couldn’t help but be curious.” A playful male voice said as a white haired man with pale purple skin appeared in the middle of the room, his arms crossed. “Greetings all, my name is Fu.”

Summer was visibly startled by the man’s sudden appearance and held up her pillow as if it were a shield. “Who are you?” And why did he look like one of Salem’s minions?

“Well I just told you who I am, Summer Rose. But if you mean, what I am. Well. Let’s just say I’m a friend who is interested in making sure everyone gets a happy ending.” He said with a wry smile. “So please, don’t be afraid.”

Summer glared at him. She didn’t trust this guy. The way he was talking and the way he already knew her name. He was up to no good. “Forgive me if I don’t trust you, but I’ve really had harrowing past 10 years.”

Fu laughed lightly. “I can only imagine. But please. I’m the reason you were saved in the first place. It was I who summoned Bardock here.”

“Bardock?” She asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

“The saiyan who saved you. I brought him here from a different timeline.”

“That explains a lot of the inconsistencies.” Trunks spoke up. “I thought it was odd that the Time Breakers would do something that foiled their own plans. Now that I know you’re involved, everything is starting to make sense.”

“Ah~! Trunks-kun! I was hoping we’d meet here. Tell me, where’s your partner? I’d very much love to go on an adventure with them again.”

“They’re busy with another mission right now.”

“Oh what a shame. They’re so fun to play around with.”

Summer blinked a few times. “You know him, Trunks?”

“Sorta. He’s a former Time Breaker who decided to help timelines rather than destroy them. I’m not exactly fond of him as he’s still messing with timelines in the long run, but my partner considers him a friend, so I’m in no position to judge.”

“Always so gloomy!” Fu exclaimed. “You should learn to lighten up. You’re starting to turn into your father.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m that grumpy.”

Summer giggled a little. “Actually, you are pretty grumpy, Trunks.” 

Trunks was taken aback. “Can we please focus on something else?”

“That just means you’re admitting we’re right, Trunks-kun!” Fu said with a toothy grin.

“Oh for the love of-” Trunks rolled his eyes. “Anyways, I take it you came here because you have a plan you’d like to share with us?”

Fu clapped his hands enthusiastically. “Precisely!”

***

“Oh boy!” Goku exclaimed as he began dodging and blocking the energy blasts like his life depended on it. Well, he was already dead, so it really didn’t. But he’d rather not find out what would happen if he died a second time!

“Thatta boy, Gohan! You’ve really gotten the hang of this fighting thing!” Goku said excitedly as he flew into the air. “But you’ve still got a long way to go!’

A grin formed across his face as he appeared directly to the right of his son.

“Kamehame … HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” He exclaimed, having transformed into a Super Saiyan before using instant transmission to close the gap between them instantly. He made sure to lower the intensity of his blast so that it wouldn’t seriously harm Gohan, but he wasn’t exactly pulling his punches either.

Seems his display with the Android’s techniques had gotten his father excited, and that meant one thing to Gohan. Something that he had seen in every single fight his father participated in: It was about to get really painful for Goku’s opponent. Which in this case, was him. Exciting his father in combat meant that he was going to up the ante, that he was going to stop holding back, at least a little bit. And yet... such a thought made Gohan’s blood boil with desire.

Was this that feeling coursing through every Saiyan’s body, that fire, that drive to fight stronger and stronger foes? 

And yet, there was another feeling. Pride. Not just in being a Saiyan, but being the son of Son Goku. Hearing his father praise him for how far he’d gotten on his own... it truly was uplifting.

And then he disappeared.  

“Wait, where’d you-”

And there he was right next to him. With a gleaming blue energy ball charging between his palms. 

Crapbaskets.

He had no time. That Kamehameha wave about to strike him point blank- with his father in Super Saiyan, no less- was just too fast. Too quick. Too... instant.

But maybe...

The blast completely enveloped the Saiyan hybrid, sending him flying through the air and right into a boulder. Where he left a distinctly spherical shape.

As the dust faded away, a scuffed up Super Saiyan Gohan dropped the shield he’d put up last minute, its emerald green surface littered with cracks and fractures. If he hadn’t thrown it up when it did, he was pretty sure his father would’ve had him completely knocked out by that one blow alone.

“I always was someone who struggled with dodging,” he mused, a small smirk crossing his face. “But that’s why I learned that technique. Means I don’t have to. And. I can do this.”

Bursting forward with speed far outcropping his dash before, he enveloped his fist in a barrier of green energy and aimed to slam it right into his father’s chest. It was a technique he had created originally to penetrate Android 17′s barrier, but here it would hopefully beat down his father’s superior defenses. 

It was his last chance. He put all of his remaining ki into the attack. His father was just on an entirely different level than he was, and he was simultaneously thrilled with the challenge and worried that he’d never become that strong.

Strong enough to protect everyone he loved.

“I suppose taking you to see her wouldn’t be bending the rules too much. So sure, I’ll take you to her right now-”

“There’s no need to do that.” A voice said as a woman in a white cloak stepped in front of the two, her silver eyes gazing directly upon Ruby. “I followed you here and was present from the beginning.” She said as she shifted her gaze to Jeno for a brief moment. “We have a lot to talk about. But first.” 

“I never thought we’d have such an awkward reunion. A reunion where we’re both dead.” The older Rose said as she walked over to her daughter and embraced her in a hug, a feeling of relief flooding through her as she realized she could once again make physical contact with the one she held closest to her heart. 

“I’ve missed you so much. I’ve had so many things I’ve wanted to tell you. And now, when I finally have the chance to say them, they’ll mean nothing. Because you ended up just like your mother.” 

She pulled away just a bit, so that she could look at her daughter with her tear-filled silver eyes.

“I’m sorry I abandoned you, Ruby. I-If I had just been stronger, I’m sure we’d both still be alive.” 

Hearing her voice again... it made her feel like a little girl. 

Like no time had passed since she was gone.

It was a voice that always made her feel safe. 

Like she was home. 

“Mom...?”

It didn’t matter now that she was dead. It didn’t matter now that their reunion only happened because of it. All that mattered to the young Rose was that she was there, hugging her mother for the first time in over a decade. She had wrapped herself in her mother’s old white cloak many times before, and while that felt like a mother’s hug, it was nothing like the real thing. New tears formed in her eyes and trailed down her cheek, silvery eyes held shut, she didn’t want this moment to end. 

“I’ve missed you too,” she whispered, drinking in every word her mother said, latching onto it like a newborn gorilla clinging her her mother... which sad to say wasn’t that good of a metaphor but who cared, she was back with her Mom!

But the small, sorrowful smile plastered to her face turn to a frown.

“No... Mom... it isn’t your fault... you did what you could... I’m the one who couldn’t do it... I wasn’t fast enough. I failed, not you.” The tears streaming down her cheeks choked her up for a second, sounding like some mix between a sob and a chuckle. The shorter Rose ran her fingers through her mother’s hair, much as she used to do for Ruby all those years ago.

“You’ve always been my strength, Mom. Without you, I never would have pushed myself to do my best... never would have gotten in to Beacon early. Everything I’ve been able to achieve... was because of you.”

“I... I used to dream about you. We’d make tea and talk about our days... and when I didn’t dream about you, I’d write you letters. I know I would never be able t send them, but they were still my only way to talk to you... And as long as I could talk to you... as long as I knew my Mom knew I was okay... I could do anything. Anything I put my mind to.”

“It seems the process is complete.” Jeno said as he flicked his blue eyes toward the spirit of the young girl. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Ruby Rose. Though I had hoped it wouldn’t be as a result of such depressing circumstances. My name is Jeno Nakajima and I am what you might call a Reaper.” 

He walked toward her, offering her a hand to help her up.

“A Reaper is a being who escorts the souls of the deceased to the afterlife. They make sure they have no regrets and are able to move on peacefully.”

He gave her a soft smile.

“I was your mother’s reaper as well you know. And even though we haven’t spoken much, I heard her say so much about you. She’s really proud of how much you’ve grown. In fact, she’s been watching over you this entire time. You really have been blessed with a fantastic mother.”

He let loose a bitter laugh.

“I suppose I should get to helping you move on though. I’ve already failed to save you after all. Just like I failed to save your mother.” 

If only he had known. If only he was there. He could have stopped all of this from happening. He wasn’t omniscient. He didn’t know everything. 

But it sure would be helpful if he did. 

“A Reaper?” An image of a cloaked figure in black wielding a massive scythe filled her mind- along with the simple irony that she too was a cloaked figure with a scythe. But it didn’t look like this guy had a scythe at all, which was a bit disappointing, if she were completely honest. It was still so strange, trying to parse out what all this meant. On one hand she was dead, but she was still here. And this Jeno fellow was apparently going to help her find peace...

Which would have been her first thought until he mentioned her mom.

“Wait, you know her? You know Summer Rose??” Hang on. If she was watching her, then that meant that she didn’t cross over either. Which also means...

“Can you take me to her??? Please, I need to see her.”

It was something she had always wished. To see her mom again.

~15 minutes earlier~ 

“Hey!” A woman’s voice shouted over the loud rock music. “I know you can hear me! Over here! Listen to me!” 

One blue eye opened as a white haired man sat up on the couch he was crashing on. He lazily glanced over at the entrance to the apartment he had been staying in, the wooden floor shaking from the speakers that refused to be silenced. Sometimes he hated his ability to listen to multiple things at once. Not even loud music could drown this woman out.

“No matter how many times you complain to me. I’m not intervening and changing fate.” Jeno said as he fully locked eyes with the other.

“Ruby Rose is meant to die today. That is an inevitable fact. And honestly, after over 10 years of keeping your distance, you all of a sudden want to talk? I thought you wanted nothing to do with me … Summer Rose.” 

The woman known as Summer glared at him, her silver eyed glare making it quite obvious that she was related to the Ruby in question. 

“This is my daughter we’re talking about!” She yelled, her voice cracking with anger. “The moment you showed up around here, I knew something was wrong! I knew that someone was going to die and when you started observing Ruby … “ 

“You have the power to save her. I know you do! I can’t do anything myself! I’m completely powerless!” 

Jeno sighed. “You wouldn’t be if you had just listened to me all those years ago. But you’re right. I should get going. There’s only 12 minutes left. 12 minutes until she dies.” 

“I need to be ready.” 

And with that he was gone, leaving the spirit of Summer Rose fuming all by her lonesome. 

—

After he was out of her sight, Jeno let out a large breath as he let his professional demeanor melt away.

“Saving her was my plan from the very start, dumbass. I’m just using a different method than usual.” 

He took off running, knowing that if he had mentioned anything to Summer, he’d have gotten in his way. And he couldn’t allow that! Only he got in his way! 

And with a hop, skip and a jump he was there. At Beacon Tower! Of course he wasn’t going to climb up it like any normal guy. No, he brought a spy helicopter that he was skydiving out of. 

He rocketed toward the building at breakneck speeds before eventually landing on top of the Grimm Dragon that had decided to get in his way. “Nice to meet you, ugly. I’ll deal with you later.” He said before gracefully backflipping off the monstrosity and landing directly in front of Cinder.  

“Your stepmother says to go fuck yourself.” He said casually as he froze the fire using woman to the nearest wall.

He then turned his attention to Pyrrha. The two locked eyes for a moment before Pyrrha’s eyes widened in fear as she realized what Jeno was about to do.

“No witnesses!” He said before kicking her off the tower, but not before making sure to make a slide of ice that would take her all the way to the bottom unharmed. 

His expression hardened as he finally laid eyes on the young Ruby Rose. “We were the same age you know.” He said as he knelt down by her side and closed her eyes with his right hand. “The same age when we died that is. It isn’t fair right? Having everything taken from you all at once. Never getting to say goodbye. Never even getting to take a swing at the person who killed you.” 

He ran a hand through her hair and for a brief moment, he was back there. His first moment as a Reaper, brushing the hair of his deceased sister. “What I would give to turn back time. To set things right.” He said softly as he stood up. “I promised myself that I’d save you. To spare your mother from the same pain that I underwent. But I was too late. Once again, I was unable to change fate. Unable to stop the inevitable.” He let out a broken laugh. “I’m glad I lied to your mother. I didn’t want to give her false hope. Heck. I didn’t want to give myself false hope. That’s why I didn’t let myself take it seriously. I acted like it was one big joke. Just to fool the optimist inside me. To comfort him when the cold harshness of reality sets in.”  

It was almost time now. For her spirit to separate from her body. 

“I hope you can forgive me. Because lord knows I won’t ever be able to forgive myself.” 

“Hah. Look at me. Getting all emotional like this. I’ve really grown soft.” He laughed again, but this time it was clear he was on the verge of crying. “And here I thought … I had used up all my tears.” 

What the hell? He shouldn’t be so invested in this. Yet he was. He couldn’t really put a finger on it. Was it because of Summer? The years he watched her hopelessly try to make contact with her family? The days she would break down in tears because her daughter was just outside of her reach? The moments where she would stare off out into space because she knew her situation was hopeless? Talk about a bad influence. 

“This reassignment is the fucking worst.” 

“Your stepmother says to go fuck yourself.”

Hmm... that’s a strange thing to hear... when you’re dying.

She had seen the witch turn to her as if in slow motion, releasing the arrow before Ruby could even react... It was the strangest feeling, knowing that there was nothing she could do. It was almost instantaneous, the arrow’s thwip through the air right into her chest, piercing straight through her aura and embedding itself just above her heart. 

For one of Beacon’s fastest students, there was still no time to react.

I... wasn’t fast enough...

Eyelids fluttered open and shut, crimson blood staining her cloak’s silver emblem. Her vision blurred, and whether it was because of the tears that had filled her eyes, or the pain currently seizing through her body, she wasn’t sure. Black rings had started to form around her field of vision, growing wider and wider as she slipped slowly into the void. 

But she could see something. A man. Standing over her. Cinder and Pyrrha... where were they? She didn’t... feel them anywhere. Then again, she could barely feel herself. 

Funny thing about Aura. If one was to be mortally wounded while still possessing some energy, it would slowly leak away, attempting and failing to stabilize the person until they ran out... and died. 

She could see it happening to her.

Red energy washing over her body. Trying to heal her. Trying to get her out of this mess alive. 

At least it kept the pain at bay.

But even then... she could still feel it. The blood leaking from her wound, her breath turning more and more into rattle; each life giving breath harder and harder to take without further damaging her heart.

He kinda looks... like Weiss’ brother.

She had turned her failing gaze back to the man, focusing on him. 

Anything to distract her from the inevitable.

It getting so hard to keep her eyes open. Each eyelid felt like she was Jaune trying to lift Crescent Rose... It was getting harder and harder to remain conscious. But her remaining Aura kept her going. 

At least for a few minutes.

She felt him touch her, the small warmth a sign. It was okay. She could rest. She didn’t need to struggle to hold her eyes open anymore.

Her eyelids fell shut, and she heard that man’s voice again. No longer as crazy and wild as before, but a quiet, almost calming tone. 

His words brought a question to her slow and fractured mind- How could he have died at her age if he was here? But he was right... perhaps the pain worse than the wound, the pain she was trying her hardest to block out...

Was the pain that her loved ones were going to feel.

Dad... losing his daughter like he lost his wife...

Yang... losing her sister like she lost her mom...

She couldn’t bare to dwell on it. 

It stung her heart too much. More than the arrow ever could.

She felt his hand brush through her hair for but a second, her last breath turning into a slow, rumbling groan. So strange to feel that small bit of caring, that simple brush that her mother always used to do to her, right as she was about to die.

“Mom... I’m coming to visit... Please... prepare the tea...”

And with those words she took her last breath.

Ruby Rose... was gone.

It was strange... even as she felt the last of her energy leak out... she could still hear him. Feel the pain in his words... He had come to save her. Come to save her because of her mom. But her mom was dead... like she was now... so how... how could he know her? It didn’t make any sense. 

And why... why would he be asking her for forgiveness?

She opened her eyes.

Before her was a strange scene. A man she had thought she saw before she died, leaning over the body of a young girl... with short, dark hair... a black top with a combat skirt... and a red cloak.

It was her. Her corpse. She was dead. But she here.

She collapsed to the ground. Body shaking, tears streaming down her face. She couldn’t handle everything that was going on at once. His sorrowful words, the presence of her bleeding corpse...

“Welcome to the world that I live in, Aqua.” Jeno said as he grinned at her, happy that she had life in her eyes once more. “The drug I just gave you is called ZMT, it enhances your brain to extraordinary levels. But it only lasts 24 hours, after that, you’ll be reverted to your normal self. There are some side effects too, but we can go over those later. The most important thing for me to do now is explain to you who I am.” 

“I am Jeno Nakajima. A reaper. 12 years ago, I aided Xehanort with his plans. He manipulated me and I made many, many mistakes because of it. I’m here to right those mistakes. Though when I say 12 years ago, I mean from your perspective. For me, it’s been over 2,000 as I’ve traveled between different dimensions since then, dimensions where time flows differently.” 

His voice. It felt so... new and different. Like I could hear every last sound. In some ways it felt like time was slowed down; all of his lip movements looked so obvious to me- wait, when had I learned to read lips? Pretty sure I’ve never been able to do that. Must be something that pill let me do. 

Though this drug filled me with purpose and excitement at first, when he mentioned the side effects, a small feeling of dread managed to pierce my mental armor. In 24 hours’ time, I would be back to normal. I may even lose my memory again, seeing as I only regained it from the ZMT. 

Interesting thing about this drug- even as I lost myself in the possibilities and what ifs, I could still clearly hear and process Jeno’s voice. In the past, I would be so overcome with emotion that I would be unable to think straight. This drug... just what did it do ti me to let me split my attention like this? Perhaps my mind is simply more prepared for the burden when on this drug... Questions for later.

When he mentioned he aided Xehanort, I wanted lash out, to strike him down for the hand he had in this- but the other me stayed my arm. “Pay attention,” she said, almost talking down to me, “Can’t you see he’s trying to make up for his mistakes? Why else would he be here. You were young and stupid once, too.”

I nodded to her and relaxed my clenched fist. His story made sense. Though I was a bit thrown by how casually he admitted to the existence of other dimensions. I knew of other worlds, but other dimensions? That was a bit over the top, wasn’t it? 

“Can’t really be sure, can you? Look at it this way. You’ve been trapped here for god knows how long and still have yet to age a day,” muttered her double, almost as if trying to guide her thinking.

“So if time can be warped here,” I started, “It stands to reason that time can be warped elsewhere, and that would make sense out of that gap... and your age.”

God... this man was over two thousand years old... and he looked damn good.

Oh the irony. With the pill granting me a better control over my mind, I was actually able to stop myself from blushing like a total idiot once that thought had entered my mind. 

“I’m real and yet I’m not.” Jeno said as he backed away from her, sending the unease in her voice. He did not react to her prodding and poking him, it was understandable. She had been here for so long, alone. It was only natural that she’d doubt the appearance of someone knew. 

“In fact.” He gave her a somber smile. “You could call me a Nobody.” 

Just then, someone cleared their throat. But it wasn’t anyone Aqua could see. In fact, it appeared to be another Jeno.

“Hi there. Excuse me. Aren’t we forgetting something? We’ve got a brain. Use it. Come on. You know the solution to this. You’re just too busy being a crybaby to notice it.”

Jeno turned to face … himself. 

“What could I be forgetting-” 

And that’s when it hit me. Everything all at once. Every missing detail. Every single missing strand of logic that had passed me by because I had given into my emotions. It was clear now. I could see. I knew exactly what to do. It was risky, giving it to a human. But right now, it was the only course of action I had. Certainly better than moping around forever. 

I reached into my pocket and fished out a translucent red pill and held it out, beckoning for Aqua to take it.

“All I ask is that you trust me, Aqua. Take this pill and all will become clear. You’ll be able to see what I see. Feel what I feel. Hear what I hear. And for the first time in your life, you’ll truly be alive.” 

“It’s time for you to be reborn.” 

Real... but not. As he backed away from me, those words danced through my mind, like a pair of teasing imps. How could he both be real and not real? Was he, I dunno, some figment of my imagination? A person I once knew, drawn out from my psych just to mess with me? This realm had done that once before, called forth another me to test and taunt me, to push me closer to being like her. Dark... cruel... Even with nothing ‘good’ to do in this endless void I still grasped tightly to the morals of the surface. The hero I supposedly once was.

A Nobody... he said. A word like that sounded important, but nothing licked in my mind. Perhaps it may have meant something to me in the past, but it was nothing here. All I knew were these cavernous walls and open chambers. Even the memories and knowledge I had held onto of the other Worlds felt more like a dream to me than the overwhelming reality of this place.

He fished a red pill from his pocket.

“W-what is...” 

I was sure at some point my mother, father, or perhaps that teacher I wrote about in my journal would have told me not to accept pills from strangers. Especially ones acting so weird around me. First he acts all sad, then he hugs me, then he just abruptly pulls away and offers me a pill? Something definitely smelled a little fishy there. And yet...

“I trust you,” I murmur back, the first sentence I could utter without hesitation.

Something about him just... made me want to trust him. Something in the look of his eye told me he was here to help, not threaten.

I took the pill, placed it in my mouth, and gulped it down.

They say the brain is some sort of evolutionary miracle, but it’s nowhere near efficient. It’s all scrambled, pathways converge on each other. In short, thinking was a mess. But what if you had the ability to streamline all of that, to essentially have access to and control over every last particle in your mind? Every single brain cell. Every single thought, memory. 

Everything.

Everything was at my disposal.

My eyes widened. The inky black void around me transformed- the overwhelming darkness drew back, the blues and purples that canvassed the walls and sky and caverns grew brighter, filling my mind with the intricate beauty developed naturally by this world. Stars even became more obvious in the now brilliantly blue and purple expanse above us.

Even the blue in my bodysuit and skirt seemed to pop more. 

And then all at once. Every lingering question I had was answered.

Ven, Terra, Mickey, Xehanort, Eraqus, Sora, Riku, Kairi- all of those names became clear. Memories I had thought I lost returned in even more vivid detail- and the best part. The power. I could feel it again. I could grasp what had evaded me for so long.

I jumped, flares of fire, ice, and lightning dancing around me with effortless ease. Magic. I had forgotten how much of a joy it was to wield it.

“Cool, isn’t it,” came a voice from beside me. One that seemed all too familiar, and one that the other man may not be able to hear. My eyes grew wide as I realized it was another me staring me down. Though without the sinister air that the previous doppelganger had. This one felt more...

“Calm?” she muttered, a small smirk on her lips, “Confident, cool, in control, sexy?” She sauntered forward, hips sashaying as she walked. “This pill. It’s done more than helped you remember who we were. It’s made us even better. You’ll find you remember much, much more than you wrote in the journal. Can you picture it? The feel of Terra’s shirt captured in your slender fingers?”

The image flashed in my head, the hug that had just returned to me moments before. Yes, I could feel the shirt. But more than that... 

“A cotton polyester blend, treated with Orichalcum to act as a an armor. But it looked like it had worn down a little, microdents in the tightened fabric show that he’s likely had that shirt for years, and fought many tough battles. And given that he still wears it,” An image flashed through her mind again, the first time she saw Terra in that shirt. Right after a certain celebration. “It must have sentimental value. I have no doubt that Master Eraqus gave it to him as his birthday gift five years ago.”

“I know who you were, yes. A young woman full of determination and passion. One who would gladly give up the world to save a loved one.” 

A deep sadness could be seen in his eyes. Every part of him wanted to repent here and now. To violently stab himself over and over again. But he knew that would solve nothing. He’d tried it before after all. Immortality, a curse he was destined to bear because of his own obsession with revenge. And it was now, more than ever, that he wished he had a way out. A way to escape from his own guilt. A way to turn his eyes away from the broken girl in front of him. 

“Aqua … I-I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”  

His own cowardice had caused her so much pain. His own ignorance. His own naivety. 

And yet. He did not cry. Not because he didn’t want to, but because he couldn’t. The last of his tears had frozen long ago. 

Green eyes glanced down at the blade in his hands and for a brief moment, he contemplated killing her. If he could end her suffering. Set her free. Maybe then she’d be able to move on in peace. But something stayed his hand. Something that told him that it was the wrong answer. That it was the easy way out, for the both of them.

Instead, he did the only thing he could think of at the time and embraced her in a tight hug. 

“There’s no way I can ever fully atone for my sins. But for now, I shall start on the path to redemption by telling you one thing.” 

“You are no longer alone. I’m here with you.” 

This man... why was he just... so... sad? Did... I once know him? He seemed to imply that he knew me, or, rather, who I was. But what could’ve happened that would’ve filled him with such sadness? Was he this ‘Terra’? ‘Ven’? ‘Mickey’? No wait, apparently Mickey was a talking mouse. This guy did not look like a mouse at all. Well... maybe if you added some ears and a tail.. yeah. It could work. 

But I digress. 

I was about to question him again, and then he completely surprised me with a tight hug. Color filled my cheeks- we couldn’t have been that close, right? He couldn’t have been my... surely I would have written about him in this journal if he was... Unless it was a secret romance and...

My gaze fell blurry. 

The gentle touch of a mother’s warm embrace, the thick arms of a friend wrapped tight around me- memories flashed before my eyes. 

-A woman with hair as blue as mine and long as the sash at my hip, wrapping her arms around me one last time. Her kind features framed by the fireballs raining down from the sky. My little, toddling body runs away from her as fast as I can, fear clouding away the thought that this was the last time I would see my mother again-

-A tall male with spiky dark hair, skin a sun-tanned olive, wrapping his thick arms around me like he, too, was saying goodbye. An almost too tight hug between so called ‘friends’ the night before everything fell apart. The most moment of intimacy I felt with the the boy I had grown up with-

The man whose arms were wrapped around me now felt like neither of those newly returned memories. Those other times I had hugged back with everything inside me, and now it was just... empty. My arms pinned at my side, dull blue eyes staring into the inky darkness... It was meaningless.

And yet... as I wormed a hand out from under his grip and brought it to my face.. there were tears streaming down from it. These memories, him... why would they make me cry? I knew all three of these embraces were real, yet the two newly unsealed from my memories felt less like my own and more like watching a movie. This hug was... cold. Sad. Empty. Like the darkness around me.

“A-are... are you real?” I muttered, my body shaking uncontrollably. Someone here... another soul amidst the endless void... I reached out and touched him, my fingers roaming over his chest and shoulders, searching without care for something to grab hold of to prove that this second person wasn’t just some sick illusion produced by the Realm to drive me even crazier. 

And I realized one thing.

Neither of us were human.

His heart, it did not beat with the frequency of mine. It did not beat at all. 

The two of us... One a life trapped in death, the other a death trapped in life.