Chapter 40: Epilouge

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As the screen continued to play the image of Unity faded to a statue of her inside a building. The camera pulls back to show an adult and a bunch of children standing in front of the statue.
"And that kids, is the story of how the world as we know it came to be." The adult, a teacher, smiled at her young students. The middle school trip stared in awe at the statue of Unity, each of them a little intimidated, all but one. "Any questions?"
"So we get to become legends like our persona's" says Weiss
""Oh, um did General Ironwood really give Ruby Rose the army?" One of the girls in the back said, bouncing in excitement.
"Not permanently but yes, he did. Actually if I recall Atlas still has a record of the official order." The teacher smiled at the students as they laughed alongside her. She looked back at the stature of Unity again.
"Will we see any of them today?" One of the students said, the excitement in their tone making the teacher seem uneasy.
"Well you see the thing is-"
"Is that today's tour group?" the group looked up to find a grinning Ruby Rose leaning over the third floor railing. The huntress flipped over the railing and burst into a cloud of petals. The cloud collected at the floor and Ruby stepped out of it, the remaining petals either fading or reforming her cloak. "Sorry about the battle gear, got back a little later than expected."
Ruby gestured to the green spikes coming out of the side of her boots and the plating on her torso and arms. A set of small red crystals circled her neck under her cloak. Crescent Rose sast folded on her back, a pistol at her side. Ruby walked right up to the students and crouched down to their level. Her silver sclera and iris's glowing slightly, much like the rest of her team. She looked them over and the kids immediately swarmed her, except for a boy with strikingly similar hair.
"Hey, dosn't that kid look a bit like Ruby" says Jaune
Before anyone can question it the screen continues to drop a bombshell
"Ms. Rose, Ms. Rose, is it true? You were fifteen when you fought Salem?" One of them asked and Ruby grinned and ruffled her hair.
"Nah, I was seventeen, but that was two hundred years ago." Ruby smirked at the kids as they gasped in awe. Even if her age was common knowledge it never ceased to get a reaction. "Now before we continue, any questions for me?"
"200 YEARS?!" shouts the audience
"Damm, you look good for your age sis" says Yang
"So Unity's comment was true, we're immortal" said Weiss
"Yup" answers Rex
"Is what they say about the phoenix true?"
A ball of fire erupted into a bird behind her. Ruby swung her scythe and Unity slashed a blade of wind through its body with ease. The two attacks ripped the wings clean off the bird, a beat of nuclear energy vaporized the body. Ruby turned to her next target.
"Mostly it is, I didn't kill it alone though." Ruby stood and stretched her arms over her head. "Anyone got another?"
"Um, Ms. Rose, I was wondering about the weapon display, is it true that the original Crescent Rose is on the wall?" one of the boys asked. Ruby grinned and swung her weapon out, the scythe blade tapping against the ground.
"Nope, that old replica may be made of the original parts but I replaced them one by one over the past two centuries." Ruby grinned and ran one hand over the jagged saw-like edge of her weapons newest blade. Ruby started at the weapon as if lost in memories for a moment.
"Ms. Rose will we get to see Unity today?" Another girl said, stepping forward to the font of the group.
"I don't think so kiddo, I can't summon her by myself and my team isn't all here. But I can show you Cecilia." Ruby grinned as several kids nodded eagerly. Ruby flourished her blade and spun on one heel, snapping her gem out in front of her and tossing it upwards. With a twirl she sheeried it in half with Crescent Rose. "Rise, Cecilia Scarlet! "
Ruby and Cecilia smiled as the students rushed through the crimson flames to reach the persona. Cecilia crouched for the kids and began talking to them. The teacher grabbed Ruby and pulled her aside quickly.
"I know we have the memorial next but your wives told me you may not want to go all the way in." The teacher was quiet in hopes that the kids wouldn't hear. "Will you be okay?"
"Wives?" asked Blake in a quiet voice as she and the rest of her team blushed
"I better be invited kiddos" said Qrow
"Me as well" said Winter
"Us too" said JNPR and Ilia
Team RWBY's faces matched Ruby's cloak
"I don't know, it's the anniversary and I've never been able to reach the back for that but-"
"Mom." Ruby turned to find a small boy with silver eyes and red black hair, she lowered herself and lifted him into her arms, the boy hugged her tight. "It's okay, I'll be there."
"So that is your kid" said Jaune
"He's so cute" says Nora
"So he would be my nephew then" said Winter with a slight smirk as Weiss just blushed again
"Is that right? Little Garnet's going to keep me safe and happy?" Ruby laughed as the boy grinned at her. "You'll come see grandma with me? If so then I guess I can manage."
"Garnet, I like it" said Ruby
"Yeah, it's perfect" said Weiss
Ruby looked up at the other kids and let Cecilia fade. The teacher nodded and paused, before the kids came running she had to check something else. Ruby waited patiently for the question she knew was coming.
"Will questions be okay?" The teacher was hesitant. Ruby thought it over for a moment.
A lance of plasma flew over her shoulder, Cinder laughing as it passed her. Ruby whipped around to see the bolt as it found its home in another's neck.
"Should be okay." Ruby grinned and shared a look with her son. "So the other kids know nothing about today's suppose though?"
"I didn't tell them mom!" Garnet grinned in glee at his mother. The teacher nodded in agreement. Ruby and the teacher walked back to the students and began to lead them to the elevator. As they clambered in, Garnet called out. "Kali!"
Blake raised an eyebrow
"Hey little bro, enjoying the tour?" A blonde cat faunus grinned at the boy. He nodded and Kali laughed. "That's great, but I need to head out, the labs called for my help. Welcome home mom."
Blake and Yang's jaws dropped, there was no mistaking who this girl was
"Oh so that's what there kid would look like" said Ilia
"Uhh, wow, okay" said Yang as her brain tried to reboot
"She's so pretty" whispered Blake
"Yeah, yeah she is" said Yang with a giant smile as her brain rebooted. She was never one to picture a future family, liking to live in the present, but seeing her future kid, made her kind of exited for the future with her teammates
"Nice seeing you Kali." Ruby said as the doors closed. She turned back to the class and set Garnet down. "Now then, we're going to the memorial. I'll tell you all about the people there and what they did."
Lightning flashed around them as Cinder threw bolt after bolt at them. Fire splashing into the ground and pure plasma barely flying over their heads. It had started raining minutes earlier as the outermost barrier failed. Ruby turned to watch one slame into Raven's neck, the other woman seethed with rage as another bolt hit her abdomen.
Ruby watched as a nevermore's talons ripped through Raven's wings, mere moments too slow to stop it.  The other woman dove forward and pushed Ruby to the side and took another ball of flame.
Qrow and Yang were upset at seeing Raven in trouble. She may nor have been perfect, but she was still family
The group passed statues of many people. Harriet Bree had a prominent place, as did her old mask among the statues. Others like team JNPR had their own statues. The rest of the Ace ops was a special one for Ruby as she had carved it herself. The students hung onto her every word as she explained it to them. Several kids would laugh alongside her at points.
"And last but not least, Qrow and Raven Branwen." Ruby's smile fell as she came up to the stone statue, a gem embedded into the stone next to the plate. Both figures held their namesakes original weapons in hand as they stood ready to fight. "My mother was powerful, as a persona user and the spring maiden."
"Hmm, not bad" Qrow muttered
"What happened?" One of the kids asked and another elbowed them. Ruby smiled slightly.
"She went against someone more powerful. The fall maiden had turned her back on humanity and gone to the grimm, even gaining power from them..." The crackle of fire and dozens of lightning strikes. A woman's scream even as bolts of white light lanced form her to the other. "When she went down she left the fall maiden heavily injured, then Agent Scar finished the job. That's how Neon Katt became the autumn maiden."
"Oh boy, her with maiden powers would be a nightmare" said Yang
Ruby started to shoo the class out of the hall and back into the main building. Dozens of kids laughing and pushing each other out of the way as they moved. Ruby glanced back at the statue before passing through the doorway. She smiled sadly at it briefly.
"Thanks mom, for everything."
The theater got sad at that
______________________________
"Get out of here Ruby." Raven said, even as blood dripped from the wound in her neck. Ruby moved forward. "No Ruby, take your team and go. Keep everyone safe and I'll deal with this."
"She'll kill you." Ruby said, anger growing.
"Ruby." Raven leaned forward until her forehead was against Ruby's. "We both knew someone was dying in this fight, it's a miracle no one has. Right now if she gets away from me dozens will die, get the civilians out before the barriers fall and I will take her with me."
"Fine." Ruby all but growls as she turns away, beginning to walk back to her team. "Love you mom."
"Love you too kid." Raven mutters once Ruby's out of earshot, turning back to a fully recovered Cinder she grins. Artemis laughs in her head even as Cinder approaches. Raven grins alongside her persona.
"As I would have said in life, show her why we are feared." Artemis's voice carried through her head, encompassing everything around her. "Show her why the Nevermore Queen is feared across the globe!"
" EQUINOX RISEN! " A column of bright white light burst upwards, engulfing both Raven and Cinder. As the light faded the ground continued to crackle with bless energy. Cinder growled in pain as the energy arched up to strike her. Cinder snarled and lifted herself even higher, wind wreathing her form as she stared down at Raven in rage. "Not enough for you? Fine. Heat Riser! "
Raven burst forward, cracks left in her wake on the concrete. She side stepped another ball of plasma with a grace few could hope to match. With an upwards swing she deflected Cinder's hand as another ball flew into the sky. Cinder snarled and formed a burst of heat, blasting out from all slides and forcing Raven back.
"This can only end one way spring." Cinder said, rocketing forward to delivery a lightning encased punch to the older women. Cinder hammered nearly ten blows into Raven by the time she was able to move out of the way. "Give in and make this easier on both of us."
"So you can go after my kids?" The azure flames dancing over her back shifted to crimson. "Not a chance in hell, fall. Lineage! "
"Wait, she's having second awakening" said Jaune
Raven's gem reformed, now solid iron with some type of crimson crystal. It exploded in crimson flames and Raven's persona formed again, it's four wings replaced with a single set of raven wings, it's hair ethereal and black as the night sky. Four orbs of faint spectral light danced around the being. Ci9nder growled and formed another ball of flame and plasma.
The first spectral light broke off and rushed forward, forming into a humanoid shape as it did. A solid punch slamming into Cinder's chest. A pink haired woman with a cocksure grin on her face, a familiar ritual dagger at her side. A bolt of light slammed into her side and Cinder looked up to find a woman with black hair, still translucent like the other. A bow was held in her hands, light hands gripped the bow in a manner that should have rendered it unusable.
Cinder snarled and looked over at Raven only to falter at the sight. Both the figures she'd seen were around the other woman but now there were two more, one with a head of crimson hair and the other blonde. Cinder found herself facing six opponents in one suddenly, her power flaring out to hit all of them each time rather than in focused bursts.
Lightning rained from the sky as thousands of bolts at a time. Fire erupted from her like molten rock form a volcano even as beams of white light crashed against her. Raven's bless attacks pierced all of Cinder's shields even as she was battered. Within moments the two were left barely standing, burns and cuts criss crossing their bodies.
"You and your persona's. Why can't you fight for yourself." Cinder growled, fire flickering in her hands once more as she readied to end the battle. Raven gripped her sword tighter, clearly struggling to breath due to her wounds.
"Lineage is everything that gives me strength." Raven said, her oath flaring at her side. "My predecessors, my children. They are my power."
The two met in a clash of Dust infused steel and superheated glass. Dozens of impacts between their swords as Cinder used her tendrils to block attacks from Raven's persona. Sparks flew from each clash even as they broke through the others defense several times. One of Raven's slash's made contact and Cinder's arm fell to the ground. Cinder snarled as she looked back only to find her blade buried in Raven's chest.
The theater looked down for a moment in mourning
"It seems this is over spring. You lose." Cinder grinned an began to pulled her balde out only to pause.
"Not... Quite." Raven said, blood gushing in her mouth even as she talked. Cinder stared in confusion at her for a moment before  her right eye exploded. A sniper bullet passed from the back of her skull straight through. Raven laughed as she fell back. "Nice shot Scar."
The theater let out a sigh of relief at Cinder being dead
"Wait, if Raven was thinking about scar as she died would that mean she got the spring maiden powers" asked Jaune
"Yup" answered Rex
_________________________
"And that will conclude the tour, unfortunately Penny and Ozma were not present at the faculties today however they are scheduled to visit your school later." Ruby grinned at the students as they cheered. Standing in one of the main training fields the group was finalizing the tour before leaving. "I do apologize that we weren't able to show you Unity today though kids."
"What do you mean Sugarcookie?" Blake walked in from the back door, white games trailing up her forearms like blades on her coat. Shimmering pink gems lined her belt and she grinned at her wife. "I thought we ended every tour with Unity?"
The theater grinned as the others showed up
"It does seem rather odd to not show them our own persona." Weiss said, the white haired woman grinning as she came in from another training field. Blue and yellow gems trailed along her clothes much like her teammates.
"Yeah Rubes, we always bring Unity out." Yang grinned at Ruby as she stepped into the room. Deep blue and red crystal was wrapped over her arms in bands. "So come on, let's do this."
"Great. Hope your ready kids." the four stepped together, their oaths fading into an orb in Ruby's outstretched hand. "Rise."
Ruby's eyes, alongside her teams shined even brighter as multicolored flames erupted in the room. Light flickered and bathed the room in a mystical ethereal shimmer. The figure of a woman faded into view from the flames, her shape half formed and lightly flickering. The children were stunned into silence like many before them by what came next.
"UNITY!!!"
The screen flashed white then cut to black as text appeared on screen
"Fate, a concept many try to escape, one that many try to control. Few do, many fail immediately. The thing about Destiny is simple, it isn't real. Fate may exist, we may all have rolls to play but our choices are our own. On every planet in every universe this is true, we are the masters of our own destiny. No matter how much fate may wish otherwise. Some, some manage to trick fate, or to alter its course but none control it. Even if you manage to shift fate and attain immortality, fate still exists, it still has a plan. So remember, do not fight fate, accept it. Fate is inevitable but there is one thing that should be known.
Fate does not bow to you, but destiny does, fate may put you on one path but you control where that path leads. Never forget."
     - Oscar Pine on behalf of Ozma, written one hundred and fifteen years ago.
"So, that was Persona: Grimm tidings, what did you think" said Rex
"That was so cool, thank you for showing it to us Rex" said Ruby as the rest of the audience nodded in agreement
"Your very welcome, but now that this is over, it's time to send you back home" said Rex

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