Ruby looked down across the Emerald forest. Watching for any movement. Team RWBY had been sent to forest along with team JNPR to clear out a pack of Beowolves. These Beowolves had been giving the teachers some trouble recently.
She was scanning the woods from a top the cliff where she'd slain the nevermore a few months back on her first day at beacon. She smiled at the memory of that day remembering how the events of that day fondly her arrival at beacon the formation of her team meeting Weiss and Blake for the first time.
Ruby stood there still staring out into space when she noticed something on the edge of the forest below her. It was fast and she only caught a glimpse it large and black with two small red eyes. For a brief second she swore she saw those eyes stared right at her.
Mesmerized and slightly shocked by it Ruby didn't notice her sister come up behind her.
"Yooo" Yang said as she jumped on her sister from behind.
"Augh" Ruby squealed in fright.
"Yang! Don't scare me like that!" Ruby scalded as her cheeks went red with embarrassment.
"Haha sorry sis but we've been shouting you for like five minutes you've just sorta been spacing out over here" Yang said with a look sisterly of concern on her face. "Everything alright?"
Ruby went even redder as she realized she'd kept them all waiting." Oh sorry I was just thinking" Ruby apologized hurriedly avoiding her sister's question. "Come on we better join the others". She walked off before her sister could ask again. She was still thinking about that creature she'd seen what was it a Grim Maybe?
Rubies thoughts were interrupted as she reached the others. "Took you long enough you dolt". Weiss chastised her. "We've been ready for ages now". She pointed out glaring at the younger girl.
Ruby only waved her off she knew that although Weiss was cold and stern on the outside deep down she really kind and gentle. She was just to use to being all bossy and angry. She'd loosen up eventually though.
"Oh don't be so hard on her ice queen" Yang teased as she appeared behind Ruby.
"Well now that were all here let's get going shall we" Blake quickly spoke up before Weiss had a chance to retort at Yang.
"Err hum we need to meet up with team JNPR in the forest they should have found the Grim den by now" Ruby said as she started walking down towards the forest.
Weiss simply snorted at Yang before following her partner Yang and Blake behind her.
"Were assuming Jaune and Pyrrha have stopped making out long enough to actually look for the den" Yang said grinning to herself.
"What are even talking about you oath?" Weiss said looking at her blonde teammate.
"Oh come on you have you seen the way they look at each other they've totally got the hots for each other whether they know themselves or not". Yang replied just as they entered the forest.
"Jaune is pretty dim so I doubt he'd realize it". Blake commented as they continued along the dirt path.
"Still I thought Pyrrha had higher standards". Weiss said frowning.
The three girls continued their conversation as they walked. Ruby ignored them still thinking about what she saw. She was positive I was a grim but it moved like no other shed seen before and it was incredibly fast as fast as her maybe.
They continued through the trees without any trouble but the whole time as they walked Ruby felt unsettled like something was watching them. The others didn't seem to notice so she ignored the feeling.
They reached a small clearing where Nora and Ren were waiting for them.
"Did you find it?" Ruby asked as they approached the two.
Ren opened his mouth to speak but was promptly interrupted by the budding Nora.
"Boy did we the whole place is crawling with them!" Nora said excitedly she was jumping with excitement. Ren simply sighed and nodded.
"Where are Jaune and Pyrrha?" Ruby asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah where are those two love birds" Yang chimed in grinning widely.
"They're up ahead by the den waiting for us". Ren said sighing again.
"They're having some alone time haha". Nora giggles to herself Ren simply rolled his eyes and turn around walking out of the clearing gesturing for them to follow.
As they approached the den Ruby felt more and more uneasy. She felt like there were eyes burrowing into the back of her head but every time she turned around there was nothing but her teammates.
They quickly met up with Jaune and Pyrrha outside the den. They decided to split up team JNPR would attack from the north while team RWBY would attack from the south.
The den was nothing more but a collection of small shallow holes where the Beowolves would sleep. There were about twenty five Beowolves spread about the area.
Ruby took out Crescent Rose and aimed her at the largest Beowulf the alpha once she took the shot the attack would begin. She breathed slowly deep long careful breathes steadying herself for the shot the alpha was about thirty yards away an easy shot. But still that was no reason to be sloppy.
She waited for the perfect shot the alpha rose up and sniffed the air and looked right at ruby.
She pulled the trigger.
There was aloud crashing sound as the bullet blew through the air and into the beast's skull and out again hitting the dirt behind it.
The others sprang into action Yang charged forward punching one of the Grim Square in the jaw. Blake leapt and dodged around the Beowolves getting behind them and slashing them down. Weiss used her glyphs to tear through the ranks of Grim with elegant precision. Ruby stayed back and sniped with Crescent Rose still feeling uneasy. In the distance she could see team JNPR tearing through the north end of the den.
Their attack was swift and efficient most of the Beowolves were dealt with quickly. Ruby smiled to herself happy at effective her team had been. But suddenly she felt a wave of pure fear wash over her out of nowhere her hands started to shake. Slowly she stood up sending Crescent Rose into scythe form.
The air was cold and dry she turned around slowly and she saw it. It was massive at least ten feet tall its neck was long and bent down into its long thin dog like head covered in a Grim mask. It stood on two human like legs and it had a reptilian like tail extending to at least six feet long. Its arms were both four feet long ending with long white and red hooked claws.
It stood there barely a yard away from her just watching her this was definitely the creature she saw earlier it must have been following them. She stared up at its large crimson red eyes she could feel her heart racing as she stood there petrified with fear.
Her brain was racing this creature had to be as fast as her and at this close range she couldn't accurately aim Crescent Rose. She thought maybe her team could help then she realized they were too far away to get hear in time. So she'd have to use her speed against its speed.
She steadied herself ready for the fight the seemed to do the same it crouched slightly bracing its self.
They stared at each other for a brief moment before dashing at each other.
She swung Crescent Rose in an upward arc trying to slash the beast's chest. But it leapt over her attack in a flurry of black feathers.
Shocked she span round just in time to parry sideswiping claw blow. Spinning again in order to bring her scythe down in a downward slash. The creature dodged swiftly ruby flew backwards dodging its counter attack. She flew towards a nearby tree she landed on the side of the tree using as a springboard to fly back into the fight.
Her scythe clashed against its claws with a metallic scraping sound again and again.
The two stood there claws slashing scythe swinging faster and faster they moved until there movements blurred they became a cloud of red petals and black feathers spiralling around them.
Ruby was pushing her semblance to its limit but she couldn't keep this up she needed to finish this quickly.
She stepped to one side suddenly causing the beast to stumble forward she took the chance.
She leapt into the air swinging above the beast and bringing her scythe down for a killing blow.
But as she brought Crescent Rose down over her head she felt a sharp pain in her stomach she looked down in shock to see the beast's tail pushing through her gut she felt her beginning to flow and she could feel it go through her body and out her back.
Letting out a loud guttural scream she mustard all her strength and swung the scythe down onto the creatures head her aura flaring.
As the beast began to fade she let go of Crescent rose and fell onto the dissipating Grim as it dissolved into black smoke something strange happened.
The smoke began to seep into her open wound as she bled out on the ground.
The world felt fuzzy and Rubies vision was fading her eyes began to flicker shut as she heard shouting close by.
Moments ago in the Grim den.
"BOOP". Nora shouted as her hammer connected with the head of the last Beowulf crushing it against the dirt.
Things had gone well the Grim were all dealt with and no one was hurt.
"Nice work guys mission accomplished" Yang said happily smiling giving everyone a thumbs up.
"Hmph hardly you nearly hit with that last attack you brute!" Weiss said glaring at her larger teammate.
"Oh come on princess lighten up a little" Yang said rolling her eyes as team JNPR walked over.
"Lighten up!?"Weiss nearly shouted.
Before she could continue her rant Juane spoke up. "Hey guys where's Ruby?"
"She decided to hang back and snipe from a distance" Blake informed them.
"Well looks like were all done here then" Pyrrha said looking at the others.
"Wait" Ren said standing still.
"What's up?" Yang enquired.
"Listen" He said quietly.
They all stayed perfectly quiet and listened.
Then they heard it a distant metal scraping like weapons clashing.
"Where's it coming from?" Juane said looking around confused.
"From the south" Pyrrha said pointing.
Yang's, Blake's and Weiss's eyes all went wide with shock as they all said in unison. "Ruby!"
All three started running towards the south of the den but before they reached the tree line they heard a huge guttural scream coming from the woods.
Yang felt her heart stop for a moment as she screamed. "RUBY!"
They all ran towards where Ruby was sniping from it was a short run but it felt like an eternity to Yang. She was fill with dread at the thought of what might have happened to her little sister.
When they reached Rubies position her worst fears were realized.
There in front of them was her own little sister lying there so gentle looking in a pool of her own blood.
Yang fell to her knees over her sister "Ruby Ruby! RUBY!" She shouted while shaking her little sister.
Rubies breathing slow and shallow barely detectable. "She's s still breathing" Yang shouted relief flowing through her.
"We need to get her back to the school quickly!" Blake said concern on her face.
"I can use my glyphs to get there faster give her to me" Weiss said walking over to Yang.
Yang hesitated for a moment and nodded wrapping her sister up in her red cloak.
Buckling slightly under her partner's weight she summoned her glyphs and flew of back towards the cliffs.
Yang stood there watching as Weiss flew off with her sister a pain growing in her chest.
Team JNPR appeared behind them and stared at the pool of blood on the ground "What happened? Where's Ruby?" Juane asked first.
"She's been wounded bad Weiss has taken her back to the school". Blake told them.
"We should hurry back to make sure she's okay" Said Pyrrha.
Yang was quiet she could feel the others staring at her she walked over to a nearby tree below it was Crescent Rose. She picked it up and holstered it on her back. "Let's move". She said turning to the others they all nodded. Before they all started running back to the school.
With Weiss arriving at the school.
She landed in the just outside the main building and immediately started running towards the infirmary. It was early afternoon most students were still in lessons but a few were walking around the campus they stopped and stared as the heiress ran past them carrying a blood soaked girl wrapped in a cloak.
She ran round a corner at full speed knocking aside Professor Goodwitch in the process.
"Miss Schnee how d-". She stopped noticing the blood that had smeared on her clothes as Weiss ran into her. With a look of shock on her face she ran after the young heiress.
Weiss burst through the main doors of the infirmary startling the small nurse at the reception desk.
"Help me!" she screamed dropping to the floor nurses quickly huddled round her things moved quickly after that they hurried to an operation room they un wrapped Ruby they gasped at the sight of so much blood.
They took her away into the operation room leaving Weiss standing there covered in her leader's blood still clutching Rubies cloak in her hands. She sat outside the room her hair dyed crimson with blood her once white dress now a dark scarlet.
Thirty minutes later Yang and the others arriving at the infirmary.
"I'm looking for Ruby Rose!" Yang nearly shouted slamming her fist on the reception desk startling the receptionist.
"She's down the hall to the left" The girl said gulping slightly in fear.
They rushed off down in the direction indicated they quickly saw Weiss standing outside a white metal door still drenched in blood. She was talking to a male doctor and Professor Goodwitch.
"Weiss!" Yang called running towards the three.
"Where's ruby?" she demanded as she reached them.
"She's still in the operation room were still trying to stabilize her" he said as the others walked up to them.
"How is she?" Blake asked walking up behind Yang.
"Not good she's lost a lot of blood and needs a transfusion immediately!" Said Glynda.
"Are any of you O negative?" the doctor asked looking up from his clip board and around at the members of team RWBY and JNPR.
They all shook their heads accept for Yang. "Were sisters I'll be a match" she said looking up at the doctor.
He nodded and motioned for Yang to follow him into the operation room.
They lay Yang down on a bed next to her sister in the room. As they prepared for the transfusion she looked over at Ruby she looked so peaceful lay there with pumps hooked up to her. Her heart rate beating erratically. As they lay there she felt the needle puncher her skin as they began she remembered their mother Summer Rose and simply thought "Not you to Ruby".