A RWBY STORY
By: FunahoMisaki
(A/N: I own nothing and read last chapter)
"We heard screaming! Is everyone ok-" Jaune began as he burst into the room, his team and at least eight other people behind them with their weapons out.
"Ruby!" Velvet yelled seeing the scythe wielder hunched over a large puddle of blood and coughing out more. Their appearance seemed to shock the others back to their senses as Arslan and Goodwitch were instantly by Ruby's side, Goodwitch keeping the paler than normal girl steady while Arslan was rubbing soothing circles in her back.
"Who hurt her?" Coco demanded her voice a growl as she glared at the others in the room, mainly Yang and Weiss but she didn't rule out anyone.
"No one did." Qrow said giving a ragged sigh as he ran his hand through his hair for a second.
"You're lucky you're family kiddo or else I would have sent you packing after all the things you've said or done to Ru today alone." Qrow told Yang with a glare, causing her to shrink in on herself a bit, before he turned to the new arrivals as Ruby coughed out one last glob of blood before leaning back into Goodwitch and Arslan.
"No one attacked her. She's puking up blood because she's got too much power in her normally weak body, that's the whole reason behind Thorn's creation after all. Without her aura her body is incredibly frail, especially given her semblance and all the damage it places on her…her lung cancer probably doesn't help." Qrow said adding the last part idly and causing everyone that just entered the room to freeze.
"…What?" Nora asked sounding tiny as she stared at her friend wide eyed alongside everyone else while Ruby was breathing heavily for a moment.
"She…she has stage 3 lung cancer along with constant organ, muscle, and tissue damage. Naturally this causes a lot of internal damage to her already frail body…her semblance does not help considering that it speeds things up…and causes most of the damage." Qrow said running a hand through his hair again as he looked at his niece who remained leaning into Arslan's hold for a second before pushing herself up.
"One good thing about having Speed as a semblance, it means I heal quickly too. I don't even need my aura to heal me most of the time." Ruby said with a noticeably forced cheerfulness to her voice as she stood up. Ruby wobbled for a second and instantly had Arslan standing and wrapping her dark arms around Ruby in an effort to support the smaller girl.
"Ruby…" Velvet nearly whimpered as she looked at the small girl who straightened up slightly and turned towards them with a weak smile.
"A…are you…okay?" Velvet knew it was a dumb question the moment it left her lips… but she was happy that the dumb question got Ruby to laugh slightly.
"I'm…well I don't think anyone will believe me if I said I was fine but I'm still alive so that's something right? You don't have to worry about me so much Velvet!" Ruby said with a warm smile at the rabbit while Arslan growled slightly.
"That is not a very good thing little Rose. You should not have to merely be 'alive'. You should be happy and healthy." Arslan said softly, sadly almost, as she looked at Ruby who gave her a weak grin.
"Should be and are, those are two completely different things and often times you cannot be both." Ruby responded earning a frown and small growl from Arslan before the red reaper yawned.
"Can I leave? Having a mental breakdown and then an attack makes me sleepy-ee!" Ruby nearly squeaked the last syllable as Arslan immediately scooped her up bridal style so that Ruby's head was resting on the lions warmer than average shoulder.
"Rest little Rose. No one will mind and if they do then I'll handle it." Arslan said nearly purring as she nuzzled Ruby's cheek for a second, causing the pale girl to turn as red as her cloak and look at her hands shyly.
"Let go of my sister!" Yang said her eyes red and her hair blazing as she glared darkly at Arslan who shot her a brief glare before pointedly ignoring her as she smiled down at Ruby.
"Why you-" Yang began to storm over to Arslan, only to pause when most of the new arrivals and Blake pointed their weapons at her.
"Ms. Altan please take Ms. Rose to rest. She has to be ready for her fight tomorrow after all, and today has been very stressful on her." Ozpin said smiling slightly at Arslan who nodded deftly as she began to leave the room, Ruby still in her arms while everyone else was staring down Yang.
"Of course. I will make sure none disturb her." Arslan said nodding as she left the room. It was only a minute or two of tense silence in the headmasters' office later when Pyrrha noticed something.
"Hey…Ruby left her scroll in our dorm before her fight this morning…and if the other three members of her team are in here how is Arslan going to put Ruby in her bed?" Pyrrha asked furrowing her brow as she realized that causing everyone to pause and think about it.
"She'll probably put little red in your dorm then. Little Red mentioned she would stay the night with ya'll last night." Coco said shrugging and causing Nora to realize something.
"But…like Pyrrha said…Ruby's scroll is in our room, our door is locked, and all four of us are here. She can't get into our room unless she breaks down the door and she can't really do that with Ruby in her arms." Nora pointed out making Coco pause as she took a head count of who all was in the room. There was all of Team JNPR, the two females from Team CFVY, Weiss's sister Winter, the three still present members of Team RWBY, that weird Penny girl and professors Goodwitch, Ozpin, and Peach.
"Well if she isn't taking her to her dorm, and she isn't taking Ruby to ours…where is Arslan taking her?" Jaune asked confused…Port came into the room at that minute and asked a question that had most of the teens and adults scrambling out the room towards ABRN's team dorm.
"Does anyone know why I just say Ms. Altan carrying Ms. Rose bridal style and telling her that she could rest in ABRN's dorm?"