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Fractal Chaos 6
🕑 Added 2023-11-16 19:17:07 +0000 UTCAnother two-parter. This one's obviously more personal since, well, it has three out of the four Seasons Maidens as the alternates. We'll also be introduced to the main plot outside of the cast just reacting to alternate versions of themselves.
Next story will be the harem smut work and after that is PI Jaune
For anyone interested in making a commission, email me at: storylover543@gmail.com
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Arresting her father ended up not being quite the spectacle Weiss had expected it to be. She'd always dreamed of surpassing her father in different ways. Sometimes it was simply her undoing the tainted legacy he'd left behind. Other times, it was something far more dramatic with her metaphorically and literally casting him out of the board room as his crimes were broadcasted to all of Atlas. Something.
Instead, it ended up being almost...clinical. After the party, she'd shown the proof to General Ironwood and Winter. The General seemed almost more interested in the man talking to Father than the proof that Father had rigged the election and put all of Atlas at risk for his ambitions. After a quick word to those managing Atlas' systems to beef up security, they'd gone to arrest Father at the council building and intercepted Father as he was meeting with the rest of the council.
He'd protested, of course. He'd screamed about how 'they couldn't do this to him' and that 'he and Weiss were family!' and other such things. Winter had actually rolled her eyes at that, though she couldn't tell if it was because he'd failed to mention Winter herself or had the gall to try and use their frayed bond as an excuse. Perhaps both. Weiss resisted the urge to mimic the gesture
He didn't resist. Why would he? Father had the power of the SDC at his side, but behind it all, he was a coward who relied on his money and influence to see him through. Without it, he was exposed for what he was: a greedy and desperate man with no one to turn to.
"Whitley will get me out! My lawyers! Call my lawyer-" The door slammed shut, cutting off his rants. It felt...odd. She didn't feel guilty, of course, but the expected elation never came. She'd done it. She'd beaten her father and no amount of bribes or bluster would spare him from the crimes he'd committed. Voter fraud would've been easy enough to escape from for a man with his influence, but treason was another matter entirely. Giving access to Atlas' defense systems to a third party was treason, and the General would ensure he was punished.
A part of her couldn't help but feel bitter at the thought. Her father's crimes were numerous and harmed so many over the years, and yet he'd skirted along due to his wealth and influence. It was only now that he'd done something that couldn't be washed away with a bribe that he was finally made to pay. As if his previous crimes didn't matter in the least before now.
And just like that, it was over. The General was talking to the remaining council members about what just happened and discussing the fallout that would ensue. She and Winter shared a glance before they both silently agreed to leave the room. She had little taste in politics and her father's brief foray into it had only soured her opinion of it even more. Let the politicians sort it, as the saying goes. She would just complain about it.
"Is it supposed to feel this way?" Weiss asked suddenly.
"Hm?" Winter turned slightly to look at her.
"This." She gestured to the empty hall, "Father's been outed for what he truly is and no amount of bribes will keep the General from exacting the harshest of punishments. I should feel...good, perhaps a sense of catharsis, but all I feel is..."
"Just glad it's over?"
"Perhaps. I can't think of any other way to describe it."
"You always were the softer heart among the three of us, Weiss," Winter chuckled softly. Weiss gave her an offended look, "I've long since lost any care I've had for the man while Whitley follows his commands either due to wanting to be heir or thinking it's the only choice he has, despite our attempts to tell him otherwise. You still care about him in some way, so you can't find yourself as happy as I am."
"You're happy?" Weiss raised a brow.
"I'm smiling on the inside," Winter replied, face utterly blank.
"So...what's gonna happen now? To the company, I mean."
"Assuming Jacques doesn't escape his punishment, and I doubt he will, then the company will be quick to disavow him. Whitley will take his place as the CEO, but I imagine he'll be a figurehead due to his inexperience. The company will be as bloated as corrupt as it has always been."
"Then that's it? Nothing's changed?" Weiss asked bitterly.
"Jacques has been punished. I'm sure many would find that worthy of celebration." Herself included, she didn't say, "What Whitley does next will be up to him. Will he try to redeem the family name as you planned or will he be content to listen to the board so he can keep a lavish lifestyle?"
"Will you contact him?"
"No." Weiss winced at the blunt refusal, "I've been trying to contact him for years, make inroads, and reach halfway. He always rejected my advice and I see no reason to think that will change now. I finally decided to give up a month before you all returned to Atlas. He's seventeen now, Weiss. He can no longer hide behind his youth to explain away his choices."
"Right..." Despite Winter's cutting words, she remembered her mother's own plea. Like Winter, she had attempted to reach out to Whitley during their teenage years, but he'd always rebuffed her. Perhaps she should have tried harder or kept making the attempts, but she had her own life to live. Training to be a Huntress and fighting against her father's demands so she could attend Beacon.
"I met Mother at the party last night."
"Oh?" Winter raised a brow.
"Mhm. She was the one who set up the cameras to get that footage, in fact.
"I'm surprised she could peer out of the bottle long enough to manage that." Weiss winced again at the blunt response. While Winter had been older when their Mother had been seduced by the drink, she still felt bitter about being abandoned. Winter had told her more than once that she had to be independent because 'no one would save her'. She'd figured out long ago who Winter meant when she said that.
"She's...trying."
"Trying doesn't matter much if it lacks results, though I will give her credit for allowing us to arrest Jacques." Winter nodded stiffly.
"One other thing. I noticed that you kept away from Schwartz. Um, my counterpart. Any reason why?"
"I'll admit that I find myself perturbed by your current circumstances." Winter started walking and Weiss followed her, "I've always told myself to never dwell on 'what could have been'. It's a waste of time and energy to reflect on something you can no longer control. Seeing these...alternates is disconcerting. It makes me think of possibilities, and that is not something we can abide by right now."
"I suppose." Weiss sighed, "Speaking of, how is the General doing with recent events?"
"Not pleased, as you can imagine, though there's not much that can be done." Winter sighed in turn, "It's another distraction in a long list."
"Well...Father's been detained, so that's one thing removed."
"I suppose." Winter smiled softly, "Perhaps you should return to your room. I assume you'll be switching soon."
"Yeah..." Weiss' shoulders sagged. She had to admit that it wasn't all bad, but she still wasn't a fan of the randomness of it all. They could only hope they wouldn't get another switch like Blake's counterpart.
Weiss made her way back to Atlas Academy at a brisk pace. She'd arrested her father; that should've been the only thing on her mind for at least the next few days. Instead, all she could think about was the upcoming switch. Would she be taken once more or would she remain to be party to whatever insanity their visitors brought?
She made it to the room just in time to see Ren and Jaune covered in green energy. She was torn between feeling relieved that the others wouldn't ask about what happened with her father and annoyed since she'd been hoping to talk to Jaune before the switches occurred.
This time, Weiss didn't look away even as the pair disappeared in a flash of light. Spots appeared in her vision at the sudden brightness and she rubbed her eyes as the two alternates came in their place.
"Woah, what the hell?" Yin shook her head and stood up. Like the Yin from before, her right arm was still flesh and blood and her outfit was familiar. A yellow jacket with dark red trim, dark shorts that went down to just her thighs, and boots with fiery symbols running up the dark leather. A bit fancier than her usual attire, but still undeniably Yang Xiao Long.
"It's not my fault!" Rose cried, her tone and words so familiar that Weiss giggled under her breath. It'd been a long time since they had time for any actual fun without the world weighing on their shoulders.
This Rose looked different from the one she knew. Still wearing red and black, but undeniably changed. Her hair was longer than Ruby's choppy cut and put up in a ponytail Her sleeveless top was rather simplistic and made out of a basic dark red material, and underneath her chest was the same dark corset she always wore. Her skirt was black with another frayed half-skirt covering her left thigh. The boots, gloves, and cloak were expected, less so the golden shoulder pad on her left arm and what looked like identically colored lines running up the length of the pale limb.
So it was Ruby and Yang this time. Well, she supposed it could've been worse, "Hey now, easy," Yang said, stepping forward with both hands raised. There was always a risk of their alternates being hostile, so they had to be ready, "Before anyone starts anything, let us explain."
Yin looked at Yang blankly then turned to Rose, "This is your fault."
"It's not!"
"It's nobody's fault." Weiss sighed and facepalmed, "Please, just let us explain. You two are in an alternate dimension." They looked at her like she was crazy. She was growing to hate that response, "Yes, it sounds utterly insane, but that's what's happening. We won't bore you with the details of why. Just know that it's temporary and you should all be returned to your homes in a few hours."
"Uh-huh." Yin crossed her arms, "Is this the part where you strap us to a table and take out the scalpel."
"That depends. Are you evil?" Nora crossed her arms and adopted a look of faux-seriousness.
"Nora." Weiss inhaled deeply. She was already missing Ren, "Nobody is getting strapped into any tables. We won't force you into anything nor will we ask you to disarm. All we're asking is that you wait until the temporal device sends you back and we return with our own friends."
"Wait, what do you mean?" Rose asked.
"The temporal thingy works on switching," Ruby explained, "You switch with one person here. So when you showed up, they ended up in your world. They'll be back when the time runs out. The two of you will be back home in no time!"
"Two?" Yin shook her head then suddenly looked at Blake, "Nu-uh. This shit was weird, but I definitely remember Blake being covered in that green ball."
"Wait, so there's more than two? That's...not good, is it?" Ruby asked.
"I doubt it." Blake pinched the bridge of her nose, "But, who else was switched? All of us are here."
"...No, there's one more person," Weiss said, already getting a bad feeling. It only took a moment for the others to realize what she meant, just in time for their scrolls to blare a synthetic voice.
"Containment Breach Detected in Cell 2B."
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"LET ME OUT!"
They heard her before they saw her. Blake winced at the intensity of her own voice and rushed ahead of the others. Stupid, stupid, stupid. How could they have forgotten about Neo? She was the first person who switched along with Jaune, but the past few transfers had driven the mute criminal from their mind.
Blake slipped past the Atlesian soldiers about to enter the room and gasped at the sight that greeted her. The cell door, reinforced to keep criminals with Aura from breaking it down, was torn clean off and lay broken next to the room's entrance. The Atlesian Knight robots were similarly damaged, either torn apart entirely or twitching weakly as lightning coursed through them.
At the center of it all was her counterpart. The sheer damage she'd caused was noteworthy on its own, but what really drew her attention were her eyes. Purple flames streamed out of the sides of her face, only adding to the ferocity of her scowling expression. Crackles of lightning surrounded her like a wave and Blake raised both hands at the strong wind that buffeted her. She was using magic.
Her counterpart was a Maiden.
"Stop!" Blake shouted, voice barely pushing through the harsh winds, "Let us explain!"
Her counterpart growled and looked like she was about to let loose a violent retort when she saw who was talking to her. The sight of her near-identical copy was enough to make the wind and lightning stop, the purple fire fading from her eyes.
Yin and Rose, along with the rest of their friends sans Nora (who'd stayed behind to calm down the shaken soldiers), came soon after. Blake stayed back and heaved a sigh of relief that no one had gotten hurt. They'd have to replace the cells and the Knights, of course, but it could've been so much worse.
Just like with the last two, they all did their best to explain the situation, though Blake found herself distracted. Her counterpart was a Maiden. She figured out the truth about Cinder's abilities later than the rest of her friends, but she still found herself worried all the same. Ruby's stories of what she was capable of reminded her of those old Mistralian Magical Girl anime she watched. It would've been funny if it wasn't so terrifying.
Belle's expression shifted from relief to disbelief to annoyance as they explained the situation. It was obvious by Rose and Yin's expressions that they didn't completely believe them either, but the team showing off their Semblances was enough to give them some slack. Apparently, they'd dealt with illusionists before - hey, join the club - but copying four Semblances at once was pretty hard proof.
"Another dimension." Belle facepalmed. Like Yin and Rose, she was dressed differently compared to Blake's usual style. A black yukata with purple flowers decorating the fabric along with tabi and geta. Traditional Menagerie attire, closer to her mom's clothes than her wasn't stiff, allowing her counterpart to move about freely despite its looks. The last time she'd worn something similar was back at Beacon.
They'd just about finished explaining when the door to the room opened again. Blake grimaced as General Ironwood and Specialist Schnee stepped inside, the former raising a brow at the sight of the reinforced door crumpled to the ground. Years of being in the White Fang meant she was still wary of the General, and the current situation wasn't helping her nerves any.
"I heard from the soldiers that we had an abrasive guest." The General's lips curled up in a slight smile. Wait, was that a joke?
"Yeah, well, I tend to react badly when I wake up in a prison cell." Belle crossed her arms. Blake didn't know why, but she felt a chill go down her spine at the way her counterpart responded. Which was weird since she wasn't exactly wrong.
"Of course." The General nodded, "I'd still like to ask how you managed that, however. Even with Aura, that cell is reinforced to hold people even with strength-based Semblances."
"None of your bus-"
"She's a Maiden," Blake said, cutting her counterpart off before she could start a counterpart looked both annoyed and surprised while the General raised a brow. Winter's eyes narrowed and her posture stiffened, readying for combat just in case.
"A Maiden?" The General repeated.
"Alright, now I believe you." Yin sighed, "The amount of people who know what a Maiden is are pretty damn short. Either you're part of Ozpin's group, Salem's goons, or this really is a different dimension. And since Salem's gone and you're not trying to kill us, I'm ruling out the second."
The casual way she'd said it didn't stop it from being a shock to them all. Salem was gone? The Rose and Yin from before stopped the fall of Beacon when Rose beat her in the CCT tower, but Salem? The immortal, unkillable monstrosity that even their former headmaster couldn't beat?
Even the General was shocked, much as he did his best to hide it. He still didn't know that Salem couldn't be killed - something Blake personally doubted holding back on informing him on despite Ruby's insistence - but he still understood just how dangerous she was. If she was someone so easily beaten, Ozpin would've done it a thousand years ago instead of stalemating her.
"I...assume that's due to Miss. Belladonna's status as a Maiden," The General said slowly.
Yin grinned, "Not just her." Yin's eyes lit up with golden flames. Rose did the same, though instead of red, the flame's color was silver. Three Maidens, Blake realized slowly. There were three Maidens, "Weiss is one too, but she's not here right now. She's probably freaking the fuck out that we got teleported out of nowhere."
"Are you saying that all members of team RWBY are the Maidens?" Winter asked in disbelief.
"Yup," Rose said, popping the P. The fire from her and Yin's eyes faded.
"Oh, that's totally bullshit!" Yang threw her hands up, "That dimension's on easy mode! Seriously? Four Maidens? Even one's rolling a Nat 20!"
"Excuse you?" Belle raised a brow, "We worked hard to shove her in that damn jar. Don't act like we didn't fight for it."
"Still unfair." Yang pouted.
"It was totally fair. We just had unimaginable magical power, two god relics, an immortal who knew her every weakness, Jaune, and a specially made container that was custom built to hold her. We're not that different from you."
"...We don't have a single Maiden and our Ozpin's sleeping inside a farmboy's brain. No offense to Oscar," she said the last part to Ruby.
"Hm. Sounds like a skill issue to me." Blake blinked. Did those words really come out of someone with her face?
"Okay, enough," Weiss cut in before Yang could escalate the argument, "It's clear that this is an odd situation even by the standards of our previous swaps, but we all need to calm down. Bickering gets us nowhere."
"...She started it," Belle muttered. Blake was beginning to get a bad feeling.
"And I'm ending it," Weiss said firmly, "Now, we should probably leave before we draw another crowd.
"Quite. I'll talk to you three as soon as I'm free," The General said. He was obviously distracted by the idea of a world where Salem was beaten.
They awkwardly walked back to their dorm room. Nora had opted to go to the cafeteria instead, saying she didn't wanna feel like an eighth wheel with all the alternates around. Weiss took offense at the implication but didn't say anything.
"Alright, so I'm just gonna ask since we're all thinking it," Yang said as soon as they all settled down, "How the fuck are all of you the Maidens? Hundreds of thousands of people on Remnant every member of team RWBY just happens to get the magical powers."
"It wasn't random. Well, it was for Ruby, but not for me, Weiss, and Blake," Yin said, "Me and Blake knew who the last Spring and Fall Maidens were and the last Winter Maiden was watching one of Weiss' concerts when she passed away. Rubes...well, we still have no clue. Ozpin's best guess was that the last Summer Maiden wasn't thinking of anyone specific so the magic just jumped to her. Random chance."
Knew them? Yang heard the implications clear as day. Was Raven the Spring Maiden in that universe? And if she was, did that mean she thought of her Yang when she died? She...didn't know how to feel about that.
"That would've been astronomically low odds." Weiss crossed her arms.
"It's the only thing we have to go on." Rose shrugged, "I don't think it really matters how we got them as long as we're using them to do good."
"You said you stopped Salem," Ruby said, her voice heavy, "Is Salem...well, can she be killed in your world?" The reminder was enough to tank everyone's mood. They hadn't forgotten or anything, but it was different from saying it out loud.
"Not...exactly." Rose sighed, "Blow her up and she just comes back. Sounds about right?" Ruby nodded, "Yeah, same. We were so...mad when we found out the headmaster lied to us about it, but we didn't - couldn't - give up. Same as you all, I'm guessing."
"But how do you beat the unkillable?" Blake asked.
"Don't kill her," Belle said, "Salem always comes back, but she's not a perpetual motion monster. We hit her with everything we had, especially Ruby's Silver Eyes, and put her in something we made to hold her. Then we shot it into space." If Blake was drinking something, she would've spat it. She'd said the last part so casually, "Salem can't die, but she can be sealed. The jar's a miniature vault. She can't affect anything on the outside and no one can ever get to it to try and get her out. Not that it'd be possible since we made sure to key it to us so only all four Maidens can open it."
"A portable vault. Where did you get that?" Weiss asked.
"Rubes here came up with the idea." Yin put an arm around her sister and grinned proudly, "We used the Relic of Creation- uh, you guys know what the relics are, right?" They all nodded, "Right. Well, we used it with the Relic of Knowledge. That guy in the creation relic was a dick and said we needed a blueprint, so we asked Jinn a question to get one. Course, that was the easy part. Getting to Salem and shoving her in the jar was a real bitch and a half. Couldn't exactly ask her to pretty please seal herself forever."
"A world without Salem..." Weiss sighed, "I...can't even imagine it. It's only been barely over a year since we've been made aware of her existence and yet it feels like a lifetime. I can't even imagine a world where she's not looming over mankind."
"It's still not a picnic." Belle scoffed, "Turns out, people don't need a Grimm Queen to be assholes to each other. It's a miracle I haven't gone insane yet."
"Pfft. Don't act like you're so above it all, Blakey." Yin grinned, "I still remember that shit you pulled with Jaune."
"You still owe me for that." Rose pouted.
"It's been over a year! You two need to let it both go!" Belle huffed.
"Wait, what happened with Jaune?" Blake asked, more curious about the choice than anything. She liked Jaune well enough, but she couldn't exactly call them best friends. They were more acquaintances than anything at Beacon. Even now, while they were allies, they didn't exactly go out of their way to spend time with one another.
For some reason, Belle blushed. Oh dear, "N-Nothing! Absolutely noth-"
"I'll tell this story." Yin's grin was electric and Yang leaned forward, eager to commiserate with her counterpart. Belle was about to protest before Rose put a hand on her face with an evil grin, "So, Blakey here ran off from her parents." To join the White Fang, she didn't say, "Five years later when we use our powers to stop some Grimm, they see footage of their little kitten flinging lightning around so they go to check. Blake, of course, gets paranoid that they're coming over to Beacon just to tell her how much they hate her."
"It's a reasonable thought!" Belle protested, pushing off Rose's invasive palm.
"No, it isn't." Yin didn't even look at her, "So she brings Jaune over as emotional support. She figures that he can help her escape too if she really needs it."
"Why Jaune?" Blake raised a brow.
"Why not Jaune? Do you not know him in this universe?" Belle asked back.
"No, we know him, but..." Blake trailed off, "I wouldn't call us best friends or anything. I'd call someone else for emotional support." Like Sun.
"That's probably another different thing," Rose said, "Jaune was assigned to our team to keep an eye on us. Well, the headmaster said it was cause he didn't have a partner after Initiation, but he was there to make sure we didn't...well..."
"Blow up Vale." Yin snorted, "So stupid. Like we'd ever do that."
"He wasn't with team JNPR? Er, partnered with Pyrrha?" Weiss asked.
"Nope. She's with Mercury." Mercury Black? She wasn't gonna ask. This was already giving her a headache, "Anyway, so Blake goes to meet her parents, and surprise surprise, they didn't cross an ocean to tell her how much they hated her. And then Blake, in a big brain move, decides to tell them that she and Jaune are dating. Just says it straight out without warning the poor guy.
"...Why would you do that?" Blake looked at her counterpart.
"Mom and Dad were so happy to see me that I needed to give them some good news. Finding out I was in a healthy relationship seemed like the best option!"
"That...makes no sense."
"It makes total sense!" she shot back hotly.
"Don't bother trying to get it through her skull. I gave up on teaching her logic a year ago." Yin rolled her eyes.
"Says the woman who blew up an entire crime family?" Belle scoffed, "Besides, Jaune owed me. You three were all crazy those first few weeks, slinging magic around whenever you wanted. I was the voice of reason and stability. Jaune would've gone insane if I wasn't there to keep him grounded. The least he could've done was pretend to date me for a while, but then he goes and whines about it. So ungrateful."
Across dimensions, Jaune stopped talking to his counterpart and felt like Blake was saying some stupid shit again.
"Blake, you literally exploded the docks. Torchwick was so scared he begged Jaune to take him to prison instead of fighting you," Rose said.
"I was still better than you three," she replied stubbornly. Rose and Yin shared a look that made it clear this wasn't the first time they'd dealt with this.
"Um...what is wrong with you?" Blake asked sincerely. She wasn't a terrorist like her last counterpart, but the leaps in logic were giving her a headache.
"Says the woman wearing a catsuit?" Belle scoffed again.
"What's wrong with my outfit?" Blake asked defensively. It was cold in Solitas so she had to change up.
"A Cat Faunus wearing a catsuit. Don't you realize how stereotypical you look? It's offensive."
"How?! That makes no sense!"
"Don't. Just...don't. This isn't a fight you can win." Yin sighed heavily, "Well, at least our little trip means we don't have to go on that commercial."
"Is that why those two are dressed so funny?" Yang gestured to Rose and Belle.
"Yeah. Weiss wants us to really spread our name around." Yin's shoulders sagged, "I mean, I get that it's for a good cause and all, but I'm half-convinced she's just using it as an excuse to play dress-up dolls with us. Man, she's probably pissed and screaming at whoever we got switched with."
"You seem well-known back in your universe," Weiss said.
"Stopping the Grimm Queen gets a lot of attention," Rose said with a strained smile.
"Everyone knows about Salem in your world?" Ruby asked.
"We had to tell everyone about our plan to work. And if we failed and Salem summoned the gods, then maybe everyone would've been united against her and the Brothers wouldn't destroy Remnant. It was a gamble, but it was the only choice we had."
"No, it's...it's good to know it's the right call." Ruby nodded firmly. They'd had some doubts about Amity and the General's ultimate plan, but they followed along because they had no plans of their own, "I guess we have to tell the general the truth about Salem too." Ruby muttered it to herself, though she and Belle caught it. The other Cat Faunus didn't say anything.
"So...what's it like living in a world without Salem?" Blake asked, trying to lighten the mood. She knew they should've asked for more details about how they pulled that off, but she was sure that the General would get to that. Besides, a cynical part of her thought, it wouldn't matter since they didn't even have one Maiden, let alone four of them. Yang was right. That other dimension was cheating.
"Not as great as you think," Yin replied, "Like yeah, saviors of Remnant and everything, but we still have to attend Beacon. Save the world and you still need to graduate to get your license. Then there's all the pricks who see what we can do and all they think about is how they can use it to line their own pockets. They think just cause we're young that they can take us for a ride and we wouldn't notice. Assholes."
It was sad but all too expected. Before Salem, and even now, Remnant had its own issues. Blake spent half a decade of her life fighting for equality with no end in sight. If they even beat Salem, then her next fight would likely cost the rest of her lifetime.
Though, maybe now she wouldn't have to spend it alone.
"What is it like being a Maiden?" Weiss asked next.
"It's...hard to describe. It's asking someone what it's like to have a Semblance." Rose shrugged, "It was pretty hard to control at first. For everyone on the team besides me for those first couple of weeks, it only really came out when we were fighting or angry. It was instinctual, I guess. It took a bit for us to learn how to control it, but the headmaster's lessons helped."
"Still think it's bullshit. Who picked the difficulty slider for this universe? Cause I wanna have some words with them." Yang crossed her arms.
"Hey, I mean...we can't do anything about that, but maybe we help out while we're here?" Yin offered, "Be nice to actually stretch our legs and do some actual Huntress work again. All the standing and waving for pictures gets really damn boring after the first week."
"Sure. Be nice to see what I can do as a Magical Girl." Yang grinned.
"Pfft, prepare to be impressed, Other Yang. You're lookin' at the winner of the Vytal Tournament." Yin jerked her thumb to her chest proudly.
"Vytal..." Ruby squirmed in her seat, "So, um...does that mean Beacon didn't fall in your world?"
"No...wait, Beacon fell here?!" Rose gasped.
"Ah...yeah." Ruby looked away and Blake's eyes furrowed. A pattern she'd noticed was that Beacon didn't fall in the other dimensions. She chalked it up to dimensional differences and the metaphorical nails being hammered, but it was clearly bothering Ruby. Blake wished she knew what words to say, but did she even deserve to be the one to talk to her? She'd selfishly run away from them after Beacon fell.
"Whatever you're thinking about, don't," Belle said suddenly, looking right at Ruby, "I know what it's like to blame yourself. It doesn't get you anything."
"Yeah. We had to beat her over the head with that lesson." Yin added, "Well, we all needed it, really. We fucked up over in Mistral when we transferred there for our second year. Thought we were on top of the world and that we were unbeatable. Then that prick Lionheart set us up. If it wasn't for Jaune, most of us probably would've bit it. Some of us still have scars." She bit her lower lip, "So yeah, don't bog yourself down. The best thing you can do is keep going."
"I...thanks." Ruby smiled, though Blake could tell she wasn't wholly convinced.
"We should probably head down to Mantle at some point," Weiss said, "We never visited Professor Polendina after the last switch. We could stand to do with a better timetable for when we'll get Jaune and Ren back."
"I hope they're handling Neo okay..." Blake muttered. The Aura suppressing drugs in her system would last for a while, but she was still dangerous with her Aura gone.
"Hm. It's good to know Jaune's here too," Rose hummed, a slight flush to her cheeks. And then she bluntly asked Ruby, "So...are you two going out?"
"Wh-What?" Ruby's eyes widened, her downbeat mood replaced with embarrassment. Did Rose do that on purpose? "No! He's just a friend! Best friend, sure, but still a friend!"
"You sure? Wait, is he still single?"
"Why are you asking that?" Weiss raised a brow.
"Well, if he is, then you should go get him!" Rose leaned towards Ruby with a bright smile, causing Ruby to lean back in turn, "He's just...oh, he's the best boyfriend in the world! He's kind, he's caring, and he's always there when you need him! And he surprises me sometimes with strawberry snickerdoodles in bed! Oh, they're just the best! He's also a really good cuddle buddy. Like the world's biggest teddy bear."
"Jaune has many good traits, yes," Weiss' smile was paper-thin.
"I...I don't think we should be talking about this." Ruby blushed.
"But you don't know what you're missing. Here, lemme tell you about..." And then she started rambling.
"Ugh, here we go..." Yin groaned.
"Does she...do this a lot?" Yang asked. Rose was currently extolling the virtues of dating Jaune to a clearly reluctant Ruby. Off to the side, Weiss looked displeased at the idea. Hah. Who would've thought she'd see the day the Ice Queen fell for her unrequited admirer?
"She's been doing it more recently. I guess it's her way of compensating for all the rumors that she's secretly trying to form a harem," Belle said with a completely straight face, "Thank God I'm not dating."
"Aww, come on, what do you call us?" Yin put an arm around Belle's shoulders and winked. Despite the differences in their appearance, Blake's cheeks flushed at the image of Yang doing that to her.
"Don't flatter yourself, Yang," Belle said, though there was a ghost of a smile present.
"So...you two together or what?" Yang asked.
"Eh...kinda-sorta?" Yin shrugged.
"Our friendship's more on the beneficial variety," Belle added. Ah, so that's what it was. Thank God that Ruby and Weiss were too distracted to hear that, "Seems like this world's pretty similar besides the four of us being Maidens, so I'm guessing you two understand why I'm not keen to get into another relationship."
"I'll get you one of these days," Yin teased.
Blake and Yang shared a glance before suddenly looking away. She wasn't ashamed to admit that she found Yang attractive, both on the inside and outside, and seeing a dimension where the two were open about being more than friends gave her thoughts that she probably shouldn't have.
It was almost a relief when all their scrolls blared with another alarm. They all answered immediately and were taken to a group call with Winter, "Team RWBY. You all need to head down to Mantle."
"What's going on?" Weiss asked.
"The systems have been compromised, likely by the same individual you found talking to Jacques. Mantle's heating system has been disabled and people are rioting in the streets out of fear. Furthermore, we've caught security footage indicating that Tyrian Callows is in Mantle. Qrow and your father are already on-site, as are the rest of the Ace Ops, but we need as many as we can muster."
"Got it. We're on our way." Ruby stood with the rest of them followed.
"We're coming with you!" Rose shouted, "Maybe we can do something about the heating situation?" She looked to Yin.
"Sure. Won't be perfect, but it'll give you all some time to fix the system. Blake-"
"I'm going after Callows," she said, eyes hard and voice sharp.
"We won't refuse your aid, but be careful. Callows is a dangerous individual even for full Huntsmen," Winter said.
"Trust me, I know." Belle rubbed at her side, "Let's go."
------
James walked the streets of Mantle. It was something he hadn't done in quite some time. He had always prioritized Atlas, moreso in recent months after Beacon's fall, and it felt strange to walk the cobbled roads once more. Atlas had always been the pinnacle of technology and architecture. Mantle felt as if it was in a different era entirely by comparison.
The riots had been stopped. While he'd made contingencies to counter any attempts to break into Mantle, the sudden presence of the Maidens had been an unexpected boon. Rose and Xiao Long's counterparts had worked together to use their gifts to spread warmth across Mantle. The sight of the blonde flying through the sky like a Phoenix to fight away the cold had been burned into the minds of many of Mantle's citizens.
And then there was Belladonna's counterpart. She'd joined Qrow and Taiyang in hunting down Callows and ensured that he wouldn't return. The video feed he'd been given showed exactly what had happened. Callows barely had time to put up a fight before a bolt of lightning came down from the sky and pierced him through. Electricity was always something Aura had a difficult time protecting against, but even he was impressed at how quickly Callows fell when the lightning barrage continued. From what Qrow told him after the fact, the serial killer's heart and other organs had burst after everything was said and done.
These girls were powerful. Children still, yet powerful nonetheless. He'd only seen that level of skill in Fria. The three of them were fully realized Maidens. The thought made him exhale. Winter was to be the new Winter Maiden after Fria's passing, but even she would take at least months to start fully living up to her potential. Months that they may not have had.
Which led him here.
James looked up at the sign to Pietro's clinic. He'd offered the doctor more than once to move his practice to Atlas, but he always refused. He claimed that the people of Mantle needed him more than those in Atlas. He both respected his earnest beliefs and was annoyed at his stubbornness. Still, it didn't stop the doctor from going up to Atlas whenever he needed his prosthetics checked.
"Pietro?" James called out as he entered the shop. It was messy, though he knew that was more due to the doctor's habits than the riots reaching the clinic.
"General Ironwood? This is an unexpected visit." Pietro's electronic wheelchair whirred as he went to meet him.
"Yes, it's been a while, old friend." James smiled. He'd worked with Penny frequently, but hadn't had time to meet with her father. Always too many things to work on.
"Is there something you needed? Perhaps another look at your cybernetics?"
"Perhaps later. I have another matter to discuss." James folded his arms behind his back, "This...temporal device. Tell me more about it."
"There's not much to say right now, at least in layman's terms, "It's responsible for the switches currently happening. I'd heard that three people switched this time?"
"That is correct."
"Hmm, likely because of my attempted repairs of the second matrix." Pietro sighed, "I'll try to get that sorted, but first, I suppose we should prioritize sending our new visitors back home."
"That's what I came to talk to you about. How long do you think it would be before you can send them back?"
"Hm, perhaps tomorrow at the latest? Definitely not more than 24 hours, however."
"I see. And is it possible for you to delay their return?"
"Delay? Well...yes, I could, but why would-"
"How long can you safely delay it before it causes problems?"
"A week, perhaps? James, why are you-"
"Things have changed, Pietro." Salem was unkillable. Ms. Rose had come to him less than an hour ago with her head hung low and confessed the truth they learned from the Relic of Knowledge. Salem wasn't just immortal and powerful, she was barred from death. Nothing in this world could kill her. Perhaps he should've realized earlier why Oz had always been so defensive, but right now he couldn't think of his old friend's and Ms. Rose's lies. He had to focus.
"I don't understand."
"It is difficult to explain. All that you need to know is that these three Maidens have power beyond imagining and it would be a waste to not use it while they're here. That's why I'm asking, both as a General and as your friend, to help me."
"I..." Pietro sighed and took off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "I suppose we can delay it for now, but like I said, a week at most. Any more than that and we're putting not just them but Atlas at risk."
"I'll do what I can with that time." James nodded, "Keep this a secret from everyone, even Penny. If anyone asks, tell them that you're still repairing the machine."
"Of course, but...James, are you certain about this? Lying to those girls after they helped us?"
"The only price they'll have to pay is waiting a little longer before they return home. The price for our failure is much steeper." Their world had already stopped Salem and those three played a huge role in it, he was sure. While he doubted he could convince them to fight Salem in this world - that would take far more than a week - he was willing to use their gifts with what they could help with.
Pietro sighed and left without another word. James did the same and made his way back to Atlas. It was time for him to talk to their unexpected visitors.
------
So yeah, we finally see the Seasons girls again after months of no updates on that story. That and we have Ironwood deciding to use the temporal device to his advantage. If their world can't beat Salem, why not scour the multiverse for people capable and willing to beat her for them?
Next chapter will have more one-on-one interactions between team RWBY and their alternates, particularly for Yang since she knows the Spring Maiden is Raven and she questions Seasons Yang being the inheritor given how Raven abandoned them both.
Questions:
1. People seem to have dug White Knight in the previous chapter. What did you guys think of Jaune and Weiss' interactions? The fountain scene especially since it was their most extensive one throughout the fic.
2. So...how scummy/justified is Ironwood's choice at the end of the chapter? He's right that sending Seasons RBY back so quickly is a waste given their level of skill, and he did just find out Salem is unkillable. However, he's still lying to them instead of just asking and risking them saying no, so he's forcing them to stay.
