Chapter 3: Makeshift Chemistry

The comet came, unsurprising to Weiss as it was. She stood with her hands on her hips in the courtyard of Beacon, watching the ethereal darkness that emanated from the cosmic rock slither its way across the sky. Harbinger, a dark messenger of damnation, and she wasn't fazed by it at all anymore. What she'd give to die of cancer again. It was unique in a vast array of countless ways that she'd died before. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "So it begins," Ouroboros said as he slithered out from under her shirt, poking his head out of the collar. She'd already grown accustomed to having the sentient serpent around, and he in turn had warmed up to her in the few days that he'd been summoned. "Strange. I've never seen it like this before."

"And how is that?" Weiss asked.

"It's...oddly beautiful. Before I never cared about it. I only knew that it birthed me and my power. Now that I am untouched by its shadow I can see it for what it truly is; divine."

"We'll have no talk of the divine, Ouroboros," she spat. "It's a black rock, bringing a black death in its wake. It's ugly and filled with hatred. And it is mundane and routine. It's boring. That's what it is." She turned and began to seek out her team.

"What are you going to do?" the snake asked.

"I've got a role to play until a Master Unit shows its ugly face. I can't give a poor performance. After all, it's supposed to be the first time I've seen Harbinger."

The snake was about to comment when his head froze in place. "Someone comes," he whispered as he slithered back under Weiss's shirt.

Ruby, Blake, and Yang all ran out from the school and into the courtyard. "Weiss!" the young leader shouted. "Ozpin's calling an emergency assembly in the auditorium."

"What for?" Weiss asked, feigning ignorance.

"The comet," Yang said. "We all feel it. It's not right. Not...natural. I think something's coming."

Weiss nodded. "Let's get going then."

Penny and Rose were being lead, almost at gunpoint, through the forest towards Beacon. "Were your friends always so...friendly?" Rose asked.

"It's the comet," Penny explained. "They've led hard lives here. They have every right to be suspicious of other people." Rose nodded, and the two of them carefully watched their escorts. A thought crossed her mind; she might be a captive. Had they been enemies she wouldn't have cared. With or without her weapons, she could overpower them. Her soul was connected to the Cauldron, and she had access to dozens of magical spells now that could decimate an ordinary army.

But these were her friends.

She shook her head. No. Not her friends. This Ruby had never met her before. They were the ghosts of Penny's loved ones, echoes of a time lost that she never knew. She sighed, turning her eyes to the one eyes Ruby beside her; the sight disturbed her greatly. "How long has the Longest Night been going on?"

"Is that what you call it where you come from?" Ruby asked. She spat. "I just call it Hell on Remnant." She turned to meet Penny's gaze. "You don't have a clue, do you?" Penny shook her head and Ruby laughed; a short, cold, unamused laugh. "To think that there are people living out there that haven't been touched!"

"It's more complicated than that," Rose assured.

"I'm sure it is," Ruby agreed. "And I intend to find out every facet about where you come from. Every detail." Rose and Penny shared a brief glance before the group broke the tree line. "Welcome to Beacon," Ruby said. "And all that's left of Vale."

The structure was in shambles. A makeshift concrete and wooden wall surrounded the perimeter, with several watchers circling with weapons drawn. The tower where Ozpin's office rested was shattered, pieces of it lying about on the ground. One of the large clock hands was sticking straight out of the dirt. Rose and Penny gasped at the wrecked state of the school.

Penny swallowed before asking the tough question that had popped into her head. "Is Ozpin still alive?"

Ruby gave her a long, indifferent stare with her remaining left eye before nodding. "He lives. Were it not for him everyone would be dead."

"How many of you are left?" Rose asked.

Ruby turned and walked away. "Shut up and follow me."

Rose and Penny gave each other a brief glance before they followed. Blake lightly brushed by, and Penny couldn't help but stare at her missing arm. "I can't believe this Remnant is so far gone."

"This Remnant?" Jaune asked.

"It's...a long story," Rose added.

The group approached a barred gate in the concrete wall. Ruby cleared her voice. "We've found some strays!" she shouted to a nearby guard.

Penny nearly drew her weapons instinctively at the sight of Roman Torchwick as he looked over the wall. "Well, I'll be damned," he said. "Have they had their shots, or should we put 'em down?"

"That's what we're going to find out," Ruby replied.

"Right. Guess I'll open up for you, then." The man disappeared from sight for a moment and the gate opened slowly. As they entered, he met them on the far side of the wall. His white coat was torn in several places and his undershirt was missing, showcasing his impressive abs, as well as three long scars running across his torso. His hat was missing, and his hair, like the others, was slightly longer than Penny remembered it being. "They look fairly fresh. Where'd they come from?"

"Haven't told us yet," Ruby said with annoyance, and Roman gave her a sympathetic look. "I know. I'm not happy about two strangers entering our territory either."

"Well, take 'em to Oz, I guess." Ruby nodded and motioned for the group to follow her as she began to walk by Roman. The orange haired man grabbed her by the bicep as she passed, making her stop. "You still free tonight?" he asked in a hushed voice.

For the first time since they arrived, Penny saw this Ruby smile. "Only for you," she whispered, and to her shock the pair gave a brief kiss before he let go. "Come on, let's go!" she shouted.

"That normal?" Rose asked in a whisper.

Penny shook her head.

Night was falling, and the howling of Grimm filled the air as she stood atop the dorm building. Millions of years worth of lifetimes made her appreciate this spot with each Possibility. There were a few times, when Ruby was also stuck in this same loop, where she noticed her leader standing up here contemplating how to stop the coming devastation.

She chuckled to herself. Ouroboros slithered out of her blouse at the collar and stared at her with unblinking serpent's eyes. "What is so amusing, witch?"

Weiss smiled. "Nothing. Just remembering how I was once not alone in this hell. Ruby was stuck in a loop just like me. She was somehow set free of it. I...I lost count of how many lifetimes ago that was."

"How do you know that she's free of it?"

"Because she doesn't remember her failed lives. To her, each iteration is the one and only timeline. She still fears death because to her it is real. For me, however," she stepped close to the edge of the roof. "I could finish it right now and not fear the outcome. A few blissful moments of weightlessness, a sudden brain splattering halt, and then I'd be awake in my bed as though none of it had happened...but I'd remember." She spat, her saliva blowing in the wind as it plummeted to the ground below. "Life has lost its interest, and death has no weight. Everything means nothing to me now...except for killing the Master Units."

Ouroboros followed her gaze. "Why do you wish us all eradicated?"

"Simply because it's quite honestly the only thing I've never done. It's the only thing worth doing in this endless life of mine." She sighed. "At the very least, I wouldn't mind true immortality. Like Ozpin. The power to leave Remnant and explore the cosmos for all eternity is a much better outcome than endlessly dying and starting over." She looked up at the night sky, and saw the fractured moon hover above, its shards shining brilliant silver. "It's all so dull now."

"What of this loop? What would you do if it could be broken?"

She smiled. "Then I would kill myself and be done with it all. I'd finally get that eternal rest that I long for."

"You would truly end it all?" Ouroboros asked, surprised. "Truly amazing. Mortals have long dreamed of eternal life, and now that one of you finally has some semblance of it you wish it gone."

"It's not what it's cracked up to be," Weiss said dryly. "Enough. What can you do, Ouroboros?"

"What do you mean?"

"Can I rely on you to track the other Master Units? Sniff them out?"

The serpent stared at her. Her blue eyes were dull and lifeless for the most part, but he saw a determination buried deep within them. This was her final wish before she truly resigned herself to taking the spectator seat for all of eternity. "I make no promises," he admitted. "But...if I am to be stuck with you in spirit, then I will do my best."

She nodded. "That's a start."

The grounds outside of Beacon were a mess, and the inside of the wall was no better off. Power had long since been cut it seemed. The courtyard was no longer full of grass for students to engage in outdoor activities. Instead, the grass had been uprooted, dug out, tilled, and turned into a makeshift farm that was growing corn, tomatoes, beans, and potatoes with a pair of what must have been former students working it tirelessly.

Inside the structures was a massive array of barricades and barracks, as well as several boarded up rooms. "What are these for now?" Rose asked.

"Empty space," Blake answered sadly. "Not enough survivors to utilize it."

"Blake," Penny began sadly, but was cut off by Blake's glare.

"I don't know how you know our names, but you better explain everything to Ozpin."

Penny nodded. "I will. I promise."

They meandered throughout the building until they made it to the old war room. Penny had never visited it before, but knew of its existence. Ruby's story of her last incarnation of the Longest Night, when she was in the Cycle, involved this room heavily.

Entering, they found a grizzled Professor Ozpin. "Can I help you?" he asked before his eyes landed on Penny and Rose. "Hm. What have we here?"

"Vagabonds," Ruby said coldly. "They knew our names but refused to say how or why." She paused. "And they came looking for Weiss."

"I see," Ozpin said. "And did you explain Weiss's situation?"

"She's here?" Penny asked, suddenly encouraged.

Ozpin gave a grim smile. "Of course she is. When you walk outside this building, take a left and follow the path until you come upon our little cemetery. You should find her headstone among them."

The android's head hung low. "Damn it," she whispered.

"It's only the second stop," Rose stated. "It's barely been a day for us. We've got an unlimited array of places to look. We'd never get that lucky."

"So," Ozpin started. "Who are you? What are you here for?"

Penny took a deep breath and stared deep into Ozpin's eyes. "First things first; Nacht sends his regards, Ozpin."

Ozpin's eyes narrowed for a moment before he replied with, "I'm afraid I don't know that name."

"I believe you do," she ensured. "You are an immortal Shifter of near limitless power, choosing to err on the side of caution and pretend to be a normal human. Unless I'm mistaken, your power is sealed within your cane, waiting for you to break the crystal and resume your true form."

His eyebrows arched. "And what makes you say that?"

Without missing a beat, she summoned the power of fire into her palms and shot it at Ozpin, moving faster than any eye could see. Ozpin was forced to catch it with his bare hand and extinguish the fire. Ruby, Jaune, Blake, and Pyrrha drew weapons and pointed them at the two Shifters; to their credit, they weren't fazed by the defensive postures. "No normal human could do that."

Ozpin sighed. "Stand down. She meant no harm. She was only proving a point." The team did as ordered, and the weapons were lowered. "Guilty as charged. I am immortal, and I wield powers greater than any man on Remnant. I take it that you two are Shifters as well?" Penny nodded. "Did Nacht send you to check on my devastated world? Is he laughing from his perch at my failures?"

"Not that simple, I'm afraid." Penny corrected, and she explained her mission in full detail. She described the events of before her rise as a Shifter; the War of Dogma, the capture of Crim, the Longest Night cycle that Ruby was under, and how Weiss was still under it.

This version of Ruby was bewildered to say the least. "You mean to tell me that there are versions of Remnant where this war never happened?"

"Not many, but yes. I come from one such possible timeline."

"And Weiss is still alive somewhere?"

"We're trying to find her. There is only one of her in all of existence, so this is a sort of needle in a haystack kind of hunt. Every time she dies, she ends up in a new timeline." She paused. "How did she die here?"

Ozpin paused. "Cerberus attacked. Destroyed the clock tower during the attack, and the rubble fell on her. That was a year ago."

"A whole year? Shouldn't the war be over by now?"

"It pretty much is," Pyrrha admitted. "But humanity's numbers dwindled to near extinction. Now it's a fight for resources, as well as a fight against the remaining Grimm."

Rose nodded. "We mean you no ill will. Now that we know that this variant is a dead end, we'll leave and get out of your hair."

Penny agreed. "Is the Gamma facility still under Beacon?"

Ozpin nodded; she had mentioned Gamma in her explanation. "It's not in the best shape, but yes." He paused. "I suggest you rest for a day before you go."

"We wouldn't want to impose. Your resources are precious, and we wouldn't want to use them for ourselves."

Ruby stepped forward. "You're trying to save Weiss?"

Penny nodded. "It's all I want. If I have to search the multiverse for another five thousand years, I will."

"I've never known you on this world, Penny," Ruby continued. "But if you truly wish to save Weiss, then you're a friend to me." She extended her hand to shake, and Penny gladly accepted it.

"You know," she began. "From my point of view, we were friends for over eighty years before you died of old age. To me, seeing you again in any form, even this one, is a godsend."

This Ruby nodded, though she clearly didn't quite understand. "I can only hope that I die of old age here."

Throughout the day, Penny and Rose learned about this version of Remnant, and why certain things existed the way that they did. Here, Jaune and Pyrrha were married; her name was now Pyrrha Arc, and thus she painted his sigil onto her shield to symbolize their unity.

Blake lost her arm fighting a Nevermore that was the cause of Yang's death. In her eyes, the loss of her arm was more than enough to compensate for revenge, and saw it as equal trade.

Most bewildering of all to Penny was the fact that this version of Roman Torchwick was madly in love with Ruby, and she returned his affections. While she had heard that he had secretly cared for the younger girl, to think that there was a timeline where that care turned into infatuation was mind boggling.

They spent the night, as promised, and began to explore the ruins of Beacon the following morning. "This world is on the verge of crumbling," Penny whispered as she and Rose wandered the grounds. "But somehow, they've all found their own happiness."

"When you have so little hope," Rose stated. "Any distraction is encouraged." She took a deep breath and sighed quietly. "We should go. They've invited us to stay for the night, but we can't really afford to wait."

"No. We can't." Penny nodded. "Let's go." The two of them started to make their way to the entrance to the Gamma facility when she paused. "I think we're getting used to the Labyrinthus. I can feel it from here."

"We're not in Gamma yet, though."

Penny smiled. "It just makes the job a little bit easier." She stood still and silent for a moment with her eyes closed as she concentrated on the Labyrinthus, connecting to the multiverse through the Cauldron, when she felt that someone was near. Opening her eyes, she turned around to see the one eyed Ruby stare curiously at her.

"We've given you permission to use our supplies and to rest, and still you leave without any of that," she stated flatly, the wind blowing her long hair gently this way and that. She gave a light smile. "I suppose it's for the better. We need it more than you, since you aren't even from this world."

Penny nodded. "If it's any consolation, we're both pseudo immortal. We can go hundreds of years without food or water. I myself am mechanical, so I never need to eat or sleep."

"It gets uncomfortable after about a week of no food," Rose commented. "Can't imagine what that feels like after a hundred."

Ruby nodded. "There's that, I suppose." Her expression darkened for a moment. "I have a favor to ask of you, Penny."

The automaton girl nodded and slowly approached this echo of her old friend. "I know you don't know me, but I've never broken a promise to you, Ruby. I'll do anything for you."

Nodding once again, Ruby reached into a pocket in her skirt and pulled out a torn, weathered envelope. "Give this to Weiss when you find her."

Penny accepted it gingerly. "May I ask...no, never mind. It's personal, I'm sure."

Ruby shook her head. "It's...basically everything I wish I had said to her in life...this life. If she's stuck in a time loop, then there's a chance that she's already heard those words that are written there. But, this isn't for her. It's for me. I need to know that I did everything I could for my best friend." A single tear rolled from her solitary eye before she wiped it away. "I'll be sure to repair this world to the best of my abilities. Cerberus is dead here, and the other Master Units seem to be withdrawing, as if the power that created them is failing. We've won the war. Now we must survive the aftermath."

Penny nodded. "You were always strong, Ruby. One of the strongest humans I've ever had the pleasure to meet. You'll make do, I'm sure." She turned to rejoin Rose before she paused once more. "I would've never expected you and Roman to have gotten together. How old are you here?"

Ruby blushed; a piece of her that Penny had known had in fact survived this world. "I'm nineteen now. And...I'm expecting."

This made Penny smile. "Too soon to know the gender, I assume?"

Ruby smiled back, patting her stomach gently. "I'm not allowed to go on recon as of tomorrow. Roman wants to keep me home until the child is born. If its a boy, I'll name him Weiss. If its a girl, I'll name her after Roman's first child."

"Neo?"

Ruby's eyes went wide. "How did you..."

"That is a long story. One I don't have time for now." Penny raised a hand and invoked a special spell. "I've cast a ward upon you, Ruby. It should last a little over a year before wearing off. With it, you should be safe. More safe than usual, at least. Take care of your family here. That is my request to this you."

Ruby's eye began to cry again as she tried fiercely to wipe the tears away. "Thank you."

"Good luck," Penny whispered while Rose watched closely.

This is tearing her heart out, the gunslinger realized. It's like saying goodbye to Ruby all over again for her. "You ready, Penny?" she asked.

"Yes." Closing her eyes once more, she tapped into the Cauldron, finding the Labyrinthus. A wave of rainbow colored flames enveloped them, and they disappeared from another failed Remnant.

So began the search again.

And again...

And again...

Song: Makeshift Chemistry by Crown the Empire

Author's Note

I'm ALIVE! I haven't died yet!

Happy Halloween!

God almighty, it is really, really hard to keep up with writing when I work all the time. On top of that, for the last 12-14 weeks, I've been DMing a very regular, weekly Dungeons and Dragons group. So, the busy lifestyle continues to follow me no matter what. But I never forgot about these stories.

In fact, I hope to put out the next piece of After Story soon as well to finally grow one step closer to putting the final touches on the True End of Eternity Rising.

Even with Observer, the story of Eternity Rising is still considered the True End. We'll eventually come full circle to it. Don't worry.

Next chapter may be a time skip, or I may ignore Penny and Rose for a while and focus entirely on Weiss. I haven't decided yet. I don't expect chapters to be as long as this one for quite a while. I mean, I've only been writing the same chapter since fucking JULY!

Well, it matters not. I still want to finish these stories. Especially now that Volume 4 has started and I want to tidy up my obsolete, non-canon based stories so I can update my RWBY lore and write up to date stories.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Hell, I pray that you've been enjoying this series. Observer is meant to be the final piece of the Shifting Remnant AU. A nice, tidy end to a trilogy. The first I've ever made, to be honest.

Please, leave a review to let me know what you thought, or you can PM me. Do so either here, or on the /r/RWBY subreddit. I browse there frequently, and I check reddit daily, so I'll reply to any messages or review I get.

Fun Fact: I actually feel a little bad for V4 Cinder. I feel a lot bad, actually. Poor Cinder. Might write a fic about that.

Till Next Time! :D