Notice Me, Ruby!
Chapter 29: One Last Attempt
Back inside team RWBY's dorm, both Weiss and Blake were waiting for their remaining teammates to come back. As they waited, they were trying to spend time by doing things that they liked. For Weiss, this meant studying and going over her notes, while Blake was reading one of her books. Yet, despite the monochrome duo spending their time on their favorite hobbies, one could easily see that neither of them was really able to enjoy themselves like they usually did. Weiss was going through her books slower than a slug and was making all sorts of mistakes on her notes, while Blake could hardly focus on the texts of her favorite novels. Both girls were too worried over their two teammates, especially Ruby.
The two girls were suddenly broken out of their thoughts by the door to their dorm opening. The monochrome duo turned their sights to the entrance in the hopes of seeing both Ruby and Yang, but were shocked to see only the blonde brawler with a broken expression on her face.
Neither Weiss or Blake dared speak up, as they watched Yang walk into the room. The brawler's eyes were red and had tear stains underneath them, telling anyone who saw her that she had been crying a lot. The expression on Yang's face was one of a broken person, who had lost all possible hope in the world due to something horrible. Her movements were also slow and sluggish, like she was barely able to keep herself moving.
The monochrome duo watched as the blonde girl slowly walked up to Weiss' bed, sat down and simply stared at the floor, completely lost in thought. They kept watching their silent teammate for some time, before they finally dared to speak up.
"Yang?" Weiss called out, but received no response. "Is everything okay?"
The brawler only gave a quick glance at the heiress, before resuming to stare at the floor again.
"Did you manage to talk with Ruby?" Blake asked, knowing that whatever got her partner into this state must have been related to the redhead.
Upon hearing Ruby's name, Yang broke into tears and began to wail loudly. The sound of her crying was honestly heartbreaking to the point that the other two girls felt tears building up in their eyes.
Unable to take anymore of their friend's crying, Weiss and Blake quickly rushed to Yang's side in the hopes of comforting their distraught teammate.
"Yang, what happened!? What's the matter!?" Weiss asked desperately.
"Did Ruby do something!?" Blake asked.
"No… Ruby didn't do anything," Yang managed to answer through her tears. "It's us who did something terrible."
"What do you mean?" Weiss asked, confused over what the blonde was saying.
"We betrayed her."
Yang went on to tell her two teammates everything that had happened. She told them about how Ruby's father had been betrayed by his teammates, as well as Yang's uncle and parents, which led to the death of Ruby's father. The brawler then told them about what the recording Ruby had of them talking about her behind her back and how they had betrayed their precious team leader.
Now both Weiss and Blake were crying as well. The heiress was holding her face as tears fell from her face from the shame she was feeling, while Blake had fallen to her knees and was staring at the floor in horror and disbelief, the realization of what she had done having crushed her spirit. Both girls felt sorrow and shame over what they had done to Ruby, and wondered if they could ever be forgiven.
After some time had passed, the three girls managed to calm down enough so that they were no longer sobbing uncontrollably. Each one of them was still sad and had tears falling from their eyes, but they could at least talk to each other again.
"We really messed up, didn't we?" Weiss spoke up. "All this time we were wondering what was wrong with Ruby, yet the ones in the wrong were actually us."
"I can't believe we could say such things," Blake said. "For as long as I can remember, I have always tried to fight against things like discrimination, unfairness and such, yet here I am acting exactly like the people I thought I was fighting against."
Yang still remained silent, as she had nothing to add to what her teammates had said.
"How do we fix this?" Weiss asked. "How are we ever going to make up for what we did to Ruby?"
"I don't think we can," Yang finally said, getting the attention of her two teammates. "We won't even be able to see Ruby for much longer either."
"What do you mean?" Blake asked.
"She's going to leave team RWBY."
Weiss and Blake stood in shock and stared at Yang with wide eyes. Color had drained from their faces upon hearing this and they were hoping that this was either a sick joke or a misunderstanding.
"What are you talking about!? She can't leave team RWBY!" Weiss argued desperately. "She's our team's leader! If she were to leave, our team would be broken beyond repair! Besides, where is she going anyways!?"
"Team LION. She's going to advance into the third-years," Yang answered. "The reason she's been with them so much is because the teachers were testing whether she could handle third-year level assignments or not. Since Ruby has been doing so well, she will be transferred to team LION."
"But… But this can't be!" Blake cried out. "Without her, there's no way we can function properly as a team any longer! How are we supposed to go on without her!?"
"It doesn't matter to Ruby. She's grown tired of the way we have treated her," the blonde explained. "To be honest, I can't really blame her. I mean, would either of you want to continue, if you were in her position?"
Weiss and Blake went silent upon hearing Yang's question. Much to their shame, they had to admit that if they were in Ruby's position, they would also do their best to leave team RWBY. Neither of them would be willing to deal with a team that has stabs you in the back the way they had with their redheaded leader.
"...There has got to be something we can still do," Weiss practically whispered. "I can't lose Ruby like this. She is the first real friend I've ever made. If she were to leave, I'm not sure I would be able to continue my studies here any longer."
"I feel the same way," Blake said. "Out of all the people I know, Ruby is possibly the greatest, most pure person out there. A true friend that you can trust with practically anything. Without her in this team, it just won't be the same."
For a moment, Yang was silent as she thought about the words of her friends and what it would be like to lose Ruby. Like Weiss and Blake had said, without their scythe-wielding teammate, team RWBY just wouldn't work. Ruby was the glue that held together the whole team and kept them going. Or better yet, the heart of the team. If she were to leave, there was a good chance that they would fall apart.
Was the blonde willing to let that happen? Absolutely not. Even if it was desperate, she was going to do her best to keep their team alive.
With a face of determination, Yang stood up and walked to the door, as her two teammates stared at her in confusion.
"Where are you going, Yang?" Weiss asked. "We have to figure out how to stop Ruby from leaving our team!"
"That's exactly what I am going to do," the brawler replied. "I'm going to give at least one more try to get Ruby to stay in team RWBY and not leave us."
"How are you going to do that?" Blake asked.
"The only way I can. By talking to her and being honest," Yang explained. "I'm done with making schemes and trying out crazy stunts. I'm going to walk up to her and talk with her like I should have a long time ago. After that, she either stays with us or leaves. This will be my last attempt at fixing the mess I made."
Both Weiss and Blake wished their teammate good luck, as she walked out of their dorm room and started to make her way towards team LION's dorm. As she was walking, Yang realized that it might not be a good idea to try and enter the third-year team's dorm without permission. Not only would she most likely anger the four more experienced students, but she could risk her chances at getting to talk with Ruby as well. That was something the brawler wasn't willing to risk.
Having realized the mistake she almost made, Yang stopped walking and took her Scroll out of her pocket. She sent a message to Ruby, hoping that she would get a reply soon.
"I need to talk with you ASAP. Please let me do that. You can pick the place."
The message was simple and to the point, as the blonde wanted to say all the important things herself to Ruby. In her opinion, saying all the things she wanted to say through a text message would only sound insincere.
Luckily for Yang, she didn't have to wait long for a response from the redhead. A message soon popped up on her Scroll from Ruby.
"Team LION's dorm. Only you and me."
While the blonde was slightly worried over facing the members of team LION, she knew that it was very likely to happen anyways. The team of third-years had become insanely protective of Ruby, to the point they were willing to go to war over her. At least now they would know in advance that Ruby wanted to talk with her, so there wasn't such a high risk of a fight breaking out between her and the older students.
Besides, Yang was honestly just relieved that the redhead was willing to talk with her. She wouldn't have been surprised had Ruby just refused her request for a conversation.
With her talk with Ruby set up, the brawler continued on her way to team LION's dorm. Once she got close to the dorm, she wasn't surprised to see the members of said team waiting for her outside the dorm. All four students were staring at her with stern faces, telling just how displeased they were with her presence.
Despite the intimidation shown by the third-years, Yang continued walking. She wasn't going to let the members of LION scare her now.
As she was about to walk past the third-year team, Elaine suddenly grabbed the blonde girl's shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. Yang turned to look at the older girl and saw her giving the most hateful glare to the younger student.
"Make just one mistake and you'll regret it," Elaine threatened. "We are going to be waiting outside and the moment we hear anything bad, we will come inside and get rid of you. You, your teammates and your family have already done enough to hurt Ruby, so you better take care that you don't make things even worse somehow. Got it?"
Yang didn't say anything and simply nodded, not wanting to risk starting any arguments. Once her threat had been received, Elaine let go of the younger girl, who then went into the dorm room.
As soon as she was inside, Yang immediately noticed Ruby sitting on one of the beds. The redheaded girl had always been rather small compared to the blonde due to the difference in age, but now Ruby seemed to be somehow even smaller. The scythe-wielder no longer had an expression of anger on her face or even one of sadness either. Instead, Ruby just seemed tired, like all the sorrow and anger she had been through had left her exhausted and drained.
Seeing her beloved look so downtrodden broke Yang's heart. She managed to hold her composure, as she knew that she needed to tread carefully with Ruby after everything she had been through. The brawler felt like she was approaching a wounded and scared animal, as she slowly and quietly made her way next to the redhead.
For a moment, both girls were silent. The younger one waited for the other one to speak and the older one tried to search for the right words to say.
"I have no excuse," Yang finally managed to say. "There is literally nothing I can say to excuse what my parents did to your father or for what we did to you. All I can say is that I am sorry for failing you and your family in so many ways, and that I beg for your forgiveness. Even if they're not here, Weiss and Blake feel the same way as well. I swear."
"...Just why?" Ruby asked in a pained tone. "Why would you say such things about me? What made you think of me as nothing but a nuisance that didn't deserve to be here?"
"I, along with the others, had gotten too caught up in our own whims. That is the best explanation I can offer, even if it isn't much," the blonde answered. "We got overtaken by the things we were doing, going to clubs and parties where we could go wild, to the point that it was all we could think of. Everything else seemed like nothing more than a bother that was blocking us from doing what we liked. We even went so far as to label you in such a way, no matter how unfair it was."
Ruby clenched her fists tightly, trying to hold back the anger that was coming back. However, she was suddenly pulled into a hug by Yang. While the embrace was strong, it was also gentle, comforting and warm, and it helped calm down Ruby's rising anger.
"I'm sorry, Ruby. For everything you've been put through," Yang apologized as tears were starting to fall from her eyes. "It's unfair just how much you have to go through. Your parents, the things you have to face in school and now us as well. Someone like you shouldn't be forced to carry such burdens. It's not right."
"Well… It's not like it's all going to go away suddenly," Ruby said bitterly as tears were now starting to fall from her eyes. "Was there something else you wanted to say?"
"I want to ask you one thing," the blonde replied. "Please stay as the leader of team RWBY."
Upon hearing the older girl's request, the redhead's eyes went wide and she tried to get out of the embrace she had been pulled into, only to find it impossible. Yang wasn't letting go at all.
"Are you crazy!? No way am I coming back!" Ruby said angrily as she continued to struggle. "What makes you think I would return after everything you all did!?"
"Ruby, please!" Yang pleaded desperately. "I know it doesn't sound good at all, but think of our team! We need you there! You're an irreplaceable part of our team and the only one that can lead us!"
"I can't… I won't!" the redhead said while gritting her teeth. "How could I ever return to team RWBY!? I can't trust any of you! Why would I ever return!?"
"I know it's selfish of me, but think about Weiss, Blake and me, your teammates," the brawler answered. "With you gone, our team can no longer function properly at all. Weiss will lose her best friend, Blake will lose the only person she can fully trust and I… I will lose the most important person in my life."
Yang almost let out her true feelings, but managed to hold back her words. A moment like this wasn't meant for a love confession.
Ruby herself was silent, most likely thinking about what the older girl had just said, which prompted Yang to continue speaking.
"Ruby, I know it will be hard for you to trust us and I don't blame you. If I was in your position, I'd have a hard time of doing that as well. I'm sure anyone would," the blonde continued. "But believe me when I say that we need you, far more than you could ever realize. When you've been away from our team, all three of us immediately felt the loss. It's like they say how you don't know what you had until you lost it."
At this point, Yang let go of Ruby and stood up. The redhead expected the older girl to leave, but instead she walked in front of her and bowed down on the floor on all fours. Yang looked like she was begging for forgiveness from a king or a god.
"I am in no place to ask you this after everything that has happened, but I have to ask you to at least consider staying on our team," the brawler begged with her head touching the floor. "I now ask you, Ruby Rose, not only for my sake but for the sake of team RWBY itself, that you don't leave us and continue as our team leader. I, Yang Xiao Long, swear that I will do everything it takes to make sure you won't regret it."
Ruby stared at Yang with wide eyes, having not expected her to do something like this. The redhead was completely taken aback by this sudden act by the older girl and didn't know how to properly respond. On one hand, she kind of wanted to accept her position as team RWBY's leader, so that she wouldn't end up breaking Yang's heart. However, there was still a small part of her that remembered the sting of betrayal she felt from what the blonde and her other teammates did. This bitter part of her wanted nothing more than to decline Yang's request and tell her that their time as a team was over for good.
It honestly scared Ruby how cruel she could see herself being. Even if she was still somewhat resentful towards Yang and her other teammates, she had never imagined herself even thinking like this.
The redhead broke out of her thoughts, when she realized that she hadn't replied to Yang's request at all. Much to her surprise, the blonde was still on the floor, bowing down to her.
"I… I don't know what to say," Ruby finally spoke up. "I get that it means a lot for you guys to have me on your team and you really want me there, but still… I just… I can't help but think about what happened and how it felt…"
"I understand that, Ruby," Yang said. "I just want you to consider it."
"I… I'll think about it. That's the best I can say for now."
Upon hearing that Ruby would consider her request, a bright smile made its way to Yang's face, who lifted herself up from the floor. Tears of relief and joy were also falling from the brawler's eyes, as she gave a quick hug to the younger girl.
"Thank you, Rubes," Yang said as she hugged the redhead. "You have no idea how much this means to me."
With her business now done, the older girl began to make her way out of the room and towards team RWBY's dorm. As she exited team LION's dorm, she walked past said team, who had been waiting outside in case anything happened.
"Goddammit, why did you have to go and do that?" Elaine, the leader of team LION muttered, as Yang walked past her. "Now I can't hate you so much anymore."
"Huh?" the blonde said out of confusion.
"Don't get me wrong, I still dislike you A LOT, but I can respect the fact that you're trying to fix things between you and Ruby," the redheaded third-year explained. "We all make mistakes, even if yours was one of the biggest ones I've ever heard of, but if you truly regret what you did and try to make things right again, I honestly respect that. God only knows I've made some big blunders in my life."
Yang was honestly surprised. With the way the members of team LION had been acting towards her, she was certain that she would never be able to get on friendly terms with them. However, that no longer seemed completely impossible.
"Don't get me wrong, blondie. I still seriously don't like you at all," Elaine quickly said. "I'm also not going to let your team get Ruby, if there's anything I can do to help it. She deserves to have a team that actually respects her."
"We may have treated her poorly before, but I can swear that it won't happen again," Yang said in response. "Also, I believe it will be up to Ruby to choose which team she joins. Not you."
The next couple of days went along without any incidents. Ruby was still mostly hanging out with team LION, as she was still unsure of how to approach her own team. The WBY themselves weren't chasing after their team leader either, as they decided to give her some room to make her decision as to what team she would join.
The redhead herself might have seem to be calm, but inside she was in turmoil. On one hand, it felt like the most logical and obvious thing to do would be to join team LION. Not only would she get to be part of a team that she knew for certain would treat her well, but she would also take a huge step towards her dream of becoming a Huntress.
However, no matter how obvious this choice seemed, Ruby couldn't help but have her doubts. Even if they had treated her poorly, her old teammates had still been her friends at one point and seriously regretted what they did. Ruby couldn't help but remember some of the good times she actually had with the WBY. The strict but helpful study sessions with Weiss that had helped her scores, the times she and Blake talked about their favorite books for hours at a time and all the fun memories she had of Yang through her whole life.
The blonde girl was probably the one thing that caused the most doubt withing Ruby's heart. For most of her life, Yang had been there to protect her and be her best friend. It was her betrayal that hurt the most, but she was also the one person Ruby had the most trouble of simply leaving behind. Whether she liked it or not, the brawler had become a large part of her life that she couldn't get rid of.
As she was torn between her two options, Ruby didn't notice team LION walking up to her. The third-year team's leader even called out to the younger girl, but got no response. It wasn't until Elaine poked Ruby's cheek with her finger that the first-year student realized her friends were there.
"Huh? Oh, hi Elaine!" Ruby greeted the older girl, who was looking at her with a concerned look. "Is something the matter?"
"I was hoping you would tell me that," Elaine answered. "We actually called for you, but you didn't seem to even notice us. Is something wrong with you?"
"It's… nothing. I was just lost in thought over some stuff," the scythe-wielder explained. "Anyways, what about you guys? Did you guys need me for something?"
"Actually, we do!" the older redhead replied happily. "Ozpin called our team to his office and told us to bring you with us!"
"Me? What for?" Ruby asked.
"What do you think!?" Isabella said while barely able to contain her excitement. "This will be the moment you're going to be officially made into a third-year and part of our team!"
A smile made its way to Ruby's face, even though she could feel herself get incredibly nervous on the inside. While her third-year friends had done their best to convince her that her promotion to a third-year was pretty much guaranteed, the redhead herself couldn't help but be worried. Even if others were telling her that she had been doing great while working with team LION, she was still unaware of how the professors would make their judgment. There could be all sorts of factors that would be considered in her evaluation that she was unaware of.
Not only that, but her feelings towards her old team were still causing strife within her.
Despite her worries, Ruby and team LION began to make their way to Ozpin's office. No one in the group spoke during their walk to the headmaster, as they were all too excited and/or nervous in order to do so. Once they arrived at the office, they saw Ozpin and Glynda waiting for them there. The silver-haired man was sitting behind his desk, while his blonde assistant stood next to him.
"I'm glad you could come, Ms. Rose and members of team LION," Ozpin kindly greeted his students. "Please come closer. I have something important to discuss with you all."
The five students walked up to the headmaster's desk and waited silently. Ruby was standing at the front with the four third-years standing behind her in line.
"Now, I believe that you are wondering why I called you all here. The matter I wish to discuss has to do with Ms. Rose being placed as a temporary member of team LION," Ozpin explained. "Do any of you have an idea as to why this arrangement was made in the first place?"
"It was to see if Ruby could handle the level of work us third-years face, sir," Elaine spoke up. "Before she was placed in our team, Ruby's skills proved to be far greater than any other students in their first year studying here. Because of that, the professors decided to see whether she could work on our level, which would earn her the right to skip right to a third-year student."
"That is basically it, Ms. Lambert. Truly, Ms. Rose is a prodigy like no other I have ever seen in my life," the headmaster continued. "Not only was she able to impress me with her skills so well that she earned her right to join Beacon two years early, but now she has shown skills that would allow her to skip years again in her training to become a Huntress."
A moment of silence fell over the room, as the members of team LION gave quick glances at each other. Excitement was evident on their faces, as they all thought the same thing.
"So… Will she be allowed to do it?" Isabella asked. "Is Ruby allowed to become a third-year and join our team?"
"The decision on that isn't fully in my hands. A lot of factors must be taken into account," Ozpin began to explain. "First, there are the reports Ms. Lambert has made on Ms. Rose's skills that are taken into consideration. Besides that, there are also a great number of statements by the teachers themselves that we also take into account. We have also asked several other third-year students that have seen Ms. Rose in person to see what they think as well. Once we took all of the possible statements we could, the decision on her promotion was reached."
"...And that decision was?" Ruby asked nervously.
"With everything that we have heard, there is no reason not to allow Ms. Rose to advance to a third-year," the headmaster answered. "From this moment, Ms. Rose will officially be recognized as a third-year as well as a member of team LION."
The four third-year students cheered, happy over the fact that their friend's hard work had paid off and she had achieved her goal. Ruby herself stood in silence, as a relieved smile made its way to her face.
"However, if it was up to me, I wouldn't allow this promotion," Ozpin suddenly said, shocking everyone present. "I do not agree with the idea of making Ms. Rose a third-year at all."
"Wait a minute! How can you say that!?" Isabella yelled. "You just said that there was no reason not to promote her! Why are you changing your mind now!?"
"I am not changing my mind at all. I never agreed with the idea of promoting Ms. Rose and I only gave her the chance due to the teachers asking for it," the headmaster explained. "Personally, I would have never even considered doing this in the first place."
"WHAT THE HELL!?" Elaine screamed in rage and almost ran up to Ozpin, hadn't she been held back by Oliver. "HOW THE HELL CAN YOU SAY THAT!?"
"Ellie, calm down!" Oliver shouted in order to bring some sense to his team leader. "Losing your cool won't help any of us!"
"NO I'M NOT CALMING DOWN!" the redhead yelled at her teammate. "He's just throwing away all the hard work and achievements Ruby did like it was all meaningless! How the hell are you staying calm!?"
"Trust me, I'm having trouble holding myself back as well," the giant said and Elaine noticed how there were small signs of his Semblance starting to activate. "However, if we lose our heads now, it won't help anyone, especially Ruby. So do her a favor and control yourself."
Upon hearing her young friend's name get mentioned, Elaine immediately stopped her rage-fueled antics and turned to look at Ruby. Through this whole thing, the young redhead had been standing completely still and silent, but she was far from being unaffected. One needed to only look at her face to tell that she was crushed by what Ozpin had said. The scythe-wielder's face was completely pale and her expression was one of heartbreak and anguish. Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes, as she struggled to keep herself from crying.
"I understand that this is a shock to you all, but I do have my reasons for the things I've said," Ozpin spoke up. "For starters, I am not saying that Ms. Rose doesn't have the necessary skills needed to be a third-year. She is actually more than capable of handling herself."
"T-Then why hold her back?" Nilo asked, confused as to why the headmaster was so against promoting Ruby. "If she is capable, shouldn't she be placed on a position more fitting for her skills?"
"I am not trying to hold her back. I am thinking of what is best for her," Ozpin explained. "You see, going through your studies in a normal manner is about more than simply acquiring the skills needed for future challenges. There is also experience to be gained by working through the classes of each year as you progress. If one were to skip years, they won't be able to gain the experience that might prove to be necessary for them later on in life."
"Maybe that's true normally, but holding Ruby back in first-year is only going to destroy her growth!" Isabella argued angrily. "Do you have any idea what some of the other first and second-years are doing to her!? I've heard how they whisper all sorts of nasty rumors about her, saying how she doesn't belong here, as well as even nastier stuff! Not only that, but some of them even try to beat her up! How is she supposed to grow in such an environment!?"
"I am very aware of the things Ms. Rose has to go through. I am truly sorry that she has to go through such trials," the headmaster said, shocking the students. "It is truly terrible what envy can cause in people. Ms. Rose certainly doesn't deserve to go through such pains."
"Then why are you letting it go on!?" Elaine yelled. "You know that she's being treated unfairly, yet you aren't going to do the one thing that could save her from it!? What kind of logic is that supposed to make!?"
"As much as we would like to help Ms. Rose, we cannot. If we show too much attention on her, the other students won't take it as a sign that they're the ones in the wrong, but rather that Ms. Rose is being favored by the staff," Ozpin explained. "I am truly sorry for what she has to go through, but there is only so much we are allowed to do, without causing further issues. It's also a sad fact that dealing with opposition is a part of life that will build you up."
"Say what you want about experience and everything, but too much is too much!" Isabella argued. "The way Ruby gets treated is way too much for one person to handle! Hell, even her own team mistreats her!"
"I have been made aware of this. However, I have also been made aware of their behavior that indicates they aren't exactly hateful towards Ms. Rose as well," the headmaster said. "Think about it yourselves. If Ms. Rose's teammates truly despised her and saw her as unworthy, would they go out of their way to get her attention? I can't help but feel that they themselves know they're about to lose their leader, which has prompted them to fight against it."
As the third-years continued to argue with Ozpin, Ruby herself remained silent. She was no longer even paying attention to what was going around her, as she felt like her heart was struggling to beat and her body was freezing over. The shock that came from Ozpin's words had left her completely speechless, as the thought of all her hard work being all for nothing in the end left her unable to even think properly.
However, despite the crushing anguish the redhead was feeling, she couldn't help but also think about the talk she had with Yang. No matter how bitter she felt towards her teammates, Ruby just couldn't bring herself to actually hate the three older girls. The way Yang had pleaded her to remain in team RWBY made it sound like the life of the whole team was hanging on her decision. If that was true, the scythe-wielder couldn't help but worry about the well-being of the WBY.
The arguing was still going on, while Ruby was thinking about herself and her teammates from team RWBY. The verbal battle between the third-years and the headmaster was suddenly brought to a stop by none other than the subject of the argument herself.
"ENOUGH!" Ruby suddenly yelled, surprising everyone around her. "This whole matter regards me most out of all of us, so I would like to speak for myself at least a bit."
"B-But Ruby-" Elaine tried to speak up, but was quickly cut off.
"No, Ellie. I appreciate that you want to stick up for me, but I feel like I should do the talking from here on," the younger redhead said to the older girl, before turning her attention to the headmaster. "Professor Ozpin, I am sorry about the way I let things get out of control. I was unfortunately taken aback by what you said, so it took a moment for me to come out of it."
''That's quite alright, Ms. Rose," Ozpin said with a small smile. "I do apologize somewhat for what I've said. By no means did I mean to disregard your skills or anything like that."
"Thank you, professor," Ruby said. "However, I do have to ask one thing. What will happen now? Does this mean that I will not be promoted to a third-year after all?"
"Actually, that is completely up to you," the headmaster answered. "Forgive me if I gave you the wrong idea, but I never intended to stop you from promoting just because of my own opinion. I might be the head of this school, but I'm not some kind of dictator. With the glowing recommendations that the teachers and students have given, I don't see it as my right to simply take away your chance to become a third-year just like that."
"But… Hang on," Elaine said. "What was all that talk about not allowing Ruby to become a third-year then? Was that all just a prank?"
"Not at all. It was just my opinion on this matter and nothing more," Ozpin answered. "However, I still stand behind what I've said. I believe that Ms. Rose becoming a third-year will cause more harm than good. Not only do I believe that there is much for her to learn by simply advancing at the same pace everybody else does, but there is also the issue regarding her own teammates. If Ms. Rose were to leave her team, they would be one member short, which will have its own negative effects on their overall performance. I also can't help but feel that by taking Ms. Rose away from team RWBY, it will have far greater negative effects than what any of us can even predict."
The image of Yang begging her to stay as team RWBY's leader flashed through the back of Ruby's mind. The redhead felt cold sweat run down the back of her neck just by thinking about the blonde's words and just how desperate she had sounded.
"So what should I do?" Ruby asked. "What is the right choice for me to make?"
"I'm afraid that I can't tell you that. There are times like this in life when there isn't a simple "right choice" in front of you," Ozpin answered. "I will admit that if you choose to be promoted to a third-year, it will be a great advancement for you in becoming a Huntress. Not only will you take a huge step towards achieving your goal, but it will be marked in your records, which will greatly help you in the future."
Ruby thought about this. Her dream of becoming a Huntress would be closer to her grasp. She could become someone as great as her own mother. It sounded almost too good to be true.
"However, I still must ask you to consider your other option," Ozpin suddenly added. "I know that you would end up giving up an incredible and rare opportunity that only the very few ever even hear about, but I still must ask you to do this for your teammates. I know that those three hurt you, but I am sure that they regret it and want to redeem themselves. Unless you give them a chance to do so and continue as their team leader, I fear what might happen to them. Instead of having just one incredible student, I would rather have four great ones in the same team."
The image of Yang begging her to not leave flashed through Ruby's mind again. She began to fear for the well-being of the three older girls, even if they had wronged her. What would happen to them, if they went on a mission and needed the redhead's help?
"Of course I'm not going to let you go without any sort of reward for all your hard work so far," Ozpin suddenly continued. "Even if you give up your opportunity to become a third-year, you will still be rewarded for your achievements up to this point. Should you choose to stay with your current team and remain as a first-year student, I will personally make sure that your level skill will be known by all Huntsman agencies in the whole world. While I will admit that it isn't as great as actually advancing to a third-year in one go, my word still holds a lot of weight. Your future career should be in good hands even then."
While this helped ease Ruby's mind, it wasn't much. She was still caught between two hard choices. Would she choose her dreams and new friends, thus abandoning her former team to themselves? Or would she choose to stay with her current team and thus make sure that they are fine, but then abandon the greatest opportunity any student could ever hope for and risk being betrayed once again?
The faces of the members of team LION, her newest friends, flashed through Ruby's mind, giving her support and confidence. Then came the faces of the WBY, begging her to stay with them as they desperately needed her, especially Yang. The redhead thought about everything she had been through with both teams. All the good times and bad times she had shared with the two groups.
After thinking about it for a moment, Ruby made up her mind. She looked at Ozpin straight in the eyes and gave her answer.
Author's notes: Sorry for the long wait. I've been having issues that kind of drove me away from writing this story, but I am still going to finish this no matter what. Unfortunately I couldn't get this done before the end of the year, but I guess it's better late than never, right?
Anyways, I decided to drop this chapter on a cliffhanger, as the next chapter will be the last one. Or should I say, the next two chapters will be the last ones?
Like in some of my horror stories, this story will feature two endings. I probably don't need to tell you what the difference between them will be, as it's kind of obvious. I will release them as soon as I can when they are both ready, so it will take some time until they are done. Thank you all for your patience so far.
There was a question by Mostrum that I felt like answering, as it is about my original plans for team LION. If you're not interested, I recommend skipping the rest of this AN.
The whole thing regarding team LION's former fourth member isn't all that interesting in this story's current canon (if I may use the term here). The story is basically that their original fourth member had to leave due to some personal reasons that weren't all that severe, thus opening a slot for Nilo to join the team.
However, I originally planned for there to be a bit more to it than just that, but I decided to cut it away since I didn't think readers would be interested in the backstories of original characters all that much. The original idea was that the previous fourth member of LION had died on a mission, which obviously left the rest of the team devastated. Afterwards, Ozpin, who had discovered Nilo, would have brought him to Beacon and introduced him to team LION as their new member. The older members would have been distrustful and skeptic over this change due to Nilo's age and personality, which would have led to them to look down on him. Nilo would have later proven his skills on a mission by saving the lives of his teammates, thus earning their trust and respect. This would have also served as an explanation as to why the members of LION were so welcoming in having Ruby as an extra member.
I also originally also considered having moments between Ruby and the members of LION, where they would each tell about their pasts to her. This would have also shown where they got their Semblances each, as they were tied to their pasts and personalities. I had seen this idea in another RWBY story, which I thought was good and wanted to use it.
Elaine: Lived in a town where her father used to make cartoons to cheer people up, which would lead to her love for animation. She also would often go and help out the town guard by doing all sorts of tasks. This desire to help and support would develop into her Semblance that allows her to support others.
Isabella: Was born into a noble family who lived on an island in the middle of a large lake. Despite having a good life, her constant studies and the atmosphere in the house felt like a cage, which led to her trying to escape numerous times. She was finally able to run away, when her Semblance activated that allowed her to create platforms from water, thus enabling her to run over the lake and escape.
Oliver: His mother died at birth due to complications, which his father took out on him by abandoning him. He was raised by an old couple at a village that shunned him for his unusually large build and strength. He was eventually discovered by Ozpin, who sent him to a Huntsman school from where his career began. His Semblance is born from the rage and stress he has felt through his life.
Nilo: Was born into an abusive household where his parents often beat him and berated him simply for existing. His Semblance was born out of his desire to disappear from the sight of his family, which allowed him to run away. He lived on the streets and taught himself through reading books that were either thrown away or stolen by him. Like Oliver, he was eventually discovered by Ozpin, but this took a while due to his Semblance making him hard to find.
I thought this all might have been interesting to some of you, so I decided to share it with you all. I cut it out of the story, as I thought it would take away too much attention from the actual characters, which I didn't feel was a good thing.
Anyways, hope you all had a good Christmas and a good new year.
Until next time.
RWBY belongs to Monty Oum.