Before we get going, I want to say sorry for taking so long. Had a very stressful week and a half, so I didn't find much time to write or edit. And honestly, its not gonna get much better over the next week and a half. So sorry in advance for that. But anyways. I wanna say thanks to all of you that follow this. 244 people, I just grin when I look at that number. Love you all, and lets get on to the story.
Blake sat silently in her empty dorm room, lost in her own thoughts. So much had happened over the last few hours. She had been attacked by a strange man. Ruby had saved her life. And almost ended the attacker's. She had been so cold about it, not even hesitating to remove the man's arm. Ruby had then gone off in search of Yang and Weiss, telling Blake to drag the man to Ozpin. Easier said than done when the man only has one arm. Blake considered bringing the other arm along, but that was hard to do after it had dissolved into petals. It took far longer than Blake would have liked, but she finally dragged the man to Ozpin's office. She had been there for seconds, briefly telling Ozpin what had happened before setting off after Ruby. But after following Ruby's scent, Blake walked into a warzone. The first thing she saw as a blacked haired bear Faunus laying on the ground, their arm contorted at a strange angle. But before Blake could check to see if she was alright, she spotted Ruby, kneeling nearby, cradling Weiss's limp body. Blood was soaked through her white clothing and dripped down her hand. If it wasn't for a subtle, rasping breath escaping from Weiss's lips, Blake would have thought her dead. Yang looked to be in better shape, but not much so. At least Blake could see the rising and falling of her chest.
Blake had snapped Ruby out of her trance, but when she did, what she saw scared her even more. Ruby's eyes were cold as ice, daring someone to make a mistake. She had told Blake to drag the strange Faunus to Ozpin's office as well, then disappeared in her usual manner. Not 30 seconds had passed before Ruby reappeared by Yang's side, lifted her effortlessly, and disappeared again. When Blake finally made her way to the infirmary, she found not two, but three beds filled. Apparently, Ruby had collapsed of exhaustion after delivering Yang, but the doctors had assured Blake she would be fine by the morning. But morning was a long way away.
Blake sat in anticipation for that morning. She had seen a side of Ruby she never knew existed. A dangerous side, one that would destroy anything in the way of her goal. One that would push herself beyond her own limits, for the sake of her friends. Something that made Blake proud to call her leader.
Of course, today hadn't left her without questions. How had Ruby beaten both the attackers, when the rest of her team could barely touch them? How had Ruby known so much about that White Fang agent, when Blake had never heard of him? And what had her vision meant, when those two figures had told her that her alpha would need her? Had they meant Ruby? What was this Statera they had mentioned?
None of her questions would be answered today. Ozpin had said he would visit when the team had recovered and answer any of their questions, but who knew how long that would take. Weiss and Yang had taken a solid beating, and it looked like they wouldn't wake up anytime soon. All Blake could do was wait for morning, and pray the Ruby would fill her in on what the hell happened today.
Mind still reeling, Blake lay in her bed, waiting for the long night to end and for what the morning would bring.
After a sleepless night, Blake rose with the sun. Her mind had run wild all night long, running through thousands of possible explanations to yesterday's events. Each one had been crazier than the last, ending with Ruby not being from this world. Once the sun had cleared the horizon, Blake was out the door, heading to the infirmary.
Blake silently padded past the front desk of the infirmary, heading for her teammate's room. Given they were all from the same team, Weiss, Yang, and Ruby had been placed in the same room. It make Blake's life easier, as she had only one place to go. Blake slunk silently down the hall, sticking to the shadows, avoiding the nurses. Normally, she be welcome, but visiting hours were still a few hours away. Blake just couldn't wait that long. She needed to be there if they woke up. But when she walked into the room, she wasn't greeted with three sleeping forms.
Instead, on the center bed, silhouetted in the morning light, sat a meditating Ruby, legs crossed and palms upright. Her posture rose slightly as she breathed deep, opening her eyes on the exhale. Ruby flicked her ears, as if signaling to Blake. As to not wake up Yang or Weiss, Blake carefully padded over, stopping at the foot of Ruby's bed.
"Someone's up early," Ruby quietly commented, not moving from her meditative position.
"Your one to talk. Sun's barely up, and you're sitting in your bed meditating," Blake shot back, making sure to keep her voice just above a whisper.
"I assume that you want to know what happened yesterday."
"You could say that."
"Then let's talk. Just not here." Ruby sprung off her bed, looking far better than someone who was admitted to the infirmary the day before for exhaustion. Without speaking, Ruby strode to the window, opening it wide and closing her eyes as she let a soft breeze whip her in the face. Eyes still closed, Ruby put both her hands on the frame, and threw herself over the edge.
Blake rushed to the window, not believing what she had seen. Her team was placed on the third floor, but Ruby had just thrown herself out the window like it was a three foot drop. But when Blake reached the window, she looked down, only to see a pair of silver eyes staring back up. Three stories down. 'And I thought cats were supposed to always land on their feet,' Blake thought with a shake of her head, before launching herself over the edge once after her leader.
Landing softly, Blake turned to Ruby, who turned and started to walk away, signaling Blake to follow. They walked in silence for quite some time, heading towards the rising sun and enjoying the peace of the morning. When they reached the edge of campus, Ruby stopped, looking over the cliff down into the Emerald Forest. Blake stopped a short distance behind her, not sure where to start.
Fortunately for her, Ruby took the lead. "You heard the voices, didn't you?"
Time stopped as Blake's heart froze. Ruby had hit the nail on the head, but how? How could she know about that?
Ruby turned her back to the cliffs, facing Blake with a small smirk. "Don't look so shocked, Blake. I can smell it on you. Tell me, you feel any different?"
Blake stood shocked for another moment, still not sure how to respond. "No…I…I can't…Its crazy…" Blake stuttered, trying to find the words to say.
"Relax, Blake, its nothing bad. Just a sign. That you're ready."
Finally, Blake found her tongue. "What are you talking about Ruby? Ready for what? How do you know any of this? Just what the hell is going on?!"
Ruby just smiled and turned back around, looking over the forest once again. "Do you remember what we were talking about before I left?"
"Of course, how could I forget? I've been thinking about it all weekend. But that's not the issue right now. Right now, I want to know what those voices were and how the hell you knew about them!" Blake's voice stayed level the entire time, but Ruby could tell that with each word she was getting more and more frustrated.
"Trust me, Blake. This is nothing bad. Tell me, what did they say?"
Blake sighed, knowing she wasn't going to get anything out of Ruby without admitting this. "I don't know. All I know is that I saw these two figures, and they said something about my future. Well, one did, the other just kept purring. They mentioned something about Statera. And, I think they called you my alpha."
"Did they now?" Blake could have sworn Ruby had a note of pride her voice, but she moved on too quick to be sure. "Well then, it seems that you're farther along than I thought."
"What? Ruby, I swear to dust if you…" Blake asked tentatively, not sure she wanted to know.
"It means that you're ready for balance. For Statera."
"Yeah, that does me a whole lot of good Ruby," sarcasm lacing Blake's voice.
Ruby chuckled and turned to face Blake once again. "Statera is an old word. Very old. From a dead language old. But it means balance. Inner peace. And freedom. As for those things you saw, they were real. That wasn't you going crazy. They were you. Or, to be more precise, they were the parts of you that make you, well, you."
"Wha…" Blake started, but then realized that she had nothing to say. Deep down, she knew it to be true. Ruby was right. Those, things, had been her.
"And it they are showing themselves to you, and speaking to you, then wow. You are really ahead of the curve," Ruby laughed while shaking her head. Blake still had no idea what was going on, but somehow, she knew that Ruby spoke true. That something was happening inside her. And it scared her. Tears began to well in her eyes as she immediately assumed the worst.
"I'm becoming one of those things, aren't I?" Blake said in a flat voice, fighting to maintain herself.
Ruby brought her hands up and shook them furiously, as if trying to dash the idea away. "No, no, no. Just the opposite. Without even knowing it, you're achieving balance. You're the same as me."
"No, I'm not. I've seen the things you do. What you did yesterday. I'm not like that. Not even close." Blake's eyes began to water, but she refused to let a tear fall. She refused to show anymore weakness than she already had. Ruby sighed and turned to face the forest once again. She took a seat in the dew covered grass, dangling her legs over the edge.
"Blake, come here." Ruby motioned to Blake, signaling her to sit on the cliff edge with her. Blake took her place, still struggling to maintain composure. "I want you to tell me something. What's the furthest thing you hear out there?"
Now Blake was completely lost. What did her hearing have to do with anything? Turning to Ruby, she started, "Ruby, I don't…"
"Blake, don't question it. Just do it," Ruby cut in, as if knowing Blake was going to argue.
Blake turned and faced the Emerald Forest, staring out into its green expanse. Her ears twitched beneath her bow, picking up the subtle sounds of wildlife, and finally finding her limit. Point out towards the still rising sun, she said, "There's an owl settling in for the day that way, just on the edge of my hearing.
"Ah, good choice. See Blake, that's about 10 miles away. Tell me, what's the usual distance a Faunus can hear?"
Blake was stunned, not even realizing the distance. "About 5 miles. After that, it gets pretty touchy. But it's not unheard of for my hearing."
"Ehhh, yes and no. It's not unheard of for the beasts to hear that well, but that's long after they lose their humanity. So tell me Blake, how does someone like you, who holds firmly unto her humanity, gain such an ability?"
Blake fell into silence once again, not sure how to respond. It had never occurred to her before, but Ruby was right. She had never heard of anyone but the beasts have her kind of hearing. And it scared her even more. That was, until she realized something. "Ruby, how far away can you hear right now?"
"Right now? About 15 miles out," Ruby said with a shrug, acting like it wasn't a big deal.
"WHAT?!" Blake shouted, finally losing her control. "How can you hear that far out?! How is that even possible?! Is it possible?! Has anyone done that before?!"
Ruby just chuckled at Blake's outburst, knowing it would come out sooner or later. "Relax, Blake. It's just part of my training. It's why I meditate. Actually, if I was to meditate right now, I could double that range for a little bit. As to if anyone has done it before, I don't think so. Not for hundreds of years anyways."
Blake brought herself back under control, still finding this hard to believe. "What does this have to do with those things I saw? I still don't understand what's going on Ruby."
"It's like I said earlier. You're reaching Statera. Bringing your animal side and your human side together. The parts that make you, you. I'm honestly amazed that you can see them, let alone have them speak to you. It took me years before I got there."
"But how can that be Ruby? I've never meditated like you. I've never gotten in touch with my beast. Hell, I've done my best to bury it. So why is this happening?"
"Yeah, not gonna lie, that may be my fault."
Blake narrowed her eyes, turning to look at Ruby. "What do you mean, it might be your fault?"
"Well, according to the books I've read, when your seek Statera, it starts to wake up parts of yourself that you couldn't touch before. It expands your senses, increases your athleticism, and improves your survivability. But that's not all. When you seek Statera, it draws not only you to the goal, but those around you as well."
"But that means…"
"Yep, you're been searching for it without realizing it." Ruby said matter-of-factly. "Actually, I'd say that you're at where I was about half a year ago. How you got there so fast, I don't know, but here you are. That's why you can hear so far, and why you've seen your inner selves."
"A little warning would have been nice," Blake said flatly, but when Ruby looked over, she saw the corners of Blake's mouth twitch up, as she tried to suppress her smile.
"You're taking this surprisingly well for someone that wanted to shun me a few days ago for this very reason."
"Am I? I suppose you're right. Actually, I wanted to apologize for my behavior Ruby. I just couldn't believe that such a thing existed. But then again, here I am, being told that I'm just the same. And honestly? It's a relief. I honestly thought that I was losing myself, becoming one of those things. One of those beasts that attacked us yesterday." Blake said these words, but as they left her mouth, a though occurred to her. "Ruby, if were not like those monsters, but were not normal either, just what are we?"
"We're Faunus Blake, plain and simple. You'll understand more soon enough, but now, we need to get back."
"What? But… no, I'm not done yet. There's still way to many questions that you need to answer. You've barely told me enough to scratch the surface. Who were those people yesterday? What were they? How the hell did you beat them by yourself when none of us were able to touch them? And how do you know any of that? And no, telling me it's a trade secret will not cut it. They went after us and our friends, so I have a right to know everything."
"Relax Blake, you'll know all that very soon. But right now, we need to head back. Yang just woke up, and Weiss is stirring, which means Ozpin will be by soon. When he gets there, I'll answer all the questions I can."
"Wait, how do you..?"
"I can hear 15 miles away, what makes you think that I wouldn't keep an ear on our teammates in the infirmary?"
"I guess you got a point," Blake conceded as she stood up from her perch on the cliff edge. Blake hadn't been listening for it, but now that she thought about it, the sound of Yang's steady breathing had died down, replaced with a deep yawn. Blake could just picture Yang sitting up in the bed, looking around in confusion, her hair disheveled as usual. Blake cracked a smile at the image, until she caught herself. Why was she smiling at that? That was how Yang spent every morning, and it wasn't a particularly flattering image.
Ruby noticed when Blake stopped, and turned to look at her friend. "Something wrong, Blake?"
"I don't know…" Blake trailed off. That was, until a thought sprang into her mind. "Ruby, tell me, this Statera, or whatever you called it, how does it change you?"
Ruby flashed a look of confusion at Blake, but she answered, "Well, like I said, it amplifies your senses. I can smell them cooking lunch right now. It's meatloaf, by the way. It takes a bit to get used to, but it's not bad. It also improves your other physical abilities, like agility and strength. Other than that though, I've only read about it in books. I mean, come on, I just got here yesterday, you can't expect me to know everything."
"Ruby, what does it say in those books?" Blake asked, her voice leaving no room for distraction.
"Not a whole lot. Mostly they just talk about the fighting abilities and what not. A few of them mention the mate, but that's about it."
"Wait, the mate? As in, love life mate?"
"Yeah, that's the one. Apparently, the closer we get to Statera, the more aware we become of our chosen mates. Human rational colliding with beast instincts and all that."
Blake squinted are Ruby. "What do you mean, more aware?"
"You know, you notice more about them. That they make you happier. That you want to be with them."
"Oh, so like you and Weiss."
"What? Oh… I guess your right… Yeah, just like that." Ruby had that innocent smile on her face. "But as far as the changes we undergo because of Statera, that's about it. Oh, I forgot improved aura production. We do that too. Now I'm curious though. I thought you wanted nothing to do with this. Why are you so interested all of a sudden?"
"Oh, uh, you know, to, uh… know what to expect. If I do chose to carry on with this Statera thing."
Ruby's face lit up at the prospect. "Yeah, then that's about it then. It does say that we will pull those near us to Statera, but considering there aren't that many Faunus around us, that won't really be an issue."
Blake nodded in agreement, and the two continued on their way to the infirmary. But for the entire walk, Blake's mind was working overtime. She had to figure out what was happening. Why her thoughts always drifted there. Why she always found herself thinking about Yang. And just what that meant.
Blake and Ruby climbed back through the window just as a nurse was about to run out the door. She hadn't been prepared for Ruby's unscheduled departure, and seeing her climb back through the window didn't do much to help her anger.
"And just what do you think you're doing?! You're supposed to stay in bed!"
Ruby just shrugged at the outburst, as if she had heard it all before. "I woke up, and I wanted to go out. So I did."
But the nurse was having none of it. "You collapsed in the hallway after dragging these two here, and that's all you have to say?!"
"You know Ruby, I meant to ask you about that too. Why did you pass out like that? You seemed fine after fighting that girl."
Ruby shrugged once again. "Just overused my semblance. Between that and achieving Statera, you can imagine that I would be a little worn out."
"Fair enough."
The nurse, however, wasn't done. "And you, Ms. Belladonna. Visiting hours aren't until 10. You need to go."
"Hey, that's my partner you're talking to. She stays." All three turned to nearby the bed, where Yang sat, smirking at the scene before her.
"Ms. Xiao Long, you're awake! That's excellent news!" The nurse completely forgot her anger, overjoyed with Yang's recovery. "Now we just need Ms. Schnee to awaken, and…"
"No, you don't. It's not like I can sleep through this racket." Ruby's ears shot straight up at the sound of Weiss's voice, and dashed to her partner's side, a trail of petals floating behind her.
"Weiss! You're awake!" Ruby cheered, her voice far louder than it should be in a hospital room.
Weiss cringed at Ruby's shouts, shrinking away slightly. "Ruby, please don't. Just, whisper, please.
Ruby just smiled at her partner, before leaning forward and whispering, "Can do Weiss."
"Ow. Okay, why do I feel like I had way too much to drink? What the hell happened? Last thing I remember is some bitch attacking me and Yang."
"That's exactly what happened," Blake calmly explained. "Ruby stopped her and carried you both here."
"Well, that explains why I'm here, but not really what happened. Who the hell was that girl?"
"In due time Weiss," Ruby patted her on her good shoulder. "Not everyone's here yet." Ruby turned to the nurse, her voice becoming serious. "I need you to go get Ozpin. Tell him that we're ready."
The nurse just looked at Ruby like a misbehaving child. "I'm sorry, what? I don't think so Ms. Rose. You are patients here. We still need to do tests on your friends here. They both sustained head injuries, and we need to determine just how severe they are. You, however, will get into your bed and rest, while Ms. Belladonna here will leave and come back during the appropriate hours."
Ruby sighed, as if she was the one dealing with a child. "Weiss has a moderate concussion on top of the other injuries, and Yang has a mild one. Yang will be fine by the end of the day, as her aura has strong healing properties. Weiss will take two days, less if I use my aura to help the process. And I simply passed out from using too much aura at once when it was already weakened. Now, you will please do as I say and fetch Ozpin."
The nurse's face turned as red as Ruby's cloak. Never before had she been talked to like this by a first year student, and she didn't intend to start now. "Oh, and since when did you become such an expert on head injuries? There is no cut and dry for the head, and if you are going to assume such things, then your friends will be in danger of hurting themselves further. Besides, if Ms. Schnee had a concussion as you say, she would likely still be asleep. I can't speak for Ms. Xiao Long's healing capabilities, but I highly doubt that she will be cleared by the end of the day. And you Ms. Rose, need to get back in your bed before I strap you to it. Professor Ozpin will be here soon enough, but we will worry about that later."
Ruby camly turned and walked over to the nurse. When she was an arm's length away, she stopped, crossed her arms, and looked the nurse in her eye. "I am more than experienced enough with diagnosing and treating injuries to tell you what they has and how long it will take. I know my team quite well, and I know just what to expect from them in terms of recovery. As for myself, I have more aura in my little finger than you do in your whole body, and I've been steadily feeding these two my aura while they slept to speed up their healing processes. Now do your job and get Ozpin."
"My JOB, is to take care of…" the nurse started before Ruby brought her hand up to the woman's face, silencing her.
"Your job, is to assist huntsman and huntresses in healing and anything else they might request. As my team doesn't need your help healing any further, please do as I request and fetch the headmaster."
"NOW LISTEN UP YOU CHEEKY LITTLE…"
"Hunter Order 12-3-4-9-3-12. Now. Go. Get. Professor. Ozpin." Ruby's voice was cold, clearly having had enough with this nurse. Silence fell between the two, as they stared into each other's eyes. The nurse's eyes widened in surprise, shock evident all over her face. Ruby's, on the underhand, were frozen pools of silver. They stared at the nurse, waiting for her to make a move.
"How do you know that order?" The nurse finally whispered, as if she didn't want to believe it.
"How doesn't matter. All that matters is that I know it and I just used it. Go."
Without another word, the nurse turned and walked out the room, leaving team RWBY in an equally stunned silence.
"Ruby, what just happened?" Yang finally asked. She had seen her sister mad before, but never took it out on other people. Well, innocent people.
"Soon. All will be explained when Ozpin gets here. If that woman had just listened, he would already be here."
"I don't care about that. I mean, I've never seen you treat anyone like that. What the hell was that?"
"We have more important issues right now, and I lost my patience. I'll apologize to her later, but right now, we need to get Ozpin here to figure out our next course of action. And what to do with those two."
"Indeed we do." The voice came from the doorway, and all eyes turned to see their grey haired headmaster standing there, cup of coffee in one hand and cane in the other. "I was already on my way down when I ran into Ms. Iola. Ms. Rose, was it really necessary to get her so worked up?"
"I didn't know you were on the way here already, and she wouldn't do as I asked. I'm sorry to cause a problem, but you can imagine if I'm a little stressed right now."
"Indeed." Ozpin pulled a chair up to the base of Ruby's bed and took a seat. He placed his cane between his legs and rested his hands on the handle. "So, where shall we begin?"
Ruby jumped into her bed leaning back against the headboard. "I know Blake has questions, and I'm sure that everyone else does too. But first, where are they?"
"I had them placed in the holding cells in the basement. Separate, of course."
"Of course. Let's make sure they stay that way. And don't be fooled, he has a tricky semblance. Well, that's all I really need to know right now. Right now, we need to answer all of my team's questions."
"Of course."
The room fell silent as Ruby and Ozpin looked around. Yang's and Weiss's faces were pictures of confusion. They knew that Ruby had leadership classes with Opzin, but never expected Ruby to speak so casually. Hell, she was sprawled out on the bed, hands behind her head, acting like he wasn't even there. Blake was the only one that maintained her poker face. She was expecting a few shocks today. She couldn't let this catch her off guard.
Blake stood silent for a moment, before crossing her arms and walking over to the wall between Ruby's and Weiss's beds. She leaned against it, keeping her arms crossed. After another long moment of silence, she spoke. "Who were they?"
"Who was who?! What the fuck is going on?!" Yang finally exploded.
Weiss covered her ears at the sound, but nodded all the same. "I would like a better explanation of what happened before we get to who," Weiss said, quite a bit calmer than Yang, but her eyes told just how serious she was.
Ruby sighed, and swung off the side of the bed. She walked to the window, staring out at the sun that had finally risen above the trees, spilling light over all of campus. She spoke without turning around. "Yesterday, two assassins came to Beacon. Their targets were Blake, for her connections to the White Fang, and Weiss, for her family's business. Yang and I were just going to be casualties for them. They barely even looked into us. I fought them off, and there shouldn't be any more any time soon, but still…"
"So it was you," Weiss interrupted, voice barely above a whisper. "You were the one that I saw when that girl almost killed me. In that case, before we go on… Ruby, thank you for saving my life."
Without saying a word, Ruby turned away from the window and strode to Weiss's side, pulling her into a gentle hug. "I would do it again a hundred times over. All of you, are the most important people in my life. If I was to lose any of you…" Ruby's voice trailed off, not wanting to think about such a possibility. She slowly pulled away, and looked out over the room. "To answer Blake's question as to who, well, that's gonna take a little longer."
Ruby pulled a chair next to Ozpin and took a seat, resting her elbows on her knees. She scanned the room, making sure she had everyone's attention before speaking again. "Their codenames are Lion and Bear. They are two assassins that work for the White Fang, indirectly. They aren't actually members of the White Fang, but they were at one time. Now, they're part of the Red Fang."
A frown creased Ozpin's face. "The Red Fang? Well, then, this is a problem…"
"I'm sorry, the who?" Yang spoke up again, this time more in control of her emotions.
"They're an elite division, technically separate from the White Fang. But, they handle all of the White Fang's reconnaissance, assassinations, and code enforcement." Ozpin replied, looking to Ruby to once again take the lead.
"Lion was their last fully-fledged member, the others having been recently wiped out, and Bear was on her final test. They were, are, two of the most dangerous people in all of Remnant."
"Then how did you beat them by yourself, if they're so good?" Weiss chipped in, confusion etched across her face.
Blake's eyes widened as she realized she had the answer. "Statera," was all she said.
"What?" Three voices filled the room, all turning to Blake while Ruby nodded.
"That's right. As I told all of you before I left, I was hunting for balance. Well, I found it. It's called Statera. It was because of that that I was able to beat them. Even with their training. Even with their... other advantage." Ruby's voice fell as she finished her sentence.
"What advantage?" Yang asked, almost afraid for the answer.
Ozpin's eyes widened as he realized what Ruby was talking about. "No, you don't mean to tell me…"
"Only Lion. Bear isn't one of those things. Yet," Ruby quietly said, looking at the ground. "But she's close. I don't know if you can still save her."
"We'll try, but we might need help if it gets too far." Ozpin's voice was sullen, realizing what he was up against. "I'll double the security on Lion as well."
"I'm sorry again, but one of what things?" Weiss pressed, confusion evident.
"Do the two of you remember the argument Blake and I had before I left? About how I found a different way from the normal two?"
Both nodded, not sure where this was going. "Well, the people of the Red Fang, they follow a fourth philosophy. One far, far more sinister than you could ever imagine."
Blake's eyes narrowed, not liking where this was going. "What do you mean Ruby?"
"In the usual methods, people put one side of themselves over the other, giving that one the dominance and therefore, the control. In my method, I find balance between the two, bringing them together into one being. But their method. They try to make it so there is only one being as well. But…" Ruby's stopped, trying to find how to put this gently. Finding no such way, she said flatly, "They let the beast kill and eat the human inside them."
Her words seemed to echo in the small room, resonating in ways they never should. Blake was the first to recover from the shock, but her voice still shook when she spoke. "They… They what?"
"They kill their humanity. They give the beast complete, 100% control. And when this happens, there is a void, a gap that needs to be filled."
"So what do they do?" Blake asks, not really sure she wasn't to know.
"They fill it with the only thing they can. Darkness, negativity, hatred. You might be able to fill it with other things, like love or kindness, but if someone ever gets to this point, all they know is darkness." Ruby shut her own eyes and leaned back in the chair. When she opened them again, there was a fire there, a burning hate that knew no bounds. When she spoke, her voice radiated anger. "When they fill the gap, they change. They become, something else. You wouldn't see it by looking at them, but they become the very things we fight."
Weiss's eyes opened, realizing just what Ruby meant. "No, that can't be…"
"I'm afraid it is," Ozpin interjected. "You see, the Red Fang that Ruby is talking about, is an organization that turns its members into Grimm."
"That's impossible," Blake cut in, refusing to believe it. "They can't be part Grimm. There is no Grimm humans. Besides, Lion had a semblance. Grimm can't have those, they don't have auras."
"Yes, they can," Ruby replied, the fire dying as she calmed herself down. "Grimm do have miniscule auras, but they can't activate them. But human Grimm aren't born, their made. And if the person has an activated aura, well, we get what Lion is. A Grimm with a mind and a semblance. The process shatters their aura, so they can't shield themselves anymore, but somehow, their semblance remains."
Blake was now nodding as the story started to piece together. "That's why you were able to cut his arm off without any effort, and why you had to stop the bleeding for him."
"Wait, Ruby cut someone's arm off?" Yang looked back and forth between Ruby and Blake.
"When she saved my life," Blake explained. "She came across me and Lion fighting on the edge of Forever Fall, and she intervened. He was about to kill me..."
"Then I have no issue with this," Yang said, eyes going hard. "If he still breaths, he got off easy."
"Anyways…" Ruby continued. "The Red Fang makes Grimm humans. They are faster and stronger than regular people, and are significantly smarter than Grimm. In fact, you can consider them Grimm commanders. If there is a Grimm within a mile, they can sense and control them. When I went for Blake, I had to clear out the Grimm in the area first, making sure that Lion didn't call for help."
"Lion mentioned something about that," Blake put in. "I guess that explains how he knew."
"Yeah. But the worst part of the Red Fang, is that that is their final goal. They want to make the entire world Grimm humans. They split off from the White Fang to search out this goal, but will continuing working with them for as long as their goals align."
"But what about humans?" Weiss put in. "You said that they need to let the beast kill the man in order to become one of those things. I though only Faunus had those."
"No. Almost everything as those two sides. But Grimm don't have that human side. That's why everything except the Grimm have auras. That's why everyone has instincts. It's just that among the Faunus, the beast and human sides are more prominent than in any other species."
Silence once again filled the room as the team processed this new information. Blake in particular was stunned. Over the course of less than a week, her world had been turned on its head so many times, she never thought she would know which was up again. First, Ruby had blown her away with a supposed third way of life. Then, she learned that she didn't know as much as she thought about the White Fang and their operations. And now, she was being told that humans and Faunus were willingly being turned into Grimm. But her day wasn't done yet.
"Ruby, you've told us the how, the why, and the what. But you still haven't told us how you know all this. I specialized in information gathering and hunting, but here you are, telling me things that I've never even heard rumors of. So tell me now. How? How do you know?" Blake amber eyes stared into Ruby's silver ones, demanding the answers she sought.
Ruby sighed and stood once more. She walked to the window and sat on the ledge, looking out at the courtyard. When she spoke, her voice was serious, and even if she wasn't speaking loudly, it rang through the room. "Let me ask you a few things first. Blake, the Reaper, how long ago did they emerge?"
"What? What does this have to do with the Reaper?"
"I know that you were following them for years. You'll see what I'm getting at soon enough."
"Well, they emerged three years ago, but that's only officially. They've been around for about 8 years…" Blake's voice carried off, still confused as to why she was being asked this.
"Weiss, why does the media believe that the Reaper has been able to elude the White Fang for so long?"
"They believe it's because the Reaper does precision operations all around the world, and doesn't spend more than a few weeks in one place."
"Ok, good. Yang, do you remember how long it's been since mom died?"
"Huh… Oh, yeah, it's been about 8 years now."
"And where have I been living during thos e 8 years?"
"You stayed in that house, on the edge of the kingdom, until about 4 years ago, when you sold it and started living in the forest itself." Yang's voice trailed off, not liking where this was heading.
Ruby then turned to Ozpin and dropped the final bomb."Professor Ozpin, who is the Reaper?" Six eyes immediately turned to their headmaster, two sets filled with shock that he would know, one hoping for a solid answer.
Ozpin took a sip of his coffee before starting. "The Reaper is an extremely talented individual, someone who grew up training to be a hunter. About 8 years ago, an event occurred that made them hate the White Fang and all they do. They started a war all by themselves, picking up some help along the way, but generally fought by themselves. For the first three years, before the public even knew about the Reaper, they were hunted by the authorities and the hunters alike. Wanted as a violent vigilante, they lived on the run. They became pretty well known in the underground and among the authorities."
Before continuing, Ozpin looked at the girls around him, making sure they were still with him. Weiss and Yang seemed interested enough, but Blake looked like she was barely containing herself. Obviously, the story about her hero had caught her attention. "Soon, renowned hunters began to follow the Reaper, hoping to bring the vigilante in. For about 5 months, far longer than anyone expected them to last, the Reaper stayed 2 steps ahead of the elite hunters. And they would have continued indefinitely, if it wasn't for sheer bad luck. One day, two hunters came across a White Fang operation. I was one of them. We prepared for a fight, thinking that we would be the ones to strike a blow against the terrorist organization. What we weren't prepared for was the Reaper walking out the door, dragging a group of bound White Fang members behind them. From our lookout position, we could see smoke began to billow from the windows, and a small glow could be seen through the door behind the Reaper."
Ozpin took a breath and another sip of his coffee. "Naturally, we thought that the Reaper had started the fire, and were about to charge in when the Reaper did something unexpected. They charged back into the burning building. Moments later, the glow started to wane, and the smoke started to die down. The Reaper had gone back in to keep the building from burning. We were confused, but took up positions to capture the Reaper nonetheless. We would figure out why they went back in later. When they emerged, we pounced, prepared to subdue the Reaper with nonlethal force. What we hadn't expect, was for the Reaper to be waiting for us to make a move, and instead, capture us."
"Wait, so the Reaper attacked you?" Weiss cut in. "How come I've never heard of this before? This would have been national news."
"Your right, it would have been, if the Reaper had harmed us. All they did was use a small amount of their aura to stun us."
"Wait, that's high level stuff," Yang cut in. "Only a few people know about it, let alone how to use it in combat. Hell, the only people who I know can do that are…" Yang's eyes widened, as she came to a revelation.
"That's right Yang. And as it's such an advanced technique," Ozpin put in, "you can imagine my surprise when this random vigilante was using it. The only reason I wasn't knocked out like my partner that day was because of the training I received from Qrow."
"Qrow never said anything about it," Yang mumbled, clearly upset this was the first she heard of this story, considered that her uncle was involved, even if indirectly.
"He had his reasons Yang. Anyways," Ozpin started up again, "I asked the Reaper who they were, and who taught them their fighting style. But all the Reaper said was they learned from the best. They turned to leave, but I wasn't done with them yet. I asked them why they went back in, and do you know how they answered? They said because they didn't want the fire to spread to the other buildings. They had gone back into the burning build, risking their life, to protect the property around the White Fang warehouse. Now tell me, does that sound like a randomly violent vigilante?"
No one answered. "Exactly. While I had their attention, I asked them another question. I asked if they wanted to be a hunter."
"Wait, you asked the Reaper, the vigilante and a criminal in the eyes of the law, to become a hunter?" Weiss questioned, shock across her face.
"Some people do not have the resources available to become a hunter, even if they have the talent and the heart." Ozpin nodded at Blake, who said nothing. "I just assumed that the Reaper was one of the ones that slipped through the cracks. But they turned the offer down. They said that they had been alone for too long to start working in a team. That they would just put others in danger like they did to themselves. 'I can't lose another. Not again,' were their exact words if I remember right."
Ozpin went to take another sip of his coffee, but found his mug was empty. Frowning, he put the mug on the ground before continued his story. "I told them that we could fix that. That we could train them. But they still declined. They said it would look to suspicions. But when I asked how so, they didn't reply. Instead, they simply took off their hood. And what I saw was the reason they had declined. The reason it would look suspicious. They were a 13 year old girl. A teenage girl was the one that had been causing the White Fang hell for years, and eluding all the hunters chasing them. What they said next, broke my heart, both as a teacher and a hunter. They said that for what they were doing, they needed to go alone. If they got a team, they would only lead them to an early death, because that's where they were heading. This thirteen year old girl, barely out of adolescence, was already prepared to die in the shadows, just to defeat the White Fang. I decided then that I would do everything I could to make sure that didn't happen."
"Wait, wait, wait," Weiss interrupted again. "You're telling me that the Reaper was a child when they started fighting the White Fang? That they are younger than us, and they're out there alone, fighting these monsters?"
"Yes, I am. But they aren't alone anymore. I made a deal with them that day. We agreed that we would unofficially make the Reaper a huntress. They would be backed by the hunters, but we couldn't openly support their actions. If they were in a pinch, or needed information fast, they could get what they needed with a simple code. I wasn't much, but I would be enough to keep them alive. And in return, when the time came, they would come to school and learn to work in a team. They would become an official huntress."
"That was 5 years ago, so what, does that mean that the Reaper will be here in two years?" Weiss asked.
"No, not quite. See, it would be strange if a 13 year old joined Beacon, especially one that would outclass every student there, even the upperclassmen. An 18 year old, however, not so much."
Weiss continued to look confused, but Blake's eyes slowly widened, as she reached the same conclusion as Yang. "Wait, so they're here now? At this school?" Weiss asked.
"No, no, that can't be…" Blake whispered off to the side. She had brought her hands to her mouth, the shock evident in her amber eyes.
"Weiss, they are closer than you think," Ozpin said, then stood up and made his way to the door. "I'll leave the rest to you, Ms. Rose. Come to my office later, and we'll discuss what the next step will be."
"Sounds like a plan," Ruby said from her chair. As soon as Ozpin left the room, all heads turned to Ruby.
Weiss opened her mouth to start talking, but closed it quickly, looking a Ruby as if she was seeing the younger girl for the first time. Blake and Yang just stared at Ruby, equally at a loss. 'I can't believe I never realized it. She knew everything about me, but I never questioned how before…' Blake thought, too shocked to speak.
Ruby stood and put the chair against the wall, then turned and faced her team who was facing her, shock still apparent. "I'll finish Ozpin's story where he left off. Obviously, the Reaper accepted the deal, but there was still 5 years before she could come here. So she went to work, weakening the White Fang so that she could have 4 years of peace. 4 years to do what was needed. When she was done, she planned to take her team and finish the White Fang once and for all. Over the years, she grew stronger, did more jobs, and became a symbol against the White Fang. But the entire time, she hid in the shadows. Few people knew who she was, but she always did what she could to protect those close to her. When she got to the school, she joined a team. A team that she knew could carry themselves. Alone, each of them was, are the best of the best. But together, they will be the ones to take down a monstrous organization. Together, they could become the family she had lost."
Somewhere along the line, a final connection had finally clicked in Weiss's head, and she started to cry. She cried because she hadn't known. She cried because she didn't know what to say. She cried, because Ruby had been looking out for her far longer than Weiss had known.
Yang stood up, tears streaming down her face as well, and limped over to Ruby. Without saying a word, she pulled Ruby into a hug. "You could have told me. I would have helped," she whispered in Ruby's ear. "I loved Summer too. I promised to end those that hurt you two if I ever found them, but there you were, doing it all yourself."
"I'm sorry Yang, but I couldn't do that to you. You were already searching for your own mom. I couldn't put you through what I went through as well. I was young and stupid, and I let my pride get to me. But now," Ruby wrapped her arms around Yang, "now you know, and we can get the bastards together."
Blake walked up and hugged the two sisters herself, pressing her forehead against Ruby's ears, wetting them with her own tears. "Ruby, because of you, I have another chance. You got me here. You gave me this life. Now, I give it back. I will fight by your side. Together, we will end the White Fang and truly find peace for Faunus everywhere."
The bed creaked as Weiss climbed out, and with the help of crutches leaning against the wall, she made her way over to her team. Tears still glistened on her face when she reached them, and she put her arms around their shoulders, using their weight to support herself. She placed her head on Ruby's free shoulder. Through the tears, she said, "Ruby, I said thank you for saving my life earlier, but now I don't think that will be enough. No, I know I can never thank you enough. Because not only did you save my life yesterday, but you saved my mom just days before. I can never thank you enough for that. I can never thank you enough for the times you protected my family and my family's company for all those years. But I can start to make it up. Ruby, I swear on my life, that I will stand by you. I will fight for what's right. I will do all that I can to help you defeat the White Fang, so you can finally have a normal life."
Now the tears flowed from Ruby's eyes like waterfalls, as she wrapped her arms around her other two teammates as well. "You two don't owe me anything. You have given me things that I have never had before. You gave me best friends. You gave me people to love. I couldn't ask you to do more."
"Don't you dare try to stop us," Blake growled. "You may not ask for it, you may not like it, but we're here, and we're gonna stay whether you like it or not."
Ruby didn't say anything to that. They stood in that hug for quite some time, crying into each other, reveling in each other's touch. Despite what they had been through, despite where they were now, despite what was to come, they would always stand together. They would become the voices of justice. Together, they would end the White Fang and all the pain that they brought with them.
Whoo, happy ending! Ok, this was by far the longest chapter I have written. It doubles the minimum I put for myself, but there no way that I was gonna break these into parts. It ended up being over twice as long as my self-set minimum. I'm sorry if the editing was off at all, but I did this after doing Calculus for 3 hours and Thermodynamics for another 4. This basically ends the first arc. Again, this is much farther than I even originally thought out, so now I need to plan out some of the build up. Was gonna do that this week, but finals decided to blow that plan out of the water. Along with next week.
But hey, some good news! As well as planning along this arc, I'm thinking of starting a second story as well. Throwing a couple ideas around in my head, so no, I don't know what it will be. I'm ranging from college au to post apocalyptic, so I have no idea what it will be about, or if it will even happen anytime soon. Just a warning should I have ample amounts of time this winter break.
I may post again in time, but should I not, I would like with wish you all Happy Holiday's.
Bad joke time: What do you call a tooth in a glass of water? One molar solution.
