Act I: Denial
"This will be the day we've waited for…"
A beam of sunlight hit her face as she blinked awake. Zwei was curled up near her feet, sleeping soundly. It was morning already? But her bed was so comfy…
"Ruby? Breakfast!" A voice shouted from downstairs.
"Coming, Mom!" She shouted back, flinging the sheets, and Zwei, off her bed. "Sorry, Zwei!"
Stumbling into the bathroom, Ruby froze as she took a look at herself in the mirror. She was… glowing? She rubbed her eyes and looked again, only to be greeted by her normal self.
"Must've been a trick of the light…" She muttered, grabbing her toothbrush.
After going through her morning routine, and being interrupted by an irritated Zwei in the process, Ruby made her way downstairs, the smell of freshly baked cookies wafting past her. It made sense that her mom would make something like that. After all, today was the day. She made her way into the kitchen and plopped down on one of the seats at the dinner table, a glass of milk at the ready.
"Today's the day. Are you excited?" Summer asked, slipping on a pair of oven mitts.
"Of course!" Ruby cheered, bouncing in her seat. "Now gimme my cookies!"
Her mom laughed, pulling the tray out of their oven. "Slow down, Little Rose. Save some energy for when we actually get there."
"Right, sorry. When are Dad and Yang getting here?"
Summer looked at her scroll, which was laying flat on the kitchen counter. "They should be back in time for our flight. You've got everything packed?"
"Yup!" She replied. "Did it the night before!"
"Toothbrush?"
"Yep!"
"Extra winter clothes?"
"Yep!"
"PJs?"
"Yep!"
"An extra Scroll in case you forget to charge yours for when we call you?"
"Mooom, I'll be fiiine." Ruby whined.
Her mother just smiled as she set a plate of cookies in front of her. "I know, sweetie, I'm just checking. It's just, Atlas is so far away from Patch..."
"You can come visit whenever you like." Is what Ruby would have said if she weren't stuffing her mouth with cookies at the moment. She was hit with a wave of nostalgia as she ate. It had been so long since she had her mother's cooking… wait, what? No, that's not right. Ruby was only fifteen, she had been living with her family all her life.
Maybe she didn't get enough sleep last night. After all, she had spent last night all jittery and excited for today, hadn't she?
"Ruby? Are you alright?" Her mom's voice jolted her out of her thoughts.
She finished chewing. "M'fine. Just nervous." Yeah that must be it. The nerves were getting to her.
Summer smiled, gently ruffling Ruby's hair. "You'll do great in Atlas. I just know it."
"Thanks, mom." Why did she feel like crying?
The squeaking of a doorknob caught her attention. "Looks like they're here!"
The door opened, and a very energetic Yang burst through. "Guess who's back!" She yelled. Behind her, a tired but happy Taiyang stepped through the doorway.
He saluted them, then posed dramatically next to Yang. "Summer, Ruby, may I present: Yang Xiao Long, your newest Vytal Regional Tournament champion!"
Ruby tackled her sister with a hug. "I knew you could do it!" She had watched the finals on their TV the night before, and it was fantastic. Yang came into the tournament an underdog, and in the end even managed to beat Pyrrha Nikos, one of the best MMA fighters out there.
Pyrrha…? Ruby didn't know her personally, so why was she feeling sad all of a sudden?
"Uh, Rubes? You can let go of me now."
"Oh, right. Sorry." She sheepishly let go, rubbing the back of her head.
Summer stepped forward, obviously concerned. "Are you sure you're alright, sweetie? You're not sick, are you?"
"N-no! I just didn't get enough sleep last night." She shook her head.
Yang's eyes widened in realization. "Oh yeah! That's today, isn't it? Way to go, sis!" She gave her a high five. "So? When are we leaving?"
"We've still got—" Their father looked at his watch. "Four hours before the flight. We should probably freshen up."
Ruby sat back in her seat as her sister and father moved upstairs. Her thoughts turned back to her upcoming trip. The Atlas Academy Exchange Program: where students from around Remnant could have the chance to learn under some of the greatest minds to ever graduate from Atlas Academy. The day her acceptance letter arrived in the mail was possibly the best in her life. To work with the esteemed Dr. Pietro Polendina: a veritable genius in robotics, was a dream come true. Finally, she'd be able to use her abilities to help people around the globe. Her abilities? No, that didn't sound right, knowledge and skills were a much better fit.
After finishing up her food, and sending a quick thanks to her mother, Ruby scampered back up to her room to check on her packed belongings again. The essentials were all there: all of her clothes, tech, various IDs, and toiletries. Snugly packed and folded up at the very bottom of her suitcase was a red cloak: a gift from her mother for her fifth birthday. Ruby wasn't sure why she'd held on to the old thing for so long, but something about the cloak filled her with warmth and nostalgia just from looking at it. Plus, Atlas would be pretty cold, so it could come in handy.
Aside from that, she also loaded a couple of games into the suitcase. She didn't expect to use them all that much; she would be too busy working under Dr. Polendina, but maybe when Weiss visited on their mutual days off it could be a fun little distraction. Speaking of…
Ruby pulled out her Scroll and fired off a text.
Me: [ headin 2 Atlas today!1! ]
Weiss: [ Congratulations! We can have a welcoming party at my place, if you'd like. ]
Me: [ let me check w/ doc Polendina first. he might have smth planned alreadyy ]
Weiss: [ That's fine! Let me know if anything changes. See you soon, Ruby! ]
Ruby smiled and closed her Scroll. Her visits to the Schnee estate had become increasingly sporadic in the past few years, in no small part due to how busy Winter was in preparing to take over the company, and how Weiss was doing her best to assist her. Hopefully now Weiss could find time in her schedule to visit Ruby, rather than the other way around.
She slammed her suitcase shut, startling Zwei, who had taken up napping position on her bed again. He hopped off the bed and started sniffing around her luggage, before running downstairs. Good ol' Zwei. She'd miss him.
Following him downstairs, Ruby passed the time helping out her mother in her kitchen, with her dad popping in occasionally to grab a snack. Yang was busy taking a really long shower, but she deserved it after that big win. The hours passed as Ruby enjoyed her time with her whole family, and they eventually found themselves at the airport.
"How long is this flight gonna be again?" Ruby asked, as they boarded the airship to Atlas.
"It should be around five hours. Plenty of time to squeeze in a nap if you wanted; I know you didn't get enough sleep last night." Her mother suggested.
"Yeah, a nap… sounds… nice." Ruby leaned her head against her mother's shoulder, and drifted off.
"But we're nowhere near finished evacuating everyone! You'd be leaving Mantle to die." Ruby pleaded to the tall, imposing man.
"Yes… I would. We can't allow Salem to capture the Relics. This is our best chance at getting the Staff, the Lamp, and the Maiden as far away from her as possible."
What? How could he be so callous?
"But we have an opportunity to reunite the world. If we launch the tower, we can all work together again. We could even call for help. If we can hold out long enough—"
"Come on Harriet! We're playing right into Salem's hands! You know we need to be working together."
The woman in front of her sneered.
"Oh don't give me that crap! I had you kids pegged right from the start."
"If you come peacefully, we won't hurt you." A calm man spoke from the other room.
"Speak for yourself! They betrayed us!" Someone else shouted in response.
"We have to stop Ironwood. If he can't access the Relic, he can't move Atlas."
"We just have to get to the Winter Maiden." Weiss agreed.
The ground shook beneath them.
"What was that?"
Ruby screamed in pain as a bright light enveloped her...
She woke up with a start, gasping for breath, the dream already fading from her mind.
"Ruby?" Summer spoke from beside her, filled with concern.
"I'm fine, m-mom. Just a nightmare."
Her mom stroked her hair, and spoke in a comforting voice. "Hey, I know how big a deal this is to you. It's okay to be scared."
"Mom…"
"You'll always have my support, my little Rose. Always."
Ruby smiled and hugged her, which was a bit awkward given they were both seated side by side. That didn't discount the feelings she felt, though. Her mom really was the best.
The rest of the flight passed by smoothly, though Ruby didn't feel like napping again. Yang and Tai snored loudly across from her, content to catch up on their ruined sleep schedules. With nothing else to do, she looked out the window, waiting for Atlas to show up in her field of view.
The snowy tundra of Solitas contrasted with the bright colors of the circular city; neon billboards and massive TV screens dotted various towering buildings, illuminating the streets below. The mountain range that encircled the back half of the city also supported their destination: Atlas Academy, an impressive looking complex that jutted out from the peaks, standing over the rest of the city. Of course, the whole city was firmly set in the ground, just as it always has been.
"We're here! We're here!" Ruby excitedly shook Yang and her father awake.
"...Whazzat?" Taiyang groaned, then woke up. "Oh, we're here."
"Woohoo! Atlas!" Yang sprang awake, pumping her fist in the air.
Ruby giggled at her older sister's antics as they touched down on a landing pad installed next to the Academy. When the airship doors opened, she scanned the surrounding area for Doctor Polendina, who'd notified them in advance that he'd be waiting in the area.
A dark skinned, elderly man with a white beard and green cap waved them over from near the Academy entrance. There he was!
"Doctor Polendina! Sir!" She ran up to him excitedly. It was finally happening!
The doctor smiled at her. "Hello, Miss Xiao Long. Ready to get started? Oh, but first, introduce me to your folks!"
"Of course! Mom, Dad, Yang, meet Doctor Pietro Polendina, genius inventor and scientist extraordinaire!" Ruby declared, waving her hands in the air.
He chuckled. "Now, now, flattery will get you nowhere, Miss Xiao Long." He turned towards the rest of her family. "It's a pleasure to meet you all."
"Likewise." Tai shook his hand.
Once all the pleasantries were exchanged and out of the way, the good doctor took them on a guided tour of the Academy. It was everything Ruby had expected from a state-of-the-art facility geared towards science and engineering. It was divided into five towers, each with its own purpose. The central tower, which they had entered from, housed various administrative facilities, including Headmaster Ironwood's office, and branched out in the four cardinal directions, leading to different areas of the school.
To the north, a massive complex of testing facilities and personal laboratories, one of which was Doctor Polendina's. To the south, storage cells and a public library. To the east, a dining hall and other school life related facilities, including recreation. And to the west, lecture halls and offices. This was a school after all, even if Ruby was going to stay predominantly in the north tower when studying under the doctor.
"Well, I think that's all I can show you three." Pietro stopped once they made their way back to the entrance. "Miss Xiao Long here will obviously get to experience more of what the Academy has to offer, but I hope this tour was enough for the rest of you."
"Of course it was!" Her mother exclaimed. "Thank you so much for the tour, and for accepting Ruby. You'll take good care of her, won't you?" Summer's voice took on a dangerous edge.
"Mooom…" Ruby whined. Was she really doing this now?
"Absolutely. Atlas Academy is one of the most secure places in the Kingdom, and I'll personally ensure that no harm comes of her. You have my word." Doctor Polendina spoke in a much more serious tone, recognizing the danger.
"Good!"
Suddenly, Ruby felt herself being pulled into a tight hug.
"Stay safe. And call us every night. We're going to miss you, you know." She heard her mother murmur.
"I promise. And I will, too."
"Group hug!" Yang shouted, tackling Ruby and Summer to the side. Her father caught them all in a bear hug before they went flying anywhere.
Ruby could feel her face heating up. Her family really was the best she could have asked for...
One tearful departure later, and Ruby already felt exhausted, despite the nap.
"Still got enough energy for another round of introductions?" Doctor Polendina asked her.
"Uh, what?"
The doctor chuckled with mirth. "Did you really think you'd only be working with me this year?"
Her eyes widened in realization. "Does that mean…?"
"Come. Let's move up to my personal lab."
Due to the sheer size of Atlas Academy, Ruby had to stick close to Pietro as they navigated their way to the north tower. After a series of labyrinthine twists and turns, they finally arrived at his lab. Twelfth floor, seventh sector, according to the doctor. Ruby made sure to commit that to memory.
"The seventh sector belongs to me, and a close friend of mine. I assume you've heard of Arthur Watts?"
"Of course, sir!" Ruby squeaked. "Cybersecurity, remote Dust control, hard-light programming—Doctor Watts is the leading expert on all of that and more!"
Honestly, how could anyone not know the famous Arthur Watts?
"Well, you've certainly done your research." He led her in front of a large blast door. "I'll get you set up with your own Academy ID later. Shall we?"
Her jaw dropped as she entered the room. It was huge! Where could Ruby even begin? In front of her, a sleek, ergonomic L-shaped desk held multiple state-of-the-art computers and tabletop lab tools. Lining the walls beyond that, multiple industrial grade lockers were packed into a corner, with their own separate authentication scanner. They were no doubt packed with all sorts of useful supplies and inventions.
Reinforced glass and hard-light walls formed a U-shape in the center of the room, isolating a large portion of the lab which contained a robotic operating table, as well as an open testing space next to it marked off with cautionary tape. Past that point lay even more highly specialized equipment, and an exposable wall of advanced circuitry and power cables.
The opposite end of the room held a mirror image of Pietro's own desk and locker setup, and three people: Doctor Arthur Watts, and two other girls she didn't recognize. They were all crowded around some hard-light display, but Ruby couldn't see exactly what it was showing. As they made their way deeper into the lab, she tried not to geek out at all the state-of-the-art technology she would finally have the chance to experience up close.
The orange-haired girl was the first to notice them. Her long curly hair was tied down with a black fabric bow, and she was wearing a green knee-length dress over her white blouse. Her emerald eyes lit up when she saw them.
"He's back!" She shouted, before running up to Doctor Polendina and giving him a bone-crushing hug.
"Gah! Now Penny, settle down. I've only been gone for a few hours."
She released him with a sheepish grin. "Sorry, Dad."
The younger Polendina turned to her. "And you must be Ruby. Salutations!" She gave a little salute.
"Um, h-hello. Er, should I call you Miss Polendina?"
"Actually, let's get that out of the way right now." Doctor Polendina interjected. "Ruby, while we're in the lab, just call us by our first names. None of that formal stuff while we're working together, got it?"
"Yes sir, Doctor Po—I mean, Pietro!"
He chuckled again, a warm smile on his face. "And drop the 'sir', if you would."
"Right, sorry. I'm just so excited to be working with you all!"
"My goodness, enthusiasm on a Monday?" Doctor Watts came up to them, grinning. "Color me surprised."
"Doctor Watts!" Ruby stuttered. "It's an honor to finally meet you!"
The taller man's chest puffed up pride. "Naturally. But please, save the adulation for later."
"Indeed." Pietro spoke up. "I just brought Ruby by to do some introductions, and get settled in. She'll be working with us in full capacity starting tomorrow. It is quite late, after all."
Was it? Ruby realized she'd lost track of time exploring Atlas Academy, and it was already almost midnight.
"Allow me to officially introduce you to our little group. Penny, as you might have guessed, is my daughter. She's been assisting me for roughly a year now, but is also a full-time student at Atlas Academy, so her time here will be limited."
The orange-haired girl smiled brightly at her. "My specialities include robotics and synthetics!"
"You of course know Arthur Watts."
The man in question twirled his mustache. "A pleasure. I suppose I should introduce my own assistant, shouldn't I?"
"Go right ahead!"
Doctor Watts turned back to the hard-light display, which his assistant was still mulling over. "Cinder, dear? Pietro's protégé has arrived."
The girl straightened up and turned to them, allowing Ruby to get a good look at her for the first time. Short, black hair that barely came down to her ears, partially covered her amber eyes. Like Doctor Watts, she wore a white lab coat which consisted of the majority of her outfit, only accentuated by a pair of black work shoes and gloves.
"Good evening." She said in a pleasant voice as she strode up to them. "My name is Cinder Fall. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ruby… Rose, was it?"
"Xiao Long, actually. Rose is my mother's maiden name."
"Maiden…?" Cinder looked confused for a second. "Of course. My apologies. I have no idea where that came from..."
For the briefest moment, Ruby saw her eyes glow, the same sheen she had witnessed on herself just this morning. She glanced around, but neither Dr. Watts nor the Polendinas seemed to react.
"...Is something the matter, Ruby?"
"N-no, just a bit overwhelmed, is all."
Pietro stepped forwards. "Then we shouldn't keep you any longer. Come, I'll show you where you'll be staying for the duration of your time at Atlas Academy."
"Y-yeah, that sounds nice." Ruby followed him out of the lab, sparing one last glance at Cinder.
Amber eyes narrowed maliciously as the blast doors slammed shut.
A/N: Here I go again, ripping off yet another idea from a game I played. Usually I'd say something cynical about how Creativity is dead and we killed it, but there have been plenty of amazing, unique stories on this site that prove me wrong.
I know I'm technically in the middle of writing another story right now, but purely out of curiosity, I wanted to see how it would feel to work on two fanfics concurrently. I suppose only time will tell if this is a good move, or if I'll just end up burning out twice as hard.
Thanks for reading, even if it's only just this one chapter. Let me know if there are any errors.