RWBY Through Worlds

135: Ain't Quite Done

"They can't?" Raven said finally. "But then how did she pass it on at all?"

"Magic is tricky," Shine said, putting her hand to her chest sadly. "It does what it's designed to do...and more than that. I can't be sure of this 100%, but, I think that they went to Summer--and she couldn't hold them. Perhaps it turned her two abilities against themselves. In a way she got them, but in another way, she couldn't...not without dying--or destroying them...so she gave them to Vara. Whether that was the cause directly of her eyes, or simply she took fate into her own hands, I can't say...but it would mean the whole transfer was very unstable. Vara's already got problems, but it wasn't that bad until she got the power. She just has said that boosting Aura makes it worse...but the nature of how you get something changes it, so if that is true...the very way she got it could be part of what made it so much worse for her. The Summer Powers are now broken. It happens when you try to control a thing that should not be so controllable."

Qrow rubbed his face and let out a sigh. "The powers themselves could have killed her."

"It's just a theory," Shine said, "but...sadly not an unfounded one. That is a reason why I am nervous about Cinder dying."

"What?" Winter said.

"Oh..." Raven said, looking at her oddly. "Cinder hates Ruby, so if Ruby killed her or was near when she was killed, she might get the powers--and if they truly aren't compatible with Silver-Eyed warriors, Ruby could..."

"Die," Qrow said in a horrified tone.

"Oh...no," Winter gasped. "Just...for that?"

"It might not happen," Shine said. "And I assure you if we were close by, we probably could stop that transferring to people before it got that far, but we can't be everywhere, and Ruby is now under our protection and our master as well... It may be just as Pyrrha could resist, she could. I have other reasons for sparing Cinder, but if I needed one that was not purely on principle, that would be it. There are usually several reasons to do things."

Qrow shook his head.

"We could all just make sure it's someone else who kills her," Raven said.

"Raven, we couldn't actually be sure that would work," Shine said reprovingly. "Cinder might still blame Ruby for it. There is no guarantee whatsoever. And even if it did happen, is risking it a good idea? That is also why Ruby killing Cinder herself is a bad idea, and I would prefer if you all didn't encourage her to think of it."

"I wish you'd said so before," Winter said.

"Freaking Ruby out more didn't seem like a good idea," Shine said. "But it is probably time to tell her this. She took the news about Summer hard, and you may not believe it, but I actually don't enjoy adding to the reasons you all worry. But this is rotten from beginning to end, and I can't change that except by fixing it our way. If you constantly refuse our help, I literally can do nothing. So causing more fear...it's a double-edged sword. The more we tell you, the more it seems like we're the only way you can be helped--but if you resented us for that, then we move farther away, not closer. I want to earn your trust without having to use this kind of emotional manipulation. But it's not fair to keep it back now that we have so much reason to think it's correct. Salem has already found some way to combine the effect of the Silver Eyes with Grimm--but I saw what she made; she grafted over that person. It lacked some of the instincts of other Grimm. Salem can't control them entirely either, because it's impossible. But just because something is impossible doesn't mean that attempting to do it is not harmful. That's the thing about us... I told you our power can't be stolen, and that was right--but attempting to do so can give someone dark power, because there is always dark power out there just waiting to latch on to a foolish host--much the same way Salem might not have been able to make herself die by jumping into a grimm pond, but that doesn't mean it didn't damage her in another way. Things do what they are intended to do, even if it's in a twisted way."