Ruby eventually managed to calm herself down, her sobs morphing into hiccups and dry heaves. She saw Chara staring at her from the foot of her bed but she really didn't want to talk. Though from the way Chara was looking at her, Ruby had a feeling conversation couldn't be avoided.
"Ruby…?" They asked, voice soft and uncertain. Completely different than how they acted in the forest; full of bravado and utter confidence in everything they did. Ruby smiled a little. At least she wasn't the only one braving new territory.
"I…I'm fine, Chara. Sorry. Just had a, well, a really bad nightmare." She said, shuffling around in her bed. She tried to get comfortable as the tears began to fade and the remnants of her terror fled with Chara's presence.
"You don't look fine, Ruby. You look about two seconds away from a panic attack." Ruby winced. They really didn't have that much of a filter did they? "Not to mention, I heard you screaming my name. What's that about?" They asked, curious eyes glinting.
Ruby flinched, her eyes looking elsewhere. "I-I don't want to talk about it, Chara. Just…drop it, please?" She asked, still not looking at them. She couldn't. Not with the treacherous thoughts whirling through her head. She remembered that flowers' words…
Chara was the key. What did that mean exactly? The key to her headaches, the strange dreams she was having, or was it something else? Maybe something she hadn't seen yet?
Either way, she had a feeling that letting Chara know exactly what her and that flower talked about wouldn't end well.
All the previous thoughts and conflicted feelings fled as Chara did the unexpected: She jumped into her bed. Ruby squawked as Chara squirmed their way into laying right next to her. Ruby's face felt like it was on fire. What were they doing?
They stared at each other for a moment before Ruby asked, "Umm, Chara? Why…are you laying right next to me?"
Chara, she realized, was blushing. "I-Isn't this what friends do for each other? Comfort each other?" They asked, avoiding eye contact.
Ruby was at a loss for words. Chara had a point, but they barely knew each other! From what she knew, friends also didn't sleep in the same bed together!
…That she knew of. She didn't have a lot of friends.
She ignored all the treacherous and embarrassing thoughts swirling around her head and decided to just go with it. If anything, the fact that they were equally embarrassed made her feel a little better.
"S-sure." She said, stumbling over the word. She tried to get comfortable in her bed that was probably way too small for the both of them.
"G-goodnight, Chara." She said, turning over so that she wouldn't have to face Chara as they tried to sleep.
A moment later Chara replied in a very quiet voice. "Goodnight, Ruby." She nodded off not long after.
Her dreams filled with nothing but an empty void.
Ruby awoke to the sun blinding her, a growling stomach and an empty bed where Chara had been the night before. She groaned, swinging her legs off the bed and started to get ready for the day. The air mattress her father had set up the night before for Chara lay empty, just as it had for most of the night.
That thought sent a furious blush to her cheeks. She couldn't believe she actually slept in the same bed as another person. One that she wasn't related to anyways. She didn't know how she was going to make eye contact with Chara ever again. Or Dad. Or Yang. The thought of Yang finding out sent a shiver down her spine, and a twisting feeling roiling in her gut.
She shut those feelings down, hard. She had a day to get ready for. She stripped, tossing her pajamas into her dirty clothes bin. She ignored how she needed to do her laundry and chose her usual non-school clothes; a black, long sleeved blouse that ended in a black skirt. She went to the coat hanger near her door and grabbed her signature, at least in her mind, red cloak and fastened it with her silver cross pins.
Dad and Yang teased her about being in her 'goth phase', but she would show them! It wasn't just a phase. Not that she would ever say that to them, she knew a cliché when she heard one.
She walked downstairs past Yang's vacant room and onto the stairwell which led downstairs. Her mind latched onto Yang and fact she wouldn't see her for a week. It filled her with a mix of feelings that she really didn't want to look at, so she ignored it. She tried not to think about it too hard as she ran down the stairs, ignoring the voice that sounded suspiciously like Dad in her mind that told her to slow down.
She made a beeline for the kitchen and froze in the entryway as she saw Chara and Dad talking at the table. Dad noticed her first and smiled, beckoning her with a wave.
"Come on, Ruby. I was just about to get started with breakfast. You can help Chara set the silverware and then make some eggs while I do the bacon and sausage, okay?" Dad said, moving towards the fridge to grab everything they needed.
Ruby nodded and went to work, avoiding eye contact with Chara. She didn't want to, but she was just so embarrassed! Chara went to move closer to her, but hesitated. They stood still for a moment, trying to get her attention, before sighing and turning away.
Chara had moved away from her and towards Dad. He had gotten the cutting board out and was about to start chopping up onions, when Chara spoke up.
"I can cut those for you, Mr. Xiao-Long. I know how to use a knife." They said in a really strange way, almost as if they found something funny.
Dad looked taken aback. "Chara, this isn't a toy. Do you know how to properly use one of these? And for the record, call me Taiyang; I feel far too old being called Mr. Xiao-Long." He said, spinning the knife around in a way that mesmerized her. She didn't know Dad could do that!
Before she could voice her outrage at having never seen that trick before, Chara spoke up. Their voice was a tad more subdued than it had been before. "It's fine. I've been trained to use it. I won't hurt myself; I promise." They said. A beat later they smirked. "Mr. Xiao-Long."
Dad groaned and Ruby let out a little giggle. Dad shot her a betrayed look which made her laugh again. He sighed before flipping the knife around, handle first to Chara. "Alright, Chara. I'll trust you; just be careful. I don't want to freak out your parents if we have to go to the hospital because you nicked yourself." He said with a grin; which fled quickly at the look on their face.
All traces of smugness and mirth had fled; they had the blankest expression Ruby had ever seen on another person. Not even Dad had ever gotten to that level, from what she could remember.
"I'll be fine." They said, their voice a blizzard. Dad, wisely, backed off with a small frown on his face. Ruby bit her lip. She wanted to say something to Chara but the moment fled and Chara turned to the cutting board, much more subdued than earlier.
They expertly flipped the knife in the same manner her Dad had and Ruby gaped. She really wished she had badgered Uncle Qrow into teaching her how to use a knife the last time he showed up. That trick was so cool!
She wanted to say something, but hesitated. She didn't want to make Chara even more angry than they already were, so she stayed quiet. They worked on breakfast in silence; The sound of Chara's knife flicking through the onions and the clinking of metal on wood their only solace.
Dad, evidently satisfied Chara knew what they were doing, stepped out of the kitchen for a moment to check on Zwei; who had started to call from the other room. The silence only became more awkward, sort of building into a crescendo as she tried to figure out some way to break it.
Finally, Chara let out an explosive sigh at the same time Ruby worked up the nerve to speak.
"Sorry-"
"Look-"
They both said, interrupting each other. They paused for a moment before Ruby giggled and waved to Chara. "You go first." She said, wary of Dad coming back in and ruining the moment.
Chara nodded. "Look, I didn't mean to snap at the two of you like that. It's just…" Chara trailed off but Ruby got it. It was the same way that anyone that wasn't family mentioned her Mom. Vivian came to her mind then, but she shoved it aside. It wasn't the time.
"I don't like talking about my parents. I'll apologize to your Dad too; he was just trying to lighten the mood." Chara said spinning the knife lazily in their hands. Ruby wanted to ask about that too, but restrained herself. She'd have more time later.
"That's okay. I get it, really I do. I'm the same way with my Mom. And, I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to be so awkward; I…" Ruby trailed off, trying to word what she wanted to say without sounding like a loser.
"You don't have many friends, right?" Chara said. Ruby looked up, saw the smirk, and pouted. They really didn't hold back.
"Yeah," she said, trying to shed her awkwardness. "It's just hard for me to make friends in account for, well…" She gestured to herself in a self-deprecating way and Chara snorted.
"Yeah, I get it. I'm kind of the same way." They said, still flipping the knife. They started to do little tricks with it, almost absentmindedly. Ruby looked at them in disbelief and Chara snorted. "It's true! I don't like sugarcoating things; If someone is doing something stupid or is just an idiot, I'm going to tell them. So, you can imagine how well that goes over with, well, anyone. So yeah, I don't have a lot of friends."
Ruby could picture it in her head and she winced. Chara smirked at her. "Yeah, you get it. So, we good?" They asked, something vulnerable entering their expression.
Ruby normally wasn't good at reading people, but for whatever reason she could understand Chara. She wasn't sure why, but she would count it as a good thing. Regardless of what that stupid flower said.
Chara was a friend. She kind of threw it out there the day before, but she found she really meant it now. They were both awkward in their own ways and didn't have a lot of friends because of it. It was kind of the perfect combination. The only thing that would make it better is if they loved weapons.
Ruby smiled. "Yeah. We're good. Friends?" She asked, meaning it for real this time.
Chara let a small smile and she turned into a fairy again. "Friends." They said, relishing in the word.
The squeak of the kitchen door being opened caused both of them to jump. In the process, Chara let go of the knife they were holding and it slid through their fingers. The knife hit the floor, along with some drops of red. She realized a second later it was blood. Chara must have cut themselves when they dropped the knife!
"Chara!" Ruby let out. Chara cursed and she heard her Dad sigh.
"I'll get the first aid kit. What did I say about you cutting yourself, Chara?" Dad said.
Chara had the decency to blush and Ruby giggled. Chara joined in a moment later after letting out a frustrated huff. After her Dad wrapped up the cut, which wasn't really any bigger than a paper cut, no one commented on the fact that Ruby didn't let go of Chara's hand until they sat down to eat.
After some rudimentary first aid from her Dad, he managed to finesse them into sitting down and waiting for breakfast instead of helping. It frustrated her but she brushed it off. Regardless, they finished breakfast quickly, eager to start on their day off. Or, well, Ruby's day off. Dad still had to go to work regardless of her being on break. She smiled sheepishly as she waved him off, his scowl causing her to giggle until he smiled back.
He loved being far too dramatic.
Once he was gone, it left only her, Chara and Zwei in the house; who let his presence be known by a single bark as he trotted into the living room. Chara hadn't really had time to interact with him, the introductions the day before a little rushed due to the late hour.
Still, Chara seemed only a little apprehensive, in the way that someone who vaguely knew about animals would. Ruby smiled and gestured towards Zwei.
"He wont bite. You can say hi if you want?" She asked, moving away from Chara and closer to Zwei, who tilted his head and let out a mighty 'woof.' She squealed and grabbed him in a massive hug.
"Isn't he just adorable?" She asked fluffing his fur to make it stick out. Chara let out a small laugh and the sound floored her. She was brought back to her first assumption about Chara being a fairy; she could definitely hear it in the laugh.
Chara meandered their way over, a small smile on their face as they cautiously approached Zwei. Ruby tried not to giggle and scare them off but she couldn't hold it in at the expression on their face. Chara didn't seem to mind, however, and approached Zwei. Chara held a small staring contest with Zwei and stared back with a dopey grin on his face. After a tense moment, Zwei barked and launched himself at Chara.
Chara squealed and Ruby swore it was the most adorable sound she had ever heard. Ruby covered her giggle with her hand as Zwei loved on Chara, licking their face with a fervor he only held in for one of the family. The sight of Chara playing with Zwei and loving on him made her heart soar.
Something that she had been meaning to ask for a while now bubbled up to the surface of her mind and before she could stop herself, she blurted it out.
"So, I completely forgot to ask earlier and now I'm really embarrassed, but, uh, are you a boy or girl? I, um, kind of forgot with how crazy yesterday was and I'm just curious." She said, her mouth moving faster than she could control it.
Chara gave her a strange look as they held Zwei and Ruby blushed hard. She couldn't help it! She was curious and they weren't exactly forthcoming with information. They didn't look offended, thankfully. Just slightly bemused.
"I'm neither, I guess. I've never felt comfortable with either label. Does it matter?" Chara asked, putting more attention on Zwei than her. She would have been slightly offended if she wasn't so embarrassed.
"No, no, no!" She said, waving her hands around and shaking her head. "Like I said, I was just curious! I still don't really understand but that's fine! I just wasn't sure what to call you and I was just using 'they' in my head…" She trailed off, a poking her fingers together.
Chara quirked their lips into a sort of smile. "That's fine. It doesn't really matter, Ruby." They put down Zwei and turned towards her, a small smirk on their face. "Now, what's the plan for today?"
Ruby nearly sighed in relief. She may have been a teensy bit socially awkward, but she wasn't blind to such an obvious change in topic.
"I've got a few ideas! How good are you at video games?" She asked.
The predatory grin that stretched across Chara's face was their only answer. Maybe she should have started with something more easy-going, like gardening?
Time passed in a blur, the days stretching for what felt like a blissful eternity until eventually, the day came that had been on her mind since the beginning of the year: The Summer Festival had arrived! It was a local celebration held on Patch that used to be a farmer's holiday that had morphed into a huge celebration that all of Patch took part in. A day full of celebration, carnival games, and prizes!
Ruby leaped out of her bed with a shout and started to pace around her room. They were going to have so much fun! She had a whole list of ideas she had been brainstorming since the day before and she couldn't wait to share them with Chara!
She turned to look at Chara and froze.
Something was wrong with them.
"What happened?" She asked, moving to her friend's mattress. They looked pale and clammy; like they had seen a ghost in the night. She had never seen them like this before. The ball of emotions she had ignored until now began to fester and spin out her control. It only increased when Chara didn't respond to her at all. Their breathing began to speed up and they started to shake.
Dread filled her and she let out a shout. "Dad! I need you! Something's wrong with Chara!"
After a few seconds, but felt like an eternity, her door burst open and Dad rushed in. He knelt down next to her and she heard his breath suck in sharply.
"She's having a panic attack, Ruby. Go to my room and grab the safety blanket. Remember which one it is?" He asked, his eyes roaming Chara's face.
She nodded and went to get it, her fear fading into the background of her chaotic mind now that she had something to do. As she sped away from her room, she heard Dad try to get Chara's attention and began counting down backwards.
She remembered having to do that with him and felt like slapping herself for forgetting it. She had frozen up in the moment and forgot. Stupid. The ball of emotions rose up for a split second before she forced it back down. She had to focus on what was important right now. She could deal with that later.
She shook off her thoughts and searched her Dad's room until she found the blanket. She ran down the hallway, her footsteps thudding on the wood floor, breaking the eerie silence the house had descended into. She burst into her room and nearly shoved the blanket into his hands. She was shaking as she handed the blanket to him. He must have noticed too, because he gave her a reassuring look before draping the blanket over Chara's shoulders.
Chara noticed, thankfully, and they grabbed on to the blanket tightly. Their fingers clenched and shook, but they acknowledged it all the same. He had managed to get Chara's attention in some way when she couldn't. Guilt spread through her and she tried to shove it away, but found it impossible to do. Her emotions were chaotic and all over the place. She couldn't focus properly and that made the ball of frustration within her bubble up to the surface.
It took all of her willpower to ignore what she was feeling and focus on Chara. Dad tried every trick he could, but Chara still wouldn't pay attention to them. Dad frowned and her gut twisted.
"Ruby. I need you to go downstairs and get Zwei. He might be able to help Chara out of this and back to the present." He said, glancing at her and showing a tight smile.
Ruby understood. She remembered when Dad was at his worst; how Zwei brought him back from the brink. She nodded, not trusting her voice, and raced down the stairs.
"Zwei!" She called, and he must have heard the distress in her voice because he came to her immediately. He looked at her and whined. "Not me buddy, I'm fine." Her gut twisted, a reminder of what she was ignoring but pressed on. Now wasn't the time. "It's Chara, they need your help. Please, boy?" She asked. He looked at her and Ruby had never felt more judged than in that moment. But, he mercifully relented and barked once.
Ruby sighed with relief and joined him as he bounded up the stairs. She hoped with all her heart that he would be able to help. Otherwise, she didn't know what she would do.
Thankfully, Chara responded positively to Zwei and managed to answer Dad as he asked them when and where they were. When Chara said the current date, she sighed in relief; a huge weight lifted off of her heart. Dad wasn't as obvious, but she could see it in the way he talked to Chara; he was just as relived as she was that they were aware again.
Just as the relief poured out of her, the bundle of emotions that she had kept down with all of her self control began to unravel. A series of emotions flowed through her; rage, frustration, joy, and all sorts of other feelings bubbled to the surface. It was overwhelming and she had to go sit in the living room; away from Chara and her Dad. He noticed, but didn't say anything, focusing on Chara. She understood, but the sight of it filled her with a resentment that overwhelmed all the other emotions she had been feeling.
She tried to reason with her feelings; It wasn't Chara's fault they had a panic attack, nor was it wrong for her Dad to choose to focus on the obviously distressed child over her. Her feelings didn't want to be reasoned with, however, so she stewed in silence. Zwei had joined her on the couch, snoring softly in her lap, as she petted him absentmindedly. She really didn't deserve him.
Her attention snapped to the door as her Dad walked in with Chara in tow. They were strangely silent and looking at the floor as Dad gently guided them to the recliner that sat opposite of her own couch. After making sure Chara was comfortably set up in the recliner, he turned towards her with a slight frown on his face.
"I'm going to make some hot chocolate for the both of you. I'll be back in a few minutes. Please keep an eye on Chara for me and let me know immediately if something happens, okay?" He asked, waiting for her to nod in affirmation before turning around and heading to the kitchen.
Ruby sighed as soon as he left and looked at Chara. They were a wreck. Their hair was sticking out at odd angles, their eyes were bloodshot and they stared lifelessly at the floor. They still clung tightly to the blanket she had gotten from Dad's room; probably their only lifeline to here and now.
Her resentment spiked again as she looked at them. She knew she was being unreasonable. Nothing that happened was Chara's fault. It still bothered her that their perfect day that she had planned out was now ruined. They would most likely miss all of the festival; the games, the rides, the prizes, everything that she had been looking forward to all year. They might be able to see the fireworks, but knowing how exhausted everyone would be later, she doubted they would stay up for it. Everything she had wanted to share with Chara would pass by them because they had to go and panic over nothing.
As soon as she finished the thought, guilt rose through her. Chara didn't deserve that. She knew that, but another part of her, one that had listened to that stupid flower and believed him, didn't care. Chara had ruined their perfect day. Now she wanted to know why. Partly so she could try and help, because through all the anger at her friends, she still liked them; and partly so she could make them feel guilty about ruining her plans.
Even worse, now they wouldn't even look at her. They wouldn't acknowledge her. It was like she wasn't even there. Like the last few days hadn't meant anything to them.
Just like Yang.
Her resentment and frustration at even thinking about Yang at the moment made her call out to them.
"Chara? You okay to go to the festival tonight?" She asked, trying to control her voice so she didn't show her anger. "I've got loads of plans and ideas for what we can do." From the way Zwei looked up at her she had a feeling she didn't succeed.
Chara stared at the floor. Ruby bristled.
"Chara." She called again, their voice sharper this time. Nothing. Not even a twitch. They were back in their own world again.
She felt a wave of determination flow through her. She would make Chara acknowledge her.
"Chara." She snapped. They flinched and suddenly swiveled to her. The blank look faded slightly as Chara stared at her.
"Ruby?" They asked, uncertain.
"What happened to you? I woke up this morning and you were having a panic attack. I had to call Dad for help. I had so many plans for today and now I'm not sure we're going to do anything. What's going on?" She asked, her voice accusing. She winced slightly but she couldn't help it. She was done trying to play nice.
Their eyes narrowed and a small frown graced their lips. "I..I don't really want to talk about it, Ruby."
"Chara-" She started, but they interrupted her.
"Ruby, I said drop it. Please." They gritted out, glaring down at the couch.
The bundle of emotions that had been slowly leaking out of her turned into a tidal wave that slammed into her all at once, flooding her with all of the negative feelings she had been burying deep inside of her.
"Why?" She snarled out. "Why won't you listen to me? I'm trying to help you, Chara! Why won't you tell me what's going on? Why are you trying to shove me out?" She smoldered while glaring at Chara.
She knew she was being a hypocrite; she didn't care.
Chara looked shocked, like they had never really seen her before. Their eyes remained glued to hers, for the first time that day. She knew she had their attention now. She ignored the sudden spike of guilt that emerged. She needed to know what was going on.
The shock on Chara's face fled, replaced by pure venom. "That's rich coming from you. 'I'm shoving you out?' huh?" She snorted. "Like how you filled me in on that nightmare you had? The one that was so bad you called out to me in your sleep like I was your mom?"
Ruby felt like she had been slapped. "T-that's different!" She said, the guilt gnawing at her like Zwei would to a bone. "I just had a nightmare and I-I called out to you for help, which you did! You helped, Chara! I just want to do the same thing for you! Why won't you let me?" She pleaded.
For a moment, Ruby thought she had gotten through to them. She could see the indecision warring on their face. Her hope died when they closed their eyes and opened them to reveal a blank expression.
"No, Ruby. This is different. This isn't something you can deal with." They said, the venom in their voice replaced by apathy.
Ruby wanted to punch something, hurl the furniture around the room, or just do anything to get this frustration out! She hated feeling useless! She hated being ignored and passed over like she was disgusting. Chara probably hated her now. She screamed in frustration and ran out of the living room, past Chara who called out to her and out the front door. She ignored the way Chara screamed her name.
She wanted to get away! No, she needed to get away. More than ever in her life she couldn't stand to be in that house for another second. Not after she couldn't help her Dad, Yang wouldn't talk to her about anything and now Chara wouldn't ask for help or acknowledge what they did!
She remembered the dream, in that moment. The feeling of warmth when she hugged her Mom again. The feeling of being saved by her; of being able to summon her in her darkest moment. She wanted that again. She had almost forgotten what her Mom's love felt like. She missed it so much. She just wanted to go back to that moment; the moment of feeling loved again, with no strings attached; None of the guilt, the worrying of ulterior motives or the anxiety of being replaced by another.
She missed her Mom. She missed the freedom her love brought to her.
In between that moment and the next, something warm coursed through her and she gasped. She felt like the world had both sped up and slowed down at the same time. She could feel the air passing by her as she ran, the way it twisted around her and carried away into the clouds soaring far above her.
She felt the freedom in the way the wind whirled around her and never in her life had she wanted anything more. She felt the warmth from before spread through her body and she gasped again. It spread from her heart, down her chest and into her legs. She grabbed it and used it the same way the wind did all around her.
Her form blurred and she sped up and up and eventually out of sight from the house. The only thing left in her wake being a small trail of rose petals.
Ruby didn't really have a direction in mind when she started running, but she both loved and hated the first place she thought to go, was, well this place.
The ball of frustration and something else seemed to have shrunken in on itself and settled into her core like a lead ball. She hated it; that feeling of uselessness and of having done something wrong. She knew she shouldn't have run away; she should have talked it out with them and had Dad help. But, she couldn't. She was tired of being useless and not being listened to.
She snuggled into the branches above the tall oak tree she had first met Chara at. There were few scruff marks and other damage to the tree that was obviously human made. She didn't care and pressed herself into the wood, seeking the shelter and support she had missed. She closed her eyes and breathed in, letting the sounds of the forest wash over her; the sounds of squirrels fighting, the rustling of the branches in the wind, and-
The snap of a twig as heavy footsteps approached her.
She turned her attention downwards ready to run in case of Grimm…
…Or Chara.
"Well, that just won't do! Not at all! Please cease your tears young maiden, and perhaps let this humble one listen to your troubles!" Ruby wasn't expecting a male voice and form to appear below her tree, and nearly fell out of it. She caught herself at the last moment and let out a deep breath. She looked down and observed the man below her.
He wore a long, dark coat with a hood that protected most of his features from view. He was tall, and by the sound of his voice, young, too. Not much older than her own Dad was. From the way he moved his arms, she could see lots of muscle and scars. A fighter. Or at least someone who had been in a lot of fights.
Ruby's surprise turned to wariness. She wasn't a fool; she remembered the warnings Dad had given her about strange men approaching her. Especially if said strange man was in the middle of the woods. If Chara had reminded her of a fairy and angel in one at first; the man below her took on the form of a devil and trickster.
The noise of another twig snapping directed her attention back to the man and away from her thoughts. He looked impatient, or at least twitchy. Waiting for her to do something besides stare.
"Who are you?" She asked, leaning into her air-headed side just a tad. She felt slightly guilty misleading this man who hadn't done anything wrong yet, but something was setting off warning bells in her mind and she was inclined to listen to them.
The man below cackled, looking up at her enough so she could see his face more clearly. It didn't particularly reassure her. The man had beady yellow eyes that were currently narrowed into slits; his hair, while braided behind his hood, was greasy and generally unkempt. He had two, small hoop earrings that reflected the sun.
The most attention grabbing thing, however, was the man's smile. It was deformed in a way that she couldn't describe, but still managed to send shivers down her spine.
"I, dear maiden, am merely a wandering soul; doing as my heart commands!" He said, glee and devotion in his gaze. "And my heart has instructed me to find someone. Perhaps you could help a wanderer such as myself?" He asked, curling his body in a strange way as he did so.
She really didn't want to be anywhere near this man, but he sort of had all of her exits covered by virtue of being on the ground and ready to move at a moment's notice. Especially since she had only just unlocked her semblance and didn't know how to use it properly. The way he smiled told her he knew exactly what she was thinking and he found it amusing.
"Who are you looking for?" She asked, her voice noticeably smaller than it was a second ago. There was an uncomfortable realization that she didn't have any options other than to stall and hope that someone would be able to find her in time. The dread that welled up in her gut told her how unlikely that would be.
The man cackled in a way that made her teeth grit. "Oh, I think I have an idea of where to look. Are you familiar with the Xiao-Long household, by chance? I'm looking for a girl around your age." He said, his eyes never leaving hers. "With silver eyes."
After a moment of hesitation, she bolted down the side of the tree as the man cackled, this time with an undercurrent of heat; an animal thrilled with a hunt. Ruby couldn't pay attention to the man after that: She forced her legs forward as fast as she could, avoiding branches, roots, or anything that would trip her.
She dodged and twisted through the undergrowth of the forest, but couldn't avoid the branches that tore into her as she struggled to get away from the howling man. She shoved her thoughts about him aside as she tried to activate the ability she did before. She had no idea how to activate it; only that she had just wanted to get away from Chara.
She had to survive. For everyone.
She thought of Dad; how devastated he would be if she turned up missing. Of Yang, who would throw her all into finding her even if it hurt in the long run. She thought of Chara; someone that cared about her and needed help. She thought of how devastated they would be if she turned up missing; how they would tear themselves up inside with guilt. Of what would come after that—
Rage tore through her and she burst forward, her body morphing into a swirl of rose petals; racing through the trees and branches of the forest with glee. She heard a snarl behind her as her pursuer fell behind. A thrum of excitement rolled through her; she had never felt so alive until this moment. She felt so free.
It reminded her of the time that her and Chara went to the festival and saw the fireworks soaring high above them, a smile on both of their faces as they looked over the town filled in celebration. She had felt so carefree and happy in that moment—
—She never went to the festival with Chara. The festival wasn't until tonight.
The realization sent her mind spiraling and her hold on her semblance broke. She lost control of her momentum and was sent flying straight into a tree. A solid crack echoed out from her chest and she screamed in pain. Her chest felt like it was on fire and her body groaned in protest as she tried to push herself up. The groan turned into a scream as her arms gave and she collapsed onto the dirt.
A cackle sounded out in the distance. That man. He was close. She didn't get as far as she thought.
She needed to move. She laid still for a second, gasping for breath. Did she snap one of her ribs? She didn't know anything about field treatment beyond very basic first aid and she didn't have the time to figure it out. The man was getting closer.
As if to mock her, a twig snapped near her to prove her point. The man had caught up. She was out of time.
"My, my. You truly are a wild one aren't you, little rose?" The scarred man asked, a giggle on his lips as he stalked towards her. She felt a shiver run down her spine. He seemed to read her expression perfectly as the scarred man cackled in delight.
"Hmm, now, now. Don't be afraid, little rose. I am not here to harm you, oh heavens forbid the thought! I am merely a humble escort; a helping hand to get you to your true destination!" He said in an almost playful way. "My Goddess desperately wishes to meet you, young rose! She has many questions for you. And perhaps…" He trailed off with a small giggle. "Well, perhaps once you've said what my Goddess needs to hear, she shall…well, reward me for my efforts." He paused, his affable grin turning malicious. "I believe an entertaining hunt much grander than this one shall suffice."
Ruby trembled. She couldn't let herself be taken by this man. She knew, with such certainty that it shook her, that she would die. One way or the other.
"Come, come. We must be off. Before those damnable huntsmen get wind of my arrival!" He said, a smirk marring his face. "We cannot allow you to fall back into their clutches, little Silver Eyed Warrior."
…Silver Eyed Warrior?
Before her mind could comprehend that, he cackled once more and picked her up. She cried out in protest as he touched her sides and the pain that had been merely a background noise turned to a roaring blaze.
Before he could move, a whistling sound reached her ears. A silver blur flew out of the tree line heading straight towards them. The man noticed it immediately and cackled in delight. He moved his head deftly to the side as the blur drew closer. It landed with a solid thunk in the tree trunk next to them. Imbedded into the rough bark, a gleaming kitchen knife reflected the twilight filtering through the trees. The man let out a deep laugh, dropping her like a sack of potatoes and turning his attention to where the knife came from.
She let out a hiss of pain when she fell. Her ribs made another cracking sound and she felt something lodge into her insides. A rib had just snapped off and punctured her stomach.
Her scream of pain was drowned out by a yell that echoed out from the trees. Chara came flying into the clearing, a large kitchen knife in their hands and murder in their eyes. The man cackled and pulled out a pair of silver gauntlets that gleamed in the same manner that Chara's knife did. The man surged forward, moving to meet Chara, who took one look at her and screamed again.
Chara snarled and ducked the man's initial swipe, going low and hurling their knife upwards, trying to take out the man's arm. In a move only possible with crazily flexibility and training, the man managed to dodge their knife and simultaneously kick Chara out of range.
They let out another snarl and, to Ruby's shock, flipped with the kick and landed in a crouch; their bright red eyes never leaving the man's form.
"Get away from her, you fucking creep." They snarled, nearly spitting out their words with raw hate. Ruby's shock nearly drowned out the pain she felt. She had never heard Chara talk like that before and it went against everything she thought Chara was capable of. More than that however, was the fact that Chara had snapped out of whatever funk they were in before.
The man cackled. "Oh, how precious! A friend here to save the day! Here to save little red riding hood from the big, bad wolf! Oh, this shall be much more entertaining than I thought! And here I worried I wouldn't be able to kill anyone on this mission; how woefully wrong I was! Truly this is cause for celebration." He smiled, his eyes narrowing in a menacing way. "And truly, I can think of a more delightful celebration than spilling your blood all over this forest."
That seemed to end the conversation as Chara leaped at them, their rage obvious as they traded blows with one another. Chara flipped, dove and leaped all around the other man; dodging every single strike with incredible ease as they tried to find an opening and strike. The man didn't give them the opportunity.
Chara was good. Probably better than Yang, who had a year of Signal training under her belt already and tutoring from Uncle Qrow and her Dad. Yet, it seemed they weren't good enough to take down the man. They were losing ground, steadily. If they were older than they might have been able to do it.
But, with every blow that they dodged, every strike that the other man simply tanked with his Aura, and the way the man seemed to get more wild as the fight progressed, Ruby realized one simply fact.
Chara was losing.
Chara was going to die.
Because of her. Because she couldn't run away fast enough. Because of the choice that she made.
The ball of frustration that had cooled came alive again and coursed through her. She couldn't sit around and watch Chara lose. She had to do something! Her mind drew her gaze upward. Further up the tree trunk she was leaning against, she spotted a gleam of silver. The knife that Chara threw when they charged into the clearing.
She chewed her lip and tried to think of a way she could grab it. She looked towards the fighting and saw that they had moved further away. Thankfully, the man's concentration was squarely on Chara, so she didn't have to worry about him noticing. Still, the only way she would be able to reach the knife was to crawl up the tree. It was a daunting task and thoughts of simply giving up swirled around in her head.
She shook her head and concentrated, trying to think through the haze of pain. She couldn't think like that, she had to at least try! She grabbed the sides of the tree, hauling herself up a tiny bit. The reaction from her ribs nearly caused her to black out. She bit her lips to hold in a scream and forced herself to breath. As she prepared to try again, she looked over at the fight.
The man was far too engrossed in his current efforts to kill Chara to pay attention to her. Chara hopped backwards, avoiding the man's swipe, and tried to move in closer. They stopped however, as the man smirked. He dropped his large coat to reveal a white blazer and…a scorpion tail?
The man was a Faunus and was leveraging that fact by turning the tables on the fight; Chara didn't seem too phased by the tail, however. They kept it within their line of sight as they dodged around the clearing, trying to find an opening to move closer. They were clearly losing steam, however. Ruby had to work fast if she was going to be able to do anything to help.
She grabbed a twig that was laying on the ground near her. She bit into it as she began her ascent, immediately biting into the stick so hard it almost snapped from the pressure. She did her best to ignore the searing agony that was her side as she forced herself to move up the tree. She almost gave up again when she brushed her side against the trunk in an certain way and the pain became too much to bear. She shook her head and glanced in Chara's direction.
They were struggling. Dodging left, right, forward and backwards. The way they moved reminded her of a dance; one where their fate was hanging in the balance. She bit her lip and adrenaline coursed through her.
The sight of Chara struggling so hard filled her with determination.
She surged forward in a burst of speed and grabbed the knife from the trunk. She immediately let go and plopped onto the ground, trying to not black out from the agony. She worked to catch her breath while keeping an eye on the battle. She had to wait for the perfect moment.
She would have to use her semblance again, she realized. She wouldn't make it fast enough, otherwise. The thought worried her but she brushed it aside and with it the pain. It didn't matter if she wasn't trained in how to do it or she wasn't sure if she could.
She had to. For Chara.
Ruby waited and waited. Her worry for Chara nearly causing her to act early as she saw them struggling but she needed to wait. For the perfect moment. She only had one chance.
Her moment came, when in a second of carelessness, Chara didn't avoid the scorpion tail fully. They gasped in pain as it struck and flung them to the side of the clearing, blood spraying into the air.
She clenched her hands but remained still. This was it. This was her only chance.
The man cackled in his unsettling way and approached the downed Chara, who struggled to get up, but kept a firm grip on their knife. They weren't injured enough to stop fighting. Shame welled within her but she shoved it down. Now wasn't the time.
Her attention shifted back to the man as he started to gloat. "Oh you were a treat all right. Not truly a huntsmen, not yet anyways, but with the brutality of one who knows what's at stake. How marvelous. Unfortunately, I do not have more time to play with you, little huntsmen." He played sad for a moment before shrugging and readying his gauntlets with a smirk.
She caught Chara's attention with the wave of her knife. Their eyes widened for a second before narrowing at her and nodding just the slightest bit. Ruby grinned through the pain as she stood up. Now or never.
"Goodbye." The scarred man said, raising his hand upwards. Before he could strike down, Ruby activated her semblance and moved.
She aimed for the man's back, the largest target she could hit without screwing up. She didn't know how to properly use a knife; something her Uncle told her she could learn latter, when she was older. Thankfully, she really didn't have to. She used as much force as she could, aided by her semblance to plant the knife into the man's back with a solid thunk. It sunk in easily, shocking her slightly; the man not preparing his Aura at all.
He screamed in pain and shock, his tail moving to slap her aside. She ducked, grabbing the knife out of him and swiping at his side. This time, it bounced off, his Aura activating with a flash of color. Before she could move away with her semblance, a blur raced to her right and she gasped.
She had forgotten about the gauntlets. She was so stupid. Her side felt on fire where the blade had stabbed into her. She heard a distant scream from Chara. Ruby just stared blankly at him as he growled at her and ripped the blade out, blood flying into the air in spurts and bursts.
Ruby fell to the ground, her vision going spotty as she watched the man, the man who probably just killed her, snarl at Chara and attack. Chara had gone into a rage, not caring about dodging anymore. They swung their knife furiously, pressing the other man onto the defensive as he struggled to keep up with their wild blows.
It didn't last long. In their rage, Chara became sloppy and the man exploited that. He dodged one of their wild swings and stabbed Chara with his bladed gauntlets. Ruby would have gasped if she was able to breath at all. After ripping out the blade from their chest, he kicked them towards her. They landed a few paces away from her and Ruby felt the hope that had been slowly building in her chest die a swift death.
They were dead, the both of them. Because of her mistakes. Because she wasn't fast enough. Because she wasn't strong enough. Because she was such a child. Tears trickled down her face as she faced Chara, who looked at her with a blank look.
"I'm sorry." She croaked out. They didn't respond. They laid motionless on the ground, their head twisted at an odd angle. Ruby gazed at them for a moment and realized what the problem was; why they weren't responding to her.
Chara was dead.
They must have hit the ground at an odd angle. Their neck must have snapped on impact. They probably couldn't get their aura up in time. If they had it in the first place. The observations swirled around her head, trying to get her to ignore the one fact that threw her world sideways.
Chara was dead.
She began to tremble, the full impact of what happened hitting her all at once. Her tears turned to full sobs and she couldn't look away from them. Her first friend. The one who rushed into the fight to save her, knowing full well what might happen to them. Even after Ruby blew up at them for something stupid; something that could have been avoided. If she had just stayed in the house…
Her tears ran hot as she sobbed openly. The headache that she had been nursing the last few days returned in full force, blocking out the pain from her ribs and her stab wound with a new type of pain. It felt like her head was going to burst open.
She noticed the man who killed Chara, the monster in human flesh, openly gape at her. Fear entered his eyes, the first time she had seen the expression on his face. He scrambled towards her, only needing a few seconds to reach her to end her the same way he did to Chara.
It wouldn't be enough.
She felt the pain increase a hundredfold before it felt like a dam opened in her mind. The pressure suddenly rushed out of her through her eyes and she screamed.
The world became engulfed in silver and the pain fled as quickly as it had come. The man's roar of pain eventually tittered out into nothing. So too did the sounds of the forest that had been in the background. Everything else did too; the smell of the woods, the light from the sun, the feeling of soft grass beneath her. There was nothing. Except silver.
That too, began to disappear. Except, much more violently. It struggled and fought, but after a few moments of futility, it gave up. It swirled into one spot; sinking into the ground near her.
No, it wasn't ground. Not the ground she was used to, anyways.
Ruby sat on some sort of glass plane, with Chara's body laid peacefully next to her. It reminded her of a mirror, with how it reflected the sky onto it. If she could really call the thing above her the 'sky'.
A black void hung where the sky had been before and Ruby shuddered.
Was she dead? She doubted it because she could still feel; the coldness of the void around them and the icy touch of the mirror on her thighs. But where else could she be, but the afterlife? There was no place like this on all of Remnant. If she was even on Remnant anymore.
The thought caused her to shudder. A sound like twinkling glass drew her attention upwards. There, she could see little stars twinkling in the void. Something was wrong with them, though. She squinted trying to get a better look at them. After a moment, she realized they weren't stars.
They were shards of glass. Like bits of a broken mirror.
And they were falling. Towards her and Chara, who remained lifeless next to her. She tried to ignore the guilt and dread and all the feelings that welled up in her at the sight of her friend. She couldn't. Her tears fell, hitting the mirror floor below her and not making a single sound.
She had failed. She was a terrible person. She didn't deserve this; to live while Chara died. The frustration within her died when she spied Chara's body. Something was wrong with it. Before she could take a closer look, the falling shards froze. In the same moment; a light began to shine from next to her. It was Chara.
Chara's corpse twisted and began to glow a reddish color. It emanated from their chest; right where their heart was. After a moment, something burst out of Chara.
It was a giant red heart; one of those that she would see in kid's coloring books. It was beating. It drew in the void around them; twisting and devouring it. After a few moments, it started to shine. The light was blinding to Ruby and she closed her eyes. When she did, she heard a whisper; a plea.
Turn Back.
The world heard too; and it obeyed. She opened her eyes and saw the void around her twisting and stretching and it morphed into something else. Ruby screamed and the glass plane she had been standing on shattered into millions of little pieces.
Ruby kept screaming as she fell through the mirror and into the void below.