The Tale Of X-49: A RWBY Story

Chapter Eighty Seven - The Tin Man & The Long Slumber

The last thing X-49 remembered was falling. During a harrowing battle in the Pocket Dimension, X-49 battled Cinder Fall after Ruby and Yang fell into the abyss.

X-49(Past): You're going to pay! Do you hear me?! This is for my sisters!

Cinder: Delusional machine. Do you really think you truly cared for them. Your feelings for them are not real.

X-49(Past): THEY ARE REAL TO ME!

Cinder: Then allow me to expand that pain!

X-49 replays the moment where Cinder fired the fireball which blasted both Penny and Jaune off the edge and into the abyss. He also remembered Cinder stabbing him with a device of unknown origin. But then after that, everything seemed to fall apart with the ending being X-49 falling while holding on to Lulu. The last thing he saw before he shut down was Lulu falling away from him. As everything went dark, X-49 suddenly woke up in what appeared to be in an enclave. He found himself barely able to move as his photoreceptors were fuzzy. The last thing he saw before he shut down once more. Then after that, there was nothing but darkness. But the next time X-49 woke up, he woke up in that same enclave. This time however, his photoreceptors were clear. The first thing he saw was Lulu who quickly jumped on the Combat Droid and began licking him.

X-49: Lulu....sweet thing....

As X-49 hugged Lulu, he got a glimpse of his reflection in a mirror. He was showing signs of rust all over his body. Seeing this shocked the Combat Droid as he took a closer look at his reflection. Suddenly, a voice is heard.

???: I see you're finally awake.

X-49 turned around to see an old woman tending to some blue flowers in the enclave. X-49 was confused about the old woman's presence, but he didn't see her as a threat.

X-49: How long have I been here?

Old Woman: Quite a long time. A very long time.

X-49: How long are we talking here?

Old Woman: Do you know the Tale of the Tin Man and the Long Slumber?

X-49: Yeah. I do.

Old Woman: Once upon a time, there live a Tin Man who came from a land populated by tin men. But unlike the other tin men, this Tin Man had a special heart that allowed him to feel like a living person. One day, this Tin Man left his home to find a family. But during that search, he fell into a deep slumber. His long slumber was interrupted when two little girls woke up him and the Tin Man became a part of their family. The Tin Man was dearly loved by his new family and the Tin Man loved his adopted sisters dearly. The Tin Man would defend his family from monsters and evil from all sides, determined to keep his family safe. But one day as the Tin Man was walking down a long road, he fell down and fell into a even deeper slumber. The Tin Man's sisters searched far and wide for him, but they never did. As for the Tin Man, he still slumbers to this very day until someone wakes him up from his slumber.

As the old woman told the Fairy Tale to X-49, the Combat Droid remembers reading that Fairy Tale to Ruby and Yang when they were very little. In that time, X-49 drew some comparison between the Tin Man and him. But now, the similarities between the Tin Man and him were uncanny.

X-49: Are you saying I'm the Tin Man?

Old Woman: Yes. And you've been asleep for a very long time. I found you when I first arrived here almost 50 years ago.

Upon hearing this, X-49 was shocked. To hear that he had been deactivated for almost 50 years came as a shock to the Combat Droid. But was he took the time to process this, he became curious about the old woman.

X-49: Who are you?

Old Woman: Someone like you, X-49. A Tin Person who was given a heart.

As the old woman said this, X-49 couldn't help but notice the woman's eyes. Her eyes were bright green. Between the eyes and what she just said, X-49 spoke out the woman's name.

X-49: P...Penny?

Penny: Salutations, X-49.

X-49: I...I don't understand.

Penny: We arrived at this place at around the same time. I tried to reactivate you, but I was unable to.

X-49: I...I don't believe it. I thought you were dead. Winter became the Winter Maiden after you fell.

Upon hearing this, Penny fell silent for a moment. Her smile dropped briefly before turning back to X-49 and hugging him.

Penny: It's good to you again, X-49.

X-49 was still in shock to see not only Penny alive, but see her as an old woman. But he glanced over to Lulu to see her still the same age as when they fell.

X-49: How are you an old lady and Lulu still the same age?

Penny: I found Lulu a few days ago. When she saw you, I've never seen her both happy and sad.

As Penny said this, X-49 came to the conclusion that if Penny was here, then that meant Ruby and Yang must be alive as well. Without hesitation, X-49 got up and began walking out of the enclave.

Penny: Wait! There's much about this place you need to know!

X-49: This can't wait, Penny. If you and Lulu are here, then...then that means Ruby and Yang are out there. I have to find them! I promise to bring them and anyone else I find back here.

With that, X-49 and Lulu set out to find Ruby and Yang as well as anybody else who found themselves in this strange place. Like the Tin Man in the Fairy Tale, X-49 had woken up from his long slumber in a strange new world.