Ruby lay sprawled out in the cool grass, the warm sun shined down on her soothing her aching body. She managed to find one of the few places in the courtyard that survived her battle with Qrow hours earlier. A teacher named Goodwitch had shown and repaired much of the damage… I thought for sure I'd get yelled at. I wonder if that Qrow guy got in trouble instead since he was the one that started it?
"This sucks." Ruby let out a long, exhausted sigh as her eyes gently fluttered closed. Yang didn't stick around either, I guess that whole thing got to her. I- I still don't know what to think about everything that happened. I left a family behind that really loved me didn't I? Okay, no! Snap out of it Ruby, you don't have time to beat your head against things like that, I've got to focus on restoring my aura as much as possible, my match is in less than an hour!
"You look like crap." A familiar voice made Ruby's heart skip a beat as her eyes shot open!
"Mercury! You scared me!" She narrowed her eyes at her teammate as she slowly and sorely sat herself up. "Also, you'd be a mess too after the fight I've been through!"
"Yeah, I heard from your sister that you got your ass kicked by an old man." He chuckled before plopping himself down on the grass right beside her.
"Hey, he was a full fledged Huntsman! A really strong one too!" Ruby huffed, turning away from him in protest.
"Who smelled like my dad after a bad day." Mercury's voice softened for just a moment, it was so brief Ruby nearly missed it, but there was just a trace of sadness in his words.
"Your dad?" Ruby turned back to him with a compassionate stare, her tone gentle and worried as her eyes met his.
"Yeah, he practically lived inside a bottle." He shrugged, throwing his arms behind his head as he fell onto the grass beside her, as they once again stared up at the sky together.
"I'm sorry." She frowned as she rolled on her side to face him, the soft grass tickling her cheek, her head resting atop one of her hands. A light autumn breeze flowed around them, their hair swaying gently like the large tree that cast a shadow over them. For a long moment they let a comfortable silence fall between them, she watched him as he stared up at the clear blue sky and the tree branches above them with wistful detachment.
"Don't be," He broke the quiet they created, his eyes still fixed upward. "It's ancient history, something I'd like to forget, but we can't all be lucky enough to get amnesia."
"I met my dad." The admission should have been hard, ever since then it had been weighing on her mind. Elements from her past were visiting her one after the other like ghosts… I'm not sure my new team, Cinder and Emerald would trust me, I'm not even sure Mercury trusts me but still, I want to tell him.
"How'd that go?" He shifted, rolling onto his side to face her, his dull gray meeting shining silver and for a long moment Ruby only looked back at him, her expression subtle but he could see pain behind her eyes.
"It went… okay." She blinked, her heart felt heavy. In her mind, Ruby was helpless as those scenes replayed over and over again. 'Yang in Mountain Glenn on the train, my father at my table and Qrow in battle… each one was different but even knowing what I have done, none of them, not one turned me in.
"Okay is better than blowing our entire operation or jail." He shrugged. "You don't seem thrilled though so I'm guess there's more to it than just 'okay'"
"It's just… I have two lives, the old me, and the me I am now. The old me had a family that loved her and she fought for good. The me that I am now, she's different than the old me. I'm stronger, I'm more confident, I do bad things that hurt people but I don't have any regrets. Ever since Mountain Glenn, the two mes are getting closer together and I can't really keep my new life separate from old one anymore." Her expression grew more and more painful, things she'd been needing to say but had no one to say them too were all flooding out now and Mercury just lay beside her, patiently listening.
"So how do you feel about your old life? What would you do if you got your memories back?" Ruby knew it was a question she was bound to get, a question she had asked herself many times before… still, there was no suspicion or accusation in Mercury's voice, just curiosity and somehow, that made her feel safe.
"I don't know." The simple answer surprised Mercury but still he didn't speak as he patiently waited for her to finish.
"I'd like to think that it wouldn't change who I am now. I'd like to think it wouldn't change how I feel about Roman or Neo or Emerald or… you." Her gaze lowered and her free hand fiddled with a blade of grass in front of her face. "I'd like to think these things but from what I've seen, the family I left behind, they care about me a lot, if I got my memories back, I'd probably also get back the love I have for them. I'm not sure who I'd be then."
"It's funny you know?" A weak laugh escaped her lips as she brought her eyes back to him, a light smile warming her face. "I met my real dad and my real sister, and they both showed me so much love… but I didn't feel that towards them. To me, the closest thing I've ever had to a father is Roman, and Neo is like a big sister and I love them both. I love them more than my real family."
"Eh, real family is overrated." Mercury shrugged. "I care more about you and Emerald than I cared about my dad. He was an abusive drunk and I'm glad I put him the ground. If you ask me, blood doesn't make someone family, actions do. I've got no feelings, nothing for my old man, I think how you feel about someone is what makes them family… I guess."
"Mercury…" Ruby's eyes grew wide. He's right. Yang… she's just someone who's come into my life. She may be my sister but it was Neo's lap I cried into after I killed Tukson. The man Yang brought to me, he may be my father but it was Roman who gave me this life, he's the one who took me in when I had nothing, when I was nothing. It was Roman that saved me… and now, I'm going to save him.
"Thank you!" A bright beaming smile shined at Mercury. Under the intensity of her gratitude and happiness he couldn't help but look uncomfortably away.
"N-no problem." Even though he felt extremely awkward, he couldn't stop the small smile that formed from his lips.
"I hope I don't get my memories back though, that would make things way too complicated." Ruby giggled. "I like… this, with you and Emerald and Neo, and once I get Roman back, I'll have the life I chose, with the people I care about."
"What about your sister? Seems like you're getting pretty attached. What are you going to do about her?" With a soft breath her smile faded at his question.
"I honestly don't know. I've been willing to kill her before, if it came down to it I could do it again. I do like her, she's the only person who's accepted me, and despite knowing everything that I've done, she still protects me, even from her own family. If I'm being truthful, I kinda wish she would come over to our side." Ruby gave a bashful laugh and a wide grin.
"Yeah I wouldn't hold your breath." To her surprise, he smiled back at her. "She doesn't seem like the type to go to the dark side."
"Well, do I seem like the type who would go to the dark side?" She tilted her head as she smirked playfully at him.
"Okay, you got me there." He smiled a little more softly with a resigned shrug. "Still, you and your sister probably won't be teaming up any time soon."
"Oh well, I'll deal with whatever when it comes." With that she rolled back onto her side and looked up at the sky, birds flew above them and the branches of the tree that loomed overhead rocked gently with the pull of the wind. "Our match is coming up soon."
"Yep." Mercury still lay on his side facing her. As he looked at Ruby, the night they stared up at the stars came to the forefront of his mind. Laying the grass, staring up at the sky, things he'd never really thought he'd do, such simple things, but somehow, she made it something more.
"You sure you're ready? You did just come out of getting your ass handed to you."
"Yeah, I should be fine, my aura should be almost half recovered, that should be enough." The early autumn wind tugged a shedding leaf from the tree, her eyes followed it as it gently drifted down the the earth.
"Half huh? You think that's enough?" Begrudgingly he made himself roll onto his back, his head still turned to the girl resting only inches away. 'Never thought the ground would be so comfortable.'
"You've fought me first hand, even at half strength what do you think I could do?" Ruby rolled her head to face him with a smug, cocksure grin, her silver eye bright with excitement and wile.
"Didn't know you had a cocky side." Mercury let out a huff of laughter, grinning back at her finding her confidence more than a little contagious.
"You should get to know me, I bet there's a lot that'd surprise you." Ruby hummed, her playful smile softening as she looked into his eyes.
"Oh yeah?" Mercury's words barely came out a quiet mutter that caught on the breeze as he turned his head back to the sky above. Maybe I will…
"Um, could you maybe not tell Cinder about the fight? I don't want her to pull me from our match." Ruby asked bashfully, a light blush tinting her cheeks.
"Keeping secrets from Cinder is a bad plan for your long term health." He sighed, putting one leg atop the other. "But I guess I could keep it to myself."
"Thanks! You're the best!" She giggled, scooting herself just a little closer to him.
"Just don't cost us the match alright?" He quickly turned his head away from her, he could feel his cheeks heating up and a weird, warm feeling spreading through his chest… a feeling that intensified like gasoline had been poured on it as he felt her press gently against his side, her head coming to rest at his shoulder.
"I won't." She let out a soft, content sigh as they lay together in the grass. After a long moment, Mercury's body relaxed her her warmth reached him and gingerly, he pressed himself just a little closer against her… and neither could help but smile.