Hello viewers

So, two reviews

That's a good start

It's an okay story so far

I'd like to keep it that way

More over, I'd like to make it better

Ideas?

Anyone?

Dear Monty, I feel like I'm in a business meeting

Anyways, new chapter

Yay

So, here we go

Ruby POV

"Mm," I murmured as I slowly opened my eyes.

I saw blurs of white and black, then red and some blue there. Slowly, I blinked, getting use to the light in my eyes before I finally got use to the bright light in my eyes. I was on my side, curled up in a hospital bed with a light shining on top of me.

I rolled onto my back and straightened up, holding the blanket to me like it was a shield. Sitting next to the bed was the man from the forest, his hand holding up his head by his chin as he snored silently. His eyes were closed and as he slept I looked him over.

He wore the same black coat from the forest, the buttons set on the left side of his chest while the bottom half hung from his waist like a cloak. He had dark brown hair like coffee, almost black, but if you looked closely you could see the brown in it. There were white and grey streaks through it, showing he was getting a bit old.

His skin was a pale tan color like he went outside, but he always wore a lot of clothes. I remember his eyes, those steel grey colored eyes like the hull of a bullhead in the sunlight. His cane was leaning against the wall next to him, the entire thing made of oak wood with a leather wrap handle at the top. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open and his steel grey eyes locked with my silver ones.

For a minute we just stared at each other, but then I gave a scream. He flailed and put his hand over my mouth making me stop.

"Shush," he hissed and I nodded before he moved his hand. "Alright, now thank you."

"Uh, you're welcome?" I cautiously responded. "Where am I?"

"Isn't it obvious? A hospital you dolt," he scoldedd and gestured around him at the small medical posters that hung on the walls and all the health and safety tips posted everywhere.

I cringed when I heard that, remembering the word Weiss always used. Her voice started ringing in my head, bringing back those memories from yesterday that I didn't want to remember. He must've seen me starting to tear up because his angry frown dropped into a saddened one.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, trying to console me.

"Nothing," I said, wiping the growing tears in my eyes as I turned away from him.

"Excuse me?" he asked with a little annoyance in his voice.

"I said it's nothing," I grunted and I felt his hand grab my shoulder.

"You're in pain."

"No I'm not," I snapped at him, but when I looked at him his somewhat youthful face had seemed to age a bit.

I could see weariness in his eyes like he was tired. It was like he had stayed up for a week doing nothing, but stare at a wall.

"I'm not talking about your body," he said and pushed his finger at my heart, "I'm talking about your heart, you're feeling pain in your heart. Something happened that caused you to run into the forest and have me save your butt."

I cringed when he figured it all out and he sighed before sitting down on the bed.

"Alright, tell me," he said and I just raised my eyebrow.

"What?"

"Tell me."

"This is kinda personal," I said and he just gave me a look that said 'no, you're telling me'.

"Come on," he said and I shook my head. "Alright then, I can live with that."

"Really?" I asked, shocked he gave up so easily, but I was mistaken.

"Are you kidding me! I'm a curious person, I need to know things," he said as he grabbed me by my shoulders and shook me.

I saw stars for a second before shaking my head and bringing myself back to reality.

"Do you really want to know?" I asked and he ndded hastily. "You're really a nosey person."

"I know," he laughed, smiling a bit.

"Are you a serious person?"

"Most of the time," he said, "I'm that kind of person who's relaxed, but when you get me worked up I'm going to berate you with all your faults."

"Oh," I said as I partially understood what he said.

"So you gonna tell me?"

"Hm, oh... okay," I answered, but hesitated before I could tell him.

He sighed in defeat and looked up at me with his weary eyes.

"How about this, I take you back to my place. Help you heal up and if you feel like it, you can tell me what happened to you."

I stared at him, blinked a couple times, before I cocked my head.

"What?"

"Urgh," he groaned in annoyance and I sheepishly laughed.

"You come and stay at my place. If or when you feel better, you can tell me your story if you want to."

"Oh," I said in understanding and he gave me a 'finally' look.

"Alright, get up," he said, "I'm going to sign you out. Get ready and come out, your stuff's at the desk."

"Oh, okay," I said and started to get out of bed as he left the room with his cane.

I stretched my limbs, waking them up. I gritted my teeth as I felt my blood start pumping again, moving through my body and heating up the cold skin. I fixed my clothes and reached to fix my cloak to find it gone.

"Where is it?" I gasped and looked around the room.

I looked under the bed, the chairs, on the chairs, on the bed, under the covers, and in some drawers, but it was gone. I quickly ran out of the room and down the hall, then down some stairs, and finally at the check in/check out desk where the man was writing with a pen.

"You're fast," he commented as I looked at him wide-eyed.

"Where's my cloak?"

"Your cloak?"

"Yeah, my cloak. Big red cloak, hood with it, and two silver crosses!"

"Oh, you mean this sweetheart?" the lady at the desk asked and held up my scarlet red cloak.

I quickly grabbed it out of her hands and hugged it tightly.

"I'm guessing it's important?" the man asked and I nodded.

"My mom gave it to me before she..."

I trailed off and the man and the lady exchanged looks before looking back at me.

"Well I'm sure you'll be alright, Mr. Smith here's a good man," she said and the man, Mr. Smith sighed.

"Thank you Dorothy," he said with annoyance in his voice. "Now, one weapon, a couple pieces of said weapon's blade, several ammo packs, and a rose medallion."

He put a bunch of stuff in a duffel bag and I stared at it, remembering what happened yesterday in the forest. I stared at the bag, remembering when Crescent Rose broke. The memory hurt, knowing my sweetheart was destroyed and there was nothing I could do to fix it. I made the blade at Signal and the rest of Crescent Rose was the same.

"Hey, kid you there?"

I snapped out of my thoughts as Mr. Smith snapped his fingers in my face.

"Oh, sorry," I said, blushing in embarrassment.

"Come along kid," he replied and I followed him out of the hospital.

I put my hand over my eyes as I the sunlight shot into them. It burned for a second before I got use to the sunlight. We walked down a sidewalk, the hospital behind us as we reached the market district of the town. We passed shops and stands, fruits were showcased in boxes, pastries were inside shop windows, and there were people bustling around, buying or looking at stuff.

My mouth started to water as I looked into a bakery and saw a plate of cookies in the window.

"I'm guessing your a sweets lover?"

I looked up at Mr. Smith who had his childish smile back on. I slowly nodded and he walked over to a little window in the wall. He knocked and the window slid open showing the owner of the bakery. They talked for a second before the baker brought out a bag and Mr. Smith payed him.

"What's that?" I quickly asked as he walked back to me, hoping it was what I thought it was.

"What do you think?" he asked and opened it, showing two chocolate chip cookies.

I squealed in joy and grabbed then, but realized why there were two.

"You want one?" I asked and he smiled at me with that warm smile.

I handed him it and we started munching on them.

"Ths r dlichis," I said with the cookie in my mouth.

"Hm?" he asked as he looked back at me, raising an eyebrow.

I gulped down the cookie and spoke again.

"These are delicious," I corrected and he nodded in agreement.

"Baker's name is Henry, guy's a freaking god when it comes to cooking pastries and stuff like that," he commented as we continued to walk.

After a couple minutes of walking I asked him a question.

"Hey?"

"Yeah?" he asked as he looked back at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Where are we going?"

"To my place," he answered as he started walking again.

"Where's your place?"

"Close."

"How close?"

"Close."

"How close?"

"Close."

"How close?"

"Close."

"How close?"

"Close."

"How close?"

"Close."

I huffed in anger as he started chuckling under his breath. As we continued to walk my eyes trailed up his back to the red spot on his back.

"Hey?"

"Yeah?"

"Does that burn hurt?"

"Yep," he answered, popping the 'p'.

"Hey?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you act like a kid when you're a grown up?"

"Why can't I?"

"It just seems wierd because your old."

"Well for your information," he said and turned around before poking my forehead, "I prefer to act like a child because I'm only 32!"

I blinked and raised my eyebrow as I stared at him.

"How does that make sense?"

"It just does," he stated and pointed his finger up in the air to make a point. "Besides, what's the fun in growing up if you can't have some fun every now and then."

Suddenly, he stopped in front of two large wooden doors surrounded by marble. I looked around and noticed we'd walked right through a small patch of forest and ended up in front of a manor. It was a large manor, the whole thing made of oak wood with bricks and marble.

"You live here?" I asked as he raised his arm to the door.

"Yeah," he said as he put his fingers on top of each other.

"What're you doing?"

"Opening the door."

"How does snapping your fingers open a door?"

"It's a special door," he said as he snapped his fingers.

The doors swung open and he smiled as I dropped my jaw.

"I know," he said with a smile and led me inside.

"How did you do that?" I asked in shock and awe as he snapped his fingers again, making the doors close.

"The doors have a automated sound detector designed to open to at the sound of the snap of my fingers," he explained, "Not in the breaking way though."

"Oh," I said, drawing it out, "but wouldn't anyone just be able to do that?"

"You're just a bag of questions today aren't you?" he asked and I blushed in embarrassment. "Well, the door also scans for life signatures, if mine's there it knows to look for snapping fingers."

"Oh," I replied as I understood it, "so can I do that?"

"If I let you," he answered, "but we'll see."

He cleared his throat and looked around.

"Aeren!"

I looked at him with a confused expression until I heard footsteps. A pretty lady walked out from a hallway and smiled when she saw us.

"Hello sir," she greeted, her voice sweet and a bit high pitched, but there was something else there.

"Hello Aeren, here, I got my coat and shirt burned," Mr. Smith said and took off his clothes before handing it to her.

I blushed slightly when I saw his chest, but Aeren just stared at him as she took the clothes.

"Sir, there is a wound on your back, would you like me to heal it?" she asked and he shook his head.

"Doctors healed most of it, let it heal on its own."

"Very well sir," she replied, "Seeing as you are wounded, you have dealt with the faunas intruders?"

"You are correct Aeren," he answered as he walked down a hall.

"Uh..." I trailed off as I stared at the woman.

She had porcelain skin and somewhat long platinum blonde hair that just went over her shoulders. Her eyes were a luminous blue which was kind of odd because it seemed like it kinda glowed. She wore a butler suit, but instead of black slacks she wore stockings with black shorts.

"Hello," she greeted as she looked at me.

I felt awkward as she stared at me.

"You are turning red, do you have a fever?" she asked and I raised my eyebrow.

"Uh, know," I said as I continued to blush in embarrassment.

"Aeren, you aren't scaring the girl are you?" I heard Mr. Smith shout from a room.

"I don't believe so sir," she replied. "Am I?"

"Uh, no," I answered, "but it is kinda awkward how you're staring at me."

She gave me a confused expression, but as she did Mr. Smith walked back into the foyer.

"Oh don't mind her, she's socially awkward," he said and tapped her with his cane. "And can't tell what a rhetorical question is... or quiet knows how to not be awkward without knowing she's awkward."

I stared at him, then at her. She was still smiling and he had a bored look in his eyes as he looked at her.

"Um, this seems kinda wrong," I said and he looked at me.

"What?"

"Well, you're talking bad about her right next to her."

"Oh she doesn't mind," he said and tapped her forehead with the bottom of the cane.

There was a metallic tapping when he did it and my eyes went wide.

"She's an android," he stated and began to explain, "Use to be a level 1 android assassin before I found her head in the black market and deleted the programming that made her want to kill people so now she's as docile as a kitten faunas."

"That's not true," I said as I looked down, "Kitten faunas are pretty ferocious, that's what Blake said."

"Blake?"

"My friend, she's a cat faunas."

"Oh," he said and rubbed the back of his head, "sorry."

"It's okay," I assured him and continued to look down as I remembered yesterday's events.

Then, it hit me, where was I?

"Um, where am I?" I asked.

"In my manor," he said in confusion.

"No, I mean what town is this?"

"Oh, well welcome to Magnus, a quiet town near Vale whose main supply of revenue comes from the mines, farms, and fishing," he stated as he threw his arms up in the air and did a full revolution.

"Um, never heard of it," I said and he laughed.

"Of course you haven't, not many people do. We're just a medium sized community that's all just normal," he stated and was about to continue when Aeren spoke.

"Sir, I have developed a f-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-fault," she stated, her smile turning into a small line and her eyes growing a bit wider.

"What?" he asked.

"I have developed a f-f-f-f-f-f-fault," she repeated and he sighed.

"What'd you do this time?"

"I was outside repairing the car when it began to precipitate," she stated and I cocked my head in confusion.

"You were outside when it was raining weren't you?" he asked and she nodded. "Aeren, you know I haven't got your water proof upgrade yet."

"Sorry s-s-s-s-sir," she said, her voice starting to stutter more.

"Come on," he said and led Aeren down a hall, me following.

We ended up in a room with a bunch of tools and stuff in it. The walls and ground were made of steel, probably to keep a fire in as much as possible. A metal table was set in the center of the room while on the right was a counter full of tools and devices with a wall holding tools and cabinets probably holding more stuff. On the left was a large shelf full of weapons and devices.

My eyes went wide when I saw everything, but Mr. Smith didn't see me.

"Alright, up on the table," he said and the android sat on the table before laying down.

He pressed some buttons on a console that connected to the table and a circular ring came out of the table where Aeren's neck was, moving over it like some kind of shackle. It glowed for a second before fading away and moving back into the table.

"Alright, it's safe to remove your head," he said and grabbed both sides of the platinum blonde haired female android's head.

He pulled it off with a loud hiss, clank, and snap. In a split-second she was just a head. I stared at her head with wide eyes as he looked her over.

"Hold this," he said and handed me her head.

I almost dropped her, but grabbed another part of her head before that. Mr. Smith started working on her body, using tools and opening up panels in her. He opened up her arms after opening a small panel in her neck.

"Could you hand me the sonic welder?" he asked as he held out his hand.

"Uh, do you want me to set Aeren's head down?"

"Yes please," he said as he continued to hold out his hand, not moving his head an inch.

I looked around and spotted the tool, a sort of gun looking tool that glowed a bit blue. I grabbed it after setting Aeren's head down on a table and gave it to him.

"Thanks," he replied and went back to work.

After a while of watching him repair Aeren's body while I held her head I started asking questions again.

"So why don't you have to fix her head?" I asked and he looked at me with a 'seriously' look.

"She's part of a level 1 android designed to seduce and assassinate her targets, of course her makers wouldn't plan on her walking in the rain."

"Oh," I replied, blushing in embarrassment, "you don't have to be so rude."

"Sorry, just a little touchy when it comes to things I make," he stated. "She's one of the prides of my collection."

"What's the others?" I asked and he poined at himself.

"She's three, number two is the cybermech armor sets I lie to make, then there's my weapon."

"You mean that really big gun?" I asked and he nodded. "Where is it anyway?"

"I didn't have enough parts to fix it after that battle we had," he answered as he closed up the last parts of Aeren's body. "I gave it to the local blacksmith's shop on my way to the hospital to get you patched up, they're holding onto it. I'm going to go pick it up later."

"Oh, okay," I said as he finished fixing her body.

"Alright," he stated as he grabbed Aeren's head, "here we go."

Her head reconnected with a twist and a snap. She got up after rotating her neck a bit and jumped off the table.

"Thank you sir," she thanked and grabbed his clothes she had discarded on the floor earlier. "I will begin to repair your wear."

"Thanks Aeren," he repied as she left.

He slouched against the table, obviously out of steam from everything that had happened today and yesterday.

"So, um, what's your name?" I asked, "I mean your first name."

"Hm?" he asked, but realized what I had asked. "Oh, Benedict, Benedict Smith."

"Ruby Rose," I stated and his eyes seemed to bulge like Blake's sometimes did.

"Ruby Rose?" he asked and I nodded. "You're that girl that killed the Nevermore on her trial run through the Emerald Forest."

"Well, yeah," I said while blushing.

"So Ms. Rose, trust me enough to tell me why you're here?"

I looked at him and shook my head making him sigh in defeat.

"Knew that would happen, well come along. Let's get you room," he said and led me out of the workshop.

We walked back to the foyer and climbed the large steps up to the second floor. Soon we were walking down a hall, little scented candlesticks on holders on the left side shining lights against the right wall, illuminating pictures and trophies along with the doorways and giving off a nice fresh smell.

"Here we are," he said as we approached a door.

It was a regular oak wood door with no special design on it, just a metal handle and a lock.

"Your room," he stated. "Mine's down the hall, you need anything I may or may not be there."

"Um, okay," I answered and he nodded to me before walking down the hall to a door painted white.

I opened the door and my eyes went wide. Inside was a large room with walls painted white and a carpet floor. A large bed was on the right side of the room while a closet sat across from it. There was a dresser next to the door and a mirror next to the closet. A TV hung right above the dresser and a chest was set under a window that overlooked the courtyard of the manor.

"Whoa," I simply said in awe.

I ran over and jumped on the bed, laughing as I lay there. Suddenly, memories started passing through my head. Cardin calling me weak, Yang and Jaune not admitting I was strong, and me running away. I started to cry, but I heard a knocking on the door.

"Um, Ruby?"

I quickly wiped the growing tears in my eyes and cleared my throat.

"Yeah?" I asked and I heard sheepishly chuckling.

"I may have forgotten to give you your stuff."

I raised an eyebrow before realizing he still had Crescent Rose. I quickly jumped out of the bed and opened the door to see him holding up the duffel bag. I grabbed it and rushed to the center of my new room.

"Whoa, little quick aren't you?" he asked and I glared at him, making him drop his childish expression.

I quickly unzipped it and picked up the shards of Crescent Rose's blade, starting to cry in pain of losing my 'sweetheart'.

"I would say don't worry it's just a weapon, but it's obvious that it's more of your best-friend?" Mr. Smith asked and I nodded slowly, slightly surprised he asked something like that.

For a while I just caressed the blade fragments carefully, careful not to cut myself as I cried over them. Then, I felt a hand lower itself onto my shoulder and I looked up at Mr. Smith.

"You know, I could convince the blacksmith to help reforge that blade, he'd probably ask for a fee, but I could pay it."

"You want me to let someone else handle my sweetheart!" I practically screamed at him and felt a pang of guiltiness on the inside afterwards for screaming at him for trying to help.

"No, I don't want you to do that," he said, surprising me. "You obviously forged that blade yourself, I'm sure he could give you the resources and maybe show you some new tricks when you reforge that blade again."

"Really?" I asked and he nodded with a smile, not that childish smile, it was like that smile that your grandparents gave you when they saw you do something cute.

"Really," he answered and I smiled brightly. "First thing in the morning because it's six and I really want to go have some dinner."

I blinked and looked back to see the sun setting outside and my mouth turned into an 'o'.

"Okay," I said and he gestured for me to follow him.

Soon I was sitting at a table with a large plate of steak and bread along with a small tub of butter and a pitcher of water. My mouth was watering and I reached for the food, but I heard Mr. Smith cough.

"Ruby," he scoffed and I turned red in embarrassment, "have some manners, thank Aeren first."

"Um, thanks Aeren?" I shyly thanked and she smiled.

"You're welcome friend of Master Smith," she answered and Mr. Smith sighed while I stared at him.

"Don't mind that either, she just calls me that for some program I still haven't found and deleted," he stated and I formed my mouth in an 'o' again.

I immediately started eating everything. By the time Mr. Smith had eaten some of the steak I had already eaten half of it and most of the bread.

"For a little girl, you've got one big stomach," he stated and I blushed.

"I shall clean the mess sir," Aeren said and began to gather the plates.

"Alright, time for bed," he said. "Tomorrow we pick up my gun and get your weapon fixed."

"Okay," I stated and followed him back to my room.

Soon I was on my bed in the pajamas Aeren had apparently made while repairing Mr. Smith's coat and shirt. I curled up under the crimson blankets of the bed and soon fell asleep, having the first good dream in a while.

Jaune POV

I sat outside my room like I had since yesterday, waiting to see if Crater Face came walking by with a smile on her face.

"Jaune?"

I looked up to see Yang opening her team's door.

"You alright?" she asked softly, her voice still full of pain and loss.

"I'm the same as you," I murmured and she nodded before sitting down next to me.

"So we both feel like crap baskets and we should look for Ruby?"

"Yeah," I moaned in depression and put my face in my hands.

For a while we just sat there, wallowing in our hate for ourselves.

"Hey Jaune?" Yang asked me and I looked up at her. "Did you think Ruby was weak?"

"I-I didn't- I didn't think she was... She's not weak, well I don't think so," I stated, stuttering as I tried to sound believable to her, not that I was lying, just that she'd probably think I was right.

"Then why didn't you answer?"

"It's me," I answered, "you know me, the weak loser who's always shy. I was still shocked by what Cardin asked, I mean she decapitated a Nevermore, why would anyone ask if she's weak!"

"Exactly," Yang stated, but slouched back down.

"What about you?"

"Hm?"

"Did you think she was weak?"

Yang immediately punched him in the arm making him yelp in pain. For a couple minutes her hair was burning with fire caused by the activation of her semblance via the pure rage that coursed through her. Then, it all disappeared and she buried her face in her hands.

"Yes and no," she answered and he raised an eyebrow while cocking his head.

"What?"

"I know she was strong its just... she's a first year like me, but she's also so young. Of course I thought she needed some practice, but that was enough for Ruby to think I thought she was weak."

"So we're on the same page?" he asked and she nodded. "So we should stop sitting here and go look for her?"

"Definitely," she said, grinning for the first time in a while.

Done

I hope you guys like this chapter

I've decided, yeah going with RubyxJaune

It's going to build up

Don't worry about it

Just worry about me and this crazy mind of mine

So, review, favorite, and follow

See ya,
Lord Revan Flame