Chapter 2: The Brand

Ruby was walking through the forest, that was covered by mist... when a ghostly and demonic voice is heard, but Ruby was still stoic and emotionless as she heard one of them talking to her. "You won't escape..."

Then... several ghost-like grimms, called Geists, appear, surrounding Ruby, making sure that she doesn't escape from them as one of them told Ruby. "YOU WON'T!"

Ruby then grab Full-Moon Gin and transformed it into scythe mode, while still being stoic and emotionless, as the Geists are already to attack her.

Meanwhile... at town of Aramanth...

Repair to the quarter part of the town of Aramanth are going smoothly, other than getting rid of the dead bodies of the bandits and civilians that were laying around, it wasn't that bad. But to the townpeoples... it was a rejoys. Because the bandits have already decide not to bother them anymore because they were too scared of attacking it again, plus due to the fact that now their leader is dead, they won't be as effective as they once were and they could keep the mayor of the town to themselves as long as they don't bother them.

While the quarter of the city is being repair... a white-hair heiress wearing a red cloak, Weiss Schnee came into the town and see the damage to it. But she not here to check the damage. No. She here for a different kind of reason... she is searching for a person that mysterious disappear 2 years ago under mysterious circumstances. Her partner to be exact.

She enter one of the town's bars that wasn't destroyed during the attack from the bandits, which was the same one that Ruby has attack and killed few of the bandits the day prior. She sit down at one of the chair at the bar, where the bartender is cleaning his cups. He notice Weiss sitting on the chair at the bar of where he is at, so he decide to ask her. "Do you want a drink?"

"No, thank you..."

He was just cleaning the cups... until he quickly recognized her and realized it was Weiss, who was the new CEO of the Schnee Dust Company, which was better then ever before, all thanked to Weiss. "Wait... aren't you, Weiss? That new CEO of the Schnee Dust Company that was made CEO 2 years ago?"

Weiss just merely replied to his question. "Yes."

He then smiled at her. "Well, congratulation for you. I've living for a really long time, already. i remember back then when your grandfather, Nicholas Schnee, was in charge of the Schnee Dust Company he founded, he was partically a good old man, and he was a jolly one at that, too. But Jasque, on the other hand... he was just a sociopathic control freak. But too bad for him, he should have hidden the evidences much better and the fact that the detective was an old friend of Nicholas, because now he is removed from power by Atlas Council by force and his only son, Whitley, is disinheritance by his mother because he is partically a clone of him. Which leaves only you now."

Weiss then smiled as well. "Yes. My grandfather was my model."

"Which bring me another question... why are you here?"

Weiss then answered his question. "I'm... searching for someone..."

The bartender raised a eyebrow at her in curiously of who she was searching for. "Who?"

Weiss then pulled out a picture of a tall, dark figure out of her jacket and showed it to him. "Have you seen this person?"

The bartender try to remember of where he saw that figure before... until he realized that figure was very same person, Ruby, who has attack and killed all of, but one of the bandits in his bar yesterday before the bandits attack. "Yes. This is the same person who has attack all, but one of the bandits in this bar before the bandits attack, it was just only yesterday ago! But of you want more information... go talk to them. Actually, just the girl because she was the last person to this person."

The bartender then point at the girl, who was bandging her grandfather's injuries. Weiss walk toward the girl and her grandfather and politally asked the girl. "Excuse... but have you seen this person?"

Weiss then showed them the picture of Ruby, which the girl instantly recognize her. "She was the same one who saved me from those bandits, yesterday. She also the one that defeated that gigatnic Beowolf that suddenly appear."

It then got Weiss' attention. "A gigantic Beowolf that suddenly appear?"

The grandfather of the girl then replied to her question of his granddaugther. "Yes, this... huge Beowolf, like 2-stories tall, suddenly appear out of the building where and after this stranger shots Lord Grayskull through the door of the building. But what more mysterious about it... is that this Beowolf just suddenly appear out of no where and there is no body of the lord himself! Like... the body just suddenly disappear! Peoples of this town are starting to say that the gigantic Beowolf was Lord Grayskull himself, who sold his soul to a demon or something else like it. Now, i'm not normally a person who believe in fairytales, but there was no way to explained the suddenly appearance of the gigantic beowolf or the disappearance of the lord himself."

The grandfather then suddenly start coughing, with his granddaugther to pat him on the back to get rid and stop of the cough. "I'm sorry. I have recive injuries from those bandits who taken my granddaugther before that mysterious stranger killed them yesterday before. He or she was the same one who killed that gigantic Beowolf. After that, he, or she, just walked out of town and off to somewhere that nobody know of where... with my granddaugther was the last person who saw that stranger."

Weiss then asked them one more thing she is curious about. "So tell me... where did this stranger go?"

The girl then point toward the direction of where she when, somewhere in an forest that was covered by mist right now, which make it impossible to know of where or when she will pop up again, sooner or later. Weiss only one thing on her head in thoughts. 'Ruby...'

Meanwhile... in the forest where Ruby is at... somewhere...

A small Nevermore, no bigger than a person's hand, landing on a branch of a tree by a path. It was quite settle in the tree, until it has shooken and the small Nevermore pummel to the ground. When it look up on the ground, it was Ruby, who was leanning againt Full-Moon Gin in sword mode with her hood off, revealing her wolf-like ears on top of her head of black hairs with red highlights, with her still being stoic and emotionless. She wasn't looking anything in front of her before she glared down at the small Nevermore.

Which its was frighten by her and frew away from her. Ruby was staring at the ground, still stoic and emotionless, before the Beast of Darkness then suddenly appear in front of her with his/her usually crackling sound. "How do you do, Ruby?"

Ruby just silently ignored the Beast of Darkness, while still being stoic and emotiobless, as he/she float up to Ruby's face and put one of his/her paws on Ruby's nose while it joyishly look and chuckle at Ruby's new wounds she recive from fighting those Gheists before they regenerated. "My, my... you've new wounds is deeper... you have more wounds than after you fought against that weakling of a Therianic Grimm Grayskull."

Ruby, still stoic and emotionless, try to swat him/her, but it went through his/her misty-like form before he/she taunt her of why she try to swat him/her before he/she landed on a puddle of water. "Oooooo... trying to swat me? That too bad."

The Beast of Darkness then let a chuckle before Ruby spoke to him/her as she was still stoic and emotionless. "I hate you..."

The Beast of Darkness silently listen to Ruby as she talk to him/her as she remained stoic and emotionless. "Because... you're bane of my existance. Seeing peoples or creature as nothing more than a tools or obstacles of trying to get in the way of your own achievements. Weak beings like you make me sick... it make me want to crush them. You can't do anything, but manipulating peoples for your own purposes and float in the air around them to make sure that they doing for your own plans and purposes."

Ruby, still stoic and emotionless, then step on the puddle where the Beast of Darkness was. But when she removed it, he/she was already gone, like disappearing in thin air. Then she put away Full-Moon Gin, while still it is still in Sword mode, beheld the back of her belt before she walk into the direction she was heading toward.

Then the cloud began to cover the sun and soon darken as soon the rains are starting to fall on the ground, hard. Ruby then put up her hood over her head, while still being stoic and emotionless, while continue to walk the path she was walking on.

Then... a caravan that is being pulled by 4 horses then pulled up beheld her on her right side before the driver of the caravan, a traveling priest along with his daughter, Collette, ask her. "Hey, need a ride? This rain's gonna get worse."

Ruby, still stoic and emotionless, reply to his question. "No. I'm fine."

The priest just simply decide to ask her, again, just because he is a nice follow. "Ah, come on, young lady. You know, after me, there's no one else going this way."

"I don't get along well with priests."

The priest just laugh and simply joke around with her. "Would you rather get a cold then a ride with me?"

Ruby, still stoic and emotionless, then turn her head to look at the priest in the carriage as she continue walked beside the caravan. "I said what i said for your own safety."

The priest was a bit caught off by this and her only hellishly slited, silver, wolf-like eye before she turned her head as Ruby continue to talk while still being stoic and emotionless. "I am being follow by grimms... they are everywhere, no matter where i go."

The priest was surprised by this before he deciding to reassure her. "That must be quite a nuisance! No need to worry, this caravan is protected by good spirits. I'm a priest after all!"

Ruby then stop and turn to look at him, while still being stoic and emotionless. "Good spirits... huh."

"Well then, hop in!"

Ruby then turn to face the forest, where she feels, there are grimms looking at her. 'i guess its alright... these peoples have no idea..'

Ruby then hop into the caravan before it continue to head to a another forest on the path. Ruby was using a towel to dries her hair before she thrown it on top of the only barrel in the caravan and that was when Collette came over to Ruby, who was still stoic and emotionless. "Excuse me, miss. I thought you would be thisty... this is a home-made wine. It'll warm you up."

The Collette then give the carteen of the home-made wine to Ruby, who drink it with the girl staring at her with a curious look until Ruby finish it and put it on the barrel. The girl decide to asked her. "That's quite a impressive armor you got! How did you get it?"

Ruby, who was still stoic and emotionless, reply to her question. "Somebody just give it to me. Since any kinds of grimms, no matter where i go, will constantly come after me."

The girl was frighted, but yet also in awe and wonder. "Grimms that are coming after you constantly?"

The priest turn his head a bit to Ruby, who in the back of the caravan, because he need to focus on the path. "Girl, don't scare my daughter."

The priest then refocus on the path before he question Ruby about her weapon, Full-Moon Gin. "That giant sword with that red-glowing orb-looking thing above the hilt that you are carrying... is it a weapon that can transform into different forms?"

Ruby, still stoic and emotionless, reply to his question as she crossed her arms. "You could called Full-Moon Gin that."

The priest turn his head a bit to look at her. "I'm sure it could slice a horse in two. So i'm sure that you has done that before..."

There was silent for a few second before the priest continue to talk to Ruby, who was still stoic and emotionless. "For some reason... you remind me of a hunter or huntress... is that what you are?"

Ruby, still stoic and emotionless, awswer his question. "I guess you could called me that."

The priest then turn his head to face of the caravan of where it is going as he continue to talk to Ruby. "I have plenty respect for hunters and huntresses. Killing Creatures of Grimms for a living that is. What goes around come around, you know."

Ruby then talk to him, while still stoic and emotionless. "This is why i don't get along well with priests."

The priest turn his head at Ruby. "Heh, don't worry about it!"

The priest then his head to face at front of the caravan of where it is going. "I had a nephew that left his home to become a hunter, and died as huntman who saved thousands of lives in a battle against large amount of grimm."

Ruby was silent as the priest continue to talk about his nephew with Collette continue to stared at her as the rains continue to pound. "If he were alive long enough, he would have his own family and would enjoy the small pleasures of life."

Ruby, still stoic and emotionless, was silent and just stared out of the back of the caravan as Collette continue to stared at her before she spoke. "He made a good choice."

The priest and Collette were surprised as Ruby continue to talk while she stared out of the caraven as the rains soon turned into snows that quickly melt on the ground. "He died the way he choose, and had lived the life he wanted to have. I'm sure he has died happly."

Collette continue to stared in awe and wonder at Ruby as she continue to talk. "We all have to die. It's better to do it in the glory of battle."

Ruby then lean againt canvas covers. "Now, i'll sleep a bit."

While Ruby was sleeping, Collette put up a blanket on Ruby. Ruby open her only eye, turn, and see the girl brushing. "You could catch a cold..."

Ruby simply did not respond to this and went back to sleep. Collette was happy to see Ruby sleeping peacefully and smile at her. Unknown to them, there was a leak on the top of the canvas covers and a dip of water drop, containing what look like a eye before it splatted into pieces.

Meanwhile... in Ruby's dream...

Ruby was in a place, trap by two stone walls that goes on endlessly with a gigantic eye, which Ruby did not notice, above the two stone walls as she walk through water that cover all of her feets. When Ruby looked up, all she could see was blank white sky in between the two stone walls as she panted, heavly.

She thought she heard something beheld and look beheld, only to see that there was nothing there. Then the unicursal hexagram on the back of her neck begun to glow red and a surge of pain is felt from it as Ruby put her hand on it. She attempt to run into the direction, but she heard a voice that spoke to her. "You can't escape."

Ruby was then strike by a spear out of the water and through her left foot, which cause her to fall on ground and water. She then splashing, as if something is walking. She attempt to get her foot out of the spear. But when she look in the direction she was heading, she was frozen by fear of what was in front of her before its spoke to her. "You won't escape..."

Then... it reveal to be the Beast of Darkness, but it was way more larger than he/she was before as he/she devilishly smile as Ruby let out a scream.

Ruby then woke up with a start and see a jellyfish-like grimm called a Seer that its has attach a few of its tentacles on her forehead. So her pull her passion cross from her belt and stab the Seer with it before she throw its now dead body to the top of the barrel, all while still being stoic and emotionless. It has cause Collette to be woking up. "Hey, what wrong-"

Collette then saw the dead body of the Seer on top of the barrel and let out a horrified scream, which her father to immediately get in the caravan and grab her close to him as he see the grimm's dead body as it is starting to evaporing into the air. He was terrified and quickly asked Ruby of what it is. "Wha... what in the hell is that thing?"

Rub then told them of what it is while still being stoic and emotionless as the grimm's dead body evapoirized into the air. "A Seer. It's a grimm that used its tentacles to attach on a person to feed on their negative emotions. It also capable of giving out orders to other grimm if its been given the order."

Ruby thought to herself. 'I don't even get a chance to sleep around here.'

The priest then ask her. "Does this grimm have anything to do with what you were saying when we first meet?"

Ruby then let out a 'hmm' sound and talk to him as she is still stoic and emotionless. "Even if you believe in your 'god'. It won't make any different."

Collette thne ask Ruby. "Wh- why is it here?"

Ruby then rub the back of her neck while still being stoic and emotionless as the symbol on the back of said neck is glowing red. "It's because of this. This symbol embedded on the back of my neck emit massive negative emotions, which allows the grimms to find me."

Ruby then sense something from outside, she grab Full-Moon Gin, and went out of the caravan as she transformed Full-Moon Gin into Shotgun mode, with Collette shouting at her. "What are you doing?! Don't go out here!"

Ruby, still stoic and emotionless, simply told her. "This area we are in is possible an hotspot for grimm activities because grimms can sense negative emotions and from what i can tell from landscape and the sense in air, there possible alot of corpses with strong grudges or regrets. This place must be a dumping groundfor bodies of excuted crimials, both humans and faunus alike. That must be where all the negative emotions came from... and that how the grimms like it."
Then... the horses started to acting up, which Collette and her father quickly notice and try to calm them down. "Woah! Woah!"

Collette then went outside of the caravan to calm the horses down, which Ruby, still stoic and emotionless, noticed. "Stupid girl. What are you doing outside of the caravan?"

"I was-"

Collette was then impaled by a beowolf running it's claws through her chest. It shocked her gather, but Ruby remain stoic and emotionless. "COLLETTE!"

Soon... dozens of Beowolfs, Ursa Majors, and Creeps appear in the forest. The priest then hide in the caravan as the grimms in the forest start to advanced onto Ruby, who was still stoic and emotionless. "I'll make sure that this will be your last battle."

Ruby then look at the corpse of Collette's body, laying on the cold ground, and she remain stoic and emotionless as she focus on fighting the grimms in the forest right now. A few grimms attempt to tackle her, but Ruby aim Full-Moon Gin and fired a few bullets which killed them. Then... the Beast of Darkness then appear and look at Ruby, who was still stoic and emotionless, as the Beast of Darkness devilishly grin while he/she taunt Ruby. "I suggest you should better get outta here."

Ruby then question the Beast of Darkness while still being stoic and emotionless. "Why?"

"Because... there way too many of them. They'll kill you even if your fight them or try to run or even both. They'll kill you for sure."

Ruby still remain stoic and emotionless as she reply to the Beast of Darkness with her own answer. "It's always like this."

Ruby then transformed Full-Moon Gin into Scythe mode and slash through 4 Ursa Major easily like it was nothing. Ruby see the grimms in the forest charging at her, while she remain stoic and emotionless as she charged as well and slash a few Beowoves into pieces. An Alpha Ursa Major attempt to smash Ruby to the ground, but she easily slash its head off, which cause its body to fall on a Beowolf. Ruby remained stoic and emotionless as grimms continue to charge at her and she continue to slash through them like nothing.

The Beast of Darkness was... amused by this. "It doesn't make any difference if her opponent is a human, faunus, or even grimm. Because she a badass."

Then the priest's scream was heard from the caravan and when the Beast of Darkness looked at the inside of the caravan, he/she just devilishly grin as dead body of Collette is somehow moving.

Ruby then see the grimms have stop and then she look at the caravan and she see... holding the decapitate head of the priest in her right hand and a bloody sword which she used to kill the priest in her left hand, Collette's dead body was possessed by an incest-like parasitic grimm in the middle of her forehead before she throw the decapitate head of the priest to the floor of the caravan and jumped out.

She walk toward Ruby, which she images of Collette before she was killed by that Beowolf, before she ran toward her and stab Ruby through the stomach.

But all through this, Ruby remained stoic and emotionless as she use her left hand to grab the head of the dead body of Collette as she spoke. "Forgive me."

She then easily rip her upper dead body off of her lower dead body before she dropped it to the ground of the forest as the grimms of the forest let out series of screeches, growls, howling. Creep pop out of the ground beheld her, but Ruby easily slash it into two pieces. A Alpha Beowolf attempt to attack her with its claws, but she doddy it and used Full-Moon Gin to kill it. She tighten her grip of her weapon as grimms of the forest charged at her.

Later...

Sun's rays broke through the dark gray cloud as the Beast of Darkness lay perch on an tree branch, looking at Ruby, who remained stoic and emotionless, as she finished fighting the grimm and was surrounded by the evaporing dead bodies of the grimms of the forest she easily killed and leaning against her weapon for support.

She look at the dead body of Collette, while she remained stoic and emotionless. The Beast of Darkness then reappear and look at Ruby, devilishly smiling as he/she taunt Ruby. "It was your fault that they died."

Ruby, remaining stoic and emotionless, glared at the Beast of Darkness before she turn her head and spoke to herself. "Oh... Really? Is that so?"

The Beast of Darkness was tooken by surprise as Ruby continue to talk while remaining stoic and emotionless. "I told myself before, in time of battle, the loss of innocent lives is inevatiable. That's just part of life. You can't take a step ir you're worrying about the incest you crush while you are walking. I warned them and... they accepted the danger of me traveling with them. That's all there is to it."

Then... the forest came to life as a demonic laughters is heard and voices spoke to Ruby, who remain stoic and emotionless as the voices taunt to her. "You can't escape from us! You can't escape from us! We own you! We control you! We control you! You can't escape from us! We own you! We own you! Wherever you go, we will find you! That symbol! It prove that you are no longer human! That symbol! That symbol! It prove that you are no longer human!"

Ruby, remained stoic and emotionless, told them one thing, "Shut up..."

They continue to taunt to her. "Your anger, your sadness, your pain, all of it is ours! Your anger, your sadness, your pain, all of it is ours!"

Ruby then angry shouted at them as she aim Full-Moon Gin in Scythe mode toward the tree tops. "FUCK OFF!"

Then she fired. Silent soon fell as a body of wendigo-like grimm fall from the tree tops and to the forest floor. Ruby reassume her stoic and emotionless expression soon as the Beast of Darkness disappear. She turn around and head into the direction she was heading in. As she walking, she look at the skeletons of humans and faunus litter the forest floor, reminding herself that this was the world she lived in.

She walked out of the forest, unknown to her that she was watched by a white wolf with blue eyes. She walk a road with a few puddles resulting from the rain. As this was the world she lived in.

The End of Chapter 2

A/N: I wanted to add "Nah. I use it for my cookin-." before she snapped at him. Because i wanted to give her more personally, but that was you get for writing based on the manga while reading online, i guess. So, i been now doing the rest of "Do Werewolves Loves Cookies?" Because you people really like it, despite being a adoption of the fanfic "Wolves loves Cookies."