Ruby would always look at the other kids and wish she could be like them. But she knew she would never fit in. The other kids didn't almost choke to death trying to swallow their food whole. The other kids didn't have big, round, silver eyes with slitted pupils that seemed to bore into your soul. The other kids didn't have a creepy, forked tongue and huge, venomous fangs that folded back when they closed their mouths. They didn't have green scales across each of their forearms.
Eventually, she decided she didn't wanna be like the other kids. The other kids were mean. They called her names like 'Weirdo!' and 'Creep,' along with a few other flattering nicknames. 'Scaley' was one of her least favorites. Ruby wanted to be like Yang instead! Yang was super cool and protected her from the other kids. She was really strong, too! Taiyang told Yang at dinner once that she should become a huntress one day, since she always protected Ruby. When Ruby asked what a huntress was, her dad told her that hunters fought Grimm and protected people from evil. That was when Ruby decided she wanted to be a huntress when she grew up, and her family cheered and supported her.
Ruby's parents were really nice. They would always tell her that there wasn't anything wrong with her-that she's still part of their family even if she looks different from them. Yang comforted her on her worst nights and scared away the bullies. Still, Ruby wasn't stupid. She always knew she was the odd one in the family. Despite sharing her eye and hair color with her mother, Summer Rose, they somehow looked nothing alike. Her mother was human, just like Yang and her dad. They weren't freaks who managed to draw stares everywhere they went. Her parents brushed off Ruby's concerns when she asked why she looked different and Yang didn't know either.
Despite everything, Ruby had a loving family who accepted her, despite all of her oddities and treated her as if she was no different from them. She was happy with herself and the mean kids couldn't change that.
Then, everything fell apart. Her mom had just been called to go away on a mission. When Ruby cried and begged her to stay, her mom promised that they would make cookies together when she came back home. That cheered Ruby up quickly, much to her mother's amusement. Ruby had waited, and waited, and waited. Days, weeks, months passed. She had been waiting patiently just like her mom told her to. She wanted to make her mom proud, after all.
One night, Yang had been reading a bedtime story to Ruby when they were interrupted by their father shouting from downstairs. They went downstairs together to find out what was happening. Their father was with two other men, one of which had quills piercing through his uniform. Ruby almost let out a startled gasp at this and would have if Yang hadn't covered her mouth with her hand.
Their father was yelling at the two men for whatever reason.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CANT KEEP UP THE INVESTIGATION?" Taiyang roared. Their Dad was clearly furious, his blonde locks glowing like wildfire. And when she looked closer, Ruby could see his broad shoulders trembling with horror.
"Sir, please," the quilled officer responded. "Summer Rose has been missing for almost a year now. She's almost certainly dead by now."
Ruby swore she felt her heart stop right then. She was pretty young, but even at her youthful age she knew what death meant. When someone died, their aura faded away and they never came back. Tears began flowing freely from Ruby's eyes and and she let out a nearly silent whine.
A comforting warmth quickly wrapped around her, picking her up and bringing her to the shared bedroom as she sobbed helplessly. The shouting from their father continued minutes after the sisters had gone to their room. Ruby had continued to cry freely for an hour, trembling as she held onto her elder sister. "Mommy can't be gone..." she said through her rapidly flowing tears. "She promised she would come back and make cookies with me..." Eventually, her loud bawling became soft whimpers and she stopped shaking. Her sister pulled away and looked her straight into her reptilian eyes.
"Ruby, promise me something." Yang said, grabbing the younger girl's shaky hands.
Ruby nodded without hesitation. "Anything."
"Promise me that we'll become huntresses together and find Mom ourselves, okay?" Yang asked with a determined shine in her violet eyes.
Ruby sniffled a bit, before smiling and nodding. "Yeah!" she gleefully yelled, pumping a scaly fist in the air. "We'll train super duper hard and become really strong! Then, we can find her and protect her so she doesn't get lost again!"
Yang giggled at the toddler's enthusiasm. "We sure will Ruby."
After that, Ruby decided to stay with her sister for the night. They held each other as they slept, both silently vowing to be there for one another.
Little did they know, the situation was a lot more complicated then they thought.