Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY, just playing in the sandbox.
Special mention to Etheriell, whose story 'Picking Up The Pieces' really was the genesis and inspiration of this idea. Please enjoy!
A figure cloaked in white knelt before her, arms held wide in invitation. "I'm going be gone for a while, Little Rose… A lot of people need help out there, so I'm going to help them. I want you and your sister to be strong for me and smile for your daddy, okay?"
Ruby returned the hug with vigor, burying her face in the crook of the woman's neck. "Okay, Momma!"
The woman's smile was affectionate and slightly sad as she pulled away, her hands reaching up to re-fasten the buckle of Ruby's cloak. It was so big on her tiny body that she wore it more like an adorably oversized blanket.
"That's my girl." She ruffled Ruby's hair. "I love you, Ruby. I'll be home soon!"
…
Be strong… Every day, I've tried. I've tried, so, so hard. When the Grimm took her away, I tried my best to stay strong for Dad and Yang… Often, though, it felt like I was trying to hold back the tide. Or outrun the coming night… And now it looms over me, a specter of loss and doubt…
I wonder—
…
Of all the directions I might have taken in life… following in her footsteps… Is this what she'd have wanted for me?
X_0_X
Exhausted, Ruby Rose pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders as she made her way through Mistral's working district, feeling every inch of the previous week's mission deep in her bones. Though lacking the snow that had already blanketed its northernmost territories, Mistral's winters were renowned for their bitter winds.
For a good reason, too, at these heights. She deeply regretted not stopping by her house first for warmer clothing.
Still, it was better than Atlas, where the cold was everywhere – Spreading up from the ground, biting toes, and delivered amidst the heavy snowfall the northern continent received almost daily.
Regardless of the source though, after a week in the wilderness she despised any kind of chill, no matter the source. She needed a soft mattress and a radiator in her life.
The narrow, winding streets were quiet, Mistral's citizens content to stow away within their sturdy dwellings with their families and dinner. Most were probably already sleeping. Evening was quickly turning into night and Ruby could sympathize.
'Almost there.'
Check in at the Huntsmen's Guild, report her success and survival, collect her reward, rest. This assignment would pay her rent for at least the next three months, so she'd hopefully get the chance to relax and take more low-risk missions while the cold lasted.
No guard duty though. The tedium was awful, and she liked her toes.
She turned the corner into one of the city's many stairwells, this one cutting through the mountainside to bring her into the beginnings of the Market District, where one could find food, supplies, and the headquarters of the majority of the city's guilds.
Ruby grimaced, her burning thighs protesting the climb. It was too cold for this…
Winter was hard for huntsmen young or old. For those like her, years into her career, it resurrected a deep, throbbing ache in her bones. She could feel it deep inside, like an itch she couldn't scratch, or a joint out of alignment.
'Almost there. Just a few more minutes and I can sleep.'
Sleep, and hope the exhaustion was enough to ward away the dreams once more. Her last break hadn't been nearly as restful as she had hoped—
Thump.
Silver eyes grew wide. Ruby sagged against the freezing stone wall of the stairwell. Her hand grasped her chest above her heart, feeling the aching pangs against her rib-cage. Now…?
Thump.
It had been a mistake to allow that train of thought. Breathe.
Just. Keep. Breathing.
Thump.
Eyes clenched shut, Ruby forced her chest to move, inhale… hold… exhale. Rinse. Repeat. Just like she'd read about, like she'd practiced. It would help. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Her back sank down the wall and she tucked her head against her knees. In… out.
Thump.
Her vision warped, so she closed her eyes. 'This is normal,' She counselled herself, enforcing calm on her scattering thoughts. 'It is normal to feel like this after... You're just anxious and tired and need rest. Breathe. In. Out'
The mantra repeated for several minutes, time losing meaning with the leeching cold and pounding blood. She rhythmically tightened her hands into fists, then slackened. Repeat.
She was patient.
The agonizing throb of her heart eventually slowed into its normal rhythm, and her pulse ceased to fill her ears with an inconstant roar. They were far from strangers to her – far from friendly too. Acquaintances she'd prefer not to know but long since resigned herself to dealing with.
The attacks, while not precisely normal, were something she'd built up years of experience managing as they came. Never wanting to repeat the terrifying experiences of when they'd first began, when she'd had no clue what to do and could only ride them out, such had been a necessity, as vital as maintaining her weapons.
The mind was a weapon. She must keep hers sharpened.
Beacon had prepared her well academically for the problems many huntsmen would face in the field and at home, but it had never seemed as real in the classroom as it had become after the Fall…
Thump.
In… Out.
Ruby sighed wearily. She was fine. Report in, go home, rest. Everything would be just fine once she could lay down and get some sleep.
Resolved, Ruby pulled herself to her feet, shivering as the stone stairwell retained the heat she'd given it, leaving her colder.
Her inner voice was tired even to herself. 'Almost there.'
A quiet tinkling announced her arrival to the clerk in charge of the guild, a nondescript Mistral native whose hair had begun to grey at the temples. He smiled tiredly at Ruby as she shut the door against the wind. "Welcome back, Ruby. I was hoping I'd see you before my shift was up," the man greeted warmly.
Ruby smiled back, equally tired. "I managed to catch up to my mark just yesterday," she said, pulling out her ID for the clerk to scan into the system. "The reports didn't do it justice. If it wasn't so injured from the team that chased it away from the village then I'd still be out there."
It had been an impressive specimen, though that hadn't been anything to celebrate once she'd found it limping away from civilization. Its gait had been hampered by fractured shards of its own armor digging into its leg. Without that vulnerability, she'd have had to resort to a series of ambushes to wear down its considerable defenses… Not a pleasant prospect in Mistral's colder northern territory.
The clerk hummed agreeably, eyes widening in surprise as the video feed he'd pulled up from her gear showed the monster in all its malevolence. "Definitely bigger than the reports said," he agreed.
Goliaths were no huntress' favorite Grimm to kill. Too big, naturally strong, and far, far too crafty. Hunting them without a full team was considered ambitious for any but the best.
Her uncle had had no trouble with such assignments, and now neither did she.
Thump.
Her fingers tightened on the counter-top. She forced her breathing to slow again, closing her eyes briefly against the unpleasant sensation. Ignorant of her internal struggle, the clerk cheerfully typed on his keyboard with one hand, watching the kill feed with interest. Getting to view a professional at work was something special. Even for someone whose job allowed him to view such things every day, it was always a spectacle.
Ruby shifted on her feet, stifling a yawn behind her hand.
The clerk jerked, looking away from the video with an embarrassed flush. "Sorry Ruby. I don't mean to keep you here overlong. You're all cleared. The reward should be deposited in your account by mid-morning tomorrow."
She nodded thankfully. "Thanks Li, I hope you have a good evening."
"I will now! This'll be my evening entertainment."
She stepped out into the cold with a wan, amused smile. It had been a good kill. Better than most huntsmen were capable of on their own, if she were being completely honest. But she was tired and not in the mood for bragging.
Idly, her eyes flicked down to her identification, spinning it in her fingers to see her face – younger and softer when the picture had been taken – and registered team.
R_.
She sucked in a breath against the expected clench in her chest, eyes squeezing shut, but it didn't come.
Only an echo.
Strangely disappointed, she let the breath go and tucked the card into her pocket, holding her hands there for warmth. The temperature was dropping even further with the descent of the sun below the horizon. Ruby set a quick pace back to her house.
She felt cold.
X_0_X
She stood beside her body, a ghost, frozen, reaching out toward the scene. RED hair kneeling opposite HER crumpled in THREE on the ground, sparking, sputtering, fading, emptying, dying. Swords falling to the ground lifeless distant voices jeered and booed and screamed in horror at the sight of the CORPSE laying on the ground.
Tears streaked her face but she couldn't move couldn't run to see if her FRIEND was alright because she knew she knew that PENNY wasn't alright and PYRRHA and wasn't alright and nothing at all was right in the world.
Why why did this happen? What was the point? The low, satisfied voice spoke over the uproar, but the words were meaningless to Ruby. They weren't important didn't matter what was important was her FRIEND lying DEAD on the ground and she could feel her HEART throbbing in her chest - could only watch and weep and stare, USELESS..
The screens above all their heads turned menacing red as sirens blared; a queen mocking them as the spectators ran, only now realizing they were only PAWNS fit for slaughter.
Move. Move. Move. Be strong. Move forward. Stay ahead of it. Must keep moving on.
X_0_X
Ruby jerked awake, heart throbbing painfully in her chest, cold sweat clinging to her body. In her ears a horribly loud ringing swallowed all other sounds, save one.
Thump.
A hand flew to her chest, eyes squeezing tightly shut. That had been… the Vytal Festival Tournament? That had was years ago, but it felt like she'd just been pulled straight from the moment… That moment. The beginning of the Fall.
Thump.
She breathed deep, desperately trying to stabilize her pulse and push down the encompassing panic. It was just a dream, it was all over. It was done. In… Out. There was nothing to panic about. In. Out. Nothing. In. Out. Why wouldn't it go away? InOut. In… Out. InOutInOutIn—
Thump.
Cold seared her lungs, spreading like plague through her limbs. She couldn't breathe, couldn't get enough air.
InOutInOut—
Thump.
'Stop,' she moaned in the confines of her mind. 'Stop! Please!'
Thump.
Her breath came in rapid, shallow gasps. It wasn't enough. She couldn't get enough air into her lungs. Silver eyes flew open, blankets falling to her lap as she lurched upright, watching her hands shake violently through vision tinging grey at the edges, periphery warping inwards.
Thump.
'Stop,' Calmer. A command. She fought against the fear devouring her. 'Think.'
Thump.
Breathe.
In. Hold. Out. Wait. In. Hold. Out. Wait. In. Hold. Out. Wait. In.
Thump.
The panic came in waves. Ruby resolutely clung to her breathing, forcing her body to adhere to the rhythm she set for it, riding out the waves of nausea and dizziness. The ringing was nearly unbearable, drowning her, drowning the world.
'This is normal. It is normal for you to feel like this. It will go away in time.'
In. Hold. Out.
Thump.
The room swam around her when she dared to open her eyes again, pulsing in eddying rings, speckled by spots of white and black. Her body flashed hot, then cold, and back again, bones feeling sick, blood pumping electricity through her temples.
In. Hold. Out.
Thump.
Innnnn…. Out…. Innnn…. Out.
…
Nothing?
She waited another beat, wary.
Nothing. Finally, her heart resumed its normal pace.
Ruby weakly pulled herself out from under the suffocating covers, her body settling on an uncomfortable flush that didn't quite reach her skin. The room tilted around her, limbs protesting as her fatigue resurged. Silver eyes flicked at the analogue clock at her bedside.
Three in the morning… No rest for the weary, apparently.
Leaning heavily on the wall, she staggered toward the tiny living room at the center of her home. Like the rest of the dwelling it was sparsely decorated. Empty wall space begged for pictures, bookshelves stood empty. The furniture could have been mistaken for brand new if not for the thin layer of dust.
Ruby sank gratefully onto the couch, glad for the cool vinyl on her skin even as she trembled from the remnants of the dream.
The Vytal Festival… She hadn't revisited that day for weeks, too exhausted or too consumed by an assignment to dream.
Hands shaking, her body still too awake - too alive - Ruby cast her eyes about for distraction. One of the wall's few fixtures, an old pendulum clock, had come with the house. Ruby tracked its motion, absorbing herself in the play of shadows, the low, rhythmic ticking.
It didn't help all that much. Her flesh prickled with awareness, muscles tensing every time the winds moaned, with every creak of the rafters. Shapes danced in the darkened corners of the room, while each distant cry of some nocturnal animal recalled the furious shrieks of the creatures of Grimm.
'I can't do this,' the huntress sighed, breathing deep.
She dug her hands into her pockets, retrieving her scroll. Though in need of charging, it would serve for now. She browsed through her contacts, tapping on one name she knew she could turn to at so late an hour.
[Hey Sun. You awake?]
It was only a few seconds before she got her reply.
[Yeah, what's up Ruby? O.o]
[Nothing much. Got back from my assignment a couple hours ago. Tried to sleep, had a nightmare. Can't sleep now]
[That bites. Wanna talk about it?]
Ruby grimaced tiredly, echoes of the dream playing across her vision.
[I saw Penny again. At the tournament, the last round]
RED hair kneeling opposite HER crumpled in THREE on the ground. The image etched into her mind for eternity, preserved against every desire to forget and let go and move forward before it consumed her any more than it already had.
[I'm sorry Ruby. I miss her too]
Her hands squeezed the scroll tightly, willing the visions away. Beneath the ache in her chest, a few fragile tendrils of warmth unfurled; gratitude, she knew, and empathy. She wasn't Penny's only friend, just the closest.
Well.
Closest, yet so far from knowing the girl as well as she might have, if they'd been given the time.
[Do you want me to come over? You don't have to be alone right now. We can talk, or sit, or just binge some tv if you want]
Ruby started, not realizing she'd been staring past her wall, at a distant head of fiery hair lying still on the ground…
[No, I'm fine] she typed quickly, pushing back against the memories.
[You sure?]
She could read the doubt underlying the message, clear as the dawn.
She was fine.
[Yes. It's too cold out to be walking over anyways]
[Well… okay. It's alright if you change your mind, just so you know.]
[I'm sure. Thank you, Sun]
[No problem, Rubes]
The messages lapsed. She could think of nothing to say, pale fingers hovering over her scroll's keyboard in indecision. Maybe something more domestic?
[How are Scarlet and Sage doing?]
It worked. Sun's reply was quick and earnest.
[They're alright. Scarlet's been pining for Vacuo lately. He hates the cold here]
[Why doesn't he?]
[Go back? Cuz he's overprotective and thinks I'll stop eating if he leaves me behind. Jerk doesn't think I can take care of myself]
Ruby lips quirked, amused by their interplay.
[He might have a point, you know. Talking to girls at ungodly hours isn't a stellar life decision]
[Hey, talking to a friend when she can't sleep is different from starving myself]
[Touché]
Her frown slowly fading, Ruby felt herself relax into the dialogue, adrenaline settling, the need to run draining away into nothingness.
Conversation such as this – late at night, bantering or comforting each other in turn – was normal for them. Scrolls still weren't strong enough to transmit between kingdoms, cutting them off from most of their other friends across Remnant, so Ruby and Sun made do with each other. Over time, what had been at best a friendly acquaintance grew into close friendship.
It was a lifeline that both of them desperately needed, more often than they'd admit.
Ruby's fingers danced across the miniature keyboard.
[And Sage? Any of you take on any assignments while I was gone?]
[He's doing alright, same as the rest of us, really. And we had a small one on the outskirts of the city a few days back. A couple Grimm were getting nosy. Me and Scarlet handled it ^.^]
[Kind of jealous. Had to kill a Goliath yesterday. Spent four days following its trail. Thing was huge]
[Slick! That the class six mission I saw on the board?]
[Think so, unless they added another when I wasn't looking]
[Guess rent's all taken care of then]
[No kidding. Pay's great on some of these jobs]
[Sometime you, me, Scarlet and Sage'll have to do one together and throw ourselves a party with it]
[Sure, I'll bring the snacks, you bring the hookers. Party, planned]
[What makes you think I'd know where to find hookers?]
Ruby rolled her eyes.
[It's Mistral. I know where to find hookers here]
[Eh… point taken. Sensing a story there]
[Not much to say. I went exploring the seedy side of town and found a few massage parlors. They weren't actually massage parlors, I'm told]
[Do tell]
[Like I said, nothing much to say lol. They're in the lower district, southeastern end, near the old pub if you wanna check them out yourself. I didn't go inside because there was this creepy old guy walking out who leered at me]
[Nobody can resist the Rose's charms!]
[Yeah, well, I kind of showed him Crescent Rose and he lost interest]
[Roses, thorns. Scary :P]
[Ha ha]
Sun's reply was longer in coming than the rest.
[You feeling any better?]
Ruby paused, fingers hovering over the keyboard. No memories searing into her vision, no ringing in her ears, no racing pulse.
[Yeah. I am, actually :)]
[Wukong: 427, Negativity: 0]
[I think you're overselling yourself there, Sun]
[No way!]
The conversation continued, Ruby blinking against tired eyes to continue typing with her friend. Her missions kept her away often; intentional on her part, since she could usually beat back the nightmares if she kept herself occupied enough, but times like these where she could just relax with Sun and act somewhat immature were precious.
[So lemme tell you about how Scarlet tried to pick up a date the other day…emphasis on tried]
X_0_X
"So, Rubes. You planning on taking another mission soon?"
They sat together in relative quiet, the café they'd chosen a far cry from the bustling mess it would be during the morning rush in an hour. Neither able to fall back asleep that night, they'd instead chosen to at least start the day together throwing off their collective cloud of fatigue with some caffeinated goodness.
Or Ruby had, at least. Sun refused to touch it. He'd ordered cocoa instead.
Ruby pursed her lips, idly tapping them with her straw. "I think so. You know I don't like hanging around the city for longer than I have to. A few days to rest from the last assignment before I take another. Maybe some low rank jobs for once."
Sun sipped pensively from the polished white mug in his hand, steam rising in delicate wisps from the rim. "I figured."
Just like the day before, Mistral was bitterly cold. A cloud of freezing mist engulfed the city, with only those living on the highest terraces of the upper levels able to walk outside without heavily insulated clothing.
For Ruby, that meant her worn, tattered red cloak over a dark trench coat and cargo pants. For Sun, it meant ditching the casual, chest-baring Vacuo style for a fleecy hoody and jeans. For once in his life he looked somewhat respectable, though the blonde tail idly flicking around behind his ear detracted somewhat from the image.
Still, it was better than the time he'd accidentally whipped up some poor woman's skirt… Ruby hadn't known Sun was a soprano until the moment he turned to apologize and received the point of a heel in the fork of his legs.
Ruby peered at Sun over the rim of her coffee with concern. Shadows ringed the faunus' eyes, and his cheeks sagged. Though still young by any standard, the laugh lines found all over Sun's face only served to age him in the dim lighting.
The blonde took note of her unsubtle examination and smiled weakly. "I know I've got to look like crap right now, but I'm really not that bad."
Ruby was not impressed. "Sun, I don't think you've cracked a single joke since we sat down. That's like, a record for you."
Indignant, Sun looked ready to protest the point for a moment before his eyes flicked down in thought.
"Ehhhh… point," he grumbled.
Silence fell between them.
Ruby itched to break the uncomfortable lull. Having known Sun for over a decade, she knew how out of character it was when he fell to brooding. He normally preferred to confront whatever problems he faced, either with firm confidence or a flippant attitude.
Days like these and the problems they brought however, perfectly disarmed him. With nothing to confront and weighed down by fatigue, it was all she and his remaining team could do at times to draw him out of his shell.
Well, nothing for it.
"So," Ruby drawled awkwardly. "What about you? I mean," she coughed. "Any plans to take a new assignment?"
Sun looked out the window uncertainly. "Yeah, been thinking about it. Sage likes border defenses – not too many Grimm to deal with at any one time, and it pays well – but I'm pretty sure Scarlet's gonna throw a fit if we don't get out to do something challenging soon. He doesn't like not having stuff to work on."
They all tried to keep themselves occupied in some way.
Ruby had found her opening, however.
"Want to go take a look at the board and see if anything catches your eye?" She suggested.
Sun seemed to think about it for a moment, before perking up. "Sounds great to me, Ruby," he answered, smile turning jaunty.
Ruby: 293, Negativity… well, she'd lost count, but she was doing her best!
Gulping the last of her coffee down, Ruby joined the faunus at the counter to leave their mugs for the barista to collect. They left the café, shivering as they stepped into the cold morning air, before moving toward the Huntsmen's Guild where they would find the list of available assignments.
Though it was still early, the city of Mistral was slowly coming to life around them. Smoke rose from hundreds of chimneys as denizens stoked their fireplaces and prepared the morning meal, while the earliest of risers made their way mechanically to wherever they worked, or to the nearest venue serving their fix of morning caffeine.
With something to take his mind off the night before, Sun adopted a much brighter disposition, happy to comment on whatever innocuous detail picked his fancy. Ruby smiled indulgently as he leaned over the railing on the roadside to peek down at the market like a small child.
"Hey Ruby, you gotta come look at this guy – looks like someone forgot he had work in the morning cuz' he's running like he's got the mother of all Deathstalkers on his – Oh ha!" He dissolved into helpless laughter.
Ruby joined him at the ledge, raising a dark eyebrow at Sun. Her companion missed it, having covered his face with one hand as the other pounded on the railing. She nudged him, and he pointed out where she should look.
Ruby giggled.
The poor man, looking like a tiny doll from their vantage point, had stumbled into a fruit stall in his haste and was being viciously torn into by the owner. Even from up there, Ruby could see the crushed produce adorning the man, as well as the vivid yellow banana stuck partially through his button-up shirt.
The two pulled themselves away from the sight as the man pantomimed forgiveness against the owner's vigorously waving arms, shuffling around in his pockets for the lien to pay back the owner.
"You see that's why you've got to be agile as well as fast!" Sun crowed, eyes crinkling at the corners in his mirth.
Ruby mirrored the expression. "And you'd know?"
"Sure I would!" Sun said proudly, pointing to himself. "You're looking at the best troublemaker this side of Remnant. Can't tell you how many times I've had to chase people through crowds without knocking anything over."
Ruby stared at her companion in disbelief. "Chase? You mean being chased, right?"
"You're never gonna let me live down that stowaway thing, are you?"
Her smile grew just a touch vicious, all the answer needed. Pride soundly punctured, Sun marched ahead with just a touch more pouting than he thought he probably realized. Watching her friend, Ruby's smile dropped away.
Chasing the competition, falling slowly behind. Telltale spiked blonde hair disappearing into the crowd – hearing a surprised grunt, she sped around the corner, saw her PARTNER lying tangled with someone else…
"Sal-u-tations!"
Ruby felt something pinch in her chest and breathed deeply. Mechanically forcing one foot in front of another, she put the shadows out of mind and kept moving, determined not to lose Sun in the crowd again.
They descended to the lower level, suddenly surrounded by the sounds of early risers and shopkeepers hawking their wares.
"Fine jewelry for your little lady!"
"Meat, fresh in from Wind Path!"
"Hey…! You cheat! This lien is no good! Get back here with my merchandise!"
"Only the freshest produce here at my stall!"
Sun breathed deep of the morning air, content to be surrounded by such controlled chaos. At ease herself while surrounded by the growing bustle of humanity, Ruby felt her mood lift again.
They drew stares from Mistral's citizens as they passed. Even without their weapons, any huntsman could be easily recognized by their appearance alone. Few could match the predatory grace that even most novice students walked with, nor the unique style that came with the vocation.
That said, Ruby and Sun were a familiar sight around Mistral already, so the stares lacked the usual veiled apprehension that many couldn't help when faced with such dangerous unknowns.
Pulling her expression into something more confident and respectable while forcibly ignoring her companion's giggles behind her – could he forget about the fruit vendor for just a few minutes? The man was visible just a few stalls down; she didn't think his expression was that funny – Ruby strode up to the man hawking fresh meat.
"Huntress Rose!" the man – Sunil, she knew - grinned, hands rubbing together in anticipation. "And Sun Wukong. What brings you to my stand? Looking for a fine cut, or perhaps a fresh rack of ribs? I've got it all here, fresh from Wind Path."
Ruby shook her head. "I'm not looking for anything at the moment," she declined. "Just wondering if the caravan saw anything bad between here and there?"
She felt Sun disappear behind her, happy to let her take this one.
"Ah, thankfully not. Nothing unexpected at least," Sunil smiled. "Some Beowolves, some Creeps, but nothing unusual." Understandably, he seemed pleased with the caravan's good fortune.
Ruby nodded, having expected as much. "Glad to hear it, Sunil. You know where to find me if anything happens."
Sunil clapped his powerful hands together. "Indeed, I do! If that's all then, I bid you happy hunting!"
Ruby stepped away, rising up on her toes to look for Sun. Where did the faunus get – oh.
She sighed.
It was normal practice for them to ask around the market for rumors of Grimm in need of chasing. It was also normal, if more than a little annoying, for Ruby to find Sun chatting up some blushing widow or housewife. Ruby was the respectable one around here, while Sun was better known as the man anybody and their mother could have a good time talking to.
Ruby pouted. Sometimes it wasn't fair when Sun showed off his superior social skills.
Marching over, she caught the eye of the woman Sun was entertaining, the twenty-something brunette smiling secretively as the huntress stopped short of her companion and tilted her head, eyes narrow in thought.
"-and then he just plows into the stand and goes tumbling and it was about the funniest thing I've seen in ages!" Sun recounted animatedly, ignorant of her presence behind him.
Ruby scoffed. At least he was predictable. She cleared her throat, the brunette giggling as Sun froze and spun on the spot, eyes wide.
"Find any interesting leads, friend?"
The faunus cleared his throat sheepishly. "Ah-hmmm. Nope! Nothing yet, Rubes."
A dark eyebrow, already raised in faux-shock, lifted even higher. Sun drooped, turning back to the now-smirking woman. "Ah, well, it was good to meet you Mara," he said, rubbing the back of his head.
"You as well Mr. Wukong. I'll have to tell my husband all about that little debacle – Mr. Konomi has been asking for a little misfortune of late, what with his temper," Mara smiled, winking at Ruby playfully as she returned to setting up her wares.
Sufficiently cowed, Sun wasted no more time as the pair went from stall to stall, asking after any news from the other cities and the wilderness beyond. Save for a few scattered attacks along the roads, the only notable news they encountered came from the western end of Lake Matsu. One of the settlements there had apparently been annihilated by rampant Grimm, the survivors fleeing to other settlements deeper in the swamps.
While this would ordinarily be cause for interest for the two, there were already teams in the area cleaning up the mess of Grimm left behind, and fortifications being built around nearby settlements to prevent panic from spreading.
It was a tragedy, but with further crises averted the two were left with nothing substantial from their inquiries. Not a bad thing, but it left them with the more banal missions the guild always had in abundance.
As the two entered the quiet building, they sighed. The mist had already begun to recede along with the worst of the chill, but it was still uncomfortably cold out and there was a pleasant fire roaring against the far wall.
Per ingrained habit, Ruby's eyes swept over the room, noting that Li's shift had ended. His replacement, a small, dark haired woman with sparkling green eyes, perked up as Ruby met her gaze. The huntress could only blink at the not-quite-so-normal realization that she had at least half a decade on the clerk, who seemed only just past her teenage years.
"Welcome!" she greeted energetically, head bobbing as she bounced on her heels. "Are you two looking for anything in particular?"
Probably a new employee. Ruby wondered what had happened to Vanna, who usually handled the morning shift.
"Just checking out the assignment board," Sun replied warmly. The young woman's attention immediately shifted to him, eyes flicking up and down. Ruby rolled her eyes. Leaving Sun to engage her in conversation, Ruby turned away to focus on the digital touchscreen listing the most current assignments.
With long practice, it had become simple to tune out Sun's baffling energy – he hadn't slept in at least two days, how did he manage to be so peppy when she needed coffee to function? – and it was just as simple to ignore the clerk's bubbly personality.
Silver eyes examined each description as she scrolled down the list of assignments. Patrol missions… bleh. They were a dime a dozen, as even when technically unnecessary the kingdoms preferred to keep them flowing. One never knew when pockets of Grimm would begin to encroach on friendly territory, after all.
Nothing she was interested in, however.
Another assignment to track down and eliminate a Beowolf pack roaming the base of Mt. Naili… led by an Alpha? That was intriguing, if not all that thrilling. Alphas weren't rare but tended to keep to themselves. Only the older specimens tried to take command of their younger peers and form the more dangerous packs.
Beowolves were Beowolves, however, and the area was too remote for it to be a pressing issue.
Plenty of reports of individual powerful Grimm. Middle-aged Alphas wandering in their solitude or nuisance cases that the smaller villages couldn't handle alone. No Ancients on the table, fortunately. There were plenty around Mistral, she was sure, but they were too canny to allow themselves to be so easily tracked.
They would only emerge amidst fire and death. No sane hunter relished in those assignments.
Ruby paused over a report of a pack of Deathstalkers, scanning the description. While yet to become notorious for any reason, they'd begun to encroach on the territory of some of the isolated mountain villages in south-central Anima. Given that the reports were already a month old upon arrival, that might have even changed by now.
Not for the first time Ruby cursed the lack of efficient communication in Mistral. While the kingdom had never lost its CCT Tower, the further away from the capital one moved the less likely you were to get a signal. The ruling council had consistently refused to implement boosting towers in the most isolated areas of the kingdom, leaving it to the occasional bullhead visit or foot travel to move information around.
Pursing her lips, Ruby tapped the mission. While the other assignments were important in their own right, this one was unlikely to receive attention from other huntsmen for at least another week.
With a pleasant chime, a window popped up:
'YOU HAVE SELECTED A CLASS 4 SEARCH AND DESTROY MISSION. DO YOU ACCEPT?'
'Would I have selected it if I didn't want to accept?'
Sun's hand came down on her shoulder as she tapped 'YES.' Ruby jumped at the contact, looking up at her companion.
"Guess you're gonna be heading out sooner than expected, aren't ya?" he commented drily.
Ruby flushed. They were just here to look at potential assignments… but the moment Ruby considered putting it off she could only picture the destruction a pack of Deathstalkers - and really any kind of Grimm - could wreak if left to their own devices.
It was never a pretty picture. She'd read more than enough reports and seen the results firsthand far too many times.
Sun didn't seem too ruffled, if the wry glint in his eyes was to be trusted. "You wouldn't be Ruby Rose if you weren't looking out for others instead of yourself." He shook his head in fond exasperation. "At least promise me to get some actual sleep before you head out?"
Ruby punched his shoulder. "I'm not that bad." She protested.
"Bullshit, Rubes. Complete bullshit."
"Jerk."
"Heh. I'm right though."
Ruby scowled as the clerk giggled inanely. Jerks.
X_0_X
The low roar of the bullhead's engines on the tarmac split the morning air. Busy handing her heavy pack of supplies to the operator inside, Ruby tried to ignore the cacophony, as well as the worried look that Sun gave the back of her head.
'Hypocrite.'
Touched though she was by his concern, another part of her was wholeheartedly annoyed that Sun could be concerned for her welfare when he had barely managed a scant few hours of sleep in the last three days. Ruby had been tempted to knock the faunus out cold directly when he'd shown up at her doorstep that morning, swaying on his feet and far too pale to be healthy.
She had kept her promise, forcing down the nightmares to catch a solid night's rest. In hindsight, she ought to have drawn a similar pact from her fellow huntsman.
Sadly, she was on a timetable and reluctantly accepted his company, though only after he'd promised to lie down for a couple hours after she was gone. Threatening to interrogate Scarlet on the matter on her return ensured that it would be a promise kept, or there would be hell to pay.
One of the bullhead's two pilots, a flax-haired Atlesian, gave Ruby a thumbs-up as she finished strapping down the last of her provisions. Her ire vanishing suddenly, and with nothing left to distract her from the impending goodbye, Ruby turned to Sun, awkwardly wringing her hands.
The furrowed brow, narrow eyes and frown spoke volumes of what he thought of her leaving.
"I'm going to be alright, Sun," she said firmly, pulling her hands behind her back. Silver eyes dared him to contradict her. The faunus' frown deepened, but his hesitation finally broke.
"I know," Sun admitted despondently. "This isn't any trouble for you. I just can't help feeling worried."
Ruby pulled him into a hug, squeezing as tightly as she could. As a huntress, with arms corded with lithe, hard muscle, that was pretty tight. Sun groaned under the assault but squeezed her back all the same.
"Just be careful, alright?" he muttered. "I don't like it when friends are in danger and I can't help."
Ruby pulled away, quietly pleased as Sun not-subtly sucked in a breath of air and grinned impishly. "Me? When am I not careful?"
Sun leveled a flat look at her.
…
Jerk. Fine, it was a valid concern.
"You two finished back there? We're on a tight schedule to get you south, huntress," one of the pilots called from the cockpit.
Ruby jumped at the interruption, then stuck her tongue out at Sun when he began shepherding her into the airship with a few shooing motions.
Ruby pulled herself up into the bullhead's fuselage, quickly turning back to the faunus as the craft began humming louder. He sent her a lopsided grin and a wave in lieu of a goodbye (not that she'd have heard one anyways), and then the doors slid shut around her, cutting her off from the outside world.
The bullhead rumbled, blaring the Mistral model's ubiquitous sonar call. With a tired sigh, Ruby sat herself on one of the benches and prepared for a long flight.
It's amazing to me that I'm finally beginning this. The original plan was to finish the entire story before I began posting, but around 90k I began hitting a wall and decided that I'd start posting chapters, hopefully getting some inspiration along the way. That being said, the first third of the story is already done, pending some edits - while the rest is generously planned out.
Hopefully you all enjoyed, and please leave a review!