Ruby's PoV Through and Through
I woke to find myself staring at myself. Not through a mirror, or a puddle, but rather, I was standing over myself. Blood pooled around me, long lacerations all throughout my body. In the distance, my team boarded an escape chopper. Well, more like being dragged kicking and screaming. It was strange. Here I was, dead, staring at my own corpse. Team crying out in the background, and yet, I was calm. There was no fear, agitation, regret, remorse, sadness, anything. Just... perfect serenity.
Nothing was going through my head. I wasn't thinking, just… being. An ethereal personage idly watching over their earthly form as though it were a day-to-day occurrence. I guess I wasn't worried. There were no thoughts such as "now what?" In fact, there were no thoughts at all.
A bit of anxiety began to set in. My mind couldn't form any thought, nor could I move. I was just… there. It didn't make any sense… well, none of this really does to begin with. It's not like there's any experience in this matter or anything.
Light. Blinding light. At first, a small shimmer. It grew and grew. It burned my retinas! It burned everything! It hurt! It hurt! My chest! It burns! Hurts! Brighter and brighter! Brighter still! And then - nothing.
Complete darkness. My eyes were closed. My eyes… were closed. Eyes. Closed. I'm… I'm in a body.
Opening them, I used my hand as a shield against the sun blazing directly over me. It was my hand. Despite the battle that took place, it was unscathed. The only blemish was a crimson marking in the shape of a scythe.
I was dead. I… I was slashed across the chest! Frantically, I searched for the wounds. Nothing. My body and even my gear was in perfect condition, yet I still lay here. I could move, but it was taking awhile for me to process.
Alive, sacrificed, dead, blinding light, alive. I feel strange. I could feel the winds of the plains, but there was no chill. Despite the sun burning down upon me, I felt no heat. I could feel, just not feel. There was no hunger, nor thirst. No pain. It's like being doped up on narcotics.
Sitting around won't do anything. Sloppily standing up, stumbling and shambling all over. I looked to the speck in the sky that was the chopper. That way must be home. If I use my semblance, I could make it there before night…
Crouching down, I readied myself. Feeling the familiar sensation of the mystical energy inside my soul, wait. This feels… different and there's another one. A cloud passed over the sun. Base first, speculation later.
Launching myself, I flew faster than expected. Suddenly hurtling through the forest, I braced myself for impact against a tree. Crack. I brutally crashed into the tree… I felt no pain. Opening my eyes, I found that there was a large indentation in the ancient oak. No pain.
Faster than before, additional semblance aura, and missing sensations. What am I? Shaking myself, I readied myself again, prepared for the increased speed this time. I will make it before night fall. I might even make it before the air hawk chopper lands. What a surprise that would be.
Along the way, I realized several things about myself. I didn't tire, my semblance didn't fade, and to go along with the increased speed, my reaction time matched. Something happened in that blinding light that made me… different.
Now I wait for the arrival of the evac-copter that carried my friends and teammates.
It landed. The hatch clattered to the ground. A blonde head slowly looked up. Her face shifted from dismay to disbelief. She was paralyzed. "Ruby?"
"I guess I'm alive." My voice was different. It had a feminine undertone that spoke alongside me. It was a gravelly, "gritty" voice which lay just beneath mine.
Even with my enhanced reaction speed, I couldn't dodge Yang's bear hug. The spine breaking hug that lifted me off the ground. I could feel the tears staining my shirt as she buried her face in it. Her whimpers if apologies and promises mingled with the gross sobbing.
Drawn out by the commotion, Weiss and Blake responded faster than Yang in converging upon me. She must have decided that sharing would be the best option, so she set me down. Immediately, I was surrounded and embraced tightly. Everyone's tears mingled that day. Yang's, Blake's, Weiss's... and my own.
/ Scene shift /
Through her recovering sniffles, Yang finally took note of something, I myself could not. "What's up with your eyes?" Sensing my impending question, she pulled out a pocket mirror she kept handy to "maintain" her luscious hair.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised. After everything that's happened today, having black eyes instead of white is the least abnormal thing to happen. My irises were still silver, but my sclera was black. Blacker than onyx, it almost seemed to be like shifting shadows. "I don't know."
"And your voice." Weiss narrowed her eyes as though trying to find a solution in the invisible sound waves.
"I think it's hot." Yang grinned. "It's kinda like those uh… demon or possessed people in movies." Her eyes widened and she quickly turned her attention to me, "Not that you're any of those things or that I'm hitting on you. I'm your sister and all. I'm just saying that voice is sick."
I couldn't help but laugh. Yang, the ever confident and boisterous blonde was fumbling over herself. Today really is a strange day.
Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. Something very hesitant and gentle brushed against a part of me I only now realized. Atop my head. "You have… ears?" Blake gently rubbed them. "Like, faunus ears." Her own unconsciously twitched. Mine mimicked the action. She recoiled her hand quickly.
"I guess I'm full of all kinds of surprises now."
I didn't have an appetite. It's been 3 days since I… died? I'm not sure, but I haven't had need for food or drink since, and my body doesn't seem to mind. Usually there'd be hunger pains after a few hours without food, and intense thirst after exercise. Now that I think about it, I don't sweat either. There are no bodily functions aside from musculoskeletal movement. No sleep, no sustenance, it's almost as my body doesn't know it's alive. Wait. Placing a hand over my the relative location of my heart. I waited. And waited. And waited, and… nothing. Technically, I am still classified as dead! I'm dead!
"Ruby? You ok?" Weiss had been rather… scrutinizing ever since I came back. It was as though she was looking for anything unusual. Aside from the obvious, like black sclera. I had taken up having my hood drawn at all times as a precaution to others finding out.
Instead of responding, I grabbed her hand and moved it towards my chest. "What are yo-"
"Just, feel for a moment." I let go of her wrist, her hand remained.
"Ruby, I don't feel anything." She rolled her eyes and withdrew her hand. Returning to her breakfast.
"Exactly." It dawned on her. Her spoon clattered to the table. She grabbed my shoulders and stared into my hood.
I could see that she was at a loss as to what dI was. She didn't know what to say. Strange, one of the smartest people I know doesn't know what's the matter. Amongst her still confusion, another emotion was in her eyes: Fear… no, more like dread. She opened her mouth.
"Weiss, look at me. It's been 3 days. I'm still here. I'm still fine. After all, what could be expected after cheating death." I gently removed her hands from my shoulders. I held them within my own. "Everything is ok."
"What if in the future more symptoms sh-"
"Let's just live in the now, alright? We can only truly live in the moment, so let's just enjoy it to the best as we can. Tomorrow is for tomorrow. Today is for us."
"Who knew you were so poetic." Blake set her tray down across from me. A slight smile on her face.
I let go of my partner's hands. "Ah, well. Not me… do you like poetry?" Let's stray from me being the subject.
"Yeah, it's so… alluring. There's so many different styles and kinds; romantic, dark, free verse, rhyme, it's just all over and it's all so beautiful."
"Beautiful. You talking about me?" Yang dropped her tray next to Blake's. A widespread grin on her face.
"Hardly. All you got going for you is your chest. Men, at least those of any respectable stature, prefer woman with elegance, wit, beauty. All things you lack." Weiss gave my sister a challenging smirk.
"Alright, alright. Whatever you say Ice Queen. As if you could get anyone to go for that icy heart of yours. They'd freeze!" Yang laughed at her own joke.
The atmosphere was as it should be; happy, light, joking. I smiled, this is what being a team is about.
"What do you think, Ruby? Do guys like girls like Yang or me better?" Weiss turned her focus on me.
"Actually, Weiss, Rubes he-"
"Quiet, you. Answer the question, Ruby." She shot daggers at Yang, to which she shrugged and took a bite of her pancakes.
"I wouldn't know. I like girls. And I don't know what they like either. The whole dating thing is one of the things I'm not good at. Sometimes I find the person's weapon sexier than them. Like one time-"
"You're a lesbian?" Wow. That took a long time for her to process
"Yup, tall girls, small girls, skinny girls, curvy girls, austere, outgoing, smart, silly, fiery, calm, blonde, brunette, black haired, ginger, multi-colored, dyed hair, bus-"
"Ok, ok. I get it. Jus- stop." Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose.
"It doesn't bother you? Usually when I tell a girl that they immediately get all awkward and stop talking to me."
"What? No. I don't care who you like or why."
"... Do you think… I'm pretty?" Blake mumbled into her tray. I could see a faint blush on her cheeks through her bangs. It's a little known secret that she has problems in the self-esteem area. Some things she couldn't care less about and others she really worried over.
"Yes! You don't even know. For the first while that I've known you I would stare at you. Yang would hit me to stop. It's just… you're so… attractive. You got this mysterious air and a dark past. Combine that with your black hair and cat features, and I jus-"
"Heh, heh, ok Ruby. That's enough. You probably creeped her out a bit. About after the first sentence. A simple, 'yes' would have been fine." Yang held her hands up in a "down girl" gesture.
"Oh, right. Sorry Blake. Just forget about all that and, um, don't worry. I got so many self control. I value our friendship and teamship more than anything. That goes for all of you." Despite my weak attempt to diffuse the thickened air, things still felt heavy. Oh well, at least my whole dying thing isn't on their minds. Or mine, at least until now. When I thought that it wasn't on their minds I had to think about and now I'm thinking about it, which makes me think about it. I started feeling dizzy. Trapping myself in a loop. Shaking my head, I refocused on what's going on outside of me. With a smile.