"Don't fret precious I'm here."

Ruby stared at her reflection in the river, her scarless self staring back with two silver eyes. Her reflection wore pristine clothes free from blood. Ruby looked down with half her vision at her scorched, bloodstained, and patchily repaired clothes, her torn cloak clinging to her.

"Step away from the window."

The words sang on the wind through the blood-leaved trees and the scarlet grass. Intermingled into the song were faint screams, clashes of weapons and gunshots, and words and voices too faint to identify.

"And go back to sleep."

A pair of arms wrapped around the teenager, their touch warming Ruby as she was pulled into a gentle embrace. The teen looked over her shoulder to find the bushy mouse-brown hair with her caring yet sad hazel eyes above scars in the shape of circuitry.

"Safe from pain."

Ruby closed her eyes and leaned her head back to rest on the woman's head, her warm touch comforted the teen, pulling her further into the embrace,

"And truth."

The song on the wind lulled Ruby into a restful peace, a smile spreading across her face.

"And choice."

The smile dropped from Ruby's face, the woman's touch turned cold as the gentle wind picked up and began to bite.

"See, they don't give a fuck about you."

The screams, voices, gunshots, and weapons clashing suddenly increased in volume and clarity, and Ruby recognized her sister, her friends, Ozpin and her teachers, her parents, calling her name, begging her to stop, then screaming in pain.

"Like I do."

Ruby opened her eyes. She stood waist deep in the river, now blood-red, surrounded by the bodies of the voices she head. Some had sweeping cuts and deep gashes, others had bruises on their skin and around their necks. Some had expressions of shock, others fear and begging, the rest with hurt or questioning looks.

"I'll be the one to protect you."

Ruby tried to scream, but a bone white and bloodied hand covered her mouth and turned her head to the side. The brunette was gone, Pyrrha with bloodless skin and splattered in red stood in her place.

"From your enemies."

Ruby struggled in Pyrrha's embrace, but this made her start to sink into the blood-red river. She tried to scream through the redhead's hand, but her voice caught in her throat and Pyrrha's hand tightened painfully on her face.

"And all your demo-."

An arrow of pure silver slammed into Pyrrha's face. Silver cracks spread along her arms and across the river and the bodies in the water. Ruby broke free of Pyrrha, the silver cracks widening. Her body felt like it was lightening, the edges of the Forever Falls slowly fading to black as the silver cracks slowly widened further.

Ruby looked to the shore. Standing just before the fading treeline, shining brightly as a star bow raised, was a woman of bright silver with eyes of emerald.

Ruby woke up, gasping for air.

"Another nightmare, Miss Rose?" Ozpin asked as he sat down next to the teenager. Ruby hugged her legs to her chest, resting her face on her knees, her right hand resting lightly. She nodded.

"May I ask what happened?"

Ruby tensed up, Pyrrha's bloodied face, the river of blood and bodies flashing across her mind. Slowly she lifted her head and told the headmaster what had happened. When she finished he looked away in thought.

"This silver archer arrived again to help you?" Ozpin asked. Ruby nodded. He started to drum his fingers on his cane, "I have heard that some trauma victims construct protections or shields to protect their minds from the damage and scars of the trauma, even beings. But usually, those defenses take a shape relative to the victim. Does archery or an archer mean anything to you, Miss Rose?"

Ruby shook her head. "I, I don't know anyone who uses a bow and arrow."

"And you've never had an encounter with an archer?"

"I-. There was the student, I fought. She arrived with, Jau-."

"Take your time," Ozpin smiles, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Ruby took a deep breath. "She arrived with Jaune when I attacked CRDL. The other team fought me, then they arrived."

"Ah, you're talking of miss Yale, of APCS. Her team was assigned to watch JNPR."

Ruby turned her head to glance at the headmaster. "Why am I dreaming of her?"

"I do not know, Miss Rose. She fought you and helped drive you away from a battle. Maybe you're subconscious has taken her as a protective figure and applied it to defend you. I cannot say for certainty, however."

Ozpin smiles and turned to Ruby. "But a discussion for later, with Miss Amaranth-Gran. Are you nervous?"

Ruby looked away from the headmaster. They were sitting in the bleachers of one of the training halls, the battle stage arranged with an Atlesian obstacle course of running, climbing, balancing, and mock-combat elements. On some of the courses, robots stood ready to test her; shivers wracked Ruby's bodies looking at the ones with test weapons.

Laying on one of the rows near the stage was Blake, deep asleep, with Sun and his blue-haired partner sitting beside her; the blonde Faunus glancing up at Ruby and giving her encouraging smiles. By the stage Qrow, Ironwood, Goodwitch, and Epimetheus were talking, occasionally throwing looks at the two. Her uncle and professor looked angry while the Atlesian general looked confident; Epimetheus was expressionless.

Ruby dropped her gaze and nodded. "Do I have to do this, sir?"

"I'm afraid so, Miss Rose," Ozpin nodded. "We need to test you to see if you can continue as a Huntress, and if have recovered to start partaking in the physical classes again."

"But-" Ruby looked again at the armed robots. "I, I don't think I can be a Huntress again. I, I can't-"

"This is not a combat test, Miss Rose. We are not asking you to use a weapon. This is simply to test your speed, endurance, agility, and reflexes."

"Then why do the robots have weapons?"

"Because Atlas is stringent in their ways and this is one of their courses," Ozpin said with a laugh and a cheeky grin; Ruby returned the grin. "I would have much rather done this without the 130-Knights, but James is the most stringent of the stringent I'm afraid. He believes it will help you in your recovery if you deal with armed obstacles that will pose no real threat and that you do not have to attack or destroy. There is merit in that thinking, but perhaps a little too soon."

"Is that why Uncle Qrow and Professor Goodwitch are angry with him?"

"Your uncle is either always angry at, or provoking James, I'm afraid. But yes, that is the reason this time."

Ruby smiled softly, that sounded like her uncle. Her smile dropped as she looked at the obstacle course. "I, still don't think I, should be a Huntress anymore. I, I don't deserve to."

"Because you took lives?" Ozpin asked. Ruby nodded. The headmaster nodded solemnly and closed his eyes. "You are not the first Huntress to do so, nor will you be the last. Many people have lost their lives to our weapons, be it accident or conscious."

"But I killed people, because-. Because-."

"Because someone came to you in a vulnerable state and whispered lies into your ear, misleading you to a conclusion that you now know was untrue? Again, you are not the first person to kill on lies and manipulation. And the fact that you feel remorse, that you feel that your actions deem you inadequate to become a Huntress proves something that warms my heart."

"Wh-what is that?" Ruby asked, meeting Ozpin's eye.

"That you are more qualified to be a Huntress than most I know." He smiled. The teen blinked, his words going through her head but not making any sense.

"How-. How can I be more qualified to be a Huntress? I killed someone. I killed my friend!"

"That is why. You have taken a life, and you know what that does to a person emotionally and mentally. This had made your wiser to the nature of the world that many of your peers and even those older than you. The role of a Huntsman or Huntress is not simply dealing with the Grimm. It is defending humanity and Faunus-kind from all threats, including themselves. This, unfortunately, means that you will come into conflict with people, and lives will be lost.'

'You, Miss Rose, will know what that means. And so every action you take will be made with the protection of others, as well as the cost of death, in mind."

Ruby stared at the headmaster with her mouth agape. He, really believed that. He believed that her killing Pyrrha made her a better Huntress. She shook her head and looked away, he had to be wrong. She killed someone because she had been told some lies that anyone could see were through. Ruby didn't deserve to be a Huntress. She didn't deserve to be here, in Pyrrha's place.

Ozpin rested a hand on her shoulder. "I know you don't believe me right now. Old age gives us wisdom that makes little sense to our youth. But I believe what I just told you to be true, and I believe in you. I hope that one day, you can believe it as well."

The headmaster patted her shoulder and stood. He gave her a smile, then left, leaving Ruby alone. She thought on what Ozpin said, his words going round and round in her head. How could he believe she would be a great Huntress after killing Pyrrha. Killing someone made her a killer, and killers should be put in jail, not treated with care and helped to recover.

Ruby looked down at the group by the stage, her eye settling on the graying redhead standing back from the crowd, watching the others talk. The teen could not understand why she was here, trying to help her. Ruby killed his daughter, shouldn't he be demanding the teen be punished. The same for Goodwitch. Ruby killed a student and tried to kill more. Qrow she could understand, he was her uncle. And she didn't know Ironwood enough to know why he was helping her.

Ruby sniffled. She didn't understand why they were helping her, after what she did. She didn't understand. Didn't understand what Ozpin meant, why he believed what he said. Why?

A hand settled on Ruby's shoulder and her back, someone leaned in for an open hug. Ruby jumped away from them, her breath going frantic wondering who it was; She thought someone had come to hurt her, to kill her in revenge. Maybe it was Blake, her mind whispered, coming to see if she was ok.

No one was there, the seats next to her were empty. All of the seats around her were empty. Ruby looked around frantically, panic setting in. Who-

Hands gripped her shoulders, gently. Warmth radiated from them, a soothing feeling that still Ruby's breathing and heartbeat. The person laid their face on the back of Ruby's head, whispering with a voice as calm as a winter's day and sharp as a bowstring strung, yet with a thunder of stampeding horses.

"Because Pyrrha wanted you to live. That was her wish. Your family and friends love you, and so did she. Face this darkness and live, for her."

A tear fell from Ruby's eye as she took a shuddering breath. She raised her hand to touch the person's hand but felt nothing but herself. She spun around and again found no one. Again she looked around the bleachers, looking for who had just whispered to her, but there was no one near her.

"Miss Rose?"
Ruby snapped to the stage. Everyone was looking at her, her uncle and professors concerned while Ironwood and Epimetheus looked judgingly curious.

"Is everything alright, Miss Rose?" Ozpin asked. Ruby looked around the bleachers again, then ran her hands through her hair.

"Ruby?" Qrow asked, softer yet more concerned than the headmaster.

"Y-Yeah," Ruby stuttered, then put on a small smile. "Just tired, and nervous."

The adults let out sighs, Qrow, Goodwitch, Ozpin, and Ironwood smiling in return.

"That's understandable Miss Rose," the General said, then gestured to the obstacle course. "When you're ready, we'll begin."

Ruby nodded shakily, and with another look around the bleachers made her way down the stairs.

Hello everyone.

I was afraid I wouldn't get this out on time, but I'm glad I didn't write a bad panicked chapter. Yay.

So, the next chapter, the obstacle course. And we'll see what else happens along the way.

So see you all next time, which sadly won't be for a while for this Fic. Hopefully, I can get the chapter out quicker.

Next Chapter: November 17th