Chapter 6: Sow the Death and Reap the Seed
For a moment, they just stared at each other as the man patiently waited for Ruby's answer.
"Uh...no?" Their suited guest blinked, clearly not expecting that response.
"No? May I ask why not?"
"Well I don't mean to be uh, mean. But who are you? I don't think I'm supposed to talk about it with strangers." Grey brows lifted in comprehension.
"You...don't know who I am?" At Ruby's sheepish nod, the man looked like he was resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose.
"Well this is just embarrassing." he muttered to himself. He straightened up and placed a hand on his chest.
"Then let us start at the beginning. I am Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Huntsman Academy." Both girls' eyes widened in realization.
"You're in charge of the hero school?!" the eight year old exclaimed, hands clasped to her chin in excitement. The headmaster visibly struggled to contain his amusement at this display.
"Well, I've never heard it described in those terms, but yes." Her uncle stepped in before she could get her motor mouth started and derail the conversation with a hundred questions.
"Oz here isn't just our old headmaster, he's also kind of my boss, and he's the person I called for advice about your Semblance. It's okay for you to tell him about it Ruby."
"Before that, it's pretty silly for us to just be standing around while talking about this." her Dad interrupted. "Could I get you something to drink Professor? We just made some iced tea, though I can brew some coffee for you if you prefer."
The headmaster settled into the armchair across from Ruby with a grateful smile. "You graduated from being one of my students long ago, and are now a teacher in your own right Taiyang. You can just call me Ozpin. And iced tea sounds lovely, thank you."
...
Professor Ozpin proceeded to question Ruby about what she had learned about her Semblance so far, his queries punctuated by contemplative sips of iced tea. He examined each of the items she had made, the storage rose holding his interest in particular. His interview was thorough, and revealed certain details that her family, and even Ruby herself hadn't considered or had taken for granted.
"And this 'Grimm Essence' as you call it, you're able to gather it from both defeated Grimm and negative emotions?"
"Yeah, I mean, there's some small differences, but it's basically all the same to my Semblance."
"Hmm, how enlightening." Qrow looked over at his superior's murmuring.
"How so?" The professor obliged and adopted the practiced air of a lecturer.
"Despite the endless years spent by mankind attempting to understand our oldest foe, the true nature of the Grimm has always been an elusive mystery. There have been countless theories put forth, with no means of providing proof one way or the other." He paused to quench his thirst once more, before continuing.
"One of these theories is that the reason the Creatures of Grimm are attracted to our negative emotions is because they feed upon it in place of physical sustenance, through a process that we cannot see. If young Ruby here is correct, then this theory might have just been proven true. The Grimm don't just use our darker natures to find us, but to fuel their growth and strengthen themselves as well."
"So even with the Grimm, we're our own worst enemies. The only way to stop feeding them is for everyone in the world to be happy and content." Her uncle gave a dark chuckle at that revelation. "Like that's ever going to happen."
"Before we start making plans to reshape the world, I believe I should continue with my questions." Ozpin attempted to move past that depressing thought. "Now, you've already told me that you can gather and shape negative emotions, so that must mean that you're able to sense them in some way. Can explain what that is like?"
"Uh, sure." The tip Ruby's tongue poked out of the corner of her mouth in concentration. "Well, using my own is easy. Whenever I'm feeling bad, and I don't want to, I just take it away and turn it into Essence. When other people are feeling it, if I concentrate really hard, then I can feel the Essence coming from them, kind of like heat and light from a fire. And I absorb whatever touches my Aura, like a plant with sunlight, only y'know, darker."
"Whoa whoa, hold on." Her father held up a worried hand, "Are you saying that you can force yourself not to feel those emotions?"
His daughter tilted her head, not seeming to see anything wrong with this, "Yes?"
"That's-!"
"Something we should address after we've learned all of her Semblance's mechanics." Ozpin gently cut him off. He turned back to Ruby as both adults struggled to remain silent. "To expand on that, are you able to drain the negative emotions of others as well as yourself? Are you able to sense the presence of regular Grimm as well as your constructs? And can you drain Essence from Grimm that are still alive?"
"Uh..." Ruby blinked at the burst of questions, "I don't know, I haven't really tried any of those things. I really need to concentrate to find other sources of Essence, and I still can't "see" very far when I do."
The green clad professor nodded in acceptance despite the lack of information, then got up and paced over to the nearest window. He stared out into the afternoon with an unfocused gaze, humming in contemplation with occasional slurps of tea.
Everyone just kind of stared at him for a bit before Yang whispered out of the side of her mouth, "What just happened, why's he just standing there and ignoring us?"
"Don't worry about it, he's just in his 'pondering mode'. He'll get back to us soon." Qrow waved off her concern, before focusing on Ruby with a steely glint in his eye. "In the meantime, I believe you were asking me to take you Grimm Hunting before we were interrupted?"
"Uh, yes?" The crimsonette didn't look so certain anymore. "Although now I'm wondering if it's even safe for me to harvest Grimm parts."
"I don't think that'll be a problem, though we'll let Oz have the final word on that. Regardless of your Semblance, we'll have to let you go out and start killing Grimm at some point. It's the biggest part of being a Huntress after all."
"Just because she'll go out Hunting at some point, doesn't mean she has to start now." her Dad countered with a frown. "Ruby, I know you've got a good grasp of your Aura already, and you killed those two Beowolves by yourself without getting hurt. But the Grimm that you'd find out on even a short trip are much more dangerous. You're still years away from even starting combat school, you don't need to rush into this."
"While it isn't strictly necessary, I do think that it should be done, with the proper supervision." They all turned their heads as Professor Ozpin returned from his brainstorming session. "I'm sure that Qrow is more than capable of keeping her safe from even Elder Grimm. It would be for the best if Ruby learns as much as she can about her Semblance as soon as possible, so that steps can be taken to mitigate any potential complications. And she will need to experiment with its effects on the Grimm to do so."
The senior Huntsman put down his empty glass with some clinking from the half melted ice cubes, and planted his cane firmly before him. He looked as though he was about to make an official pronouncement, and they all straightened up to listen. "My advice to you is this. The majority of Miss Rose's abilities should be kept secret, which shouldn't be too difficult, as Semblances are usually treated as personal subjects regardless."
"If an explanation is needed, then just say that her Semblance puts the Grimm she kills into stasis. It's even true, though not the whole truth, and will give an explanation for whatever items she makes from their bodies. But most people are unlikely to react positively to the Essence manipulation and its implications, so it should only be kept between people you trust."
Ozpin fixed the girls with a stern stare, "This isn't something you can just tell a schoolyard friend with a pinky promise to keep it secret. It can only be entrusted to those who can trust with your lives." He waited until they nodded before turning to the adults.
"Although with that said, I would like your permission to bring Professor Port into this. He's our foremost expert in the field of Grimm study, and he should be able to provide more insights and support than myself. And who knows how far Ruby's contributions could advance his research."
"Pete? Yeah, I guess we could trust him with this. Never struck me as much of a scientist, but he's a fun guy to have around, so I think the kids would appreciate him." Taiyang nodded his assent.
"Thank you, I'm sure he'll be happy to help. And if you can provide me with some Grimm materials for him to run tests on, I'm sure he'll be extremely appreciative." Ozpin inclined his head. "As I understand it, you're still in the formative portion of your training. Since I will need some time to make the necessary arrangements anyway, feel free to continue as you were until either I or Peter contact you again. Meanwhile, Miss Rose, I would appreciate it if you were to try to find out if you're capable of the things I asked about earlier, and keep me informed of what you learn."
"And lastly…" He dropped to one knee in front of Ruby so that he wasn't looming over her, and his voice softened. "I think it would be for the best if you refrained from using your Semblance on your own emotions from now on." Her brows furrowed, and for a second he wondered if she was upset from his suggestion.
"But, why?" She hugged herself, clearly uncomfortable at the prospect of arguing with someone that her guardians clearly respected, but doing so nonetheless. "Isn't being scared or angry supposed to be a bad thing? I don't like feeling those things either, so why shouldn't I get rid of them, especially if it makes me stronger?"
Ozpin considered his words very carefully. Ruby's straightforward, childish logic had a point, and he needed to phrase his argument in a way that she would understand and accept, to keep her from a potentially damaging path. "Tell me Ruby, why do we feel pain?" The eight year old blinked in confusion.
"Huh?"
"Why do we feel pain?" he patiently repeated. "It's hardly a pleasant sensation, and we go through a lot of effort to avoid it. But why does it happen in the first place?" Ruby opened and closed her mouth a few times, having clearly never questioned this before, nor did she understand how it related to what they had been talking about. Thankfully, Ozpin didn't drag this lesson out.
"Pain is your body's way of signaling injury so that you can treat it, and so that you will avoid the same kind of harm in the future. In the same way, being upset is only a symptom of a greater issue.
Despite what some people might say, emotions such as fear, anger, sadness, and their variations are not inherently bad. They are a normal, and occasionally even necessary, part of life. They can give you the drive to pull through drastic situations when nothing else can, and they keep you from ignoring your problems."
Overcoming your negative emotions is not a matter of ignoring them entirely, but controlling them in a mature and responsible way. This is especially important for someone with all of the powers and responsibilities of a Huntress." Ruby blinked before gnawing on her bottom lip in thought. None of the adults pushed her, knowing that it was a lot for someone her age to digest.
"I…think I get it? It's like, if I just use my Semblance whenever I'm unhappy, then I'm just running away from my problems. I'll try not to use it like that anymore if you don't think I should." Ozpin smiled at her, but shook his head.
"I'm don't have the right to ban you from using your own Semblance Ruby. I'm merely advising you not to use it thoughtlessly, and to give yourself time to consider what your emotions are trying to tell you before you take action."
The headmaster pulled out and flipped open a pocket watch on a silver chain, and gave a weary sigh. "The world turns and duty calls. I'm afraid I'll have to excuse myself for today." He gave his hosts a grateful smile, "Thank you all for your hospitality." Brown eyes twinkled as he turned to the girls, "I wish you luck in all your future endeavors, and I hope to see both of you in the halls of my Academy one day."
Goodbyes were exchanged and he shook hands his former students. With a hastily wrapped package of Creep parts from the workshop tucked under his arm, the Professor departed with as little ceremony as when he arrived. Wait, Ruby tilted her head, how's he going to get back? I didn't hear a car. And how did he get here in the first place? Before she could follow him outside to find out, her Dad closed the door and turned to her.
"So, Grimm hunting huh?" At the mention of her request, her questions about the mysterious teacher took a back seat. "Well, Ozpin did have a point about Qrow being able to keep you safe. From anything on Patch anyways, and as long as you keep it limited to day trips."
"Yeah, and I'll be there to watch your back too!" Yang, who had been unusually subdued while Professor Ozpin was present, finally piped up. Although their uncle was quick to dampen her enthusiasm.
"Whoa slow down there Firebrand, I'm not ready to babysit two of you in the middle of a Hunt if I don't have to."
"What?! But-!"
"'But' nothin'. You're progressing quickly, but you've had your Aura for less than a month, and even a normal Beowolf would knock it out in just a couple of hits. Besides, you don't even have a proper weapon yet. Were you planning to punch the Grimm to death?"
The blonde crossed her arms with a sulky frown. "Well maybe I'll get strong enough to do just that, just to show you that I can!" Taiyang barked a laugh at her stubborn proclamation and slapped her on the back.
"While doing it just to spite Qrow isn't the best motivation I've ever heard, I can relate. And if you're really serious about it, I can give you some specialized lessons while you're sister and uncle are doing their thing. How's that sound?" Yang gave a considering nod, slightly mollified by the offer.
"Speaking of weapons," Qrow continued while turning to Ruby, "you're honestly not much better off either. Those daggers of yours might be usable against small fry, but against some of the bigger Grimm out there, you might as well be using toothpicks. And I'd feel a lot better about this whole venture if you had something to keep your distance from the bloodthirsty monsters. And despite what I said, I don't want the yellow drama queen over there to feel left out."
"So for tomorrow…" He gave one of his patented trickster grins, "How about we try to get you two some proper firepower?"
…
Glowing red eyes narrowed against the glare of the sun as the Beowolf pack stalked out of the shade of the forest canopy and into the open clearing. While the rank and file plodded out of the cover devoid of caution or care, the pack leader, not quite a full Alpha despite its bulk, at least gave a cursory examination of their surroundings.
Despite this, it remained unaware of the fact that Death had it in her sights. Ruby kept her breaths slow and even as she shifted the rifle to continue tracking the distant pack leader. Her raised hood shaded her eyes as she peered through the simple scope, crosshairs fixed on center mass.
The prone girl was positioned on the crest of a hill overlooking the clearing, hidden by the tall grass and the distance. Her slight form was molded to the hunting rifle in her arms, the red wood stock firmly set against her shoulder and her finger resting alongside, but not on, the trigger. Her uncle was lounging next to her, flask in one hand and a pair of pocket binoculars in the other.
"Looks like our quarry has arrived. What's your first target going to be?"
Ruby twisted a knob to adjust the focus of her scope, "Well you should always take out the big one first right?"
Qrow gave an approving nod, "That's usually a good choice, especially with Beowolves. Since they're pack hunters, taking out the leader will usually disorganize them, making it easier to clear out the chaff. But it's not always the best strategy. For example, Ursai are more independent and take longer to kill, so while the big guy is tanking your shots, its partners'll close in on you. It really depends on your opponents and the circumstances, but you'll learn about that later. Now take the shot when you're ready, and don't forget to take the wind and bullet drop into account."
"How do I do that exactly?"
"How am I supposed to know? I never mastered the sniper rifle." Her unhelpful spotter carelessly shrugged. "Just do your best, you'll learn better by doing anyway." Ruby rolled her eyes in annoyance but elected to focus on leading her target instead of sassing her uncle.
Shortly after Ozpin's visit, Qrow had made a day of taking them into town for a very particular kind of shopping trip. Their primary destination was the weapon shop that their uncle always used to restock on ammo and spare parts whenever he stopped by Patch.
Since he was a regular customer and was, quote, "Bringing you future business in the form of two of the greatest Huntresses the world will ever see!" he managed to convince the owner to let them use the store's firing range for free, only paying for the ammunition they used. Which still ended up costing him a good chunk of his latest mission reward, since they tried out nearly every type of gun in stock, only being kept away from the heavy weapons and explosives.
Pistols, shotguns, rifles, machine guns, bows, and crossbows. Bolt action, pump action, semi-automatic, automatic, and burst fire. Hours of cacophonous, destructive fun and who knows how many bullets, shells, and paper targets sacrificed to the cause of finding an appropriate firearm. A painful decision, since the budget that their Dad left them with was only enough for one quality weapon for each of them.
Yang quickly fell in love with the pump action shotgun, showing a maniacal grin at the oiled ka-chack and a laughing "Whoa..." after the recoil nearly knocked her off her feet. By comparison, Ruby used her indecisiveness as an excuse to get her hands on as many implements of destruction as possible. Her ultimate choice was already shown by her current circumstances.
Ruby lifted the polished bolt lever and pulled it back, the springs in the bottom of the magazine pushing its first bullet into the receiver before it was slid home. She released a breath and held it, her Aura suffusing the rifle and priming the Dust within the bullet casing. Between one deliberate beat of her heart and the next, her finger squeezed the trigger.
The spiraling projectile eagerly leapt from the barrel, the speed of its passage outstripping the thunder it left in its wake. The lead Beowolf's ears pricked up in response, before its head craned down to stare at the blood spurting from the hole in its chest. It wasn't until the second shot hit that it understood: it was already dead.
The pack scrambled in confusion and what could be described as panic. Two more of their number fell before their assailant was located. The first howl rallied their attention, and they charged towards the hill as a mindless screaming mob.
Ruby fired as swiftly as she could, her Semblance and the repetitive motion of the bolt keeping her urgency in check. This was why she chose the bolt action. It forced her not to rush and to make every shot count, as shown by the trail of struck down beasts that was forming before her, her targets heedless of their dead and dying comrades that they trampled past.
Despite her onslaught, the last two survivors closed to engagement range. She rose to her feet, undaunted, the bone bayonet attached to the rifle's end gleaming wickedly in the daylight. Rather than using it to fend them off, she leapt forward and speared the lead monster in the chest.
A metallic click was the only warning it got before the rifle was fired into it at point blank range, the shot erupting from its back in a messy spray. The lifeless body was leveraged to the side, revealing the final member of the pack, standing frozen in indecision.
For a moment, all they could do was stare at each other, girl and Grimm. Even as she took aim once more, the Beowolf remained still, seeming to understand the futility of resisting.
But this moment was broken when the trigger clicked on empty. Ruby blinked in shock, and the Beowolf's narrowed eyes flicked between the not so helpless girl, and the man holding the very shiny and very big sword behind her.
It immediately spun around, lashing out with a backhanded swipe as it did so. The novice sniper brought her weapon up in a block, but the row of spines on the side of the Grimm's forearm hooked the barrel and tore it from her grasp.
Ruby stumbled from the force of the blow but caught herself before she could fall over, even as her gun fell into the grass. As the Beowolf dropped down to all fours to flee as quickly as possible, she grit her teeth in a snarl.
You're not getting away. The thorn covered vine loosened from around her arm and uncoiled out of her sleeve. Moving more on instinct than thought, she gripped the base of the tendril and whipped it forward.
The monochrome line lashed out and wrapped itself around the retreating throat. Where before the thorns didn't so much as scratch their mistress' porcelain skin, they now bit deep into their victim's flesh, and the Beowolf's spine bowed back as its flight was cruelly arrested.
For a few seconds filled with agonized choking, the Beowolf pulled against the strangling grip, which of course only tightened the noose. But once it understood what was happening, it turned back to the source of its restraint with a desperate lurch, its jaws distending wide open like an eel trying to swallow her whole.
But Ruby just used the slack to remove the tendril from its neck with a flick of her wrist, whipping its leading paw out from under it in the same motion to send it face planting into the dirt.
And by the time it managed to raise its head from the soil, it was too late to do anything about the cloaked assailant rushing towards it with an upraised dagger in her grip.
…
"Well I think this haul will keep you occupied for a good while, don't you?" Qrow grunted as he tightened the last Beowolf fur bundle and stacked it with the others. Despite the surprisingly light weight of the Grimm bone, their spoils were bulky enough that hefting it all back home in one go would be a challenge. He honestly wasn't used to this, if anything Grimm hunts were supposed to leave you lighter than you started, depleted of ammunition and supplies.
He turned to find his niece absorbing the last of the spare Grimm Essence. She was starting to resemble a bipedal rose bush, with her strange Grimm plant now draping over her narrow shoulders with multiple tendrils and sporting new blossoms.
Just as he was wondering how she was going to hide such a suspicious sight from other people, the exposed brambles retreated underneath her shirt. It left only the original bracelet and a seemingly normal rose bloom tucked behind her ear, the stem trailing down the nape of her neck hidden by her hair. He decided it was actually a rather pretty look for his almost tomboyish niece. And with the amount of control over it she's just shown, I don't think I have any reason to worry.
She finally turned to him distractedly, fiddling with the rifle she cradled in the crook of her arm. She had immediately checked it for damage after finishing off the last of the Beowolves, only finding a single inconsequential scratch. But even this seemed to bother her.
"Huh? Oh yeah, we really got a lot out of this. Thanks for tracking them down and setting this up Uncle Qrow, I really learned a lot."
"Heh, I didn't really do that much. But speaking of what you learned." He took a seat on one of the rolled up hides. "Are you ready to talk about what happened in that fight?"
Ruby sighed, "I lost count of the bullets in my magazine, and then I lost my weapon, I know." Pulling her hood up did little to hide the blush on her pale cheeks.
"Well that might have been what happened, but do you know why?" The question had her shrinking in on herself even more, and the hood shook slightly.
"It's because you got cocky and rushed in without keeping track of your surroundings, only focused on taking out the enemy in front of you. Though that's pretty excusable, considering how badly you were kicking their butts before that. And you did it without getting hurt, which is better than I did in my first hunt." He made a show of examining his fingernails while she perked up. "With a bit of polish, you'll probably be able to handle this sort of thing on your own sooner than I thought."
That got her smiling again. "So does that mean I can go with you on an actual mission soon?" The sheer audacity of that query nearly knocked him from his perch. If it weren't for her endearingly hopeful smile, he might have thought she was messing with him.
"Geez, give the kid an inch and she'll take a mile." he muttered to himself before raising his voice. "No, absolutely not. Even if you were ready for it, your Dad would skin me alive if I tried to take you off the island!" He crossed his arms and turned his head away for good measure. Ruby needed to understand that he was drawing the line here!
"Aw come on Uncle Qrow!" she whined pitifully. "At least tell me what I have to do to be ready for it, please? Please, please, please, please, pleeeeeease?"
The veteran Huntsman, having put his foot down, stayed firmly resolute in his decision...until he made the mistake of glancing at his opponent and promptly received a full dose of eight-year-old pleading face. Complete with shining puppy dog eyes and quivering lips.
Damn it, you can face down horrors that would make lesser men drop dead from fear, but this is what brings you down? He gave a defeated sigh, before laying out his terms.
"Alright, here's what you gotta do. First, you go through all of your training me and your Pops tell you to do, no wincing, no whining, and you give it a hundred and ten percent. And I'm not just talking about fighting, cause this means I'll have to give you an early start on wilderness survival on top of what we're already doing."
Ruby tilted her head, but nodded. "I'm not sure how you're supposed to give more than a hundred percent, but I'll do my best!" He snorted a laugh in response.
"That's all I ask. You need to master your weapons, Aura, and survival skills enough not to satisfy my standards, but Tai's, because you're going to be the one who has to convince him to let you do this." He had to suppress a grin at her reaction to that news. Getting Taiyang to approve this recklessness would be more monumental than any possible training regimen.
"And last but not least..." His protege turned to him with such wariness that he almost regretted laying down his last condition. Almost. "Don't think you can skip out on your regular schooling just because you're a big bad Grimm slayer now. If we're going to have enough time to go on one of my missions before your vacation ends, then you're going to have to finish all of your Summer reading and homework early!"
The high pitched cry of despair that echoed through the trees sent their feathery occupants fleeing into the sky, chased by over-dramatic, diabolical laughter.
