Ruby Rose: Red like Roses Rising Revengeance Reloaded
The Ursa howled as a scythe cracked across its raised foreleg. The battered blade cut through fur, skin, bones, and air in one swoop. The Ursa swung its remaining appendage blindly. Its pained roar carried across the forest. The desperate strike missed and the red-cloaked attacker robbed the beast of its other leg. The Ursa fell to the ground, now unable to stand. It raised its big head to its assailant and let out one last, defiant growl before the scythe's blade silently slipped into one of its angry, red eyes. The lifeless Ursa collapsed in a heap and it wasn't long before the corpse started to fade in a shower of rose petals.
The petals floated past the young woman and landed on the red cloak she wore, but she paid them no mind. She swung her massive scythe over her head with one hand. Without a thought, the weapon collapsed upon itself and became a blocky, compact gun. The weapon was lighter and quieter than it used to be. The red-cloaked girl attached the gun to the hitch at the small of her back and kept walking. There had been two Grimm that attacked; those large, evil creatures that would rip a normal person to shreds. However, the beasts had barely registered for the young woman as she kept up her steady pace.
Fresh snow crunched under her black boots, leaving behind an easy-to-follow trail for anyone behind her. Although the girl knew that, if she looked, she wouldn't see anyone there. No matter how desperately she wanted them to be.
"Come back to me."
The voice was as clear as it had been a year ago. The young woman pulled her red hood over her silver eyes. She was surrounded by snow.
"You don't have to do this."
The young woman knew that was a lie. It was a lie born of selfishness. Her feet kept moving forward. She couldn't go back because there was nothing for her there. She had said she would become a Huntress. She would protect humanity from the Grimm. There was no place for anything else. This was what she had wanted.
Years ago, there had been those who questioned her abilities. They thought that she would cave under the pressure. They thought she wouldn't do anything but die. Yet, when push came to shove, who had stood strong? When graduation had come, who had truly dedicated themselves to hunting the Grimm? The young woman scowled.
No one had.
She was all alone.
The world turned into a blur as the young woman activated her semblance and ran at a tree. With a single, fluid motion, she was able to deploy her scythe back to its full length and swing. The tree yielded before the blade, but that was not enough. As if the tree was falling in slow motion, the young woman was able to deliver a volley of strikes. She took no notice that the tree had turned to dust and kept swinging until her arms and chest burned. Rose petals lay suspended in the air as the young woman came back to consciousness. She blinked and put her scythe away before walking past her flight of passion. She didn't think to pick up the few, substantial remnants of the tree. There was no need for a fire. She had grown used to the cold.
"Ruby, you're acting like you don't want to live anymore!"
The young woman caught a glimpse of something silky and white flutter behind a tree. She rested her hand on the compacted scythe. Were the Grimm trying to trick her? Her mind quickly perused all of the known types of Grimm and decided that none of them had the capacity to grow white hair. She relaxed and let her hand fall away from the scythe. Maybe she was just tired, the young woman reasoned. How long had it been since she had a good sleep?
A cave made for the best shelter. It was dry and empty. The young woman shook her cloak of excess snow and sat on the ground. A faint chill immediately made its way up her legs. She reached into one of her pouches and pulled out her one comfort besides her scythe. It was an odd amalgamation of technology with a telescoping screen that was displayed once the two ends were pulled apart. It was called a scroll, but the young woman thought that someone could have given it a better name. She proceeded to pull the halves apart and ignored the little symbol that showed how much life was left in the little machine. She only needed forty-one seconds to navigate the interface and find the sound file.
The file carried a timestamp of two, maybe three, years ago. She was still in Beacon. Everyone was still together. She hit the "Play" button and closed her eyes.
Small waves lapped at the sides of the docks. Seagulls cawed overhead. There was a crowd somewhere. The sharp sound of high-heeled boots was distinct against the rest. Then the owner of the boots stopped and turned around to see the scroll being held towards her.
"What are you doing?" chirped the scroll's tiny speakers.
"Say it again," came the response.
The scroll produced a crackling sigh. The young woman smiled as she remembered a blush spreading across normally frozen features. "Isn't once enough?"
"No, Weiss. Once will never be enough. I really need to hear you say it again. Please?"
There was a moment of silence and, as always, the young woman's heart stopped as she wondered if the battery had finally died. She leaned toward the scroll.
"I love you, Ruby Rose." The quality faded as the speaker got closer and pushed the scroll down towards the ground. "I love you more than anyone else on this planet. You make me feel complete and I hope that I can always be by your side."
The young woman closed her eyes and imagined how warm hands had once cupped her face and brought her closer. She felt the soft lips press against her own in a small, quick, and heated kiss. The scroll went back to its normal display, the clip finished. She turned it off and stuck the scroll back into her pouch. With a grunt, the young woman stood up and stretched before heading out of the cave and continuing on her way.
As she walked on, the snowdrifts piled higher. The young woman pulled her cloak tighter around herself. Although she still felt the heat offered from the recording, she would admit that the chill was getting worse as she kept going. She momentarily cast her gaze over her shoulder. It was just as she expected. There was no one there. She sighed and leaned into the wind, putting one foot in front of the other, into the deepening snow.