Hi I'm back, after a month like I said.
Thanks for all the reviews, favorites and follows, really. These encourage me a lot.
Find another translation service but sadly it's worse than the first one, it's like I rewrite the whole translation, but maybe, still better than I do it all by myself.
So please forgive my plain expression and mistakes it may have.
And, somehow I feel like it's better to release this and the next chapter together, so the next chapter would be updated within, I think, three days?
Hope you all enjoy it.
Chap.2 Investigation
After going back to her dormitory and standing in front of the door, Ruby just recalls that her scroll was left at Torchwick's place. Her first thought is getting back to get it, so she quickly turns back and rushes out, but then brakes suddenly. Have to bring the Crescent Rose, this is her second thought coming up. She rushes to her locker, takes out the Crescent Rose and grabs it tightly, then rushes out again, and brakes again.
So, what's the reason that I need to go with my Crescent Rose? Then, here goes her third thought.
…Oh.
She remembers why she has to bring Crescent Rose, and then realizes where she intends to go back is not a friend's house, and it's not a place where she can come and leave at random either. She shouldn't go back, for that man is really dangerous. Although nothing really harmful happened today, who knows what would happen this time. Even she has her Crescent Rose now… she did make that promise. She should have no idea about where he is and she should have never seen him today. However, this is a self-deception. Anyway, she does know where he is, and that little pattern does exist in her memory. How would Torchwick just let her go? She can't even find a convincing reason from her words herself. She had no time considering this question along the way home, and now she has.
But, Ruby forgets this question again immediately after she finds out what she should do to apply for a new scroll. The length of that file is just horrible. She almost makes up her mind to go back at this certain moment, but then calls back that pair of eyes full of disdain and suspicion of Torchwick.
So, when the rest of her team come back to their dormitory, what they see is her heavyhearted expression and a large stack of paper documents in front of her. "Wow, cool!" Yang goes to Ruby carelessly and puts arms around her shoulders." What kind of trouble you've made for yourself, Ruby?"
Weiss comes to read the words on those papers, speaks with a tone full of incredibility, "Really? We just haven't kept an eye on you for one day, and you lost your scroll?"
"Any clues, or what we can help?" Blake comes close also and asks.
To tell the truth, Ruby really wants to tell them what happened to her today. Oh, they would be scared to death. However, she cannot do that, so she just turns aside the topic under discussion with lots of equivocation, and feels relieved when they finally start to talk about their homework. She also had been carefully asked while getting these documents, she was not allowed to leave until she guaranteed her scroll was already in pieces by accident. Then she need to make up all these stuffs in order to get her a new scroll.
While she is trying her best to fill these papers, she suddenly reminds her words she said to Torchwick today seriously.
I never lie.
"Oh…" she leans her head on her hands and sighs, and waves hastily when her teammates ask her what happens. She then tells them she just finds some unfinished homework- Yang laughs about this and seems proud of herself not having this trouble, like anyone here doesn't know she fails to finish them either. Blake sighs and comforts her, then continues to her reading, Ruby feels that book is not the one she has brought out earlier time today. And, yeah, Weiss. Her voice is almost unbearable, she decides to ignore her mockery. Or maybe it would be better to ignore all the words coming from her mouth now.
Ruby frustratedly buries her head in her arms and lies on the table. What she could do? No matter what she does, she would be in a position of a liar, either to Torchwick, or to others.
Somehow she feels it more unbearable to lie to Torchwick than to others. Maybe it's because his suspicious look, which makes her hasty to prove his wrong for she is not trustworthy. She then suddenly realizes the absurd part of this whole thing -
He is the criminal.
So the whole thing is like, when she finds a secret hiding spot of a criminal, she does not catch him, but lies to everybody in order to hide whereabouts of the criminal.
It is not normal from any view.
Ruby thinks about the whole thing from beginning to the end again and again, and sadly finds it inevitable to happen. Unless she hadn't pursue those cute little icons from the beginning, or she had brought Crescent Rose.
However, she has to be in this awkward situation now, and fills her paperwork silently.
When Ruby goes bed, she almost can't feel her wrists, but a heavy headache. She sighs and covers herself with quilt, feeling she had never had so many brain works before… so many things this complicated. In general, what she only has to do is- fight. That is what she is best at.
It is all that Torchwick's faults.
Well, Ruby comforts herself that he might never use that place again, according to his expression and actions today. Even he magically accepted her proposal and let her go, he probably would not deal this with "they've never met today". After all, even Ruby herself cannot achieve this. If she goes again, there must come back to an ordinary yard, so no need for her to worry about this thing again at tomorrow, the day after tomorrow and all days later in future. She feels a little bit better when thinks of this. However, if in the circumstance he is still there, how would she choose under that case?
This is not like things she would take into account and Ruby feels her brain would be broken if she continues. She excludes this "if" from her mind, there is just no such an "if" thing. Then she finally feels much better.
The reason she acted so weirdly today must be that Torchwick. And everything will be on track again tomorrow, she will not think so many strange things, oh and, would never loose Crescent Rose again.
The last thought before she falls asleep is that if he would not believe her anyway, why would she have to pay so much price of telling lies to prove that she does not lie to him? However, she falls asleep before she could figure it out.
The next morning, things just go like what Ruby thought it would be, what happened yesterday does not bother her anymore, except one thing- she finds out she did forget part of her homework after getting her new scroll by handing in that large pile of documents. And, she forgets the whole thing totally after finishing those homework.
Therefore, with days passing by, when Blake confesses to them of her concern, she is shocked for a second by the name appearing in her mind so soon.
"You're still thinking about Torchwick?"
Torchwick. Yes, that criminal will not disappear in her life just because of that encounter. Well, isn't that how everything goes back on track? As a matter of fact, nothing changes besides a pattern and a place out of use in her memory. Ruby breathes a sigh, finding the thing she thinks she has forgotten for a long time has actually affected her until now.
So, Ruby seems in particular interest when Blake expresses to sneak into the White Fang's faction meeting.
"Ruby, you cannot go, you are not a faunus, how can you mix in it?" Blake looks at her with confusion, has no idea why she insists to follow her. Sun and Neptune have been here by that time, and Sun makes a face to Ruby.
"That's enough, Blake and Sun are able to handle everything and what could you do there?" Weiss impatiently grabs Ruby to take her away.
"But it's the most possible way to meet Torchwick in White Fang's meeting!" Ruby shouts out in the heat of the moment when she is about to be dragged away.
The room turns quiet for a moment, and Weiss looks strangely at Ruby, she even lets go of her hands. Ruby falls into a moment of panic after realizing what she just said. Will they find something out?
"Uh ... I don't know you hate that guy this much? Blake, what happened to you guys last time?" Yang who has not seen him before turns to Blake and asks.
Blake holds her arms and looks confused too, "I don't know either?" She frowns when she recalls that guy's face and tone, "but I could understand."
"Hey, why don't you ask her directly?" Weiss interrupts and pats on Ruby. "What happened between you two cause you such a hatred?" Ruby feels a little bit relieved at this time and thinks nobody would ever guessed what happened between them without any information. Although in fact there was no big deal. She is about to answer, but Yang suddenly comes to her with a dark face as if she has something bad in her mind suddenly, "Did he take advantage of you?" She grabs Ruby's shoulders and shakes her, looks a little bit horrible.
Blake and Weiss also change their color and turn to Ruby, waiting for her reply.
Ruby is almost faint by Yang's shaking and shouts loudly, "No! No! How could you have that thought? It makes no sense!" Getting her answer, Yang then calms down. She lets Ruby go, and takes a look of her after stepping back, suddenly laughs out with arms akimbo, "Haha yes, you are still a kid, that criminal might not be interested in your type." Ruby stares at Yang's stuffs shaking with her laughter and shouts loudly with her face turning pink, "Yang! I don't need this and being taller is enough!"
"Oh, please you guys ..." Weiss rolls her eyes and complains, but Ruby catches a trace of funny from her tone and even Blade has a small smile on her face, "That does make some sense…" she gives a comment after thinking of that Torchwick. "Anyway we'd better come back to the topic," she suddenly realizes that there are not only them, but also two males, and gives a sign to other three. Ruby's face flushes more, and Weiss coughs up, however Yang does a bright smile to the two embarrassed men standing beside, "Oh, boys." She blinks her eyes.
Blake coughs and pulls the topic back, "but Ruby, it is the White Fang's meeting after all, and Torchwick may not appear there, he is still a mankind even there is cooperation between him and them."
"It's more possible to find him there than somewhere else…" Ruby whispers, and Blake looks at her with weird eyes again. "Ruby, what's the problem between you really? What could you do if you find him?"
"Uh…" It stumps her for an appropriate answer.
Ruby just needs to see him in order to make this weird relationship between them - maybe just for her own side – back to normal. In other words, she needs a proof that the accident happened last time has no effect now, as if it has never happened.
"I just want to catch him, you know, it is me who accidently find him at the very first before I… was specially allowed to enter Beacon by Professor Ozpin. And I also fought him last time at the dock. He is a criminal and I want to catch him. That's all. "
Blake is obviously not convinced by this statement, but Yang has already put her arms around Ruby's shoulders, "Oh, this is my little sister, go kick his ass!" So she could only sigh and shrug, then says to Ruby, "But how do you sneak into it, Ruby? Your dress is a little bit conspicuous, and more important, as I said, you are not a faunus."
"I could change to a simple one! And I know features of some faunus are not striking, not everyone has big ears or a tail." Ruby eagerly speaks out and even doesn't care whether such an attitude is suspicious. She really wants to return to her track after realizing this problem, she hates to have such an unclear relationship with this criminal, which is so strange and uncomfortable.
"Uh…" Blake hesitates and looks at Yang and Weiss for their suggestions. Weiss shrugs without an idea, while Yang pats Ruby's shoulder. "Hey, I'm sure Ruby can do it well. And if it's exposed…" She lifts an arm and says, "Just beat them!"
Blake sighs, "Fine, at least we are going to wear masks."
Ruby then cheers and runs to her wardrobe.
"It's the first time for me to see you wear pants like this."
They three walk on the street and Sun cannot help saying this.
"Oh, I'll wear pants at dormitory, you know, pajama pants." Ruby doesn't care for his question being a little bit rude and adjusts her dark red vest. In fact, her color is almost same with what she wears for usual, just without her noticeable cloak and skirt. Her slim vest and black overalls show a little bit masculinity on her than usual. Looking at her, Blake couldn't help thinking what Yang said earlier, and a smile floats to her lips, which relieves a lot of anxiety of her.
"Here we are." She touches a trace like a scratch on the wall, and looks serious. Seeing this sign, Ruby recalls that pattern of ice cream candle.
Oh stop, you shouldn't think of that again. Ruby knocks on her own head and Blake who is going to pass her a mask pauses her act, and then decides not to ask her what she is doing. She takes off the bow on her head and leads the other two carefully walking inside.
The guard at door looks from Blake's ears to Sun's tail, and finally stops at Ruby. "Your…?" He asks on purpose they all understand.
Ruby replies as what they have already discussed, "It's on secret part." Her face blushes a little.
The guard glances at Blake and Sun again, then nods to show that they can go. The three just feel relaxed and about to move, the guard says again, "You look a little bit young, don't you?"
Blake becomes extremely nervous then notices Ruby staring at the man angrily. "Hey, please show some respect to racial character OK? We just grow a little bit slowly, and that's not funny."
The guard frowns and waves to let them go inside.
"Hey, I couldn't think of that." Sun praises her and Ruby proudly raises her head for that answer coming up to her. Blake pays attention to the leader on the stage when they are whispering.
"You two," she murmurs, "look."
Ruby turns back and her eyes wide open, "Tor…" She quickly covers her mouth, staring at the man on stage.
He is here!
Ruby watches that man on stage strolling out with a greeting, and breathes a sigh of relief unconsciously. It looks this man has changed nothing, and this makes her feel what happened that day is already a memory in the past.
All is well.
She does not pay special attention to what Torchwick is talking, and has her own thoughts in mind, only responses absent-minded when Blake and Sun whisper. Suddenly, she notices another person walking out from the other side of the stage, it's a girl. Her hair is pink and brown. Without reasons, she realizes where that pattern comes from at that moment.
Neo, she still remembers this name.
When she diverts her attention from her to Torchwick, then notices his speech has reached a climax. Ruby hears breath of herself when the curtain is opened. The sound is immediately submerged in the noisy surroundings, including voices full of shock of Blake and Sun. She doesn't know why, but she suddenly feels that man is looking at her.
Am I found? Ruby holds her breath for a moment, but he just turns to continue his speech and it seems he doesn't notice her. Ruby feels relieved and stands behind Blake and Sun. "What should we do next?" She asks.
"We have gotten what we want, we sneak out later."
However, when Blake replies, the leader of White Fang in front starts to ask the new pals come forward, they three are pushed forward by the crowd.
"And what now?" Ruby asks nervously, and her hands reach behind to the Crescent Rose, while Torchwick is gone when she notices the stage again.
"…Break the power and let's go."
At this very moment, when Ruby finds that man is gone, and Blake proposes to break the power, the lights are suddenly off by themselves, leaving the whole world into dark. Crowds become panic, and the leader comforts people to be calm down and begins to evacuate them to the outside. Blake feels a little bit relieved, it's better not to get unnecessary attention. She walks to the outside following the crowd with the other two. Breathe a sigh, she prepares to seek for routes and escape away by the chaos.
However…
"Ruby?"
She turns back to notice that Ruby is not with them.
She disappears.
Chap.2 FIN.
