Chapter 50: New Divide

The ground quaked a little, which could be felt by Penny, the ground was a little unstable as it cracked under Penny's feet.

"Whoa, what's going on? It's not normal for earthquakes to happen here." Penny said as she flew into the air and grabbed Diamond.

Diamond looked around from the aerial view, "Maybe the gravity dust underneath was badly damaged? Or maybe another explosion?" His eyes scanned across the landscape near where the whale once was.

Penny scans around for a moment as she spots Sera and Deity. "Oh, look. Maybe we can ask them to help us out?"

Deity crossed her arms as she lets out a sigh, she turned her head to look to the side as she noticed Penny and Diamond. "Well well, look what the cat dragged in."

Sera didn't say anything as she was using some binoculars to see what was going on. She scoffed a little as she lowered the binoculars, she looked over to see what Deity was talking about.

"They don't seem too friendly." Diamond said to Penny, slightly on edge as he reached fro his prototype weapon. He was ready to fight them even if he was in the sky being held up by Penny.

"Easy there cowboy." Deity said. "We're on the same side here." she held her hands up. "We're trying to figure out what's going on here as well, all we know is that there's a massive Grimm in the center of the wasteland. You can't miss it...we saw Ruby and the others go that way."

Penny looked at Diamond. "She is correct, I do not detect any hostility from these two."

Diamond hesitantly moved his hand away from his weapon's handle. He looks towards Deity, "I'm going to assume that the plan is to run towards the Grimm to take it out. I might not have my memories, but the name Ruby sounds familiar and I know that I've got to help. So how about we just cut the chit chat and run at the damn thing?" Diamond suggested.

"It won't be that easy." Sera said. "Scarlet's over there too."

"Is she?" Penny asked. "Then that makes our job a lot easier to do.."

"Then let's do a double take down, whichever one of those two to fall first, then the remaining one. World peace obtained and we can move on with our lives." Diamond said with an arrogant and sassy tone.

"If it's going to be that easy." Oscar said. "We don't even know who can help us stop her. She might be too much for a group to handle on their lonesome."

"Well we're a three in one deal. So it's essentially cheating. We can take her." Diamond said with the highest confidence before coming down slightly, "At least, I believe we can. I just have a feeling."

"Well, lets get going then. Instead of waiting for her to kill everyone we know." Oscar said. "I rather not lose anyone else to her."

"Right!" Diamond responded to Oscar before turning to the rest of the small group. He motioned towards the center, "Right, let's get going. Enough debating amongst ourselves."

~~~

Nora was crawling on her hands and knees moving the ash around. "Ren, Ren...where are you!?"

Scarlet cackled. "Oh you mean emo boy? I killed him!" She shot magic at Nora knocking her back. "Now if you all would stay still for me, and die."

"NO!" Ruby yelled shooting dust bullets at Scarlet. "You will not kill anyone else!"

"Ara, such sass, yet...you see things through blinded rage." Scarlet said as she snapped her fingers, the Reaper of Death swung it's scythe arm at Ruby.

Weiss blocked the attack with her ice knight, saving Ruby from certain death. "Ruby, move. We can't let you fall."

"Nobody is falling but Scarlet!" Diamond's voice echoed as he approached the battlefield , giving himself away as a possible distraction.

"You guys made it!" Ruby cried.

"We have, yes." Penny said as she fired at the Reaper of Death. "We need to work together to stop her."

Scarlet smirked as she saw them. "Ara ara."

Diamond activated his weapon's hard light blade, twirling it around before pointing towards the Reaper of Death, "You?" He then moved his hand to point towards Scarlet, "Or you? Which one first?"

"What about the big one?" Jaune asked rolling out of the way.

"Cthulhu, finish them off!" Scarlet barked as she glared at them all. "I have three birds to kill."

"Birds?" Deity asked. "Wait...Qrow, Robyn and Raven are here?"

Sera stopped as she looked up at Scarlet. "Coward, get down here!"

"Tsk, tsk." Scarlet said waving her finger.

"Oh!.. How the dust did I miss that?" Diamond said to himself, seeing the giant Grimm Cthulhu.

Cthulhu roars as he swings his arm down slamming his fist on the ground as Scarlet flew towards the prisoner ship. "Ta-ta."

"Get back here!" Deity shouted while moving out of the way.

Diamond is sent flying backwards due to the force of the Cthulhu. He quickly got up, "Alright, Grimm first."

"I'm going to go after her." Penny said flying off.

"Penny no!" Ruby yelled. "Crap!"

"You'd better come back!" Diamond shouted at Penny as she flew off.

Nora yelled, as she glowed with Maiden powers. "She killed Ren!" She unleashed her anger on both Grimm as it burnt the Reaper of Death to a crisp and slightly burnt Cthulhu. "She will pay!!"

Diamond backed away from Nora, "We'll get back at her, don't worry! We need to take these two down first, just take it easy otherwise you'll blast us too!"

~~~

Penny chased after Scarlet into the prisoner ship as she scanned around. "Come out, you can't win."

Scarlet walked in the empty hall as she cackles. "I can't win? Don't you think you have that backwards? You and you friends won't win against me." She dashed up behind Penny and slashed at her back. "You're just a lifeless toy for them Penny. You don't need those Maiden powers...let me use you, to unlock the vault."

Penny yelled as she stumbled, she turned around not seeing her. "Where are you?"

"I'm every where." Scarlet said as she snickered. "Why don't you give up and just kill yourself? Hmm...this world doesn't need you."

"Shut up." Penny said.

Qrow rushed through the hall past Penny and jumped out. "Get moving kid, this ship is set to blow."

Robyn and Raven rushed past Penny as well. "Move it!"

Penny was confused for a moment, she watched the three jump out. But before she could move, Scarlet grabbed her. "You're not going no where...."

Ruby saw Qrow, Robyn and Raven. But not Penny, she glanced around not seeing her. "Where's Penny?"

"Penny?!" Deity called out. "Where are you!"

"Yooohoo!" Scarlet said waving. "Are you looking for your fun toy?" She grinned as she shot magic at them before taking Penny under Atlas and into the hole Oscar made where the Vault was.

"No." Sera said.

Diamond quickly side stepped to avoid her magical shot and it's possible aftermath as he attempted to dash passed the Grimm, "Damn it! You aren't going anywhere with our friend!"

The ship above soon blew up as the shock wave knocked everything over, and nearly knocked Cthulhu over. Ruby grits her teeth as she got up and dashed towards the Grimm and used her Silver eyes. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH!!!"

The golden glow that was present at the Schnee Manor radiated off of Diamond as a reactionary response to the Silver Light as the light is met with an additional Golden Force, amplifying it.

Winter shielded her eyes as she made her way there. "What's going on? What is that light?"

The golden light faded as Diamond fell to his knees. His body strained and exhausted from the sudden explosion of energy, "Your guess... is as good as my own..." Attempting to stand up he thought to himself, "Was that golden light me?"

"It was." Jaune said. "But you and ruby managed to take down that massive Grimm...all we need to worry about now is Scarlet. But she took Penny to the vault, if we get there, it'll be too late."

"The vault?.. Oh right the vault. Wait how do I know what that is?. Like I remember is vividly as if I've seen it before in a memory." Diamond struggled more with the internal thoughts of his memory loss and soul adoption of Oscar and Ozpin. He silenced himself as he turned, facing Jaune he nodded to him, "You're right, let's go now before it's too late and it's opened."

"We need to hurry, and fast." Ozpin said. "If she takes the staff from the vault, Atlas will fall from the sky."

"Agreed." Oscar said. "We can't risk that."

"Wait Atlas will what now?" Diamond asked the two of them as he started to look around to find the fastest way to reach Scarlet.

"Atlas it held up in the air by gravity, thanks to the staff. If it's taken, it will fall." Ozpin said.

Diamond sassily remarked, "Ah so Atlas lied some more, huh?" He looked back towards the group, "Alright so who knows the fasted way to the vault from here that can be easily accessed?"

"Nora has the Summer Maiden powers...she might be able to fly up there, but can only carry one of us up there." Blake said. "We don't know of any other way to get there, the airships aren't anywhere to be found either."

"Well if nobody is willing to risk going I will gladly go in." Diamond told them. He looked to Nora, "Would you help me get there to try and stop her? I feel even more inclined because it was my dumb thinking for a head on rush that caused her to be easily captured."

Nora nods as she walked over to Diamond and grabbed him before using her Summer Maiden powers to fly into the hole near the vault. Once they got there, Scarlet was struggling with Penny and trying to push her against the vault door.

~~~

"You will open the fucking Vault, you worthless piece of shit!" Scarlet snapped as she yanked Penny's arm and pressed it against the door.

Diamond was about to shout but bit his tongue. He kept himself quiet so Nora and himself could have a chance at getting closer to Scarlet.

The vault door slowly opened as Scarlet tossed Penny aside. "Yes....now I can bring Atlas to it's knees." She grinned widely as she cackled.

"Will you just shut up?!" Nora shouted as she threw her hammer at Scarlet.

"You aren't going in there!" Diamond pointed his hand towards the vault door as it locked in place with a yellow glow, "My semblance can stop non-living thing in place or myself. You won't be getting into that vault!"

Nora's hammer hit the back of Scarlet's head, but she turned around and threw it back at Nora. "Summer Maiden, you should've died in bed instead of chasing me, oh wait." She dashed towards the two and rams into Nora's chest with her shoulder.

Nora winched as she headbutts Scarlet back. "Get off me."

Diamond runs forward, "You heard her! Get lost!" He swung his hard light sword downwards, attempting to pressure Scarlet into backing away

Scarlet caught the sword with her hands she grins a little. "Such a shame." She tossed Diamond around and slammed him down, she backed up before smirking. "Don't you see? I've already won this game of cat and mouse."

"Bite me." Nora said spitting blood on her face.

Diamond winced as he was slammed into the ground, his aura taking the brunt force of it, "Shit! The timer just got shortened..." He stands back up as he turned off his weapon.

"Gladly." Scarlet said as she bit into Nora's arm yanking it off. "Oops, looks like I Yanged you. What ever will I do now? Oh wait." She started beating Nora with her own arm as she laughed.

Nora cried out in both pain and agony as she felt around for her hammer. "W-Where is it?"

Diamond ran forward and tackled Scarlet away from Nora, "You crazy bitch back off of her!"

Nora's aura broke as she cried out, Scarlet's aura broke a little as she snickered and used her magic to send Diamond flying cross country. "I have unlimited power!

Diamond tail spun into one of the constructs near the vault's entrance, his aura shattered upon impact as the vault door began to open once again, "N... No..."

Penny slowly stood up as she blocked the entrance to the vault. "I-I won't let you in Scarlet."

Scarlet cocked her head to the side as she aimed her musket and flintlock at Penny and started going trigger happy on her, as Penny was being filled with dust bullets. Scarlet walked over to her and flicked her forehead, knocking Penny onto her back. "Your job is done, and now...it's my turn to rule." She slammed her foot into Penny and stepped out before going into the vault. "Now then..."

"You... won't get away with this!" Diamond called out as he watched as Scarlet entered.

Nora panted, as she tried to get up to her feet. "I....I won't die...I can't."

Scarlet turned her head as she grins. She reached for the staff as she watched Nora struggle to make her way to the vault, she grasped the staff's handle as she grins. "Now that I have the lamp and the staff...I can use this to my advantage."

Nora collapsed face forward as looked at Scarlet. "Y....You think....this means...this means something?"

Scarlet cackled as she kicked Nora's face. Oscar and Ozpin had lent some of their power to Diamond. "Get out of here, while you have the chance."

"I can't leave that girl here! She's a maiden!" Diamond argued with them.

"What's more important right now?" Oscar asked. "Penny's gone, Nora's on death's bed already."

Diamond stands there before he activated his hard light sword, "Nora! Remember your friends!" He shouted at her as he threw his sword at her head to mercy kill her so he is not in pain, or left to be absorbed and eaten by Scarlet.

Scarlet scoffed but grins. "You made my job easier....Julien...or should I say Oscar and Ozma?"

"She knows we're here?" Oscar asked.

"I am not any of those people. That golden energy I released from my body earlier is evidence enough that I was reborn. I am not Julien. I am Diamond Gemstone. I don't know how you can tell those two are hitching a ride in my body, but it doesn't matter. I will stop you." Diamond promised her keeping a stern look on his face.

Scarlet snickered as she started to speak in Salem's voice. "Oh come now, I can see right through you. Do you think I would forget?"

"No...it's not possible." Oscar said. "How? When?"

Ozpin was silent for a moment. "....that would explain her sudden change in appearance."

"Oh great so everyone is just sharing bodies now. This is pretty unhygienic." Diamond approached Scarlet, hoping to sneak closer towards her with his dumb joke as cover.

"Not a single step closer." Scarlet said as she looked at him.

"Damn... Worth a shot." Diamond stepped back with a half assed laugh.

Scarlet held the staff tightly in her hands. "Any second now... the others will go boom...just like a balloon ready to pop."

"What?!" Diamond looked back towards the hole, debating running to the others.

"She's gotta be bluffing." Oscar said.

The room started to shake, since Scarlet had took the staff from it's holder. "Better hurry, before they go boom, blood everywhere."

"I don't think she is!" Diamond starts running towards the hole, "Wait, can we fly?" He asked right as he jumped off.

"No, but your aura should protect you from the fall." Ozpin said.

"Wait! My aura is shattered!" Diamond said to Ozpin as the golden glow returned as he panicked in the air.

~~~

Sera pulled her binoculars out and looked through them seeing Diamond falling. "He's falling."

"I got him." Ruby said using her semblance to dash off and into the air to grab Diamond. "Wait, where's the other two?"

"They're..." Diamond can't face Ruby, "They're both dead... I had to mercy kill Nora. Scarlet ripped her arm out, and if I had ran she would have been tortured before she was killed..." He openly admits what happened to Nora.

Ruby was silent, she went back to the others as she was quiet the whole time. Jaune was the only member of JNPR who was alive.

"No...I'm the only one..." Jaune said.

"Good evening ladies and gents." Scarlet said. "I hope you all are ready for the main event?"

"No!" Diamond's veins can be seen pulsing with the same gold as the light radiating off of his body as he shouted.

Hazel looked around the area. "What does she mean? Main event, we're on her side."

"Oh, sorry...wrong answer Hazel." Scarlet said as she snaps her fingers as Grimm hands rose up underneath him and grabbed him. "Same side or not, you picked to help them."

"Holy shit." Weiss said.

Diamond stood, shaking in place with anger. "I need to stop her... Why won't my body move!?"

"Good question." Scarlet said. "Answer. Fear."

Blake scanned around. "She's toying with us, where are you?!"

"Blep, wrong question Belladonna." Scarlet said as she snickered a little. "You don't get to ask that question." She snapped her fingers as a Beowulf rose up from the ash and mauled Blake. "Ooh, that's gore to level one million!"

Diamond's golden light erupted again off of his body. "Leave her alone!-Achk....." As Diamond shouted it faded out just as fast it appeared, causing him to fall down unconscious from drainage and the overwhelming pressure of the situation.

"No, no." Ruby said as she was huffing and puffing fast. She looked over to Deity and Sera as she glanced back at the others. "I-I'm sorry guys."

"W-What?" Weiss asked as she saw Ruby speed off taking Diamond, Deity and Sera with her. "Ruby!"

"She left us...w-what...why?" Winter asked.

"She's under pressure..." Qrow said as he sat down. "It's been nice knowing you all..."

"Ding, ding, ding." Scarlet said. "Correct, you all get....DEATH!"

Grimm rose up from the ash around them as Scarlet came out from Atlas holding the staff. "Two maidens, dead. And one left alive. Let see's oh yes Vacuo will have a Maiden."

"Tch." Winter scoffed as she stood her ground.

Scarlet grinned as she snapped her fingers, which made the Grimm attack the others while Scarlet watched. Ruby was far away from the area with the other three as Sera slapped her across the face.

"You stupid fool, you left them to die!" Sera yelled.

"I-I....I." Ruby said. "I....I know." She started to cry as she puts her hands on her head. "Too much pressure..."

Diamond began to come to as he slowly looked around, "What?... What happened?... Why does my body feel so heavy?.." He looked at Ruby, then to Deity, and to Sera, "Where is everyone else?.."

Ruby was crying still, as Deity looked at her for a moment, Oscar chimed in for a small moment. "Left for dead... that's where, Ruby seemed to be under pressure and fled the area taking us and those two with her."

Ozpin was silent as he hadn't said nothing about the situation, Sera crossed her arms as she walked over to a building and leans against it.

Diamond pushed himself up, "Everyone. Don't cast hate on Ruby. Now we still have some chance to do something to make this right."

"Like what?" Sera asked glaring at him. "She killed Blake in front of us, you said it yourself. She killed Penny, and now she's going to kill the others."

Ruby was in a transmuted shock as she was rocking back and forth. "We can't do anything....."

"She might have killed them, and will more than likely kill others! But we are the only remaining members who have any information about her. Ruby's decision saved us and if you'd want you can turn and run." Diamond looked to Ruby, "Whether you feel like you can continue or not, I will keep fighting. I'll fight for those who could not longer fight." Diamond shakes slightly, "Otherwise, their deaths are meaningless..."

Deity would rub Ruby's back as she looked at them all. "For starts...we need to get away from Atlas and Mantle, head to Vacuo, and warn them about the threat." She looked over to Sera. "I know you have an airship stored away near by."

Sera looked over. "I do, but getting to Vacuo is going to be one hella of a trip." She looked over to Diamond and then Ruby. "Warning them before Scarlet gets there, will be worth it...hopefully."

"Then it's settled. We'll head to Vacuo. Apart of me seemed giddy about it. Almost like family could be there or something in relation to me. So I am more than on board with that." Diamond stretched as loud cracking sounds are heard coming from his body, "Oh dear the gods my spine..."

Ruby stopped crying as she wipes the tears away. "I don't have any family no more with me...expect my dad and Zwei..." She slowly stood up as she glared out in the distance. "I can't let Scarlet kill them..."

"But aren't they in patch?" Deity asked.

"I uh...yeah...but you know what I mean." Ruby said.

~~~

Scarlet grins as Atlas fell slowly. She tapped the staff a little as Ambrosius came out of the tip of the staff.

"Finally, free from...oh." Ambrosius said. "Well...I am Ambrosius..."

"Silence fool." Scarlet said. "I want you to build me a Utopia, among the remains of this waste land that was Atlas and Mantle."

Ambrosius rubbed his chin as he was stalling for time. "Uh, yeah. I don't think I can do that. I can only do one thing at a time, so...."

Scarlet hissed as she glared at him. "What was that?"

Ambrosius stopped mid-sentence. "What I meant to say was, it'll take some time. I can only do one thing at a time...but I would need a blue print or reference on what you want me to build."

Scarlet grins. "Oh...don't worry, we have all the time and blue prints we need." She picked up Qrow's head as she looked at it. "Isn't that right....uncle?" Neo appeared with the lamp as Watts watched Ruby and the other three walk off, he adjusted his collar before returning to where Scarlet was at.

A/N:[I can't take credit for Sera, Deity or Diamond Gemstone. Credit for Sera and Deity goes to my friends on Discord, and credit for Diamond goes to DeltaJGemstone]