Hi all, Keyslinger09 here with another story for you to read, review and think of it as you will. Hopefully in a positive way, but, your choice.
This story was actually a challenge that was set up by one 'Keyboardklutz', another User on Fanfiction. I thought it looked super fun to right, so I accepted. So, now it will be your job to give a read, and leave your thoughts so that I can continue to keep writing. And, as for the story itself, i'll only reveal that it will remain linked to the cannon, but the other stuff to be added... well, you'll see as i go along, so don't forget to review.
Right, with that out of the way, let's get goin'!
"Oh yeah! Come and get it!"
The City of Vale. One of the most popular cities in the world of Remnant. It wasn't as advanced in technology as Atlas, or as exotic and adventurous as the Kingdom of Vacuo, but the city which was named after its own city had its own charm that brought many people to the city.
It was Summer break, or more accurately, the second last week of Summer break. Most children would be groaning about having to go back, not looking forward to the days of writing on pieces of paper and listening to boring teachers.
… Well, that was the case for most kids and teens.
There were other schools that provided more… unique and adventurous training, otherwise known as the Combat Schools. These schools were set up to teach those who were keen on becoming Huntsmen and Huntresses, the protectors of the world, so that they could move up to the schools that were the essentials when it came to becoming Remnant's guardians.
After graduating from one of the only four Huntsmen Academies, these youths would be able and ready to take on any threat that came their way. While criminals and emergencies were important to help stop, the main enemy of any Huntsman were as clear as day.
The Creatures of Grimm. Manifestations of darkness and negativity, existing as long as man itself, even longer as some believe it to be. It was the job of these Huntsmen and Huntresses to fight against the Grimm and keep them safe from harm. Armed with their weaponry and Dust, crystallized forms of elemental energy that is used from power sources to military ammunition, they take the fight to the creatures of darkness.
The life of this world's protectors was hard enough. However, one Huntress in training was having another form of difficulty added onto her plate.
A girl with black hair with Red highlights, silver eyes and pale skin was currently slicing down targets, each one shaped like the wolf-like Grimm known as 'Beowolves', each one easily destroyed by the girl. Normally, these targets were supposed to be incredibly durable, so as to make sure that they can still be used.
Nevertheless, they proved to be nothing more than delicate when against the girl's weapon of choice, an enormous red scythe, looking both elegant, advanced and very painful.
After all the targets before her were sliced down, the girl spun the enormous weapon in her hand, before the scythe itself folded into a more compact and portable form. She looked around the area, seeing the mess she had made, soon grinning at her success.
"Alright. I am SOOO amazing." Ruby said, folding her arms and full of pride at her work.
"And a bit reckless."
Ruby jumped high into the air, the sudden voice startling her. She turned around, seeing a man with short, blond hair, blue eyes, a light tan and light facial hair on his face. He wore a button shirt, gloves, cargo shorts and sandals, as well as a pauldron on his shoulder.
He also had his arms folded and had a grin on his face. "You know, I was supposed to bring those targets back to Signal when the year started again." He said.
At that, Ruby froze, looking like a child that had been caught taking a cookie from the cupboard… which admittedly had happened to Ruby an awful lot. The mini reaper scratched the back of her head and gave a nervous chuckle.
"My bad, Dad." She said, lowering her arm. "I guess I just got a bit carried away. Using Crescent Rose has been pretty helpful with…"
Ruby trailed off, the thought she was trying to repress coming back to the surface.
Ruby's father, Taiyang, saw Ruby's expression turn to one of sadness and worry. He walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"What's on your mind, kid?" he asked her.
Ruby was reluctant to answer at first, knowing that to some it would be a bit of a silly subject. However, knowing her dad, it would only be a matter of time before he figured it out.
"Well… It's just…" Ruby took in one more deep breath. "I… with Yang going to Beacon soon… I'm afraid that I'm going to be alone." She finally admitted.
Tai nodded in understanding. While Ruby had several friends in Signal, she wasn't really able to get that close with them. During her time in Signal, it was Yang, her sister, that was there for Ruby during her time in Signal. Without her sister to support her, it seems like she was going to struggle.
"Ruby, don't worry. Just because Yang's going to Beacon, it doesn't mean that she's vanishing from Remnant. We can still get in contact with her." He said. "Besides, at least this will give you the opportunity to bond with your other friends, right?"
"…" Ruby's face was still one of worry, not comfortable at the idea of trying to make Friends to the degree that she could talk to them about her problems like with Yang. What if something happened, making a mistake that drove them away. It was making her even more nervous just by thinking about it.
What if… they found about her secret.
"Ruby?"
The scarlet reaper looked back towards her father, seeing a look of worry on his face as well. She widened her eyes with surprise, followed by frantically waving his arms up and down.
"GAH! Dad, don't get worried!" she exclaimed. "I… you're right, I- I guess that I'm a little worried about being alone in Signal."
She pulled her father into a hug. "But… but I'll do my best to make more friends, if it helps you."
"It's not about me." Tai pointed out. "it's about finding someone you can rely on. Someone who can help you when you need it, and who you would help just the same." He said.
"… That would be nice." Ruby said, though part of her wasn't sure if that was possible for her.
"There, you see?" Tai said, pulling out of the hug and rubbing the top of Ruby's head. "Now, I'm heading into the kitchen. How about some cookie-dough ice cream?"
At that, Ruby's eyes began sparkling. "YAAAY!" she yelled, jumping into the air, soon landing back on the ground. "With some strawberry?"
"Count on it!" Tai yelled before speeding back into the house.
Ruby was about to enter the house, keen on the taste of strawberry and cookie dough ice cream. A flavor that always seemed to appeal to her. However, before she was able to take a single step, she suddenly felt a chill go down her back. At the same time, she felt a build up of adrenaline going through her system.
She felt fear when she realized what was happening.
To relieve this feeling, Ruby quickly unfolded her scythe and slashed the air upwards, creating a shock wave so powerful that it traveled farther than the human eye could see, slicing a couple of clouds in the process.
After that impossible display of strength, Ruby glared upwards, the silver in her eyes briefly flashing red in the process.
Thankfully, the eyes returned to their original color, and no one seemed to notice Ruby's attack.
"Ruby! You comin' in?" Tai called out.
Ruby turned back, her trademark grin having returned. "On the way!" she said before dashing into the house, a trail of rose petals appearing behind her.
….
"So, what are we gonna do today, Rubes?"
After Taiyang and Ruby ended up eating more strawberry and cookie dough ice-cream (which left both with severe tummy aches), who had ended up returning to the house?
None other than Yang Xiao Long, the elder of the two sisters, having returned from visiting a friends house for the day. Though, she was initially surprised when she entered through the front door, finding both her family members in sugar induced comas.
However, knowing those two, it was best to just let them sleep it off, while she went into the sitting room and played some video games to pass the time. Eventually, the two managed to wake up, surprisingly in good health.
After Yang filled them in on her visit, to which Taiyang was thankful that nothing bad or indecent happened, Yang suddenly felt the feeling to head out into the city of Vale. To some, it would be bewildering that someone would keep going out after having a busy day so far. However, it was very common in the Xiao Long household, as Yang had a fondness for enjoying life as much as she could, and would try to fit in as much fun as she could in one day.
Tai had managed to convince Ruby to join her as well. Ruby had originally planned to work on her scythe for the rest of the day, hoping to make some improvements that she was planning on for a while.
Then again, there was a new weapons magazine she wanted to read, and it was made available yesterday. So, in the end, she decided to join the elder sister.
Now in the city, Yang walked ahead of Ruby, showing off her long, golden blond hair, lilac eyes and pale skin, she wore an orange bandanna, bikers jacket, yellow shirt that had a flame-like symbol sewn in, short shirts, a belt, fingerless gloves and combat boots. She seemed to look forward to the day.
Ruby looked around, thinking about Yang's question. "Um… that's a good question." She said, placing an index on her chin. After a few seconds, an idea popped into her mind.
"Let's head to the arcade!" the scarlet reaper exclaimed.
"Didn't we do that last week?" Yang asked with a raised eyebrow. She knew her sister was as fond of video games as her, but it would get boring if that was all they did.
"True… but they didn't have 'Ninja Slayer 3' last week, did they?" Ruby pointed out, her eyes suddenly sparkling with anticipation.
This caught the brawler's attention. "What!? No way! That was supposed to come out next week!" she said, the surprise as clear as day in her voice.
"I KNOW! It was AWESOME when I saw it." Ruby replied. "Didn't play it yet, though. Had to pick up parts for Crescent Rose."
Yang put her hands behind her head and grinned at her younger sibling. "Well, let's get going!" she said, clearly looking forward to playing that particular game
With that, Ruby and Yang raced over to the Vale shopping mall, where they found their favorite video arcade. They soon got stuck into the new game. It was a two-player fighting game, one that proved incredibly enjoyable for the sisters.
As they played, Yang was surprised at how well Ruby was doing. Usually, when it came to fighting games, Ruby always had difficulty beating Yang. in fact, ishe lost so much that it would be considered comical. Though the brawler was the video game master of the house anyway, so it made sense. Much to her surprise, however, she saw that Ruby had been improving. It was like her own reflexes had improved, and she seemed to register stuff more easily.
Given that Ruby had been learning how to wield a scythe, one would expect that she was improving in those areas due to having to master such a dangerous weapon. Yang, on the other hand, suspected that there was more to it than that. Not that she was going to push it, else Ruby wouldn't be as keen to share anything.
After they finished, both were talking about the game. Clearly, they had enjoyed it.
"Damn, girl. You've gotten better." Yang noted.
"Yeah. We actually tied with that last round." Ruby noted, before forming a pout look on her face. "I would've had you if I had more time."
Yang gave a slight laugh. "Sure, keep telling yourself that."
After that, both sisters couldn't help but laugh out loud. A number of passer-by's looked at them strangely but the sisters couldn't care less.
After the laughter faded, the sound of a scroll ringing rang through the air, prompting Ruby to check hers, while Yang pulled out her scroll, seeing that it was their father. She answered an checked to see what was up. After saying goodbye, she hung up and turned to Ruby.
"Sorry Rubes. Dad's got something going on and needs my help." She said, placing the scroll back into her pocket.
At that, Ruby rushed up to Yang and clung onto her tightly, a stream of comical tears flowing down her face.
"OOOH NO! PLEASE, oh dearest sister of mine, please don't go!" Ruby begged, her voice now a lot more dramatic than usual.
Yang peeled her off and rubbed the top of her head. "Chill out, sis." She said. "You wanna head back too?"
Ruby was about to answer when her eyes caught the site of the nearby Dust store, 'From Dust Till Dawn', where the owner seemed to be wheeling in…
"NEW WEAPON MAGAZINES!" Ruby yelled, her eyes sparkling, followed by dashing towards the Dust store, leaving behind a trail of rose petals as she did so. Yang was momentarily stunned from the surprise, but soon recovered and shook her head, thinking she should've anticipated this action.
"Guess I'll be seeing you around." Yang said out loud, before walking over towards the docks.
Ruby, meanwhile, had dashed into the shop, practically drooling when she saw the more recent issues of 'Weapons' magazine. Realizing this, she quickly wiped the drool from her mouth and picked up a copy. As she flicked through the pages, she realized that she would be a while. As such, she delved into her pockets and pulled out, surprisingly, a pair of headphones.
"Oh yeah, this is gonna be gooood." She said to herself, putting on the headphones and indulging herself in the latest weapon news.
….
Time had flown for Ruby, having read most of the magazines that had been placed on the rack. She had even gotten some inspirations for the Crescent Rose, more specifically the rifle mode. Needless to say, Ruby was having an enjoyable time, whilst listening to 'This Will be the Day', by Casey Lee Williams.
In fact, she was so engrossed in her reading, she didn't notice when a man with red hair entering the shop, dressed in a white coat, black pant and dress shoes, bowler hat, carrying a cane and followed by a group of armed thugs.
The man in the bowler hat leaned up against the counter, focusing his gaze on the elderly shopkeeper.
"Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a dust shop open this late at night?" he asked the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper was so panicked, his speech began to waver. "P-Please, just take my Lien and go-"
It was then that the criminal shushed him gently. "Calm down, we're not here for your money." He said reassuringly. He then turned to the thugs behind him. "Grab the Dust."
With that, the thugs pulled out canisters, marching over to the refined dust containers, filling their canisters to the brim with the material.
The criminal leader then placed a case on the counter, opening up for the shopkeeper to see. "Clean and uncut, please." He said.
As the shopkeeper reluctantly gave him the dust crystals, one of the thugs had noticed that someone else was in the store. He stormed over and pointed the tip of his blade towards the person in question.
"Hey, kid. Put your hands where I can see 'em!." He yelled at this person.
This brought no response from the person in the hood, much to his annoyance.
"Hey, put your hands in the air!" he said, storming over to this person. "You got a death wish or something!?" he finished, pulling down the hood of this person, revealing it to be a young girl with head phone, black and red hair, and silver eyes.
…
Ruby was surprised when her hood was pulled down, even more when she saw a man with a black suit and red glasses. With an irate look on his face. He pointed towards his ear, trying to get the girl to remove her headphones.
Ruby placed them around her neck, curious to see what the man had to say. "Yes?"
"I said put your hands in the air." He said to her. "NOW!"
Ruby raised an eyebrow in confusion, and mild curiosity. "Are you… robbing me?" she asked.
"YES!"
Ruby's eyes quickly darted to the side, her ears somehow picking up on the faint sounds of the shopkeeper stuttering in fear.
"… oh…"
A second later, the red-haired man at the counter saw said goon flying through the air, crashing into a nearby stand. He looked over to where he was launched from, widening his eyes in surprise. He then motioned for another thug to try and subdue the threat.
As the second thug aimed a firearm at Ruby, the scarlet reaper decided now was the time to put her baby to use. With that, she pulled out her scythe in its folded form, using her strength to whack him in the face, launching him in the air and out through the store window.
'Oops. I'll have to apologize for that later.' Ruby thought as she jumped after him.
From the inside, the other thugs watched as Ruby's weapon unfolded into the large and deadly Crescent Rose scythe. When it was fully formed, Ruby took a quick glance back in the shop, a confident grin on her face. She spun her scythe around before plunging it into the ground, now standing confidently and and proudly.
"…" the red-haired man was genuinely surprised, never expecting to see something like this. "Okay…" he then looked at his lackeys. "Get her!"
With that, the thugs still standing ran to take care of the mini reaper. However, Ruby wasn't going to just stand by and let them win.
"Alright… time to test it out." She said to herself.
With that, Ruby's eyes shifted color to the black and red scheme from before, dashing towards the thugs. Using her enhanced strength, she swung her scythe with enough force that it created a shock-wave that knocked the thugs off of their feet. As they were airborne, Ruby leaped into the air, skillfully spinning her scythe and whacked them one-by-one, each one creating a crater as they landed on the ground with painful levels of force. Ruby landed on the ground with a roll, looking up to see that all the thugs had been taken care of.
And she hadn't spent a single Dust round in the process, a new record.
When the fight ended, the red-haired man walked out, unhappy with how events were turning out.
"You were worth every cent, truly you were." He said sarcastically to the fallen thugs before turning to Ruby' who's eyes had returned to normal. "Well Red, I think its safe to say that this has been an eventful evening…" he pointed the cane he was holding at her. "But I'm afraid… that this is where we part ways."
The bottom of the scope the opened, turning around and making it into a scope. The criminal then pulled the trigger, firing a dust round at the girl.
Feeling her senses going into overdrive, the mini reaper's eyes flashed red, followed by dashing towards the dust round, swinging her scythe as she slashed the projectile in two. She stopped a meter away from the criminal, the outer edge of the Crescent Rose held up against his neck.
The criminal looked at Ruby, whose eyes had reverted to normal. "Well… this is unexpected." He said.
"Ready to give up?" Ruby asked, unintentionally grinning at her success.
"On the contrary." The criminal said, slowly lowering his cane. "Just need to change things up is all." He said.
Ruby was confused by what he had meant. Unfortunately, she got her answer too late, when another round was fired from his cane, hitting the ground, creating a bright flash that momentarily blinded Ruby. She held her arms up, coincidentally blocking some of the debris from hitting her face, leaping away in safety from the blast.
When she landed, she lowered her arms, seeing that her opponent had disappeared. She spun her head around, lucky enough to catch sight of the criminal climbing up a ladder.
Ruby turned her head back, seeing the shopkeeper, shaken but otherwise okay. "You alright if I go after him?" she asked, to which she received a nod.
She then zoomed after the criminal, even using the rifle mechanic of her scythe to fire a shot, using the recoil to fly up into the air and land safely on the roof.
"HEY!" she yelled at the criminal, prompting him to stop momentarily.
"… Persistent." He commented in frustration.
Quickly following was an large aircraft, hovering close to the building. A door opened at the side, allowing the criminal to hop on. He turned and sneered down at the Huntress in training.
"End of the line, red!" he yelled, pulling out a red Dust Crystal. He threw the crystal down at Ruby.
Under different circumstances, Ruby wouldn't have registered what the man was trying to do. However, Ruby was now sharper than before. She quickly aimed the rifle attachment at the Crystal, firing her own round at the crystal. The crystal collided with the bullet halfway between Ruby and the criminal, creating an explosion that forced Ruby back, but caused enough force in the air to make aircraft to lose its stability briefly.
Unfortunately, this didn't last long, as the aircraft was able to recover. Afraid that it might escape, Ruby morphed the weapon into its firearm form, trying to hit the shell, only to see that it was ineffective.
With the criminal struggling, he ran over to the cockpit, where a woman in a dress dress adorned with golden highlights was piloting the ship.
"We've got a HUNTRESS!" he yelled.
This prompted the woman to leave the cockpit and leave the controls to the criminal. With that, the woman stood where the hatch was still open. There was a shadow that covered the woman's face, the only thing from her face that was visible was a pair of glowing, ember eyes.
She held up her hand, forming a ball of fire in the center of her palm. She then shot it out, the fire expanding and flying towards the mini reaper.
"Uh oh!" Ruby cried, holding her scythe up in defense.
Expecting to be caught up in a fiery explosion, Ruby closed her eyes and prayed for a miracle. A second later, Ruby heard the sound of an explosion, prompting her to wince in fear. After a few seconds, though, she realized that she wasn't feeling any pain. She opened one eye, only to open both after seeing a new figure standing between both her and the ember-eyed woman.
This woman had blond hair tied into a bun, green eyes, dressed in a white blouse, purple cape, black pants and riding boots, and was holding a riding crop in her right hand. She had the riding crop directed at the woman in the red dress, but also up against a barrier. The purple-caped woman lowered the riding crop, thereby deactivating the barrier, and gave the ember-eyed enemy a glare that could frighten off a pack of Beowolves.
Said enemy then fired volleys of flame projectiles at the two on the roof. Several seemed to miss, striking the concrete around Ruby and the older woman. Taking the opportunity, the woman with the riding crop pointed at the debris that was formed. Said debris was then coated in a bright, purple aura, floating into the air and briskly forming into a large missile-like object.
"Whoa…" Ruby said in awe, watching the older woman masterfully manipulate the debris.
The missile was then fired at the plane, only to be obliterated after the ember-eyed enemy launched more fire attacks, blocking the missile successfully.
The didn't stop the telekinetic, who swiftly gathered the pieces of debris again and attacked again, to which the ember-eyed enemy countered again.
Seeing that she needed to help somehow, Ruby formed her scythe into its firearm mode, taking aim and taping into her darker powers. As he eyes flashed red, her vision got sharper, she was able to judge the wind resistance more accurately (which had increased slightly because of the surprising force from the Purple-caped woman and the ember-eyed enemy). With this, she fired, her eyes glued to the ember-eyed woman's knee.
The rounds struck, causing the ember-eyed woman to give way and fall to the ground. While her aura had protected her from the damage, she was still able to feel the pain from the shot. She was forced to lower her head to keep her face from showing.
Left with no other option, the ember-eyed woman focused all the energy she had into her right hand. She then shot out her palm, firing a large sphere of raging flames in their direction.
The purple-caped woman's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting the assailant to use so much power. she must be on her last legs if that's the case. Nevertheless, she activated her power in that same second, readying another barrier. However, instead, she felt dread and horror when she saw a blur of red zoom pass her.
"NO!" she cried.
"Not today, fancy lady!" Ruby exclaimed, a look of confidence on her face, her eyes momentarily flashing red again.
Ruby swung her scythe with as much force as she could muster, the blade colliding with the flames. Ruby had expected to blow the flames away with the force of the swing. Unfortunately, her scythe somehow managed to bounce off the sphere, surprising the mini reaper.
This surprise turned into pure fear when she saw the flames were continuing forward.
"OH NO!" Ruby cried out, holding her free arm up in defense against the attack, knowing that this attack would bring a world of hurt.
A split second later, Ruby was completely engulfed by the flames. Taking the opportunity, The criminal moved the aircraft, allowing them to get away.
"What a pain in the ass." He muttered as the aircraft gained speed, allowing for a better escape.
As this was happening, the purple-caped woman gaped in horror as the flames engulfed the scarlet reaper.
Using her Semblance, she created a powerful gust of wind to blow away the flames, hoping to god that the girl was alright. After the flames faded, though, the girl had seemed to had vanished along with it.
"No… no, NO!" she cried, afraid that she was already taken by the fire.
"Oh WOOOW!"
The woman turned, startled by the sudden sound of the voice, only to widen her eyes in shock after seeing the red-caped child standing before her, both unharmed and full of glee. Needless to say, the sight completely baffled her, prompting her to look back to see where Ruby was just ten seconds ago, before looking back at the young reaper.
"You're a Huntress, aren't you?" she asked, bringing her hands up to her face. "Can I have your autograph?"
…
Instead of an autograph, Ruby was brought down to the Vale police station, where she sat in one of the interrogation rooms, the purple-caped woman, who introduced herself as Glynda Goodwitch, pacing back and forth as she was giving Ruby a stern lecture.
"I hope that you realize that your actions will not be taken lightly, Young Lady. You out yourself and others in great danger."
"But they started it!" Ruby protested.
Were it up to me, you would be sent home with a pat on the back…" Goodwitch stared.
Ruby gave a hopeful smile.
"… And a SLAP on the wrist!" Goodwitch finished, slapping her riding crop against the table, making Ruby pull her hand back and yelp from fight. "However… there is someone who wishes to speak with you."
Goodwitch stepped to the side, revealing a new presence entering the room. It was a middle-aged man, white messy hair, brown eyes, wearing spectacles, a black suit and a green ascot around his neck. He was carrying a mug in one hand, and supporting a large plate of stacked cookies with another.
"Ruby Rose." He said out loud before leaning towards her. "You… Have silver eyes."
"… Um…" Ruby said, confused by this man's first words.
He stood up straight again, standing next to Goodwitch, who was showing footage of Ruby fighting outside the Dust store.
"Where did you learn to do this?" he asked seriously.
"S-Signal Academy?" Ruby tried to answer, still a little confused by what was going on.
"They taught you how to wield one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?" the man asked in astonishment.
"Well, one teacher in particular." Ruby admitted.
"I see." The man said before placing the tray of cookies on the table.
Ruby wasn't sure about eating at first. Slowly, she picked up one of the cookies, before devouring it in one bite. Seeing that they didn't react, Ruby devoured the cookies one by one, rapidly emptying the plate.
As she ate, the man continued to speak. "It's just I've only ever seen one scythe wielder of that caliber before." She stated. "A dusty old crow."
"Haths mo Unhle!" Ruby said through the remnants of cookies in her mouth. She quickly swallowed them before speaking again. "Sorry. That's my Uncle Qrow! He's a teacher at Signal." She explained. "I use to be complete garbage before he took me under his wing, now I'm all WHHHAAH, WHOOO, WHA-CHOOO!"
"So I've noticed." The man said, a small grin appearing on his face. He then took a seat in front of Ruby. "And what is an adorable girl such as yourself doing in a school designed to train warrior?"
Ruby's face morphed into one of determination. "Well, I want to be a Huntress." She answered confidently.
"You want to find monsters?" He asked, his surprise still present, but kept a blank expression on his face.
"Yeah. I only have two more years of training at Signal, and then I'm going to apply at Beacon. You see, My sister is starting there this year, and she's trying to become a Huntress, and I'm trying to become a Huntress, cause, well, I wanna help people. My parents always taught us to help people, so I thought 'Mmm, might as well try and make a career out of it', I mean the police are alright, but Huntsmen and Huntresses are just so romantic, exciting and cool-GYHA! You know!?"
"…" Both Goodwitch and the man in spectacles were silent for a moment, taking in all that the girl had said.
"Do you know who I am?" the man said, finally breaking the silence.
"You're Professor Ozpin. You're the Headmaster at Beacon." Ruby answered, much more calmly than before.
Ozpin nodded, before giving a small smile. "Hello."
"Nice to meet you." Ruby said in response, nodding her head in return.
"So, you want to come to my school?" Ozpin asked.
"More than anything." Ruby answered.
Ozpin looked over at Goodwitch for a moment, as if wanting her opinion in this. However, she simply rolled her eyes, seeming to not care. He then looked back at Ruby and shrugged his shoulder.
"Well okay."
"…" Ruby's mind seemed to blank for a moment. As it did, however, her face slowly morphed into an expression of pure joy. When it reached as far as it could get, with no other reaction, the Professors looked at each other with worry.
Ozpin looked back at Ruby. "I… think we broke her."
Goodwitch was about to exit the room, to call for help for the girl. However, Ruby quickly recovered, jumping out of her seat and using her Semblance to dash all around the room.
"YAAAAAY! OH MY GOSH THIS IS SO AMAZING! THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVEEEEEEER!" she yelled as she went around the room.
She was soon sitting in her chair again, giving a small cough before bowing to the Professors. "A-hem… my apologies… thank you for this opportunity." She said in a calmer, more respectful tone.
Ozpin gave the girl a nod, before turning to Goodwitch. "Glynda? Would you allow me a moment alone with Miss Rose?"
Goodwitch raised an eyebrow at the Professor. "What reason would you have-"
"Glynda."
The blond-haired Huntress saw a level of seriousness that was rarely seen in his eyes. Knowing it had to be an important matter, she nodded in confirmation.
"Very well. Please excuse me." She said before exiting the room, closing the door behind her.
After she left, Ruby looked at Ozpin, clearly confused. "Huh? Everything alright?"
"… there is a matter that I need to discuss with you, Miss Rose." Ozpin started. "One to do with your… recently acquired traits."
"U-Umm…" Ruby was genuinely unsure of what the Headmaster was talking about. However, after a few seconds, it clicked, causing Ruby to feel panic. She was about to stand up and run, but Ozpin raised his hands up and looked at her with reassurance on his face.
"Calm down. I'm not going to cause, nor shall I allow any harm come to you." He said.
"…" Ruby wasn't sure about whether or not to trust the Headmaster, after all, he was a Huntsman, and it was their duty to eliminate any… "How... how did you know?"
"Your uncle told me." Ozpin answered, receiving a startled look from Ruby. "He was concerned for your safety, and thought it best to inform me in hopes of finding an answer…" his expression then became one of concern. "And I'm afraid I must inform you that I have no answers yet."
Ruby had momentarily momentarily felt a swelling feeling of joy, having THE Professor Ozpin looking to help her. Although, that hope seemed to deflate after he finished speaking. "Oh." She said, her tone sad, but slightly comic.
Seeing this, it was Ozpin's turn to be surprised. "You don't seem that upset, Miss Rose."
Ruby shrugged her shoulders. "Well, you were trying, at least. Gotta be thankful for that." She said. "Plus, if Uncle Qrow trusts you enough to… wait…" a look of fear appeared on Ruby's face. "Are you only letting me into Beacon… to keep an eye on me?" she asked.
She had just been given a great opportunity from Ozpin to go to Beacon, thinking that it was because of her combat ability. If it was just because of the fact that she was to be kept an eye on…
"No, Miss Rose." Ozpin answered, causing the girl to perk up. "Your combat prowess is by far a greater caliber than anyone I had seen before. As such, I simply see it that you're ready to move up the ranks."
Ruby squealed in the inside, her joy now revived. However, it was short-lived, as another troubling thought occurred to Ruby.
"Professor?" she asked, gaining Ozpin's attention. "Can you be honest with me?" she asked.
Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "About what, my dear?"
"... Do you… see me as a threat? Am I... nothing but a monster to you?"
Ozpin's expression slowly became more serious after hearing this.
"Ruby. Tell me, if someone was in danger right now, what would you do?"
Ruby blinked in surprise from the question. "Huh? I'd, well, go help them. But wh-"
"If one of your friends and family were to seriously hurt, how would you feel?"
"W-Wh-I'd be upset. Well… more than upset actually…" a memory of a certain Huntress in a white cloak coming to mind.
Ozpin nodded in affirmation. "Ruby. A monster wouldn't go out of their way to help those in need, just as you did when engaged with those who threatened that Dust shop. Nor would a monster be concerned, nevermind heartbroken over the safty or loss of someone important to them." he explained. "The way i see it, Ruby, you are just as much a person as you were before this. You may have been burdened with a troubling curse, but you are as much a person as Myself, Glynda and those you know and love. Never forget that."
After hearing this, Ruby's lower lip began to tremble. For a while now, she was afraid that her Grimm abilities made her nothing more than a monster. An enemy of Humanity. But after hearing Ozpin's words… she couldn't be more Grateful for those words.
"… Thank you, sir." Ruby managed to say, a few tears of joy rolling down her face.
Ozpin delved into his pockets and handed her a clean handkerchief. "Your welcome, Miss Rose."
He then turned around and started walking out of the office. "I'd recommend you go home and get some rest. You're going to have a very busy schedule to keep."
Ruby formed a large grin on her face, giving Ozpin two thumbs up. "Looking forward to it!"
Chapter End
So, what do you all think? Was this worth reading so far? If so, remember to leave your thoughts in the review, or PM if you like, either suits me.
Right, with nothing else to say, I'm off. See you later, have a great day.