So first thing is first. CONGRATS on getting Tragic assumptions up to 20+ favourites and 30+ follows. As a reward, I'm going to tell you the name of this story's sequel. However you have to wait until the end of the chapter... Or just scroll down, whatever. Also I'm really sorry about how late this chapter is, but I moved. That's my excuse, I moved during the past few days so I didn't really have time to write. But there is a good side, by next Friday at the latest, I will have internet that doesn't suck! So I will be able to update more frequently for you guys.
The last thing I want to mention is that from this point on for a while, the chapters are going to be moving along much faster. What I mean by that is they are going to be a few days, weeks, months, whatever, in a single chapter. They won't be longer, that still varies, but they will have more time pass.
Enough with that, ENJOY!
The four friends walked wordlessly across the rocky land. It had been two days since Weiss' father had shown up and demanded that Ruby be turned in. Although they didn't say it, they all knew that more problems were coming soon. As they walked, each step became more and more unbearable.
"Can we please stop? We've been going non-stop for days." Ruby looked back to her whining team mate and smiled weakly.
"Sure, I think that we're more than far enough now." Each of them found their own comfortable position on the ground and rested their sore limbs. After a few minutes of sitting, Weiss moved to sit beside Ruby.
"How are you doing?" Ruby looked down. Everyone always asked how she was doing, if she was ok.
'I'm the team leader, I should be protecting them instead of them protecting me.' She cleared her throat and looked at Weiss. "I'm fine, you should get ome rest before we have to move again. Weiss smiled and nodded, however as if on que, Ruby could see a helicopter with sirens blaring flying over the horizon.
"Ruby Rose! Give up now. You are wanted by the federal state law. Stand down now!" Everyone stood up and began to run. No matter how far ahead they thought they were, the law always seemed to find them before they could get a decent rest. Overhead they could hear the sound of several helicopters flying behind them.
"Over here, we can use the woods for cover!" They changed their direction and headed to where Yang was pointing. Before long, the sound of searching helicopters faded. "It won't e long before they send in ground troops. We have to find a place to hide, we can't run forever." Ruby nodded.
"Your right, we haven't had a decent sleep for days now. I think that it's time to just hide." Each of them set off trying to find a feasable place to spend the night. As she searched, Ruby couldn't stop thinking about what Mr. Schnee had said only days before.
"Just because you have ruined our reputation, doesn't mean you have to ruin her life as well." Although he had not known it, his statment struck home. Since the moment the word left his mouth, he had left Ruby wondering if all she was doing was ruining her friends lives. Every time another helicopter or group of soldiers found them, Ruby always thought to herself that they wouldn't have to deal with any of this if it weren't for her.
'What if they are throwing away their lives just to protect me? I shouldn't need protecting.' It was as she was berating herself that Blake broke her focus.
"Hey, earth to Ruby. Weiss found us a place." Ruby nodded and followed Blake down a small path. After a minute of walking, they came across a small and rotting house. "She found it when looking for water. Apparently it's not as bad as it looks." They continued towards it and found Yang standing along one wall, looking for something.
"Yang, are you trying to find something here?"
"Yeah, every house keeps an extra key somewhere around the door."
"You do realize that this place probably doesn't even have a lock. It looks five hundred years old." Weiss popped out of a window and looked at Ruby in disappointment.
"No, this house is one hundred and fifty at the most. Although the outside is rough, the inside isn't too bad. I think that it's only this rotted because of rain and snow." The three of them walked through the door and looked around. As Weiss had said, the inside wasn't nearly as bad as they had expected. There was some furniture that had been covered by sheets, and stairs that led to a small basement. Although there was no upstairs, the house still seemed roomy, homey even.
After being inside for only a few minutes, Ruby was in love. She had always been more of a lonely, by yourself person, and she knew that it was this house, with a little work, that she was going to live in after everything that was happening finished. When she was free and finished her training as a huntress, Ruby knew that she would come back to this spot.
"Are you sure that they won't find us here? I mean, it's kind of an obvious choice." Ruby panicked.
"No! We have to stay here." The other four looked at Ruby questioningly.
"Uhhhh, why?"
"I don't know, I just like it." Yang shrugged.
"Good enough, let's try to find blankets or something." They set off searching for blankets, but Weiss spent very little time actually watching what she was doing. The entire time she walked around, she looked at Ruby and worried. Since that day at the hotel, they had grown increasingly distant, which worried Weiss. Shouldn't it be the opposite?
She tried to casually walk over but stumbled over her own feet on the way. Ruby dashed over and caught her before she fell to the ground. Weiss saw something that she had never wanted to see, emptiness. As she looked into Ruby's eyes, all she saw was a place void of emotion. Before there had been love, care, things that made Weiss feel good inside. But now, there was nothing.
"You should be more careful." Ruby lifted Weiss and planted her onto her feet. 'That was too close. At least it wasn't her catching me.' Ruby walked back over to the cupboard that she had been searching and crouched. When she had seen Weiss fall over, her heart stopped. As she ran her mind repeated over and over to her. 'You have to protect her.'
Ruby's thoughts had grown more and more cynical since they entered the forest. It seemed that no matter what she did, her team was always in danger, and it was because of her. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid.' After a few more minutes, she could hear the voice of Yang, who seemed to find what they were looking for.
"Hey guys! I found some sheets and a couple of blankets!" They moved over to where she was pointing and grabbed a blanket. Yang and Blake shared a blanket so that they could sleep together, and Weiss' heart sank as she watched Ruby pull out two and hand one to her. Her obvious disappiontment did not go unnoticed. Both Yang and Blake saw her face and felt bad.
The two of them looked at each other, quickly followed by Blake pointing to Yang. "Oh fine!" Although the day was still relatively early, all members of team RWBY could sleep for days. As Ruby set up her blanket in a secluded corner, Yang walked over and sat beside her.
"Can you get that corner for me please?" Yang frowned.
"I'm not here to help you with your blanket." Ruby looked at Yang.
"Is that a no?" She rolled her eyes and moved over to unfold the remaining corner before sitting down in front of Ruby.
"Listen, we need to talk."
"About?"
"Weiss."
"Listen Yang, I know that you don't like her but your goi..." She was cut off by Yang's hand.
"No, listen Ruby, I think that you may have really hurt her feelings somehow. You should go talk to her." Ruby looked away and sank her head onto her knees.
"I don't know what I would say." Yang stood up and started to walk away, she stopped beside Ruby and placed her hand onto her shoulder.
"I'm sure you can think of something." Ruby grit her teeth as Yang walked back over to Blake and layed down. Sometimes she really didn't like doing the right thing. Sighing to herself, Ruby got up and walked over to where Weiss was trying to hide her tears. Sitting down next to her, Ruby shook her slightly.
"Y-yeah?" Ruby breathed in deeply.
"Weiss, I think that we need to talk." Weiss' eyes started to water.
"W-we are breaking up, a-aren't w-we?" Most of her words were filled with sniffles, making it hard for Ruby to understand. After a few moments, she got it, and thought to herself. Coming to a decision, Ruby looked back at Weiss.
"I think that it might be best." Weiss completely broke down. Her tears wracked her breath and sniffels fillled the air. Seeing Weiss this way broke Ruby's heart, who also wanted to cry. But she held strong.
'Better a crappy last memory of me so that she can move on quickly than a good one so that she stays down forever.' Ruby stood up and silently walked away. The moment that she hit the blanket, her sobs started to flow. Although she made sure that they were completely silent, Ruby still turned away so that no one could see her. 'The right choices suck.'
Hours passed with Yang and Blake asleep, soon followed by an exhausted and grief-ridden Weiss. Ruby however, stayed away until dark. She desperatly wanted to sleep, to wake up in the morning and find out that it was all a drea, but she knew that some things were more important than her own happiness. Things like protecting her team mates.
When she was completely sure that they had all fallen asleep, Ruby silently got up and walked over to her resting weapon. Within only five minutes, she had completely finished her preperations and left the house. Constantly checking the air and her surroundings, she slowly made her way back to the edge of the forest. 'I'm going to have to go harder than ever.'
She slowly slipped off her pack and supplies, choosing to only keep Crescent Rose with her. Seeing that she was as light as possible, Ruby dashed back the way that she had travelled with her friends, only this time with one thought in her mind.
As Weiss woke up, she remembered what had happened the night before, and started to cry again. It was nearly and hour before Blake woke up and saw her lying on the ground with loud sobs coming from her. She walked over and rested her hand on Weiss, who looked up at her and quickly wiped away her tears.
"What's wrong Weiss?"
"R-r-ruby l-left me." Blake looked back at her sleeping mound. That didn't sound like her at all. She spent a few more minutes comforting Weiss before moving over to Ruby's sleeping body. It only took her a moment to realize that someting was wrong. She ripped off the covers and found several blankets and sheets molded into the shape of a person.
"Yang, get up now!" Yang grumbled from a distance.
"Mhnnm. Five more minutes."
'Yang, NOW!" The urgency in her voice woke Yang up in seconds. She rushed over to Blake's side and looked where she was pointing. Seeing the covers where her sister should be made Yang freeze. There was no way that she could have left them, not now. Could there?
"H-have you seen her?" Blake shook her head.
"Not since last night."
"We have got to move, now." They ran towards the door, not bothering with the articles of suppies that they had come across. But as she exited the door, Yang stopped. In the ground, there was a message written with slices into the dirt.
"I have gone alone. Do not follow me, I will not ruin your lives any more than I already have." Yang, stood breathless.
"How could she just leave us like that? Ruin our lives? We chose to go with her, and we knew what could happen. How did she not get that?" Blake pulled her into a hug and shushed.
"I don't know, but I do know that she was doing it with us in mind. She even broke up with Weiss last night."
"She did?"
"Yes, she must have been trying to make Weiss think that she was horrible so that she could move on easier." Yang cried for a few more minutes.
"I just want my sister back."
"I know, I know. It's going to be ok." Blake continued to held her, softly stroking her hair and murmuring gentle nothings. As this happened, a figure with a gray hoodie walked into a police department. Seeing the front desk, the figure made their way over and cleared their throat. A woman behind the desk smiled brightly.
"May I help you?"
"Uh yes, I need to speak with Dylan."
"You mean special agent Writ? I'm sorry but he's very busy right now."
"It's about Ruby Rose, and it's important." The woman's attitude changed, instead of happ and perky, she was now serious and grave.
"Go right in, second door to the left."
"Thank you." The person made their way down the hall and found the door that they had been directed to. They knocked softly, but still a voice came from inside.
"I'm busy, leave now."
"Uh-Sorry, I have some important information about Ruby Rose." The door swung open and Dylan beckoned them inside. Gesturing to a seat, he offered to let them sit. "I dont think that will be neccisary." He looked at the figure questioningly.
"Why not, you do have information on Ruby Rose don't you?"
"Well, yes." As they spoke, the figure pulled off their hood, and the look that came over Dylan Writ's face at that moment was nothing short of pure terror. He watched as slowly a mess of red and black hair came into view, along with a pair of silver eyes that rose to meet his. "I've come to make a deal."
Dylan regained his focus and pointed to the chair.
"We're not supposed to negotiate with terrorists, but I will atleast hear you out as I'm not sure that you actually qualify." Ruby cleared her throat and took a deep breath.
"I'm willing to give myself in, on the condition that Yang, Blake and Weiss are forgiven for everything. I don't want to have any harm or punishment come to them for protecting me." He looked at her for a moment before speaking.
"You're already in a police department, what's to stop me from just arresting you now and arresting your friends later?"
"If I am not one hundred percent sure that my friends are safe, I will kill everyone in this building, including you."
"And I'm sure that you could to. Ruby I wish you to know that I have seen every single battle you have participated in since you were ten. From the moment I accepted your case, I have gone through your entire past and read everything about you."
'Stalker.'
"There was one piece of information that I found very interesting though. When you were just a baby, your mother was killed before your very eyes, yet you don't seem even slightly traumatized..." As he spoke, Dylan watched Ruby's aura flare up until she was surrounded by a very slight tinge of red. "...Or maybe it has. Either way, I will allow your friends their safety in exchange for your arrest. From this moment on, you have no rights, freedoms, or anything for that matter. Now if you please." He gestured to her weapon.
Ruby eyed him for a moment, trying to determine whether or not he was telling the truth, but decided that he was. She unstrapped Crescent Rose and handed it to him slowly.
"You had better take care of it, if I hear in prison that you broke it in any way, I will find a way to arrange your death." Dylan laughed.
"Oh yeah, one more thing that I should mention. You're not going to prison. No that's for people that will one day get out. Where you're going is somewhere much more suited to your tastes. There is a military grade compound about two hundred miles from here, in there, there are no rules, no interference, and no escape. The only things that we provide you with are food, showers, and beds. Every day there are multiple deaths within the grounds, but no one tries to stop it. That Ruby Rose, is where you will be going." She gulped as he slapped a pair of handcuffs onto her wrists.
'This is not going to be fun.'
"RUUUUUUUUBY! Come on Ruby, cut it out! You can't get rid of me that easily!" Yang strode through the forest calling Ruby's name, not caring who heard. "This is never going to work." She sighed and sat down. A few seconds later, she could hear rustling in the bushes a little bit from where she was sitting. "Ruby? Ruby is that you?" Slowly Yang looked up at the approaching hulk. "Nope."
So that's chapter 21, hopefully I got at least a few of you with the feels cannon. Also a little bit of a laugh at the reference right at the end. But anyways you guys earned this, so the title of the sequel is going to be Roses Stand Alone. Do with that what you will because I'm not giving any more hints towards it. You're just going to have to wait and find out. Leave your reviews and pm's with ideas, it's always nice to hear from you guys.
See Y'all later.