Stolen Time

A/N: Takes place right after Ambrosius makes Penny human. WBY is not there because, for the purposes of this fic, I don't want them third-wheeling. Just imagine they were doing something else. I stretched canon a bit regarding Ambrosius' abilities, but it's fine because Penny is a precious bean who deserves it.

XXX

"Where are we?" Ruby asked.

Technically, the answer was obvious. They were in a void: a vast space full of absolutely nothing. Well, almost nothing. She was there, and so were Ambrosius and Penny.

Penny.

It was the same Penny, although the package was different. She had a whole new body now, capable of all the sensations Ruby could only describe to her before. She'd always felt sorry for her friend in that respect: life without the ability to taste a good cholocate chip cookie was a cruelly limited experience, in Ruby's view.

But it was definitely the same Penny underneath. Her soul was untouched, her cheerful kindness unblemished. The first thing she'd done after waking up in her new body was the discovery of hugs.

Ruby wouldn't let anything happen to her. Not again. Not on her watch.

Still. That was all very well and good, but it didn't explain what they were doing inside... whatever that place was.

Ambrosius stretched lazily before answering her question. "This is where I live when I am not called upon."

Penny looked around tentatively. "It's empty."

"It's a sandbox", Ambrosius replied. "A playground." He waved his hand, and Penny yelped in delight as a honeyshuckle plant materialized and blossomed.

"My nose!" She clutched it with both hands. "It... feels something."

"That's smell", Ambrosius explained. "A lot of things have it. Flowers. Food. Speaking of..." With another wave of his hand, he produced a small piece of chocolate and offered it to her. She took a hesitant nibble; her eyes widened, and she gulped the whole thing down.

"This is so good!"

Ambrosius nodded, smiling. "And that's taste."

Ruby stared in wonder. "But – only one of your creations can exist at a time. The rules of the staff –"

"Do not apply here. The rules were made to prevent humanity from abusing the relic. But this place is inacessible to humanity... normally. Think of it as an architect's playground. A place for me to experiment with all the blueprints I have observed over the years. Any constructs I make here, remain here. It can be anything I want it to be."

"Why did you bring us here?" Ruby asked. Perhaps learning to form better questions was part of the package when you were dealing with eternal supernatural entities. If you were lucky enough to survive until you learned.

"So that you can make it everything you want it to be."

Ruby frowned. "I don't understand."

"Your friend was dealt a harsh hand", Ambrosius said. "Conceived as a machine for war. She was designed to fight, and her path was determined for her before she was even constructed. It was different for you. You had a choice. A choice with larger consequences than you could ever have anticipated, but a choice nonetheless. But Penny... she has already paid a steep price for decisions others made for her, and rarely had a moment to herself. Even now, with her newly constructed fully human body, she immediately has to go back to fighting. I have existed since the relics the created, and have seen cruelty in all its aspects. Penny's lot seems... exceptionally cruel."