Cinders
A/N: This story will be as realistic and no-holds-barred as I can make it. It will be both sad and happy. There will be no plot armor, no action movie nonsense. Maybe not even a happy ending. You have been warned.
Chapter 1
Ruby dodged the attack, using her rifle to launch herself in the air. When she landed, however, her attacker was gone.
She looked around, finally spotting his white coat as he climbed a ladder nearby.
"You okay if I go after him?" She asked the shopkeeper behind her.
He grunted an O.K., and she took off, scaling the ladder twice as fast as Torchwick had.
She jumped over the lip, landing lightly, and shouting "Hey!"
She heard him mutter a reply, but couldn't understand what he'd said.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew in her face, originating from a Bullhead hidden behind the building.
He leapt on, turning and laughing, "END OF THE LINE, RED!" He held up a small red object and threw it at her.
Before the red-caped girl could react, a small explosion nearly engulfed her.
When she opened her eyes, a woman had come from nowhere and was standing infront of her.
The battle went downhill for the bullhead from there. Fire was thrown, storms were summoned… fangirls 'squeeeed'.
A short trip later, Ruby sat in a chair in a darkened room with only one light above her.
The blond woman who'd saved her minutes ago was now laying into her… and also praising her.
"That may have been the most irresponsible, yet heroic thing you could have done. What do you have to say for yourself?" The woman said, both coldly and warmly… somehow…
"I…"
"If it were up to me, you'd be sent home with a pat on the back…"
Ruby grew hopeful
"And a slap on the wrist!" The woman finished, slamming her weapon on the table.
"But… there is someone here who would like to meet you."
She stepped aside as a door opened, letting an older man enter the room with a glass of milk and a plate of cookies.
He spoke, "Ruby Rose… You have silver eyes…" He said, leaning close to her.
"Uuuhm…"
He continued to ask her about her weapon, her fighting style, and if she knew who he was.
"You're Professor Ozpin… The headmaster of Beacon Academy."
"Hello."
"Nice to meet you."
"You want to come to my school?"
"More than anything."
The older man looked towards the blonde woman, who sighed.
"Well okay."
"OH I CAN'T BELIEVE MY BABY SISTER'S GOING TO BEACON WITH ME!" Ruby's older sister exclaimed.
This was her dream. Beacon Academy. Not only that, but her sister was going with her. She knew it'd be hard, but she thought she could handle it with Yang at her side.
They conversed with small talk for a while before noticing a small crowd growing by the windows.
She could see the object of their attention.
Beacon Academy. Top Hunter school in Vale, one of the four largest and best Hunter schools in Remnant.
Her stomach lurched suddenly, as the carrier bullhead ran into a bit of turbulence.
Close by, a tall blonde guy bent over, holding his hand to his mouth.
"Guess the view isn't for everyone…" Yang said.
That's when things went…. Wrong.
There was a loud crack. Louder than gunfire. Louder than hundreds of gunfire.
A few students-to-be dropped into combat poses, looking around for attackers.
Yang herself jumped in surprise.
"What the heck was that?" She asked, standing up, "An engine blow up or something?"
Ruby got up and looked out the nearest window, towards Vale.
She scanned the city.
Nothing out of the ordinary. No smoke. No fire.
Just then, a loud whining sound echoed from outside, drowning out the engines.
"The warning signal? Grimm?" A girl with orange hair asked closeby.
"No… then there'd be Grimm." A boy answered.
Sure enough, there wasn't a single sign of Grimm. At least not on this side of Vale. She could see the border. Nothing but green.
"OH MY GOD!" Someone screamed, pointing out the window.
Ruby quickly followed her wide eyes, and saw what the student was looking at. Her own eyes widened.
Tall skyscrapers lined the city scape. But they were moving. Not like cheesy, B-rated movies where Buildings came alive and moved around. They shifted, shaking dangerously. And it was spreading.
Like a large hand swept over them, a few of the buildings fell, but more were shaking. One after another. Row by row.
Straight towards them.
It cleared the city, leaving much destruction in its wake.
Someone, she couldn't tell who, screamed "SHOCKWAVE!" before the Bullhead listed heavily.
It was indeed a shockwave, but lessened by air. If they'd been traveling by land, the truck or car would have been bucked off the road, skipped a few times, and killing everyone on board.
In the air, they were safer… but only a little.
Not used to any harsh resistance, the Bullhead engines blew up. She heard them go, and the ship began to spiral.
She turned, grabbing at the nearest body, hoping it was Yang.
It was.
The ship, not very aerodynamic going sideways, cracked apart, two halves spinning away.
Yang grabbed a nearby seat, holding on to Ruby for dear life as others were sucked out into open air.
Ruby risked a glance out the window, and could see the ground spinning below them.
It was close.
Yang was screaming something, but Ruby couldn't here. The wind and an odd booming noise drowned everything else out.
Yang bellowed something. It sounded like "I LOVE YOU!" before the Bullhead hit the ground, knocking the small girl into immediate unconsciousness.