A Rose by Any Other Name

*2 years later*

"You may be my husband, and her father, but you have no right…"

The man just ignored his wife. He had no idea where is eldest daughter had run off to, but it was better that that abomination was not around to see this. "At least she can hide her… deformity… with that silly bow she wears. But there's nothing to be done about a tail," he thought to himself, looking down at the newest addition to his family resting peacefully in his arms, unaware of the danger she was in.

What he didn't know was that his other daughter was around, hidden from sight, noticing everything with her enhanced sight and hearing. She was still too young to understand what was going on however, so she abandoned her hiding spot and went to see her mother, who had just given birth. She didn't quite understand what any of it meant, but she did know her mother was incredibly tired. At least she loved her; the same could not be said about her father.

When she entered the room, her mother was in tears. Their old midwife was nowhere to be seen, she had been afraid she would not be capable of delivering the child, so she had taught her father how to do it.

The little girl, eager for her mother to stop crying, jumped up on the bed with her usual enthusiasm and cuddled up to her mother, stuffing her little face in the crook of the older women's neck. This usually never failed to make her mother smile, but this time it was as if she didn't even notice her. She just kept mumbling to herself. "We tried so hard, why was this one also a faunus? We have all the knowledge in the world, yet she still turned out…" The rest of her sentence was drowned in sobs. "What is he going to do to her?" she cried out, not expecting an answer from anyone.

But she did obtain one, the missing midwife stepping into the room as if she had been awaiting that very question. "He's going to make her normal. I've found out how to remove undesirable," she paused to find the correct word, "attributes. It's why I've been gone, this information is not readily available anywhere."

Amber orbs turned away from her mother towards the newcomer, full of confusion. "What's wong wit my little sister? (1)" the little girl asked, stumbling over her own words. The implications were not lost on the older women however, and a look of wild panic came into her eyes. "No," she let out a strangled cry as she attempted to get up. But before she even managed a single step, she crumbled, labor having taken its toll on her.

"Momma!" cried out the little girl as she saw her mother falter. The midwife also came running. "My Lady," she exclaimed, surprised by her sudden movement. The women reached out to her servant; brining her close enough so she may hear her voice, which was as soft as a whisper, "Stop my husband."

But before she could follow her mistress' order, a loud clash of metal was heard in the distance, followed by the sound of a crying infant.

"No…" came the shuddering sob of a mother fearing for her child. She laid there crying, until she heard her daughter next to her, "Mommy, don't cwy. You can make anyting better! (2)" This made something within her mind click, steely determination replacing the sorrow in her heart.

"You're right honey, I'll set everything right," not wanting her daughter to see her fight with her husband again, she sent her off. "Go pack your things, I'll come and get you." She then turned to her servant, "Help me up. I'll need to use you as a crutch. Bring me to my husband."

…

She wanted to scream, but not a sound would escape her mouth. No words could describe the horror the she now beheld, and the thought that the one responsible was the man she once loved was unbearable. The man in question was starring at his wife, unable to understand her reaction. He had succeeded! Nessarose was alive and perfectly human, her tail was gone! His wife should have been happy, they finally had the daughter they always wanted.

It was clear now that maybe he didn't know his wife that well, for what he saw in her eyes told him this was not what she wanted. Her stare soon turned into a glare of pure hatred, as she spit out at him. "You monster!"

The man could feel his heart shatter inside his chest. But his pain soon turned to furry, for he had only done what was best for his family. The midwife chose this very moment to return, "Ma'am, the carriage you demanded is ready with all your belongings therein."

The man shifted his look between his wife and his maid, unable to believe his ears. "You're leaving me?" he asked, his pain and anger palpable.

"Yes, I need to protect my family," she replied, determined.

Something snapped inside the man, and he began reaching for his sword. His wife was too fast however; grabbing her daughter and holding her tight to her chest as she began sprinting for salvation.

"You'll regret crossing me, I gave you everything! All that you have is because of me, without me, you're nothing!" Though this was true, the woman did not care. All that mattered was her children's safety.

She could hear her husband's footsteps getting closer, but she knew he would not have time to catch her before she could reach her carriage.

As soon as the vehicle was in sight, she screamed to the driver to get ready to go. As the distance separating her from her destination diminished, her strength began to falter. But she kept up her speed, nearly reaching the moat that she had to cross to reach freedom. Suddenly, before her mind could process the thought, she was already in midair, having jumped before her logic could deter her. She landed inside her ride, surprising the driver.

She did not however give him time to recover. "Drive!" she ordered.

Her husband just stood across, incapable of doing anything as the woman who had shared his life for as long as he could remember drove away from him.

…

The night was quiet, the only sound coming from the galloping horses, their hoofs pounding down on the road. Inside the carriage was a sleeping baby and her mother.

"I'm so sorry Blake," sobbed the mother, "I wanted to save you too." The girls' mother silenced her tears; they wouldn't help her where she was going. She slid to be next to her newborn, whispering so as to not wake the infant, "But I'll protect you, my precious little gem. I'll get you away from this horrible life you would have had."

The child stirred slightly in her sleep, but luckily her silver eyes remained shut. Not a trace of what her father had done to her was left, but her parent had a nagging feeling this would not be the end of it. Deciding there was nothing to be done, she continued, "You know, you're not much of a Nessa. I think I'll call you Ruby."

Notes: (1) Blake is still little, so she still can't speak that well. Here, she says: "What's wrong with my little sister?"

(2) "Mommy, don't cry. You can make anything better!"

A/N: What? Who else but Ruby could have been Nessarose? Don't worry though; she doesn't turn into the Wicked Witch of the West. Stick around, there's much more fun to be had.