Warmth. The first sensation to break through the void of dreamless sleep. A gentle heat washing over her body and soaking through her fur, drawing her consciousness towards it. Senses opened as sleep lost its grip, the scents of her surroundings flowing into her mind through her nose, bringing with it familiar and nostalgic smells.
She felt a weight against her sides. To her left, she felt the rising and falling, the breaths of a single body against hers, large and pressed close. To her left, she felt two smaller weights, resting comfortably on her. That warmth that flowed in through her pelt swelled in her chest and she felt her ears flick happily upwards, while her tail lashed softly behind her.
at last, she broke through the darkness, blinking her bleary eyes as they drank in the light of the dawn lit room. Her room. Familiar and safe, filled with sights and smells that reminded her of herself, comfortable memories playing in her groggy mind as she brought herself to alertness.
A quick glance brought Aries into view, the only other wolf she's ever known. He was still comfortably asleep, his paw drawn over his eyes to keep the light of the sun at bay. He lay as close as he could to his alpha, his own tail resting just under hers. She looked fondly over him for a moment, her instincts telling her to lick his muzzle to wake him, but deciding to let him sleep just a bit longer.
Drawing in a deep breath through her nose, she focused in on the other two strongest scents in the room. Her tail began to wag even faster while blood rushed to her ears, she immediately recognized who else was with her, even without lifting her head.
Carefully, Ruby brought her hind legs towards her chest, until she felt them bump against one of the humans sleeping peacefully against her. She could feel the girl's skin through her fur; soft and warm and slightly damp from sweat. The girl's breathing was calm and steady while a light snore escaped her lips. In the girl's sleep, she turned towards the wolf's hind legs against her, and rested her head against the wolf's belly, curling up in a little ball. Immediately, Ruby felt her heart rate climb and her mouth open with a soft and happy panting.
Slowly and carefully, Ruby lifted her head, her jaws parting in a long, wide yawn, exposing her deadly and powerful teeth while her flat tongue stretched slightly out of her mouth. She had to force herself to stifle the sound as she let out a deep exhale, her fur fluffing up around her body, and a soft shake running down her spine.
The wolf craned her neck, careful not to disturb Aries on the opposite side of her, as she brought the humans into view.
Verna dozed peacefully, one hand resting between Ruby's hind legs while her other lay under her chin, her cheeks tinted a soft, rosy pink and her face holding the smallest grin of contentment. Conflicting instincts ran through Ruby's mind as she stared at the artist, her ears burned as panicked blood rushed through them and her muscles tensed, thoughts of curling up around her mingled with an impulse to run away.
Still, as she looked to that familiar face, and took in her scent brimming with happiness and security, Ruby did the only thing she could, and carefully laid her fluffy, soft tail over Verna, causing her to smile just a little brighter.
Satisfied and losing her grip on her self control, Ruby's attention turned to the second girl laying against her… and wide silver eyes met soft purple.
"Good morning, Ruby." Thistle grinned playfully, her knees up as she lay on her back pressed up against Ruby's ribs.
"Hmmroo." Ruby whined in barely a whisper, her rapidly rising embarrassment and surprise drawing her voice out.
"Mmph, thought I was asleep?" She snorted a soft giggle, rolling over on her side to face her wolf friend.
Ruby looked shyly away as her ears flattened ever so slightly, resisting the urge to lash her tail as Verna had taken to holding it in her sleep.
"Don't worry, Verna's a heavy sleeper, she won't get up without some serious effort." Thistle's voice was so soft compared to the usual edge it held, she seemed… more vulnerable somehow to Ruby.
The wolf glanced down at the artist, who aside from cozying up, hadn't stirred from her deep sleep.
"I'm glad you're up. We've all been worried about you," Thistle gave a soft exhale, letting her pent up worry leave her lungs. "You don't feel like you have a fever anymore, so that's good."
Ruby held Thistle's gaze for a long moment, as the events of last night began to flash fragmented in her mind. The wolf's muscles tensed, and her jaw clenched.
"Hey, whatever happened, Aries and Verna got you home, we'll deal with the rest later, don't stress too much about it." Thistle gave a warm, reassuring smile, reaching out her small hand and bringing it to rest at the side of Ruby's head, her fingers softly working through her fur.
The wolf's muscles slowly relaxed under Thistle's touch, leaning her head into the girl's hand in gratitude.
"I was hoping you'd be up soon, I wanted to talk, just you and me," Thistle's gaze shifted, looking anywhere but the wolf's eyes. "Yang, she told us last night, how you see all of us, like a pack."
Thistle could feel Ruby flinch at her words, her head pulling away from her hand and against her ribs, the fighter could feel the wolf's heart rate speed up.
"Hey, don't jump to conclusions." Thistle's voice and eyes hardened with a strength of conviction and intensity, forcing herself to meet the wolf's gaze once again. "I want to join your pack."
Ruby froze. For a long moment, even her breathing stopped, those silver eyes widened as she looked to her friend, a mix of fear and hope flooding her heart and her expression, tugging at her ears and parting her jaws ever so slightly. Am I… dreaming?
"Yang said it was a big deal for a wolf, she also said that wolves get to choose to be part of a pack. Honestly, I kinda figured that's how you saw us. She said you're an alpha, that you're a natural leader and you're easy to follow," Thistle gave a soft sigh and looked up to the ceiling, but her hand reached out until she felt Ruby's soft, warm fur. "I've got a strong semblance, I'm a good fighter. Still, things didn't really change much, no matter how strong I got. Then you showed up, and everything changed. I broke into a zoo, rescued a wolf, I made friends with you and Yang and Aries, we fought the cartel and landed a real blow, and now we're out of the slums, and, even though we're on the run, I don't regret anything."
Ruby sat and listened, her muscles relaxed and her breathing calm, but her eyes stayed fixed on Thistle.
"You know, it was just me and Vitali for pretty much as long as I remember. We were bounced from foster family to foster family, but we stuck together. Sometimes we were homeless, and sometimes things weren't too bad. Still, Vitali always did whatever he could to look out for me. But my big brother, he's kinda useless," Thistle giggled so softly and fondly, her lips pulled into a loving smile just by thinking about him. "You know why we both have braids like this? It's because he sucked at everything. He couldn't cook, he was bad at cleaning and he was the worst teacher. Still, he never stopped trying his best for me. I complained about my hair being a mess one time, and he cut it like he always did, not great, and not pretty, but at least it wasn't in the way."
Thistle's fingers slid gently down the length of Ruby's front leg, until they met the rough pads of Ruby's paw, and her surprisingly soft hand squeezing the wolf's.
"After that, my idiot brother spent months growing out his hair, and practicing braiding it in secret. Yeah, it took him months to figure it out, even with the internet's help. Still, one day, he came up to me wearing a braid on one side of his head, he'd finally figured it out. So he sat me down and braided my hair, I told him I wanted it on the side, just like him. You should have seen how big he smiled." Thistle's eyes closed softly and her face lit up with a shining smile.
As Thistle spoke, Ruby could smell so many emotions pouring out of her; love, heartache, sorrow… and fear.
"I- I keep thinking about Ebony Gray. I've never lost a fight before. I'm not very smart, and I'm not very… pretty, or anything. I'm strong, way stronger than Vitali. Still, he never wanted me to fight. He always gets onto me about studying. I fought anyway, I kept getting stronger and eventually, Vitali got me my weapons for my sixteenth birthday. I thought I could beat anyone… until we fought him." Thistle's hand squeezed tight around her alpha's paw.
Ruby felt her neck tighten at his name, memories of that night flooding back. The twisting and pulling sensation, the helplessness, the fear, all of it making her fur bristle and her muscles tense.
"I- I really thought I was going to die," Thistle's voice quivered as her throat strained against soft sobs escaping against her will. "He was going to kill me, I knew he was. I kept thinking, what about Vitali? He would be waiting for me to come home. He would stay up all night, he'd get more worried every minute, and he'd come to find me. What if he found my body? What if he didn't and he just kept hoping I was alive somewhere? He's devoted his life to me, to making sure his idiot sister had a good future, one where she didn't have to fight or struggle. He'd have done all of that for nothing."
Tears streamed down Thistle's cheeks, her free hand balled into a fist while she bared her teeth against the torrent of emotions she held back finally bursting free.
Then… a soft, warmth washed over her trembling hand clasped tight around the wolf's paw. Rubbing her tear stained vision clear, Thistle's shimmering eyes looked down, to Ruby, where her hand and her alpha's paw met.
Ruby's tongue tenderly lapped at the top of Thistle's hand. She could taste her friend's pain leaking through her every drop of sweat. Ruby kept licking, like trying to soothe a bleeding wound, though Ruby knew there was little she could do. I felt the same, thinking of Yang being all alone while Ebony was breaking my neck.
With a soft sniffle, Thistle rubbed her eyes once more, and her body relaxed. Somehow, the tender and kind gesture, the warm lapping of Ruby's tongue on her skin, slowed her heart and calmed her mind. Her body exuded a scent of calm as her tears began to ebb.
"Thank you, Ruby." She spoke so softly as she sat up, and lowered her head down, touching her forehead to the wolf's, who pressed against hers in turn.
At once, both the wolf and girl let out a soft breath, and a fragile but deeply warm smile pulled at Thistle's lips.
Thank you, for staying with me. Ruby pressed her forehead a little harder against Thistle's, so close she could feel blood rushing through her veins under her skin.
"You brought me back to my brother, you got all of us out of there. You risked your life, you risked Yang losing you, to save us. You didn't have to turn around, you didn't have to get all of us. I want to do for someone what Vitali's done for me, I'm probably not going to have the future he wants me to have, I'm a fighter after all. So, I want to pass on what he gave to me, to someone who deserves it. That's the real reason I'm going to follow you. That's why I'm joining your pack." For some reason, it was way harder to pull herself away from Ruby than she expected, still, their heads separated, leaving an uneasy coolness in each other's wake.
Welcome to the pack, Thistle. Ruby took in a long, slow breath through her nose, pressed close to Thistle, drawing in every detail of her scent. Strength, compassion, caring, ferocity and protectiveness tinged her entire scent profile, along with sweat and her natural sweet and slightly metallic smell. She couldn't help but wag her tail atop Verna, just a little.
"I'm glad you're happy, I guess this means I'm in?" Thistle have a quick huff of laughter, sounding and smelling like her usual self again.
"Rrruff!" Ruby gave a firm but hushed bark at her new official packmate, her silver eyes shining with joy and excitement.
"Then you can count on me." Satisfied, Thistle laid back against Ruby's side, her hands pulled from Ruby's paw, feeling the wolf's saliva cool as it was wicked away by the air, before she brought her hands comfortably under her head. I'm part of a pack now… that feels nice, somehow.
The alpha wolf licked her lips, watching her new packmate relax, the tension and fear from earlier having melted away. Her gaze then shifted, to the artist lower down her flank, snoring even harder than she was when Ruby first woke up. Somehow, through all of that, the girl was still out like a light. To her other side, Aries was awake, likely brought out of sleep by Thistle and her own fear scent when they recalled their brush with the cartel, still, the fugitive wolf kept his paw over his face and tried to go back to sleep.
With a quick shake of her head, Ruby drew her attention to the window above her. Golden early morning light streamed in. She could hear the chirping of birds, and the rustle of small animals in the forest, stirring her instincts and drawing attention to her growling belly.
Just before she looked away, her eyes were drawn to a black bird, perched on the nearest tree to the window, and they were staring back at her.
"Mmmurf." Ruby huffed loudly through her nose, looking quickly over to Thistle, who was already looking back at her.
The wolf's head swayed subtly, as her gaze bounced from her packmate to the sleeping artist.
"Oh, wanna wake her?" Thistle glanced up at the window, gauging the time from the position of the sun. "Heh-heh, give me your tail for a second."
With a devious grin, Thistle crawled over to her sleeping friend, and Ruby lifted her tail for Thistle, watching intently for whatever she was planning to do with it.
"Rise and shine," Thistle chimed in a sing-song voice while she lowered Ruby's tail down to Verna's face, tickling the artist with the soft hairs dangling off it while looking a little too pleased with herself.
"Mmmrrr, go away." Verna blearily mumbled, her hands clumsily trying and failing to bat away the offending tail. "Leave me alone, I'm still tired."
"Hey, is that water leaking out of your backpack?! Is your sketchbook in there?" Thistle turned her tone on a dime, sounding genuinely panicked.
"WHAT!?" Verna bolted up, her eyes wide and her hair a total mess.
"Pppf, never fails!" Thistle burst out laughing, pounding her fist on the floor, while Ruby clawed playfully at the floor, her tail slapping up and down frantically while she panted.
"You're such a bitch." Verna deadpanned, breathing a sigh of relief before collapsing back onto Ruby. "And I was having a really good dream too."
"Yeah well, it's getting late." As much as she didn't want to, Thistle forced herself to stand, parting from Ruby's soft warm fur.
Ruby turned her attention to Aries, who was still trying to sleep through all the noise.
Come on, it's time to get up. Ruby nudged his neck with her snout, before lightly biting him just above his front leg. 'We can't rest here for too long.'
"Mmmrrooo." Aries whined, pulling away from Ruby while his paw came down from his face.
"I'm right there with you buddy." Verna nodded sympathetically to Aries before shooting a glare at Thistle.
Don't encourage him. Ruby flicked her tail against Verna's leg. Despite her alertness, Ruby's muscles felt stiff and weak, having to force herself to her paws, before craning her neck down to lick Aries' muzzle. We've got another long day ahead of us.
Begrudgingly, Aries too slowly stood up, stretching his legs and raising his butt to the air before giving a great yawn. With a quick shake rolling down his body, Aries threw off his drowsiness and sat up beside his alpha.
Even though he would rather have been sleeping, he heard what the small, red furred human named Thistle had said to Ruby. She was part of their pack now. He glanced at her and then back to his alpha. He didn't know her as well as he knew the one named Verna, but he was happy to have her as a packmate.
Ruby took the lead, walking to her door, her tail swaying comfortably back and forth off the ground, her muscles starting to respond more naturally to her already.
The wolf's room was designed by her and her dad. Her door, like all the doors in the house, had a pedal at their base that she could step on to open it, in place of using a knob. She could even lock it from the inside for privacy if she wanted to.
Dad really went all out, and after a while, he made sure to ask me what I wanted. If I'd rather have my room look more like Yang's, or if I wanted it to work around my wolf side. I was younger then, and it was before I started hating myself, so I chose to have a space where I could have fun and be myself. Even after I shut down my wolf side, and played at being human full time, I still kept my room this way. I'm glad I did now.
The door unlatched and was pushed open with Ruby's head, leading out into the hallway. Behind her, she felt her two packmates and Verna following close behind, as they made their way down the stairs to the living room.
I still have no idea why I am the way I am. I know that it's been the center of my life since I was born, and that everyone had to make concessions for me. Dad, Mom, Yang, Qrow, the teachers at Beacon… and me. The house was rebuilt to cater to a wolf, my education revolved around it, I couldn't really make friends growing up. Now, all of a sudden, after deciding that I'm better off as a wolf, I have a pack, I have friends, I have freedom.
Ruby walked carefully down the stairs, looking behind her to Aries, who struggled with how to walk down steps, but with Verna and Thistle at his sides, he was safe from falling.
The perigee happened. I don't feel all that different, but my instincts are telling me that something's changed. I was scared that I'd lose my human mind, that I'd forget things about the people I just met, or about my sister, that I wouldn't be able to fully understand them or respond to them. I'm still me, for better and worse.
Her paws met flat ground, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she heard Aries, Thistle and Verna close behind her.
"Uhg, he's still asleep." Thistle grumbled, trudging off towards the couch where her brother snored blissfully unaware. "Vitaliiii, it's time to wake your ass up."
"Short fuse, I don't have work today, why are you waking me up so-" Vitali blinked the sleep from his eyes as he sat up, pulling a blanket off of himself. "Oh, right, on the run."
"Yep." Thistle gave a soft shake of her head for her brother. "Was it cold last night down here?"
"Huh?" He raised an eyebrow to his little sister, to which she responded by pointing at his blanket.
"You didn't go to sleep with one, you just passed out on the couch like always." She let her hand fall to her side, perplexed but his apparent confusion.
"I uh, no? I don't remember having this when I fell asleep. Maybe-"
"Thistle?" A woman's voice called from another room, followed by rapid footsteps descending towards them, until Yang burst in, sliding across the hardwood floor in her socks. "Ruby, is she-?"
Yang's frantic words came to an abrupt stop as she stared into the eyes of the massive wolf in front of her. At once, a wave of relief washed over her expression, before she slowly dropped to her knees as her sister approached her.
"You really gave us all a scare you know. The second night in a row you've come back in bad shape. Next time the pack splits up, I'm coming with you, no arguing." Yang wrapped her arms around her sister's muscular neck, pulling the wolf right up against her as she buried her face under Ruby's chin.
I'm sorry Yang. Ruby gently rested her chin on top of her sister's head, breathing in the smell of her hair, a familiar and comforting smell that embraced her almost as tight as her sister's arm's. I won't worry like this again.
"You're still in there, right?" It was barely a whisper, but it held all the weight of Yang's anxieties that kept her tossing and turning throughout the night. All of her fears however, burned away, when she felt Ruby's front leg do its best to hug her back, and her head nodded up and down atop her own.
I'm still me. Ruby closed her eyes, and listened to the heartbeat that had been with her for her entire life. I couldn't ask for a better sister. I love you, Yang.
"Good. Now if you can stop traumatizing me, that'd be perfect." Yang's lungs expelled a heavy sigh, and her muscles went almost limp, but still her arms held on to her sister.
Slowly, Ruby pulled back from her big sister, careful to make sure she wouldn't collapse, before lowering her head and firmly licking her cheek. Strands of golden hair caught her tongue but she didn't care. The wolf nudged her sister with her nose and started licking harder and faster, pushing her back until she got her to giggle.
"Ppft , you're getting my hair all wet and I think you licked my mouth, stop, I surrender!" Yang fell dramatically on her back, barely able to breathe through fits of laughter.
That's what I thought! Ruby stood over her fallen opponent, huffing triumphantly, before lowering her head one more time, and pulling her sister back up.
"Can you please keep it down?" Krystal dragged herself out of the room, her hair disheveled and everything about her visage screaming exhaustion as she ambled to the table.
"Whoa, you look terrible." Yang blurted out immediately.
"Thanks." Verna narrowed her eyes at the blonde, before letting her head fall onto her folded arms. "Ruby? Good to see you up. You feeling okay?"
"Mmruuf!" Ruby huffed, wagging her tail across the floor.
"That's a yes." Thistle said, leaning against the wall near the couch where her brother sat.
"Good good, you had us worried." The faunus let out a long, deep yawn. "Alan is finally asleep, so if we could keep things quiet, that'd be great."
"Wait, were you up all night with him!?" Yang's eyes widened, looking towards the spare bedroom where Alan was apparently sleeping.
"I had to. What if he threw up and didn't roll to his side? He could aspirate. Or what if he needed water? Or his fever got out of control?" Krystal's words started to descend into a panicked frenzy of thoughts streaming from her exhausted mind before she cut herself off. "If I woke up and he was gone because I was asleep, I'd never forgive myself!"
"Hey, it's okay, we get it." Vitali spoke calmly and softly from the couch. "Yang and I know what it's like, worrying about family. Alan's my friend, actually, he's the closest thing I've ever had to a brother… don't be afraid to ask for help, alright."
"It's just… I don't want to let him down again. I promised him I'd get him clean, and I failed him. Then I promised I'd get the cartel back for hurting him, and I got knocked out before I could do anything." Her fists clenched tight and her eyes squeezed shut, pushing tears out as she fought against her chaotic mind.
"Krystal…" Verna's soft, warm voice broke the spiral that her friend was falling towards, bringing her eyes up to meet the artist as she put a soft hand to her shoulder. "Alan is going to be okay. You can't blame yourself for everything, it's not fair to him or you."
"... I'm sorry, I'm just tired." Krystal placed her hand atop Verna's, giving her a thankful look, her dull eyes brimming with fatigue and exhaustion. "I can't lose him, all we have left is each other."
"He's beaten this before, have some faith in him. When he's better, we'll start seeing the old Alan back." The artist's voice held no trace of doubt as she pulled her hand back, but kept her eyes fixed on her friend's with a caring smile.
"I hope so." Those three words bled with years of fighting a losing battle against her brother's addiction, even from across the room, Ruby could feel the scent of a struggling animal clinging to the roof of her mouth. "S- so… what do we do now?"
As Krystal shook her head, trying to gain back ground in her own mind, all eyes in the room fell to Ruby.
The wolf looked around at the people in the room. Most of them, she'd only known for a few days. Still, their scents were already becoming familiar to her. Vital and Thistle both had a strong scent; slightly metallic while also animalistic and natural, one tinged with desperation but also one filled with strength, love and hope. Krystal smelled of cheap conditioner, but also like an old, abandoned room bathed in light from a single window, the scent of dust and nostalgia, it was as endearing as it was sad. Alan smelled very unlike his sister, a warm scent, natural and calming, like a stream through a forest on an early spring morning, but mixed with a bitter and unnatural scent from the Venom that coursed through his veins.
Then there was Verna, the strong scent of paint clinging to her skin and clothes, but also an earthy scent that Ruby couldn't help but miss when it wasn't around. It was something she took in from the first day they met in that alley, and it never really left her mind. Even as Ruby looked around the room, her eyes and even more so her nose, lingered on the artist.
All of these people. They're practically strangers to me, right? We just met. So why do I feel so safe with them. Why do I feel like I'm going to cry? I can't, even though Thistle said she wanted to join my pack, I know it can't happen… I can't ask them to come with me. Still, these are the first people in my life to know me as a wolf… to know me as myself. The thought of losing all of this makes my blood feel cold and heavy. Even so…
Ruby tried so hard to fight her natural inclinations; to keep her ears up and tail swaying back and forth… but she couldn't. I guess that's too much to ask of myself, after all the time I've spent holding myself back.
"Ruby? Are you okay?" Yang's soft voice drew the wolf's shimmering silver eyes up to hers.
I don't want to, but this is something they all need to be able to understand…
The wolf drew in slow, steady breaths. Her eyes closed softly and she blocked out her senses as much as she could. It was never a good experience, the freedom and bliss she felt as a wolf, forcing it all down, grasping at something that felt foreign to her, even though she spent years maintaining it.
As her eyes fluttered open, the whole room went into a dead silence, as a naked human girl stood unsteady before them.
"W- we... need." Ruby could feel her chest tightening as her heart-rate began to climb. Her tongue felt awkward and unwieldy and her body struggled to stay balanced. My human body feels so foreign, way more than after other full moons. I- can can't keep myself standing.
The wolf in human form could feel the fight between her self control and her body, her heart only beating faster as she grappled with her muscles to keep her from collapsing.
"Ruby!"
Her sister's panicked shout was the last thing the wolf girl heard before feeling the air rush around her body, opting to lose the fight against her body rather than turn into a wolf again from the struggle. I can't catch myself, I didn't think this through.
"I've got you." A cool, strong voice spoke just as Ruby's free fall towards the floor was interrupted. Thistle gently pulled her alpha to her feet, staying right against her side to keep her steady. "You okay?"
"I'm… fine." Ruby's voice left her lips with a bitter chill, all emotion snuffed out. "I- I need to tell you all… w- what… I'm planning."
Ruby walked forward, leaning against Thistle who walked in lock step with her. The two girls approaching the table while everyone else watched with expressions of worry and curiosity.
My tongue feels so heavy, and everything feels wrong. I only need to keep this form long enough to tell them. It hurt, feeling the cold of her will strangling her heart, chaining down the happiness she felt, being supported by her packmate, and the guilt she felt worrying her friends and the fear that trickled up in her throat.
"I…" Ruby drew in a slow, steadying breath, forcing herself to bite back the wrongness of her senses; the dull sense of smell, the blandness of the air on her tongue, the lack of whiskers to sense air pressure. I hate this.
"I- I resigned from Beacon last night, then, on my way out, Weiss, my former partner, confronted me." She spared a glance at her sister, seeing the immediate look of apprehension engulf Yang's expression. "There was a fight, and I turned and bit her."
"Whoa!" Yang bolted up, mouth agape. "You bit Weiss, Weiss Schnee, as a wolf!?"
"Wait, Weiss Schnee? From the Schnee Dust Company?" Verna's soft eyes widened and her lips parted ever so slightly.
"Yes. She was my partner back at Beacon." Ruby spoke coldly and softly, her tenuous grip on her human form constantly threatened by every trembling muscle and every stray emotion. "There's nothing for me to go back to now."
Thistle held on to her alpha, keeping one arm around her, and pressing her side against hers. She could feel Ruby leaning into her, fulling trusting the tiny redhead to keep her from falling.
"Thistle told me that Yang explained to you all how I see things as a wolf. How I see us." For just the briefest of moments, her monotone voice gave to a wavering of fear. "I can't express how… you've all changed my life. If I tried, I'd lose this form immediately."
Ruby looked shakily from face to face, the people that surrounded her listening intently to the wolf, and meeting her gaze when it fell on them. No judgement, no fear, just worry and acceptance.
"Wolves can't live amongst humans or faunus. Decades of extermination campaigns and a lifetime of experience has taught me that. There's no place in this world where I can be myself." Ruby's head turned shakily towards Thistle, their eyes meeting for only a moment, but both could feel that they exchanged something in that instant, and both understood, as Thistle stepped aside and Ruby struggled forward on her own.
"I won't lie. I want all of you in my pack. It's my instincts. We fought together, we moved together, and we took care of each other. We've been functioning as a pack since the night we rescued Aries. For what I have planned… I can't ask any of you to come with." She could feel it, the turmoil in her heart, the clawing and gnawing at the walls of her chest, the heat in her lungs, she was desperate to feel herself again.
"I'm going to go far away from people, and I'm going to make a place where I can be a wolf, a place where Aries and I can be free." Her voice hardened, biting back at the sob building in her throat. "I know Ebony Grey won't just disappear. I spoke to Ozpin, and he'll try to send more Huntsmen to the slums to fight the cartel, then Ebony will have his hands full with bigger problems. For now… I think you all need to relocate until that happens."
This has been my plan since the moment Verna suggested breaking Aries out. I- I didn't expect to be hunted down by someone like Ebony… and I wouldn't even let myself imagine that anyone would really join my pack. I was so happy, when Thistle told me she would join me and Aries, I could feel it, it was like we were connected in some new and deep way. I loved that feeling, I was selfish, but… I can't ask her or Yang to come with me.
"Hey!" A defiant shout ripped Ruby from her own head, bringing her attention, and the rest of the room's, to the small redhead just behind Ruby, baring her teeth and clenching her fists.
"I'm not that stupid, I figured this was what you'd want. It's not like you can live as a wolf in the city, and even this place isn't that far a walk from the port." Thistle's hands unbound, resting softly at her side. She looked at Ruby, her voice soft and gentle, like it had been when she first woke up. "I joined your pack, remember? I might not be a wolf, but that doesn't mean I don't understand what I agreed to. I meant every word… couldn't you tell?"
Ruby couldn't do anything, except stare coldly back in those eyes brimming with passion and strength.
"You'd be leaving everything behind if you stayed with me." The wolf girl spoke to her beta, her instincts howling at her to reach out, to let Thistle pull her back from the prison she forced herself in. "I can't ask you to-"
"You didn't ask." Thistle took a firm step forward towards the wolf, the air around her hissing and crackling as her semblance responded to her emotions. "I made up my own mind. You're worth following, that's something I know for sure. So don't push me away and think you're doing me a favor. I'm strong. I don't need to be protected from my own decisions… so don't stop me from doing what I want."
The gap was closed. Thistle stood in front of her alpha, crushing the divide between them just by reaching out her hand and firmly wrapping it around the wolf's wrist. Her touch was so different from Verna's, a different kind of strength, uncompromising and intense, intent on breaking through anything head on. Even the ice and steel Ruby forced her heart under began to yield.
"Come on, Yang and Verna hate seeing you do this to yourself… and so do I." Thistle's grip softened to a gentle touch.
"I hate it too." A sorrowful laugh escaped Ruby's lungs, her thawing eyes shining with gratitude to the small girl in front of her. Wolves need their packs, huh?
"Rrruuf!" Powerful bark shook the room. Where once the shell of a human girl stood, a powerful wolf took her place. Ruby felt her fierce and powerful heart pounding in her chest, coursing her hot blood through her veins. Her tail swayed quickly from side to side while her head lifted up, drawing in the scents of the room once again but this time, feeling the full breadth of her senses. This definitely feels better.
"This should go without saying, but I'm joining your pack too, Little Sis," Yang rushed over, with Aries close behind, each taking up a spot beside Ruby. "Honestly, I've been thinking we should do this for a while, I'm glad you're finally done being stubborn."
"Mmrrrf!" Aries huffed in agreement, pressing himself up against his alpha.
"You sure about this, Short-Fuse?" Vitali forced himself up from the couch, his attention only diverting from his sister for a moment, when he exchanged a glance with Yang.
"I'm sure." Thistle looked to her only brother, her two simple words so heavy with conviction that he knew immediately there was no arguing with her.
"Alright, I'll come too then." He shrugged, stretching his arms to the ceiling as he shook off the last of his bleariness. "I don't know about joining a pack, but it's not like I have anywhere else to go. I've got a small savings that might help us settle wherever it is we're going, plus it's not like we can turn back now."
Though no one said it, Ruby and Aries could both smell it weighing heavily around them, wicking into the air from all their bodies. They were afraid. Even those who hadn't fought the cartel saw the consequences of that night. They were all afraid for each other, no one had nothing to lose, and their last encounter with Ebony Gray and Iris Blank nearly cost those who stayed behind someone they loved.
"So then," Krystal's delicate, shaking voice chimed up. "Where do we go now?"
"Well, Sis, what's the plan?" Yang's voice was the only one that held no tension, though to Ruby, her sister's scent told her more than her voice, still, the wolf appreciated her packmate's relaxed tone.
With a quick shake of her pelt and a soft huff, Ruby trotted off out of the living room, her tail saying softly with every step.
The rest of her pack watched in curiosity and confusion. Verna looked to Thistle who could only shrug in response. In another room, a small clatter erupted, huffing and whining mixed with the sounds of drawers opening and slamming shut and things being shuffled around.
Yang raised an eyebrow, folding her arms below her chest, resigned to waiting with the others without a clue what her alpha was getting into.
Finally, the clamor came to an abrupt stop, punctuated by the crumpling of paper. The sound of claws scratching against the floor approached slowly and they could hear the frustrated breathing of the massive wolf before she entered the room once again.
Held carefully between Ruby's powerful jaws, a long, rolled up paper. It was so wide and unwieldy that the wolf had to twist her neck awkwardly to get it through the door frame. The dubious and amused looks of her packmates and friends weren't lost on her as she did her best to keep her tongue off the paper, both to keep it from getting too wet and to protect her tongue from its far from palatable taste.
With a low grumble, Ruby stood up, her paws propping her up against the table, easily making her the tallest in the room, towering over even Yang and Vitali. As carefully as she could, she spat out the roll, saliva dripping from the roof of their mouth, washing over her teeth before she lapped it up with her tongue, trying to wash away the taste of the paper.
Her pack and friends gathered around, Ruby could smell their curiosity. Thistle, Yang and Aries all stayed closest to her, while the others spread around the table. They all looked down intently as the wolf carefully unrolled the paper with her paw and snout, revealing a large and detailed map of Remnant.
"Mmroo." Ruby mumbled, giving a heavy breath of relief that the ordeal was over. As much as Dad tried to make this place wolf friendly, some things are still a challenge, but it's not too bad.
"Okay, so what are we looking at?" Yang leaned over, examining the map closely, her chin cradled between her thumb and the knuckle of her index finger.
Ruby steadied herself on her hind legs, her tail raised up and stretched out to help her balance as she lifted one front paw towards the map. All eyes followed her paw as it moved over the map, until she placed it down.
The alpha's paw landed on a vast wilderness, untamed and untouched, forest and grasslands. A mighty river flowed through the base of the wide valley, branching off into many smaller tributaries. Many small lakes dotted the south and mountains rose up to the west and to the east…
"That's Mistral," Verna's eyes widened as she looked into Ruby's, the artist the first to understand the wolf's intentions. "That's where Aries is from… you're doing this to bring wolves back to that territory."
Ruby held the artist's gaze, their eyes locked while all around them, the rest of their group looked between them.
Yes, I am. Drawing in a soft breath, Ruby slowly nodded her head, her ears twitching atop her head while her tail hung just a little lower to keep her balance. He's had a hard enough life… way too hard. So have I. We're wolves, we should be allowed to live like wolves. If there isn't a place for us in this world, I'll make one.
Aries followed Ruby, awkwardly and unsteadily standing on his hind legs with the table for support. He looked down where his Alpha's paw lay. It was a picture, he didn't quite understand, but he knew what they were saying, and what his Alpha was doing. They would go somewhere to be safe. His new packmate, Thistle, would come with them, and so would Ruby's sister, the one named Yang. Distant memories of fields and forests, of hunting with his first pack, free and safe, before the humans and their tools took their home, and hunted them until there were none left but himself. His chest felt heavy and a chill gripped his body that even his fur couldn't keep out. He wondered, with a glance to his alpha, her sister and their red furred packmate, if the same thing would happen to them.
"That's great," Verna's eyes softened with a deep warmth, a gentle smile contrasting the tears welling up in her eyes. "You both deserve to be free."
The scent rolling off Verna's body made Ruby want to rush over to her, the overwhelming happiness and relief her body put out into the air filled the wolf's heart with light. You're really special, Verna. None of this would be happening without you, and I can never thank you enough.
"I- Ruby, I can't join your pack, and I can't come with you." Krystal spoke up, her eyes looked down at her lap as guilt swallowed her expression. "Not yet."
Krystal forced her head up, looking the wolf directly in her eyes, fighting through the guilt weighing her head down out of respect for Ruby.
"Alan, he's not well enough to move, and he won't be for at least a few more days. I can't push him like that, not now. The withdrawal is going to be bad. I can't leave him." Her hands were shaking, and she could hear the muffled, pain laden groans of her brother, sleeplessly laying in bed in the spare room behind her.
Ruby padded over to her friend, the scent of her fear and heartache overwhelming all others in the room. With a gentle nudge of her head against her friend's side, she pulled Krystal from her thoughts.
"Thanks, Ruby." Krystal released a soft, barely perceptible breath, and Ruby could feel her friend's muscles relax under her skin, giving up a little of the tension they held onto since they first met.
Krystal reached out, stroking down the fur on Ruby's head, following the grain of her hairs. Her hand sank into the wolf's pelt, and she could Ruby's strong, steady heartbeat, a strangely soothing sensation that brought sleep to the forefront of Krystal's exhausted mind.
"Mrrrooo." Aries quickly came to Ruby's side, resting his head comfortably on Krystal's lap, as eager as his alpha to comfort their friend. Every soft breath through his nose brought her scent into his mind, it was a comforting one, he felt safe with her. Though he knew the girl named Krystal wasn't part of his pack, he still felt protective of her.
"And thank you too, Aries." Krystal grinned, a weak and ephemeral smile, but still, a genuine one. She placed her hand atop his neck, roughly massaging her fingers through his fur, bringing his tail to a happy and excited wag.
Joining their pack would be nice, but I know they both understand. Weakly, Krystal lowered her head until it was resting on top of Aries' upper back, and her arm wrapped softly around Ruby.
"If it's possible, I want Alan and I to stay here. It's comfy and remote, I can take care of him and he'll get better faster if he doesn't have to move again." Krystal took a deep breath through her nose, mimicking the wolves. She couldn't really tell the difference in their scents, but it was a good smell nonetheless, an affirming scent that made her feel comfortable and calm. "I'll come find you all in the forests of Mistral, after Alan recovers."
"I'll write you a letter for our dad," Yang brushed aside a lock of golden hair from her face as she spoke. "I don't think he'll mind once he reads it, I'm going to try to cover everything I can, but he'll definitely want to ask you a bunch of questions. Answer them, but try not to worry him too much with the details, especially about the cartel."
"I'll take care of it." Krystal pulled herself up from the soft fur of the two wolves still, already missing the sensation of their pelts on her skin. She dipped her head gratefully to Yang before forcing herself to stand. "I need to sleep… I'll get Alan settled and get a nap. I won't be able to see you off."
The fox faunus looked to Ruby, her eyes heavy and her body feeling the full weight of her sleep deprivation. "Keep them all safe, Ruby. Thistle and Vitali are like family, and Verna is my best friend. I'm counting on you, I want to see all of you when we meet up again."
"Rrruuuf." Ruby barked, softer than before, not wanting to shake Krystal's body from preparing for some much needed rest. We'll all meet up again, so make sure you and Alan get to us in one piece.
"I'll start getting things ready for us to go." Thistle looked to Ruby, the wolf giving her a small nod of approval as she stepped away from Krystal.
The redhead made her way back upstairs to grab her bag, and the rest of their group broke off to tend to their tasks. Krystal shakily went to the spare room with her brother, smelling and looking like she could pass out any moment. Meanwhile, Yang stood awkwardly next to Vitali, her heart rate slightly elevated and her eyes looking out at nothing.
"Did you sleep alright?" Yang muttered so quietly that she had hoped Vitali didn't hear.
"Um, yeah, I slept fine I guess?" Vitali raised an eyebrow, watching Yang's eyes carefully before he looked down at the couch, to the blanket he woke up with.
"That's good," Yang let one of her arms fall weakly to her side, while her other reached up, her fingers combing through her golden hair. "I'm going to get breakfast started."
"Do you… want any help?" Vitali's voice held a note of hope and fear at once as he practically held his breath.
"No, I think I've got this." Yang hesitated for one last moment, her eyes meeting his just for an instant, before she left to go into the kitchen.
All Vitali could do was watch as her hair that flowed like liquid gold disappeared behind the threshold to the kitchen, leaving him alone. Once again, he looked to the blanket, and a small smile lit up his face. Thanks, Yang.
Vitali left to go check on Krystal and Alan, while the sound of cabinets opening and closing in the kitchen preceded Yang's cooking, Ruby could already smell fragrant spices and meat that she had thawing from the night before, food their dad kept on ice in case his wolf daughter came home. Ruby was reminded of the hungry rumbling in her belly, and her mouth began to water with anticipation.
"Um… Ruby," Verna approached her friend, one arm crossed over her chest, holding her other arm that rested at her side. "Can we talk outside, alone?"
"Okay-okay-okay-okay… so, you're a wolf now." Blake paced back and forth in their disaster of a dorm room, her pitch black hair a frizzy mess from violently rubbing her fingers through it every time she tried to throw her brain against the situation she found herself in.
Meanwhile, a pure white wolf sat on the bottom of the bunk bed, barely fitting her body on it, while her tail hung off the edge. She was smaller than Ruby's wolf form, but still very imposing and unwieldy in the small, cramped room.
Weiss watched Blake as she trudged around the room, her pale blue eyes following her only remaining teammate. She tried to breath through her mouth as much as she could, her sense of smell so acute that it was overwhelming, though somehow, she felt like she could taste the air as well. She could hear Blake's frantic heart racing in her chest, and feel the subtle vibrations in the air that tickled her whiskers. And it's too bright in here, it almost hurts. I wish I could ask her to turn the light off.
"You um, you weren't always a wolf, right?" Blake looked to Weiss, but kept pacing.
"Mmurff." Weiss huffed through her nose, her instincts already overwhelming, though her cognitive abilities didn't feel diminished at all.
"That was a no, right?" Blake tilted her head, her cat ears flicking as she tried to calm down her own instincts, though as a faunus, they were nowhere near as intense as what Weiss was experiencing.
Weiss narrowed her eyes, her forelegs folded out in front of her, one on top of the other as she shook her head back and forth. I just woke up like this. I remember having weird dreams, and feeling hot, and when I opened my eyes, I was like this.
"Okay, so I guess we can assume that Ruby's bite did this." Blake already had her suspicions, but Weiss' answer left little other explanation.
Weiss let out a soft, low growl as her tail slapped up and down on the bed. This is so frustrating. I can't talk, all I can do is listen and make these useless sounds! Grrr, when I get a hold of Ruby…
"So… can you turn back? Like Ruby can?" Blake's frantic pacing finally came to a stop as she looked at the wolf with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Mmrr… mrrroo… grrrr." Weiss tried as hard as she could to make some kind of sensical noise with what she had at her disposal, but to her somehow it sounded more like jumbled noise than the sounds she was making on impulse. If I could turn back I wouldn't sit here and be humiliated like this!
"I'll uh, I'll take that as a no." The faunus shrugged. "Well, maybe you have to do something specific to turn back…"
Weiss' ears flicked in annoyance before lowering her head down to rest on the soft mattress. I hate this.
"Ruby said she was leaving… I guess Yang left with her too," Her gaze shifted from her wolf turned friend to the window, early morning light still streaming in from the horizon. "Maybe keeping Ruby's secret to myself wasn't the right call after all…"
"Woof!" Weiss shot to her feet, banging her head on the top of the bunk, quickly shaking off the pain in her head and licking her lips, she glared at Blake, feeling her fur bristling ever so slightly while her tail lashed in short sweeps back and forth. YOU KNEW?!
"Hey, don't bark at me! It was none of my business." Blake stepped forward defiantly, but Weiss could smell the subtle rise in fear of her teammate when she barked.
"I knew Ruby and Yang were going somewhere every full moon together, and they brought stuff with them. I figured, maybe they were doing some training in secret. You were being really hard on Ruby, harder than usual. I thought if I followed them and could prove that she was actually trying, then things would get better for our team. That's when I saw Ruby transform into a wolf, and a lot of things just kinda clicked for me. I didn't stay long, it was none of my business, but just from what I saw, I came to some theories on why she operates the way she does." Blake could still recall the shock she felt when she first saw Ruby's wolf form that night. "I've known for about a year."
"Mmmrrrroof." Weiss let out a long, low groan as she closed her jaws and gave her body a quick shake rolling down from her neck to her tail. So because I was the only one in the dark, I got bit for it. Literally.
"Don't be like that. Can you blame her for keeping it a secret?" Blake narrowed her amber eyes down at the wolf across the room, her tone gentle but held an edge of reprimand. "Do you remember how you acted when I came out as a faunus and a former White Fang member? You wouldn't talk to me for a month, you insulted me, you wouldn't even come within arm's reach of me, and you pretty much made life difficult for me. You've gotten better, but can you really not see why Ruby wouldn't want to bring this to the whole team… especially you?"
I… Weiss felt a heat rise up from her belly, flooding her chest as her coat smoothed out and her tail wagging diminished until it lay limply on the bed. She's not wrong there. I haven't always been a good teammate either. It took a while for me to push through my prejudices towards faunus, and I only did that because Blake wouldn't give up on me. She put a lot of effort into me when she could have just written me off as a lost cause.
"Right now, we need to focus on what to do about… this." Blake gestured to Weiss, drawing an unamused glare from the wolf.
What should we do? Blake began to pace again, something she couldn't but do when she was deep in thought. Should we go to the faculty? Ozpin might know what to do. Then again, we don't really know what they'd do to Weiss. Thinking this through logically, if Ruby can turn someone into a wolf with a bite, there's a chance Weiss can do the same, they might opt to contain her to keep that from happening.
Weiss tilted her head curiously, leaning ever so slightly closer, able to feel the subtle shifts in her friend's pulse, and how her scent shifted with her mood. At least that's useful.
"I think we need to find Ruby and Yang," With a heavy sigh, she released the tension in her body, her shoulders relaxing and her tone softening in turn. "I'm pretty sure the teachers here knew about her, but helped her cover it up. Our upperclassmen told us night classes didn't exist until the year we arrived at Beacon, and Yang is the only person we know who took them. It's likely that they were made to revolve around Ruby's… wolfness."
Weiss listened patiently, trying to keep her focus amidst all the new and potent sensory information flooding her mind, most potently, the scent of Blake's stress hormones that permeated the air.
"We don't know what they'll do if they find out what happened to you, so I don't think going to the teachers is a good idea… except for maybe Dr. Oobleck, he and Ruby have always been close so he might be the only option when it comes to faculty." Blake turned to their bedroom door, her cat ear twitching atop her head. "Class has already started, and we can't just walk in there like this, and I hear people in the hallways so we aren't leaving this way."
The white wolf gave a soft breath as she forced herself to step down from the bed, her anxiety way too high to get comfortable anymore.
"Hmmm… what if." Blake's eyes again looked to the window as a small smirk lit up her face.
Weiss followed Blake's gaze, staring out the glass for a long moment… before her muscles went stiff and her fur fluffed up. You've got to be kidding me.
"Can you still use your semblance?" Weiss could tell her teammate was already running with her idea as her smirk evolved into a full cat-like grin.
"Mmmruuuf." Weiss snorted, conceding to her teammate for lack of a better idea. The wolf closed her eyes, focusing on pulling her aura forward as she had been trained to since she was little. It's there, but it's more faint than usual, it keeps flickering, but I think I can still use my semblance.
The wolf's eyes slowly opened, and she forced herself to nod up and down, somehow the movement felt unnatural and uncomfortable to her.
"Alright, cast a glyph right out the window, there's that tree nearby, just get us to, I can take care of the rest." Without any further discussion, Blake pulled her weapon out from its holster and rushed for the window, prying it open and letting the cold autumn breeze flow in.
Fresh air washed over her body, saturating her thick plush fur. Immediately she felt her heart working just the slightest bit harder as blood rushed to her nose to keep it warm. Without a thought, the wolf raised her head and slowly drew in a long, deep breath.
It felt like the whole world was distilled through her nose, filling her lungs and mind with a breadth of sensations and feelings she had never even dreamed of. She could smell the grass, it's growth slowing in preparation for winter. The soft breeze carried the scents of the distant forest, the earthy and woody smells of the trees and soil, the sweetness of flowers grown in the courtyard and the painfully unnatural smell of the pesticides used to protect them.
The scent of rain flooded her mind, she could practically hear the drops slamming to the earth though the sky was clear. Her fur seemed to hug her in response to the dropping temperature in the room, a warm and comfortable sensation embracing her entire body as she lost herself in her senses and her new body. This is… incredible.
Blake watched in wide eyed silence, somehow, she felt like she shouldn't disturb the wolf before her, and even if she wanted to, she felt too frozen by awe. Weiss' fur lit up in the golden rays of morning light, burning like pure white fire, as each individual hair caught its warmth and shone brightly back. While the cold wind lapped her own skin, only protected by her aura, she saw Weiss' pelt almost drinking it, rippling softly with the currents of air.
Is this what the world looks like for you when you're a wolf, Ruby? Weiss' pale blue eyes opened to the glistening world before her, just outside of the window.
"W- we should go," Blake's voice was barely a whisper, but to Weiss' sharp ears, she might as well have been talking at full volume. "Someone will probably come to check on you soon."
Right… we need to leave. The heiress did her best to push her instincts and senses back, though the overwhelming feelings of awe that they gave her were far harder to subdue.
Focusing as hard as she could, Weiss drew forth her aura, channeling it as a snowflake glyph flickered to life just outside the window. This is way harder to control than usual, and I can't stop feeling everything. This feeling in these whiskers keeps shifting so fast, it's making me dizzy… is it the air pressure?
"Okay, um… that's a small glyph." She was already starting to have second thoughts as she watched Weiss' glyph fade in and out.
I'm doing my best here! Weiss let a high pitched, brief growl vibrate from her throat.
"It'll have to do." With that stellar rationalization, Blake took in a deep breath, and jumped out the fourth story window.
Immediately Blake felt the glyph platform give just slightly under her weight, before regaining its integrity. The cat faunus crouched low to maintain her balance as she looked to the tree about five meters away.
"Okay, climb on and cast the next glyph." Blake had her hand on her weapon, ready to do something if their platform gave out, though she wasn't sure what. Weiss is huge as a wolf, even if I catch her mid fall, there's no guarantee that I can keep her weight up, and it doesn't look like her aura is strong enough to take an impact from this height.
"Mmmrrr…" The while wolf gave a high pitched whine as she hesitated at the threshold of the window just barely big enough for her to fit through.
"Oh, so you'll let me climb on it but you're too scared to?" Blake's playful tone intermingled with her smug expression as she verbally prodded the wolf.
THIS WAS YOUR IDEA! Weiss shouted in her mind, narrowing her eyes at her teammate before biting down her fears, and stepping gingerly onto the glyph.
Immediately their tenuous perch buckled under the wolf's weight.
"Okay okay, slowly." Blake's voice trembled with a hint of fear, though her scent gave away far more than her tone to Weiss.
Calm down, focus. I've cast dozens of glyphs before… I just need to get it together. Weiss parted her mighty jaws and drew in a deep breath through her mouth, stifling her sense of smell so it didn't overwhelm her. Focus… focus.
Blake watched in silence as another glyph flicked to life in front of them, though she felt herself beginning to slowly sink through the glyph they were standing on.
"We're almost there." All Blake could do was softly encourage her teammate, afraid that even the slightest distraction would cause them to fall.
Slowly and tentatively, Blake encroached onto the next platform, about a meter lower than the last and closer to the tree. She felt the glyph wobble the moment she put weight on it, but at this point, all she could do was trust her teammate. Gulping down her hesitation, Blake shifted all her weight over to the new glyph and immediately crouched down.
"Alright, come on over slowly." Even though Blake tried to make her voice as reassuring as possible, her stomach lurched as soon as Weiss' paw fell onto the new glyph, feeling it tilt ever so slightly towards the new weight.
The wolf's paw slowly pressed down, her eyes closed and her mouth still open to block out as much of her own senses as she could, relying on her hearing and whiskers to guide her to Blake. She felt the platform tip further as she placed her second paw on it, but she fought back her fears, keeping her concentration on her glyph as much as possible.
A wave of relief hit Blake as soon as Weiss was safely on the glyph and the shaking stopped, though this one felt weaker than the last, she could see cracks slowly forming in its surface from their combined weight.
"Just one more and we'll be there." Blake rapidly looked from the glyph, to Weiss, to the tree, to the ground and back again in rapid succession.
I wish she'd calm down, I can still smell her panic even just breathing through my mouth, and I can feel her heart racing over the wind. How can anyone function like this? Weiss' jaws tightened, the muscles that powered them bunching up under her pelt. Just tune it all out. Freeze it over. I need to focus on my glyphs, everything else can wait… just ice it out. Focus…
"Focus." Weiss' soft but emotionless voice escaped her lips as she conjured another glyph, more solid than the last two, right in front of the tree. Her senses felt so distant and muffled, she felt like she could hardly hear anymore, and her muscles felt incredibly tired and awkward while freezing cold wind bit at her naked skin.
"W- Weiss…" Blake's muffled gasp barely reached Weiss over the wind.
"Huh?" The heiress' tone warmed up from the dead cold it held as she opened her eyes… and looked down at her hands.
"I'm human! I'm human aga-"
Her jubilant cry was abruptly stopped as her voice left her, and her senses flooded her brain with information again. She felt everything, and time seemed to slow in that moment. Her hands were gone, replaced with large, strong paws tipped with black claws on every toe, and her pale skin replaced with stunning white fur.
… then time caught up with her, and she felt the wind rushing over her body from below as the ground rapidly drew closer.
Her glyphs disintegrated immediately upon turning back into a wolf, and she and Blake were sent into free fall.
Weiss' body writhed helplessly as she attempted to get to her feet, but the rapid shift in form left her muscle memory confused and she couldn't consciously brace for impact like she'd been trained to.
"I've got you!" Blake shouted, swinging from a nearby branch with her weapon's blade lodged firmly into the wood.
Everything happened in a blur. Blake and Weiss both felt the impact as their bodies clashed in mid air, knocking the wind from the faunus' lungs while the large wolf managed to avoid that through sheer size.
The air around her suddenly took on a different direction and Blake held onto Weiss, gripping into her pelt tight as they swung towards the ground.
Crack!
The wood Blake's blade was lodged in gave violently to their combined weight and momentum, failing in a shower of splinters before both bodies tumbled long the firm, grassy ground below.
Now, Weiss really felt the impact. On instinct her paws tucked into her chest and belly, rolling with the trajectory of her fall, sparing her body any serious damage. Her head was spinning and her ears rang painfully, but she staggered up, shaking the grass and dirt from her otherwise pristine white coat. Well that hurt.
"You okay?" Blake managed a much more graceful landing, though she had a few shards of wood and small twigs nestled in her hair.
"Rruuuf!" Weiss responded with a strong bark, wagging the last of the debris from her tail. What happened to me? I was human for a second, but… it wasn't right. I didn't feel like myself. Ruby, what have you done to me?
"Come on, we need to get out of Beacon," She picked her weapon from the mess of shredded wood on the ground. "Food and other things are delivered from Vale to Beacon three times a week in the morning. Today is one of those days. If we hurry, we can stowaway on the cargo ship to get out of here."
That's the plan? Weiss' tail sagged and her ears flattened ever so slightly. We jumped out of our window, fell three stories, I'm a giant white wolf and we're going to somehow hide in a delivery airship's cargo bay!?
"I'll take whatever you're doing as a great plan Blake, I should listen to you more often." Blake snorted a laugh at her friend's expense, her fear of the giant wolf quickly subsiding, somehow the situation already felt normal. She's definitely still Weiss in there.
"Wooof!" The wolf barked sharply in protest, rearing up on her hind legs for a moment before bringing her front paws back down. That is not what I meant and you know it!
"And I'll take that as a yes." With that, Blake turned and began walking to the other side of the school.
Weiss followed along with her teammate, her head low and her senses attuned to their surroundings. As on edge as she was, she couldn't help but lose herself in those potent senses.
The grass beneath her paws was cool and soft, each blade tickling her tender pads, but somehow, she didn't dislike it. She could feel the earth just below giving slightly to her tread while every step her claws dug slightly into the ground, helping to propel her forward.
There's a lot more to this place than I thought. I've lived at Beacon for years, but there's so much I'm just noticing now. How the wind moves around the building and trees, how the ground is just slightly spongy, how the air tastes bitter but also sweet. Then, there's… the smells?
Weiss' stride slowed to a stop, pausing as she closed her mouth and lowered her nose to the dirt below. Drawing in a deep breath, her mind was flooded with information, so much so that it was hard to sort out.
Her whiskers tickled the ground, feeling the subtle swaying of the grass as it moved with her breaths, but she could also hear a vibration, the soft but rapid thumping of a small animal's heart burrowing just under the surface, a mouse or mole if she had to guess.
Still, through the scents of the many people that walked through this path, and the earth itself, it's composition and the creatures that lived in it, a series of smells drew her fur to bristle softly while a cold chill gnawed at her stomach.
I smell another wolf. She's struggling, she's in pain. I can smell her panic and desperation. Wait, no, there's two wolves, one male, one female, they were here, the male isn't doing well, he's scared and malnourished I think. The female wolf has to be Ruby, but who's the male? I can also smell something else… paint? Why?
"Weiss? You okay?" Blake had stopped to watch her friend sniffing intently at the grass, her tail raised up and her ears drooping.
At her friend's sudden intrusion, Weiss' head shot up from the ground, her ears burning and blood rushed through them and her tail fell low and began to sway meekly. I- I don't know why I did that. I just caught a scent and… it made me worried. I had to know why. It didn't feel wrong while I was doing it so why do my ears feel so damn hot!?
"Whoa, relax Weiss, I'm not judging." Blake threw up her hands into the air with an apologetic smile. "Sorry I interrupted."
"Mmuurff." Weiss huffed in frustration, clawing at the spot where the scent of Ruby and whoever was with her was the strongest. There's another scent there, it was faint but… I smelled blood. Probably my blood that was still stuck to her fur, it smells way different from when I was human, but I can still tell what it is.
"Uh oh, we gotta go." The urgency in Blake's voice drew Weiss' attention behind her, where they heard the chattering of students coming their way.
"Wrrruf!" Weiss gave a rapid bark and immediately darted forward, away from the voices. I'm definitely not ready to be seen like this by anyone else!
Her powerful leg muscles propelled her so fast she could feel the wind whipping around her snout and blasting over her ears, sucking heat from her body as ran faster and faster!
This is amazing! She could feel it, like lightning surging through her veins, every rapid step sending shockwaves along her body. The world was a blur of light and sounds, but she could feel everything around her.
I wonder how fast I can go. With that thought, her legs beat against the ground in perfect coordination, bounding through the grass and cutting against the wind that enveloped her body, but couldn't slow her sprint. I feel like I could run forever!
"W- Weiss! Slow down!" A breathless, dry shout brought the wolf to a screeching stop, nearly tumbling from her momentum, but just managing to stay on her feet.
"Wooof!" Weiss barked impatiently, her tail lashing back and forth as she waited for her teammate to catch up.
"I- I can't keep up." Blake nearly collapsed, catching herself on her bent knees while she desperately tried to catch her breath. "We don't have much time, the cargo ships will be leaving any minute, we're not going to make it like this."
"Mmmrrruf." Weiss huffed, her mind split between the crisis at hand and her eagerness to run again.
"I know a way we can get there faster though," Blake drew in one more long, deep breath to steady herself before looking to Weiss with a hopeful grin. "Let me ride you."
"Rrooof." Weiss' bark devolved into a shocked whine as she padded around rapidly in a circle, feeling her ears starting to burn again as blood rushed to them. How can she even ask that!?
"Please!? We need to get out of here, we're running out of time and you're so fast we could get to the other side of Beacon in no time!" Blake leaned forward, making her big amber eyes sparkle endearingly in the morning sun.
Rrrrrr! Fine, but just this once, and only because we're in a hurry! With a pathetic growl, Weiss stopped pacing and lowered her head and front shoulders, feeling the furthest thing from dignified.
"Yes! I- I mean… good call, heh-heh." With a soft blush glowing on her cheeks, Blake approached the wolf, her hand reaching out to that pure white fur. Her fingers hesitated, just millimeters away, locking eyes with Weiss one last time, until the wolf blinked slowly back, and relaxed her muscles.
Blake gave her wolf companion a grateful smile, before bridging the gap between them.
She couldn't believe how soft and warm Weiss' fur was, her fingers sinking nearly all the way down. She could tell Weiss' coat was separated into two layers, one of plush soft furs, and the other more densely packed. Probably her winter coat.
Shaking herself back to reality, Blake climbed into Weiss' back, and gripped onto the scruffs of her pelt around her neck. "That doesn't hurt, does it?"
Weiss shook her body softly in response and rose to her paws. She was surprised how light Blake felt, as though she were carrying nothing. The excited pulsing radiating from her teammate's body atop her back somehow began to sync with her own powerful heart. This feels good, somehow.
"Alright just give me some warning before you-"
Without warning, Weiss exploded into a furious dash! She could feel Blake clinging to her pelt for dear life as wind whipped wildly around them.
Her claws bit harder into the ground, gaining traction as she accelerated faster and fast, feeling the burning of her muscles and her body flooding with endorphins. Her mouth hung open, panting as her body pushed out the excess heat from her run.
"This is amazing!" Blake shouted over the wind slamming against her face first, giggling as she leaned forward, her hair blowing wildly as they ran towards their escape.
Yeah, it is…
The crisp, cool air of the late morning stirred in a soft breeze, drawing the scents of the forest towards them. With one deep breath, Ruby could smell everything; squirrels hiding in the trees, rabbits dashing through the undergrowth, the smell of a stream coursing far in the distance, the fresh water drawing animals to drink at its banks while fish caught small insects out of mid air.
I love this place. Ruby's chest heaved with a soft sigh as she padded into the woods, crossing the threshold from the well kept lawn in front of her childhood home.
Verna followed close behind, the artist hadn't said a word since they left the house together. Her scent had changed from the night before, Ruby could smell anxiety and fear leaking from her body since they woke up.
Without a thought, Ruby sniffed around the forest floor, feeling the burrows of small creatures as well as the heartbeats of the animals hiding inside them. There was a scent, familiar and still potent enough to detect after so long.
Ruby made her way towards a tree where that familiar scent was weakest, a few quick sniffs confirmed that to her. The large wolf padded around in a circle, clawing at the dirt, before squatting down by the tree and marking it with her scent.
I guess this won't be my territory anymore… but it's not like there's any other wolves around. It's sad, this place really is beautiful. I loved growing up here, getting to play in the forest as a puppy. I even have good memories from when I took human form here, even if I had to hold my feelings back at the time.
"Ruby… I wanted to talk to you." Verna finally spoke up, sitting herself in the lush grass at the very edge of the yard, facing her friend who sat in front of her, at the edge of the wilderness.
Ruby took in a breath into her nose, her jaws slightly parted. Sorting rapidly through the myriad of scents, she immediately honed in on Verna's. Her smell had quickly become one that made her feel at ease. Even in her fevered sleep the night before, she could sweat the smell of paint and earth penetrated her delirious sleep. She tried to take comfort in that, a warmth against the chill of anxiety that grew in her stomach.
"I- I haven't exactly been honest." The artist brought her knees to her chest, curling up in a little ball as she forced herself to meet the wolf's eyes with her own.
Ruby listened patiently, padding a few steps from the tree she marked before laying down, tucking her hind legs against her belly and arching her back, mirroring the little ball Verna had become in her own way.
"You're really something, you know?" Her tender voice dripped with gratitude as a small smile pulled at her lips, despite the fear and guilt seething in her blood. "I don't think I've ever met someone like you, and I've met a lot of people. It's not just because you're a wolf, but… you knew how to make me feel less alone and worried just now, without even needing to say a word to me."
Ruby's ears drooped ever so slightly as her tail tucked against the back of her hind legs. I've never seen Verna like this. She's never looked so small, or smelled so… sad. I want to go over to her and protect her however I can, but I think I should let her say what she needs to say. That's the best thing I can do for her right now.
"The truth is… I lied to you," At those words, the artist chose to look down at a small sapling below her, rather than meet her friend's gaze. "I didn't just run away from home on a whim. It- it wasn't easy. I spent months thinking about it. I actually ran away three times before, but I kept coming back within an hour or two. I just couldn't make up my mind."
A soft, breathless laugh escaped her as she wrapped her arms tighter around her knees. "I'm not the free spirit I made myself out to be. I don't just… do things. I get really scared before big decisions and I freeze. I've always hated that about myself, that's why- that's why I make myself out to be this detached person, like I can just leave any situation and not look back."
"I was on my own for a while after I decided to run away." She continued, fighting back sobs as she struggled to steady her chaotic mind. "I didn't even leave Mistral for a year, I was mostly living as close to home as I could, because I felt like I couldn't really commit to it."
Ruby listened intently; to her words, to her breaths, to her heartbeat. She took in everything she could from the girl before her, focusing her senses and giving Verna her full attention, sitting still despite her instincts screaming at her to be by her side.
"When I finally did leave, I was so scared, I didn't do any tagging or anything, I worked day labor to get food and I slept wherever I could. I slept under bridges, in abandoned buildings, I ate food that made me sick because there was nothing else. I saw how some people had to live, but the people I met, they almost always looked out for me, even if they didn't have much, they let me sleep on their couch, or shared spare food, or showed me around town… I hated that they were in this situation, they weren't screw up runaways like me, they didn't have a choice to go back to their rich parents. It made me so angry, I wanted to fight… I wanted to give something back to them. So, I started tagging, and I made a name for myself. I unlocked my aura and semblance on my own and I used it to tag places that no one else could."
Her voice trembled with a mix of pride and guilt as her words left her lips. Ruby could feel it, like a dam breaking down. I at least know how that feels.
"Honestly, I'm not impulsive at all. I started feeling distant from my art, it was the thing that scared me most, that all of it would end, that I couldn't keep my passion up. I'd just go back home, and… it scared me." Tears poured from her eyes, but still, Verna kept that delicate, warm smile on her lips.
"Then… I met you." Her voice softened to a whisper, those pale pink eyes looking into hers while her muscles relaxed ever so slightly. "From the moment I saw you transform, I felt like I was on the edge of something. You bit me and, it felt like I had all the stupid knocked out of my head. I felt so clear, and inspired."
"I actually spent my time at the hospital drawing you, because I was hoping that would be enough, that I wouldn't need to see you again. Still, the more I drew, the more I wanted to know you. I wasn't planning on running away from the hospital, I'm bad at that sort of thing. I had a feeling, if I didn't, somehow I'd be lying to you when we met, I figured the me you had in mind would do that, and it kinda made me actually run away and come find you." Verna blushed a deep, rosy red.
"Honestly, it felt nice, acting like the me I tried to make other people believe I was." Her eyes averted, staring now at Ruby's paws resting softly in the grass. "Suggesting we break Aries out was the first impulsive thing I've ever ran with, and saw through to the end. It was a crazy idea, right? Break a wolf out of the zoo? But it happened, and… it was one of the best experiences I've ever had!"
"What I'm trying to say is, I'm not like Thistle." Verna reared her tear soaked, rosy cheeks against her knees, feeling her own body heat as she hugged herself for any semblance of comfort. "She's amazing. Thistle is really the kind of person that lets their heart think for them. I'm not saying she's not smart or doesn't think things through, but when she wants something, she goes for it, and no one can stop her. She's like you in that way, that's probably why I admire you both so much."
"Ruby," Verna held herself just a little tighter as she drew in a deep breath, feeling her expanding chest press uncomfortably against her legs. "I can't join your pack."
Ruby's body visibly shook, a ripple running from nose to tail as her fur fluffed out ever so slightly and her ears stood erect atop her head. It hurt. A lot more than I expected…
"Don't," Verna forced herself from her ball, getting on all fours in front of her friend as she cried, but kept her vision on those shimmering silver eyes in front of her. "I- I'm not saying it's final. I'm indecisive like that. You're special. I think you're the most incredible person I've ever met, and… I like you a lot. You deserve for me to be sure about this, I want my heart to be as sure as Thistle's and yours when I decided to join your pack."
"So- so… if it's okay with you," Verna sat up on her knees, reaching out shakily over the threshold of the forest. "Can I still stay with you? I want to see where you'll take us."
The breeze shifted, kicking up fallen leaves around the two friends, the colors of autumn surrounding them as they stared at each other for a long moment, Verna's hand outstretched hopeful and yearning.
Verna… Ruby could hardly hear over the beating of their two hearts, pounding desperately, like they were calling out to one another and suddenly, the threshold dissolved, as Ruby's head pressed up against Verna's trembling palm. You're incredible too.