Ruby awoke to the northern Animan chill seeping through the blanket to her bones. The sun was rising over the trees which meant that it was dawn. Around her slumbered most of her companions, having opted to stay close to the fire until it burned out. She heard breakfast and tiptoed over Jaune, Pyrrha, and Nora to the kitchen where she was greeted by Ren as he heated up another batch of canned food over the stove.
Immediately, the Empress offered to help. He had her parceling out even portions on plates, guiding her accordingly. Passing conversation revealed that Maria had dragged Dudley to the garage before the light of dawn to try and get the old truck running.
"If I may speak freely, Your Majesty," Ren said.
"Please, just call me Ruby. The epithet is getting tiring," she insisted. "And we have been speaking freely since you rescued me so, yeah."
A chuckle. "Very well. Ruby, I appreciate your enthusiasm."
"Thank you, Ren."
"One would think that royals mingling with those below them and taking part in their daily trials is nothing more than PR. But with you, I can see how genuine your efforts are."
Ruby beamed. "I try. I mean, I am the Empress, after all. I should know what my people are going through. Ozma and Salem say otherwise but then again, they're a little old-fashioned."
"That alone both proves and disproves the propaganda."
"Propaganda?"
Ren raised his brow at her. "Ever since your coronation, word has been spreading that you're going to be the next great reformer. Already, people have been saying how much you're breaking custom, shaking taboos, rattling the Senate, the like."
"That's probably Yang's doing," deflected the young sovereign. "If you've heard that much about me, then you should've known a lot more about the 'wild' Grand Duchess of Sanus."
Mister Lie laughed. "Yes, I've heard of her. Everyone has. She has...a divided reputation as far as I can tell. Not so much here on Mistral but news of her antics have been quite shocking."
"Scandalous would be the closest description."
"And yet she's still a Grand Duchess."
"The people love her," Ruby chuckled. "And the Senate can't do anything about it. The Imperial Army could care less because she's not harming their interests. They do, however, respect her authority."
"Do they follow her orders?"
The Empress paused. Yang rarely issued commands to the army. "They've never disobeyed her, if I recall correctly."
"And you?"
She sighed. "They've...never disobeyed me, either. Um, Ren, I hope you don't mind, uh, indulging me a bit."
"Not at all."
"Right." Sniffle. "... What would you have me to do for your people when I get back to Sanus?"
Ren stopped his work. "... Much."
She nodded somberly. "I see."
"Above all else, there is one thing I wish to see happen in Sanus and that is to ease the suffering imposed upon the people of Mistral."
"But I'm not their—"
"The indemnities imposed by your Senate since the Second Intervention."
The Empress stared at the wall. "... Oh."
"Of course, I don't mean this as a demand. More of a request and a reasonable response since you asked."
"I will do my best though."
Mister Lie stared at her questioningly. "I thought you were jesting when you wanted my opinion."
"I'm not. It'll be tough getting it through the Senate, and tougher to get it past my advisors, but know that I will try." Ruby graced with a smile that she hoped conveyed how genuinely she wanted to help.
Ren smiled back, relieved. "What then of your Lord Protector?"
"I'm still thinking of how to deal with him."
"Last we checked, he hasn't been very popular lately."
"I know. He's doing exactly what he's supposed to do in times of crisis but..." Ruby shook her head. "I don't know. Something's not right. Ever since I was captured, I've been piecing together details and whatever breadcrumbs Raven had been throwing me..."
"Ruby?"
"I don't know, Ren. Something's just not right. I know I should've seen this coming sooner but...I guess... Ozma and Salem were really my only parents since my father's assassination and...it's hard to think of them as...I guess...I don't know really..."
"I understand."
A sigh. "I guess it's time I become more aggressive now. I don't know how this will pan out when I get back...and I'm afraid of what'll happen when I do. But...I'm ready to face it and...I'll fight tooth and nail to make things right if I have to."
"In that case, you can count on us to support you. No matter how far apart we'll be."
Ruby turned to see Ren beaming proudly at her, more than enough to show that he meant every word he said. Minutes later, he complimented the Empress on her fine culinary craft over breakfast with the rest of a groggily awakening team JNPR.
The truck had the veneer of a mendicant stricken with tuberculosis. The uneven revving of the engine, constant sputtering from the exhaust, and the weathered tires that had to be pumped back to life were at least offset by the sturdy suspension and extra gas salvaged from the shed. With Empress Ruby Rose of Sanus fetching tools with her Semblance and helping to keep the truck from falling apart while Dudley put it back together, they were road-worthy an hour less than expected.
"Never thought I'd see the day," grunted Dudley. After throwing the tools back in the garage, he took his place in the front seat as their chauffeur (because he was the only one among them with a valid driver's license).
"That you can get back to being a repairman?" snorted Maria Calavera from the back of the truck.
"No, you bat. Never thought I'd actually see a royal do mechanic work herself."
Judging by his tone, Ruby couldn't tell whether that was a compliment or an insult. That didn't stop her from being kind. She leaned over from where she was seated in the back with the rest of their group. "I'm glad to be of help."
"Yeah, sure. Um, thanks. Your Majesty."
As the truck rumbled out of Brunswick, Nora leaned over towards the Empress who had been pressed between Jaune and Pyrrha as had been their default placement as escorts to a missing sovereign.
"Nice work on getting this thing up and running again."
"I'm just happy to lend a hand," Ruby bashfully replied.
"So not only can you ride horses, fight like a Huntsman, and think like a team captain, but you can also do mechanic work? Awesome!"
A nervous chuckle. "Well...I'm still learning to cook and all that..."
"But you can do weapon maintenance too, right?" Nora continued. "You said you had your own Huntsman-y weapon."
"I do. Crescent Rose. Currently in its second prototype stage last I left it."
"Whoa. What's it like?"
"A scythe that shifts into a high-caliber marksman rifle," gushed Ruby as her two 'bodyguards' shared an amused glance over her head. "Can fire just about any type of ammo. Even Gravity Dust though I'm still figuring out how to get past the recoil and the blowback."
"Sounds like our missing Empress is a weapon nut," chuckled Maria. "Guess that explains how you got that lunkhead to actually do something right for once."
"I heard that!" barked Dudley.
"Fiddling with a car engine is different than doing maintenance on Crescent," Ruby replied. "But they're both machines and that comes with sort of the same rules. Oil and grease everywhere and the right spots to put the nuts and bolts."
"Hey, quick question!" their driver called. "What again are you supposed to do when you get to Argus? 'Cause, FYI folks! I'm dipping out soon as we get there! Been through enough shit already."
"Wipe your ass, why don't ya," snorted Miss Calavera. "We're going to make contact with the Atlas military. Right, boy?"
Jaune stiffened. "Yeah. That's right. Terra, my sister's wife, she works for the Atlesian military. If we can get her on board, we could diffuse this whole crisis before it gets worse."
"If," Pyrrha highlighted. "Jaune, you haven't even contacted your sister. None of us have broken radio silence since we left Mistral. I support your plan but what are the exact steps that we have to do?"
"Remain inconspicuous until we get to Saph's apartment. From there, we'll try to use the Atlas's broadcasting frequency to the contact Marshal Ironwood for support. Mistral can't crack what isn't theirs, after all."
"What makes you think Tin Man's gonna throw in with you?" Dudley grunted.
"He will," Ruby echoed firmly. "Especially after I contact Weiss and, if possible, Qrow as well."
"The SDC?" Ren repeated.
The Empress nodded. "Weiss will definitely expend SDC assets to help me especially now that I'm technically 'missing.' As soon as Marshal Ironwood sees SDC ships and contractors moving out to Mistral, he would have all the more reason to move out himself. Atlas law stipulates a limited number of independent armed contractors operate outside of her borders. To have anything larger than that, say the size of two cohorts, would warrant military supervision."
"But Argus is—"
Ruby cut Pyrrha off. "An Atlesian colony on Animan soil bordering Mistralian territory. I'm sure the Kingdom is keeping an eye on military affairs going on there so seeing a sudden influx in mercenaries and Atlesian troops is going to ruffle a lot of feathers. Knowing Weiss, she'll definitely raise an entire legion to try and find me even if it meant stepping on Marshal Ironwood's toes. Come to think of it, I wouldn't be surprised if she already had."
Jaune nodded. "Anyway, the plan is to get Marshal Ironwood's support. If he does put his chips in with us, and with the SDC throwing in too, Ruby would be safe enough to make an announcement."
"A lot of announcements," Ruby continued. "First being demobilization, then reassertion of my authority as sovereign."
"Do you think your Lord Protector would relent?" Pyrrha wondered.
"He'll resist," Maria answered. "No doubt about it, he'll definitely resist. Protectis Dominus Ozma would be willing to risk pissing off a lot more people than he already has because he still has enough clout to keep himself afloat. He's going to pull every trick in the book, find every loophole, write up his own laws even."
"Is he really going to do that?" Nora asked.
"Girl, I may be legally blind but I'm not deaf. The man's as wise and benevolent as he is ruthless and cunning. That's how he got the both Interventions to happen in the first place."
"The Interventions were initiated by the Emperors," Ren argued.
"Because they had casus belli," retorted Maria. "For the past fifty years, the Empire starts its wars by attacking in response to something. Doesn't really matter what that something is. Just that there's something that happened that's bad enough to justify the Empire's involvement."
Ruby gulped. With a shaky voice, she croaked, "She's right..."
"Indeed, Your Majesty. In fact, if you must know, His Majesty Taiyang Xiao-Long had argued against any more wars, opting instead to resolve things diplomatically. Funny how negotiations so dramatically broke down because some key people suddenly 'suffered a stroke' or because 'they attacked first.'"
"The frumentarii provided the casus belli," breathed Pyrrha.
"My father would never have ordered them to do such a thing!" Ruby protested.
Maria sighed. "You're right, Your Majesty. Your father would have never agreed to these measures. But let me ask you. If not the Emperor, who do you think gives the frumentarii their orders? Certainly not the legates."
"What are you say..." The Empress trailed off, retreating into her own world of thought as the Imperial chain of command came to the fore. Special troops obeyed commands from regular superiors but they were only truly loyal to their special commanders. And there were a select few special commanders on Sanus...
"These days, however," continued Miss Calavera, "Ozma doesn't have a lot of moves left on the chessboard and even lesser pawns to move around with."
"Is that...true?" Jaune wondered, turning to the Empress who was herself staring distantly at her hands wrapped tightly over her lap.
"And Salem?" Ren added.
The old lady sighed. "Forget digging through the law books. Magister Magnam Salem will burn them just to get her way. Funny how that works. Ozma writes the laws, Salem burns them when they're no longer relevant. Wouldn't you think so, Your Majesty?"
Ruby gulped. And nodded. Because Maria was right. After everything she had seen and experienced here in Mistral, there was no argument she could mount against the insinuations levied against her godparents...her loving godparents who...
Did they really love her?
"Tell me, Your Majesty," Maria asked. "Who is the Magister Militum now?"
"Hazel Rainart," answered the sovereign.
Maria scoffed. "Of course. Hazel. Man did a damn good job spearheading the push to Mistral."
"You're saying that he was the primary field commander of both Interventions," Ren recited. His hands balled into fists. "That makes him responsible for the war crimes committed on Animan soil."
"And he was rewarded handsomely for it," Miss Calavera intoned darkly. Her scowl quickly morphed into a sly grin. "But then again... Your Majesty, you still have Qrow Branwen, right?"
The Empress bit her lip. "I...I do. I hope he's alright."
"He better be. You're going to need him a lot more than you think you would."
"Have you come across any news about him, though?"
"Last I heard, your uncle tried to get support from Haven Academy. I bet he's busy either gathering up your remaining Imperial Guard or out looking for you with what he has left. Without a doubt, if you break radio silence in Argus, he'll be high-tailing it over there before the call would end."
Ruby narrowed her eyes at the old lady. "How...do you know so much about...my court?"
Maria chuckled under the curious stares of team JNPR. She leaned her head back while her monocles flickered shut for a noontime nap. "Like I said, Your Majesty. With age comes experience."
Argus was indeed a sister city to Novosanae, as Ruby had often read about. Towering concrete walls, wide cobbled streets, a tram system, and a power grid that made Imperial electricity lines look ancient—the Empress felt ashamed that only Vale could match the wonders she was seeing in such a rich Atlesian colony. Yet here she stood, staring up at the sights and sounds of Argus from underneath a hooded cloak that concealed most of her body, hidden behind a team of Huntsmen who did their best to look as inconspicuous as the multi-colored crowd that prowled the city's thoroughfares.
"Home sweet home," croaked Jaune.
Pyrrha groaned her sentiments. "At least we're unrecognized."
"Can't believe that prick ditched us," Nora groused.
"Best to focus on what we can do now," Ren advised.
Maria laughed. "Man's got his own problems. But, hey. At least he was useful."
Ruby kept mum as she followed her escorts into the city proper. Dudley kept to his word and unceremoniously left their party after parking the truck in the vehicle depot outside the main gate. To his credit, before parting ways, the man signed all the forms and even took the brunt of the grilling from the garrison commandant who was irate at more paperwork than he wanted to deal with for the day.
The upside to that was having to bypass the strident security protocols at the main gate. Unlike the Imperial legionary who was coated head to toe in tempered steel or the Mistralian footman adorned in hardened leather, the Atlesian soldiers guarding Argus were equipped with synthetic fiber. Such an image carried the existing stereotype of Atlas fielding a futuristic army whose technological advances were offset by their limited numbers and over-reliance on Dust.
Ruby remained impressed at how Marshal James Ironwood ran his forces, making the best of what they had and employing them to the best of their ability. At least, that was what she had seen growing up from the countless military parades, presentations, and exercises.
"Wilkommen in Argus," greeted the sergeant at the end of the gate.
Though most of team JNPR nodded back politely, Ruby went further, answering back in sharp Atlesian. "Danke. Thank you for manning your post so diligently, herr offizier."
This, of course, caused time to freeze. That was what it felt like for three seconds because the sergeant did a double take, smiling widely and expressing how surprised he was at her flawless Atlesian and thanking her for her compliment, a rare thing for these soldiers it seemed.
"I hope you enjoy our city, frau."
"I'm sure I will."
When Ruby turned to her colleagues, she found them as still as statues. When nothing else happened, they breathed a collective sigh of relief before taking turns mildly reprimanding her for being so reckless.
"A little kindness wouldn't hurt," she argued. "Besides, he's been standing all day doing the same thing a thousand times."
"Just, please," Pyrrha sighed. "Don't do that again. Leave the talking to us."
The Empress then followed her escorts as they boarded a tram whose circuit ran through half the city, offering her a partial tour of the northern Mistralian coast and a solid view of the towering Atlesian islet base occupying the middle of the gulf. Thankfully, the other passengers were too busy with their own worries to bother with their flimsy disguises. And maybe because the people of Argus were far more concerned with the heightened military activity brought about in response to Mistral's mobilization.
Despite the uncertainty, Ruby took the quiet moments to admire the sights. Colder air, the scent of the sea, and the wide open spaces made for a refreshing experience. Come dusk, they disembarked at their stop in the middle of a residential district filled with multi-story apartments.
"Alright, guys. Saph's place should be right up the block," Jaune whispered.
"You really think she's going to help us?" Nora whispered hoarsely back.
"I told you, I got this. Let me do the talking, alright?"
"You sure?"
"I'm sure. Look, she might even be excited to see you guys after like, what...since last semester?"
"When Nora caused a city-wide blackout because Saphron egged her on?" Ren said.
"Did she really?" Ruby quipped surprised.
"Ugh, can we please not talk about that?" whined Miss Valkyrie.
"Alcohol, dares, you know how it is," Jaune dismissed, immediately taking the first step across the street. "Now all of you, be quiet and follow me!"
They did up until they came to the porch of a modest tenement. They all held their breaths as team JNPR's captain ran his knuckles three times over the door. On the fourth try, someone let out a loud gasp. Save for Maria who cocked a curious brow, Ruby froze up with team JNPR before inching around to see two women staring at them, one with flowing blonde hair and bags of groceries, the other a bespectacled brunette hefting a curious toddler in her arms.
"Oh," gulped Jaune. He gave an awkward wave. "Hey, Saph. Uh, miss me?"
Saphron Arc bounced her blue eyes from one person to the next until her astonishment hardened into a glare that she directed to the door. "Inside. Now."
Jaune nudged the door handle. "Uh...it's locked?"
Saphron blinked. Then she stomped up the porch, fished the keys in her pocket, shoved the door open and gestured for them inside. "Inside. Everyone. Now."
Ruby did as the scary older sister asked. Because older sisters were scary and also because they were starting to attract unwanted attention from passers-by and an Atlesian patrol rounding the corner.
Ruby would have enjoyed the modest serenity of the Cotta-Arc household had it not been for the fact that the homeowners were both livid and terrified out of their wits. She couldn't blame them really. With four fugitives whose faces were plastered on the news and two strangers with potentially concealed weapons in their house, who wouldn't feel their blood drain out their rear ends?
And it had started so calmly as well. Saphron's sweet welcoming voice devolved into a demon clawing at her brother from the underworld with the way she unleashed upon him a full torrent of vulgar Mistralian. Ruby could tell it was vulgar because she had sometimes heard Blake say almost the same things. How convenient that Saphron's wife Terra took their child upstairs beforehand.
Eventually, Ruby's ears began to pick up words she could understand.
"You're unbelievable, you know that?" croaked Saphron with her hand in her hands.
"Saph, look I...I'm really sorry I didn't call, alright? I...there wasn't time and...and we were..."
"Being chased by the Armée Royale halfway through Anima, yeah, I heard the story," she hissed. "You could've just called, y'know?"
"It's, uh, complicated."
Saphron glanced up with a tired scowl before sighing into her hands again. She then turned to his teammates, pausing over Ruby and Maria with a narrow look. "Sorry you had to see that. Nice to see you again, Pyrrha, Ren, Nora."
"Hello again."
"Likewise."
"Big sis hugs!"
That got a laugh out of the older Arc who held up her hand. "As much as I'd love to, not tonight, Nora. After seeing you all here, I don't think I can handle another heart attack. Or a migraine."
Jaune scratched the back of his head. "Uh, yeah, hah! Surprise, huh. Um, yeah, about that..."
Immediately, Ruby felt the warmth cool as that same unnerving smile returned. Truly, older sisters were demons in their own right.
"Jaune. Please tell me you're going to introduce me to absolutely normal people with absolutely normal professions in my household."
Jaune gulped. As did Ruby. Maria, on other hand, snickered.
"Uh...Saph. I'd like to meet, uh, our new friends."
Saphron craned her head at the Empress and the old lady. The older Arc's tired eyes were already cracked and pleading for some sanity. Ruby sucked in as much breath as she could before pulling down her hood and letting her uncombed hair flow free down to her shoulders.
"This is, uh, Ma'amselle Ruby...and that's Madame Maria Calavera."
"Hello, Miss Arc."
"Good evening, Ma'am Arc."
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
"Uh, Saph? You there?"
The woman in question turned her head agonizingly slowly towards her brother with the most haunted look on her face and mouthed the words, "Why does your friend Ruby look so strangely familiar?"
"Ah, you see, uh, she's the, uh, she's the, um, how'd you say this, uh, y'know, the, uh—"
It was at this point that Nora let out the tension that had been building up inside her for the past several minutes. "Ugh. She's the Empress of Sanus. The one who went missing, was kidnapped by bandits, and rescued by us!"
"Empress...of...Sanus...?"
Ruby puckered her lips nervously. "Y-yes, ma'am."
"R-right. A-and you, madame?"
"Just an old lady who happened to help them along their journey," Maria answered cheekily.
For a moment, it appeared as though Saphron's soul had spirited out of her body.
"Miss Arc?" Ruby prodded.
The woman blinked, took three long, steady breaths, then snaked her hand around her brother's. Tightly. So tight that Jaune started to whimper from the pain that was rocketing up his arm. He began to tear up when his sister once again returned her demonic glare at him, so much so that Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora were too intimidated to aid their beleaguered captain. After all, the voice that followed was one that reminded Ruby of Yang on a very, very bad day.
"Jaune, baby bro? Explanation. Now."
ORIGINALLY DRAFTED: May 13, 2020
LAST EDITED: May 27, 2020
INITIALLY UPLOADED: May 27, 2020
NOTE: We are at Argus now. I believe enough time has been spent in the wilds with JNPR and it's time to bring in everyone else.