RWBY Listens to The Soundtrack

Vol. 5, All Things Must Die

"'All Things Must Die is supposedly a duet between Raven Branwen & Cinder Fall, but I think that while that fits overall, it makes more explicit references to dear old mom's supposed philosophy.'" The note explained. "'And her name. You'll see what I mean. Anyways, keep in mind as you go forward: How people see themselves may not reflect how they actually are.'"

Everyone looked at Yang. "Just...just do it." She told them. With a frown, Ruby did so.

[Song Start]

[*Piano Buildup*]

"Well that's...surprisingly classy." Nora noted.

"Do you ALWAYS have to get the first word in?" Weiss asked.

"I'm not certain that she always has, though." Ren defended.

"And I'm not certain it matters." Glynda added. Really getting into the spirit of things.

"Are you SURE you're going to be...?" Blake asked Yang in concern.

"Given how much you and Weiss asked that, I better hope so." Yang's smirk didn't reach her eyes.

"We're here. Always." Ruby reminded. Perhaps unnecessarily, but...

"I mean it IS kinda weird that we're starting out like this for a..." Jaune looked serious before realizing what he was saying.

"Bandit Queen." Pyrrha said for him. "Although what that says about her overall demeanor is...interesting."

"Well, we'll see..." Ozpin muttered. From what Qrow had told him, what he knew of Raven, and the note, it may not be so certain.

[Day by day
It's nearer]

"What, the day we've waited for? Cause I mean, the song said so." Ruby looked at her sister. Cheering Up Maneuver Success Rate...well, bit early to tell.

"Or, well, we only have a couple weeks, and they..." Jaune noted with worry.

[Step by step
You grow]

"Not that you'd really know." Yang muttered. "Except as a bird for some reason..."

"That's weird and gross, by the way!" Nora shouted out. Just in case Raven was a bird nearby.

[Closer to
Your ruin]

"Okay, that's closer to what I was expecting." Weiss admitted. Yang seemed a little annoyed at the worried look. Lot of that going around, huh?

"It's...starting to get familiar, yes." Ren admitted.

[Soon your
Time to go]

"No, I think we'll stay a little longer." Blake deadpanned.

"And you of all people don't have the right to presume that..." Glynda muttered. Childish? Perhaps, but...

[Life is just
A journey]

"That is what many believe, that there's no inherent " Pyrrha conceded. "...Though, given that The Two Brothers are real..."

"They created us with the ability to choose, so I wouldn't be certain." Ozpin half-truthfully stated. He had ideas, based on what Salem told him how they considered their world. "Experiment."

[Yours is
Near its end]

"I mean, it'd be great if SOME people were gonna, but the assholes always find a way to keep going." Nora countered.

"Not always." Yang countered. "We'll make sure of it."

"...was that meant as a threat?" Ren wondered. Certainly deserved in many cases, but...

[Bloody
Evolution]

"Argh, no, bad callback, I don't want you here!" Ruby complained.

"Well it's...appropriate, given the philosophy of those kinds of groups." Pyrrha cautiously stated.

"...But then what did the note mean by..." Jaune muttered,

[This. World.
Transceeeeeeeennnnd...]

"...Well, that's certainly a more flowery death threat than we've had so far." Weiss said.

"Is...that how she justifies it?" Blake wondered, familiar with the concept.

"It's how the Branwen Tribe does, yes." Glynda confirmed.

"Though I don't think Raven herself kept that mentality after a while." Ozpin noted. Also, nice drawing out of the last word, but he wasn't about to compliment her, even indirectly.

[Black Out The Sky...]

"Welp, you heard the jerk, get the Sun Blocker in place!" Nora ordered.

"Oh those cartoon villains and their crazy plans..." Ruby chuckled a little.

"It could have been accomplished much easier by trapping them underground, or closing the windows if we wish to be literal." Ren complained.

"...Hm. Theoretically, I suppose a Maiden would be able to create an effect like that." Ozpin granted. And Raven HAD the Spring Maiden....though it was kinda weird that SHE was the one saying it then.

"...You know I know what you're trying to do, right?" Yang rhetorically asked.

[All Things Must Die...]

"Except Ozpin, apparently." Blake dryly noted. "Sort of. But...yeah, we do."

"...Is it working?" Jaune asked.

"...I mean, I feel like we gotta focus on this, y'know?" Yang sated.

"Yes, but if it helps you get through it..." Pyrrha stated.

"It's what you did." Glynda pointed out.

"I...kinda, yeah." Yang admitted. "But Blake and Weiss were going through a lot, and-"

"-And now you are. Again,. So now it's our turn. Again." Weiss declared. And with that...

[This is the end
Here's where you'll die]

"Well I'd...certain hope not exactly here?" Pyrrha tried for a joke.

"What a...pleasant person, truly." Weiss entered her usual Sarcasm Mode.

[Legends should scatter
So just say goodbye]

"Not until I hear it from you." Yang gritted her teeth. "You OWE me."

"Also, stop referencing the first into, I like that one!" Ruby hoped her deliberately childish display-not that she'd ever call it that-helped there.

[No one will miss you
When you're fin'lly gone]

"We sure it's not also about Jacques or Adam or..." Nora trailed off.

"It can be about many people." Ren granted.

[At your conclusion
Sing your swan song]

"Well, when that DOES happen...we can only hope it's a good one, right?" Jaune asked.

"That's all anyone can." Blake agreed.

[Murder
Unkindness
Conspiracy]

"Uh, what do all those words have to do with-?" Ruby began.

"They're groups of birds." Weiss stated with a dry expression.

"Well, if there was any doubt..." Blake noted. "And they might also..."

"...be about her specifically." Yang concluded. Huh, they really WERE on a similar wavelength. "I mean, I THOUGHT the last one was, anyways." She started dry chuckling.

[Embers
Extinguished
In effigy]

"'Even brilliant lights will cease to burn...'" Jaune quoted.

"Hey, that's Ren's and/or Ruby's thing!" Nora jokingly complained.

"He doesn't exactly have a...claim on it, though." Pyrrha defended her maybe boyfriend.

"I don't particularly care." Ren admitted.

[Just close
Your eyes]

"...Is that what you did?" Glynda pointedly asked. From her perspective...

[Don't fear
Demise]

"Oh, I don't know, it seems a reasonable fear to me." Ozpin muttered. If only she did...

[Black Out The Sky]

Nora made a grab-in view of Yang-at where the window shutters should be. But of course they weren't, but...okay, that's a little funny, Yang had to admit, especially Glynda using her wand to hold her back.

[All Things Must Die]

And what a statement. Not that all things WILL die, because with a couple of exceptions and their Creators everything DID (in this plane of reality), but that they MUST. IS that what she told herself? Speaking of...

[*Rock Interlude*]

"Professor Goodwitch...can you elaborate on that?" Weiss asked.

"Hah, nice." Nora complimented on the turn-around.

"I mean, didn't Ozpin already say?" Jaune pointed out.

"I THEORIZED, because I didn't want to assume I knew better." Ozpin countered.

"But yes, the scale of all this is...overwhelming. I remember when I was brought in." Glynda stated. "So, it's not impossible that..."

"So...she's a coward." Ren summed up.

"That much was clear already." Pyrrha frowned. How someone could do that to their own family...

"I mean...the note said it was more complicated..." Ruby didn't truly believe what she was saying, but...

"Sometimes things that seem complicated have a simple answer, even if the person complicating it can't admit it." Blake stated. "Now...Yang, are you still..."

"...I'll manage." Yang held her right arm as it shook. "...thanks." And with that, the rest of the interlude went on as normal.

[All tales conclude
All bonds dissolve]

"Now THAT is patently untrue." Ozpin critiqued. "It just...changes, as I said."

"Well, you'd know." Nora granted. "...How old even ARE you?" Ozpin wasn't actually certain on that himself.

[Infinite matter
Will always evolve]

"More Mistrailian beliefs about what happens after death." Pyrrha quickly stated.

"At least, in theory." Ren supplemented. Blake was clear on that.

[Just pray for mercy
At your time of death]

"Yeah, no, you don't GET that." Ruby stated.

"Absolutely not." Jaune agreed, and was surprised at his own...conviction. It had been a LONG roughly the length of a day. Sometimes it felt like almost a year.

[Be glad you existed
Enjoy your last breath]

"You know what? I AM glad I existed, regardless of the circumstances." Weiss declared.

"Hm." Blake considered that. Just yesterday she'd have disagreed on her own count, and yet...

[Gleefully voicing
This eulogy]

"I notice that we're not talking about Raven all that much right now." Glynda said

"Eh, it's the middle of the song, just let em." Yang suggested. It was kinda nice. But of course...

[Spawn of the
Tenets of treachery]

"Now THAT doesn't bode well." Weiss undersold. "Though I'm...not certain what it means?"

"Well, she...kinda betrayed everyone by running back to her Murder Camp." Nora noted.

"...fleeing is one matter, but..." Ren didn't WANT to speculate, but he and Nora were somewhat biased in this case

"Oh of COURSE..." Yang almost shouted.

"That IS just a theory." Ozpin quickly assured.

"Like Lionheart?" Yang shot back. Ozpin flinched. Yang looked aside and continued. "...I mean, we don't really know, do we? Not like she's saying it."

"...Indeed not." How many would Raven make, Ozpin wondered? Counting Leo, then...

[Rest now
Subside]

"Screw you, we still have a whole day ahead of us!" Nora shouted.

"...Most of a day." Ozpin looked at his clock. It had been a bit, but they should still be able to get up to Volume 9 and, depending on personal stuff, have time to spare at this rate.

[With fate
Collide...]

"Huh, it's getting kinda calm again." Jaune noted. "Is it gonna...?"

"We've listened to enough songs to know the answer to that!" Ruby countered. And much to her joy, Yang DID lightly chuckle at that.

[Black Out The Sky]

Again, it was custom to not talk during repeated lyrics for whatever reason. In this case it wasn't much, it could easily refer to the bird thing. That...was a saying, wasn't it? Questions for later.

[All Things Must Diiiiie]

And indeed, it picked up again. What exactly that said about...well, anything could be overthinking it. Maybe. And though there was nothing to

[It's time
To accept
To abide]

"Ohohoho, FUCK no." Yang began. "There is nothing you can say that'll make me "accept" this, not after where you've been!"

"That's not referring to-" Ren was cut off.

"She knows. She just needs this." Nora told her...Ren, told her Ren.

[Admit that the
Hour's arrived]

"Well, I'm here! Any time you want to try to explain! Or is that just too hard for you, you worthless fucking coward?" Yang continued.

"...She never uses real swears around me." Ruby muttered in shock.

"I think she maybe did already, but..." There wasn't anything else for Jaune to say.

[Resign
Comply]

"Oh, you'd LIKE that, wouldn't you? If Glynda's right, you have plenty of experience!" Yang continued to shout. "What, want me to join the family business?"

"...huh, so that's what it's like." Weiss recalled This Life Is Mine. Still, lots of shouting, not great.

[It's time to be
One with the sky]

"Is that what you say when you leave towns to die?" Yang's eyes were...they seemed more red than they had ever been, if that made sense.

"Given her magic, I wouldn't put it past her." Blake quietly noted. It was RAVEN being shouted at, and she knew that, but...who else runs away?

[Surrender your pride
Let death be your guide]

"Cause that's what you DO, isn't it? Well guess what? I'm not like you! Hard to be when we've never even fucking talked, you stupid fucking waste of space!" Yang concluded.

"Hm." Glynda noted. There WAS a bit of Raven in there, or rather who Raven had been, and not just the eyes...but that was absolutely the LAST thing Ms. Xiao Long needed to hear, even if it was about the woman who actually stayed for a time, and not...well, Mr. Ren was right from her perspective. A coward.

[Aaalllll Things
Must Diiiiiie]

Yang breathed heavily. Ruby, Blake, and Weiss were already hugging her, with Ruby and Blake holding on to her shaking arm. A little bit of crying proceeded from that. After a few minutes, Pyrrha asked:

"...Are you okay" She didn't know if that was appropriate, but...

"...Yeah. Just...needed to shout a little." Yang confirmed. Her Team still held on. "Really recommend it, by the way. But, uh, sorry Blake. Weiss. Don't think I didn't notice." The two called out looked at each other. Usually they had to prompt for an apology, and it was never genuine.

"And, I presume, preparing for what you'll say to her?" Ozpin asked.

"...Maybe not that much." Yang admitted. "Maybe it IS complicated like you said. Depends on her, really." Ozpin nodded.

[Just close
Your eyes]

They'd done enough of that without even realizing it. Well, no longer.

[Don't fear
Demise]

The question really is, if Glynda's correct...can Raven take what she dishes out?

[Black Out The Skyyyyyyyy]

Of course, that WAS a saying during large Grimm Hordes, but here? Maybe it was a metaphor.

[Aaaaaaall Things Must Diiiiie!]

And with that, the song ended. The only priority at the moment was...

"Yang, are you..." Ruby knew the answer, of course, but even so.

"...Yeah, as much as I can be." Yang replied. And that was enough.

"...So, uh, we only talked about Raven during that." Nora noted.

"...One thing at a time." Jaune defended.

"And on that thing we were...on, what exactly did the note mean by "supposed" philosophy?" Pyrrha asked.

Everyone looked at the Professors. Ozpin spoke up. "Again, this IS only a theory, but...the ideology expressed in the song? That may be what she tells herself, but the reality may be different."

"How so?" Ren prompted.

"She seemed to have shed that mentality during her time here. It's possible that, even if that's what she tells herself in order to live with herself, she doesn't ACTUALLY believe in that "the weak die, the strong live" dogma. It's hypocrisy of the highest order, especially when coming from a Bandit Clan, and I think part of her knows that." Ozpin concluded.

"...So, if and when we have to fight her, we should keep that in mind." Weiss added.

"I mean, if we point all this stuff out to her, maybe she'll just...stop?" Ruby proposed. "Like, not "turn good", but just...show her that we know who she really is, and that'll...idunno, break her?"

"We can only hope..." Glynda muttered. And a bit dark coming from Ms. Rose.

"Welp, that's still a while away." Yang decided. "I'll deal with it when she actually decides to talk to me. I'll have all of you to help out, and...y'know, gotta pay it back." Ruby, Weiss, and Blake smiled. "Now then, Ruby, the next thing!"

"Right!" Ruby still wasn't sure if they'd ACTUALLY dealt with this, but she supposed that it took time. "Up next we haaaaaaaave...This Time. Okay, that's not really HELPING..."

~~~~~

There were 23 "&"s in this chapter.
only 1 was used right.