Legends:
Story Word Count: 9902
"And the Huntress slayed the mighty Nevermore, bringing the creature's head to it's knees. She walked back into the village, with her head held high and weapon placed away on her back." The woman read, a small girl sat on her lap.
"Then what happened, Mummy?" The child whispered.
"Then all the people cheered and thanked the Huntress, and the Mayor of the town gave the Huntress a medal, and everyone lived happily ever after." She smiled, laying the girl down.
"Mummy, do you think…" The child yawned. "Think it really happened?" She asked, and the woman nodded.
"Of course, my flower. Because all stories are just the memories that people forgot." The woman told her, looking into the girl's eyes.
"Are Huntsmen and Huntresses real?" The girl asked again, and the woman tucked her in.
"Yes, little Rose. But that's enough for tonight, time to sleep." She told the girl, who yawned again, and nodded.
"Night night Mum…" The child smiled as the parent closed the door slowly.
"Goodnight, my flower." She waved, and shut the door.
8 Years Later
"Mum! I'm taking Zwei on a walk, I'll see you soon!" An older child shouted, her short black hair tipped with red, and her silver-grey eyes glowing from the smile that graced her lips.
"OK, be careful, little Rose!" A voice called back.
"I will Mum!" The girl replied, and she looked outside, and the down to a small grey-white corgi at her feet. "Come on Zwei, let's go." She grinned, and slowly closed the door behind her, the dog let out an 'arf arf', and the girl giggled. She walked through the forest, giggling to herself as her dog ran through grass, jumping up and down to allow itself to see. She slowly headed through the forest, watching and laughing as the dog bounced. "Let's get home Zwei, I don't want Mum worrying about us." The girl spoke to the dog, which looked up at her, it's tongue hanging from it's mouth. They walked back, and she patted the dog's head as they came back upon the house. She twisted the key in the door, and then pushed it open. "Mum! I'm home!" She shouted in greeting, and she heard the stairs creak gently as she saw her mother walking down, wearing a white cloak that trailed behind her. "Hey Mum." She greeted again.
"How was Zwei, my flower, I hope he didn't cause you trouble." She said, and the girl shook her head.
"Nah, he was fine. He was running through the grass as usual, which is always pretty funny." The girl replied, grinning.
"Well, I'm cooking dinner, the usual chicken and chips. Go change, little Rose, get those muddy clothes off." Her mother said, and she nodded.
"OK Mum." She agreed, and raced upstairs.
4 Days Later
The mother glanced up from her seat in the living room when the doorbell sounded.
"Flower, would you be kind enough to get the door?" She asked her daughter who, looked up at her.
"Uh, yeah, sure." The girl spluttered, and stood up before rushing to their front door. She opened the door quickly, and saw a man with silver-gray hair stood there, his arms folded. "Um, hi?" She spoke, and the man looked her up and down.
"Are you Summer Rose?" He asked, his deep grey eyes looking at her boredly. "Well?" He asked her again, and she jumped as if he'd appeared from nowhere.
"Oh! Uh, no, I can get her for you though, if you want." The girl suggested, and he smiled eerily.
"Yes, that would be very useful, thank you." He grinned, and she walked away, leaving him stood there. She headed back in, and poked her head into the living room.
"Mum, there's a guy at the door asking for you." She informed her mother, who looked up from her book.
"Oh? And who is he?" She questioned, and the child shrugged her shoulders before answering.
"I dunno, he just asked if I was Summer Rose, so I said no and told him I'd get you for him." She replied calmly, and her mother's face turned stern.
"I need you to stay in here, little rose." She told her daughter calmly, and the girl looked at her in confusion, but complied.
"OK Mum." She said weirdly, and watched as her mother headed to the door calmly, her white cloak trailing behind her. She took a seat, but then quickly stood herself back up, placing an ear against the wall that blocked the hallway from her view.
"Are you Summer Rose?" The girl listened intently.
"Yes, and you two would be?" She heard her mother reply coldly, and her face held a look, partly of shock after hearing the usually caring voice sound so harsh, and partly of confusion of her mother mentioning a second person.
"Emerald Sustrai, and my colleague here is Mercury Black." Another female voice spoke up, solving the extra person confusion. "I assume you know why we're here?" The woman asked, and her mother laughed.
"Oh, I assumed you were just door-to-door salesmen." Her mother continued harshly, and the girl only continued listening, but her silver eyes were wide with shock. The girl stood up, and headed over to the hallway door.
"Mum? Is everything OK?" She asked, and her mother's head whipped around.
"Ruby, get back in the living room." Her mother ordered coldly, and the girl looked at her mother in shock at the use of her name.
"Mu-Mum?" Ruby questioned again.
"Go, Ruby." She ordered again, and Ruby headed back after seeing the look that her mother's face had held.
"Summer Rose, we're going to give you one chance to come with us, the Maiden does not wish for you to die." The other woman spoke up calmly, loudly, loud enough for Ruby to hear.
"I cannot do that, no matter what this Maiden wishes to happen." Ruby's mother replied, and Ruby let out a gasp of fear when she heard a loud 'CRACK', and her eyes widened.
"Mum?" She whispered, and she heard several heavy footsteps come from the hall doorway.
"What about the child?" The woman, Emerald, asked.
"Cinder's not asked us to do it, probably doesn't even know she exists, so I say leave 'er. She didn't look older than, like, fourteen." The man, Mercury, replied and the footsteps disappeared, leaving Ruby alone in the building. She rushed into and down the hallway, seeing her mother lying motionless at the entrance to her home.
"Mum!" Ruby exclaimed in panic. "Mum, Mum!" She spoke to her. "Why, wh-why'd they do that? Mum, answer me! Please!" She cried, tears rolling down her cheeks. Ruby looked down, seeing the blood dripping from the large gun wound in her mother's abdomen. "Mum! Please! Please please please please, don't go! I need you! I need you!" Ruby sobbed as her mother's white cloak was slowly stained by the liquid coming from the wound. Ruby cradled her mother in her arms, and slowly dropped in and out of consciousness, before finally falling into deep and troubled sleep.
The Next Day
Ruby felt herself being shook, and opened her eyes slowly before mumbling.
"Not yet Mum, not yet…" She mumbled, and rolled over, and felt herself being shook again. "Ugh, fi-AHH!" Ruby screamed as she noticed where she had been sleeping, and looked up to see a tall, blonde boy looking down at her in fear.
"Uh, Ruby, what happened here and why are you sleeping next to your mother who has a huge hole in her chest?" He exclaimed, and Ruby looked up at him, then down again.
"I… There were these two people… And they… They… They…" Ruby sniffed, tears welling up in her eyes again, and she wrapped herself around the boy. "Oh Oum, Jaune. They killed her, they killed my mother." Ruby spoke, her words muffled by his shoulder.
"Ruby, I… Do you know what they look like? So we can, like, report 'em to the police… Or something?" The blonde asked her, and she nodded.
"I… I only saw one, a-and he had grey hair and eyes… They said… They said their names were Mercury Black and Emerald Sustran… Or Sustree, or something." Ruby calmed herself, and Jaune looked her in the eyes.
"We have to go to the police, they'll find them." He informed her, and she nodded.
"Yeah. Let… Let me go get changed first…" She murmured, and ran up the stairs quickly, heading to her room. She quickly picked out a set of clothes, and paused for a moment before walking into her mother's bedroom, and opening her wardrobe, revealing two more white cloaks, and she pulled one out, clipping it to her outfit. She headed back down, and smiled weakly at Jaune before taking a deep breath.
"OK. Let's… Let's go." She spoke, her voice trembling.
"But, um… What do we do about… Well, you know, your mother?" Jaune replied, pointing to the woman in question, who still lied on the floor lifelessly.
"We'll… I'll bury her in the garden. She never liked being around too many people, so I don't think she'll want to be buried in a graveyard." Ruby spoke sadly, her eyes watering.
"If you need help-" He spoke up to suggest, but Ruby interrupted him.
"I'll ask if I need help, Jaune. Thanks." She smiled at him. They walked out, and Ruby locked the door behind them.
Two Days Later
Ruby stood at the small stone box she had fashioned, semi-buried in the ground. She placed a singular flower in front of it, a white rose, and she smiled.
"Mum, I'm going to find the man you told me about. The Last Huntsman, so I'll… I'll hopefully see you soon. Goodbye Mum." Ruby told it, a tear rolling down her cheek, and it dripped onto the ground. She stood up, and walked away slowly, a new, blood-red cloak flapping lightly in the wind. And the rose that was left behind began to seemingly dissolve, and its fragments scattered in the wind.
One Week Later
Ruby walked down the path, heading calmly through the forest, her cloak trailing behind her. She came upon a small woodland cottage, which had smoke billowing from its chimney, and light pouring from its windows. She strolled over to it, and knocked gently on the door. It opened slowly, and Ruby spoke up.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for a man who goes by the name of Ozpin, do you know him?" She asked, and the old-looking man who was stood there let out a chuckle.
"Of course, everyone here knows ol' Ozpin, I'll take you to him. Come inside." He said, and Ruby looked at him with curiosity, and then followed the man inside the building. He took a seat on a large armchair, and gestured for Ruby to sit on one opposite him.
"So, is there anyone else here?" Ruby asked, and the man laughed deeply.
"No, child, it is just myself, I hope you are not disappointed." He replied, and Ruby looked at him in confusion.
"But I thought you said that everyone here knows Ozpin?" She questioned, and the man nodded,
"Why they do. I know Ozpin." The man replied, and Ruby's eyes widened.
"Are… Are you Ozpin?" She said, but the man shook his head slowly.
"No, child. Though he is the man everyone would wish to be. He was a good friend of mine, I followed him for many years. But those times finished long ago, and I have been here for many years." The man chuckled to himself after he finished talking, and Ruby leaned forward.
"Do you know where to find him?" She asked the man, and he looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Why? Has he done something to wrong you?" He countered, and Ruby shook her head.
"No, I just… It's urgent that I see him." Ruby convinced, and the man stood up.
"Sadly, child, the last location he ever informed me of was a villa in the south of mainland Vacuo. However, he always leave clues in a code that can only be deciphered by those with the chart. Which I should have in here." The man spoke as he entered another room, a candle in his hand. "Ah, here it is. The way to decipher Ozpin's code. Look after it, child, you shan't find another." He informed her, and she nodded.
"Thank you… Um, I don't actually know your name. I'm Ruby Rose." She finally greeted him.
"Peter Port." They shook hands, and Ruby headed back to the door. "I wish you good luck in your search, child. Though I hope you find him quick, it could take you a long while." Peter told her, and she nodded.
"Thank you, Mr Port, so do I." Ruby said, and headed back down the path.
Six Days Later
Ruby looked at the dilapidated building, seeing the moonlight pouring into the structure through the collapsed roof. She noticed a set of stones laid out in the ground, just ahead of the building's entrance, and jogged over to it. She pulled the sheet of paper from her pocket, and studied it carefully, before looking at the stones again.
"Inside." She muttered to herself, and stepped into the building, as she saw a heavily damaged painting on the wall, and scrawled neatly on it were a few odd words. "OK, that translates to 'Handle on the Left'." Ruby spoke to herself, and glanced to her left to see a smooth wooden handle, and she pulled it down, and she heard the sound of a door unlocking. "How does that work?" She muttered, and looked over to see a door swinging open, and behind it was a map, with a location circled in red ink. "That's the south of Atlas. I guess I'll have to go there…" She whispered to herself, and she walked away.
Five and a Half Months Later
Ruby went all over Remnant in search of Ozpin, until she finally ended up in Vale, looking at a tall, glowing green clock tower, and it chimed once. Ruby pulled her scroll from her pocket, and smiled.
"Hm, two o'clock." She grinned, and she headed toward it. "If he's here, then I'm surprised no one found him earlier." She murmured to herself, and she ran down the hill, her cloak trailing behind her as she ran. It took her almost twenty minutes to reach the building, and she arrived at a large stone path. "Wo~ow…" Ruby gasped in awe, her mouth hanging open. She ran down the path, the sounds of her feet hitting the floor echoing around. She came up to what looked like a stage, and saw discarded microphone laying there. She walked over to it, and blew on it. Not only did it kick up dust, causing her to cough, it also sent through the microphone, and a grating sounded erupted noisily from the speakers before dying down as quickly as it had appeared. "Ow…" She groaned as she stopped coughing. She heard a attention-seeking cough come from behind her, and she turned on her heel to see a man stood there, his silver hair tousled and his narrowed brown eyes scanned her carefully. His hands were placed on a cane, but yet he seemed to put none of his weight on it.
"Greetings." He spoke calmly, and Ruby stood herself up from the floor.
"Are… Are you Ozpin?" Ruby asked him nervously, brushing the dust from her outfit.
"Hmm… Come with me, now would you. We have much to discuss, very much indeed." He told Ruby, and he walked down to her, past her and the stage, and continued onward. When he reached a doorway, he gestured for Ruby to follow him, and she did, dashing after the man hastily. She went inside, and found herself in a large hall, lined with benches and tables. Each item had extremely noticeable layers of dust covering them.
"What was this place?" Ruby asked, and the man looked over his shoulder at her.
"Beacon Academy, Vale's way of training Huntsmen. Though many only know it as the Beacon Tower." He spoke as they walked, and they came upon a set of stairs that looked infinitely tall. "This is the stairway that leads to the top of the tower. We, however, shall take the elevator. Far more efficient, if I do say so myself." The man chuckled, and Ruby couldn't help but laugh too.
"So, you are Ozpin." Ruby spoke, and the man nodded before replying.
"Let's save introductions for when we reach my office. It shan't be long." He told her, and they stepped into the elevator. They rose for almost a minute before it let out a little 'bing', and the doors slid open slowly. This revealed a large room with a desk, and a strange chair behind it, and a pair of more normal looking ones in front.
"Wow, you've really kept this place up-to-date." Ruby spoke with awe as she exited the lift, seeing several holographic lights bringing the room a green tint.
"Yes, though it did prove difficult." The man said as he took a seat at the desk. "So, let's start. What is your name?" He asked her, and Ruby took a seat too.
"I'm Ruby Rose." She answered, and he hummed.
"How old are you?" He continued.
"Fourteen, fifteen in a little over a month." She told him, and he nodded slowly.
"Why are you here?" He looked her in the eyes, his hands intertwined as he leant on his desk to look at her.
"Well… I want to be a Huntress." She replied, and he looked closer, and she felt as if he were looking into her soul.
"Why?" He questioned again, and she paused.
"I… I want to avenge my mother." She told him, and this caused him to shake his head.
"That will only lead to you becoming as bad as the ones that caused her death. Being a Huntress is about helping the helpless, defending the defenseless. Wanting to bring pain or suffering to a person will only bring that on yourself." He told her, and she looked at her feet in shame. "Your mother told you stories, yes?" He asked, as if he hadn't said what he had a few moments earlier.
"Um, yeah. Lots, especially when I was younger. Stories of heroes and monsters." Ruby smiled to herself, and Ozpin smiled unnoticeably too.
"Then I'm sure you know what those stories truly are. They're just the memories-" He began, and Ruby interrupted to continue.
"That people forgot. Yeah, she used to tell me that every time I asked if they were real."
"Although it does not apply to most stories, it certainly applies to nearly all about Huntsmen." He told her, and she looked at him.
"Mum used to say that the Last Huntsman was the one who was the most powerful of them all… Were- Are you?" She questioned him nervously, and he chuckled.
"The most powerful, no. No matter how much I'd like to believe it, no. But I was definitely the most prepared." He told her, and she looked at him in confusion.
"Why, what happened?" She said, and Ozpin sighed to himself.
"The governments of the world believed the Order of the Huntsmen was a threat, and ordered that all members be executed for treason against the Kingdoms. However, a friend of mine was also the leader of one of the Kingdoms, so he gave us a warning. However, we could not inform the rest of our Order, as it would have been too suspicious for all of them members to regroup suddenly. So myself and a good friend of mine managed to survive the 'Purge' as they called it. I have not seen her in many years." He said sadly, and Ruby looked at him in confusion.
"Huh? But when I was looking for you, I met a man who said he had served under you for many years." She told him, and he looked at her curiously.
"Hmm, did you get his name?" Ozpin replied, and she nodded.
"He said his name was Peter Port." Ruby said, and Ozpin nodded.
"Ah, Peter! Good to know he actually survived the Purge. I didn't believe he would have died, but the lack of contact gave me my suspicions." He seemed to breath a sigh of relief. "I'll have to find him, where was he?" He asked Ruby, and she paused.
"Uh, somewhere far south of Mistral, out in the forest." She replied, and he nodded.
"Good, good. Now, about your training. You're a little young, though I'm sure it doesn't matter if I break or bend the rules a small amount, there are barely ten of us after all." The old man joked, and chuckled. "Well. I'll find you a room, you can start you training within the week." He informed Ruby, whose lips widened into a smile.
Three Months Later
Ruby walked out of Beacon, and looked behind her to see Ozpin stood there, his hands behind his back.
"Ozpin, look, I'm sorry. But I have to find the people who killed her and bring them to justice." Ruby told him, and he shook his head slowly.
"Ruby, you have not finished your training. You have no idea of what they could be capable of. You merely know that they killed your mother. I believe that you're making the true right decision Ruby, but I'm not sure this is the right decision for yourself." He told her, and Ruby looked away.
"Goodbye Professor." She sighed, and continued walking away, leaving him alone at Beacon.
One Year Later
Ruby looked at the building, the loud music seemingly pouring out of the windows, and she walked over to the entrance. She pushed it open, and walked in, leaving the two guards at the door standing there in shock. She finally reached the club, and saw a bar at the far end, which she quickly headed over to.
"Excuse me." The man at the bar said. "You're too young to be in here. Leave." He told Ruby bluntly, and she leant down at the bar. "Lady, you need to leave before I make you." He growled at her, but Ruby only stayed still.
"I'd like to see you try." Ruby purred, grinning at him, and she hid a hand underneath her cloak. The man narrowed his eyes, and jerked his head back. Ruby took a glance over her shoulder to see a few of the guards walking over to them.
"Lady, you better go now. I'm not going to ask nicely again." The man informed her, and Ruby giggled, looking him in the eyes.
"Why? You gonna try to throw me out?" She asked, not taking her eyes off of him. He raised an eyebrow before nodding.
"No. I'm not gonna try. I am gonna throw you out." A guard said from behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder, but she had disappeared. Each one of them looked around, and saw her a few feet away in the same position.
"Hi." Ruby bluntly spoke, a joking gleam in her eyes. They walked over to her again, only to find her stood a few feet away yet again. "Come on now, catch up." She said gleefully, and the man at the bar muttered.
"Screw this, I'll do it myself." He muttered almost inaudibly, and Ruby chuckled to herself as he disappeared inside the next room. The dance floor and the rest of the club was undisturbed as Ruby continued to confuse the guards that were trying to reach her repeatedly.
"Man, some guards you are." Ruby mocked, and one of them growled angrily before drawing a cutlass, and the others quickly followed. "Wah! I-I didn't want to cause any trouble ju-just having fun." Ruby spoke, her eyes wide. The men looked at each other, and Ruby then grinned, spinning and drawing her large scythe, smashing it into the floor. Now all of the men's eyes widened, going from offensive to defensive. "What?" Ruby questioned mockingly. "Something scaring you?" She asked, everyone in the club now either staring and watching her, or running and leaving in fear. She pulled the scythe from the floor, and it spun down in size, now revealing a large sniper rifle. A few charged at her, and she dodged left and right, swinging and hitting their legs, sending them careening to the floor. She looked at them, all lying on the floor, and sighed. "Where'd he get to." She muttered, and suddenly the lights went out. A spotlight shone down, and she him stood there, a bat resting on his shoulder. "Ah! There you are!" Ruby grinned, the man charged at her, and she only chuckled. He swung at her, and she swiftly ducked under it. The cloaked girl rolled, her weapon changing back into a scythe. She sliced, and it threw the man into the wall. She looked at him over her shoulder, then walked over to him. She folded it down, and then threw his weapon across the club, sending rolling along the dance floor. Ruby knelt down, looking into his eyes. "Mercury Black. Emerald Sustrai. Who are they, and who do they work for?" She growled, yet her voice was calm.
"I-I don't know! They've only been here once, and we didn't talk!" He exclaimed fearfully, and Ruby's eyes narrowed.
"Well, I've overheard that you let them hire some of your men, Junior." Ruby smiled, and he gulped.
"Alright! They work with some criminal called Torchwick! They didn't say more!" He cried out.
"You're an information broker. They don't need to tell you for you to know." She spoke to him blankly, and he looked around.
"They're working with the White Fang!" He finally let out, and Ruby smiled.
"Good." She said emotionlessly, and stepped away. "You can go." She waved him away, and walked out of the club, sheathing her weapon.
Two Days Later
Ruby looked down into the warehouse, and saw a tall man pacing around the room before he turned and exited, slamming the doors behind.
"Calm down." She murmured jokingly, and opened the window, and jumped in. She rolled as she silently landed, and quickly dashed into the cover of boxes. Ruby slowly moved along, but stopped when she heard the door reopen.
"Get- Off me! Quit it! I will- I will have you personally executed!" A young voice grunted in anger, and Ruby poked her head around the corner to see a couple of thugs pulling a girl along. "I swear to Oum if you don't let me go, you'll be done for treason!" She exclaimed, and Ruby almost laughed.
"Shut it, or I'll make you." Another voice said, and Ruby watched as they pushed the girl onto a chair. "Each escape attempt, and I get to take a finger." The thug growled at the girl, who let out a 'hmmph', her arms crossed in defiance as she looked away. Ruby pulled her hood over her head, and unsheathed her weapon, aiming at one of the thug's right leg. She fired, and the man instantly looked around.
"What the fuck was that!" One of them exclaimed in shock. "Come out with your hands up!" He ordered, a slight quiver in his voice.
"I guess my guards are here to rescue me, I think you should run." The girl spoke, and the two men looked at each other before drawing swords, which quickly shifted into rifles.
"Come out, we're not gonna hurt her. Come out in peace and she'll stay unharmed." They continued, and Ruby snorted quietly to herself at the hilarity of the situation. She transformed her, and sheathed it again before walking out. The men looked at her in surprise, and both trained their weapons on her hidden face. "Stay exactly where you are!" One exclaimed loudly, and she smirked. Reaching a hand behind her cloak, she drew her weapon, and it spun into the shape of a scythe, and Ruby slammed it into the ground, which shattered on impact. "Uh, we're… We're gonna need some backup…" One trembled with fear, and they both ran from her, disappearing through the large doors. Ruby walked up to the girl, whose long white hair was dishevelled, and her eyes scanning her with frantic confusion.
"You're not one of my guards." The girl accused, trying to point a finger, but her hands were tied down.
"You're right, I'm not." Ruby replied calmly, going behind to untie her.
"I could have handled it myself." She informed Ruby, and the cloaked girl laughed.
"I'm sorry? But you looked a little caught up. You know, tied up and held hostage or something." Ruby countered, an eyebrow raised as the girl stood up and stretched. "Anyway, why are the White Fang holding you hostage?" Ruby asked, and the girl looked at her with wide eyes.
"You don't recognise me?" She asked incredulously, and Ruby shook her head. "Weiss Schnee, Second Daughter of Ignaz Schnee, current King of Atlas." She stated, and Ruby looked her up and down.
"OK. So, Princess, I've got something extra here to do, so if you can just wait here and hide or something similar, that'd be great, thanks." Ruby said before disappearing, and the girl looked around in shock before dashing into the boxes where Ruby had hidden initially.
Ruby ran in, her weapon drawn, and she sent several White Fang thugs flying and they hit the walls. She ran over to a man wearing a full face mask, crashing into him, which sent him flying backwards.
"You. Where're Mercury and Emerald!" She exclaimed, holding the scythe up to him as it folded down into a sniper rifle, which was aimed expertly on his forehead.
"Why would I tell you, human." He spat it response, and Ruby growled. "You are not intimidating me, human." He said, and Ruby kicked him in the stomach, then again in the head, throwing him into unconsciousness instantly.
"Fine, I'll just have to go to another one of your HQ's. So selfish…" She muttered jokingly to herself, leaving the room slowly, carefully treading past each unconscious member of the White Fang.
"So Princess. What do we do know? I really don't have the time to take you to Atlas, so I guess you'll just ha-" Ruby began, but the white-haired girl quickly interrupted her.
"I'm not going back to Atlas. I'd rather stay with you." She huffed, and Ruby looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Why? I'm not some super-rich, uber-powerful person, your highness." Ruby said, and Weiss flinched at the ending.
"Don't call me those names." She told Ruby coldly, looking her in the eyes. "I don't want to be a Princess. I just want to be me. I just want to be Weiss." The white-haired girl spoke, her eyes watering and voice trembling.
"So, Weiss. Come on then, if you wanna come with me, you better be able to keep up and be able to stand not staying in one place for longer than a week." Ruby warned, and the other girl smiled weakly.
"I'll get used to it." She answered, and Ruby grinned.
One Year Later
The two of them trekked through the forest. Weiss had her white hair tied in a long ponytail, and a grey-blue backpack over her shoulders. She looked over at Ruby, who was about a hundred metres ahead, turning to look at Weiss, a smirk on her face and her eyes alight with confidence. When she reached the cloaked girl, she placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke up.
"How much further do you think?" Weiss asked, and Ruby shrugged.
"I don't know, this road's said to be the longest in the world. And I dunno how far we've gone. So, I'd say, awhile at least, a-longer-while at most." Ruby laughed, shielding her eyes from the sunlight.
"Great, not as bad as last time I asked you. Two days ago." Weiss muttered under her breath. "Well, we better get a mo-" Weiss started, but Ruby shushed her, placing a finger softly on Weiss' lips. "What is it?" Weiss whispered. Ruby looked around before answering.
"Someone's following us. They have an unlocked Aura." Ruby told her, eyes narrowed. "And they'd only follow us for you." Ruby growled, stepping closer to her friend. Weiss opened her mouth again, but her words were drowned out by the sound of a gunshot, and a small explosion happening a good twenty metres in front of them. As the smoke cleared, two women were revealed. One with raven-black coloured hair and striking amber eyes, stood calmly behind the other. The other had bright, long, golden-blonde hair and donned a pair of aviator sunglasses, hiding her eyes. "Who are you!" Ruby called to them, and the blonde smirked as she took a step forward.
"Dunno, depends on who you are." She countered, her hands on her hips.
"Ruby Rose." The cloaked girl stated, standing tall in front of Weiss.
"Who's she?" The blonde pointed at Weiss, the raven-haired woman remaining still and silent with her arms folded.
"A friend." Ruby replied, pushing Weiss away slightly, who let out a little 'hey' as Ruby did so.
"Does your friend 'ave a name?" The woman interrogated, and Ruby glanced at Weiss.
"Does it matter?" Ruby said, and the blonde's eyes narrowed.
"Yeah. Yeah, it kinda does." The blonde stated. "Does it happened to begin with 'W'?" She questioned Ruby, who had her left hand placed under her cloak. "Oh, let me take a wild guess? Weiss Schnee, right?" The woman grinned at Ruby, and the red-clad girl noticed the bracelets on the woman's wrists transform into full gauntlets. The raven-hair pulled out a sword, and walked up next to the blonde.
"You're not going to lay a finger on her." Ruby growled, and Weiss looked at her with annoyance and frustration.
"Stop it. I hate it when you get protective like this." Weiss stated quietly, but Ruby either didn't hear her or she ignored her.
"You're the Princess' 'Red Guardian' that people speak of. You look younger than the Princess herself." The blonde mocked, and Ruby pulled out her weapon, and it swiftly transformed into its full form, the terrifyingly large scythe called Crescent Rose, and slammed it down ferociously into the concrete, sending shards flying up and crashing back down to the ground. "Well. I wasn't expecting that." The blonde chuckled, and charged at Ruby. She threw several punches at Ruby, which were dodged expertly, and Ruby swung her scythe, causing the blonde go jump back. "Hey, Blake?" The blonde suggested go her partner by jerking her head toward Ruby. Ruby aimed at the blonde, but her eyes widened when Weiss walked in front of her.
"Whoever you are, I don't care. Who sent you?" Weiss asked annoyedly, and the two women looked at each other.
"Your father." The blonde spoke, and Weiss sighed.
"How much is he paying you?" She asked again.
"Two hundred and fifty thousand Atlesian Credits." The blonde informed carefully.
"We'll pay you three hundred and fifty thousand to leave us alone." Ruby interrupted, and she received a glare from Weiss.
"We'll pay you five hundred thousand to work for us." Weiss said, locking eyes with Ruby. "But first, we need to get to Vacuo. We'll pay you there." Weiss continued, and the raven-hair quickly spoke up.
"It's a deal. Pay us an extra ten thousand and we'll get you there." She bartered quickly, and Weiss nodded.
"See." She spoke to Ruby, grinning. "Don't always have to fight." Weiss said smugly, and Ruby grumbled something inaudible under her breath as she sheathed her scythe.
One Day Later
Ruby took her seat next to Weiss, opposite their previously-attackers-turned-hired-guards. The two women were sat in front of them, the blonde had her elbows on the table and was leaning toward them, while the other sat there silently.
"You want us to come with you on your… Your 'quest', why?" The blonde woman asked them, her lilac-coloured eyes alight with curiosity.
"We could always use a little extra protection. We do as much as we can, but Ruby here's only one person and I'm not exactly useful in a fight." Weiss told them, and the blonde glanced at her partner.
"Well, what's in it for us?" The lilac-eyed woman countered, and Weiss smiled slightly.
"There's five hundred thousand Atlesian Credits, likely more combat experience, possibly a couple of good friends in Ruby and I, and avoiding the execution that would have likely happened to you in Atlas for not finding me." Weiss smiled calmly, smiling through the entire sentence. The blonde stood up, and dragged the other woman away, and began discussing something with the raven-haired girl behind a pillar. They walked back, and sat down.
"It appears you two've got yourselves a deal. I'm Yang Xiao Long and this is my partner, Blake Belladonna, it's nice to meet you two." They greeted, and Yang stuck out a hand. Weiss shook it lightly, and glanced at Ruby, who was glowering at her feet. Weiss rolled her eyes, and pulled her away.
"If you'd excuse us." She told them, and dragged the girl away. She looked at her, their eyes locking, and she stared into the silver pools that were Ruby's eyes. "Ruby. Stop it." Weiss demanded, and Ruby spoke up quickly.
"This… What we're doing, it's my quest. And what makes you think that they're even going to care. They could just take you while we're asleep, and you've given them an even easier chance to do that." Ruby complained, and Weiss shook her head.
"They won't Ruby." Weiss comforted, but Ruby groaned.
"But they'll just use you to get money from us and from your father." Ruby said annoyedly, and Weiss looked away sadly.
"Glad to know you care about me…" She spoke depressedly, and Ruby's eyes widened.
"Th-That's not what I meant!" Ruby whined, and Weiss laughed, which caused Ruby to glare at her "Not funny." She grunted in annoyance, folding her arms
Three Days Later
Ruby raced down the path, seeing the silver-haired man dashing away from her. She sped up, her scythe behind her as she charged, and she sliced at the man's legs, throwing him into the wall. She looked down at him, her eyes alight with fire-like fury and hostility.
"The Rose child, huh? How's your mother, oh wait?" The man joked, looking into Ruby's eyes. She pushed the end of her scythe up to his throat, and he chuckled. "What're you gonna do, kill me?" He questioned.
"No. Who're you working for?" Ruby demanded.
"What? You think I'm gonna tell you?" He laughed, looking at her.
"No. I just wished I wouldn't have to beat it out of you." Ruby sighed, and heavily hit his left leg, which let out a gross 'crunch'. He screamed in pain, and took deep breaths through gritted teeth.
"You're not getting anything out of m-E! He cried out as Ruby repeated the action on his right leg. She replaced the end of her scythe at his throat, looking at him with her eyebrows raised. "Eh heh. Fuck. Off. Kid." He growled, and Ruby sighed as she sheathed her weapon.
"Very well. Call your boss. You're gonna need a bandage or two." She told him, and walked away, shaking her head.
Two Hours Later
Ruby entered the luxurious apartment, and threw her cloak into a hanger expertly before walking into the living room. She saw Weiss sat on sofa, and the white-haired girl looked over at her.
"How'd it go?" Weiss asked, and Ruby sighed deeply as she sat down next to her friend.
"About as well as usual." She muttered annoyedly, and placed her face in her hands. "I just… I need to know who wanted my mother dead and why." Ruby groaned as she leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. "Anyway, where're the other two?" Ruby asked about Blake and Yang.
"They've gone out. Yang said she was hungry, so I'd guess they've gone to a cafe or something." Weiss replied, and Ruby nodded slowly, closing her eyes and resting her head back.
"I need to sleep." Ruby said as she stood up. "Goodnight, Weiss…" She yawned, and headed over to a nearby doorway, and pushed through it, and then threw herself onto the bed before quickly falling into a deep sleep.
One Day Later
Ruby yawned as she sat up, and jumped from her bed, landing nimbly on the floor. She walked out, closing the door gently behind her as she did so. She headed into the kitchen, where she saw Weiss drinking a glass of water, leaning on the side tiredly.
"Morning." Weiss greeted after she took a gulp of water, and Ruby waved groggily, opening the fridge. "What're we doing today?" She asked, and Ruby shrugged as she grabbed a bottle of milk and took several mouthfuls.
"Dunno. I guess I'll look around where Mr Mercury Black was hiding out for any clues to where they were going. And if he's still there, I'll question him some more." Ruby shrugged, and Weiss grimaced.
"Well, be gentle, I don't want to hear you've become a murderer." Weiss jokingly said, and Ruby laughed.
"Oh, he'll live, his injuries aren't too bad." Ruby grinned, and Weiss looked at her with wide eyes. "What?" Ruby questioned as Weiss looked at her.
"You said you wouldn't hurt anyone, Ruby." Weiss told her annoyedly, folding her arms. Ruby shrugged again, and Weiss looked at her with shock and fear. "Ruby, don't be like this." Weiss spoke, her eyes watering, and Ruby locked eyes with her. "Please." The white-haired girl pleaded, a tear trailing down her cheek. "I don't want you to be another person who becomes a copy of my father…" Weiss sniffed, and Ruby felt her eyes trembling too, and only let out a weak smile.
"Of course. I'm… I'm sorry Weiss." Ruby said, and hugged her friend gently, letting the small amount of tears the white-haired girl was letting through flow onto her shoulder. "I won't… I promise I won't become anything like your father. I swear I won't." Ruby told her, and Weiss pushed away, smiling weakly.
"Thank you." Weiss said, and heard the kitchen door open.
"Hey you two, havin' fun?" Yang's voice asked jokingly, and Weiss glared over Ruby's shoulder. "Hey, I'm not judgin'." Yang replied to Weiss, shrugging before taking a cupcake out of the cupboard and leaving quickly.
"Well, I need to get going. You'll be OK, right?" Ruby asked Weiss, who snorted. "Of course you will, see ya' later Weiss." Ruby continued, and she exited the kitchen, and then the building, quickly. Weiss left the kitchen too, and saw Yang sitting on the sofa, and walked over to her.
"So, Yang, I've got a question to ask you." Weiss told Yang, who looked over her shoulder at her.
"K, ask away lil' Princess Schnee." Yang said, and Weiss glared at her for the name, but continued to speak up.
"When you ambushed us, Ruby said you had an unlocked Aura. How? And why're you in your… Line of work?" Weiss asked, and Yang looked at her, her eyes alight with curiosity.
"How'd she know?" Yang countered, her voice filled with curiosity as much as her eyes had been, but Weiss shrugged. "Well, you see, my dad. My dad is very special. He knows lots of things. Never tells me how he ever learnt them though. But, very early on, I was… I was probably six or seven when he told me to 'close my eyes and concentrate'. I, of course, had no idea what was going on, and then he recited some weird poem or whatever and a few seconds later I felt my body get really warm, and he told me that he'd just unlocked my 'Aura' and that it would allow me to do extraordinary things. A few years later he taught me how to defend myself with hand-to-hand combat. I became so exceptional that I could beat him at it when I was ten. So, I decided to take a career in it, and became a mercenary. A gun-for-hire, you know. The first job I took was probably almost five years ago, when I was sixteen. No one took me seriously, so the only people who'd take me up on a job were the ones who were paying low amounts and expecting the job to be a failure anyways. I never did, though. Not once. And it was on my second, I think, job that I met Blake. I was sent to a White Fang hideout to kill as many of them as I could as the person-I-was-working-for's transport vehicles kept being hijacked and stolen by them. So I went in there, and found a young Blake running toward me, a sword in hand, running from gunfire. I stopped her, told her that if she helped me she could get paid a bit, and the rest is history, I guess." Yang smiled as she looked out of the window, having got up from her seat on the sofa. "How about you? One of the Schnee Princesses, running from her own father, refusing to return to her position, why?" Yang asked, and Weiss looked away, took a deep breath, and looked back.
"My father, the King of Atlas, he… He started changing the laws. Changing them to be more than unfavourable to the Faunus. I didn't like it. So I started trying to escape from it all. I… I got captured every time, my father would pay the ransom, I'd return home yet again, and father would be angry with me yet again. Until, one time, my father never got to pay the ransom. Ruby turned up and attacked the men who were watching over me. She untied me, left for a few moment before quickly returning. She said I'd have to go back to Atlas myself, so I told her I'd rather go with her than go back to Atlas. And then she took me with her, and now it's been just over a year since that happened." Weiss told the blonde, smiling to herself as she did. "It's been a year, and I'd never change a thing. Not for the world." Weiss beamed happily, and Yang chuckled.
"Oum, you're making me feel old. I've known Blake for five years already. You've known Ruby for one and got about as good of a bond as Blake and I have." Yang laughed, and Weiss shrugged.
"Ruby's very friendly once you get to know her enough." Weiss said, and Yang laughed again.
"I'm sure she is." Yang said, turned when she heard the door open. "Hey'a Blake! Weissy an' I were just sharing our life stories. Care to tell us yours?" Yang suggested, and Blake shrugged.
"Oh. OK." She said, and walked over to them. "Not much happened in my earlier life. I was a part of the White Fang before they… Became what they are now. My parents were part of it, but were killed by police during a protest when I wasn't even one, so… So I've never met them. After that, another Faunus, he was young, took me in. He said he'd help me and get me food. He did, but he also trained me on how to use weapons. I never questioned it, because I thought it was normal, but it was five years ago when it happened. Our leader was assassinated. And he, my oldest friend, implicated a small group of Humans, and said if they made him leader those Humans would never harm us again… And he wasn't lying. He was elected, and then he sent out a group of us, and they killed the Humans before returning. And my friend… He smiled, he smiled knowing that he had just brought death to people. And I couldn't take it. Knowing that my oldest friend simply wanted to become what Humanity is, and have Humanity be what we are, rather than having total equality between both species. It hurt, and I left. Or I tried to, but I bumped into Yang. She said if I helped her, then I'd get paid. I said that there's only one person here I'd like to attack, and I wouldn't kill him. And Yang." Blake said, nodding at the blonde. "Said it was fine. So I walked into Adam's chambers, and drew my weapon. We fought for what felt like hours, neither of us able to get a strike on each other. Then Yang came in, and sent both of us flying. She took me, and ran with me out of the area. She asked me that since I was so good at fighting, if I wanted to join her. We could be the 'Indestructible Duo' as I think you called it, didn't you." Blake said, and Yang nodded with a laugh. "And, although for awhile I didn't like to kill anyone, Yang started finding it too difficult. So I helped her, and that was it. I realised that, even though Yang had been giving me half the money, I hadn't earned it. I'd done what Adam had wanted me to by avoiding killing. I'd got the Human doing the dirty work whilst the Faunus stood around and did nothing. And I couldn't have that." Blake continued. "So that's when I started earning my fair share, and I think we became pretty good together." Blake finished, looking at Yang, who was grinning.
"You always manage to tell your story exactly the same each time, Blakey, it's pretty amazing." Yang said, and Blake shrugged again.
"So, where's your friend got off to?" Blake asked Weiss, who quickly replied.
"She's gone off a part of her own little quest. I'm just along for the ride. She's here to do work and find out who… Who ordered her mother to be killed." Weiss informed, and Blake and Yang looked at each other.
"Why didn't she tell us this before?" Yang questioned, and Weiss shrugged.
"I don't know, my guess would be she didn't want to but you two shouldn't be kept in the dark." Weiss answered, and Yang nodded.
Ruby walked into the hideout, and looked over to where she had the injured Mercury, only to find no one, and she sighed annoyedly. She looked around the building, scouring the place for clues to their next location, and her eyes twinkled with happiness when she found a tracking computer.
"Ooh." Ruby grinned, and sat down at the console. She looked through, and found that the ship that Mercury had been using had recently landed in Vale, and she smiled to herself. "OK. That's where I'm headed next." She muttered to herself before leaving.
Two Days Later
They touched down on the island, although you could never tell from down on the ground. The vast expanse of forest filled the view, and Ruby looked around.
"Aah, home." Yang spoke up from behind her, exiting from the small aircraft, followed by the two remaining girls. "It's been awhile. I think I'll go visit my dad. See how he's getting on." Yang grinned, and Ruby glanced at her.
"Sure. We'll all go. If he's as good at combat as you say, then I'll have to talk to him." Ruby shrugged, and they headed out.
"How far is it?" Weiss asked the blonde.
"Not too far. Probably a mile or two, at most." She replied, and Weiss groaned.
"Can't we just take the airship there?" She questioned Ruby, who shook her head.
"No. I don't want the entire island to know we're here. There'd've been no point in coming if we tip them off before I get to talk to them." Ruby put her down cheerfully, walking through the forest. Yang chuckled, Blake rolled her eyes, and Weiss only groaned again.
Forty Minutes Later
The four of them walked up on a small wooden cottage, and Yang quickly bounded over to the door, and knocked on it heavily.
"I'm coming!" A voice called from inside, and after a few moments it swung open, revealing a man with similar features to Yang. Golden-blond hair that seemed to glow, lilac eyes which swirled with energy and a face that always seemingly held a look of mischief. His eyes widened with happiness when Yang waved at him. "Yang! You're so grown up! Look at you!" The man exclaimed with delight, and Yang grinned.
"Hey dad. These are my friends. Blake, Weiss and Ruby." Yang introduced them. Blake nodded, Weiss curtsied, and Ruby did nothing, remaining silent. The blond man looked them all up and down, and he locked onto Ruby.
"Summer…" He muttered, inaudible to anyone other than Yang and himself, and she looked at him with confusion.
"Who?" She asked, but he said nothing and waved them inside. Yang watched him as they walked inside and, as the other three headed into the living room after being told to wait in there by the blonde woman, she pulled him aside and looked him directly in the eyes. "Dad, who did you say?" Yang demanded, and he sighed.
"That… Ruby you brought in here, she… She looks exactly like someone I used to know… Someone who I used to know very well. But, something happened and she disappeared, and I've never seen her since. And that Ruby girl looks just like her when I first met her. Shining silver eyes, black hair tipped with red, wearing a cloak. Everything. Other than how she acts. She's cold, but… But Summer, who I knew, was warm and kind." He muttered to her, and Yang looked at the living room door, then back to her father.
"Ruby. Her mother's name was Summer Rose, I… I assume that's who you're talking about." Weiss spoke up from the door, closing it gently behind her.
"Yes. Why's her daughter so cold… Why's Summer's child so cold…" He asked sadly, looking at Weiss' sky blue eyes. The white-haired girl took a deep breath, her eyes and the man's locked.
"Ruby… Ruby lost her mother a few years ago. And it wasn't an accident. Ruby's mother was murdered, and now Ruby's out for revenge. She trained herself before setting out to find her mother's killers and bring them down. I… I don't exactly agree with all of her methods, as they can be… A little brutal, but I can't stop her, it would only result in worse consequences for both myself, and anyone else she happens to come across for the next few days." Weiss told, her voice filled with sadness. Yang's father looked down at his feet, and tears began to fall from his face to the ground.
"Dad?" Yang questioned fearfully, and he wrapped his arms around his daughter.
"I lost her…" He muttered, before letting go of Yang. "Arrgh! I'm sorry, Sum…" He shouted angrily, hitting the wall with full force, and it splintered and cracked. "I'm so sorry…" He cried, then Ruby and Blake burst out of the living room in shock, both with their weapons drawn.
"What's going on!" Blake questioned, but lowered her weapon when she saw the blond man sobbing on the floor, his head in his hands. "Um… Yang?" Blake asked, and Yang said nothing as she stared down at her father.
"Dad," Yang started. "I don't understand what's going on? Why're you upset? What happened?" Yang questioned softly, and he looked up at her.
"Ruby…" He said, and Yang looked at him confusedly. "She's mine…" He continued, and Yang's face turned to that of evermore confusion. "She's my daughter… Just like you…" He finished, and Yang stood up, her eyes wide. "Your half-sister…" He said, and Yang looked at her friends.
"Ruby…" Yang began, pausing to try to gather her thoughts. "You're my… You're my half-sister. And… And he's your dad too." Yang said, looking down at her bawling father.
"That explains it…" Ruby spoke. "They were both Huntsmen. Or… Your… Our dad is, and my mum was…"
One Month Later
Ruby walked into her rented apartment, and sat down on the sofa next to Weiss, relaxing in her seat. She heard a heavy knock on the door, before a loud 'crack' echoed through the room.
"Uh…" Weiss said with wide eyes, looking at Ruby, who already had Crescent Rose in hand and at the ready.
"Hide Weiss." Ruby whispered, and she heard heavy footsteps echo throughout the rooms.
"Ruby Rose." A calm, smooth and feminine voice spoke, and Ruby stood still, waiting for the intruder to arrive. "How I wish your mother had cooperated with Emerald and Mercury." The voice continued. From her hiding spot, Weiss pulled out her scroll, and called Yang, and therefore Blake too, although indirectly.
"Yang. Blake." Weiss whispered. "Come to our room… And bring your weapons." Weiss said, and heard a couple of confirmations from the other side of the call.
"Who are you?" Ruby demanded from the disembodied voice, and it let out a chuckle.
"I'm Cinder. It doesn't matter though, seeing as you won't be making it out of here alive." It mocked, and Ruby growled.
"Show yourself!" She shouted, and she heard the clinking of glass hitting the floor echo around the rooms, and a black-haired woman wearing a red dress turned the corner. Ruby slashed at her, only to be pushed away. "Wha?" She questioned quietly, and the woman, Cinder, laughed.
"I am far more powerful than you could ever believe, child." The woman channeled a ball of fire, and threw it. Not at Ruby, but at Weiss, and it hit her directly. Ruby gasped in fear, and let out a quiet 'Weiss'. "Oh, it appears her Aura has reached zero." The woman grinned, and readied herself for another attack. Ruby threw herself in front, felt herself be flung back by the power of it. She took deep breaths, and looked up to see the woman stood above her. "Goodbye, Ru-" The woman began, but was cut off by the sound of an angry voice coming from a few feet away.
"Leave her alone!" Yang screamed, her eyes blood red, and she charged at the enemy, who nimbly dodged. Yang threw a punch, and it collided with the woman's skull, and sent her careening out of the apartment window. Yang took deep breaths, before running over to her two injured friends.
"Where's Blake?" Ruby asked groggily, and Yang grimaced.
"Holding off the two outside." Yang replied, and looked out of the window. "And she's not going to bother anyone again." Yang gazed at the floor.
Unbeknownst to them, Cinder landed carefully and safely, a combination of Aura and skill allowing her to survive. She grinned, and spoke to herself ominously.
"All according to plan."
Hey there. This was Legends, Story Ten of BFSL. It's the longest chapter I've ever written, being around 75% the length of all the other stories in this collection put together, and longer than the entire story of mine, Personalities. Also, I've been working on it since before Christmas. So, Merry Christmas! Also, if you have any requests that you want me to write about, PM me or leave a review and I'll try my best to write it (NO SMUT)! Anyway, Remember that Constructive Criticism is always Useful, Reviews are Welcomed, and Keep Moving Forward!
Stinger out!