Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
"When do you think she will wake up?"
Ruby heard the question but didn't know who asked it. Her body felt heavy like she was waking up from a deep slumber. Where was she exactly? She tried to open her eyes but they wouldn't budge at all.
"The doc said that all she needed was sleep."
That was someone else, or at least that is what Ruby thinks. It is hard to tell when her consciousness is in some kind of limbo at the moment. It was coming back to her, but it was taking a long time. Or at least it felt that way.
"I'm glad that no one got seriously hurt yesterday."
Yesterday? Now Ruby was really confused. What happened the day before? The last thing she remembers is was...
"Waahhh!"
Ruby's eyes flew open as she sat up remembering that she was in the past now. She immediatedly began to take in her surrounding. A hospital. Huh. So that is where she was. She noticed that Weiss, Blake and Yang were all sitting in the room, and with how Weiss was sitting she was the one that screamed.
Other than that everyone else in the room wore relief on their faces. 'Wonder what happened.' She never took into account that she most likely collapsed after her trip through space and time. Yang lunged forward to hug Ruby which drug her out of her thoughts.
"Ooooohhh, I'm so glad you're awake Rubes. What happened to you? After the train crashed and you didn't wake up I initially thought you had died, so tell me what happened." Ruby tensed in her sisters arms and immediately felt dread build up in her stomach.
It took Ruby a moment to find her voice again, but after a minute she finally was able to ask. "A train?"
Yang immediately pulled away from Ruby with worry adorning her features. It was at that, that Ruby realized Yang thought she may have memory loss or worse amnesia, if the looks on her other two friends faces were anything to go by. "Yes, we were on a train trying to stop it because the White Fang were trying to get Grimm into the city."
Realization struck Ruby hard. 'The Breach!' The dread built up even further as she had to ask, she had to know. "Did anyone get hurt?" Ruby began to silently berate herself for not being able to keep the fear out of her voice.
The other three shared a look before laughing. Laughing! Ruby didn't know how she felt at that but the dread seemed to lessen a bit. Blake decided to speak up. "Funny thing is, is that no one got hurt or if they did they weren't hurt bad."
Relief flooded Ruby's systems as she relaxed once again. The room stayed silent for some time before Ruby remembered something. She remembered her conversation with Salem and Professor Ozpin. She couldn't help but tense up and fell anger begin to swell inside her.
The anger must have been visible because everyone else flinched. She remembered that her younger self at this point had never felt true anger like this or at least that she had ever showed to others. At most she would pout, it was funny because Ruby rarely pouted anymore either. No she wouldn't pout, not till she had Cinder's head on the end of her Cresent Rose.
"Ruby, are you ok because you look mad." Ruby was brought out of her reverie again by Weiss' question. She didn't know why but she just laughed. It might have been because of how morbid her thoughts turned or it might have been because of the apprehension on the rest of Team RWBY's faces. It felt good to actually laugh, Ruby belatedly realized.
How long had it been since she was last able to laugh with no care in he world? She didn't even realize that the other three were giving strange looks. She didn't care either, she was just swallowed up by the positive feeling roaring through her. It was like she was on a sugar high or something. It must have been really strange for the others to see and look at.
Ruby doesn't know how long she laughed but she did realize that she was now laying back down again taking deep breaths with three concerned people watching her. 'What happened to her?' It had to have been their thoughts at this point.
Maybe they thought she was going crazy, and maybe she actually was. Time-travelling? It was so far-fetched and unbelievable that not even Uncle Qrow would believe her. Or at least that is what she believes anyway because her uncle was one odd person. It took her a few minutes to finally regain her breath and to regulate it. That is when someone went to go ask a question, but at that same moment the door burst open and in came her Uncle Qrow and her father Taiyang Xiao-Long.
Ruby looked over at her father and unlce as they both realized that she was actually awake and both nearly ran over to her. Taiyang had embraced his daughter looking like his prayers were answered, while Qrow stood back giving Taiyang his space with Ruby while also being able to take in the fact that Ruby was alright. It was a little unnerving to Ruby that both her Uncle Qrow and her father were both here. They weren't here the first time.
It took a moment for her to realize that her father never showed up because they had never gotten hurt last time, and her Uncle Qrow was doing something for Ozpin she thought. She'd have to ask her uncle some questions about Ozpin, but later after everyone left. She looked Qrow in the eyes and did a few sublte movements which he did back knowing that she was asking him to stay to talk after everyone else left.
Not wanting to ruin this father/daughter moment, Weiss, who looked depressed all of a sudden, and Blake left the room. Yang had walked over and joined in on the hug to show her support. It was some time later that the embrace was broken, and Taiyang finally spoke. "Ruby, what happened to you out there?"
'Ah, there it is.' Ruby knew it was coming and she really didn't want to answer it. She knew that whatever answer she gave would not be good enough of an answer, and she knew that it would be a lie. She agreed the moment she realized she was in the past that she wouldn't tell anyone or at least let it become common knowledge. It was dangerous for people to know that she time travelled, and most wouldn't believe her in the first place. She remembered that over her travels of that one Grimm that released a knock out gas that was able to knock out huntsmen.
She composed herself and prepared herself to tell her biggest lie to both her father, sister and to her uncle. "When we were in the tunnel fighting the White Fang and the Grimm that got close to us, I was hit with a gas that was released by a Grimm. I don't know what type it was though, but I remember Professor Oobleck briefly mentioning one that fit the description while going over the history of Vale."
Her Uncle Qrow looked unconvinced while the other two both readily sucked it up with no problem. It shocked Ruby with how Yang had freaked out with her fighting a Grimm like that and would ask the others if they saw that Grimm too or if they saw others of its kind. Taiyang just began to whispers 'thank you Oum' in relief. Qrow on the other hand watched her suspiciously, like she was his target or like he knew she wasn't telling something.
It was unnerving to see her uncle look at her like that. She almost feared what he would say when they were alone. She almost dreaded it but she also knew that she needed his help, so she would suck it up and let things take its course in that conversation. Yang finally stood up and decided that she was going to help the others finish the cleanup, while Taiyang said that he would help out since he was there. Qrow obliged to Ruby's request and stayed behind giving Taiyang the excuse that he wants to catch up with his niece and too see how she is holding up.
Jeremie finished his sit ups and decided that he should go for a run. It has been like this for him for a few days. He doesn't know where or when he is, but he does know that his powers are very limited and that Neio's shadowlings are running amok. He has had to kill at least 20 of them in the past few days.
He hasn't been this angry since... ever really. It worried him immensly that he was so angry at Neio and Yoe for this. Then again he just wanted to rip something apart. He felt that his energy was so pent up but at the same time was almost completely gone that it hurt to breathe at times.
It didn't matter what shape these shadowlings took he would kill them, like this wolf one that just appeared. It was dead in less than a second, but still didn't give Jeremie any reason to believe things would get better. He couldn't sense anything and was unable to even fly to see where he was. As he sat back down inside his cavern, he looked up at the giant broken crystal that he was trapped inside for 5000 thousand situation outside was a mystery to him and he knew that his life force was constantly being supplied to the planet. It was a strange thought.
Jeremie would have never imagined that he would ever be forced into this situation. A situation similar yes but not this one. It almost reminded him of when he was hunting Him down and was trapped inside the body of a hedgehog for a while. He laughed at that thought, as he remembered how grim everything became for a bit there. He looked out to the opening of the cave and almost smiled. Something felt different in the planet's energy, it was a familiar change. He should know it since he loved to use that power. Someone had time travelled.
Qrow sat in a chair across from Ruby waiting. Waiting for what, Ruby didn't know. She didn't know how to start this conversation, so she just looked down and fiddled with her fingers and waited for her uncle to say something. It felt like forever before Qrow had shifted slighty, which had caused Ruby to look up at him.
Her uncle looked like he wanted to say something but seemed to be refraining. "You can ask what you want Uncle Qrow." This seemed to startle Qrow out of his indecision.
He seemed to think for a second. "You lied about what had happened to you. I want to know why. What had happened in those tunnels that you don't want us to know about, or at least your father and sister to know about."
Ruby began to fidget even more not sure if she should tell him the truth. She was nervous that he would think she was lying to him. How do you even take something like that. 'I'm from the future.' It sounds so idiotic and improbable. He would never believe it!
She debated with her self in what felt like forever before she made up her mind. "How much do you truly know about Professor Ozpin?"
Qrow had looked at her with a confused expression on his face. "What does Oz have to do with this?"
Ruby sighed and looked back down at her fingers as she played with them. She clenched her fists and she just closes her eyes trying not to yell that this is all of his fault. No, she can't let her emotions control her. She doesn't even know the full situation and all of the players involved.
After taking a few moments to collect herself after nearly exploding like that she unclenches her fists and looks at her Uncle Qrow. "Before I awoke, I had this 'dream' or at least I think that is what it was, and standing next to each other calmly was both Ozpin and the Grimm Queen, Salem! It was so strange and they talked like they knew each other. It wasn't like a 'Oh I'm Ozpin, nice to meet you.' No it was like they genuinely knew each other and once been friends."
Ruby stopped to take a breath and to see how her uncle was reacting to what she had just said. Qrow was frowning as he looked at Ruby as if he was evaluating what she said. "How do you know who Salem is? I mean that is even common knowledge, not even the council knows that." His eyes narrowed as he looked at her for a response.
Ruby gulped nervously as she remembered that small fact. She didn't know how to respond to his question without telling him everything. She wasn't sure she was prepared to tell her uncle everything yet, or ever really. As she mulled this over and tried to figure out what to tell him, Qrow just watched looking for anything that could tell him how this happened.
Qrow finally sighed causing Ruby to look at him, as he started to stand up. "Ruby, I know that you are very scared right now, but I can tell that Oz is a good person. For the most part." Ruby had to strain her hearing to hear the last thing he said. Qrow looked out the window. "I don't know if that dream of yours was real but I can tell you that you shouldn't freely tell anyone about this. It will draw unwanted attention to you."
A silence once again fell over the group, as Ruby followed her uncle's gaze out the window. Ruby just barely heard Qrow mumble as he began his journey towards the door. "I don't want anything happening to you. Oz's sins should not be taken out on you." And with that he was out the door.
Ozpin sat in his chair looking out of the window in his office overlooking Beacon and Vale. He sighed as he looked at his unattended cup of coffee before returning his gaze to the window. This was the most unusual thing to happen for any observer that watched, but for him it was the most sane thing he has done in a long time.
He knew that the war had just evovled again with Ruby's emergence into the timeline. It was hard not to realize it, what with how Luna... No Salem. She went by Salem now. It was not hard to see that Salem has taken interest in Ms. Rose. Ozpin just hopes that he is strong enough to get his pieces into place, so he could avoid another loss like her mother. It was painful for everyone that knew her, especially for Qrow.
Qrow still believes that is his biggest mistake, one that is sorely shared with Ozpin. Sure he asked her to go out alone on that mission, but he never thought that one of Salem's best would attack. Nor did he expect that Qrow was actually following her and tried to help her. He was the most shocked when Qrow appeared at Ozpin's doorstep holding a dead Summer Rose. Taiyang never got the body because of the Grimm's highly potent venom destroying the remains.
Ozpin felt that he would not make a similar mistake again. He has already lost to many friends to Salem's armies. He clenched his fist as he silently made a promise. 'I will fix this war between us Salem, even if it kills me.'
Alright guys, that is Chapter 3 for Rose of Time. If you enjoyed follow and fav it and drop a review to let me know what you think. See you guys next time.
