Ruby Rose (RWBY)/Synopsis

The story of Ruby Rose from RWBY.
==Childhood==
Ruby was born to Taiyang Xiao Long and Summer Rose on the island of Patch in the Kingdom of Vale. She was Taiyang's second child after her half-sister, Yang Xiao Long. She was also born with Silver Eyes, a trait passed down from her mother that would become influential later in her life. When she was still a baby, her mother, a Huntress, set off on a mission and never returned. Taiyang was forced to raise the two girls on his own, though he occasionally had assistance from Yang's uncle and his former teammate Qrow Branwen, who became an honorary uncle of sorts for Ruby. When she was still small, Yang took her out on an expedition to try to find her mother, Raven Branwen. The girls were attacked by monsterous Grimm, but were fortunately saved by Qrow.
Ruby would grow up hearing stories of heroes and monsters from her father and older sister. The stories and legends inspired her to want to fight to protect the innocent, and she decided to become a Huntress like her mother. Yang also went into training to become a Huntress a few years ahead of her.
After becoming a teenager, Ruby enrolled in Signal Academy, a school to prepare students for the Huntsman/Huntress academies. There she honed her abilities and discovered her Semblance, which granted her super speed and the ability to transform herself and anything she is currently in contact with into a mass of rose petals. There, she also forged her signature weapon, Crescent Rose, a large scythe with built-in sniper rifle.
==First Semester at Beacon==
One day, while shopping at a Dust store, Ruby was confronted by several members of the Xiong Crime Family, led by criminal Roman Torchwick, who were robbing the store. Ruby jumped into action and fought them off, even chasing Torchwick to his getaway vehicle. When Torchwick and his accomplice retaliated, Ruby was rescued by Glynda Goodwitch, a professor at Vale's Huntsman/Huntress school, Beacon Academy. Glynda brought Ruby to Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon, who noted her combat prowess and Silver Eyes, Ozpin offered her the chance to skip the rest of her teachings at Signal and move directly to Beacon, which Ruby accepted.
Ruby accompanied Yang to their first day at Beacon. While exploring the campus, she encounters Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna, who initially have little interest in her. Yang attempts to introduce Ruby to them and ease tensions, but Ruby is instead drawn to Jaune Arc, a clumsy outcast who shares her naivete and passion.
The following day the new students prepare for initiation, which will involve them being sent into the Emerald Forest to retrieve artifacts at a hidden temple. They are also informed that the first individual they make eye contact with will become their teammate for the rest of their time at the Academy. After landing, Ruby meets Weiss, who disregards her as below her while Ruby tries to argue her merit. Ruby attempts to impress Weiss by fighting off a pack of Beowolf Grimm, but her technique only infuriates Weiss further. Together, the two hitch a ride on a giant Nevermore Grimm, which they drop off of and into the temple where the other students are. After being attacked and almost killed by a Death Stalker Grimm, Weiss saves Ruby, apparently ready to try and ease tensions. They, along with new partners Yang and Blake, as well as Jaune, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, and Nora Valkyrie, obtain their relics, with Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang all choosing the same White Knight chess piece relics.
The students flee from the incoming Grimm, but are forced to fight them off. Ruby comes up with a plan for her group to fight the Nevermore while Jaune's group defeats the Death Stalker, winning the admiration of her peers.
Following the initiation, Professor Ozpin sorts the students into teams based on the relic they chose. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang are formed into Team RWBY, with Ruby named the leader.
Not long after, Team RWBY witnesses a fight in the school's cafeteria between Jaune and a bully named Cardin Winchester. When Ruby steps in to help, Cardin antagonizes her. Professor Goodwitch steps in and suggests resolving the matter with a sparring match. After some support from her teammates, Ruby is able to easily overpower Cardin.
Ruby immediately sets into her role as leader by helping her team decorate their new dormitory room and drawing up an itinerary. In their classes, Weiss is annoyed by Ruby's appointment as leader and lackadaisical nature, and berates her while also trying to show off by defeating a Boarbatusk Grimm.
A dismayed Ruby meets with Ozpin, who encourages her to do her best. That night, inspired by a conversation with Professor Peter Port, Weiss attempts to soften by getting Ruby coffee and promising to be a better teammate.
Ruby would also grow her bond with Jaune, who was named leader of Team JNPR, as he struggled with bullying from Cardin and trying to live up to his teammates' expectations. Ruby encourages him. Later, when Jaune stands up to Cardin and fights an Ursa Grimm, Ruby watches with pride as he, with a little help from Pyrrha, defeats the monster.
To prepare for the upcoming Vytal Festival and Tournament that will take plae in Vale, Ruby and her team go to the city's docks to survey the incoming students. There they meet a charming stowaway named Sun Wukong, who Weiss instantly takes a disliking to because of him being a Fuanus. As Ruby and her team go through Vale, Ruby meets Penny Polendina, who instantly befriends her.
Later, it is revealed that Blake is a Faunus and former member of the terrorist group the White Fang. Blake flees from her team in embarrassment, and Ruby and the others go looking for her. They meet with Penny and are drawn to a commotion, which turns out to be Blake and Sun battling Roman Torchwick and the White Fang. The criminals are chased off, and the team reconciles.
==Second Semester at Beacon==
At the start of the second semester, Ruby prepares plans for things for her team to do. They are later involved in a food fight against Team JNPR, and during the struggle are introduced to Sun's friend Neptune Vasilias.
Later, Weiss calls out Blake for being stressed out, and Blake reveals that she is still worried over Roman Torchwick aiding the White Fang. Ruby and the others elect to look into the criminal activity outside of school hours, unaware that the ringleaders of the operation, Cinder Fall, Mercury Black, and Emerald Sustrai have infiltrated the school disguised as students.
During their investigations, Ruby teams up with Weiss. When Weiss leaves to contact people at her father's company, Ruby meets up with Penny again. Ruby and Penny begin being chased by soldiers from Atlas, and after Ruby is almost hit by a truck, Penny steps in to stop the truck and get Ruby to safety. She confides in Ruby that she is a robot built with a human soul, and the soldiers were just trying to protect her. Penny is escorted away, but Ruby receives a distress call from Blake. She and Sun found Torchwick, who was now attacking with a giant mech suit. Ruby goes and aids her team in fighting the mech, which is destroyed by Yang, but Torchwick escapes with help from his sidekick Neopolitan.
Ruby later aids Yang in setting up Beacon Academy's dance, but is too socially awkward to ask anyone to accompany her. During the dance, she notices Cinder sneaking around and follows her to the Cross Continental Transmit tower. Cinder plants a hack and briefly fights with Ruby, but escapes and Ruby explains everything to Ozpin, Goodwitch, and General James Ironwood.
Later, Ruby receives a package from her father, which contains her and Yang's dog Zwei.
The teams are ten given Search and Destroy missions where they will be shadowed by a Huntsman or Huntress. Ozpin grants Team RWBY a higher-level mission, where they are shadowed by Bartholomew Oobleck to the abandoned settlement of Mountain Glenn to exterminate Grimm. When they arrive, it is revealed that Ruby smuggled Zwei along, though Oobleck is excited that a dog is joining them.
Throughout the day, Oobleck guides the girls in battling the Grimm infesting the city, and interviews each one. For Ruby, he discusses purpose, and how their jobs are a way to protect people.
That night, Ruby takes first watch, but is forced to go out to take care of Zwei. While out, she falls through an unstable bit of ground and is captured by the White Fang, who are operating underneath the city. She is taken to Torchwick, but is saved by Yang and her team. They chase the criminals to a train and board it. They discover bombs on the train and deduce that the White Fang are going to breach Vale's perimeter and allow Grimm into the city. As her teammates fight other criminals, Ruby, Oobleck, and Zwei take out mechs. However, they fail to stop the train, and Weiss encases them all in ice before they crash.
Ruby recovers, and immediately begins fighting the Grimm spilling into Vale. With help from allies, the breach is secured. Ruby and her team return to Beacon, but resolve to continue investigating the criminals.
==RWBY: Grimm Eclipse==
Following their mission to Mountain Glenn, Oobleck leads the team on several more missions, where they discover the cause of Mountian Glenn's fall, attributed to a company called Merlot Industries, where their leader, Doctor Merlot, was performing experiments of Grimm. The team returns to Mountain Glenn, only to find it booby-trapped by Merlot.
The team goes to the Forever Fall forest to continue investigating Merlot, whre they find and infiltrate a ship , but get trapped and transported to Merlot's private island. Merlot sics androids and mutated Grimm on them, but are able to make their way to the laboratory. After fighting and defeating a mutant Death Stalker, Merlot detonates the lab and escapes. Team RWBy escapes, and are brought back to Vale by Ozpin.
==Vytal Festival Tournament==
Before returning to BEacon, Ruby visits her mother's grave, telling her all she has done since she reached Beacon. She then travels back to Vale and to Amity Coliseum, where the various academies compete in combat matches. Team RWBY fights Team ABRN from Haven Academy and win, going out to eat afterwards to celebrate. They elect Weiss and Yang to represent the team in the upcoming doubles match.
Afterwards, Weiss and Ruby witness a brawl in Beacon's courtyard, and identify the combatants as Ruby's uncle Qrow and Weiss' elder sister Winter Schnee. Goodwitch calls off the scuffle, and Qrow fist-bumps Ruby before being called off. That night, he visits Team RWBY in their dorm room, and tells them stories of his adventures.
The next day Ruby reunites with Penny, and then watches Yang and Weiss fight Flynt Coal and Neon Katt from Team FNKI. Yang and Weiss win, and Yang is elected to fight in the singles match.
Yang is pitted against Mercury Black, unaware he is one of the criminals opressing Vale. She wins their brawl, but due to a hallucination caused by Emerald Sustrai's Semblance, mistakenly believes Mercury attacks her. She punches in self-defense, appearing to the audience to attack her downed opponent without provocation. Yang is arrested but later let go, though Team RWBY is disqualified from the tournament. When Yang explains what happened, Ruby is quick to believe her. She is later told Mercury and his team left.
Ruby goes to watch the fight between Penny and Pyrrha, but sees Emerald and Mercury still present. Mercury attacks her, stalling her while Emerald makes Pyrrha hallucinate and accidentally kill Penny, revealing her to be a robot. Ruby is distraught at the view of her destroyed friend.
==The Battle of Beacon==
Cinder, along with her allies in the White Fang, begin unleashing Grimm into the city, hacking communications to declare war on the Kingdom. Ruby arms herself with one of Penny's swords, fighting off the Grimm until she gets her scythe.
During the fight, Ruby sees Ironwood's airship going down and uses a rocket-propelled locker to get up to it. She is attacked by Roman and Neopolitan, shocked that they are part of the plan to let the Grimm destroy the Kingdom. she battles Neo and sends her flying away on her parasol. As Roman attacks and almost kills her, a Griffon Grimm attacks and eats him. Ruby is able to escape the falling ship and make it back to the ground.
Ruby regroups with her fleeing and injured allies, including Yang, whose arm has been severed by Adam Taurus of the White Fang. When she learns that Jaune and Pyrrha are still missing, she and Weiss head off to search for them. Jaune calls Ruby, asking her to save Pyrrha, who has begun battling Cinder on top of Beacon's tower. Weiss assists Ruby in reaching the top, but Ruby arrives just in time to see Cinder shoot Pyrrha through the heart with an arrow, then burn her to embers. Enraged, Ruby cries out as her Silver Eyes glow and release a power that engulfs Cinder and the Grimm Wyvern attacking the tower. She falls unconscious and is retrieved by Qrow.
Ruby wakes up in her home in Patch. Qrow explains that Ruby's Silver Eyes, passed down from her mother, damage evil, and that the Wyvern has been turned to stone. Ruby meets with a dispondant Yang, who reveals that Weiss returned to her family to Atlas and Blake fled to her home in Menagerie.
==Journey to Haven==
The following winter, Ruby elects to team up with Jaune, Ren, and Nora to Haven Academy in Mistral to continue Ozpin's work, as he was seemingly killed after fighting Cinder in the Battle of Beacon. Ruby leaves a note for her father and sets off.
Several months later, Ruby comes across a village under attack by Grimm and helps defend it, fighting off a massive Beringel Grimm. She defends the town and moves on with her allies.
Later, Ruby and her allies defend another village from a Geist Grimm. They succeed, and move on through several villages that have been destroyed by Grimm, unaware that Qrow has been following them since Patch. They come across the abandoned town of Oniyuri, where they are ambushed by Tyrian Callows, who tries to kidnap Ruby. Qrow intervenes but is poisoned by the scorpion Faunus' stinger. Ruby manages to cut the stinger off and drive Tyrian away.
Qrow reveals to the group the history of Remnant, and how two gods created the world. They left behind artifacts of power, and an ancient evil named Salem, who was behind Cinder and the fall of Beacon, is seeking them out. He also explains the existence of four Maidens with powers of nature, whose power is passed down to women in every generation, who are the ones able to open the vaults that contain the artifacts. As Qrow's poison takes a turn for the worse, the group travels through the destroyed town of Kuroyuri, which is actually Ren's hometown before it fell to Grimm. They are attacked by the Nuckelavee Grimm that destroyed the city, and are able to defeat it. They are then able to flag down some pilots from Mistral, who take them to the city and heal Qrow. Ruby writes aletter to Yang back home, unaware that Yang has received a new prosthetic arm and is making her own journey.
==The Battle of Haven==
Ruby and her group meet Leonardo Lionheart, the headmaster of Haven Academy, but are unable to do much but wait for aid. They are informed that the Spring Maiden is likey allies with Raven Branwen, Yang's mother, who is a bandit.
Later, Ruby and her group are introduced to a boy named Oscar Pine, who is the current vessel for Professor Ozpin's soul. Ozpin explains that he has existed for centuries, living on through others' bodies, and plans to continue Ruby and the others' training. Ozpin trains them as well as Oscar, with Oscar and Ruby sparring with each other and beginning to bond over their fears and hopes.
Later, as Ruby is preparing a dinner for some Huntsman and Huntresses that Qrow is expected to gather, Yang and Weiss return, having left their homes to reunite. Ruby embraces them. Later at the dinner, which does not include the expected Huntsmen and Huntresses, Ruby gets everyone up-to-date on what has happened as they explain new developments to her.
The next day, Ruby, Weiss and Yang discuss Blake and the events that have transpired. Ruby meets with Ozpin and learns more about the Relics and the Maidens, and then are summoned by Lionheart to a raiding party to find the Spring Maiden.
However, upon arriving at Haven the group is attacked by Raven Branwen, who has allied with a vengeful Cinder Fall. Ruby is informed that Salem cannot be destroyed, and that Lionheart has betrayed them and allied with her. Ruby is attacked and briefly incapacitated by Emerald, but recovers and battles Salem's followers. She is enthused when Blake arrives, leading a new Faunus revolution group to contrast the terrorist White Fang. The attack and attempted bombing of Haven is thwarted, and Ruby appeals tpo her foes to reconsider. They escape with a terrifying illusion of Salem. Raven is revealed to be the Spring Maiden, and turns on Cinder when Cinder kills her loyal follower Vernal. Cinder is apparently killed, and Raven apologetically flees, leaving the Relic of Knowledge with Yang. Lionheart is killed by Salem through a Grimm. As the villains retreat, Team RWBY is reunited.
==Journey to Atlas==
Two weeks later, Team RWBY and their allies set off for the Kingdom of Atlas, hoping to find the next Relic. The board the Argus Limited train, but is is attacked by Grimm drawn to the Relic. Team RWBY fight back the Grimm, but the train derails and they are separated from Jaune, Ren, and Nora. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Qrow, Oscar/Ozpin, and an old woman named Maria Calavera are lost in the wilderness.
Having lost trust in Ozpin for witholding the secrets of the Relic, Ruby uses the Relic to summon the entity Jinn, who offers answers to questions. Ruby inquires what Ozpin is hiding, and Jinn reveals that Ozpin, formerly Ozma, was Salem's lover in a time long past. He eventually died, but Salem challenged the gods for his return and was punished with a curse of immortality. Salem turned evil and the gods resurrected Ozma to defeat her, but he instead married her and had a family, until he realized the extent of her evil. In their battle, he and their four daughters were killed, with Ozma forced to live on forever through other bodies until his work was complete. However, he has yet to find a way to destroy Salem, and instead dedicated himself to protecting the Relics she sought to use to end the world. With everyone turned against him, Ozpin retreats into Oscar's mind, and the group sets off to walk to civilization.
Along the way, they come across the abandoned Brunswick Farms, where they find corpses. Unbeknownst to them, the underground is plagued by Grimm called Apathy, which cause those around them to lose the will to go on or even sleep or eat. Under the effects, Ruby accidentally drops the Relic down a well, and when she and her allies go to retrieve it, they find the Apathy. With her teammates unwilling to go on and an endless horde of Grimm, Ruby seems doomed until Maria aids her in concentrating her Silver Eyes, pushing back the Grimm enough for her and her team to escape. Maria reveals that she once had Silver Eys as well until she lost them in combat.
The group makes their way to Argus, an Atlas settlement outside of the Kingdom. They reunite with Jaune, Nora, and Ren, and stay with Jaune's local sister and her wife and son. The group attempt to get into Atlas, but are stopped by Special Operative Caroline Cordovin because Ironwood has shut down the borders. Ruby informs Jaune, Nora, and Ren of the situation with Ozpin, and later speaks with Maria about Silver Eyes. Jaune formulates a plan to steal an airship, and they enact the plan. However, things go wrong when Cordovin attacks in a giant mechanical Colossus, and Blake and Yang are attacked by Adam Taurus. Ruby fights to Colossus and cripples it, and Yang and Blake kill Adam, but a Leviathan Grimm is approaching and the main defense, the Colossus, is unusable.
Despite setbacks, Ruby is able to confront the Leviathan and use her Silver Eyes to stun it. Cordovin defeats the Grimm and, as an apology and thanks, Cordovin allows Ruby and her group to pass into Atlas. They fly to the city, only to be cornered by the Atlas military.
==Arrival in Atlas==
Ruby and her group aandon the ship and enter Atlas' sister city of Mantle, where they meet Penny Polendina, rebuilt by her creator Pietro Polendina. Ruby and Penny reunite and battle Grimm, but are arrested by Ace Operatives and taken to Ironwood.
Upon being brought to Ironwood, he recognizes the group and frees them, thanking them for their service. Ironwood reveals that his is intending to repurpose Amity Colosseum into a communications tower, but is being hindered by the actions of the vigilantes Robyn Hill and the Happy Huntresses.
Later, Ruby and her group are given a mission to secure the launch site for the new communications tower, fighting off Grimm to do so. As thanks for their hard work and dedication, Ironwood awards Ruby and her peers with licenses, making them professional Huntsmen and Huntresses. Ruby and her group team up with the Ace Operatives to take care of jobs throughout Atlas and Mantle.
==RWBY: Arrowfell==
Ruby and her team are sent to investigate Grimm activity on the top of a mountain, and come across a mysterious orb that sems o attract Grimm. Upon destroying it, they take it back to Pietro to repair and study. While they wait, they go to the nearby Essen Town to help its local Huntsman, Russet Ka, deal with a Grimm infestation. The team clears Essen Cave out from Grimm, while helping Russet and the locals out with various things such as retrieving left behind valuables, providing tools, or forging new armor. While at the remains of a town called Crossed, the team happen upon Penny, who is investigating a series of magnetic gates she has found around the area. When they return to Pietro, he has repaired the orb and reveals it to be a sort of container. Russet then directs Team RWBY to Essen Outpost to deal with the Grimm there. Team RWBY fights off a Megoliath, but the killing blow is dealt by a mysterious group of mercenaries called Team BRIR. The group them meet Bram Thornmane, who shoos away Team BRIR. He explains that he once trained to be an Ace Operative under Ironwood, but now guarded Essen's territories. He inquires about the orb, and takes it from the team to dispose of it.
Team RWBY report to the Lieutenant Olive Harper, a friend and partner of Bram. Clover Ebi tasks Team RWBY with helping the Ace Operatives in their missions for the day, including retrieving lost and rare items. While in Atlas, they begin being attacked by thugs and mercenaries in the streets wielding military technology, who the Ace-Ops believe are working for the criminal underground. Tasked by Harriet Bree with investigating an old Dust mine, the team find weapon tech that suggests that the criminals have been developing and distributing weapons from the location. After succeeding in aiding all of the Ace-Ops, Lieutenant Harper discusses the influx of military technology in the hands of criminals, and traces their distribution to a crime lord named Amoncio Glass. Team RWBY track down Glass in downtown Atlas and try to interrogate him, but he attacks with a mech suit. Upon defeating him, Glass reveals that the orb that Team RWBY found is a container that attracts Grimm, and that he is just a distributor that knows very little about the technology he is brokering.
Team RWBY reports to General Ironwood, along with Harper and Thornmane, who determine that the way the orbs attract Grimm must be the work of Hanlon Fifestone, a Union Leader for Mantle. His Semblance allows him to extract raw emotion from victims, and Ironwood figures that he has been putting the emotion into orbs as to lure Grimm to Amity Tower. The Team make their way to Mantle to look for him, fighting off Grimm and mercenaries on their way. They eventually happen upon Qrow, who set up surveillance drones to find Fifestone. Team RWBY goes to the caverns around Mantle to retrieve them, all while helping get items for the locals and returning Winter's sword to her, which Qrow stole as a joke. After retrieving the drones, they examine the footage and find that Fifestone is hiding out in a warehouse in Mantle's industrial district. They go to find him extracting the raw fear from a Faunus worker and putting it into an orb. They battle and defeat Fifestone, who reveals that he is using the machinery to attract Grimm and strike against Atlas. As he is arrested, he activates all the orbs he set up across Atlas and Mantle territories.
As Grimm begin to swarm the cities, Team RWBY go out to destroy the orbs, finding them in Dormir Village and across Atlas and Mantle. After destroying them, the Grimm vacate. Harper reveals that they have tracked the true mastermind behind the operation to a base in the east, and she sends them on a train to the wilderness. However, once on the train, Team RWBY is attacked by Atlas soldiers. As they fight their way through, they realize that Harper sent them out into the middle of nowhere to be ambushed and have the train derail. After realizing they were set up, the team survive the train's derailment and begin making their way back to Atlas on foot. On their way, they come across Team BRIR, who accuse them of stealing technology from the abandoned Atlesian military base Fort Arrowfell, who they are the guardians of. They reveal that Thornmane and Harper told them of Team RWBY's theft and deception, informing Team RWBY that Branmane and Harper are the ones behind the stolen technology and Grimm attacks, as well as them being in a romantic relationship. Team RWBY fight off Team BRIR, forcing the latter to retreat.
The team makes it back to Atlas, where they and Ironwood figure out that Thornmane and Harper stole technology from Fort Arrowfell to strike at Atlas. Aided by Glass and Fifestone, they distributed the weaponry and technology for their own personal gain. Team RWBY make their way to Fort Arrowfell, but find it sealed. Only Team BRIR have the necessary access cards. Penny also arrives, revealing that the magnetic gateways she was investigating were for secret paths for Team BRIR to travel unseen. Team RWBY go across Atlas and Mantle with Penny's help to open the gates and find each member of Team BRIR, who realize they were tricked by Thornmane and willingly give over their keycards. After making peace with Team BRIR and acquiring all keycards, Team RWBY make their way back to Arrowfell and enter, fighting off Arrowfell drones, corrupt Atlas soldiers, and mercenaries as they make their way deeper into the fort to stop Harper and Thornmane from unleashing Arrowfell's weaponry and the Grimm-attracting orbs on Atlas and Mantle.
Halfway through the fort, they come across a heartbroken Harper, who tells them that she was betrayed. She laments the fact that she gave up everything regarding her career and morals because she believed Thornmane loved her and that they were taking down the corrupt Ironwood from the inside, only for him to toss her away once she had outlived her usefulness. In her remorse, Harper directs them deeper into Arrowfell. The team fight through more enemies before making it to Thornmane. He reveals that his attack is not to destroy Amity Tower as suspected, but rather to spread chaos and have Ironwood take the blame. He reveals that he trained as an Ace Operative, only to be rejected from the team and position due to his character and unhelpful Semblance. He swore revenge, and this attack on Mantle and Atlas would allow him to get revenge on Ironwood, with the general taking the blame and Thornmane's status being able to be reinstated. Team RWBY fight Bram, and he attempts to unleash orbs to attract Grimm and kill them. They destroy the orbs, and after a lengthy fight, defeat Thornmane and have him arrested.
Thornmane is brought before Ironwood, who he chastises for being a monster before being taken away. Ironwood thanks Team RWBY for their work, and the team celebrates their victory.
==Tension in Atlas==
Ruby later joins Penny at an election party for Robyn Hill, who is running for a seat on the Atlas Council. However, the party is attacked by Tyrian Callows, assisted by Salem's assistant Arthur Watts and Weiss' corrupt father Jacques Schnee, and many are killed. Using doctored footage, Watts and Tyrian frame Penny for the attack, raising tensions between Hill and the Atlas military. Grimm attack, and Ruby helps fend them off. She meets with Pietro and later Ironwood, telling him about Tyrian.
Ironwood brings Ruby and her allies with him to Schnee Manor, where he meets with Jacques to discuss his recent election victory. Weiss investigates and discovers her father was involved in rigging the election, but Watts uses Jacques' credentials to hack into Mantle's heating grind and shut it off, leaving the populace to freeze as a Grimm invasion moves in. Ruby instructs Oscar to reveal everything about Salem to Ironwood and Hill, then goes with Penny to repel the Grimm.
Ruby, Penny, and the Ace Operatives fight off the Grimm, and Ironwood and Hill make a temporary alliance to reveal Salem's existence to the world and bring the people together under a common enemy. However, Ironwood finds out that Cinder has infiltrated his office and recalls Ruby and her group to him. He is angered that they kept secrets from him, but is interrupted by a Seer Grimm projecting Salem's image. Salem reveals she and an army of Grimm are personally coming to attack Atlas, and when Ruby defies her, Salem reveals that she knew Summer, and proved her claims of hopes false, resulting in Ruby breaking down in tears.
Ironwood reveals that he intends to use the Relic of Creation, housed in the academy, to raise Atlas high enough so it will be safe from attack, and leave Mantle to deal with the fallout, hoping to sacrifice the city so the whole world may continue on. Ruby and her group refuse the plan, and are declared enemies by Ironwood. The Ace Operatives attempt to arrest them, but they defeat them and escape.
Ruby goes to aid Winter and Penny, who are fighting Cinder to protect the elderly Winter Maiden Fria. Fria, however, passes away, passing the power onto Penny. Cinder flees when she sees Ruby. Ruby and Penny escape in an airship as Salem arrives.
==The Battle of Atlas==
After regrouping, the heroes spilt up to defend Mantle and try and launch the communications tower. Ruby joins Nora, Weiss, Blake, Penny, and May Marigold as they sneak into the Atlas Command Center and begin launching the communications tower. Penny tries to stay behind and finish the launch, but they are attacked by the Ace Operatives. Ruby and her group struggle, but eventually force the Ace Operatives to retreat.
Ruby and her group escape to Schnee Manor, and take shelter there as Ruby's message to the world about Salem, the Relics, and the Maidens is broadcast to the world. Ruby and her group rest in Schnee Manor until the power goes out. Ruby and Blake make their way to a generator, where Blake reveals that she admires Ruby. However, they are attacked by the Hound, a giant intelligent Grimm in service to Salem. The Hound attempts to apprehend Penny, and Ruby fights it off with her Silver Eyes, revealing a Silver-Eyed man within the beast. The Hound is killed by Willow and Whitley Schnee, though Ruby is distraught at what she witnessed.
The battle between Atlas soldiers and Grimm wages on, with Yang's team having helped with evacuations until they were forced to rescue Oscar from Salem's clutches. Teaming up with the recently reformed Hazel Rainart and Emerald Sustari, Yang's group fights back Salem, and Hazel gives his life to allow them to escape with Oscar and Emerald. Yang's group meets back up with Ruby's at Schnee Manor, and while Ruby is at first hesitant to trust Emerald, Oscar vouches for her.
However, Ironwood gives Penny an ultimatum: come open the vault so that Atlas can be saved, or he will personally destroy Mantle. Penny has been hacked by Watts to comply, but Ruby and her friends restrain her. After denying Penny's request to kill her and transfer the powers of the Winter Maiden to Ruby, the group decides to secure the Relic of Creation to create a way for Atlas and Mantle to evacuate and Penny to be saved.
With their allies distracting Ironwood and the Ace Operatives, Ruby sneaks herself, Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Penny to the vault. Ruby obtains the Relic and summons the spirit Ambrosius, who she requests make Penny human. He complies and makes a new, human body for Penny as her old robotic, hacked body is left to die. They then request him to create a pocket dimension that the citizens of Atlas and Mantle can travel through to safety to the Kingdom of Vacuo. He complies, but warns them not to fall off the pathways and into the void below.
As the citizens evacuate through portals, Ruby and her group are attacked by Cinder and a vengeful Neopolitan. Neo attacks Yang and knocks her into the void, seemingly to her death. Ruby battles Neo as Penny fights Cinder, and when Penny loses, she has Jaune kill her so her power can transfer to Winter in Vacuo.
In the battle, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Jaune, and Neo are knocked off the edge. Cinder steals the two Relics and returns them to Salem. Although all the citizens make it Vacuo, Atlas falls and both it and Mantle are destroyed, with Ironwood and Watts killed in the process. Ruby, her teammates, Jaune, and Neo plummet into the void below. Neo attacks Ruby the whole way down, until all goes dark.
==Ever After==
Ruby wakes up on a beach in an unknown location. She sees a massive Tree in the distance and attempts to head towards it, seeing many strange flora and fauna, but keeps finding herself back at where she started. Discouraged, she sits and begins to cry until she sees a mouse struggling to pull a cheese plant from the ground. She helps the mouse get the cheese, but is startled when it talks to her. She asks for help, and the mouse, whom she calls "Little", agrees to take her to their tribe. When they arrive, Ruby finds the mice have captured Weiss and Blake, mistaking them for predators. Little explains everything to the tribe, who let them go.
As she, Blake, and Weiss travel, they find Yang, her mechanical arm having been stolen by a raccoon creature and being menaced by a strange creature called the Jabberwalker. The team fight off the creature, but Weiss reveals to Ruby that Penny sacrificed herself, making Ruby pass out from grief. When she wakes, the team comes to realize the world they are in bears a near identical resemblance to one they read about as children. They conclude that they are in the Ever After, a mystical location told about in the fairy tale The Girl Who Fell Through the World, and decide to follow to steps the story's protagonist, Alyx, made.
Little guides them to a town, where the raccoon, the Jinxy Peddler, is trying to sell off various items, one being Yang's stolen arm disguised as something else. Ruby is drawn to a green doll, and when the spell disguising the items is broken, she realizes it is one of Penny's swords. Yang steals her arm back, resulting in them being chased by soldiers. Ruby offers the sword to their Prince in exchange for his good graces, and the soldiers accept and bring the team to the Red Prince, a spoiled, arrogant monarch and son of the late Red King from the story. Ruby requests his help, and when he refuses, she offers to play a game with him. If she wins, he will help them. The Red Prince agrees, setting Ruby up with a chess-like combat game with living pieces. When Ruby points out she is three pieces short, the Prince shrinks Weiss, Blake, and Yang to serve as pieces. The game begins unfairly, but as Ruby realizes she just has to defeat the Prince's pieces in combat, she begins instructing her team and winning. The Prince, upset, questions why they want to reach the Tree. Ruby explains who they are and that they are trying to get home, but when she reveals that she, Weiss, and Yang are human, the Red Prince becomes enraged, and all the soldiers and pieces, including her own, turn on her and her team. They manage to defeat them, but the Prince refuses to let them go until a mystical cat called the Curious Cat intervenes, talking the Prince down just long enough to lead Ruby, now carrying Little and her shrunken teammates, through the castle labyrinth and away from guards to the exit. Wanting to follow the story again, Ruby decides she must follow the Cat to get to the Tree.
Ruby follows the Curious Cat, bartering with it that she will answer its questions if it leads them to the Tree. The Curious Cat agrees, and bombards Team RWBY with questions about Remnant before leading them to a forest-like area called the Garden. When the Cat brings up how Salem sounds unstoppable, Ruby feels overwhelmed and freezes in place, which causes her to lose track of the elusive Cat. They then come across the Herbalist, a giant bug-like creature who offers to help them, specifically to help Weiss, Blake, and Yang grow back to normal size. Ruby reluctantly enters his home, where he questions them. However, he grows frustrated when they cannot define the roles they play, and uses smoke from a magic hookah pipe to make them all hallucinate visions of their past selves who encourage them to change who they are or, in Ruby's case, give up. While her teammates all stand up to the visions and defy the negativity, Ruby is deeply affected by it and begins to fall into despair. The Curious Cat returns and blows away the smoke, convincing the Herbalist to leave them be. The Herbalist is sucked into a hole in the ground, vanishing.
As the Cat leads Team RWBY along, he explains that, in the Ever After, its inhabitants do not die, but rather ascend and are born anew to become the person they wanted to be, or to fit the role they are destined to be. He explains that this happened with the Red King, who was broken after losing his games to Alyx, and was reborn as the Red Prince, who was crueler but better fit the role of someone who plays games to win.
The group arrives to a market, where the Cat tells them they must obtain ingredients for a potion that will grow Yang, Weiss, and Blake to normal size. They go with the Cat as Ruby and Little venture for the final ingredient. Along the way, Ruby comes across a mysterious Blacksmith who seems to have Penny's sword, Alyx's dagger, and Summer's axe in her shop. She tells Ruby she is lost, then vanishes as quickly as she appeared. The Cat and her teammates return, confused as to who she was talking to. They find the last ingredient, but the market is attacked by the Jabberwalker, which the Cat explains will end the process of ascending of whoever it eats. The merchant selling the ingredient starts to panic, and Ruby offers her mother's emblem in quick exchange for the ingredient, which the merchant accepts before fleeing. Weiss, Blake, and Yang eat the potion to grow to normal size, then help fight the Jabberwalker with the aid of the mysterious Rusted Knight. They defeat it, only to find it was an illusion created by Neopolitan, and more Jabberwalkers arrive. Team RWBY flee with the Rusted Knight as the Curious Cat and other Ever After inhabitants fend off the Jabberwalkers. The Rusted Knight leads them to safety, only to reveal himself to be Jaune, though much older.
As Jaune takes the group to his village, he reveals that he fell into the Ever After, but found a magic clock that sent him back in time by a great many years. He waited for Team RWBY to arrive, only for Alyx and her brother Lewis to arrive first. He also tells them that Salem got the two relics. The Curious Cat returns, angering Jaune as a "punderstorm" brews, which creates a physical manifestation of phrases and mental states. When the Curious Cat says that they "are at a crossroads", which creates literal crossroads to navigate. Ruby, Weiss, Little, Jaune, and the Cat navigate the crossroads as Jaune continues his story. Realizing he was the Rusted Knight of the story, Jaune tried to follow it by teaming up with the Curious Cat to lead Alyx and Lewis to the Tree. However, Alyx was far crueler than the story indicated, and after meeting the Herbalist, she turned against Jaune, poisoning him and letting the Curious Cat lead her and her brother to the Tree. There, where Ever Afterians go to "ascend", Alyx returned to Remnant by sacrificing her brother to the Tree. The Cat claims that Alyx betrayed him too, and that only Ever Afterians are reborn while others are returned to Remnant. A divide forms and the Cat leaves. The storm dissipates, the group is reunited with Yang and Blake (who have confessed their love for one another) and Jaune leads them to his village. Ruby is distraught, and even after Jaune returns Crescent Rose to her, she refuses to take it back.
The following morning, Jaune introduces and explains the village he resides in: the village is made of paper, full of individuals made of paper called "Paper Pleasers". He explains that they are kind and hospitable, though careless, resulting in him having to save them every single day. Jaune tries to plan with Team RWBY, requesting that they stay and protect the Paper Pleasers while he charts more of the Ever After and tries to find a safe exit. Team RWBY are concerned Jaune has lost some of his sanity in isolation. A Paper Pleaser overhears their conversation and explains to them that the Tree is not dangerous, but a place Ever Afterians want to go after they have fulfilled their purpose, ready to be born anew. However, Jaune is convinced the Tree is dangerous after what happened with Alyx and Lewis, and refuses to let the Paper Pleasers ascend like they want to. Jaune and Team RWBY argue about what is best until Neo and her Jabberwalkers attack. Ruby is frightened of Crescent Rose and reluctant to join in the fight, her nerves getting the better of her. She tries to fight, but hallucinates images of Cinder, Penny, and Salem, being pinned down and almost eaten. Her friends save her, but in the time they were fighting, the Paper Pleasers manage to topple a dam and flood the town, allowing all of them to ascend, mortifying Jaune. Weiss, Blake, and Yang attempt to comfort him and want Ruby to do the same, but Ruby finally has had enough. She gets angry at her friends for never thinking about her needs, and how they are so preoccupied with their goals or each other that they never consider how she is feeling. Jaune argues with her, blaming her for Neo's attack and them falling into Ever After. He apologizes, still distraught over the ways he has failed. Blake attempts to cheer everyone up, but Ruby tells her off, to the shock of everyone. She grabs Crescent Rose and runs away. Little attempts to comfort her, but Ruby feels that everyone close to her dies becuase of her mistakes, so she tells Little to leave before heading off.
Ruby wanders alone until she is pulled into an illusion by Neopolitan. Illusions of friends and allies that died mock and attack her, aided by Neo. Neo reveals that drinking a tea made from leaves of the Tree will make the drinker Ascend, and tries to force Ruby to do so by torturing and beating her. The Curious Cat returns, only to reveal that they had been using Ruby all along; the Cat reveals that they are burdened with curiosity, and they worked to break down Ruby mentally so they could posses her and use her as a vessel to go to Remnant. The Cat begins to possess Ruby, but Little returns and distracts them. Neo steps on Little and kills him, breaking Ruby's spirit. As Jaune and her teammates arrive, a broken Ruby drinks from the tea, effectively ending her life and taking her to the Tree to Ascend. With Ruby gone, Neo feels she has lost her purpose in life, and the Cat targets her instead, possessing her and attempting to use her as a vessel to get to Remnant.
Ruby finds herself transformed into a wooden statue on the Tree and transferred to a mental scape, where she encounters the Blacksmith again. The Blacksmith says that she is essentially the essence of the Tree, the one responsible for the process of Ascending and "reforging" beings into new states. Ruby states that she feels that she has failed her allies and the world, and the Blacksmith offers to turn her into someone new. She offers her a variety of weapons, and tells Ruby that she can be anyone she imagines holding them. Ruby sees her mother's weapon and reaches for it, and is shown a vision of the night Summer left. She finds that Summer lied about going on a mission, and actually teamed up with Raven for an unknown reason. Ruby is upset, but comes to realize that her mother loved her for who she was, giving her the resolve to not give up and choose to be herself. She returns as herself, finding that the Curious Cat failed to use Neo to get to Remnant and is fightin her allies. Ruby teams up with her friends to defeat the Cat, with Neo joining in at the last moment to kill the Cat once and for all. Ruby reunites with her friends, and Neo opts to join with the Tree and Ascend. Little Ascends and becomes a being known as Somewhat, who Ruby thanks and sends off to fulfill their purpose. Ruby travels with her friends through a door, arriving back in the Blacksmith's workshop.
The Blacksmith explains that the Gods of Light and Darkness were born in the Ever After, made to fulfill the roles of creation and destruction. Over time, they began to create their own creatures, including the Cat to fill the role of helping others Ascend, and the Jabberwalker for destroying what was deemed necessary to destroy. When they were ready, they traveled beyond the Ever After and created Remnant. Whenever their creations came to the Ever After, they had a profound effect, such as with Alyx and Lewis and now with Team RWBY and Jaune. The Blacksmith goes on to say that while some were hurt and driven to evil like the Cat, others were shown kindness and made better like Little/Somewhat. She says that Alyx desired to right the wrongs of her past, and using magic, restores Jaune to his younger age. She then opens the door back to Remnant, and Ruby and her allies walk through into Vacuo.
==Vacuo==
Ruby and her friends arrive in Vacuo and are tearfully greeted by their friends, who thought them dead. They begin trying to adjust to life in this new environment. Ruby especially feels overwhelmed due to her new status as a local celebrity, which came from her message and later being used as a martyr.
While out with Yang, Ruby is surrounded by fans to sign autographs and take pictures. She discusses how overwhelming it feels to Yang. They visit a boba tea store and talk about the past, with Yang opening up and apologizing for the stress and turmoil she put Ruby through as team leader. They reconcile, and decide to go shopping.
Category:Synopsis