RWBYond Hope
AN: Just two more chapters and this story is complete. This is going to be a pretty strait forward chapter. It's the Red Trailer. Or at least my interpretation of it. I think there was another fanfiction, can't for the life of me remember which one, that gave me this idea. Anyway, hope you enjoy.
Chapter 25: Red Like Roses
"What…you can't go, you just got back!" Ruby whined.
"I know kid, but a lot of things are going on that I need to take care of." Qrow said.
It was the day of Winter Solstice. The holiday cheer should have been all around. Though, this holiday was always a sobering reminder of what Ruby had lost. Summer had left on this holiday and never came back. Qrow had just gotten back from a mission a few days ago, looking rather gravely.
"What's so important?" Ruby said.
"Things didn't go well on my last mission." Qrow said. "I need to follow up and get these bad guys."
"Well that can wait at least another day." Ruby tried arguing.
"No, it can't." Qrow said. "I have to do this, there's a big scary thing out there and I need to find it." He tried opening the door but Ruby dashed with her semblance and slammed it shut.
"That's what Mom said." She looked at him with fire in her eyes.
"You might want to look on your scary face." Qrow laughed. "Look, I'm not going to look for a fight."
"As if." Tai said crossing his arms.
"I'm only going to get information. Real covert spy stuff. I'm sorry but I can't explain it to you."
Ruby let up and allowed him to open the door. Before she could even tell him goodbye he was gone, flying away in his bird form. Her father walked over to put a hand on her shoulder but she ran out the door.
"Ruby!"
"I'll be back soon." She said. She made sure she had Crescent Rose with her before she left. She needed to blow off some steam. Too bad Yang was currently bumming around Vale with her friends. She still had a few months before school started, but she was using them to get to know Vale a little better. But Ruby suspected she was also using that time to search for her own answers.
Everyone was gone. Wo knew when Qrow, if Qrow would ever be back. Yang had made it clear that she isn't exactly going to be around much anymore. So it was just her Dad, and Zwei. She didn't want that. Every time she was stuck with her dad it had been suffocating. He coddled her and sheltered her like she was some delicate flower. Yang was the only one that talked to her honestly. Qrow was the only one who kept pushing her. Well, there was someone else, but she wasn't around, so Ruby had to go to her.
"Mom?" She said as she arrived on the cliff where her mother's marker was. She came here often when she needed alone time or someone to talk to that wasn't able to judge.
'What is it child?' She imagined her mother saying. Ruby got chills. She squatted down and kept her hood up to protect from the cold wind.
"Qrow's gone." She said. "He left on some stupid mission."
'I'm sure he's doing what needs to be done.'
"I know, it's just why now?"
'Heroes don't get to choose when they are called. You know that.'
"Of course I do."
'If it makes you feel any better, I'll do what I can to watch over him.'
"Thank you. I really needed to hear that." Reality set in on Ruby. "I wish I could actually hear your voice. It's been so long I can hardly remember it. All I have left are the pictures and the few home videos we have."
'I'm sorry Ruby.'
"Are you even capable of seeing how I feel?" A tear went down Ruby's eye. "You know that nursery rhyme you would sing to me. I…I added to it." She got her scroll out and read the lyrics. She showed the visage of her mother, the one she always imagined. But Ruby couldn't see her face, only the red and white cloak. She played the lyrics out in her head, too upset and cold to actually sing them.
Then Ruby imagined her mother. She could see her face, for the first time ever, just like in the Team STRQ picture Qrow carried around. The ghost responded in kind. Ruby's body was warmed at the loving thoughts and words she gave her mother. But it didn't help. As the two divergent thoughts met together, the ghost turned her back on Ruby.
'You're not the only one who needed me, I thought you understood.' The ghost said as it walked away.
"You were the one I needed and you left me as I always feared you would." Ruby retorted in rhyme. They were no longer thoughts or ideas. Ruby thought she was going crazy. Here she was, arguing with her own mental image of her mother.
'Would I change it if I could?'
"It doesn't matter now. The petals scatter now. Every nightmare just discloses it's your blood that's red like roses."
'Ruby.'
"And no matter what I do nothing ever takes the place of you!" The ghost disappeared. Ruby just swallowed and let the emptiness and sadness set in. She walked slowly to her house, but on the way, she heard growls. A large group of beowolves had gathered in the frozen field. Well, Ruby needed to blow off steam. She let her emotions over her mother and uncle get the better of her. Now she had to deal with the effect, Grimm were attracted to negative emotions. It was enough to make them dangerous but not enough to make them predictable.
Ruby had plenty of time for this. She scattered into the air as the first one pounced. She channeled her aura into her gun and shot the beast's head clean off. So, this was what it felt like to kill a Grimm. For the first time ever, she felt at home. She had always dreamed of being a huntress. Now, as she flipped around blasting monsters she felt so alive. This was a dream come true.
She unfurled her scythe and bisected a Grimm. This was where she belonged. Alone, out in a field, just her against the evils of the world. These monsters were far beneath her. It was common knowledge that the beowolves of Patch were bottom feeders, the weakest Grimm for a thousand miles. That was fine, she was only fifteen anyway. She still had six years before she got a hunting license. Then she'd be free. Free to go around the world saving lives and killing monsters.
As she massacred the Grimm, one after another without breaking a sweat, she was a little concerned. If it was this easy, why even bother. She had to tell herself that there were single Grimm that could do the same to this pack. Wouldn't that ne exciting.
By the time it was over, she had used up both her clips. She had used everything in her arsenal. The adrenaline running through her body calmed down as the shell casings descended into the snow. Afer that she returned home.
"Where have you been?" Tai said.
"Out." She responded.
"I heard gun fire. Is everything…"
"I'm fine! It was just a warm up anyway."
"Ruby, what's wrong?"
"Nothing…I just…I don't like being cooped up here. I…I think I'm going crazy."
"I know." He said. "I was actually thinking…that we can spend a week in Vale before Yang starts school. You know, as a family."
"I'd like that." Ruby said.
"Hmm, this restlessness, you definitely didn't get it from your mom. When I was your age I'd run away from home all the time and go to the arcade, or park, or anywhere just to get out of the house."
"That's cool." Ruby said. "Anyway, I'm going to take a shower."
"Alright." Her father said. "We're having ham tonight. Also, I rented a new video game."
"Thank you…I'll see you in a bit."
AN: I had no idea how to end that chapter. I didn't want to do anything risqué or anything like that. So, we finally got inside Ruby's head while she talks to her mom. That's something I've been hinting at for a while. Might come into play later…just kidding…or am I? Please review, follow and favorite.