Chapter 10: Dark Before the Dawn
Ruby looked around the tent and found it oddly comforting. While not massive, it was more spacious than how it looked from the outside. Dark red drapes hung from the ceiling, many with a gold or black trimming, and the calming orange glow from the lit candles made for a warm atmosphere. At the center of the room was a small coffee table that was surrounded by a few cushions for resting on. Had there been a more wholesome reason for being here, she probably wouldn't have minded staying.
Raven walked past Ruby and Death and momentarily turned behind a curtain, coming back with a steaming pot of tea her hands. She calmly walked to the table before resting on her knees and placing the pot on the center of the table.
"Please, have a seat." Her tone was calm, but anyone could tell it was just a formality.
Ruby took a similar position on the opposite side of the table. Death looked at Raven reluctantly before sitting criss cross. She pulled out three cups from underneath the table and placed them around for each of them to have one.
"The maiden." Death said bluntly.
"Yes, I know we'll get to her. But I want to get to you first." Raven said, pouring the tea into Death's cup.
"We're wasting time."
"You might be, but I think I'll find this time rather productive. How much has my brother told you?" She poured Ruby's cup.
"Thank you." Ruby quietly said, earning a very subtly surprised look from Raven and a neutral glance from Death. She picked up the warm drink with a shrug and sheepish smile.
"He's told me enough." The reaper answered.
"Clearly not. I don't mean to insult you, but you're aware he and Ozpin are hiding things from you, yes?"
"I do." Ruby looked at him with surprise.
"And I fully intend on making them talk."
"No need. I already know their secrets."
"Then talk already. Dancing around the subject will get you nowhere."
The young huntress didn't like where this was going.
"As I was saying. How much do you know? Specifics please. I want to get an idea of what you know." Raven said, glad she had asserted control over the conversation.
"The brothers, the Grimm, Salem, the relics, the maidens."
"And he made it sound like he had this 'noble quest of collecting the relics before the evil forces of Salem brought us all to an end' or whatever?"
"More or less."
"And he didn't tell you what he did to me and my brother? And how how she can't be stopped?"
"No. Though that hardly changes anything."
"Well, what do you mean she can't be stopped?" Ruby asked.
"I mean she's immortal, and not just in the age less sense. She cannot die, period."
"That hasn't stopped me before." Death said.
"Actually, since you brought it up, what has stopped you 'Death'? Who are you? My brother isn't exactly a snitch, and you certainly aren't someone that's had skin in the game until now. For whatever reason a complete lone wolf type calling himself the Reaper out of nowhere just decides to wage this war for what?"
"More than you know." Death had an edge in his voice.
"I've humored you enough and this is beginning to wane my patience. Give us the maiden and you won't so much as lose a night's sleep out of worry."
"..."
"..."
"...you uh, make really good tea …" Ruby said with a weak laugh, trying to break the tension the best she could.
"...fine then. Give me a moment to get her and we'll leave immediately." Raven said, standing up from her spot on the floor.
She walked past the two and out of the tent.
"Do you think she's telling the truth? About Salem?"
"Yes."
"Well, why do you think Ozpin and uncle Qrow didn't tell us?"
"...Even if he hasn't told us the whole truth, I doubt he'd explicitly lied to us. If what Raven says is true then he likely just wants to keep us hopeful. Not that that's an excuse, but that doesn't mean we're doing the wrong thing trying to stop her."
"If you say so…" she wasn't convinced.
"Ready when you are." Death and Ruby looked behind them to see the girl from earlier. Vernal. She had an annoyed look on her face but aside from that seemed mostly impartial.
"I suppose you want to get moving as soon as possible?" Raven said, stepping back into the tent.
"Is it that obvious?" Death said dryly, standing up from where he stood with Ruby following suite.
He went to walk past Raven and back outside, but she stopped him by putting a hand on his chest.
"No need. I'll save us all the time and embarrassment." Raven said, drawing Omen from her side.
She walked forward and moved the table with a small push of her foot, making space in the room. She quickly brought her sword down making a visible dark red slash in the air which quickly transformed into a large red blight. Death looked skeptically at her.
"It's a portal straight to Qrow. I'll go first if that makes you any more comfortable." Raven said in a slightly annoyed tone.
Raven looked straight at Death before casually backing into the mass of red. Vernal walked up to it, pulling down her eyelid and sticking her tongue out at Ruby as she walked past her.
"I really don't like her." Ruby said as soon as she saw her disappear into the portal.
"You're not the only one." Death reaffirmed her.
Ruby smiled at that.
"I'll go first, they might try something." Death said.
"That's fine. That portal looks kinda funny anyways."
Death walked into it leaving Ruby alone.
Ruby looked around to make sure she was alone. Quickly she grabbed Raven's teapot and dashed into the portal after the adults. She didn't even really want the thing. She just liked feeling sneaky.
Ruby came out of the portal with a sly grin on her face, but it didn't last long. The first thing she saw was her uncle passed out in the middle of the living room floor. Raven was down at his side, fingers on his neck trying to find a pulse.
"I know you said he was a drink, but it's barely eight and he's already passed out. Gotta admit, not impressed." Vernal said, seemingly not a care in the world.
Ruby dropped the teapot and balled her fists. It hit the ground and nearly shattered. She dashed to her uncle's side and tries to shake him awake.
"Uncle Qrow! Wake up!"
"He'll be fine." Raven said in a soothing tone.
"He wasn't drinking, his flask is still full, and I don't see a glass anywhere. But if he wasn't drinking, then that means we're not alone."
Ruby looked up at her would-be aunt with a worried face.
"Where's Death?" She asked nervously.
"He said he went to the balcony to see if he could find any of the kids. You should do the same Vernal." Raven said, turning to her lieutenant.
"Check the other rooms and see if you can find anyone, try and get them out here so we can do a head count but prioritize making sure we're alone."
"On it." She quickly started running down the opposite hall Death went through.
"I should go with her." Ruby insisted.
"No. You're staying here with me." She brought her hand to rest on Omen's handle, ready to draw it on a whim.
"But I-"
"You're safer and less of a hassle here. If you're not here if anyone comes to, we'll have to go looking for you, and if Salem's already gotten here you don't stand a chance against whoever she may have sent." She said sternly.
Ruby stood up from the spot neat to her uncle and began pacing, but didn't stray to far from him. Raven looked at her before exhaling.
"Your scythe. You're pretty good with it right?" Raven said with a calm voice.
"I guess. But wha-"
"Take it out so I can get a look at it."
Hesitantly Ruby drew Crescent Rose. And transformed it into a scythe.
"A little big for indoors, It's a sniper too right?" Ruby nodded her head in response.
"Turn it into that and keep it trained down there." Raven said pointing down the hall Death took.
Ruby did as she said but didn't look down the scope, now wasn't the time to get tunnel vision. Though at least now she felt like she was helping.
"Clear." Vernal said, with a slightly labored voice.
Raven and Ruby turned to see her dragging Jaune from underneath the arms, letting his feet drag. She dragged him into the middle of the room and dropped him next to Qrow.
"Only found him. He was passed out in bed and didn't wake up, clearly, so I doubt he's a threat. That and he just seems kinda scrawny." Vernal reported.
Ruby heard something coming from the other hallway. Something was coming up the stairs and she shot a round in its direction to be safe.
"Hn!" Death grunted as Ruby's bullet hit him in the shoulder.
"S-sorry!" She stammered.
Death felt his shoulder, a little bit of blood trickled out, but it didn't get far. He pulled out the bullet and tossed it aside.
"You're fine. Though we'll work on your aim later."
"Uh, right." She said with a weird mix between relief and shame.
"I found most of the kids, but there were two here that weren't when we left. I'm guessing visitors. Aside from that, there doesn't seem to be anyone that poses a threat." He confirmed.
"Let's get them in here and regroup. We'd be wise to have everyone in arms reach if we want to know what happened." Raven said firmly.
The four of them ran out to the arena like balcony. Five bodies. Ruby quickly ran to the closest one, turning it over she saw that it was Ren. She could havee guessed that much, but seeing her friend's face brought her a sense of comfort.
She wrapped her arms underneath his arm pits and hoisted him up a bit. He was heavier than he looked. She saw Death carrying Nora in one arm and someone else slung over his shoulder. Raven was picking up someone in a dirtied blue dress, and Vernal was dragging Oscar by his right arm.
Ruby dragged Ren upstairs and into the center of the living room next to Jaune and Qrow. Though one of his boots might've gotten caught on the stairs, since he was wearing just a sock on one foot.
Vernal tossed Oscar onto the couch like a ragdoll. At least it wasn't the floor. Ruby was beginning to think about going off on her, but that could wait.
Raven walked passed her and placed-
"Weiss?" Ruby exclaimed entirety out of shock.
"You were on a team with her right?" Raven asked.
"Huh? Uh, yeah. Why is she- how did you-"
She cut herself off when Death walked in, and now that she looked closer, that other person was-
"Yang?" She spoke without thinking again.
"W-how?" She asked, more hoping for an answer rather than expecting one.
"You know them?" Death asked her, setting down the blonde and Nora on the couch, on top of Oscar's still unconscious legs.
"Y-yeah. Yang's my sister, and their both on my team- were on my team." She replied, though she sounded out of it, still trying to take in the situation.
"How did they get here?"
"I got them here." Raven said, deciding that telling her any later would lead to a headache.
"Yang came to me, looking for you, and vernal found the heiress in a crashed cargo ship. Took her back and she caught your sister at the right time. They wanted to see you, and so I saved them the effort of tracking you down."
"Y-you… and you didn't think to tell me?" Ruby asked, nearly yelling.
"No. If I don't recall, you and Death had more important things than my rambling." Raven's voice was firm, and certainly less friendly than it had been.
"Still. You could've at least…" she wasn't sure what to say, earning a sigh from Raven.
"Look, the sun is going down soon. I suggest you get comfortable and at least try to get some sleep. They might be out for a while, and we won't be waiting long to open the vault once they come to. You won't be ready for whatever comes next if you're nodding off."
"The same goes for you." Death said from across the room.
He had been pacing back and forth behind the furniture. Ruby couldn't tell if it was out of impatience or stress.
"You and the maiden sleep out here too. I'm not fond of the idea of you and her running off while we have our backs turned." He commanded.
"Not a chance. I trust you about as much as I trust a snake in my boot not to bite me. Besides, I don't want to scare the kids if you're the first thing they see." Raven said that last bit with a grin.
"You say that like you're any better."
Ruby knew- or at least was pretty sure- that he was joking when he said that, but if Raven's expression was anything to go off of, it landed a little differently for her. Her smirk was wiped away with a scowl. She was probably thinking about Yang when he said that, and he was probably right if that's how she took it. With that thought…
"You said Yang went to you so she could get to me. How, uh, how's she been holding up?" Ruby awkwardly asked Raven.
Her expression relaxed a little, but the subject change wasn't any better, and it showed.
"Well, if you're asking if she's doing better given her arm, I think she's handling it pretty well. Though she seems, different. Rattled. Not the wise crack she used to be." The mother said.
"How would you know?" Ruby asked.
She wasn't sure if she was asking out of genuine interest or with malice.
"I…" Raven wasn't sure if she could explain the truth, or if being honest was even the right call.
"This can wait until daybreak. Remember what we're here for. You'll have plenty of time to work this out and put it behind yourselves after we have the relic. Getting rest is what's important right now." Death asserted.
He could tell a family as nuclear as this one could go at this until morning. And he needed to talk to Raven alone.
"Sounds good to me. You guys got any spare blankets?" Vernal said from across the room, stretching her arms behind her back.
"Here." Ruby said, a slight edge in he voice.
She walked past the bandit and over to the closet in the wall. She handed Vernal a pillow and blanket, trying her best to hide any signs of passive aggression.
"Thanks." She says, taking them from her, in an almost sarcastic voice.
Ruby is pretty sure she caught on. She grabbed another pillow and the rest of the blankets for everyone else that was knocked out. Meanwhile Raven went around the room turning off all the lights except for the light underneath the microwave.
Ruby walked back over to the middle of the room and looked at Qrow and Jaune lying on the floor. She sighed and put the blankets and pillows down. She hoisted up her uncle and dragged him up to the couch Weiss was on, before doing the same for Jaune and Ren. Picking up a blanket, she cast it over the four of them. She picked up another and threw it over Yang, Nora, and Oscar. She threw down the pillow next to the couch before resting her head on it and curling up in a blanket.
"Goodnight." She weakly said, knowing none of them would hear it.
Vernal just cocked an eyebrow at her from her seat on a cushioned chair.
"Goodnight." Death said from the other side of the room.
Raven looked at him with a surprised look. She hadn't expected that from him. Then again, she didn't know what to expect.
The Witch sat on her throne as she could usually be found, reading a book while humming a tune from her Youth. While the room was conventionally used for meetings with the rest of her council, she found the ambiance soothing enough to double as a study for when she was alone.
The book was an old one. It was rather popular back when she was… pure, though not many took the time to finish it. The copy she was reading was made with thin paper that felt smooth when flipping, though it's age was catching up to it if the small tears and yellowing were anything of merit.
It was a tale that she had never considered for many decades, but she eventually got around to reading it. Though it had been centuries since she last read it. With the rise of current events, she found herself enjoying a lot more than her first read, even if she did skip to the end. The end was always the most exciting in stories.
"Ma'am." Hazel said walking in from the opposite end of the room.
"I would appreciate it if you knock next time, but I suppose it's of no significance. Speak."
"Apologies. The White Fang haven't been very cooperative with the sudden push up of the assault. The Taurus boy killed Kahn, which moved things along, but I'm concerned with the… instability this could have on our relationship with them."
"... I understand. Tell Cinder to tighten the leash on Taurus in the future, but as long as they're ready for tonight, I think their involvement in the Grand Scheme can be improvised should they cease their support early. You ought to make your way to Haven now. I can't imagine the flight will be short. Is that all?"
"Yes Ma'am, apologies for intruding." Hazel said, calmly as ever.
"And Hazel, if you could take a spare Seer with you just in case? I may want an audience with our new player."
"Yes Ma'am."
Hazel exited the room, closing the door shut with a loud 'thud', leaving the Witch alone once again. She lifted her book back up and picked up where she left off. It was a story she didn't hear much of these days, save for a few fairytales. Though they didn't deliver the same… morality.
Most stories were short and sweet enough for a child to grasp onto. This was for a quite a bit more mature audience. A read she hadn't been able to fully pick up on until she took up literature back when she lead a simpler life. It was a lot more enlightening than what she initially thought of it. It wasn't until she finished the sixth chapter she felt she could really take a break and get back to work.
She put the bookmark in its new holding place before closing the book shut and placing it on the table. Cinder should be getting tired as of now, but a little motivation never ceases to amaze Salem how much it can push the young woman. She stood up from her throne and made her way to the training hall.
"You have something on your mind, don't you?" Raven asked the Death.
It had been a few hours since Ruby and Vernal went to sleep. Leaving just her and Death awake, and up until now, silent. Raven stood up from her stool and walked over to the kitchen and started checking that cabinets.
"You could say that." He said dryly.
"Well you can feel free to talk to me. It doesn't look like we'll be going anywhere. Vernal sleeps heavy, and Ruby is probably exhausted. Besides," she pulled down two glasses and a bottle of liquor.
"I'm dying to know you better." she said with a slight grin.
"And I you. Though I don't think we're on the same page." He said with something that resembled sarcasm, though it felt a bit more altruistic in a sense.
"Oh?" Raven said popping the cork and filling a glass before sliding it over to him.
He stopped it so it wouldn't fall off the ledge, but didn't dare humor her. She poured her own drink and took a small sip from it.
"You're related to Rose, yes?" He asked.
"Ruby? No, not quite."
"You sounded like you knew her."
"I knew her father, way back when. Had a kid. The blonde on the couch over there." She said pointing to Yang, her drink still in her hand.
"But you left?"
"..Yes."
"Why?"
"You know, I can't say I fully appreciate you digging into my private life like this. But, if you'd be so kind as to tell me about yourself, I'm sure we could work something out." She said slyly, before downing her drink.
"I left them, because a family would only bog me down in the grand scheme of things. And as selfish as that sounds, it was for the best. I had people to look after, and a family would just leech my time."
"You left your blood for bandits?" For the first time in a long while, he was truly baffled.
"And what about you. You have a family? I can't imagine a guy like you doesn't just join a hopeless crusade for kicks." She was already making good progress on her second glass.
"I have siblings. Three of them. My brother needs my help, and Salem will keep him damned if I don't stop her in time."
"And you're the…"
"Oldest. Of two brothers, one sister."
"You don't get along with them do you?"
"..We don't speak much no. But I-"
"But you sacrifice yourself at their expense, and it's never the other way around, right?"
"I made sure they can land on their feet, that's how it's supposed to be." He was getting worked up.
"And why should you owe them that. Why not the other way around?"
"Because they're not supposed to be there for us, we're supposed to be there for them."
"Because they're ours?"
"Because we're what they have, and they can't go along without us." He was nearly shouting. He took a moment to compose himself. He wasn't sure why he was getting so worked up.
"There is someone right there, who was counting on you, and you left her because you just didn't want them?"
"I never said that..." Raven mumbled under her breath before taking another swig.
"... I'm, sorry…" in that moment it was clear how she actually felt.
"..No, no you're fine. It's just something I don't like to talk about." She said, trying not to sound defeated, hoping that changing her voice would change her attitude.
"You're drunk."
"Eh. I could go a few more rounds." She said with a weak shrug.
"You don't drink?"
"No. And neither should you. Not now." He grabbed the glass from out of her hand before it could reach her lips, placing it firmly on the table.
She narrowed her eyes slightly before reaching around him and grabbing his untouched drink, quickly bringing it up and downing it in one go. She gave him a sly smile as his eyes narrowed.
"I uh, try. I try watching over Yang, the best I can, you know. I step in when she's in too much danger, but she's strong. I think she landed on her feet just fine…" something about those last words felt, melancholic.
"She doesn't need me anymore."
"I'm sure she would welcome you back, if you wanted to try again." He said calmly.
"I'm not so certain. You don't know her. Not like I do. Though, I suppose that's not much more." She gave a hollow laugh.
"Not much of an optimist, if you couldn't tell."
"You don't seem much like a realist either."
"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence. But, thanks for keeping me company." She said with a slight grin.
"You looked like you needed it."
Raven reached over and picked up the whole liquor bottle and tilted it up to her mouth.
"Never saw the appeal of alcohol when I was younger. Always thought it tasted like piss and stung more than any drink should." She said with a bit more energy.
"And now?"
"Still tastes bad. But the sting is welcomed. That just means it's working." Her words were beginning to slur.
"How long ya been sober?" She brought the bottle back up, almost losing her footing as it made contact.
"My whole life."
"Heh, I bet you're a lightweight." She put the bottle down and stumbled over to him.
"I bet you look good under that mask too..."
She raised her hand up to his cheek and moved her fingers along it until it reached the chin of his mask. She got a gentle grip between two of her fingers and gave a small tug, but death put his hand around her wrist before it could go far.
It wasn't a very strong grip, but it was enough to send the message. Her eyes widened before she reeled her hand back, leaving the mask still on his face. She stepped back with a slight stumble and shot her eyes to the floor.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- I thought you wanted m- I shouldn't have done that."
She gave a weak laugh before bringing a hand up to cover her eyes and turned her whole body the other way.
"I should probably put this away." She picked up the bottle of liquor and put it back on the shelf she found it.
"I know I'm tipsy and all that, you can forget everything I said, but… thank you, still." She said, trying her best to salvage the situation.
"You're fine. You should get some rest."
"No. No I said I'm staying up, and I fully intend to. It's- what time is it." She glanced at the clock.
"One thirty. Assuming everyone will be awake by sunrise, that means we've got four hours. I should be feeling like myself again by then. But we've got time to kill." She sounded anxious.
"We don't need alcohol to talk." Death suggested.
Raven gave a small laugh and smiled at that.
"No I suppose not."
It was times like these Ruby thought it would be best to pretend like she didn't hear anything.
"Ma'am, before I leave, I just wanted to inform you that…" Watts stopped himself when he realized the room was empty.
From across the room he spotted something sitting near Salem's end of the table. A brown leather cover book. He checked around the room to make sure it was empty, even looking back into the hallway before closing the door behind him.
He walked over to the other side of the long table. He tilted his neck to the side and turned the book so he could read the gold title.
'The Holy Bible'
A/N:
Hello again. Hoped you all enjoyed this chapter. Not much to say on this one.
I didn't want the interactions between Death and Raven to come off as too 'shippy' (even if I do ship it) since I want to see how you guys feel about that stuff first. Should I dial it back, or is that stuff you want to see? If you do, let me know. I'm down for having characters see each other like that as long as they're not making goo goo eyes at each other and junk like that.
Aside from that, feeling confident. I have a really good feeling about these next few chapters. Now that I'm sort of doing my own thing, (key words 'sort of' as of now), I've been enjoying writing these chapters a lot more. I don't want to sound negative, but I always kind of felt like I had to actively put in effort to bring myself to put out chapters, which explains the long waits between updates. But now that I'm really cooking with fire, I find this to be one of my most fulfilling pass times, especially if you guys are liking the story.
Speaking of what you guys might like, I took a day or two to off of writing to re-read Chaos Production's Darksiders x RWBY fic 'Strength of an Honest Soul' after a fee years. And quite honestly it might be my favorite fanfic between these two (though that's not saying a whole lot since there's only like seven on this site). If you haven't read it or haven't been filled it, it just recently got updated so that it's chapters are more split up for easier reading, and has a brand new chapter that I adored reading through. It might not be for all of you, but I cannot stress enough that you should at least try it out.
I think that's everything for now, see ya.