Once again, welcome. I can only hope that you being there, mean you enjoyed the story. Or at least were intrigued enough to look through the next chapter.

First, let's be done with the usual formality.

RWBY is property of Rooster teeth, and was created by Monthy Oum.

Dungeon the Dragoning 40 000 7th Edition Book 1 and 2 are the creation of Lawful Nice

The Book 3: Big book of brew is the creation of a collective of people following Lawful Nice example.

Dungeon the Dragoning is a parody RPG spoofing the universe of Dungeon and Dragon, Exalted, Warhammer, W40k and the world of Darkness. Each, property of their respective owners.

This story will also present element and character from other games. I once again doesn't own the right of any of them. Including:

-Magicka by Paradox

-Murdered: Soul Suspect by Airtight Games.

-Other games I'll add as they come along.

With that done. And no review or question to answer yet.

Let's continue this story shall we?

Part 1

-Thus gently I scatter-

It was a small cliff on patch, with plains and forest covered in snow all around. This was a beautiful place for her mother's tomb.

Ruby let a deep breath. She always felt at peace whenever she would come here. A part of her reasoned it was thanks to her mother's invisible presence. But Vlad's teaching said it was more likely due to the presence of a tombstone.

Wraith were naturally more at ease amongst the dead and their symbol.

She put a hand on the tomb and focus, entering the Umbra.

If the place was beautiful in the normal world, here it was gorgeous. The cliff became a mighty mountain, the tree filled with leaves of wondrous color, and the tomb would turn into a garden of white roses.

But more important, was the white figure floating above the ground. A massive white cloak, releasing a constant stream of petals equaling her own. Sadly the cloak was all that was present. When she asked why to Vlad, he answered it was due to the lack of corpse, but the memory were enough to still allow something to appear, even if incomplete.

In a way it was unfair, whenever she visited a graveyard, she would be surrounded by the spirit of the unquiet dead. Inviting her into their dances and, more often than she was comfortable with, asking her for services. Never big things, telling a loved one they were alright, or to move on with their life. Especially if it would allow them to move on themselves.

She wouldn't accept the more darker request, like those praying for curses or vengeance. Though she wasn't above giving anonymous tips to the police regarding crimes she learned about that way.

Of course she would always come disguised in her big shroud like cloak, and present herself as the Red Lady. Who became some kind of a benevolent spirit of legends in the collective subconscious.

She could "live" with it.

Still, the only tomb where no spirit would greet her, was the only one where she wish it had been the case.

Her scroll was ringing. She returned to the normal world and activate the device.

"Here Ruby Rose. I'm listening."

A deeply accented voice answered on the other side. A voice she associated with her secondary mentor. Vlad.

"There's a situation, meet with Connor at the Scarecrow path. I'll be watching you from afar."

The connection was cut. It was something she came to learn when dealing with the old "Absolutely not a vampire". With him it was either a long and complex monologue explaining thing in the most rigorous detail, or a cryptic short call, where he would not explain anything, and let her to discover what it was all about on her own. Guess this time it was the later.

She turned to the tomb and read the short epitaph. "And thus kindly I scatter." It was from some poem her father said. She liked it. Kindness had always been her mother greatest attribute.

"Goodbye mom. Love you."

Then taking some speed she uses her semblance and let her legs guide her away from the place she rest.

-Ghost Vale PD: Blood on the Snow-

Scarecrow's path. A small road through the wood, at the junction between the village and a lumber camp. It got its name from an old abandoned farm whose only remains was a field of Scarecrows, untouched by the grimms.

She could see flocks of crows and bats flying around in the night sky. Look like she had a few spectators.

Ruby finally came into views of what was probably the things she was meant to take care of. A small meadows covered in blood, the body of a lumberjack laying in the middle. By his side a spectral apparition was studying the place.

The specter was not of the Lumberjack.

She addressed a short prayer for the dead man and addressed the ghost.

"Hey Ronan. Vlad told me you'd be here. Didn't expect that though." She said, pointing at the body.

The ghost faced her. He was quite tall, brown hair going to his neck. He was wearing the complete set of the hardboiled detective, fedora in prime. Seven burning hole visible on his torso.

Ronan O'Connor was the ghost of an officer she met while roaming (some would say haunting) through Vale. He had been shot by a suspect following a "reckless" interpellation. From his description, he saw someone suspicious, while searching for a serial killer. The bell killer to be exact, as called by Lisa Lavender, for his tendencdy to leave a Bell symbol near his victim. He then tried to apprehend him alone, and was pushed through a window and shot down as a result.

When Ruby found him, he was at a fuel station, trying to help a few ghost to pass on by revealing the truth behind their death. When he realised she could see him and what she was, he quickly came to her and made her a proposition.

If she helped him resolve his own death and those of the ghost they met along the way, allowing them to pass on. Then he will become her eyes and hears in the Umbra. Putting his expertise as an inspector to help her.

Helping the soul of the departed by finding and kicking some criminal butt. That was a job for a future super huntress. So she accepted. Keeping an eyes on any news concerning the mysterrious murederer.

Vlad had praised her for it. Learning to listen and use the whisper of the unquiet dead was apparently one of the base skill of a good wraith.

"Hello Miss Rose." He did a mock salute, never one for formality. "Can't say I expected it either. I'm guessing it's a grimm attack. However, something seems strange with it. Better use your small gift on this one."

-Death Eyes-

The plasm, it was the name of the power she once called "charges". This was the energy who maintained her body in the world, who allowed her to ignore wound that would kill even a hunter. The source of the power who made her a wraith, and allowed her to use ability out of the grasp of mortal.

By no means did it made her invincible of course. For now she could hold up to seven plasm, when she reached zero, she would be ejected greatly weakened into the Umbra, at the mercy of the Spirit and deamon who lived here. And of course nearly everything she did cost her some plasm.

Each day she would lose plasm, unless she slept surrounded by symbols of death and rebirth, any wound after her aura was down would drain her plasm like snow under the summer sun. And obviously her Wraith ability would drain it too.

Thankfully, eating dust or grimms echo allowed her to regenerate it. She had no idea why, neither did Vlad. But she wouldn't look a gift in the horse's mouth. As it allowed her to use a few tricks more freely, even if she needed to keep an eye on her reserve.

Currently, she had 3 Dust crystal, 4 Ammunitions clip and 5 plasm.

Enough for what she was going to do. She knelt near the body, avoiding to let her combat skirt drop in the blood. Then she put her hand on the dead man, shuddering a little.

She could "feel" the ghostly touch of Ronan on her shoulder. Even if she was dead herseld didn't mean it was easy, and having someone near her when she did this helped her a lot.

She used a plasm and called upon the death eyes.

In their basic state, the death eyes allow her to see into the Umbra and thus, detect the ghost and spirit around here. But when she used a plasm while in contact with a body, she could see far more...

A faint silver glow invades her vision, as she found herself witness to the Lumberjack last moment.

-Dead men tell good tale-

Ruby found herself floating, intangible, behind the bulky man. He was coming back from the camp, that much she could tell.

She was unable to read minds, so the most she could get out of his actions, were suppositions and what she saw with her own eyes...Well his technically.

She felt Ronan sharing her mind, to share the vision. She disliked it when he did that. But he was more observant than her for this kind of thing. And had a few hours to study the crime scene.

"I found discarded wood stock further ahead. Too little for it to be a quota. He must have wanted to take some for his home." Ronan voice was distorted whenever they were looking in those visions.

Ruby thought a moment about the poor guy, the winter was hard on Patch. Maybe he had some kids waiting for him at home...like she had awaited herself. She could feel a comforting presence. Ronan was used to this kind of thing.

She refocused on the event. The man was coming back to the village. A hand securing his lumber, the other waiting on the handle of an axe. Ruby recognized the quality of the metal, good enough to shatter a young grimms skull.

"The man knew how to fight. And his axe was well maintained. He was confident he could deal with a few stray Grimms." Said Ruby. Ronan hummed in answer, she was the specialist on this subject.

A small noise, like a creaking branch. The man stopped and looked around. Seeing nothing, he grasped the handle of his axe harder and continued his advance, keeping his hears open.

"You saw it Ronan?" Asked Ruby to the other Ghost. Who nodded.

"Only because I was looking for it. And hardly, it was a beowolf. Right?" Ronan was good at analysing stuff, but Ruby remained the best when it came to identify a threat.

"A small one, barely a pup. Dangerous sure, but anybody with even a little training could take one down."

Ronan let a hum. "Then we better watch, there is definitely something strange going on."

The Beowolf pup started to stalk the lumberman. Keeping a low profile and remaining extremely stealthy. The Lumberman was going increasingly stressed, hearing the beast, but unable to see it. He released the wood and grasped the handled of his axe with two hands.

The Grimm pup ran at full speed and thrown himself at the colossal man. The man was ready and with an expert move, swinged the axe on the grimm's neck. In normal times, it would have been enough and yet. In the very last second, the grimms made an acrobatic movement and dodged the blade, cutting the man at the wrist in the process with a deadly precise claw strike.

Ruby's eyes widen. The beowolf then proceed to speed up like a torpedo against a tree and using it as a launchpad rebound toward the man legs and cut both tendons.

"We saw enough, cut the vision." Asked the dead detective. Ruby cut her connection as the grimm lunged at the screaming lumberjack throat.

Ruby opened her eyes, once again above the body. "A grimm that young couldn't have done that. You know what this meant right?"

"I feared as much, we've got a deamon roaming around."

-Here comes the Grimms Reaper-

Crunch

Ruby swallowed the Dust. Only one crystal remaining.

She would need all the plasm she could muster for this one. She was basically alone against a deamon (potentially a Deamonhost) and whatever Grimms he could have claimed as his thrall.

Ronan remain behind for his safety, deamon lived in the Umbra and what Vlad called the warp. They could easily affect ghosts. She would need to be careful too, one mistake could cost her not only her "life" but her soul as well.

She followed the track of the grimm. Moving slowly through the forest, entirely covered by her cloak. She found the source of the attack, a large clearing in the middle of the forest. Full of beowolves.

Growls welcomed her, they were aware of her coming. At least thirty of them, young ones, their mask barely showing up and no bone plate. But what they lacked in armor, they gain in agility. And boosted by a deamon, it made them incredible threat.

She wondered if she should rather directly go into the umbra to confront the deamon. But then he would be able to draw on the power of the grimms to boost himself. And if Grimm boosted by deamons were dangerous. A deamon boosted by grimms was terrible. And it was the first time she would face a deamon alone too.

At least it wasn't a deamonhost, a human or faunus who had fused with a deamon, becoming his avatar on the material plane. They were no fun to fight, from what she heard of her Uncle.

Ruby took a deep breath and let the grimms have the first moves. And moves they did, rushing at her as a wave of black fur and fang.

A claw strike, hitting nothing as she jumped through the air, helped by her semblance. Then, at the height of her jump, she took out her baby, Crescent Rose. A Gun scythe of her own design. Able to shift between sniper mode and scythe mode. Red and Black, with a slim form. And quite an impact.

Three shots, and three beowolves found themselves missing a head. She morphed Crescent Rose into its Scythe form.

She smirked, excitement and adrenaline going through her. Flamenco music coming alive in her head. As she felt gravity take a hold of her. Only one thought came to her.

Show time!

-Dance with the beowolves-

She dashhes through the group, her scythe shimmering under the moonlight. The blade edges bite into the first beowolf, bisecting the beast and sending the upper half crashing into the one behind at full speed, she pulled the trigger sending her back with the recoil and piercing a large hole into a grimms belly.

The beasts rushed at her, trying to surround her. The front line using the back line to launch themselves faster.

Ruby canalised her plasm into her scythe, gaining a silver and deathly glow. A dangerous move as it deprived her of precious plasm that could save her life later. But the power granted was worth the price.

The spectral blade cutted through the flying grimms like paper, without her having to use her ammunitions.

The deamon had a hard time controlling so many grimms, but when the number would be low enough, she would need to rely on her bullet and speed.

Her scythe got back to work, rending dark flesh and sending disintregating limb flying away.

Already they started to move with greater coordination. But nothing her natural speed couldn't overcome. Still, she was outnumbered and it was becoming a problem. If only because more and more of them were now able to exploit blind spot.

Time to do something crazy and dangerous.

She reversed the blade of her scythe. Putting more plasm into the blade. Her skin was growing paler and she could see her cloak shortening. She would soon need to eat her last crystal.

She used her semblance as she started to spin, unleashing a whirlwind of slash, plasm and dismembered grimms.

Half the monsters were gone at this point. And she was down to 4 plasm and 2 Clip of ammunition. She ejected the used clip and replaced it with a new one.

The beast didn't attack immediately, taking positions and forming squadron. A proof of the outer mind controlling them and suppressing their nature. The battle was truly starting now.

The beasts started to display the same level of skill that she saw in the vision. Attacking and retreating like a well oiled machine, never going in each others way. To the point she was forced to rely heavily on her semblance not to get hit. Dashing left and right, getting barely enough time to strike back.

She saw them regrouping in a large mass, ready to dogpile her. If she doesn't stop them, even if she could kill most of them one was bound to land a hit, and it was not like the deamon care about his thralls survival.

She wouldn't let them put their plan in motion. She rushed at the mass, and before any of them could touch her, she used another plasm to become intangible. Reforming right in the middle of them with a spin of her scythe.

It was a stupid tactic, if any of them escape, she would be sensible to a counter-attack. But if she was to be put in the center of the melee anyway, better for it to be on her own term.

It was a bloodbath, or it would have been would the grimms be bleeding. Still two of the grimms squads were anihilated.

Sadly, the boost granted by the deamon allowed the last squad to escape its fate. And turned back their claw upon her. She was launched by the strikes through the snow, her aura dipping in the yellow. Apparently the deamon was also boosting their strength, she jumped through the air and shooting the sniper part projected herself out of the beast's reach.

She would need to eat the crystal now.

She used what plasm she could on her semblance, and flashed at full speed. Soon followed by the Beowolves, who seemed to gain in speed...and Age? Was the deamon power based around accelerating concept? Just her luck.

She was pretty sure both her and the beowolves would be nothing but blur for everyone but the most talented hunters and huntress. To think she would be pushed so far by youngs beowolves.

She emptied her clip on the grimms. Hoping to buy her a few second to eat the Dust. Literally.

She was lucky, two of the beast couldn't dodge mid jump and disintegrated. The others step back.

She swallowed the crystal whole. It hurt, but she had no time for this. Three boosted beowolfs were remaining, and she was down to one ammo clip and 4 Plasm again.

Not as much plasm as she expected, considering how expensive this crystal had been. And she still needed to deal with the deamon after that. She started asking herself if she didn't lower their number enough for the deamon not to have that much of a boost.

No, bad idea. Underestimating deamon was the quickest way to the graves...Or worst in such case.

The beast decided they had waited enough and give chase again. Once again, she was pushing her semblance to the limits. Her aura was lowering dangerously.

Reckless idea to the rescue, at the speed the beowolfes were running, they wouldn't be able to maneuver well. She turned the cannon of her scythe in the opposed direction and shoot.

She felt the pressure of the air as she suddenly shifts in direction. The beowolves surprised to see their prey change of momentum didn't have time to react and were cut down.

Only one beowolves was left. Till the unexpected happen.

It started to rejuvenate, becoming younger and younger till it returned to the darkness who gave birth to him. A dark black goop reflecting the broken moon.

The barrier between the umbra and reality weaken. Look like the deamon grew bored of this little game.

She was not going to like it. But she needed the monster down before he got new grimms under its control. She entered the Umbra.

-Ad Umbra per Astera-

From what she remembered of Vlad's teaching on the subject, they were two main planes of existence. The Material world, where Human and Faunus lived. And the Warp were Deamons and Gods exist ("living" not being the right terms for those entities.).

The warp was a place made of pure energy, idea and concept. Entirely modeled by the desire and whims of the entity ruling over it. Law of physics being more of a shy advisor instead of the harsh mistress of our reality. And thus the rules of existence itself could change arbitrarily because you took one wrong step.

The Umbra in all that? It was the border between those two separated planes. A plane associated with dream and strange spirits. Anchored into the material world which it reflected, and yet affected by the will and memory of those living there.

As such, it wasn't rare for the Umbra to reflect events who greatly marked the land, even years after their end. Or for the spirit passing by, to influence its appearance.

Nothing marked and influence the Umbra more than a deamon or another denizen of the warp.

Gigantic tentacular black tree, replacing the calm forest. A red snow as far as the eyes can see. A dying sun in the distance. The only thing who remained unchanged were the constant stream of strange color and the Purple eye in the sky. Purple Eye that Vlad announced as being the gate to the Abyss and the Warp itself.

The echoes of the grimms didn't make it better.

In the middle of the clearing was waiting what resembled a mockery of an old man. Decrepit and with bones showing through his skin. His eyes appearing blind and covered in filth.

Before anything could happen, she quickly drained the echoes. For a wonderful gain of...two plasm. She felt kinda cheated here. Especially now that her "un"-life was on the line.

The old thing started to speak with a tired voice.

"I shall admit. I didn't expect such a thing." He was moving with difficulty. But Ruby stayed ready, deamon were things of trickery, it would probably suddenly turn into a monstrous being with far too many mouth and eyes.

"Had you not be a dead one, I could feast on your age and turn you into a mewling baby, naught but a snack for my thralls. But I guess I should have checked a little more carefully before trying to feed."

Ruby looked at him in shock. "How many people have you killed monster?!"

"Three tasty humans since I have reached this fabulous Island. I'm not really strong, so when I saw such a place where none of my kindred ruled, I could only thanks my own luck. But with your kind present here, I guess I understand why no one was interested."

And obviously came the humongous terrible transformation. The old thing grew in size to a colossal height, his skin, making place to rotting chitin and gigantic eyes bulging into its now insectoid face. Two grotesquely small wings in comparison to the body growing out of its back.

One gigantic, rotten and desiccated mix between a worm and a fly. With the smell of decomposition invading the red hooded girl's nose in prime. Not throwing up was a personal victory.

"I am no fighter, those spawns were my last line of defenses. Your victory is unavoidable already." The deamons laughed. Even as he announced its own defeat. "But never would a deamon of Hunger like myself abandon such a beautiful feeding ground. And who knows, maybe soon you'll be nothing but one more tasty morsel for my belly."

Ruby armed her Scythe once again. She wouldn't fall to some overgrown fly. Too fatten to move or take flight.

She had 6 Plasm, some bullets and a lot of determination. She could do it.

And then go home to take a bath. She would need it.

-Deamon Slayer-

Fighting a deamon was every bit as hard as she imagined. That thing may have not been a fighter, but between their natural defenses and this incredibly damned hard chitin, she had the impression of hitting a wall.

And to make matters worse, she had to be careful with her plasm. She couldn't allow herself to act rashly here.

For now she had three big advantages.

The first, was how slow the deamon was, without taking her own semblance into account, its body was so fat that he couldn't do many things more than crawl in her direction and flail its mandible.

The second was how wild and unfocused were its strike, the attacks of someone whose natural power were so strong that he never thought of actually training his skill. Yet again, even just one strike would spell her doom.

The last and her biggest advantage. He could seemingly empower others, but not himself.

That's how she came to this great idea. She was trying to climb upon the beast. Using her semblance to boost her eventual jump.

Just this effect in itself has been great, the impact of her jump damaging the chitinous hide of the beast, maybe even more than her strike, letting a potent acid run down the length of its belly. And the beast was not immune to it, if she believed the cries of anguish.

The beast tried to shake her off, but all it could do was putting more of its acid blood everywhere.

She finally reached the head. And a loud beep could be heard. Those consecutive battles had drained her endurance, and nipped greatly at her aura with the mere exhaustion. She wondered for a bit how tough a major deamon with actual fighting ability and experiences could be. Especially if followed by powerful thrall.

At least this one had been relatively easy. She focused nearly all her remaining plasm into her Scythe. Letting her aura flared. She could feel her eyes burned. And a faint silver light covering everything.

"Here goes nothing." The blade buried itself into the creature's brains who gave a disgusting cry. The plasme only accentuating the brutal effect of the strike. Seeping into the creature like a poison.

The body of the beast collapsed. Ruby gave a cry of victory. Before she remembered she was now falling along side a gigantic fly's open head into what was basically a pile of inard, fat and corrosive liquids.

She only had one plasm left after such an attack and was falling in such a way she could find no grip to catch herself. Only moving thanks to the recoils of her guns.

She hoped she had enough aura left to handle the fall and leave the liquid quick enough.

Welp, that was going to suck.

And this whole time she was pretty sure she saw a crow, a bat and a purple bird with far too many eyes observing her.

Part 2

-Lord of the Flies-

Ruby reached the door of her house. Ronan, Qrow and Vlad follow her closely. She was in a pathetic state.

Not even some respite in the umbra to regenerate her plasm enough to fully repair the damage.

She was exhausted, another one of her combat skirt was ruined (more like melted). Covered in filth, ichor and mucus. That would not leave her no matter how many time she shift between planes.

And the least she talks about the smell the better.

All she hoped now was a good bath and the few Dust cookie remaining in the jar.

Ronan was keeping silent, only watching to be sure she would be alright. Qrow was helping her move with her exhaustion and Vlad was holding a "trophy". Some unspeakable remain of the beast.

She stumbled inside.

The sound of the TV blaring in the distance.

"And she did it. Phyrra Nikos as flawlessly triumphed over her opponent and won for the fourth time in a row! I tell you Nelson, we assisted to the birth of a legend." Screamed the announcer wearing a formal mistralian suit.

She couldn't care less right now. She had slain her first deamon by herself. And had paid the price in grim, blood and disgusting thing she'd rather kept silent.

Tai and Yang were lazing around on the sofa. Still covered in sweat for an intense session of training. She was on her last year before going to Beacon, so their father had hardened her exercise. Be it the normal one or the Draconic one.

When they realised their presence. (Probably at the smell.) They turned to greet them.

"Hey guy wel...OH MY GOD RUBY! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU." Yang had jumped from the couch and started inspecting her.

Pretty sure she was a sight for sore eyes right now...

"WHAT THE HELL QROW! When You told me you had something planned for her. I didn't imagine it would be throwing her into a compactor!" Tai was starting to emit fire.

Qrow who had one drink too much couldn't resist being a smart-ass. "We both know she would survive that."

Ruby face palmed, as she heard the sound of meat hitting meat. And a poor Qrow flying into a wall.

"What the inebriated one wanted to tell, before being taken over by his liquor was, Ruby have today, triumphed over her first deamon in singular battle...give or take a few grimms."

Was she not so tired she would scream that thirty deamon powered grimms were not qualified as a few grimms. But right now...

"I let you all discuss this like grown up. I need a bath." Whined the young Rose.

"Need a hand sis?" Asked Yang.

"And a dust cookie too."

-A duty to remember-

The whole family plus Ronan and Vlad were sitting in the living room, well... more like standing around for Ronan. It was quite late in the night, so Vlad was well awake and since it was a vacation the whole group wanted to celebrate Ruby first victory against a denizen of the warp.

Vlad was drinking some of his personal vine. Tai and Yang were having a battle of pun on the subject of fly joke, which Ruby was trying her hardest to ignore. Qrow was drinking himself to oblivion, in the hope to forget said pun of. Ronan was watching TV, a rerun of the Mistralian tournament final.

Ruby herself was focused on the little puppy sitting in her laps. "Good boy Zwei."

The pup emited a small bark. To be honest she wasn't really in the mind to party. That deamon had killed at least three people. And since they were some sort of secret stuff from what Qrow said, nobody would ever know what happened to them.

They would be forever counted as missing, their family only able to imagine what happened to them. Were they other five years old out there, waiting like her for someone who would never come back, with for sole indication an agent telling them they were probably dead?

"Is something the matter kiddo ?" It was Qrow, somehow still conscious.

"Is there anything we can do for the one killed by the deamon? Or their family?" Asked Ruby, trying to be as silent as possible. Not wanting to ruin the mood for the others.

Qrow sighed. He seemed to wonder about something for a while. "Okay, for now, try to enjoy the evening, I'll need to do a few things first, tomorrow night, join me in the Umbra. I'll tell you how to deal with this."

-Banshee-

As Qrow said, she tried to enjoy the party and the following day. However, her mind couldn't chase the curiosity about what her Uncle was up to. And how it would help her deal with her issue regarding the fallen.

So when the moon appeared in the sky and came the time to enter the Umbra, there was a certain trepidation.

Ruby entered from her room, she always liked the look of the place. Covered in Rose and strange symbol (that would be morbid for other, reminding them of a tomb, but she WAS a ghost technically.)

She passed in front of her Sister's bedroom who looked more like a Dragon lair, smelling like shampoo.

Which in itself was strange since there was no "smell" in the Umbra.

Yet again, it was the Umbra, trying to give a clear set of rule was impossible.

Qrow was waiting for her in front of the cottage. Eyes alert, and ready to deal with any ambush on the way. The Umbra was no place for the living after all, and many spirits who didn't remark her presence, took offense to a mortal stepping into their domain.

However, it was the package he was wearing who got her attention. Broken weapon and discarded bloodied cloth.

"Is it?" Ruby could feel the stone forming in her stomach.

"The remain of the fallen, I scavenge them around the place where you killed the deamon." He placed them in the ground in front of her, displaying a deference rarely saw in her Uncle. "You didn't need to explain yourself further. I know very well what you're feeling. I felt it too when I first destroyed a deamon and found it's...food scrap."

Ronan stepped into view giving it's salute to Qrow and her. "I got the Intel you wanted. The name and address of the deceased."

"Thank you. Give them to us. Do you want to follow?" Asked Qrow to the ghost cop. The two were apparently good friends. Must be because of the badly shaven look.

"Yes, I know it's hard. Better for her not to be alone."

"Be alone for what?" Asked Ruby, even if she guessed already what was coming.

"Ruby, I have two questions for you. First, are you able to take a spectral appearance in the material world? Nothing big, just enough for people not to recognize you?"

Ruby nodded, she didn't like it, but she could. As a wraith, she could control the appearance of her "shell" as would Vlad said. Though at her level, she was limited to small alteration.

"Good, Can't tell you why, but we can't reveal the whole truth about Wraith and the like, so better not reveal who you are...there's also the risk Jimmy learn about something and decide to investigate so better be as stealthy as we could."

Ruby to this day, still had no idea about who this Jimmy was, except that he and Qrow had some strange rivalry.

"Then tell me Ruby, before they were used as name for some screwed up grimms, do you know what were the banshee?"

-Painful Truth-

Ronan was with her, in the Umbra, silent. Qrow stood on her shoulder in his crow form. She had altered her appearance, nothing big, controlled the size of her hood and cloak to conceal her whole body, and made it so she would emit a spectral light. Spreading rose everywhere.

Had she been wielding her scythe, one could have mistaken her from a red representation of death.

In front of her, the most terrifying thing she would ever see. But she couldn't allow herself to run away.

A small and lovely wooden door. One she passed often on her way to Signal. She knew the people inside, a small couple who lived here with their children.

She had learned one of her son, a young hunter named Timy, went missing a few days ago. But everybody thought it was because of a mission. She would have to be the one to break that belief.

The house was relatively isolated, nobody would see her, and with the rumours about the Red Lady (a local folklore now), nobody would make a connection with her.

And yet she was afraid of what was to come. Her speed lowering to a slow walk.

Yet...She needed to do that, she wouldn't stop. So that they may one day get closure. So that his family wouldn't know this torture of never knowing what happened to him.

She stood in front of the door, there was light inside. She hoped the other children wouldn't be there. She raised her hand to the door and knock.

There was a long pause. She could hear talking on the other side. Wondering who could that be so late, other if it was Timy. Ruby felt the bile rise. 'Please Oum forgive me.'

Someone is watching from the windows and she could hear the silence inside.

"Who's there?" Came a young voice behind the door. 'Oum No, not that.' She didn't want a child to hear that.

"They call me...the red Lady. Please can you...ask your parent to answer the door. It's...important." Her voice had a strange echo. One that could be easily associated with the image of a ghost.

An older woman's voice could be heard through the door. "I'm here, I don't know who or what you are, but we've got very little. Please leave us alone."

She took the deepest breath, she could. "I'm sorry, but...I came here with bad news." She must not cry, she had to be strong. If she allowed herself to cry now, she wouldn't be able to bring the news to the others. She thought about what she could say, and the only to come were the very sentence that haunted her childhood. "I am... pained to tell you that...Timy had fallen in the battle against the grimms."

No answer, a lock was removed, and the door opened. Revealing an old faunus lady.

The faunus were people with animal characteristic, this one had dogs hears. She was looking at Ruby with eyes fulls of tears. Taking a slight step back in front of the ghostly entity that she was.

Something wet touched her hand, damn, she was crying isn't it? She couldn't stop it. She knew that old lady. Sometime she would prepare cookie for the kid, she had received some herself when she was a little child. She didn't deserve this, nobody did.

"My tiny Timy...No...is...It's..." She couldn't find her word. "No, it can't..."

Ruby took the belonging of the fallen hunter.

"Nooooooooooooooooo" She fell on her knee. Ruby put the belonging in front of her, with the same deference her uncle did sooner in the evening. Not bothering to hold her own tears anymore. Heck, she would finish this task even if she was going to cry through the whole of it.

"If it means anything, I killed the monster who did this..." It didn't stop the tears, the rest of the family had joined. "I'm sorry...but I must go now. Others have fallen...and I must tell their family."

She disappeared, leaving nothing but a few roses behind her. She felt someone catching her wrapping his arms around her.

"You did great kiddo, take your breath for a while. Shhht." Uncle Qrow was holding her.

"It's never easy, I still remember my first time too. Someone so young shouldn't have to do that. You want to stop? We could just drop this all at the police station and let them take care of that." Told Ronan.

But Ruby denied. "I need to do that. I hold them at least that."

"You're not responsible for them." The ghost continued.

"I know, but..."

"Shht, It's okay champion, I understand. Let it all out of your system and we will continue."

Ruby stood here for a while with her Uncle.

People had forgotten, but in their original tales, Banshee weren't monster who screamed as they brought death upon a family. No. They were fae, fae who cried for the sake of the lost one.

-Acceptance and Forgiveness-

Ruby was sitting on a roof in the middle of Patch. She had announced the death of the hunters to each of their families. And she guessed that pretty soon, a new kind of rumours would circulate on the Red Lady.

The three families had called the police soon after her passage. Giving them the remain, in hope they could be identified and brought to rest. Of course nobody believed them when they spoke about a ghost or the Red Lady being the one to present herself.

All of the victims had been faunus. Her Uncle explained her it was probably because faunus were more sensitive to the change in the Umbra, even if none of them knew of its existence. It made them particularly susceptible to the trick of deamons. One more reason to protect them.

She sighed. She had cried a good part of the night. Midnight had passed already and in a few more hours she would see the sun rise.

She had asked Qrow if she could stay in town. She couldn't sleep anyway and she needed to think. He accepted as long as Ronan remained with her.

She had walked through the Umbra of the town. It always raised her moral before. To see this source of light in the middle of the umbra really did a wonder for her mood.

She finally climbed here to see the dawn. Already her smile was back. She may have hurted them by revealing this somber news to them, but they would be able to heal. Just like she had...

Thinking about it, there was something else she had to do.

"Hey Ronan?"

"yes Kid." Said the hard-boiled ghost.

"Did the name Rex Reyes tell you anything. He is a cop too."

"Uh? How did you know that guy?" The dead detective was surprised.

"He was the man who told me about my mother's death. Did you know where I could find him?" For years she had resented the man. But now, it was time to close that wound too.

"He was my step-brother. Knowing that workaholic, he must still be at the post, or on patrol."

"Do you want me to give him a word from you?" Said Ruby smiling.

"Nah, not till that bastard who did this to me rot in jail. Then you can tell him I'm happy with Julia."

To the post then. There were some long overdue word than he deserved to hear.

-Peace of mind-

The post was brimming with activity, partly by her fault she guessed. It wasn't everyday a ghost show up in front of peoples door to tell them about their dead relatives. Even if most of the older members were dismissing the news as being the doing of a shy huntress with a weird semblance, who must have found the bodies by "luck" and not knowing what to do, brough them back to their family. There weren't that far from the truth in some way.

Still, many agents, recognizing her as Qrow's niece and Tai's daughter, saluted her quickly before going their way. She had asked for agent Reyes, if he was available. And learned he wasn't in service right now.

Look like the bell killer case was getting to his head. And he was offered a few days off before going back to it. When she explained why she wanted to find him she easily obtained his address.

He was living in the downtown of Vale. And using her speed she was able to catch a bullshead. Sending a quick message to Qrow and her Father she dashed to the travel platform.

She was alone in the vehicle, with Ronan for sole company and a Television showing some show from Atlas.

Ruby enjoyed the calm a little. She was still affected by the event of the night, but she could feel she did the right thing. She closed her eyes for a moment, cradled by the moves of the bullhead.

She didn't really needed sleep, but resting in peace was nice from time to time. Well, as long as she didn't dream of being that doll in the tombs. She would need to speak about it with Vlad one of this day. It became more and more frequent.

What woke her, wasn't the stop of the Bullhead like what she expected, but the noise of the TV. A loud jingle accompanied by the Schnee Logo. The biggest snack industry of remnant.

Actually, they were the biggest provider of Dust, but considering her rapport with the delicious mineral, her word stand.

The Tv turned on some kind of scene, plenty of important and rich people seated in leather covered seat. The kind only rich people used. There were snowflake symbols everywhere.

From Qrow's word. "The Schnee are in love with their images as much as Jimmy is in love with rules and order."

A small girl entered. "Presenting Weiss Schnee."

"Mirror, tell me something, whose the loneliest of all?" The girl began to sing. Damn, she heard ghost who sounded less depressed.

Heck, she was dead, and still seems to enjoy her life better. At least the music started to pick up and became more actionny. But the girl seems lost in her own memory as she sang.

The camera got closer and she got a better view of her. White hair in a side ponytail, white jacket, white everything (except for a little bit of red, at least some taste.) And a scar passing over one of her blue eyes. That surprised her a bit, weren't scar erased by aura with time, unless truly grievous, it would surprise her that people in loves with their image would pass upon something as visible as a facial scar. Or that such a powerful family would allow their daughter to be hurt that much.

But, meh, what did she knew, it's not like she would ever meet that girl anyway.

"Ronan, don't you mind changing the channel?" the ghost gave her a deadpan look.

"I'm a ghost not a remote...Though it's a good thing considering what you do to them."

Ruby pout at him for the rest of the voyage. Him laughing along the way.

-Peace of Heart-

It was a small apartment complex. Ruby rang at the name. She hopes she didn't wake him up. It wasn't so late, she thought, but she wasn't exactly the specialist on how normal people act at night. Where people sleeping around 2 a.m. ?

"Here, mister Reyes, who is it?" She gave a quick victory pump.

"Hi. I don't know if you remember me, it's Ruby Rose...Summer's daughter." She waited an instant, and she heard the door open.

She gave a glance at Ronan, who decided to not enter.

It was pretty normal as far as apartment go, not exactly clean, but not too messy either. There was a lot of dust, and a few photos showing both the agent, Ronan and a woman she didn't know.

"Sorry I didn't clean up, but I didn't expect guest. What can I do for you Miss. Rose?" The guy was still fully clothed, though a little disheveled, finely shaved and with a near military haircut. However, he had heavy bags under his eyes and the ways he moved reveal he must have fallen asleep on the couch at some point.

"I came here to tell you something important." She steeled herself. "I wanted to tell you sorry."

He looked at her with some surprise.

"It's...you see. A part of me always blamed you for being the one to announced my mother's...passing. And now I realise it wasn't your fault, that it must have been hard for you to have to tell this. So sorry about that."

He gaze at her for a bit, then emit a barely audible laugh. "Thank you, but you don't have to excuse yourself. It must have been far harder for you. Though I would have liked it if you had this revelation at a more human hour."

She laughed awkwardly. "Sorry, it was a spur of the moment decision."

"You traveled all the way from Patch to Vale in the middle of the night, on a spur?" The inspector seemed baffled. "Truly the youth this days... Again, knowing who is teaching you I expected no less. Let me accompany you back home, I know you can handle yourself, but I won't feel well, letting some young girl walking alone at night. And It gets me the occasion to see how the guys in Patch are doing."

Ruby was going to protest, then she thought about something. A certain ghost wasn't going to be happy, but he deserved as much she guess. "Thank you, you're as nice Ronan told me."

The cop froze. "You knew Ronan?"

"Yes, he was quite grumpy most of the time but behind that, he was quite a nice guy. I'm very sorry about what happened to him. Nobody deserved that."

"How did you even...?" Yes, he deserved as much.

So as she walked home, she told him, of what she knew of Ronan, of a few anecdotes she knew of him. Ronan had joined along the way, keeping silent yet looking at them with melancholy.

-Peace of the Soul-

Rex had gone back. She was now alone with Ronan a few feet from her home. She could see light from the windows. So they must have been waiting for her.

Chance Qrow talked with them about what she did, or they heard about it from other sources. News of a ghost visiting three families may have already circulated. And she was surprised that no news crew had decided to come in the middle of the night to get the scoop about a proof of the existence of ghost.

"Hey Ruby." Ronan called her.

"Yes Ronan? You have been quite silent today."

The ghost grumbled. "Thanks for what you did for Rex, the guy didn't catch a break in a long time. But please, next time, try to avoid talking to him too much. I don't want to put salt on the wound till I'm sure they're healed. Last thing I want is for him to go all emotional and rush without thinking. There was already far too much death on this case.

Ruby nodded, but he was already gone. He would come back, when Vlad or she would need it.

The door of her home opened. "Now young girl, care to tell me why there is news of multiple ghost sighting through town?"

"You see dad, there is a perfectly valid reason..."

-Bonus Scene: Happy Birthday-

Tai brought the cake for her youngest daughter. Ruby was celebrating her 15th birthday. Dust crystal put instead of candles. He laughs as he saw her snatch the crystal and devour them. Yang ready to cut the cake, joking all the way.

It was during those happy times that he couldn't help but think about Summer, and how much Ruby was starting to look like her.

He felt a shiver run down his spine. Was this how her daughter was going to look when growing older?

Time in the end had no effect on wraith. Their appearance only affected by the way they saw themselves. What if Ruby imagined her appearance as an idealized version of her mother. Would she end up looking like a Gothic cuter version of Summer?

Tai could already imagine countless perverted suitor going after his two daughters. Already, Yang was starting to attract her fair share of admirers, and he had no doubt that soon Ruby would too.

"Dad, where are you going?" Asked Yang, seeing the scowl on his face.

"I believe it's time, I must train myself once more." He opened the door as Yang rolled her eyes.

Tai nearly didn't see the small crowd of Faunus in front of him. "Hmm? Can I do something for you? Wait! ARE YOU THE SUITOIRS!? DAMN! I HAVE BEEN TOO SLOW!"

A dog eared Lady approach him. "Excuse me, but is this the Xiao Long-Rose House?"

Tai calmed himself, it wouldn't do to appear uncouth in front of a lady. "Yes, it is. What is the matter.?

"I heard it was your daughter's Birthday, we just wanted to give her a little present." The lady gave him a Doll looking like a ghost. A small card attached to it. "Tell her to look at the card. And thank you."

Tai looked at the card. A small message was written on it.

"Thank you for bringing them home. Happy birthday. _PS: You should think about hiding your scent too when you disguise yourself."

"Why don't you come in and give her yourself. I'm sure she'll be pleased." Told Tai, as the small groups enter.

It didn't mean he wouldn't keep an eye on the boys.

? Report: Werebeast.

Tape 23.01LH-08: Commencing report on The Werebeast.

As far as our memory goes, Remnant was always haunted by legends about the Werebeast. Monsters said to take the appearance of Faunus during the day and terrible monster similar to the grimms as night fall.

Easy to say, looking at my observations, that most of those legends are not even close to the truth. As such, I made it my mission to debunk most of those sterile naysaying.

Concerning the saying that a werebeast shape only in full moon, many soldiers discovered with great pain how wrong they were. Werebeast can freely change whenever they saw desire. The Moon acting less like an incentive to go feral and more like a battery.

They form include a full humanoid form, a full animal form and a powerful hybrid.

While it is true that young werebeast have a hard time controlling their transformation or their anger, with the training of an elder they can easily overcome such ordeal. In fact, most Werebeast are actually incredibly wise and can rein in on their anger shall they wish to. They can also communicate with the spirit. Some of the more powerful are even able to enter the Umbra by using reflective surface.

Both Human and Faunus can be werebeast. And they are in no way limited to wolf. I got to meet quite a vast array of animal. From reptile to bird passing by fish and all matter of mammals.

Concerning the story about them being weak to silver. This one is actually true. And one of the few things able to bypass their regenerative power.

As for their way to apprehend society. They tend to take a tribe like approach to things, giving priority to family and clans.

Finally, being bitten by a Werebeast doesn't turn you into werebeast. It is either hereditary or the result of a blessing from Luna...Or a curse sometime.

I hope I have been able to clarify a few things concerning them. Even if in the end, I'm the sole person who will ever hear those tapes. Recording over, Safeguarding till further completion.

Data retrieved following the observation of [DATA EXPUNGED]