Chapter-32
Team RWBY
The Breach. That was what it came to be known as. It had been 500 years since the grimm broke past Vale's barriers and stormed the city. For 500 years Vale's citizens lived in a bubble of safety, ignorant of the dangers that were faced by those who lived beyond the mountains. So when the grimm emerged out of the old tunnel leading to Mount Glenn, almost no one was prepared.
Thankfully, Beacon still had some reserves of huntsmen that did not accompany Ozpin to Mount Glenn as well as a vast number of students, who while not professional huntsmen, knew how to fight off the grimm. Even then, 2000 people were killed.
And it's all my fault. Ruby though standing on the terrace of Beacon's dorms.
If she hadn't shot those dust crates, the grimm wouldn't have been released. All those people wouldn't have died.
"We shouldn't have even come." Ruby spoke as a tear ran down her cheek All they did was go in and get captured. They didn't contribute anything. Professor Saber, Lancer, Ruler and Tristan were responsible for the victory. Her team had been just deadweight that needed to be rescued.
Ruby went to a chair and sat down, resting her head on the table and crying silently. Soon, she felt a hand on her shoulder and noticed Blakes staring at her in concern.
"Ruby…you've been here the entire night. I think you should get some rest. Come on, I'll take you back." She spoke but Ruby did not move.
Blake sighed. "Ruby, you can't stay up like this to think about what happened." She spoke.
"Please go…" Ruby croaked out as Blake crossed her arms.
"Ruby…"
"No…"
"Ruby." Blake spoke going to tug on Ruby's arm but Ruby violently flinched away.
"Just leave me alone!' She snapped looking at Blake with tearful eyes.
Why can't you leave? Why don't you?! She thought in frustration. She'd failed and killed so many people. She'd seen Blake's horrified expression. She knew Blake was just faking concern because she knew the truth that Ruby should be kept away.
Blake stared at her in silence before looking down. "I see. You're still not okay about what happened. Alright then, I won't go further. But Ruby, if you want to vent any time, I'll be available." She spoke walking off as Ruby rested her head on the table and sobbed.
Why? Why is it that when I want to help, I end up making things worse. She thought.
Weiss looked at herself in the mirror as she tied up her hair. Blake had gone to the terrace to check up on Ruby while Yang was in the gym 'working out', although Weiss knew her well enough to know it was in truth just to blow off some pent up anger over what happened.
Weiss looked at her reflection and almost screamed to see the words 'SDC' burnt onto her head.
Weiss quickly put a hand to her forehead and felt nothing. She blinked and suddenly the words disappeared.
SCHNEE! Banesaw's mad howls sounded in her mind as Weiss shivered. She could still remember the moment she went to deliver the final blow and knock out the white fang lieutenant when she saw the brand.
It was disgusting. It was so absurd that Weiss could not believe it was anything more than a hallucination.
Yet as she pondered on it…Weiss found herself injecting this new piece of information into her beliefs for some terrifying reason.
It perfectly explained the white fang's hatred for her family. Why they reacted so violently or used extreme measures to respond against what looked like simple insults and dismissals to Weiss.
Yet Weiss could not believe it, despite that. Her father was a piece of scum, but he was not insane. Branding was something grandmother Sophia had abolished after she became a councilmember of Mantle after the Great War. Branding was a sign of slavery, and it went against the Schnee family's ideals.
Along with that, if the public knew that, then they would be demanding her father's head. People would riot against the SDC and Atlas' military will shut down the SDC. Her father could not jeopardize his position, so he wouldn't do something like this, right?
But what if he did? He has shown he does not care for the Schnee family… A part of her whispered conspiratorially as Weiss put a hand to her forehead.
She was so confused. All this time she'd dismissed the white fang as overreacting to everything, especially in the Night of the Fangs when she got her scar and Whitely was thrown to his death.
Yet, with what she possibly saw…
D-Did we actually deserve it? Weiss thought in fear.
The door opened and Blake came in with a resigned look on her face and sat down.
"How's Ruby?" Weiss asked her in concern as Blake shook her head. "She's still in a bad shape. I haven't been able to put a scratch through her wall of guilt and sorrow. I think I'm going into this too fast."
Weiss was silent as her thoughts drifted over to her team leader before a determined look set in. Here she was, worrying over something that was possibly a hallucination while Ruby's mind was falling apart.
I'm going to be the best partner I can be, Ruby.
She intended to keep that promise. She'll do what she can to help Ruby get out of this pit she'd fallen in.
Yang's fists slammed into the punching bag. Yang was in the gym at her usual time, however this time it wasn't exercise. Yang's mind was diverted elsewhere to what had happened with Ruby.
"Ruby was in trouble." She spoke as her punches started hitting harder.
"Ruby was in trouble."
"Ruby was in trouble…"
"…And I got my ass kicked!" She snapped accidentally letting out some of her semblance in one last punch. The sheer force blew the hinges off the punching bag and sent it flying away.
Yang was panting as her eyes were crimson and her fists clenched so tight that veins could be seen.
"Hoo, that was one nasty punch, firecracker. I don't think Tai ever managed to send the punching bag that far when he was your age." A familiar voice spoke as Yang noticed Qrow come in.
"Uncle Qrow? You're still here?"
"Yep. My next assignment requires me to stay in Beacon. Oz doesn't seem like he's going to send me to my hunting grounds in Mistral."
"Oh, okay."
"Besides, pipsqueak's in a bad shape. As her uncle, I should probably stick around and help her recover."
Yang shut her eyes. "I know…but it shouldn't have even happened."
"Hm?"
"I-I could have gotten her out of there. If I did, she wouldn't have to experience all of that. But I couldn't because I was getting pounded by Torchwick's henchwoman."
"Hm, I heard of her. Neopolitan. She's no joke when it comes to fighting. Can even take down your average huntsman."
"Even you?"
"Me? Damn, that's harsh, Firecracker. I may've become 'Old man Qrow' rather than 'Qrow Branwen' but I would be embarrassed if I got taken down by an ice cream girl. Even then, you didn't perform too bad yourself. In fact, I heard you got her aura off and lost because she managed to surprise you with one last move and your semblance ran out of juice."
"But that…that doesn't change the fact I couldn't be there." Yang spoke.
"It doesn't. But right now, she needs someone to support her. You, little Ice princess and Kitty cat come with that role. I'll of course help, but a child like her needs people of her age for the final piece of the puzzle. So stop clinging onto whatever happened to Ruby and focus on how you can get her to smile again."
Yang stared at Uncle Qrow, his words resonating within her.
He's right… Yang thought as her mind cleared up. What was she doing? Her sister needed her. She needed her team to support her and help her move on from what happened at Mount Glenn.
Yang hummed in contemplation. "But how?"
"Ruby's her mother's daughter. Like Summer, she's bright and cheerful. And like Summer, she also has issues about being lonely."
Yang blinked. "Summer was also depressed?" She asked.
"Of course, kid. Summer was raised by the Old man in isolation, because he had some enemies who wanted either him dead or Summer dead. As such, she was relatively lonely in Beacon with a super serious view of huntsmen that conflicted with the behavior of some of the nasty students she saw."
"Her view was ideal, but it also made her naïve. And after facing some hard facts, she would fall in deep depression. That was made worse because Summer always believed she's alone because she had some stuff she doesn't even tell her closest friends about. She didn't think me, Raven and Tai were with her because we didn't really have a full picture. Ruby's in a similar case. Although the difference is that she's pushing herself away because she's mad at herself. Mad at how badly she screwed up. And of course, afraid that now her relationship with you all will never be the same again."
"…But we aren't mad at her." Yang replied. "We still see her as the kind-hearted team leader that's kept us together since the beginning."
"But the trick is that she can't see that because of all the guilt that's covering her eyes. So make her see, Yang. Talk to the others and figure out how to remove that veil of guilt from Ruby's eyes and show her that she's wrong about you all."
Yang nodded slowly.
"I have just the plan for that."
Qrow grinned. "Nice. But hold onto it. Ruby's not going to be receptive to this just yet."
"…Okay. Thanks Uncle Qrow, but I didn't know you knew so much about this?"
Qrow sighed. "I was really close to Summer back in Beacon. She was my best friend, and the girl who really changed me into a better person than I was. We were so close that some of our classmates thought we were dating and would marry."
Yang put a hand to her mouth. "You, and Summer?"
"Yeah, yeah, weird combination. But nah. I always saw Summer as more of a little sister than my romantic interest. It was never going to happen, and I'm honestly happy with that. But enough of nostalgic talk, there's one more thing I want to talk about." Qrow spoke as his face took a serious expression.
Yang frowned as well. "My mother." She spoke in anger. Her mother, who had a lot of explaining to do after she abandoned her and basically remained outside her life for her entire childhood, had just come over, saved her, and left, leaving her with even more questions.
"I know you have questions. But if you want to know Raven, then I can tell you she's not going to come over and tell them to you. My sister's mellowed out a lot spending all that time with Summer's infectious positivity, but she still has some of her old principles that she maintains. She's definitely going to tell you if you go to Mistral and find her."
"…"
"But I can answer some of those questions. Just ask them. I'll see what I can talk about. Rest will come from Rae's mouth."
"…How did she come so quickly?"
"That's her semblance at work. Whenever Rae makes a bond with a person, it sort of ties her aura with that of the person's. She can feel when they are in danger and as such, uses that aura connection to cut a hole in space and come over wherever that figurative rope ends. That bond can't be just between average friends. It has to be really, really, deep. And as far as I know, Raven only has that kind of bond with Me, Tai, Summer and you."
"…Why did she come now, after being absent all these years?"
"Again, Rae's never been fully absent from your life firecracker. Remember what I said about the aura connection? Yeah, she keeps tabs on you with that, whenever you're in super serious danger, she intervenes. She did that in the wagon incident and she did that in Mount Glenn."
Yang didn't know how Qrow figured out the identity of her mysterious savior, but she didn't go much into that. She then thought of her last question. It was the most important. And she will be really mad if Qrow knew its answer.
"…Why did she leave?" She asked staring at Qrow's eyes.
"…I don't know." He replied. "That's a question only Rae herself can fully answer." He spoke as Yang sighed. "Can you take me to her?"
"I can. But Rae'll then hide herself because of her principles. I can only guide you to some extent. After that, you'll be on your own. As I said, Raven's currently in Anima with our old tribe the Branwen tribe."
"…"
"Don't get any ideas of going there right now, firecracker. Raven will 100% send her goons to stop you."
"I'll fight them off."
"No, you won't. The Branwens are huntsmen-level fighters. There's a reason they're the top dog among the bandit communities of Anima. Even the 13 Hanzai don't try to mess with them whenever they extend their influence into Mistralan settlements away from the capital. You can take down some of the stronger ones in a one-on-one. But Branwens always operate together. You'll be overwhelmed and you won't be able to get anything done until you get strong enough to get the Branwens off your skin and meet Raven herself. Right now, hold off the idea of going to Raven. First graduate, then you can think about that. For now, think small and focus on Ruby."
"…Okay, Uncle Qrow. Thank you." Yang spoke as Qrow nodded. "No problem, firecracker." He spoke before walking off, passing by Pyrrha in her gym attire who stared at him.
"Hey, P-money." Yang spoke with a tired smile as Pyrrha looked back at Qrow walking out. "Was that Qrow Branwen?" She asked, as Yang detected a hint of excitement in her voice.
"In the flesh. What, you want an autograph?" Yang asked with a soft smile. Qrow did say that he has many fans among the students of Haven and Sanctum academies. Maybe Pyrrha was one of those Sanctum fans.
Pyrrha's cheeks flushed. "N-No! I-I mean…"
Yang sighed shaking her head. "What is this day? Pyrrha 'Invincible Girl' Nikos has become the thing she despises."
"Hey! Its not like I hound after him!" Pyrrha protested. "Although, you look exhausted today."
"Just a little mental exhaustion."
"…Do you want a spar? As I recall, we're now tied after I knocked you out in our last bout."
Yang blinked. "Hold on, 'Knocked me out'? Where did that wild idea come from? I just fell on my ass after taking that nasty uppercut to the chin. In fact, I remember your eyes glazing up in our last-to-last bout as I socked you with a right hook."
"Whatever it is, perhaps we should break out tie?" Pyrrha offered as Yang grinned.
"You sure, P-money?" She asked, although she was a little nervous. She and Pyrrha had started doing bouts of unarmed combat to keep each others' skill fine-tuned. Although she had been really winning the initial matches because she was better at hand-to-hand combat, Pyrrha improved and then started winning a number of bouts against her. Now, however, both had gotten used to each other's fighting style and now pretty much fought head-to-head as either most of their bouts were decided by the last punch or both of them fought until they were too exhausted to continue. Last-to-last one was decided by Yang taking Pyrrha's uppercut to the stomach to knock her down with a nasty hook while the last one ended with Yang messing up a swing and opening herself to an uppercut by Pyrrha. Goodness, her jaw was aching the entire day from that.
"Yes." She spoke as the girls head into the sparring ring and took their stances.
"Don't be so disheartened when my fist smashes into your jaw, Nikos."
"Not before my fist smashes into your temple, Xiao-Long." Pyrrha replied as the girls shared a laugh before charging at each other.
Classes began, yet Ruby found herself unable to concentrate. All she could think of was the Breach.
"Ms. Rose." She heard Professor Port's voice as she noticed the Professor staring down at her.
"Could you tell why even hiding and taking cover in ineffective against an Orthrus?" He asked as Ruby blinked, racking her brains. She noticed her team was staring at her in concern. She hadn't been listening to Professor Port's lecture.
Uh… She thought before her mind clicked.
"Their hearing is so keen they can hear your breathing and heartbeat." Ruby replied.
Professor Port was silent before nodding. "Correct!" He spoke before leaning forward. "Sleep, I'll inform Ozpin about this." Professor Port spoke in a low voice before clearing his throat.
"As Ms. Rose said it, Orthruses can hear heartbeats. So, it is preferable that you go as a group and fight them head-on. However, I will tell you of a way to hide from an Orthrus. My mentor developed a technique utilizing aura to escape and Orhtrus' hearing. He applied it…" And Professor Port started narrating a story about Thane hunting Orhtruses.
Ruby tuned out the story and laid her head on the table. She noticed Weiss sigh and go back to her notes. Ruby, meanwhile, tried to close her eyes, but all she could hear in the darkness were screams.
RWBY and JNPR sat in the cafeteria, but again, they stared at each other in silence.
"You should have seen Jaune!' Nora exclaimed with a grin. "He was shaking like a leaf in the bullhead, but when we came down, he turned into a different person. He sliced and diced an Ursa like it was noth8ing."
Pyrrha smiled softly. "We were very proud of Jaune when he did that." She added. "But Nora…I don't think this is the right time for such things."
"Blake silently ate her food, Weiss had a finger to her chin as a contemplative look crossed her face, while Yang was gently rubbing her hand on Ruby's back, who blankly stared at her empty tray.
"So, I heard you went to…" Jaune went to speak before Ren slapped a hand on his mouth to silence him and shook his head.
Ruby continued staring at her tray before scoffing.
"I'm done." She spoke glumly as she stood up and went to dispose off her tray.
"Well, well…someone doesn't seem to be in a good mood." She heard someone before noticing CRDL looking at her, although they were missing their usual grins and were all staring at her in anger.
No…I don't want to deal with Cardin… Ruby thought and quickly put down her tray.
"So, I heard you and your team weren't present in Beacon after curfew a couple of days back. Where were you when we were deployed to protect Vale's civilians." He spoke with a frown as Ruby went to leave.
Ignore it, Ruby. She thought.
Sky snorted. "I think she went to cause more trouble. Team RWBY is just a group of trouble makers who do nothing but make things difficult for the headmaster." He spat.
Ruby froze up.
They're right. Ruby thought. She and her team did nothing but make things worse. But that was her fault for screwing up.
Onyx, Cysgod, the people of vale… Ruby thought, thinking of all that had happened.
"So you're saying they were off doing something else while people in Vale were getting attacked? Breaking the rules and disappearing at a time like this, makes me wonder why you didn't get expelled." Russell spoke tilting his head.
"Who knows? Maybe Ozpin was too busy with Mount Glenn to know of it. Unless…they went to Mount Glenn." Cardin spoke as Ruby started hearing screams again.
No…
No…
NO!
She started breathing heavily.
"I think that's enough." Someone's voice spoke as the screams stopped. Ruby noticed Velvet with a brown haired girl wearing a black cap and sunglasses, a red hair boy with foggy eyes and a giant boy with short black hair.
Cardin turned around. "You didn't see her team at the Breach! If they did go to Mount Glenn..."
"Did I ask for your reasons? I know you're a bit high-strung after seeing what happened at the Breach, but taking it out on someone else like this is no way to behave. So buzz off...Unless you want another beating" The brown hair girl moved her head to stare at Cardin directly.
Cardin scoffed before gesturing his team to leave with him.
Ruby stared at the group as Velvet smiled and waved at her. Ruby nodded back before looking down.
Thanks for the help, but it doesn't change the fact that Cardin was right.
"Hi, I don't think we've met. I'm Coco Adel, Velvet's team leader. This is Fox Alistair, and this is Yatsuhashi Daichi."
"…Ruby Rose." Ruby replied as Velvet frowned.
"Ruby, you look terrible. Has something happened?" She asked as Ruby nodded.
"…Do you want to talk about it?"
"…"
"Velvet, she's probably in a tough situation right now. Its best we talk when she is feeling better." Yatsuhashi spoke up as Coco frowned.
"Alright. But whatever it is, it'll pass. Don't let it bother you. Thanks for helping Bun-Bun out. Our room number is 205. If you want to catch up, head over. Just tell us if the other second-years give you any trouble." Coco spoke before her team walked off.
"Ruby Rose, please report to my office." Ozpin's voice spoke. Ruby sighed and began walking out. On her way, her team shot her nervous glances but Ruby ignored it and kept walking.
Ozpin could see and all too familiar look on Ruby's face as she entered his office. It reminded him of all those times his inner circle members would come in in an emotionally unstable state.
"Oz, what do you see in me? I'm just a pathetic coward who ran away as his tribe was massacred. Why do you think I can help you?" Thane spoke in a broken voice as he sat in Osmond's study talking to the king.
Ozpin remembered so many such incidents, especially with Thane, seeing how much of a nihilist he was in his younger days.
But the difference between them and Ruby was that they were all were all well acquainted with Salem. Ruby…she had no idea of the war. She was a poor girl who had entered the war without even realizing it and is confused because of its strangely extreme effects.
"Please sit, Ms. Rose." Ozpin spoke as Ruby sat down with dark bags under her eyes.
He poured a cup of Espresso for her. "You haven't slept."
Ruby closed her eyes. "…No…"
"I assumed this relates to what happened at Mount Glenn?"
Saber had informed him of what transpired in the underground railroad. The Carrier had apparently Pyrokinetic abilities on par with a maiden, something which Ozpin had a hard time believing. But, that still showed that the Carrier was a powerful entity capable of incarcerating someone as powerful as Saber. But besides, there was also Ms. Rose's decision to shoot the dust crates. She'd been forced to make an impulsive decision that cause the Breach.
Ruby covered her face with her hands. "I can't sleep." She spoke. "Everytime I try…all I can hear are the screams."
Ozpin was silent as Ruby began sobbing.
"All I did was try to help, but I messed up. Now, my team thinks I'm good for nothing. Maybe I am. There's no one I can turn to." She spoke. "All I do is mess things up for you…" She spoke crying.
Ozpin stared at her. He couldn't really tell it wasn't her fault, but He knew that her thoughts of loneliness were not concrete. He knew her team cared about her, but that was something he believed only they can prove to her. Right now, he had to wrap up his part of the problem.
I didn't want to do this, but I see no other option. Ozpin thought before getting up and kneeling beside Ruby.
"You have helped us a lot, Ms. Rose. Your team was the one that discovered the Whtie Fang hideouts. Your team got me crucial information that allowed me to launch the siege of Mount Glenn. And you stripped the White Fang of whatever dust explosives it could still use against us." He spoke wrapping an arm around Ruby's shoulder.
"You did make things harder, however. But I do admit I am at partial fault for alienating you, even when it was necessary. Right now, the Vytal ball is coming up, so I shall not burden you right now. After that…I shall let you in on a secret."
Ruby looked up.
"A…secret?" Ruby repeated.
"Yes. It will integrate you into what is going on. It will make it easier to communicate with you and prevent tragedies such as the Breach from happening. Now wash your face. You are exempted from classes today." Ozpin spoke as Ruby nodded. Ozpin went to remove his arm but Ruby clung on.
"I'm sorry…I won't make things difficult for you." Ruby spoke quietly as Ozpin smiled before gently prying himself off her.
"I am confident you won't." He spoke as Ruby wiped her tears and got up.
"One last thing, Ms. Rose." Ozpin spoke. "I do not believe your friends hate you, and their concern in genuine."
Ruby's face scrunched up. "But…how? Only Blake's talked to me, and she should be the one who hates me the most."
"You need some time to yourself. That's what your team believes. But Ms. Belladonna's attempts to talk to you even when she knows you want to be alone isn't fake, but her own guilt surfacing. Friendship isn't something that is easily broken. Even when friends get angry at each other and never talk again, sometimes they still do actions to help each other. It takes a lot of effort to truly shatter a friendship." Ozpin spoke before his eyes turned somber.
"Remember that, Ms. Rose. Remember that the next time you see your friends." He spoke as Ruby looked down and nodded before walking out.
Ozpin slumped back onto his chair. He'd kept himself calm for Ruby's sake, but he was a little exhausted. The Breach had damaged Beacon's reputation as people questioned the ability of huntsmen to protect them. It had been difficult to convince the council for allowing huntsman presence for the occasion of remembering those who died in the Breach.
Other than that, there was another thing he had to do.
Ozpin opened his contacts on his desk and pressed on James Ironwood's icon, calling him.
Soon, James' face appeared on the screen in front of him.
"…I heard what happened I am sorry for those who died."
Ozpin nodded. "Thank you, James. But I did not call you to dwell on the past."
"Yes, it is good to see you finally realize my point. Vale's huntsmen are spread out, and the city was hence left undefended against the breach. We know that every single grimm in East Sanus is headed towards that single hole in Vale's barrier. So, Vale needs its huntsmen to prevent another breach from happening until the tunnel is sealed."
"Along with that, the perpretrators escaped and fled north. I require your assistance in going after them."
"Absolutely. I have begun mobilizing my forces. I will arrive in Vale after the Vytal Ball is over."
"So we're finally getting some action?" An unfamiliar voice spoke as Ozpin's eyes widened.
"James-!"
"Don't worry, Ozpin. You can trust them."
Ozpin frowned. "But still…you did not inform me before telling them?"
James sighed. "I didn't. One of them figured it out."
"It wasn't that difficult." Another voice spoke as Ozpin sighed.
"Very well. Can I get your names?"
A period of mourning was held for those who died in the Breach. The students' classes were suspended during this time and Team RWBY mostly stayed in their dorms. Everything was awkward at first with Ruby's depression and aloofness, but eventually Ruby's depression subsided from a critical condition and she was being able to talk to her team again and a little bit of the cheerful aura returned to the team.
But still, Blake did not like it. Ruby was still afraid of them, and her interactions were filled with wariness and caution. She'd lost most of her cheer, doing nothing but sulking outside of her usual interactions. Whatever happened at Ozpin's office, it had made her a lot better, but the sadness, guilt and fear were still there.
And so, once their team leader started interacting again, the team began making plans to cheer her up and show her that she wasn't alone and that they still support her. Blake worked the hardest on it. After all, she watched Ruby's mental breakdown, and so she felt it was her responsibility to get her friend back on track.
Once the mourning period ended and businesses started up again, they began their operation.
"We're going shopping!" Yang declared in the dorm room.
Ruby raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Shopping for what?" She asked carefully.
"Why, the Vytal Ball of course." Weiss spoke up before narrowing her eyes. "I told you about it last night." She spoke crossing her arms.
Ruby blinked. "…Oh." She spoke. "But I don't think I should…"
Blake put a finger to her lips. "No protests, Ruby. We're going off, and if you resist, I'll have Weiss put you in a block of ice so that we can drag you to the store."
Ruby shuddered "I…fine. I'll go get ready."
Once they dressed up, the girls set out for the clothing store.
Yang mostly stuck to her sister on the way, as people shot them dirty looks that made Ruby flinch and look down in shame, although she surprisingly did not get too emotional.
When they reached their destination, Yang took Ruby away while Weiss and Blake went off to choose their own dresses.
They stopped by a rack and began sifting through.
"Hey, Blake?" Weiss spoke as Blake looked over.
"Hm?"
"Have you…ever seen something so absurd that you can't believe it exists, but it was just there in front of your eyes?"
Blake hummed. "Unless you're talking about the non-grimm monsters, then no. Why, something you want to say?"
Weiss blinked. "No…Nothing." She spoke. "But I do have something else to say…even though it seems very late now."
Blake stopped looking at her dress as Weiss closed her eyes. "I no longer think you're working for the white fang anymore. After what I've seen, I can say that. My brother died at the hands of a faunus and I myself got this scar because of a faunus. I can't forgive fuanuskind or see them in a different light, btu I think you are an exception." She spoke as Blake stared at her astounded.
To think this was once the bratty heiress that acted like she owned Beacon.She thought as Weiss took a deep breath.
"So…let's start over. I am Weiss Schnee, heiress of the…"
Blake shook her hands with a unnaturally excited grin. "I'm Blake Belladonna! No need for the titles!"
Weiss blinked before nodding in understanding. "Ah, I see. Now that I see it, not using our titles does seem preferable. After all, this is a new friendship being formed without the influence of our families." She spoke.
"Well, I'm Weiss Schnee. Can we be friends?"
Blake smiled. "Of course." She spoke shaking hands with Weiss before their scrolls rung.
"Come over. Ruby's got her dress!" Yang spoke as Weiss and Blake made their way to see Ruby standing in her red dress with red heels. She had a blush on her cheeks.
"You look amazing, Ruby." Blake spoke with a smile as Ruby blushed even harder.
"Now, now, Blakey. That's my little sister you're hitting on." Yang cut in as Blake spluttered and Ruby tried to hide her head with her arms.
"Yang…" Weiss spoke exasperated as Yang laughed.
"Kidding, kidding. But you are right. Rubes looks so cute in this dress." She gushed pulling on Ruby's cheeks as Ruby pushed against her sister.
"Yang!" Let go of my cheeks!" She exclaimed as Weiss and Blake giggled.
They bought their dresses and returned to Beacon with their clothing. After that, began what Blake would call the 'setting of dates', as students went about looking for partners.
Blake approached Sun, and to her delight, she accepted. Weiss was hounded by Jaune who tried to woo her by trying to serenade her with a guitar. If Blake hadn't seen it herself, she would have thought something like that could only exist in a cringey romance novel. Finally, Weiss got Jaune off her when Neptune accepted to being her partner. Yang did not partner up with anyone to watch over Ruby, because she did not want anyone making a move on her, something which Weiss and Blake helped with.
Soon, the day of the Vytal ball came. Team RWBY stood in their dresses in the dorm.
"Group photo!" Yang announced as she held up her scroll to take a group photograph. Weiss stood away from the group with a soft smile, Blake leaned over with her arms crossed, while Ruby shrunk, trying to escape as Yang firmly held her sister in her grip.
"Can I at least take off the heels?" Ruby whined. "I can't even-gah!" She exclaimed losing her balance again as Weiss caught her.
"The fact that you still aren't used to walking on heels amazes me. I've never seen someone falling so many times in my life." Weiss spoke shaking her head.
Yang chuckled and propped up Ruby. "Don't worry, Rubes." She spoke with a wink. "Your big sister's going to keep you up."
Ruby hung her head in resignation as she was dragged out of the room.
The girls found Nora, Pyrrha and Ren in their own dresses as they walked out.
Yang whistled at Pyrrha's red dress. "Damn P-money, that is some style!"
Pyrrha smiled and scratched the back of her head. "Yes…thank you for the compliment."
"I agree with Yang. Although…Jaune, just what in the name of the gods are you wearing?!" Weiss spoke in shock as Jaune came out in a pink dress with a fluffy pink skirt.
Yang bust into laughter as Blake's cheeks puffed out to hold in her laughter, while Ruby stared with wide unblinking eyes.
"Well…we made a bet in the 'date' period. If Pyrrha didn't get a partner, then I will wear a girl's dress. If I didn't get a partner, then Pyrrha will become my partner. And well, neither of us got partners."
Weiss' eyes widened. "You, I can believe. But Pyrrha? That is a surprise."
Pyrrha pursed her lips. "Well…" She spoke as Yang nodded. "Don't worry, P-money. I got it. Weiss, let's not pry further.
Weiss shrugged. "Alright, if you say so. But still, Jaune…"
"Its fine. Like my dad says, 'An Arc never goes back on his word'."
The group went out of the dorm and headed to the ballroom. On the way, they noticed Beacon's pathways were decorated with posters displaying the Vytal Ball on stands. They found Sun and Neptune beside these stands.
Blake sighed looking at Sun's attire, which…while he did wear a shirt, he still looked like he had just woken up, with his loose white shirt, black track pants and loose red tie.
Sun grinned. "You're here! I was thinking you weren't going to come!"
Blake rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, you're funny, Sun." She spoke before leaning towards him. "Is it ready?" She spoke in a low voice as Sun nodded.
"Yep. How is she?" He asked as Blake looked at Ruby. "A lot better, but still troubled. This should do the trick if all goes right."
"Gotcha. Let Operation Smiling Rose commence."
As soon as Ruby entered the ballroom, she smelt Rose.
Roses… She thought wistfully. Immediately her mind went back to her father's rose garden. She always like the smell of roses as they calmed down her mind.
Ruby's shoulders relaxed. She noticed many people were already there dancing with their partners. Professor Ozpin stood in a formal black coat over a green shirt and a grey ascot tie adorned with a red jewel.
Ruby also spotted Saber, Lancer, Ruler, and Tristan standing nearby in black suits and ties discussing something and laughing, well, Tristan wasn't laughing, but he jut looked depressed all the time.
Ruby went and sat down by the wall, watching people dance with their partners. Ruby could see Blake smiling and laughing with Sun as they danced. Weiss smiled with Neptune as they set white flowers in vases on the tables while Yang welcome those who arrived.
Ruby let out a bitter smile. She was happy her teammates were finally distancing themselves and moving on. They didn't need to be dragged down and feel unhappy with her.
In the mass of people in the ballroom, Ruby felt lonely, yet a sense of resignation set in.
Its what I deserve… She thought before Yang came up.
"Come on, Rubes! Let's dance!" Yang spoke grabbing her arm.
Wait what… Ruby thought before Yang pulled her up and brought her over.
"Yang…"
"Don't be a worrywart, Rubes! We're family! There's nothing wrong with us dancing!"
No…that's not what I meant. Why are you still clinging onto me? Why? Ruby thought before she smelt Roses again.
"We're family!"
"Friendship is not so easily broken. A familial bond even more so."
In that moment of clarity, Ruby stared at Yang in realization.
Of course you'll never leave. You're still my sister. Ruby thought before deciding to entertain her.
"Ok, what do we do?"
"Remember the dance Summer taught us?" Yang asked as Ruby nodded. How could she not remember that?
She closed her eyes and began humming the tune mommy taught her. Yang did so as well and the sisters danced, holding hands and swinging their arms as they sidestepped.
Ruby felt a sense of calm wash over her as the music was drowned out by her humming.
Memories flooded over of her and Yang as little kids dancing on the green fields of Patch against the rising Sun, while mommy, Uncle Qrow and dad sat in a picnic watching them with a smile.
Ruby suddenly found herself dancing with Yang in those green fields again, the grass rustling with the wind as the sun rose in the horizon.
Ruby found herself wishing to keep dancing. It felt…nice. Those simple times when she was little and enjoyed her life with her dear sister.
Dear sister…
Family…
In the dance, a strange thought invaded Ruby's mind.
Since when did people fake their love for their family? She thought. Thinking of her family, she felt like she was missing something. There was something important today, yet it was escaping her memory.
"Ruby?" Yang's voice broke her out of her bliss and she was back in the ballroom, Yang having stopped her dance.
"You looked so peaceful with your eyes closed. Did you like this little moment?"
Ruby blinked and looked at her sister. "Strangely…yes." She spoke.
"Good! Now go to the balcony and wait." Yang spoke walking off towards Blake and Sun as Ruby went to the Balcony.
Coming into the Balcony, Ruby looked at the night sky and remembered her talks with Blake, Blake listening to her silently as she expressed herself. All of those sessions took place on the terrace in night. And staring at this reminded her of those conversations.
A friend who is willing to listen to your inner thoughts and not judge you for them is genuine. She remembered grandmother Maria tell her that once.
Her eyes fell on the courtyard, the same place where she first met Weiss.
"Sorry?! Do you have any idea who you are talking to?!"
That was the spot where her journey began. It was ironic it began with Weiss' ranting. Now that she thought of it, Ruby could say Weiss became her partner at that moment.
She then remembered an old mistralan proverb.
"A bully turned friend, is friend till the end." She muttered.
"Rubes!" Ruby heard a voice as Blake, Weiss, Yang, Sun and Neptune came up, Yang holding a tray with white cloth over it.
"Look what we got!" Yang exclaimed as she removed the cloth to reveal pink-coloured cookies.
Ruby gasped.
It can't be… She thought.
"Strawberry cookies…" She spoke. Those were very expensive food items because of the specific ingredients that they require to make. Mommy used to make a batch every year on special occasions like her birthday.
"I had the strawberries shipped over from Mistral with Neptune's help." Weiss spoke as Neptune scratched his head with a nervous smile.
"I did the baking with Sun, who's surprisingly a good cook." Blake spoke as Sun put up a thumbs up.
"And of course, I provided the recipe." Yang spoke. "Have one." She spoke as Ruby looked at the cookies in hesitation.
I haven't had one of these since mom died… Ruby thought slowly reaching out and picking up one strawberry cookie and slowly biting into it. Immediately, a familiar flavour flooded into her mouth as Ruby's eyes widened in shock.
It's just how mom used to make them… She thought before looking at the others.
"You all…did this for me?" Ruby asked as Yang nodded.
"Heck yeah we did! It was a pain getting the ingredients, especially those damned strawberries, but it was all worth it after seeing that expression on your face. Besides, I think someone forgot its her birthday."
Time slowed down as Ruby's mouth fell open. That was that 'important thing'.
"It's mom's birthday." She spoke in realization as she noticed Uncle Qrow come up with a red velvet caked with frosting in the shape of white roses.
"Not going to lie, I was surprised when firecracker said we were going to celebrate Shortstack's birthday after all these years. But being friends with a Schnee really pays off. I can say Ice princess is a whole lot better than her big sister."
Weiss blushed. "Thank you…Mr. Branwen."
"Now…Ruby. I just want to tell you that this is no longer your house, where me, Tai and Yang left you alone after something bad happened. You're in Beacon now. You're not just Ruby Rose, but you're also Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao-Long as well. If you can't handle yourself, then your teammates will suffer too. That was what Summer realized when she was first-year."
He gestured to her team.
"Look at them, Ruby. You've been saying they don't support you after what you did? They all had their own scars from Mount Glenn, yet they set that aside so that they could help you out and bring back something I never thought would be celebrated ever again. I know its been tough, but you've got your mother's will. I know you'll bounce back from this. And they will always be cheering for you whenever you do. Don't ever think they'll leave you because you screwed up. Because they are your friends. And while sometimes friends can separate, I can tell you here in Beacon, your friends are here to stay. Now come on, let's cut the cake."
Ruby looked at her friends, and for the first time, she saw what they felt. All of them were tense, yet tense in a matter of genuine concern, not fear.
Her mind was slowly unravelling as her thoughts became clearer and one last memory came in.
Summer Rose stood looking down at an infant Ruby, who was sleeping peacefully in her cot. Tai and Yang had gone to sleep, while Summer and her grandfather remained to watch over her.
"She's a beautiful child, Summer." Her grandfather spoke as Summer gave a tired smile. "At least you can't tease me over getting fat or have any excuses of stealing my cookies anymore, grandpa."
The old man chuckled. "Oh Summer you gullible child…what makes you think I intend on giving up this power I've been enjoying. Those cookies are just…chef's kiss."
Summer pouted. "You can't hide them! I know all your tricks!"
"Yes, because I taught you all the tricks you know. However," The old man spoke with a wink, "I didn't teach you all that I know."
"Challenge accepted." Summer spoke defiantly as they shared a soft laugh. Summer then frowned. "But…if you're right, and she is the one, then…my baby girl will have a sad future ahead of her." She spoke.
Her grandfather shook his head. "Summer…"
"I-I know, Grandpa. I am happy to be blessed with a daughter by the gods. B-But, I can't help but fear what she will have to face."
"You are right. Little Ruby will face hurdles even more difficult and deadly than the ones I did in my life. She will face untold sorrow, she will make mistakes, and sometimes even break down in despair."
"…But, she'll get back up and persevere through it. She will surpass you. She will surpass me. She will surpass all of us. After all, to win the war that's coming will require the best of us to raise our arms and fight for survival."
"I am confident she will being about the ending desired by countless souls across thousands of years. And she will do it with her beloved ones supporting her every step of the way."
The old man picked up Ruby and smiled softly at her. Ruby opened her eyes and stared at her great grandfather, her bright silver eyes that shone like a newly born flame from her relative inexperience of the world staring at his relatively dull ones that gave a steel-like metallic glow, weathered from a long, long life of battle and hunting.
"You will never be lone, my little jewel. Even when you can see no one but yourself, you will still have people supporting you."
"You will never be alone, my little jewel."
And the truth set in onto Ruby's mind. She covered her hand with her mouth and started crying.
Yang stared at her with concern. "Ruby?" She asked before Ruby wrapped her arms around her team.
"Thank you…" She spoke looking at them with a tearful smile. "Thank you so much. I should never have doubted you guys."
"It's alright, Ruby. You were distressed. And I know that this is something that will stick onto you for a long time. But just know that we will always support and help you. You're not alone, Ruby." Weiss spoke as Ruby laughed, her joyous laughter filled with the same infectious cheer that soothed everyone in Team RWBY.
"YAY!" Sun suddenly screamed. "WE DID IT!" He yelled before noticing everyone staring at him.
"Wait…what happened to the celebration?!" Sun exclaimed as Blake burst into laughter. "No need for that, Sun."
"…Not cool, Blake."
"Alrighty, enough chit chat! Let's cut the cake!" Yang spoke handing Ruby the knife as she looked at her mother's birthday cake. She could remember the screams, and perhaps she'll never forget them. But now that she realized her friends weren't going anywhere, Ruby felt strangely elated.
She closed her eyes and smiled. "Happy birthday, mom. I hope you're enjoying yourself in the happy world you said you've gone to." She spoke before cutting the cake.
They all devoured the cake within minutes before they heard the music stop and the sound of a harp being played.
"Tristan's playing Failnaught!" Yang exclaimed as the teenagers quickly returned to see Tristan playing an upbeat tune while Professor Lancer tap-danced on the floor, everyone cheering and clapping for him.
"Woah, woah, woah! Lancer's got some moves!" Yang spoke as she and the other joined in. Ruby spotted Professor Saber clapping with a smile as well before noticing Professor Ozpin appear out of nowhere with an old Valeian flute.
"What the…! You can play music?!" Lancer exclaimed as Ozpin grinned.
"What? I do have a life outside of my office. Come on, everyone! Let's join in!" He announced as the room erupted into chaos.
In the midst of that chaos, Ruby danced with her team, her mind no longer shackled by doubt.
"Gah!" Ruby spoke as she lost her footing and fell down again.
"Oh…! You okay, Rubes?" Yang asked as Ruby groaned.
"I think my butt's sore." She spoke before looking at her heels.
"Ok, I don't care anymore! I'm taking off these heels!"
"Ruby wait…!" Weiss tried to speak but Ruby wrenched the heeled shoes of her feet and threw them away.
"Ah…relief…" Ruby spoke as Weiss sighed. "You look uncouth."
"I don't care. I'm free…" Ruby spoke as she got up and continued dancing, laughing as the night melted away.
Qrow took a swig from his flask, relieve that Ruby was finally cheered up. It warmed his heart to see his niece so free-spirited again, the real deal, not her cheerful façade that had been made over the years.
She's settled in. Qrow thought before noticing a familiar raven.
"Oh, great." He grumbled as the raven turned into his sister, her cold red yees staring at him through her grimm mask.
"So, you saved firecracker back in Mount Glenn." He spoke as Raven sighed.
"Qrow, I may not have been there for her, but I care about my daughter. I'll save her if there is no way out for her."
"Ah right, I really hate that you only life a finger occasionally. Maybe you could come and finally put an end to this mess now that Yang's grown up?"
"Doing that would mean revealing it all to her. And I don't want her to get involved."
"As much as I hate to admit it, Yang's the stepsister of a silver-eyed warrior. I'm still amazed how Salem hasn't got wind of Ruby, but when she does, then Yang will be dragged in as well.
Raven was silent before looking at Yang dancing with Ruby.
"Look at her. You wouldn't be able to figure out that's a girl who still wants to see her mommy. It would be a relief if Yang lets go of me and move on."
"But she's your daughter. She's got your stubbornness, Rae. She won't rest until she gets answers."
Qrow paused before taking another swig. "But say, she does. Does that mean I'll get to know why you're so afraid?"
"…"
"Don't give me that look, Rae. I've grown up with you. I know your character inside out. I know you left because you're afraid of something. But you won't tell me what that 'something' is."
"Yes. Then your only way to know is Yang." Raven spoke. "But enough of that. That's not why I'm here."
"You're not?"
"No. I'm here with a message. Pass it to Ozpin."
"Hm? I didn't think you were willing to communicate?"
"Tell him that if he knows he has anyone named 'Saber' or 'Lancer' working for him, then he should reveal everything to them."
Qrow's eyes widened. "What? Rae, what's…"
Rae tensed up and turned around to look at the entrance to the CCT. Qrow followed her line of sight but no one, however…
Someone's there. He thought before looking back at Raven.
"Shit! He knows! Qrow, I'm getting out. Just trust me and fucking tell this to Ozpin." She spoke as Qrow blinked. Things were serious if Raven was so scared.
Raven cut a portal as Qrow put a finger to his lips.
"Rae!"
"…What?"
"How bad is it?" He asked as Raven took off her mask and levelled a stone cold stare at him.
"The course of the war has changed. That's how bad it is." She spoke before going through the portal.
The Carrier stood at the same golden pool in the same cavern, which now looked like a Magus' workshop.
The cloaked figure sat working on a small object.
"How much is done?" The Carrier asked.
"The Temple will take time to finish." The figure replied. "Although Amdusias is skeptical, I believe Salem's proposal isn't too bad. Speaking of which, how are things in Vale?"
The Carrier sighed. "Salem's warning regarding Ozma are no lies. While Atlas, the so-called strongest nation, hasn't even heard of our infiltration, Ozpin's managed to expel our presence from Vale. I've directed Perseus to take all our assets north. Some Casters have been brought in to construct the bounded fields that will hide our new base of operations."
"Hm, any good news?"
"The Breach has taken place as we intended. Ozpin has called in the Atlesian military. With the bounded fields, it will be much more difficult for them to find us. And with us no longer restricted by the white fang, which itself has parted ways, we can truly expand our armies and bring down the Kingdom of Vale. All that remains is the Wyvern."
"…I see. Inform me when you find it. I have made the preparations."
"As you say." The Carrier spoke and went to leave.
"Prometheus."
The Carrier stopped.
"The Nornir have put a binding curse on my eyes, so I can't be of any help with clairvoyance. If your forethought fails you, then return to the temple."
Prometheus was silent before nodding.
"Understood."
A/N: After 20 chapters, Volume-2 is over. As of now I can say that Team RWBY's collective development is over. Now, we'll be getting into the individual arcs of the characters. But...that's for Volume-4. Volume-3 will explore the events from the view of the servants now, and team RWBY will probably appear in the first few chapters and the final battle at the end of Volume-3.
This chapter was again really annoying to write because it got deleted 3 times and I lost a lot of progress every single time. But, I did it. The second story's prologue has been released, its name is 'Under the Rowan's shade'. Go check it out.
Also, lots of things to cover in this chapter. First, its heavily focused on Ruby and how she's dealing with the aftermath, which is obviously not too well. I didn't want her guilt over it to be resolved, because that would ruin the story, but I also needed some insecurity that needed to be resolved for Ruby to cheer up. Hence, her doubt that her team would still accept her. Because what happened was genuinely horrific to put so much doubt in Ruby.
However, I couldn't ignore the problems the other members had, so I included separate sections for Weiss and Yang to see how they'll deal with their problems. Well, to be honest, their ones aren't as hard to resolve as Ruby's. Yang has set aside her personal desire to see her mother before and Weiss believes the brand isn't real because of the way she saw the brand. So, she's okay in that regard for now.
The cheering up portion of course couldn't be stretched out a lot because I was exhausted but I hope it didn't feel too rushed. I felt satisfied ending Volume-2 on a wholesome note, while putting in a sort of post-credits featuring Raven and the Figure again.
For Raven, I've already decided she's not going to be like her canon counterpart, because I have some interesting ideas to implement about her. So, My Raven actually has nicer reasons for why she saved Yang. Of course, she still retains some of Canon Raven's qualities, but is only harsh because she wants Yang to survive and will always step in when she's in danger. No favors and all that.
Finally, The Carrier's name is revealed. How many of you guessed it was Prometheus? But anyways, my depiction of Prometheus does draw slight inspiration from the PJO Prometheus, because I really enjoy its nuanced portrayal of Prometheus as not just the kind-hearted giver of fire to humanity, but also a Titan holding some vengeance in his heart against the gods.
And my big bad makes another presence, working on the 'Temple'. More on him in later volumes.
Now that we're done, I'm taking a break from this story. It's not that its been stressful. But earlier I used to just write different short stories side-by-side. Not being able to do that because of the massive size of Soulless Plains has really been eating at me. So, now I'm just going to focus on Under the Rowan's Shade until I've reached a certain part. Then my schedule for both Soulless Plains and Rowan's Shade will commence. So, sorry to those who're waiting for Volume-3 to start.
See you guys in Rowan's shade!
Hope you guys enjoyed and constructive criticism is appreciated!
Response to reviews:
Stickmanreader: Gosh, now I'm even more nervous about meeting expectations. Wish me luck for when I reach the Fall of Beacon, because that is going to be one heck of a showdown.
Maglad: Exactly. But Scathach isn't coming yet. Still a little time remaining.
NeylBoo: I gotcha. I guess I was too focused on Ruby to consider other parts to be explored upon in this chapter. Thanks for pointing out the flaws, I made the corrections based on that.
I guess the 50,000 was a bit too high, nothing to say on that.
Cardin's behavior was the result of me not paying much attention to him. I thought I would bring about the change in Cardin after Beacon falls, but your review really woke me up and made me realize that the Breach will have some impact on the characters.
As for the dent in friendship, yeah. I was thinking 'But, 50,000's a big number. Are my readers going to accept that RWBY still has a pitch-perfect relationship with each other after that?'. I can see now the answer is no so I changed the numbers. But I do think that the dent has been made. It just won't really be shown until later parts of the story.
But anyways, these are the sort of reviews I look for and I really appreciate you for this.
