//------------------------------// // Time to Say Goodbye // Story: The Multiverse in a Nutshell // by Pennington Inkwell //------------------------------// Pyrrha and Nora both stared wide-eyed as they came alongside the wyvern. Pyrrha already felt as if she were pushing her limits just trying to keep up with it while the two of them stood on top of her shield, but she knew she had no choice but to do so. If she wanted to protect everyone, including Jaune, then it was do or die. "Wow... It's even bigger in person!" Nora marveled. "Let's see if we can get its attention! Ready?" Pyrrha nodded, focusing her semblance on bringing the two of them around in front of the Grimm. They both stared into its massive eyes, which barely noticed them as anything more than flies. "FIRE IN THE HOLE!" The front of Nora's grenade launcher opened, allowing her to fire the entire magazine of six grenades at once. The recoil propelled them backwards at ludicrous speed, even outpace the monster for a few seconds and putting a more comfortable amount of distance between them. Her aim was flawless, sending the barrage into and around the dragon's eye. The two of them watched as it let loose an earth-shattering roar before turning its hateful gaze onto the two of them. "Okay, we made it angry!" Nora declared, turning back to look at Pyrrha with a small amount of uncertainty in her eyes. "What was step 2, again?" "Stay alive, keep it away from the school for an extra few minutes." Penn's voice came back through the earpieces Isis had given them. "Riiiiight! Of COURSE!" Nora tapped her palm against her head. "How could I forget?" Pyrrha spun them around, trying to keep herself focused. She spotted more flying Grimm out of the corner of her eye. "There are a flock of Griffons and a Nevermore flanking us at our 7 o'clock. Nora's still reloading." "Please, allow me. Repairs on this unit are ongoing, but it can still be put to effective use." A large yellow-and-black object blasted past them in the opposite direction. Pyrrha watched as the mechanical dragon blasted down the Nevermore's gullet before ripping out the other end a moment later. Despite a lock of wings, it was flying with the aid of a set of jets in its legs, skating through the air like a dancer. With calculated precision, it continued on into the Griffons, scattering them to the wind as they scrambled to make a counterattack. Pyrrha kept one hand focused on keeping them afloat as she reached to her side and retrieved her spear. With a quick flip, she transformed it into its rife configuration and lodged the stock into the familiar place braced against her shoulder. Aiming with only one hand wasn't easy, but she still managed to land four of her five shots on her targets. The drone dispatched the remainder with what looked like a circular saw and a nail gun that had emerged from panels on its back. It soon caught up to them, flying up underneath them and allowing Pyrrha a break as she and Nora hopped down on top of it and let it carry them. "Thanks for the backup, Isis." "It is my pleasure, Pyrrha Nikos." "Don't go patting yourselves on the back, yet! You're doing great, but any mistake could cost your life, and everyone else's soon after!" Penn replied. "If you three have this situation under control, I need to focus on the others." Pyrrha looked back at the gigantic wyvern currently trying to eat them in a single bite and the swiftly growing army of Grimm alongside and beneath it. "Of course... why wouldn't we have it under control? It's only a Grimm the size of the CCT tower..." "We will attempt to lead it west, away from populated areas." This time, it was Jaune's voice that came over the comms. "On behalf of the ground crew, we'd appreciate that! That thing's dripping this black slime that's turning into even more Grimm! Combined with the practical army coming out of Forever Fall, we can barely hold them back!" Pyrrha felt her concentration waver as worry for Jaune crossed her mind. He had been improving as a fighter with her lessons, but... "So whatever you're going to do, Penn, do it fast! Time's not on our side!" "That's what I'm working on changing! I'm going to focus on the other girls, now." "Understood." Pyrrha nodded to herself. Even if his fighting skills still needed work, Jaune was a top-notch leader. There was no way that he or his team would fail. For now, she had to focus on doing her part. She brought her shield back around and hopped back on top of it. "Isis, keep Nora safe. I'm going to make sure it doesn't lose interest." "Affirmative." Nora grinned as she locked in her fresh round of grenades. "Don't let me hit you, Pyrrha!" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunset watched as the gigantic dragon began to turn away from the school, whispering a prayer that Pyrrha and Nora would be safe before she returned to their goal: climbing to the top of the clock tower Penn had pointed them towards. "Sunset... I know for a fact this place wasn't here yesterday..." Ruby muttered beside her. Sunset chuckled to herself. "Yeah, I think it's some kind of magic... Just try not to think about it." "You're welcome for that! Making a field spell show up in the real world isn't exactly easy, you know!" Missy added. Penn's voice came next. "Sunset, are you two at the top, yet?" Sunset sighed. "Not yet, Penn. Do you realize just how MANY stairs are in here?" "The longer it takes you to get to the top, the longer Nora and Pyrrha have to distract that thing!" Ruby paused, pondering the predicament for a few seconds before reaching out to Sunset. "Here... I want to try something." Sunset nodded, grabbing her hand. For a few seconds, the world was a blur of rose petals, stairs, and spinning. She kept her injured arm pressed tight against her chest as everything flew past them, and soon they had come to a stop again, now at the top of the tower and staring out over the campus. Behind them, she could see the massive river that ran past Beacon Academy flowing and rumbling as steadily as ever. Ruby was leaned over and panting for breath, clearly exhausted from the effort of using her semblance on both of them. Just beneath their feet, Sunset could feel the ticking of a huge clock pulsing away like a heartbeat. It was only now, standing among the tallest towers of Vale, that a new thought occurred to her. "Uhm, Penn? What happens if this field spell gets broken while we're up here?" "I think you can put it together, Sunset. You've both got landing strategies, right?" Sunset swallowed nervously and stepped away from the edge. "Missy's my landing strategy, Penn!" There was a long pause. "So you're at the top?" Sunset rolled her eyes. "Yes, we're at the top, but Ruby needs a sec to catch her breath." "N-no... I 'm good..." Ruby panted, straightening back up to her full height. "So what are we doing up here?" "You're going to stop that thing, Ruby." Ruby and Sunset both glanced at each other, eyes wide. "I'm sorry... WHAT?" "Ruby... what did Ozpin say to you the night that you first met? The very first thing?" Ruby's brow furrowed as she tried to recall the night in question. "He... pointed out my eyes?" "Your SILVER eyes." "Penn, you can't be serious!" Sunset threw her hands in the air. "How is one person supposed to stop THAT?" "Ever since ancient times in this world, silver-eyed warriors were the antithesis to the Grimm. They are the thing Grimm fear the most, and at their full potential, they can petrify or vaporize Grimm with a single look. You need to believe me when I tell you, Ruby, that you have that same power lying dormant inside of you." Ruby shook her head, eyes wide as she stepped back involuntarily. "I- I don't understand... I'm NOT special, I'm just... me! I can't do anything like that!" "Yes, you can. Originally, before the timeline changed, it took an extremely traumatic event to unlock that power... Pyrrha died right in front of you." Sunset watched the color drain from Ruby's face, and Penn's voice grew somber. "You watched her die at Cinder's hands because you were just a few seconds too late. With Sunset, Missy, and Isis's help, Pyrrha didn't die, Cinder did. But that also means that you never went through the trauma that unlocked your powers." "So, Sunset and I are going to help you do it, instead." Ruby and Sunset looked at each other, eyes wide. "Penn... are you sure about this?" Sunset asked. "If Ruby never unlocks her powers, this timeline doesn't stand a chance. She's the main character. This was how she beat the wyvern the first time, we already know she CAN do it. It's just a matter of unlocking her abilities a bit less... painfully. So I need you both to sit down and listen to me closely..." Sunset could see Ruby trembling, frozen in place with fear. She stepped up to her team leader, placing her hand on the younger girl's shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. When Ruby looked up at her, Sunset gave her warmest, most reassuring smile. "It might seem impossible, but... if there's something I've learned since I met Penn, it's that there's no such thing. I believe in you, Ruby, and not just because he says so. You CAN do this... You just have to believe it, too, even if it's only long enough to do this one thing. Then, once this is over, you can go right back to being plain old Ruby Rose, slayer of cookies and pancakes. Deal?" Ruby lunged forward, wrapping Sunset up in a hug that almost crushed the life out of her and drove her cast into her chest. After a few seconds, she finally let Sunset go and sunk down to a sitting position. Sunset smiled and did the same, crossing her legs underneath her. "I'm ready, Penn..." Ruby whispered. "How do we do this?" "Okay... this is going to get personal, so I need you to just accept what I say without asking me how I know it, alright?Just roll with it. Sunset, you said that at the arena you found a way to use your powers... can you use your magic to help her focus on her memories? Make them more vivid?" Sunset reached up to her geode. "I've never done anything like that, but... I can try. It doesn't seem outside the realm of possibility." "Good. Now, I need you two to close your eyes and slow your breathing... fall into yourselves." Sunset nodded, doing as he said and focusing on her magic. She focused on her geode as she reached out and placed her hand in Ruby's. Breathe in... and out... In... ... and out... ... In... ... ... and out... There's nothing else except each other... Except that dark world behind your eyelids. The two of them followed his instructions, slowing down and blocking out the rest of the world. His voice had descended from its normal timbre, becoming slower, lower, and droning. It was... hypnotic. I guess he really wasn't joking about that whole "guided meditation" thing... "Now... crap." Sunset opened one eye. "Penn? What's going on?" "Penn? Are you still there?" Ruby asked "Please pardon the interruption... however, a situation has arisen requiring his complete attention." "Isis, what's going on?" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Penn was trying his best not to hyperventilate at the sight of the woman who had just stepped through the infirmary doors. He wanted to say something, but he was too afraid to so much as make a sound. Fear had paralyzed him better than any dark magic could. Salem kept her eyes locked on him, like a predator about to pounce on her prey. "You..." She reached out, and he felt an icy touch wrap around his heart, threatening to crush it. The machines around him began to beep and screech noisily as his body panicked at the sudden supernatural force threatening to kill him. "You have no idea what you've done! You cost me DECADES of work! You destroyed my castle, killed my subordinates, and HUMILIATED me in my own home!" He gasped for air, his lungs working fruitlessly to push useless air in and out without his heart beating. "Ordinarily, I would make certain that anyone who committed such atrocities would suffer hell until death was a gift..." She walked up alongside the bed, her red gaze glaring down at him with the condescension of a human looking down on an insect. "But I think I learned my lesson about letting you live, so I'll have to be content with this..." The room was already beginning to spin, and he knew he only had seconds left. His arm felt as if it was made of lead as he gestured downwards. Salem's gaze followed his gesture, falling upon a card set carefully on the ground beside his bed. She bent down and scooped it up, eyeing it with amusement. "Again with the games? What is THIS supposed to be?" Penn finally smiled for the first time, forcing out two words through the pain. "Trap card." Before she could respond, a glowing tear appeared in the air behind her, widening into a dark gateway. There was only time for her expression to shift from smugness to shock before she was sucked violently inside and it snapped shut again, cutting her off completely. He watched for several seconds, making certain she wouldn't overpower the magic of the card as Isis scrambled across his chest before scrambling under his shirt. "You have entered cardiac arrest. A controlled electrical shock must be applied if you are to survive. Brace yourself. Three, two, one." His entire body convulsed and arched as she jammed both the tip of her tail and her snout onto him and delivered a powerful shock. He made no attempt to hold back the choking scream from the pain, the weak sound echoing through the empty infirmary. There were a few seconds of silence between them as both listened carefully to the machines beside his bed. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.... "Resuscitation unsuccessful. Attempting again in three, two, one." He wanted to scream as his body was subjected to another shock and everything went red for a second, but the world was growing dark and his voice couldn't seem to make itself heard. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Strength seemed to flood back through him like a breath of fresh air, and he gasped down as much of it as he could. "Resuscitation successful. That... was a close call." "T-tell me about it..." Penn whispered. "Would you like me to connect you back to Ruby Rose and Sunset Shimmer?" "G-give me a second..." he coughed weakly, trying to clear the hoarseness from his voice. "Tell Missy... she gets all the dessert she wants... for a week." He glanced down at the trap card that had fallen back onto the floor. "If she hadn't booby-trapped the room... I'd be dead..." "Affirmative." He stopped to take several deep breaths, but his trembling refused to stop. Even the rush of post-near-death-experience endorphins wasn't enough to take away the fear of his brush with the reaper. "I- I wanna throw up..." he whispered. "Would you like me to bring you a bucket?" He took another deep breath, choking down the urge to vomit. "J-just... get me back in the call, Isis..." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Penn? Penn, what's happening?" Sunset repeated, more urgently. She could hear others on the comms scrambling with the same questions. "Hey, I'm back... Sorry." "Penn! What happened? Where did you go?" "Trust me, I WILL tell you later. The traps Missy set for me came in handy. For now... let's get back to what we were doing." "BOO YAH! I KNEW it was worth it!" Missy cheered. "Everything's holding up so far, I'm working on my part!" "Keep at it, Missy. If that field spell drops, Ruby and Sunset are in big trouble..." Penn sounded rougher and out of breath, but Sunset decided not to press the issue. "Okay, we're ready here." "Alright... I'm having Isis put the three of us on a private channel..." Penn muttered. Sunset could hear him taking several more deep breaths. "Now, just like before, breathe in and out... nice and slow. Close your eyes and... and stuff." Ruby and Sunset both glanced at one another before both shutting their eyes. "Ruby, you're going to sink deeper and deeper into the dark void behind your eyelids. You are shrinking inside of your own body, afloat in a dark sea of your own creation... You're safe here... Completely... safe." He still hadn't quite recovered his smooth, hypnotic tone from whatever had happened to him, but a quick peek out of one eye showed Sunset that it was still working. Ruby's breathing had slowed to a crawl, and her head was beginning to dip as though she were falling asleep. "That power... it's deep inside of you, just waiting for you to tap into it... and I'm going to teach you how. The strength of a silver-eyed warrior comes from the urge to protect... to preserve. I want you to think of the things that are precious to you. Of the people who matter most in your whole world." Sunset closed her eyes, beginning to see flashes of unfamiliar people and places. Her geode was showing her Ruby's memories as they came to her. She focused carefully on each one, making sure Ruby dwelled on each one before moving on to the next. "Think of how happy Jaune and Pyrrha are together... Think of your father, your home, so far away and waiting for you to return... Think of Zwei and the cheerful look on his little puppy face every time he sees you..." Sunset could see it just as clearly as Ruby could, vivid memories of loving faces, a cozy home, and even the bright eyes an adorable-looking corgi. "Think of Beacon and the friends- the FAMILY- that you've made here. Team RWBYS, Team JNPR, Penny... Sunset. Isis. Missy. Think of how much you love all of them and everything that you've been through together..." Sunset could see Ruby's memories moving back through the entire semester of their time together. Every time they had laughed together, cried together, the moments that nearly tore them all apart and the love that brought them all together. Sunset's concentration nearly snapped when she felt hot tears running down her own cheeks. "And now... I need you to understand something." Penn's voice grew a shade darker. A few seconds ago... Salem arrived here. In the infirmary. The wyvern was simply a distraction so that she could get to me without issue. She reached out her hand... and stopped my heart." Sunset felt Ruby's grip on her hand tighten in fear, and she returned the motion. "I was lucky that Missy's trap stopped her and Isis was here to start it again. Her expression didn't even waver while she was killing me, Ruby... I was going to die alone and afraid, and she WANTED that. She may be focused on me for the moment, but... she doesn't JUST want ME dead, Ruby. Every one of those things, those people who make this world worth saving? She will end every single one of them. Painfully, and slowly." Terrifying visions began to fill Ruby's mind, corrupting each of the memories with images of violence and bloodshed. Her grip on Sunset's hand tightened. "N-no..." she whispered, flinching away from the new horrifying direction her imagination had taken. "Sunset, don't let her shy away from this. This IS what will happen if we fail. The forces of evil will stop at nothing to bring everything good and bright to a torturous end." Sunset flinched, herself, but did as she was told. She drew those images up to the front of Ruby's mind, giving each precious thing in her life a turn at the chopping block. "I'm going to tell you about what happened the first time around... before this timeline changed. When Beacon fell. Yang Xiao Long lost her right arm, sliced off clean at the elbow. Her fighting spirit was shattered that day, leaving her not only crippled, but bedridden with the sheer weight of her grief. Weiss Schnee was forced to return to her abusive father, who stripped her of her inheritance and locked her in her room until she became a more obedient daughter. Blake Belladonna was so scarred by watching her worst nightmares play out in front of her, she swore off having friends and teammates returned to Menagerie, and she tried and failed to start a movement against the White Fang. Team JNPR was ripped apart when... just as Jaune and Pyrrha realized their love for one another, Pyrrha was slain in an unwinnable battle. You ran to rescue her, but you were too slow... and you arrived just in time to see her heart pierced with an arrow... and her body reduced to ashes in a flash of magic. Penny was literally ripped apart in an act of sabotage at Amity Colosseum during the finals of the Vytal fesitval... and Beacon Academy fell to ruin." This was cruel. It was the truth, but this was torture, making her envision these things. "No... No, no, no!" she whispered. "So... when I tell you that everything you know and care about is on the line, Ruby Rose... I am NOT exaggerating." Penn declared, leaving the two of them to wallow in their despair for a moment. Sunset couldn't take it, any more. She HAD to stop this, she HAD to say something before Ruby toppled over the edge into despair. "But that hasn't happened, Ruby..." she whispered. "At least... not yet. There's hope!" "That's right! There IS hope, Ruby. Things don't HAVE to end this way... It's only a vision of things that MAY be, not what MUST be. Sunset and I came here wanting to help, to change things for the better, but we are NOT the ones to save your world... That's YOU, Ruby Rose! Look deep inside of yourself, cling tight to those happy memories, those smiling faces, and understand that the fact that they are under threat... it makes them all the more PRECIOUS. The joys, the sorrows, all the precious things that darkness seeks to destroy... a huntress's job is to PROTECT them! THAT is where you draw your power from. That feeling, that NEED to protect... focus on it, embrace it, let it flood through you until it fills you all the way to the point where you feel as if you're going to explode!" "Ruby Rose, as long as you fight for life, to PROTECT life, you will NEVER fight alone... So, what are you going to do?" Sunset felt Ruby's grip on her hand finally release. "I'm going to fight..." "What was that?" "I'm going to FIGHT to protect my friends!" Ruby shouted. Sunset cringed as a flash of silver light washed over her, even threatening to blind her through her eyelids. When the light was gone, she blinked her eyes open. There was Ruby Rose, standing tall and with renewed purpose as she stared defiantly up at the Wyvern. "Girls... I think you're ready." Sunset blinked as she pushed herself up to her feet. "Ready for... what? What's the plan? Are going to use Ruby's eyes to go attack the monster?" "Actually..." Penn muttered as Sunset watched the Wyvern turn their way. "We're gonna bring the party to you. Isis? Pyrrha, time to bring it in!" Sunset stepped back, eyes wide in shock. "PENN, ARE YOU CRAZY?" "Yeah, but that's beside the point. The wyvern flies in, Ruby hits it with her silver eyes, and the body crashes harmlessly into the river. Everybody wins!" "You kind of forgot that WE'RE HERE, TOO!" "I didn't forget, Sunset. That's what the field spell's for! Trust me, you'll be FINE!" Sunset wondered for a moment whether or not Penn's brain damage was extensive enough for him to think this was somehow a rational plan. Eventually, she settled on trusting him again, albeit while keeping herself ready to improvise a landing strategy. "Ruby..." She watched as the dragon flew in closer and closer, swooping down on them faster and faster. Sunset unconsciously stepped further back as it came flying at them, mouth-first. Sunset's eyes widened as she stared into the blood-red maw about to envelop them. "RUBY..." She registered a huge yellow-and-black version of Isis's drone crashing down into the floor with Nora on its back, scraping its claws and carving out deep gouges as it tried to come to a sudden stop. Pyrrha took the same tactic, stabbing her spear into the floor to stop herself from falling off the other side of the tower. When they had all come to a landing, Sunset could see that the drone was in sorry shape, still missing its tail, but now also one of its legs and several of the armored panels, exposing torn and sparking wires. All five of them watched as the dragon closed in on them, about to swallow the entire top half of the tower. Sunset finally ran up, taking a stance in front of her team leader with her lightsaber at the ready, for all of the good it would do against such a massive beast. "RUBY!" All at once, Sunset was bathed in a blinding light from behind, white light that completely overwhelmed her world. Even when it came from behind her, Sunset was forced to throw up her arm to protect her eyes. The power surrounded her, but aside from nearly blinding her, she didn't feel any harm or threat from it. In fact, it was kind of... warm. It... kind of feels like the magic me and my friends have... Not exactly the same, but it's similar. Could this be this world's version of the Elements? Her thinking was cut off by the pained screech of the Wyvern as Ruby's power slammed against it. Sunset couldn't see exactly what was happening, but when the light subsided, the Grimm was flying haphazardly over the river, its head covered in a smoking layer of gray stone that made it look almost like a statue. "R-Ruby, you DID IT!" Sunset could scarcely believe her eyes. "Uuuugh..." Sunset turned around, seeing Ruby kneeling on the ground, her entire body slumped with exhaustion. "My head hurts..." Instantly, Sunset ran to her, kneeling down right beside her and placing a hand on her shoulder to help her stay steady. "Ruby! Are you alright?" "This feels like that time I tried coffee..." Ruby grumbled. "AFTER it wore off..." Sunset chuckled to herself, assured that her friend was going to be just fine. "That WAS a crazy Friday..." "Um, I don't mean to alarm anyone, but..." Pyrrha pointed out over the river. "It's coming back." "What?" Ruby jolted in surprise, trying to rise back up to her feet. "I- I don't understand! I thought Penn said this could kill it!" "Well, I never said that this would kill it for certain..." Penn's voice muttered over the comms. "Well, what are we going to do?" Pyrrha asked. "I have a backup plan! Missy?" "Uuuh.... I'm not ready, yet!" "WHAT?" everyone shouted in sync. "LOOK, if I do this any faster, I'm gonna be sick, and then you all lose that nice field spell you're standing on top of! I NEED a few more seconds!" Sunset looked up, seeing the Wyvern shaking off the last of the petrified skin as it turned back towards them. "Okay, stay calm... Whatever you girls do, do NOT leave the tower!" "But it's coming RIGHT FOR US!" Nora screamed. "STAND. YOUR. GROUND!" All of the girls glanced at one another, unsure. After a few seconds, Sunset stood back up on her feet, switching on her lightsaber and placing herself between Ruby and the dragon. A moment later, Pyrrha was stood beside her, and Nora a second after that. Finally, Isis's drone limped around behind them, completing the formation. They all stared down the wyvern together, watching as it closed in on them, mouth open wide. Sunset refused to shut her eyes or look away, staring it down defiantly as its gaping maw came down on them... ...and passed through them as if it was a ghost. The entire tower shuddered and shook, but there was no other sign that it had even been real. "H-how... was that... how are we-" Nora stuttered, unable to even finish her sentence. "The tower is a field spell I asked Missy to set up for you: Clock Tower Prison. After a certain amount of time, it renders the user immune to all battle damage!" Penn declared smugly. "Y-yeah, but... I can't keep it up after another hit like that!" Missy countered, her voice wavering. "Field spells are WAY harder to materialize..." Sunset and the rest of the girls looked at each other. Pyrrha and Ruby both looked down at the floor they were standing on, touching it as if unsure it was even real. Sunset simply smiled, lowering her saber for the moment. "You saved us again, Missy..." "Don't thank me yet, I'm just getting started! Penn, it's ready!" "Great! Sunset, when the dragon circles back around for another pass, I want you to give Missy the signal, okay?" "What about us?" Ruby asked. "You've all already gone above and beyond today... Just sit back and watch the fireworks when Missy gets to go all-out." Sunset watched the gigantic Grimm shed the last of its confusion, turning back around in the air one more time. She struggled to keep her nerve, staring down the monster with grim determination. If we're going to only have one shot at this, I'm going to make it count... "It's coming baaaack..." Nora muttered, tightening her grip on her grenade launcher. "Not yet..." Sunset replied, narrowing her gaze. The clock tower shuddered beneath their feet, threatening to give way. "Sunset, Missy DID say this tower can't take another attack..." Pyrrha whispered. "Not. Yet." "Impact in seven... six... five... four..." "NOW!" There was a fluttering of feathered wings as a familiar figure flew past her shoulder, trailed by glowing orbs of light. Sunset watched as Missy pulled up just at the edge of the platform, holding out her hand to guide the floating white spheres. It look less than a second for Sunset to count that there were ten of them. Ten Xyz materials... "Try THIS on for size! GHOSTRICK'S FINAL FRIGHT!" The orbs all gathered together in front of her hand, merging until they became a huge sphere of flaming white energy. What followed was a blast of that knocked everyone still standing off of their feet. It was like a laser beam as wide as Sunset was tall, expanding into a cone as it shot into the sky. As the blast raged, Sunset found herself pushed back further and further towards the edge of the tower. It was all that she could do to jam her saber into the floor and hold on for dear life, and a quick glance showed that Pyrrha had done the same, while Ruby and Nora were both clinging to her scythe. The attack seemed to shift through several forms, taking on different patterns and geometric shapes as it seemed to be trying to find the most efficient way to impart so much energy at once before finally settling back into an all-out flaming white blast. A few seconds later, the beam finally petered out, revealing the results. The last of the dragon was already dissolving away in the air, reduced to cinders by the attack. Shock waves had traveled out and shattered every pane of glass for at least a mile, and the rooftops around them were all blackened and smoldering. Missy turned back to them, a drowsy look on her face. "S-see? You can't... rush..." She didn't the the chance to finish her sentence as she dropped out of the air, unconscious before she had even touched the floor. "MISSY!" Sunset scrambled to get her feet under her, running up and scooping the spirit's head in her head. Still breathing... looks like she just overexerted herself. "Did... did we win?" Ruby asked. Another shudder ran through the tower, cracks appearing under their feet as the bell inside began to urgently ring. No Missy, no field spell... "This place is coming down!" Sunset looped her arm around Missy's waist before running up to Isis and placing her as gently as she could over the drone's back, making sure to avoid any of the sparking wires before jumping on, herself. "Hope you've all got landing strategies!" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "You know... if you hadn't told me, I NEVER would have believed it was as damaged as you said..." Penn smirked as he folded his arms over his chest. "As usual, Isis, your work is up to the highest standards!" "Thank you. I aim to please." He chuckled as he eased his way over to the driver's side door, finally letting go of the walker he had been given in order to slip inside and onto his usual seat. He let out a long sigh of relief as he gripped the familiar steering wheel, giving it a loving squeeze. It was obvious that he had no plans to move from that spot for a long time. "How's Sunset doing?" "Sunset is right here!" Sunset chuckled as she stepped out the door, the rest of her new friends following behind her. She cast a melancholy glance back at them as she set down the suitcase holding all of her belongings. "And I'm doing... well, I'm going to be fine, given time..." "Do you REALLY have to go?" Nora asked, voicing what Sunset was certain everyone was thinking. Missy floated by, holding a plate with what was at least her fifth slice of cake since breakfast, chocolate fudge this time. "Well, you know, we've got places to save, worlds to visit, friends to find... it's a busy life, being interdimensional superheroes!" "We really have spent longer here than we ever intended..." Sunset conceded, reaching over and running her finger through the icing for a quick taste. "Two months... That's twice as long as we'd been on the road when we first got here!" "BUT-" Nora's mouth was quickly covered by Ren, whom Sunset gave a grateful smile. He responded with a quiet nod. "We'll certainly miss you all here at Beacon." "Well, we're not ALL leaving! You're still going to have Isis!" Missy pointed to the half-destroyed drone standing off to the side. Pyrrha walked forward, pulling Sunset into a tight hug. The two of them stayed like that for several seconds, and Sunset could help but revel in the fact that she was holding tangible proof that they had accomplished their goal: They had made a positive difference in this world. They'd averted a disaster. "You DO have a sleeping bag this time, right?" Pyrrha whispered. Sunset chuckled to herself. "I dunno... Should I? Forgetting to bring one led to making a pretty great friend." Pyrrha pulled her in again, this time to lean down and whisper in her ear. "Thank you... Not just for saving my life, but for helping Jaune and I... well..." Sunset snickered, giving her a light punch on the shoulder. "You didn't NEED my help for that. You two would have figured it out, eventually!" Pyrrha flushed and gave her one last hug before stepping back to the rest of the group. There was a long pause when Sunset turned to the rest of Team RWBY. It had been an entire week since the incident with the Wyvern, and they had all been given plenty of time to come to terms with the fact that she had to leave... but it still felt awful. "I guess this is goodbye..." Ruby whispered. "The end of Team RWBYS..." Sunset raised an eyebrow. "Kicking me off the team while I'm on a road trip? Wow, that's cold." "WHA- No! No I didn't mean- I wasn't kicking you off!" Sunset chuckled at how easily Ruby got flustered, grabbing the smaller girl and pulling her into a hug. "I'm just messing with you, Craterface. I know what you mean... but this doesn't have to be goodbye forever." She smiled and held Ruby at arm's length before tapping on the center of her chest. "I'm always going to be your friend, and I'll be right here..." She nodded towards Isis's oversized drone. "Plus, I mean, Isis installed herself on your scrolls so all of you can call me any time you want, sooooo... there's that, too." Ruby finally giggled before stepping away. "Well, you better be ready, because we're definitely going to use that!" Sunset turned to Weiss. Ever the stoic, she wasn't shedding any tears. She simply stepped forward and grabbed the lightsaber off of her belt to shake the handle in her face. "Just because I'm not going to be there doesn't mean you're allowed to slack off on your training. The next time I see you, I expect to see improvement!" She paused, then clipped it back into place. "You taught me to be a teammate, rather than just a huntress-in-training. Thinking about you being out there without us to help you when you get in trouble is... concerning." Sunset felt her heart melting at Weiss's words. "Don't worry about me, Weiss. Even if Team RWBYS isn't going to be there... I'll have Team Siege right by my side." Missy raised an eyebrow from the spot she had laid down on the car roof. "Team Siege?" Sunset smirked. "You WANTED a team name! Sunset, Isis, Elijah, Ghostrick Angel of Mischief! S-I-E-G!" Penn chuckled to himself. "That, or we could be Team SIMP... but I don't think 'Squirrels In My Pants' would be a good team theme song." "Uhm, excuse me? I'm CLEARLY the team leader!" Sunset and Penn gave each other knowing looks before she turned back to Weiss. "You know... If you hadn't offered to teach me, I probably wouldn't have survived the battle at Amity." "Well... If you weren't there to help, none of us would have survived that bomb, or what came next, so... I guess we'll call it even." "So, where you headed next?" Yang asked, offering Sunset a fist bump. Sunset shrugged, returning the bump and then fingering at her geode. "Wherever this thing takes us. Missy pointed out that it led us here because it seemed like we were the only ones who could help. I guess we'll just keep following it until we find some sign of my friends from Canterlot High..." "Or, you know, until we finally get them all home!" Penn chimed in. "Well, good luck. We're all gonna be rooting for you here!" Sunset smiled. "Thanks, Yang." Finally, it was time for the farewell Sunset had been dreading the most. Blake seemed to be refusing to make eye contact as she walked up to take her turn. For some reason, Sunset couldn't seem to find any words for her, and the two of them stood there, awkwardly waiting for the other to make the first statement. "I... I'll miss having someone to read with..." Blake muttered, awkwardly rubbing at her arm. "Yeah... I'm gonna miss you, too." "And... are you SURE you don't want to finish studying at Beacon before you go back out into..." she gestured vaguely with her hands. "We promised to help you find them... If you stayed, we could all go together once we're all full huntresses!" For some reason, Sunset's face was burning when she saw how much Blake didn't want her to leave. "I'm sorry, but the whole thing is my fault, I HAVE to find my friends so that we can fix it. Besides..." He jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "I don't think Penn would survive three more years of me being at Beacon." "No, I would NOT!" Penn added from his seat. Another awkward silence fell between the two of them. She'd gotten used to comfortable silence with Blake during their reading and study sessions, but this was painful. "I-" "Oh, would you two just GET A RO- MMPH!" Missy began to shout, only to be cut off by Penn's hand over her mouth. Blake and Sunset both watched as he pulled her down from the roof and into the car before slamming the door shut and cutting off any more of Missy's comments. "Well... will you come back?" Sunset smiled, reaching out and placing her hand on Blake's shoulder. "I'll never leave my teammates hanging. If you need me, I'll always be just a phone call away." Blake lunged forward, and before Sunset even realized what was happening the hug was over, and Blake had stepped back into the rest of the group. Her attention was caught by the sound of someone clearing their throat just behind her. "I do hope you're not planning on dropping out of school without speaking to your headmaster..." Sunset spun around, finding herself face to face with Professor Ozpin, who was giving her a knowing smile. "Sir... I know Penn said a lot about not trusting you, but I want to thank you." Sunset reached out, giving him a firm handshake. "You knew who were are and where we came from, but you still gave us a chance to change things for the better... Thank you for letting me prove we can change what's 'supposed' to happen." "Sunset, when I saw you all arrive, I knew that you had potential. To this day, I still think I was correct in that assumption. No matter where you go, I believe you'll continue doing the right thing." He chuckled to himself. "I'll admit, after a week of explaining that there is no mystery clock tower OR weapons of mass destruction on our campus, I don't think I'll miss the trouble you tend to get yourself into." Sunset raised an eyebrow as she picked up her suitcase and walked around to the back of the car. "I'm not ALWAYS getting into trouble. It's not MY fault your universe is full of crazy!" She didn't need to even signal to Penn to pop the trunk open. As it lifted up, Sunset couldn't help but notice the gap left by the portal gun's absence. You know... we really could have lost a lot more here than some time and a neat gadget... Also I need to have a serious talk with Penn about the fact that we were driving around with a BLACK HOLE in our trunk... she thought to herself as she slipped her suitcase into the empty space. There was a crushing finality as she shut the trunk and walked to the passenger-side door. She gave her new friends one last look, forcing herself to smile. "Thank you... All of you. I'm never going to forget this..." "Bye, Sunset!" "Stay safe out there!" "Come back soon!" "We'll miss you!" "Thank you, Sunset!" "Take care!" "See you later!" Sunset waved farewell as she pulled open the door and slipped inside the car. It was awkward trying to buckle her seat belt with only one hand, but she managed after a few seconds of awkward fumbling. She let out a long sigh as she felt herself settle back into her normal spot in the front seat. "It sure has been a while..." "You ready?" Penn asked, slipping his key into the ignition and giving it a twist. Chk-chk-chk-chk-vrrrrrrrrm! Sunset shook her head. "I'm gonna miss having an actual bed..." "WOOHOO! The gang's back together!" Missy cheered, leaping from the back and sitting herself on the armrest between the two front seats. "Seat belt ON, Missy!"