Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: I think I'm putting the AN on top from here on out. Also hey I don't have much to say this time around, so enjoy and leave a review to make me get a muse again! The outfit described in Ruby's POV is pretty much the one of the covers, in-case you need to visualize it.

CHAPTER THREE: WASTING TIME

YANG

As she leaned her head against the pillow, Yang gazed thoughtfully up at the ceiling. It was a blank canvas, covered with many stickers from Ruby and her childhood. The girl sighed, absentmindedly counting each sticker in her head, wondering where Ruby was as well.

It's been nearly eight months since she lost her arm and had been certain she would be killed by Adam. Yet Ruby had miraculously appeared and somehow saved them all. Her heroism was the only salve Yang could apply to the emotional pain she felt when she thought about her sister. She didn't understand why Ruby—the famed Silver-Eyed Warrior and her sister—had refused to return home. It had been months and months ago that her father and her had gotten a scroll message. She still remembered the feeling of her heart sinking to the pit of her stomach, Ruby sending them a simple no. Thankfully this confirmed Ruby hadn't died back in Beacon's explosion, and simply denied returning.

Yang felt the corners of her mouth curve into an unpleasant frown at the thought. Why did her sister not want to come back home? Didn't she want to see her? Didn't she want to see her father or her friends, who had since been revived? The teen sighed in frustration. So many questions to be had, and only the empty, darky sky to look out of the window for an answer.

The blonde heard the door creak open, and she looked up at the soft, concerned face of her father. "Dad." She breathed, her frown melting into a smile.

"You should be inside sleeping at this hour." Taiyang replied, staring at his daughter.

Yang made a short noise of complaint and looked up at her father with pleading eyes. The older Xiao Long didn't move, so neither did the younger. Instead both turned their eyes out to the window, towards the night sky. Yang grimaced, as her thoughts returned to her absent sister.

"Dad, when do you think Ruby will come back?" Yang inquired.

She could practically hear the frown on her father's face, as he responded. "Yang, we've had this conversation before, and each time I've given you the same answer. I don't see the point in repeating everything."

"It's just…it's almost been a year, and we haven't heard anything from her." Yang explained. "We haven't even heard from Qrow and she's been looking for her for months!"

"I know." Taiyang said, an unhappy edge in her voice. "Qrow is looking to bring her back, while still dealing with his alcohol problems as well. You know that."

"Professor Goodwitch says he is taking this as a break of sorts too." The blonde remarked.

"Since when did Glynda know so much about Qrow?" Taiyang raised a questioning brow.

Yang raised her eyes and smiled playfully. "I guess since she figured out that Qrow's better in bed than he looks and is determined as well."

Tayiang looked down at his daughter for a moment but didn't respond any further. Yang raised her eyebrows and changed the subject. "Do you think Ruby is doing alright out there?"

"Ruby will be fine on her own." Taiyang said, pride beaming in his voice. "You forget that it was her who bested the Fall Maiden. A feat we thought was impossible for any non-maiden to do."

"Maybe that swelled up her pride of sense." Yang muttered, her tone tainted with cynicism. "And that's why she refused to come back."

As soon as the words had come out of her mouth, Yang regretted them. She cast her gaze back towards her father, who met her eyes with a disappointing look.

"It's just that—it's been so long! She only told us no and nothing else!" The girl ripped her gaze away and searched frantically for a way to explain the torrent of emotions she felt. "It just feels like…she doesn't care."

She sat up and glanced at Taiyang again, prepared to meet her father's heated gaze and maybe a stern lecture. Instead when her father glanced at her, her expression seemed saddened, as if he had been cut by the girl's resentful remarks. Yang bit her lip and hung her head low, waiting anxiously to her the elder Xiao Long's response.

"Yang." Taiyang began slowly, turning his head again towards the window. "When the sun rises, where do the stars go?"

The younger Xiao Long furrowed her brow, confused by the question. "They…they don't go anywhere. They stay in the same place; you just can't see them."

"It's the same way how people feel about each other." The Hunter explained. "Just because you don't see them, doesn't mean they aren't there in spirit. Your sister is out there somewhere. She may not be ready to come back yet, but that doesn't mean she has stopped caring about you."

Yang placed her in her hands, stewing in her guilt. "I'm sorry dad. You're right…I didn't mean what I said."

"I know you didn't kiddo, I know."

The two blondes fell silent again, both casting their gazes back into the infinite void of the night outside the window. Yang leaned back down onto her bed once more, her hands resting at her sides. She hoped that her father was right and that her sister was just not ready to come home, for whatever reason. All the girl knew was that she misses her sister terribly and wanted nothing more than to see him again. But her father was wise, and she trusted his words. Her sister would come back to Earth eventually.

Yang only hoped she wouldn't have too much longer to wait.

TAIYANG

After their short conversation, it hadn't taken very long for Yang to feel the seductive lull of sleep. Her eyes eventually fluttered closed, with Taiyang soon listening to the soft sound of her snores. The Signal teacher had pulled the blanket over his daughter, closing the door in a quiet manner and leaving her for the rest of the night herself. Afterward, he stood outside in the balcony, gazing up at the stars once more and contemplating where his daughter had gone, and whether she'd return or not.

Thoughts of ruby brought Taiyang back to the day he turned on the television to watch his children do well in the Vytal Tournament. She wondered doubtfully for a time if the outrageously powerful and constant shifting energies he felt on that same day had been mild delusion brought on by his constant worrying, but as time went on, he grew more and more certain that he'd felt the change in Ruby's energy at the time. Cinder and Ruby's energy had been so massive, he felt it all the way to Patch. Nevertheless, he felt something dark had latched onto it, swallowed his daughter's energy whole and set it afire.

It was a troublesome thought to think of, but as time went on and Ruby didn't emerge back from the 'war, Taiyang wondered if the Silver-Eyed Warrior had meant for it to be this way. After all, she refused to come home when offered transport, even taking out the tracking chip of her scroll device. Worst of the matter, Qrow, an experienced Huntsman, couldn't locate her either.

The Xiao Long felt a frown cross her features and he glanced back towards the room of Yang. It was obvious that Yang felt that 'later' had long since passed, and that she was beginning to grow bitter with her sister's absence. It would only be so long that Taiyang's anecdotes would satisfy the young girl, and then what? She'd be forced to accept one day that Ruby might never come back.

With each day that passed without any sign of the Rose, the day that Yang and Ruby's other friends and family would have to face reality was coming ever closer. It was a day that Taiyang, however steeled his resolve, was dreading. Ruby was Beacon's Savior and a legend in the making, the hole she'd leave in many people's hearts would be huge.

Taiyang was glad to see his daughter grow, don't get him wrong. Ruby had evolved from a shy child, to an awkward weapon's enthusiast, to finally someone Taiyang could be truly proud of. The Xiao Long knew that Ruby would gladly give her life if it meant for Yang to regain her arm, yet the Silver Eyed Warrior's choice of not returning home had opened a chasm in his closed heart too. The disappearance of his first wife and death of his second had been weighting on him ever since, his daughter's disappearance had only made it worse.

As his eyes swept across the night sky one last time, a lone, dark cloud steadily moved in and blocked his view of the moon and stars alike. Taiyang frowned again, a similar dark presence clouding his mind.

Ruby, for whatever reason you're out there. He thought. I know it's a good one and I wish you luck, my beloved daughter.

With one final sigh and a last glance towards his home, the Xiao Long silently stalked into the shadowy solitude of his bedroom, deciding to rest for now.

SALEM

"What do you mean, 'We're not able to find her?'"

Salem's face withered into a dangerous scowl and her underlings shrank away, remembering what their leader had done to countless others who had displeased her. The Grimm Goddess easily towered over the two young ones, Mercury and Emerald, who had just now relayed the news of their being unable to find the one who had killed Cinder. Nor were they able to locate the new Fall Maiden, which at best meant the process had selected someone at random, and at worst that the Fall Maiden powers had fallen into Ruby's hands.

Unluckily for the terrified teens, lateness was not something that Salem tolerated. It had been exactly 8 months since the tyrant had learned of the tragic news of Cinder's death. A loss that put her plans to a current stop, until she was able to locate the new Fall Maiden. Eight months had passed, each more torturously boring than the last, and now, due to some bad luck, she would be forced to wait a bit longer for her plans to continue. For Salem, such a mistake—however slight—was unacceptable.

The two before her remained quiet, skin as pale as the fear showing in their eyes. It was amusing to Salem, really, but she knew the two of them still had some use. Especially Emerald, as she could become the new vessel for the Maiden powers. For now, though, she wanted results and results would be delivered to her. One way or another. "I will not tolerate errors." Salem announced to the entire room.

"Especially not when I have demonstrated such extraordinary patience on this journey. The two of you—" Her voice commanded attention, Emerald and Mercury standing strict, just like their breathing had been. "—Find the new Fall Maiden within the month, or else…" The threat lingered in the air, but it was rather clear what would happen to them.

As a result of this minor setback, Salem was still in quite a distasteful mood. She shouldn't have to work this hard to make everything work properly for her plans. That's what her minions were for, and they only seemed skilled at displeasing her and then literally losing their heads n her presence. Frowning, the former girl of the tower looked out, past her castle's windows and watched the unnatural sky. The former domain of the God of Darkness made the perfect place for her base of operations, hidden from view and no one knew where it was, sans her lackeys.

Finally, Salem grinned, and the stretched felling in her facial muscles told him it had been a very long time since that expression had crossed her features. It had been a bitter eight months, but her mood brightened when she thought of how Beacon had fallen. How Cinder had successfully killed Ozpin and most of the staff, as well as rally the White Fang against the world once more. The grin ceased, as she remembered the energy she felt. That of the Rose which had Ascended.

"Ascended Warrior." Salem muttered, not having heard of such in many millennia. "To think someone still had the potential to achieve the transformation…It may put a wedge in my plans." She nevertheless drank some wine, much like a classic villain would. It was not required for her to sustain herself, but the thought was amusing in and of itself. "Nevertheless, she doesn't know how to properly utilize it. The two will take care of her, if not, then it's Tyrian's turn."

At best, she only had a few months to wait.

RUBY

Ruby nearly had lost track of time. All the training she was doing, as well as meditation, was starting to slowly blur together. The only reason she was aware that more than half a year, to be exact eight months, had passed, was thanks to the villagers. They had taken care of the young Rose, even celebrating her 16th birthday with her. Of course, she knew they never could replace family, but it would do for now.

Ruby felt selfish, for not telling them anything of what had transpired, and using their generosity to recover. Yet, she was young and truly needed some time for herself, as she didn't think she should have gone through this whole transformation stuff at the young age of 15. Nor the whole fiasco of Beacon's fall, but in the end, it was what it was, and she could take solace in the thought that no one else had to go through this.

In the end, some things had changed in the month's past. Ruby's hair grew out a bit, to the point where she kept it in a folded ponytail. Her eyes had seemingly permanent bags underneath them, caused by much lack of sleep and constant stress. Her attire, the one that had been in tatters, had been replaced by one that could only be described as amazing. A black, purple color scheme, that somehow complemented her red-hair and silver-eyes perfectly. It had purple tights, and plenty of pouches to store most of her stuff in. It was quite refreshing too and, in a way, similar to her old attire, which she missed dearly. Yet it was in tatters and unusable.

A gift she had gained from the village of Tardray. They had seen her clothing in shambles and decided to make her something new to wear. Special clothing enwoven with several kinds of dust. Pyro dust to keep her warm in the cold, cryonic dust to keep her cool in the scorching heat and some other's as well, which she didn't much think about. One thing she did remember, was that the outfit would grow with her body, until the age of 25 they had said. Organic fiver or something.

Yet the biggest present of all, was her getting a mask to compliment the looks. It was a special gift from the Chief of the village. Ruby thought it was likely due to her helping clean up the Grimm from time to time, which was surprisingly easier to do than ever before. She chalked it down to her silver-eyes granting her more of her body's strength or something similar.

Ah right, the mask. Ruby picked it up, inspecting it for a while. It was one like what plague doctors had used back in the middle ages, and it was pure black as well. Two purple feathers adorned it to the left and the hues were purple, perfect for the outfit she was wearing. Yet the looks weren't all she cared about. No, the mask had the special kind of technology only found in Tardray. It would completely suppress her energy and presence to zero, so that no one was able to sense her anymore.

Thankfully it didn't hinder or interference with her abilities. Instead Ruby could enjoy those benefits, even if she still had to get used to not being able to sense herself too. She was certain the chief had forged the mask when she once talked to him about her problems. Not wanting to go back and wanting to remain hidden.

Putting it back onto her face, she felt the familiar sense of coldness wash over her. Her presence completely erased, as if she was a dead man walking. In a sense of irony, she thought it to be funny. Ruby Rose should have died those eight months ago, yet here she is, surviving and thriving.

Yet thinking back on the eight months, Ruby couldn't help, but form a bitter smile. The white-haired form of hers, she had found from the villagers that it was of an old legend. The Silver-Eyed Warriors that could assume something called Ascended Warrior. A form that could grant unfathomable power, yet if she gave in like she did all those months ago, she would lose that which is most valuable to her.

The problem with such is that Ruby didn't know what was the most valuable to her. Was it her family and friends? Perhaps even preserving her sense of self, to not become a mindless monster. Both were equally important to her, but in the end she would be selfish. For now, Ruby hoped she wouldn't have to make the choice just yet.

Of course, she remembered the death of Jaune and Pyrrha. She had resolved to bring the grave news to Mistral, to their parents that their children had died, yet Ruby couldn't face them. Instead she sent two letters, anonymous ones, that would bare the news. The Rose felt like a coward, but she simply didn't have the courage, nor the time to go to Mistral herself.

So many things were going on at once for Ruby and she didn't know where to begin. So many questions and so little answers as well. Why did Cinder cause the fall of Beacon and who did she mean by her? Cinder must have worked for someone, someone that likely was more powerful than the Fall Maiden herself. Then there was the whole matter of the maidens themselves. Ruby learned about them from the chieftain as well, there were four all-together, yet they were hidden from the world. What their purpose was, or where they came from, was unbeknownst to everyone in the village.

The other matter, which was far more personal to Ruby, was knowledge. Knowledge on the Ascended Warriors and the silver-eyed warriors. Where did they come from and why were they legends among legends? Why, of all people, was she one of them? Ruby didn't know anymore, but one thing was for certain, the sooner she found out about this, the sooner she could put to rest her worries.

The third, and final of her worries, the beast within. It seemed like a separate psyche of Ruby, talking to her with the lull of power, nearly having won her over several times in the past eight months. Thankfully Ruby's resolve was more steeled now, not like back then. Back then she had still been shaken up, likely even now she is suffering from a case of PTSD. Yet she had no time for such either, she could go to therapy once this was all over. Yet she knew, the fight with this monster, this darker Rose, was a losing battle, one that she didn't know how much longer she could resist.

Of course, once all of this would be over, she would be able to return to her team and resume her studies at Beacon. Hopeful thinking like this, kept her going. Wishing with hope that she could return to normal as well, yet the deepest parts of her mind and her heart knew that things never could be the same. Not with how she changed.

Was it a change for the better? For the worse?

Ruby wouldn't know the answer for a good time, perhaps not even in her life-time. Yet in some ways, this whole situation opened a plethora of things that she couldn't do before. Explore Remnant to her heart's content and find out more about her own history and that of the world. Sure, she wanted the world to be a better place and to be a huntress to do that. Yet what she desired right after that, was to become an explorer. Someone that people would turn to, when they had questions. Someone that could inspire others to have fun with their lives too.

Glancing at the clock, Ruby noticed she had wasted an entire hour of the morning thinking about her situation. With a grin, she put the remaining supplies into a pouch and decided to get ready. Today was the last day of her 'vacation' in Tardray. She had made some good friends here and would return one day, but she didn't want to involve them in this plot which Ruby had found herself in.

Silently sneaking out of the house, she saw that it was the dawn of the morning. The sun was slowly peaking out, and as such, Ruby decided to follow where the wind lead. It was a thing she had seen and read a lot of, hence why she headed outwards and away from the village. For protection, she had been able to learn how to control her emotions better, only having trouble with anger due to the monster within.

For true protection, she tried salvaging the remnants of Crescent Rose, yet had decided on something different. She wasn't only good at sniping, but at using revolvers as well, her father Taiyang having taught her back when she was 12 and she practiced it ever since. Hence why, with the help of the Tardray's blacksmiths, she had created a pair of double revolvers from Crescent Rose. Unfortunately, she had to change the color of them to match her outfit, as the red of CR was simply too recognizable.

The double revolvers, for now, held the name of Crescent Rose MK-II. It likely would change in the future, as Ruby would decide on a proper name for the 'corpse' of Crescent Rose. Then again, in away it was like a ghost of its former self, much like she was. "Hmm…Phantom Arias. That sounds like a good one." It unironically would fit for later, but enough of that.

She had gotten the habit of talking to herself as well, most of her time being spent in that room, shut-away and meditating. Left to her thoughts and trying to deal with the 'other' Ruby. Which reminded her of the time she had assumed the white-haired form once more, being able to control it for the good part of a minute. It was overwhelming, the power she held at her finger tips. Yet the ever-increasing power led to her blacking out after a good while, another forest being gone in the process.

Thankfully the Tardray villagers were able to keep things tightly and under control. They didn't prefer outside interference and kept to themselves, hence why word didn't get out. Which worked for Ruby, as things would have been bad if any of her friends, or family, found her. For now, though, she bid them adieu in her own way, remembering what they did for her and always would. Of course, she still was thinking about where to head, but one thing was very much certain for Ruby Rose.

She had wasted enough time as is.