Weiss was frustrated, she had found herself shoved out the door into the cold Atlas air half asleep and she was not against letting the world know about her disapproval.
"Daddy why are we going to the airport at this unholy hour!" Weiss barked at her father inside of their limousine that was cruising comfortably along the Atlas highway.
Jacques frowned at his crabby daughter, "sweetheart you'll just have to forgive me this once this is something that is very important to your mother and I."
Weiss crossed her arms with a pout, "well if it's so important to you two why did I have to come?" her father rubbed his temples as looked on at his daughter exasperated, "dearest could you try explaining this to her?"
Willow looked away from the book she carried in her hands and slid her finger in its pages to act as a placeholder, "Wiess we brought you along because there is someone we would like you to meet."
"Someone? Like one of daddy's business people?" Weiss was confused and she couldn't understand what they would possibly want from her. "No love, someone that's more your own age." Willow frowned internally, she could see what this lavish lifestyle that her husband provided had begun to change her. Hopefully Summer's daughter could bring her back down to earth.
Weiss's brow only deepened as she tried to think about it hard before her father lit up with an idea. Caffeine could perk the little one up, he looked down to the thermos of coffee he held in his hand that had been brewed by the waiter this morning. It was a fine blend that he had imported from Vale. "Here, why don't you try a sip of this." he offered the cup to her and Weiss shook her head slightly as she looked up at her father rather owlishly. He could see the dark circles under her eyes, it made a little more sense why their daughter had turned into a little fiend. She had nearly killed a butler this morning as she pushed him away with a glyph not even fully conscious, but apparently filled to the very brim with hatred, they would need to find a means of waking her without lives being threatened he idly thought.
"What is it?" Weiss said suspiciously she had seen her father drinking it numerous times before but she had never actually known what it was.
"It's coffee dear, it's a wonderful thing." Jacques took another sip and sighed contently, it was well worth the money.
"Mm alright i guess…" Weiss said before gingerly grasping the thermos and taking a tiny sip. Jacques and Willow watched closely, unsure what to think of the child's widened eyes. Weiss closed her eyes before taking a much longer deeper sip. She sighed contently before looking at the cautious gazes of her parents. "So did you like it?" Willow was surprised they had not received much more… childish response.
Weiss only nodded holding the cup while staring at it. Jacques reached over to take the thermos back before Weiss darted her hands away while continuing to stare at the warm ambrosia. "Weiss I would like my coffee back." Jacques asked softly.
"Hmm what was that daddy?" Weiss asked.
"I would like my coffee back dear." he repeated to her. Weiss broke her gaze with the beverage before meeting his eye. "No daddy." she said quite simply to him.
"Er no?" Jacques said, confused his gaze turning to his wife who was watching their daughter amused. "I need it back dear." he reached out to take it from her but what stopped by a pitch black glyph around his wrist, his eye twitched.
"No daddy." She said again in her own world once again, leaning her back to take another long sip as she sighed contently, "maybe this trip wasn't all bad i guess." she muttered softly but her parents heard.
Jacques groaned knowing that there was going to be no winning this argument, his daughter hadn't expressed much ability with the family skill line, but apparently today was an exception. Willow chuckled softly watching her husband's plight, "seems that backfired didn't it?" Jacques frowned at her, making her chuckle again before she consolingly rubbed his shoulder.
Weiss continued to sip at her new favorite thing as they neared the airport, unaware to her parents growing more serious as their thoughts returned to the issue around their close friend Summer.
The limousine pulled straight onto the airfield and toward the Schnee family personal hanger and the family slowly filed their way out of the vehicle. They quickly crossed to get out of the wind and into the warmed office that sat inside of the hanger walls. Dropping their heavy jackets and Weiss's now empty thermos they stood and waited listening for the telling noise of a jet to approach the hanger. Weiss looked around idly, staring at her shoes and kicking a small pebble that she found as she found ways to entertain herself as her parents talked between each other quietly.
Weiss watched as a service man approached a beside the hanger picking up what appeared to be a headset and booted up the computer it was attached to. She could make out the faint screaming engines of the high powered jets approaching the doors. It wasn't long before the large doors opened and the jet quickly rolled into the hanger and the engine came to a halt. There was a loud noise before the back end of the jet began to descend and Weiss quickly sped over to the opening curious about who would appear.
With a silent floosh, the door settled against the ground forcing the air from beneath it. A young girl stood there, bright silver eyes surrounded by a beautiful red cloak. Weiss found herself rather enchanted by the girl and allowed herself to stare at those large silver eyes that seemed to see her very soul. She shivered and waved politely to the girl who shyly waved back before she took a pause to look up to see a man with grey hair walking with a cane.
Jacques walked up behind his daughter and put a hand on her shoulder, "welcome ozpin! I pray that your journey was uneventful."
Ozpin walked past Ruby to shake the man's hand and then his wife's. Weiss turned away before greeting Ruby. "Greetings! My name is Weiss. It's a pleasure to meet you!" she curtsied with a smile. Ruby awkwardly squirmed not used to the formaltities she was being presented with.
"Uh h-hi my name's Ruby!" She offered politely while laughing awkwardly. Weiss looked at her funny before shaking her head and then gestured for Ruby to follow her. They began to walk towards the frowning adults who talked quietly between themselves and were making their way back to the limousine as they spoke. Ruby and Weiss jogged slightly to catch up, not giving each other glances before stopping to stare at something else that wasnt the other.
"So uh are those your parents?" Ruby asked quietly as she finally built back up the courage to speak to the regal princess. Wiess nodded once walking stiffly. "Er why do you walk so uncomfortably?" she blurted out quickly without thinking.
Weiss stopped and looked at her like she was crazy, "what on remnant are you talking about?" she said as she put her hands on her hips and looked at her with a furrowed brow.
"Well I just you seem so like… straight! Doesn't that like get hard on your back?" ruby asked as she attempted to straighten her back before puffing and slumping forward again.
"I can't say i've really noticed." Weiss said scoffing before quickly walking off quickly attempting to leave the girl in the dust. Weiss grumbled to herself quickly finding herself not enjoying the once hopeful playmate, how dare she make fun of her, who did she think she was?
Ruby ran to catch up but Weiss reached the adults before she could. "When are we leaving father?" Weiss asked with a huff as she stared expectantly at her father who sighed. "Well Ozpin, what are your plans are you able to stay the night?"
Ozpin shook his head, "I must return to vale there are matters that are demanding my attention i should be free for a few days after a few weeks." Jacques nodded before waving at the children, "we will be seeing you then, safe travels."
"Thank you Jacques, and Ruby?" Ozpin asked as he looked at the little girl who looked up nervously. He bent down to one knee before reaching into his pocket before pulling out a scroll and a worn journal, the leather looked curled and slightly cracked but still taken care of, it was plain in every way but had a silver buckle that kept it latched shut. "Should you ever need me I want you to call me at any time, do you understand?" Ruby nodded, slipping the scroll into her pocket before wrapping her two little hands around the journal. "I need you to take absolute exceptional care of this little rose, it is incredibly important to me and one day it will be to you too. Very few have ever seen the secret contents of that little book and one day you may see it yourself. But please child be careful with it…" Ozpin slowly let the book out of his hand as ruby gingerly held it in her hands and brought it to her chest. She slowly played with the buckle, it refused to move at her touch and she looked at it perplexed. "Do you promise to take care of it? Otherwise I can hold onto it myself Ms Rose?"
Ruby took on a determined look before shaking her head, "don't you worry Mr Ozpin I will protect it! And I'll figure out the secrets it holds!" she said with glee as she considered the puzzle she had been presented. Ozpin stared at her with a serious look, a hand rose slightly to her shoulder and he opened his mouth to speak before he shook his head and stood up.
"Listen to me Ruby… you are capable of anything and can accomplish anything to not allow doubt or hatred hold you back from what truly matters." Ozpin ruffled her hair, she couldn't possibly understand the role she would play in the future or what her heritage meant. Jacques nodded at him from behind Ruby. "Go on child." he gestured behind her and ruby nodded before looking down at the book and then the jet again. She took a deep breath before spinning and strutting seriously towards the people behind her who waited.
Ozpin watched as she walked and introduced herself to her new custodians for the time. "You are a brave child, ruby rose, I have no doubt you will live up to those who came before you." with a sigh he brought out his personal scroll and rang Tai.
It rang for a time before stopping and going to voicemail. He grimaced how long this man would be gone…
Ruby for the first time in her life felt… alone. She felt incomplete, not that she was ungrateful to the Schnees, but watching Ozpin walk away onto the jet leaving her alone on a continent she had never been to with people she didn't know felt like she had been sucker punched.
She missed her mother, she had been gone so long she was beginning to fear for the worst but she held out hope. She hadn't heard from Yang or her dad either, they were just gone. She had tried calling multiple times and never got anything.
It had been two weeks now that she had been told to call this mansion her home, with its grand halls and white floors. She looked out the window sadly as she watched the clouds dance across the sky. She hadn't gotten along with Weiss, every time she saw her she simply scoffed before walking without further acknowledging her presence. Willow had been kind to her, she was like her own mom, but it wasn't really the same. And Jacques was nice, but he was gone half the time. It hurt…
Ruby felt a tear down her cheek as she clenched her hands balled in her cloak, she wanted to go home, she felt cold. She sighed bitterly before pushing herself away from her bedroom window and made her way into the hall. She hadn't walked anywhere besides her room and the dining room where she ate, she hid away the rest of the time.
Ruby's boots heavily stepped against the marble floor as she began to wander the maze of corridors, she passed room after room and descended a staircase one after the other, before she stopped and turned her head to the left. She had made her way all the way to the bottom of the steep manor and looked down a black hallway, a stark contrast to everything else around her. It called to her, perhaps for an escape or just an edventure she didn't know but she wanted to take control and she changed direction and walked toward the darkness that hid in the looked curiously as the once white walls that were well kept slowly changed to cold stone. She walked forward trailing her hand against the wall as the hall darkened but seemed to continue on as she walked blindly for a time.
A dim light at the end of the hall finally came into view and Ruby picked up the speed to a light jog as the light came closer to her as she rushed forward. She slowly came to the opening, it was just like her stories that her mommy had read her so many times before.
She paused at the opening and looked on into the cavern sized room that glowed dimly with dust crystals that were fused within the walls and in large crystal structures. They seemed to pulse softly as is greeting her, in the middle was a pond. It layed unmoving but perfectly clear, there was a small island in the middle with stepping stones that led to it. "This is amazing..." she whispered to herself. She walked down a cut path in the stone to the clear water, and slowly kneeled and looked at her reflection in the soft water.
Ruby slowly reached out with her hand into the water, gasping slightly feeling warmth flowing through her fingers. Ruby slowly drew her hand back and made her way across the stones and sat on the island and looked around herself as she admired the glowing crystals that seemed to speak as though they were curious. She let her hand drop into the water and she let her hands slowly drift along the water watching as the water rippled across the water.
She felt herself grow calmer as she watched the dust dance across the walls, the warm comforting light felt old but soothing. Ruby closed her eyes softly and slowly pulled her knees to her chest. A slow sob slowly erupted from her chest as she pulled herself closer. She stopped holding back the cascade of tears that flowed down her cheeks, her sobs filled the cavern like a song.
Ruby sat and cried, for a long long time, she didn't know how long. She slowly pushed herself off the stone and took a long deep breath as she calmed herself. The walls continued to dance with itself as ruby watched it continue. It flared brightly sometimes then dimmer at others, seemingly without rhyme or reason. She wiped her eyes before slowly walking across the stones onto the smooth stone steps. She looked back again as the still lake of water that seemed so peaceful.
She swore the picture to her mind before she walked into the dark hall, the dust's light slowly dying as her presence vanished from the room. It no longer sparkled and danced, it only glowed faintly waiting for the maiden to return.
Ruby continued to walk on as in the darkness, she felt refreshed. That place made her feel good. Slowly the light at the end of the tunnel emerged and she emerged from the darkness and back onto the marbled hall. She looked to her sides before she took off once again in a random direction.
She would never know that she had been gone for two days, Jacques and Willow had searched the manor top to bottom twice over and checked every camera. She had simply vanished off the face of the earth only to reemerge in the sitting room where they had sat trying to figure out where the small child had gone. Ruby pushed the large doors wide open with her arms, her eyes raised from the floor to meet the couples eyes. They paused before they rushed forward and hugged the girl, who looked at them confused.
Jacques leaned back as he allowed his wife to hold the little girl, "Ruby where have you been? You've been missing for an awfully long time…" he asked her softly, trying not to spook her.
"I found a special place… that's all." ruby responded not wanting to reveal her newfound sanctuary.
Willow pulled away and turned to her husband before meeting Ruby's eyes, "We won't push, just please next time you are going to vanish please just give us some warning?" she understood that she was no doubt hurting. The girl's eyes were still red from crying and Willow's heart tore slightly, "are you hungry?" she asked softly.
"Y-yeah i haven't eaten since dinner last night." ruby told them as she looked over at the warm fireplace that heated the room. Willow looked at Jacques with concern before she picked the child up in her arms and carried her to the dining room as Jacques sat down on the couch and cradled his head in his hands.
His thoughts drifted to his daughter, he needed to have a discussion with her. Her reaction to her absence was disturbing, perhaps he had waited too long before he tried to take her away from her own world. She hadn't seemed to care in the slightest that ruby was gone.
Thank you again for reading! Things are going to pick up sharply in the coming chapters. I am going to try and make my chapters longer to include more content rather than short daily updates. Please review and tell me what you think!