Authors Notes: What We Have Lost is a RWBY fusion fic featuring characters from Legend of the Galactic Heroes. As such, it is effectively an AU. In particular, it is an alternate history of Remnant. You do not need to have seen LotGH to understand everything, but I'll try and answer any questions you may have about that series.
Also, this fic may contain graphic descriptions of violence at some later point. There may also be dark/disturbing content sometime in the future, so if you're triggered by any of that sort of stuff, you might want to watch out for it.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Legend of the Galactic Heroes. RWBY is the property of Rooster Teeth, and Legend of the Galactic Heroes is the property of its respective creators.
Chapter 1
"Miss, may I see your identification?"
When the officer approached her, Ruby came to a stop. Her feet slid along the dirt path to face him.
"But officer, sir, I'm just here to…"
"Look miss, I'm going to need your identification. Basic protocol."
Ugh! These guys are so strict. Ruby retrieved a scroll from her pockets, groaning as she did so. The officer readily took the device and opened it up. His eyes scanned over its contents.
"Heard you were on the news a couple days ago," the man remarked. "Someone your age ought to be more careful."
"Yeah, yeah," Ruby said as she crossed her arms. "Not like it's the thousandth time I've heard that. Besides, I'm pretty good at taking care of myself, thank you very much."
The officer glanced over at Crescent Rose, which was holstered on her back. "Says here Qrow's your uncle. Explains quite a bit if you ask me. I take it you're acquainted with the general then?"
"Of course! Yang's my cousin. It's been a while since I've seen him, and now that he's back, I just felt like stopping by."
The officer closed the scroll back up and returned it, "Well, well, well. Who knew one family could have so much talent? Alright, you're good to go. Just make sure you don't hurt anyone with that fancy scythe of yours, okay?" He turned and hollered to a guard standing in a booth a hundred feet behind him, "Char, this one checks out." The guard simply nodded and saluted.
Now that she was done dealing with those two men, Ruby proceeded towards her cousin's house, which was buried into the surrounding forest. It was a two story building with a rust-red roof and walls painted like sand. The house sat on a slope which went down, flattened off, and then dipped down again until running into a silent stream. A garage jutted out from the right side, and a dusty black sedan sat just a few feet away. An old log house stood to the right, surrounded by a makeshift fence. Its windows had been boarded up on the outside. Judging by the two cars nearby, the house seemed to be serving as a temporary guard station.
I wonder if they've got any cool weapons in there? Not that I'd abandon you, sweetheart, but it's always nice to see other weapons in person. Though, those rifles didn't look like they could transform or anything like that. Wonder if Yang's got a cool weapon? Since he's a general, then it's gotta super-duper-awesome and exciting, right? Oh, I just can't wait! This is going to be the best reunion ever!
Speeding past Char, Ruby cut through the grass to reach the front steps, as there was no path leading up to it. Once she ascended the three steps, the young huntress-in-training rang the doorbell. The girl opened the outer door and then rested it up against her left side. The bell echoed from within, and a woman's voice followed shortly after. It really has been a while.
After about a minute, Ruby heard the locks being undone. Three to be exact. The main door opened to reveal a woman with honey-colored hair holding two pink oven mitts under her left arm. A simple white apron covered her front side.
"Well," said the woman, "it looks like you got past our secret service. So, who might you be?"
"I'm Yang's cousin, Ruby Rose."
"Oh, Taiyang's daughter? Well pleased to meet you, Ruby, I'm Frederica Greenhill. Why don't you come inside and seat yourself in the main lounge? The general's still struggling to get off the couch, so he might be a while. You know how he is sometimes."
As Frederica held the main door open, Ruby stepped on in. The girl turned around to pull the outer frame in before anything nasty flew in. The last thing she wanted to see was a spider climbing up next to her while she was resting on the couch.
Ruby stepped into the antechamber and slipped her shoes off. As Ms. Greenhill passed by, the girl turned to her and said, "So, I take it you and Yang are… you know?"
"Why yes, the two of us are engaged," Ms. Greenhill said as she pushed herself into the door, closing it. "The ceremony's going to take place a few months from now, once all the planning work is done."
First time I've heard of this. "So, when did you two first meet?"
"About two and a half years ago. I was sent in with the relief force after the Battle of Lyra. Once we grouped up with the 7th, I was appointed as Yang's aide. He was still just a major back then."
Ms. Greenhill stepped into an adjacent room to Ruby's left, and then placed her mitts on a long cherry cabinet edged up against the wall.
She continued. "Looking back at it, it was quite a miracle he managed to withdraw as many men as he did, especially with Grimm all over the place."
"Lieutenant!" A voice half-asleep came from the room at the end of the hall. It sounded like Yang.
"Yes, General, sir?" responded Ms. Greenhill.
"Who is that?"
"It's Ruby. She's come over to visit."
A blackish mass slowly rose up from a couch in the room up ahead, which then folded over to reveal a man in white pajamas. Once Yang was fully upright, he scratched the back of his head and said, "Aye-aye-aye. And here I thought I was going to get some shut-eye today."
Ms. Greenhill turned to Ruby. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable? I'll prepare some tea for the two of you."
"That'll be great," Ruby said. She would have actually preferred some coffee, but tea would have to do.
Ruby continued through the hall, passing a stairway to the left. Once through, the lounging area lay before her. Two teal couches sat facing each other, a glass-topped, knee-height table sitting between them. A flat-screen TV sat immediately towards Ruby's left, and past that stood the kitchen area. Opposite the television was a large window looking out into the forest.
As Ruby seated herself, Yang Wenli got up from his couch and shifted the blanket to the side, "Man, I must look like a total wreck. Can't even get dressed when guests show up. Excuse me for one sec."
"Okie-dokie," Ruby replied.
Yang stood up, did a couple of stretches, and then slid his feet into some slippers nearby. Ruby watched as he stumbled into the main hallway and then ascended the stairs. He seems like his usual self. Though, he looks a lot older than I remember.
There was a remote lying on the opposite side of the table, near Yang's resting place. She was tempted to watch something, but then again she'd have to turn the TV off in a few seconds anyway. Nope, not going to do that right now. Huh, he doesn't seem to have any magazines here. Maybe he has some in his room. Oh, wait, no. He's got those big textbook thingies. Ugh. How does he even manage to go through all them?
Ruby hummed to herself while waiting for the couple to return to the lounge. Her eyes wandered over to the window stretching halfway across the room. There wasn't much else to look at aside from the door to the garage up ahead. It's so quiet in these parts. I didn't even find any Beowolves on the way here. Maybe this area's all cleared out.
Ms. Greenhill returned to the table with two cups of tea. The china clanged when she set them down.
While in her knelt position, Ms. Greenhill turned to Ruby. "How do you like your tea?" she asked.
"I'll just have some cream and sugar."
Ms. Greenhill nodded in confirmation. She went to the opposite couch and folded up Yang's blanket. "It's an old habit he has. Sometimes he just collapses after a long battle, though, that was pretty much the same with all of us. The general still hasn't gotten used to sleeping in his own bed."
Yang's fiancé wandered over to the kitchen area during her musing, just out of Ruby's sight. The young girl couldn't help but turn when Ms. Greenhill shut the overhead cabinet doors after checking through them. The woman then opened the refrigerator door, letting a feeble amount of light into the room. "Uh, we don't have any cream at the moment. Would you like milk instead?"
"That'll be great!" said Ruby. "In fact, could you get a separate glass, Ms. Greenhill? Please?"
Seconds later, the woman came back, setting a clear glass and a carton of milk to the right of the tea. Just as Ms Greenhill went for the sugar, Yang came back to the other side of the couch with a bottle of wine in his hands. This time he was wearing casual attire: a collared shirt and jeans. The general didn't look like he had any trouble putting everything on, but he still looked like he was half-asleep. Yang took the cork out of the bottle and poured some liquor into his tea. Following that, he reached over to Ruby's cup of tea and poured into that.
"Uh, Yang, what are you doing?" said Ruby as she huddled her legs onto the couch.
"General!" Ms. Greenhill rushed over to the table, empty-handed.
"Wha-Wha?" Yang's head shifted around in confusion. As soon as the wine bottle came into his sights, he immediately set it back down, stood up, and then bowed to Ruby. "I'm sorry, Ruby. I don't… I don't really know what I was thinking right then. I'm really, really sorry. That was really careless of me."
"General, you should really be more careful with how you act around guests," said Ms. Greenhill. After Yang apologized once more, his fiancé lowered herself down to Ruby's eye level. "Ruby, would you like me to get you another cup?"
"Thanks, but I'm fine with just milk," Ruby replied. She didn't really want tea all that much anyway. Besides, she already had her coffee for that morning.
Ms. Greenhill picked up the cup and went to dispose of its contents. Ruby poured herself a glass in the meantime. Let's hope this milk isn't tainted with alcohol as well.
Yang took a sip of his tea, holding his cup in both hands. "I'm really sorry about that, Ruby. It's just, Vinny's always been a good friend of mine. He's always been there when I needed him, and the two of us have never been far apart from each other." Yang set his cup on the table. "So, Ruby, what brings you here? You've grown a lot since the last time we met. When was that, three or four years ago? Aye-Aye-aye, I'm an old man already."
Ruby's eyes wandered to the floor before she spoke, trying to collect her thoughts. "Well, it's just that I'm going back to school in a few days, and I just thought I wouldn't have many chances to see you again."
Yang poured some more wine into his tea. "I heard you were attending Signal. I take it your uncle has been treating you well? You seem to have learned quite a few things from him, seeing how you helped bring down that robbery."
"Why does everyone keep mentioning that?" Ruby complained.
"It's something you should be proud of," said her cousin.
"But I don't want everyone bringing it up wherever I go. I just want to beat the bad guys and fight Grimm without everyone making a big deal about it. Why can't people see that?" As Ruby spoke, Ms. Greenhill circled around and sat next to her fiancé.
Yang leaned forward a bit, clutching his hands between his knees. "You shouldn't worry yourself over something like this. Most people will probably forget about it in a few days anyway. But with all due seriousness, you should be more concerned for your own safety."
"I know. I know."
"Life and death isn't a matter you should take so lightly," Yang said, pointing his index finger up as he began his lecture. "Too many people I knew have died over these past few years. I wouldn't want to lose anyone else, especially not you. Just think how your uncle would feel if you were no longer there to bring joy into his life." Yang took another sip. Ruby could not help but hear a clock ticking as it watched from the kitchen wall. "So, what do you think he's got in store for you next semester?"
Ruby's arms slid themselves behind her cloak until they grasped hold of each other. "Uh… About that. The thing is I'm not going back to Signal. I-I got invited to go to Beacon!"
Two sets of eyes stared back at her in disbelief.
"How old are you again, Ruby?" asked Ms. Greenhill.
"Fifteen."
The great general couldn't help but stumble for a bit. "Tha-that's quite a shocker. Don't take this the wrong way, we're happy for your accomplishment, but this is the first time we've heard of someone your age being accepted into Beacon."
"This is really big news for us," said Ms. Greenhill, "We just don't know what to say. But, congratulations! When did you apply?"
Ruby brought her hands back out in front of her. "The thing is, I-I didn't. After the robbery, the police brought me in, and then Professor Ozpin showed up along with this other guy. The other guy had this fancy outfit like he was supposed to be important or something, but then he just started lecturing me with 'Ms. Rose, you're just a kid! You're not supposed to act like a hero!' I'm a huntress in training for Dust's sake! Ugh! Why are so many people like that?"
Frederica and Yang were still watching her with silence.
"Anyway," Ruby continued, "Professor Ozpin liked my cool moves enough that he suggested I go to Beacon. Isn't it exciting? I mean, I know I'm good with Crescent Rose, but I never thought that I'd be skipping ahead two years... Oh, and he gave me chocolate chip cookies!"
"Well," said Ms. Greenhill, "it's quite astonishing that the headmaster of Beacon would meet with you personally. You've spoken with your uncle about this, right?"
"Of course!" said Ruby. Why wouldn't I?
After setting his cup down, Yang pointed his finger at Ruby. "Say, could you describe the other man for me? I might know who you're talking about."
Ruby gave herself a moment to think. She could imagine herself back in the room with the man watching from across the table, the tips of his fingers just touching each other. Professor Ozpin had been sitting beside him on a wooden chair, but the way the pale, lifeless man stood upright made him seem taller in comparison. No soul hid behind those eyes. "Stay out of matters that do not concern you," the man had said. All that came out was a machine-like monotone, dispensing nothing but rules and regulations.
"Well, I don't know," said Ruby. "The guy had brown hair, but he had a few white streaks that go around like this." Ruby cupped her hands and then placed them on each side of her forehead, her elbows facing forward. Once Yang had nodded, Ruby was free to release her arms. "Anyway, he kinda sounded like he was a robot or zombie or something." Ms. Greenhill started to giggle, covering her mouth as she did so. "Hey? What's so funny?"
Yang chuckled a bit as well, "Well, I'm not sure if Defense Minister Oberstein would approve of you calling him a robot."
Ruby stood up from her place. "Oberstein! That was his name!" The girl sat back down and then crossed her legs. "Still, he's just like everyone else. Everyone's always saying 'Ruby, why don't you watch out for yourself. Ruby, don't do this! Ruby, don't do that! Blah! Blah! Blah!' Why can't they see that I can handle myself?"
Yang crossed his arms and glanced out the window. He sighed. "Paul Oberstein might not be the easiest person to get along with, but he usually has everyone's best interests in mind. I know I've gotten into trouble more than a few times under Oberstein's watch." His hand tried reaching up for some invisible cap, but it found nothing aside from his thick, black hair. "But anyway, now that I'm retired, I won't have to worry about that anymore."
Ms. Greenhill leaned forward once again. "So, Ruby, what are your thoughts for this next semester?"
"Well, I'm excited, that's for sure. I mean, it's going to be hard, but I'm sure I can take whatever they throw at me. I've got the best study habits!" Ruby raised her fist in confidence, before letting it sink back down. "Though, I don't really know anyone there. It's just going to be me by myself, like always. But I can deal with it."
"I can't imagine what it must feel like," Yang remarked.
"Right, you don't have any brothers or sisters, do you Ruby," said Ms. Greenhill.
Ruby shook her head from side to side. "Nope. None."
And yet, why did it feel like something was missing?
Yang Wenli leaned over to his fiancé and whispered something into her ear. Frederica nodded, stood up, and then headed into another room, going through the kitchen area.
"There's actually someone I'd like for you to meet," said Yang. "My adoptive ward, Julian. He's planning on going to Beacon next semester as well. He might not have any formal schooling, but he's a fairly capable fighter, though not as good as you or Qrow. Tell me something, Ruby, have you ever heard of Walter Schönkopf?"
"Not really, though he does sound familiar," said Ruby.
"Huh, I thought you'd know who he was. He used to be an instructor at Signal." He tried taking another sip at his tea, but then realized it was empty. "Still, it's lucky your uncle stayed behind during the war."
The same thing couldn't be said about dad, though.
By this time, Ms. Greenhill had returned from the other room, holding a picture frame in her hands. "Julian is out getting some groceries right now, but we thought you might want to see what he looks like."
Ms. Greenhill sat down besides Ruby and held the picture frame before her. In it, Yang Wenli was standing beside a youth about Ruby's age, resting his right hand on the youth's shoulder. The boy had shaggy, grayish-blond hair. While Yang had a more relaxed pose, the boy saluted to the camera instead. From the looks of it, the two of them were wearing standard officer's uniforms.
"Aw, he looks like such a cute little puppy!" said Ruby, clasping her hands close in.
Ms. Greenhill placed the frame on the table. "I'm sure the two of you will get along just fine."
"Yeah," Ruby smiled. "Speaking of which, may I see his weapon? Surely the army must have some really cool weapons!"
Yang let out an awkward chuckle while shuffling through the back of his hair. "Well, I'm not sure if he'd appreciate someone going through his stuff, though I don't think he'd actually mind. I doubt his tools are the same caliber as the stuff you're used to seeing. The military budget doesn't let us equip all of our soldiers with transformable weapons, so all Julian has is a D-92 handgun and a tomahawk."
"The gun's standard issue, right?" Ruby asked. She already knew the answer, but it didn't hurt to verify things.
"I think so," said Yang. Still, Vale soldiers using tomahawks was fairly unusual, though the same could be said about her Crescent Rose.
Ruby shifted forward on the couch a bit, "Well what about his semblance? And don't you have any super-cool weapons? Surely you must have something if you're the general and all!"
Yang smiled, raising his hands before him, "I'm afraid that my arsenal is about as humble as Julian's. I'm not really that much of a close combatant. I almost received failing grades when I had to take those classes back at school." Yang let out an awkward laugh. "As for Julian, well, you'd have to ask him yourself. I think his semblance has something to do with flying, because I've seen him floating in the air a few times during his training."
Ruby's gaze turned to the top of the table. And here I got excited over nothing. Bummer. Well, maybe I can get to see this Julian guy. He looks nice enough.
"It sure is nice and relaxing out in these woods," said Yang, who was looking out through the window. "No more duties to fulfill. No more lives hanging in the balance."
"No Grimm either," added Ruby. "Why is that?"
"Seems like these woods were cleared out some time ago. Even with the war going on, we've somehow managed to keep Patch safe. It's a miracle the war never spread its wings across this island's shores. Lieutenant?"
Ms. Greenhill stood at attention, "Yes, general?"
"I'd like another cup of tea, thank you very much. How about you, Ruby?"
"I'm good," Ruby replied.
After Ms. Greenhill went to get more drinks, Ruby continued conversing with her cousin, catching up on the three years they had lost. Yang and his fiancé described their experiences in the war at great length. Even as Ruby listened to these tales with fascination, she could still see that these had been hard times for the two of them. It was like the old days, when Yang would visit to tell her stories from history's past, which would call her to take on the life of a huntress. Ruby too shared her times and successes at school, recounting the rigorous yet rewarding training her uncle had put her through. Of course, she didn't shy away from her dislike of the thick textbooks she had to read through, which had cost her many nights of sleep.
As the three spoke with each other, Ruby wondered what sorts of new experiences and adventures her life at Beacon would offer. Her journey there was only a few days away, and despite whatever doubts she may have had, Ruby was ready for whatever lied ahead.
A/N: Thank you for taking the time to read through this. Be sure to offer your opinions and comments. These first few chapters might be a bit slow, but I've got quite a bit planned for this story. Stay tuned, cause this ride is going to be a long one.
