Chapter Text
Fighting in a crazy sand storm in Vaco wasn't something that Oscar, Ren,Nora, and Emerald had expected in the slightest when they first arrived at this place. Not to mention that the communication systems were down pointed out by the mint haired girl herself. Fighting off a huge amount of Grim and trying to kept an entire kingdom of people calm didn't help make the situation any better. Oscar knew that everyone was getting tired as they fought off the creatures of darkness. How long was it? He didn't know. What mattered now was to try to keep people safe until Penny got here to help.
All the memories came at once.
From humble beginnings.
To where they stood now.
A boy shyly looking away from the girl that lightly giggles when their eyes made contact after settling down from his entrance in Heaven.
The girl opening up to him about her honest feelings the first time at the dojo after he had snapped at her for the first time.
That same girl comforting him after telling him he was his own person to reassu he's not someone he's not and glares at the drunk bird for bringing down the boy before by saying "don be a lair".
Having a serious talk with the rose after she decided not to tell the General about what they had learned about Salem's revolution.
Reuniting with the Pine boy after he was taken to the witch and escaped with pretty bad injuries caused by her and being on guard when she saw a former foe next to him as she was about to hug the male relived that he was alive.
They planned long and hard to make sure everything didn't go out of place and that there wouldn't be something to cause them to shit themselves internally out of fear.
If all that they did was going so well......then why did everything go wrong so fast?!
Seeing a gust of wind knocking off the grim after tiredly killing them for who knows how long he along with the group he stayed with turned to see the oldest of the Schnee siblings Winter emerging from the portal. His eyes widen as he realized a few things. Penny passed down her powers to the older woman claiming Winter as the new Winter maiden. Two, both team RWBY and team JONR's leader Jaune Arc didn't make it to the portal.
They were supposed to be defenders of the world right?
They had all the tools and knowledge needed to defeat the immoral witch.
What the hell happened?!
Tears formed in his eyes as he saw Winter look at her family with pure sadness and pain in her eyes as the remainder of the Schnee family looked at her with equally sad eyes having a feeling what had happened.
No.
This can't be right?
This has got to be a sick joke.
Winter.......they came back with you right?
Don't tell me they fell from that bridge and lost against Cinder.
They have to be somewhere with the relics as well.
Please......TELL ME THAT THEY DIDN'T DIE!!!!
Oscar slowly was getting himself up with Ozpin's cane that was passed down to him his body both tired and shaken up by all that has been going on at once.
With zero visibility from the frantic sand storm, Oscar looked around him desperately trying to find any sign that his friends and the girl he had loved since the very beginning were there with them and fighting off the upcoming grim that were heading towards them.
But that never happened.
He searched for a signal.
Any signal that would say that they were here present.
But it never came.
Clutching the cane in his left hand an infinite amount of tears appeared on his face making it even harder for him to see.
After what felt like hours, the young male passed out in the intense sand storm. He was both mentally and physically tired from the destruction Salem had caused him and to the entire city of Atlas.
He opened his eyes widen in shock as he heard himself gasping loudly. It had been serval hours since the whole choas in Atlas began. Oscar sat up, holding his head with his hand trying to figure out where he is at. He looked around the silent room and figured out that he was laying on a bed, still wearing his battle gear and boots. With much annoyance and pain from the extensive amount of fighting, he got up ignoring his body begging him to lay back on the bed as invisible burns scattered all over his body.
He grabbed his cane that was by his begot, and got up heading towards the door. He opens the door gently and walks into the hall taking in the new surroundings, while at the same time tighting the hold of his cane just case he was going to get ambushed. He cautiously walked down the hall and headed towards a lit room right in front of him.
As soon as he got there he was relieved to know that all of who came with him was there waiting for him. All eyes as were on him as he saw Winter stop speaking as if she was about to say something important to Ren, Nora, and Emerald. Her younger brother Whitely, her mother Willow and even Klien the butler was right next her. They all carried a sad and concerned look when the saw Oscar emerged from his deep sleep.
"Thank the gods you're awake. How are you holding up kid?" Emerald asked Oscar breaking the ice to start off a conversation.
He gave out small smile at Emerald, his hazel eyes looking around for the others that were suppose to come to them when they had everyone evacuated from the falling city. "I'm doing alright just a little sore is all. How long was I out?" He asked curiously. Everyone turned to each other wondering if they should answer this.
"You......you've been out for 5 days straight. We all tried to wake you up but you wouldn't budge in the slightest at all. Not even Nora's aggressive shaking did anyting." Whitely said turning away from the farm feeling like he was about to get sucker punched by him. Lucky for Whitely that wasn't the case at all as Oscar's eyes widened in shock, speechless that he'd been out for so long.
"FIVE DAYS?!" Oscar said unintentionally shouting in fear, anxiety swelling up inside him. "W-what even happened in the days I was literally out?"
"We were able to get everyone in Atlas in a shelter facility thanks to Shade Academy's headmaster. They even allowed us to stay in this room together for a while as we are trying to come up with a plan to keep the relic inside safe." Winter said keeping Oscar up to date with what's been going on.
Oscar could only imagine how crazy it was the past few days for his team trying to get people to listen to instructions and get them all to safety. He crossed his arms and let out sigh many thoughts swirling in his mind. He looked at Winter once more, fear showing in his warm hazel eyes. There was a question he needed to know more than anything.
"W-where's Penny, Jaune and all of team RWBY?" He asked hesitantly hoping what happened before he knocked out entirely was just a nightmarish dream.
The room was silent as heard Winter gasp softly not expecting him to get straight to the point. Nora and Ren got up and stood by him also wondering what happened to thier friends.
Winter bit her lip hard feeling herself look away from them as she felt tears forming in her eyes.
"They're.....they're gone." She finally said feeling herself break down.
"They're gone?" Oscar said feeling his voice tremble as Winter gave him the tragic news. He took a step back not wanting to believe what he had herd.
This has to be a joke...... There is no way that they all left.......
"No......T-that can be true." He could hear Nora at his side not being able to contain her emotions while Ren hung his head down distraught about the situation. Emerald had her arms crossed and looking off to the side not wanting to see the pain her new party was going through.
Winter sighed as she forces herself to look at all of them. "I.......I really wish it was a joke." Tears formed in her eyes as she couldn't take it anymore as she cried out in pain. Being the new Winter maiden was one thing, but losing her little sister in the battle against Cinder really was what really broke the camel's back."I'm sorry......I'm so sorry!"
And at the moment, a plethora of his emotions attacked him at once, without thinking. He felt himself clenching his fists on both sides. He blindly spoke in refusing to believe what he just heard not realizing the potential harm it would cause later.
"There's......got to be a way...." he herd himself speak quietly. Everyone looked at him both concernedand confused as he spoke softly out of anger.
"What did you say?" Winter asked composing herself for a moment to look at the Farm boy that was slowly in the midst of both snapping and a metal break down.
"There's got to be a way. There's no way all of them had left us the way they supposedly did." He looked at Winter dead in the eyes that were filled with a mixture of denial, determination, anger, fear, and pain.
"Osc-"
"NO! I'm done letting everyone trying to protect me. I'm done not being able to be as useful as I wanted to be in this whole ordeal. I'M DONE BEING EVERYONE'S FUCKIN PUNCHING BAG! I AM NOT SOME KNIGHT IN SHINNY ARMOR OR A HERO AMONGST MEN, I'M A 15 YEAR OLD FARM HAND THAT GOT ROPED TO THIS DAMN WAR THAT I NEVER ASKED TO BE A PART IN ALL BECAUSE OF SOME LADY DIDN'T GET WHAT SHE WANTED!" Oscar said venomously finally breaking. He turned away from the group too suprised at his huge outburst to find a tan colored cloak that was laying on the couch. He quickly walked towards the couch and wraps it around him and puts on the hood heading to the door.
"Where are you going?" Ren asked sternly and concerned as he's seeing multiple petals on Oscar signifying the many emotions he was feeling at the moment.
"Out. I don't want be here." He responded coldly, not looking at Ren and the others. Nora approached Oscar carefully as she tried to calm him down and have him stay inside with the rest of the crew.
"Oscar...." Nora said also concerned as she tried to reach out to him. He looked back at the ginger haired woman reaching out to him and rejects her touch. She fliches and backs up when he glared at her coldly like a Apathy staring into your soul. He looks at everyone one sliently once more as his eyes revealed his pain and rage as he slammed the door shut startling everyone in the group.
He ran.
He didn't know for how long but he ran.
He didn't care if the sand storm was still as bad as they came from.
He didn't care that his tears were sheading as he ran.
He didn't even care the minute he had tripped on something and fell sand getting all over himself.
He sat there kneeling. He wrapped his arms around himself as he let out his true feelings, screaming to the heavens as he grieved for the ones he cared for.
Penny who although they may not of interacted with each other much, enjoyed her company nonetheless. She was truly a sweet girl and wished he had more time to talk to her.
Jaune. The brother he never had. He looked up to him in more ways than one admiring how far he's become both as a leader and a friend.
Weiss. An amazing sister to her family and great friend to everyone else. He would enjoy the times they had small conversations about random things and hearing her gush about her older sister Winter.
Blake. A silent one but a great person to be around. She's smart and always fought for the Funanus with iron gloves to make sure they got the equality they deserved with humans.
Yang....Even though they had a rocky start, she eventually warmed up to him. She was that carefree badass big sister he wished he had. He aspires to have such confidence as she does. One that would always light up the room when you enter.
Ruby.........
The silver eyed warrior.
The biggest inspiration in his life.
The one that reminded him that he was own person when others doubted his existence.
The one he fell in love with the minute he first looked into those moonlit eyes.
Is gone....
He tightened his hold on himself as he now was silently screaming in pain, tears flowing even more than ever remembering his little rose bud that shined brighter than the moon in the night sky.
All the hope she gave him.
All the times he heard that laugh or saw her at her lowest.
Gone within an instant.
We have to keep moving forward.
Ruby wouldn't want him to quit now.
She believes in him and his abilities as part of the team.
She's been there for him multiple times.
He always admired the way she has helped and light up a spark in anyone whenever they had doubts.
'I'll take what I've learned from her, and do things my way.
I won't give up.
From your kindness, aspirations, and Love...
I'll make sure that what you stood for doesn't go in vain.
And be the person you saw in me when no else saw it.' He internally told himself as he felt the other soul within him grieve with him watching the young male falling apart.
"RUBY!!!" He exclaimed, shouting at no one. Ozpin remained silent the entire time, feeling nothing but empathy towards the crying boy.
All that was out there was the infant sand storm, himself, and the calls to his precious rose that will never be reached.
Ruby.....Ruby.......RUBY!
Her eyes widen gasping in response and sits up. She looks around her surroundings wondering where she had fallen from. She stood up, confused and startled seeing the water beneath her go back and forth from her legs.
She looked up at the sky to see the two suns next to each other greeting her warmly. She turns away from the sun and walk towards the tall trees trying to both figure out and confirm with herself what had just happened.
'What is this place?' She had thought to herself as she looked around her surroundings.
'Where....where is everyone?' She asked herself once more as she got up and started walking into the unknown.
It had been hours since she fell into this strange world. She was in pain all over her body as she tiredly looked around for her missing friends and sister that had also fell through here.
Ruby felt like a failure letting everyone down. She had thought the idea she and her team had made together was going to be thier winning ticket to thier next part in Vaco. Cinder causing destruction in her plans was something she had not expected let alone know what they had planned out to save everyone in both Mantle and Atlas!
She didn't realize that she was slowly walking faster.
Or the fact that she was breathing heavier anxiety and fear kicking in simultaneously.
Many negative thoughs swam in her head as she desperately was trying to find anyone to help her.
'Why must this happen to me?'
'Why was I born to have these eyes?'
'Everything was going so well when we started to evacuate the entire cities of both Atlas and Mantle!'
'WHY DID IT END UP LIKE THIS?!'
She stops for a moment both fists clenched on either side, breathing heavily as tears threatened to come out.
She desperately tried to find anyone she knew whwre she stood before running once more, calling out thier names in hopes that any of them respondsto her cries.
"Yang! Wiess! Blake! Jaune! Where are you?!" She yelled out not caring if her voice was cracking.
She continued that was for what felt like an hour. Every minute of no response she was breaking into a meltdown. Many more negative thinking swirled within her mind as more time passes with no response from everyone.
I should of been honest with Ironwood from the start.
I really can't blame Yang for questioning my leadership.
Blake should of never looked up to me.
I'm sorry I wasn't there with you until the end like I promised Weiss.
She leans on a tree clenching her heart her voice was soft yet you could hear her painful cries as tears started to slip from her eyes, the emotions she had bottled up for so long coming out for the first time.
I hope Jaune and his team are alright and safe.
I seriously hope that Emerald can be someone we all can trust after everything she put us through.
Oscar.....
Oh gods Oscar......
I-
She tripped over a large branch she didn't see when attempting to walk and fell flat on her face. She sat into a kneeled position and finally let loose her bottled up emotions. She hugged herself, tears falling rapidly as she cried her eyes out.
All of sudden she herd some trees rustle behind her.
Ruby gets into a fighting stance despite tears still coming out. She tries to reach out to crescent rose only to remember that she had lost her weapon during her fight with Neo.
Neo....
Shit. I forgot she fell too.
Ruby starts to walk again looking around to make sure she wasn't going to get ambushed from whatever side Neo decided to appear from.
"Ruby?"
She stops her tracks as she looks around for the faint yet familiar voice.
That......that can't be him right?
"O-oscar?" She said her voice cracking from her cries from earlier.
"Ruby over here!"
"W-where are you?! I can't see you!"
"Keep going forward....Follow my voice"
She walks towards the voice, desperation slowly taking over.
Then she hears more familiar voices.
"Ruby!"
"Ruby where are you?"
"Ruby we need you!"
"Don't give up keep moving foward!"
It's her teammates.
Jaune is with them too.
With her favorite farm boy.
She starts to quicken her pace her breath getting more and more staggered the faster she runs.
"Guys! I'm coming!"
As soon approaches where she heard several voices she recognized,silence beckond her in the mysterious sunny island as she looked around anger and frustration showing on her face.
"Guys this isn't funny show yourselves!" Ruby demanded not seeing any sign of a breathing being.
"Ruby there you are!"
Ruby gasps as soon as she recognized that voice and turns around quickly finally seeing the stranger making an appearance. It was none other than Oscar himself. He looked just as surprised to see her there as well taking a cautious approach towards her with an unnerving smile forming on his face. Ruby remembered during her fall from the bridge that Neo tried to kill her in the air, transforming into people she had cared for so much. One of them being the farm boy himself. Her eyes widen in that thought seeing him in such a calm state unsure if she should run up to him and hug him or fight him.
Something was off.
She could feel it.
"Oscar?" She said, moving backwards to get away from him and realizes she trapped her self to the tree feeling herself pale in fear.
"W-what are yo-How did you....I thought you were in Vacuo with Ren, Nora and Emerald?!" She said panic ensuring for her voice.
He frown as he continues to walk towards her no a word spoken in his mouth.
Ruby was getting nervous at his silence not knowing what she did. She saw him raise his arms up as saying that he wants to hug her, his eyes filled with sadness and hurt.
"What's wrong aren't you happy that I'm here?" the boy claiming to be Oscar said as he stopped in front of her seeing the mixture of fear and anger on little red's face.
"Where are the others?", asked getting up to cautiously approach him prepared to fight if needed.
He said nothing racing an eyebrow at her confused, making her even more upset.
"Where are they?" She asked once more with more force and anger.
Then something unpredictable happened as she about to inch closer to him and close the distance between them.
A gloved hand, shocking her hard in the face, causing her to fall down.
Her eyes widen in horror looking up at the male in disguise, as an infamous silent smirk appeared on thier face. Those once warm hazel eyes changing into colors of pink and brown as Neo finally revealed herself not planning change out her disguise at all. Her face twisted in pure anger and frustration in Oscar's form, ready to kill the little red once and for all.
Ruby knowing that she's at a very big disadvantage decided to use her semblance as a tornado to make a mini stand storm to escape from Neo's wrath. Neo covering her eyes to avoid from the sand angrly glared as the person she was after disappeared.
After what felt like hours, Ruby fell to the ground not getting up in the slightest. She was tired, scared, heartbroken at everything that happened.
She couldn't fight Neo in that form. It pained her so much to see such an angry look in his eyes in her disguise.
She truly can't trust anyone anymore knowing that Neo is here and she could be capable of pretending to be any of her friends or family anytime. She doesn't want know what would happen if she even saw those that she had left back in Vacuo in Neo's clutches.
She just laied on the ground gasping for air, unable to say anything as she huged herself silently once more shaken up by what just had happened as she hears nothing but the distant sound of the ocean and her silent cries under the two suns.
Oscar was heading down to the chamber where shade Academy would have their relic with Winter and Emerald on his side. They all head to the door and stare at it wondering if they should try to open it or not seeing that Winter was the only maiden present at the vault.
Winter sighed feeling her nerves crawling in her back. Oscar gently places his hand on her shoulder to reassure her that everything will be alright and that she has back up her with her in case anything had happened.
Winter smiles at his kind gesture, feeling her nerves melt away from Oscar's warm touch and was about to open the vault when all of a sudden, they all jump back and draw their weapons in case something or someone is coming out.
The door to the vault opens in front of them. All three stare at the vault with confusion but reaming in thier fighting stance, unsure who or what will come out of it. When it opens to reveal all three members of team RWBY, Jaune walking out of the vault all eyes full of wonder and hoping that they are actually back to the world they know and love. Both sides were surprised to see each other after being apart for so long. They all had wondered if who they are seeing is actually real or not.
"W-winter.....is that really you?" Weiss said in the verge of tears walking towards her sister with everyone behind her.. Winter was about to respond and reach out to her little sister when all of a sudden, she feels a sharp pain on her sholder and falls down.
Ash disappears behind Winter as the silver haired maiden glared in the direction of where the shot was fired. Cinder smirks seeing the other maiden down as she makes her entrance. Everyone is immediately on high alert as Cinder shot fires at everyone, causing choas and despair all around her. Seeing a clear shot to her target, with her grim arm Cinder thrases it toward winter ready to claim a power that profusely said it belonged to her. A gun shot could be heard in the distance followed by a trail of red roses swirling inside from the vault, hitting Cinder's grim arm causing the fall maiden to scream in pain. Weiss and her friends had surrounded Winter to protect her in case Cinder had plan to try to steal the power once more.
All turned towards the door and a mixture of emotions spiraled all at once.
Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Jaune smiling proudly at the person who shot the bullet at Cinder.
Cinder seething in rage knowing fully well who it was growling in frustration.
Winter and Emerald covering thier mouths in shock finally taking everything in that everyone legitimately came back.
And finally Oscar, who's eyes widen in shock seeing the rose petals flowing around as he turns towards the door and sees Ruby in her fighting stance eyes filled with pure rage, ready to strike Cinder down.
"Ruby?" He asks shakily hearing his own voice shake out of a millions of emotions seeing the girl he crushed so hard at since Haven.
Ruby's anger suddenly vanishes for a moment hearing Oscar call out her name and looks straight at him. Her silver eyes widen with tears threatening to come out seeing the boy before her. She slowly took a step forward walking towards him but stops hesitating after constantly "fighting" with him on the island. Instant flashbacks came to her like a truck and shakes violently as several tears came out fearing that who she's seeing before her isn't him but Neo instead.
"O-oscar?" She says feeling her own voice quiver finally reuniting with him. Oscar smiles widely as his own tears weild in his eyes as he ran towards her opening his arms out to hug the now smaller girl before him. Ruby stretches out her own arms to him and starts to run towards him meeting him half way.Everyone's voice around her has gone mute as they gotten closer to each other. What mattered to them right now is that they both are alive and safe. Neither of them wanted to be separated from each other ever again and would do what it takes to protect each other. Ruby was about to say his name, her heart filled with joy and relief when all of a sudden....
A ear percing scream of pain that freezes everyone's tracks.
All eyes lay on the duo as reality sets back on everyone the young ones included. Both Oscar and Ruby are stuned frozen where the stand arms still out towards each other. They both look down as they feel blood forming in thier mouths.
A sword peirced at Ruby's chest done by the silent, multi colored haired woman Neopolitan who appear behind her out of nowhere a bone chillin smile escaping her lips.
A grim arm making a equal hole in Oscar's chest done by Cinder herself grinning at the horrifiedlook everyone had seeing all this happen.
A cry for both individuals are said as they both fall down making a Yin yang shape, both eyes wide open, both gasping for air and hands covered in thier own blood trying reach out to each other. Jaune, Emerald and Weiss going after Cinder constant clashes towards Cinder could be heard in the background as they were trying to kill this woman for putting a whole through Oscar's chest. Cinder laughing as she flawlessly battles all three with no problem proud of her work. Yang, Blake, and Winter went after Neo who once again toyed with them, with her weapon stained with Ruby's blood. Yang chased after her crying out in pure utter rage and pain from the ice cream queen murdering her sister right before thier eyes.
As the fight went on, Ruby and Oscar weakly attempted to reach out to each other desperation displayed on both as thier eyes were slowly losing the life that was once in them. Tears form from both parties as Ruby knew that even though she'll be in the afterlife, Oscar won't be there and move on to another host that will be the next wizard. Oscar, feeling himself die in front of his silver rose petal cried internally in pain also knowing that he'll never see her again as she'll be with her mother and he'll be in someone else's body, going through the same process he went through all over again.
As they both drew thier last breaths, hands going limp no longer trying to reach one another and eyes completely out of light they both simultaneously said their minds "I'm sorry I didn't protect you in time....I love you."