Work Text:
INT. SHADE ACADEMY LIBRARY - DAY
The library was dusty. Specks of dust and sand cover the books and shelves.
The tables were empty except for one, pile of old books and papers on top of the table.
Sitting at that table was OSCAR PINE. Standing behind him was RUBY ROSE.
Oscar was quickly flipping pages of a book called "The Girl Who Fell Through the World."
OSCAR: This is where you were?
RUBY: Yes! That's what been telling you. We fell through the world into a fairytale.
OSCAR: We never thought you could be there! Of all places!
RUBY (snarks): Isn't Oz a fairytale, himself? He REALLY didn't know that Ever After exists?
Oscar's eyes glow and Oz takes over.
OZ: Not all fairytales are real.
Oscar takes control, again.
Then, his whole eyes glow green and he starts to collapse to the ground.
Ruby catches Oscar.
RUBY (concern): Oscar!
OSCAR: I'm fine. Well... not really, but I'm thinking I'm getting used to it.
RUBY (concern): What's going on?
OSCAR: Oz and I are fighting the merger, but...
Oscar's eyes glow that sicken green. Oscar curls up from the pain.
RUBY (concern): It's hurting you.
Oscar weakly smiles.
OSCAR AND OZ: Precisely, Ms. Rose. We don't have long.
Ruby picks up Oscar.
RUBY: I'm gonna carry you to the dorms, so you can lie down.
Ruby carries Oscar bridal style out of the library.
INT. SHADE ACADEMY DORMS - DAY
The dorms were rooms with bunk beds with yellow bedsheets.
Ruby walks into one of the dorms with Oscar in her arms. She tucks Oscar into one of the beds, on the bottom bunk. She takes a seat on the top bunk, above Oscar.
A long moment of silence.
OSCAR: So Ruby? How was the Ever After? You haven't talked--
RUBY: Shit.
Oscar bursts out laughing. Ruby hang her head over the bed, to see the bed below and Oscar.
OSCAR: Sorry! Sorry! I just didn't expect you to say that.
RUBY: I learned it from Qrow... and Yang.
Ruby lifts her head and leap down from the top bunk.
RUBY: Can I tell you something that did happen in the Ever After? Something that sort of involves you.
OSCAR (confused): Sure?
Ruby takes a deep breath.
RUBY: It started with Neo. Her semblance got a power boost and she could make clones of other people. She threw a tea party of her clones of dead people...
INT. NEO'S HOUSE - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Crescent Rose lies on the hardwood in its gun form.
A beaten-up V9 RUBY lies on the same hardwood, reaching out for Crescent Rose. Her weapon is just out of her reach.
V9 RUBY: It's not my fau--
The Long Memory BEAT her. Over and Over again, by CLONE OZ.
CLONE OZ (rage): How my more lives do you have to ruin before you realize you're not cut out to save anyone!
V9 Ruby reaches Crescent Rose, turns into scythe mode, and swings back toward where Clone Oz was in one quick motion.
Standing there instead of Clone of Oz was now CLONE OSCAR with a big scythe slash right through his chest. His hand is covered with his own blood.
CLONE OSCAR: Ruby, I--
CLONE OSCAR falls to the ground, dead.
His blood pools on the hardwood floors.
INT. SHADE ACADEMY DORMS - DUSK (PRESENT)
The light shifted in the dorm.
Oscar is now sitting up in the bed.
RUBY: And, that's what happened.
OSCAR (worry): Are you OK?
RUBY (awkward laughs): Don't worry I went through the tree.
OSCAR: The tree?
RUBY: A tree with a wise blacksmith.
OSCAR: I don't think she made it into the book.
RUBY: Yeah.
OSCAR (anger): Neo is awful! Can't believe she did that to you!
Ruby awkwardly laughs more.
OSCAR: What is it, Ruby?
RUBY (relief): It's nothing, I just thought you would be mad at me.
OSCAR: For what?
RUBY: For sort of killing you.
OSCAR: It was Neo Clone. Not me.
RUBY: I know. Logically, that makes sense. Yet, in the moment, it felt real. I couldn't shake that feeling.
OSCAR: Ruby. Look at me.
Ruby's silver eyes lock with Oscar's hazel eyes. Oscar blushes.
OZ (in Oscar's head): We can't the fight merger anymore.
OSCAR (in his head to Oz): Let me say this BEFORE I AM GONE.
OSCAR: I could never be mad at you. You inspired me. You are everything to me, Ruby Rose.
Ruby blushes.
RUBY (stammers): Os-c-ar.
OSCAR: I love you, Ruby!
Oscar screams out a painful screech. His scream shifts between Oscar's and Oz's voices.
His eyes are glowing uncontrollably.
He collapses into the bed.
RUBY: OSCAR!
Ruby tries to reach out to Oscar.
OSCAR AND OZ: LEAVE! NOW!
Ruby hesitantly leaves them, running out of the dorms.
RUBY: UNCLE QROW!
INT. SHADE ACADEMY DORMS - NIGHT
The dorms are dead silent.
Ruby comes back with the dorms with QROW.
The hazel-eyed boy is standing in the middle of the room.
RUBY (panic): Oscar! What happened?
The boy doesn't respond.
Ruby tries to approach him. Her uncle holds her back, by her shoulder.
QROW: Oz. Did the merger happen?
OZCAR: Yes, Qrow.
Ruby collapses into Qrow's arms.
Tears leak out of her eyes.
RUBY (cried): Goodbye Oscar Pine.
Blackout.
The End.