Fractal Chaos 7

Fractal Chaos chapter 7. The chapter ended up being way longer than planned so I had to split the conclusion for the next chapter. Maybe it's cause I'm writing with characters I know?

My next story will be a Dragonslayer comm. Someone wanted a comedic drunken marriage fic so...yeah, if that's a thing then look forward to it. After that comm, I'll see about updating one of my own fics. Maybe Seasons finally?

For anyone interested in making a commission, email me at: storylover543@gmail.com

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Blake had never told anyone, but she'd always loved the fantastical. Whether it was the fantasy of fairy tales or the speculative fiction of exploring beyond the stars, Blake enjoyed them all. Life was difficult and no one could blame her for looking for a little escapism. In the world of fiction, she didn't have to worry about being judged for her race and hated because of what she was. She could do anything, be anything, and that helped her on those difficult nights.

Finding out about magic, immortals, and a secret war for the fate of the world wasn't what she had in mind, though.

When she'd left Beacon - a choice she still regretted to this day - she thought that a radicalized White Fang would be the biggest problem she had to deal with. Finding out about Salem and Relics and that their headmaster was an (admittedly unwilling) body snatcher was...a shock, to put it mildly. Whatever sense of victory she felt at Haven was swept away by the knowledge that all she'd done was delay one part of Salem's plans. Especially when Jinn told them the truth.

And now she was dealing with alternate dimensions. She'd read theories and fantasy books about them before, of course, but that didn't do anything to prepare her for having to deal with it in person. It really didn't help that the first version of herself that showed up was a fanatic who thought that Adam had the right idea of it. Even now, she still wondered how her counterpart had ended up. Had the alternate Yang mustered up enough will to stop her? Or was she continuing to follow in Adam's footsteps?

Her second alternate counterpart didn't make her feel any better.

A world where she was a Maiden. She still didn't have a lot of information on what exactly being a Maiden meant outside of having elemental powers and being able to open the Vaults, but she guessed that was enough to understand how important they were. The idea that all four of team RWBY were Maidens...the chances of it were astronomically low. One or two of them, maybe, but all four? There was a better chance of a Faunus getting into the Atlesian council.

Which was probably why General Ironwood was quick to put them to work. With the last batch of transfers, the General quickly ignored them as their problem. Now he was assigning them all to various tasks day in and day out. The temporal device had to be taken down for repairs too, so it was perfect timing. At least that other world was safe. Jaune and Ren just had to wait in a world without Salem. As for Neo...well, she was sure a Maiden Weiss could handle one mute psychopath.

The General assigned them to keep an eye on their counterparts. It made sense, at least in theory. They would know them the best, and from what they were told, their backgrounds were almost identical up until the diverging point of becoming Maidens.

In practice, however...

Blake kept an eye on the area as her counterpart pulled out another Dust crystal from the walls. Control of the elements evidently meant being able to manipulate Dust as well, at least with enough precision that Belle could harvest Dust without worries about causing a cave-in. Blake was assigned to keep her safe from Grimm or any other wandering hostiles, though she was pretty sure she wasn't needed. Not after what Belle did to that Tyrian guy a couple of days ago.

The biggest issue was having to listen to Belle's complaints.

"How did I know he'd tell me to do this?" Belle asked rhetorically, pulling out another crystal from the wall. Blake lifted it up gingerly and placed it on the already bulging stack. She was sure if Jacques Schnee was still alive, he'd have been ecstatic at the idea of a one-woman mining operation.

"What do you mean?" Blake asked.

"This. It's so obvious." Another pull and a Fire Dust crystal plopped to the ground, "He could've assigned us to do anything, but of course, he sends the Faunus to get Dust from the mines. You can have all the magical power in the world and people still look at you for your ears."

"I'm...not so sure about that." Now she was defending the General of Atlas. Oh, the bitter irony, "The General's stockpiling Dust for both Amity and the upcoming fight with Salem. Since you three could go back to your own dimension any day now, it makes sense that he's trying to use your abilities as much as he can."

"So you admit he's using us." Belle raised a brow.

"Sure. I never said he wasn't." Blake shrugged, "I'm not saying it's a good thing, but I get why. You guys already beat your Salem, and from what it sounds like, it wasn't as much of a shithsow." She didn't curse a lot, but what else was she supposed to call a whole kingdom being destroyed, another subverted, and finding out only after the fact that their enemy was literally unkillable? "We're working with a deck stacked against us. He'll take any advantage he can get."

"Sure, fine, but why this?" She pulled out another crystal and tossed it to one of the nearly overflowing containers, "Dust won't be what wins the fight against Salem."

"I can't say I know what's going on in the General's head, but I do know that what worked for you won't work for us." They didn't have the strength, manpower, or morale to invade the Grimmlands to stuff Salem in a jar. They didn't have even one Maiden, let alone four, and Ruby, bless her heart, still had 'performance issues' with using her Silver Eyes. They were purely on the defensive right now, and she figured stockpiling Dust was better safe than sorry.

"Hm...if you say so." Belle traced a hand on the wall and hummed, "Alright, there's no more Dust in this section. Let's finish up here. Next part should be quicker now that I've got a better feel of things." They both grabbed the flatbed cart carrying the crates and pushed. As much as she disagreed with Belle's assertions that this was racially motivated, she couldn't deny that it felt like busywork. This wasn't exactly what she thought she'd be doing today.

"Alright, I'll make this quick."

Quick was right. Blake watched silently as her counterpart pulled out crystals by the dozens. She could practically hear Jacques having a heart attack from here, "...Why didn't you do that before?" Blake asked as she began picking up the stacks.

"Like I said, got a better feel for it. It's been a while since I've had to do this. I only did this once. Didn't want to run people out of their jobs." Belle levitated the crystals and plopped them down to one of the empty containers.

"Alright, now you're just showing off." Blake smiled slightly.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Belle nudged her head to the side, "Come on, we're almost done."

It only took them a couple of hours to empty the mine. Most of the time was spent pushing the cart around and making sure to empty it back at the entrance. A few soldiers were assigned to keep guard and one of them stared at the veritable mountain of crystals they were given. Blake didn't blame him. How long would it have taken to empty a mine like this normally? Months? Maybe even years? And Belle had done it in less than a day.

They weren't finished, of course. The General gave them a map of other Dust mines in the area that he wanted emptied as fast as possible. The two of them hopped on board the bullhead and waited to be taken to the next one. Belle still didn't look happy at the job she was given, but she didn't complain...mostly. There was still the occasional muttering about how she couldn't wait to go back home and gorge herself on tuna. Blake didn't blame her. She was open to helping people in need, but she wouldn't have liked the idea of being trapped in another world either.

The two of them were on their fourth Dust mine when Belle suddenly said, "Tell me about the Fall."

"...Huh?" Blake looked back, brows furrowed.

"Beacon and Vale. I heard you guys talking about it but you keep changing the subject whenever it comes up."

"Well, it's not exactly something we like to dwell on..."

"I understand, but it's clearly weighing on all of you." She emptied the section of the mine and they began to walk to the next area, "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I can tell that there's something unresolved there. Who better to talk to than yourself."

"...I'm confused. Where's this coming from? We've only known each other for a couple of days, but this doesn't seem normal for you."

"I don't know what you mean." Belle wiped her hands on her kimono and looked back, "So...?"

"There's not much to say." Blake looked away and tightened her grip on Gambol Shroud, "Cinder played everyone. We were so busy focusing on the White Fang and the Vytal tournament that we didn't even realize that there was something more." She still blamed herself, though a part of her also blamed Ozpin and the rest of his group. It was their job to watch out for whatever plans Salem's cronies had. She knew it was unfair to put it on them, but she couldn't stop herself.

"Vytal...feels like a lifetime ago," Belle murmured.

"I'm guessing it went better for you than it did for us." Blake scoffed. She would've been lying if she said she wasn't jealous. A world where Vale didn't fall and Salem was gone. She'd only known about her for a few months and she already found the idea of it almost impossible.

"Sure, but I'm not gonna say it was easy either." More crystals were pulled out of the walls. The two of them piled it up by hand instead of letting Belle move them around, "It was a pretty close call there. Adam, he...I guess he thought that he would just spite everyone he could."

"Adam..." Her grip on the Crystal tightened and she let out a shuddering breath. Even now, she couldn't excise the image of him out of her head. How she looked into his eyes when she and Yang plunged the blades into his chest. She didn't have a choice, she knew that, but the guilt was still there. How could there not be? She knew him for years. She looked up to him as her idol and even shared his bed. A part of her still desperately hoped to see the best in him even now.

She remembered her last counterpart. Could she have ended up like that? One wrong choice and she would've blindly followed in his footsteps.

"Ha. Guess it was too far for me to hope that Adam wasn't a piece of shit in this world." Belle laughed bitterly, "You know, I never did figure out what really motivated Adam. He kept telling me even up to the end that it was all for the Faunus. No matter how many Faunus he would've killed if he succeeded, talked about how I was the traitor when I visited him in that cell."

"Cell? He was...arrested?"

"Yeah, he was-" The implication of Blake asking seemed to dawn on Belle quickly and she shook her head, "...Don't second-guess yourself. I never do."

"Not sure if that's a good thing." Blake smiled weakly.

"Oh, please. My instincts are perfect. I've never been wrong."

Across dimensions, an alternate Jaune looked up once more and wondered if Blake needed some discipline for saying stupid shit again.

"Heh, sure." Blake rolled her eyes and picked up another crystal. The bright blue chunk of ice dust seemed to thrum in her right hand, "Adam...I think he was only motivated by hate at the end. Not even against Humans, just...hate in general. The world took everything from him and he decided he'd take everything back no matter who he had to hurt or kill. It wasn't about Faunus or Humans at that point. Just him and everyone else."

"Sounds about right." Belle sighed and stood with her back against the wall.

"What about you? You have the powers of the Maiden. You weren't ever tempted to lash out?"

"Sometimes, in my darkest, angriest moments, but not like Adam." Belle shook her head, "Equality can't be gained over a mountain of bodies. Defending ourselves? Fine, you can't make your point without some strength behind it. That's why I don't agree with Dad having a pacifist mindset. Offer one hand but arm the other. That's something neither Adam nor Sienna understood. Only difference between the two was that Sienna was selective."

"You sound like you know her personally." She never really talked to Sienna. She was the founder's daughter but that didn't entitle her to any special treatment. As far as Sienna was concerned, she was no different than any other skilled soldier."

"She tried to kill me." Blake blinked while Belle gave her a razor-sharp smile, "She found out about the Maidens and decided that she deserved this power more than I did. You should've seen the look on her face when she found out she was too old for it. Her and Ilia."

"Ilia." Blake chewed on her lower lip. She'd left her and Sun behind back in Anima to keep going with her team. She hoped they were alright, "What about Ilia and Sun in your world? Are...they alright?" She knew it was pointless to ask - they weren't her Sun and Ilia - but she was curious all the same.

"Ilia...well, she made her choice when she sided with Sienna. I tried to convince her, but she was set on her path." Blake chewed on her lower lip and didn't say anything. It made sense. She'd barely managed to convince her Ilia to turn against Adam's mad crusade, "As for Sun...he's fine, I guess?" Belle shrugged, "We're not really close. He's more 'Weiss' boyfriend' than anything."

"Wait, hold on." She looked her counterpart in the eyes, "Sun's dating Weiss? Did I hear that right?"

"Yeah? Guessing it's not the same here?"

"No, definitely not." Blake shook her head, "I don't...how does that even...I know Weiss isn't as prickly as she seems, but Sun? Is...Is your Weiss really different from ours?"

"I dunno. Heiress, likes fancy dresses, stick up her ass, and wants to redeem her family name. Sound familiar?" Blake nodded, "Yeah, same. I was as surprised as you are, but you know what they say about opposites attracting." Belle shrugged again, "They're good for each other, I think. Sun's a good guy and Weiss needs someone who she knows doesn't care about her family name or bank account."

"Well, can't say that you're wrong there." Sun was the type to say 'Sup?' to Professor Goodwitch, "Just...I really wasn't expecting that." Blake brought a hand across her hair and laughed softly, "Then again, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. We've been dealing with a lot of weird worlds lately."

"Weirder than ours? I take offense to that." Belle laughed in turn.

"You'd be surprised." They finished loading the Dust and began moving to the next section, "So...would it be too much to hope that in a world without Salem, everyone's standing side by side in equality?"

"Haha...no." Belle's tone was dryer than paint thinner, "You'd think being one of the people who helped stop the Queen of all Grimm would get you more credit, but you'd be wrong." They stopped at the next section and Belle traced her hand against the wall, "People were grateful for a while, sure, but then everything went back to normal. Not to say they forgot about what we did, but..." She shook her head and pulled out a wave of crystals, "People listened to our pleas about equality, but then they forget because it's easier to go back to the status quo. Especially Mistral." She spat out the name like a curse, "So quick to announce how grateful they were without actually doing anything."

"I guess some things never change..." Blake sighed bitterly.

"That's why we're dressed up like this." She gestured to the dark kimono, "Propaganda and commercials, Weiss said. I don't like it, but it works. Keep pushing, don't let up, and use whatever you've got to accomplish your goals." She set the Dust crystals onto a neat stack in the crate "It's actually been a while since I've done any actual Huntress work. It's all propaganda or something else that requires the power of the Maidens. Any Huntsman can kill Grimm, but they can't change the weather to save a village from drought or make natural defenses for new settlements. And as long as we keep doing it, people are a little more open to what we preach. I feel like Sisyphus rolling that boulder up the hill."

"As long as one more person is convinced that equality is possible, then it's worth it, right?"

"That's what I tell myself." Belle crossed her arms and pursed her lips, "But it's not just the Humans. Other Faunus are resistant to it too."

"What? Why?"

"Old timers think that we should have another Faunus revolution and that I'm 'a traitor to my race' because I'm not leading the charge. Not that they'd actually fight, of course. The loudest ones tend to be the most cowardly," Belle scoffed, "Some other Faunus are the same. They think I'm a race traitor or that I don't deserve to speak for our race because I'm one of the 'pretty' Faunus. It's not a lot, thank God, but they're some of the loudest. I expected the Humans to try and drag me down, but other Faunus?" She clicked her tongue, "It's not a pleasant feeling to hate your own kind sometimes."

Blake didn't know what to say to that. The thought of being the Face of Faunus equality, and other Faunus trying to drag her down, sounded so alien to her. She wasn't a leader. That was her father, not her.

"...We should finish up here," Belle said.

"Yeah..." Blake grabbed the cart's handles and silently followed her counterpart deeper into the mines.

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"Heads up!"

Yang looked up just in time to see her mirror image fly overhead and hit the Goliath with a flaming punch. Yang jumped back and looked away as a pillar of fire shot up in front of her. When she looked back, the Goliath was gone...along with just about everything else around Yin. She'd left a twenty-foot circle of burnt earth around her that stuck out in the frozen tundra. And there Yin was at the center of it all, making it look completely effortless as she stood and flipped her hair.

She would've been lying if she said she wasn't just a little bit jealous, but did it really count when she was envious of herself?

Yang looked around the area and let out a low whistle. General Ironwood sent the two of them out to get rid of some particularly persistent hordes around Anima. There'd been a lot more cropping up in recent days, which wasn't a good sign. They figured that Salem couldn't control the Grimm remotely. Why else would she need Cinder to come up with her fucked up plans for the Fall? Still, that didn't mean she couldn't make the Grimm mad from wherever the hell she was.

Or worse. Maybe she was here...

Yang shook the thought off and breathed in the misty air. If it happened then it happened. There was no use worrying about what-ifs.

"That looks like the last of 'em," Yin said. She cricked her neck and stretched both arms above her head. Unlike Yang, she hadn't bothered to change into something warmer - and yes, Weiss, her overalls were warm. That and her Semblance meant she burnt hotter than average.

Still, when Yang asked her reflection about it, she said that being a Maiden got rid of those pesky little things like having to worry about the weather. She could make herself as warm or as cold as she wanted to. Ugh. Some people had all the luck.

"That's the third one," Yin said.

"And a bunch more to go." Yang's shoulders sagged. Then again, she really shouldn't complain. Beating the shit out of Grimm was exactly what a Huntress was supposed to do, She just wished it wasn't so...clinical. She always imagined being a Huntress was like strolling into town, getting a few missions done, and then coming back for drinks with her hard-earned money. A life of fun and adventure. Now it was all about checking things off a list. She knew why, of course, but it was still kind of a bummer.

Oh well. Nothing for it.

"I get to drive this time," Yang said as they walked to the snowmobile.

"Yeah, yeah..." Yin rolled her eyes. They didn't get a bullhead like Blake and Ruby, so they had to make do with sharing a single snowmobile. Now, Yang Xiao Long didn't ride backseat for anyone, and that included weirdo alternate versions of herself. They agreed to switch up the driver on every horde.

Gave them a chance to talk too.

Yang hopped into the driver's seat while Yin relaxed in the backseat. Another benefit of Aura; not having to wear helmets, "Where's the next place?" Yang asked.

"Hold on..." Yin tapped the scroll Ironwood lent her, "Over that way. Should take us half an hour." She pointed to the east.

"Right." Yang twisted the handle and turned till they were in the right direction. The General told them there were at least seven hordes he needed taken care of. Big stuff. Goliaths, Nevermores, even giant Worm one. He could've sent the Ace-Ops or a whole bunch of soldiers, but why bother when you had a Maiden in your pocket? Yang wasn't dumb. She wasn't needed here and they both knew it. The only reason she wasn't chilling at home was 'cause someone needed to keep an eye on Yin.

"You know, this wasn't how I thought this week would go," Yin said.

"Trust me, it's still kind of a shock for me too." Her thoughts drifted back to the last alter she met. She was so blind with loyalty to her Blake that she ignored how far she'd fallen. Or was she ever a good enough person to fall in the first place?

"I'm not complaining." Yin laughed, "It's been a while since we had a chance to do some honest to Gods Huntress work. I was so damn bored."

"Why not?" Yang resisted the urge to look back. Eyes on the road, she told herself.

"Cause we're 'too important' for that." Yin scoffed, tone obviously annoyed, "Always something 'better' to do with our magic. Feels like that's all people see when they look at us, really. I'm not Yang Xiao Long, I'm the one with the magic." She sighed, "But I guess I shouldn't complain. We're still helping people, but the politics make me wanna kill myself sometimes. We both got into being a Huntress cause it meant not having to worry about that shit. Just do the contract and get paid. Now we've got Mistral crawling up our ass and parts of Vale and Atlas thinking we owe them something. Fuck."

"I'll take politics over the Grimm Queen," Yang said. It didn't sound as light as she would've liked.

"So...any interesting stories?" Yin asked.

"Like what? You're the same person as me except for the bullshit magical powers."

"Don't be jelly." Yang rolled her eyes playfully, "But come on, you got know some cool shit. You're me!"

"Surprised you're not asking about the arm."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." She'd already wallowed in it for months.

"Then I won't ask. It's called personal issues for a reason, even if you're talking to yourself." Yang's grip on the handles tightened and she smiled, "Seriously, though, you gotta have something. There's no world where Yang Xiao Long isn't anything but a badass bitch kicking ass and taking names."

"Alright, alright." Yang huffed lightly, "Well, did you guys have to deal with the Breach? Big train crashed through the walls and let the Girmm in?"

"Of course. We were right there when the Grimm came pouring out. That was the first time these 'bullshit magic powers' came in clutch. Shame team PRMN couldn't stop the train from crashing in the first place, but they did great, all things considered."

"Wait, so you guys weren't on the train like we were?"

"Nope. Shame, we would've kicked ass." Yin snorted, "Ozpin didn't want the Maidens off doing something in Mt. Glenn, so he sent the five of us to some village and had us carry cement sacks. We were back on campus when we heard the alarm." Huh, just like team JNPR. Eerie, "Train crashed in your world too?"

"Yep. We got pretty close, but still."

"Eh, it happens. Can't save everyone." Yin's voice turned somber at the end, "So...what's up with you and Blake?"

"Huh? W-What do you mean?"

"Come on, I'm you. I know what I look like when I've got a crush." Yang pursed her lips. Calling it a crush made it sound so...childish. She wasn't a stupid teenager in denial. She liked Blake as more than a friend, she knew that, but it wasn't like she could just blurt it out. Never the right time, and after what happened to that prick Adam...she didn't want to feel like she was taking advantage. Swooping in and taking advantage of someone who was still grieving for a bastard who didn't deserve it.

"What about your Blake?"

"It's casual," Yin said shamelessly, "Do either of us want it to be more than that? Maybe, but we're happy where we are right now. Not like Rubes and Jaune. Those two gimme diabetes with how they act." Yang smiled. Her little sis and vomit man...well, she could definitely see it, though Weiss would probably have something to say about that now. A couple of years back, Weiss wouldn't have even considered going out with Jaune.

Oh, how the turn tables.

"So...you gonna ask her out?" Yin asked.

"O"h my Gods. I am not gonna talk about girls with myself!" Yang huffed.

"Why not? Who better to give advice?"

"You're getting a lot of mileage out of that 'we're the same person' argument."

"If it works." Yin shrugged, "What are you worried about? Worse she can do is say no, but she won't."

"And how do you know that?"

"Cause I'm not an idiot. She likes you too." Yang didn't say anything and just focused on the empty space ahead. Great, she just got lectured by herself, "...Alright, you don't wanna talk about it. Fine. Wanna hear about how I won the Vytal tournament?"

"Pfft, bullshit." Yang snorted, "I know you're a Magical Girl and all, but Pyrrha's a whole different league." Pyrrha...she heard about her dying in Beacon. Was it wrong for her to not feel too sad about it? Not that she didn't feel bad - she did - but between losing her arm and Blake running away, Pyrrha was just another tragedy - another name - added to the entire clusterfuck that was the Fall. Yang had almost forgotten about her till she saw the statue in Argus.

"No, seriously. Totally kicked her ass."

"It doesn't count if you just explode her with a big fireball." Yang scoffed.

"Excuse you?" Was that a pun? "I'll have you know that the only bit of magic I did was making some gauntlets, and I only did that after she yanked Ember Celica out of the arena. I think I was very fair there."

"Alright, I'll bite. How is it being a Vytal champion?"

"Oh, it's great. Guys and girls lined up to pay me for the privilege of being in my harem."

"Ugh, you're impossible."

"You'd know, wouldn't you?"

Yang smirked and the two of them stayed in a comfortable silence for the rest of the trip. Finding out about other worlds wasn't on her agenda for the week, but she couldn't deny that it was an interesting experience; the kinds of things she'd hoped to find when she struck out on her own.

She stopped the snowmobile before they got to the designated spot; no sense in getting it wrecked by Grimm, after all. Yang hopped off with Yin following, the two of them nodding to one another as they both prepped their versions of Ember Celica. At least their reflections came armed.

Dealing with the Grimm here was as monotonous as the last. There was a bit of excitement when the Worm came out of the ground to try and eat them, but it was dealt with pretty quickly when Yin boiled it 'alive' with a fireball the size of two Atlas mechs put together. Yang tried not to let the jealousy get to her. They were the same age but they had different lives as soon as they got to Beacon. It made sense that they weren't identical.

"Nice." Yang breathed in the suddenly warm air and let out a long exhale.

"Thanks." Yin gave her a thumbs-up and sighed, wiping her forehead with the back of her right hand, "Wanna take a break?"

"Sure, won't kill us." Yang shrugged and got a couple of ration packs from the snow mobile's compartment. Definitely not her first choice, but beggars couldn't be choosers. Yin's face puckered when she handed her the ration, "Come on, no whining. Makes me look bad."

"Just reminds me of Mt. Glenn." She stirred the ration pack with the packed spork as they sat down across one another, "We actually let Weiss handle the food since she insisted. Then she ended up bringing packs of veggie omelet MREs." Yin shuddered in horror, "No joke, I decided starving was better. Don't even remember how we survived that one."

"Yeesh. That makes gas station food sound awesome."

"Yeah." She finished stirring then took a spoonful of stew, "So...what are your plans when-" She put emphasis on the word, "-you guys beat Salem."

"Honestly? No clue." Yang took her own bite and winced. Atlas did not have good taste for field rations, "It's only been a couple of years and I can't even imagine what happens after this. We've just been...going from one clusterfuck to another. I can't even imagine what it'd be like to not have the weight of the world on your shoulders.

"Well...think about it. It'll give you more reason to fight."

"I'm pretty sure not wanting to die is a good enough reason."

"Living's more than surviving."

"Pfft, you get that out of a fortune cookie?" Yang snorted. She should've left it at that, but something compelled her to continue, "So...do you know where your powers came from?" she asked slowly.

"My useless sperm donor." Yang winced slightly at the blunt reply. She didn't have any good feelings about Raven, but it was still a weird thing to hear coming out of her mouth, "Is she..."

"Alive? Yeah."

"I was gonna ask if she was the Maiden here."

"That too." Yang looked down at her ration packet.

"Great." Yin sighed and set her food down, "You met her, didn't you?" Yang didn't have to reply; she already knew the answer, "...You know, I spent years thinking about what I'd say when I found her. I wanted to ask her why, wanted to punch her in the fucking face. Then she up and dies weeks before I even get to Beacon." She sneered, "A part of me thought that she must've had a good reason for it. Why would she leave me and dad? Then I found out later that she was just a bandit. She thought being a family was too hard to so she decided she'd rather spend the next couple of decades robbing and killing people."

"Yeah..." Raven wasn't a good person. In fact, she was a pretty horrible one by just about every standard. She already hated her for what she did to dad, but knowing she was a bandit, that she'd used the powers of the Maiden just to rob and kill people easier...it made her sick. And on top of that, she was a coward. All that power and skill, and she didn't have half the guts her daughter did.

She was probably back in Anima raiding innocent villages again...

"She gave you the Maiden powers," Yang said without thinking.

"What, maybe because she cared about me?" Yin laughed bitterly, "Even if she did, it doesn't change anything. She doesn't get to erase 17 years of abandonment and murder because she thought of me right before she died. I don't even know if she did it deliberately. That bitch Vernal seemed to think ti was an accident. Can you believe they tried to recruit me into their fucking gang? Tried to sell me on how I could take revenge for Raven. Like I give a shit about that."

"Guessing you didn't let them off easy."

"Nope." Her grin was sharp, "What about you? You met her. What was she like?'

"A bitch." Yang smiled wryly, "Just...so convinced that she was right. Talked about how Ozpin couldn't be trusted and made it sound like I impressed her when I found their little shanty town. I was...disappointed. All those years thinking about what it would be like when I finally saw her and she ended up just being another delusional asshole. The best thing she ever did was leave. Me and Dad...we got Mom and Ruby for it."

"Sounds like I didn't miss much." Yin shook her head, "Yeah, probably better that I didn't meet her. Would've just pissed me off more. At least I can use the magic for more than killing innocent people while bragging about how strong I am. Assholes."

"We should- look out!"

Yang moved on instinct as the black blur charged and swiped at Yin's back. She pushed her counterpart and got hit with a blow stronger than an Atlesian paladin. A strangled gasp escaped and she was flung through the air helplessly before she crashed against the snowmobile. Both she and the bike toppled over and the sound of a loud crunch reached her ars. She still had her Aura, but she was left breathless and panting against the ground all the same.

She looked up just in time to see Yin scream and punch the Grimm with a flaming fist. The monster snarled and stumbled back, giving Yang the chance to see it in full. It was tall, easily twice their size, and stood on its hind legs in a hunched posture. Its elongated arms were filled with razor-sharp claws, and when it snarled again, Yang saw rows of jagged teeth that reminded her of a Beowolf Alpha. On top of its head and across its back were equally sharp spikes that stuck out against the pitch-black skin.

Yin looked absolutely furious, more than if she'd just been frustrated at being caught blind.

Yang scrambled to her feet and helped her reflection fight the bipedal beast. It was strong, there was no denying it. It seemed to shrug off their blows and Yang felt like she was punching at a a steel wall without her Aura. Fast too. Yang barely managed to avoid its hits, and the temptation to just use her Semblance for stronger blows grew stronger as the seconds passed. She held off. She needed a guarantee that it wouldn't be wasted.

An opportunity that came when Yin's eyes lit up with golden fire and she screamed, "Burn, you piece of shit!"

A fireball even bigger than the one that killed the Worm slammed down on the Grimm's position. Anyone else would've risked being burnt to a crisp even with their Aura, but they were different. Their Semblances made them practically fireproof, so what should've been a raging inferno for anyone felt more like a dip into a steaming sauna for her. Not comfortable, but easily survivable.

Yang charged ahead, jumped, and punched the the monster's jaw with as much strength as her Semblance could give her. It stood its ground for a moment, but another push sent it flying through the air like it did her before it crashed against the ground with a meaty slap.

She expected the Grimm to dissipate into nothing. Its dark body did disappear, but it left something behind. Yang's eyes widened as she saw what was unmistakably a body. It was unhealthily pale with

"What the f-"

"Help me." Yin slipped past her and began heating up the body. It was only then that Yang realized that it was shivering, "There's some jackets and blankets in the snowmobile! Go get them!"

"R-Right!" Yang ran to the fallen vehicle and picked up the spilled supplies. She ran back to the shivering body and bundled it - him - up in as much of the cloth as she could. She checked his pulse and frowned. It was there, but it was weak, "What the fuck was that? That Grimm left a body! What the fuck does that mean?!"

"It means we gotta call the General. Now."

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Ruby looked out of the truck window and suppressed a sigh. The General sent Rose to help with supply runs for Amity, which meant Ruby had to come along too to keep an eye on her. She wasn't stupid; she knew she didn't have anything to do here.

She watched as Rose altered the landscape to make a path. The usual path to Amity was safe but it also forced deliveries to go the long way around. It caused delays, which were the last thing they needed right now; especially after the General found out the truth about Salem.

This time, Ruby couldn't stop the sigh that escaped her. He didn't say anything, but she could tell that she'd wrecked whatever trust he had in them, possibly permanently. He still trusted them to watch over their counterparts or deal with busywork missions, but that was about it. She couldn't say it was unfair. They hadn't reacted very well when they found out what Ozpin lied to them either and the General laid his cards on the table when they met up again.

And while she still had some doubts about him - particularly how he ran Mantle - not telling him about Salem's immortality was a bad choice. She didn't blame him for being wary.

But that didn't mean she was happy being stuck on babysitting duty.

Rose hopped into the back of the truck next to her with a bright smile, "Let's go!" she told the driver. The soldier nodded and kept driving. Rose focused and began diverting the snow. It reminded her of that movie where the main character parted the sea with his Semblance. The only reason Rose had stepped off earlier was because of a particularly bad roadbump that she needed time to fix. They hadn't even run into any Grimm, which meant Ruby didn't have anything to do but watch her counterpart do all the work.

"You're being quiet," Rose said suddenly.

"Huh?" Ruby looked at her other self.

"You haven't said anything since we left."

"Just...thinking." Ruby forced a smile.

So far she'd seen two versions of herself and both were better than her. The first one stopped Cinder in the CCT and the other stopped Salem herself. And both of them stopped the Fall. How could she not feel lesser - worse - than them?

"What about?" Rose gave her a sideways glance, "Can't read your mind even though we're the same person, so..."

"Things."

"That narrows it down," she quipped. Ruby felt a spike of irritation that she quickly forced down. What right did she have to be angry at her? Rose was the one who got kidnapped and decided to help them out even though she had nothing to gain from it. Ruby liked to think she would've done the same in her place, but...

Rose suddenly poked her cheek, "H-Hey!"

"You know how weird it is to see myself pouting?"

"Don't act like you don't do it to get away with stuff." Ruby crossed her arms petulantly. She wasn't as sweet and innocent as Yang thought she was. She knew exactly how to take advantage of her big Silver Eyes, and not just in how they killed Grimm.

"Why would I? Jaune doesn't need me to pout to say yes to anything I want." Rose giggled, "Speaking of, are you-"

"I'm not talking about this!" Despite her dour mood, she couldn't help but blush slightly. She and Jaune were best friends - her guy bestie to Weiss' girl bestie - but going out with him...weird! Weird, weird, weird! Back at Beacon, she didn't really care about dating like Weiss or Yang did. Who had time for that stuff when they were busy with school and fighting bad guys? After Beacon fell...well, Jaune was still hurting and Ruby was desperate to keep moving forward. Romance was the last thing on their minds.

Besides, she'd seen the looks Jaune and Weiss were giving each other. She didn't want to get in the middle of it.

"Why not? You don't know what you're missing out on!" Rose still kept her head facing forward, though Ruby didn't miss her lovesick smile, "Jaune's the best! He's loyal, he's always there for you, and he'll pick you up when you're down! It's just...so great!"

"I'm not sure about that..."

"Come on, why not give it a try? You never know until you try it! Beacon's been so fun ever since we started dating!"

The reminder of Beacon made something inside her crack.

"Because he's not the same Jaune, okay?!" Ruby suddenly snapped. Rose looked surprised, and Ruby she knew she should've stopped there, but she kept going, "Your Jaune didn't have to deal with losing Pyrrha - his partner - because of some psycho wanted magical powers. He didn't have to deal with feeling guilty because he thinks he could've saved her somehow. The same guilt I feel for Pyrrha and every single person that died in the Fall because I wasn't good enough!"

The truck suddenly stopped and Ruby saw a pile of snow blocking them. Her rant must've distracted Rose.

Just another thing she screwed up on.

Ruby pursed her lips and stepped out of the truck without a word. She knew she was being childish and holding them up, but right now, she didn't care. She felt like she was choking staying inside with her. The perfect version of herself. The one who got magical powers, stopped the Fall, and saved the world from Salem. The more she thought about it, the smaller and more pathetic she felt. What had she really done besides scramble from one disaster to another?

And it wasn't even just her. Neo had stopped the Fall all by herself in one world, and in the one where the other Weiss came from, apparently, the Fall just didn't happen. It was like the universe was playing a joke on her.

She remembered her first counterpart's words about how it wasn't her fault. It didn't help. The more and more alternates that showed up, the more it felt like she'd done something wrong.

Footsteps came from behind. Ruby refused to turn around to meet Rose's gaze, "...I'm sorry for being pushy," Rose said eventually, "I shouldn't have acted like that."

The urge to snap at her again was tempting, but she held back. It wasn't Rose she was mad at, and it would've been unfair to use her as a target, "It's not your fault." Ruby sighed, "It's just...Beacon fell here, and I couldn't do anything about it. My friend died, Yang lost her arm, and our team was separated. I don't even know how many people were killed by the Grimm or those malfunctioning robots. I was too scared to back to Vale and see."

"And then alternate versions of ourselves start showing up and it seems like everyone avoided the Fall. Either it just didn't happen or they found a way to stop it." Unlike her, she didn't say, "Your world stopped Salem. Compared to you, I feel like a complete screw-up!" She sat down on the ground and her head on her knees, completely uncaring about how cold she felt.

"I don't know what to say." Rose sat down next to her, "I didn't have to deal with that horrible stuff, but I know it's not cause I'm better than you. I just got lucky." She hugged her knees and looked up at the sky, "I didn't do anything to earn these powers and I would've failed so many times if not for my friends. It probably doesn't help, but...we'll be here to try and help as much as we can while we're here."

It didn't help, especially since they could go back to their saved world any hour now, but Ruby didn't say that.

"I'm just...tired. It feels like I'm screwing everything up," Ruby said eventually.

"You're still here and you're fighting. You could've given up, but you didn't."

"Does it matter if it doesn't feel like I'm actually doing anything?"

"If you really thought that, you wouldn't keep fighting." Ruby didn't say anything. Rose stood up and stretched her arms above her head, "I know it doesn't mean much, but I think it's a good thing that you're still going. You might not be Maidens, but I don't doubt that you all can stop Salem. She's not as unbeatable as she thinks she is."

"Hm..." Ruby stood and wiped the snow off her clothes, "Let's just keep going. Maybe getting to Amity will help me clear my head."

"...Alright, just...talk to me if it feels like you're choking." The two of them walked back to the truck without another word said.

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Weiss stirred her cup of tea, face set in a morose expression. Unlike the rest of her team, she didn't have a dimensional counterpart, which led to the General 'encouraging' her to stay behind. He didn't trust her, that much was clear.

Which left her with little to do but try to idle the time away. Nora had been similarly despondent since Ren was taken along with Jaune (and Neo), so the two found themselves spending some time together.

She liked Nora well enough, but it wasn't exactly hard to say that the two of them didn't share much in common. Despite that, Weiss' half-sarcastic suggestion that they both have a tea party had been met with a surprisingly eager 'Yes', and now the two found themselves in a secluded corner of the academy courtyard...well, having tea. Weiss still preferred coffee, but tea could do when it wasn't available. A nice white tea was good for a palate.

Weiss lifted her cup and took a dainty sip. Nora did the same, though she looked uncharacteristically nervous. She set the cup of green tea down and smiled, "So-"

Nora was suddenly engulfed in a sphere of green energy. Weiss' eyes widened and came to the quick realization that she was being switched somehow. She looked away from the bright flash, and when she looked back, she found herself staring at her reflection.

"...Well now, this is interesting," her counterpart hummed. Despite the situation she found herself in, she looked as calm as could be. Like the rest of her team, she was dressed differently than Weiss' usual flair. Her hair was let down to her waist with a silver tiara adorned with a red gem atop her head. Her white dress was sleeveless and backless with matching opera gloves. When she crossed her legs, Weiss saw light gray stockings mixed in with white and blue heels.

"...Um, huh?" Weiss said smartly.

"I think that should be my line. I was the one who was kidnapped, technically speaking." She picked up Nora's tea, "Do you mind?"

"No, help yourself..."

"Thank you." She took a (way too calm) sip of the beverage, "Your friends told us what happened. I was suspicious at first - anyone would be in my position - but they managed to convince me. I hardly expected to be taken as well, though judging by your expression, you're even more surprised than I am."

"Yeah..." Was the machine really that broken? "H-How are Jaune and Ren?"

"They're fine. Keeping a low profile, obviously, but well enough. Our Jaune has made fast friends with them." She smiled slightly. It was only then Weiss noticed that she didn't have a scar on her left eye, "As for Neopolitan, don't worry, we have her secure. We've had our own share of bad experiences with her."

"Oh, that's...good." Weiss shook her head, "I'm sorry, I'm still reeling from this. With you here, that means there have been four people that have been switched. That's twice the amount of alternates than what we've had to deal with so far. That's worrying."

"I'll take your word on it. I'm hardly an expert in dimensional travel."

Weiss was about to respond when a loud alert suddenly rang overhead. It reminded her of the Breach, "What the..." Her scroll buzzed. When she looked at the message, her heart sank. A public warning about a Leviathan approaching the shore. The last time they had to fight one near Argus, they almost failed.

'No.' This was different now. They had General Ironwood and the rest of the Atlesian Huntsmen here. It wouldn't be so dire.

"I may be in another dimension, but I recognize that alarm anywhere. What kind of Grimm is it?" Schwartz asked.

"A...A Leviathan. It's making its way to the shore."

"Hm. Then I suppose we should do something about that. I'm sure the rest of my team thinks the same." She stood up, "Lead the way."

Schwartz removed her gloves and Weiss stopped when she saw it. From her left arm down, the limb had switched from flesh to a sleek silver prosthetic. It was thinner than Yang's, more befitting of her slender frame, and finely decorated with what looked like gold ornamental patterns that reminded her baroque designs. The sight of it left her gaping and she had to force herself to look back up and see Schwartz's raised brow.

"How-"

"We should probably save any explanations for later," Schwartz cut her off coolly, "Come on, let's go."

"Alright, follow me..."

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Poor Ruby's dealing with some stuff. Everyone else is too, but hey. Meanwhile, Seasons Weiss just handles it like a boss and doesn't even hesitate to go square up with a Leviathan after being kidnapped. That's why she's Best Girl.

Anyway, the next chapter of this will be the finale with the two Weisses also talking to one another. I'm thinking of them walking through the Mantle slums for a plot reason and them discussing what Weiss will do now that Jacques is arrested.

Question:

1. What do you guys think of the sudden angst from Ruby? I know she talked about the Fall with Blonde Ruby before, but I think seeing more and more dimensions where the Fall was averted would bring back the negative feelings she has about herself.