The Seventh Circle
Chapter 19
"How does it feel?"
Ruby took a deep breath in, held it, then released. Looking back to the doctor, she nodded. "Seems fine."
"There's no aches or pains?"
"Nothing."
"Okay." The doctor made a note on his scroll, then turned back to her. "Well, everything seems in order. You are free to go."
Again, she nodded. Picking up her discarded clothes, Ruby dressed herself, then stepped out of the doctor's office, where her family and friends were waiting.
"How'd it go?" Yang asked.
"Bandages are all off," Ruby reported. "Doctor wants me to rest another day before I start training again."
"Sounds reasonable enough," Weiss said. "You don't want to strain yourself so soon after getting your bandages off."
Ruby disagreed. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to throw herself into training, even if she still hadn't gotten her weapons back. Apparently, police forensic teams were still crawling all over the docks and White Fang compound, meaning that until they were done, her weapons were going to be held as evidence. Weiss' sword was receiving the same treatment, but at least she had a backup in the form of her new gun. Ruby, meanwhile, had nothing but her bare hands. It was worrying for a few reasons – both because she hadn't been unarmed like this in years, and again because she knew that Almost was now aware of where she was, and was no doubt planning to come after her.
Even if Adam hadn't told him what had happened, it wouldn't take much for him to put the pieces together. The assault on the compound had some of her earlier calling cards all over it – explosive pistol and sniper rounds, large amounts of corpses, improvised weapons, over-the-top violence, and a complete lack of remorse.
No, he would know it was her just from the brief news reports, even if they had curiously stopped reporting on it after about a day. And since he knew, it was just a matter of time until he did something about it.
Unfortunately, right now, there was little she could do about it.
Instead, Ruby nodded along with her partner's comment. "I'll take it easy."
"Good," Weiss replied.
"How about you? You feeling better?"
The heiress looked down at her legs. "Much better, if a bit unnerved by the fact that my knees are being held together by bits of metal."
Next to her, Qrow snorted. "Oh, relax, Ice Princess. Tons of Huntsmen get the same treatment, it's perfectly safe."
"I know it's safe, that's not the point. And don't call me Princess!"
It had been a rough couple of weeks, being apart from both Team JNPR and Team CFVY. Jaune's team had spent the last few weeks preparing for their mission, which necessitated all of them doubling down on their training in order to be ready. Coco's team, meanwhile, was still away on their mission, which had apparently taken a turn for the worse. They hadn't requested backup or an emergency evacuation just yet, but things weren't looking good. Ruby had been tempted to go volunteer to aid them, only to be firmly rebuked by Ozpin, as was the rest of her team. Apparently, they weren't yet deemed fit for duty again, due to a combination of physical injuries, mental stress, and being very far behind on their schoolwork.
That last one sounded more like an excuse than anything, even if it was true – school had been the last thing on anyone's mind for the past couple of weeks, so their grades had almost certainly slipped as much as their homework had continued to accumulate. Still, their professors at least seemed to understand, and had unanimously agreed to cut them some slack.
And in the meantime, the dance was looming on the horizon. Ruby frankly had no idea what it would entail. While the others had assured her that it would be relaxing, somehow she felt it would be anything but. Still, they all wanted her to go, so she would, if no for no other reason than to make them all happy.
"Alright, let's get out of here," Qrow announced. "Sick of being in this office – the whole thing smells like bleach and I'm afraid my semblance is going to act up and kill one of the patients or something."
At that, Ruby frowned. Qrow had explained his semblance to them all and warned them to be careful around him, but so far, it hadn't resulted in anything more than a few scrapes and bruises. Hopefully it never would, but if she ever got into a fight with him nearby, she was going to have to be extra cautious.
And that wasn't the only thing worrying about her uncle, either. Since he had quit drinking, he had been a lot more irritable and short-tempered. They all did their best to sympathize, but it was tough to take his side when he kept purposely antagonizing Weiss' sister.
And that was another thing – General Ironwood was still at Beacon, the rest of his fleet having arrived a few days ago to begin setting up for the Vytal Festival. The fairgrounds were busy being built, and security checkpoints were being set up around Beacon in preparation for the event. Everyone seemed split in their opinion of it – many of the students, Weiss included, felt a bit more secure, while others were questioning what the military was supposed to protect them from. Ruby knew, of course – General Ironwood was clearly anticipating White Fang activity, which was just as well since she'd made sure to warn him of the possibility a few days ago, when he had sat down with her once again and tried to glean as much information on the White Fang out of her as he could. She didn't mind him doing so, but even still, she disagreed with his methods.
She had personally torn through enough military checkpoints and soldiers to know that they weren't worth anything against a skilled and determined opponent. Even the air support was of limited use – it was great for large targets like Grimm as well as area denial, but it was far from precise. Even if the big cruisers managed to hit what they were aiming at, collateral damage was practically guaranteed.
All in all, she wasn't impressed with Ironwood's army. Sure, more guns and more bodies that were ostensibly on her side were appreciated, but they weren't worth much in a fight. Even those new Paladin mechs, impressive as they looked, had their weak points. Frankly, Ruby would have traded a whole squadron of Paladins for one more Winter Schnee.
She had seen Winter in action when her uncle had pushed her too far one day, and unlike the rest of the army, Winter had been impressive. At the very least, Ironwood knew how to pick his inner circle well.
Not for the first time, Ruby was thankful that she had never encountered Winter on the battlefield.
The six of them – Ruby's team, her father, and her uncle – stepped out of the hospital wing, emerging into Beacon's courtyard. She took a deep breath, trying to replace the scent of disinfectant with that of fresh air instead.
"So, what now?" Blake asked. "We still have plenty of daylight to burn, and nothing to really do."
"No idea," Yang replied. "Ruby and Weiss still aren't supposed to exercise, and we've already gotten our training in for today."
"Why not head into town?" Tai offered. "You've all been cooped up on campus for weeks. Surely you must be getting a bit stir crazy by now."
Ruby frowned. She was feeling pretty bored, but heading into town was dangerous without her weapons and with Almost on the loose.
...Though admittedly, he would have to be very bold to launch an attack in broad daylight, especially with two veteran Huntsmen around her. Plus, she really wanted to see Tukson again – it had been weeks since last time, and she knew he would want to see her family.
"...I think I know what to do," she announced, causing everyone to turn to her. She looked over to her dad. "I think I'd like to go into Vale for a bit. There's someone I want you to meet."
Recognition flashed across Blake's face. "Tukson?"
Ruby nodded, causing her dad to raise an eyebrow. "Who's Tukson?" he asked.
"The man who helped me escape the White Fang. I was supposed to kill him, but instead he convinced me to leave, and even gave me a plan and some money to make it happen. He's really nice. He always wanted me to reconnect with you, so I think getting to see all of us would make his day."
Tai's expression softened. "In that case, I would love to meet him."
"Then let's not waste any time," Qrow announced, motioning towards the airship docks.
The ride to Vale was uneventful, as always. Their pilot had been forced to check in with some of Ironwood's fighters before leaving, but other than that, nothing had changed.
The trip to Tukson's bookstore was a bit different, if only because her father and uncle were there to glare at anybody who gave her a sideways glance or focused on her ears for a bit too long. Upon entering the part of town where Tukson's store was located, they started doing the same to anybody who focused a bit too intently on Weiss. It was somewhat nerve-wracking, but luckily nothing came of it, presumably because even the Faunus who really hated Weiss knew better than to try and start anything with two obvious Huntsmen, one of them a walking collection of muscle and the other boasting a pissed-off look and a huge sword on his back.
Eventually, they reached the store. They all paused in front of it, frowning. There was a sign on the window indicating that it was closed.
"This the place?" Qrow asked.
"Yes," Blake replied. "We've come here a few times before. I don't understand why it would be closed, though – we usually come around this time."
"...You don't think he had to leave, do you?" Weiss ventured. "I mean, when she told us about him Ruby did say he often had to pick up and leave if he started feeling threatened, so-"
A chill went down Ruby's spine. Weiss was on the right track – something here didn't feel right. Hesitantly, she approached the door and rapped on it with her knuckles.
"Tukson?"
No response, not even the sound of somebody moving around inside. Frowning, she tried again, this time a bit louder.
"Tukson!"
Again, nothing. Swallowing nervously, Ruby turned around and approached Weiss, then reached towards her shoulder holster and pulled the heiress' gun from it.
"Hey!" Weiss protested. "What are you-"
She didn't get a chance to say anything further before Ruby took up a position in front of the door. She heard her uncle pull out his sword from behind her and her dad start saying something, but she ignored it. Instead, she kicked the door in and moved into the house, swinging around the corner with Weiss' revolver in hand.
The store was dark, meaning nobody but her and Blake would be able to see anything. She didn't need to see to know something was wrong, though – the smell was enough to tell her that.
Ruby moved cautiously, keeping the gun pointed straight ahead. Behind her, her uncle and father moved in, both taking care to watch her back. Slowly, yet as fast as she could, she approached the counter, where the stench of blood was the strongest. She peered over, then sighed, lowering the gun. Turning back to her dad and Qrow, she shook her head.
"Call the police and an ambulance."
Both of them exchanged a glance, but nodded, Tai pulling his scroll out. Ruby cast one glance down at the corpse in front of her, exhaling through her nose. That ambulance wouldn't do any good – Tukson's head was practically gone, with little chunks of it decorating the wall behind him. Wordlessly, she turned around, leaving her dad and uncle to secure the scene. Stepping outside, she handed Weiss her gun back, then leaned against the store, her gaze fixated on the ground.
"Tukson's dead," she reported.
"What?" Blake asked. "What happened in there? How can you be-"
"Someone killed him. Shotgun blast to the face." Ruby let out a low growl. "Don't go inside – Dad and Qrow are looking around to see if the killer is still at the scene, and we don't need anyone else in there tampering with evidence."
Nobody argued, instead just nodding wordlessly. Weiss holstered her gun, then approached Ruby, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Will you be okay?"
Ruby sighed, then nodded. "...Yeah. It hurts, but he knew the risks of what he was doing. Just wish I could have done something."
The others exchanged a glance. Clearly, they were expecting her to blame herself, and perhaps on a certain level she did for not being there and not getting a chance to show him just how much he had helped her, but for the most part, this didn't seem like anything related to her – this killing was far too tame to be one of Almost's, meaning whoever did it probably didn't know about Tukson's connection to her. It was most likely just a result of him stepping on the White Fang's toes too often for their liking, and them finally taking the chance to do something about it.
That didn't change the fact that she wanted to earn some retribution for him, though.
It was taking all of her restraint and self-control not to go looking for a group of White Fang to kill in retaliation. Tukson deserved justice, and he probably wouldn't get it from Vale's court system – Faunus-on-Faunus violence, especially that related to the White Fang, tended to go unsolved. Knowing that, it seemed only fair that she take matters into her own hands.
But that wasn't who she was anymore. If she did that, her family and friends would be disappointed. Moreover, she knew Tukson wouldn't approve.
She would get her revenge in time, but in a different way. She remembered reading a quote in one of the books Blake lent her, about how the best revenge was living well. In the past, she would have turned her nose up at that, finding it foolish. But now, after finding out just how much living well truly meant? She was all too happy to oblige.
And the fact that she knew it was what Tukson would have wanted for her only helped solidify her decision. Whatever happened, she wouldn't allow herself to fall back into her old mindset.
She had come too far to fall.
Ruby sighed, casting a glance up at the clock. The weekend had come and gone, meaning they were once again stuck in class. It had been hard at first, trying to get readjusted to school after all that had happened, but she managed for the most part. What had happened to Tukson as well as what Almost was planning had weighed on her all day, distracting her when she should have been taking notes, but in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't that bad.
The one thing she truly wanted was for Coco and her team to come back. They were supposed to have come back on Saturday, but nobody had heard anything from them. Apparently, the situation had worsened even further, and they had opted to stay behind and try to salvage what little they could from the mission. That was the last anyone had heard of them, at least as far as Ruby could tell. If the professors knew anything, they hadn't told them yet.
Sighing, Ruby absentmindedly ran a finger through her hair. She hadn't gone back to her old disguise, which everyone was thankful for. There had been questions among the other students, of course; funnily enough, they had all been placated by Ruby simply telling them that she was just trying out a new style, and that she had changed her name to Ruby Rose. That had earned her some weird looks, but she didn't mind – Coco had gently ribbed her by saying that everyone already thought she was kind of weird to begin with, so this wasn't exactly out-of-character for her. Personally, Ruby didn't mind the odd looks she got if it meant being her true self once more.
Turning her attention away from the clock, Ruby looked down towards the combat arena. Her team wouldn't be fighting in the arena until after all the others had gotten a chance to, as they had still not been deemed fit for combat. Apparently, Ozpin wanted to be sure that her medications were actually working and that she had a steady supply of them before sending her off to fight.
Her meds… they were annoying, to say the least. There were three of them, all in pill form, and each with their own requirements. The Sertraline was taken once a day, in the morning. The Risperidone was also taken once a day, just before she went to bed. The Prazosin was where things got difficult – she was currently taking three doses of it per day, once in the morning, once at midday, and once before bed. Going back to her dorm for a pill in the middle of the day was a hassle, so she had taken to carrying the pill around with her in a small plastic bag. That alone was annoying, but the implications of doing so were even worse.
When it came time for her to go out on a mission, she was going to have to carry her pills with her. Withdrawal symptoms tended to come quickly if she accidentally skipped a dosage for any of them, with those of the Risperidone being the worst, given that it was supposed to help with her flashbacks. Of course, the implications were clear – if something were to happen to her meds when she was on a mission, she was in trouble. Combat effectiveness would certainly be affected based on the withdrawal symptoms alone. Coupled with the resurgence of her symptoms, and things would get bad quickly. It honestly made her wonder why they were even still willing to let her be a Huntress if they knew she was going to be a liability, but if Ozpin deemed it okay, then who was she to argue?
In any case, she was currently trying to think of a way to mitigate the risk of running out of meds. She had proposed to Ozpin that her teammates be given bottles of backup medication to carry, just in case she ran out or something happened to her own supply, but this was easier said than done – Beacon's pharmacy was unwilling to fill a prescription outside of a standard refill; teenagers would be teenagers, even if they were Huntsmen – and even when she had explained her reasoning, they had still been hesitant to provide her with the amount for three other people like she wanted. On a certain level she understood why that was, but it was still irritating to be stonewalled when it was something she needed in order to be fighting fit.
The bell rang, and the students wasted no time in packing up their things and filing out of Goodwitch's class. Ruby pulled out her scroll to text her dad and tell him she was free, only to just about drop it out of surprise when she saw a message waiting for her.
Coco: On our way back.
That was it. No cocky attitude, no emoticons, no attached image of her pranking her team… something was up. Ruby looked around, and seeing that her team and JNPR were staring at her, sighed.
"Coco's on her way back," she announced.
Immediately, Yang stood up. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go meet 'em."
Pyrrha held up a hand to stop her, then turned to Ruby. "Did they say when they would be here, or how it went?"
"No." Ruby paused. "...Coco didn't say much of anything. She was very subdued."
They all exchanged a glance. Clearly, they knew something was up the same way Ruby did. Exhaling sharply, Jaune stepped forward.
"Well, let's go," he said. "Sounds like they could use some friends."
Nobody argued with him.
It didn't take long for the airship bearing Coco's team to touch down. The eight of them didn't need to guess which one it was – the damage was more than enough to tell them everything they needed to know. Much of the ship's armor plating had been damaged, even torn off in places. The nose-mounted autocannon was bent out of shape, with sparks flying out of the gun's electric motor. One of the engines was letting out a thin trail of black smoke, and many of the bulletproof windows were cracked or broken entirely.
The ship roughly touched down at an angle, one of its wheels refusing to deploy properly. The cargo bay doors opened, letting Team CFVY out. They were all in rough shape, their outfits torn in places and small wounds adorning them. Velvet was leaning on Yatsuhashi and wincing with every step; Yatsuhashi, in turn, was covered in scrapes and bruises and nursing a nasty-looking black eye. Fox's wrist-mounted blades were chipped, and one of the arms had been torn off his shirt, exposing a nasty series of gouges on his right arm. Coco, meanwhile, simply looked exhausted – there were dark rings under her eyes, she was missing her trademark beret, and one of her sunglasses' lenses was cracked. She was lugging her minigun along with her, the weapon apparently having been damaged to the point where it wouldn't fold back up into its compact form.
Loose seven-point-six-two millimeter shell casings littered the bottom of the airship, spilling out onto the ground from the cargo bay – clear signs that Team CFVY had extracted under a lot of pressure, likely while in the midst of being overrun. As if Ruby needed any more indication of what had happened, she couldn't see an ammo belt trailing out of Coco's gun, a sure sign that she had fought to the last round before pulling out.
The eight of them rushed forward, bombarding the returning second-years with questions. Quickly, Coco held up a hand.
"One at a time, please," she said, her voice tired. She looked over to Ruby and nodded. "You first."
"Are you okay?" the wolf instantly asked.
Coco softly shook her head. "No… no, we're all pretty far from okay. Uninjured mostly, save for Vel's sprained ankle and some scrapes and bruises, but..." she sighed. "...Mission was a failure."
"What happened?" Ren asked.
"Grimm," Velvet replied through gritted teeth as she tried to support herself on her bad leg. Yatsuhashi apparently decided that enough was enough and gently scooped her up, then placed her on his shoulders. She looked like she wanted to protest, but ultimately shook her head. "…Lots of Grimm," she continued after a moment. "More than there should have been. No idea why."
"Goliath, too," Yatsuhashi grunted. "Nothing we could do."
"We tried our best to get the civilians out of there," Fox interjected, "but..."
Ruby nodded. She didn't blame them – none of them did – but she could see that they all blamed themselves, even if there was nothing they could have done.
Weiss stepped forwards. "If there's anything you need from us-"
Coco nodded gratefully. "Thanks, but right now, I think all we want to do is rest up and get ready for the dance." She turned to Pyrrha. "How is the planning on that, by the way?"
"Going very well," the champion replied. "Though, we owe most of that to the guidelines you left."
"Guidelines are just that without the right set of hands to put them into practice. Glad you and Jaune didn't have any problems."
Jaune rubbed the back of his head. "Well, it was definitely easier than helping to plan my sister's wedding, that was for sure… though, not having a bride to complicate things made that easier, to say nothing about the other bride..."
Coco cracked a small smile. "Heh. Glad to hear it." She motioned to her team. "Now, if you don't mind, we're gonna go pass out for the next couple of weeks."
"We'll bring you some food when you wake up!" Nora offered.
"Thanks," Yatsuhashi said.
The four of them waved goodbye, then set off. Everyone watched them go with a frown.
"Poor guys," Yang said once they were out of earshot. "Must have been rough."
That was an understatement. Ruby had never dealt with a Goliath before, but she knew they weren't to be trifled with. Still, at the very least, Team CFVY would get a chance to relax, both for the next few days and at the dance on Friday night. That was good – after everything they had been through, they deserved a chance to rest and recover.
Hopefully, they weren't called back into action for a long time.
The week came and went, and before Ruby knew it, the dance was upon them. Friday's classes ended early in order to give them enough time to prepare for it. The students had all retired to their dorms to get ready, Team RWBY being no exception.
"Finally!" Yang said, placing her bag on her bed and stretching out. "Man, Goodwitch seemed intent on keeping us until the very end."
"Can you really blame her?" Weiss asked.
"Yes! I get that she's a hardass, but a little break would be nice."
"We did get a little break," Blake pointed out.
"Oh, you know what I meant." Yang finished stretching. "So, who's up for the first shower?"
"Do we even need them?" Blake asked. "None of us fought today."
Yang's jaw dropped. "Weiss, tell her how wrong she is."
"If you're going to get dressed up, you should shower first," the heiress said.
Blake rolled her eyes. "Alright, then. Ruby, you're up."
The wolf nodded, picking up a towel and heading for the bathroom. Her shower was brief, but refreshing, and the only thing that held her up was at the end. She had been about to reach for her clothes when she paused, uncertain.
In the past, she would have gotten dressed in the bathroom in ofrder to conceal her scars… but did that really matter anymore? They already knew the truth. Her scars, while ugly, wouldn't tell them anything they didn't already know. There was no longer any point to hiding them, at least from her friends and family.
Swallowing nervously, Ruby simply pulled on her underwear before wrapping a towel around herself and picking up her dirty clothes. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, stepping out into her room.
None of them looked over to her, apparently too engrossed in their conversation to notice. Gingerly, the wolf Faunus stepped over to her closet, throwing it open and eyeing her clothes for the night – white cotton undershirt, white collared shirt, black suit, black tie… it was all nice, almost too nice for someone like her. It felt wrong to wear all this, especially since Coco had bought it for her and it had been expensive, but they all wanted to see her at the dance, so she was willing to oblige.
Ruby dropped the towel, leaving her standing there in just her underwear. She made to reach for the garment bag when she paused. All conversation in the room had just died. Casting a glance over her shoulder, she found the rest of her team staring at her in an equal mix of shock and horror.
"Gods..." Weiss muttered.
Ruby didn't react, instead turning back to face the interior of the closet. She knew her back looked bad, so their reaction didn't surprise her in the slightest. Apparently, it didn't get any easier, seeing it a second time.
Unfortunately, her back wasn't even the worst of it.
"Ruby..." Yang said, taking a step forward. "...Are you alright?"
"Fine," Ruby replied. "Sorry you have to see it. Next time, I'll get dressed in the bathroom."
"You have nothing to be sorry for, and you will do no such thing," Weiss admonished. Ruby flinched at her voice. "Now, turn around. Let us see it."
Ruby shook her head.
"What's wrong?" Blake asked gently.
"Nothing, it's just..." Ruby sighed. "...It's really bad."
"How bad?" Yang asked. "Let us see."
Ruby hesitated, then did as she was told. All three of them recoiled in shock before focusing on her most distinctive scar. She watched Weiss and Blake's eyes go wide in surprise before their shock was replaced with twin looks of pity. Yang, meanwhile, was staring at Ruby and gritting her teeth, her hair sparking; clearly, she was angry at the thought of somebody branding her sister.
Then, Weiss broke rank, stepping forward and throwing her arms around Ruby. The wolf hesitated before reciprocating the hug.
"I...I didn't think it would be that bad," Weiss said softly. "I know you didn't intend to do it, but… from the bottom of my heart, thank you."
Ruby said nothing, merely nodding in response. After a moment, Weiss broke the hug.
She was replaced immediately thereafter by Yang, who practically drove the air out of Ruby's lungs with her hug.
"I'm so glad you're with us now," the blonde said, choked up. "When I find who did this to you..."
Ruby flinched, but said nothing. With luck, Yang and Almost would never meet.
If they did, Ruby would make sure that she got between them, even if it killed her.
Yang broke the hug after a moment, letting go of her little sister. Ruby hesitated, then turned to Blake, arms outstretched in anticipation. Blake smiled slightly before walking over and embracing her.
"I don't really have anything to say that hasn't already been said," she admitted. "But hugs are always nice."
Ruby had to agree.
The two stayed there for a moment before splitting apart. Ruby looked back at the group, shaking her head.
"...Sor-"
"If you apologize, I will slap you," Weiss threatened, though her tone was lighthearted. "I already said you have nothing to apologize for. And if you call your scars ugly, I'm going to get mad." She cast a glance down at Ruby's stomach once more. "And if you ask me, I think that one looks a bit more appropriate now."
Ruby blinked, confused, before looking down at her own stomach, wondering what Weiss meant. To her surprise, there was a thin line cutting across the insignia on her stomach, no doubt a remnant of Adam's attack on her. Despite herself, Ruby found her mouth quirking up slightly at the accidental symbolism of it.
"...I guess it is a bit better now," she admitted.
"Even after what you had to go through to get it?" Blake asked.
"Even then. I would gladly do it all over again. I have no regrets."
"Alright," Weiss said. She moved over to her bed and patted the spot next to her. "Go ahead and get dressed, then take a seat there."
"Why?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to make you look even prettier than you already do. Think of it as me repaying a favor."
Ruby paused. Her, pretty? She turned to Yang, who merely shrugged.
"Better listen to her," Yang said. "She knows her stuff, and if she wants to doll you up, it's best to just go with it."
Ruby didn't bother to argue, instead quickly pulling on her clothes for the night before taking a seat next to Weiss, all while Blake and Yang watched with amusement for a bit before going off to get themselves ready. Weiss got to work, putting on a bit – just a bit, at Ruby's insistence, though the heiress did concede that going light worked better for her – of makeup. After some time, Weiss let her go, claiming she was ready.
"How's it look?" Weiss asked as Ruby looked herself over in the mirror.
"...Good," Ruby replied, as honest as she was surprised. She had never worn makeup before, and even though it felt odd, she couldn't deny that it made her look pretty. "Thank you."
Weiss waved her off. "Oh, don't mention it. Anything for a friend. Speaking of which..."
She stood up, moving over to the bathroom and knocking on the door. "Hey, Blake! Hurry up so I can work on you!"
"That's okay, I don't need anything," Blake called back.
"Oh, no you don't! Get out here, or so help me-"
A knock on the front door caught everyone's attention. Yang finished pulling on her dress before sighing.
"Oh, I know exactly who it is… Well, better get this over with."
She strode over to the door, throwing it open. There, scroll in hand, was Taiyang. He raised a hand in greeting.
"Hey, girls."
"Dad," Yang deadpanned. She sighed. "We'll do a few pictures, but that's it."
"Oh, come on! You only get two Vytal Festival dances, you know, and I might not be there for the next one!"
Again, Yang sighed, rolling her eyes. "Fine… C'mere, Ruby."
Tai pumped his fist in victory as Yang guided her over to the hallway. Despite Yang's annoyed look, Ruby couldn't help but feel relaxed.
After all she had been through, it was nice to feel like a normal girl.
The two of them let their father take some pictures before he bid them farewell, heading off with the staff. The girls returned to their room and got ready, all of them changing into their dress attire – Ruby in her suit, Yang and Weiss in matching white dresses, and Blake in a dark blue dress. And with that, they were off.
The dance itself was… strange, to say the least. Ruby certainly hadn't ever experienced anything like it. Music pounding in her ears, people dancing all around her, bright lights flashing… for someone like her, it was disorienting, and made it impossible to pay attention to her surroundings. She had resigned herself to standing near the punch bowl, her back to the wall as she kept a watchful eye on the other students.
For the time being, she was alone. Yang had challenged Weiss to a dance-off, and despite the heiress' reservations, Yang had eventually managed to goad her into it. The two of them were a bizarre spectacle, both of them possessing wildly different dancing styles – Weiss' was incredibly sophisticated and refined, whereas Yang's was all over the place, resembling a tangle of limbs more than anything. Ruby honestly wasn't sure if either of them were any good, but they at least seemed to be having fun.
Blake, meanwhile, had been asked to dance by a monkey Faunus from Haven, and had accepted at Ruby's insistence that she go have a good time.
Across the room, Jaune and his team had managed to gather a crowd, the four of them dancing in sync with each other. Ruby didn't know the first thing about dancing, but it certainly looked impressive. Jaune was even directing them mid-dance, which she couldn't help but find amusing.
"Having a good time?"
Ruby glanced to her side, where Coco had stepped up, a glass of punch in her hands. She looked stunning, clad in a light brown dress and high heels, with a light dusting of makeup on; even with her signature shades and beret missing, she still looked fantastic.
The wolf shrugged. "It's not really my thing," she admitted.
Coco nodded in understanding. "I see. Nobody's asked you to dance?"
"Jaune did, just to give me something to do, but I refused since he seemed to be having a good time with Pyrrha already."
The upperclassman looked surprised. "Really? Nobody else has tried?"
Ruby shook her head. "A few have given me weird looks, but I don't know what to make of it."
Coco grinned, amused. She shook her head. "Man, you're a piece of work..." She drained what was left in her glass before setting it on the table and taking Ruby by the hands. "C'mon."
Ruby blinked, surprised. "Where are we going?"
"We're dancing."
"I don't know how."
"I'll teach you, it's easy. Trust me, if you can fight hand-to-hand, you can dance. Just follow my lead."
Reluctantly, Ruby let herself be dragged onto the dance floor. The two of them stopped in the center, Coco still holding Ruby by the hands. The music changed to something slow, and she gently moved Ruby's hands, placing one on her waist while holding the other at about chest height.
"Just do what I do," Coco said. "We're just going to move in a box pattern, okay? Your left foot is going to go forward, then to the side, then together with your other foot. Got it?"
"W-wait!" Ruby said. "How do I know when to change?"
Coco grinned softly. "Ah, first-time dancers… I'll count, okay? Every number is a movement. Just follow along. You ready?" Ruby nodded. "Alright. One-two-three, one-two-three..."
The two began to move in sync, and despite starting off rough and treading on Coco's feet a few times, Ruby was surprised by how quickly she was getting the hang of it. After a few repetitions, it became downright easy. She felt herself begin to grin.
"Oh, yeah!" Yang called from the crowd. "Go Ruby!"
Ruby felt herself flush crimson, which made Coco chuckle.
"You're doing fine, trust me," she said. "Now, what's say we kick it up a notch?"
The two of them continued dancing for a while, Coco gradually introducing new moves when she felt Ruby was ready. They weren't anything fancy – certainly nothing like what Jaune and his team were doing – but they were still fun, nonetheless. And that was surprising to her – just how much fun she was having. The whole time, Ruby had on a mile-wide smile.
Towards the end of one of the songs, Coco laughed softly. "You're grinning like a madwoman," she observed.
"Ah, s-sorry…" Ruby said. "I've just… never done anything like this before. It's really fun."
"I'm glad to hear it." Coco paused just in time for the music to change to something much more fast-paced. She exhaled softly. "Now, I hope you don't mind, but I could use a break."
Ruby shook her head and the two of them split from the rest of the dancers, taking a seat at one of the unoccupied tables. Coco sighed.
"I haven't had a chance to talk to you since the hospital," she said. "I've been so busy with other stuff… you doing okay, kiddo? Feeling better these days?"
Ruby nodded. "Yes. Ozpin is helping me, and it's nice to see my family again."
"I can tell. You look like a million lien. I mean, I've seen you smile more tonight than all the other times combined." Coco leaned forward, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I just want you to know, it's great to have you here."
Ruby felt her smile falter. "...You're worried about-"
"How could I not be? Ruby, you talked about wanting to kill yourself – about how you already tried to kill yourself, and how you planned to try again. Weiss told me she talked you down, but I know it's not that easy." She shook her head. "I just want you to know that you have a lot of people who care for you, and who would miss you if you were gone. We all love you, okay?"
Ruby gently nodded. "...I know."
"Never forget that," Coco implored. The music changed back to something slow-paced, and she grinned. "Now, I think that's enough of the depressing stuff. You ready to have some more fun?"
Ruby perked up, nodding. Coco's smile widened. "Great. C'mon, I'll show you one called the promenade."
With that, Coco took her hand and pulled her over to the dance floor, the two of them continuing to dance the night away.
Across the room, Yang stumbled over to the punch bowl, wiping a bit of sweat off her forehead as she did so. Filling up a cup with punch, she drained it before going back for more.
"It's not spiked, is it?"
Yang pulled the empty cup away from her lips, shaking her head with a grin. "No, Weiss. It tastes perfectly fine."
The heiress took that as her cue to grab some for herself. Filling up a cup, she moved to stand next to Yang, looking out over the crowd. Their gaze settled on Blake, who was dancing with a monkey Faunus... who, of all the ways to dress for what was supposed to be a formal event, had opted to simply throw a tie over his opened-up shirt. Yang chuckled, not only at that but also at her partner's moves.
"Someone's gonna have to teach Blake how to dance," she remarked. "She looks like she has two left feet."
"More like two and a half," Weiss said, shaking her head with a wince. "You know it's bad when Ruby is doing better."
"Heh. Yeah."
At that, Yang looked back out over the crowd, looking for Ruby. She found her at the center of the crowd, dancing with Coco. The brunette was leading her through the motions, sure, but Ruby wasn't doing too bad – she at least seemed to get that she ought to let Coco take control.
Yang's expression softened. "Look at her. She looks so different from a few months ago."
"Well, try to put yourself in her shoes," Weiss ventured. "She's been holding in her secrets for so long. They were probably tearing her apart the whole time. Can you even imagine having to do that?" She shook her head. "I'm glad that she's okay now."
Yang nodded, then looked over to Weiss. "I owe you a lot, Weiss."
"What do you mean?"
"I heard about what you did. You talked her down."
"No, I didn't." Weiss shook her head. "I just pointed out how much she stood to lose if she went through with it. She's the one who made the decision to live, not me."
"Still, she wouldn't have done it without you."
Weiss didn't get the chance to say anything before Yang pulled her into a hug. After a moment, Weiss reciprocated.
"I can't thank you enough," Yang said softly. "For everything, I mean. You had every right to hate her, or tell her that she didn't deserve to live. She would have listened to you without question."
"You know I could never do that," Weiss replied. "She's my friend."
"Still-"
"Yang, please. And if anyone deserves thanks, it's you. I know you don't want to accept it, but honestly, you deserve it the most out of everyone here. If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened – we would all still hate each other, we wouldn't be a team… I don't even want to think about it. It would have been horrible."
"I think you're giving me too much credit."
"No, you're not giving yourself enough credit." Weiss sighed, annoyed. "You always do this. You're unbelievable, you know that?"
"I get that a lot."
"I bet, you oaf."
With that, they broke the hug, going back to looking over the crowd and watching Ruby. The song had changed to something fast paced and Coco was currently trying to coax Ruby into really trying to dance on their own. At first, it looked like she wouldn't do it… but eventually the wolf Faunus relented, going into a series of movements that could hardly be called dancing. Yang and Weiss looked at it for a moment in disbelief before turning to each other, a series of giggles coming from both of them.
"S-sorry," Weiss said. "She's your sister, I shouldn't-"
"You kidding?' Yang replied. "I'm getting this on video. Dad'll love this."
True to her word, Yang fished out her scroll and began recording her sister as she made a fool of herself. Unfortunately, it was over after just a few short seconds, but Yang chuckled all the same as she pocketed her scroll.
"That's one for the highlight reel," the blonde announced. Before Weiss could respond, Yang looked past her, a grin growing across her face. "Look alive, we've got company."
Weiss turned around and found Velvet, Fox, and Yatsuhashi moving towards them. Velvet was leaning on Yatsu for support and limping with every step, which concerned them until they saw the look on Velvet's face.
"Hey, you two," Velvet announced as she approached. Once she got there, she leaned on the table for support as she dusted off her cream-colored dress.
"Hey, yourself," Yang replied. Motioning to her injured foot, she said, "Everything okay there? Seems like it hurts."
Velvet waved her off. "Still haven't recovered from the mission; it should be better in a little bit. Doctors said I'm good to walk on it, but no running or dancing."
"Well, that sucks. Sorry about that, Velvet."
"Ah, well, I won't complain too much – the atmosphere is enough for me, honestly." Looking around, she said, "Man, Jaune and Pyrrha really worked wonders on this."
"You bet we did," Jaune announced as he came up from the side, one arm interlocked with Pyrrha. Like both Fox and Yatsu, he was dressed in a suit, though his was a dark blue to Yatsu's pinstripe gray and Fox's dark brown. "How's it going, everyone?"
"Pretty good," Weiss said. "You and Pyrrha came together?"
"Yup!" Jaune said. "Neither of us had dates, so we decided to go as friends."
"I had to talk Jaune out of wearing a dress," Pyrrha stated. At their confused looks (and Yang's wide grin), she flushed as red as her gown and decided to elaborate. "He had a bet going where if I didn't end up with a date to the dance, he'd show up to it in a dress."
"Why does that sound one-sided?" Fox asked.
"Because it was. He basically made the bet with himself."
"And I was prepared to carry it out, too," Jaune remarked. "I had a nice baby blue-colored number picked out and everything. An Arc never goes back on his word."
"What made you decide not to, then?" Yatsu asked.
"Simple: Pyrrha asked if we could go as friends, and I said yes. Then she convinced me that it technically counted as having a date, so I didn't have to wear it." He shrugged. "I was still gonna wear it, though."
"There something you're not telling us about yourself, Vomit Boy?" Yang asked, a wide grin on her face.
"Only that I'd have absolutely killed it in that dress."
"Boy, in that dress, the light reflecting off your pale legs would blind half the room. We should all consider ourselves lucky that you're here in a suit, otherwise it'd be like staring directly into the sun."
"Oh, sure. You know I'd wear that thing really well."
"Whatever you say."
He went to say something else only to notice something off in the distance. His eyes widened. "Nora, no! The smoke machine is for smoke, not syrup!"
And like that, he was off running. Everyone watched him go before they all turned to Pyrrha.
"So, he hasn't figured it out yet?" Velvet asked.
Pyrrha sighed and shook her head, though she was grinning softly at the same time. "Not yet, no."
Fox shook his head as well. "Geez… someone is going to have to spell it out for him."
"Ah, don't worry, Pyrrha," Yang remarked. "You'll get him."
"You think so?"
"I know so. He's just oblivious. Give it time."
All of them immediately stopped talking as Jaune rushed back over, panting tiredly. Exhaling sharply, he stood up, brushing his suit off.
"Sorry about that; had to help Ren rein in Nora. Anyway, what'd I miss?"
"Nothing much," Weiss replied. "We were just discussing Ruby and Coco dancing."
"Oh, they're dancing? Where?"
The heiress pointed out to the center of the room, where the two girls in question had once again started dancing together. Ruby had a huge grin on her face; it was clear she was having a good time despite her initial reservations.
"Aww..." said Velvet. "That's sweet."
Jaune nodded. "Hard to believe she's the same girl from before."
Yang cleared her throat. "Weiss and I have already discussed this, but I just wanted to say, thanks to all of you for being there for her. You have no idea just how much you helped."
"And before you say it," Weiss interrupted, "I've already had a talk with Yang about how she's the one responsible for all of this. Don't bother trying to bring it up; she won't listen."
Yatsu looked like he wanted to argue, but ultimately relented. "...You're the boss."
The conversation petered out after that, all of them content to simply stand there and enjoy the festivities. Eventually, they began to split off to do their own things, most of them going to talk to other students or to go dance.
Across the room, Ruby split off from Coco for a bit in order to catch her breath. She only got about ten seconds of freedom out of it before she started to hear someone come up behind her, and she barely had time to wonder about who it was before they revealed themselves.
"Hello, friend-Ruby!"
Ruby turned around, her expression softening. "Hello, Penny."
The orange-haired girl was there in a green dress, looking very similar to how she usually did, albeit a bit more formal – she had on just a bit of makeup, and her hair was a little neater than it usually was. She looked very good, and it was only accentuated by the big smile she had on her face.
"What can I do for you, Penny?" Ruby asked.
"Dance with me!" Penny implored.
Ruby was taken aback by just how forward she was. It wasn't like her and Penny weren't friends by this point, but she didn't think they were that close; really, this was just surprising more than anything. "Um-"
"Come on, please?" Penny begged. "I assure you, I am dancing ready!"
Ruby considered it before shrugging. This was a happy occasion, so she might as well spread some joy. "Sure, Penny. What did you want to-"
She never even got the chance to finish asking her question before the Atlesian squealed excitedly, then took her hand and sped over to the dance floor, almost bowling over a blue-haired boy and his two teammates in the process.
"Sorry!" Ruby called out just as Penny came to a stop.
Doing her best to keep her head from spinning, Ruby shook herself out of her stupor just in time for Penny to take her by the hands.
"I have requested something energetic from the DJ, and it should be coming up right about… now!"
As if on cue, the music suddenly changed to something a lot more fast-paced, featuring distorted guitars and pounding bass. Ruby winced, knowing that she was about to make a fool of herself… but somehow, that paled in comparison to how happy it would make Penny feel.
"Okay," she said. "You take the lead, Penny. Show me what to do."
Penny was so happy to oblige that it completely made up for the fact that Ruby knew she was embarrassing herself the entire time.
The night continued to go on, with Ruby dancing with Penny and hanging out with Coco for most of it. Eventually, she decided that she needed a break, and broke off from Coco to go off on her own for some fresh air. Stepping out onto the balcony, the wolf stared up at the shattered moon as she breathed in the crisp night air.
"Thought I'd find you out here."
Ruby's ears perked up at the sound. Turning, she found Blake standing there with two cups of punch. The cat Faunus approached and offered her one, and Red graciously accepted. Blake held up her cup.
"Cheers."
Ruby blinked, unsure of what to do, but ultimately decided to mime what her friend was doing. Holding up her own cup of punch, she said, "Cheers."
Blake drank, and so did Ruby. The punch was very sweet; it was actually pretty good. Having emptied their cups, both girls set them aside. Blake moved up to Ruby's side, resting her arms on the balcony.
"Hard to believe we've come this far," the cat Faunus remarked.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, just think of how we used to be at the start of the year. Our team was, to put it simply, a disaster. But that's over with now – now, I'd wager that we're probably the closest team here at Beacon. Amazing how that happened."
Ruby blinked, then shrugged. "...Not really." At Blake's glance, she added, "I-I mean, given what we had to go through..."
"Yeah, you're right," Blake conceded. "I guess our only real options were to either come together or break apart even further, and the only way that could have ended was with all of us getting expelled. I suppose it makes sense, then. Not to underscore how amazing it is that we all managed to come together." She grinned, shaking her head. "If you'd told me a few months ago that one of my closest friends would be a Schnee, I would have called you a liar."
"How do you think I feel?" Ruby asked.
Blake paused, her eyes widening. "...Did you just make a joke?"
This time, Ruby paused. "...I… I think I did? Um… is that bad?"
Blake chuckled, putting an arm around her and pulling her close. "No, I'd say it's the opposite."
The two of them looked back up to the stars. After a moment, Blake turned back to her.
"We're all very proud of you, you know," she stated. "It's amazing, just how far you've come. You're barely even the same girl you were when you first arrived at Beacon." She thought for a bit before shaking her head. "Actually, I guess you technically aren't the same girl as when you arrived at Beacon."
Ruby fidgeted slightly, somewhat uncomfortable, though she didn't argue Blake's point. "S-still have a long way to go..."
"Don't sell yourself short – you've done really well so far, and in such a short time, too. You must have really missed your family for them to have such a big effect on you."
"I did, b-but… it's not just them," Ruby replied. "It was all of you. You were all there for me, even though I didn't des- er, felt like I didn't deserve you."
Blake nodded, and Ruby sighed, relieved that she had caught herself. She wouldn't let herself fall back into that mindset. That wasn't her anymore.
"How do you feel?" Blake asked. "Is everything going okay? You don't want to…"
She trailed off, but Ruby caught the hidden meaning, and quickly shook her head. "...No. No, I… I think I'm ready to live. I don't want to leave you all behind."
Blake's expression softened. "I'm glad. But what about everything else?"
"I… I don't really know," Ruby stated. "I used to think that all I was good for was killing… it's hard, breaking out of that mindset."
"I'd think it would be. Nobody blames you for that, especially not if you're making the effort to change."
"Yeah. I don't want to go back to that life – don't want to kill anyone unless I absolutely have to. That's not who I am anymore."
"That's never who you were," Blake gently admonished. "Don't ever forget that. Like I said a few weeks ago, you are more than your mistakes, Ruby."
Ruby sniffled softly. It was tough to hear that her friends cared this much about her… but to her surprise, it wasn't because of the old reasons. Rather, it was just that it was tough for someone like her, who had gone so long without affection, to be suddenly drowned in it. Even those weeks at Beacon directly after revealing her true identity hadn't done much to inoculate her to the love her friends and family had for her; it still brought her to joyful tears whenever she realized just how much they cared.
Blake chuckled, bringing one hand up to wipe Ruby's tears away. "Hey, now. Don't want your makeup to run, do we? Weiss would throw a fit."
Ruby couldn't help but crack a small smile. "...Okay."
Blake's only response was to grin happily, then pull her closer. The two girls held each other as they watched the starts together, listening to the party behind them. Ruby relaxed in her friend's grasp, closing her eyes as she softly exhaled.
This was one of the happiest moments of her life, and unlike all the rest, the voice in her head reminding her of everything she had done was completely absent.
It was just past midnight when the four girls returned to their room, completely drained of all energy. It had been fun, sure, but they were all tired. They barely said a word to each other as they took turns showering and getting ready for bed, and before long, the lights were out and they were all in their respective beds… or rather, all but Ruby. She had taken one step over to her own bed before a hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"And where do you think you're going?" Yang asked, though her tone was lighthearted.
"Bed," Ruby replied.
"You know the drill, Rubes."
"Eventually, you're going to have to let me sleep on my own."
"I know, but for now, it's not happening."
And that was the end of that. Ruby climbed into Yang's bed right next to her, and the blonde pulled the covers over the both of them before giving her a small kiss between her ears and pulling her close.
"Goodnight, everyone," Ruby said.
They all replied with goodnights of their own, and just like that, they were out cold.
Ruby's last thought before sleep finally claimed her was reflecting on just how much fun she'd had, and how glad she was to finally be surrounded by people who loved her.
That night, as she laid gently nestled in her older sister's grasp and surrounded by her closest friends in the world, for the first time in a decade, Ruby Rose fell asleep with a small smile on her face.
(Explanation time incoming.)
Alright, so that seems like a good place to stop for now. I've got some things to say.
So, I've mentioned before that my desire for this story is to eventually go all the way. I'd like to get into the conflict with Salem, and all that, because in addition to being good practice for everything I want to write later on, I really just love writing this story, and am not ready to stop writing it just yet.
However.
Like I said earlier, I get that the main draw for this story is the character-driven drama, and as much as I'd like to act as though getting into things with Salem wouldn't change that, the truth is that it absolutely would. Character drama would still be big a part of it, but action is going to be taking a bigger role in this story from here on out. Why am I bringing this up? Simple: because I know, for a good portion of you, that this isn't what you're interested in. I know that a lot of you are here for the drama more than anything, and don't care about Salem at all.
So, here's what I'm offering: this chapter is a good spot to end it, if you want. If you'd like, you can duck out of the story now, and that will be the end of it. Everything after this point will consist of the conflict against Salem. No, it won't be the same as in canon – in fact, I'm going to try my hardest to make sure I don't follow canon very much at all; for example, we won't be heading to Mistral for a very long time, and the Fall of Beacon… well, that'll be MUCH different. MUCH different. But for the most part, I think you have a good idea what it will consist of – Maidens, Relics, lots of action, etc. No matter how I change things, those sort of have to be there if you're writing something involving Salem that isn't something that's massively AU.
Hence why I'm writing this out now. If you're someone who just doesn't care about that stuff, feel free to duck out now. This chapter ought to serve as a good send-off for you. If you're one of those people, let me just say this before you go: from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you so much for all the support you've given me up to this point. Everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, followed up to this point… I truly can't put into words just how much it means to me. When I first started this fic, I never expected it to get the following it did. You all really make writing this whole thing worth it – you're what elevated this beyond just me practicing my writing into something that I wanted to really bring my A-game to, all because I knew that you all cared so much that I wanted to really put my best foot forward.
You all inspire me to be a better writer, and I can't thank you enough for that. Seriously, you've all done so much more than you might think you have, and I value all of it so much. Please, if you're someone who's not interested in the stuff against Salem, and you want to duck out now… by all means, feel free. I understand completely.
At the same time, this may be my first story, but it's not gonna be my last story if I have anything to say about it. When this one's done and it's time to get to work on those other ones, nothing would please me more than to have you there alongside me. I hope our paths cross again in the future.
But for the rest of you, however many of you are left after that… buckle up, because it's about to get crazy. I've already stated that I'm primarily going this for practice and because I just love this story, but that doesn't mean I'll be taking it easy on you. So get ready, because I'm going in hardcore. We're gonna start this thing off with a bang as soon as we get back from hiatus, I can promise you that.
Also, just a reminder: Because I don't know exactly how long this hiatus will be (I'm estimating a few months – ideally no more than 6 at the most, but probably no less than 3), feel free to PM me at any time if you want an update on how it's going. I want to be as transparent as possible during all of this, so if you've got questions, I've got answers. And at the same time, I will be working my hardest to get these edits done as quickly as possible so we can get back to a schedule.
Besides that, I've got nothing else. I hope to see you in Part 2, but if I don't, then I hope this chapter was able to serve as an adequate send-off for you.
Next update: To be determined.