Radiant Rebirth (Hollow Knight x RWBY)
- Thread starter Naron
- Start date
- Crossover
JmonsterNEO
Spouter of nonsense
- Location
- The quest forums
As well as an opportunity to subsume him in turn. Once they get alone, of course.
2.4 Preparations and Departure
- Location
- Earth
"Well," Yang commented. "That went better than expected."
Weiss could not help but agree; she was still somewhat in shock that the headmaster agreed with this madness. Yet he did and so she needed to adapt.
The whole group currently congregated in the CFVY dorm; with them being a second-year team, their accomodations were large enough to comfortably fit them all. Seeing that nobody so much as commented on her attempt to break the ice, Yang carried on after a moment with a motion for the Crown of Choice, currently cradled against her sister's chest. "What do we do with that anyway? You can't just carry it around, right?"
Ruby stared down at it in response. "That's a good question, actually. I don't think anyone thought about that."
She was right, which reminded Weiss how haphazard this entire endeavour ultimately was.
"Come on," Selina nudged the younger woman with a roll of her eyes. "Just wear the thing. You're the best we have and who knows, maybe it'll give you something juicy to help you later."
Nora nodded along cheerfully. "Besides, it's not like anyone would expect us to have one of these thingies in our outfits, right?"
Weiss was ready to take the wind out of their sails, but Ren pre-empted her. He often did when Nora was concerned. "It's still fairly obvious when you know what to look for."
"Oh come on, where's your sense for style! It's a crown!"
Ruby squirmed as the pair argued. She sought the others' opinions with a look, earning thumbs ups from Yang and Selina. Blake and Weiss were almost perfect mirrors of each other in shaking their heads, though the atlesean did it mainly over Nora's and Ren's antics. CFVY was still mulling it over.
In the end, Fox spoke up thoughtfully: "I think they're right, actually. Refuge in audacity and all that. If we assume Salem already knows everything anyway, we can't hide the thing or she will find it."
"Right," Velvet agreed. "So if she isn't aware we have the Crown, she won't look with us. And if she does, Ruby is the best to protect it anyway."
Coco arched a brow out that. "I'm not so sure about that one. You're at least as good as she is."
The pointed comment made her partner squirm while attention was focussed on her. Weiss did recall that Velvet was presumably CFVY's ace, though she had never seen her fight.
"But only one of them cheats with her Semblance," Selina quipped. It was evidently the wrong thing to say, seeing how her fellow faunus threw her a sour look. The wolf cringed. "Whoops. Sorry. Forget I said anything."
Now Weiss was intrigued, but she knew better than to ask that particular question. The same went for Pyrrha, but they also both knew Nora would have no such reservation. The bubbly girl almost jumped in her seat.
"Aww, c'mon! We're like secret agents now! It's fine if we know your Semblance, right? Right?"
Velvet gave no response beyond a minute frown. Coco pushed herself in front of her partner a moment later, warding off Nora's attention. "Let's not go there. We're not advertising Velvet for a reason."
As she spoke, Fox and Yatsuhashi also shifted to cover their skittish teammate. Weiss was uncertain what to do here. The Semblances on her team were well known, excepting Penny who had yet to find hers. SNNL was somewhat open with theirs, though only Nora's could be called obvious. Weiss only knew after seeing it in action. Pyrrha was clearly more understanding of Velvet's situation, considering that she still hid her own Semblance.
"It may not be for me to say," she began, cutting through the tension. Weiss left a pause to make certain everyone was listening. "But from what the headmaster said, all of us will receive assignments in Atlas. We need not work strictly together to obtain the Staff, but being aware of what each team brings to the table would be a great boon."
She felt this was a solid argument. In the best case they could have exchanged the knowledge of their Semblances, but the distribution of who knew what made that impossible. "Unfortunately, Spiceberry can offer little in terms of secrets to share. So I will not demand anyone else's, either."
"In fairness," Blake commented, "if we end up having to fight Ironwood, we're already in big trouble."
Weiss nodded. "A fair point."
"I do not see the issue," Penny chirped into the room. She seemed far too cheerful for that statement, eyes on Selina. "From how you said it, you know friend Velvet's Semblance?" Her question earned a hesitant nod, to which the gynoid smiled. "And you agree that she can match friend Ruby?"
Weiss already saw where this was going. Curiousity still burned in the back of her mind, but she successfully kept it at bay. Selina frowned in the meantime.
"No idea," she admitted. "I've never seen them throw down. But from what I know, I'm pretty sure she can take either of our teams. Maybe she won't win four on one, but she'd at least brutalise the lot of us."
This in itself was already glowing praise. SNNL and SPBY were among the highest rated first-year teams after all. Penny nodded along as well. "And I trust in your assessment. That should be enough to satisfy any need for planning, no?"
"That is true," Weiss agreed immediately. She silently applauded the simple yet elegant solution. She knew all the first years and Ruby were still curious, but their seniors relaxed regardless. Weiss addressed Velvet before anyone else could try to insist: "My apologies for trying to force the issue."
Velvet did not meet her gaze, but she seemed mollified. "It's fine. I get that everyone's curious. I just don't like talking about it because, well, Selina is right." She huffed faintly. "It's cheating. My Semblance carries me far more than any of yours do, it's that powerful."
"I see," Weiss responded in a bid to cut off everyone else trying to reassure the faunus girl. CFVY likely gave her all the reassurances she needed. "In that case, I would appreciate if you cheat as hard as you can during our time in Atlas." Now this earned her several surprised looks, including from the woman herself. Velvet stared dumbly at Weiss, who smirked back. "We will need every edge we can get."
Velvet's surprise faded right quick; the hare chuckled and nodded. "Okay, I'll make an exception this once."
Which was really all Weiss needed to hear. She was pleased, at least until Selina stage-whispered at the room: "Corporate princess asks poor faunus girl to commit crimes. Tale as old as time."
"Shut it, you!"
There was no heat to her rebuke, hence why the following wave of laughter drowned it out. Weiss herself smiled and even noticed Blake wearing a faint smirk.
While the final remnants of tension fled, Ruby once again stared at the crown. Weiss noticed that, as well as the fact the younger woman did not say a peep during the entire discussion. Their gazes met when Ruby looked up, only for the younger girl to wilt somewhat under Weiss's curiousity. Then she visibly firmed up and nodded to herself before passing the crown to Velvet.
"If you're as good as I am, then you should have it. I'm higher profile than you and I'll be mostly on my own."
Weiss had to applaud Ruby as well, if just within the sanctity of her own mind. She may be the youngest of them but she was certainly one of the most mature. Many others would have jumped at the chance to hold a Relic, including Weiss herself. Velvet just stared at the priceless artifact with worry and joy, likely for being trusted so much.
Then Selina huffed. "You got Qrow and Raven, though. Boy, I don't want to be whatever poor shmuck she sends to come at you. Fresh Huntress with support from two of the best? Yeouch."
Weiss nodded along with her fellow leader's words. Raven never made her way to Ozpin to begin with and Qrow left to prepare right after the headmaster dismissed them, but they all knew whom he would accompany.
"Although this is supposedly a last resort," she cautioned with a motion for the crown. "We want to keep as many aces up our sleeves as we can."
"Speaking of aces," Yang chimed in curiously, "what about Ghost? He can hit pretty hard if he wants to, right? Are we taking him?"
Yatsuhashi nodded to that. "I was curious about your pet anyway," he mentioned. "It is not a Grimm, right?"
In difference to before however, Penny hesitated. Weiss noticed how her partner did not immediately deny the question. "It's complicated. Let me go get him, we can talk about it then."
She shuffled outside and the group fell into light chatter as they waited for her. Some more ideas were thrown into the room and discussed, a few conversations about hobbies. Weiss got distracted by discussing musical theory with Velvet of all people, who it turned out could play the violin and piano. It took Penny returning alone and distraught to interrupt them.
The gynoid spent half an hour searching Ghost but failed to find him. That worried SPBY while SNNL seemed primarily worried for Penny herself. CFVY remained calm; Coco noted she saw Ghost walk around school every once in a while. It was likely he just did that again.
But Ghost was nowhere at Beacon. Penny did not see any sign of him for the next week, all the way until their assignments began. She even approached the headmaster, who did not see him either.
In the end it was Cardin who shed light on the mystery. He was just about the last person anyone thought to ask, which made the matter so much more ironic. "I haven't seen your pet the last week or so," he said. "But before that, uh, pretty sure it jumped down the cliff?"
It did not take long for Russel to confirm what his partner said, though that only worried Yang and Weiss for Ghost's wellbeing. It was odd how much the little fellow had grown on her just by proximity. Cardin just shrugged at the faces the girls made. "I thought that was weird, but when I looked down the little guy just kept walking. Didn't even look affected by the fall. So I figured whatever, he walks across school all the time."
"Thank you," Penny told him thoughtfully. She shrugged it off a moment later in favour of a smile. "And good luck on your assignment!"
"Heh, don't need luck when it's us."
CRDL formed up behind their leader, all ready for their journey to Vacuo. Cardin bumped fists with Selina on the way out. That was another oddity to Weiss, who had to fully acknowledge that whatever her friend did, it certainly worked.
Once the other team was gone, Blake made a thoughtful noise. "So, where did Ghost go?"
Nobody knew an answer or if 'he' would even return. The remaining teams decided there was little they could do, so they focussed back on readying themselves.
Meanwhile, Yang and Ruby were talking at the side. Yang remained worried despite all that happened, but Ruby expected it by now.
"Just remember," she reassured her big sister, "I've got my kickass aunt and uncle around. I'll be fine."
She was not exactly that certain by herself, but the unease remained hidden. Yang bought the reassurance, though she sighed anyway.
"I know, but I still worry. I would come with you if this weren't so important."
"Nope! Nuh-Uh! You stay with your team and do your part. I'll be fine. And don't you make me worry, yeah?" So saying, she leapt into Yang's arms. A big hug was always best to make the big sister stop thinking too much.
Afterward, Ruby waved goodbye and turned into rose petals; they danced around the small crowd before rushing away toward the horizon. Ruby vanished to parts unknown and began her own journey to Mistral. At the same time, CFVY, SNNL, and SPBY all mounted the Bullhead airships headed for Atlas. Three other teams also went that way.
They had yet to complete their flight by the time Ruby arrived. She stopped in front of the main gate and was waved through as soon as she showed her license, no questions asked.
Once inside she stopped to gawk at the foreign architecture; it was her first visit and the high-rise buildings took her breath away. Vale was warm and homey, but Mistral seemed more like a work of art. Colourful pagodas wherever she looked, paper lanterns hanging above the streets, and people dressed in robes of cotton and silk.
She stood out a little more than usual but was left alone beyond the occasional bow and excited children. Children, Ruby could deal with. Worried parents apologising for the trouble, less so.
She took some time to relax and sightsee nonetheless; her aura still needed to recharge from the journey. Not to mention that she earned a decent chunk of money on her missions already; meaning Ruby could buy all the sweets she wanted.
The second shop she entered, a young man around her age stood at the counter. He greeted her with a smile and a wave; a little scraggly and blond but genuinely friendly. Ruby waved back before skipping into the store proper; she grabbed a bit of everything, especially the local stuff.
The cashier chuckled when saw her full basket. "That's a lot for such a sweet girl, isn't it?"
Ruby squirmed a bit, uncertain how to take it. Was he just being friendly or....?
In the end she pushed the flustered response back and nodded."I guess? I like sweet things is all."
"Heh. Who doesn't? Let's see."
He rang her up nice and quick, but Ruby's brows rose once she was told the total. Looking between several filled bags and the display, she slowly shook her head. "That can't be right. It's way too low for this much."
"Oh, that." He huffed softly and took a closer look at Ruby. "Right, you're not from here. You're a Huntress in training, right?" That was not quite right but Ruby nodded anyway because she was so stumped. He grinned in response. "Then that's that. Hunters get twenty percent off on all purchases in Arc's Sugar Emporium."
And suddenly it made perfect sense. Ruby was in awe, having never considered such a thing before. Yet she also recalled the many times vendors gave her freebies, not to mention Roman Torchwick and his generosity. Perhaps this was more of a general thing than she thought. It was still a lot of money this man lost in the long run, though.
"Is this actually possible?" she found herself asking. "I mean, you've still got to make end's meet, right?" She could pay the full amount just fine after all.
He seemed more amused, huffing softly and half leaning over the counter. Ruby leaned closer as well on instinct, intrigued as he lowered his voice conspiratorially. "I'll tell you a little secret: whenever hunters are involved, you can deduct a lot of stuff from your taxes. I'm not losing nearly as much as you'd think."
"Ohhhh! That's smart!"
He waved off her praise with another laugh. "Nah, one of my seniors told me when I explained the idea. They're super helpful around these parts, even if we're technically competing. Makes me feel a lot more at home here, too."
That was a surprise; Ruby took a moment to study the young man as well, realising that he was distinctly not mistralian. "You're not from here?"
"Nope, born and raised Valean. I moved here some months back."
A woman about their age wandered past just as he said that; she seemed more native, petite and with straight, black hair. She also carried a stack of boxes. The cashier's eyes followed her for a moment and she threw back a knowing look before crouching to restock the shelves.
Ruby looked between them, to a helpless shrug from the man. "And there's the reason I left. She's a sweetheart."
"I see." Ruby could not help but smile; it was just really cute. She quickly put a stack of Lien cards on the counter. "Good luck to you both then."
"Thanks. Come again!"
Ruby grabbed her purchases and left the shop with a spring in her step. She had more than enough to snack on now, so she made a detour to check out the weapon- and Dust shops. They were wonderlands of new gear that sucked her in with no intention to ever let her go; Ruby's inspiration soared.
At some point however, the weight of a raven settled on her shoulder. There was some interested murmuring, but nobody really commented or called out to her. Ruby just greeted the bird and quickly spotted a crimson-eyed crow watching from a nearby building. Their vigil was reassuring if nothing else. It also helped her tear away from her bender, though Ruby still continued to window-shop for a little while.
Only when she was fully satisfied and brimming with new ideas did she make the trek up to Haven Academy. The school was built partly into the mountain overlooking the city of Mistral; it served as natural fortifications and the first line of defense against subterranean Grimm stalking the caves.
Ruby stood in front of the entrance soon enough, a gate easily twice her size. The doors were made of wood and beautifully painted, to the point she was hesitant to even touch them. The birds fluttered away to survey the area just like they agreed.
Ruby's plan here was simple: scout the area as a visitor, then infiltrate at night. No one could see her or Raven at that point, so she had to be quick.
Taking a deep breath, Ruby pushed the doors open and entered Haven Academy.
Her sister and friends set down in Atlas in just that moment. Not just the three teams of conspirators, but all the rest as well had been quiet during the ride; no one quite knew what to expect. The sun was just rising from behind the horizon, illuminating a behemoth of silver steel. All but Weiss and Penny stopped to gaze at the magnificent skyline, a floating city that braved the arctic cold.
Unfortunately, their awe was soon dispersed by heavy thoughts; Yang scowled at nothing, still wondering if her baby sister would be fine on her own. Weiss worried her lip for other reasons while Blake was just generally on edge. The only calm member of SPBY was Penny; if anything, the gynoid seemed ecstatic to be home.
Once Beacon's students disembarked, they immediately found themselves greeted by two neat and orderly lines of their atlesean counterparts. All in uniform, all with their backs straight. Human and faunus both, though clearly skewed toward the former. Before them stood the tall and broad frame of James Ironwood himself. His mere presence had a number of them snap to attention, including Penny.
"I am glad to see there were no complications on your way," he greeted the six teams with clear pride. "Though I doubt anything could have happened that you all could not have dealt with." And then he proceeded to shake hands with every single student. No hesitation, no trace of boredom or distaste even with the faunus. "Welcome to our wonderful city of Atlas."
Weiss felt this was a bit too much to be mere pleasantries. He certainly meant what he said, but it seemed the general continued to hold hunters and those aspiring to be in high esteem. His own students only broke their formation when he finished and waved them forward. Simple nods were exchanged, some of them waved or grinned, one particularly bubbly girl went for a high five that Yang accepted in passing. The stream of white and silver passed through their colourful ranks to enter the airships they just left.
Afterward, Ironwood himself led the way over pristine metal walkways and bridges, right back to Atlas Academy. He said nothing, perfectly content to let the students take in the sights. Weiss breathed the crisp air, quietly thankful for her active aura. She would be a shivering mess and bundled up in several layers of thick cloth without it. But the times she needed hand warmers in her pockets were long gone.
"Five Lien says this is the scenic route," Selina quipped. A chorus of "No bet"s answered from Yang, Coco, and Fox.
Blake began glancing down to the city of Mantle somewhere along the way; Atlas' sister, the slums housing mostly poor miners. Weiss had never been there, but the difference in aesthetics and cleanliness were clearly visible from up high. Atlas was elegant, Mantle rough and rustic.
"It just doesn't feel right to be here," Blake muttered to herself.
Even Weiss could now tell what this clear display of disparity meant to a faunus, any faunus really. Precious few of them lived up here.
"I dearly hope all will go well," she noted noncommittally, just in case they were overheard. Then she threw caution to the wind and tapped Blake's shoulder. "Do you want to take a closer look at Mantle later? I can not go, but I won't ask you to stay away."
"Thanks. I'll think about it."
They exchanged weary smiles and returned to their silence. Weiss imagined that all of them were wondering of the task ahead; they discussed before if they could convince Ironwood like Ruby did Ozpin. Alas, even their own headmaster thought it too great a risk and for good reason. The Crown of Choice was one matter, but this entire city would be in peril if the Staff of Creation fell into the wrong hands.
Not to mention that Ozpin preferred to keep plausible deniability just in case. In his own words: "As cold as it may sound, should you fail, someone needs to pick up the pieces."
That was the reason he could not simply request Ironwood and Lionheart to surrender their Relics. Not that anyone held much hope the general would do it even then, so they did not complain about it.
Thus, Weiss knew, they had to do this the hard way. That was what everyone prepared for. As soon as Ironwood delivered them to the academy grounds and took his leave, three of their teams would fan out to gather information. They knew the vault's location, all they needed to learn was the extent of its defenses.
Weiss could not help but agree; she was still somewhat in shock that the headmaster agreed with this madness. Yet he did and so she needed to adapt.
The whole group currently congregated in the CFVY dorm; with them being a second-year team, their accomodations were large enough to comfortably fit them all. Seeing that nobody so much as commented on her attempt to break the ice, Yang carried on after a moment with a motion for the Crown of Choice, currently cradled against her sister's chest. "What do we do with that anyway? You can't just carry it around, right?"
Ruby stared down at it in response. "That's a good question, actually. I don't think anyone thought about that."
She was right, which reminded Weiss how haphazard this entire endeavour ultimately was.
"Come on," Selina nudged the younger woman with a roll of her eyes. "Just wear the thing. You're the best we have and who knows, maybe it'll give you something juicy to help you later."
Nora nodded along cheerfully. "Besides, it's not like anyone would expect us to have one of these thingies in our outfits, right?"
Weiss was ready to take the wind out of their sails, but Ren pre-empted her. He often did when Nora was concerned. "It's still fairly obvious when you know what to look for."
"Oh come on, where's your sense for style! It's a crown!"
Ruby squirmed as the pair argued. She sought the others' opinions with a look, earning thumbs ups from Yang and Selina. Blake and Weiss were almost perfect mirrors of each other in shaking their heads, though the atlesean did it mainly over Nora's and Ren's antics. CFVY was still mulling it over.
In the end, Fox spoke up thoughtfully: "I think they're right, actually. Refuge in audacity and all that. If we assume Salem already knows everything anyway, we can't hide the thing or she will find it."
"Right," Velvet agreed. "So if she isn't aware we have the Crown, she won't look with us. And if she does, Ruby is the best to protect it anyway."
Coco arched a brow out that. "I'm not so sure about that one. You're at least as good as she is."
The pointed comment made her partner squirm while attention was focussed on her. Weiss did recall that Velvet was presumably CFVY's ace, though she had never seen her fight.
"But only one of them cheats with her Semblance," Selina quipped. It was evidently the wrong thing to say, seeing how her fellow faunus threw her a sour look. The wolf cringed. "Whoops. Sorry. Forget I said anything."
Now Weiss was intrigued, but she knew better than to ask that particular question. The same went for Pyrrha, but they also both knew Nora would have no such reservation. The bubbly girl almost jumped in her seat.
"Aww, c'mon! We're like secret agents now! It's fine if we know your Semblance, right? Right?"
Velvet gave no response beyond a minute frown. Coco pushed herself in front of her partner a moment later, warding off Nora's attention. "Let's not go there. We're not advertising Velvet for a reason."
As she spoke, Fox and Yatsuhashi also shifted to cover their skittish teammate. Weiss was uncertain what to do here. The Semblances on her team were well known, excepting Penny who had yet to find hers. SNNL was somewhat open with theirs, though only Nora's could be called obvious. Weiss only knew after seeing it in action. Pyrrha was clearly more understanding of Velvet's situation, considering that she still hid her own Semblance.
"It may not be for me to say," she began, cutting through the tension. Weiss left a pause to make certain everyone was listening. "But from what the headmaster said, all of us will receive assignments in Atlas. We need not work strictly together to obtain the Staff, but being aware of what each team brings to the table would be a great boon."
She felt this was a solid argument. In the best case they could have exchanged the knowledge of their Semblances, but the distribution of who knew what made that impossible. "Unfortunately, Spiceberry can offer little in terms of secrets to share. So I will not demand anyone else's, either."
"In fairness," Blake commented, "if we end up having to fight Ironwood, we're already in big trouble."
Weiss nodded. "A fair point."
"I do not see the issue," Penny chirped into the room. She seemed far too cheerful for that statement, eyes on Selina. "From how you said it, you know friend Velvet's Semblance?" Her question earned a hesitant nod, to which the gynoid smiled. "And you agree that she can match friend Ruby?"
Weiss already saw where this was going. Curiousity still burned in the back of her mind, but she successfully kept it at bay. Selina frowned in the meantime.
"No idea," she admitted. "I've never seen them throw down. But from what I know, I'm pretty sure she can take either of our teams. Maybe she won't win four on one, but she'd at least brutalise the lot of us."
This in itself was already glowing praise. SNNL and SPBY were among the highest rated first-year teams after all. Penny nodded along as well. "And I trust in your assessment. That should be enough to satisfy any need for planning, no?"
"That is true," Weiss agreed immediately. She silently applauded the simple yet elegant solution. She knew all the first years and Ruby were still curious, but their seniors relaxed regardless. Weiss addressed Velvet before anyone else could try to insist: "My apologies for trying to force the issue."
Velvet did not meet her gaze, but she seemed mollified. "It's fine. I get that everyone's curious. I just don't like talking about it because, well, Selina is right." She huffed faintly. "It's cheating. My Semblance carries me far more than any of yours do, it's that powerful."
"I see," Weiss responded in a bid to cut off everyone else trying to reassure the faunus girl. CFVY likely gave her all the reassurances she needed. "In that case, I would appreciate if you cheat as hard as you can during our time in Atlas." Now this earned her several surprised looks, including from the woman herself. Velvet stared dumbly at Weiss, who smirked back. "We will need every edge we can get."
Velvet's surprise faded right quick; the hare chuckled and nodded. "Okay, I'll make an exception this once."
Which was really all Weiss needed to hear. She was pleased, at least until Selina stage-whispered at the room: "Corporate princess asks poor faunus girl to commit crimes. Tale as old as time."
"Shut it, you!"
There was no heat to her rebuke, hence why the following wave of laughter drowned it out. Weiss herself smiled and even noticed Blake wearing a faint smirk.
While the final remnants of tension fled, Ruby once again stared at the crown. Weiss noticed that, as well as the fact the younger woman did not say a peep during the entire discussion. Their gazes met when Ruby looked up, only for the younger girl to wilt somewhat under Weiss's curiousity. Then she visibly firmed up and nodded to herself before passing the crown to Velvet.
"If you're as good as I am, then you should have it. I'm higher profile than you and I'll be mostly on my own."
Weiss had to applaud Ruby as well, if just within the sanctity of her own mind. She may be the youngest of them but she was certainly one of the most mature. Many others would have jumped at the chance to hold a Relic, including Weiss herself. Velvet just stared at the priceless artifact with worry and joy, likely for being trusted so much.
Then Selina huffed. "You got Qrow and Raven, though. Boy, I don't want to be whatever poor shmuck she sends to come at you. Fresh Huntress with support from two of the best? Yeouch."
Weiss nodded along with her fellow leader's words. Raven never made her way to Ozpin to begin with and Qrow left to prepare right after the headmaster dismissed them, but they all knew whom he would accompany.
"Although this is supposedly a last resort," she cautioned with a motion for the crown. "We want to keep as many aces up our sleeves as we can."
"Speaking of aces," Yang chimed in curiously, "what about Ghost? He can hit pretty hard if he wants to, right? Are we taking him?"
Yatsuhashi nodded to that. "I was curious about your pet anyway," he mentioned. "It is not a Grimm, right?"
In difference to before however, Penny hesitated. Weiss noticed how her partner did not immediately deny the question. "It's complicated. Let me go get him, we can talk about it then."
She shuffled outside and the group fell into light chatter as they waited for her. Some more ideas were thrown into the room and discussed, a few conversations about hobbies. Weiss got distracted by discussing musical theory with Velvet of all people, who it turned out could play the violin and piano. It took Penny returning alone and distraught to interrupt them.
The gynoid spent half an hour searching Ghost but failed to find him. That worried SPBY while SNNL seemed primarily worried for Penny herself. CFVY remained calm; Coco noted she saw Ghost walk around school every once in a while. It was likely he just did that again.
But Ghost was nowhere at Beacon. Penny did not see any sign of him for the next week, all the way until their assignments began. She even approached the headmaster, who did not see him either.
In the end it was Cardin who shed light on the mystery. He was just about the last person anyone thought to ask, which made the matter so much more ironic. "I haven't seen your pet the last week or so," he said. "But before that, uh, pretty sure it jumped down the cliff?"
It did not take long for Russel to confirm what his partner said, though that only worried Yang and Weiss for Ghost's wellbeing. It was odd how much the little fellow had grown on her just by proximity. Cardin just shrugged at the faces the girls made. "I thought that was weird, but when I looked down the little guy just kept walking. Didn't even look affected by the fall. So I figured whatever, he walks across school all the time."
"Thank you," Penny told him thoughtfully. She shrugged it off a moment later in favour of a smile. "And good luck on your assignment!"
"Heh, don't need luck when it's us."
CRDL formed up behind their leader, all ready for their journey to Vacuo. Cardin bumped fists with Selina on the way out. That was another oddity to Weiss, who had to fully acknowledge that whatever her friend did, it certainly worked.
Once the other team was gone, Blake made a thoughtful noise. "So, where did Ghost go?"
Nobody knew an answer or if 'he' would even return. The remaining teams decided there was little they could do, so they focussed back on readying themselves.
Meanwhile, Yang and Ruby were talking at the side. Yang remained worried despite all that happened, but Ruby expected it by now.
"Just remember," she reassured her big sister, "I've got my kickass aunt and uncle around. I'll be fine."
She was not exactly that certain by herself, but the unease remained hidden. Yang bought the reassurance, though she sighed anyway.
"I know, but I still worry. I would come with you if this weren't so important."
"Nope! Nuh-Uh! You stay with your team and do your part. I'll be fine. And don't you make me worry, yeah?" So saying, she leapt into Yang's arms. A big hug was always best to make the big sister stop thinking too much.
Afterward, Ruby waved goodbye and turned into rose petals; they danced around the small crowd before rushing away toward the horizon. Ruby vanished to parts unknown and began her own journey to Mistral. At the same time, CFVY, SNNL, and SPBY all mounted the Bullhead airships headed for Atlas. Three other teams also went that way.
They had yet to complete their flight by the time Ruby arrived. She stopped in front of the main gate and was waved through as soon as she showed her license, no questions asked.
Once inside she stopped to gawk at the foreign architecture; it was her first visit and the high-rise buildings took her breath away. Vale was warm and homey, but Mistral seemed more like a work of art. Colourful pagodas wherever she looked, paper lanterns hanging above the streets, and people dressed in robes of cotton and silk.
She stood out a little more than usual but was left alone beyond the occasional bow and excited children. Children, Ruby could deal with. Worried parents apologising for the trouble, less so.
She took some time to relax and sightsee nonetheless; her aura still needed to recharge from the journey. Not to mention that she earned a decent chunk of money on her missions already; meaning Ruby could buy all the sweets she wanted.
The second shop she entered, a young man around her age stood at the counter. He greeted her with a smile and a wave; a little scraggly and blond but genuinely friendly. Ruby waved back before skipping into the store proper; she grabbed a bit of everything, especially the local stuff.
The cashier chuckled when saw her full basket. "That's a lot for such a sweet girl, isn't it?"
Ruby squirmed a bit, uncertain how to take it. Was he just being friendly or....?
In the end she pushed the flustered response back and nodded."I guess? I like sweet things is all."
"Heh. Who doesn't? Let's see."
He rang her up nice and quick, but Ruby's brows rose once she was told the total. Looking between several filled bags and the display, she slowly shook her head. "That can't be right. It's way too low for this much."
"Oh, that." He huffed softly and took a closer look at Ruby. "Right, you're not from here. You're a Huntress in training, right?" That was not quite right but Ruby nodded anyway because she was so stumped. He grinned in response. "Then that's that. Hunters get twenty percent off on all purchases in Arc's Sugar Emporium."
And suddenly it made perfect sense. Ruby was in awe, having never considered such a thing before. Yet she also recalled the many times vendors gave her freebies, not to mention Roman Torchwick and his generosity. Perhaps this was more of a general thing than she thought. It was still a lot of money this man lost in the long run, though.
"Is this actually possible?" she found herself asking. "I mean, you've still got to make end's meet, right?" She could pay the full amount just fine after all.
He seemed more amused, huffing softly and half leaning over the counter. Ruby leaned closer as well on instinct, intrigued as he lowered his voice conspiratorially. "I'll tell you a little secret: whenever hunters are involved, you can deduct a lot of stuff from your taxes. I'm not losing nearly as much as you'd think."
"Ohhhh! That's smart!"
He waved off her praise with another laugh. "Nah, one of my seniors told me when I explained the idea. They're super helpful around these parts, even if we're technically competing. Makes me feel a lot more at home here, too."
That was a surprise; Ruby took a moment to study the young man as well, realising that he was distinctly not mistralian. "You're not from here?"
"Nope, born and raised Valean. I moved here some months back."
A woman about their age wandered past just as he said that; she seemed more native, petite and with straight, black hair. She also carried a stack of boxes. The cashier's eyes followed her for a moment and she threw back a knowing look before crouching to restock the shelves.
Ruby looked between them, to a helpless shrug from the man. "And there's the reason I left. She's a sweetheart."
"I see." Ruby could not help but smile; it was just really cute. She quickly put a stack of Lien cards on the counter. "Good luck to you both then."
"Thanks. Come again!"
Ruby grabbed her purchases and left the shop with a spring in her step. She had more than enough to snack on now, so she made a detour to check out the weapon- and Dust shops. They were wonderlands of new gear that sucked her in with no intention to ever let her go; Ruby's inspiration soared.
At some point however, the weight of a raven settled on her shoulder. There was some interested murmuring, but nobody really commented or called out to her. Ruby just greeted the bird and quickly spotted a crimson-eyed crow watching from a nearby building. Their vigil was reassuring if nothing else. It also helped her tear away from her bender, though Ruby still continued to window-shop for a little while.
Only when she was fully satisfied and brimming with new ideas did she make the trek up to Haven Academy. The school was built partly into the mountain overlooking the city of Mistral; it served as natural fortifications and the first line of defense against subterranean Grimm stalking the caves.
Ruby stood in front of the entrance soon enough, a gate easily twice her size. The doors were made of wood and beautifully painted, to the point she was hesitant to even touch them. The birds fluttered away to survey the area just like they agreed.
Ruby's plan here was simple: scout the area as a visitor, then infiltrate at night. No one could see her or Raven at that point, so she had to be quick.
Taking a deep breath, Ruby pushed the doors open and entered Haven Academy.
Her sister and friends set down in Atlas in just that moment. Not just the three teams of conspirators, but all the rest as well had been quiet during the ride; no one quite knew what to expect. The sun was just rising from behind the horizon, illuminating a behemoth of silver steel. All but Weiss and Penny stopped to gaze at the magnificent skyline, a floating city that braved the arctic cold.
Unfortunately, their awe was soon dispersed by heavy thoughts; Yang scowled at nothing, still wondering if her baby sister would be fine on her own. Weiss worried her lip for other reasons while Blake was just generally on edge. The only calm member of SPBY was Penny; if anything, the gynoid seemed ecstatic to be home.
Once Beacon's students disembarked, they immediately found themselves greeted by two neat and orderly lines of their atlesean counterparts. All in uniform, all with their backs straight. Human and faunus both, though clearly skewed toward the former. Before them stood the tall and broad frame of James Ironwood himself. His mere presence had a number of them snap to attention, including Penny.
"I am glad to see there were no complications on your way," he greeted the six teams with clear pride. "Though I doubt anything could have happened that you all could not have dealt with." And then he proceeded to shake hands with every single student. No hesitation, no trace of boredom or distaste even with the faunus. "Welcome to our wonderful city of Atlas."
Weiss felt this was a bit too much to be mere pleasantries. He certainly meant what he said, but it seemed the general continued to hold hunters and those aspiring to be in high esteem. His own students only broke their formation when he finished and waved them forward. Simple nods were exchanged, some of them waved or grinned, one particularly bubbly girl went for a high five that Yang accepted in passing. The stream of white and silver passed through their colourful ranks to enter the airships they just left.
Afterward, Ironwood himself led the way over pristine metal walkways and bridges, right back to Atlas Academy. He said nothing, perfectly content to let the students take in the sights. Weiss breathed the crisp air, quietly thankful for her active aura. She would be a shivering mess and bundled up in several layers of thick cloth without it. But the times she needed hand warmers in her pockets were long gone.
"Five Lien says this is the scenic route," Selina quipped. A chorus of "No bet"s answered from Yang, Coco, and Fox.
Blake began glancing down to the city of Mantle somewhere along the way; Atlas' sister, the slums housing mostly poor miners. Weiss had never been there, but the difference in aesthetics and cleanliness were clearly visible from up high. Atlas was elegant, Mantle rough and rustic.
"It just doesn't feel right to be here," Blake muttered to herself.
Even Weiss could now tell what this clear display of disparity meant to a faunus, any faunus really. Precious few of them lived up here.
"I dearly hope all will go well," she noted noncommittally, just in case they were overheard. Then she threw caution to the wind and tapped Blake's shoulder. "Do you want to take a closer look at Mantle later? I can not go, but I won't ask you to stay away."
"Thanks. I'll think about it."
They exchanged weary smiles and returned to their silence. Weiss imagined that all of them were wondering of the task ahead; they discussed before if they could convince Ironwood like Ruby did Ozpin. Alas, even their own headmaster thought it too great a risk and for good reason. The Crown of Choice was one matter, but this entire city would be in peril if the Staff of Creation fell into the wrong hands.
Not to mention that Ozpin preferred to keep plausible deniability just in case. In his own words: "As cold as it may sound, should you fail, someone needs to pick up the pieces."
That was the reason he could not simply request Ironwood and Lionheart to surrender their Relics. Not that anyone held much hope the general would do it even then, so they did not complain about it.
Thus, Weiss knew, they had to do this the hard way. That was what everyone prepared for. As soon as Ironwood delivered them to the academy grounds and took his leave, three of their teams would fan out to gather information. They knew the vault's location, all they needed to learn was the extent of its defenses.
Ruby, you know what you have to do:
Put it on your head and follow your destiny as a real life Princess.
Foot, meet mouth, hope you two get along.
Aww, Velvet dear, do not think that.
Your Semblance is part of your skills, it is not an outside factor, its achievements are your own.
Yes I had reasons to think about her semblance, yes I do intend to have a character give this speech at some point in my quest.
There we go!
If you're not cheating, you're not trying!
And how many Grimm will flee in terror before him on the way?
Hi Jaune!
Someone knows who she is?
Because I don't.
- Location
- Earth
OC of no further relevance.
- Location
- Earth
Best deal he could conceivably get in these partsAlso known as *plot device to put Jaune out of here*?
2.5 The Cowardly Lion
- Location
- Earth
Ruby was quickly greeted by an attendant upon entering Haven Academy. The woman smiled plainly and bowed at her.
"Ah, Ms. Rose. Welcome to Haven."
Some of the students milling around whispered with each other, mostly in Mistralian she did not understand. Ruby tried her best to ignore them and awkwardly returned the greeting: "Erm, hello. Headmaster Lionheart said someone would lead me to his office. Is that you?"
"Just so. Please follow me."
The whispers grew more pronounced as they left the entrance hall. Ruby became decidedly uncomfortable with the attention the further they went; civilians was one thing, but these were all people she might work with one day. They were also all older than her. Yet she somehow managed to walk with her head held high. Be it the confidence boost from actually being a Huntress or being on a mission. She just knew how to do it.
Her guide spoke up after a while, clearly attentive to the atmosphere: "Please forgive the students. We heard a great deal about you from the news, but little else. It's not often a Huntress this young comes visiting."
"Ah, it's fine. I don't mind," Ruby lied. A Huntress had to keep up appearances. If Raven could fake it till she made it, then so could Ruby!
She belatedly returned a blond monkey faunus' cheerful wave, only to finally wilt when he winked at her. That was a bit too much for her teenaged self. Ruby returned to the conversation to distract herself: "I heard a lot about Haven and was curious what life is like here. It looks like fun."
"Oh, it is. Though the students will probably disagree whenever classes loom over them."
Ruby giggled at that, suddenly glad that she got around classwork. She was always more of a doer, not a learner. Sitting still for so long was hard.
"Are you a student, too?"
"Not anymore," the older woman answered with a soft shake of her head. "I only made it through first year. Now I work mainly as an aide to the combat instructors. It took me a year or two to stop being bitter about it, but I enjoy the work now. And I only have the greatest respect for those who continue on to be hunters."
She seemed mellow at least. Ruby let out a quiet breath she was holding; accidentally insulting someone was really not what she meant to do, thank goodness her guide was not offended. But Ruby went for less dangerous questions next just to be safe; they chatted a bit about the life of someone working at Haven, then the younger woman shared a bit about her passion for engineering.
They arrived just before she could get really warmed up; the aide stopped in front of a large set of wooden doors, bowing once more and motioning Ruby forward.
"Please go ahead, the headmaster was already informed of your arrival. He will have to greet students from Beacon and Shade soon."
"Thanks," Ruby chirped. She made to go, but stopped and turned back. "Actually, what's your name?"
She may just imagine it, but it felt like the woman's expression grew a tad warmer. "It's Hana," she answered. "Now go on, Ms. Rose. Or may I call you Ruby?"
"Of course!"
They exchanged smiles and Ruby turned back to the doors. She felt better about herself now, nowhere near as intimidated at the prospect of meeting another headmaster. After knocking twice, Ruby pushed open the door without hesitation.
Her first impression of the office behind was warmth. It was mostly wood and decorated in earthy hues, with several potted plants arrayed around the room. What really caught her attention was the neatly organised desk standing front and center, though; there, facing the door, sat Leonardo Lionheart.
He was broad-shouldered and wore a predominantly brown robe, his head crowned by a thick yet immaculately groomed mane of greying hair. The same went for his voluminous beard. Sharp eyes rose to meet Ruby and he stood at once, opening his arms in greeting.
"Ah, there you are! I was quite surprised when you called last week. I didn't expect a Huntress based in Vale to take such an interest in the other schools."
Ruby closed the door and shuffled forward only a little awkwardly to shake hands with him. He had a firm grip, firmer than Ruby herself.
She only answered belatedly, still a little overwhelmed: "Ah, well. You know, my partner is born Mistrali, so I was kinda curious. And when I'm already here, I thought I should see Haven, too. Professor Ozpin said something about expanding my horizons, too." And that was not even a lie.
Lionheart's brows rose, but then he chuckled at the last part. "Is that so? It certainly sounds like something Oz would say. I had no idea that incredible girl was born here, though. I feel I would have heard of such a prodigy." He left a short pause to muse. "What was her name? Hikari? Yes, it does fit."
Ruby shrugged at that. She only sat when he motioned for her to do so, adjusting her posture on the comfy leather chair. "She never said much about it. I think she moved to Menagerie a few months back."
"That makes sense; as fond as I am of my country, it is not kind to us faunus."
"But you still made it this far," Ruby argued; she was a little surprised he would say it so easily. "Huntsman and even headmaster! That's amazing, isn't it?"
He chuckled indulgently, inclining his head. "Quite. It's always nice to have one's hard work appreciated. Although I will have to correct you on one bit, Ms. Rose. The majority of hunters are in fact faunus."
This was news. Ruby looked at him in wonder and received a faint smile from Lionheart.
"A surprise, I know. Even Haven and Atlas have a rough 40-60 split of graduating students, the fourty percent being faunus. Beacon sits at the opposite, 60-40, and Shade sees about 70-30 in favour of faunus students. The majority of applicants who pass license exams are faunus too. We come by these options more rarely and thus work far harder to make the best of them. Many more faunus have to grow strong to survive in this harsh world of Remnant, so we adapt. Of course certain people won't like if these statistics are brought up."
He effortlessly slipped into lecturing mode. Ruby nodded along, amazed by the simple yet clear breakdown. She never considered it from this angle before, but the headmaster made perfect sense.
"I think I can see it," she agreed. "I mean, I guess I was always a bit of an odd one out with my whole family being hunters, but yeah."
Lionheart nodded in turn, still smiling. "Another misconception, actually. Quite a few children of hunters end up becoming hunters themselves. Not the majority by a long shot, but you are certainly not alone."
"What about you, er, sir?"
He waved her off. "Oh, none of that. I will never demand a fellow hunter call me sir. All is well as long as we respect each other."
That was a little awkward, but Ruby nodded regardless. Lionheart continued seamlessly: "As to your question, I am the son of a humble baker. My mother is a novelist. I always thought I would inherit the family business, but certain events unlocked my aura at ten years old. From there on I could only ever think of the possibilities."
Ruby nodded along with great interest. She rarely heard where others came from because it just did not come up.
"What kind of events?"
The older man's brow scrunched at that. "Let us say that they were not particularly pleasant for me and leave it at that."
"Oh. Sorry."
Only now did she realise why he was so vague about it. Ruby felt very dumb, even when Lionheart waved off her apology. "It is quite alright. We all have our burdens to bear."
Just as he said so, an alarm on his Scroll began to beep. He turned it off, expression apologetic. "But as pleasant as our little chat was, I need to head out now. You heard about the joint training initiative Oz proposed?"
"Yeah, I did. I was around when he thought of it."
"I see."
So saying, the headmaster rose. Ruby did the same and looked up at him as he continued: "Well, feel free to tour the academy at your own leisure. We can provide a guide if you wish, too. I have no reason to refuse a bright young mind."
That was kind of him. Ruby smiled and nodded. "Thanks. I'll look around a bit on my own. Maybe we can do an actual tour tomorrow or something?"
"That is perfectly fine."
They shook hands again and parted ways right outside his office. Ruby was alone now and grew increasingly giddy. Not only did she have a super duper secret mission, she also got to see one of the most prestigious places in all of Remnant from the inside.
She thought of asking for Hana as a guide for a moment, but felt that would impose on the older woman's time too much. So instead Ruby picked a corridor at random and started to walk. She did not lie earlier, Haven interested her a lot. She may have only ever dreamt of Beacon, but each of the four academies would have been alright in the end.
There were far less students around now, what with the first and second years gone; Lionheart took them all along. Ruby knew that foreign students would flood the area soon, some of them even faces she had at least seen at Beacon.
Ruby made best use of the quiet to poke around; she toured the various empty auditoriums, almost interrupted an ongoing lecture, and decided to rather check out the indoor gyms afterward. From there she moved to a set of arenas for sparring as well as Dust labs. The forge and attached workshop kept her for much longer, though; she was too fascinated to just leave after she stumbled over the place.
Thankfully, the forgemaster took her interest with pride and fielded the entire cavalcade of questions about his equipment. They got to talk about her own a bit as well; this managed to remind Ruby of the unfinished sabre back at home. The middle-aged man listened curiously as she explained its properties; he was built like a bear and with beard to match, but fully human.
"My friend uses light a lot and has some sun themes, so I read up a bit. From there I got to black holes and I just found it too fitting, so I named that one Event Horizon. Lumina doesn't want to spend a ton on maintenance, so I kept it simple with just two modes. Sabre mode and flintlock mode. The bullets are common calibres so she can restock basically everywhere for cheap. Oh, and I put a tank of Gravity Dust into the body. It switches from push to pull and hits whatever she points the tip at."
The older engineer stroked his beard in thought, having listened with great interest. His assistants did the same even while they maintained equipment or carried supplies around. Once it was clear Ruby finished, he nodded sagely. "I've gotta say this does sound like a mighty fine weapon. Whoever commissioned it is lucky indeed."
Ruby fidgeted awkwardly at that. "Well, uh, I kinda volunteered to make it. My friend doesn't have one, you see? So I thought to myself, well, that's just not right."
"And rightly so!" He answered with the same excitement, if far louder. His booming laughter startled some of the students out of their work. Ruby could not help but smile as well; she even managed to brace in time so his jovial clap to her shoulder did not make her stumble. He grinned down at her.
"Ah, it's good to see such a bright mind in the next generation! Don't you lose that spark, you hear me? No one's got an appreciation for some good, solid engineering anymore. They'd all rather buy some crap off the assembly line and call it a day!"
This, Ruby could wholeheartedly agree with. She nodded eagerly.
"It's not even bad quality, but the standard stuff just isn't enough for a hunter."
"Aye, lass. Finally someone who gets it!" He clapped her shoulder again while Ruby beamed under the praise. "If ye need someone to bounce ideas off of, ya know where to find me. Was fun talking to ya, but I've still got some stuff to finish by tonight."
"Sure. Good luck with that!"
They said their goodbyes and Ruby left the building with a bright grin. Her path quickly led to a third gym, this one outdoors; mostly tracks and other stuff one could not do inside. The entire thing was built on a stone terrace overlooking the city of Mistral.
Ruby stood at the edge for a bit to take in the sights. Measured wingbeats drew her attention to Raven a minute later; she settled on Ruby's shoulder and cawed imperiously. The message was clear enough, so the younger woman went back inside.
It was a little odd how people paid more attention to her with the bird on her shoulder. Some actually approached Ruby, asking to pet the raven; she predictably turned her head away, so Ruby told them no and that her friend did not like being touched. It was true enough.
Once they entered the lobby behind the entrance, Raven took wing. She fluttered across the room and settled on top of the statue dominating it: a person holding onto a brass scale, the entire meaning of it lost on Ruby. She met Raven's gaze and nodded ever so faintly. Some others also admired the majestic and well-groomed bird, but no one else understood why she tapped the scale with one claw.
Once she was certain to have been understood, the bird returned to Ruby; the freshly made Huntress then had to listen to a lecture about 'not letting her pet shit up the rooms' from a nearby janitor. She quickly apologised and fled out the front door.
From there Ruby decided she had enough excitement and went to find her hotel. It was booked for a week, more than enough time to finish the job. Maybe she would even have some left for a vacation afterward?
Either way, once inside without Raven, her aunt portalled in with Qrow. It was better for nobody to associate this bird too closely with her. The three of them held a quick war council, now that Ruby understood Haven's layout. She enjoyed her visit, too.
"Now I'm getting a nap until sundown," she ended cheerfully, "then we'll rob them!"
The twins both stared at her in silence, long enough for Ruby's excitement to crumble. Did she say something weird?
"...I blame this on you," Qrow groused.
Raven just shook her head. "I disagree, that is all Summer."
"Fair enough."
"Huh?"
Ruby was just confused by this, prompting a bedtime story about Summer Rose's criminal energy. It would have been emberassing, had this not been about her mother; Ruby soaked up every word like a sponge. It turned out that the older Rose had a lot of juvenile crimes under her belt. Nothing serious, but she was apparently the most cheerful pickpocket the twins ever met.
"You should have seen Raven's face the first time Summer stole her stuff!" Qrow joked, all the while nudging his sister. Raven herself grumbled, though she could not quite hide a fondly embarassed smile.
Ruby was amused and intrigued; the mental image of Summer as a paragon of virtue may be shattered, but knowing she had flaws of her own made her feel a little more real. Perhaps, with a little luck, they could spend more time together, too.
Her silent hopes were answered once the two left to give her some peace and quiet. Ruby found herself on a sunlit meadow with her mother about as soon as she fell asleep. They did not have much time, but every minute was precious. Ruby recounted the heist plan in a few sentences, then went to prod for more about what she just learned.
"Did you seriously steal Raven's things?"
To her surprise, this did not prompt sheepish denials or even just confirmation, but an arched brow. Summer slowly nodded. "Oh, I did. But who told you that?"
"Qrow said you did," Ruby commented, somewhat forlorn about what apparently was a lie?
It took a moment, but then her mother broke into laughter. Bright as a bell, thoroughly confusing Ruby. Summer continued to giggle for a while and once it finally subsided, she wiped tears from her eyes. "Oh sweetie," she cooed, "he didn't tell you what 'things' I took, did he? I stole Raven's bra about every other week. By second year she went without to stop me, so I took her panties instead."
"Oh." Her ears grew hot in shared embarassment with her aunt. "That's... bold?"
Summer just huffed, clearly unconcerned. "Oh, you don't know half of it. Be a dear, grab all three of them in one room, and ask them about that double date we had in third year."
That was news. Especially... "Wait, double date? Like, you and Uncle Qrow?"
"Yup." The older Rose threw her daughter a winning grin. "They won't tell you anything about it and I just realise I probably shouldn't go into detail either." She winked. "Let's just say we had a lot of fun and the twins made us swear on threat of death to never tell anyone. Too bad for them I'm dead already!"
She laughed again while realisation slowly dawned on Ruby. She made some gagging noises to properly vocalise her thoughts on her family's sexuality.
"Okay, that's enough mother-daughter bonding! I've got a magic lamp to steal, bye!"
She somehow willed the dream to end, but Summer's hysteric laughter followed her into waking, if just for a moment. Ruby sat upright in bed, cheeks flushed with heat. She firmly shook her head and leapt into the bathroom to wash the remembered words from her memory. Then she called her aunt and uncle, who brought dinner with them. Pizza, to be exact. A jumbo-sized pizza for each of them.
Ruby could not look them in the eyes throughout the meal. She tried hard to play it off, but the memory was just too fresh. Unfortunately for her, they noticed as well.
"Did something happen?" Raven called her out once they were done eating. At first Ruby muttered something noncommittal, but quickly realised that neither twin was convinced or deterred. Then she sighed.
"Mom told me what 'things' she took from you."
Raven blushed ever so faintly, which was more than enough confirmation. Qrow heaved a sigh. "Damn it, Summer."
"She also said something about a double date in third year," Ruby went on miserably; she noticed that both twins twitched in response. "And I really don't want to know any more than she implied."
Silence settled over the room for a moment.
"Qrow?" Raven asked softly.
"Yes?"
"How about, once this is over, we find a way to break into the afterlife. Then we kill Summer double-dead."
Ruby did want to argue the point, but she could kind of understand the sentiment and kept her peace. Qrow shrugged in response to his sister. "I dunno about the killing, but she definitely deserves a spanking."
This drew another groan from Ruby, though Raven shook her head. "You know that's not a punishment for her."
"Can we please stop talking about this?" Ruby whined at them. "I seriously don't wanna know!"
Qrow huffed and ruffled her hair. "Sorry about that. How about we go commit grand theft instead?"
"Yes, please!"
"Ah, Ms. Rose. Welcome to Haven."
Some of the students milling around whispered with each other, mostly in Mistralian she did not understand. Ruby tried her best to ignore them and awkwardly returned the greeting: "Erm, hello. Headmaster Lionheart said someone would lead me to his office. Is that you?"
"Just so. Please follow me."
The whispers grew more pronounced as they left the entrance hall. Ruby became decidedly uncomfortable with the attention the further they went; civilians was one thing, but these were all people she might work with one day. They were also all older than her. Yet she somehow managed to walk with her head held high. Be it the confidence boost from actually being a Huntress or being on a mission. She just knew how to do it.
Her guide spoke up after a while, clearly attentive to the atmosphere: "Please forgive the students. We heard a great deal about you from the news, but little else. It's not often a Huntress this young comes visiting."
"Ah, it's fine. I don't mind," Ruby lied. A Huntress had to keep up appearances. If Raven could fake it till she made it, then so could Ruby!
She belatedly returned a blond monkey faunus' cheerful wave, only to finally wilt when he winked at her. That was a bit too much for her teenaged self. Ruby returned to the conversation to distract herself: "I heard a lot about Haven and was curious what life is like here. It looks like fun."
"Oh, it is. Though the students will probably disagree whenever classes loom over them."
Ruby giggled at that, suddenly glad that she got around classwork. She was always more of a doer, not a learner. Sitting still for so long was hard.
"Are you a student, too?"
"Not anymore," the older woman answered with a soft shake of her head. "I only made it through first year. Now I work mainly as an aide to the combat instructors. It took me a year or two to stop being bitter about it, but I enjoy the work now. And I only have the greatest respect for those who continue on to be hunters."
She seemed mellow at least. Ruby let out a quiet breath she was holding; accidentally insulting someone was really not what she meant to do, thank goodness her guide was not offended. But Ruby went for less dangerous questions next just to be safe; they chatted a bit about the life of someone working at Haven, then the younger woman shared a bit about her passion for engineering.
They arrived just before she could get really warmed up; the aide stopped in front of a large set of wooden doors, bowing once more and motioning Ruby forward.
"Please go ahead, the headmaster was already informed of your arrival. He will have to greet students from Beacon and Shade soon."
"Thanks," Ruby chirped. She made to go, but stopped and turned back. "Actually, what's your name?"
She may just imagine it, but it felt like the woman's expression grew a tad warmer. "It's Hana," she answered. "Now go on, Ms. Rose. Or may I call you Ruby?"
"Of course!"
They exchanged smiles and Ruby turned back to the doors. She felt better about herself now, nowhere near as intimidated at the prospect of meeting another headmaster. After knocking twice, Ruby pushed open the door without hesitation.
Her first impression of the office behind was warmth. It was mostly wood and decorated in earthy hues, with several potted plants arrayed around the room. What really caught her attention was the neatly organised desk standing front and center, though; there, facing the door, sat Leonardo Lionheart.
He was broad-shouldered and wore a predominantly brown robe, his head crowned by a thick yet immaculately groomed mane of greying hair. The same went for his voluminous beard. Sharp eyes rose to meet Ruby and he stood at once, opening his arms in greeting.
"Ah, there you are! I was quite surprised when you called last week. I didn't expect a Huntress based in Vale to take such an interest in the other schools."
Ruby closed the door and shuffled forward only a little awkwardly to shake hands with him. He had a firm grip, firmer than Ruby herself.
She only answered belatedly, still a little overwhelmed: "Ah, well. You know, my partner is born Mistrali, so I was kinda curious. And when I'm already here, I thought I should see Haven, too. Professor Ozpin said something about expanding my horizons, too." And that was not even a lie.
Lionheart's brows rose, but then he chuckled at the last part. "Is that so? It certainly sounds like something Oz would say. I had no idea that incredible girl was born here, though. I feel I would have heard of such a prodigy." He left a short pause to muse. "What was her name? Hikari? Yes, it does fit."
Ruby shrugged at that. She only sat when he motioned for her to do so, adjusting her posture on the comfy leather chair. "She never said much about it. I think she moved to Menagerie a few months back."
"That makes sense; as fond as I am of my country, it is not kind to us faunus."
"But you still made it this far," Ruby argued; she was a little surprised he would say it so easily. "Huntsman and even headmaster! That's amazing, isn't it?"
He chuckled indulgently, inclining his head. "Quite. It's always nice to have one's hard work appreciated. Although I will have to correct you on one bit, Ms. Rose. The majority of hunters are in fact faunus."
This was news. Ruby looked at him in wonder and received a faint smile from Lionheart.
"A surprise, I know. Even Haven and Atlas have a rough 40-60 split of graduating students, the fourty percent being faunus. Beacon sits at the opposite, 60-40, and Shade sees about 70-30 in favour of faunus students. The majority of applicants who pass license exams are faunus too. We come by these options more rarely and thus work far harder to make the best of them. Many more faunus have to grow strong to survive in this harsh world of Remnant, so we adapt. Of course certain people won't like if these statistics are brought up."
He effortlessly slipped into lecturing mode. Ruby nodded along, amazed by the simple yet clear breakdown. She never considered it from this angle before, but the headmaster made perfect sense.
"I think I can see it," she agreed. "I mean, I guess I was always a bit of an odd one out with my whole family being hunters, but yeah."
Lionheart nodded in turn, still smiling. "Another misconception, actually. Quite a few children of hunters end up becoming hunters themselves. Not the majority by a long shot, but you are certainly not alone."
"What about you, er, sir?"
He waved her off. "Oh, none of that. I will never demand a fellow hunter call me sir. All is well as long as we respect each other."
That was a little awkward, but Ruby nodded regardless. Lionheart continued seamlessly: "As to your question, I am the son of a humble baker. My mother is a novelist. I always thought I would inherit the family business, but certain events unlocked my aura at ten years old. From there on I could only ever think of the possibilities."
Ruby nodded along with great interest. She rarely heard where others came from because it just did not come up.
"What kind of events?"
The older man's brow scrunched at that. "Let us say that they were not particularly pleasant for me and leave it at that."
"Oh. Sorry."
Only now did she realise why he was so vague about it. Ruby felt very dumb, even when Lionheart waved off her apology. "It is quite alright. We all have our burdens to bear."
Just as he said so, an alarm on his Scroll began to beep. He turned it off, expression apologetic. "But as pleasant as our little chat was, I need to head out now. You heard about the joint training initiative Oz proposed?"
"Yeah, I did. I was around when he thought of it."
"I see."
So saying, the headmaster rose. Ruby did the same and looked up at him as he continued: "Well, feel free to tour the academy at your own leisure. We can provide a guide if you wish, too. I have no reason to refuse a bright young mind."
That was kind of him. Ruby smiled and nodded. "Thanks. I'll look around a bit on my own. Maybe we can do an actual tour tomorrow or something?"
"That is perfectly fine."
They shook hands again and parted ways right outside his office. Ruby was alone now and grew increasingly giddy. Not only did she have a super duper secret mission, she also got to see one of the most prestigious places in all of Remnant from the inside.
She thought of asking for Hana as a guide for a moment, but felt that would impose on the older woman's time too much. So instead Ruby picked a corridor at random and started to walk. She did not lie earlier, Haven interested her a lot. She may have only ever dreamt of Beacon, but each of the four academies would have been alright in the end.
There were far less students around now, what with the first and second years gone; Lionheart took them all along. Ruby knew that foreign students would flood the area soon, some of them even faces she had at least seen at Beacon.
Ruby made best use of the quiet to poke around; she toured the various empty auditoriums, almost interrupted an ongoing lecture, and decided to rather check out the indoor gyms afterward. From there she moved to a set of arenas for sparring as well as Dust labs. The forge and attached workshop kept her for much longer, though; she was too fascinated to just leave after she stumbled over the place.
Thankfully, the forgemaster took her interest with pride and fielded the entire cavalcade of questions about his equipment. They got to talk about her own a bit as well; this managed to remind Ruby of the unfinished sabre back at home. The middle-aged man listened curiously as she explained its properties; he was built like a bear and with beard to match, but fully human.
"My friend uses light a lot and has some sun themes, so I read up a bit. From there I got to black holes and I just found it too fitting, so I named that one Event Horizon. Lumina doesn't want to spend a ton on maintenance, so I kept it simple with just two modes. Sabre mode and flintlock mode. The bullets are common calibres so she can restock basically everywhere for cheap. Oh, and I put a tank of Gravity Dust into the body. It switches from push to pull and hits whatever she points the tip at."
The older engineer stroked his beard in thought, having listened with great interest. His assistants did the same even while they maintained equipment or carried supplies around. Once it was clear Ruby finished, he nodded sagely. "I've gotta say this does sound like a mighty fine weapon. Whoever commissioned it is lucky indeed."
Ruby fidgeted awkwardly at that. "Well, uh, I kinda volunteered to make it. My friend doesn't have one, you see? So I thought to myself, well, that's just not right."
"And rightly so!" He answered with the same excitement, if far louder. His booming laughter startled some of the students out of their work. Ruby could not help but smile as well; she even managed to brace in time so his jovial clap to her shoulder did not make her stumble. He grinned down at her.
"Ah, it's good to see such a bright mind in the next generation! Don't you lose that spark, you hear me? No one's got an appreciation for some good, solid engineering anymore. They'd all rather buy some crap off the assembly line and call it a day!"
This, Ruby could wholeheartedly agree with. She nodded eagerly.
"It's not even bad quality, but the standard stuff just isn't enough for a hunter."
"Aye, lass. Finally someone who gets it!" He clapped her shoulder again while Ruby beamed under the praise. "If ye need someone to bounce ideas off of, ya know where to find me. Was fun talking to ya, but I've still got some stuff to finish by tonight."
"Sure. Good luck with that!"
They said their goodbyes and Ruby left the building with a bright grin. Her path quickly led to a third gym, this one outdoors; mostly tracks and other stuff one could not do inside. The entire thing was built on a stone terrace overlooking the city of Mistral.
Ruby stood at the edge for a bit to take in the sights. Measured wingbeats drew her attention to Raven a minute later; she settled on Ruby's shoulder and cawed imperiously. The message was clear enough, so the younger woman went back inside.
It was a little odd how people paid more attention to her with the bird on her shoulder. Some actually approached Ruby, asking to pet the raven; she predictably turned her head away, so Ruby told them no and that her friend did not like being touched. It was true enough.
Once they entered the lobby behind the entrance, Raven took wing. She fluttered across the room and settled on top of the statue dominating it: a person holding onto a brass scale, the entire meaning of it lost on Ruby. She met Raven's gaze and nodded ever so faintly. Some others also admired the majestic and well-groomed bird, but no one else understood why she tapped the scale with one claw.
Once she was certain to have been understood, the bird returned to Ruby; the freshly made Huntress then had to listen to a lecture about 'not letting her pet shit up the rooms' from a nearby janitor. She quickly apologised and fled out the front door.
From there Ruby decided she had enough excitement and went to find her hotel. It was booked for a week, more than enough time to finish the job. Maybe she would even have some left for a vacation afterward?
Either way, once inside without Raven, her aunt portalled in with Qrow. It was better for nobody to associate this bird too closely with her. The three of them held a quick war council, now that Ruby understood Haven's layout. She enjoyed her visit, too.
"Now I'm getting a nap until sundown," she ended cheerfully, "then we'll rob them!"
The twins both stared at her in silence, long enough for Ruby's excitement to crumble. Did she say something weird?
"...I blame this on you," Qrow groused.
Raven just shook her head. "I disagree, that is all Summer."
"Fair enough."
"Huh?"
Ruby was just confused by this, prompting a bedtime story about Summer Rose's criminal energy. It would have been emberassing, had this not been about her mother; Ruby soaked up every word like a sponge. It turned out that the older Rose had a lot of juvenile crimes under her belt. Nothing serious, but she was apparently the most cheerful pickpocket the twins ever met.
"You should have seen Raven's face the first time Summer stole her stuff!" Qrow joked, all the while nudging his sister. Raven herself grumbled, though she could not quite hide a fondly embarassed smile.
Ruby was amused and intrigued; the mental image of Summer as a paragon of virtue may be shattered, but knowing she had flaws of her own made her feel a little more real. Perhaps, with a little luck, they could spend more time together, too.
Her silent hopes were answered once the two left to give her some peace and quiet. Ruby found herself on a sunlit meadow with her mother about as soon as she fell asleep. They did not have much time, but every minute was precious. Ruby recounted the heist plan in a few sentences, then went to prod for more about what she just learned.
"Did you seriously steal Raven's things?"
To her surprise, this did not prompt sheepish denials or even just confirmation, but an arched brow. Summer slowly nodded. "Oh, I did. But who told you that?"
"Qrow said you did," Ruby commented, somewhat forlorn about what apparently was a lie?
It took a moment, but then her mother broke into laughter. Bright as a bell, thoroughly confusing Ruby. Summer continued to giggle for a while and once it finally subsided, she wiped tears from her eyes. "Oh sweetie," she cooed, "he didn't tell you what 'things' I took, did he? I stole Raven's bra about every other week. By second year she went without to stop me, so I took her panties instead."
"Oh." Her ears grew hot in shared embarassment with her aunt. "That's... bold?"
Summer just huffed, clearly unconcerned. "Oh, you don't know half of it. Be a dear, grab all three of them in one room, and ask them about that double date we had in third year."
That was news. Especially... "Wait, double date? Like, you and Uncle Qrow?"
"Yup." The older Rose threw her daughter a winning grin. "They won't tell you anything about it and I just realise I probably shouldn't go into detail either." She winked. "Let's just say we had a lot of fun and the twins made us swear on threat of death to never tell anyone. Too bad for them I'm dead already!"
She laughed again while realisation slowly dawned on Ruby. She made some gagging noises to properly vocalise her thoughts on her family's sexuality.
"Okay, that's enough mother-daughter bonding! I've got a magic lamp to steal, bye!"
She somehow willed the dream to end, but Summer's hysteric laughter followed her into waking, if just for a moment. Ruby sat upright in bed, cheeks flushed with heat. She firmly shook her head and leapt into the bathroom to wash the remembered words from her memory. Then she called her aunt and uncle, who brought dinner with them. Pizza, to be exact. A jumbo-sized pizza for each of them.
Ruby could not look them in the eyes throughout the meal. She tried hard to play it off, but the memory was just too fresh. Unfortunately for her, they noticed as well.
"Did something happen?" Raven called her out once they were done eating. At first Ruby muttered something noncommittal, but quickly realised that neither twin was convinced or deterred. Then she sighed.
"Mom told me what 'things' she took from you."
Raven blushed ever so faintly, which was more than enough confirmation. Qrow heaved a sigh. "Damn it, Summer."
"She also said something about a double date in third year," Ruby went on miserably; she noticed that both twins twitched in response. "And I really don't want to know any more than she implied."
Silence settled over the room for a moment.
"Qrow?" Raven asked softly.
"Yes?"
"How about, once this is over, we find a way to break into the afterlife. Then we kill Summer double-dead."
Ruby did want to argue the point, but she could kind of understand the sentiment and kept her peace. Qrow shrugged in response to his sister. "I dunno about the killing, but she definitely deserves a spanking."
This drew another groan from Ruby, though Raven shook her head. "You know that's not a punishment for her."
"Can we please stop talking about this?" Ruby whined at them. "I seriously don't wanna know!"
Qrow huffed and ruffled her hair. "Sorry about that. How about we go commit grand theft instead?"
"Yes, please!"
Or exists at all, I'm sure.
Meanwhile, Lumina: "Well, I guess it's technically true, but I really don't care about it."
Interesting. Is it because it's a dangerous job that can gain them recognition?
*Somethingsomething* They're trying to replace us! *Somethingsomething*
Seriously, that's one of the favorite arguments these kind of people love to use, the conspiracy of *the great replacement*.
And of course, seeing that there are a lot of Faunus in a *post too important for those animals*, they would begin telling that the Faunus want to abuse their authority to do whatever they imagine they're doing.
That's what she's there for.
They should try fighting with their fists! Less maintenance!
Nora feels an urge to do a high five out of nowhere.
...
....
.....
It wasn't so much a double date as it was a forming polycule, wasn't it?
Yeah, let's commit crimes to forget about the embarrassing past!
Do you want me to bring out the *Entire Team* memes? Because I won't hesitate.
kaillll
Judgment Upon You
You may post one. Make it relevant. I dare you.Do you want me to bring out the *Entire Team* memes? Because I won't hesitate.
Make it relevant, heh?
That's easy:
Here is a retranscription of a conversation during the double date:
does this imply that she likes getting her bra stolen by summer/going around without a bra? /jk
2.6 Knowledge
- Location
- Earth
They left out the window under cover of night, both twins in bird form; Ruby dispersed into rose petals and flew across Mistral on her own. She easily evaded a handful of guards by spreading herself thin. No camera outside could spot her.
She entered Haven through the outdoor gym, sliding past the shutters. It was so incredibly simple, what with no one seriously expecting a break-in at a school training hunters. Few people were this insane and even less had the abilities to do it undetected. Ruby just hoped there was no one in the main lobby.
Haven was not fully deserted even at night, though. She fluttered past a small number of students and a professor still about. Then she quickly took her distance from an amorous couple halfway into a closet, but that was the most exciting her infiltration became. Ruby arrived at her destination without issue, the lobby deserted.
With no one nearby, she quickly pulled on the statue's scale as Raven indicated earlier. It took some force, but then the hidden lever gave. The entire platform Ruby stood on began to slide downward, revealing itself as an oversized elevator.
"How did she know that?" Ruby whispered to herself, then decided to ask about it later. Not like her aunt could answer when she was not even in the room.
A second plate shifted in place once the elevator began to descend, hiding the secret path; Ruby sighed in relief at that. Nobody could find the conspicuous hole, so she was not on a clock after all. Then she quickly shot a message to Qrow, who arrived with Raven just a few seconds later. These portals were incredibly useful.
"So," she started to pass the time of their descend, "how did you learn about the scales?"
Her aunt shrugged minutely. "Leonardo is a coward. Offer him something beneficial to no risk and he will grab it."
"And what did you offer him?" Qrow chimed in curiously. His sister threw him a look in response.
"Not to reveal some of his shadier dealings. Nothing awful, but enough to lose him his post as headmaster."
"How bad are we talking? Drugs?"
"No, he invests greatly in the White Fang. And quietly benefits from some of their more... unorthodox targets."
"Ah. Yeah, that'd do it."
Ruby listened with some worry. She did not get the impression the kindly headmaster she met would do such a thing. But as she learned of late, people had a great many facets to them.
"Is it good or bad that he can be strongarmed like that?" she ended up asking.
Neither twin had a proper response to that. Raven was the one to speak as their elevator left its shaft: "Good for us, in this case."
Ruby accepted her reasoning and stepped off the platform, now that it finally arrived. The hewn stone made way for a bridge of natural rock; a pair of lamps spent a few metres of light, but everything beyond lay in darkness. They were still inside of the mountain. Moreover, a pebble kicked off the side produced no audible noise on the way down; it went far, so Ruby made certain to stay away from the edge. She could ignore gravity with her Semblance, but the possibility of a fall still unnerved her.
She then used her Scroll's flashlight to light ahead, but there was no great path to follow. No challenge or labyrinth. The stone bridge led right toward a wall and at its end sat a pedestal. A single stone arch was attached to it, the only other piece shaped by human hands. The mere sight of it made the Charm she carried pulsate softly while Grimm murmured reassurances into her mind.
The trio walked slowly, almost reverently. Even Raven was in awe, or perhaps too scared to rush ahead.
"How did they get this down here?" Ruby wondered idly, voice echoing in the empty cavern. "And who built it?"
Qrow snorted at that.
"Oz, obviously."
He took a sip from his flask and motioned for the stone arch. "The part where a secret doesn't work if too many people know it aside, this thing just screams Ozpin. It's exactly his style. He probably used some sort of magic to build it."
"He may have reformed the mountain to suit his needs," Raven added thoughtfully. Her gaze flicked around the area, yet the dim light made finding what she sought a chore. "I doubt he was just lucky to find such a natural formation in the exact spot he needed."
"Sounds about right," her brother agreed.
Their conversation was cut off then as they arrived at the arch. It rose above all three of them, somehow projecting an intimidating aura.
Ruby hesitated for a moment before reaching out. Golden light ran from her chest to her fingertips once she touched the solid plate of stone within the arch. It drove the darkness away and cast long shadows over their faces, illuminating the entire area. Ruby felt warm where it passed, only for that warmth to seep into the door; it clicked and crunched, gleamed in a slow rhythm, but did not open.
They stood before the bright contraption as intricate symbols slowly began to spread over the central plate. Light trickled along the revealed lines. Ruby waited expectantly, but nothing else happened. Her aunt and uncle exchanged glances.
"Is it, uh, supposed to do that?" Qrow finally asked. Ruby could only shrug.
Just then Grimm's voice whispered to her again: "My sister's light is similar yet different. It needs time to assimilate the vault."
Ruby's brow twitched in annoyance. "Thanks for telling us now," she groused back, receiving just an amused chuckle. Qrow groaned when she relayed his words.
Meanwhile, Raven stared hard at the vault; she was deep in thought, but never got a chance to finish whatever musings she followed.
Their silent vigil was disrupted by a heavy impact. All three whirled around and beheld a Grimm stalking off the elevator platform. And what a Grimm it was, canine but far more massive than any Beowulf Ruby ever saw. The beast's muzzle twitched as it sized them up. Pitch black fur stood out even in the dark while the lanterns and Lumina's light drew menacing shadows onto the ground.
Something about it raised Ruby's hackles; it felt unnatural, but she could not quite put her finger on why. That was, until she realised faint trails of silver rolling off its body; shards of familiar shapes fell like snowflakes on every step.
Essence clung to the beast.
"What is this?" Raven asked, just as stumped as them.
"Better question," Qrow countered while they drew their weapons. "How did it get here? It came from above!"
His question was answered moments later; a second figure leapt down the elevator shaft, almost exactly where the Hound had landed. He was familiar to all of them and their hearts sunk; Leonardo Lionheart, still impeccably dressed if suddenly wary.
"Now this is unexpected," he opened awkwardly as they stared at each other. Glancing between them, the Hound, and the tunnel, the headmaster made a face. "And not particularly good. Let me just...." He swiftly turned around and made to push the statue's scale back up.
A bullet crashed into the ornament, destroying it before he could.
Qrow never lowered Harbinger, the gun barrel still steaming in the cold air. His teeth were bared as he stared at his fellow Huntsman.
"Leo," he asked with forced calm. His anger still shone through. "What, by the Brothers, are you doing?"
Ruby was still reeling from the fact the kindly headmaster was leading this thing around. She had no idea how anyone could go about explaining this away. She liked Headmaster Lionheart.
The man himself seemed to rack his brain for a decent answer to give, but obviously found none.
"What does it look like?" Raven's voice cut through the silence. She let out a mirthless huff and motioned for the Hound as it prowled toward them. "He submitted to Salem."
Ruby took a wary step back from the beast; it seemed to home in on her, yet did not lunge or charge like most others would. It seemed almost intelligent in how it sized her up.
She only glanced away when Lionheart answered at last: "Why, I could ask you the same, Qrow. Associating with a known criminal, your sister at that? People will question your intentions."
"Do you have any idea how little I care what people think of me?" Qrow shot back. He motioned for the approaching monster with his sword. "You're associating with Salem, and why is that thing here?"
"Well, you see-" He snapped off a shot that caught Qrow in the shoulder just as the Hound lunged for Ruby.
She dispersed before it reached and focussed her attention on the thing coming for her. Fluttering around its swipes with contemptuous ease, Ruby reformed and dispersed again to test it; reactions, defenses, she attentively learned them all.
She reformed behind the Hound after a frantic minute. It snarled and swung around with its massive paw, but Ruby leaned out of the way and it missed by an inch. Crescent Rose struck the beasts side in retaliation, but its hide was too thick for the massive scythe to penetrate. Ruby dispersed again to avoid the counter, reappearing on the Hound's back; it reared up and threw her off in moments.
The Grimm's head turned this way and that, trying to trace her disembodied form by scent; Ruby reappeared twenty metres above it to abuse gravity next. She swung Crescent Rose overhead and rammed her tip into the Hound's skull. Her sheer momentum drove the weapon in a few centimetres before stopping, but the Hound simply growled and swiped at her scythe. The attack dented her before Ruby could pull her back out.
Horror and indignation stabbed through her focus; nobody hurt her baby!
Ruby grit her teeth and got back to it with renewed vigour. The dance continued to a backdrop of human on faunus violence, but she had no time to see how her family was doing.
A wisp of silver light washed over the Grimm but did not kill it. Something blocked her power. So Ruby went back to the tried and true, reappearing at various angles and leaving cuts and bruises on her opponent with every pass. The Grimm slowed bit by bit, but was never actually crippled.
Her aura went down to three fourths by the time she decided to commit to another big attack: Ruby reappeared right in front of the Hound and blew it a raspberry. She then dispersed just as it swung and consolidated standing on its paw; Crescent Rose's barrel pointed straight at the beast's face. The Hound tried to launch her, too slow to register the threat; a gunshot boomed and the high-impact round cracked its faceplate. Its recoil blew Ruby back, evading retaliation.
The Hound growled in what seemed like anger; half the white boneplate on its head was broken off.
Then, to her shock, the monster spoke.
"Find. Destroy. Rose."
Its voice was an inhuman drawl, but she knew she did not imagine it. The mere fact this thing could speak kept Ruby still and staring.
Just then Qrow and Raven came down on it like the fist of a goddess. Harbinger's scythe form and a thin blade of fire Dust each sliced off a hindleg, making the beast buckle. Their synchronous assault was repeated with its front legs.
Ruby appeared in front of its snarling muzzle just as it hit the ground. She pushed the barrel right into its maw and pulled the trigger.
Another boom sounded and the monster dropped dead.
The echo ran through the cave for an uncomfortably long time, eventually replaced by blessed silence. Ruby wiped beads of sweat off her forehead, panting. Her aura went close to two thirds, which was more than any singular creature of Grimm cost her in a while.
The beast already began to dissolve when she graced her aunt and uncle with a smile. "Thanks. I guess I need to work on my strength next."
Qrow's strong hand ruffled her hair right after. "Don't take it too hard, kiddo. That thing wasn't as massive as some of what I've hunted, but it was just as dense."
"I still wonder what...." Raven began, only to trail off.
Ruby did not need to ask why, she saw it herself.
As the Hound's black flesh turned to smoke, a person was revealed within its body. The three of them stared in horrified wonder at the deathly pale and emaciated man. His eyes fluttered open, staring without seeing.
Qrow was with him even faster than Ruby. He gently caught the gaunt figure, talking softly: "Hey, it's okay. You're alright. What happened?"
He mouthed something, but no sounds came out. Trails of silver pearled off his body and Ruby understood that what she saw earlier was his Essence.
"He's dying," Raven judged. She knelt by Qrow's side and carefully grasped the stranger's face. He leaned into her touch, the rest of his body falling slack. Unseeing eyes tried to find her, rotating in their sockets. Looking into them however, Raven took a sharp breath.
"And his eyes are silver."
Ruby's chest constricted as horror took a hold of her.
She knew exactly what her aunt implied there. She did not want to believe it, but everything made too much sense to be a coincidence. Her breathing became laboured as she took a knee next to Raven, seeing for herself what she already knew.
Summer never returned but was not entirely dead. Just like this man, her body must be alive out there somewhere. Buried within another such beast.
Tears blurred her vision as reality collapsed around her. Ruby stood frozen, unable to truly comprehend the meaning of their find.
Then she forced the horror back from the forefront of her mind, all the way down into a little box. She could freak out or break down later; for now they still had a task to fulfill.
Before the lamp however, she reached out for the unknown man. Ever so carefully, Ruby pulled him over until his head rested on her lap. His life was fading quickly, but he was still concious.
"It's okay," she comforted him, fingers brushing over skin as dry as paper. The feeling was revulsive, but Ruby did not let it show in her voice. "Your suffering is over. Go on and rest."
His hands weakly closed around hers, lacking even the strength to squeeze. He had silver eyes like her; they might even be related in some way. Ruby would never know.
His grasp slackened as he breathed his last.
She stared at his emaciated face, somehow peaceful in death. A smattering of tears ran down her cheeks and dropped onto his. She could not bear move him for fear of breaking something.
"This is awful," she choked out. "How could you do something like this? To anyone?"
Ruby could not even conceive such a cruel act before it slapped her in the face.
Qrow had no words for her, he was equally appalled.
Raven, however, nodded slowly. "That is the kind of person we deal with," she told Ruby in a tone that may be tender. "Salem knows neither friends nor allies. All she sees people as is tools. If you do not give in to her demands, she will have you hunted. I imagine Leonardo let himself be coerced so as to not die."
"And you wouldn't have?" She could not help but ask. Knowing what Ruby knew, her aunt was prime material for this kind of thing.
To her surprise, Raven snorted. "I'm smart enough to know Salem will discard all her tools sooner or later. Not that it worked out for Leo."
Be it the surprise or what she actually said, it made Ruby realise that the older woman's kimono was speckled with blood. It stood out starkly in the light now bathing them. She scanned the area and quickly found the headmaster's headless body lying near the gleaming vault door.
"...oh. That's kind of sad."
Somehow, Ruby felt little at the sight. They were fighting and it happened that people died. She could not quite bring herself to care right now, but it was sad to see him go like this.
"You shouldn't have done it," Qrow told his sister. He did not seem angry or particularly upset, just tired. "He might have known something."
Raven scoffed at that. "As if. Salem doesn't share anything her tools don't need to know. Especially him when he could run back to Ozpin at any moment. For all the issues I have with the man, he is forgiving where Salem isn't."
Much like her brother, she lacked her usual fervour. The night was a shock for all of them.
"...you could come back, you know?"
It was a hesitant request Qrow made. Raven's gaze snapped to him in an instant, then away. Her carefully schooled expression broke to reveal the turmoil underneath, but she did not speak just yet. Ruby would have loved to let them talk it out, but she knew this could go bad really fast; if Raven's fear took over and made her say something nasty, this fragile bond the twins rebuilt may just snap. She had to do something drastic.
Shimmying away from the body she had cradled and putting him down with all due care, she then darted forward to embrace her aunt. Raven stiffened in her grasp, but Ruby did not care; she simply cuddled harder.
"I'd like to have you around some more, too, you know?"
"It's not that easy," Raven said, voice tight.
"Of course it isn't. But nothing easy is worth having."
Several tense seconds passed, but then Raven awkwardly pet her head. Ruby took that as her sign to let go; she was met with a thoughtful expression that she took as victory. Crisis averted.
Then she realised she now had half-dried blood on herself, too. Ruby squeaked and fumbled for something to clean herself with. "Eww! How can you stand that?!"
"Experience," Raven deadpanned. Qrow chuckled in the background before helping with the cleanup. Not that it actually worked that well, Ruby's clothes needed a wash. Maybe she even had to throw them away!
Halfway through their efforts, some sort of current ran through the area. An even brighter light that threw long shadows. The trio immediately turned back to the vault; they found the stone plate set between the arch completely covered in gleaming lines and runes. It began to disintegrate before their eyes, revealing an endless desert behind. Natural light shone through, as did the gleam of a bright blue lamp. It hovered atop a lone pedestal on the other side.
Ruby made an awed noise and took a step, but Qrow's hand on her shoulder stopped her. He threw her a wink.
"Hey. Lemme do at least something here, yeah?"
She could not help but grin at that and motioned for him to go.
The women watched Qrow pass right through the opening, pick up the lamp, and walk out. The vault remained open, though it was now empty. He returned to them with a thoughtful look while Raven took over cleaning Ruby's clothes as best as she could.
"I gotta admit, I expected a little more," Qrow commented once he stood in front of them again. "But sure, fine."
So saying, he handed Ruby the lamp, who took it reverently before even considering what to do with it. After a moment of thought, the relic was hooked into her belt. It sat warm against her hip and thigh even through skirt and tights.
Nothing else happened. Mission complete.
Ruby took a deep breath and glanced back to the dead. She still felt sad about Lionheart's death, but he did fight for Salem. The unknown man trapped in the Hound was who truly tugged on her heartstrings. Maybe he had family somewhere?
"I want to bury him," she said. The thought came suddenly, but it was the least this poor person deserved.
The twins looked first to her, then each other. Ruby was still focussed on the body and missed their silent conversation.
Qrow and Raven wordlessly began to work; he kicked Lionheart's body and the shells they used over the ledge, she scanned the elevator for bloodstains before wiping them away with Water Dust. Then Raven pulled what was left of the scale back into place, portalling back to Ruby's side as the elevator rose; everything would return to normal.
Qrow then nudged Ruby to help him and they gingerly picked up the cooling body. He was far too light, even she knew that. Raven opened another portal for them, which they entered without hesitation.
The three landed in a large camp. A guard of sort had snapped to attention, but gaped upon seeing who all came through. He looked between them.
"Uh, did something happen? Why's-"
"Later," Raven cut him off. "We need to take care of something first. Fetch me three shovels."
He did it without question.
What followed was, perhaps, the most solemn hours of Ruby's life.
No one remained untouched by death on Remnant, one way or another. Yet the only deaths she was ever present for were her own in the Nightmare. Ruby still had some distance to the concept; the day of the dragon was such a rush that she never really saw anything, and her mother left no body. It was her father and uncle who erected the gravestone, too.
That night it was her and the twins digging. No one spoke. Only a small lamp and the Relic illuminated their work, shovel by shovel of dirt being removed from the gaping hole in the ground. At some point Qrow vanished, only to return with an old blanket to wrap the body in. Ruby was drenched in sweat, not helped by the humid mistralian night.
Once they made it two metres down, Qrow called a stop. His voice was oddly soft, not quite gentle but simply quiet. Ruby did not let him pick up the body, though. She did it herself before gently lowering the man into the earth.
A morose sadness welled in her gut as she looked down onto him; the dusty cotton was barely visible under what light they had. Life suddenly felt small, so easily extinguished.
They slowly filled up the grave again. It came easier now, her body working fine even though Ruby was emotionally exhausted. Once it was done, Raven patted down the small mound with her shovel. Qrow placed a crude marker on top; a piece of wood, quickly and sloppily carved into the twin dragons' spine. Three curved horns, the center of which was twice as thick as the outer ones. A symbol of the Brothers
The three stood in silence for a minute, paying respect to a man they never knew. Ruby hesitated at the marker's sight, but then she took her own knife and carved symbols into each outer spine; a crowned circle with two wings for one, a flame within a flame within a flame for the other. She did not know the Brothers, but she knew Lumina and Grimm.
Once she was done, Ruby stood once more and leaned against Qrow. She was used to physical work, but this was a different sort of grueling. Her uncle put a hand on her shoulder to steady her. Raven stood next to them, still distant even now. Ruby noticed despite her exhaustion and reached out to take her hand. Her aunt twitched, unseen in the darkness but barely felt.
She did not pull away.
"...this is all we could do," Raven finally said. "Let's get going."
Nobody objected. Raven led them back to her tribe's camp and to her own tent. Ruby fell asleep as soon as she reached the futon laid out for her.
She entered Haven through the outdoor gym, sliding past the shutters. It was so incredibly simple, what with no one seriously expecting a break-in at a school training hunters. Few people were this insane and even less had the abilities to do it undetected. Ruby just hoped there was no one in the main lobby.
Haven was not fully deserted even at night, though. She fluttered past a small number of students and a professor still about. Then she quickly took her distance from an amorous couple halfway into a closet, but that was the most exciting her infiltration became. Ruby arrived at her destination without issue, the lobby deserted.
With no one nearby, she quickly pulled on the statue's scale as Raven indicated earlier. It took some force, but then the hidden lever gave. The entire platform Ruby stood on began to slide downward, revealing itself as an oversized elevator.
"How did she know that?" Ruby whispered to herself, then decided to ask about it later. Not like her aunt could answer when she was not even in the room.
A second plate shifted in place once the elevator began to descend, hiding the secret path; Ruby sighed in relief at that. Nobody could find the conspicuous hole, so she was not on a clock after all. Then she quickly shot a message to Qrow, who arrived with Raven just a few seconds later. These portals were incredibly useful.
"So," she started to pass the time of their descend, "how did you learn about the scales?"
Her aunt shrugged minutely. "Leonardo is a coward. Offer him something beneficial to no risk and he will grab it."
"And what did you offer him?" Qrow chimed in curiously. His sister threw him a look in response.
"Not to reveal some of his shadier dealings. Nothing awful, but enough to lose him his post as headmaster."
"How bad are we talking? Drugs?"
"No, he invests greatly in the White Fang. And quietly benefits from some of their more... unorthodox targets."
"Ah. Yeah, that'd do it."
Ruby listened with some worry. She did not get the impression the kindly headmaster she met would do such a thing. But as she learned of late, people had a great many facets to them.
"Is it good or bad that he can be strongarmed like that?" she ended up asking.
Neither twin had a proper response to that. Raven was the one to speak as their elevator left its shaft: "Good for us, in this case."
Ruby accepted her reasoning and stepped off the platform, now that it finally arrived. The hewn stone made way for a bridge of natural rock; a pair of lamps spent a few metres of light, but everything beyond lay in darkness. They were still inside of the mountain. Moreover, a pebble kicked off the side produced no audible noise on the way down; it went far, so Ruby made certain to stay away from the edge. She could ignore gravity with her Semblance, but the possibility of a fall still unnerved her.
She then used her Scroll's flashlight to light ahead, but there was no great path to follow. No challenge or labyrinth. The stone bridge led right toward a wall and at its end sat a pedestal. A single stone arch was attached to it, the only other piece shaped by human hands. The mere sight of it made the Charm she carried pulsate softly while Grimm murmured reassurances into her mind.
The trio walked slowly, almost reverently. Even Raven was in awe, or perhaps too scared to rush ahead.
"How did they get this down here?" Ruby wondered idly, voice echoing in the empty cavern. "And who built it?"
Qrow snorted at that.
"Oz, obviously."
He took a sip from his flask and motioned for the stone arch. "The part where a secret doesn't work if too many people know it aside, this thing just screams Ozpin. It's exactly his style. He probably used some sort of magic to build it."
"He may have reformed the mountain to suit his needs," Raven added thoughtfully. Her gaze flicked around the area, yet the dim light made finding what she sought a chore. "I doubt he was just lucky to find such a natural formation in the exact spot he needed."
"Sounds about right," her brother agreed.
Their conversation was cut off then as they arrived at the arch. It rose above all three of them, somehow projecting an intimidating aura.
Ruby hesitated for a moment before reaching out. Golden light ran from her chest to her fingertips once she touched the solid plate of stone within the arch. It drove the darkness away and cast long shadows over their faces, illuminating the entire area. Ruby felt warm where it passed, only for that warmth to seep into the door; it clicked and crunched, gleamed in a slow rhythm, but did not open.
They stood before the bright contraption as intricate symbols slowly began to spread over the central plate. Light trickled along the revealed lines. Ruby waited expectantly, but nothing else happened. Her aunt and uncle exchanged glances.
"Is it, uh, supposed to do that?" Qrow finally asked. Ruby could only shrug.
Just then Grimm's voice whispered to her again: "My sister's light is similar yet different. It needs time to assimilate the vault."
Ruby's brow twitched in annoyance. "Thanks for telling us now," she groused back, receiving just an amused chuckle. Qrow groaned when she relayed his words.
Meanwhile, Raven stared hard at the vault; she was deep in thought, but never got a chance to finish whatever musings she followed.
Their silent vigil was disrupted by a heavy impact. All three whirled around and beheld a Grimm stalking off the elevator platform. And what a Grimm it was, canine but far more massive than any Beowulf Ruby ever saw. The beast's muzzle twitched as it sized them up. Pitch black fur stood out even in the dark while the lanterns and Lumina's light drew menacing shadows onto the ground.
Something about it raised Ruby's hackles; it felt unnatural, but she could not quite put her finger on why. That was, until she realised faint trails of silver rolling off its body; shards of familiar shapes fell like snowflakes on every step.
Essence clung to the beast.
"What is this?" Raven asked, just as stumped as them.
"Better question," Qrow countered while they drew their weapons. "How did it get here? It came from above!"
His question was answered moments later; a second figure leapt down the elevator shaft, almost exactly where the Hound had landed. He was familiar to all of them and their hearts sunk; Leonardo Lionheart, still impeccably dressed if suddenly wary.
"Now this is unexpected," he opened awkwardly as they stared at each other. Glancing between them, the Hound, and the tunnel, the headmaster made a face. "And not particularly good. Let me just...." He swiftly turned around and made to push the statue's scale back up.
A bullet crashed into the ornament, destroying it before he could.
Qrow never lowered Harbinger, the gun barrel still steaming in the cold air. His teeth were bared as he stared at his fellow Huntsman.
"Leo," he asked with forced calm. His anger still shone through. "What, by the Brothers, are you doing?"
Ruby was still reeling from the fact the kindly headmaster was leading this thing around. She had no idea how anyone could go about explaining this away. She liked Headmaster Lionheart.
The man himself seemed to rack his brain for a decent answer to give, but obviously found none.
"What does it look like?" Raven's voice cut through the silence. She let out a mirthless huff and motioned for the Hound as it prowled toward them. "He submitted to Salem."
Ruby took a wary step back from the beast; it seemed to home in on her, yet did not lunge or charge like most others would. It seemed almost intelligent in how it sized her up.
She only glanced away when Lionheart answered at last: "Why, I could ask you the same, Qrow. Associating with a known criminal, your sister at that? People will question your intentions."
"Do you have any idea how little I care what people think of me?" Qrow shot back. He motioned for the approaching monster with his sword. "You're associating with Salem, and why is that thing here?"
"Well, you see-" He snapped off a shot that caught Qrow in the shoulder just as the Hound lunged for Ruby.
She dispersed before it reached and focussed her attention on the thing coming for her. Fluttering around its swipes with contemptuous ease, Ruby reformed and dispersed again to test it; reactions, defenses, she attentively learned them all.
She reformed behind the Hound after a frantic minute. It snarled and swung around with its massive paw, but Ruby leaned out of the way and it missed by an inch. Crescent Rose struck the beasts side in retaliation, but its hide was too thick for the massive scythe to penetrate. Ruby dispersed again to avoid the counter, reappearing on the Hound's back; it reared up and threw her off in moments.
The Grimm's head turned this way and that, trying to trace her disembodied form by scent; Ruby reappeared twenty metres above it to abuse gravity next. She swung Crescent Rose overhead and rammed her tip into the Hound's skull. Her sheer momentum drove the weapon in a few centimetres before stopping, but the Hound simply growled and swiped at her scythe. The attack dented her before Ruby could pull her back out.
Horror and indignation stabbed through her focus; nobody hurt her baby!
Ruby grit her teeth and got back to it with renewed vigour. The dance continued to a backdrop of human on faunus violence, but she had no time to see how her family was doing.
A wisp of silver light washed over the Grimm but did not kill it. Something blocked her power. So Ruby went back to the tried and true, reappearing at various angles and leaving cuts and bruises on her opponent with every pass. The Grimm slowed bit by bit, but was never actually crippled.
Her aura went down to three fourths by the time she decided to commit to another big attack: Ruby reappeared right in front of the Hound and blew it a raspberry. She then dispersed just as it swung and consolidated standing on its paw; Crescent Rose's barrel pointed straight at the beast's face. The Hound tried to launch her, too slow to register the threat; a gunshot boomed and the high-impact round cracked its faceplate. Its recoil blew Ruby back, evading retaliation.
The Hound growled in what seemed like anger; half the white boneplate on its head was broken off.
Then, to her shock, the monster spoke.
"Find. Destroy. Rose."
Its voice was an inhuman drawl, but she knew she did not imagine it. The mere fact this thing could speak kept Ruby still and staring.
Just then Qrow and Raven came down on it like the fist of a goddess. Harbinger's scythe form and a thin blade of fire Dust each sliced off a hindleg, making the beast buckle. Their synchronous assault was repeated with its front legs.
Ruby appeared in front of its snarling muzzle just as it hit the ground. She pushed the barrel right into its maw and pulled the trigger.
Another boom sounded and the monster dropped dead.
The echo ran through the cave for an uncomfortably long time, eventually replaced by blessed silence. Ruby wiped beads of sweat off her forehead, panting. Her aura went close to two thirds, which was more than any singular creature of Grimm cost her in a while.
The beast already began to dissolve when she graced her aunt and uncle with a smile. "Thanks. I guess I need to work on my strength next."
Qrow's strong hand ruffled her hair right after. "Don't take it too hard, kiddo. That thing wasn't as massive as some of what I've hunted, but it was just as dense."
"I still wonder what...." Raven began, only to trail off.
Ruby did not need to ask why, she saw it herself.
As the Hound's black flesh turned to smoke, a person was revealed within its body. The three of them stared in horrified wonder at the deathly pale and emaciated man. His eyes fluttered open, staring without seeing.
Qrow was with him even faster than Ruby. He gently caught the gaunt figure, talking softly: "Hey, it's okay. You're alright. What happened?"
He mouthed something, but no sounds came out. Trails of silver pearled off his body and Ruby understood that what she saw earlier was his Essence.
"He's dying," Raven judged. She knelt by Qrow's side and carefully grasped the stranger's face. He leaned into her touch, the rest of his body falling slack. Unseeing eyes tried to find her, rotating in their sockets. Looking into them however, Raven took a sharp breath.
"And his eyes are silver."
Ruby's chest constricted as horror took a hold of her.
She knew exactly what her aunt implied there. She did not want to believe it, but everything made too much sense to be a coincidence. Her breathing became laboured as she took a knee next to Raven, seeing for herself what she already knew.
Summer never returned but was not entirely dead. Just like this man, her body must be alive out there somewhere. Buried within another such beast.
Tears blurred her vision as reality collapsed around her. Ruby stood frozen, unable to truly comprehend the meaning of their find.
Then she forced the horror back from the forefront of her mind, all the way down into a little box. She could freak out or break down later; for now they still had a task to fulfill.
Before the lamp however, she reached out for the unknown man. Ever so carefully, Ruby pulled him over until his head rested on her lap. His life was fading quickly, but he was still concious.
"It's okay," she comforted him, fingers brushing over skin as dry as paper. The feeling was revulsive, but Ruby did not let it show in her voice. "Your suffering is over. Go on and rest."
His hands weakly closed around hers, lacking even the strength to squeeze. He had silver eyes like her; they might even be related in some way. Ruby would never know.
His grasp slackened as he breathed his last.
She stared at his emaciated face, somehow peaceful in death. A smattering of tears ran down her cheeks and dropped onto his. She could not bear move him for fear of breaking something.
"This is awful," she choked out. "How could you do something like this? To anyone?"
Ruby could not even conceive such a cruel act before it slapped her in the face.
Qrow had no words for her, he was equally appalled.
Raven, however, nodded slowly. "That is the kind of person we deal with," she told Ruby in a tone that may be tender. "Salem knows neither friends nor allies. All she sees people as is tools. If you do not give in to her demands, she will have you hunted. I imagine Leonardo let himself be coerced so as to not die."
"And you wouldn't have?" She could not help but ask. Knowing what Ruby knew, her aunt was prime material for this kind of thing.
To her surprise, Raven snorted. "I'm smart enough to know Salem will discard all her tools sooner or later. Not that it worked out for Leo."
Be it the surprise or what she actually said, it made Ruby realise that the older woman's kimono was speckled with blood. It stood out starkly in the light now bathing them. She scanned the area and quickly found the headmaster's headless body lying near the gleaming vault door.
"...oh. That's kind of sad."
Somehow, Ruby felt little at the sight. They were fighting and it happened that people died. She could not quite bring herself to care right now, but it was sad to see him go like this.
"You shouldn't have done it," Qrow told his sister. He did not seem angry or particularly upset, just tired. "He might have known something."
Raven scoffed at that. "As if. Salem doesn't share anything her tools don't need to know. Especially him when he could run back to Ozpin at any moment. For all the issues I have with the man, he is forgiving where Salem isn't."
Much like her brother, she lacked her usual fervour. The night was a shock for all of them.
"...you could come back, you know?"
It was a hesitant request Qrow made. Raven's gaze snapped to him in an instant, then away. Her carefully schooled expression broke to reveal the turmoil underneath, but she did not speak just yet. Ruby would have loved to let them talk it out, but she knew this could go bad really fast; if Raven's fear took over and made her say something nasty, this fragile bond the twins rebuilt may just snap. She had to do something drastic.
Shimmying away from the body she had cradled and putting him down with all due care, she then darted forward to embrace her aunt. Raven stiffened in her grasp, but Ruby did not care; she simply cuddled harder.
"I'd like to have you around some more, too, you know?"
"It's not that easy," Raven said, voice tight.
"Of course it isn't. But nothing easy is worth having."
Several tense seconds passed, but then Raven awkwardly pet her head. Ruby took that as her sign to let go; she was met with a thoughtful expression that she took as victory. Crisis averted.
Then she realised she now had half-dried blood on herself, too. Ruby squeaked and fumbled for something to clean herself with. "Eww! How can you stand that?!"
"Experience," Raven deadpanned. Qrow chuckled in the background before helping with the cleanup. Not that it actually worked that well, Ruby's clothes needed a wash. Maybe she even had to throw them away!
Halfway through their efforts, some sort of current ran through the area. An even brighter light that threw long shadows. The trio immediately turned back to the vault; they found the stone plate set between the arch completely covered in gleaming lines and runes. It began to disintegrate before their eyes, revealing an endless desert behind. Natural light shone through, as did the gleam of a bright blue lamp. It hovered atop a lone pedestal on the other side.
Ruby made an awed noise and took a step, but Qrow's hand on her shoulder stopped her. He threw her a wink.
"Hey. Lemme do at least something here, yeah?"
She could not help but grin at that and motioned for him to go.
The women watched Qrow pass right through the opening, pick up the lamp, and walk out. The vault remained open, though it was now empty. He returned to them with a thoughtful look while Raven took over cleaning Ruby's clothes as best as she could.
"I gotta admit, I expected a little more," Qrow commented once he stood in front of them again. "But sure, fine."
So saying, he handed Ruby the lamp, who took it reverently before even considering what to do with it. After a moment of thought, the relic was hooked into her belt. It sat warm against her hip and thigh even through skirt and tights.
Nothing else happened. Mission complete.
Ruby took a deep breath and glanced back to the dead. She still felt sad about Lionheart's death, but he did fight for Salem. The unknown man trapped in the Hound was who truly tugged on her heartstrings. Maybe he had family somewhere?
"I want to bury him," she said. The thought came suddenly, but it was the least this poor person deserved.
The twins looked first to her, then each other. Ruby was still focussed on the body and missed their silent conversation.
Qrow and Raven wordlessly began to work; he kicked Lionheart's body and the shells they used over the ledge, she scanned the elevator for bloodstains before wiping them away with Water Dust. Then Raven pulled what was left of the scale back into place, portalling back to Ruby's side as the elevator rose; everything would return to normal.
Qrow then nudged Ruby to help him and they gingerly picked up the cooling body. He was far too light, even she knew that. Raven opened another portal for them, which they entered without hesitation.
The three landed in a large camp. A guard of sort had snapped to attention, but gaped upon seeing who all came through. He looked between them.
"Uh, did something happen? Why's-"
"Later," Raven cut him off. "We need to take care of something first. Fetch me three shovels."
He did it without question.
What followed was, perhaps, the most solemn hours of Ruby's life.
No one remained untouched by death on Remnant, one way or another. Yet the only deaths she was ever present for were her own in the Nightmare. Ruby still had some distance to the concept; the day of the dragon was such a rush that she never really saw anything, and her mother left no body. It was her father and uncle who erected the gravestone, too.
That night it was her and the twins digging. No one spoke. Only a small lamp and the Relic illuminated their work, shovel by shovel of dirt being removed from the gaping hole in the ground. At some point Qrow vanished, only to return with an old blanket to wrap the body in. Ruby was drenched in sweat, not helped by the humid mistralian night.
Once they made it two metres down, Qrow called a stop. His voice was oddly soft, not quite gentle but simply quiet. Ruby did not let him pick up the body, though. She did it herself before gently lowering the man into the earth.
A morose sadness welled in her gut as she looked down onto him; the dusty cotton was barely visible under what light they had. Life suddenly felt small, so easily extinguished.
They slowly filled up the grave again. It came easier now, her body working fine even though Ruby was emotionally exhausted. Once it was done, Raven patted down the small mound with her shovel. Qrow placed a crude marker on top; a piece of wood, quickly and sloppily carved into the twin dragons' spine. Three curved horns, the center of which was twice as thick as the outer ones. A symbol of the Brothers
The three stood in silence for a minute, paying respect to a man they never knew. Ruby hesitated at the marker's sight, but then she took her own knife and carved symbols into each outer spine; a crowned circle with two wings for one, a flame within a flame within a flame for the other. She did not know the Brothers, but she knew Lumina and Grimm.
Once she was done, Ruby stood once more and leaned against Qrow. She was used to physical work, but this was a different sort of grueling. Her uncle put a hand on her shoulder to steady her. Raven stood next to them, still distant even now. Ruby noticed despite her exhaustion and reached out to take her hand. Her aunt twitched, unseen in the darkness but barely felt.
She did not pull away.
"...this is all we could do," Raven finally said. "Let's get going."
Nobody objected. Raven led them back to her tribe's camp and to her own tent. Ruby fell asleep as soon as she reached the futon laid out for her.
Meanwhile, The headmaster and half the school in the main lobby:
"And I am glad we could meet today for this very important reunion of the *Underwater Basket weaving* club. I want to thank...."
Only halfway?
Here is an explanation:
"Caw."
Her is a detailed explanation:
"Caw caw."
...
....
.....
Raven, phrasing.
Thanks Naron, you just gave me flashbacks to the *climax* of volume 5, I hope you're proud.
"The great Moth in the sky will take you in."
It is, but it makes sense.
Do not worry, given that we know how this world's afterlife works, we can safely say that this is a new beginning for him. One without the burden of his past.
2.7 Family Matters
- Location
- Earth
Summer scowled. It was an expression Ruby never imagined her mother to make, but reality was unrealistic. Then again, she currently slept in a kind-sorta-not-bandit camp and met her kinda-sorta-not-dead mother in her dreams.
"In a Grimm?" Summer repeated, still in disbelief. "Another of her weapons?"
She growled, slamming her fist into a table of clouds that shattered like glass; the shards vanished before hitting anyone.
"She's going down."
Then the older Rose paused and displayed a nasty grin; yet another look Ruby could not fathom before actually meeting her again. "Actually," Summer reasoned, "this may be just perfect."
So saying, her expression returned back to normal and she gave her daughter a big hug. "Thank you so much, sweetie. Knowing this may help us a lot, and convince Lumina to let me come back here. She's grumbly because I keep badgering her about it."
Both shared a wry grin at that, then Summer booped Ruby on the nose. "But it's time for you to wake. I'll be around soon-ish."
"Okay. Bye, Mom!"
Ruby waved, then seamlessly transitioned to lying awake in Raven's tent. She fished out her Scroll and found it past ten, which made sense with how long into the night they were up. Ruby sat up after pushing back the futon's thick blanket, realising that someone took off her corset after she fell asleep. Her other day-clothes were still on, though; it felt awkward not to have to change.
Qrow crashed on a nearby couch, so at least that was a familiar sight.
And really, this was more like a mobile house than a tent. If the entire tribe lived like this, she could slightly understand why they stayed on their own. It felt kind of romantic just to be in here.
That sensation continued to bother her during the morning.
Raven was already up and soon fetched her family for breakfast, a communal one at that. The entire tribe seemed to sit together, joking with each other or swapping stories. Then there were the many curious looks thrown her way, which Ruby weathered somewhat. She still squirmed on occasion, but people seemed ready to interact with her normally. Qrow's reception was far frostier, though nobody commented beyond quiet mutters. Raven was the only one who actually spoke with her brother.
Ruby had to take her leave soon enough, though; on Raven's insistence that her up and vanishing would draw suspicion, the young Huntress returned to Mistral. Her aunt held onto the lamp to keep it out of sight. Meanwhile, Ruby was made to finish her 'vacation' even though she did not feel like it at all.
From one day to the next, walking this city felt entirely different. Life went on as it had even though the world irrevocably changed for Ruby. The disconnect alienated her and soured her mood. She could not even bring up much enthusiasm for weapons.
With nothing else to do, she went back to Haven for that tour. Hana was even free to show her around; when the older woman asked if she knew about the headmaster's whereabouts, Ruby mutely shook her head.
"Bad day?" Hana asked then, picking up on her subdued mood. Ruby shrugged.
"Kinda. Bad night, is all."
"Ah, I understand. It happens, don't let it get you down."
Hana offered a small yet reassuring smile that Ruby managed to return. By herself she wondered what her guide would say if she knew the truth.
Three days passed in silent reverie. Ruby slowly worked through everything that happened, helped by her mother's nightly visits. They spoke at length, there were hugs and kind words, and Ruby stuffed herself with sweets every day. Reuniting with Summer was not like what she always imagined; her mother was not all smiles, both of them knew not everything would be okay. But the hugs were everything Ruby hoped they would be. More than that, they could talk candidly. It helped a great deal to just let it all out.
The best part thowever, something Ruby never even considered would be this important, was that she could get to know her mother. As a person, not just a tale or an idol. Summer was mischievous yet sweet, cheerful one moment and thoughtful the next, but so incredibly vibrant. Even as a spirit she seemed full of life. She was also lewd as hell, but Ruby could get used to that with time. Hopefully.
She was mostly back to normal on the fourth day. The weight on her shoulders diminished and her smile became genuine again. But at the same time, conviction was lit alight within her heart; there were others trapped in these Hounds, held somewhere between life and death. She wanted to find and free them of their torment.
It was then that Ruby realised she ought to tell her co-conspirators. It only occurred to her over half a week after she actually did the thing.
Ruby felt a little silly as she pulled out her Scroll and called Yang. She had to wait a surprisingly long time until her sister picked up.
"Ruby," a low grumble sounded once the call connected, "it's three in the morning."
...right, she was on the other side of Remnant.
"Oh, uh... oops? I'll call back in five hours. Sorry."
She quickly hung up and drowned her embarassment in more sweets.
Meanwhile, Yang fell back asleep in her cot. She needed every minute with how hard the atleseans were working her, but was not really angry with her sister. By the time Ruby called again, eight on the dot, Yang already sat down for breakfast with her team. She picked up with a grunt.
"Heya," Ruby chirped. "Sorry again, I forgot the time difference."
"No shit, sis." Yang ignored the harrumph from Weiss and leaned back in her chair. "So, what's up?"
She was a little worried that Ruby got in trouble and needed help. A lot could go wrong, even with Qrow and, well, Raven around.
Much to her relief, Ruby told her the exact opposite: "I'm done, just wanted to let you all know. I'll head back to Vale tomorrow." Her words made Yang's eyes lighten up, even if the swiftness surprised her. Ruby failed to notice as she kept the conversation going: "How are things on your end?"
She could only grimace at that. Her sister would hear it even at voice call only. "Oh, same old. We're probably here for a while. At least two more weeks. Damn, the Atleseans are slave drivers! It's work, work, work all day!"
Yang exaggerated a little for effect, but there was definitely more on her plate than she had at Beacon. Blake threw her a look over the wording, which made Yang roll her eyes; her partner knew she did not mean anything regarding faunus. At least Ruby giggled over the playful complaints.
They chatted for a bit, then Ruby wished her big sister good luck and hung up again. Yang stared at her Scroll's dark screen for a moment, rubbing her face.
"We've got to get a move on. Ruby's already done."
Penny clapped her hands in delight, but Weiss was less impressed. She merely arched an eyebrow before shaking her head. "While I do appreciate her effort, I still believe we are saddled with the more difficult task. That aside, I will need a day or two more to reach out to my contacts."
She had a point, though Yang was not quite ready to let the mood go back down to reality. Ruby finished her half of the job and so fast, that was amazing!
"The faster we get out of here, the better," Blake grumbled from the other side. "It's not even been a week and I'm sick of the looks I get here."
"You know half of those is people looking at your ass, right?" Yang quipped back. Blake did not comment but averted her gaze. Some chuckles sounded from nearby students that overheard them.
Weiss was once again not amused. She pinched the bridge of her nose, then lowered her voice: "Yang, please. I know we agreed to let it slide in private, but I need you to keep it down in public. We can not afford this to reflect back on me, not if we want to use my connections."
"Yeah, yeah. I know, you don't need to tell me every day." Yang rolled her eyes, a little embarassed but mostly exasperated. "I've got you."
For some reason the reassurance only prompted a sniff; that could mean any number of things, coming from Weiss.
They finished their meal in silence, but did not make it far; a surprise awaited them right outside the cafeteria.
She was clearly visible because everyone gave her a wide berth. Smartly dressed in a mostly white pantsuit, white hair done meticulously and done up into a bun. Though the woman's severe expression made her resemble Goodwitch, she felt even less approachable than the stern deputy. Yang could immediately see the similarities to Weiss in her figure and face, too.
The moment her friend saw that woman, she lit up more than either of her teammates ever saw. Where every other student left her alone, Weiss went straight toward her.
"Winter!" she greeted joyfully. "What a surprise to see you here!"
So that was the oldest Schnee sister. She inclined her head minutely, though Yang spotted the ghost of a smile before it was wiped away. Winter's voice was even, bearing but a hint of humour as she answered her sister: "Yes, well, contrary to what many believe, the army does offer frequent leave."
She then pushed off the wall she leaned against, studying her sister. "You tanned a bit."
And indeed, standing next to each other, Yang could see clearly that Weiss's skin was several shades darker than Winter's. She was still pale, but no longer notably so. Winter gave no indicator what she thought of that.
"How is Vale?"
"I can not complain in the slightest," Weiss responded in an instant, more animated than one normally saw her. "Vale is overall different albeit enjoyable. Oh, and meet my team." She motioned for the other three as they crowded around her. "Yang Xiao-Long, Blake Belladonna, and I believe you already know Penny."
"I do indeed," Winter agreed before exchanging salutes with Penny. Then she offered polite nods to Blake and Yang. "A pleasure. And Ms. Xiao-Long, please relay my congratulations to your sister. Becoming a huntress at her age is no small feat."
Saying she was not a little intimidated by an older woman so well put together would be a lie; she played over it with a cocky smirk and threw a mock salute of her own. "Can do. There's never been a big sis more proud."
Winter arched an eyebrow, the effect somehow far more pronounced than when Weiss did it. For some reason however, the younger Schnee's expression became a little more guarded now. Yang got the feeling she missed something.
Before she could figure out what may have happened or if she should even ask, Winter motioned for an empty corridor.
"Walk with me," she asked, though it sounded more like an order. Weiss followed without hesitation, but Yang remained behind. Knowing Weiss, this may be sisterly bonding time. The rest of them should not be there for that.
Her friend stopped after the first step, glancing between them and Winter. Then, after a moment of thought, she sharply nodded her head toward the older woman. Yang was a little surprised to be included, but did as told and followed. Blake and Penny did much the same.
With four sets of footsteps following her, Winter remained quiet for a time. The corridor they walked down led into the academy greenhouse, which was by and far Yang's favourite place. The lights may be artificial, but the scent of soil and flowers just reminded her of home. They passed fruits and vegetable fields, currently alone.
"Are you certain of this?" Winter finally asked. Weiss firmed up in response.
"We are a team, sister. They already know more about me than most either way."
"And you know enough of them as well?"
The vote of confidence from Weiss of all people made Yang feel a little warmer, even if she still felt out of place. She wanted to pipe up and support her friend, but held back; whatever double conversation they had in front of them, she would not interfere unless Weiss was in trouble.
Meanwhile, Weiss herself gave a curt nod. "Yes."
"I see," Winter murmured. She never so much as turned around, gaze pointed ahead of them. "That is quite the surprise, you reaching an agreement with a known associate of certain groups. On both ends, really."
It still took a moment to parse her meaning; Yang really only managed because Blake started to bristle. Weiss said nothing however, letting her sister finish: "I reckon Father will not be amused."
"When is he ever?" Weiss retorted drily. Winter did not really react, but Yang could see her lips twitch from the angle she walked at.
"Quite."
Silence reigned for a little while. Yang admitted to herself that it was hard to understand what Winter was after; she remained polite the entire time and refused to say anything clearly. Like a politician, really; perhaps that was the idea?
"Is this why you came here, then?" Weiss finally asked. "Is Father leaning on you?"
That, however, sounded bad. Yang heard of the Schnee patriarch's stern hand and his willingness to get dirty about getting what he wanted. She listened intently, only to be surprised when Winter let out a soft huff.
"No. Father has no power over me anymore, as you should know." So saying, she turned around. At first Winter glanced to the rest of SPBY, then she met her sister's gaze. "Had it been him to contact me, I would not even have answered the call. No, the one who reached out was Mother."
Weiss inhaled sharply, but that was the only sign of her surprise. Yang glanced between the sisters, uncertain what to make of this new revelation; she heard basically nothing about Weiss's mother, to the point she thought the woman passed away. Neither of them answered her silent question. Weiss seemed to have no words at all.
Seeing that no response was forthcoming, Winter elaborated. "She took notice that you reach out to family friends and your peers, reaffirming relationships. Father may think it is just good networking, but we can tell a little more than that."
"And what, exactly, did she ask of you?" Weiss asked back with clear suspicion. "To stop me?"
Her sudden defensiveness surprised Yang, but the bitter note in her words even more so. Winter, meanwhile, let out an undignified snort.
"She says that if you are planning to take over, you better hurry. You will not be the heiress for much longer."
Not only made this little sense, Yang had no idea how these things connected. Weiss caught it just fine, considering how she paled. They somehow skipped a few steps and Yang knew she was lost.
"Okay," she chimed in slowly, "I don't follow anymore."
The older Schnee glanced back, fully acknowledging her for the first time since their walk began. She absently clasped both hands behind her back and began to explain.
"I imagine Weiss was sparse with details on our upbringing," she asked of them, receiving a set of nods. Winter next looked to Weiss, who inclined her head. Only then did she carry on: "Our father is extraordinarily happy with being in control, and this extends to his family. He tried his hardest to mold his children into pliable puppets, perfectly aligned with his own desires. When I slipped away and enlisted with the army, he made Weiss the heiress instead as a form of punishment."
Yang began to get the idea now; it sounded like a dick move, which honestly fit what she heard about Jacques Schnee.
Weiss nodded sadly. "You think he will try with Whitley next?"
"It is the exact same situation. Mother agrees, at that. She had a second request to deliver."
"And she could not have called me herself?"
It was a surprisingly despondent question coming from Weiss. Winter chuckled, almost indulgently; Yang could see her own relationship with Ruby in them just a little bit. More curt, almost frigid, but somehow it was there anyway.
"For one," Winter responded, "we both know you would not have picked up."
She apparently hit the nail on the head, going by how Weiss averted her gaze.
"And for two, Mother is a good bit more subtle than Father ever was. She knows he monitors you where he can, but not me."
Weiss heaved a sigh at that, absently stroking a tomato plant's leaves. "Alright, I got the memo. What does she want?"
"That you come visit. Not for her or Father's sake, but for Whitley's. I shudder to imagine the kind of pressure he is on under Father's undivided attention."
While Winter's demeanour did not change at all despite what she said, Weiss did shudder visibly. "I get that, I guess," she murmured uncertainly. "But Whitley and I never really got along."
"Mother seems to disagree," Winter argued. Another almost-smile graced her features. "For all her faults, she has always been the most insightful of us all."
Yang watched this entire exchange with a great sense of dysphoria. The family dynamics unfolding before her were so unlike her own. Yet somehow at least those two sisters were close anyway. She never could have imagined something like this existing before she met Weiss.
Right now however, her team leader hesitated. Chances were she was overthinking again. She really should not when the subject was family. It was time for someone to bring the confidence.
So Yang swaggered forward, wrapping an arm over Weiss's shoulder to offer a stealthy sidehug.
"Sounds like we're going to visit your folks sometime soon, eh?" she probed, immediately earning both sisters' attention. So she threw Weiss a winning grin and went on: "If your baby brother needs a hand, we're helping out. And Weiss, real talk from one big sister to another, I will punch you if you leave him hanging for no reason."
Though the threat was quite real, it still drew an undignified snort out of Weiss. One point for Xiao-Long once again. Weiss glanced to Blake and Penny, but found both resolute and ready to help. Winter shook her head at them, yet failed to suppress the smile tugging up her lips this time.
"I see what you mean now. The four of you complement each other well. Now, shall we move on to lighter matters?"
That seemed to be code for bonding time. Once it became clear she was no longer needed, Yang excused herself so the sisters could catch up in peace. Blake and Penny followed her lead on that and they caught up with Selina and Coco in the gym instead.
The news of their excursion to Schnee manor was taken with interest, but Selina did not seem too excited. Yang only realised the wolf faunus was unnaturally morose when Velvet called her out on it; the two were spotting their respective partners.
"Nothing to do with here," Selina explained, frowning. "It's just that Kali called earlier. Asked about Lumina 'cause she didn't drop by for days. Girl missed her own birthday party." That explained a lot and drew winces from their entire group. Selina heaved a deep sigh. "I didn't know what to tell her. Someone's got to explain this to them."
Blake nodded slowly. "Yeah. But how do you explain this to them?"
"I mean, it's not like they don't know Lumina is special." Selina mused, then shrugged with some mix between mirth and despondence. "From what Kali says, they're getting better at making Charms. A bit longer and we can start selling 'em. Lumina taught us how to make those in the first place, so... yeah. But I don't wanna do this over the phone."
"Maybe one of us can ask Lumina to visit them as well," Velvet suggested. "That may be best."
Selina snapped her fingers, mood lifting somewhat. "Oh, that's a good idea. I'll bring it up if she drops by."
Yang finished her own rep at that point and switched with Blake. The conversation turned idle for a while until Weiss joined them. She seemed notably happier, which no one missed.
Once the subject returned to the upcoming visit to Schnee manor, Selina piped up: "I always wanted to see how rich people live! C'mon, lemme come too!"
She rubbed her hands almost eagerly, which made Yang snort. Doubly so with Weiss's confused expression thrown into the mix.
"Why would you want that? It is not as... impressive as you may expect."
The notable pause was only noticed by Yang and Blake, who both understood Weiss meant to say something else. It made some sense too, after hearing how shit her friend's childhood apparently was.
Selina was undeterred, though. "Still wanna, I was always wondering. Pretty please?"
She batted her eyelashes in faux innocence, prompting a sigh from the heiress. Once Weiss agreed, she received a sweaty hug. "Yeah! Thanks!"
"If only because I would rather have more friends with me than less," Weiss muttered while she freed herself. Yang snorted and ignored the pointed look thrown her way.
"Guess you guys do that then," Coco commented from the side. She was wiping her face with a towel and grinning at the first-years. "We'll come up with something else to do in the meantime. Gotta speed things up a bit."
Her team shifted behind her, exchanging glances; even Yang could tell that Coco was shielding Velvet most of all. Nobody seemed willing to call her out on it, though.
However, the hare tapped her partner's shoulder. "We should go too," she said quietly, much to Coco's surprise. "Maybe I can dig up something helpful there."
"Are you sure?"
While CFVY discussed it among themselves, Yang found herself musing on what Velvet said. She had no idea what that woman could do with her Semblance, but she somehow became their main intelligence expert. With the speed she dug up secret knowledge, she may very well be a mind-reader. Then again, thinking puns at her really hard brought no reaction; so either she was not or stayed out of Yang's head. Either way was fine with her.
Meanwhile, Weiss was clearly blown away by so much willing support. She was not even really subject of that conversation, but Yang could tell her friend appreciated it regardless. She tried to hide it while lifting dumbbells with Fox and Ren, her face a blank mask. That was ironically the most clear tell of being emotional and desperately trying to hide it.
"Besides," Selina ruined it once CFVY figured themselves out, "that little bro, he cute?"
Weiss sputtered while Yang let out a startled laugh, much like the rest of them. Selina shot finger guns at the heiress, chuckled, and hopped onto the treadmill. Weiss glowered at her.
"If you could refrain from attempts to seduce my younger brother, I would be quite grateful."
That was too good an opportunity to pass. Yang joined the fray with a teasing grin. "I dunno, he's, what, Ruby's age? Fifteen?" A nod. "So he's right at that age and we're bringing a bunch of super hot girls along. You sure he will survive that?"
Weiss took a deep, calming breath. She considered the dumbbell in her hand and barely stopped herself from throwing it. The fact more giggles and laughs at her expense followed clearly made her consider it again.
Nora sat up, an empty water bottle put aside."So which of us you think he'd be into? Or maybe Ren?"
Her not-quite-boyfriend rolled his eyes where the shortstack could not see. Weiss remained the exact opposite of amused, but her thunderous expression could not quell the fun.
"Five Lien says it'll be one of us faunus girls," Selina crowed. "The forbidden fruit's always the sweetest!"
"Enough," Weiss half-shouted over the laughter. "Stop this right this instant or I will hurt you."
"Aww, look who's worried for her baby brother's chastity. Don't worry Weiss, we'll take good care of him."
So saying, Selina threw a wink over her shoulder. Then, seeing that her fellow leader put the weight down, she quickly began running faster. "Oh no, you'll never catch me!"
She was still on the treadmill, making comical gestures while running in place. Weiss stalked over there and scowled at her back, but did nothing else.
Yang allowed herself a final giggle and let the subject drop; some joking was fun, but she was also a bit worried for the boy. She could not help it with how Weiss and Winter talked about their father.
Then, all of a sudden, Weiss began to smile. An honest and incredibly mean smile. "Oh well," she began idly. "I hope you were not planning anything for today. If we visit the Schnee estate tomorrow, I need to put all of you into proper dress. You will not embarass me."
Yang shuddered at the delight in her tone, suddenly feeling herself on the receiving end of a shopping trip she usually bothered Ruby with. Yet Selina somehow shrugged it off.
"Sure, dress me up, girl. I'm pants at fashion. But you better make it something practical, or I will tear it if I need to move."
Her nonchalance clearly disappointed Weiss.
"Noted. I really wish I could get under your skin somehow. This is more infuriating than I ever thought it would be."
"Meh, I'm just not that shy."
As they would soon learn, this was a bald-faced lie.
"In a Grimm?" Summer repeated, still in disbelief. "Another of her weapons?"
She growled, slamming her fist into a table of clouds that shattered like glass; the shards vanished before hitting anyone.
"She's going down."
Then the older Rose paused and displayed a nasty grin; yet another look Ruby could not fathom before actually meeting her again. "Actually," Summer reasoned, "this may be just perfect."
So saying, her expression returned back to normal and she gave her daughter a big hug. "Thank you so much, sweetie. Knowing this may help us a lot, and convince Lumina to let me come back here. She's grumbly because I keep badgering her about it."
Both shared a wry grin at that, then Summer booped Ruby on the nose. "But it's time for you to wake. I'll be around soon-ish."
"Okay. Bye, Mom!"
Ruby waved, then seamlessly transitioned to lying awake in Raven's tent. She fished out her Scroll and found it past ten, which made sense with how long into the night they were up. Ruby sat up after pushing back the futon's thick blanket, realising that someone took off her corset after she fell asleep. Her other day-clothes were still on, though; it felt awkward not to have to change.
Qrow crashed on a nearby couch, so at least that was a familiar sight.
And really, this was more like a mobile house than a tent. If the entire tribe lived like this, she could slightly understand why they stayed on their own. It felt kind of romantic just to be in here.
That sensation continued to bother her during the morning.
Raven was already up and soon fetched her family for breakfast, a communal one at that. The entire tribe seemed to sit together, joking with each other or swapping stories. Then there were the many curious looks thrown her way, which Ruby weathered somewhat. She still squirmed on occasion, but people seemed ready to interact with her normally. Qrow's reception was far frostier, though nobody commented beyond quiet mutters. Raven was the only one who actually spoke with her brother.
Ruby had to take her leave soon enough, though; on Raven's insistence that her up and vanishing would draw suspicion, the young Huntress returned to Mistral. Her aunt held onto the lamp to keep it out of sight. Meanwhile, Ruby was made to finish her 'vacation' even though she did not feel like it at all.
From one day to the next, walking this city felt entirely different. Life went on as it had even though the world irrevocably changed for Ruby. The disconnect alienated her and soured her mood. She could not even bring up much enthusiasm for weapons.
With nothing else to do, she went back to Haven for that tour. Hana was even free to show her around; when the older woman asked if she knew about the headmaster's whereabouts, Ruby mutely shook her head.
"Bad day?" Hana asked then, picking up on her subdued mood. Ruby shrugged.
"Kinda. Bad night, is all."
"Ah, I understand. It happens, don't let it get you down."
Hana offered a small yet reassuring smile that Ruby managed to return. By herself she wondered what her guide would say if she knew the truth.
Three days passed in silent reverie. Ruby slowly worked through everything that happened, helped by her mother's nightly visits. They spoke at length, there were hugs and kind words, and Ruby stuffed herself with sweets every day. Reuniting with Summer was not like what she always imagined; her mother was not all smiles, both of them knew not everything would be okay. But the hugs were everything Ruby hoped they would be. More than that, they could talk candidly. It helped a great deal to just let it all out.
The best part thowever, something Ruby never even considered would be this important, was that she could get to know her mother. As a person, not just a tale or an idol. Summer was mischievous yet sweet, cheerful one moment and thoughtful the next, but so incredibly vibrant. Even as a spirit she seemed full of life. She was also lewd as hell, but Ruby could get used to that with time. Hopefully.
She was mostly back to normal on the fourth day. The weight on her shoulders diminished and her smile became genuine again. But at the same time, conviction was lit alight within her heart; there were others trapped in these Hounds, held somewhere between life and death. She wanted to find and free them of their torment.
It was then that Ruby realised she ought to tell her co-conspirators. It only occurred to her over half a week after she actually did the thing.
Ruby felt a little silly as she pulled out her Scroll and called Yang. She had to wait a surprisingly long time until her sister picked up.
"Ruby," a low grumble sounded once the call connected, "it's three in the morning."
...right, she was on the other side of Remnant.
"Oh, uh... oops? I'll call back in five hours. Sorry."
She quickly hung up and drowned her embarassment in more sweets.
Meanwhile, Yang fell back asleep in her cot. She needed every minute with how hard the atleseans were working her, but was not really angry with her sister. By the time Ruby called again, eight on the dot, Yang already sat down for breakfast with her team. She picked up with a grunt.
"Heya," Ruby chirped. "Sorry again, I forgot the time difference."
"No shit, sis." Yang ignored the harrumph from Weiss and leaned back in her chair. "So, what's up?"
She was a little worried that Ruby got in trouble and needed help. A lot could go wrong, even with Qrow and, well, Raven around.
Much to her relief, Ruby told her the exact opposite: "I'm done, just wanted to let you all know. I'll head back to Vale tomorrow." Her words made Yang's eyes lighten up, even if the swiftness surprised her. Ruby failed to notice as she kept the conversation going: "How are things on your end?"
She could only grimace at that. Her sister would hear it even at voice call only. "Oh, same old. We're probably here for a while. At least two more weeks. Damn, the Atleseans are slave drivers! It's work, work, work all day!"
Yang exaggerated a little for effect, but there was definitely more on her plate than she had at Beacon. Blake threw her a look over the wording, which made Yang roll her eyes; her partner knew she did not mean anything regarding faunus. At least Ruby giggled over the playful complaints.
They chatted for a bit, then Ruby wished her big sister good luck and hung up again. Yang stared at her Scroll's dark screen for a moment, rubbing her face.
"We've got to get a move on. Ruby's already done."
Penny clapped her hands in delight, but Weiss was less impressed. She merely arched an eyebrow before shaking her head. "While I do appreciate her effort, I still believe we are saddled with the more difficult task. That aside, I will need a day or two more to reach out to my contacts."
She had a point, though Yang was not quite ready to let the mood go back down to reality. Ruby finished her half of the job and so fast, that was amazing!
"The faster we get out of here, the better," Blake grumbled from the other side. "It's not even been a week and I'm sick of the looks I get here."
"You know half of those is people looking at your ass, right?" Yang quipped back. Blake did not comment but averted her gaze. Some chuckles sounded from nearby students that overheard them.
Weiss was once again not amused. She pinched the bridge of her nose, then lowered her voice: "Yang, please. I know we agreed to let it slide in private, but I need you to keep it down in public. We can not afford this to reflect back on me, not if we want to use my connections."
"Yeah, yeah. I know, you don't need to tell me every day." Yang rolled her eyes, a little embarassed but mostly exasperated. "I've got you."
For some reason the reassurance only prompted a sniff; that could mean any number of things, coming from Weiss.
They finished their meal in silence, but did not make it far; a surprise awaited them right outside the cafeteria.
She was clearly visible because everyone gave her a wide berth. Smartly dressed in a mostly white pantsuit, white hair done meticulously and done up into a bun. Though the woman's severe expression made her resemble Goodwitch, she felt even less approachable than the stern deputy. Yang could immediately see the similarities to Weiss in her figure and face, too.
The moment her friend saw that woman, she lit up more than either of her teammates ever saw. Where every other student left her alone, Weiss went straight toward her.
"Winter!" she greeted joyfully. "What a surprise to see you here!"
So that was the oldest Schnee sister. She inclined her head minutely, though Yang spotted the ghost of a smile before it was wiped away. Winter's voice was even, bearing but a hint of humour as she answered her sister: "Yes, well, contrary to what many believe, the army does offer frequent leave."
She then pushed off the wall she leaned against, studying her sister. "You tanned a bit."
And indeed, standing next to each other, Yang could see clearly that Weiss's skin was several shades darker than Winter's. She was still pale, but no longer notably so. Winter gave no indicator what she thought of that.
"How is Vale?"
"I can not complain in the slightest," Weiss responded in an instant, more animated than one normally saw her. "Vale is overall different albeit enjoyable. Oh, and meet my team." She motioned for the other three as they crowded around her. "Yang Xiao-Long, Blake Belladonna, and I believe you already know Penny."
"I do indeed," Winter agreed before exchanging salutes with Penny. Then she offered polite nods to Blake and Yang. "A pleasure. And Ms. Xiao-Long, please relay my congratulations to your sister. Becoming a huntress at her age is no small feat."
Saying she was not a little intimidated by an older woman so well put together would be a lie; she played over it with a cocky smirk and threw a mock salute of her own. "Can do. There's never been a big sis more proud."
Winter arched an eyebrow, the effect somehow far more pronounced than when Weiss did it. For some reason however, the younger Schnee's expression became a little more guarded now. Yang got the feeling she missed something.
Before she could figure out what may have happened or if she should even ask, Winter motioned for an empty corridor.
"Walk with me," she asked, though it sounded more like an order. Weiss followed without hesitation, but Yang remained behind. Knowing Weiss, this may be sisterly bonding time. The rest of them should not be there for that.
Her friend stopped after the first step, glancing between them and Winter. Then, after a moment of thought, she sharply nodded her head toward the older woman. Yang was a little surprised to be included, but did as told and followed. Blake and Penny did much the same.
With four sets of footsteps following her, Winter remained quiet for a time. The corridor they walked down led into the academy greenhouse, which was by and far Yang's favourite place. The lights may be artificial, but the scent of soil and flowers just reminded her of home. They passed fruits and vegetable fields, currently alone.
"Are you certain of this?" Winter finally asked. Weiss firmed up in response.
"We are a team, sister. They already know more about me than most either way."
"And you know enough of them as well?"
The vote of confidence from Weiss of all people made Yang feel a little warmer, even if she still felt out of place. She wanted to pipe up and support her friend, but held back; whatever double conversation they had in front of them, she would not interfere unless Weiss was in trouble.
Meanwhile, Weiss herself gave a curt nod. "Yes."
"I see," Winter murmured. She never so much as turned around, gaze pointed ahead of them. "That is quite the surprise, you reaching an agreement with a known associate of certain groups. On both ends, really."
It still took a moment to parse her meaning; Yang really only managed because Blake started to bristle. Weiss said nothing however, letting her sister finish: "I reckon Father will not be amused."
"When is he ever?" Weiss retorted drily. Winter did not really react, but Yang could see her lips twitch from the angle she walked at.
"Quite."
Silence reigned for a little while. Yang admitted to herself that it was hard to understand what Winter was after; she remained polite the entire time and refused to say anything clearly. Like a politician, really; perhaps that was the idea?
"Is this why you came here, then?" Weiss finally asked. "Is Father leaning on you?"
That, however, sounded bad. Yang heard of the Schnee patriarch's stern hand and his willingness to get dirty about getting what he wanted. She listened intently, only to be surprised when Winter let out a soft huff.
"No. Father has no power over me anymore, as you should know." So saying, she turned around. At first Winter glanced to the rest of SPBY, then she met her sister's gaze. "Had it been him to contact me, I would not even have answered the call. No, the one who reached out was Mother."
Weiss inhaled sharply, but that was the only sign of her surprise. Yang glanced between the sisters, uncertain what to make of this new revelation; she heard basically nothing about Weiss's mother, to the point she thought the woman passed away. Neither of them answered her silent question. Weiss seemed to have no words at all.
Seeing that no response was forthcoming, Winter elaborated. "She took notice that you reach out to family friends and your peers, reaffirming relationships. Father may think it is just good networking, but we can tell a little more than that."
"And what, exactly, did she ask of you?" Weiss asked back with clear suspicion. "To stop me?"
Her sudden defensiveness surprised Yang, but the bitter note in her words even more so. Winter, meanwhile, let out an undignified snort.
"She says that if you are planning to take over, you better hurry. You will not be the heiress for much longer."
Not only made this little sense, Yang had no idea how these things connected. Weiss caught it just fine, considering how she paled. They somehow skipped a few steps and Yang knew she was lost.
"Okay," she chimed in slowly, "I don't follow anymore."
The older Schnee glanced back, fully acknowledging her for the first time since their walk began. She absently clasped both hands behind her back and began to explain.
"I imagine Weiss was sparse with details on our upbringing," she asked of them, receiving a set of nods. Winter next looked to Weiss, who inclined her head. Only then did she carry on: "Our father is extraordinarily happy with being in control, and this extends to his family. He tried his hardest to mold his children into pliable puppets, perfectly aligned with his own desires. When I slipped away and enlisted with the army, he made Weiss the heiress instead as a form of punishment."
Yang began to get the idea now; it sounded like a dick move, which honestly fit what she heard about Jacques Schnee.
Weiss nodded sadly. "You think he will try with Whitley next?"
"It is the exact same situation. Mother agrees, at that. She had a second request to deliver."
"And she could not have called me herself?"
It was a surprisingly despondent question coming from Weiss. Winter chuckled, almost indulgently; Yang could see her own relationship with Ruby in them just a little bit. More curt, almost frigid, but somehow it was there anyway.
"For one," Winter responded, "we both know you would not have picked up."
She apparently hit the nail on the head, going by how Weiss averted her gaze.
"And for two, Mother is a good bit more subtle than Father ever was. She knows he monitors you where he can, but not me."
Weiss heaved a sigh at that, absently stroking a tomato plant's leaves. "Alright, I got the memo. What does she want?"
"That you come visit. Not for her or Father's sake, but for Whitley's. I shudder to imagine the kind of pressure he is on under Father's undivided attention."
While Winter's demeanour did not change at all despite what she said, Weiss did shudder visibly. "I get that, I guess," she murmured uncertainly. "But Whitley and I never really got along."
"Mother seems to disagree," Winter argued. Another almost-smile graced her features. "For all her faults, she has always been the most insightful of us all."
Yang watched this entire exchange with a great sense of dysphoria. The family dynamics unfolding before her were so unlike her own. Yet somehow at least those two sisters were close anyway. She never could have imagined something like this existing before she met Weiss.
Right now however, her team leader hesitated. Chances were she was overthinking again. She really should not when the subject was family. It was time for someone to bring the confidence.
So Yang swaggered forward, wrapping an arm over Weiss's shoulder to offer a stealthy sidehug.
"Sounds like we're going to visit your folks sometime soon, eh?" she probed, immediately earning both sisters' attention. So she threw Weiss a winning grin and went on: "If your baby brother needs a hand, we're helping out. And Weiss, real talk from one big sister to another, I will punch you if you leave him hanging for no reason."
Though the threat was quite real, it still drew an undignified snort out of Weiss. One point for Xiao-Long once again. Weiss glanced to Blake and Penny, but found both resolute and ready to help. Winter shook her head at them, yet failed to suppress the smile tugging up her lips this time.
"I see what you mean now. The four of you complement each other well. Now, shall we move on to lighter matters?"
That seemed to be code for bonding time. Once it became clear she was no longer needed, Yang excused herself so the sisters could catch up in peace. Blake and Penny followed her lead on that and they caught up with Selina and Coco in the gym instead.
The news of their excursion to Schnee manor was taken with interest, but Selina did not seem too excited. Yang only realised the wolf faunus was unnaturally morose when Velvet called her out on it; the two were spotting their respective partners.
"Nothing to do with here," Selina explained, frowning. "It's just that Kali called earlier. Asked about Lumina 'cause she didn't drop by for days. Girl missed her own birthday party." That explained a lot and drew winces from their entire group. Selina heaved a deep sigh. "I didn't know what to tell her. Someone's got to explain this to them."
Blake nodded slowly. "Yeah. But how do you explain this to them?"
"I mean, it's not like they don't know Lumina is special." Selina mused, then shrugged with some mix between mirth and despondence. "From what Kali says, they're getting better at making Charms. A bit longer and we can start selling 'em. Lumina taught us how to make those in the first place, so... yeah. But I don't wanna do this over the phone."
"Maybe one of us can ask Lumina to visit them as well," Velvet suggested. "That may be best."
Selina snapped her fingers, mood lifting somewhat. "Oh, that's a good idea. I'll bring it up if she drops by."
Yang finished her own rep at that point and switched with Blake. The conversation turned idle for a while until Weiss joined them. She seemed notably happier, which no one missed.
Once the subject returned to the upcoming visit to Schnee manor, Selina piped up: "I always wanted to see how rich people live! C'mon, lemme come too!"
She rubbed her hands almost eagerly, which made Yang snort. Doubly so with Weiss's confused expression thrown into the mix.
"Why would you want that? It is not as... impressive as you may expect."
The notable pause was only noticed by Yang and Blake, who both understood Weiss meant to say something else. It made some sense too, after hearing how shit her friend's childhood apparently was.
Selina was undeterred, though. "Still wanna, I was always wondering. Pretty please?"
She batted her eyelashes in faux innocence, prompting a sigh from the heiress. Once Weiss agreed, she received a sweaty hug. "Yeah! Thanks!"
"If only because I would rather have more friends with me than less," Weiss muttered while she freed herself. Yang snorted and ignored the pointed look thrown her way.
"Guess you guys do that then," Coco commented from the side. She was wiping her face with a towel and grinning at the first-years. "We'll come up with something else to do in the meantime. Gotta speed things up a bit."
Her team shifted behind her, exchanging glances; even Yang could tell that Coco was shielding Velvet most of all. Nobody seemed willing to call her out on it, though.
However, the hare tapped her partner's shoulder. "We should go too," she said quietly, much to Coco's surprise. "Maybe I can dig up something helpful there."
"Are you sure?"
While CFVY discussed it among themselves, Yang found herself musing on what Velvet said. She had no idea what that woman could do with her Semblance, but she somehow became their main intelligence expert. With the speed she dug up secret knowledge, she may very well be a mind-reader. Then again, thinking puns at her really hard brought no reaction; so either she was not or stayed out of Yang's head. Either way was fine with her.
Meanwhile, Weiss was clearly blown away by so much willing support. She was not even really subject of that conversation, but Yang could tell her friend appreciated it regardless. She tried to hide it while lifting dumbbells with Fox and Ren, her face a blank mask. That was ironically the most clear tell of being emotional and desperately trying to hide it.
"Besides," Selina ruined it once CFVY figured themselves out, "that little bro, he cute?"
Weiss sputtered while Yang let out a startled laugh, much like the rest of them. Selina shot finger guns at the heiress, chuckled, and hopped onto the treadmill. Weiss glowered at her.
"If you could refrain from attempts to seduce my younger brother, I would be quite grateful."
That was too good an opportunity to pass. Yang joined the fray with a teasing grin. "I dunno, he's, what, Ruby's age? Fifteen?" A nod. "So he's right at that age and we're bringing a bunch of super hot girls along. You sure he will survive that?"
Weiss took a deep, calming breath. She considered the dumbbell in her hand and barely stopped herself from throwing it. The fact more giggles and laughs at her expense followed clearly made her consider it again.
Nora sat up, an empty water bottle put aside."So which of us you think he'd be into? Or maybe Ren?"
Her not-quite-boyfriend rolled his eyes where the shortstack could not see. Weiss remained the exact opposite of amused, but her thunderous expression could not quell the fun.
"Five Lien says it'll be one of us faunus girls," Selina crowed. "The forbidden fruit's always the sweetest!"
"Enough," Weiss half-shouted over the laughter. "Stop this right this instant or I will hurt you."
"Aww, look who's worried for her baby brother's chastity. Don't worry Weiss, we'll take good care of him."
So saying, Selina threw a wink over her shoulder. Then, seeing that her fellow leader put the weight down, she quickly began running faster. "Oh no, you'll never catch me!"
She was still on the treadmill, making comical gestures while running in place. Weiss stalked over there and scowled at her back, but did nothing else.
Yang allowed herself a final giggle and let the subject drop; some joking was fun, but she was also a bit worried for the boy. She could not help it with how Weiss and Winter talked about their father.
Then, all of a sudden, Weiss began to smile. An honest and incredibly mean smile. "Oh well," she began idly. "I hope you were not planning anything for today. If we visit the Schnee estate tomorrow, I need to put all of you into proper dress. You will not embarass me."
Yang shuddered at the delight in her tone, suddenly feeling herself on the receiving end of a shopping trip she usually bothered Ruby with. Yet Selina somehow shrugged it off.
"Sure, dress me up, girl. I'm pants at fashion. But you better make it something practical, or I will tear it if I need to move."
Her nonchalance clearly disappointed Weiss.
"Noted. I really wish I could get under your skin somehow. This is more infuriating than I ever thought it would be."
"Meh, I'm just not that shy."
As they would soon learn, this was a bald-faced lie.
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This is gonna be good 😈
Thinking of trying to wrangle control of the hound?
That certainly would be an unexpected move.
Interesting.
Makes sense too, Creatures of Grimm are attracted to negative emotions, you cannot survive on a system that makes everyone tense all the time right in the middle of the woods.
Like, I don't know, a system where there is only the strong and everyone is trying to drag their fellow down and don't want to cooperate. But I'm sure canon has nothing like that.
True, in fact, let me search a little....
That's a video about this kind of subject.
Adam: "You don't say."
I so want to make a joke about it being Weiss' mother right now, you have no idea.
*Sigh* Yang, you just said that in front of an older sister, one that has reasons to be proud of her little sister but doesn't tend to show it as much.
Add to that the fact that Weiss has not reached the level of accomplishment Ruby did, and even if she can be proud on her own, you just basically made a joke that would hit right into her sense of pride.
I mean, she didn't pass away, but she is about as present and active as if she did.
Alcoholism and depression makes for quite the mix.
Telepaths are always a great thing to have, particularly in a world not ready for them.
That is evil.
Dress up gonna be interesting?
