Eren POV:
Eren: "Come at me Ruby!"
Ruby: "R-Right!"
Ruby and I close the distance very quickly. Seems her training with Rose is showing some real improvements.
Though she said she has a new trick up her sleeve. Heh. With how Ruby can be in fights, I have a feeling it'll be something goofy.
I take out Eager Edge and decide to humor her. We start trading blows between both our scythes, jumping over each other or dodging to get some kind of advantage.
Ruby: "Here!!"
Ruby activates her semblance and flies up into the air in her bundle of roses. Suddenly, the bundle gets larger and explodes into a giant barrage of mini rose bundles.
Eren: "What the?!"
I start to jump around and over them but I'm quickly struck in the chest by the back end of her scythe. She quickly reveals herself from one of the nearly hundreds of bundles and hits me into the ground.
Eren: "W-Woah! The hell was that Ruby?"
Ruby stands up proudly with Crescent Rose standing upright next to her.
Ruby: "Petal Bomb!"
Petal...Bomb?
Eren: "The single most Yang inspired name I've ever heard."
Ruby snickers and crosses her arms with pride.
Ruby: "I've seen everyone evolve their semblances in some way! Besides Yang, but I don't think she needs to. Ren, Bella, Rose, Blake AND you have all evolved your powers! And since Rose could do it, so can I!"
I pick myself off the ground and dust my jacket off.
Eren: "So. Petal Burst is the original name. So this evolved ability is Petal Bomb?"
Ruby: "Yup! While I'm in that state of matter, I can explode the bundle into many more mini bundles that act as distractions. And they hurt if you're hit by one!"
Hmmm. Way more tactical and sneaky then I would have taken Ruby for. I'm really impressed though.
Eren: "That's really impressive Ruby. I'm proud of you."
Rubys eyes sparkles as she tackles me and puts her arms and legs around me.
Ruby: "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!!"
I smile and pat her on the back before sitting her back on the ground.
Ruby: "Do I get a reward? I've been doing a lot of work! Even more then when I worked on Crescent Rose!"
Hmmm...I guess she does deserve something. I'll show her something new.
Eren: "Alright. I'll give you two options. No one else has seen this yet. My new weapon? Or the other surprise?"
Ruby: "Other surprise!"
...well. It's alright Eren. Ruby is here.
I sigh and grit my teeth, shooting Wail out of me with incredible force.
Eren: "HAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"
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Ruby POV:
Woah!!!
I get pushed back far and slide across the floor. I slowly stand up and block the front of my face with my arms, trying to see what the hell he's doing!
His aura color! The fire! It's red! Where did all the purple go?!
Eren: "HAAAAAAAAA!!!"
His voice! There's something about his voice! It sounds demonic almost!
A final burst of wind and the explosion from his aura pushes me back more and covers the entire room in a blinding red light.
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The hell is Eren doing? I move my arms and part the bangs in my face and try to look past all the fire he made. I step a little closer and the fire suddenly disappears, showing Eren in his entirety.
Eren: "Hah....hah....hah...."
Woah.
Red glowing hair, red glowing eyes, red fiery aura surrounding him...and a pair of giant flaming wings on his back...
Ruby: "You look like a flaming death God!!!"
I run up to him nearly drooling from my mouth from how...from how...from how FRICKIN COOL THIS IS!
Eren: "Hah...Level...3."
He looks so damn cool! I bet if Blake were here she'd wet her pants!!! Can Yang do this?! He said Level 3!
He quickly falls to his knees and starts to cough, holding his chest. I kneel down next to him and hold onto him, slightly worried.
Ruby: "What's going on? Are you okay?"
The fire and aura leaves his body. His hair and eye color return to normal as his body leans into mine.
Eren: "It's...taxing. Physically and emotionally. It's why I was passed out when I returned from that place with the alternate Pyrrha."
Oh. Oh no.
I pull him into my arms and hug him nice and tight.
Ruby: "Thank you for showing me Eren. I wouldn't have asked if I knew the downsides..."
Eren chuckles and starts to play with my hair gently.
Eren: "It's alright Ruby. You've been working so so hard on strengthening yourself. I think it was worth it."
Heh. If he says so. I help him up slowly and he puts an arm around my shoulders to balance himself.
Ruby: "So you needed to use that against someone? What caused that?"
He doesn't respond for a second but then the color in his face leaves. He looks like he's having a flashback. Oh no!
Ruby: "B-Bro? Are you okay?"
He looks down at me and flinches slightly before shaking his head and running a hand through his hair.
Eren: "N-Not the same..."
Ruby: "Not the same?"
Eren sighs and shakes his head again before smiling and patting my back.
Eren: "Nothing. Let's head to the cafeteria and eat."
Hm. Alright. You win this time Eren. But eventually I'll get that out of you.
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After changing back to my uniform we make our way over to the cafeteria but suddenly get stopped by Cardin and his team again. How are they still in this damn school?
Eren: "What now?"
Cardin: "C'mon. Don't act like that Eren! Can't I just say hi to a friend?"
Eren scoffs and puts his hands in his pockets.
Eren: "We aren't friends."
Eren tries to move around them but is quickly stopped again by two of his teammates. Cardin digs into his pocket and pulls out a scroll, showing the screen to him.
Eren: "...blackmailing me? Seriously?"
Cardin laughs and puts the scroll back in his pocket.
They're trying to blackmail him? What could Eren have done behind our backs for that to happen?
Cardin: "If you don't do as I say, I'll spread that image across the entire school."
Eren: "Tch. Resorting to this instead of fighting like a man."
Eren activates Wail and gut punches Sky and Russel, the two people in front of him, dropping them quickly with their auras breaking. Dove steps back in fear but quickly meets the same fate as the other two.
Cardin tries to grab his scroll as fast as he can but as he pulls it out, Eren grabs his wrist and twists it so hard that I thought it going that far was physically impossible.
Cardin lets out an awful scream as he falls to his knees, nearly crying in pain. Eren stands above him and I see his silver eyes glowing with rage.
Eren: "I'm no hero, Cardin. But I know a huntsmen when I see one..."
Eren grins and creates Eager Edge in his hand, putting the very tip of the blade at Cardins neck.
Eren: "You are NOT fit to be one. And I can very quickly stop you from becoming one in many different ways. Threatening me? Even after I've proven time and time again nothing works? You SHOULD be wiped off this planet."
Eren grabs Cardins scroll with a grin and I assume deletes the picture of whatever it was. After he does so, he crushes the scroll in hand and smacks Cardin across the face with the hand covered in glass.
Eren: "Do I make myself clear, Winchester."
Cardin lays on the ground with a cut up face and really messed up wrist. He weakly looks up at Eren and barely gets a nod out before passing out. Eren deactivates Wail and starts walking past me in the other direction.
Eren: "I lost my appetite."
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Ruby: "It was just a picture of you and Blake cuddling while she was in her space?"
Eren nods.
What an odd thing to blackmail someone with. Yeah the space thing is hidden from most humans but it's not illegal or anything. It's just a way to destress is all.
Whatever. Things should be-
A red portal appears in the hallway.
Eren: "Hm?"
Ruby: "What the-?"
It's...Raven. She steps out looking a little more nervous and angry then usual.
Raven: "The Twin Roses...I have only met you, Ruby."
Ruby: "U-Um. W-What are you doing here R-Raven?"
She scoffs and puts one hand on the handle of her katana around her waist, looking at Eren.
Raven: "And you must be Eren. Yang mentioned your existence when I visited her."
She saw her? That couldn't have gone good especially with Yangs current mental state.
Eren: "What about it."
Raven: "That weakling threatened me. She said you and her could kill Salem whenever you wanted."
Raven steps towards Eren and unsheathes her massive sword, aiming it at Eren.
Raven: "You don't know how this world works, Rose. The weak die and the strong survive. And if this family has a track record...you shouldn't be alive."
Eren stands there quiet before suddenly bursting out laughing. I see a vein bulge out of Ravens head as she grits her teeth, her eyes now glowing...
Eren: "You can't be serious Raven. If we were to live by that rule...there'd only be two people on Remnant..."
Eren activates Wail and dashes behind Raven faster then she can react. He grabs her by the back of the neck and starts to squeeze down on her.
Eren: "But that wouldn't be fair to the people who are weaker...correct? Because the weakest people in the world...destined to be failures...can become Gods overnight."
Ravens eyes slowly widen and turns her head slowly to him.
Raven: "S-Shut up!"
She manages to shake his grip off of her and slashes down into the ground, creating a portal for herself.
Raven: "Y-You know nothing of this world! You'll be fodder!"
She jumps down the portal and disappears from sight. The portal closes and Eren deactivates Wail.
Ruby: "...so that just happened."
Eren: "I should go follow her."
Ruby: "What? Why?"
Eren groans and puts his hands back in his pockets.
Eren: "That tribe means nothing. All it does is hide the Spring Maiden and that's that. They aren't some ally to humanity. And frankly, I don't think Yang gives a shit if she is her mother. I've killed her, we killed her as Yin...something tells me she wouldn't hesitate to kill her now."
As much as he makes a fair point with that, what about Dad? I know Dad is long over Raven and that heartbreak but still! It's not just that simple!
Ruby: "Hah...I guess so Eren. I don't know about this though. If you do decide to do something...I won't be following. Just so you know."
Eren simply smiles and pats my shoulder before turning around to go to our dorm room.
Eren: "I know. I wouldn't want you to."
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3rd person POV, Juniors:
Up at the bar is a barely tipsy Qrow who just arrived at Juniors. He takes a sip of his flask before seeing someone appear in the corner of the main room in the corner of his eye.
Qrow: "The hell?"
Qrow gets up and takes a peek over at the dark corner and sees Raven with her head in her hands. Qrow smirks and walks on over to his sister.
Qrow: "Never thought I'd see my sis like this."
Raven groans and takes a sip from a shot glass she magically pulled from nowhere. Qrow sits across from her and drinks his flask.
Qrow: "Ahhhh. So-"
Raven: "Who. The FUCK. Is Eren."
Qrow immediately shuts up and looks around the room before he drops into a more serious tone and mood.
Qrow: "Dunno if you've heard from some folks in the past couple years, but Eren Rose is Thorn. Or as some of the locals called him, "The Hooded Kid"."
Raven picks her head up, almost like she's having flashbacks.
Raven: "He's the Hooded Kid? I thought that maybe he was some trained assassin gone rogue or something. To think that Summer had another kid besides Ruby AND is a nomad is...huh."
Qrow: "Kid ain't just a nomad for his own benefit. Summer and Yang abused the kid bad. Tai and Ruby simply neglected him, though from what I know it seems Ruby and Tai were forced."
Ravens eyes widen and her shocked face turns to anger.
Raven: "Yang did what?!"
Qrow chuckles at the uncharacteristic reaction and leans back in his seat.
Qrow: "But look at him now. One of the two people on Remnant to cross timelines, wield two semblances and be students under the Brothers themselves."
Raven coughs and chokes on the drink she's drinking, punching her chest lightly.
Raven: "R-Repeat that? You're lying...you must be."
Qrow sighs and leans forward at his sister, no smile in sight.
Qrow: "Eren and your daughter, Yang, are the two single strongest THINGS on Remnant right now. Any Maiden? You? Ozpin? Salem? No. They both win."
...
Raven sits there stunned, staring down at the table processing everything.
Raven: "I...I...what? How did that...?"
Qrow: "I don't think you'd benefit or really care how it happened. Consider it karma maybe. I know you aren't much for family or even friends...but don't think it sits right with me at all for leaving Tai and Yang alone, even with Tai getting with Summer pretty quickly after."
Qrow cheers himself with his flask and Ravens shot glass before taking a swig and leaving the table and Juniors. He leaves Raven there alone, contemplating everything she's done, every action she's ever taken.
Raven: "I...I need to hide. If either of them see me again...they'll kill me..."
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Crimson floats outside of his palace, watching the red sky for any sign of his visitor.
Crimson: "Where are they."
Salem: "Could you tell me more about this person who's visiting?"
Crimson looks back at Salem before facing the sky again.
Crimson: "A Lubraean."
Salem: "A what?"
Crimson: "In the multiverse of Light and Dark, the Lubraeans were a race of creatures that are quite important to one of the most powerful beings of said multiverse. This being granted the power of Dark to one being, in promise of watching the end of everything and to wield incredible power. He slayed his entire race and joined this being in the battle of Light and Dark. Before that one being could kill off his race, I managed to steal one for myself. I hid them from the world and granted them similar powers, but simply to spectate the battle before being ready to move on."
Salem: "I see. And what was the name of this person you stole?"
A giant portal appears in the sky as a giant black pyramid shaped ship comes in slowly. The size of this thing would put any aircraft or battleship of Atlas to shame. The ship gets closer until it floats way above the palace.
Salem: "Woah..."
The bottom of the ship opens with an orange beam of lighting pointing down towards the ground in front of Crimson and Salem.
A huge humanoid creature comes floating down from the ship. The entity's main features are its strange rectangular head, 6 eyes, one above and under where normal human eyes would be, and it's extremely long arms that reach almost to its knees.
Salem: "That's a Lubraean?"
The being finally lands on the ground and completely towers over both Crimson and Salem, being at least 12 feet tall. Now that Salem sees it, it's not just that its arms are long, the legs are too. The legs are even longer then the rest of it.
Crimson: "Kaida..."
The Lubraean, Kaida, kneels on one knee, arm over its chest.
Kaida: "Crimson."
Crimson: "How has...what was his name again? It started with an R if I remember correctly..."
Kaida growls and scoffs.
Kaida: "With all due respect sir, I would kindly ask not to speak of his name. It leaves a sour taste in my mouth even thinking of that murderer."
Salem grows anxious at Kaida's attitude before Crimson begins to laugh.
Crimson: "Of course. Have you given your final goodbyes to that world?"
Kaida simply nods, a weird orange aura coating their body, almost like orange waves covering their body.
Crimson: "Perfect. You are JUST what I need."
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Ozpin: "You seem much more chipper then normal Qrow. What brings you here later then normal? It's nearly 10 pm."
Qrow: "I always wonder where you go when the kids are asleep."
Ozpin laughs and takes a sip of his glass of water before extending his hand out, pointing at the seat for Qrow to sit.
Qrow: "Water? A glass?"
Ozpin: "Humans sometimes wish to experiment with things. A little too late for cocoa or coffee, don't you think?"
Qrow shrugs and sits down at the desk in front of Ozpin, looking up at the ceiling.
Ozpin: "Something is troubling you?"
Qrow: "Raven is scared for what might be the first time in her life."
Ozpin looks confused for a couple seconds and tries to think of anything that could possibly scare her until...
Ozpin: "Did she...? With Yang?"
Qrow: "Yeah. Then Yang mentioned Eren and how strong they are. Raven had Ruby tracked on her semblance as of recent and decided to try that too. She was met with...answers."
Ozpin sighs and looks out the window, sipping his water.
Ozpin: "I see. Shaken up badly?"
Qrow chuckles and drinks from his flask and sighs.
Qrow: "I'll admit, she can sometimes be a coward with the way she lives and treats people. But I've never seen her so scared before. Seems her reality is breaking all around her."
Qrow stands up out of the chair and starts to pace around the room.
Qrow: "Wonder if that tribe will do anything drastic now since their "leader" is in shambles."
Ozpin: "She won't. As much as I'd like to believe she'd try to take down a threat stronger then her to keep her ego in check...a power difference of that size...even she will know. If not, her instincts will remind her."
Qrow: "Heh. Probably right."
Ozpin stands up and faces towards the window, finishing his glass of water and sighing.
Ozpin: "Though if I had to guess, there's one other thing eating away at her mind potentially that she refuses to admit."
Qrows eyebrows raise as he leans forward in his chair confused.
Qrow: "Oh? And that is?"
Ozpin turns and grins.
Ozpin: "Shame."
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Next Chapter: (Lemon) Whiterose