Chapter 9: Ghost of You
The sound of glass shattering echoed from Ozpin's office. He was now regretting his decision to let team RWBY go alone into the Emerald Forest. Team VLVT, or JNPR, or LNER could have gone with them! They could have had back up! he thought angrily. The floor was covered in the remains of the coffee mug that he had violently thrown at the wall. He thought that there would be minimal danger since it seemed that most of the Grimm had relocated to the City of Vale. Instead, he made the same mistake he'd made with Cardin. He let him die too. Everyone said that Cardin died a hero for protecting Velvet and keeping his promise, but Ozpin knew that in the end it was all his own fault. He should have told Cardin no, and he should have denied Yang as well. And now both were gone. The only thing that angered Ozpin even more was Yang's younger sister. He was angry at himself, of course, for what the younger girl was going through.
She just lost the only member of her family that she knew was okay. Her mother had died years ago, and contact with the outside world had been severed when the Grimm began spreading. As such, the sisters hadn't had contact with their father in weeks. They hoped that he was safe somewhere, but feared that the Grimm might have got to him first. And now, there was one lest girl to feel worried about her father. And if their father was still alive, then Ozpin felt that it was his duty to tell the man in person what had happened to his oldest child.
He had to put a stop to this. Two of his students, though considered graduates, were now dead and he felt responsible for them. "No more," he whispered. "No more will die as long as I am headmaster of Beacon." His gaze shifted over to a map of Vale that had been sitting on his desk. He picked up a marker and wrote a single word on the Emerald Forest. Cerberus. He had heard team RWBY's report from Weiss, and now he had to begin planning.
The first order of business: recover any remains of Yang Xiao Long. He sent out a message to Port, Oobleck, and Glynda.
[Recover Yang. Destroy any Grimm within range.]
Ozpin looked out of his window and saw Oobleck already racing to meet up with Port and Glynda, destined to be the first to arrive before the three of them departed. He sat at his desk, and began to play the game he had learned the rules to ages ago. The game of waiting patiently.
The room was locked. No one was getting in. She wouldn't let them. No amount of soft words, bribing, or coercing of any kind was going to sway her decision for isolation. She felt as though she had lost everything that she ever loved. In one fell swoop, the woman who filled her mother's shoes all those years ago was gone. Every time she closed her eyes she could see the flames climbing to the sky, burning her dear sister. Higher and higher they climbed until she felt as though they would burn her as well as she looked on from up high, being carried to safety inside of a Bullhead. Her remaining team members yelled and cried, trying to calm her, but their words dissolved into meaningless rabble as she watched her worst fear occur before her very eyes.
And when she opened her eyes she would pray that it was all a nightmare. Yang would be sitting next to her with a smile on her face. "What's wrong, little sis? Have a bad dream?" she would ask. She'd give her a warm glass of milk, still smiling brilliantly. "Don't worry, Ruby. It's just a dream," she would say. "I'm still right here. I'll always be right here." That's what Yang would do when Ruby opened her eyes. She was sure of it.
Yet when she opened her eyes she would still be locked inside of the empty room, surrounded by the spirits of solitude and devastation. This prison of damnation was her new home, and she purposely stayed there. She could leave at any point, but refused to. The door was locked, and only she could open it. She just didn't want to. Her sister was dead. What was left for her now? Her mother? Long since dead. Her father? No one knew what became of him in the last few weeks. He was probably dead too. Ruby was alone, and thus wanted to remain alone.
How much time had passed since Yang's death? Hours? Days? Weeks? Months? Ruby didn't know. As soon as Roman landed the Bullhead she ran off into the nearest building and found this abandoned room and locked herself inside. Weiss, Blake, Sun, Melanie, Militia, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, Velvet...they all tried to talk to her. She refused to see any of them. Ruby loved them all, but she could never love someone like she loved Yang.
Her sister. Her dear, sweet, beautiful, loving sister. Tough as she was, she was the softest out of all of team RWBY's members. She was always the first to smile, the first to laugh, and the first to protect those around her. Those smiles would forever haunt Ruby now. All of the smiles that she had given, and all of the smiles that would go to waste would forever stick to her mind. That gentle smile.
Ruby closed her eyes as she began to cry again, and was met with flames once more. Higher and higher they burned. "I'm so sorry," Yang had said. Ruby's eyes shot open again, once more hoping it was just a nightmare. She was still locked in the empty room.
How long had it been? Hours? Days? Weeks? Months? Ruby didn't know. Only now did she truly look around the room she was in. It was an old locker room. Old lockers, sinks, and shower stalls lined the wall. Ruby's thoughts were scattered. Without really considering what she was doing, she began to disrobe and entered a shower stall to bathe herself. It wasn't a shower she enjoyed. She barely washed herself, as she didn't have any soap, and she kept increasing the heat of the water. Hotter and hotter, she kept turning it up until her skin was scalding and she had to turn off the shower, but not once did she show any sign of discomfort. It hurt, but she felt it would insult Yang if she cried out.
Steam filled the room as Ruby exited the stall. Without a towel, she just stood there dripping. She noticed a mirror nearby and approached it. Her reflection was warped and disfigured by the steam that filled the room, causing the mirror to fog. Ruby absentmindedly took her hand and wiped the fog away from top to bottom and looked at her figure. Her right arm had barely healed at all. Strange, she thought. It must have been days since that happened. Right? Right? The gash was ugly and spanned from the bottom of her shoulder socket to the midpoint of her bicep at a diagonal angle. It was sure to leave a long, deep scar.
Next, her eyes turned to look at the reflection of her stomach. It was black, blue, and yellow where Yang had punched her. The bruising was sore and fresh, and it made her hurt with every breath she took. That bruise was another reminder of her sister. Yang had punched her, something she had never done before, for the sole purpose of saving Ruby's life. "I'm so sorry," Yang had said, right before her fist made contact with Ruby's torso.
Finally, Ruby looked at her own face. She couldn't comprehend how she looked, but anyone else would see the obvious difference. Ruby was usually so alive and happy, and it was most notable in her eyes. Her eyes, which gleamed like freshly polished silver made by the finest craftsman, would speak volumes of her personality. One look and you would know that Ruby was happy and healthy. She would usually be excited and energetic and would get on some people's nerves, but that's just how she was. That's how people wanted Ruby.
The eyes that looked back at Ruby from the mirror were not her own. The once vibrant silver eyes now looked dull and lifeless. The red that filled the whites of her eyes spoke not of happiness and energy, but of tears and darkness. The lack color preached damnation rather than joy. Her flat expression told tales of surrender rather than perseverance. She felt as lifeless as her eyes looked. She closed them so as to not look at them, and she was met with flames again. "This was always going to happen," Yang had said. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Glass shattered and forced Ruby to open her eyes. She looked up and saw her reflection in pieces. Her left fist was leaning against the mirror, cracking the looking glass and cutting her knuckles. She had punched the mirror. She looked up and saw light creeping in from a small window near the ceiling; sunlight. How long had it been? Hours? Days? Weeks? She didn't know anymore. All she knew was that despair was once a feeling she heard about in stories. Now it was a real feeling for her, and she was in its clutches. She felt as though Despair wouldn't let her go for all of eternity. She placed her left hand under the sink faucet and washed the fresh blood away before finally getting dressed.
Roman Torchwick was a strong man. He was a smart man for the most part, and few could match his cunning. He was an influential man, and once had control over many organization throughout Vale. He was a resourceful man, and could turn any situation to his favor. Most commonly, he was seen as a heartless man.
Could a heartless man be so lost as he was now? It had been less than ten hours since they returned from extracting team RWBY from the Emerald Forest. He'd seen people die before, and he'd seen battles go awry before, but something about Yang burning in the forest made all of those previous incidents seem like child's play. To make matters worse, he wanted to help Ruby, but didn't know how. He'd seen it all. The "I'm sorry for your loss," the "I understand how you feel," the "It gets easier with time," and the "These things happen," just didn't seem like they would cut it. There was nothing he could say to her that would comfort her. He wanted to make things right for her, but there was no way to do that. There was absolutely nothing he could do. Nothing.
But he had to try. He felt a strange sort of love for Ruby that he'd never felt before. It wasn't romantic, but neither was it the level of love that friends give. It was almost paternal. No, maybe not paternal. But it definitely felt like a family love that he felt for her. He was sure that she didn't reciprocate that feeling, but she did consider him a friend, which was close enough. Because of that love he bore her, he had to try to help her. That's all there was to it, and he was determined to give it his best shot.
He arrived at the door to the abandoned room that Ruby had taken refuge in and knocked on the door. "It's me," he said, hoping that got her attention. "Listen, I...I know I don't have the best things to say at times like these. I was always alone, so I've never felt a loss like the one you've just experienced." He paused, breathing in. "I wish I could tell you it'll be okay. I wish I could comfort you and tell you that I understand. But I don't. All I can say is what I know: you've lost someone close to you and I'm sorry. I'm terribly and truly sorry. Maybe if I'd flown faster, or maybe if I'd joined the mission as back up, none of this would have happened." He waited for a response. He sighed when none came. "I'm probably not helping, am I?" He waited again. "Listen, Red, I just...just want to help."
He heard footsteps running towards the door. Was she going to let him in? Was she going to hug him while she cried and give him an opportunity to try to comfort her? Was she finally going to let someone help? The door opened violently, revealing a terrible looking Ruby. It appeared to Roman as though she had stripped off her clothes and put them on haphazardly, leaving herself in a frantic looking state. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her breathing was quick. One feature that seemed different from earlier, however, was her expression. She looked angry.
"What did you say?" she asked, almost harshly.
Roman gulped. "I said that I want to help," he answered.
"No!" she yelled. "What. Did. You. Call. Me?"
"I called you Red, like I always do."
"Red, was it?" she asked, sounding cruel. "You called me Red?" He nodded. "My name isn't Red!" she yelled. "It's not fucking Red, you son of a bitch!" Roman stepped back; he'd never known Ruby to swear. "That's not my name! No one but you calls me that! Weiss doesn't call me that! Blake doesn't call me that! And Yang...Yang never called me...she never called me Red!" She began to tear up. "That's not the name she knew me by, Roman. Please...just call me Ruby."
She began to collapse as she cried, but Roman caught her. He eased her into the room and shut the door to give her some semblance of privacy. "I'm sorry," he said. "I don't mean to offend you. It's just...how do I put it? A cute pet name I've given you." He patted her head gently. "I know no one else calls you by that name. It's just how I am."
"But it's not my name," she cried. "Yang never..."
"Shh," Roman hushed her. "It's okay, Red. It's okay."
"No! No it's not!" she yelled. "My sister is gone! You don't know what that feels like! You can't understand!"
"You're right, I don't!" Roman yelled back, tightening his embrace on Ruby. "But if your premonition about your own fate comes true, then I will understand. I don't want that!"
Ruby's eyes went wide. "What...what are you saying?"
"Without you I'd probably have been working for Cinder alot longer. Without you I wouldn't be here, fighting for our cause! You matter, Red! Alot of people would be dead right now if it weren't for you."
Her eye's continued to tear up. "B-but...Yang still died. I couldn't save her!"
"Maybe," Roman started. "Maybe some things can't be changed. Maybe there are some things that are bendable and adaptable, but others that must always be as they are. Maybe Yang's death was one such point in time; a point that would always happen. Without it, who knows where the events would lead. Maybe she was supposed to die to strengthen you. To give you a reason to fight harder." He pulled away from the embrace and gazed into Ruby's tear filled eyes. "You're sister died, Ruby. Use it."
"Use it?" she asked. He nodded. Use it, she thought. Use it. Use it. Use it! USE IT! She felt something snap from within, as though a great weight that was being held up by a thin thread had been set free, letting gravity take proper control.
Roman witnessed with astonishment as Ruby's expression grew darker and more ferocious with each passing second. Her grief was slowly vanishing and was being replaced by anger. A rage began to burn in her eyes, the likes of which Roman had never seen before. For a split second, Roman thought he saw a hint of change in her eye color. It almost looked like the silver eyes had become as rubies, deep red with rage and blood.
Finally her rage hit a ceiling, and she let it out in a screaming fit. Rose petals seemed to explode from her, floating violently around the room and forcing Roman to take a step back. After a few seconds she seemed to calm down, but her eyes maintained a sliver of the red hue. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks, but Roman saw within her core a newfound resolve. He smiled, silently vowing to support whatever resolve she had found.
A knock came, and Ruby's gaze shifted to the door. "Ms. Rose?" came the voice of Glynda. "I'm...I'm sorry to disturb you, but I have something for you. Something I believe you should have." Ruby looked away from the door, still not feeling up to seeing much of anyone.
Roman smiled. "I'll get it." He opened the door slightly.
"Oh, hello Mr. Torchwick," Glynda greeted.
"Roman's fine," he answered with a smile before shifting to a grim expression. "What's up?"
Glynda nodded. "We recovered this from the Emerald Forest." She held up a cloth bundle. "If you could give this to Ms. Rose, that would be much appreciated. Also... tell her that I'm sorry for her loss."
Roman nodded and took the object before closing the door with a "thank you" and a "good day." He approached Ruby and passed the bundle to her. "She said it's from the forest."
Ruby eyed it suspiciously before taking. Slowly and gently she unraveled the bundle, revealing one of Yang's gauntlets. It was the right gauntlet, if Ruby remembered correctly. It was slightly blackened and scratched, but through all the damage it still shone a vibrant yellow. Ruby smiled faintly and sadly, reflecting on what this gauntlet had been through and what it could do. What Yang could do. She closed her eyes and was once more greeted by the climbing flames. Now, however, she wasn't afraid of them. Now she saw something in them that she didn't see before.
She saw the instrument of her vengeance.
She handed the gauntlet to Roman. "Take this to my team," she instructed. "Tell them...tell them to set up a wall mount for it. It will be our own private memorial to Yang."
Roman nodded. "What about you, Red?"
Ruby's eyes finally returned to their original silver form. "I have work to do." She grabbed Crescent Rose and walked out of the door. "I'm going to the workshops. I am not to be disturbed until I'm finished." With those parting words, she left Roman alone with his thoughts.
Sun was furious. He knew there was nothing he could have done to save Yang. He wasn't there. He couldn't have got there in time. Maybe that's what made him so furious. His lack of ability to arrive fast enough was reason enough to be angry. He was in the training room punching at punching bags, trying to calm his nerves and blow off some steam. Blake had been there earlier, but she didn't stay long. She watched Sun for a few minutes before leaving in tears; apparently, watching sun spar with the punching bag reminded her of Yang.
He had lost track of time. When he finally paused to rest and look out the window, the shattering moon was well into the sky. He dropped to the ground, exhausted. He fell even further backwards to lay flat on the ground and his eyes met the gaze of Militia. She looked at him sadly, but she still held a smile on her face. "Hello," she said, standing over him.
"Hey," Sun replied. "What are you doing?"
"I...I couldn't sleep. I tried to go to bed when Melanie did about an hour ago, but I just couldn't do it. Usually I'd stay up with Melanie, but she was so exhausted that she fell right to sleep. I didn't want to wake her."
Sun nodded, sitting up. "Wanna talk about it?" He patted the floor next to him, signaling to Militia that he wanted her to sit next to him. She nodded and joined him, but the pair sat in silence for a few moments.
"Did we ever tell you about when we first met Yang?" she finally asked.
Sun shook his head. "No, I don't think you did."
Militia smiled, her mind wandering off to the memory. "Most people would have hated her if they were in our shoes. It was when we were working in Junior's club as bouncers. She showed up one evening looking for someone. We never found out who. She tried to get the information from Junior, but he didn't know."
She turned to look at Sun. "We don't really know why, but Yang got angry with Junior. Or, at the very least, somewhat irritated. She punched him and beat up a bunch of his men. Then me and my sister joined the fight. Oh, God, could she fight. Melanie and I hadn't had a fight like that in ages. We were toe to toe! I didn't know who was going to win. We would have kept fighting, but Junior made us step out so he could fight her. He's weaker than us, so it's no surprise that Yang beat him. Only after he tore some of her hair out though."
Sun laughed. "Yeah, that's a big no-no for Yang."
Militia's smile faded. "That was the best night Melanie and I had ever experienced. We hoped that she would come back eventually and stir up more trouble. We wanted to fight her, to get to know her, and maybe even become friends with her. All of the horrible nights of working were made worth it in that fight. We wanted more."
Her eyes shifted to the floor, and she was unwilling to say what she was about to say next. Sun said it for her. "And now you'll never have that ever again," he said.
Militia shook her head. "No, we won't. We did become friends with her, but what is it worth now? She's gone, and we're still here."
Sun looked outside to the moon. "I don't like not knowing what's going to happen. Ruby's predictions have only partly become fact. Everything else is changing with what we prevent. Events are more unpredictable than ever, and anyone of us could die next."
"I don't want to die, Sun. But more than that, I don't want to lose those I care about."
"Ruby's lost her sister. You don't want to lose yours. I understand."
Militia leaned her body until her head rested on Sun's shoulder. "Melanie isn't the only one I don't want to lose," she said quietly.
Sun slowly turned to look at the top of her head, processing what she had just said. "Y...you mean...?" he tried to ask.
She turned her head to face him and nodded with tears in her eyes. She smiled before placing a hand on Sun's cheek. Leaning upwards gently, she placed her lips onto his. The kiss was brief, and they gazed into each other's eyes longingly when they parted. Sun liked the way she tasted, and decided right then that he wanted more of it. Pressing the advance, he set his lips to hers. She accepted his passion and returned it in full.
The night was long and full of passion for Sun and Militia, who found their own way to cope with the loss of a friend on this night. Under normal circumstances they would have been worried that someone might catch them, but on this night they didn't care. All that mattered was the warmth of their bodies pressed to each other in the heat of the moment, and nothing could take that away from them.
Somewhere in the city of Vale, the death howls of Grimm echoed as they were slain violently and without remorse. A heavy thud came from the street as a figure landed from a rooftop. The figure was female and surrounded by floating blades. "Mission parameters have been met: Grimm in Merchant District have been eliminated," she said. "Awaiting further orders."
A radio built into her body switched on as the voice of a woman came through. "Very good, Penny. Return to us. We'll start again in a few days."
"Understood. Returning to HQ." The blades disappeared into her back as she turned and walked in the direction of her "home". It wasn't her real home, but it's where her current master lived and that was enough for her. Her gaze shifted to the north east. In the darkness, she could make out the silhouette of Beacon academy, and she wondered silently if her friends were okay. Maybe she would find out soon. Until then, she was going to work for the new master.
After all, her master told her that they would visit Beacon soon.
The Ghost of You- My Chemical Romance
Author's Note
Holy shit I love writing this story. What do you think about this chapter's cliffhanger? I love that cliffhanger! I know I use the hell out of cliffhangers, but I feel like they make the story more interesting. I'm really excited for the next few chapters. Especially the end of the next chapter! Nothing deadly happens, mind you, but I have an interesting concept for the next chapter's ending. I hope you guys enjoy it!
As usual, it's time for this chapter's episode of...
FUN FACT: I've been planning out most of this story from the beginning, but little bits like this chapter's ending and what it's leading to were developed later upon having someone point out a somewhat interesting plot hole from early on that I had forgotten to tie up. I'm glad I left it alone for so long. Otherwise I wouldn't have come up with this new idea. Also, FUN FACT 2.0: I've been playing A Realm Reborn: FFXIV! It's freaking amazing!
Till next time, friends! Hopefully I'm beyond the point where I worry about being lynched!