Ruby woke up to the sound of snores and sleepy murmuring. She sat up in her bed, taking a slight pause to take in her surroundings. Not that there was much to take in anyways. The dorm room in Beacon had been a constant throughout the past months. Weiss snored lightly from below her, cuddling Zwei as she did. Blake made no noise at all whilst Yang snored loudly. She snickered as she clambered down onto the floor and made her way to the bathroom.
Ruby filled up her cup with water, preparing to brush her teeth. As she did, she turned to see the calendar, marking out the date. It was then that she dropped her cup, causing its watery contents to spill out over the bathroom floor.
It's going to be that day again huh? She thought to herself.
"And with a great yell of bravado, I pounced upon the back of the Ursa, rending its flesh apart! Unfortunately…" And so Professor Port droned on and on in another one of his bombastic stories of his Grimm killing days. Weiss huffed as she struggled to take down notes, but in all honesty, she didn't know where to begin. She had heard the incredulous tales of the bearded professor at least dozens of times now, and it wasn't her imagination that each got more excitable than the last.
She turned to see Ruby merely looking glumly at the entire lecture being given. Weiss shrugged it off, reasoning that perhaps her leader just appeared tired. Considering how hard she had worked in the previous mission, she supposed it was only natural for her to feel drained. Still, there was something unnaturally off about how she had been acting today. Breakfast had served her favourite chocolate cookies. Weiss couldn't remember how many times Ruby had gone insane over a few pieces of the baked goods. However, at breakfast, Ruby remained sombre and refused to touch them.
That was rather strange, but perhaps she was starting to watch her diet choices? Weiss couldn't remember the number of times she had to tell her off for substituting a nutritious meal for cookies. Deciding that she was thinking too much, Weiss just resumed her attention to the lesson, one that was cut short immediately as the bell rang.
The class began to file out. Weiss collected her books, tucking them under her arm and proceeding for lunch. And then she saw it.
She saw Ruby's face, the one that often showed whenever she was feeling down. Actually, it looked even worse than that. This wasn't a Ruby who had just messed up a fight, it wasn't like a Ruby who had just miserably lost a round at a game of Remnant. This looked like a Ruby who was completely exhausted on whatever she was thinking of, which seemed to have completely demolished most of her awareness.
Case in point, even though the whole class was filing out, she remained sitting glumly on her chair.
"Um, Ruby?" Weiss called out to her. "Class is over…"
Ruby snapped out of her daydream "Huh? What?"
Weiss cleared her throat. "Class is over Ruby. Time for lunch."
"Oh? It is huh?" Ruby blinked, scratching her head. "Right… Okay then. Yes." Weiss frowned at the unnatural reaction her leader was exhibiting. This was so not Ruby Rose.
"Ruby?" Weiss leaned in, shooting her a quizzical look. "Are you okay?"
"Uh…" Ruby stared for a second before giving a nod. "Yes."
"Huh." Weiss replied. "Well, hop to it you dunce. You're going to be late for lunch. And if they still have chocolate chip cookies, you'll miss them all." At this Weiss walked away, heading to the cafeteria. Ruby stood up slowly, recounting the words Weiss just said. With a heavy sigh, she followed suit.
Something smelled good down in the kitchen. Ruby stumbled slightly as she got to her feet and went to the door of the bedroom she and Yang shared. It smelled like…
Cookies! Ruby's eyes brightened as she ran out of the bedroom. With a hand on the banister, she walked down the stairs, placing both feet on each step before continuing to the next. As soon as she reached the floor, she stepped into the kitchen, where the person she was expecting to see was doing what she was expecting her to be doing.
"Hello there Ruby." She called from her chair by the dining table. The woman was wearing a white apron smeared with brown cookie dough, but her hands had somehow managed to remain spotless. Her hair was tied up into a bun with a white cap upon her head. Behind her, the oven was lit and a tray of cookies was baking inside. Ruby's mouth watered as she took in the aroma of the delicious pastries.
"Mommy, are those chocolate cookies?" She asked, walking over and peeking into the oven.
"Yes." The woman nodded. "Unfortunately, you can't have them till their done." Ruby turned to see her with a faint smile on her lips. She then noticed the mixing bowl perched up on the table.
"Can I at least try the dough?" Ruby asked, tilting her head to the side all the while giving a quizzical look.
The woman stared into the bowl with a thoughtful look on her face before staring back at Ruby. She sighed, as if knowing that she would regret one choice or the other.
"Okay." She nodded, coming over and picking Ruby up. "But just a small bit okay? It's almost dinner time and I will not have you skipping that."
"YAY!" Ruby cheered as she leaned toward the table, looking into the bowl. From seemingly nowhere, the woman produced a teaspoon, which she handed to Ruby. Grasping the handle in her small fingers, she reached into the bowl and scooped up a rather large helping of the dough and put it into her mouth.
Ruby's eyes sparkled as she tasted the rich taste of dough with the succulent flavour of chocolate. Turning to the woman with a mouth full of cookie dough, she asked: "Can I hab anober?" The woman's eyes narrowed as she registered the little girl asking for more. Who could say no after seeing the bright eyes she displayed?
"Why not?" She said, wondering if she was truly doing what was best for the toddler.
Blake read through another page of her newest novel as she heaped another spoon of tuna into her mouth, relishing the savoury taste in her mouth. She had to admit, after all the strenuous things she had been through, it was nice to have some rest.
Still, there was always the occasional…
"Whatcha doing?" Came the voice of her partner. Blake shifted as Yang came in close, obviously interested in knowing what currently occupied the Faunus. Blake hurriedly kept her book in her bag, not wanting to incite another of the blonde's irksome antics.
"I was reading." Blake said in monotone. "But now I think it would be better to hurry up with lunch." As she said this, she lifted another spoonful of tuna to her mouth.
"Uh-huh." Yang grinned evilly, unnerving her. "So, what was the book about?"
"Oh. About a woman who goes off to war to save her country despite her family's protests." She answered fluently. "It's a good read. I think Ruby would like it."
"Ah." Yang nodded. "I'm sure she would. Can I see it?"
"No!" Blake said defensively. Crap! The Faunus thought to herself, realising her mistake almost immediately, which caused Yang to frown.
"Blake?" Yang turned her head in curiosity. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes." Blake said quickly, recovering from her latest slip, all the while fervently hoping Yang would drop the subject. With a stare lasting for about five seconds, Yang merely conceded and turned to her own lunch set out in front of her. Blake heaved a sigh of relief as Ruby and Weiss returned to their table carrying trays laden with food. Blake blinked as she realised Ruby's tray was lacking the signature chocolate chip cookies. "Ruby, you're not going to eat cookies?"
"Not really in the mood for it…" Ruby answered, which startled Blake. Ruby Rose, not in the mood for chocolate chip cookies? That was rather awkward.
"Relax Blake." Weiss said. "I'm sure Ruby is just watching her diet."
"I suppose." Blake shrugged just as she remembered her book. "Hey Ruby, I just remembered, I have a new book that I think you'd like." At this, the young girl's eyes turned upwards in a usual Ruby Rose like manner.
"Cool!" She replied. "What kind of book was it?"
"It's all about a warrior woman who fights for her homeland." Blake said. "I could lend it to you if you'd like once I've finished."
"Why not just let her see it now?" Yang said, reaching into Blake's bag. That was when Blake jumped.
"NO!" She shrieked, reaching for her bag. Unfortunately, she was too slow and Yang finally grabbed the book she had been reading. True to Blake's word, it was the book she had just described, only hidden within the book was…
"Ninja's of Love eh?" Yang snickered. "Couldn't let this down huh? Should've have known."
"Whatever you are insinuating Yang, just stop it." Blake growled as she took her bag away from the blonde. Yang merely responded with a teasing smirk. I'm so going to never live this down tonight. Blake thought as she recounted the hundreds of teasing sessions just for getting caught with that book. Thankfully though, Ruby was always the one to rein in her older sister. Surely this time, she could help again?
But Ruby's mind seemed to have drifted elsewhere. Her downcast face was out now for the world to see, and she didn't seem bothered at touching her food anymore. Even Weiss looked stunned at the drastic change in their leader's attitude.
Was it something I said? Blake wondered.
Night had now fallen on Beacon academy. With nothing left to do, Ruby had decided to take Zwei out for a little walk, Weiss volunteering to accompany her. The Corgi yipped as he ran about in Beacon's main courtyard with Weiss chasing him all the while.
"Come here Zwei!" She said affably, clapping her hands as she did. "Come back to Weiss!" Ruby smiled as she watched her friend play with her pet dog. She wondered if Weiss had secretly wanted a dog all her life, but never got the chance. Considering her hectic childhood, Ruby supposed it wasn't easy for her to have a pet at the time. Weiss probably supposed she didn't need one.
I didn't think I needed one either… Ruby thought as her mind drifted again, the barking of Zwei and Weiss's affectionate chatter becoming muffled to her. She reached out and touched a small tree as her mind drifted back to that day years ago…
"No fair Yang!" A young Ruby Rose whined. "You got a head start!"
"You snooze, you lose sis!" Yang snickered. "I'm calling dibs on the thick branch!"
"You always call it on the thick branch!" Ruby yelled. "Why can't I ever be on it all the time? It's easier to sit on." Ruby clambered up as fast as she could, hoping to catch up to her older sibling. Unfortunately, in her haste, she missed the branch she was grabbing on, causing her to lose her footing and fall.
"AAAAAAH!" She yelled, bracing for the impact of the ground below, but it never came. Instead, she landed in something firm that now cradled her tiny frame.
"Didn't I tell you two to stop arguing over your spot on the tree?" Came a stern voice.
Ruby looked up, then down again. "Yes daddy."
The man sighed, shaking his head as he knew full well how stubborn his girls could be, especially on a day like this. "Alright. You two will take turns sitting on that branch from this point on. And don't even think about negotiating! Got it?"
"Yes daddy." The two sisters replied simultaneously, not wanting to irritate their father anymore.
"Good." He said as he lifted Ruby up. "Since Yang has the tree spot, you can sit on me. That alright with you Ruby?"
"Yes!" Ruby cheered as she sat on his shoulder. "Wow daddy, your shoulders are more comfy than the tree branch!"
"Really?" Yang called out from her spot in the tree. "No fair! Trade! Trade!"
Ruby stuck her tongue out at Yang. "Too bad Yang! You already called dibs on the branch!" Yang merely responded with a pout.
"You two argue over the smallest things like a pair of Ursi over honey." Their father moaned. "Can't you just be happy with what you can have?"
"But daddy!" Yang started, only to be silenced with a look from her father. She huffed in response, choosing to sulk on the branch she was perched on. Ruby merely held on to her father, gazing out intently at the distance of the path that led to their house. For a few minutes, she rested her chin on her father's head, her eyes merely focusing their utmost on the end of the path.
At the instant she saw the figure wrapped in a white cloak emerge in the distance. Ruby's heart leaped up along with her little body.
"She's back!" Ruby squealed with delight. "Daddy she's back! Put me down!" Her father decided to comply, setting the young toddler down on the ground. That was a mistake on his part, for the next thing she did the minute her foot touched the ground was to run at full speed straight at the approaching figure.
Ruby couldn't hear her father's protests telling her to slow down. She could hear her sister yelling for her to stop. She merely dashed as fast as her legs could carry her. With the speed she was going at, along with the fact that it had rained the previous night, it was only a few seconds before the inevitable happened. True enough, Ruby's foot touched a wet stone, causing her to slip and fall forward.
A blur of white came just as Ruby registered the fall. Shutting her eyes, she braced for the impact. But it never happened. She opened her eyes to see a figure clad in white holding onto her. A small, warm smile flashed on the figure's face while bright silver orbs gazed at her.
"Hello there my little rose bud." She spoke without a single sense of reprimand. "You were really fast just now!"
"Really?" Ruby blinked. "Really?"
"Really." The woman said as she set her down on the ground. "But next time, try to make more sense as to where you are going. Wouldn't want you to get hurt would we?" She added a stern stare into the last sentence, which caused Ruby's face to fall slightly.
"No mommy." Ruby said. "Sorry."
"Well, as long as you understand." She nodded, patting the little girl's head.
"Ruby!" Came her father's voice. "Ruby are you alright?"
"Of course she is Tai." The woman smiled mischievously. "I'm here after all. Or have you forgotten who I am?" At this, the father jumped, waving his hands in defiance.
"No! I mean, of course not Summer!" Taiyang smiled weakly as he backed away. "I was just, uh…"
"Mm hm." Summer frowned playfully as Yang reached her. "I think you need a re-education on who is the woman standing right before you."
"C'mon!" He moaned. "You know I didn't mean it that way! I just got worried, that's all."
"Always the worry wort." She shook her head. "Don't you trust me?"
"Of course I do!" He growled. "But seriously though, can't you be a little bit more concerned for our girls? I think you spoil them too much! I still remember the incident with the cookie dough! Ruby wouldn't eat anything after that! And speaking of which, you still haven't told me how much she ate!"
"Still fussing over the small stuff." She teased him again. "After all, we've known each other since forever? Sometimes, I wonder if you really know me at all…" She ended off with a sigh that would have shattered any man's stubborn heart. It had worked multitudes of times against him, but in this instance, he held fast.
"That's not always going to work!" He retorted. "You'll have to do better than that if you want to soften me!"
"Aww…" She pouted. "You're no fun."
He blinked for a few moments before they laughed awkwardly, running to embrace one another.
"We shouldn't get too carried away Summer." He said. "Not in front of the girls."
"Oh hush Tai. You over-think too much at times." She leaned in and gave him a kiss, which he returned.
"Ew. Mommy, daddy, really?" Ruby blanched at the sight of her parents.
"Hellooooo. Remnant to Ruby!"
"Huh? What?" Ruby turned to see Weiss waving her hands in front of her face.
"Zwei's starting to get tired and so am I." Weiss frowned. "I've been calling for about twenty seconds now. Time for bed."
Ruby stared back, almost recalling something from her memory. "Yeah. I guess so…"
"Nay, you pompous selfish brute! I refuse to join my hand with yours in marriage! Your pride and selfishness makes you worse than that beast in the mountains!"
"How dare you! You have lost your mind woman? How am I worse than a beast! Very well, you shall stay in the cellar till I return, with the savage's head as my prize. Then you shall see what a beast truly is!"
With a powerful shove, he knocked her into the dark cellar, shutting the door behind him before-
She looked up from the book at the clock, which read half-past nine. "My, that time already huh? Alright girls, time to sleep."
"What?" Yang cried out. "But mommy, we haven't finished the story yet!"
"Yeah!" Ruby nodded. "What happened to the man? And the woman? Will they actually marry? He sounds really mean. I hope she ends up with the beast. He was nice and polite. Well, maybe he is a bit scary, but he's way better than that selfish bad guy!"
"All will be finished in time." The woman nodded. "But right now, it's time for you to go to bed."
"But I'm not tired!" Yang protested, before immediately letting out a yawn.
"My point exactly." She said, standing up and tucking the two of them in. 'We'll finish tomorrow. I promise."
Ruby opened her eyes again and looked around. She wondered why was it she was in a strange room filled with three other people and looked nothing like her home in Patch. Then she remembered. Right, she was walking Zwei with Weiss last night in the academy courtyard. They had had enough and went back to bed and Yang read her a story to sleep, a wonderful fairy tale of a woman who had fallen in love with a beast.
Wait, what?
Ruby caught herself short as she remembered the last time she heard that story was about almost ten years ago. Back when she was just a toddler. Yang wasn't the one who read it to her, it was-
Ruby shuddered as she remembered her. She pulled out her scroll and checked the calendar. A Saturday, meaning there were no classes to be held. Ruby slipped quietly out of the bed and got changed. She wasted no time in writing a note for the rest before leaving the room.
It was an hour or so before they woke up, but it wasn't long before the entire of team RWBY noticed that their leader wasn't around. Thankfully, they had found her note, saying that she was going to Vale. It was no course for alarm, except the note explicitly said she was going to be gone till Sunday.
"What in the world is she thinking?" Weiss said as she cuddled Zwei. "Gone for a whole weekend?"
"If we hurry, maybe we could find her in the city." Blake said. "She can't have gone long."
Yang merely read the note over and over, her fingers tightening with every second.
"Yang?" Blake frowned. "Is everything alright?"
Yang sighed, placing the note down. "Not really. Well, uh…"
"Yang?" The Faunus's voice was laced with concern.
Yang sighed. "Today is Saturday."
"Yeah. So?" Weiss frowned, folding her arms.
"Well, for Ruby, it isn't any ordinary Saturday." Yang replied.
"So what is it then?" Weiss asked.
Yang turned to face both of them, and now Blake and Weiss saw the blank look on her face. "It's the day before we found out our mom died."
"Daddy, will mommy be coming home soon?" Ruby asked as she sat on her father's shoulders.
"I'm sure sweetheart." Her father said without looking up. Ruby merely looked away from him. Even if he had given her a hopeful answer, she knew it was anything but. It had been weeks now since her mother left for a mission. Ruby knew that her mother was a Huntress, someone who fought to protect the weak. It was an exciting life, but one fraught with constant danger. Many a time, Ruby had been worried whenever her mother was to leave for a new mission n whatever part of Remnant she was needed in. Despite all her misgivings, her mother would always return home, safely with a soft smile upon her face, awaiting the small embrace the toddler would give her along with that of her older sister. Ruby always believed her mother would be alright no matter what.
But now, as she stood on the pathway to their house beneath a grey sky and amidst wind that whispered promises of a coming storm, she couldn't help but wonder, was mommy coming home? Could something have happened?
No. Ruby told herself. Mommy is going to be fine. She's the greatest mommy ever!
Yang sat back down on the ground, her feet aching from standing for so long. "Daddy, I'm tired."
Taiyang looked to his oldest daughter. He stretched out an arm and ruffled her golden her. "I'm tired too. I think for now, we should go back home. We need dinner after all. We'll wait tomorrow morning, okay?"
"Okay daddy." Ruby nodded as her father carried her back home, with Yang following behind. Mommy's okay. I'm sure she is. At that moment, Ruby didn't know how wrong she could have been.
Ruby stared at the roses on sale, mulling over which ones she should buy. It was the anniversary of her mother's death. It was always good to make her gift special. She felt that was the best way to honour her dead mother.
As she scanned through the bouquets on sale, her mind thought back to the first time she saw these flowers. It was a beautiful summer afternoon on Patch and she was taking a walk with her mother in the forest. Well, her mother was walking. She was being carried, looking around as her mother brought her into the woods just beyond the house. Suddenly, a flash of red caught her eye. She turned, pointing whilst all the while moaning for her mother to see. Soon enough, they had chanced upon a small bed of roses. Ruby had never seen anything so red in her life before and she instantly fell in love with the flowers.
Ruby now looked through the many selections, deciding on buying a small white bouquet. Giving the Lien to the clerk, she placed it in a small bag she carried and made her way to the docks, where a boat was scheduled to leave shortly for Patch. She wondered if it'd also be a good idea to drop by, say high to her father before returning again.
She turned around, wondering if she should have asked for Yang to come with her. But she had known for a while now how Yang and she were only half-sisters. That didn't mean she doubted Yang's love for her, but she always worried that thinking about Summer Rose would get Yang too caught up in the affairs concerning her own mother.
Ruby now mused with whether it was better knowing your mother was gone for good or whether she was still around, but in who knows where. She had asked herself this question many times, and it bothered her that she didn't have an answer. Another thing she wondered heavily on was whether Yang's real mother would see her as a genuine daughter. They had the same dad right? Surely she'd be welcome.
Ruby took a moment to realize she was shivering. She shook the thoughts out of her mind, realising that she was now obstructing the person directly behind her. She apologised, moving away with the bouquet clasped firmly in her arms. The boat to Patch was leaving in an hour's time. She walked toward the harbour, sombre thoughts of her mother filling her head with each step.
"Ruby?" Came the voice at the door. Ruby merely kept her face buried in the pillow, refusing to look up. She curled her legs toward herself, pretending the voice at the door didn't exist. However, considering the owner of the voice, it was probably a futile effort to begin with.
Footsteps sounded across the room as Ruby curled herself up tighter. The figure now sat on her bed, stroking her hair.
"Ruby, sweetheart…" Her father started, but it also sounded like he was choking on something. "It's been three days. You need to get something to eat."
"Don't wanna…" Ruby's muffled voice came from the pillow. Life was never going to be the same again. She thought about all the experiences with her mother, experiences that were now just memories of someone gone for good.
Never again would she be able to enjoy her mother's cookies. Never again would there be a need to wait for her out on the path to the house. Never again would she be able to hear her voice as she read through for the umpteenth time a beautiful fairy tale that always captivated the toddler's heart.
"Please Ruby." Her father said, caressing her hair once more. "You can't keep this up forever."
"I can and I will!" Ruby snapped as she sat upright and looked into her father's eyes. She blinked as small tears dropped from her silver orbs. At once, she wiped them away, sniffling all the while. "Mommy, mommy's gone! She's gone and never coming back!" She was crying now, and the tears refused to stop. "She can never read me stories anymore, she can never bake me cookies anymore. She can never laugh with me or scold me or smile at me anymore! So what else am I supposed to do?"
The little girl sobbed silently as her father merely listened. Ruby's body shivered as her father now embraced her in a hug.
"What am I supposed to do eh?" Her father repeated her exact same words. "I suppose I'm not sure what I'm going to do either…"
"Huh?" Ruby blinked as she looked at him. Now she saw something that she had missed earlier. Her father looked dishevelled, maybe even messed up. Ruby tilted her head as she wiped another batch of tears away. "Daddy, what's wrong?"
Her father sighed and looked away, but never took his hand off her. When he turned back, Ruby was shocked to find tears in his eyes as well. "Listen to me Ruby," He began, stroking her head as he did. "I promise I'll tell you when you are a little older. But for now, daddy also doesn't know what to do. I've just lost so much right now…"
"What did you lose?" Ruby blinked in confusion. "Is it something you can get back?"
Her father shook his head. "I'm not so sure. Right now, I don't even know where to look and I don't know if it'll make me feel better. But right now, I have to move forward, even if it's going to be the hardest thing I need to do. Because I'm sure that's what mommy would want."
Ruby blinked as she reached up and wiped another stream of tears away. "Am I supposed to forget about mommy?"
"No." Her father said firmly. "Never forget mommy. Remember her Ruby. Remember what she fought for, remember why she did it. Above all, remember what she wanted of you."
Two hours later:
Ruby stepped off onto the small harbour on the island of Patch, stretching her arms up to relieve herself of the stiffness that had come over her body from the boat ride. She had a feeling that her father wasn't going to be around considering how busy he had been for a while.
She didn't need a map to get around the place. Patch was always something that she kept close to her heart. The harbour did have a rather shabby feel to it despite the newly refurbished buildings and clean pavements, most likely due to the overpowering scent of fish. The roads weren't paved like that in Vale, having dirt roads instead. Still, Patch's small bit of civilisation was quite present in the fact that there were very little Grimm attacks at all, mostly due to the close proximity of Signal academy to practically anywhere save for the deep woods.
Ruby didn't bother waiting for anyone. Patch had a small population, and everyone pretty much knew everyone else. It wouldn't be long before Uncle Qrow caught wind of her presence back home.
"Ugh… I thought that boat trip would never end." Weiss moaned. "I feel sore all over."
"Sorry Weiss, but you've got to shake those stiff legs off now." Yang said as she stretched her arms. "We've got to hurry if we want to catch up to Ruby."
"Lead on Yang." Blake said. "This is the place where you grew up. You'll know it better than both of us."
Yang nodded, taking the lead and starting down a path that wound up into the mountains. As soon as she was a substantial distance away, Weiss pulled Blake back.
"So, did Yang say anything more about, well, their mother?" She asked the Faunus with a whisper. Weiss had managed to hear the full story of Yang and Ruby's, well, rather Ruby's biological mother during the boat trip. The blonde did a good job at recounting how badly Summer Rose's death had affected her and usually still did on this day.
"She told me pretty much the same thing she told you." Blake whispered back. "If she wanted us to know more, I'm sure she'd let Ruby know first. After all, this is her mother we are talking about."
"Hey slowpokes!" Yang called to them. "Step it up! We don't want to be in those woods at night!" Blake and Weiss nodded, increasing their pace. Yang had told them especially that even if the main urban areas were safe, the forest crawled with Grimm, waiting to catch anyone unawares.
Still, it wasn't those monsters that occupied Weiss's mind. It was Ruby. She hadn't known much about Ruby's family, but she could at least have tried to find out. Up till now, she had never known that Ruby too, had lost someone she cared about deeply. Weiss could still remember how she felt the day her grandmother had passed on.
Her grandmother was one of the people Weiss was fond of in her entire life. Often, when she wasn't occupied with studies or training, she would run to her grandmother and the elderly lady would recount the many experiences she had with the heiress's grandfather, all the places she had been to and so on.
Even after it reached a point where her grandmother went in and out of the hospital, Weiss was still close to her and often listened to more interesting stories from her. But of all things Weiss remembered, it was the last thing her grandmother had told her.
Even if you stumble my granddaughter, never give up. Push on, and be the best you can be. Make me proud my little snowflake, for I will always be watching over you.
That was the last thing Weiss had heard. For years, she had thought it was becoming the best in everything, but her time at Beacon had shown her a new light. She wondered how much Ruby was still clinging on to the past, still unable to completely come to terms with her mother's demise. Weiss clenched her fist in determination. She had promised to be the best teammate she could be, now was the time to show she lived up to that.
Just hang in there Ruby. The heiress thought as they walked toward the foreboding woods.
Ruby's boots moved through the snow covered earth, twigs and leaves crunching underneath the soles as she walked. Her hood was up and her cloak wrapped tightly around her to protect her from the chill. This part of Patch always snowed, no matter what time of year. The only thing that ever changed was the temperature. Sometimes it was cold, other times it was freezing. Still, this was the only place that they could build it.
The forest loomed all around her with a labyrinth of trees that appeared to go on and on forever. Anyone would have gotten lost in the maze of trees, but Ruby had frequented this place more often than anyone, and by now knew this place like the back of her hand. If she ended up somewhere where she wasn't, it was only because she chose to.
Still, getting lost was the least of anyone's worries. The forest was a hotspot for most of Patch's local Grimm, and most of them rarely ventured far from the forest. At the same time, the local Huntsmen and Huntresses rarely came up to exterminate the monsters, with few exceptions when it came to particularly problematic ones. In all, Patch's Grimm population usually remained unchanged.
Ruby heard some rustling to the left. She turned to see a blur moving through the trees. She reached behind her and unhooked Crescent Rose. By what she saw, it was a Beowolf. Soon enough, she would be facing a whole pack.
The first attack came from behind. She merely heard a growl and the soft footfalls of paws on snow. She whirled, Crescent Rose transforming into its scythe form and completely bisecting the Grimm in one fluid motion. As the two halves of the Beowolf landed in the snow, three more came from different directions. In a flash of rose petals, Ruby leapt into the air, the Beowolves barely scratching her. As they turned upwards, Ruby shifted her weapon into its rifle form, putting three rounds through their heads.
As she fell to the earth, another Beowolf, much larger than the others, had chosen that moment to charge her down, leaping up and slashing at her. Ruby barely had time to parry the blow, the force of it knocking her down.
Ruby rolled, dampening the impact of the fall. As she got up, she noticed something familiar on the snow. It was her bouquet of flowers that she had bought. She quickly got to her feet, hand stretched toward the small bundle of flowers, but her face fell as the large Beowolf stepped forward, crushing the flowers beneath its leg. Ruby's outstretched hand wavered for a moment as her head dipped. Her gift was nothing but trash now. That, along with the small bit of pain and grief mixed together to create an explosive anger that filled her entire frame.
"YOU MONSTER!" Ruby screamed, lunging for the Grimm at full speed. She swung her scythe as the beast dodged, only managing to slice off its left paw. As it howled in agony, Ruby fired three more shots at the other Beowolves that closed in. A growl sounded behind her as the large Beowolf-definitely the pack leader- swiped at her. She flipped backwards, leaping over two of the Grimm that had decided to strike from behind.
She cocked Crescent Rose as she studied the small army of Grimm arrayed before her. Her eyes filled with murder as she drew the scythe back, readying another attack.
Suddenly, a small projectile was lobbed through the air right into the middle of the pack. The detonation blew the smaller Grimm back while the pack leader merely flinched. As Ruby paused to comprehend the situation, a blur of black and white dashed past the pack of monsters, cutting them apart.
"Blake? Weiss? What?" Ruby blinked as she registered her teammates slaughtering the monsters.
"Later Ruby." Weiss said as she stood beside her partner. "It seems we have some cleaning up to do."
"Best we finish this quickly." Blake said as she crouched low. "If the forest is really flooded with these creatures, we might just be attracting more attention to ourselves."
The large Beowolf roared, obviously getting more and more frustrated with the huge losses to its pack. It charged in, running only on two legs due to the recent wound inflicted by Ruby.
"Why don't you have this one?" Blake said as she dashed forward, sliding under the Grimm and engaging two others behind it. Ruby blinked as Weiss gave her a small smile.
"That one trashed your gift right?" Weiss said as she stood poised for another strike. "I'm sure it has gotten personal, so why don't you go and finish it off."
Ruby watched her partner move forward to strike down another, ignoring the large one approaching her. Ruby stared at it and it stared back, obviously trying to intimidate her. Ruby wasn't fazed. She was really, really pissed off.
"You ruined my mother's death anniversary gift." Ruby muttered as she twirled the scythe. "Prepare to die…"
She charged in, and an agonized howl filled the air.
"Well, that was a thing." Yang said as she dusted the snow off herself.
"Good thing we hustled it." Blake nodded. "Though I doubt Ruby would have had a problem. This was a relatively small pack."
"Yeah, but if these forests are as infested as you say they are, I have a feeling more Grimm would be coming soon." Weiss noted as she sheathed Myrtenaster.
Ruby didn't join in the conversation. She merely bent over to inspect the damage to her bouquet. Weiss noticed immediately and went over to her. "How is it?" The heiress asked, tilting her head to the side to inspect the damaged flowers.
"It's good for just fertilizer now." Ruby mumbled. "And I spent a lot of Lien on it too." Weiss stepped around and confirmed it. Most of the roses had been trampled, their white petals now scattered amidst the snow. They blended in with the landscape perfectly, so no one would be able to notice them at first glance.
Once so beautiful, but now just forgotten and trampled huh? Weiss thought as Ruby fingered what was left of the wrapping. She turned and looked back to Yang and Blake, motioning them to leave for a bit. Yang and Blake got the message, stepping away to act as lookouts. Weiss waited for a few seconds before placing a hand on Ruby's shoulder.
"Ruby…" Weiss began, structuring her sentences mentally at the same time. "Yang told us, about what happened to your mother." She felt Ruby tense up, but thankfully, the girl didn't react. But Weiss knew people reacted differently to sensitive things, and didn't take it completely as a good sign that she didn't throw her arm off.
"It's just, I know what it's like to lose someone close to you." Weiss said. At this, Ruby stood up and turned to face her.
"Weiss, I know what you are trying to say, but please, just stop." Ruby said softly. "I have so many memories of her that no matter what, it never gets easier. Yang, my dad, my uncle, they all have told me that it'll go away, but it never really does. I remember all the times I had with her, and I know I can never have them back. She was a part of my life, and she's gone forever."
Ruby started tearing up, but still kept herself in check. Weiss kept silent, waiting for her to calm down. It was a whole minute before she spoke. "Listen Ruby, I've lost people too. But one of them wasn't to the White Fang. It was my grandmother." Weiss now looked up into the sky, the cold air brushing across her face. "She was one of the most memorable people in my life. Did you know she took me to my first concert? That was when I wanted to learn how to sing. I'll never forget the first time she listened to me too. And she was really happy for me."
"And when I was trying painting for the first time, she pitched in even though she was at such an age." Weiss snickered as she remembered something. "She showed me one trick, and that was to put all your paint in balloons and then pop them. My father was so furious with the mess we made."
Ruby looked up to see Weiss chuckling. Ruby's mind now drifted back to the time her mother had teased her own father after coming home from a long mission. Ruby now laughed slightly at the scene that played out in her mind.
"Then one day, she got sick. Really sick." Weiss said. "She was admitted to the hospital for a long time. I often visited whenever I could, hoping that she would get better. I was really naïve though. But she told me one thing, and that was no matter what, she wanted me to move forward and be the best person I could be. For myself and for her. I don't know your mother, so I doubt it would mean much coming from me, but if anything, I'm sure she'd want you to live a meaningful life for yourself, one that'd make her proud."
Ruby looked into Weiss's eyes that also glimmered with tears. "You really think so?"
"Come on you dolt!" Weiss sputtered as she blinked back the tears. "She was your mother! If anything, she'd want you to live your life to the fullest! I mean, that's why she did what she did right? And here you are moping all over. How much of a fool can you be?" Ruby blinked as Weiss's tears now fell. It seemed the entire emotional situation was getting to them.
Ruby smiled again, drying her eyes. "Weiss, thanks."
Weiss nodded, huffing as she did. "Well, if you do, the next time something like this happens, tell us about it. I don't need another introvert on our team. Blake pretty much has that covered already."
Ruby laughed. "Yeah. Duly noted ma'am." Then, she moved forward and hugged the heiress, who hugged her back.
"Too bad about the flowers though." Weiss said. "It was a good gift."
"I'll figure something out." Ruby shrugged. Then suddenly, something caught her eye. A small flash of red. Ruby immediately dashed off to examine it, with Weiss following behind. The heiress caught up to her and gasped. They now stood amidst a bed of bright red roses.
"Amazing." Weiss marvelled. "I've never seen these before!"
Ruby recognised them immediately as the first roses she had ever seen. Were they a species unique only to Patch? Ruby didn't know, but a bright smile formed on her face.
"Hey, would you all mind giving me a minute?"
"So this is it?" Weiss asked as Ruby placed the huge makeshift rose bouquet down by the stone. Ruby had picked quite a number of the flowers after finding them, using the torn wrapping from her purchased one to hold them. Weiss now read the words inscribed upon the stone.
SUMMER ROSE
THUS KINDLY I SCATTER
"Thus kindly I scatter?" Blake wondered as she read the words.
"It was something she would always say before she left on a mission." Ruby said. "For a long time, I didn't really know why. I always thought it was something she told us not to worry, that no matter what, she'd always come back. But now, I think I understand. Maybe it wasn't about saying she'd always be back. Maybe it was just one way of saying that a part of her will never truly go. That no matter what, she'd be with us, somehow. And that's why she wasn't afraid of leaving to help others, even at the cost of her own life." Ruby now looked to the rest. "Is it weird, saying it that way?"
"Nah." Yang shook her head, putting one hand around Ruby's shoulders. "I think it is just fine."
Weiss nodded as she placed something on the stone as well, a small white rose pendant. Blake didn't offer anything, but merely dipped her head, as if in a silent prayer.
Soon enough, the four girls turned around, preparing to leave. Weiss and Blake were interested in seeing Patch and Yang was more than welcome to provide a tour. As they walked down and back under the canopy of trees, a rustling in the bush made them stop.
Surrounding them now were somewhere close to thirty Beowolves, no doubt attracted by their recent battle.
"Again?" Weiss groaned. "Turbulence has to have a limit."
"Just another day in the life I suppose." Blake said as she drew her weapons. "Might as well get to it or we'll never start the tour."
"I call first shot!" Yang cried as she fired one round at the first Beowolf, blasting it through some trees. The rest of the pack roared and moved in, hungry for blood.
As her team moved in around her, Ruby turned to the direction of her mother's memorial. She now swore she could see the white cloaked figure, waving at her and giving a small, warm smile.
Please keep watching me mommy. She thought. I'll become one of the greatest Huntresses ever, and help others like you did.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Ruby jumped into the fray, a new conviction and fire in her heart.
Author's note:
Well, that's my first Oneshot. I would just like to say, this story is dedicated to my Grandmother, who passed away some three weeks ago. And that got me noticing that I wasn't that close to her even if we lived in the same house. She would sometimes cook for me and my family and she always loved talking to us whenever she could. But things pretty got complicated when she got bedridden after a stroke, and I suppose from there, we kind of grew distant.
Still however, I'm sure that, like anyone, she would have wanted me to live on and live a happy and peaceful life. And that's where this story came out, as I'm sure that's the same thing Summer Rose would have wanted. Thanks to all who took the time to read this, and to those who have lost loved ones in their life, I hope you all find your own way to remember and honour them.
Jdbl00d