A young woman stood on the throat of the world, a blizzard lashing around her. Her voice roared over the wind that sent her cloak lashing to the side.

"Zu'u drey hi hind, Bormahu!" the world shook as she spoke, her arms thrown wide as she span in place, ignoring her companions, "Zu'u kriaan Alduin! Zu'u kriaan Miraak! Vokrii hofkiini! Zu'u Ysmir, Strundu'ul, Dovahsebrom, zu'u fen ni-"

The woman's roars were cut off by a shimmer of light where her and her companions once stood. After a long moment another voice spoke.

"Lok! Vah! Koor!"

The three words did not have the same world shaking effect as the woman's, but they did have an effect nonetheless. With unnatural swiftness the storm cleared, allowing two dragons to land. One with ragged wings and the other with blood red scales.

They stared at the shimmer for a moment, before the red one spoke.

"Bormahu bolaav ek hind?"

"Geh."

-X Ruby X-

Ruby Rose jerked up in bed with a ragged gasp for air. Looking around, she reached up to move her sweat coated hair out of her eyes.

That… that had been a weird dream. Dragons, werewolves, a civil war (which she hadn't gotten involved in), vampires and like, hyper-faunus? Khajiit and Argonians, her mind supplied in short order.

Sitting up, Ruby bleary made her way to the bathroom, turning on the water and stepping under it. After a minute, she frowned, reaching out and lowering the temperature to levels slightly above uncomfortably cold.

They hadn't had much in the way of hot water in Skyrim.

"Alduin's wings, they did darken the sky," Ruby sang under her breath, "his roar's furies fire, and his scales sharpened scythes."

Ruby ran a hand over the scar that Alduin's wing had gouged into her side during their battle in Sovngarde.

"Men ran and they cowered, they fought and they died. They burned and they bled as they issued their cries," Helgen… never again.

"We need saviors to free us from Alduin's rage. Heroes on the field of this new war to wage. And if Alduin wins, man is gone from this world. Lost in the shadow of the black wings unfurled," the bards had all but ignored Ruby when composing songs of Alduin's defeat, something she had been thankful for, focusing on…

"But then came the Tongues on that terrible day. Steadfast as winter, they entered the fray. And all heard the music of Alduin's doom. The sweet song of Skyrim, sky-shattering Thu'um," Ruby sighed leaning back. It had all seemed so real.

Shutting off the shower, Ruby dried off and put on her Signal uniform. As she walked into her room to grab Crescent Rose, however, she froze in place. Sitting on her nightstand was a familiar ring and an equally familiar leather bag below it.

Ruby picked up the ring, feeling her blood sing as she turned the false silver over. Starting up at her was a snarling wolf, "Hircine?"

Reaching down, Ruby opened the leather sack, finding seven books bound in black leather, "Mora?"

Spinning, Ruby noticed the extra weapons sitting next to Crescent Rose. A rose shaped staff, another carved in the likeness of a screaming face, a golden sword with a sun in its guard and a heavy shield, "Sanguine, Sheogorath, Merida, Peryite?"

And then she noticed a golden bow, "Bormahu?"

Slowly, Ruby reached behind her, grasping for one of the Black Books and already trying to figure out what knowledge she would trade. Before she could finish, Yang's voice reached her like a gunshot, "Who the hell are you guys?"

Ruby thrust the ring onto her right hand, summoning Dawnbreaker to her in a flash of golden light as she tore out of the room and into the living room…

And stopped the blade half an inch in front of Serana's throat, staring into the vampire's eyes as Serana curled a hand before Ruby's throat, "Sera?"

"Ruby?" Serana said, a look of relief spreading across her face as she stepped back, "Thank goodness. Me and J'Zargo were worried when we woke up and…"

"J'Zargo is aware of how useless you are without us," the Khajiit said, taking his eyes off Yang, while keeping whatever highly powerful spell he had prepared aimed at her, "J'Zargo is glad to see you are fine, my friend."

"Yeah," Ruby said, letting Dawnbreaker fall and disappear in a flash of light, "Yeah. It's good to see you guys too."

"Ruby?" Yang asked carefully as their father came rushing down the stairs, "You know these guys?"

"Uh… yeah," Ruby said, sending a silent prayer to any Aedra, or more realistically, Daedra willing to help, "It's… it's a long story. One we don't have time for, we gotta get ready for school, you know?"

"School?" Yang said, staring at Ruby, "Ruby, two friends we never heard of just showed up. School can wait."

Crud.

- X Serana X-

Serana sat on the couch, crossing and uncrossing her legs as she watched Ruby. Her best friend was quietly squirming in place as the blond haired girl watched them.

Ruby had shrunk several inches and was wearing something much different from the black armor she wore during their adventures or the clothes she normally wore at Breezehome or Windstad. What she did have, however, was the scar Serana's father had given her in their final confrontation. Starting at the right edge of Ruby's mouth, it stretched at a sharp angle past the outer corner of her eye and ending just before her hairline.

In her head, Serana watched it once again. Ruby had cast aside Crescent Rose for Dawnbreaker, the one handed sword better for fighting in the low halls of Castle Volkihar and powerful against the vampires and Death Hounds there.

Ruby kicked one guard off Dawnbreaker with a grunt, already moving to intercept a spell fired at Serana as he disintegrated. The red missile crashed into her chest, attempting to rip out her life as a ring on her left hand flared. Ruby sank to one knee, flinching as the red energy was dragged out of her and shattered.

Serana launched a spell over Ruby, lightning crackling down the hall until it sank into the dunmer's chest. The moment his spell broke Ruby lunged up with a roar, "Yol!"

A blast of fire rolled out from Ruby's mouth, incinerating the dunmer and detonating several alchemical vials strapped to his belt. Looking out the newly made hole, Serana watched the Dawnguard and Volkihar clash in the courtyard below. Ruby followed her gaze, taking a deep breath as she watched a blond haired nord smash into a pillar, his silvered axe sliding from lose hands as he did. Before the vampire could finish him, the leader of the Dawnguard, Isran, shot the vampire through the eye with a crossbow.

Serana realized, with a spike of guilt, that she didn't know most of these vampires' names.

"Sera," Ruby said quietly, sheathing Dawnbreaker and pulling the bow hanging off her shoulder out and drawing an arrow from the quiver, "Get down."

"Right," Serana nodded, dodged behind a statue as Ruby knelt and nocked an arrow. A low glow emitted from the moonstone tip as she did.

"Bormahu," Serana heard Ruby speak quietly in Dovahzul as she drew back the bowstring, pointing right at the dawning sun, "Aak daar ronaaza oblaan enook diil."

The arrow rocketed away from them, followed by a explosion of golden light. Serana was forced to stifle a yelp of pain as the light hit her, feeling like her skin was on fire.

Snapping her eyes open, Serana gasped for air and noticed Ruby's worried face standing over her. The vampire took her friend's offered hand, staggering up with a slight moan, "Next time, I'm going to hide better."

"Hopefully there won't be a next time," Ruby said, walking past the hole to pick up the bow of Auriel from where it was lying. Sliding it back on, she drew Dawnbreaker, "are you alright? Do you need us to take a break?"

"I'm fine," Serana said, moving to join Ruby, "We're almost there. Let's just… let's just finish this."

Ruby nodded, turning to the end of the end of the corridor and walked towards it. After a second, Serana joined her.

Standing before the door were two of her father's closest men. Well, men in a proverbial sense, in Fura's case.

Ruby stopped, just for a second, and called out three words, "Rii! Vaz! Zol!"

The two guards staggered, falling forward with choked gasps. As Ruby and Serana passed, they started to push themselves up, glassy eyed, until Dawnbreaker swung out, reducing them to ash as the doors swung shut.

Serana's father was already transformed, hovering above the ground as he waited in his grey skinned gargoyle form, "Serana."

"Father."

"I see you still favor keeping a pet," he said, eyes flickering to Ruby, "You should have told me. I would have-"

"I'm not a pet!" Ruby called, before looking to Serana with worry in her eyes, "am I?"

"Of course you aren't," Serana said, focusing on her father again and taking a step forward. Enough to hide Ruby behind her own form, "You know why we're here."

"Of course I do," Harkon said, "You disappoint me. You've thrown everything I provided and thrown it away for this… pathetic creature."

"Provided for me?" Serana asked, unable to stop her incredulous laugh, "are you insane? You destroyed our family, slaughtered other vampires for some prophecy we don't understand. No more, I am done with you!"

"Serana," Harkon sighed, "Stop being petulant."

"I said," Serana repeatedly, feeling lightning crackle along her arms, "No more!"

Harkon deflected the bolt with a snarl, "Fine then. I had hoped you would see reason, but you clearly have too much of your mother's blood in you. But what of her? She is a vampire hunter, Serana. She will kill you the moment you're done with me."

"If you believe that," Ruby said, stepping around Serana, "you don't know anything about us!"

"Fine then," Harkon raised a hand, red magicka gathering in his right hand, "You took my daughter from me, so I will-!"

Harkon roared as Serana formed a ball of fire in one hand, ignoring the pain that formed, and send it crashing into his side, "I won't let you hurt her!"

"Yol!" Ruby's blast of fire struck Harkon, causing the vampire to explode into a flock of bats and flee backwards.

"Enough!" Harkon launched two blasts of red at them as he reformed. Serana dodged to the side as Ruby ducked past it in a storm of petals and charged at Harkon.

Within two strokes of Dawnbreaker, Harkon apparently realized the daedric blade wasn't something he wanted touching him as he reverted to his magically weaker, but capable of using a sword, mortal form.

Serana slid behind a pillar as she watched her father and Ruby clash, aware that she wouldn't be much help in the brutal melee currently tearing to room apart. A swing for the throat barely dodged, a stab for the eye missing wide. Dawnbreaker and his sword flashing in the rising sun until, quite suddenly, Harkon feinted, his sword carving a heavy injury into her face as his other hand latched around her throat, "Did you really think you could defeat me, mortal? I've been fighting since your ancestors were still cowering in caves!"

"Yeah," Ruby croaked as blood ran down one side of her face, eyes (and thank any god who was willing to listen that Serana could say she still had more than one) meeting Serana's, "but there's something you aren't thinking about."

"And what is that, mortal?" Harkon laughed, slamming Ruby against the pillar behind her.

"I didn't come in here alone," Ruby grinned.

Harkon span as Serana's next blast of fire hit him, "You'd chose her over me?"

"Yes," Serana said as Ruby's sword burst through Harkon's chest is an explosion of blood and ash.

"I… See…" Harkon said, sinking to his knees and turning towards Ruby, "that will be a story to see… end this, mortal. I want her to see you do it."

"No," Ruby said quietly, yanking Dawnbreaker out of Harkon and letting him collapse as she walked away, the remaining light of the Daedric sword burning away, "C'mon, Sera-

"-is everything alright?" Serana snapped out of her memories at Ruby's question, the dragonborn's eyes locked onto her. She realized the man, Ruby's father, had returned with several plates of food.

"Just memories," Serana said with a smile, reaching out to touch the scar across Ruby's face.

"Sooooo," both of them snapped towards the golden haired girl, "What the hell is going on?"

- X Yang X-

Yang watched the cat-guy, J'Zargo, tear into the plate of meat her dad had put in front of them as Ruby poked the other girl, Sera, under the ribs, "Sera? Hey, Sera~! Nir- Remnant to Sera~! C'mon, J'Zargo's gonna eat your food if you don't snap outta it… Sera? Is everything alright?"

Maybe it was something about the tone, but Sera snapped out of her thoughts, focusing on Ruby with an smile, "Just memories."

Yang watched the two of them as Sera's hand moved across the new scar on Ruby's face. A frown pulled down her face as she shared a confused look with her dad.

Ruby and Sera were clearly close… so why hadn't they ever heard of her before? Yang leaned forward, "Sooooo, what the hell is going on?"

Yang would admit, it was funny to watch them both jump, whirling toward her. J'Zargo took a break of eating to let out a laugh, "J'Zargo likes this one! She gets straight to the point!"

"Yeah," Ruby mumbled, before saying something in a guttural voice under her breath as she rested her forehead on her fingers. For a brief second, Yang was distinctly remembered of Tai's meltdown in the wake of Summer's death. The same crushing weight on their shoulders, the resignation to something horrible.

Yang, after subtly checking to make sure the liquor cabinet was locked, began a mental checklist of the day so far. Woke up, ok. Got ready for school while hiding the stress of her approaching graduation, still normal. Come downstairs, pair of weirdos passed out across the couchs, things take a hard turn towards weird. Ruby comes tearing out of her room holding a sword and got a huge scar across her face, boarding the weird train. Ruby and one of them act closer than Yang had seen Ruby act with… well… nearly anyone. Welcome to weirdsville, population, five and counting.

Ruby sucked in a breath as Sera tapped her shoulder, entire body coiled like a spring… then took off like a bullet, Signal blazer and cloak fluttering to the ground as the door out of the house opened with a bang.

An awkward silence fell over the room before Sera sucked in an exasperated breath, standing and walking towards the door, "Come on, J'Zargo."

"She is fine," J'Zargo carelessly waved one… hand? Paw? "Let us not let this food go to was-"

"J'Zargo," Sera said, turning to him with a strange look in her eye, "Go get Crescent Rose."

"Fine," J'Zargo sighed, standing and turning with a bow that somehow managed to come across as mocking, "Thank you for your hospitality, friends."

"You're acting like I'm not coming along," Yang said, standing.

"No offense," Sera said from where she was standing in the doorway with something white in her arms, "but I'm pretty sure that's the last thing Ruby wants at the moment… but I do have one question for you."

"What?"

"Where would Ruby go if she was stressed about something?"

- X Ruby X-

Ruby was out of most of her clothes by the time she was out of the front yard, shedding it with ease. By the time she hit the edge of the woods, she was ready to shift.

It started, as it always did, with the feeling of her heart smashing into her ribcage as it grew before anything else. Then her torso expanded as her arms stretched, popping and cracking all the while, a heavy thud echoing as her tailbone extended. Her legs changed too, feet becoming digitigrade and the next time she slammed her foot into the ground, bounding from the forest floor and into the trees, it cratered.

Ruby felt her face start to pull forward as red-brown fur sprouted from her body, covering her in seconds. She knew, had she been capable of seeing her reflection, her eyes would have shifted to a bloodshot yellow.

"Ruby!" Ruby's ears twitched towards the house, "Come back! Come- oh, dammit. Why can't you ever make anything easy!?"

Ruby let out a slight whine as she continued away from Serana. She needed time. How was she supposed to explain this to her dad and Yang?

Thud, thud, thudthudthu-

"Well met, Hunter. It's been a while… to you, at least."

Ruby missed the branch, crashing to the forest floor in front of the one who had distracted her.

The fair haired man looked down at her with an amused quirk of the lips, "I do believe this is the first time you have embodied Prey, Hunter. It's quite refreshing."

Lord Hircine, Ruby growled.

"Lord Hircine?" The Daedric Prince of the Hunt asked, "Since when have you referred to any of us as Lord?"

Figured it was probably a good idea, after bombing any chance of bridges with Bal.

"That?" Hircine chuffed a laugh, rapping the butt of his spear against the floor, "Hunter, you have never made me prouder to call you my champion than in that moment. Bal has long believed himself untouchable, an apex predator. I would not have been surprised if he attempted another Planesmeld. You destroying his mace reminded him that even the greatest predator can become prey."

Thank you? What are you doing here?

"What do I do anywhere? And one of us needed to check on you. Come, join me."

Errr… right, kinda a dumb question, Ruby loped alongside Hircine, yet somehow never got ahead of him, sooooo… is this what it's gonna be like? You know, when I die?

"Perhaps."

Perhaps?

"Standard champion headache," Hircine grunted, waving one hand idly, "I have claim on your soul, but so does Sheogorath, Mora, Nocturnal and Sanguine. Then there is the question of if we can even have claim, as it is Anuic in nature, The Dead One's tendency to grab souls of those he views as worthy no matter who they belong to and that you have already begun to Walk like them."

Errrr… Uh… Right, Ruby growled, head spinning. Anuic? Dead one? Walk?

"Do not worry yourself with it, Hunter, I do not expect you to understand at this point. Know this, the destination of your soul is like all others at this point. Everywhere and nowhere. Now, let us finish this hunt so I can depart and you can return to… whatever you intended to do."

What are we hunti- oh.

Hircine chuckled as they exited the forest to stare at the pack of beowolves standing in it, "Yes, 'oh'. Shall we, Hunter?"

Yes, Ruby lowered herself onto all fours.

Hircine entered a sprinter's position next to her, "Then let the hunt begin!"

The ground under the Daedric Prince and his hound's feet shattered as they charged forward. About thirty feet from the closest one Hircine lept into the air, spinning his spear and launching it into the beowolf. Ruby saw him land and draw it from the body as she rushed past.

Crashing into the first Grimm, Ruby latched her jaw around its throat, ripping it out with a natural savagery. Letting it dissolve in her mouth, Ruby leapt at the next, tearing into it with her claws and ignoring the third that tried to rip her back to shreds through her Aura… until Hircine's spear crashed into them, killing the beowolf and shattering Ruby's Aura in one move. A testament to how much he was holding back.

"Hunter!" the Daedric Prince howled, spinning around the claw that attempted to tear into his side as his spear appeared in his hand, "When you hunt with me, you will not use such underhanded techniques!"

Ruby laughed, tearing into another Grimm as her blood began to sing. Danger made it more fun.

Bite, gouge, rip and tear as Hircine carved his way through the Grimm. Find the…

Alpha! Ruby barked, rushing towards it as her patron did the same. Diving under the claw, Ruby clamped her jaw around the leg and twisted until there was a loud crack as Hircine punched through the armored chest with his spear.

The Daedric Prince watched it fade with a shake of his head, "No trophies. That isn't nearly as fun. Still, you did well, Hunter. I will reward you next we mee-"

Wait! Ruby called and when he did, she continued, This is… we're not on Nirn anymore, right?

"You aren't."

Then… where are we? And is there any chance of us making it back? I don't want to lose the rest of my friends.

"The realms of Oblivion are many," Hircine said, throwing his spear at the Grimm and summoning it back, "and not all are ruled by the Princes. As for the second, you should be able to. On a level that would shatter your mortal mind, this place is close to Mundas. Much closer than what you would need to reach across to reach a Prince's domain. Now, goodbye, Hunter."

Bye, Ruby watched him disappear into a portal and turned towards her destination.

After twenty minutes of walking, Ruby stopped in front of her goal, whining as she curled up next to it, Hi, mom.

- X Serana X-

Serana signed as she adjusted her hood with one hand, the other holding Ruby's clothing, "I swear, you're going to be the death of me one of these days."

Exiting the woods, and ignoring the caw of a corvid above her, Serana caught sight of the giant mass of red fur curled up on the ground. Walking over, Serana toed her friend's side, "Wake up."

The wolf snarled in her sleep. Serana did it again, "No, seriously, wake up. We need to talk."

Serana was well aware she had picked up at least a few of Ruby's speech patterns over the couple of years they had been together.

Finally, the wolf woke up, staring up at Serana with bleary eyes. Before her own eyes, the wolf shifted back into Ruby. Something just as sickening in reverse as it was normally.

It was the voiding of the extra mass that did it. Ruby's tail fell off, the injury healing in an instant as the fur fell off, leaving raw skin as Ruby shrunk with a series of disgusting cracks and vomiting at least one mouthful of marrow and bone chips. Finally, Ruby stood up, turn to Serana, "What's up?"

"Well first," Serana said, thrusting the clothes into Ruby's arm, "You can do me a favor and get dressed."

"Oh," Ruby looked down, "Yeah, I shou- why'd you bring this along?"

Ruby was holding the vest she had been wearing this morning like it was a rotten animal, nose wrinkled as she looked between it and Serana.

"I thought you wanted to go to school."

"I was trying to dodge talking about it for a moment. Why would I need school? I'm the freakin' Archmage of Winterhold!"

"Which I'm sure will look amazing when you're trying to get a job, 'Archmage of a place you never heard of'!"

"Fine," Ruby grumbled, dropping the vest and pulling on her pants and buttoned her shirt, "Fine. I'm just saying, dropping pillars of fire on the Grimm would look pretty cool."

"Still wouldn't help us find work," Serana shot back.

"I could found a new branch of the Companions!" Ruby said with a triumphant grin, "And if they're like 'You can't do that' I'll be like 'Really? You wanna take that up with the pack of three hundred pound wolfmen?'"

"That'd probably just get us killed faster," Serana said, "I hate to break it to you, Ruby, but I didn't go seven centuries just so you could get me killed."

"You slept through, like, ninety nine percent of that! How old were you when your mom put you in that coffin thing?"

"Twenty three."

"Then you're only twenty five! Maybe twenty six."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really!"

"And why's that?" Serana asked with a laugh.

"Because I said so!" Ruby said, stomping her foot.

There was something infinitely less intimidating about a Dovahkiin who reached Serana's chest instead of being even with her, "Really?"

"Yes, really," Ruby puffed out her cheeks, the scar tissue becoming more obvious. Ruby had split the stitches three times while her Aura refilled doing the same thing, "I'm a Dovah, so what I say is the rules!"

Serana reached out, patting Ruby in the head, knowing it would irritate her friend, "Ok, oh mighty dragon, I'm twenty five or six."

"Stop that!" Ruby whined, swatting at Serana's hand, "Sera, I said stop! It's not funny!"

"I'd say it is," Serana said, "You're… what? Thirteen? Fourteen?"

"Fifteen," Ruby said, turning away from Serana to sulk.

Fifteen. Huh, "Are you alright?"

"Whoever did this is dumb. I was happy the way I was, now I'm fifteen again. You can't do anything when you're fifteen. It's all 'Don't drink that Ruby, take this watered down stuff' and 'No, Ruby, you can't cast that spell yet, you're just gonna blow up this entire room'-"

"You know," Serana said, "That second one sounds like something you'd hear now. Remember the firestorm incide-"

"We swore never to talk about that!" Ruby all but barked, before sitting next to the marble plaque, "Today's not been a good one so far."

"Considering you tore out of that house like someone asked you to fight Miraak again, I figured that. What's wrong?"

"...I'm wondering if this was a mistake."

"What?"

"Being here."

"Once again, terrified running gave that away. Ruby," Serana said, crouching next to her friend, "What's wrong? I'm here."

"I'm just… everything about this is setting me on edge. I can't begin to think of how I explain all this to Yang and dad," Ruby shrank in on herself, her younger form making it all the more obvious, "I mean… souls are a big thing on Remnant. A lot of people think our Aura is our soul and that's what separates us from Grimm, so how do I tell them…"

"That your main source of power comes from the consumption of dragon souls?"

"Yeah."

"If everything you've told me is true, I'm willing to bet they wouldn't react that badly and you know that. What is it really?"

"...I dunno."

"Ask you after a bottle of rum?" Serana joked, nudging Ruby. The Dovahkiin didn't respond, "Ruby…"

"I'm serious," Ruby said, "I dunno. It's like… it's like… you know that thing where you go to a place you knew only to find it's completely changed?"

"Painfully."

"It feels like the reverse of that," Ruby said, running a finger up the scar, "I've changed… but Remnant hasn't."

Serana watched Ruby reach out and trace the rose carved into the marble slab in front of them, choosing to focus on the name for the first time…

And feeling like she was hit in the gut as she read the words 'Summer Rose', "This is…"

"Yeah," Ruby said, voice cracking, "Mom, this is Serana. Serana, this… this is…"

"C'mon," Serana said, quietly urging Ruby up, "Let's go somewhere else. Can you think of…"

"There's a ferry to Vale," Ruby said, letting Serana guide her along, "let's get into the city for a bit. Where's J'Zargo?"

"Probably back at your house," Serana said with a roll of her eyes, "Eating or somethi- What's this?"

Ruby looked at the necklace that Serana had pulled out of her breast pocket, the golden dragon flashing in the morning sun, "What- that wasn't there- I dunno. Just put it away for now."

"Alright," Serana said, stowing it back in the pocket, "Let's go into town. Maybe you can figure something out."

- X Tai X-

Tai rolled his eyes as Yang paced around the living room, "I can't believe you-"

"I?" Tai asked, walking away to answer the door

"You just let those two leave to find Ruby! Without me!"

"I agree with Sera. Ruby doesn't want to see us at the minute, she's scared about something, so we should take a step back."

"But!"

"Sometimes you have to pick your battles, Yang. Including how you fight them," here Tai swung the door open, turning to Qrow, "Did you find her?"

"Yeah," Qrow said, "Her and that Serana girl were going into Vale."

"Serana?" Tai blinked, "that's her name?"

"You didn't get her name?" Qrow asked, pushing past Tai to crash onto the couch.

"Ruby just called her Sera."

"Huh," Qrow shrugged, "Anyways, I found Ruby asleep next to Summer's grave… which also explains why she stripped."

"Which is?" Tai prompted as Yang preened about knowing where her sister had gone. Ruby suddenly ditching her clothes had been another headscrathing addition to a day already filled with them.

"Apparently Ruby's got the ability to turn into a weird beowolf thing," Qrow said dryly, "and before you ask, no, that's not a joke and yes, I am sure I'm not drunk enough to hallucinate it."

"Considering everything else that's happened today, I'm willing to trust you on this one," Tai said with a heavy sigh, "I went looking through her room after she left and… well, come on, it's easier to show you."

Tai walked down the halls, opening the door and walking in. Everything was exactly as he left it, the various 'oddities' lined up on the bed.

"Hey!" Yang said, rushing past him towards one of them, "That's the sword Ruby had whe-"

"Yang," Tai started, "Don't-!"

"-n she came running- OW!" Yang yelped, dancing in place as the smoke rose from the hand that she had wrapped around the sword's hilt, "What the hell?"

"Yeah," Tai said, turning around and leaving the room, "It did the same to me. I had to pick it up with the blanket."

Wetting a gauze bandage, Tai returned to the room and wrapped it around Yang's hand to remove the sting.

"Any of the others do that?" Qrow asked.

"No."

Qrow nodded, picking up the golden bow with a whistle, "This things really well balanced. Wish I had an arrow to try it out."

"What the hell?" Yang picked up the black armor on the bed, leaving the equally black hooded cloak behind, "this is super light. And, I've never seen anything like this before…"

"But we can't know what it's like without Ruby here," Tai said.

Qrow picked up one the black books, turning it over before opening it, "This isn't in any language I've seen before."

"I know," Tai said, ignoring the nauseated feeling in his gut as Qrow pulled out his scroll, "What are you doing?"

"Sending a picture to Oz," Qrow said, hitting the send button, "Hopefully he'll know."

"Sooo," Yang said, "let's take a step back, ok? What do we know? Ruby's acting super weird, has weird friends-"

"-'Friend'," Qrow made quotation marks with his hands, "Her and that Serana girl are-" his scroll went off, "Oz! Wh-"

"Qrow, where did you find that?"

"Why, do you know i-"

"Where did you find it?" Ozpin repeated.

"Ruby had it."

"Ruby?" Ozpin's voice actually let some shock enter, "Summer and Tai's daughter?"

"Yeah. Why, is there something wrong?"

"Can you and Tai be here for a meeting in an hour?"

"Oz, is something wrong? Because we've been having a bad day here and-"

"I don't know yet, Qrow. That's why I need you here, so we can find out how to deal with it."

Tai nodded, "We can be there."

"Thank you."

-X AN X-

Thoughts? Good? Bad? Meh?