Doctor Buns
RWBY
Summary: When Velvet notices that the members of Team RWBY have vanished without any trace of memory, Professor Ozpin sends her to the past to resolve the crisis.
Thanks to narutochaos22 for editing ;_;
Velvet, quiet and smart, noticed that many of her friends have gone missing today.
Ruby wasn't in class. Weiss never shows up. Blake vanished. Yang one day went to get milk and just never returned. It was strange; the first years typically never go on missions. Where could they be?
At least Zwei was still here.
"Woof woof," the cute corgi greeted as Velvet entered her room. With a ruffle on his head, Zwei bounced off the bed and onto Velvet's lap.
"Hey there," said Velvet. With Team RWBY missing, she had to take care of Zwei. It wasn't much, Velvet was always good with animals. Especially cute little dogs like Zwei. "Aren't chu a cute dog? Oh yes, you are! Yes you are!"
Ruffling his cheeks, Zwei panted happily.
Still, Velvet thought, it was a mystery where they could have gone. Deciding it was something worth looking into, Velvet went to Headmaster Ozpin's office with Zwei in tow.
Knocking on his door, the good professor opened his door.
"Miss Scarlatina, how may I assist a young huntress in training?"
Velvet gave a short bow. "Professor Ozpin, I haven't seen Team RWBY in a while… it's been only a day but I'm wondering if they had left for a mission or something or another."
Ozpin tilted his head.
"Team 'Ruby'?"
Velvet tilted her head.
"Yes…?"
Ozpin gestured Velvet into his room. Having the young faunus take a seat, Ozpin returned behind his desk and looked out the window. Taking a long sip of his coffee, the good professor began.
"Miss Scarlatina… there is no Team 'Ruby' at Beacon. Not presently or in the past."
"There isn't? B-But that's impossible… Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee… Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long?"
Ozpin looked back.
"None of those names have ever crossed my ears before…"
"What…"
Velvet slumped into her chair. What was happening? She could remember vividly Ruby scarfing down loads of chocolate chip cookies or Weiss berating her team captain for lack of table manners. There was Blake cushioned in the library; Velvet and Blake often had reading dates. And there was Yang, oh lovable Yang, always giving her tips on how to pick up boys. But the young faunus had no interest in that.
"I can see this situation is stressing you… tell me, when was the last you've heard of this… Team 'Ruby'?"
"A few days ago," Velvet murmured. Ruffling the hair of Zwei who rested his head on his lap gave her a little bit of comfort. "It's strange… I can see them all perfectly well… but how can this be? They were enrolled. First years. Some of the most talented students we've ever seen at Beacon."
Ozpin rubbed his chin before pressing the intercom.
"Miss Goodwitch, please come to Clock Tower Room." Removing his hand from the button, Ozpin gestured Velvet to follow him. "Come Miss Scalatina, we have much to do."
With a clap of his hands, a bookcase opened.
"P-Professor?" Ozpin gave Velvet no heed as he descended the depths of the chairs.
The walls were crusty with aged mold and the age tasted misty. Velvet could sense the damp chill run through her uniform and into her spine. Zwei huddled close to her legs, eager for warmth.
Ozpin, naturally, walked unaffected.
After a flight of stairs, they arrived at a mechanism that resembled great spheres of clockwork. Gears and sprocket mechanisms adorned the great chamber, easily the size of the lecture halls. Despite the dim light, Velvet's natural night vision allowed her to see the sheer expanse and detailed markings and etched runes on each of the revolving rings.
It was like the center of the universe.
"This, Miss Scarlatina, is the Time Machine."
"T-Time Machine? We have one of those?"
Ozpin adjusted his glasses.
"We have everything."
A door swung wide open. Heels clicked into the chamber. Miss Goodwitch had arrived.
"You best have a good reason for summoning me… here. This place gives me the chil-Miss Scarlatina? What are you doing here?"
"M-Miss Goodwitch, I-" Ozpin raised a hand.
"Miss Scalatina believes there is a Team 'Ruby' at our school."
Goodwitch raised an eyebrow. "Team 'Ruby'? What nonsense is this…"
"If you recall… in the past weeks there's been a string of robberies amongst certain watchmakers and experimental technology labs. All non-combat related... and hence the local authorities felt no need to ask for our assistance. But… the prototypes that were stolen were related to quantum space-time research."
Goodwitch's mouth opened.
"You don't mean... "
"We are dealing with time travelers, Miss Goodwitch. Prep the machine." Ozpin turned to Velvet who gave him a commanding gaze of high expectations. "And you, Miss Scarlatina, will be travelling back in time for a particular mission."
"Wh-what!?"
Zwei barked happily.
Goodwitch sighed. With a wave of her riding crop the mechanisms sprung to life. Electrical currents and magical energies began turning the machines like clockwork. The plants began revolving faster and faster as a vortex formed in the center. A mass of bluish lightning and dark matter.
"No time to explain I suppose, but we must work quickly. Dismantling a school might take longer than taking out a few students."
"Ozpin," Goodwitch grunted as she channeled more energy into the machines. "Do you even know where you're sending her?"
Ozpin looked deep into the sphere of light.
"Fate will guide her."
"P-Professor Ozpin… where am I going to end up?"
Ozpin grabbed her arm, pulled her close and admitted sadly.
"I have no idea."
Then the good professor tossed Velvet into the space time portal.
Velvet had a strange dream.
She had a dream that she on an ice bed being harassed by giant tongues licking her face. Desperate to protect her lips, Velvet struggled in vain. She didn't want her first kiss to be like this…
"N-No… please s-stop!"
"Woof woof!"
"Huh?"
Velvet opened her eyes. Zwei was running laps in the snow. Wiping her warm face, Velvet found it covered in doggie drool.
With a sigh, Velvet took note of her surroundings.
"We're not in Beacon anymore, Zwei…" Velvet said as she struggled up. In the haste of being given a mission, a mission Velvet had no idea what was by the way, she was stuck in a snowy place. Shivering, she noticed the grey weather and the leafless trees.
Where am I, Velvet wondered to herself. Well, where ever she was, she couldn't stay here and die of frost and chills and be buried by snow. In her school uniform, Velvet made her way through forest.
Each step felt harder than the last as exhaustion began taking its toll. Her foot ache and she was hungry. Leave it to Professor Ozpin to send students woefully unprepared into the wilds. He was similar to Yang in a way. People learn best by being thrown into the pool and sink or swim. Or in this case, thrown into the snow and freeze or sneeze to death.
Achoo!
Velvet could feel it coming. A fever. The heat was also getting to her. The clothes pressing against her skin felt itchy. All that reading she's done in the sanctuary of the library had paid off.
This was hypothermia.
On the other hand, Zwei, the adorable corgi, felt right at home in the landscape.
In the distance, Velvet saw a great black figure.
Was that Death, the Destroyer of Worlds?
"Ah well," Velvet said drowsily. "So I die," she mumbled. And so, Velvet fell into the snow before a shadow came over her. The snow began piling up of her. The shadowy stranger gently brushed it from her
Zwei barked happily at the sight of the stranger.
Velvet once again had another strange dream. That she was huddled in a bundle of handknit blankets and quilts sleeping comfortable by a warm hearth as Zwei played with a cute and adorable little toddler with black hair and a tint of red.
Oh wait.
No.
This is real life.
"Gah," Velvet woke in shock. The toddler laughed and tossed an alphabet block at Velvet's head. "Where… where am I!?"
"Ruby! That's impolite!"
A beautiful woman swept over. She wore the armor and clothes of a huntress and quickly swooped up the impolite child. With a gentle pat on the butt, she told her child firmly, "didn't mommy tell you treat guest nicely? You don't throw blocks at guests!"
Ruby brought her tiny hands to her face. She looked like she was about to cry.
"Ah… there there… go get a cookie you… while I speak to our guest here. Okay?"
With a knowing nod, Ruby was placed onto the ground and in a flash of rose petals, made her way into the kitchen and undid the cookie jar.
"Miss… Summer Rose?"
"Hm?" The lady turned to her. "Oh! So you know me? Ha! I guess my reputation precedes me eh? Well I am known for being a great and famous huntress… and the most beautiful by far… okay okay… second most beautiful I guess. Wait-most beautiful living huntress. Ha! Take that one you," Miss Rose joked at the ceiling. "Oh wait… you're not dead… maybe, darn."
Velvet rubbed her head. She was back in the past with Summer Rose, mother of Ruby Rose on what was most likely the island of Patch. She remembered Ruby and Yang briefly talking about their childhood and being the daughters of the famous huntresses...
"No, I know you as a mother."
Summer Rose tilted her head. "A mother? Didn't think I was famous for that. But my stupid husband just had to take Yang out on a fishing trip somewhere so for now it's just me and my adorable little Ruby. Ain't she the quickest little rascal?"
Ruby was busy chasing Zwei around, using her semblance to out pace the trotting corgi.
"Yes…" Velvet held the blankets tighter before realizing she was naked. Her clothes, hung on a pole, were drying by the hearth. "Ah! I'm indecent!"
Miss Rose shrugged. "We're all gals here. Except for your dog. Looks cute though. Always been pestering my husband for one for the kids. But he hates how much fur they leave around the house. What's it matter to him? I do the cleaning anyways."
There was a rumbling heard throughout the room.
"S-Sorry," Velvet apologized and rubbed her stomach. "That was me…"
Miss Rose burst into a fit of laughter. "You're lucky I do the cooking too! Come on, I've made some of my famous stew." Tossing Velvet a spare shirt, the elder huntress gestured her towards the kitchen. "One of my old ones, might be a bit tight around the chest but… hey, I just never grew in that department."
After a nice dinner introducing themselves and Summer Rose sharing Ruby and Yang toddler stories, she hushed Velvet to early bed. She needed to recover some more from the cold.
That night Velvet heard a sound.
"W-Who's there?"
Zwei barked defensively.
There was an intruder.
Summer Rose took care of him and wounded him but did not pursue. She wouldn't leave the cottage, fearful of Ruby's safety. With words of caution, Velvet had went out to the outhouse to relieve herself. Exiting the rather clean facilities, she was stopped by a familiar criminal.
"Torchwick!"
"Shush, buns."
"Buns?"
"Bunny girl… bunny ears… oh nevermind. The point is you're a fool!"
"A-a fool?"
"You fool… we're here to kill Red's mother… otherwise Red ain't going to grow up Red. At least, the Red we know."
"What…"
Torchwick stood up and brushed himself off. "It's a long story but look. If Red's mom doesn't kick the bucket now, Red ain't going to want to become a huntress and neither is her sister. They'll end up farmers or fishermen or something stupid. And if they don't become huntresses, things worst than me are going to take over this town. And I ain't got any interest in that, got it?"
"So… you're telling me…"
Torchwick adjusted his hat and light a cigar. "Aren't you one of Red's friends? You remember the original timeline right? Summer Rose dies."
"B-B-But…"
Torchwick pushed the knife into Velvet's hands. "I tried. You messed me up. Your turn," said Torchwick as he took out a map and handed it to Velvet as well. "I'll be waiting by the time machine. You've got twenty minutes before things go capoot."
Velvet looked at the knife in her hands.
"I… how can I-"
Torchwick tossed Velvet a pair of keys.
"Ignition keys for the time machine. Look, I hate Red and her goody two shoes friends as much as the next crime lord but I don't want to have to deal with the bigger baddies that come later." Torchwick pointed his cane back towards the cottage. "Get on it, Buns."
Velvet felt the chill of cold steel through the knife. Looking up, she found Torchwick had already begun his trek towards the time machine.
It was true. Summer Rose did die… but wasn't it due to Grimm? A final mission or something or another? Velvet breathed in and out deeply. This shouldn't meant to be.
Entering the cottage, Velvet found Miss Rose playing with Ruby who clutched a white blanket.
"You know, I've always wanted to name Ruby a different name… I know the color's thing is all the rage but I always wanted her to be something like… 'Weiss'. You know? 'White Rose'? Doesn't that have a nice ring to it?"
Ruby laughed at her potential name.
"Still, Ruby's the most precious little gem I got… Oh and Yang's important too."
Velvet breathed in deeply.
"You know, I actually quit being a huntress. I kind of accepted my final mission. One I gotta take up until the day I die… you might have to take it up too, Velvet."
Summer Rose kept her attention on Ruby, paying no heed to the faunus behind her.
"My final mission until death… is being a mother."
With a raised knife and a swift stab. Silent and deadly with an predatory instinct innate in all faunus, Velvet's first strike pierced bone and heart.
Summer Rose coughed blood all over Ruby's white blanket.
"Ve-Velvet…? Agh!"
Another stab.
The first strike had crippled her. Velvet knew enough physiology to fell beasts and Grimm with a single surgical blow. Master huntress or not, she would not be recovering.
Breathing for Summer Rose would now be difficult, being that her lungs were punctured.
Ruby giggling. She thought this was a game. The little girl clapped excitedly.
"Mommy! Mommy!" Ruby cheered.
Summer Rose didn't pay attention to the faunus who stabbed her back. She didn't pay attention to the pot over boiling with stew and steam. She didn't pay any heed to the wounds bleeding or the blood drenching her teeth and gums.
"Oh sweet Ruby... "
A bloodied hand to an innocent cheek. Another cough. More blood stained the white blanket.
"Please, just… don't touch my daughter." Summer Rose was wheezing and coughing. But she kept her smile. Ruby smiled back at her.
"Mommy!" Ruby touched Summer Rose's nose.
Velvet gave a confident response.
"I won't."
"Ruby, I…"
A final thrust and Summer Rose was dead.
The next day, Velvet had returned to Beacon. The world seemingly normal. Everything seemed in proper order; Team RWBY attended classes. Weiss had her antics. Blake had her books. Yang yawned in class and played with her food.
And Ruby? She ate cookies as usual.
That night, Velvet visited the Team RWBY dorm. She wanted to see Ruby and check if she was alright. If she had memories of her mother's death. It wouldn't leave Velvet's conscious.
She had to know and knocked on the door.
Ruby answered it.
"Velvet?"
The captain of Team RWBY wore her usual pajama outfit of pink sweatpants and a black tanktop. But was unusual was a worn and tattered red and white blanket draped around her shoulders.
"Ruby… I… I just came to say hello."
Ruby tilted her head and snorted a laugh. "We say hello all the time Velvet! What's bothering you?"
"O-Oh! Nothing at all… just… um…" Velvet pointed the blanket.
"This? Something my mom made for me."
It was a white blanket with red rose patterns adorning it.
"Is that so…?"
"Yeah! When I was little, I couldn't sleep without it. Plus it looks so cool, I mean, look at these patterns! They look so neat. Wonder how she did it? My dad and Yang have been trying for years to make me get rid of it but it's one of the few things I've got leftover from her so… nope, ain't happening!"
Velvet forced a laugh. "Yeah…"
"Well… can I interest you in a cookie?"
"No thank you," said Velvet with a bow. "I need to get to bed myself… good night."
"Ha ha! Good night then," said Ruby with a bright smile.
Doctor Buns Fin
Author's Notes: Velvet weapon when?