Ruby's Trial
Ruby Rose, hunter in training, and Jedi Padawan has been visited by her mother through the force the night after the fall of Mistral. She has now decided to complete her first Jedi trial, retrieving a Kyber Crystal.
Ruby Rose was looking around her room, and looked for her weapons. Yang, Weiss, and Blake were sleeping, though not comfortable. Ruby grabbed her crescent rose, and her relic lightsaber, but Summer Rose's force ghost came to her.
"Ruby, you won't need of your weapons. Don't bring them with you. Ignore them now, and you will benefit later."
"But Mom, what if we find something that will require my weapons?"
"Trust in the force, and in Roni."
Roni was a Mirialan Jedi master who arrived shortly after the Empire attacked Beacon. She was the teacher of two other Padawans, Karel Allusis, a human male the same age as Weiss and Yang. He was the only Jedi to fight in the battle of Beacon, but in that battle, they learned that Ruby was also a force sensitive. The other was Vuren, the actual apprentice to Roni, and a Miraluka. She was the same age as Karel, and good friends with him.
Ruby got up and walked out of the door, and stopped. Summer came back
"What's wrong Ruby?"
"What happened to you Mom?"
"I was killed Ruby, I was killed, but now you have to go to the roof of the building, there you will meet with Roni. She'll take you to where you need to go." She said. She stopped the glow that had woken Ruby up earlier that night. Ruby looked around and saw that she wasn't there.
"Bye mom." Ruby said, and she started to walk to the roof of the building. When she got to the top, Summer was right, Roni was there. She was meditating and floating in the air. She opened her eyes, and stood up.
"Ruby, I know what you are going to ask me. You're Mother came to me in a dream earlier in the night, and showed me the location of where you must go. It is close by, very close. Did you bring your weapons?"
Ruby shook her head.
"Good, you have no need for them now. If you will follow me…" She jumped off the side of the building, and used the force to stop her from splatting on the ground. Ruby shook her head, and did the same, and used the force to slow down her fall. She hadn't had much time to practice using the force, so this was a great accomplishment for her. She dusted off her leg which got dirty, and looked at Roni.
"The cave is twenty minutes from us north. Trust me, this will push you. Recently these trials have become more and more dangerous."
"What will happen?" Ruby asks, scared.
"That all depends on what the force has in store for you. I heard Karel said that when he got the purple crystal he saw a number of Dark Lords of the Sith appear to him, and kill all of you."
"Is that going to happen to me?"
"Maybe, maybe not."
"That doesn't help me."
"But that's the honest answer."
"Great." The rest of the trip was in silence, but they got to the cave entrance soon enough. It was surprisingly well maintained, for a cave at least. It looked clean from the entrance, so Ruby and Roni walked into it. When they did the entrance of the cave closed.
"So it's going to be like that." Roni says. Ruby turns to her to see what she meant by that. "We're not on a time limit at least."
Ruby smiled
"But that means if you fail your mission, we're both dead."
Ruby frowned again.
"What are we going to do?"
"Not we, you Ruby. This is your mission. I am only here to guide you. I'm not coming with you."
"Why not?"
"I can't hold your hand with this. You have to do this yourself."
"So how do I start?"
"That is easy, just walk straight, and you'll probably find something that will start this off. We're probably, most likely, going to be separated from one another, so the force will be your only ally."
Ruby shakes her head and starts walking straight, and just like before, a door closed between the two. Ruby jumped when this happened and looked back, thankfully, it didn't catch on her cape. She walked forward, and noticed that she was in what Vuren normally wears, and it's very scratchy. She itched her neck, but stopped when heard a noise deeper in the cave, and noticed that she once again chained back into her normal clothes.
"Weird." She said. She put out her hand and calmed down, but she saw a glowing red light. It shined and showed that she was at a fork in the road. She decided to close her eyes again, and she was almost pushed into that path.
"Alright, so I'm going to follow the creepy red light." She looked down the path, and started to walk. When she started to walk down this path, the door behind her closed, and the wall glowed a bright red. There was something written on it.
"Learn and awaken." She said.
She looked at her body, and it looked like her mother. She was able to see through herself. She was looking at… Karel!?
She watched him in a ship with a woman. It was the woman in the Holocron. They were on a ship, with a small crew, when she heard a noise. Everyone got there weapons out, and faced the door, when Imperials rushed in, killing the non-jedi crew. Karel and his master fought them off, but a man in a black suit walk onto the ship. Ruby heard the breathing off this person, and she saw him get his lightsaber out, and start fighting. She saw the death of Karel's master, and her sacrifice to save Karel.
She returned to her body, and she saw a woman standing over her. She was wearing a black dress, with red outlines. Her skin was white as snow, but with dark crimson veins sticking out of her. There was a black diamond in the middle of her head, and red eyes, and black pupils. "Hello silver eyes child." She said. She went down to her knee, and wrapped her fingers around her face.
"I sense something in you, a power. I can show you how to use that power, if you'd like." She said smiling. Ruby didn't know what this feeling was, but when she touched Ruby, Ruby's skin crawled.
"Come with me, and you will have power over all."
Ruby was visibly shaking, but she started to get up. She didn't know what she was doing, it was as if her legs had a mind of their own, and she felt a darkness all around her, and she felt taller. She looked at her and she was in a white robe. She noticed that where she was is a different place, and there was the other woman and a few other people. She was in a room with a single table and five seats. She saw two men and two women. Ruby could feel the force in two of them. She wasn't in control of her limps, or words, when she said
"You stink of the dark side. Why do you think I would ever join the sith?" Ruby's hand went to grab something, a lightsaber. It was a simple design, and it was single sided.
"You know we're going to have to kill you now, right?" The woman said.
"Try me." That was all that was said. The two force uses got out Black lightsabers, and met Ruby's lightsaber. Her Blue lightsaber was stuck in between the two.
One of them was a man, tall, and strong. Ruby could see his muscles from where she was, but he didn't last that long in this fight. Ruby felt her eyes burning, and saw a light flash in front of everyone. They covered their eyes, and she took the opportunity to strike. When the light faded, Ruby could see her lightsaber in the chest of the man. She pulled out the lightsaber, grabbing his lightsaber as it fell out of his hands. She turned it on and started to attack the second one. Her moves were too fast for even Ruby to take notice of. Her head was starting to hurt. She hit two times, then four, six, eight, ten times per second, and it overwhelmed her opponent. She slashed under, slicing her in half.
"I see, so that's your answer. Well than, why doesn't the Summer Rose Come try kill me!" The Woman said.
"I will end you here Salem." Ruby didn't know how to she knew her name, but she realized what she was seeing.
The other two were more powerful, and faster than the force users. They had weapons that withstood the hit of a lightsaber.
"What?! How do you have Crotosis weapons?"
"I have a large stockpile of it." Salem said. She still hadn't gotten up yet.
Ruby blocked the hit of a sword, and a spear. Ruby looked at the situation, and understood that she needed to somehow get out of this. She lifted both weapons in the air, and slashed at her attackers, and the man dodged. Ruby was able to kill the woman. Despite her wanting to leave the room, she charged forward right at Salem. When she was about to strike, Salem caught the lightsabers.
"Surprised? You should be." Salem pushed the black blade in, turning it off. Salem grabs Ruby's arm and throws her to the side. She flew very quickly to the side of the room, hitting the wall, leaving an indent in it.
"Your Silver eyes, and Jedi arts won't save you now Summer." Ruby's arms went to her throat, but she didn't feel like she was being choked, but she knew she was. She was struggling to get out of this somehow. Salem started to laugh.
"To be fair, you did put up a good fight, clearing out the weak ones from my circle. You only left Watt. Don't worry, your family will receive your body." After saying that, Salem got out a red lightsaber, and stabbed Ruby in the chest, but she didn't feel anything. She finally was able to see what was going on, and it horrified, and scarred her. It was her mother. She was experiencing what her mother went through in her last minutes. Summer's head fell to the ground, and Salem laughed.
"N-Not yet." Summer spat up blood, and her head shot up, her eyes glowing bright white. Salem yelled out in pain, and the entire room started to shine bright. It shined so bright that the grimm inside this place started to melt away.
After the glow stopped, Salem's skin was burning, and smoke came off of it.
"My lady!" Dr. Watts said. Her scream was horrible, ear shattering. Not even all the horrid creatures of Grimm could make a howl as horrible. Dr. Watts held onto his ears and fell to the ground. Salem fell to her knees, and looked at her hands. They were black.
"Watts!" She said. Watts got back up and ran to Salem.
"Get her out of here!"
There was a visible black aura around her, so Watts did exactly what he was told. He grabbed Summer Rose's body and ran out of the room. Dozens of grimm came into the building, and Salem grabbed two of them with her severely burnt hands. She placed her hands on them, and she absorbed them, healing her.
"What is she doing?" Ruby said meekly. She was afraid to say anything for fear of Salem hearing her. She continued to absorb Grimm, but she kept rocking back and forth.
Ruby woke up later on the floor of the cave.
"Was that what I thought it was?"
Ruby looked at the wall, but this time it didn't say anything.
"What did you see Ruby?" She turned around to see her mother. She went to hug her, but she went thought her.
"I saw you dying mom. I felt it. It was like I was you." She said. Tears started to fall down Ruby's face.
"I'm sorry Ruby. Now you know…" She put her hand on Ruby's shoulder.
"I did it for you. I went to fight Salem for you." She wrapped her arms around Ruby, but she didn't feel them.
"Why did you have to go?" Ruby said, with red eyes.
"I was found Ruby. They found me, and they learned that I had these eyes. These eyes are the reason they killed me. If I didn't go they would have killed your dad, Yang, and You. I couldn't let them do that, so I went."
"You hurt Salem Mom. You hurt her really bad." Ruby said.
"I did? Thank the force." She sighed.
"They told us it was a Grimm that killed you. They lied to us." She said. She was getting angry.
"I don't know about that. I wasn't there Ruby. I think it's time for you to keep going." Summer moved to Look Ruby in the eyes, and she smiled. Ruby saw her Mother's smile, so she stood up.
"Alright Mom. I'll do this…" She turned around, wiping her face, and eyes. "and I love you."
"I love you too Ruby. You are just like I dreamed you'd be." Summer kissed Ruby on her cheek.
Ruby started to walk down the path, and saw something, the red glow again. She looked at it, and saw something. Cinder standing in Ozpin's Office with a bow pointed at Phyrra's heart. She saw that the top of beacon was broken, and there was debris everywhere.
"Do you believe in destiny?" She said. Cinder looked at her for a second then responded
"Yes." Then she shot her. Phyrra gasped, and Cinder grabbed her crown. Phyrra's body turned into cinders, and blew away. Ruby saw herself see Phyrra's death, and she screamed. What she saw with her mother happened to her.
"What!?" Cinder cried. Everything went white, and the vision ended.
"What did I just see?" Ruby asked herself.
"This hall will show you what your life would be like without the force. It's showing you what would have happened to everyone around you if the force was dead to this planet." Ruby didn't know this voice. She turned around and saw a man in Jedi robes standing behind her.
He was tall for sure. He had a bread, and long brown hair. He looked at her with a smile.
"Hello jedi padawan Ruby Rose. You don't know me, but I know who you are. You're master might remember me. I am Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn." He looked at the wall.
"I see a different reality like you. I see what would have happened if I wasn't killed." He puts his hand on the wall.
"This wall is referred to the wall of lies. I don't see it that way. I see it as the wall of possibility."
Ruby put her hand on the wall and closed her eyes.
"I feel calm."
"Good. This wall is a distraction, it tells you stories that aren't real. It shows you outcomes that couldn't happen. Look at the wall again."
Ruby opened her eyes, and saw that the visions on the wall were gone.
"Don't get distracted by the what ifs." Qui-Gon said.
"Thank you Master Qui-Gon." She said. She turned to where he was, but he wasn't there. She looked around her, and didn't see anything. She started to walk again, and found a dead end. She looked to her left, and her right, but didn't see anything.
"What am I supposed to do here?" She said. She decided to let the force help her. She closed her eyes, and lifted up her hand. It moved to right above her, and she saw that the cave went up. She jumped up the tunnel in the ceiling, and saw a skeleton to her right.
"Ew." Ruby turned around and saw the red light again. She walked towards it and saw the wall shining bright. She covered her eyes, and the light faded. She walked to where the shine was coming from, and put her hand out. The wall opened up and she saw the red light again.
"This is getting annoying. I'm following this light left and right, but it keeps going somewhere else." She said, but then she took another breath. She walked into the new path, and saw the light. She put her hand out to use the force, and a crystal landed into her hand, then another. She looked at them, and two more came down into her hand.
"Four?" she said. She put them in her pocket, and turned around. The walls started glowing, and she heard all the doors that had closed open again.
"I did it? I did it!" She said. Wanted to jump up, and the ceiling was close to her, so she walked out of the side path. She followed the glowing walls till she got back to the entrance, where Roni was meditating.
"Your back. So did you get them?" She already knew the answer was. Ruby Smiled and pulled them out of her pocket. Roni looked at them, but when she saw them, her eyes widened open.
"This is strange. Ruby, we should show this to the others." She didn't say anything else, and she started to walk back to the school. Ruby followed her, and they got back to beacon in time for sunrise.
Ruby got back into the dorms, when she was stopped by Weiss.
"Where have you been Ruby?" She said. She was worried.
"I was completing one of my Jedi trials. Did something happen?"
"Yes, It's Yang. Something's happening." Weiss turned around, and started to go back to her dorms.
Ruby turned around to tell Roni about yang, but all she could get out was "You should come along." She turned back and ran to her dorm. When she opened the dorm, she could see what was happening. Everything was floating in the room. Crescent Rose, her lightsaber, the books, the beds, even Zwei was in the air. Yang was awake freaking out.
"What's happening?" Yang was looking at her hands, and trying to not do anything.
"Yang, you need to calm down." Ruby said. Karel was even in the room, though he was currently upside down in the air.
"What's happening Ruby?" She asked.
"I might have awakened your force potential last night. Mom asked me to!" She said.
Roni walked into the room and saw everything happening. She took a deep breath, and used the force to counter everything that was happening.
"Mom…" yang repeated, and everything fell. When Karel hit the ground he grunted.
"Yeah, I saw mom last night." She said.
"How?" Yang asked
"It was through the force. I saw her." Ruby said
After calming down Yang, and after giving her a ring that would keep her from doing this again, helping her control her force potential.
"So, why were you gone last night?" Yang asked.
"I was going to get Kyber crystals for a lightsaber." She said. At this point Vuren walked into the room.
"Care to show us?" Karel said.
"Sure, there right here." She got them out, and Karel stepped back. Vuren looked directly at her hand.
"What?" Ruby said. She looked at Karel.
"Ruby, those crystals look at them." he said. She looked at him.
"I don't get it."
"Ruby, you have two white crystals, and the two Red ones."
"What does that mean? Is that bad?" She said
"That will make a red lightsaber. That's the color of the Sith." Roni said.
Author's Notes: This is the first of the "Cold War" stories.
The Cold War stories are a series of small stories that bridges the first story to the Second Great War.
So how did you like this story? I hope that you guys like this story, because it's important, and sort of the epilogue to the first story.
Keep an eye out for future stories.
On a serious note, my heart goes out to Texas, and all those who are affected by Hurricane Harvey, and those who will be affected by Hurricane Irma. I know this isn't enough what I'm doing, but It's the least any of us can do. At a time like this, people show the worst of humanity, but they show the best of it at the same time. Be good people.
May the Force be with you
-DragonZlayerX12