The forest had finally broken and in the distance, they could see the towering structures of Mistral standing high on the horizon. They would arrive by the end of the day if they kept their current pace.
Pulling out her rifle, Ruby focused her sights and scanned the surrounding. No Grimm as far as she could see, but she wasn't taking chances. Some Grimm could hide and camouflage into their surroundings with ease and she couldn't quite remember where they came from.
Weiss would have known and probably have smacked her for not knowing. Lectured her about paying attention in class and called her a Dolt while Ruby would just smile and aggregate her more. Then she would promise to pay attention to Professor Port next time while really they both she would zone out immediately and copy Weiss's notes later.
They were partners after all.
Still as long as they were careful and kept their guard up, her knew team would be fine. They were Huntsman after all. Just huntsman who had graduated a little earlier than planned.
"See anything," Jaune asked her as she put away her weapon.
"Nothing obvious. We should make it to Mistral within the day." She turned giving the group a mock scowl. "Of course it would have been earlier but someone decides to let me sleep in."
"But you were just so cute," Nora swooned, enveloping the girl in a tight hug. "In your little rose pyjamas. How could we have possibly woken up such an adorable little-"
"Okay okay. Geez you're worse than Yang..." she said blushing. "You should have still woken me up."
"And you shouldn't have taken extra watch time."
"I think I liked it better when you were quiet Ren," she muttered without venom. "Let's just get moving."
The group trudged their way through the knee high snow, upper leg for Ruby. Jaune led the way, the best for clearing a path for them to follow. It was hard going but he didn't complain. Jaune claimed that if they were attacked it was best to keep the three best fighter as energized as possible.
Ruby followed close behind, keeping her sharp eyes darting around the landscape for any tell-tale sign of black that signified Grimm. The snow made it easy enough, Grimm fur didn't blend well in the white. The young girl tried to ignore the fact that red blended in just as well as black.
Ren had the best senses, barring sight obviously so he followed in third. If anything were to slip by Ruby's watchful eye, he would notice it. Still Ruby knew the snow hampered his ability to move as freely as he would have liked.
And Nora brought up the rear. If anything tried to sneak up on them, she could send it flying. It also allowed her to talk to them all and keep them in high spirits. Ruby had no idea how she remained so optimistic but was grateful for it none the less.
That was how they had been travelling for weeks now. Sometimes they changed it up but this seemed to be the best option so far. Sometimes Ruby wondered how Team RWBY would have travelled if they had making this journey. Weiss would probably go first, using Dust to clear a path. Blake would be behind her, her Faunus ears even sharper than Ren's. And Yang would be at the back making jokes about watching their rears until Ruby was blushing, Weiss was yelling and Blake was trying to suppress a smile.
It felt almost disingenuous to be thinking of her old team so often but Ruby couldn't help it. She had used to dream about the adventures Team RWBY would have together. This mission they would undertake, the bad guys they would fight and even after they graduated, they would stick together. It was hard to accept that it would never come to pass.
And although Ruby felt guilty she knew that the rest of her new team would give almost anything if Pyrrha was with them instead of her.
"Wait," Ren said suddenly. "I hear something."
The group stopped quickly all straining to listen past the sound of the wind. It was faint but Ruby could just make out the sound that had drawn Ren's attention. The growling of Grimm.
"Which way?" she said.
Ren paused as he worked it out before pointing to their right. The group didn't need telling twice as they all headed towards the source of the sound. Grimm this close to the city could only mean one thing. Someone needed their help.
Gunfire soon joined the sound of Grimm. Low calibre bullets that didn't sound like they were Aura infused. Whoever these people were, they were not Huntsman. They didn't have much time.
Glancing over her shoulder at her team mates, Jaunes determined expression turned to one of horror as he realised what she was about to do.
"I'm sorry."
"Ruby don't-"
His words were met with a flurry of rose petals.
The roars of Grimm and gunfire echoed loudly through the snow top field but Jaune Arc didn't hear them. He didn't hear the rest of his team mates yelling for him to slow down or how heavy his breath was. All he heard was the pounding in his head as he repeated the words Ruby had just said. The same words words Pyrrha had said before she had died.
This couldn't be happening. Not again.
"Jaune wait for us."
Ren and Nora were close behind him but the heavy snow impeded their speed preventing them from catching him. He was taller and it slowed him less but still he couldn't hope to match Rubys speed, as she skipped over the ground without leaving a mark.
The sound of Crescent Rose pierced the air as Ruby engage the Grimm. Jaune could see the red blur as she blinked around the monsters as she fought to defend the soldiers. Ruby could handle herself. Jaune knew she could, but there was a lot of Grimm for one person to face alone.
Attached to shield, his scroll beeped and Jaune saw that it had entered the range to detect Rubys Aura. It was a third depleted. Logically he knew that it meant nothing. She had probably just burned a chunk of it using her semblance. The Grimm won't have even hit her yet. They probably never would.
But still he pushed himself even harder towards the horde of Grimm. He couldn't lose anyone else.
The first Ursa fell before it even realised she was there. The second one barely had time to react before it to meet her blade. Squeezing the trigger of her weapon, Ruby left the momentum carry her backwards into the path of a Beowolf. In one fluid motion, Ruby sliced her scythe through the air removing the head of the monster.
Three down, quite a lot to go.
In front of her the Grimm had circled back to regroup and were slowly starting to spread out. No sigh of an Alpha which was a small mercy in and of itself but it did mean these Grimm were moving without guidance. Much smarter than the ones that used to hunt around Patch. They must be fairly old.
Taking a moment, Ruby glanced behind her at people who had been defending themselves. About six of them. Their outfits look military and a few were taking cover behind a crashed jeep. The rest had started to approach her, their rifles trained on the Grimm.
"You're awfully young to be out here," one said who looked like their leader. "Not that we are complaining."
"My mom always thought it was best to start young," she quipped back. "Helps you get the practice in."
"She the one who taught you how to use that scythe?"
"Nah that was my uncle."
"Sounds like some family you got their red."
"My dad punches Grimm."
The man stared at her for a second before shaking his head.
"Hunters," he muttered. "Any your family happen to be nearby. You're good but I would rather not trust the fate of my men to one girl. No offence."
Repressing a humph of indignation, Ruby turned back to the Grimm.
"No family today," she confidently. "But my team will be here soon... Any minute now."
Unfortunately, the Grimm didn't look like they were going to give her that minute. Their growling had gotten louder and they had started moving closer now they had gotten a good look at Ruby. Their apprehension of her was giving way to their base nature to kill.
"Well I hope they get here soon," the man said before addressing his squad. "Concentrate your fire on any that get close but let the Huntress deal with the main bulk of them. Killing Grimm is what they do so give her room to do it."
It was nice they had such confidence in her. She glanced around trying to get a bead on their number but they kept moving making it difficult to count. Ruby gripped her scythe trying not to let her discomfort show. These were a lot smarter than she was used to.
With her semblance she doubted they would be able to touch her but it wasn't herself Ruby was worried about. These troops were depending on her and without the rest of her team here, she wasn't sure she could keep all the attention on her.
But she couldn't wait for the to get any closer. What was it Yang used to say, the best defence is a good offence. Smirking, Ruby threw Crescent Rose behind her, fired a round and flew head first into the Grimm.
As she fought against the horde, everything else faded away. It was always like this when fighting Grimm. Ruby could let her mind go blank and instinct would take over. She was still aware of her surroundings, at least aware to notice several Beowolves attempting to try their luck against the solders.
Extending out her scythe, she fired three rounds sending her light body into a whirlwind of blades. The few caught in her range soon dissolved to smoke and Ruby knew she had only moments before the others recovered.
Slamming her weapon into the ground to steady it, Ruby fired her rounds directly into the Beowolves ending their existence before they could reach the soldiers. She smiled as she tried to lift her weapon out of the ice but it soon vanished when all that happens was her own boots dug in more.
An Ursa roared and Ruby could do nothing as its claws were already carving towards her. Then a loud bang pierced the air and the beast was thrown back with a hole in its chest.
Ruby fired her weapon digging herself out of the ice and to safety in one movement. That gun. It had sounded high calibre, far more powerful than anything that the soldiers or even seen had on them. It had sounded familiar though, almost like... But her uncle was back on Patch. How could his gun be here?
There was no time to think about that though as the Grimm were already starting to advance towards her. Now though they may between her and the soldiers. That wasn't good enough, she couldn't protect them from here.
Staring directly at the Grimm, Ruby waited for them to come closer. She just had to keep the occupied a little long then the others would arrive. The Ursa's at the front growled as they approached her. Ruby narrowed her eyes waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
And then suddenly, they stopped. Ruby stared in disbelief as the Grimm that had just seconds before been desperate for blood now stood, whining and moaning as they avoided her eyes. Her silver eyes...
And then as one, the remains Grimm turned and fled. Ruby watched them go staring in shock as her uncle's words rang in her head. Had she done that? Had the Grimm been afraid of her?
"Ruby!"
Jaunes voice snapped her out of her daze and she turned to see the rest of the team arriving.
"Aww," Nora said. "Did we miss it?"
"Sorry Nora," Ruby grinned. "They must have seen you coming."
"They ran?" Ren asked through panting breaths. "Grimm don't run."
"They don't normally meet me though do they?"
Ruby laughed nervously at Nora's comment hoping that it didn't sound as forced as it was. She must have gotten away with it as Ren just shook his head at his partner's antics but Jaune was still staring darkly at the ground.
"Jaune," she said curiously. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he muttered. "It's fine."
Clearly it wasn't fine and even Ren and Nora were glancing at him. Before they could question him though, the soldiers had walked over to them.
"Well can't say I have ever seen something like that," the captain said. "But truth be told I say that every time I meet a Hunter."
Ruby grinned as she put away her weapon.
"Thanks."
"What are you doing out here?" Ren asked. "You seem rather under equipped for dealing with these Grimm."
"It used to be enough but the monsters are getting smarter," he replied shaking his head. "Managed to flip our jeep and overwhelm us before we could recover. If you hadn't arrived when you did, we would have been goners."
"You shouldn't think like that. It gives them strength."
"I know. May not be a hunter but I know enough about them to know how Grimm work. Doesn't change the truth though, we owe you our lives."
"Well I'm glad we could help," Nora said cheerily. "Any chance of a lift back to Mistral as a reward?"
"Nora."
"What? We've been walking for weeks."
"Weeks?" one of the soldiers said. "Where did you come from?"
"Atlas?"
"Can't be," another said darkly. "They aren't letting their hunters leave. Gotta be Vacou."
"We could just tell you," Jaune muttered. "Doesn't have to be a guessing game."
"Well which is it then?"
"Neither," Ruby said. "We came from Vale."
The guards suddenly got very quiet and Ruby noticed a few of them reach for their holstered guns. What was this about?
"Is that a problem?"
The captain sighed as he gestured for the soldiers to stand down. Most of them seemed relieved. They had just watch her run rings around the Grimm that had nearly killed them all. And now there were four of them.
"New protocol is to take all citizens of Vale in for questioning regarding the events of the Vytal festival. We are going to have to ask you relinquish your weapons and come with us." The man grimaced. "For our sakes, we hope you come quietly."