"Smile, because it confuses people. Smile because it's easier than explaining what's killing you inside"- The Joker
Chapter 14-
"How did you know I was there?" Blake asked, coming out of the shadows to sit opposite Ruby.
"Everyone emits a certain signature. It's an unconscious thing, and very few know how to understand them. It is how I am recognised by people even though I look different. I could feel yours following me ever since I left the room earlier. So we might as well get this over with, I've been avoiding this since I revealed to you the truth." Ruby explained.
"Where should I start?" Blake asked.
"Wherever you want, we can start with tonight's topics or with the other questions that's been in your mind for quite a while, since the blowout with Weiss." Ruby said.
"How…how did you know that?" Blake asked, shocked that Ruby knew that.
"I mentioned someone with your last name, by nature you would be curious." Ruby stated, a little sad at the mention of the topic.
"I feel as if I should start from somewhere else. Perhaps with what you were discussing today, could you tell me about it?" Blake asked softly.
"Wait one moment." Ruby said, and there was a flicker to the side of both of them and Neo dressed in her gothic outfit appeared, "Blake, meet Neo. Neo, meet Blake. Again." Ruby said, smiling as she kissed the woman on the cheek before getting her to sit down.
"Wait. Neo's been here?" Blake asked.
"I have, with Mercury and Emerald. I know some of their plans now, so I can tell you." Neo replied.
"Good, but first Blake has some questions about my meeting with the others, so it's only fair that I tell you both at once." Ruby said.
"The Winter Maiden was attacked, put into a coma with half her powers stolen. Currently I don't know where she is, however I have an idea that she is in a vault underneath the school itself but I won't be able to check just yet." Ruby explained.
"How do you know there's a vault under the school?" Blake asked.
"Because I helped build the school. I was the one who designed said vault for my use and that of Jonas and Lily, somewhere private to train, experiment or to just get away from everything. I handed over the plans to Corvus who leads a six-man Hunter team so they would be able to secure the vault if, rather when the war comes." Ruby said.
"What war?" Blake asked.
Instead of Ruby answering, Neo cut in, "Cinder wants the Maiden's power for herself and wants to rule or something. I've been able to discover that my part is to get Roman out of prison and then we'll be destroying the other Dreadnaughts in the sky above Vale before uploading a virus to take out the androids." Neo explained.
"How did you find this all out?" Ruby asked.
"They think I'm mute. It's rather easy for them to talk around someone they think can't spill the beans about everything." Neo replied with her trademark smirk.
"Right. That puts things into a worse light, what more is there?" Ruby asked.
"She has control of the tournaments line up, able to choose who faces who. I'm not sure exactly but I think she plans on messing with the matches. I know the end game is to have Grimm invade the city and something about a 'him' awakening." Neo explained, confused as she saw Ruby pale at her last comment.
"Ok…ok, thank you Neo. I'll have to think on it all, but that's not the point. Blake, questions?" Ruby asked.
"Why did…Corvus was it? Why did he bow to you and call you honoured maiden?" Blake asked.
"Some families when the Maiden's first appeared worshiped them, over the years it was passed down. Corvus is a part of one such family, there are a number that I've worked with over the years who know my secret, sworn to secrecy and basically are around in case I need their help. Some are doctors, some are soldiers, hunters, even administration staff in the Kingdoms governments. If I call, they answer. Winter is one such person, and so is Corvus. Normally if I need a job done I'll call one of them but this time I've had to take a more direct path." Ruby explained.
"I see. One last thing about the meeting, why did you give Corvus a bullet?" Blake asked.
"It contains a strong neuro toxin, shuts the body down in seconds but if it hits an organ then the bullet will completely destroy it and lodge itself there, while spreading the toxin. I asked him to hold onto it for me. He's the best shot out of everyone." Ruby answered, but glaring at Blake so she didn't call out her lie.
"I guess it's to the harder stuff now, you said in class about a woman named Ashleigh Belladonna and then when we were at Mount Glenn you spoke to the professor about Lily Belladonna, and also a Jonas Arc. Am I…?" Blake asked but trailed off.
"You are. Both you and Jaune are descendants of the first to hunters." Ruby closed her eyes as she forced the memories back of the two, Neo grabbing her hand and rubbing the back with her thumb.
"You already know I was close friends with them. They were my first true friends, and we did so much together. You look a lot like Lily, you know?" Ruby said lightly, staring at Blake. "But what do you want to know about them?" Ruby asked.
"I don't know, anything really. What about that battle you mentioned with Ashleigh?" Blake said.
"Ah, that's a little complicated if you don't know the history. On their deathbeds, Lily and Jonas both made me promise to watch over their families. They told me to let their descendants forge their own path in the world, but simply to watch over them to keep them safe. So I swore an oath to them, and I've watched over every generation in some capacity, normally keeping an eye on them while not getting directly involved. I vowed to them that I would never pick sides, but I broke that vow." Ruby said.
"When it came to Ashleigh things were a little more complicated, mainly because of the Faunus war. It was an easy choice on which side to choose for me, but there was a problem. James Arc was fighting against the Faunus and in turn against Ashleigh." Ruby replied, stopping for a moment as she fought back the memories once more.
"What did you do?" Blake inquired.
"I did the wrong thing. Instead of confronting James first and getting him to see our side or rather as I later learnt, get him out, he was press ganged into fighting although he only wished to fight the Grimm. Instead of doing that I fought alongside Ashleigh, protected her. That battle I mentioned in class, James was on the other side. I managed to get him to change sides during the fighting but it was close, if I wasn't there first he would have died or maybe would have killed a number of Faunus before being killed. It wasn't until after the battle that I discovered what had happened and how I made the wrong choice." Ruby explained, squeezing Neo's hand harder.
"Why did you side with Ashleigh then?" Blake asked, curious as to why Ruby sided with her family over the Arcs.
Ruby closed her eyes, leaning back in her chair. Not wanting to admit the truth, Neo already had a hint as to Ruby's reasons but didn't dare say them aloud.
However, Blake had no reservations as she seemed to realise Ruby's reason, "You loved Lily." Blake stated softly.
"I did." Ruby replied weakly, her voice almost shaky as she attempted to speak.
"What happened? I mean something must have happened." Blake said, trying to understand what Ruby was saying.
Ruby laughed darkly as she heard Blake trying to work everything out, "Life happened. Don't worry I'm not one of your ancestors. We broke it off, we couldn't be together. I'm immortal, she wasn't. She ended up bonding, sorry marrying a man and having two beautiful children. A boy and a girl, it seemed all the Belladonna women were cursed with looking at least a little bit like Lily." Ruby said darkly, unable to help herself.
"But surely you could have been together for her life? You wouldn't have needed to break it off." Blake replied.
"Remember my soul mark? It tells me who my soulmate is, or rather hints at me when they're close. Right now it's driving me up the wall." Ruby replied.
"Wait. Is Neo…?" Blake said, shocked as she looked between the two.
"She is. I don't regret what I've done, nor do I mind about my soulmate. I love Neo without its interference, so I rightly don't care what it says this time, I'm going to be with Neo." Ruby said strongly.
"I'm sorry for bringing up bad memories." Blake said after a pause.
"You had a right to know, I'm not going to fault you for that. But I think you should get to bed, early day and all tomorrow." Ruby said, and Blake nodded in reply, saying her goodnights and leaving the pair alone.
Neo quickly swung up onto Ruby's lap though there was a pause. "How about we get the annoying part out first." Neo suggested.
"Right…basically, don't get Roman out of Prison. Instead warn the captain of an immediate Grimm threat and get the hell out of there. I'd rather you be at the school and close by." Ruby replied.
"Ok then, I'll do that. Now." Neo said, leaning down to capture Ruby's lips.
Two days later.
To say Ruby was pissed was an understatement. She had just watched Yang's match against Mercury. Seen what had happened between the two where Yang had seemingly unprovoked just kneecapped Mercury, but she could see through the illusions.
Except the fact she knew of Mercury's robotic legs she had seen the illusion happening alongside the real life event that everyone was watching.
This is their plan. Bring the crowd and world to dark emotions to lure the Grimm in. Which means something worse than this is to come. Ruby thought to herself, and knew she needed to keep a closer watch on things.
She'd already started watching Pyrrha, noticing the brotherhoods interest in the woman but now she was to be distracted by Yang and the fallout of this event.
Her team was next to her alongside the others as they watched Yang get escorted away by the guards for the event and she frowned, the military shouldn't be involved in this.
But no matter, it's easy enough to sort out. Sending a couple messages, she got her new plan into motion and went back to her room with her team.
Ruby had drowned out Ironwood's speech to Yang, not caring for it but pretended to at least look interested in case she was called out on it.
However, when Yang tried to stand up to herself Ironwood yelled, "ENOUGH!"
Ruby stood up and got close to Ironwood, blocking his view of Yang at the same time. "Yes General, enough. I've heard enough of you putting Yang down, if you did your fucking job properly then we wouldn't be in this mess. Students with Semblances, perhaps one with manipulation, quite a solid reason especially with the knowledge you know of what to come." Ruby threw at him, shocking him but Ruby continued.
"I'm sure we both know how dangerous I am. So let's leave Yang out of it, when she is barely a threat to the likes of what we know. Now I kindly ask that you leave, or I will forcefully make you leave this room." Ruby said, anger barely contained as even her shield activated and flared red.
As Ruby finished speaking the door opened wide, the two guards outside not even looking fazed by what had happened inside.
Ironwood was shocked but turned to leave, trying to keep some dignity but at the same time quick to tell Ozpin what had happened, with Claire hitting the mark too many times there.
Once he had left the door was closed and Ruby just turned around and reached under the bed, pulling out a large crate that she had delivered not long ago.
"What was that? Why did you just explode at him?" Weiss asked, shocked at Claire's actions.
"That was amazing. Thank you Claire, I don't know how much more I could take of no one believing me." Yang said, hugging the woman but quickly released her.
Blake said nothing as she simply looked at Ruby, understanding what was happening and how close things were but at the same time couldn't help what she thought of Yang and comparing her to Adam.
Ruby didn't say a word as she opened the crate, filled with armour and she removed her jacket and started to change.
First she put her original outfit on, black trousers, combat boots, black shirt with a corset over the top, putting her choker into place before moving onto the armour.
She had chest armour that was put on first, before moving on and putting on armour on her lower leg, and then upper thigh. She put a vambrace on her right arm, whereas her left had the shield. Once she had put the armour on she stood up to her full height.
Ruby looked imposing with the black armoured pieces fitted onto her body, and removing a red and black folded up weapon from the crate she put it at the small of her back and wrapped a red cloak around her body.
She stood up to see Blake and Weiss slowly leaving, saying that they needed to go, leaving only Yang and Ruby left.
"Yang, I believe you and I know they both do. It'll just take them some time, for the moment relax and try not to overthink things, ok? I've got something I have to do, and if I don't see you later, I'll see you tonight. Ok?" Ruby said, comforting the woman.
"Ok. I'll try." Yang replied softly.
Smiling lightly Ruby left the room, turning to the two guards, "If things start happening, you need to escort her to the other students. If they're fighting you get her to meet them and aid in the defence. Hopefully it won't come to that, but you'll guard her. Ok?" Ruby said to the two of them.
"As you command, so shall it be done Maiden." The two men said, bowing their heads lightly.
Ruby nodded her appreciation to them both and went to find Pyrrha but upon discovering she had been called to Ozpin's office she instead changed where she was heading.
A/N
So, I'm not allowed to ever watch any anime or play new games while I'm supposed to be finishing stories off. Because it makes me get so many ideas that it very easily annoys me.
Anyway, debating between one or two more chapters before it's finished and depending on where I am with the other stories I'll either take a break or start posting the following week. Still unsure.
That's pretty much it, once more remember that this is already all written out and I won't be changing anything else.
Also I'm unsure if I've already mentioned it or not, but I want to say that anything inappropriate posted in the reviews, I will delete the review.
Until next time.