"Sunsingers praise, Strikers punch, but Gunslingers? We deal in lead, friend."
- An old Gunslinger proverb
- 88AA -
It was not long after the Father left that he first saw movement from within the cabin.
The Hunter, silent and stoic, watched as a nest of golden hair exited the front door of their house. The girl; so young and full of hope, bound along the paved road that led away from the safety of her home. Making it all but a few hundred meters before she stopped cold. Lilac eyes scanned the distant horizon, seemingly unsure of her destination. Reaching into her pocket to retrieve a paper parchment; she glanced down to her hand, towards an old map she held. Moments passed as she stood and studied the worn page dutifully. Her forehead scrunched in concentration and she puffed her cheek out in annoyance more than once. The man in the treeline swore he even saw her wet her finger in her mouth before popping it up and towards the sky. As if determining the speed and direction of wind would further her goal. A naive move that only an innocent child could make so endearing.
Finally convinced of her direction of travel, she tucked the parchment back into her pocket and settled off. She had made it only a few steps before she glanced back at her silent traveling companion. Nestled within a bundle of warm, colorful blankets; a head of dark mahogany hair and silver eyes laid sleeping. Content within her comfy shelter aboard the small red wagon that trundled behind her older sibling; a toddler slept, oblivious to the world and to the dangers that lay within it.
The Hunter watched it all as he followed the pair through the trees. He continually glanced to the road ahead, and then back to the home they had left behind. The sun would begin setting soon. And with the setting sun, darkness would descend. And within the dark, evil stirred.
Where are you going? He worried silently. You need to go back. Go home. He pleaded uselessly with her. It isn't safe for you to be out here alone...
The girl didn't respond. How could she? The Hunter's warnings were but silent and subconscious. The contract had been made and he was bound by that contact's rules. He had been forbidden to speak with her, to have any sort of direct contact with her at all. His duty was that of a ever observing sentinel. So he could do nothing but watch. Watch, until criteria of this particular job dictated that action was to be taken. But that action would require danger, and danger was something he was determined to keep the two youths clear from.
He may have been a scoundrel who considered the job and the payout all that mattered... But a child was still a child.
His conscience spiked. He had to do something.
"Ghost." He spoke aloud as he dashed through the trees. His disturbance, while controlled and tact; still caused red and bronze colored leaves to fall from their respective branches as he went to and from. The Fall season was here, and the trees were beginning to shed their coats for Winter. The paved road below was littered with former greenery. Splotches of vibrant reds, browns and yellows clashed with the dull gray of man-made asphalt. The cold breeze billowed his cloak around him as he gained purchase upon a sturdy branch and rested. More leaves fell to the earth below.
"I'm here Guardian." A voice, synthetic and familiar, echoed through his helm immediately. Ghost, his eternal companion. Just as much as a stranger in these strange lands as he, and the only other source of Light in this world of increasing darkness. "What do you need me to do?"
"Do you have the contact information to their father's scroll?" An anonymous tip should work. Get someone here to deescalate the situation before it gets out of hand. The girl would be safe, his conscience would be cleared, and the contract would remain unbroken. Everybody wins.
"I'll need to connect to the CCT. I can bypass their security system, and cross-reference his surname with every other Ta-"
"How long?" The Hunter interrupted from his perch. His eyes scanned the road, way ahead of the children walking the path. Watchful for any dangers that could be lurking within the depths of the forest.
"Could be a few minutes. Could be a few hours. It's all an uncertainty."
"That's not good enough Ghost." The Hunter frowned, glancing back at the rapidly setting sun. His helmet's audio receptors were capable of magnifying the decibel reception of the average human ear to ludicrous levels. He fiddled with his settings and the world seemed to open up around him, overwhelming his senses. Calm yourself. Focus. He took a breath, concentrating on what he wanted to hear. It was all white noise to him. Block it out. Find what you are looking for. And there: beyond a toddler's quiet snores, the squeaking of wagon wheels and a young girl's gentle humming; he could just barely make out the howling of a beowolf. An Alpha, leading his pack somewhere out further in the forest.
The Hunter swore silently. Reflex and muscle memory had him reaching down to his primary weapon. The hand cannon spun in his hand as he felt the weight. Familiar and comforting. He snapped open the breach and observed the weapon's cylinder. Loaded. With a twirl, he returned the firearm to his holster. Quick hands thumbed his belt, confirming his pouches were supplied. High explosive and incendiary. His attention went to the multitude of knives on his person and to the small, yet deadly sword on his back. Sheathed, all ready to go. It was all an act of self preparation he engaged with whenever nervousness would creep up upon him. A never-ending mental checklist that helped to keep him on his toes. It served him well so far.
"You need to speed things up."
"I'm working as fast as I can Guardian." Apologetically, his Ghost replied, though with a hint of exasperation in his tone. "It is difficult without a remote connection."
"I know you are Ghost, I know." The Hunter sighed as he glanced back down to the road, towards a youth pulling along a little red wagon. "I just…"
"I'll double my efforts. Don't worry. We'll keep them safe."
"Thanks bud." He murmured his thanks, eyes tirelessly watching the youth as she stopped. Off the beaten path before her laid a trail leading directly into the heart of the forest.
Don't be stupid kid. Just turn around and head back home.
A quick glance at her map, a puff of her cheeks, and she was off. Strolling down the darkened trail that lead deeper into uncertainty. Blonde curls, bright and warm as the Light itself, bounced lightly as she hummed a soft nursery rhyme to herself. Her eyes were wide and curious as she surveyed the looming forest before her, diligently on the lookout for any threats.
Despite his disapproval of her current actions, The Hunter found himself praising the girl just a bit. What she seemed to be lacking in common sense, she made up for in guts and instinct. Not bad. Never get complacent. Always keep your head on a swivel. He chuckled quietly.
The girl paused midstep. Lilac colored orbs snapped over until they paused in his direction. A curious face tilted to one side as her eyes narrowed silently.
The Hunter immediately ceased all movement. Ceased breathing all together. Still like a statue, a steel colored visor met a lilac colored gaze. Neither side breaking contact.
I don't know how she heard me… but there's no way in hell she actually saw me. Right?
The staredown lasted for what felt like an eternity. And just when the hidden thought that he had been made, the blonde broke first. Shrugging to herself, she continued onward, down the trail to her unknown destination.
The Hunter released a breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding.
"Perceptive, isn't she?" The disembodied voice of his mechanical friend echoed through his head. "Maybe you should try cloaking next time."
"But where's the fun in that…?" He muttered quietly before he continued on, shadowing the pair moving further and further into the dark.
- 88AA -
The hours just ticked on by; while the miles seemed to stretch and bend even longer than before. A harsh wind blew as the cover of night had completely fallen over the forest trail. A dim ray of moonlight shone through the treetop canopy, the only source of light within this depth of the woods. Cold. Harsh. Dark and unforgiving.
Still, the child continued on. Undeterred by the bitter elements before her.
The Hunter lazily twirled a knife in his hand as he silently watched from the treetops above. He had been trailing the girls every step of the way and his fingers now twitched with what could only be anxiety as an uncomfortable feeling beginning to form in the pit of his stomach. Ghost had managed to anonymously contact their parental figure, yet no help had arrived yet. The distance from Signal Academy to here was great, and the possible landmass for a search party to cover was even greater. Rescue could possibly take hours, time was not on their side.
All of this meant nothing to the girl, who continued her journey through the island's quiet woods, completely oblivious to the possible dangers that lay within. What she was aware of, however, was the toll that the voyage had taken upon her form. The girl's hair was disheveled, with twigs and dirt clinging to the once brilliant golden locks. Light bruises and cuts adorned her small body. Her legs trembled as she pulled along the little red wagon behind her, exhaustion taking its root upon her muscles. Her clothes were damp with sweat, and she shivered violently when the wind picked up in force. She was not properly clothed for this type of environment.
Yet still she refused to stop. Refused to break.
"She's a tough little one. I'll give her that." Ghost commented and The Hunter grunted in agreement. He watched as a caved in portion of the trail, hidden by darkness, tripped the poor girl's foot and she came crashing down to the earth. Her knee took the brunt of the impact, scraping across the ground and drawing blood. Her strength waned, but she didn't cry out. Instead she huffed and puffed, her breathing labored and heavy. Quiet sniffles reached his ears, and he saw glistening tears forming in her eyes. There she sat, in the dirt; allowing her body a few precious moments of rest, before gathering her strength and continuing on her way. Her little sibling, still asleep within the wagon, cooed lightly.
"I don't think she'll be able to keep this up much longer." The Hunter spoke after a moment of hesitation. His companion buzzed and chirped in agreement.
"She needs to turn back. There's no shame in admitting defeat." This time he paused before he could concur with his Ghost. After all, quitting was considered blasphemy amongst Hunters. They were lone wolves who took pride in the fact that they either succeeded, or died trying.
But this child... He furrowed his brow as he thought to himself. This child is not a Hunter. She should not be out here at night. She should be home, safe and warm. Feeding cookies to her younger sister. He anchored his weight upon the limbs of a tree and jumped. Darting through the canopy, advancing ahead of the two girls below. Why does she continue? What could be so important that she risks everyth-
The treeline opened into a clearing. An open space among an endless sea of forest trees; akin to an oasis in a desolate desert. The moon shone down brightly upon the spacing, basking the strangely familiar area with a healthy glow that illuminated the solid structure in the field's center. Oh. Realization struck The Hunter like a slap across the face. Oh holy shit. The field, the clearing, the old broken home. Suddenly it all made sense: what the child was doing, why she had come out all this way... He had been here before. She brought him here before.
The girl, Yang was her name... she was looking for her.
"Ghost." The Hunter's voice was low and crestfallen. "Send a message to their father. Tell him-"
"Already sent. He's on the way." The Hunter tapped the side of his helmet, a symbol of thanks reserved only for when his friend and partner lacked a physical form.
Movement from below caught his attention downward. The siblings had finally arrived at their destination. The eldest was beyond exhausted, her movements heavy and lethargic. Yet when she glimpsed the abandoned home, her eyes lit up and a near silent cheer exited her lips.
The Hunter felt a pain in his chest. Sorry kid. Mommy's not home right now. But still, the child continued forward.
"Look Rubes!" Yang called out, a slight lisp in her speech caused by two missing front teeth. "We found it!" She called out to her younger sister, who was now awake aboard the little red wagon; she stared apprehensive at the world with wide, innocent silver eyes.
"Yang…" The little one meekly spoke. Ruby was her name… She shivered as a gust of icy wind blew by. "C-Can we go home now?" Unlike her sister, her eyes were wild and frightened.
Yang scoffed as she approached the decrepit building with renewed vigor. Her pace equaling out to what could be defined as a power walk. The Hunter figured she would have sprinted up there if she could. Her legs must have been pushed to their limits on the journey.
"We can't go home yet sis!" Yang chastised her younger sister slightly. "I have to find my Mom first." Her pigtails, nearly undone by this point in the journey, swayed back and forth as she bounced up the small hill to the home.
"Oookay…" Her sister wasn't too keen on the idea, but she said nothing more in respect for her older sibling.
"Mom! Moooom!" Yang called out as they neared the derelict house. Perhaps once it was considered warm and homely… but now it was nothing more than a broken down shadow of its former self: smashed windows, decaying wood overgrowing with moss and weeds. The same disrepair extended to the fragmented looking barn house connected to it. The barn's red paint had long since corroded away, and the roof partly collapsed. It's front doors had been ripped from it's hinges, and the interior seemed to radiate darkness from it's depths.
Wait...
Something stirred within the darkness.
"Ghost, motion sensors. Now." Immediately, a mini radar appeared over the corner of The Hunter's heads-up-display. Several blimps developed in sync. Two for the children below…
And several unknowns within the barn house.
"Send a message to their father. Tell him to get his ass in gear." The Hunter readied his hand cannon, locking the perfectly worn hammer to the rear. His other hand grasped the pommel of the sword on his back. His grip tightened ever so slightly.
"On it."
Yang and Ruby approached the open barn house, unaware of the danger inside. What are you doing kid? Stop!
"Mom? Mom are you in there? It's me! Yang!"
Her calls elected a response, as a pair of piercing red eyes gleamed back from within the shadows of the barn. And for a single hopeful second, The Hunter believed that maybe, just maybe her mother had returned. To reunite with the child she left behind so long ago…
"Mom…?"
...His hopes were dashed the moment when multiple blood colored eyes penetrated the dark. A fierce growl filled the air.
Son of a bitch.
Yang fell backward as the beowolf pack crept out the barn house. Inhuman hate and discontent radiated from their very being. They were covered in fur that was darker than midnight, stark white segmented bone armored their faces, and spikes and razor sharp claws adjoined their muscled bodies. The moonlight illuminated their scornful maws, as dagger-like teeth grit and snarled towards those who dared to intrude upon their land. The Grimm stood with a significant hunch in their spines; but despite this, they towered over the average man. Yet however intimidating they were, they were nothing when compared to the last one. Large; far larger than the others, who were seemingly bowing as the fiercest of their numbers approached. It was more heavily armored than it's kin, the bony plates covering from head to toe. And hellish red eyes that seemed to glow even harsher than his brethren before him.
The pack leader. The Alpha. He howled to the shattered moon above
To her credit, Yang didn't freeze up like most children her age would have in such an encounter. Instead, she turned tail and ran. As far and fast as her already fatigued legs would take her, and about as quick as Ruby's little red wagon would allow.
The wagon...!
A stone caught one of the lead tires of the improv baby stroller, and inertia rocked the child's plaything. Both Yang and Ruby were sent tumbling down the hill leading to the homestead. They flipped and rolled before crashing upon each other, coming to a standstill at the base of the hill.
Ruby started crying. Yang was screaming her name as she quickly stood and rushed over to her sister's aid. She attempted to pick her sibling up; only for her small, frail legs to finally give out on her as she collapsed to the ground once more.
The beowolves started their descent. Slow, and predatory. The moon above held the promise of a hunt, to the promise of blood.
Without a chance to escape, Yang struggled to her feet. Weak, shaky legs miraculously steeled themselves as she stepped between the wolves and her younger sister. She raised her fists high, settling into a fighter's stance. She grit her teeth as lilac eyes leaked and streamed fresh tears down her soft face. Over the wailing of her sibling, and the howls of the beowolves; her voice managed to echoed throughout the night. Louder than even the Alpha's shrieks.
"Stay away from my sister you monsters!"
Her eyes flashed red, she was a lioness, strong and defiant before impossible odds.
The Alpha snapped to her challenge, and one of its pack brothers obeyed. Advancing forward with a menacing gait, the beowolf almost comically towered over the young girl. Pouncing forward; the wolf's claws extended outward, poised to strike.
And a flash of a blade echoed throughout the night.
Black ichor soared through the air, along with the severed arm of a beowolf. It landed in a heap of gore and bone; twitching slightly before dissipating into a small black cloud of dust which further dissapated into the ether. Yang had closed her eyes when the wolf leapt forward, expecting her end. But it never came, and when she opened them, her eyes laid upon an unknown guardian. Poised before the darkness.
When the Grimm finally struck, The Hunter had already began his descent. He called forth the Light within his vessel, transferring power to his legs and propelled himself forward with the velocity of a bullet. His body ripped a hole through time and space; short ranged teleportation. A technique known as a Blink back in his old world. He landed swiftly before the Grimm and his blade struck first, straight and true; piercing the wolf's hide and severing the beast's arm from its body.
The Grimm's claws were sharp. But the edge of his sword was sharper.
The beowolf howled in pain as its right arm left its socket. A follow up strike ensured it would not howl again, as his blade bisected the wolf from hip to shoulder blade. The top half of its corpse flew backwards, striking one of its pack brothers in the maw. Its bottom half remained, anchored and still, before collapsing backward. The ground beneath it stained by its blackened blood.
"Four hostiles remain." Ghost commented from within his helm. As a part of their teamwork, Ghost would calculate combat parameters and alert the Guardian to any updates he was not currently aware of. The coordination was like having an extra pair of eyes in the back of one's head, completely invaluable in a fight. "Alert. Rightmost target has shifted his weight in preparation to strike."
The Hunter shot forward, bashing his shoulder into the nearest Grimm with a charge of such force that it would likely had made a Titan green with envy. His cloak flapped around him as the beowolf lost its balance, and the two crashed to the ground below. Grappling with the Grimm, they became a mess of tangled limbs and fur. The two struggled to achieve dominance over the other in an awkward dance of close-quarters-combat that most people in Remnant would probably consider certain suicide. Yet for The Hunter, he saw nothing but opportunity. The wolf's arms; long and lanky, became unwieldy in such close proximity; at least for the moment. And while The Hunter's sword was ineffective at this current stance, his other weapon was not.
Gunshots echoed throughout the land as The Hunter unleashed his hand cannon, barrel to chest. Heavy caliber, high velocity rounds tore into the Grimm at point-blank range. The space-age bullets ripped flesh and bone asunder and the beowolf's heart exploded in a squall of gore. Warm blood splashed his helmet, and a tremor shot up his arm with recoil.
"Two down. Three remain."
Vaulting back up into a combat stance, The Hunter brought his hand cannon to bear. The barrel still smoking; he opened fire twice more, both shots striking the Alpha wolf in the head before his pack could react. The Alpha shrieked in pain as it buried its ruined face into his paws and his two pack brothers rushed forward to pressure their foe. Undaunted, The Hunter blinked backwards, increasing the distance between the two Grimm by several meters while simultaneously returning his sword to its sheath. The Grimm snarled, guttural sounds of hatred and fury. They began yet another charge, crying out for blood and vengeance. Blood of the humans before them. Vengeance for their fallen kin.
The Hunter's reaction was fast and methodical. Quick on the draw, he unleashed yet another salvo from his weapon. Two shots, impossibly well aimed, impacted the leftmost Grimm directly in the kneecaps. An explosion of bone and gore synchronized with the painful yelps of the negative emotion driven beast. It buckled to the ground, effectively immobile. The remaining beowolf continued its reckless charge. Despite taking several rounds straight to the chest, it still managed to reach its intended target; either through rage, primal instinct or a little of both. The wolf towered over the gunslinger, both arms raised high above, claws gleaming in the moonlight. It slashed its claw downward, intending to skewer the man with its natural born blades.
The wolf hit nothing as the Guardian blinked away in a puff of light and smoke.
High above the Grimm, The Hunter reappeared in the physical realm; hand cannon drawn and sighted in. He fired one shot. The supersonic round soared through the air and impacted the back of the wolf's leg; ripping muscle and sinew apart and causing him to collapse to his knees.
The long, gangly nature of the Grimm's body type meant that its head was effectively ground level as it stumbled downward. Pain throbbed from his leg and the wolf growled as it attempted to stand, only to find its attention drawn towards an oddly shaped metal cylinder resting on the ground before it. The object blinked and beeped, and the Grimm cocked its head in mild fascination as the odd metal cylinder began blinking red faster and faster.
The Hunter's feet made contact with the ground as the tripmine he had left behind detonated with a violent roar. Shrapnel, heat, and extreme pressure all but reduced the beowolf to nothing but meat and tubes. Debris and mangled body parts rained from above, showering The Hunter with dirt and gore. It seeped into his cloak and stained his armor, the black ichor nestled into every crack and crevice; oozing down The Hunter's arms before quickly drying and dissipating into a fine black mist that disappeared into the moonlit sky.
Twirling his hand cannon, the gunslinger approached the crippled Grimm, who snapped and snarled at him from its neutered position on the ground. Raising his weapon, the Guardian 'tsk-tsk'd' the beast lightheartedly, before pulling the trigger of his firearm. The hammer fell. The weapon clicked.
Empty chamber.
Undeterred, The Hunter instead raised his boot high above the Grimm's snapping jaws, and brought it down upon the wolf's neck in a forceful stomp. The beast's body seized and twitched, arms flaring out in a useless attempt to free itself. The movement continued until The Hunter shifted his weight, jerking his foot to the side with a loud snap, and the beast suddenly ceased his struggling.
"Two for one!" His Ghost called out in his best announcer voice possible.
The Hunter chuckled in quiet amusement, before shifting his attention back to the situation at hand. And now for the big guy...
Savage, guttural growls met his ears as he came face to face with the Alpha beowolf. His earlier shots had caused only superficial damage to the Grimm; causing the armored bone helmet upon its face to fracture and split. Blood seeped through the cracks in the armor, and glowing red eyes burned across the night, solely aimed for him.
The Alpha was pissed.
"Hey there Fido! Sit boy, sit!" The Hunter gripped his weapon tightly as the Grimm roared and charged forward. With no time to reload, he improvised. Gathering the energy within himself, he called forth the blessing of a greater being. Heat; a burning passion rose from within his chest. Sun and warmth flushed through his body, from his head to his toes, tingling his fingertips. He channeled the exotic and otherworldly powers and quantum forces. From beyond the realms of this world. Beyond the understanding of Man. The final gift of the Traveler.
Light.
The fire within burst into focus - through The Hunter's shoulder, down his arm and into his weapon as his finger closed upon the trigger. He drew and the Alpha lunged forward.
"Bad dog. Sit."
The golden gun exploded outward with a blinding stream of solar energy that consumed the Grimm whole. A miniature sun flashed upon the impact zone as solar flames consumed all that it touched. Warm rays of brilliant sunlight cascaded like a waterfall across the open field, banishing away the darkness with a flash of rich, unexplainable energies. Ashes rained as the fire burned, and scorched, and purged away the night.
When the light faded, The Hunter was gone.
- 88AA -
Yang was clutching Ruby tight as the battle between the unknown Stranger and the Grimm unfolded before her. Her sister had passed out from sheer terror as the monsters had lunged forward, and she had done all she could to shield her from harm.
Then, when all hope seemed lost, a savior had descended from the stars above; cleaving through the Grimm like a hero in the old stories her mother, her adoptive mother had used to tell her when she was but a baby.
From where she sat holding Ruby, Yang's jaw was dropped for the entirety of the battle. If one could call it that. Slaughter seemed like the more appropriate word to describe it. The Stranger, whom she assumed was a man, dispatched the Grimm seemingly without effort. His movements were so quick, so fine and precise; it seemed like more of a dance of elegance than a fight to the death. He managed to make his sword and his gun as much apart of himself as his own beating heart.
She remembered having watched her father Tai and her adoptive mother Summer spar outside their home during the warmer seasons. Fluid and graceful, yet dangerous and deadly; their sparring held much in common with this Stranger's combat flow. And there was no doubt in her mind that the man defending her sister and herself was a Huntsman. No one else in the world of Remnant was capable of such precision in combating the Grimm.
It was at this moment that Yang truly understood just how foolish she was to believe that she and Ruby could leave the safety of their home and embark on a quest to try and find her birth mother. The dangers of the outside world were real, and not something a stupid little girl was supposed to mess with. Least of all a stupid little girl who dragged along her defenseless little sister for the ride.
And thanks to her stupidity, she almost got herself killed. Worse than that, she nearly got Ruby killed.
Never again...
The words echoed through her head as her hand raked through Ruby's hair, trying to comfort her unconscious sister. Never again would she ever endanger her own, or her sister's life. Never would she ever endanger her loved ones. Not over a mother she never knew. Not for anything.
Never ever again.
The battle had just about reached its end. The Stranger had done away with the pack; all that remained left was the Alpha. The final Grimm snarled and snapped as it rose from its perch. Red eyes burning holes into the night as it leapt forward. The Stranger raised his weapon in the air, a deadly looking revolver; and a strange but comforting glow enveloped the weapon. The light radiated power; warm and welcoming. She felt rejuvenated from just basking in its glow. She felt alive.
Then, the Stranger fired his weapon and the world became nothing but gold.
Yang cried out as the blinding flash nearly burnt her retinas. She slammed her eyelids shut, the brief glimpse of that brilliant glow still searing her vision, as she used her free hand to cover Ruby's face from the blast. Heat washed over her still form, but it comforted her rather than harm. Falling over her like a warm blanket and enveloping her into a realm of what felt like paradise as dozens of happy emotions hit her system at once.
It felt glorious.
The moment passed, and the feelings left as quick as they came. And as the warmth faded, Yang suddenly realized just how quiet the world had become. Her heart seemed to beat and echo within her ears, drowning out the dominion around herself. She opened her eyes.
The Grimm were slain. The Stranger was gone.
"Wha-" Yang squeaked as her head flung from side to side, searching the area for any sign of the Huntsman who saved them. With the exception of the small ember flames that still burned and crackled the ground where the Alpha wolf once stood, the rest of the field was empty and eerie. There was nobody else here. Their savior was gone.
Yang felt a deep sense of disappointment fall in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to thank the man for saving Ruby and herself. She wanted to take him home to meet Dad and Uncle Qrow, so that they could meet the man who saved her and Rubes, and so that they could share stories as fellow Huntsmen. They could become friends. And then she wanted to bake a mountain of slightly burnt cookies with Ruby and give them to the Stranger; along with flowers, and toys, and candy, and sweets, and gifts and just about anything else good that Yang could get her hands on. All as a way to say 'Thank you for saving me and my sister Mister!'
She wanted to, but now he was gone and she couldn't. Even though he deserved that much.
"Thank you!" Yang called out into the night, her voice dry and hoarse from all the gasping and screaming she had done. Her eyes blurred slightly and although no reply came, other than the cool wind that blew across the trees and flickered the grass, Yang felt better about the whole ordeal.
"Y-Yang?"
Lithe arms tightened around Yang's tiny body and she gasped as Ruby regained consciousness. Her little sister's face was a little grimy, and there was a large red welt forming on her forehead from where her head impacted the ground when her wagon crashed downhill... but regardless, her little sister was alive and relatively unhurt.
"Yang?" Ruby spoke, her voice nothing more than an tired whisper. Her dazed and unfocused eyes searched around, her forehead scrunched in confusion. "Where are we?" Yang tried to speak, but no words came. Her vision was impaired and clouding rapidly and suddenly one of Ruby's tiny tender hands was caressing her face.
"Why are you crying big sister?"
The dam broke, and suddenly Yang was clutching Ruby tight, and sobbing into her little sister's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry..." She spoke again and again through her ugly crocodile tears, snot running down her face and her body trembling. Her sister, unsure of what to do, merely patted her back as a gentle breeze washed over them. Yang squeezed Ruby tighter, keeping each other warm as she continued to sob and apologize.
When Uncle Qrow finally found them, they were still locked in an embrace. Holding each other tightly in a quiet little field as the shattered moon above shined down upon them
- 88AA -
Hidden under the cover of night, The Hunter watched and waited from the treeline. The rescue party had finally arrived, and the girls were finally heading back to the safety of their home. A man with dark hair and a wicked looking scythe had found them and from the girl's reaction, it was obvious that they knew him well. He guarded over them now, The Hunter's job was done.
For now, at least.
"Well that was exciting." His Ghost chirped, finally transmatting his physical form into a normal plane of existence now that the coast was clear. "Job well done, right?"
"Naturally." He twirled his cannon lazily, his steady eyes following the girls and their escort exiting the field. Ghost followed his gaze, his form whirred and the singular blue light of his optical sensor shuttered like the lens of a camera.
"Y'know..." Ghost said slowly, floating back to face his Guardian. "While it wasn't the normal sort of job we usually take... It was nice. Getting to help the innocent again." His Guardian said nothing, silent and still, his focus remained on the retreating forms of the girls he saved. Of the one he was hired to watch over. "Arcturus?"
"C'mon Ghost." Arcturus returned his hand cannon to it's holster and started to walk in the opposite direction. "There's a town a few miles up the road. I could use a drink." He crossed the threshold between light and dark as his cloak enveloped him, and he vanished into the moonlight.
"Hmm." Ghost hummed quietly, his optic watching the trio of humans finally break line of sight, before he too disappeared. Exiting the physical realm and entering a metaphysical realm within his Guardian.
A cool breeze blew across the night. And all was silent as the grave.
