Chapters Today seems to be a peaceful day for the inhabitants of Mistral. Because it encompasses such a large area, the kingdom of Mistral has a very diverse range of lifestyles and cultures within its borders. Mistral's people have built their culture and technology around the geography and natural resources of the continent. All of Mistral's people are commonly linked by their respect for nature, particularly the sea and sky.
A television in a living room was turned on and it tuned in to what appears to be a news channel. Only one female can be seen on camera, sitting at a semi-circular table.
“Good afternoon. You are watching the Vale News Network live on TV. I am your anchor, Lisa Lavender. Today’s story is about the recent attack on Haven Academy, which seemed to be caused by a group of intruders working with the White Fang, lead by Adam Taurus. The masked leader was caught, but he escaped into the shadows and is now still at large. However, with this issue settled, humans and the Faunus might be coming to better terms with one another, but there will still need to be repairs to Haven Academy. The headmaster, Professor Leon Lionheart, was found dead in his office after the area was secured.”
“Hey kiddo, can you turn that off?” asked a raspy voice. “I’m trying to nap here.”
“Yes, Uncle Qrow!” exclaimed a high-pitched female voice.
My name is Ruby Rose, and I’m 16 years old. I came all the way to Mistral after Beacon Academy got destroyed, but I couldn’t have done it without my friends. While traveling with the rest of Team JNPR and Uncle Qrow, I’ve been finally reunited with my own team, Team RWBY. It was hard for all of us to meet each other again since we’ve all had new personal upbringings after Beacon fell. One thing that is now our main priority is getting the Relic of Knowledge to Atlas, or else Salem will strike us at any moment.
"Ruby, it’s time for lunch!" called out a girl wearing a white dress.
"Coming!"
Weiss Schnee, who is one of my BFFs, is another important part of Team RWBY. She may have higher standards & more of a brain than me, but she has been a great help and friend to all of us. She wanted to travel to Mistral in order to hopefully find her older sister, Winter, but got trapped in her own home in Atlas instead. After losing her status as heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, Weiss realized that she grew tired of her father’s control and rebelled against him. A huntress like her always fights for what’s right in Remnant, no matter what position she’s in.
“Ahem, I’ll be right there as well.” Uncle Qrow coughed. “I hope Oz gets back soon.”
“Ok. C’mon Blake!”
“Huh?” Another girl spoke softly. “Oh, I’ll be right there!” She exclaimed as she put down a book.
The girl reading on the couch is my other friend, Blake Belladonna. She’s a Faunus with cat ears who’s been covering her identity for years with a bow on her head. She also used to work with the White Fang, but she decided to fight for what’s right and joined the humans’ side instead. However, despite having no hate for humans, she has seen how the real world works and wonders how she can undo so many years of hate and pain. Blake may not talk much, but she does help us fight from both in and out of the shadows. Somewhere out there, her ex-boyfriend, Adam Taurus, is planning to lead the remaining White Fang members in their revolution against humanity.
"Yang, please don't put too much seasoning on top of the meat." Weiss minded.
"Okay, but don't get too salty about it!" The yellow-haired girl giggled.
Yang Xiao Long is my older half-sister who's been taking care of me for most of my life. We may have the same father, but her mother is Raven Branwen & mine is named Summer Rose. Yang's love of adventure is the main reason she decided to become a huntress. Blake considers her to be the personification of "strength." Even when she's not able to control her temper or stay focused, I still love her & support her with all my heart. Adam unfortunately cut off her right arm, but thanks to General Ironwood, Yang was able to get a robotic arm replacement. She still gets traumatized by nightmares of her incident, but is determined to get revenge on Adam. If it wasn't for Yang, we wouldn't have gotten the Relic of Knowledge from the Vault of the Spring Maiden.
Uncle Qrow got up from his spot in order to join the others at the dining room table. The remainder of Team JNPR, Jaune Arc, Nora Valkryie, and Lie Ren, were just finishing up in the kitchen and brought the remaining food to the table. The meals consisted of seafood dishes & bowls of ramen, much to the excitement of Team RWBY.
"Wow, this food looks amazing!" Ruby gasped.
"Thank you." Ren replied.
"Hehe well, Pyrrha once said before that anything can taste better than Pumpkin Pete's cereal, and these dishes are no exception!" Jaune sweated.
"Let's just dive in, okay?" Nora asked. "I'm SO exhausted from all the cooking!"
"Nora, we only saw you help Ren put the ingredients in the pot." Yang smirked.
"Hehe, not really too productive over those last 45 minutes." Weiss giggled.
"Ah, whatever!" Nora babbled. "Dig in, guys!"
Knock knock.
"I'll get it!" as Ruby ran to the front door. "Oh, welcome back, Oscar."
"Yup!" A young boy exclaimed. "Professor Ozpin was just training me to further improve my agility, and I think it really paid off!"
Indeed I was, Ms. Rose. A voice inside Oscar's head spoke. Oscar seems to be exceeding in hand-to-hand combat training, but I still have much more to teach him if we ever run into Salem. That goes for the rest of you, students.
Professor Ozpin was the headmaster of Beacon Academy. He clearly had the most power out of all the students and faculty, but he was a respectable & true leader. He is also known to believe dearly in teamwork, which is one of the reasons why the Huntsmen academies focus heavily on it. Before being defeated and subsequently attaching to Oscar Pine, Professor Ozpin showed some of his true power in his fight against Cinder Fall after she became the Fall Maiden. He possessed superhuman speed, creating green afterimages as he moved. Furthermore, he was able to resist attacks of incredible power by creating an energy barrier around himself. Whether any of these abilities were a part of his natural physical ability, Semblance, or his use of magic is unclear.
"Don't worry about it, Oz." Qrow reassured. "You and I both put a lot of faith in these kids, and right now, we have to make sure they get the Relic to Atlas before Salem gets her Grimm hands on it."
True, but we must not get too confident about this situation. Ozpin reminded as his voice merged with Oscar's. Remember, there are three other Relics in Remnant, and any one of them could be used to Salem's advantage.[/]
"At least the White Fang members, or whatever's left on Adam's side, don't know anything about the Relics." Blake said. “He may have less support, but he will still do whatever it takes to kill me.”
It is only fitting that you should be the one to face your former partner head-to-head, Ms. Belladonna. Ozpin suggested.
“I know. While Qrow and Raven seem to be fairly matched, Adam and I are almost equally strong.”
“Blake, if anything should happen to you, you’ve got Sun and Ilia to be there.” Yang said. “You’ve got us, too.”
“Thank you, Yang. Are you sure you’re comfortable with facing Adam?”
“I’ll make sure he pays for what he did to me during the fall of Beacon.”
“Easy, sis.” Ruby cut in. “Don’t let the past hold you down so easily.”
Yang’s eyes went from purple to red, but changed back to normal before an outbreak could happen at the dinner table. Even some of the smallest things could tick off Ruby’s sister really quickly.
“Mmm.” as Ren chewed his food. “We all have much to learn and train for. That goes for you too, Oscar.”
“Huh?” as Ozpin’s voice changed to Oscar’s. “I mean, yes I do! What’s the worst thing that could happen?”
Bang bang.
“I’ll get it!” Jaune volunteered.
Jaune went to open the front door, but when he took a peak outside, he flinched and fell down flat on his back. The entire gang rushed to his side, only to be greeted by a scary-looking woman.
“Hello students. Is there room for one more?”
”SALEM!!!” The entire gang called out.
A very mysterious figure in Remnant and highly knowledgeable about the world and its forgotten history, Salem is the leader of a faction of people with malicious plans. She has very pale white skin, black & red eyes, is several millennia old, and seems to be hovering than standing on her own feet. Her goals are to find the Maidens, take their powers, take the Relics from the Huntsman Academies and weaken humanity by snuffing out their hope. Raven stated that she would discard the people she uses if they become obsolete to her, which was violently demonstrated when she killed Professor Lionheart for trying to run from the Battle of Haven.
“What do you think you’re doing here?” Qrow demanded. “You think you can just come in here and interrupt our meal?”
“I can, and I believe that this meal will be your last.” Salem replied. “I believe you have something that belongs to me, right?”
“The Relic...” Weiss whispered. “It belongs to us, not you!”
“You’re going to have to get through all of us first!” Nora bickered.
“Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear.” Salem said. “If you would be so useful as to give me the Relic of Knowledge, maybe I won’t have to consider you obsolete. We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
Salem. Ozpin’s voice came back. I was wondering when you would finally show yourself.
“Ah, Professor Ozpin.” Salem grinned. “The almighty headmaster has returned, and yet, he chose to be reincarnated in this young boy?”
“You will kill all of us either way!" Ruby exclaimed. "Don't think we're going to let you take the Relic without a fight!"
"A fight?" Salem hummed. "Playtime would be nice, but I am not interested in your shenanigans. Just tell me where the Relic is and I'll actually spare you so-called heroes. This is your last chance to speak up."
"Kiddo, I want you and your friends to get the Relic upstairs and run..." Qrow begged Ruby. "Oz and I got this."
"You can't be serious..." Oscar gulped.
"Go ahead, be my guest." Salem declared. "I would kill you all myself immediately, but I have a better plan in mind."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Blake wondered.
"What would the world of Remnant be like without its greatest huntsmen and huntresses? My people and the Grimm will conquer all four kingdoms once I get my hands on the other Relics & Maidens."
"You're wrong!" Ruby pointed at Salem. "We can definitely take you down, and even if we can't, there are plenty of huntsmen & huntresses out there who will finish the job!"
"I beg to differ, young Rose. After all, your mother couldn't do it."
"WHAT???" Ruby huffed. "What have you done with her?"
"You've spent all these years looking for her & wondering if she actually died or not, but it was I who took her life. During her final mission, she couldn't beat me alone, and I doubted that she could do it with even your help, Branwen."
"Son of a bitch..." Qrow groaned. "...Ruby, are you all right?"
"...Hnnrgh...Grrr..."
Ruby got down on her knees and started to shed tears. Her team went to go comfort her whoile Qrow, Oscar, and Team JNPR faced Salem.
"There there." Salem mocked. "Keep up all the negative emotions so that Mistral may be infested with Grimm."
You leave us no choice, Salem. as Ozpin switched voices. You have already taken too many lives, but you will no longer continue![/]
"I guess we'll have to do this the hard way. If you want to take a shot at me, I'll be standing right here."
"GET HER!!!" Jaune ordered.
"Very well... Begone, children."
One of Salem's Grimm arms began to glow black & red and directed it towards the entire gang. While Team JNPR was charging forward, Salem closed her eyes and blasted a giant aura sphere around everyone, causing them to disappear with no trace whatsoever. Parts of the house even exploded, which started to alert the inhabitants of Mistral.
"Pathetic... Now, where is that Relic?"
I found myself facing down on the ground, as if I was knocked out from impact. My head was spinning profusely and it really hurt. When I finally woke up, I looked around and noticed that my friends and Uncle Qrow were unconscious as well. I stood on what appeared to be a gold circle with a large, white star inside of it. There were also six throne-looking chairs surrounding the center of the room.
"Guys, wake up!"
"R-Ruby?" Yang uttered. "Where are we?"
"I don't have a clue where we are." Weiss responded.
"This doesn't look like any usual place we've seen in Remnant." Blake said.
"Salem had to have known about this place before deciding to send us here." Qrow thought. "Oz, talk to me!"
"I'm here, don't be alarmed. Perhaps we should go and gather information from the inhabitants of...this intriguing place."
"Wait, where are Jaune, Nora, and Ren?"
"I hope they either manage to come find us or a way out of this place."
"Hold on... Someone's coming this way!"
"Quick, find somewhere to hide!" as Yang opened a random door.
Team RWBY, Qrow, and Oscar ran through a door to find a long corridor of rooms and they each split up. Ruby and Weiss ended up hiding in a bedroom, Blake and Yang hid in a storage closet, and Qrow and Oscar hid in a bathroom. With each of them peeking out their respective rooms, they noticed that the person entering is not human, a Faunus, or Grimm. It was...a pony.
"Thanks for treating us to another day at the spa, Rarity!"
"Aww, it was nothing, Twilight! You definitely needed a break after so much teaching."
"It sure beats doing chores around the house!"
"It's so awesome getting the athlete treatment every time!"
""So relaxing..."
"That was a lot of fun!"
"Ponies? They look so...ADORABLE!" Ruby almost burst out.
"Miss Rose, please keep it down!" Ozpin minded.
"Hey, did y'all hear somethin'?" The orange pony wondered.
"Nothing unusual for me, Applejack." Rarity replied. "Surely whatever you heard probably came from outside."
"No, that clearly came from inside." The blue flying pony considered.
"A break-in, perhaps?" The yellow flying pony shivered.
"Girls, we need to start searching the castle for any suspicious activities." Twilight said. "Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, you'll be checking upstairs with me. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, you three stay down here and scope out the castle."
"Yes Twilight! " The pony's five friends agreed as they all split up.
"This isn't good, guys." as Blake stepped out of the storage closet.
"Stay here while Oz and I go talk to these little horses." Qrow insisted.
"You can't be serious!" Weiss freaked out.
"They look harmless. What's the worst that can happen?"
"You must be drunk again, huh?" Yang asked.
"If things get really hasty, Miss Xiao Long, then we will resort to combat. In case something difficult arises, your sister will bring you and your team forward to assist."
"Be careful, Uncle Qrow." Ruby whispered.
"Don't worry, kiddo. Just be ready to move up when we need you."
As my uncle and Oscar left the bathroom, we watched as they calmly approached the three strange-looking ponies. My friends and I then reached for our weapons in case of a real emergency.
"Yang, you're...stepping on my foot." Blake chuckled a bit.
"Oops, sorry Blake."
"Umm... Hello there." as Ozpin's voice switched to Oscar's.
"Hmm?" Rarity alarmed. "Who might you two be? I don't think we've ever met before, have we?"
"You're not wrong about that, lady. Listen, is it possible for you and your buddies to help us? We seem to be lost and we don't have much time to lose."
"Aww shucks..." Applejack sighed. "I hope it's serious."
"Twilight, we got some party guests!" Pinkie called out.
"N-no, we're not party guests, but I see what you're trying to say."
Those other three ponies quickly came back to the throne room and found my uncle and Oscar there. The more I look at them, the more strange this place gets. However, I can't help but fangirl over how cute these little ponies are.
"Oh?" Twilight hummed. "Who are you two supposed to be?"
"You two don't exactly look like the friendly type, huh?" as Rainbow's eye twitched.
"Look, we're not trying to cause trouble, but right now, we're actually in trouble and we need some help getting back home."
"How so?" Fluttershy wondered.
"You may have figured it out the moment you saw us, but we're not from this world." Qrow called out.
"I can tell." Twilight pointed out. "I know what it's like to be a human and get lost in a different world."
"Really? You can actually help us?"
"Your call, Twi." A.J said.
"Of course we'll help you get back home!" Twilight exclaimed. "Are you two the only ones that ended up here?"
"Nope." Qrow replied. "Ruby, come on in here!"
"What's up?" as Ruby closed the door behind her.
"Helllooo!" Yang started to sing.
"Nice to meet you all." Blake greeted.
"Hi everyone!" Weiss hailed.
"Fancy meeting all of you!" Rarity responded. "Before we begin assisting you, would you mind telling us your names?"
"My name's Ruby Rose."
"I am Weiss Schnee."
"Blake Belladonna."
"The name's Yang Xiao Long!"
"Qrow Branwen at your service."
"And I'm Oscar Pine, but sometimes, you can call me Oz."
"I like those names." Twilight said. "My name is Princess Twilight Sparkle, but everypony just calls me Twilight."
"I'm...Fluttershy." She spoke softly.
"You're looking at the one and only Rainbow Dash!"
"Rarity, my darlings!"
"Howdy y'all, I'm Applejack." as she tipped off her hat.
"And I'm Pinkie Pie!"
"That's nice to know. So you six are actually ponies?"
"Correct. Welcome to the land of Equestria, where we connect with others through the magic of friendship!"
"Magic? Friendship? I know how those two things work, but I don't see how they're connected."
"Don't be silly, missy! It's an everyday thing here that you'll get used to."
"Hey, I noticed that you all have different features. Why's that?" Blake interrogated.
"In Equestria, there are three pony races: unicorn ponies, Pegasus ponies, and Earth ponies. Since I have both the wings of a Pegasus pony and my original unicorn horn, I became an Alicorn pony, which is usually associated with ponies of royalty."
"Ooh, neat! Are you very rich?"
"Hehe, not as much as some other pony like me running the best darn apple farm in Equestria!"
"You got me there, Applejack."
"Umm, what are those things that you're all carrying?" Fluttershy asked.
"These are our weapons."
"Woah woah woah, only the bad guys roll like that!"
"There's no need to be frightened, young ponies." as Oscar's voice switched back to Ozpin's. "We are professional huntsmen and huntresses trying to defend our world from various forces of evil and not the types of people who would harm innocent people."
"Our world is called Remnant." Yang added. "We fight a species of monsters called the Grimm, and they feed off the negative emotions of people, just like leeches."
"They sound like the Dazzlings..." Twilight thought to herself. "Have they overrun Remnant and now you're trying to get back there?"
"That would be the least of our problems. It appears that the Grimm's master, Salem, has teleported us here with her magic and we must get back to Remnant before she obtains her full power."
"Teleportation, you say? Twilight, my dear, you can just show them the magic mirror portal that you always use to visit Sunset Shimmer, right?"
"Did you just say a portal?"
"Yes she did! However, there are two problems that you might encounter with it."
"What's the first one?" Qrow sighed.
"I don't exactly have the power source with me right now. It's actually a book with a red and purple star on the cover, but my old mentor, Princess Celestia, has it right now."
"And the second problem?"
"I don't think the portal is guaranteed to bring you back to your exact world, Ruby. As far as I know, I am only able to travel between here and the alternate Equestria. I've never been to any other world."
"Well, that sucks." Blake shrugged off. "We still have to go find Jaune, Nora, and Ren. Who knows where they could be right now?"
"I'm sure they're doing just fine on their end. Maybe they will have a way to get us out if we find them first."
"Twilight, is this book really the power source for your portal?"
"Yes Blake. Is something wrong?"
"N-nothing. I was wondering if that book was any good to read..."
"Oh, it is! I don't open it up that often anymore because I have a lot of duties as a princess, but when I don't have duties, it's always a pleasure communicating with a friend from the alternate Equestria, who's named Sunset Shimmer. You like reading a lot?"
"Trust me when I say this, but Blake can read more than anyone I've met." Yang smirked. "Even my sister Ruby can't match her!"
"Eeyup!" Ruby nodded.
"You two are sisters? That is very touching, but it appears that you two don't exactly look the same."
"We're actually half-sisters. We both have the same father, but have different mothers. Unfortunately, my mother, Summer Rose, passed away while on her final mission as a huntress."
"And my mother, Raven Branwen, left me shortly after I was born and decided to live her own life leading a tribe of bandits."
"Ouch... I'm...sorry to hear that. Those are quite the first impressions I never expected to hear."
"I'm sorry to hear that, too. Things must be tough in your world, huh?"
"Very." Weiss remarked. "It's only a matter of time before Remnant is destroyed entirely."
"Then, let's get going, everypony! Twilight, where do we go now?"
"In order to power the portal again, we need the book from Princess Celestia. If we can just get Ruby and her friends to Canterlot Castle, there should be nothing to worry about."
"Are you sure this castle is safe, Miss Sparkle?"
"That, I can definitely guarantee, Oz. Don't worry about hiding your weapons, I'll explain everything to the Canterlot Royal Guard and they'll let us inside with no trouble. Sounds good?"
"Team RWBY is ready to roll!" as Ruby pumped up her fist.
"Agreed!"
"Right on!"
"You said it, sis!"
"You four have your own team name? That is...AWESOME!"
"Ooh, what should we name our team, Twilight?"
"Ruby, didn't you leave out Qrow and Oscar?"
"It's fine. I may be retired, but I'm always in the mood for protecting loved ones. I was once a part of Team STRQ."
"I'm just a regular old farm boy who kind of got dragged into this mess." as Ozpin's voice switched back to Oscar's.
"Hmm, there's six of us, but Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang form a team of four. How about...Team SDAR?"
"It sounds like 'star.'"
"Yeah, kind of. I will be joined by Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity."
"What about us, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.
"We'll have to think of a team name for you and Pinkie later. Maybe Starlight and Spike can join your team."
"Twilight, since we're new here in Equestria, why don't you lead the way?"
"Gladly. Come on everyone! Let's get moving as soon as..."
ROAR!!!!!!
"Ahh, my ears! Where did that noise come from?"
"Whatever it is, it doesn't sound good." Yang gulped.
"Hold on, I recognize that loud noise. Quick, outside the castle!"
We all followed Twilight out to the main lobby and out the front door of the castle, running and galloping like crazy, and we laid eyes upon something that we have never encountered before in Remnant. While Twilight and her friend looked angry in a surprised way, my friends and I looked completely disgusted by this weird creature. It possesses a bear's body with the fur coloring of a panda, along with two additional arms, as well as insectoid antennae, wings, and the stinger of a hornet.
"What is that thing?" Blake shivered.
"BUGBEAR! " Twilight and her friends shouted.
"What in the world is a bugbear?"
"A few years ago, the bugbear was captured and imprisoned in Tartarus by the secret agent Sweetie Drops, member of a secret anti-monster agency located in Canterlot, but he managed to escape and the agency was disbanded because of him. We managed to beat him before and we shall do it again!"
"That has got to be the ugliest abomination I have ever laid my eyes upon!"
"Agreed, ma'am!" as Rarity gave Weiss a hoofbump.
"Weapons ready, guys!"
"ATTACK!" Qrow yelled.
While all of us charge against this giant beast, I can't help but know that any of this doesn't make any sense. The past five months had been hard. The Fall of Beacon had impacted so many lives in such a devastating way and it resulted in chaos across the four kingdoms. But it wasn’t just a global tragedy, it was also a very personal one for everyone involved. Students, teachers and bystanders were hurt, Yang had lost an arm and one student had lost their life… Pyrrha Nikos. We went through all of that just to end up somewhere isn't home?
This is starting to feel like another completely different battle. Remnant was a dark place to begin with, but Equestria looks so colorful and bright, and even it has its own evils like this bugbear. The fight just keeps going on and on and on.
One thing, however, is certain: we are four girls with four different stories, but there can only be one ending...
Chapter 2: The Friendship Express
"I can't believe he turned his back on us. He just-- " A male voice interrupted.
"Step away from my throne. We have more work to do if we want to restore the power of the White Fang..."
"We? Everyone knows what you did. You abandoned your brothers at Haven!" A goon intervened.
"I am ordering you to step away from my throne... Now!"
"We're not taking orders from you anymore!" Another goon rebelled. "We heard you folded the moment you got sass from the Belladonna girl. I guess she's got more control over you than you-- "
Suddenly, a slash is heard.
"Hey, wait a second! No!"
A sword was then drawn as the White Fang members attempted to flee, but a series of fatal slashes hit them with no effort, causing them to bleed out in the throne room. The swordsman withdrew his blade back into his hilt and stared aimlessly while sitting in his throne.
"The Belladonna girl..." as he stood up. "Blake..."
Suddenly, he slashes the throne in half and gritted his teeth.
"AAARRGGHH!!!"
"Aww... My...head..."
"Where...are we?"
"Whatever this place is, it's certainly not Mistral."
"Wait, where are Ruby and the others?"
"I was going to ask the same thing. Hold on... Horses? Cowboy hats? A desert? Oh no, I think we ended up in the Wild Wild West!"
"That place only exists in movies, Jaune. Besides, these horses don't seem like they have much to offer."
"You might want to change your mind about that, Ren. Look."
"Howdy folks, how can I help y'all?" A cowboy's voice came from a pony.
"I was wrong..."
"This thing isn't going down so easily." Blake huffed as she shot at the bugbear.
"Ya think?" Rainbow Dash quizzed.
Bang bang bang .
Gunshots flew everywhere as the citizens around Twilight's castle galloped away to safety, with some being trapped inside their houses. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rainbow attempted to fly in and attack the bugbear, only to be smacked away with brute force and end up hitting the castle.
"ROARRR!!! "
"Hang in there, girls!" Yang cried. "Pow, right in the kisser!"
Zap zap.
"Take that, cretin!" as Rarity shot a magical beam.
"ROARRR!!! "
"I'm alright, guys! The bugbear is stronger than last time for some reason."
"Those wings are flappin' faster than the sunrise!"
"In that case... Ice Flower!"
"Say what now?"
Weiss began to use her glyphs to encase Ruby's sniper bullets in ice. The ice enhances Ruby's attack, and the area where the bullet hits is frozen on impact. Ice Flower is named for Weiss' association with ice, and Ruby's last name. The bugbear's wings were then frozen solid, making the beast immobile and standing on the ground on all fours.
"Woah, how did you do that?" Rainbow scratched her head.
"Uhh, have you met Ruby?" Yang smirked.
"Never mind." Twilight said. "That attack combo seemed to work!"
"Eek, it's coming this way!" Fluttershy panicked.
"Freezerburn!"
Weiss started to freeze the ground while Yang jumps into the air and proceeds to punch the frozen ground, all while firing Ember Celica. The evaporation then creates a mist which can be utilized for cover and creates opportunities for sneak attacks. Freezerburn is named due to the pair's respective associations with cold and heat. As the bugbear dashed into the mist, the entire gang was nowhere to be seen.
"Good thinking as always, Ruby." Blake said while hiding in the mist.
"Where did he go though?"
"Stay sharp, kids." Qrow then switched to his scythe. "Where is this bastard?"
"There!" as Weiss pointed to the left of the castle.
"ROARRR!!! "
The bugbear continued to swipe the gang, but they kept dodging its attacks and it eventually started to grow tired.
"Ready Blake?"
"Always."
"Bumblebee!"
Blake's Gambol Shroud shot out her ribbon attachment, which Yang grabbed one end of. Blake then started to swing Yang to create momentum for her punch whilst firing her Ember Celica. The ribbon sped up as Yang lifted herself off the ground and she let go of it, causing her to take flight and fly towards the bugbear. A direct punch in its face also sent the beast flying into the distance, accompanied by the sounds of explosive shotgun shells.
"Oh...my..." Fluttershy gasped.
"That was...AWESOME!" Rainbow praised.
"Good job, team!" as Ruby gave her friends high fives.
"Impressive! We've never seen combat skills like yours before."
"Hehe, what can I say? My nieces and their friends are the best huntresses anyone could ever ask for."
"Thanks Uncle Qrow. Shall we get going to Canterlot?"
"Yes Ruby. The Ponyville train station is only a couple of blocks away from here. Follow me if you will."
"Of course, but how are we supposed to buy tickets if all of our money is stuck in Remnant?" Oscar asked.
"It's okay, I got you guys covered. Royal ponies like me don't have to pay anything, and any friend of mine can come along."
"If only I was still heiress..." Weiss thought to herself.
"You're serious? Thanks Twilight!"
"Yeah, thanks Twilight, as always!"
"Don't mention it."
"Maybe we'll find the others in Canterlot." Yang said.
"Like we've said before, I'm sure they'll be alright for now."
"Come on, let's get moving. Oscar?"
"Huh? Oh sorry! For some reason, this unicorn just kept staring at me."
"Lyra? Oh, don't mind her, sweetie! She may act a bit strangely sometimes, but I assure you she's a kind soul."
"Hold up. Does anybody have something to drink first? I'm all out."
"Hehe, so soon Uncle Qrow?"
"Ya like apple cider, fella? I can brew up some for ya once we get back!"
"Ehh, why not? Sure, thanks."
"Onwards!" Pinkie shouted.
Time was of the essence. We all withdrew our weapons so that these ponies didn't think that we were crazy. However, as they came back into their homes, I heard them cheer specifically for the six of us in our group. I actually don't understand why. I get that they are thankful for us saving their lives, but are we really worthy of receiving such praise?
"So, you six are the protectors of Equestria?"
"Yes...and no, Miss Rose. Even though we have been called to action on several occasions, we did get captured in a couple of situations and had to rely on other ponies to come help us."
"That's the magic of friendship for you! In all seriousness, even we don't have a perfect track record of defeating the bad guys."
"How relatable. Let's try checking our scrolls for a signal."
"Signal? Sorry, but as of now, technology doesn't exist in Equestria. Only in the alternate Equestria will you be able to phone or call somebody."
"Drat!"
"Can't you use magic to do something about it, Twilight?"
"Sorry Blake, but I wish that was possible."
"Well, at least we've got even more of a fighting force than before." Oscar admitted.
"Don't get too cocky, kid. This is only just the beginning of another long haul."
"There has to be a reason why Salem sent us to this exact place. She must've been here before or something."
"She must be a scary witch." Fluttershy imagined.
"An ugly one too at that." Yang added.
"Now, we wait for the silly train to show up!"
"Oh, we're here? Hehe, I must've dozed off."
"Yeah, me too, sis. H-Huh?"
When the gang arrived at the Ponyville Train Station, they waited on the platform and Yang noticed something, or rather, a strange figure across the other side of town. However, when she shook her head, the figure was gone.
"Yang? What's wrong?"
"I..."
"Ruby, can you excuse us for just a moment?"
"Yes Blake."
Blake then took Yang go to a private corner away from the group, hoping that they could reconnect.
"I was just seeing things. I'm sorry. I still get flashes from that night."
"Hmm..."
Blake sees Yang's flesh hand shaking uncontrollably before she composes herself.
"Do you think Adam's still out there? "
"I don't know. If he went back to the White Fang, there would have been serious consequences. But, he never really liked people telling him what to do. Adam's strong, but his real power comes from control. He used to get in my head, make me feel small. But now, I see he just wanted to pull me down to his size."
The both of them look at Yang's prosthetic hand, which Blake carefully grasped.
"Hey, I'm not leaving. And if we ever see him again, I promise I'll be there."
The two share a smile.
"And I'll protect you."
At this, Yang's eyes widen and her expression turns into a frown.
"W-What?"
"What?"
"But that night... It was supposed to me protecting you."
Yang started to shed a tear, but it wasn't long before Blake wiped it off. In an attempt to be a source of comfort, Blake tried to wrap her arm around her friend's head, but the sounds of rails screeching interrupted the two.
"The train's here!" Ruby jumped up and down. "Blake? Yang?"
"Yeah, wait for us, Ruby." Yang sniffed.
"All aboard! " The train conductor yelled.
"Ya might wanna watch your heads, folks."
"Ow! I'll be sure to remember that next time."
"Hello, Your Highness." The train attendant bowed to Twilight. "Sorry to interrupt you, but is it too much to ask your new friends here to store their belongings?"
"He's talking about our weapons, isn't he?" Ruby whispered to Yang.
"No, not at all! Ruby, Canterlot is a short distance from here anyway. Do you mind putting your things in the cargo hold for now?"
"Sure Twilight. Let's go, guys."
"Next stop is Canterlot! " The conductor yelled again.
We all entered the train car and the doors slid shut behind us. There was a car specifically for luggage and other cargo on this train, which contained bins for us to put our weapons and Dust in.
"I might as well listen to some music ." Yang said.
"Somebody wake me up when we get there, okay?"
"Minus the recent attack, this world would seem like the perfect paradise for any huntsman or huntress to be a part of."
"Oh, you bet, Oz! There are tons of awesome things to do in Equestria!"
"Ya mean other things besides reading Daring Do books and fantasizing about the Wonderbolts, right?" A.J smirked.
"Hehe, right."
"We understand that you all are in a dilemma right now and while it would be nice to give you a grand tour of our home, it would just waste more valuable time for you to stop this witch you call Salem."
"If only we had more time on our hands, Rarity..."
"It seems like a long time will pass before Salem gets her Grimm hands on all four Relics. I do believe, however, that her subordinates will struggle heavily to even reach the other kingdoms in Remnant without being caught in the crossfire."
"Relics?"
"The Relics are the physical manifestations of the four gifts to humanity as bestowed by The Gods. These gifts are knowledge, creation, destruction and choice. The Relics were left behind when the two brothers abandoned Remnant. It is said that each contains great power, and if anyone were to wield all four they could change the world. In truth, the four brought together will summon the God of Light and God of Darkness back to the world where they will pass judgment on humanity. If the human race has come to accept one another and learned to live in harmony, the gods will live among them as before and make them whole with the ability to cast magic again. If humanity remains divided and demanding of them, however, the gods will destroy Remnant and all its inhabitants."
"Salem is currently looking for the Relics, a fact that made my sister, Raven, worried about. Salem has Grimm searching Beacon Academy, which has been destroyed for months, and her second target was Haven Academy. So far, we only have our hands on the Relic of Knowledge, which is a lamp."
"So those books and tales were true, huh?" Blake asked.
"I see. These Relics sound similar to the Elements of Harmony, which the six of us have used to save Equestria countless times.
"It is indeed a similar situation for us. We are still looking for the Relics of Choice, Creation, and Destruction."
"Which reminds me... Who is the Spring Maiden if it's not Vernal?"
"Maybe Cinder already killed her beforehand and just lured everyone to Haven for that trap?"
"No, that can't be it."
The gang all suddenly turned to Yang who still had her headphones on, listening to music on her scroll. With a puzzled look, she kind of felt creeped out by everyone staring at her.
"Ruby, is something wrong?"
"Uhh, no Yang! We just wanted to ask you a question, that's all."
"Oh, of course! Anything for my little sister!"
"Yang, at Haven Academy, we sent you down to the Vault of the Spring Maiden to get the Relic, right? Well, you never really told us who opened it."
"I didn't?" Yang gulped. "I'm sorry, I forgot. It's probably not important to you guys anyway, right?"
"Yang, you're talking to the Element of Honesty right here, and judging by how much you're shakin', I can tell you're lyin'."
"C'mon firecracker, what could be so bad about telling us who the Spring Maiden is?"
"If I tell you who it is, it better be kept a secret between us and nobody else in Remnant or even here in Equestria."
"I will cross my heart and keep this a secret with all my life, Yang."
"Same here. There's nothing to be afraid about, Yang. You can tell us anything."
"The Spring Maiden...is Mom."
"WHAT??? " Ruby and her allies gasped.
"The Spring Maiden was Raven this entire time?"
"Plot twist!" Pinkie interrupted.
"Another bird name?" Fluttershy wondered.
"No, Raven is the name of my mother."
Raven Branwen is the mother of Yang Xiao Long, the twin sister of Qrow Branwen, and the former lover of Taiyang Xiao Long. Her weapon of choice is her sword with a rotary chamber filled with six types of Dust blades. She is the current leader of the Branwen Tribe, as well as a former member of Team STRQ. She is also the true Spring Maiden and had been using her fellow tribe member, Vernal, as a decoy. Taiyang said Raven had a straightforward approach and saw strength as all-important in a fight, traits that Yang inherited. He adds that Raven was ambitious and gave her all to whatever cause she saw as just while acknowledging she had unspecified faults that greatly contributed to the dissolution of Team STRQ.
"Miss Xiao Long, why must you withhold such valuable information from us?"
Yang then started to shed another tear and began feeling pressured.
"I understand now."
"...You do?" Yang sniffed.
"Even though Raven gets along poorly these days with me, you, and your father, you still love her deep down inside and don't want her to die. I am starting to feel the same way, too. She must feel the same way about her tribe."
"So, you took the lamp from her because you knew that Salem would be hunting down both a Maiden and a Relic at the same time?"
"Yeah, I did. I'm so sorry for not telling you this in the first place. It was a lot for me to take in and convince her to give me the Relic."
"Don't be. I'm more proud of you than upset. The thing that makes you strong, Yang, is standing up for yourself and being able to face anything no matter how difficult it may be. Even though you may be experiencing traumatic flashbacks, you never gave up and continued the journey. That's why we're so lucky to have you on the team!"
"Ruby's right. You've gotten a lot more stronger ever since the Fall of Beacon and it's because your heart is made of pure gold that can't be burned."
"You now know what's it like to live in shadows and cast out the light. It's always an honor to fight by your side, Yang."
"Thank you, girls." as Yang wiped off her tears.
"Now there's the smile I know!"
"I think this calls for a group hug!"
Everyone came in to embrace Yang with a big hug, which she reciprocated. However, the touching moment was interrupted by a vibration.
"Hold on." as Ozpin's voice switched to Oscar's. "Ruby, there's something underneath your cloak."
"Is there? Because I don't feel... AHH!!!"
"What is it, Ruby?" Yang asked.
"IT'S THE LAMP!!!"
"WHAT??? " Everyone else flipped out.
The Relic of Knowledge takes the form of a lamp and was situated in Mistral's Haven Academy, whose insignia forms a stylized lantern. It was the same lamp that Professor Ozpin reminded his peers about to safely secure it to Atlas.
"How is that possible?" as Blake scratched her cat ears.
"I don't know! Salem must've accidentally teleported the lamp with us and she didn't even realize it."
"Well, it's no longer an accident now, kiddo!" Qrow laughed. "At least we have some firepower to work with."
"Yeah, but Salem could still get the other three Relics." Weiss stated.
"A lamp, huh? Well, according to Madam Pinkie, which is totally not me, genies come from lamps. You know what happens next? You rub the lamp!"
"We're not doing that yet, Pinkie." Yang said. "It would've been better if I asked my mom what the lamp does since she is the key to Haven's Vault, but it's too late for that now."
"Hehe, oh Pinkie! There are no such things as genies in Equestria!"
"Don't be so quick to judge, Twilight! as she looked her right in the eye.
"Maybe this old mentor of yours, Princess Celestia, would know what to do with the lamp."
"She has pretty much all the answers that you will be looking for, but right now, we gotta get you home safely, Ruby."
"I hope..."
Yang sometimes kept things a secret from others and even me, but at least when she had no other choice but to open up, she didn't suffer any real consequences. Whatever happened to her during the fall of Beacon is still haunting her to this day. I was more shocked than angry to find out that Raven really was the Spring Maiden all along. Despite what she's going through, Yang still loves me no matter what, but I'm still curious about what Blake discussed with her.
Speaking of the Relic of Knowledge, Pinkie claims that genies always rest inside a lamp, but we need more clues than just a theory. Something about that statue leading to the vault at Haven Academy might've gave us a clue.
"Wow, look at the view."
"Impeccable it is, Miss Schnee."
"Oh, it gets even better if you look down from the city of Canterlot itself! It's quite a landmark of glorious wonders."
"I was born in Canterlot, by the way. When I was just a filly, I was chosen by Princess Celestia to be her personal protégé after passing my entrance exam into her school. After a few years, she sent me to Ponyville to learn about friendship, where I used to live in a place called the Golden Oak Library."
"It used to be a lovely tree, until something terrible happened to it." Fluttershy reminisced.
"And that's why you now live in a castle?"
"Technically, the castle grew out of the ground after we used six keys to open a chest that contained special powers helpful enough to stop an old enemy of ours."
"You sure this really happened or am I just hearing random crap again?"
"Uncle Qrow, not now. That sounds really cool, Twilight!"
"But, why is there more than one throne?" Weiss asked.
"The six of us have earned the right to sit on those thrones, including my best friend and number one assistant, Spike."
"When we first arrived here, I noticed that one of the thrones is smaller than the rest, so it's safe to assume the smaller one is for him."
"He's our precious little dragon!" Rarity blushed.
"Did you say dragon? Is he a dragon Faunus?"
"Come again? No, Spike is just a plain ol' dragon."
"Spike hatched from an egg when I first found him, and even though he walks and speaks fairly maturely, he's still called a 'baby' dragon. He is much smaller than the other dragons, and even smaller than ordinary ponies. He's also in charge of sending my letters to Princess Celestia with his fire breath."
"Where is he right now?"
"Oh, he's doing guy stuff again with Applejack's brother, Big Macintosh. You will get to meet Spike later, though."
"Hey look, we're here!"
"C'mon kids, let's get our weapons."
So this is Canterlot, huh? This place looks like it's built into the side of a tall mountain that overlooks Ponyville and Twilight's castle. I am actually surprised that ponies are responsible for creating all of these buildings and houses. It's as if they act like real humans, but they're technically not. The fact that none of the passengers looked at us awkwardly or nervously makes me believe that Twilight is right about how friendly these ponies are.
"This is Canterlot Station! " The conductor called out. "The next stop is Dodge Junction! "
"Welcome to Canterlot, everyone!"
"Holy crap, this place looks epic!" Yang exclaimed.
"Now now, let's not get carried away here! Canterlot may be a fashionable place, but it is filled with ponies of high society who have their own standards and customs that you may not find anywhere else."
"This must be Equestria's version of Atlas, minus my delusional father and the military weapons." Weiss thought to herself.
"See those pointy tops over there? That's Canterlot Castle!"
"Let's go."
Team RWBY, Qrow, and Oscar followed the six ponies to the castle, but not without receiving an exchange of estranged looks. The rich ponies of Canterlot tilted their heads away in a formal fashion whenever the heroes of Remnant looked at one of them. Despite the citizens of Ponyville being friendly to the group, Ruby still kept her head up high and did her best to befriend anypony else.
"What at inappropriate attire you have there, madam!" A pony wearing a dress called out.
"You are dressed like a hooligan!" A pony wearing a tie declared.
"Hey, this outfit isn't--" Blake stuttered.
"Just ignore them." Yang reassured.
"So Twilight, what was it like growing up in Canterlot?"
"I had a lot of memories here. Back then, I wasn't really into friendship because I was so caught up in my studies under Princess Celestia's guidance, and I was so ashamed of ignoring the friends that I did have in the first place. The ponies around here actually treated me very well because even though they seemed very strict, they admired the fact that I was Princess Celestia's star student. Over here is actually the School for Gifted Unicorns, where I studied as a filly. I was considered to be the smartest one in class, but at the time, I did kind of brag about it. Other than that, I mostly spent my time either with Spike or my family, whom I've shared some precious moments with."
"I guess the rich life wasn't meant for you, huh?"
"Well, my parents were rich and they still are to this day, but I've only really spent money on books...and food, hehe."
"Now that's a life..." Blake drooled.
"What's it like turning into a human?" Yang asked. "You clearly have knowledge on that, don't you?"
"No offense to you guys, but it's...weird. Standing on only two legs was really hard for me and I could barely pick up objects with my hooves, or hands rather. In the alternate Equestria, I had to get my crown back after it was stolen by another old student of Princess Celestia's school. She's been there longer than me and she walks around like it's nothing."
"The only thing that sucked though was that we couldn't go with Twilight over there because Princess Celestia said the balance could mess up if we all went."
"Based on what Twilight found out, we also exist in that Equestria, but in human form as you call it." Fluttershy mentioned.
"In that case..." Ruby imagined gleefully. "Are there ponies around here that look like us too?"
"I don't believe that's true, Ruby."
"Aww, so much for horsing around!" Yang threw in.
"Damn you, firecracker." Qrow smirked.
"We made it, y'all!"
"Wow! " as Ruby's group looked at the castle.
Canterlot Castle is the palace where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna live and rule Equestria from. It consists of at least the throne room, a large ballroom, a kitchen, a telescope observatory, and the Pony Princess Wedding Castle ceremonial hall. In front of the main gates, there stood the Canterlot Royal Guard.
"Allow me to do the talking."
Twilight led us to the front entrance surrounded by three guards, but even though it seemed like they trusted her, they looked at us as if something suspicious was up with us.
"Ah, Your Highness, welcome." A unicorn guard greeted and bowed. "Looking for Princess Celestia, I suppose?"
"Right you are! How is Shining Armor doing right now, by the way?"
"Not to worry, he is doing well for the Royal Family that he's now a part of." Another guard said. "Who are these that follow you?"
"They're my new friends. They won't do anything bad, I promise."
"Yeah, they even helped us stop the bugbear from getting revenge!"
"Very well." Another unicorn guard responded. "Proceed with caution to the throne room, Princess Twilight. Have a good day!"
"You too! C'mon guys."
"Thanks Twilight."
"Excuse me young sir, wait a moment." One of the guards halted.
"M-Me?" Oscar gulped.
"Aren't you a little too young to be using a cane?" A Pegasus guard questioned.
"N-no! This cane is my weapon!"
Ahem. Our weapon.
"I see." The Pegasus guard shrugged. "My apologies, carry on."
"Please tell me these guys won't have to keep doing that every time we come here."
"It's only temporary, don't worry. The throne room is just up ahead."
All twelve heroes walked down a long hallway and were amazed by all the different stained-glass windows. A few of them happened to show Twilight and her friends utilizing their Elements of Harmony against evil forces. At the end of the hallway, there was a window depicting Princess Twilight in all of her glory.
"These are so incredible! I've never seen art like this before!"
"They are quite the scenery, Ruby. In fact, these stained-glass windows magically appear or add to the display whenever the balance in Equestria is restored."
"So, they're a prophecy?" Blake asked.
"Bingo! Maybe one day, you guys can have a window of your own!"
"I'm still hoping for a window of me flying with the Wonderbolts!" Rainbow crowed.
"This is it." Twilight nodded.
Huge doors stood in front of us and as Twilight slowly opened them, a bright light shined through and almost blinded us. We were greeted with more guards who took positions while letting us enter. When they cleared the way for us, a white Alicorn pony presented herself.
"Hello Twilight!" as the tall Alicorn offered a hug.
"It's nice to meet you again, Princess Celestia!"
Princess Celestia is an Alicorn pony, the co-ruler of Equestria alongside her younger sister Princess Luna, and the adoptive aunt of Princess Cadance. In addition to her responsibility of raising the sun, she has also been the teacher of Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer at different periods in time, often addressing Twilight as "my faithful student" while mentoring her. She has a pet phoenix named Philomena.
"How are your students at the School of Friendship?"
"They are definitely learning and making me and my friends proud!"
"Hehe, wonderful. It's always a pleasure to meet the rest of you as well."
"Your Highness. " Twilight's friends bowed.
"Oh? Who else have you brought here?"
"Umm, hello Your Highness, hehe." Ruby bowed awkwardly. "My name is Ruby Rose. It's so nice to finally meet the pony who trained Twilight! She's been a great friend so far!"
"I am Weiss Schnee." Weiss bowed with grace.
"Hi, I'm Blake Belladonna."
"Yang Xiao Long, Your Highness!"
"Qrow Branwen at your service, Princess."
"And I'm Oscar Pine, but you can call me Oz, Your Highness."
When Ruby's group all bowed with their weapons holstered, the guards took notice and pointed theirs in return. However, Princess Celestia raised a hoof in order to make the guards stand down.
"Thank you for the greetings. From the looks of it, you all do not seem to be from Equestria. May I ask exactly how you have ended up here?"
"We seemed to have been sent here from our world called Remnant by our current enemy, Salem. If we don't make it back and stop her, she's going to conquer Remnant with her Grimm minions."
"Twilight also told us that you have a book which can power a portal to get us back home, Your Highness." Blake said. "Is that true?"
"Indeed, and while I am concerned about your world's safety just as much as Equestria's, I'm afraid that your return home through Twilight's magic mirror may not be guaranteed to work."
"Yes, I've told them the same thing, princess."
"It wouldn't hurt to at least try, Twilight?"
"Now now, Ruby..."
"No, it's totally fine! Let's just find the book and hurry back to Ponyville."
"If you will, please follow me to the restricted section of the Canterlot Library. We will not take long."
"I bet there's some interesting reads in there." Blake smirked.
The Equestrian ruler's horn gave off a yellow glow and surrounded Ruby and Twilight's group. Everybody was then teleported into a huge library with lots of ponies reading and going on with their day. Princess Celestia led the heroes to the very back where no one would see them.
"This is it. Allow me to open the door."
"What door?"
I immediately saw Princess Celestia grabbing a yellow book that appeared to have her cutie mark on the cover, but what I found even more interesting is that there's another book next to that one, but it's purple and has the moon on the cover. Suddenly, the ground started to shake a bit as one of the bookshelves slid to the left, revealing a staircase going down.
"Okay, now that is awesome!"
"Yeah, but what's the other book for?" Blake asked.
"It belongs to my younger sister, Princess Luna. She might be able to help you get back home, but unfortunately, she is at another important delegation. These two books open these two bookshelves, but for the sake of time, I will only use mine."
"Moment of truth, Ruby. Let's get you and your friends home."
"Thanks Twilight."
Team RWBY, Qrow, and Oscar rushed down the stairs and came across another library that's more suited for an alchemist. Potions, solutions, and beakers were stacked nicely on shelves, despite being dusty, as well as a bunch of books that were separated. Much to Blake's surprise, she started drooling about all the books acted like the cat Faunus she was.
"Hehe, it looks like someone found their heaven!" Yang giggled.
"U-Unbelievable... N-No!"
"Princess, what's wrong?"
"The book has gone missing!"
"WHAT??? " Everyone else choked up.
"So much for this being a restricted section. Get your weapons ready."
"Are you sure you haven't been down here earlier today, Your Highness?"
"That's not true, Oscar. This is the first time today that I visited the library. I check this section every day and Twilight's book has never gone missing before."
"Look over here! There is a bunch of disgusting dust here, but some hoofprints have been left behind."
"Good eye, Rarity! Who do they belong to, though?"
"Allow Detective Pinkie to do the job!" as she donned an investigator's outfit. "With my trusty magnifying glass, we will determine how thick the prints are, exposing the true baddie!"
"I don't like where this is going. The thief could still be in the library."
"Uh-huh... I think I've found a match! These are...Princess Celestia's!"
"Pinkie, this isn't funny, y'know?" Fluttershy mocked.
"No, I'm serious. Look at the hoofprints and look at Princess Celestia's hooves."
"Oh, Pinkie Pie, you never fail to crack me up! Now let's see who those hoofprints really belong to!"
"I hate to break it to ya, Your Highness, but Pinkie's actually telling the truth. Take a look."
The princess looked down at her hooves and looked at the dust prints, and even she couldn't believe what she saw. Those prints actually belonged to her, but if she hasn't been down here today yet these prints are hers, then there must've been an imposter.
"Alright, let's not accuse anyone yet. Why don't we ask the librarian to see who's been down here?"
"Now that you mention it, the only pony who knows about the restricted section besides me and my sister is the librarian."
"Did somepony need me?" A female pony's voice echoed.
The mare suddenly entered the restricted section and she had glasses and an open book for a cutie mark.
"Huh? Get ready to fight, guys!"
"No, it's okay, Ruby. It's just the librarian."
"Oops."
"Oh, welcome back, Your Highness! I didn't expect you to be here twice today!"
"My apologies, Book Smart, but this is only the first time today that I have been down here."
"Really? I do recall seeing you go into the restricted section of this library this morning, unless it must've been somepony that looked almost exactly like you."
"Hold on a minute. If Princess Celestia wasn't really down here, but yet these hoofprints look exactly hers, then I know what's going on here!"
"Y-You don't mean..."
"Oh, I mean it, Applejack! It has to be none other than Queen Chrysalis!"
"Explain yourself, Miss Sparkle." Ozpin came back.
"Queen Chrysalis is our current nemesis right now. She used to be the leader of the Changelings, a group of insect-like ponies that can shapeshift into any other pony, but she was overthrown by one of her old followers named Thorax. She keeps getting away every time we've beat her into submission."
"Go figure. This may be the first time ever that we suspected her copying Princess Celestia."
"They do look very tall and are almost at the same height as each other." Fluttershy said.
"I-I'm so sorry for not noticing this!" Book Smart exclaimed. "Please forgive me!"
"It's okay. After all, this Queen Chrysalis isn't the only who's has tricked us with mind games."
"You think Salem could be working with her?" Blake questioned.
"Salem could be so powerful that we don't even know what she's truly capable of. For all we know, her goal right now is to steal the Relics."
"Well, it seems we have a new mission right now. We must track down this specimen and bring her to justice at once."
"Shapeshifting?" Yang hummed. "It kind of reminds me of Emerald's Semblance where she can create hallucinations or fake copies of someone else, like how she did that to me during our Battle of Haven with Mercury."
"An ability like that is quite the challenge to deal with. Even with my full power, I stand almost no chance against Queen Chrysalis."
"Don't say that, Your Highness. We will go help find her, stop her, and retrieve Twilight's book. Even if it takes a lot of time to return to Remnant, we will make sure to protect the ponies of Equestria too while we're at it."
"Ruby's right. It's time we finish this once and for all."
"We'll be right behind you, Ruby."
"Make us proud, sis!"
"My friends and I will also help you find Chrysalis and beat her once and for all."
"Aww yeah, another awesome adventure is coming up!"
"I can't thank you enough, Miss Rose."
"Not a problem, Your Highness, and please, you may just call me Ruby."
"As a matter of fact, Ruby, I can't let you go just yet. You must train yourselves to the fullest if you ever want to at least come close to getting the best of queen Chrysalis."
"Hehe, you must be joking, princess! With hunstmen and huntresses like us, what could possibly go wrong?"
"I'm afraid to admit it, but Princess Celestia is giving you all a warning. Chrysalis is going to be difficult to stop with her powerful magic and shapeshifting. Just like real bugs, you keep stomping on them but more of them show up. I think I know the perfect way to fix that, however!"
"How?"
"Your weapons could use a magical upgrade..."
