When Ruby arrived back on Remnant after the third Legion Invasion, it was to a world that hadn't changed since her time at Beacon. It wasn't her Remnant either, but it was close enough
Taking My Turn With the Matches (RWBY/Warcraft)
- Thread starter ThatOnePsycho
- Start date
- Crossover
- Created
- Status
- Ongoing
- Watchers
- 133
- Recent readers
- 0
- Threadmarks
- 6
-
Statistics (6 threadmarks, 7.8k words)
User Total ThatOnePsycho 6 Threadmarks Reader mode
Chapter 1
ThatOnePsycho
Tilting his Vanes and Ennobling His Spires
Ruby stood in a secluded part of the Dreadscar Rift, reading through a tome she had gotten from Argus as she carved Eredun runes into the ground with felfire. The green energy glowed on the blackened ground.
"So you're leaving," Ruby glanced up as Kanrethad approached, the other Demonologist walked across the floating rocks without glancing down into the infinite void of the Twisting Nether below them.
"The Horde and Alliance look like they're getting ready for war again," Ruby said, "figured if there was ever a time to get going, it'd be now. You'll summon me back if something happens that doesn't involve the war?"
"Of course," Kanrethad said, "Do you need help?"
"No, I think I just about got it," Ruby said.
"Somehow," Thal'kiel said snidely, the skull floating just above Ruby's shoulder.
"Shut up, demon," Ruby said without any heat, flicking a dart of felfire at the eredar skull. Thal'kiel just cackled, dodging the halfhearted attack.
"Well then," Kanrethad said, "good luck, Netherlord, the Black Harvest will stand ready when you need us."
Ruby smiled thinly, before opening the portal and stepping into it, back to Remnant.
Or rather, a Remnant.
—
Blake's ears stood on end as the green portal opened in between the eight students gathered at the ruins. It stank like rotting eggs and licked at the world like fire at the edges. Out of it stepped a figure wearing red and black hooded robes, black taloned fingers visible out of one sleeve and on their back was a green, jeweled scepter with a green, hooked scythe blade. They stared at the group before their eyes seemed to land on the Deathstalker that had been chasing the blonde haired boy and Pyrrha Nikos. Behind them, out of the portal came a floating, flaming, gilded skull with a pair of horns then the portal snapped shut leaving just the smell of rotten eggs.
They raised their hand, fingers splayed before curving into hooks and they slowly brought it down like they were dragging it through muck instead of air. The smell of burning eggs grew more prominent, and Blake glanced up, watching another portal open. Was that their Sembl-?
And then a large, black and green meteor emerged from the portal and Blake's mind stuttered. Where had that portal grabbed it from? Green flames licked around the stone, and small, strange creatures clung to it as it smashed into the Deathstalker and crushed it underneath.
They turned, uttering words in a language Blake had never heard and made her ears, both pairs of them, ache. The imps shrieked and chittered in the same torture tongue as they were swallowed by green fire that surged forwards in long tongues, forming a ball in the mystery figure's hand before they flung it at the Nevermore flying at them. The black bird shrieked and thrashed as the green flames swallowed it and sent it crashing into the ground. The figure drew the scythe off their back, walking over to the Grimm and gently hooked the flaming blade around its neck. The blade slid through the inky meat and ivory bone, cleaving the head from the body.
"Well," the woman said, the hint of an accent in her voice, shrugging off her hood to gasps from Yang and the younger girl that had been with her. She looked exactly like the girl, if taller, with a blinder across her left eye through which a green light glowed, "It was probably too much of a hope to think I would arrive on my Remnant. Still, it's good to see you all again."
—
Ruby took a step forwards as she stared at her.. her older self? It wasn't mom, that was for sure.
"You're… me?" Ruby asked.
"Yes, I am," the other Ruby said.
A million questions blazed through Ruby's mind. How, why, where, when? Finally, she settled on one that seemed inconsequential but burned in her gut, "What's wrong with your, our, eye."
"Huh?" Other Ruby blinked, before touching the blinder across the left side of her face, "Oh, nothing's wrong with it, technically, it just tends to creep people out so I wear this to make them more comfortable. It's actually enchanted to be one way, I forget I have it on most of the time.
She pulled it down, revealing the skin around the eye was darker, as if someone had tanned their pale skin even though Ruby knew, from a lot of experience, that she didn't tan, she burned. At the center of the starburst patch of skin sat an eye that was sickly green warring with their natural silver.
"What happened?" Ruby asked.
"Fel corruption," other Ruby said, scratching under the eye with her clawed hand, "same with this. Demon Hunting takes a lot out of you, demonology studying even more if you don't have a safe teacher. And I didn't."
"Fel? Demon?" Ruby asked, still marveling at the older version of herself in front of her.
"Don't worry about it, I'll tell you more about it later," other Ruby said, "they're not gonna be a threat to you."
"Ok," Ruby said, "Where's Crescent Rose?"
"Are these really the questions we're asking?" Weiss hissed, "Instead of, you know, how this is possible!?"
"She was broken at the Rout on the Broken Shore," Ruby could hear the capitalization on the words, "Felfire melted her blade and jammed her gears. I use this now, it's called the Jeweled Scepter of Ulthalesh."
"It?"
"She doesn't like it," the skull around her shoulder chattered, "so she refuses to gender it like she does other weapons. Isn't that right, Netherlord?"
"I could have explained that myself," Other Ruby said, sounding irritated, "but yes, basically. It's a very evil weapon, it doesn't deserve to be loved, just used."
"I-it can talk?" Yang stuttered out, taking a step back.
"I am Thal'kiel, the greatest-"
"Another tool I collected during my career as a demon hunter and warlock, ignore him, or he goes in the sack."
"You wouldn't dare," Thal'kiel hissed, and the other Ruby just curved an eyebrow at him, "you would.*
"I've done it before, I'll do it again. I don't mind you insulting and mocking me, but I won't have you do it to them. Am I understood?"
"Fine," Thal'kiel growled.
"Let's head back to the Beacon," Other Ruby said, putting Ulthalesh on her back. What did she mean, it was an evil weapon? How could a weapon be evil, and why would she use it if it was? "I'm sure Ozpin and Goodwitch have questions."
"We all do," Yang said.
—
"So you're leaving," Ruby glanced up as Kanrethad approached, the other Demonologist walked across the floating rocks without glancing down into the infinite void of the Twisting Nether below them.
"The Horde and Alliance look like they're getting ready for war again," Ruby said, "figured if there was ever a time to get going, it'd be now. You'll summon me back if something happens that doesn't involve the war?"
"Of course," Kanrethad said, "Do you need help?"
"No, I think I just about got it," Ruby said.
"Somehow," Thal'kiel said snidely, the skull floating just above Ruby's shoulder.
"Shut up, demon," Ruby said without any heat, flicking a dart of felfire at the eredar skull. Thal'kiel just cackled, dodging the halfhearted attack.
"Well then," Kanrethad said, "good luck, Netherlord, the Black Harvest will stand ready when you need us."
Ruby smiled thinly, before opening the portal and stepping into it, back to Remnant.
Or rather, a Remnant.
—
Blake's ears stood on end as the green portal opened in between the eight students gathered at the ruins. It stank like rotting eggs and licked at the world like fire at the edges. Out of it stepped a figure wearing red and black hooded robes, black taloned fingers visible out of one sleeve and on their back was a green, jeweled scepter with a green, hooked scythe blade. They stared at the group before their eyes seemed to land on the Deathstalker that had been chasing the blonde haired boy and Pyrrha Nikos. Behind them, out of the portal came a floating, flaming, gilded skull with a pair of horns then the portal snapped shut leaving just the smell of rotten eggs.
They raised their hand, fingers splayed before curving into hooks and they slowly brought it down like they were dragging it through muck instead of air. The smell of burning eggs grew more prominent, and Blake glanced up, watching another portal open. Was that their Sembl-?
And then a large, black and green meteor emerged from the portal and Blake's mind stuttered. Where had that portal grabbed it from? Green flames licked around the stone, and small, strange creatures clung to it as it smashed into the Deathstalker and crushed it underneath.
They turned, uttering words in a language Blake had never heard and made her ears, both pairs of them, ache. The imps shrieked and chittered in the same torture tongue as they were swallowed by green fire that surged forwards in long tongues, forming a ball in the mystery figure's hand before they flung it at the Nevermore flying at them. The black bird shrieked and thrashed as the green flames swallowed it and sent it crashing into the ground. The figure drew the scythe off their back, walking over to the Grimm and gently hooked the flaming blade around its neck. The blade slid through the inky meat and ivory bone, cleaving the head from the body.
"Well," the woman said, the hint of an accent in her voice, shrugging off her hood to gasps from Yang and the younger girl that had been with her. She looked exactly like the girl, if taller, with a blinder across her left eye through which a green light glowed, "It was probably too much of a hope to think I would arrive on my Remnant. Still, it's good to see you all again."
—
Ruby took a step forwards as she stared at her.. her older self? It wasn't mom, that was for sure.
"You're… me?" Ruby asked.
"Yes, I am," the other Ruby said.
A million questions blazed through Ruby's mind. How, why, where, when? Finally, she settled on one that seemed inconsequential but burned in her gut, "What's wrong with your, our, eye."
"Huh?" Other Ruby blinked, before touching the blinder across the left side of her face, "Oh, nothing's wrong with it, technically, it just tends to creep people out so I wear this to make them more comfortable. It's actually enchanted to be one way, I forget I have it on most of the time.
She pulled it down, revealing the skin around the eye was darker, as if someone had tanned their pale skin even though Ruby knew, from a lot of experience, that she didn't tan, she burned. At the center of the starburst patch of skin sat an eye that was sickly green warring with their natural silver.
"What happened?" Ruby asked.
"Fel corruption," other Ruby said, scratching under the eye with her clawed hand, "same with this. Demon Hunting takes a lot out of you, demonology studying even more if you don't have a safe teacher. And I didn't."
"Fel? Demon?" Ruby asked, still marveling at the older version of herself in front of her.
"Don't worry about it, I'll tell you more about it later," other Ruby said, "they're not gonna be a threat to you."
"Ok," Ruby said, "Where's Crescent Rose?"
"Are these really the questions we're asking?" Weiss hissed, "Instead of, you know, how this is possible!?"
"She was broken at the Rout on the Broken Shore," Ruby could hear the capitalization on the words, "Felfire melted her blade and jammed her gears. I use this now, it's called the Jeweled Scepter of Ulthalesh."
"It?"
"She doesn't like it," the skull around her shoulder chattered, "so she refuses to gender it like she does other weapons. Isn't that right, Netherlord?"
"I could have explained that myself," Other Ruby said, sounding irritated, "but yes, basically. It's a very evil weapon, it doesn't deserve to be loved, just used."
"I-it can talk?" Yang stuttered out, taking a step back.
"I am Thal'kiel, the greatest-"
"Another tool I collected during my career as a demon hunter and warlock, ignore him, or he goes in the sack."
"You wouldn't dare," Thal'kiel hissed, and the other Ruby just curved an eyebrow at him, "you would.*
"I've done it before, I'll do it again. I don't mind you insulting and mocking me, but I won't have you do it to them. Am I understood?"
"Fine," Thal'kiel growled.
"Let's head back to the Beacon," Other Ruby said, putting Ulthalesh on her back. What did she mean, it was an evil weapon? How could a weapon be evil, and why would she use it if it was? "I'm sure Ozpin and Goodwitch have questions."
"We all do," Yang said.
—
- Location
- USA
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Past Ruby becomes very confused when warlock Ruby queues up the Remnant version of Linkin Park and Evenessence for the walk back to Beacon
ThatOnePsycho
Tilting his Vanes and Ennobling His Spires
Because I wanted to do demon hunter Ruby, but lllidan is a racist fuckface. That's why she has some demon hunter traits.
Past Ruby and Warlock Ruby: *do the Spider-Men pointing at each other pose*
On the other hand, I can't wait to see the look on the faces of Ozpin, Glynda and Qrow when they see Older Ruby who has Fel Magic and Demon Summoning.
I wonder if it affects her Silver Eye power which causes petrification on Grimm when unleashed.
Chapter 2
ThatOnePsycho
Tilting his Vanes and Ennobling His Spires
If you read the last words of this chapter and go "that's an edgy name", good! That's the joke. If you read and say "that's a really dumb name", good, that's also the joke.
---
Uther landed on the Broken Shore to felfire and rose petals. The former was definitely expected, the latter not so much. Demon bodies littered the ground, dashed to pieces by the blurred form of Ruby Rose.
"Uther!" She called as she split a felguard in half lengthwise, "I was wondering when the last important person on Azeroth was going to arrive! Dodge!"
Uther took a step to the side as she pointed Crescent Rose at him, noting the felguard collapse with a blown open head, and bringing Deathbringer around to cave in the head of the other felguard that had been approaching, "Is now really the time for jests, girl?"
"Sorry," Ruby apologized to the Death Knight, "just antsy."
"Well, you don't have to be anymore," King Greymane said, "We're advancing!"
"Ruby," Uther said, "have you seen Tirion?"
"He went ahead," Ruby said, looking irritated, "everyone went ahead, left me to hold the rear."
Yes, that would bother the… how did Anduin put it… danger junkie? She probably wanted to be the first on the assault.
Well, she was leading this assault, dashing ahead and around arrows and bullets from the artillerists to cleave through the Legion countercharge, a vortex of steel, rose petals and arcs of Fel corrupted blood. Greymane had shifted into his Worgen form, hitting the lines with the rest of the worgen vanguard, claws, blades and teeth flashing in the murky air. Uther was seconds behind, bringing Deathbringer down on one of the felguard that had survived the assault.
—
Yang looked over Ruby, the older Ruby, and said, "so, you can see through that eyepatch?"
"Wanna try it?" Older Ruby asked, tugging off the eyepatch and bundling it up, tossing it to Yang, who caught it and slid it on, blinking as the silk didn't block her vision at all.
"Huh," Yang said, taking it off and handing it to younger Ruby, who was looking at it with curiosity, "So, what is fel, then?"
"Chaos," older Ruby said, "and I mean that literally, it's the physical manifestation of Chaos on a universal scale."
She punctuated the statement by creating a small orb of green fire in her clawed hand with a snap of her fingers, dancing it between her hands before crushing it in the clawed hand.
"And it lets you make fire and summon meteors?" Yang said.
"Ridiculous," Ice Queen scoffed.
"More ridiculous than the older version of us popping out of a portal?" Blake asked, looking over Ruby… Uh, both of them.
"We need a way to split you two, we can't call you both Ruby," Yang said.
"Call me Rose if it makes things easier," Older Ruby shrugged, "I'm used to being called various titles. Champion, Hero, Netherlord, it makes no difference to me."
"What's that last one about?" Ruby asked, eye covered by the blindfold.
"One I'm pretty sure they made up so I could have a special title when all the orders met," Rose said with a laugh, "Slayer, Deathlord, Farseer, Archmage-"
Ice Queen snorted, "Archmage, were you playing pretend?"
"I wish," Rose said seriously, "Arcane magic is the opposite of Fel, used to force Order on the universe. One sec, watch this…"
Purple energy rose around Rose as she raised one hand into the air before pulling down and gripping… A cupcake? Yes, a cupcake with a strawberry on top, which she handed to Ruby and took back the eyepatch.
"I'm not the best with arcane," Ruby admitted, "as I said, it's order magic, and I'm not the most orderly person out there."
That was an understatement, Yang loved her to death, but Ruby was probably the most scatterbrained person she knew.
"You really expect us to believe in magic?" Ice Queen said, even as she eyeballed the cupcake Ruby was looking over with wide eyes.
"Whether you believe it or not, it's real," Rose said.
"Can you teach me?" Ruby asked.
"I'd rather not, I only use Fel because I had no choice. It isn't safe or healthy."
"What do you mean, no choice?" Yang asked.
"Things got dangerous where I lived," Rose said, clearly hedging around the issue, "I only started studying fel and demonology because I had to. You don't, so shouldn't."
—
Genn Greymane tore a felguard limb from limb, fel tainted blood splattering on the ground as he wrenched his powerful limbs apart and shook the dead demon off his claws even as it dissolved into fel. Nearby, Sylvanas sunk an arrow into another, throat. Despite the fact that he knew it was a monumentally stupid idea, part of Genn, the deep, instinctual part, wanted to lope over the rocks and sink his fangs into her rotten throat. Were it any other day, against any other enemy….
"Varian!" Genn called as the group of Alliance leaders, and Ruby, approached the line, a city of black metal stretching out in front of them. The king of Stormwind was charging up a spike made of ice to stab a pit lord in the throat, tearing Shalamayne through leathery skin and half decapitating the elephant sized demon in an arterial spray of fel blood.
"Genn! Uther!" Varian called, cutting down a pair of felguard in as many seconds as the group met up, Jaina teleporting next to them a second later, Ruby rushing ahead to lead the worgan into another heavy charge, "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up!"
"Everyone seems so very glib today," Uther snarked hypocritically, "King Wrynn, Lady Proudmore. Where is Tirion?"
"Lord Uther," Jaina said politely, "We lost track of him in the fighting, unfortunately."
"An inevitability, I suppose," Uther huffed.
"Send out these orders," Varian called, "the sappers will follow behind and bring the buildings down, Mekkatorque will lead them! The rest of us will advance, FOR THE ALLIANCE!"
"FOR THE ALLIANCE!" The roar came up a second later, spreading out from him like a shockwave.
"Guys," Ruby appeared then, face serious with a familiar, slab like sword in her hands, "Look what I found."
The group stared at the Ashbringer with worry, a lull in the battle.
"Was Tirion with it?" Uther asked.
"No, but I don't like what it means if it was abandoned," the demon hunter said seriously.
"It's not a good sign, I agree, but there is hope he still lives," the former Lightbringer said, offhandedly decapitating a demon with a swing of his maul.
"You two!" Varian called to a pair of footmen who had yet to join the fighting, clutching their swords with fear on their faces. Despite that, they immediately snapped to attention at the call, "Take the Ashbringer back to the Skyfire, guard it with your lives if you have to!"
"Yes, milord!" Both said, one taking the hulking blade from Ruby, who wasted no time drawing Crescent Rose, the well forged blade glowing dully in some places from the erosion of fel on it, and cutting down four demons. The group turned towards the city, mouths tightening as they began to fight through it.
—
"So what is a demon?" Rose heaved a breath at the question from Ruby.
"Is now really the time?" She asked.
"I'm curious! You don't mean, like, actual demons right?"
"No, I do," Rose said.
"From Hell?"
What did it say that Hell was one of the planetary contents, since Deathlord Uther had sworn by it on occasion?
"They call it the Twisting Nether, but close enough," Rose said.
"I have a question," Blake said quietly, "you said it was.too much to hope you would arrive on your Remnant, that implies you weren't on it. So where were you? Maybe that explains fel and arcane, that they only existed on the world you were on?"
"Fel and Arcane are universal constants," Rose denied, "I don't know why people on Remnant don't know how to harness them, but considering it probably kept the Burning Legion from noticing us, I'm not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth."
"Let me guess, that's a group of demons?"
"The group of demons. More demons serve the Legion than anything else. Or, well, they did."
"Did?'
Rose gave a jagged grin, all teeth, at Ruby's question.
"We recently delivered a crippling blow to the Legion. Multiple, in fact. Sargeras, lord of the Burning Legion, was jailed, and we killed a bunch of his top lieutenants."
"You didn't answer my question," Blake said.
"Hm? Oh, yes, I was on the world of Azeroth. Was summoned there by a particularly inept warlock when I was her age," Rose nodded at Ruby.
"Warlock?"
"Studiers of Fel magic and demonology, alongside every other type of dark magic you can name."
"So are you a warlock then?" Ruby asked.
"I'm the First of the Council of the Black Harvest, I am the Warlock," Rose boasted.
"Maybe among the pathetic mortal races of Azeroth," Thal'kiel said, "but among the ranks of the Burning Legion, you would be a child playing with sparks of power, nothing more!"
"What is with that thing?" Yang said, "What is it?"
"Thal'kiel, the soul of the first and greatest Eredar, that's a type of demon, demon summoner bound within his own skull."
"So a ghost," Yang said, "great. Why do you keep it around?"
"To bolster her meger skill at demon summoning," Thal'kiel snarked.
"We can't all summon the Burning Legion," Rose said without any heat.
"You summon demons?" Blake asked, "is that what those little things were?'
"I can summon a couple right now, if you want. And yes, they were."
"Is that safe?" Ruby asked
"Watch," Rose grabbed Ulthalesh off her back, channeling mana into the jeweled scepter of Sargeras and swinging the blade up to bite into reality. The familiar smell of brimstone wafted into the air as she did so, a portal opening in the blade's wake, out of which stepped a majestic wrathsteed.
The bridle wrapped around the skull-like head burning with green felfire, which arched between its horn and down its back like a mane and burned along the hooves. Fel forged, spiked armor sat on the leathery skin, and a blinder blocked its six eyes from the world.
"Scattered Ashes," Rose cooed, planting her clawed hand on the wrathsteed, and it snorted felfire, "my loyal steed."
---
Uther landed on the Broken Shore to felfire and rose petals. The former was definitely expected, the latter not so much. Demon bodies littered the ground, dashed to pieces by the blurred form of Ruby Rose.
"Uther!" She called as she split a felguard in half lengthwise, "I was wondering when the last important person on Azeroth was going to arrive! Dodge!"
Uther took a step to the side as she pointed Crescent Rose at him, noting the felguard collapse with a blown open head, and bringing Deathbringer around to cave in the head of the other felguard that had been approaching, "Is now really the time for jests, girl?"
"Sorry," Ruby apologized to the Death Knight, "just antsy."
"Well, you don't have to be anymore," King Greymane said, "We're advancing!"
"Ruby," Uther said, "have you seen Tirion?"
"He went ahead," Ruby said, looking irritated, "everyone went ahead, left me to hold the rear."
Yes, that would bother the… how did Anduin put it… danger junkie? She probably wanted to be the first on the assault.
Well, she was leading this assault, dashing ahead and around arrows and bullets from the artillerists to cleave through the Legion countercharge, a vortex of steel, rose petals and arcs of Fel corrupted blood. Greymane had shifted into his Worgen form, hitting the lines with the rest of the worgen vanguard, claws, blades and teeth flashing in the murky air. Uther was seconds behind, bringing Deathbringer down on one of the felguard that had survived the assault.
—
Yang looked over Ruby, the older Ruby, and said, "so, you can see through that eyepatch?"
"Wanna try it?" Older Ruby asked, tugging off the eyepatch and bundling it up, tossing it to Yang, who caught it and slid it on, blinking as the silk didn't block her vision at all.
"Huh," Yang said, taking it off and handing it to younger Ruby, who was looking at it with curiosity, "So, what is fel, then?"
"Chaos," older Ruby said, "and I mean that literally, it's the physical manifestation of Chaos on a universal scale."
She punctuated the statement by creating a small orb of green fire in her clawed hand with a snap of her fingers, dancing it between her hands before crushing it in the clawed hand.
"And it lets you make fire and summon meteors?" Yang said.
"Ridiculous," Ice Queen scoffed.
"More ridiculous than the older version of us popping out of a portal?" Blake asked, looking over Ruby… Uh, both of them.
"We need a way to split you two, we can't call you both Ruby," Yang said.
"Call me Rose if it makes things easier," Older Ruby shrugged, "I'm used to being called various titles. Champion, Hero, Netherlord, it makes no difference to me."
"What's that last one about?" Ruby asked, eye covered by the blindfold.
"One I'm pretty sure they made up so I could have a special title when all the orders met," Rose said with a laugh, "Slayer, Deathlord, Farseer, Archmage-"
Ice Queen snorted, "Archmage, were you playing pretend?"
"I wish," Rose said seriously, "Arcane magic is the opposite of Fel, used to force Order on the universe. One sec, watch this…"
Purple energy rose around Rose as she raised one hand into the air before pulling down and gripping… A cupcake? Yes, a cupcake with a strawberry on top, which she handed to Ruby and took back the eyepatch.
"I'm not the best with arcane," Ruby admitted, "as I said, it's order magic, and I'm not the most orderly person out there."
That was an understatement, Yang loved her to death, but Ruby was probably the most scatterbrained person she knew.
"You really expect us to believe in magic?" Ice Queen said, even as she eyeballed the cupcake Ruby was looking over with wide eyes.
"Whether you believe it or not, it's real," Rose said.
"Can you teach me?" Ruby asked.
"I'd rather not, I only use Fel because I had no choice. It isn't safe or healthy."
"What do you mean, no choice?" Yang asked.
"Things got dangerous where I lived," Rose said, clearly hedging around the issue, "I only started studying fel and demonology because I had to. You don't, so shouldn't."
—
Genn Greymane tore a felguard limb from limb, fel tainted blood splattering on the ground as he wrenched his powerful limbs apart and shook the dead demon off his claws even as it dissolved into fel. Nearby, Sylvanas sunk an arrow into another, throat. Despite the fact that he knew it was a monumentally stupid idea, part of Genn, the deep, instinctual part, wanted to lope over the rocks and sink his fangs into her rotten throat. Were it any other day, against any other enemy….
"Varian!" Genn called as the group of Alliance leaders, and Ruby, approached the line, a city of black metal stretching out in front of them. The king of Stormwind was charging up a spike made of ice to stab a pit lord in the throat, tearing Shalamayne through leathery skin and half decapitating the elephant sized demon in an arterial spray of fel blood.
"Genn! Uther!" Varian called, cutting down a pair of felguard in as many seconds as the group met up, Jaina teleporting next to them a second later, Ruby rushing ahead to lead the worgan into another heavy charge, "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up!"
"Everyone seems so very glib today," Uther snarked hypocritically, "King Wrynn, Lady Proudmore. Where is Tirion?"
"Lord Uther," Jaina said politely, "We lost track of him in the fighting, unfortunately."
"An inevitability, I suppose," Uther huffed.
"Send out these orders," Varian called, "the sappers will follow behind and bring the buildings down, Mekkatorque will lead them! The rest of us will advance, FOR THE ALLIANCE!"
"FOR THE ALLIANCE!" The roar came up a second later, spreading out from him like a shockwave.
"Guys," Ruby appeared then, face serious with a familiar, slab like sword in her hands, "Look what I found."
The group stared at the Ashbringer with worry, a lull in the battle.
"Was Tirion with it?" Uther asked.
"No, but I don't like what it means if it was abandoned," the demon hunter said seriously.
"It's not a good sign, I agree, but there is hope he still lives," the former Lightbringer said, offhandedly decapitating a demon with a swing of his maul.
"You two!" Varian called to a pair of footmen who had yet to join the fighting, clutching their swords with fear on their faces. Despite that, they immediately snapped to attention at the call, "Take the Ashbringer back to the Skyfire, guard it with your lives if you have to!"
"Yes, milord!" Both said, one taking the hulking blade from Ruby, who wasted no time drawing Crescent Rose, the well forged blade glowing dully in some places from the erosion of fel on it, and cutting down four demons. The group turned towards the city, mouths tightening as they began to fight through it.
—
"So what is a demon?" Rose heaved a breath at the question from Ruby.
"Is now really the time?" She asked.
"I'm curious! You don't mean, like, actual demons right?"
"No, I do," Rose said.
"From Hell?"
What did it say that Hell was one of the planetary contents, since Deathlord Uther had sworn by it on occasion?
"They call it the Twisting Nether, but close enough," Rose said.
"I have a question," Blake said quietly, "you said it was.too much to hope you would arrive on your Remnant, that implies you weren't on it. So where were you? Maybe that explains fel and arcane, that they only existed on the world you were on?"
"Fel and Arcane are universal constants," Rose denied, "I don't know why people on Remnant don't know how to harness them, but considering it probably kept the Burning Legion from noticing us, I'm not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth."
"Let me guess, that's a group of demons?"
"The group of demons. More demons serve the Legion than anything else. Or, well, they did."
"Did?'
Rose gave a jagged grin, all teeth, at Ruby's question.
"We recently delivered a crippling blow to the Legion. Multiple, in fact. Sargeras, lord of the Burning Legion, was jailed, and we killed a bunch of his top lieutenants."
"You didn't answer my question," Blake said.
"Hm? Oh, yes, I was on the world of Azeroth. Was summoned there by a particularly inept warlock when I was her age," Rose nodded at Ruby.
"Warlock?"
"Studiers of Fel magic and demonology, alongside every other type of dark magic you can name."
"So are you a warlock then?" Ruby asked.
"I'm the First of the Council of the Black Harvest, I am the Warlock," Rose boasted.
"Maybe among the pathetic mortal races of Azeroth," Thal'kiel said, "but among the ranks of the Burning Legion, you would be a child playing with sparks of power, nothing more!"
"What is with that thing?" Yang said, "What is it?"
"Thal'kiel, the soul of the first and greatest Eredar, that's a type of demon, demon summoner bound within his own skull."
"So a ghost," Yang said, "great. Why do you keep it around?"
"To bolster her meger skill at demon summoning," Thal'kiel snarked.
"We can't all summon the Burning Legion," Rose said without any heat.
"You summon demons?" Blake asked, "is that what those little things were?'
"I can summon a couple right now, if you want. And yes, they were."
"Is that safe?" Ruby asked
"Watch," Rose grabbed Ulthalesh off her back, channeling mana into the jeweled scepter of Sargeras and swinging the blade up to bite into reality. The familiar smell of brimstone wafted into the air as she did so, a portal opening in the blade's wake, out of which stepped a majestic wrathsteed.
The bridle wrapped around the skull-like head burning with green felfire, which arched between its horn and down its back like a mane and burned along the hooves. Fel forged, spiked armor sat on the leathery skin, and a blinder blocked its six eyes from the world.
"Scattered Ashes," Rose cooed, planting her clawed hand on the wrathsteed, and it snorted felfire, "my loyal steed."
Ironic that Weiss' Semblance is like the closest thing to magic especially when she summons slain Grimm, use ice as projectiles and weaponry, and acts as a combat support mage to enhance herself and her teammates with Glyphs.
ThatOnePsycho
Tilting his Vanes and Ennobling His Spires
That's why she's especially resistent to the idea that magic exists. Her glyphs are so close to magic (and some magic even uses glyphs) that she would be the one to doubt it
JmonsterNEO
Spouter of nonsense
- Location
- The quest forums
That's it? That's the name you made that author's note about? That isn't edgy at all!
It doesn't help that apparently only Schnees from Willow's side of the family can inherit the Glyphs Semblance in the bloodline compared to everyone else who awaken different Semblances.
ThatOnePsycho
Tilting his Vanes and Ennobling His Spires
Also, failed to mention it, but yeah, I made Uther the DK. Kinda curious on people's opinion on that. I always fept like Arthas was petty enough to do it.
So does that mean his other Light half becomes a Kyrian after splitting off from the body Arthas stabbed with Frostmourne?
I can see DK Uther and Kyrian Uther not getting along well.
ThatOnePsycho
Tilting his Vanes and Ennobling His Spires
Yes, it did. And we'll probably see their interactions, since there's basically no way to not have Ruby return to Azeroth for Shadowlands.
Oh boy this is gonna be fun to see two Uthers arguing with each other especially when Kyrian Uther dumped the soul of Arthas down the Maw out of vengeance he succumbed to.
ThatOnePsycho
Tilting his Vanes and Ennobling His Spires
So, I have the minor problem that I'm enjoying writing the flashbacks far more than I am the present timeline.
Take your time. No need to rush.
- Location
- Quebec
I bet 50 Lien the Fel Steed is named that because when Rose used her Semblance with it all there was was Ashes instead of Petals.
ThatOnePsycho
Tilting his Vanes and Ennobling His Spires
I wanted to ask before I did it, but I was considering doing Jaiba/Thrall. That relationship always felt more organic to me than Thrall/Aggra. It's something that has been bugging me for days, so I figured I'd ask.
ThatOnePsycho
Tilting his Vanes and Ennobling His Spires
So, um, I justhad a personal emergency come up, so expect a delay before chapter 3
Do it. I like Jaina/Thrall better. It's more natural and compelling.
- Location
- California
I enjoy the flashbacks so its not too much of an issue. One thing that was curious to me and might make you enjoy the "Present" timeline more if you like Azeroth side more is that aren't the Black Harvest Warlocks supposed to always travel in pairs? Ruby could summon their partner to Remnant once she explains things to Ozpin. Not sure how much the Netherlord actually had to follow that rule though (Never played Legion just know the lore).
ThatOnePsycho
Tilting his Vanes and Ennobling His Spires
It's never brought up, likely due to the emergency nature of the disaster leading to the Council fragmenting for a time. But, I can always bring in Kira Iresoul (the Sixth in this story) anyways, alongside a special guest, so it works out either way.
Chapter 3
ThatOnePsycho
Tilting his Vanes and Ennobling His Spires
Short chapter, dealing with a family emergency and need the endorphin rush.
---
The Black City, unlike real cities, ended abruptly. As did, rather worryingly, the tide of demons. That wasn't right, there should be more demons closer to the Tomb of Sargeras, not less.
Finally, the group crested a hill, the Horde forces doing the same moments later on the other side of a river of fel bubbling. Floating over in, encased in a ball of the same stuff, was Gul'dan, the hunchbacked warlock staring over them with a sneer on his face while in front of him, bound in chains, was Tirion Fordring. A snap of Gul'dan's gnarled fingers caused the chains to snap tight, lifting the leader of the Argent Crusade high into the air.
"Jaina!" Ruby ordered as Sylvanas nocked, drew and fired an arrow at Gul'dan in the time it took the one word order to get out. It burned to ash the second it hit the barrier around the warlock.
"Stay back! It's a trap!" Tirion choked out, a glyph burning on his chest.
"Of course it is, doesn't mean we're leaving you there!" Ruby called back as Jaina and Uther created a bridge of ice towards where Tirion was. Ruby accelerated, activating Petal Burst as Gul'dan flexed a hand. A giant made of red, craggily skin burst from the fel, green cracks of the same stuff burning along its upper torso. Resolidifying in front of Tirion, Ruby swung Crescent Rose through one chain, then the other, and caught the Highlord, dropping Crescent Rose so she could carry the larger man in both arms. Her heart ached as she activated Petal Burst and surged backwards, out of the way of the gout of green felfire that melted the bridge and Crescent Rose, watching her beloved scythe clatter on a rock in the center of the lake, blade gone.
"Ah, General," Gul'dan said in mock sympathy, "You appear to have lost your weapon. I know how… It was precious to you."
"Don't fall for it," Varian advised, splitting Shalamayne into Shalla'tor and Ellemayne, handing the left handed blade to her, "we'll get it back."
"Already done," Jaina said, clutching the ruined scythe, "We need someone to bring Tirion and it back to the airships.
"I'll do it after the fight with this thing is done!" Thrall called, "Tirion needs a healer, else he won't make it."
"Thank you, dear," Jaina said.
Ruby gripped Varian's sword tightly, back arching as bones cracked and rearranged themselves, fur growing along her muzzle and claws bursting from her hands and feet as she went digitigrade. She shucked off her jacket as it became too small for her, standing beside Genn.
"Gul'dan is mine," the Worgen growled.
—
Valeera stood in the back of the war council, spinning one of the Fangs of the Devourer as she waited for the leaders to finish talking about the coming war. Next to her stood Cariel, the dark skinned Paladin leaning on Truthguard, the winged shield balancing perfectly. In her shadow stood her party of Kurtrus Ashfallen, the Twinblades of the Deceiver on the white haired demon hunter's back, Tavish, the red headed dwarf leaning on Talonclaw while a hand crossbow dangled from his hip, Xyrella, the Draenai holding Light's Wrath, and Scabbs Cutterbutter, the bald gnome spinning the Kingslayers.
"King Wrynn," Kurtrus growled out, drawing the Twinblades off his back and falling into a combat stance, felfire eyes staring at a spot in space near the doorway to the war room, "don't be alarmed, but a demon just entered the room. A felhound."
Anduin drew Titanstrike off his back, Hati snapping upright at their master's preparation, as did Fordragon, the tamed wolfhawk bristling. Everyone else snapped to combat ready stances, Greymane drawing a heavy pistol off his hip. Then the demon became visible, and Valeera and Anduin visibly relaxed.
"Drei," Anduin breathed, walking over to the felhound, which dropped a scroll on the ground before turning, walking out of the room and turning invisible. Valeera met the young king's eyes, snorting as she did, "Well, let's see what it has to say… 'Anduin, Valeera, Tess. No interest in fighting this war. Sorry. Heading off to Remnant, gonna open a portal sometime in a couple of days to bring Kira through. Be at Dreadscar if you want to come. They have orders to summon me when the war is done. Don't die. Lots of love, Ruby.' Did she have to write it so stilted? Valeera, how do you feel about traveling to Remnant with a few soldiers for me?"
"What?" Genn said, "Anduin, we can't afford to weaken ourselves when we're on the brink of war!"
"The last few times we contacted another world, it spiraled into war, Genn. I want an advance group building a garrison there so if the worst comes to worst, we're ready. What happens if Sylvanas finds a way to Remnant and begins building forces there? We can also use it as a training camp for new soldiers, given the amount of monsters on Remnant."
"Ruby won't like that very much," Valeera pointed out.
"She is a General of the Alliance. The least she can do is set up and lead a garrison. Especially if worst comes to worst and we're forced into exile again. I'll pen her orders, she'll listen to me. We'll take a core of trainers and experienced warriors, but most of it will be fresh recruits brought in later."
"Send Tess or Liam," Genn said, "I want one of them in exile, in case the worst happens to me."
"Tess," Valeera said instantly, "Ruby would be happy to have her with us."
—
Thoughts, questions, opinions? Good? Bad? Meh?
---
The Black City, unlike real cities, ended abruptly. As did, rather worryingly, the tide of demons. That wasn't right, there should be more demons closer to the Tomb of Sargeras, not less.
Finally, the group crested a hill, the Horde forces doing the same moments later on the other side of a river of fel bubbling. Floating over in, encased in a ball of the same stuff, was Gul'dan, the hunchbacked warlock staring over them with a sneer on his face while in front of him, bound in chains, was Tirion Fordring. A snap of Gul'dan's gnarled fingers caused the chains to snap tight, lifting the leader of the Argent Crusade high into the air.
"Jaina!" Ruby ordered as Sylvanas nocked, drew and fired an arrow at Gul'dan in the time it took the one word order to get out. It burned to ash the second it hit the barrier around the warlock.
"Stay back! It's a trap!" Tirion choked out, a glyph burning on his chest.
"Of course it is, doesn't mean we're leaving you there!" Ruby called back as Jaina and Uther created a bridge of ice towards where Tirion was. Ruby accelerated, activating Petal Burst as Gul'dan flexed a hand. A giant made of red, craggily skin burst from the fel, green cracks of the same stuff burning along its upper torso. Resolidifying in front of Tirion, Ruby swung Crescent Rose through one chain, then the other, and caught the Highlord, dropping Crescent Rose so she could carry the larger man in both arms. Her heart ached as she activated Petal Burst and surged backwards, out of the way of the gout of green felfire that melted the bridge and Crescent Rose, watching her beloved scythe clatter on a rock in the center of the lake, blade gone.
"Ah, General," Gul'dan said in mock sympathy, "You appear to have lost your weapon. I know how… It was precious to you."
"Don't fall for it," Varian advised, splitting Shalamayne into Shalla'tor and Ellemayne, handing the left handed blade to her, "we'll get it back."
"Already done," Jaina said, clutching the ruined scythe, "We need someone to bring Tirion and it back to the airships.
"I'll do it after the fight with this thing is done!" Thrall called, "Tirion needs a healer, else he won't make it."
"Thank you, dear," Jaina said.
Ruby gripped Varian's sword tightly, back arching as bones cracked and rearranged themselves, fur growing along her muzzle and claws bursting from her hands and feet as she went digitigrade. She shucked off her jacket as it became too small for her, standing beside Genn.
"Gul'dan is mine," the Worgen growled.
—
Valeera stood in the back of the war council, spinning one of the Fangs of the Devourer as she waited for the leaders to finish talking about the coming war. Next to her stood Cariel, the dark skinned Paladin leaning on Truthguard, the winged shield balancing perfectly. In her shadow stood her party of Kurtrus Ashfallen, the Twinblades of the Deceiver on the white haired demon hunter's back, Tavish, the red headed dwarf leaning on Talonclaw while a hand crossbow dangled from his hip, Xyrella, the Draenai holding Light's Wrath, and Scabbs Cutterbutter, the bald gnome spinning the Kingslayers.
"King Wrynn," Kurtrus growled out, drawing the Twinblades off his back and falling into a combat stance, felfire eyes staring at a spot in space near the doorway to the war room, "don't be alarmed, but a demon just entered the room. A felhound."
Anduin drew Titanstrike off his back, Hati snapping upright at their master's preparation, as did Fordragon, the tamed wolfhawk bristling. Everyone else snapped to combat ready stances, Greymane drawing a heavy pistol off his hip. Then the demon became visible, and Valeera and Anduin visibly relaxed.
"Drei," Anduin breathed, walking over to the felhound, which dropped a scroll on the ground before turning, walking out of the room and turning invisible. Valeera met the young king's eyes, snorting as she did, "Well, let's see what it has to say… 'Anduin, Valeera, Tess. No interest in fighting this war. Sorry. Heading off to Remnant, gonna open a portal sometime in a couple of days to bring Kira through. Be at Dreadscar if you want to come. They have orders to summon me when the war is done. Don't die. Lots of love, Ruby.' Did she have to write it so stilted? Valeera, how do you feel about traveling to Remnant with a few soldiers for me?"
"What?" Genn said, "Anduin, we can't afford to weaken ourselves when we're on the brink of war!"
"The last few times we contacted another world, it spiraled into war, Genn. I want an advance group building a garrison there so if the worst comes to worst, we're ready. What happens if Sylvanas finds a way to Remnant and begins building forces there? We can also use it as a training camp for new soldiers, given the amount of monsters on Remnant."
"Ruby won't like that very much," Valeera pointed out.
"She is a General of the Alliance. The least she can do is set up and lead a garrison. Especially if worst comes to worst and we're forced into exile again. I'll pen her orders, she'll listen to me. We'll take a core of trainers and experienced warriors, but most of it will be fresh recruits brought in later."
"Send Tess or Liam," Genn said, "I want one of them in exile, in case the worst happens to me."
"Tess," Valeera said instantly, "Ruby would be happy to have her with us."
—
Thoughts, questions, opinions? Good? Bad? Meh?
