What Happens Next (Slay The Princess/RWBY)

Ok, I think it was open for long enough:


You are doing the meeting as the Stranger, meaning you are going to learn one funny thing about Penny the other forms wouldn't, and that you will be very effective when it comes to using the allocated time.

Also, since Damsel was close, I had time to think on what she would've led to and it was:

In high quantity, tea and cakes.

In medium quantity, serious talks.

We're fresh out, Information security and asking to tell before she informs her father about you.

There are so many things you want to do with Penny, and so little time to do it… she is one of your normal appointments for today, the fist from the first years, but far from the last. After her, you will have Ruby, Cardin, Weiss….

Basically, you only have one hour, and you want to do your job correctly, but also to simply ask questions, and to treat her as a daughter (that last one probably coming from her influence).

You are so indecisive you decide to stop trying, and simply do all of it.. at once, simultaneously.

Which is why, when Penny finally enters your room for her appointment, you greet her as the Stranger. Interestingly enough, she isn't even phased by your appearance, and simply greet you with a clear: "Sa-Lu-Tation!".

You observe her a little, from up close, you really can see how much like you she looks, she is even wearing a new Tiara that is practically identical to yours, the only difference being that hers is green to your grey one.

"Welcome, Penny. I have some important questions to ask you, but first I want to precise something:" You point to your body. "This form taken thanks to my Semblance allows me to create what is basically several parallel series of events happening simultaneously. The problem being that it can be very disorienting for you. Are you…."

"Yes, you can use it." Penny interrupts you. "I have analyzed what I fell and came to the conclusion that you are related to some events about me. If you are using this to be able to talk about it, there is no problems with me."

The girl seems just as impatient as you were it seems.

"Very well, be ready then." You acknowledge. Then you let your power loose.

Reality breaks in five.

You watch for any signs of discomfort from Penny, but instead are greeted by her being perfectly fine. She is looking at a different point in each reality, and has no problems with doing so. This is surprising, even Sable didn't take it that well, he told you after the fact that while he did act in five different ways when meeting this you for the first time, he actually was an outside observer looking in for all of it, and lost track of things so fast it led to the quick collapse that followed.

This girl is more and more interesting… wait, what is that? While looking at her, you realize another very strange ting: In every reality, Penny is wearing a different Tiara, no, not just a different Tiara, every single one of those is identical to the slightly different ones you wear for this reality bar from being green.

If you wanted a confirmation of her being related to you, it seems you have it. This should not be the case, she could have some different things when acting, but from just watching? She is reacting to your inherent Nature in some way.

You organize yourself, one reality for the normal counseling you officially called her for, a second where you take out some food and drinks you had prepared to have a pleasant talk with her, a third to discuss about her Semblance in particular, and why she is there since it is related, a fourth to talk about her center of interests and the final one, the fifth, to learn more about what links the two of you.

Penny follows quite well, able to act independently in each one.

"Since you already have an inkling," you begin in the reality about your link. "I think we can be frank with each other. Something happened to you on the *day of change*, didn't it. In fact…." You stop for a second, digesting one information she told in the timeline where you proposed drinks. "Ah, you were born on that day, I see."

"Yes, my father doesn't know what caused the event, but before he could use the method he had devised to give me a soul, I spontaneously developed one. When he searched about it later, all he could find was that everyone in Remnant had felt like great changes where coming at the same time, the now named *day of change*." Penny agrees with you, clearly enthusiastic about the subject. "I had some weak feelings that I could find answer in Vale, but that was all. I am glad they led me to you."

"And I am glad you found me." You nod, then become more serious. "Now, this information is secret for a reason, you showed me trust by telling me how you came to this world, so I will trust you in return. But I would like to be there when you tell it to your father, do you agree?"

"Yes" Is the instant reply.

You look at her in all timelines, and she is serious. So, you nod and begin:

"I know the source of the day of change because I am it. It was an unexpected consequence of me showing my true self to Ozpin." You see Penny eyes begin to gleam and her mouth open. "No, I will not show it to you now, he could take it due to personal circumstances and I will not risk you due to haste. As for what I am.…" You search a little how to explain to her, she doesn't seem to know about the Maidens and the gods judging by your other conversations. You sigh. "Ozpin is not going to be happy with me for not warning him. A god saw that his universe was dying and devised a plan to stop it, he found a way to cut the cycle of life and death in two, and the two parts became independent, thinking, beings. Seeing that he couldn't destroy the aspect he wanted as easily as he acted on the cycle due to this newfound consciousness, he instead put the two halves against each other. He gave my other half a goal and me a role to play, manipulating him past death as an echo so as not to influence me."

Penny gasps a little at that, you can hear the term *starcrossed lovers* coming from her.

"At the end, the plan failed, I woke to my true self and tried to impose my own will upon the universe. My love managed to convince me that we didn't need to live as gods, and here I am." You look at the girl with some affection, you have not known her for long, but all your selves are agreeing that she is a delightful person, and you are glad she exists. "Given all that it gave me, I am happy to have listened to him that day."

Would you have known this much happiness if you had simply been the Shifting mound? Would you had been able to understand this wonderful, free, given how her Semblance acts on restrictions, person? Would you have been able to understand yourself even? When you woke in the Long Quiet, you thought you knew everything, that your vantage point allowed you to see everything there was. Now you see that you were wrong, that sometimes, you have to put yourself in the shoes of others to truly see the entire world.

You are a being of perspective, everchanging from how people see you, yet you never considered what this meant about reality. Everyone experiences it a little differently, everyone filters it through their own personality and *world view*. You certainly have millions of eyes, can see more than any individual, but you do not see everything, you know it now.

"Mo-mother?" Your eyes snaps to Penny, her voice is hesitant, for the first time since you have seen her, she is fidgeting. "What are you thinking about?"

Just the one word is enough to make all versions of you react. The one that is counseling Penny stops in the middle of an explanation, then continue again. The one talking about The girl's Semblance just goes beet red. The one that was nodding to Penny discussing her love of tabletop war games needs to ask her to repeat herself, as she just missed several seconds of the explanation. You will not acknowledge the fact that the you that was relaxing with some tea while talking idly just burst in tears and asked Penny if she could hug her, this never happened and nobody can prove otherwise.

"Just some thinking about the past. More importantly, while I love the fact that you called me mother, are you sure this is what you want? Actually, let me explain more: I become what others see me as. I presented myself as a Huntress when I came to Beacon, so I developed the skills to be one, my love once thought I was dead, so I became a ghost…. If you see me as a mother, as your mother, then I can become her, but…." You hesitate. "I am not even human, you know? You would be better served keeping with just your father, I won't be able to…." You are rambling, you realize. But before you can continue expressing doubts, you feel a new perspective settle in you.

A mother, just for Penny, one that is trying, that has many aspects.

One that she has no problems accepting.

You stop, and in all timelines, you ask Penny if she wants to come back to only one discussion. Except for the counseling, most where running out of steam anyway.

When she accepts, you bring back time to a more normal form. For the rest of the talk, you are wearing a thin smile, even as you continue giving advice and reassuring your daughter that she is perfectly able to be a team leader.

When she leaves, you remind her that you will want to have a discussion with her father so as to explain about you, in person. You do not want any risks of your nature getting out, even on a secure line.

With this, your first official student counsel is finished. Time to prepare the second, who was it again?

[] Ruby Rose, the girl just skipped two years, and was made leader of her team.

[] Weiss Schnee, a girl that probably lived a life under heavy expectations.

[] Cardin Winchester, the young man is probably going to be recalcitrant, but there are reasons to at least talk with him once.

[] Pyrrha Nikos, frankly, she seems more well adjusted than you would think for someone with such a carrier, but you never know….

A/N:

Stella will at least talk with all of them one after the other, but the vote is about which one has the most *urgent* set of problems, or at least the one you will see the most of right now.

Since I didn't manage to have it in the update, here is Penny's Semblance:

If you can't see why it is a problem for Atlas academy, think about how someone with that kind of mindset and core personality would do in a military setting.

You should take a look at the tab about your gained forms, by the way.