Crimson Nightmare

Chapter 1

Nights at Beacon where usually filled with noise, students still roaming the halls or trying to cram as much information into their brain in the library before a test, but tonight silence had fallen over the academy. Not a single noise was heard on the deserted halls, the students hiding from the silence in their dorms or leaving for Vale to enjoy some distraction. Ruby Rose was not so lucky, her team had gone to the city, Yang and Blake to a concert and Weiss to a small café that had just opened, the heiress had invited Ruby to come along but she never was all that good at those fancy places, so she declined hoping that her magazines and music would keep her occupied "Aaaand that's another one I did not read down, I think at this point I might have to re-read the classics" Ruby giggled at the idea, comics and magazines always made her loose track of time but tonight the minutes did not seem to pass.

Soft rain poured from the heavens, splashing against the window. The leader of RWBY frowned a bit as she leaned back into her pillow. Wrapping her cloak tighter around her she lamented on not accepting Weiss offer, she had forgotten that with quiet came memories, memories of better times and those she missed. Maybe it was because of the constant drama and pressure of Beacon but she had little time to think about how much closer she was to achieving her dream, it hurt that her mom would not be there to see it but Ruby was certain that she would be proud of her.

Or maybe that was just her imagination, she found it hard to talk about how she felt with anyone, Jaune as dorky as he was proved to be a good listener but she did not want to interrupt whatever was going in JNPR at the moment, especially between the team leader and the gifted red head. Yang would side with her, making sure that her baby sister felt good but, was she being honest? Neither Weiss nor Blake seemed like they would know what to say but Ruby knew that maybe it was just her. Maybe she was just being dramatic and she was not the only one in that situation, hunters died but they died doing their duty.

"A hunter must hunt" she yawned as she threw one of the magazines to turn off the lights, a soft chime of a bell lulled her to sleep as the broken moon glowed slightly red for a brief second and the darkness overtook Ruby.

Snapping her eyes open she felt her cheek rest against the cold ground "Ah man did I fall out off…" she muttered as she stood up only to be greeted by an unfamiliar place, she was in the middle of an old road. Large houses to both her sides and dark sky behind her "… bed?" she managed to finish her sentence as reality finally caught up to her. Looking to the sides she blinked in confusion as the distant screams made her shiver a little, this was not Beacon nor was it any place she had ever visited before so this was either a kidnapping or the most probable thing "A nightmare" she muttered as she wrapped her arms around herself trying to shake off the feeling that this was something worse.

Ruby walked through the deserted streets, her flipflops making a little noise against the stone, some fires illuminated some of the street but she could not quite make out what the fire was burning it looked like some sort of creature "Great, I am in my pajamas in whatever this place is" at least she still had her cloak, it made her feel a tad bit better. Her walk came to a halt as she reached a locked gate, from what she could see there was a graveyard to her left and a small street with a ladder if she walked straight, a small carriage blocked her view of the rest of the street but there was a thing she knew for sure. The tall man with machete in hand and the torch did not look friendly, at all. He was sharpening his tool, while keeping a close eye towards the graveyard, expecting something to come out a large metallic door was opened somewhere around there making the man snarl towards the noise.

Soft footsteps filled the air as from the mist a figure appeared, Ruby's eyes widened and her jaw nearly fell to the floor as tears flooded to her eyes "That's impossible" she muttered as the figure came into full view and the man in the top hat slammed his weapon against the ground "FOUL BEAST!" it cried as he charged towards Summer Rose, her silver eyes shining with the moonlight.

Ruby stared and expected her mom to dodge to the side, gracefully and quickly like she saw her do many times before in the few instances where she would train near their house, but Summer clumsily side stepped the attacked and slammed a weapon that Ruby did not recognize against the man a fountain of blood erupting from here "Away! Away!" the man said as he thrust forward his torch destroying the few pieces of fabric it came into contact with and burning the pale skin that Summer had.

"MOM!" Ruby yelled as she tried to move the gate, but it refused to budge, franticly looking to the side Ruby spotted a large lever and ran towards it, using her entire body to move it. The gate slowly opened but the noise alerted to other villager as they ran towards the commotion believing it to be Summer's fault. Ruby gasped as she spotted her mom decapitate the man she was fighting covering herself in blood, unsuspecting of the other two maniacs running towards her "Youre not wanted here!" one screamed catching Summer off guard and cutting her torso, blood poured from the wound as the older woman gasped in pain and jumped backwards. Ruby acted fast, using her semblance she jumped towards the two and slammed against them pushing them forward and maybe even breaking a few bone, Summer looked in confusion at the girl but instinct kicked in as she returned to the assailants and killed them in cold blood.

Gasping for air, Summer reached into her pocket and injected herself with one blood vial not wanting to waste more than she had to, none of the people she had slain had dropped any. Shame really, she had hoped that everything she killed would give her vials but it seemed that it was not meant to be "I guess I am not the luckiest of huntress's" she said with a bit of humor as she turned to the small child that was staring at her in shock, kneeling down next to her Summer gave her a large smile "Hello there little one, my name is Summer. You're from Yharnam correct? Could you tell me…"

Summer never got to finish her sentence as two arms wrapped around her faster than she could blink soft sobs reached her ears and tears fell on her neck "Mom… I missed so much" Ruby cried as she buried her neck in her mother's neck but instead of the warm embrace she expected she was pushed away "Aw you poor thing, no I am not you mother dear. I am not even from around here, now I know that this might seem rude but I am quite confused and I need your help"

Ruby stared in disbelief as her mother looked down on her as if she was a stranger "What?" she managed to mutter as Summer looked around for more things to loot "Like I said I just woke up from the clinic and I was hoping that one of the sane locals could help me…"

"NO!" Ruby shouted interrupting Summer again "I am not local! I am your daughter! Please mom look at me, I am Ruby Rose you are Summer Rose! You're my mother we thought you died" Summer narrowed her eyes at her "How do you know my last name?" Ruby chocked back a sob "I am your daughter and…" a slap silenced Ruby as Summer clutched her hand, the strike stopped by aura. "Doing this to an amnesiac is in poor taste, I came here to seek a cure guess all I got for my troubles is getting involved in this stupid hunt. I have no one got it? I am not old enough to be you mom you stupid girl"

Summer glared down at her and Ruby through teary eyes felt the memory of her mother appear next to the stranger. They looked the same, not a single hair was out of place and even her stern frown was the one her mom had when she scolded her "But… but then why do you look so much like her?" Summer felt her gaze soften as she let out a sigh and picked up the girl and made her stare into her eyes. "You know, now that I see you upclose we do kind of look similar. Maybe I am not your mother but we might be related… yes? Maybe I had a twin…" the huntress muttered as she pulled Ruby closer to her.

"… but mom… why? Why can't you accept that I am your daughter?" Summer looked at her and made a face "I think I would know if you where my child, I would feel it you know. When I look at you I feel nothing, not a thing"

Ruby looked down as more tears cascaded down her face "But… but…."

A howl in the distance made Summer look towards a large bridge and grin "Bet you ten echoes that that's the place I am supposed to go, look I would love to stay here and catch up with my maybe family but I need to get going, the night is long and I need to do what… whatever the little things in the dream said" Summer tried to move but Ruby stopped "Wait… even if you're not my mom, you cant just leave me here!" Summer tilted her head "Why not? You can just go back home and lay down for the rest of the nigh"

Ruby glared "That's the thing I have been trying to say, I am not from around here. I was in bed and then I woke up here! This nightmare is so shi…"

"Language" Summer admonished as she flicked her forehead making Ruby yelp and look down "Sorry mom" that made the huntress flinch "How about we stick to names for now ok Ruby? So that makes two strangers with no idea on where the hell we are, neat. Stick close to me then, I doubt those…" Summer looked her up and down "clothes? Will provide you much cover, seriously where you trying to get a man dressed like that?" Ruby blushed at that "It's my nightwear! I would not go out dressed like this on purpose!" Summer chuckled "I know just having my fun, but the cape is a nice touch I like it"

Ruby held it closer to her and replied with a barely audible "thank you"

As a lever was pulled and a stair was lowered Ruby was unable to fight off the other surge of tears that overtook her and the worse part of all was that the one person who would have consoled her in the past barely glance her way. She did not care and Ruby felt like she was alone in the nightmare.

Summer on the other hand ignored the cries of the barely dressed child as she made her go up the ladder first, it was kind of weird in a way but she could not deny the resemblance. But she was not lying when she said that she did not believe that this was her child, she would know. Summer Rose was her name, that was the only thing that she remembered about her past, but one thing was certain to her and that was that this was not her child.

A/N: Welcome to the nightmare Ruby.