If you could only see,
The Beast you've made
Of me…
It was one of those mornings.
The metallic taste of blood on her lips, the familiar headache and aching of her limbs was all too familiar now. Brushing the locks of hair out of her eyes Yang Xiao Long, stood on shaky legs, wiping the dirt pointlessly from her exposed body. She needed a shower and something to drink. The wolf had already eaten, the thought alone making Yang queasy, let alone hungry for a hearty breakfast.
Her first stop as usual was to the large oak tree where she hid her 'overnight bag', filled with a clean set of clothes, some water and painkillers. The first few changes, made without the supply bag, had been both embarrassing and extremely uncomfortable. Now she was learning, trying to make her curse slightly easier to live with.
Yang was thankful for the feeling of the shirt that she pulled over her head, the soft touch of fabric reminding her that she really was human, born and raised in civilized society. It was a strange comfort, but one that she craved every time she woke up naked and alone in whatever field, clearing or whatever patch of dirt her wolf had decided to sleep on.
Pulling on her jeans and shoes she grabbed her bottle of water and downed a few painkillers to alleviate the headache. With a sigh she made the trek out of the woods. It was disturbing just how routine everything had all become. Being a Werewolf was just part of her life, and she hated it.
Yang found her bike easily enough, it being a garishly yellow vehicle helped greatly. The roar of the engine, like her clothes, served as a simple link to the humanity that was so hard to find out here in the woods. Flying down the narrow road, Yang drove towards the closest place where she could get a shower. The fifteen minute drive back into the city took Yang only ten, due to her being fairly liberal with the speed limits.
The building that she stopped in front of was a simple red brick construct. The bottom floor of the apartment building, surrounded by others like it, was a small shop. Above the entry way sat a black sign the swung lightly in the breeze, it had no words, only the image of a cat.
Pushing open the green door Yang heard the ring of the bell tied to the door. It wasn't exactly a place one would expect to find Yang. Filled with books, crystals, odd looking herbs and flowers.
At the counter, bundled away into the corner of the room, behind stacks of books, sat Blake Belladonna. Dressed in her usual dark attire, her hair flowing freely down past her shoulders, bow set firmly on the top of her head. She sniffed once, grimacing. "Uh, hey there Blake," Yang said somewhat sheepishly, knowing that Blake disliked being exposed to Yang so early the morning after. Instead of speaking she simply pointed to the back room, and continued flicking through the book in her lap.
Yang nodded, smiling at Blake's reaction. Walking by, Yang caught the grimace on Blake's face grow, turning her nose up. Yang in turn, stopped in front of Blake, letting her savour the smell. "Please hurry up and shower, you smell like dog. It's terrible," Blake said leaning back further in her chair. Yang smiled and gave her a wink before heading into the back room and taking a long shower.
By Blake's count it was Yang's sixth full moon since being cursed. She felt for the girl, it was always hard for people to cope with discovery of the darker side of the world. Particularly when one was turned into a crazed beast once a month.
If only it had been a simple curse, one performed by a practitioner such as Blake, she would have been able to easily dispel the curse. That this occurred naturally, through the bite of another werewolf, meant that Yang had very few options. She could live her life out as a creature of the full moon, or she could find and kill her maker. Blake had no doubts that Yang had indeed been looking, but whoever made her had so far evaded any search conduct by Yang.
So Blake did what she could for the girl who had stumbled into her store so many months ago. Covered in rags, blood and dirt after her first change. "So Blake, how's business been?" Yang asked from the shower.
"Not bad, had a guy come in with a particularly bad case of the 'scorned lover'. Their significant other had managed to find someone to cast a spell that stopped him from… getting excited, if you know what I mean."
"Damn, if only I had known about you ages ago, I could have had some real fun," Yang said thinking back to her previous lovers. Blake smirked,
"Good thing you didn't, Warlocks aren't cheap, paid off a few months of rent with that job."
Yang stepped out a few moments later, drying her hair. "Thanks for this by the way, it, really helps. You have no idea just how much I feel like a shower after a turn. That and it's driving me crazy not being able to talk about this with anyone."
"You could tell them you know, your family, maybe a friend?"
"And what exactly would that accomplish? Either they don't believe me and think I'm crazy, or worse they do believe me and try to help. I could end up hurting them, I just couldn't live with myself if that happened. This thing affects me enough as it is, I don't want anyone to have to worry, to suffer because of it."
"At the very least, you need more people to talk about this with," Blake said sympathetically, shutting her book. Yang looked away to avoid Blake's eyes,
"Yeah, maybe, I'll think about it." Blake nodded, reaching under her counter and grabbing a small laced bag. She threw it into Yang's hand, "What's this?" Yang said as she took a tentative sniff. Immediately she became a little light headed. Blake grinned,
"Wolfsbane, it has some special properties and effects, particularly for your kind. Much better than painkillers." Yang re-tied the satin bag, tucking it into her bag.
"Thanks for that. I guess I'll see you next full moon?" Yang asked, Blake shrugged,
"Sure, though I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to come by and simply be social."
"Ha, sure thing, so I guess I'll see you around."
"Until next time," Blake said, waving lazily as Yang left the shop. Blake shook her head, it was always interesting dealing with Werewolves, especially new ones. Placing the book she had taken back on its shelf, Blake decided to get to work. A smile lit up her face when she grabbed her mail and drew out the first letter. Her favourite blood sucking customer had a request.
Ruby Rose would have been your average, everyday, fairly nerdy, slightly sporty, hyperactive, devoted, somewhat naive girl, if it had not been for the cancer raging through her body. Nevertheless, she couldn't let that stop her from being herself, from having what little fun she could with what time she had left.
Though as it stood, sitting at a bar with her sister, was not exactly her idea of fun. The loud, thumping music, migraine inducing lights and certainly carcinogenic smoke from the smoke machines. "Come on Ruby, at least try to have a good time," Yang said, pleading with her half-sister. Ruby shrugged, sipping at the soda she had ordered, "It's, just not really my scene I guess,"
"We can leave if you want," Yang asked, though Ruby could see that she really wanted to stay. Ruby shook her head,
"No it's fine, I just need time to warm up to… dancing," Ruby said the last word nervously.
"Well I am going to go dance, when you feel up to it come down. I promise it won't be that bad."
Ruby couldn't blame Yang for trying. She had brought her on several outings recently, trying desperately to get Ruby to experience as much as she could before Ruby was too weak to go out. Ruby would force herself to go and dance, for Yang's benefit. Her sister had been taking the news of her cancer very badly, she seemed stressed out, more prone to spending nights away from home doing something she refused to tell Ruby about.
Ruby herself was just going through the motions. Like everyone else, the thought of death, the news of her illness, crept up on her. No one thinks of death until it's at their doorstep, now it was all that was on everyone's minds. This, it turned out, was the worst part of the cancer. Not the possibility of death, for Ruby had reluctantly come to accept it, no, it was seeing those around her hurt. Everyone wanted to help shoulder the burden, when all Ruby wanted was to do that herself, for everyone else's sake.
So Ruby would just do what she could to make it easier on the people around her. Even if it came to dancing, she would put on her brave face.
Ruby's thoughts were interrupted when the stool next to her scraped across the concrete floor. Glancing to her right Ruby was forced to do a double take. The woman that sat down next to her was stunning. Ruby had never really been focused on dating, or sex, she had no real inclination of whether she was even attracted to women. However, it was plain to see, the woman that now occupied the stool next to her, was gorgeous. Porcelain skin, eyes that felt like they were staring into the depths of your soul and silky white hair enveloped her attention. "This seat isn't taken is it?" The woman said in a very sensual tone. Ruby shook her head quickly, giving away her obvious nervousness. The woman wore a white dress, matching her hair, and had a set of silvery, sparkling accessories. "So what are you doing here, all alone?"
"Ugh, uh, just having a drink, well not a real drink, just a soda, but I mean I guess it is a real drink, I just meant that it doesn't have any alcohol in it." Ruby said, bumbling through her sentence.
"I take it I couldn't interest you in an alcoholic beverage then? My shout?" The woman said, money seeming to appear in her hand.
"Oh no, I'm fine, thank you though," Ruby said, unable to break eye contact with the girl,
"No problem, my name is Weiss by the way, it's a pleasure to meet you."
It had been a very stressful week for Weiss Schnee. Planning her newest venture had taken up nearly all of her time, meaning she hadn't had time to find anything fresh to drink. Days of drinking refrigerated blood had left her wanting, left her hungry for something warm.
Usually she would have been fussier; her taste a little more refined. Currently she was enjoying the carnal pleasure of females, making her victims much more likely to be of the farer sex, so thankfully in that department at least this girl fit the bill. Bars and clubs were the perfect hunting ground, concentrated groups of intoxicated people, all out late at night. It was much easier than it had been back in the day.
Weiss would stalk through the crowds, catching a few eyes but ultimately sticking to the background. She would find someone who called to her tastes and interest, and begin working her magic. Sure it was easier in the short term to be vicious, abducting and murdering to sustain yourself, but it was boring, horribly immoral, and risky. Weiss had of course done plenty of it, as a young Vampire, a slave to her insatiable thirst.
Now though, she was experienced and liked to believe, in full control. She was able to drink without killing, and without any deaths, there were no investigations. Well, at least no homicide investigations.
"So what brings you here tonight?" Weiss asked, making sure to stay in eye contact with the girl, letting her innate Vampiric charms take hold.
"I-I'm here with my sister,"
"Oh, is that so, how interesting," Weiss said, feigning interest. Ruby's eyes suddenly changed, from an incredibly focused look, to a very blank stare. Weiss let her lips curve into a smile, "What's your name?"
"Ruby."
"Would you like to go and get some fresh air?"
"Yes." Ruby said, voice monotone, thoroughly under Weiss' charm. Weiss led her by the hand towards the door, flicking the bartender a generous tip.
The night was clear, the moon bright, having just been full the night before. Weiss pulled Ruby into the alleyway behind the bar, the wide eyed girl barely reacting to the situation. Weiss pulled her close, fangs stretching out and sinking into Ruby's neck.
The first drop that hit her tongue sent a shiver through her, the pleasure of drinking never having faded. The first gulp, sent endorphins flying about in her head, making her quickly suck more and more. Then Weiss froze, no longer drinking in blood. The taste was all wrong, so wrong in fact that it immediately made Weiss feel sick. Stumbling back Weiss started retching, trying to spit out the blood. It came out in spurts, thoroughly ruining her white dress. "Dear gods! What is wrong with you?" Weiss coughed, wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her dress.
Ruby blinked fast, coming out of the trance. The two stared at each other, silent, both waiting for the other to make the next move. Ruby's hand drifted to her neck, fingers coming away wet with blood. "What the, what is, I just, what?" Ruby stumbled forward, clearly about to faint. Weiss grabbed her, stopping her from falling face first onto the pavement.
Weiss looked down at the now pale girl. The taste in her mouth, the tainted blood, meant that the girl was sick, fatally so. Weiss felt a pang of sadness at the thought of such a young person being so close to death. No, she couldn't think like that, many Vampires eventually thinks themselves a god, granting life to those nearest death. It was a dangerous and arrogant assumption, one that usual lead to much pain and suffering. Yet now, looking down at the younger girls face, so peaceful and illuminated by the moon, Weiss had a moment of weakness.
"Damn it Weiss," she grumbled to herself, lifting up the girl and checking the street ahead of the alley, making sure it was clear. With no sign of people, Weiss rushed out, carrying Ruby and making for her car.
Blake's feline ears, hidden beneath her bow, twitched. Downstairs the bell on the door rang, forcing Blake to forget about the potion she was brewing. It was late, meaning her customer was probably not human, and to top it all off, she smelt blood.
Blake walked down the stairs hesitantly, unhappy that she didn't have any hexes ready to use in case of emergency. "Blake, hurry up I need your help," the familiar voice belonging to Weiss called. Blake quickened her pace when she saw the Vampire dragging along a bleeding victim.
"Why did you bring her here? If anyone saw…" Blake said unhappily, scanning the streets outside her store.
"No one saw, I made sure,"
"In any case I won't let you use my shop as a dining room." Blake crossed her arms, staring at the girl in Weiss' arms. Weiss rolled her eyes,
"I don't need to use your shop for that, I happen to be a little more sophisticated with my eating habits."
"Yet here you are."
"Yes, well, I'm not here to eat her. She needs help, has some sort of terminal illness, or at least I am pretty sure she does." Blake stayed silent, waiting for Weiss to continue. With a sigh Weiss spoke, "I need you to cure her, fix up some potion or spell,"
"This is an unusual request from a Vampire."
"I know, but I'm not just any Vampire, you know that. I try to keep some sort of moral code, and I feel bad for this girl, she is much too young to die." Weiss stood her ground, surprising Blake, but also intriguing her.
"Take her upstairs, I'll see what I can do."
Blake let Weiss go up ahead of her, following after she grabbed a few books that she thought could help. Weiss certainly was unlike any other Vampires Blake had encountered. Most lived short lives, despite their immortality, they usual tended to be arrogant, selfish and reckless. All things that made one very easy to slip up, to be killed. Weiss, while still being all these things, had managed to live long enough to properly understand her limits. She also had a strange, though very rare, kind streak.
"Put her on the bed, and go get yourself cleaned up, I'll get started," Blake ordered. Weiss dropped Ruby off and headed towards the bathroom. Blake got to work immediately, taking some of the girls blood and hair. Emptying out the potion she had been working on, Blake started mixing anew. After a few minutes Weiss emerged, the blood washed from her face and arms, her dress sadly was unsalvageable. Knowing that it was better to leave Blake to work Weiss sat in the well-worn chair across the room.
After several more minutes Blake stepped away from her cauldron, a sombre look on her face. "What? What's wrong?" Weiss asked nervously,
"I can't help her, she's too far gone."
"What do you mean too far gone!? I thought you were the city's number one Warlock!"
"I am the city's best Warlock," Blake said, glaring at Weiss, "But I can't cure her. The disease has progressed to the point where she is too weak to survive any of spells that would banish the illness."
"If she's strong enough to survive me drinking from her then-"
"She's not." Blake said, silencing Weiss. Both turned to look at Ruby, lying motionless on the bed, her breaths coming much too slowly. "She would have died in a few weeks, now she has a few hours."
"I won't do it," Weiss said as she pace back and forth around the shop. Blake sat at her counter, watching the white haired girl stomp around her store.
"That's your decision," Blake said, not offering any real opinion on the matter.
"She is young though, and she looked so sad, maybe she would want this, she could very well have agreed if I had offered it," Weiss argued.
"That's possible, she could have been afraid of death, as most of us are,"
"Exactly,"
"Though, maybe, she had come to accept her fate, maybe she is ready to die."
"She would hate me then, I would have cursed her. Oh god's why is this so hard! I barely know her, I literally said maybe a dozen words to her. I must be growing soft in my old age." Weiss sank down to the floor, leaning on one of the bookcases. Blake walked over and sat beside her,
"How long have we known each other?" Blake asked, grabbing Weiss' cold hand in her own,
"Oh I don't know, fifty? Sixty years?" Weiss said, mind obviously still on the moral dilemma before her.
"I have seen you make a lot of mistakes, you've turned the wrong people in the past. At the same time, right now, you are in the best shape you have been in since you were first turned. You have real control over yourself. If this Ruby can learn, if you can teach her what you know, she could very well live a very, very long and enjoyable life. You could give her what the world has taken away."
Weiss frowned, sighing deeply, "You love being right don't you."
"It is one of life's better pleasures," Blake said with a smirk. Weiss stood and headed upstairs, Blake staying downstairs. She had seen people turned before, it was not exactly something she was entirely keen to see again.
Weiss hesitated, hovering above the slow breathing Ruby. If she didn't act now, Ruby would die. If she did, if she gave the girl the dark curse, then she would still die, but be reborn as a creature of the night. Weiss scowled, she hated being so theatrical about Vampirism, though all afflicted usually ended up with a good sense of drama.
"I wish I knew more about you, wish I had actually spent the time rather than just feeding. I don't know what kind of Vampire you'll be, what kind of person you were. However, I don't have that luxury, and because I just love making my life more difficult, I'll do it."
Weiss leant down, fangs extending. She drank the tainted blood, fighting against the horrible taste. She ripped herself away, swallowing the last drop. Grabbing the knife she had gotten from Blake's kitchen, she drew a line across her arm, spilling her own blood. The blood dripped into the mouth of the unconscious Ruby. The young girl twitched, the blood sliding down her throat.
It was going to be a long few days while the change occurred. It would be loud, painful to watch and exhausting to prepare for.
"Blake," Weiss said calling down the stairs, "I assume you have the silencing charms ready to go?"
"Of course," Blake called back. Weiss nodded, proceeding to tie down Ruby just in case her change was particularly violent.
"I'm going out, to acquire some supplies for when Ruby wakes up,"
"Hurry, I am not getting involved, you know how I hate this process." Weiss nodded, understanding Blake's dislike.
Yang had never been so scared before. Not when facing down the beast she had encountered the night she had been turned. Not even after she had first turned. For Yang, she would have sacrificed anything, endured any pain or suffering, if only she could protect Ruby. Her younger sister had been missing for two days.
Yang had searched everywhere, enlisted the help of friends, made posters, sent out messages online. No one had anything to say, no one had seen her. The last person to do so was the bartender, whose only lead was a girl with white hair. She had exhausted every means of the normal world. Now she turned to the supernatural.
"Blake! Are you in?" Yang called out as she entered the store. Blake appeared from the stairwell at the back of the room.
"Yang, it's an unexpected pleasure,"
"Well I did say I would drop by for a visit." Yang spoke quickly, desperate to ask for Blake's help. Blake walked over to greet her, but stopped when she noticed the dark rings underneath Yang's eyes.
"You look terrible,"
"Thanks," Yang said sardonically.
"No really, it looks like you haven't slept in days," Blake said, leaning in to study Yang.
"Yeah, I'm in a bit of trouble, I really could use your help."
"What's happened? You're not being hunted are you?"
"No, no, it's just… Well, my sister has gone missing, she's my only family and…" Yang fought back the tears that had threatened to spill outwards for days.
"Say no more, I will do what I can, I just require some of your blood to help track her," Blake said as she began grabbing ingredients from her wall of herbs. Yang grabbed a sharp implement from one of the shelves, a strange looking needle, and pricked her finger. Blake took a sample of the blood, hurrying upstairs. Before she made it all the way up, Yang following behind her, she stopped. "Yang, stay down here, I have guests, and they are not exactly… decent at this point in time."
"Oh, wow, didn't expect you to be the uh, promiscuous type," Yang said eyes wide with a little shock. Blake gave her an unamused look, not bothering to explain. Yang backed off, letting Blake proceed.
Upstairs Blake found Weiss in the small kitchenette across from her bed, all the thick curtains pulled tightly over the windows. In her hand she had a mug that she sipped from. "Who's downstairs," Weiss asked as she licked away the blood on her lip.
"Friend of mine, she needs help finding her sister so I need to keep quiet while I prepare a simple spell," Blake talking more about Ruby than Weiss. Weiss nodded,
"We still have a few hours before it really kicks off, you do have a shovel right?"
"You're really planning on doing the whole ritual? Isn't that slightly old fashioned?"
"Well, I am an old fashioned kind of gal."
Blake shrugged, deciding not to further question Weiss' traditions. Instead she got to work on her spell.
Yang tapped her foot impatiently, walking around the shop and idly examining things to pass the time. Blake eventually came down the stairs, carrying a map and a pouch. "Have you found her?" Yang asked, on the verge of breaking down. Blake held up a hand,
"Just a moment, you'll have your answers soon enough."
Blake laid out the map, an older road map of the city of Vale. From the pouch she drew forth a powder, sprinkling it on the paper. Yang heard her utter a few words in an extremely foreign sounding language. The powder then began to move around the paper, as if pulled by a magnetic force. Soon it formed a thick trail through the streets. Yang followed the snake like creature that had formed from the powder as it slithered over the map, showing the path Ruby had taken.
The bar, the main street, a few alleyways. Then it came to a stop, circling a specific area. Blake's store.
Ruby's skin had grown deathly pale. The veins in her face had turned dark as Weiss' cursed blood coursed through her. Usually someone would have a few days of being properly human as the change took hold, able to walk out in the sun for the last time. Ruby however, had been too close to death, and was stuck in a comatose state until the end of the process.
As soon as night fell, Weiss would take her to the small backyard that Blake had behind the store. While it was usually used for growing the various herbs that Blake required for her spells, tonight it would be Ruby's grave.
Back when Weiss was created it was law that all Vampires were to be buried, then forced to claw their way through the earth and back into life. A rebirth, into a new world. Under the current conditions, it wouldn't quite be the same ritual, due to the severe lack of a coffin. It was however, better than nothing, at least according to Weiss' point of view.
There was a loud bang from downstairs, drawing Weiss' attention. She leapt down the stairs. Down in the shop she found Blake being held against the wall by a taller blonde woman. Weiss dashed across the room and threw the woman off of Blake. "Where is she!" Yang screamed at Blake and Weiss, her eyes fixing on the girl who matched the description the bartender had given. "Yang you need to calm down, I didn't know,"
"Where is she!" Yang screamed again, leaping up at Weiss. Weiss was surprised by the girls strength, easily being forced back onto the wall.
"Get off me!" Weiss shouted back, the smell hitting her, "Get off me wolf! I don't have time to deal with you." Weiss pushed back, Yang falling back against one of the stores shelves, knocking over books and other trinkets. Blake stood in between them, staring Yang down,
"Yang, calm down, your sister is here, but there are things we need to explain."
"Who is we?" Yang asked, teeth bared at Weiss, holding herself back for the moment. Blake gestured to Weiss, "This is Weiss, a friend of mine and a Vampire. She found your sister at a bar, and went to drink from her." Yang lunged as soon as Blake finished, Blake taking the brunt of the attack, just holding Yang back. "But," Blake grunted out as she held Yang at arm's length, "She discovered your sisters condition, she brought her here for me to cure." Yang stopped looking into Blake's eyes,
"You can do that?" She asked hopefully. Blake frowned, shaking her head,
"I couldn't, if you had told me earlier…" Yang stopped fighting, arms falling to her sides, all expression falling away.
"I… I thought you only did, like curses, not…" Yang fell back to the floor of her own volition.
"Magic is very versatile, I'm not a brilliant healer but I could have tried, I'm sorry Yang, if I had known I would have helped." Weiss stepped out from behind Blake, careful not to be hit by the beam of light that broke through the curtains of the shop.
"It doesn't matter now, what's done is done,"
"What?" Yang asked, confused by what Weiss was implying, tears falling freely, "Is she dead?"
"Not yet, but as Blake told you, I am a Vampire. I decided to convert Ruby, she will die, but then she will become immortal."
Yang failed to process all the new information. Her sister wasn't going to leave her forever; in fact she would outlive Yang. Ruby would discover what Yang had only a few months ago, she would discover what Yang really was. Happiness and fear collided, creating questions. "Let's get you a drink, Weiss here will explain what she can."
The sun set and Yang carried Ruby out to the garden. Weiss and Blake followed, all standing around as Yang buried her sister. The muttering, the sweating and cries of pain had ended, and with it, the life of Ruby Rose. Yang worked quickly, and soon Ruby was covered and the grave complete. Throwing the shovel aside Yang stood beside the Blake. They all watched as the orange light faded into darkness, the stars and moon that so defined each of their lives coming into existence.
Ruby dreamed of the life that she had lived. She remembered her mother and father, her uncle, all those who were lost to her. She remembered her friends, their sad faces as she told them she wouldn't be continuing her study. The sadness that had permeated the end of life faded, replaced with memories of a time before all the suffering. High school flashed before her, as did her childhood. Then Ruby woke.
Darkness, cold darkness. She clawed, thrashed and pushed her way through it. She ran exclusively off instinct.
Ruby broke through to the surface, a newfound strength forcing her out of her grave. She took in a deep breath she no longer needed, her new eyes eagerly taking in the new world. Slowly her mind caught up with her, and she looked at the three people who stood at the edge of her grave. The white haired girl from the bar, a new face encased by long dark locks, and the familiar sight of her sister.
"What just happened? What is going on?"
"Well," Weiss said, "To put it simply, you just died."
So the story begins. Thank you for reading, please leave a review on what you thought of the start of this new story, I would love to hear what everyone thinks. Next I will be posting the first chapter of my Viking AU story, which I am also very excited for, and I hope you are as well. If it's your first time reading one of my fanfictions, please head over to my profile, I recently finished up a Star Wars AU for RWBY, so if that's your style give it a go. Other than that, have a great day and I hope to see you next time.