Before Their Time Chapter 4- Dreams, Part 1
"Vulture 7! Vulture7! This is Yang Xiao Long! I need immediate medivac at the mouth of shaft four! We are overrun, I repeat, we are overrun! This operation zone is lost!"
"Fetch!" For nearly the two hundredth time that day, Ruby Rose launched a stick across her backyard. As a gray blur hurtled in pursuit, Ruby turned and scanned the road leading to her father's house. Shielding her eyes against the afternoon sun, she looked for any sign of the approach of the postal truck. There was none. Sighing with impatient disappointment, she turned back to Zwei, who had captured his prey and obediently returned it to his mistress. Tail wagging eagerly, he dropped the stick at her feet and awaited the next throw. Zwei was a creature of almost unlimited energy, one of the few beings anywhere capable of tiring Ruby or her half-sister, Yang Xiao-Long. Most days, Ruby grew bored of playing fetch after a few dozen throws, maybe a hundred at the most. Today, as the 13-year old once again picked up the stick, it looked as if the dog may finally face a challenge.
Zwei's ears pricked, and Ruby froze. "What is it, Zwei? You hear something, boy?"
She cocked her head, and listened. Now, she could hear it too. A low rumble of an engine.
In a flash, Ruby was gone. Rose petals drifted in her wake as she sprinted at top speed up the long, winding drive toward the main road. Zwei followed, barking madly, certain that some excitement lay ahead. As Ruby careened up the driveway, she saw to her delight that the mail truck was indeed parking at their family mailbox. As she slid to a halt in the gravel next to the truck, Marcus Sloan, Patch's rural route delivery man, stuck his head out the window.
"Afternoon, Ruby."
"Hi, Mr. Sloan! Do you... um... do you by chance have any mail for me?"
Zwei bounded up beside her as the mailman climbed down from his truck, leather mail pouch in hand. "Still waiting to hear back from Signal Academy, are you?"
"Yes sir!" It was no secret to anyone even remotely familiar with her family that Ruby had been set on following her mother's footsteps and becoming a Huntress ever since she was old enough to know what a huntress was. Signal Academy was to be her first step in realizing that dream.
As Marcus Sloan dug with exaggerated slowness in his mail pouch, Ruby suddenly felt awkward and self-conscious. There she was, standing in a sweaty t-shirt and running shorts, with a dog running circles around her feet, waiting for the mail like a kid on her birthday. She did not feel like she was cutting the image of a Huntress candidate. She serendipitously straightened a few strands of stray hair and stood a little taller.
"Oh! Here's something for you." He produced a thick envelope. "Let's see... Mistral Travel Exotica. Come enjoy the tastes and scenery of the beautiful Far East! Group rates available! Looks like you prequalify for the best weekend of your life."
Ruby sagged. "Oh. Well... ok, I guess." She reached out to take the envelope, but Mr Sloan pulled it back.
"Wait. I may have read that upside down." He squinted at the address, and tilted the envelope to better catch the light. "Signal Academy. Attention, Ruby Ro-"
A semblance enhanced hand tore the letter from his grasp before he had a chance to finish. Ruby stared at the long awaited message, hardly daring to breath.
"Good luck, Huntress." Marcus Sloan climbed back in his truck, and with a wave, departed to finish his route.
Ruby stood by the side of the road, her mind a whirlwind of excitement and doubt. Just because she got a reply didn't mean she'd been accepted. Without opening the letter, she slowly walked back to the house. She poured a glass of milk while Zwei opened a can of dogfood. She filled his water bowl. She sat on the living room floor and went through her stretching and flexibility routine. Twice. She did everything except open the letter. The letter was still sitting on the kitchen table when Tai-yang and his eldest daughter returned home from their trip to the nearby town.
"If you won't open it, I will." Yang sized up the situation in an instant and solved it in her usual direct manner.
"Don't!" Ruby crossed the room in a flash, and grabbed the envelope.
Her father and sister stood and looked at her, obviously waiting for the big reveal. With trembling fingers, she peeled the seal open and pulled out the contents. The next thing Tai knew, ninety-five pounds of squealing girl wrapped itself around him, as a letter bearing the bold stamp "Accepted" drifted to the floor.
"If I had the chance, if I could do it all over again, would I make the same choice? Yes, Yang, I would. A thousand times over."
"Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful! It will be... DELICIOUS!"
With a gleeful warcry, team RWBY charged forward into the culinary catastrophe that had been the Beacon cafeteria.
"Yang! Turkey!" Ruby cheered as her sister grabbed a pair of baked birds, and watched in amusement as Yang pummled Lie Ren with the greasy weapons.
Ruby had never been happier. She got to kill giant monsters with her beloved Crescent Rose, catch criminals, and generally do huntress-y things. Beacon was everything she had hoped for and more. Her team was awesome, her friends were great, and cookies were cheap. Life was good.
"I'm not going to sugarcoat it, Miss Rose. Those are your only two options, and you're running out of time to decide."
"Get away from her!" Ruby's voice didn't come out at all like she wanted it to. Instead of a warrior's firm command, she sounded like a scared girl, her voice raw with grief and anger. She clutched one of Penny's swords, dropping into a defensive stance. The body of one of her friends lay scattered across the area, but she die before she let a second join it. The monstrous nevermore shrieked, and dove towards her.
Ruby braced for the assault, but it never came. Weapon lockers fell from the sky like armoured hailstones, driving the unholy beast to the floor of Amity Coliseum. Students from the four academies poured into the arena, seizing their weapons and preparing to fight. The nevermore tried to rise with a howl of anger, only to be smashed down again by a seismic blow from Nora Valkyrie's hammer.
Pride swelled in Ruby's heart as she watched her comrades finish off the massive grimm. This was what being a Huntress was really about. It was standing in the gap when others were running. It was fighting despite the loss and the pain, it was being scared to death and standing up to the battle anyway. The monster might be coming to swallow them whole, but the warriors Remnant were going to meet it head-on, and break its teeth.
The beowulf fell back from Cresent Rose's lethal slash, its throat cut to the spine. Another joined it on the ground, ran through by an expert thrust of Wiess's rapier. The two girls had cut through wave after wave of grimm, but there was always more. Too many more. But they had to be strong, there wasn't a choice. Blake was down, incapacitated by with a cruel thrust from Adam's sword. Yang had lost an arm to the same blade. Ren and Nora were in no condition to fight, Juane was somewhere down in Vale. That left only the two of them, on a desperate quest to reach Beacon Tower and help Pyrrha in whatever hopeless battle she had thrown herself into.
"We gotta hurry!" Ruby took advantage of a few seconds of respite from the fighting to slam a fresh magazine into Crescent Rose.
Weiss gathered herself, and a blazing glyph burst into life on the wall of Beacon Tower. More followed, forming a path up to the top where Pyrrha was fighting for her life.
"You can do this." Weiss nodded to her leader as she held the glowing ladder in place.
"Just like old times," Ruby thought. Slinging her scythe behind her, she sprinted for the tower. A semblance jump catapulted her to the first glyph. Her feet caught the wall, and for a second she battled vertigo she caught her balance in the strange position. After only the briefest of pauses, she was off, pushing her speed to the limits as she raced to join the battle at the top.
She was too late.
Cinder's bow released with a sharp snap. A sickening thud and a gasp of pain from Pyrrha followed a split second later. As Ruby stared in shock and fear, her friend futilely clawed at the shaft protruding from her sternum, all the while desperately trying to suck air through her impaled windpipe.
"She dying! Oh gods, no! She's dying!" She had to move. She had to help Pyrrha, do something, anything! The logical part of her brain knew that the blow was mortal, and that her friend was beyond all aid. But she had to try.
She couldn't.
Ruby wanted to move, to order her legs to run and her arms fight, but all she could manage to do was watch in petrified horror as Cinder calmly approached the stricken girl, and placed one hand on her forehead. Pyrrha's arms fell slack as a strange orange light flashed through her body, then she was gone, nothing but glowing ashes floating in the wind.
A horrible pressure built in Ruby's head, a pounding, driving pain just behind her eyes. As Cinder turned to face her, panic lanced through Ruby.
"This witch killed Pyrrha! Now she's doing something to my head! Fight! I have to..."
Blinding silver light exploded around her. Indescribable pain burned in Ruby's head. She screamed, though her voice seemed to come from far away.
"No! I won't die here! Not... like... this!"
With a monumental effort, she advanced. One step, then another, she doggedly pressed forward into the center of the ruins of the Tower. The light around her intensified. She could hear more screaming. Her's? Cinder's? She didn't know. A hand clamped on her throat. Another covered her eyes, but the eldritch light did not diminish. The Witch had her. Raw fury and primal will to live gave Ruby strength and focus. She struck out at her enemy, and her blows knocked the hand free from her face. She heard a horrible shriek, and the hand on her throat fell away.
Ruby staggered back, physically spent. The light abruptly vanished, and she fell heavily to the floor, gasping for breath. Forcing herself to roll over, she faced Cinder and prepared for a desperate final defense. What she saw in front of her terrified her more than anything that she had encountered yet throughout that fateful night.
Cinder Fall lay dead on the floor ten feet away, burned almost beyond recognition. Her right arm was charred to the bone below the elbow. Two smoking holes punched through her chest just below her collarbone. Her entire body was covered in scorch marks, and her hair and clothes still smouldered. Long burn marks, like where somebody had methodically cut the floor with a dust torch, lead in a perfect trail from where her ruined body lay back to where Ruby had been standing. In that moment, Ruby understood. The blinding silver light had not come from Cinder, it had come from her. She had done this. She did not know how, but somehow, she had killed the most powerful woman she had ever faced with nothing but her eyes.
"I gotcha, kiddo. It's gonna be ok." Ruby staggered out of the ruins of Beacon Tower and into the arms of Qrow and Weiss. Strong hands lowered her gently to the ground.
"Her eyes... her face..." She heard Weiss's scared whisper through the fog of pain that enveloped her head.
"Flash burn." Qrow responded tersly. "Ruby, can you hear me?"
She nodded.
"Kiddo, I know it hurts, but you've got to tell me what happened. Where's Cinder Fall?"
Ruby swallowed hard. How could she explain this?
"Ruby, where's Pyrrha?" Weiss hovered over her.
"She's dead." Ruby choked off a sob. "Cinder killed her."
Qrow cursed. "And Cinder?"
"Dead. I... She... She tried to burn Pyrrha. She was so brave, Qrow. She fought back, hung on to Cinder as she died. The fire took them both."
"And the silver explosion? All the grimm ran like scared puppies when they saw that."
Wait, what? Oh well, she might as well stick with the story at this point. "It happened as they died. I don't know why. I guess that's when I got burned."
"Makes sense, all that power released," Qrow muttered to himself. "Come on. We need to get you medical attention. Weiss, take point. I'll carry Ruby. The grimm might be fleeing, but we can't be too careful."
Ruby stumbled down the ramp of the bullhead, eyes streaming and head pounding. Qrow and Weiss had put her on the medivac, then rushed to join every other able-bodied hunter and solider to aid in securing the perimeters of Vale and Beacon. With medical staff busy tending to more serious cases, walking wounded like Ruby were left to fend for themselves. She leaned against a fuel barrel at the edge of the platform. A black clad figure hurrying away caught her eye.
"Blake!" The figure paused briefly, then kept moving. "Blake! Is that you? Help me! Please!" Blake hesitated, then turned and jogged over to Ruby.
"Ruby! You need a burn kit, asap. Come on. I'll get you too a medical tent."
The older girl took her arm. "How's Yang? And didn't you get stabbed?"
"We'll both live. Yang's unconscious, but stable. Mine's just a flesh wound."
"Pyrrha's dead." Ruby was too exhausted to attempt an explanation.
Blake stiffened at the news. "I'm sorry, Ruby. She was a good friend."
"The best."
Neither girl said any thing else, both lost in their own private thoughts. Blake guided Ruby into an emergency aid station and sat her down on a cot. "I'll get you a nurse. Wait here."
Blake hurried away, and Ruby flopped backwards. The last three hours were miserable blur. Tears streamed from her eyes, and it wasn't just because her eyeballs burned and her eyelids felt like sandpaper. She wished with all her heart she could go back, undo something, be faster, be smarter, whatever it took. But she couldn't, and she knew it. Two of her best friends were dead, along with hundreds if not thousands of others. Just as bad, she, Ruby Rose, had killed a woman, and she wasn't even sure how she done it. Her miserable reflection was interrupted by the return of Blake, dragging a rabbit faunus man in a doctor's uniform.
"Here she is. She's been badly burnt." Blake practically shoved the doctor at Ruby, then turned away as the man bent over to examine the injured girl.
"Blake! Come here, please." Ruby's voice was small and tired. Blake turned, a look of frustration flashing across her face. "Please stay with me, Blake. Don't leave me alone." Ruby stretched out one hand towards Blake. She didn't mean to hold her friend back from doing her duty, but she couldn't lose anyone else tonight. She needed a familiar face with her now, holding her hand, letting her know that everything was going to be ok. Blake hesitated for a second time that night, then pulled a overturned bucket up beside the cot and sat down. She took Ruby's hand in hers as the doctor began rubbing a sweet-smelling salve across Ruby's blistered skin.
"Don't leave me, Blake. I need you here. You'll stay with me, right?"
Blake dipped her head, not meeting Ruby's eyes. "Of course, Ruby. I'm not going anywhere."
The next week would forever go down in the history of Vale as one of the finest hours of the Kingdom. Against seemingly insurmountable odds, the soldiers and hunters of Vale had prevailed against the Grimm, the White Fang, and the rampaging corrupted war machines of Atlas. Many had died, but their sacrifice had saved thousands more. The kingdom and its invaluable Huntsman Training Academy would survive. Memorial Services were held for the fallen, and then everybody pitched in, beginning the arduous work of rebuilding the damage and setting the things back as much in normal order as was possible.
Team RWBY rebuilt as well. The morning after the battle, Weiss was horrified to find Blake, bandaged side and all, pushing a cart heaped with food into the aid station.
"Blake Belladonna! Stop that at once! I refuse to see you split your side open all because Ruby won't eat hospital rations!"
Blake paused. "Actually, most of this is for Nora. She sort of talked me into it. Told me I was to only one with the guts to steal food for her."
"Hmmpf," Weiss sniffed. "You may have guts, but I don't want to see them. Give me that." She took the cart from her teammate, and rolled it forward.
"I vote we turn this over to the nurses, and go check on Ruby and Yang." Weiss was obviously unconcerned with Nora's dietary demands.
Blake nodded. "She'd probably just send us for seconds anyway."
Weiss took a tray of breakfast rolls from the cart, and followed Blake. "Where's Ruby at?"
"Beside Yang. She went to her side as soon as the doctors had finished treating her burns, and hasn't left since."
"Is she going to be ok?" Weiss sounded uncharacteristically concerned.
"Doctor said a normal person would have permanent scarring, but her aura should take care of that in a week or two."
"And Yang?"
"A lot better than she could be. Adam's sword took her arm off so cleanly that no additional surgery was required to close the wound. They just stitched off the blood vessels, and bandaged it up. Here, they're just up ahead."
Blake pushed back a curtain, and the two girls entered a small, semi-private cubicle. Yang lay on her back, the stump of her right arm encased in bandages, and two IVs attached just below the shoulder. She looked like she was sleeping. Ruby sat beside her, one hand resting on her sister's shoulder. Her face was covered in a white burn mask, and she wore a pair of dark sunglasses. All in all, it gave her a strange, ghoulish appearance
"Ruby? We brought you breakfast."
Ruby appraised the food. "Better than the k-rations. Where did you get those?"
"Blake stole them," Weiss responded with a mix of condemnation and pride.
"Blake?" A faint whisper came from the bed. In an instant the rolls were forgotten.
"Yang! Yang! Can you hear me?" Ruby leaned over her sister.
"Blake... you're ok? You're... not dead?" Yang's voice was barely audible.
"Yes, Yang, I'm alive. And... and... I am so sorry, Yang." Blade burst into tears as she knelt beside the bed, laying her head across Yang's stomach and wrapping one arm around her. "This happened to you because you tried to save me. This is my fault."
"Shhh. Stop it, Blake. You're my friend, and my partner. I saved you, and you saved me. I don't blame you, and I'd do it again." Yang's voice was stronger now, and she had opened one eye a crack. "You're all here, we made it."
Ruby painfully smiled underneath her mask of ointment and bandages as her team gingerly group-hugged around Yang. Being a Huntress was harder than she had ever dreamed it was going to be, but she had her team, and her family, and with them at her side, she was ready for anything.
"And there's no way to track down the Maidens power?" Ironwood ground his teeth in frustration.
Qrow took a long pull from his omnipresent flask. "I already told you, James, several times, that if there was, we would have done it by now."
Headmistress Goodwitch rubbed her temples as if she was trying to clear a stubborn headache. "Please, both of you, stop it. Until Ozpin resurfaces, the best we can do is play defense. We know that Salem can't have received the power personally, but we can't rule out that another of her minions may have inherited it. Our agents are doing everything in their power monitor the situation as it unfolds."
"In that case," Ironwood said as he stood up, "I'll return to Atlas and handle our operations there."
"Yeah, you do that." Qrow clearly wasn't sorry to see the man go. "Meanwhile, I'll be stuck here playing babysitter to a bunch of kids."
Ironwood came as close to laughing as was possible for for the man. "I wish you luck, Professor Branwen."
Salem strode through her fortress, a miasma implacable fury swirling around her. None dared approach. Even Tyrian, with all of his insane devotion, kept his distance. Cinder had failed. At least she and her minions had had the decency to die trying. Worse than that, the vital Fall Maiden power was gone, vanished like the morning mist. Beacon remained intact, and the prized Relic safe in the hands of Ozpin's followers. It had not been a good week.
She threw open the door to Doctor Watts' laboratory. He turned slowly, and bowed discreetly. Of all her dark servants, he was by far the most intelligent. He maintained absolute control of his emotions, and was always two steps ahead. But the corners of his mustache twitched, and Salem felt a small amount of evil pleasure in knowing that the man was terrified.
Salem was in no mood to waste time. She swept forward until she stood mere feet in front of the scientist. "Watts, you recall discussing Project Chimera with me, do you not?"
"Yes, my Queen."
"Good. Retrieve all notes and information you have pertaining to it, and prepare to immediately execute it alongside Project Black Tide."
Watts blinked, visibly caught off guard by the sudden demand. "But, my Queen. Implementing Project Chimera on a scale of that magnitude would require a tremendous amount of resources. Resources I simply do not have. Why, it would take a mountain of raw dust."
Salem seemed to grow a few inches taller as she leaned towards the petrified man. One long, bone-white finger touched him in the center of his forehead. "Doctor Watts. I did not ask for your assessment of the feasibility of my plan. I am giving you clear directions, and I want them followed. You are correct that we will require a mountain of dust, and fortunately for you, I know where we can find one."
Emerald Sustrai stretched luxuriously, letting the warm rays of the Vacuo sun bathe her back and legs. This was living. She owed Cinder for this. Emerald didn't have a full understanding of all that governed the transfer of the mysterious Maiden Power, but she understood enough to know that Cinder had bequeathed it to her as she died. Before, she could mind-trick one, maybe two people at a time. Now, with a little bit of practice, she could do whatever she wanted. She could make entire crowds see and do whatever she felt like. As soon as she realized this, she had gotten rid of that fool Mercury and gone her own way. Life had never been better. Now, as she relaxed on a white sand beach with a stolen Menagerie Gold in her hand, Emerald felt more contentment than she ever had in her short but tumultuous life. She missed Cinder, she really did. But if Cinder had taught her anything, it was how to survive and prosper in a difficult world. Now, with Cinder gone, Emerald had nothing left to hold her loyalty to Cinder's master. Forget about Salem, forget about maidens, and relics, and gods and Ozpin and all of it. Effective immediately, Emerald Sustrai was off the clock.
"Hiiiii-ya!"
"Oooof!"
"Winner, Yang Xiao-Long!"
The students assembled in the Nikos Memorial Combat Training Hall applauded. Ruby cheered louder than anyone else. Yang had made a full recovery from her injuries, and equipped with the latest automated prosthesis Atlas could provide, she was back in top fighting form. Combat Instructor Qrow Branwen took a long drink from a flask that he swore held only coffee, and motioned for silence.
"Ok, ok. Good fight, both of you. Watch the tape, and bring up a 500-word recap back to class tomorrow."
He waved Yang and her opponent out of the arena. It was generally suspected by the students of Beacon that Professor Branwen didn't read a word of the fight recaps that they submitted to him, but nobody could deny that being forced to critically analyze both their wins and losses had led the aspiring hunters to fight with more strategy and precision.
Qrow spun his random matchup wheel. Ruby was certain that he had this gadget made purely to save him from the effort of selecting fighters. The twin tumblers clicked to a halt, and Qrow checked the results. "Ruby Rose and Dominic Muller."
Ruby's heart lept with excitement. Her first match of the new school year! She was more than a little nervous as she picked up Crescent Rose, and stepped out of her seat.
"Good luck," Weiss whispered as she walked down the steps to the arena. Ruby sized up her opponent as he entered from the other side. Dominic Muller was a first-year, and like Weiss he was a transfer from Atlas. He fought with a bladed staff, and judging from the barrels on both ends, his weapon had some ranged capabilities. He nodded to Ruby as the two combatants squared off.
"Miss Rose. It's an honor to face you." Ruby colored slightly. She was a second-year now, and a veteran of the Battle of Beacon. First-years held her and students like her in awe.
Qrow leaned forward in his chair and waved his flask. "Alright, you both know the rules. Go on the buzzer."
Ruby slid one foot back and flipped Crescent Rose to melee mode. A long second past, and then a sharp beep signaled the start of the fight. Dominic took the initiative, closing the distance between them with an elegant leaping thrust. Ruby parried, and slashed low, forcing him back. She moved to close in, but a blast ice dust from the staff blocked her way. Okay, time to change strategy. Twirling Crescent Rose around, Ruby unleashed a volley shots. Her third round connected, knocking her opponent off-balance. Racing forward with her semblance, Ruby slid under an awkward blow and came up in Dominic's blind spot. He ducked, but not fast enough.
Yang whooped in excitement as Ruby sent her target skidding across the arena, his aura meter dropping by half. Ruby charged forward, only to be met with a wall of flaming dust. She threw up her scythe to shield her face, staggering back as she did. She hadn't felt heat like that since... No! Focus!
Crack! She never saw it coming. Swinging as he dashed though the fire, Dominic dealt a bone-jarring strike. Ruby backpedaled, doing her best to ward off the assault. Slashes and thrusts came at her in skillful combo attacks, one following the other so rapidly that even her enhanced speed was taxed to the limit. Her breath came in short, ragged gasps as she felt her aura being slowly chipped down. She was better than this! Fight! Ruby tried to go on the offensive, but her arms didn't seem to move as fast as her brain told them to. Her strikes were uncoordinated, too slow. Dominic didn't let up. A blow to the shin nearly knocked Ruby down. Her head buzzed, and a throbbing pain pounded behind her eyes as her heart raced.
As Dominic moved in to finish her off, the pain behind her eyes suddenly sharpened. With a terrifying jolt of realization, Ruby understood what was happening.
"NOOO!"
Crescent Rose clattered to the floor as Ruby screwed her eyes shut and threw her hands over her face. She dropped to her knees and clamped her head between her legs, gasping in pain. A horrible pressure inside her head fought to escape, and Ruby held it down with all of her will. Bile rose in her throat, and she spit bloody vomit from her mouth.
Ruby was vaguely aware of shouting and chaos around her. A powerful hand gripped her shoulder, and shook her. The pressure in her head subsided, but she didn't dare open her eyes. She could hear Yang screaming now.
"What did you do to her? Huh? What did you do? Let go of me Blake, I'll break his arms!"
Qrow's authoritative voice cut through the din. "Everybody sit down and shut up!" The noise subsided. "Ruby! Can you hear me?" Qrow's voice was thick with concern.
Ruby cautiously raised her head. "Yes," she whispered.
"What's wrong, kiddo? Let me look at your eyes." Qrow tried to move Ruby's left hand away from her face. Ruby jerked her head away from his gentle grasp.
"No! I mean, the light..." Ruby trailed off.
"Could be a dust reaction," Qrow muttered. "Weiss, help Ruby. Get her cleaned up, and then straight to Medical. Yang, Blake, you're excused from the remainder of combat class. Dominic, I'm gonna need the dust cartridges out of your staff. We've got to check and make sure that there's not some impurity in them that could cause reactions."
The crisis seemingly passed, everyone jumped into action. Blake pulled Yang away, the blond brawler still muttering threats and promises. Weiss gently helped Ruby to her feet. Ruby let her hands fall away from her face, but she kept her eyes tightly closed. Weiss didn't push the issue as she guided Ruby towards the locker room. As the two girls exited the arena, Ruby heard her uncle's voice behind her.
"Nobody ever told you all this was a safe or easy job, but you're all here today anyway. Accidents happen, and we're all mortal. It's good to keep that in mind. All right, who's next? I want volunteers this time."
"You can't keep your eyes shut forever, you know." Weiss wiped bloody spit from Ruby's chin and neck as she spoke. "What happened out there, Ruby?"
Ruby knew exactly what had happened, but she wasn't about to admit or explain anything. Her motives weren't entirely selfish, she told herself. After all, the truth about her eyes would lead to the truth about what happened to Cinder, and that would tarnish that heroic legacy of the sacrifice of Pyrrha Nikos. Best for everybody if no-one knew the truth, right? Right? Fortunately her uncle had given her an easy ready-made excuse.
"Dust reaction? Must have been something in his fire dust that made my eyes burn like that."
"Let me see them."
Ruby cautiously opened one eye. Weiss recoiled in horror. "Oh, dust! You are bleeding from your eyes! We have to get you help right now!"
Ruby clamped her eyes shut again as Weiss drug her out of the locker room. The two girls bumped head-on into Yang and Blake at the door. Yang took one look at the bloody tears that were beginning to seep from Ruby's eyes, and scooped her younger sister up in her arms. "Blake, run ahead as fast as you can and tell the nurses what happened. We'll be right behind you."
Blake turned and sprinted away. Yang ran after her as fast as she could manage while carrying Ruby. "Don't worried, sis, it's going to be okay. Just stay with me, everything's going to be okay."
Ruby didn't reply, but she knew, deep down inside, that everything was not okay.
"Miss Rose, can you hear me?" Nurse Valentina's voice felt good on Ruby's ears, soft, gentle, reassuring.
"Yes." She nodded slowly, taking care not to aggravate the splitting headache that had settled in after Yang had delivered her to the Infirmary.
"I have good news for you. The ocular hemorrhage you experienced was caused by ruptured capillaries in your eyelids. It appears simple high blood pressure was to blame for the bleeding. The damage is not severe, though you may experience pain while blinking for a few days."
"Ok... I guess."
"What caused such extreme blood pressure?" Weiss demanded from her seat beside Ruby's bed.
Valentina hesitated. "That... is a little more complex. Miss Rose, have you been exposed to radiation in the last two months?"
"Radiation?" Yang leaned closer.
"Yes. Miss Rose's blood work showed extremely high levels of residual radioactive dust. I'm sending samples over to Vale General for further analysis, but based on our understanding of how nerve energy works with aura and semblances, we think it's a safe bet to say that the strain placed on Ruby's aura in her sparring match may have caused a reaction with the dust that overcharged her nervous system. Basic bodily functions began to misfire, and well, you saw what happened."
"But where could have Ruby possibly been exposed to that level of radioactive dust?" Weiss wondered aloud. "No other student has shown similar effects."
"I was hoping that she would be able to tell us that, Miss Schnee."
Blake spoke up for the first time. "It probably happened the night of the Battle of Beacon. Ruby was the only survivor of the fight on top of the tower. Whatever weapons or abilities the pyromancer used to kill Pyrrha unleashed a massive burst of energy. Ruby would have been exposed at the very epicenter of it."
"Ok, enough of the medical jargon." Yang stood, interrupting the discussion. "How do we treat radiation dust exposure?"
"Don't worried, Miss Xiao-Long. Dust exposure is relatively common. I'm having a week's supply of dust neutralizer medicine sent to your dorm room. It will bind to the dust in your sister's body, nulify it, and allow it to be passed by her liver and kidneys."
While nurse Valentina continued speaking, giving her team detailed instructions on how the medicine should be used, Ruby relaxed back in her bed. The soothing salve under the bandage that wrapped her eyes felt good, but Ruby was afraid the relief would be only temporary. Blake was closer to the truth then she knew. Ruby was certain that her malady was caused by the events of that night, but it hadn't been a one-time exposure. Far from it. Whatever whatever had happened in her eyes that night had followed her, and had nearly taken control of her that morning. She had no choice. The dust medicine might to give her a temporary reprieve, but she had to learn to master this new power she had been cursed with, before it destroyed her, or somebody else.
"No... Ruby... why?"
The shattered body of Weiss Schnee went limp as she breathed out her last accusing question. Around her, the Beacon cafeteria burned. Ruby desperately looked left and right, but all she could see was death and destruction. All of it caused by her. Her eyes scorched lethal trails wherever they went. She couldn't shut it off, she couldn't even close her eyes. A charred corpse that might have been Blake lay near a door, as though cut down in the act of fleeing.
"Ruby!" Yang ran through the carnage towards her.
"No! Yang, get away from me!"
"Ruby, wait! I can help! Just hold- AHHHHH!"
The fire took her. Ruby watched in horror as her sister was engulfed by the spreading inferno.
"YAAAAAANG!"
"Ruby! Ruby! Wake up!" Ruby jerked upright in bed, clawing at the sleep mask she wore. Strong arms held her back.
"Ruby, please listen. It's just a nightmare. Breathe, Ruby. Just breathe."
The pain behind her eyes was intense, but it wasn't pain that made her shake in her sister's embrace. The pain behind her eyes left no doubt that her dream had been only seconds from reality. She could have killed them all.
"I'm sorry, Yang. I'm so sorry," She sobbed.
"Shhh. It's ok. You're ok now."
"Here's some tea," Weiss's voice came from the dark.
A warm mug pressed against her lips, and Ruby gratefully sipped the soothing brew.
"Are you ok?" Blake's voice was thick with concern.
"I think so," Ruby replied.
Yang gently stroked her hair as she laid her younger sister back down in bed. "There's nothing to be afraid of, Ruby. We're here for you."
"Thanks," Ruby whispered, trying to sound sleepy. "I'll be okay now."
The rest of Team RWBY returned to their bunks, and fell back asleep. Ruby lay under her quilt, not daring to risk sleeping again. Whatever had begun to happen inside of her was too dangerous to leave unattended. Uncertainty roiled her thoughts. She had backed herself into a corner with her lies and half-truths about previous events. Would anybody even believe her if she tried to explain the full truth now? Would they think she was crazy? Would she be asked to resign her position as team leader? Too much was at stake. She could do this. She was a Huntress after all. She would sort this out, and keep her problems from spreading to the people she cared about any more than they already had. It was for the best.
The next day was nothing short of torture for the young Huntress. She forced down her morning dose of dust detox medicine, donned a pair of dark sunglasses, and against the protests of her team, went to class. Her mind pounded with a headache her over-the-counter painkillers were powerless to mitigate. Even behind the thick glasses, sunlight made her eyes feel like they were full of sand. A gigantic tray of cookies delivered to her team at lunch time as a get-well gift/peace offering by Dominic Muller and the rest of Team ATDM barely looked appetizing to her. Ruby struggled through the afternoon. Never had the final bell taken longer to ring, or been more welcome when it finally sounded. The exhausted girl drug herself back to the dorm room, and collapsed face-first into her bed.
She could hear Weiss talking to Yang somewhere in the room. "Nurse Valentina said her symptoms, while more severe than normal, aren't unusual. But if the detox meds don't make a significant difference in the next couple of days, she'll have to be admitted to the hospital for more intense treatment."
Yang paced fretfully. "Is there anything we can do to make her more comfortable?"
"Do my homework for me?" Ruby moaned from the bed.
"You dolt," Weiss replied, trying her best to sound exasperated. "I suppose, just this once, I can do your homework for you. But I'll expect you to read over the material the instant you feel better."
"Sure, whatever you say, Weiss."
Ruby dozed fitfully until her team brought a plate of food from the cafeteria. Yang refused to leave her alone until she had choked down the entire meal, and chased it with another foul-smelling dose of detox meds. Ruby felt better after eating dinner. She took a hot shower, then tumbled back into her bunk, grateful that tomorrow was Saturday and there would be no classes.
"Pyrrha! Stay with me, Pyrrha!" Ruby desperately put pressure on the gaping wound in her friend's chest. Blood welled up around her fingers, and Pyrrha stared vacantly past her.
"No! No, you can't die! Please! Answer me!
"It's too late child, she's gone." She heard Cinder's voice behind her, calm and deadly. "You can't save her. You can't even save yourself."
Ruby spun, just in time to see one of the black swords slash down. The point drove into her face, in between her eyes and out the back of her skull. The witch pressed down on her, forcing her to the floor on top of the body of her friend.
"Shhh. Stop fighting, Ruby, just relax."
"NOOOOOO!"
"Yang! Help!" The voice was Blake's now. "I can't hold her down!"
Ruby fought desperately to escape the arms and the weight. More hands seized her. From somewhere, cold water splashed over the struggling mass of girls. "AHH! Not helping, Weiss!"
Consciousness snapped back into Ruby's mind with the force of an ursa blow. Her eyes and head still burned like Cinder's sword had ran them through, but the pain was internal, and all too familiar. She went limp in the grasp of her teammates.
"Shh. It's ok now." Yang's comforting voice came from the dark.
"I'm sorry," Ruby whispered.
"Nothing to apologize for," Blake assured her. "You can sleep in my bed for the rest of the night if you want, since Weiss saw fit to try to drown us in yours."
"I was only trying to wake her up," Weiss huffed defensively.
"Whatever," Yang yawned. "Are you okay now, Ruby?"
"I think so. Thanks for helping me."
"It's what teammates do," Blake replied as she helped Ruby out of bed and up into into her bunk. "Don't worry about me, I spent a lot of time sleeping in worse places than the floor of the dorm."
"Thanks Blake. You guys are the best."
Yang's face popped up above the edge of Blake's bunk, her lilac eyes framed in a tousled mop of blond hair. "Ruby, if you need to talk..."
"I'm fine, Yang, really. I'm sure it's just the dust and the medicine making me have nightmares."
"Ok," Yang sounded unconvinced. "Good night, Ruby. Let me know if you need anything."
The dorm room went back to its normal sleepy silence. But for the second night in a row, Ruby didn't dare risk falling back asleep. The same feeling that had overwhelmed her atop Beacon Tower and threatened her in the sparring room had almost taken her again. If she was awake, she could manage it. But in her sleep, in her dreams, it managed her. How long until she slipped up, and one or more of her friends died in an explosion of unnatural silver energy? She couldn't keep having near misses like this. Drastic action was required.
"You're going into Vale? Why?" Yang sounded worried and sceptical.
"Some fresh air will do me good," Ruby threw on her backpack, doing her best to look and sound more energetic than she felt. "Besides, I've got to pick up some spare parts I ordered for Crescent Rose."
"Well then," Weiss retorted from her desk, "You should be in fine shape to go through your homework when you return."
"Looking forward to it!" Ruby practically skipped out the door, leaving her team suspiciously staring after her.
"Do you think the meds are making her loopy now?" Yang wondered aloud.
Blake yawned and rolled over in her bunk. "Don't worry. Seems like she's getting better to me. Going back to sleep now." And with that, Blake returned to her legendary Saturday morning cat nap.
Ruby did feel better. Her eyes didn't hurt this morning, and her headache was almost gone. The detox medicine was doing its job. As she watched the scenery flash by below the Bullhead she was riding from Beacon to Vale, Ruby dared to feel optimistic. Maybe everything would be ok after all. The Bullhead landed at the air taxi terminal, and Ruby disembarked with the rest of the passengers. Beacon students were a common sight in Vale, and nobody gave the brightly dressed girl with a dangerous weapon slung across her shoulder a second look. When she reached the street, Ruby set her course for downtown Vale.
A brisk fifteen minute walk brought her to the faunus business district. The buildings were decidedly shabbier in this part of town, and poorly dressed children ducked in and out of alleyways. Normally a sixteen-year-old year old human girl would have been foolish to walk through this area alone, but Ruby wasn't worried. She had Crescent Rose, and was confident that if worst came to worst she could outrun anybody or anything that posed a threat.
"Hey! Huntress!"
Ruby turned to see a pair of boys, several years younger than her, playing ball in an empty lot.
"Catch!"
The one with the ball wound up, and hurled it over Ruby's head. He was a bull faunus, and true to his heritage his arm was as powerful as Yang's. Always ready for a challenge, Ruby spun and raced to intercept the ball, rose petals swirling behind her.
She missed.
It took her a second to process it. Her fingers had closed well behind the ball, and as it bounced off the pavement in front of her, surprise and embarrassment flooded through her. She never missed. Bounding forward, see caught the rubber toy on the second bounce. Turning, she was mortified to see the second boy congratulating his friend on throwing a ball so far not even a huntress could catch it.
"Nice throw! Here!" Ruby threw the ball back, intentionally aiming wide of the two boys. The ball bounced in the dirt out of their reach, and as they ran to pursue it Ruby turned and hurried in the opposite direction.
"Just nerves," she told herself. "Don't let it distract you. Time to focus, this is important."
Around the corner, she found her destination. Dr. Bellagio, MD, a hand-painted sign proclaimed. Now that she stood in front of the clinic, Ruby had second thoughts. The place looked decidedly below modern medical standards. Weiss would have probably bled to death in the street before she would have gone inside. Gathering her courage, Ruby pushed open the front door and stepped into the waiting room. A half dozen men and women sat inside, and Ruby was acutely aware that she was the center of attention as she walked to the receptionist desk. A cat faunus woman peered over her computer at the new arrival.
"Do you have an appointment?"
"Umm, no, but I need to see the doctor."
"I'm sorry, but the doctor sees patients by appointment only. I could put you down for next week sometime."
"Please, it's urgent. I must see Dr. Bellagio this morning."
"Look, unless you're seriously ill you will have to have an appointment just like everybody else." The woman went back to typing on her computer.
"I have money!" Ruby blurted, suprised by the desperate tinge in her voice. She dug into one of her pockets and waved a wad of Lien at the receptionist.
The woman looked at again, then winked and nodded knowingly. "Ahh. I understand. Have a seat, Dr. Bellagio will see you after we are done with the morning appointments."
Unsure of what the woman meant, but happy to be out of the spotlight, Ruby walked to the chair farthest into the corner of the room and sat down. For the next three hours she waited, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible. A steady stream of patients worked their way through the office. Parents with sick children, a man with a broken wrist, two expectant mothers, all faunus. Ruby wondered if this was the only medical care most of them ever saw. Most of the adults ignored her, a few children stared, but nobody sat beside her. Finally, well after noon had come and gone, the waiting room was empty and the receptionist walked over to the door and turned the sign to "Closed".
"Right through there," she motioned Ruby through a closed door.
Summoning all the confidence she could, Ruby walked across the waiting room and through the door. She found herself in a narrow hall, with two doors on each side. As she hesitated, unsure which one to try first, one of them opened, and a short dog faunus stuck his head out.
"Ah, you must be the huntress that urgently needed to see me. Come inside."
Somewhat put at ease by his welcoming demeanor, Ruby followed the man into his examination room. She sat down in one of the chairs while he washed his hands at a sink.
"I'm sure this was a difficult decision for you, miss. I'll do my best to help you however I can."
"Uhh, thanks?"
He turned and pulled the other chair up so he was sitting facing Ruby. "Rest assured, Huntress. You have my fullest confidentiality. I'll have to run some preliminary tests today, but we can schedule the procedure for next week."
"Wait. Why do you think I'm here?" Ruby was confused, but she had a growing suspicion she knew where this was going.
"Unplanned pregnancy?" Dr. Bellagio looked deeply sympathetic. "Miss, I understand. You're not the first Beacon student that has come to me for help."
"No! I mean, not at all. That's absolutely not why I am here!" Ruby was equal parts embarrassed and horrified. She reflexively scooted as far back in her chair as she could.
Dr. Bellagio leaned back, his face reddening. "Oh. Oh, I see. I beg your forgiveness, Miss. Like I said, the only Beacon students I've ever seen were girls that needed, shall we say, discreet help. But enough about that. If I may ask, why would a human huntress candidate with access to Beacon's well-staffed infirmary and Vale General Hospital come to a faunus operated clinic in the bad part of town?"
"Well," Ruby began, recovering her composure, "Like you said, I need some discreet help." Ruby recounted a modified version of the truth to the listening doctor, explaining that her condition was temporary but that her medication was causing uncontrollable nightmares. All she really needed was a couple of weeks worth of sleeping pills, just enough to get her through her treatment and back to normal.
Dr. Bellagio sat back, a thoughtful look on his face. "You know, I don't think you're telling me the whole truth. If you really were here looking for sleeping medication to combat the side effects of your prescription, there is no reason that the Beacon infirmary wouldn't supply you. That leaves only two options that I see. You're either trying to collect enough sleeping pills to kill yourself or somebody else, or you have an addiction and you are trying to get your fix."
"No!" Ruby protested forcefully. "First you think I'm here for an abortion, now you think I'm a suicidal druggie? What kind of doctor are you? I need help!"
The doctor stood. "I'm the kind of doctor that has seen every type of seamy behavior there is from both humans and faunus, and have pretty well lost my trust in people. I may run a clinic in the bad part of town, but I'll not be a pills dealer. If you have a legitimate medical condition, go to the Beacon infirmary or the hospital. Now I think it would be best if you leave."
Ruby stood, frustration and anger boiling in her. She wanted to argue, but she could tell from the determined look on Doctor Bellagio's face that protest would be futile. Without a word, she turned and stormed out of the examination room. She strode down the hall, through the waiting room, and out into the street.
Well, that had gone well. She was back at square one now, maybe even worse. She was terrified that if she went to the Beacon Infirmary that people would start asking questions, doing more tests, and the truth about her cursed eyes would come out. Vale General was even more out of the question. Ruby walked aimlessly up the street, mulling the problem over in her mind. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. It was a bad idea, worse than trying to buy sleeping pills from a low rent clinic. In fact, it was probably illegal. Ruby weighed the risks. She didn't have a choice. She was a danger to her friends, and a danger to herself. The ends justified means. Besides, her uncle did it, right?
Thirty minutes later, Ruby walked out of Borhman's Quality Imports with four bottles of unsweetened, non-GMO, organic vegetable juice. Her purchase had set her back more than fifty lien, but the overpriced drink looked and smelled so unappetizing that Ruby was sure her team wouldn't ask to try it. She turned into the alley beside the store, and stopped behind the dumpster. Taking the bottles of juice from her bag, she dumped two-thirds of the contents from each one into the trash. Putting the bottles back in her shopping bag, she returned to the street and walked back towards a liquor store she had passed earlier.
Ruby wasn't proud of what she was about to do, but desperation was a stronger motivator than pride. She also wasn't about to get thrown out of a second business for the day, so she had devised a plan. As she neared the Crow Bar, she scanned the sidewalks looking for a likely accomplice. She spotted one.
"And what do you want?" Her mark closed his copy of Fatal Attraction and placed the magazine face down on the bench as Ruby sat beside him. Ruby congratulated herself on her good fortune. A man who would read a magazine that specialized in Huntress smut on a public sidewalk was the perfect candidate.
Ruby pushed 75 lien into his hand. "I want you to go in there and buy me three bottles of Polar Fire. Keep the change."
The man laughed. "Come on. This is one of those hidden camera stings, right? I'm going to come out with the booze and you'll all be there to ambush me providing alcohol to minors?"
Ruby swore under her breath. Was nothing easy anymore? "Look, I'm in a tight spot here." Ruby improvised as she went. "I did something inappropriate, and an older student caught it on film. If I don't come up with three bottles of Polar Fire for him, he's going to send it to my sister. You've gotta help me. There's another 50 in it for you," she added, hoping greed would motivate the man.
His eyes lit up, and Ruby knew she had him. "How inappropriate was it?" he asked in a devious voice, sliding a hand towards Ruby's leg.
Ruby did her best to look both guilty and seductive at the same time, something she had very little experience in doing. "Very."
The man laughed. "Ahh, to be young and dumb again. Wait here girl, I got your back."
The man crossed the street and disappeared into the bar. Ruby sat on the bench, feeling like she needed a bath. Life was so much simpler when all your problems were eight-foot-tall monsters and you could solve them with the sharp edge of a scythe or a barrage of gunfire. Less than five minutes later, her new friend reappeared with a large paper bag. He crossed street again, and set the bag down beside Ruby.
"There. Hope this keeps you and your boyfriend out of trouble with the sister."
Ruby produced the promised fifty Lien bonus, but the man pushed it away. "Keep it. I'll call this my good deed for the day."
"Thanks," Ruby replied with sincere gratefulness. "You have no idea how much you've helped me."
Leaving the man and his magazine behind as quickly as possible, Ruby found a quiet spot behind a small bakery. When she reemerged onto the street, the Polar Fire bottles were gone, and her vegetable juice bottles were full again. She had had enough scheming or one day, and marched without pausing back to the Bullhead Taxi. A day in the sun had been good for her, she decided. She felt better now than she had all week, and now she had what she needed to beat the nightmares that had haunted her dreams. Ruby was positively happy as she exited the Bullhead, strolled through the Beacon grounds, and walked down the hallway to her dorm.
"Welcome back, Rubes," Yang greeted her as she let herself in and walked to the refrigerator. "Whacha got there?"
"Oh, just some unsweetened vegetable juice. I read that it's supposed to help the body detox faster."
Yang raised an eyebrow. "I'm legitimately worried about you, sis. You voluntarily drinking vegetables makes about as much sense as Nora passing on pancakes."
Weiss looked critically over her desk full of notes. Seriously, did that girl have nothing to do but study? "Where's the parts you said you were picking up for your scythe?"
Ruby gulped. She had legitimately needed to pick up a new firing pin for her beloved weapon. "I forgot?"
Weiss and Yang stared. "I'll call the doctor," Yang whispered loudly to Weiss.
Weiss's eyes narrowed. "Ruby Rose, I know when somebody is holding out on me, and you are holding out on me. Spill it, and spill it now."
Ruby waved a hand dismissively. "I've just had a lot on my mind these last few days. But it's getting better now. I'm fine, really. Now, about that homework."
Ruby slept like a baby that night.
Ruby blotted the cold water off of her face with a towel, then tossed it into the used laundry bin. Ahh... the cool liquid felt good on her head, which was throbbing again after her spar with Ren. She was glad she had the girl's locker room to herself, it gave her the few minutes to decompress before she met her team for lunch. Her first day back in combat class had not gone well. There was no shame in losing to Lie Ren, she told herself. He was a calm, surgical fighter with the speed to stay ahead of Ruby's slashing attacks. The shame was in the fact that when the buzzer sounded, his aura meter was still nearly full. He had dominated her from the beginning, and she knew it. She had been slow, uncoordinated, incapable of blocking his assaults or landing any meaningful hits of her own. Had the fight happened in first period, she might have blamed her nightly dose of Polar Fire, but it was nearly lunchtime and her mild hangover was gone. She wanted to blame the constant stress of bottling up her cursed new ability, but she had only been forced to concentrate on that towards the end of the fight as her aura began to burn out. No, there was no way around it. As Ruby stared at herself in the mirror, the ugly truth was impossible to ignore.
She was sick.
Her eyes had a dull bloodshot look, and her skin was even paler than normal. The school uniform she had changed back into fit a little looser around the waist, and her belt was tightened notch higher than normal. By all rights, she should not have been in a sparring class, but, armed with a clean bill of health, she had convinced Professor Branwen that she was combat ready.
Ah, yes. A clean bill of health. Nurse Valentina had been surprised when her one week blood test had come back showing no signs of dust contamination. Impressed with the effectiveness of the detox medication, the infirmary staff had positively celebrated as they declared Ruby fit for duty. If only they had known. The blood that was so miraculously toxin-free had actually been "borrowed" from Yang Xiao-Long in the dead of night by the stealthy hand of her younger sister. Taking advantage of Yang's legendarily deep slumber, Ruby had used a stolen sample collection kit to draw a vial of blood. A lightning fast swap conducted under the very nose of Nurse Valentina had ensured that the test would show Ruby was fit and healthy. Ruby was ashamed of what she done, but she was sure Yang would understand. After all, this was just another challenge she had to get through on her road to becoming a Huntress.
But Ruby wasn't stupid, and as she looked at herself in the locker room mirror she could see that, whatever the blood test said, something was wrong with her. She couldn't excel in Beacon until her body was back in top fighting form, and she knew it. She needed help, but she had nobody to turn to.
"When faced with a mountain you can't climb over, look for a path around." An old saying repeated by the country folk of Patch came to mind.
"Now then, who could possibly help me, or know somebody that would, all the while maintaining secrecy?"
And the just like that, the answer was obvious.
"Junior's Club and Lounge, how may I direct your call?"
"You want to take a leave of absence?" Headmistress Goodwitch peered over her glasses at the young huntress. Ruby's plan suddenly seemed far less like genius and far more like suicide. Summoning up every scrap of courage she had, Ruby nodded.
"Just three days, ma'am. At the end of the week."
"Why?"
Ruby had prepared this part carefully. "Ever since my training accident, I haven't been able to sleep." A little bit of truth made the lie stronger. "Nurse Valentina says that the dust that made me sick is gone, but its effect on my nervous system will take longer to heal. I just need a few days, relax, recharge, and I'll be good as new! Hiya!" Ruby threw in a few quick hand chop motions, remembering the first time she had met the intimidating huntress.
Glynda Goodwitch leaned back, stroking her chin. Ruby wished she could sink into the floor. A few agonizing seconds dragged by.
"Ok, I'll sign off on it."
Ruby blinked. "You will?"
"Of course. I'm stern and demanding, not heartless. In fact, I almost put you on a week of mandatory rest after I heard about your accident, but your uncle convinced me not to. The last six months have been hard on us all, and there's no shame in knowing your limits." Headmistress Goodwitch signed Ruby's excused absence request, and slid it across the table to her. "You will of course, be expected to makeup any coursework you miss, but your team can help you with that. I don't foresee any trouble there."
"No ma'am. Thank you." Ruby took her precious excuse form, and practically skipped from the office.
And that was how Ruby Rose ended up in the line of passengers disembarking from Remnant Air Flight 2115 at the Atlas International Air Terminal. Her team had been amazingly supportive when she announced her plans to visit the Frostfall Healing Retreat & Spa in the mountains of Atlas for a long weekend. All of them could tell Ruby needed a break, and they all helped in their own ways. Weiss made sure her travel plans were in order. Yang packed clothes for her. Blake slipped a few books into her suitcase when nobody was looking, whispering to Ruby that they would help pass the time on the airship.
Blake had been right about that.
Ruby breezed through customs, the security agents paying little attention to a Huntress candidate. She strolled through the clean, well lit terminal, taking her time and looking at everything. She walked right past the Frostfall Retreat group, which appeared to be mostly a collection of rich, middle-aged Vale socialites. Ruby kept up her casual pace until a man in a sharp suit and red sunglasses joined her.
"It's a good day for a trip," he commented.
"Only the best will do." Ruby gave the counter-sign.
Instantly the man was all business. "Come on, car's outside. Doctor Andronicus will be waiting."
Coco Adel let out a long breath as she collapsed Fire Sale back into handbag form. "Dust, Fox. You ever see anything like it?"
"Don't be cruel, Coco," Velvet admonished her team leader as she joined the pair.
Coco playfully cuffed the rabbit faunus's shoulder. "Fox is a big boy, he can take it."
Fox Alistair ignored both girls as he knelt over the monster he and Coco had felled. It looked like a beowulf, but was taller and thicker than all but the most powerful Alphas. It's bone mask was deep red, with black streaks running across. Bulging red veins were visible below the skin, an unnatural glow slowly fading away inside them. The thing's eyes still radiated light, even as black smoke began to drift up from the body.
Velvet snapped a couple of pictures to document the strange creature as the grimm crumbled to dust and vaporized.
Fox stood. "It was faster and more aggressive than your average grimm. This could be a serious development. We need to alert Goodwitch of this. Where's Yats?" The blind hunter turned to face Velvet.
"He went up to the top of that hill," she gestured with her thumb over her shoulder. "Going to see what's in the valley beyond."
As if on cue, heavy footfalls could be heard approaching on the run through the brush that surrounded them. Yatsuhashi burst through a clump of plum bushes, and skidded to a halt in front of the rest of the team. Coco could tell instantly that something was terribly wrong. The green-armored giant, normally the model of unflappable calm, looked as close to panicked as she had ever seen.
"Coco, we must leave this place immediately. I can see into the next valley, and the grimm are coming. Thousands of them, Coco. It's looks like a black flood is rolling down the far hills. We have to get out of here while we still can, and warn everybody between here and Vale."
Coco wasted no time questioning the report. "Ok, we're 5 miles from our Bullhead. We can be there in half an hour, and get a radio message out. The farms and settlements nearby will need to evacuate immediately. Move it CVFY, every second we waste is a second that people don't have to prepare."
Ruby relaxed on the gizka fur couch in Dr. Andronicus's private lounge. The soothing strains of the Mantel Girls' Chorus filtered softly through the room from speakers hidden behind tropical plants. She lazily sipped the smoothie that an attendant had brought her while she watched fish swim in a floor-to-ceiling aquarium. Forget the spa trip, this waiting room was all the relaxation she needed.
She owed Junior for this, she really did. Her guess that he would be able to put her in contact with an aura specialist who was willing to do off the record work had been spot-on. It had cost her more than half of her life savings to by the airship ticket and pay Dr. Andronicus's upfront fee, but if he could help her, she would have gladly sacrificed every last lien she had.
In a strange way, it had been a liberating experience. Alone with the doctor in his advanced examination room, she had finally told the whole truth how about her eyes, her headaches, the nightmares, all of it. He had listened carefully, interjecting with rapid fire questions in a way that reminded her of Dr. Oobleck. When she was done, he had set to work. He had drawn enough blood samples to feed a swarm of vampire crabs. After that was done, he carefully clipped hair samples of different lengths from both sides of Ruby's head. Then he started in with the machines. For four solid hours, Ruby was subjected to scan after scan, with wires and pads clipped all over her body. Finally, Dr. Andronicus had declared that he had done enough for one day, and with no further comments dismissed Ruby into the care of an orderly.
Ruby spent the night in a well furnished apartment attached to the clinic. The doctor had giving her a single sleeping tablet, declaring it to be a better alternative than her crude but effective self-medication. In the morning, breakfast was delivered to her room, along with the message that Dr. Andronicus would see her as soon as she was ready. She ate hurriedly, then returned to the clinic.
"It has to be a good thing," Ruby mused aloud, "Him wanting to see me so soon. If it was anything serious, it would have taken him longer to diagnose."
A huge eel emerged from under a rock and eyed the visitor. Ruby stared back. She was still staring at the creature when a side door opened with a thump.
"Eeep! Err, I mean, Hi!" Ruby recovered her composure as rapidly as possible.
"This way, Miss." A soft-spoken nurse motioned for her to follow. Ruby left the luxurious lounge and followed the woman down a hall. They stopped in front of a huge ornate wood door. "The doctor's private study. He's waiting for you inside."
Ruby cautiously tried the silver door knob. It turned, and she pushed the heavy door open.
"Ah, Miss Rose. Please, come in. Miss Rose? Is everything alright?"
"Penny..." Ruby stared at a portrait of a smiling ginger-haired girl on the wall behind the doctor's desk.
"You knew Penny?" Dr. Andronicus leaned forward.
"I did." Ruby sat heavily in one of the plush chairs in front of the desk. "I'm honored to say that she counted me as a friend. I was there when she died. I was too slow to save her. I'm sorry. But it was an accident!" Ruby continued quickly. "They tricked Pyrrha! She didn't mean too..."
"Miss Rose," Dr. Andronicus interrupted with a wave of his hand. "I am aware of the curcumstances surroundind Penny's death, and I hold no animosity towards Miss Nikos. She was a victim too." He rubbed his forehead. "I almost wish you hadn't told me this. I was as close to a father as Penny had. We had a special bond. She was my pride and joy, my greatest and crowning achievement. Oh, we'll build another android, but it won't be the same. There will never be another Penny. And now, here you are. Destiny, if there is such a thing, has played a cruel hand to both of us."
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked nervously.
"Miss Rose, I am a scientist. It is my job to go wherever the evidence leads me. Believe me, I wish it had led me somewhere else. I didn't sleep a wink last night, checking and rechecking all of the data I collected during my examination of you. But I found no error, and my conclusions are sound."
"Well, what did you find? What's happening to me?"
"Well, to put it bluntly, you're dying."
"What?" Ruby's voice was a strangled gasp.
"I'd give anything to not have to tell you this Ruby, believe me. But you're a huntress, and you know better than most that sometimes you pick your battles, and sometimes your battles pick you."
He poured a glass of water from a carved silver pitcher, and slid it across his desk to the stunned girl.
"Yes, Miss Rose, you are a rare case. Your condition has been observed only a handful of times in humans, and has never been fully studied. To give you the simple explanation, you have a extraordinarily rare mutation that causes your body to produce biologically synthesized dust. It seems to have settled in your eyes, although it can affect any part of the body. When your nervous system is overcharged through extreme stress or aura depletion, your cells secrete highly unstable dust residue. In sufficient quantities, it could react with your aura to produce intense bursts of energy, like you saw at the end of the Battle of Beacon. Frankly, it's amazing you didn't die right there. The problem now is that the mutated tissue never fully stops producing this dust. You've kicked open the floodgates, so to speak, and even when you feel like nothing is happening your base nervous system activity is enough to continuously poison you. The headaches you reported after strenuous activity are the after effects of higher doses of the dust being pumped into your body. If we don't act now, you will die of radiation poisoning within a year, even with a continuous dosage of dust detox medicine. The body simply can't handle that kind of internal toxicity."
"How do we stop it?"
"You're not going to like what I'm about to say."
Ruby swallowed nervously. "I can take it."
Doctor Andronicus leaned forward across his desk and looked Ruby square in the eye. "I can't stop your eyes from producing radioactive dust any more than I can stop your muscles from producing lactic acid or your gallbladder from producing bile. Maybe someday, when genetics and mutations are more fully understood, cases like yours could be treated less... invasively. As it stands now, the only way to keep your eyes from slowly poisoning the rest of your body is to surgically remove them. I'm sorry."
Ruby flinched like somebody had dealt her a physical blow. All in an instant, she saw everything she had fought to achieve come crashing down around her ears. A few seconds passed, dragging on for what seemed like an eternity. "I can't be a Huntress if I'm blind," she finally whispered, more to herself than to the doctor.
"But you would live to see your 18th birthday. I am so sorry, Ruby. I wish I could give you some kind of solution, but there's just nothing else medical science can do."
"You I said I'll live about a year?" Ruby's voice was mechanical.
"That is my best scientific estimate. Of course, you should be aware that the effects of radiation poisoning are progressive. You've already begun to see the loss of fine motor skills, judging from your reports of sluggish reactions in combat. Your memory will be the next thing to see serious impact. Motor skills and mental functions will progressively degrade as the damage to your nervous system increases. I'll spare you the graphic details, but I will warn you that you will spend your last days in a hospital on a ventilator. Even with all the medications we can pump into you, you've probably got only three to four months left in which your body will be capable of sustaining the huntress trainee lifestyle."
"That's three months longer than I'll have if you cut my eyes out," Ruby shot back, impotent anger at her fate swelling inside of her. "This is an impossible decision! You're asking me to choose between a slow degenerative death and life as a cripple! Why don't you just break my neck right here and get it over with?"
"Miss Rose," Dr. Andronicus replied sternly, "You and I both know you don't mean that. I understand this is a terrible shock to you, and I will do everything in my power to make whatever you decide as comfortable as possible for you. But I'm not going to sugarcoat it, Miss Rose. Those are your only two options, and you're running out of time to decide."
Author's note-
Sorry, no traumatic death scene in this one. So it turns out that I am pretty bad at writing one shots. There will be a second part to Ruby's story. I could have uploaded it all in one chapter, but it would have taken me another month to get it ready and it would have been 25,000 words long. I don't know, maybe I just need to work on editing and pacing. There's honestly way more setup and background fluff in this story than I planned on there being, but as I did it I couldn't come up with a good way to condense it without it feeling like rushed narration. I'd love to hear feedback or suggestions from any of you who write about this. Anyway, drop a review and check back in a few weeks to find out how our unfortunate huntress handles her unexpected dilemma. Thanks for reading!
One more thing. I'll give a shoutout to anybody who can tell me the significance of Ruby's Remnant Air flight number without Googling it.