Sorry for not uploading in a while, but my brain has been a bit fried in the writing department as of late.
Friday, September 25
POV: Ruby
Ruby woke up and nearly hit her head on the ceiling from sitting up so fast. She breathed hard and heavy, and her entire body shook uncontrollably. When she finally regained control of her limbs, she brought her legs up to her chest and hugged them. The Rider stretched out her mind to find Cerise, but all she felt was a wall of anger and sadness.
Someone else brushed against her mind. Ruby, you okay? The young girl turned to see Yang propped up on her elbows on top of her own bed.
Not really, Ruby sent back. I saw them all again…
Even in the dark, Ruby could see Yang's eyes soften. Sorry, you wouldn't have wanted me in your head tonight anyway. My heads not in the right spot after all that happened yesterday.
Why are you awake now anyway?
Yang lay her head back on her pillow. Cerise attacked Halcyon not too long ago.
What? Ruby was so shocked, she almost said it out loud. Weiss and Blake didn't need to hear what was going on. Again, Ruby tried to reach her dragon, but got the same result as before. Does he know why?
Cerise blames him for the egg being stolen. Yang shuddered. He blames himself too. When he returned from hunting, the egg was already gone.
Is he okay?
He says not to worry about it; it's just a scratch. But…I felt it. Yang grabbed her left arm. I still feel it. It's worse than he's letting on.
Ruby grew confused. Why didn't I feel anything? Halcyon had to do something to her.
He didn't fight back. Yang closed her eyes. He said he couldn't hurt family.
Ruby skipped a breath, then looked down at her legs. I'm sorry Cerise attacked Halcyon.
Don't be. From what I'm getting from Halcyon, dragons value eggs almost as much as they value their Riders. You know how much they love us better than I do. I almost went off the deep end when you went missing. Yang paused in her thoughts. How long do you think Cerise is going to be like that?
I don't know, Ruby looked out the window. I've never seen her like this before. How was she when I was, you know…
She was injured and exhausted. I don't think she was capable of doing anything more than flinging that scientist guy into another building. But she did try to fly after you.
Ruby tightened her grip around her legs. I can't say I'm sorry he's gone. She stayed silent as she fought back memories of that prison. Soon after, Yang stepped up to help fight them off. Just by helping fend off the nightmares the past two weeks, she knew as much about Ruby's time in captivity as Cerise. The only downside Ruby saw was that Yang turned a little more protective than usual.
Maybe we should try and get some sleep, Yang suggested. I have a feeling Halcyon and Cerise will need us in the morning.
Don't go too far. Ruby lay back down in her bed. I don't want to see any of that again. She closed her eyes. As she finally drifted off to sleep, she felt Yang's mind close by to help fend off the nightmares for yet another night.
Saturday, September 26
POV: Yang
Yang stretched in the center of team RWBY's room. No matter what she did though, she couldn't get that kink out of her back. "Hey Ruby, could you give me a hand here?" she asked her little sister.
Ruby turned around from her dresser and smirked. "Sure." She gripped her bionic hand and sharply twisted it to the right. The hand popped off, and Ruby underhanded the detached appendage to Yang. The blonde barely caught it, and stared at the hand with a mixture of discomfort and pride.
"You've been waiting to do that for a while, haven't you?" Weiss asked from her bed.
"Yep. Found that out by accident four days ago. Scared me for a few seconds, but then I saw it easily snaps back in."
"Modular?" Yang asked as she tossed the hand back.
"Makes sense. I won't stay the same size forever, and that makes upgrading easier." Ruby smirked as she reattached her hand. "It'll also make it easier to put a gun in this thing later on. Now where exactly is that knot in your back?"
Yang turned around and placed a hand about halfway up her back and slightly to the right. "About here."
"Okay, hold still." About a second later, Yang felt a fist slam into her back, and she could hear as well as feel her back crack. She breathed a sigh of relief and gave Ruby a thumbs up. "Try not to get slammed into any more concrete support columns."
"I'll try to keep that in mind." Yang heard the door to their room open, then close. She looked around the room, and saw that the Faunus member of the team was the only one unaccounted for. "Anyone know where Blake's going?"
"Breakfast?" Ruby chipped in, though unconfident.
"You're the only one to eat breakfast here, Ruby," Weiss said.
"True…Maybe she's going to look up what she found yesterday?"
"That would make sense," Yang mused. "She is the book worm."
Yang, Halcyon called, I come home.
His Rider turned in the direction of the thoughts. I think you mean 'I'm coming home.' How's your leg?
Halcyon sent sad thoughts, and stopped holding his pain back. More bad I thought.
Yang grabbed her left arm and winced. Get to the Dragonhouse and I'll see what I can do. She sighed and turned to Ruby. "Cerise still blocking you?"
Ruby's smile disappeared off her face. "Yeah, but her defenses aren't as strong as they were last night. I think she's coming out of it."
"If they're going this crazy because an egg was stolen," Weiss began, "I really don't want to see them if one of you gets hurt, for multiple reasons."
"You and me both." Ruby hugged herself. "I just can't imagine Cerise attacking anyone, even with some of the things she's said recently."
"I'm going to go meet Halcyon at the Dragonhouse," Yang said heading for the door. "Hopefully find out what really happened last night."
"You know how badly Halcyon's injured?" Ruby asked.
"Injured?" Weiss asked surprised. Ruby winced, most likely forgetting that Weiss didn't know exactly what happened.
"I'm guessing broken leg." Yang grabbed her corresponding arm.
"What happened?" Weiss cut in again, her voice dripping with concern.
Yang and Ruby locked eyes for a second, then Yang looked at Weiss. "He was searching for the egg and he landed too fast at just the wrong angle on a rock."
Weiss sighed and shook her head. "I guess he is only a few weeks old. Still a lot to learn."
"I should probably come along too," Ruby said, putting a hand behind her neck. "Be there when Cerise gets back and all that."
Yang nodded. "I could probably use help on Halcyon's leg anyway." The two sisters left their room and made their way toward the exit. Ruby stopped right outside Aaron's room though. "Ruby, I think he just needs some time. I can guarantee you he took the theft harder than we did."
"It wasn't just that," Ruby said as she started walking again. "He was acting strangely before we knew the egg was gone. Something happened when he was facing the White Fang, but I have no idea what."
"When in doubt, turn to the news. A giant robot rampaging around Vale and a partial highway collapse had to have media interest."
"Wouldn't that take all the interest?"
"That robot had to come from somewhere." The two sisters exited their dorm building, and Yang saw Halcyon flying low near the Dragonhouse, most likely wanting to land. As he started to descend, Yang sped up her pace. She didn't care if her dragon's leg was just bruised, it would hurt when he touched down, even if it didn't touch down first.
Yang reached Halcyon right before he touched down. She caught his left side on her shoulder. I got you. Let's get you inside, I'll work on your leg there.
Thank you, Halcyon said, relieved. Yang quickly realized that carrying and injured dragon was not the easiest thing to do. Then again, if Ruby did it nearly a month ago, she could too. They made it inside the Dragonhouse, and the main door closed behind them. Yang gently set Halcyon down on his belly, then looked at the injured leg.
It wasn't an obvious break, but the leg was not completely straight where it should have been. Yang gently put a hand on the injury and got to work. Halcyon squirmed in discomfort, but managed to keep his leg still. Slowly but surely, the bone came back together. When Yang was done, Halcyon hummed and nuzzled his Rider's face.
"You should take some lessons from Ruby," Yang said while scratching the base of Halcyon's head. "Don't get your sister mad. It doesn't end well."
"I don't think Cerise gets stronger as she gets angrier," Ruby chipped in behind Yang. The older sister turned around to face the younger. "You didn't need my help with his leg, by the way. You did just fine."
"Thanks." Yang turned back to Halcyon. "Can you put your weight on it?" The golden dragon stood up on all fours. He took a few steps on the injured leg, and even put his full forward weight on the leg. Halcyon turned back to Yang, a gleam in his eyes. The blonde knew what was coming, and braced herself for the coming charge.
Before Halcyon could jump, the main door to the Dragonhouse opened. Yang turned back and saw four red legs come into view on the other side. Without really knowing what she was doing, Yang stood up and placed herself directly between the two dragons. Even though she hoped Cerise had calmed down, the blonde Rider wasn't taking any chances. The red dragon would have to go through her to get to Halcyon.
"Cerise!" Ruby yelled. She ran to her dragon, leaving rose petals behind her. The pair connected, but the more massive dragon didn't move an inch. Cerise instead curled her neck around her Rider. There was no trace of the anger she showed yesterday.
After a few moments, the pair left each other's grasp and Cerise took a few steps toward Yang and Halcyon. Yang stiffened up, but kept her fists unclenched. The red dragon looked past Yang, most likely at her younger brother. The two had a conversation that neither of their Riders were a part of. Not too far into the conversation, Halcyon hummed and practically pranced to his sister. The two dragons intertwined their necks and hummed together. Yang released a breath she didn't know she was holding. The two dragons made up. That's all that mattered.
"One big happy family," Yang said with a smile on her face. The two dragons freed their necks, then instantly turned on their Riders. Halcyon jumped at Yang while she wasn't prepared. She was easily tackled to the ground. "Cheater." Yang playfully pushed Halcyon's head to the side. The golden dragon hummed and licked Yang's face. He backed off his Rider and Yang stood up. She looked over to Cerise and saw Ruby pinned in a similar way.
Unlike Yang and Halcyon, Ruby and Cerise stayed on the ground for a while. Ruby kept rubbing her dragon's neck, and Cerise continually nuzzled her Rider's face with her snout, with her tongue occasionally flicking out as well. They never broke eye contact. They had to be talking inside each other's heads. Cerise' eyes were begging for forgiveness, in complete contrast from Ruby's understanding.
After about a minute, Cerise backed off her Rider. Ruby stood up, but still kept her natural hand on Cerise' head. She looked over at Yang and narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Yang didn't realize how much she was smiling. "It's just the way that you look at Cerise. There's something going on there."
Ruby blushed and slightly looked away. "You should know. Or, you will anyway."
Yang nodded. "That day can't come soon enough."
POV: Ruby
Ruby traced one of the gaps in Cerise' scales. She accidentally brushed her fingertip against actual skin, and Cerise immediately pulled away. Be careful, that tickles! the dragon scolded.
Normally, Ruby would take that as an invitation. Now, she had other thoughts on her mind. I'm more worried about something making its way through the gaps. You're missing so many, it won't be hard for a regular arrow to find skin.
Cerise hummed sadly then nudged her Rider. You can protect me with wards. I'm not defenseless.
Remember how quickly we were shot out of the sky? I can't protect you from Dust rounds, and they tear right through your scales. Ruby paused. I could try unlocking your Aura.
Cerise turned to her Rider. Is that even possible?
I don't know, Ruby said, but we'll never know until we try. Zwei has at least some access to his.
Do you even know how it's done?
Ruby hesitated. It just sort of happened for me, and Pyrrha can use her Aura to unlock another's. Aaron said he pulled his out using his mind during his initiation. Even if you just get the protection, you will be safe from Dust rounds. She turned to her sister. "Hey Yang, I'm going to try something with Cerise. Could you make sure there's no distractions?"
Yang nodded. "May I ask what you're up to?"
"I'm going to try and unlock her Aura. Worth a shot, right?"
Yang's eyes widened. "Oh. I'll let you get to it."
Ruby locked eyes with Cerise. You ready? The dragon just blinked. Ruby placed her natural hand on the side of her dragon's face, then closed her eyes and stretched her mind over to Cerise, and deeper into herself. She felt her dragon doing the same thing. Truth be told, she didn't know where to look for untouched Aura, or even what it felt like. Ruby was grasping at straws, and she knew it. She knew this could very well be the first session of many. Still, there was the small chance that she would be successful.
Ruby thought back to how Penny's mind felt. As far as she knew, Penny only had Aura, not a life force. She still had to test that theory on a Grimm, but there might be enough of a distinction in the two to make a connection.
At first, Ruby focused on finding where her own Aura was 'stored' in herself. If she had a place to look for in Cerise, it would speed up the whole process. She started looking at the cliché areas: her heart and her own head. As expected, she found nothing. Next she tried the literal center of herself. Again, Ruby felt nothing other than what she normally felt in herself and others with unlocked Aura. It seemed Cerise came to the same conclusion.
After Ruby ran out of ideas for searching in herself, she turned her attention to her dragon. Again she searched the expected areas, and again found nothing. Ruby broadened her search to include the entirety of her dragon. Still, there was nothing.
Except…there was. Something in Cerise felt like a concentrated ball of Aura. It was so compacted Ruby wasn't surprised she missed it on in her search. She 'prodded' it, and got an immediate pushback. Cerise radiated her surprise, and she focused her attention on the spot as well. Is this it? the dragon asked.
Only one way to find out, Ruby responded. Both dragon and Rider focused their minds on the small Aura ball. They tried unlocking it the way Aaron described, by pulling on it. Stubbornly, the ball stayed intact. Ruby tried using some of her own Aura. She felt like it was doing something, but the ball stayed shut.
Without warning, the Aura ball gave way. Ruby's mind was forced back into her own head. She physically fell backward and Cerise yelped. For a second, Ruby thought she did something that may have injured her dragon. Then she saw the faint red glow around Cerise. The dragon's eyes were wide, her whole body tense. As the glow faded, so did the tension she built up.
Yang was immediately by Ruby's side. "Did you do it?" she asked.
Ruby stretched her mind out to Cerise once again. The feeling she associated with Aura was much stronger. "I think so," she said. "I just don't remember it being that violent."
Cerise blinked her eyes and shook her head. Everything feels…different, she said, bewildered. There's something more to everything.
Ruby narrowed her eyes in confusion. "What do you mean?"
I believe I can help with that, another voice said. Ruby turned to the source and saw Nalia laying on the floor in her normal spot.
"When did you get here?" Ruby asked. She honestly had no idea the large dragon entered the building.
Nalia smirked. A dragon can be quiet if she wants to be.
"About five minutes ago," Yang answered. "You were too focused on Cerise to notice."
Back to your question, Nalia continued, as best as Aaron and I can tell, you need to have your Aura unlocked to sense it in others. Aaron noticed it right after he had his unlocked during his initiation. I believe Cerise is feeling another's Aura for the first time.
"That explains one thing," Ruby stated before she turned to Yang, "but why was there such a strong reaction on both of us?"
Yang scratched her head. "Either it was premature, which is very likely in all honesty, or unlocking Aura is different for dragons. Those are just guesses, Pyrrha's probably the better person to ask."
Ruby nodded, then thought back to how she was forced onto her back by an unseen force. It reminded her of something she did back when she was kidnapped. It was hazy, but clearer than anything on the other side. "Nalia, is it possible to use magic without the Ancient Language?" she asked.
Nalia's face grew serious. Something tells me you already know the answer.
"Back when I was…in that place, I think I did something to their boss twice." Ruby felt a firm yet comforting arm fell across her shoulders. Yang gently squeezed, telling her sister she was there if needed. "The first time came right after he said that he was going to have Cerise skinned. I can't explain exactly what happened, but I got angry, and then a whirlwind started up in the room. The guy flew across the room, and I felt even more drained than I did before." Ruby involuntarily shivered as she remembered what happened next. Cerise hummed and moved her head into her Rider's lap.
"The other time was right before Yang found me. Their boss was about to take…I believe it was Claret, out of the room to take her to her new…" Ruby grimaced, "owner. I couldn't let that happen, and the whirlwind came back." Yang pulled Ruby in closer. The younger sister looked to the older but Yang wouldn't meet her eyes. Ruby swore she saw tears forming.
What you are asking is possible, Nalia said after a few seconds, but possibly one of the most dangerous parts of magic. If you're mind wanders at all during the casting, you could alter the spell, and very well kill yourself. It's a wonder you survived that once, let alone cast the same spell twice.
Ruby hugged herself, then shivered. "Well, I didn't, and everyone got out of there. Apparently they all needed it."
"Just try not to do it again," Yang said, finally looking at Ruby.
"I'm not even sure how I did it. It just sort of, happened."
Cerise lifted her head and looked her Rider in the eyes. You're strong, my Gem. We can get through this.
Ruby looked away. Just as soon as the memories stop coming back.
The red dragon's wings drooped. I don't think they ever go away. I still see those Grimm that attacked me. Ruby again locked eyes with Cerise, more than a little concerned. Even though dragons matured way faster than people, Cerise was just over a month old. An attack like that was going to stick with her for a long time.
I don't dwell on it though, Cerise continued. Those Grimm are dead. They can't hurt me or anyone else anymore. The people that hurt you aren't a threat anymore either. They are behind bars or dead, and aren't likely to see the light of day for a long time.
Ruby lay her forehead on Cerise snout. But there's more of them out there. Grimm are mindless, and don't think of revenge. The Nevermores…Ruby paused, they aren't going to take this lying down. They'll be back.
Cerise growled. Then they're idiots. Ruby pulled her head back looked back into one of her dragon's eyes. She saw nothing but determination. They couldn't fight your team when they weren't focused on fighting. How can they hope to take us all on? We have the support of at least part of the Atlas military, all of Beacon, Cerise barred her teeth, and a few dragons who want to get back at them. The Nevermores, the White Fang, neither can touch us.
Do you really believe that? Ruby asked while already knowing the answer.
Cerise blinked slowly. Every word. There was no doubt now. The red dragon spoke in the Ancient Language.
Ruby smiled and hugged her dragon. I love you Cerise. The response came in the form of a long and low hum.
"Hey Ruby, why don't we go get something to eat," Yang suggested. "We've been in here a while."
"How long's a while?" Ruby asked as she pulled back from her dragon. A clock appeared in the top right corner of her vision showing 11:53. The fact that she had been in the Dragonhouse for nearly two hours didn't bother her. All the unexpected voice commands for her bionic eye did. She sighed. "Never mind…"
"You're eye?" Yang asked knowingly.
"I really need to get these thing figured out before the Vytal Festival." Ruby stood up and froze in place.
Apparently Yang didn't notice. "You still got a couple months. You'll be fine."
Ruby looked at her bionic hand with a mixture of disappointment and fear. "Can I even compete now?"
Yang stayed silent for a few seconds. "I don't see why not," she said hesitantly.
Ruby held up her metal arm. "Professional athletes typically aren't allowed to have these. It gives them too much of an advantage. What if I can't be in the tournament because of these things?"
Yang's eyes grew wide and her mouth hung open a little. "Uh, that is a good question." She scratched the back of her head. "Weiss would know, or at least know where to look."
The younger sister nodded, then stretched her mind out to find her partner. "Looks like she's heading to lunch too. That's convenient." Ruby put a hand over her stomach. She just realized how hungry she was.
"Let's get going then." Yang finally stood up. "Fixing Halcyon's leg took more out of me than I thought."
Nalia's head shot up and she looked over at Halcyon. What happened to his leg? she asked everyone. Meanwhile, Halcyon hit Cerise in the back of the head with his tail. The green dragon's eyes narrowed, and looked between the two much smaller dragons. After a few seconds her eyes grew soft and settled on Cerise. Every dragon let their wings carpet the floor and hung their heads.
"Yang, we should probably get going," Ruby said as she put a hand on her sister's arm. "They need time to sort this all out." Yang nodded, and the two sisters left the Dragonhouse. Even though Ruby wanted to be there for Cerise, she knew there were some things that only the dragons could discuss between themselves.
"Why did Cerise attack Halcyon?" Yang finally asked. Her tone was more sad than accusing.
Ruby sighed. "She was in a blind rage, attacking anything that moved. When she saw Halcyon, she blamed him for the egg being stolen. After that first hit, she realized what she did and hid for the rest of the night. Please don't be mad at her, she didn't know what she was doing."
Yang shrugged. "If Halcyon can't say mad at Cerise, neither can I. It's done, nobody's permanently injured, we can put this behind us."
"They did make up quick, didn't they?" A set of rabbit ears caught Ruby's attention. Velvet, along with the rest of her team, was walking toward the main landing area. All of them were armed. "Aren't Velvet and Coco supposed to be planning the dance?" Ruby asked Yang.
"I guess something came up," Yang said, watching the other team go. "Well, they still have a while. They could be back before the job needs to be handed off."
Ruby shrugged, then an idea popped into her head. Team CFVY was going on a mission outside Beacon. Velvet was a decent tracker. Maybe she could…Ruby shook her head. She was grasping at even more straws. The egg could be anywhere from Vale to Vacuo. While it would be nice to get a few more sets of eyes looking for the lost egg, team CFVY most likely had other things to worry about. Velvet didn't even know what the egg looked like. How could she tell the difference between it and a moss-covered rock?
The sisters arrived at the cafeteria and searched around for Weiss. Yang caught sight of the heiress first. Weiss sat next to Blake on the far side of the room. There was no sign of Aaron.
After going through the lunch line, Ruby and Yang sat by their other teammates. "So what's new with you two?" the blonde asked.
"Well," Weiss began with more than a little pride, "If team CFVY isn't back by Thursday, Coco asked me to finish the final preparations. It will be my first time organizing an event like this."
"Here's hoping they'll get back in time." Ruby sipped her apple juice. "It's not that I'm not happy for you, but I'd like the others to get back safely."
Weiss shrugged. "Coco had Velvet as a second in command, so any of you want that role under me?"
"A socially awkward person planning a dance doesn't sound like a good idea." Ruby took another swig of her juice.
Weiss turned to Blake, but the Faunus was intently looking at her scroll. The heiress turned to Yang, a near grimace on her face. Yang smirked. "You need someone to do the heavy lifting, right? I've got your back."
"Someone's better than no one, I guess," Weiss sighed.
"Hey, Yang helped plan a few of my birthday parties before." Ruby put an arm around her sister's shoulders. "They turned out pretty well."
"Didn't Aaron say his birthday was sometime around now? Where is he anyway?" Yang looked around the cafeteria, not that he was in there already anyway.
Ruby turned her gaze to the doors and saw the latest member of team RWBY walk into the building. "Looks like you can ask him yourself." She stood up and waved at Aaron. He slowly looked up and locked eyes with his team leader. Ruby suddenly wished he hadn't. Aaron's eyes were dead, only showing a deep sadness. His shoulders were slumped and his back arched. Overall, he looked like a zombie who skipped dying.
Aaron broke eye contact with Ruby, and she sat back down. Hesitantly, Ruby sent a tendril of thought over to the other Rider, and met a solid wall. Instead of the image of one of Nalia's scales like normal, she met a wall of pure depression. She pulled back to her own mind and shook her head. "He is not okay."
"He was like that last night too, before we knew the egg was gone," Weiss commented. "What happened to him last night?"
"I think I may have just found out," Blake said, breaking her silence. Her wide and fear filled eyes stared at her scroll.
Weiss looked at the screen and gasped. "Are you saying he did that?"
Blake nodded. "It's possible. This happened right outside where the meeting was." She turned her scroll around for Ruby and Yang to see. Ruby could only stare at the headline on the news page. 'Four White Fang Soldiers Found Dead Outside Gathering Area.'
"He specifically said to not do that when we went after the other guys," Yang defended while still keeping their actions secret to the other students around. "Why would he do this?"
Ruby tuned out the next part of the conversation. A member of her team had possibly killed people. While most likely justified in the eyes of the law, if he did kill those Faunus, he may not have forgiven himself. Ruby's mind went back to the one of the first days she knew Nalia. The green dragon asked her to look after Aaron if he breaks down. That time was fast approaching.
"Ruby," Weiss said, snapping Ruby out of her thoughts. "What do we do?"
"Wait a day," she said unconfidently. "I think that's what people do. If he's not better by tomorrow…I'll try and talk to him. If that doesn't work, I'll have to ask Nalia what to do. She knows him best."
Yang shook her head. "I really don't like this." She looked over at Aaron, who had since sat down at an empty table, away from anybody. "He never was the most social person, but that is ridiculous."
"Are you sure waiting is the best idea?" Weiss asked.
"No." Ruby sighed. She looked at Blake, who most likely had the most experience with isolation and possibly depression. The Faunus just shook her head. "I just don't know what else to do."
And yet again, I couldn't find anywhere to put my characters in at. FUCK! Why is this so hard to do?!
Oh yeah, because Pokeman1280 made it so well.
...Shit.
Well, within a few chapters, things are going to begin to really deviate from the original course.