Blasphemous Rose
A RWBY x Blasphemous Crossover.
-Guilty Rose IV: Revelations and Reverie-
The Bloodstained Initiation.
The name most people, including the press, had chosen to refer to the incident that took place at the most recent welcoming trial at Beacon Academy.
It had been about a week since the unexpected interrupted the normalcy of the exams for aspiring Huntsmen and Huntresses.
An event that almost resulted in the death of seven students and another at the hands of an assailant of unknown origins and affiliation, who managed to infiltrate the ground where the exam had been taking place.
For most, such a thing happening was the object of concern and scandal.
For Qrow Branwen, there were personal stakes.
One of the students which almost got killed happened to be his own niece, Yang, who had still gotten an arm chopped by the bitch in golden armor.
That had been enough reason to go directly to Beacon as soon as he could, regardless of his current progress with Ozpin's last assignment. Along the way, he had been joined by Taiyang, who had been informed of the situation as well given that he was Yang's father.
Both men had made their way to Beacon's medical facilities with Ozpin's blessing, not that anyone willing to get in their way would have been able to do so for long.
Opening the door of the room chosen by the staff, Qrow took a look.
The room was simple despite all the medical equipment, with two beds and a big window allowing full view of the school grounds.
The first reason both men had rushed to Beacon is currently sleeping on the bed closest the window, her peaceful expression contrasting with the fact that she had gone through an operation to give her a new arm just days ago.
Sitting next to her, is the second reason for their visit.
(Code Geass OST- Innocent Days)
The last time Qrow saw Ruby, she had just come out of her 14th birthday, and acted just like a girl of her age.
Now, she looked like the very image of her mother in the golden days of team STRQ.
No longer a little girl beginning her adolescence, she now had the physical appearance of a young woman, probably in the beginnings of her 20s. Her longer hair tied by a pony tail, and her height now matching or perhaps even surpassing her older sister, if bi little.
Her expression no longer a smile of endless excitement, instead settling on a more subdued and serene smile.
The eyes that had shone with wonder and innocence in the past, now looked at the world in reminiscence.
And no longer was beside his niece the weapon he had inspired her to design, her beloved Crescent Rose.
Now, a different and far more simple weapon rested at her side.
The very same sword that had beheaded the psycho attacking her and the kids, putting an end to their nightmare.
Ruby Rose disappeared from their lives as an innocent preteen, still green and unwilling to even consider killing.
Ruby Rose had returned to them as a young woman, skilled and willing to take lives if it meant protecting others.
Between the information they had received and the image in front of them, it made hard for both Qrow and his companion to reconcile the past with the present.
To the point it had driven them to confirm her identity, if only to make sure they were not seeing the wrong mirror.
"Is it… is it really you, Little Rose?" – asked Taiyang, his voice breaking for a moment, showing his fear of the possible answer.
The young woman turned her sight from her sister and looked at them both, taking a moment to put names into their faces.
Then she widened her smile slightly, a gesture that really did make her look like Summer.
"Dad…uncle Qrow…"- she answered after getting up from her chair, before making her way to them – "It's been forever since I last saw you both, but I can finally say it…"
Tears began to fall from her silver eyes and, while he would deny it later, Qrow himself almost joined father and daughter on the water works.
"I'm home".
Two words.
Only two words were enough to make the father of two close the distance faster than the young woman was doing, and then embrace her with all the strength he could muster without using his Aura.
Taiyang had always prided himself in being someone who did not openly cry even in sadness, with only three exceptions.
This seemed to be the fourth one, but Qrow knew that the blonde man would never feel shame in shedding tears of happiness, and neither would he think less of him because of it.
He wanted to embrace his youngest niece just as hard, and he hadn't broken into actual waterworks because that was simply not how he coped with emotional stuff.
Though he did smile when he noticed his other niece awake, content with simply staring at her family finally reunited after a full year of heartbreak.
They all remained like that for a full minute, nobody saying anything and just letting their emotions flow through the moment without care for anything else in the world.
Finally, his niece and his brother in law broke the strong embrace, but Tai still held onto his daughter, both of them smiling.
Tai decided to break the silence first, cupping Ruby's face with his right hand.
"You look just like your mother when she was young" -he told her, unknowingly agreeing with Qrow's early observation- "Only a year since I last held you in my arms, but now you look ready to graduate from Huntsmen Academy"- Tai finished.
His niece has a complicated expression on her face as she looked at all of them before answering.
"Dad, I-"
-SLAM!-
Her reply is interrupted by the door being opened harshly without previous notice.
"YANG, RUBY! WE HAVE BROUGHT PANCAKES!"
And just like that, the moment was gone.
And that's how Qrow Branwen met the new friends and future teammates of his nieces.
-20 minutes Later-
"Glad to know your sweet tooth is still with us, kiddo" –commented an amused Qrow Branwen after seeing his reappeared niece finish her third portion.
Only the crazy ginger that had loudly announced the arrival of the rest of the teens had managed to top Ruby, eating 5 portions by herself.
A happy nod is his answer, making both him and Tai chuckle.
"Guys, shouldn't Yang and Pyrrha avoid eating anything not approve by the doctors?"- said the blonde knight wannabe, earning scowls from said girls and even his younger niece.
"Jaune, I have been here only a week, but I can assure you hospital food is not made for people"- redhead amazon said, even while she had been the one to eat the least sweets amongst them.
"I'm a sick person. I'm here to be pampered so shove it, Vomit Boy!"- Yang complained.
"You're not my dad, and I'm a grown up lady".
That last reply belonged to his niece, making her father laugh and, if Qrow was right about the mischievous glint in Tai's eye, he was ready to invite himself in the banter.
"Ruby you were gone for a year, and no fifteen-year-old is of age yet"- commented his brother in law.
"I turned 19 about a week ago"- Ruby answered.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
The other teens were unsure what to say. Meanwhile, his family's faces, including his own, remained blank.
Until…
"But, but- It's been only a year Rubes! I should know, I spent the whole time I was not training looking for you!"- sputtered Yang, questioning her younger sister.
Ruby shook her head in denial, however.
"Yang… it's been five years for me. I'm already 19".
…
"I'm sorry, what?"- said Tai, showing the same disbelief shared by Qrow and his older niece.
"I spent five years away from home, from the moment I awoke in Cvstodia to the moment I landed with Crisanta inside the Abandoned Temple in the Emerald Forest. Fourteen plus five equals nineteen"- explained his niece.
"Custodia?"- he asked trying to remember if he had come around anyplace named like that during his missions.
"I think I remember that word"- added the pink eyed kid - "you mentioned it when you were…praying? before you pulled out that sword".
"It's pronounced Cvstdodia. It's the place I found myself in after disappearing from my home at Patch."
"Where is this place?" –asked mini Winter, making her voice known amongst the crowd.
"I cannot tell you".
"Wh-why?"- replied the surprised Schnee.
"Is it because we are still strangers?" –intervened the cat Faunus, trying to sound neutral.
His niece shook her head once again.
"It's not that. If you were to show me a map of Remnant, I would still fail to locate Cvstodia. It was big enough that it took us months to move from one location to another, and the people there never heard of anything from this side"- she explained.
"This side"- said Qrow raising an eyebrow.
"I told you just now that I spent five years there. I can vividly remember them, from day one to a week ago, but you say I was gone for just a year. And yet, my body is that of a nineteen-year-old, not a preteen.
When you add that not a single person in Cvstodia seemed to know anything about dust, semblance or Aura, Grimm or Huntsmen and Huntresses… or anything related to the history of Remnant that I could remember, then…"
"When you have eliminated the impossible whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth".
A new voice had interrupted their conversation, making everyone in the room turn to the door.
A voice that both Qrow and Tai would easily recognize.
"Oz…what are you doing here?"- Qrow spoke, looking at the mint haired Headmaster of Beacon in annoyance.
The man had that cane of his on his left, his curious eyes behind those glasses looking at the people gathered in the room, but Qrow could see that his attention was one Ruby.
"I'm checking up on some of my next students, since the incident that involved them happened during the exams that are MY responsibility"- answered the old man while his other hand held his favorite coffee mug close to his face.
That seemed to surprise the youngest in the room, Ruby excluded, but Qrow had an idea of what was coming. And it was not something he was totally okay with.
"Students?"-once again blonde knight wannabe made his voice known - "but we didn't get the relics and get to the other side of the Forest!"
Old Oz just laughed in mirth, looking at the boy as he replied.
"Indeed, you didn't spend too much time hunting Grimm, and you did not recover the relics as the Initiation stated. However, what you eight faced within the temple was far more dangerous than any Grimm in the Emerald Forest, and you still managed to emerge victorious by working together. Despite the risks involved and the obvious need to improvise, you eight showed what Beacon Academy expects in those who aspire to become Huntsmen and Huntresses for Remnant."
Surprise was followed by smiles amongst the kids, but Qrow expected more questions thrown at Oz.
"But with two of us recovering, what is going to happen to the teams?" – catgirl asked.
Ozpin then revealed that the beginning of the semester had been postponed for a month until security checks had been done to ensure there were no more dangerous characters conducting their business in the locations deemed important for the Academy, and Vale as a whole.
The redhead called Pyrrha was very happy to have more time for her full recovery, whose speed still surprised Qrow and Tai. Hell, even Oz seemed to have no clear explanation.
When they had asked the girl and her companions, they had explained that Ruby had pulled out some small vial from her clothes, one that seemed to be filled with a crimson liquid that reminded everyone of blood.
Ruby had ignored the older Huntsmen and Huntresses, which included one Glynda Goodwitch (and wasn't hilarious to imagine that grumpy woman just being shoved aside?), and poured what remained of the bloody liquid onto the older redhead's wound.
From what they could understand according to the doctors, the girl had not been completely healed but she had no longer been at death's door.
Another mystery surrounding his youngest niece, indeed.
And speaking of mysteries…
"This is all fine and dandy, but what do you mean by improbable and truth, Oz?"
This time, the old man was not smiling when he replied.
"Young Ruby Rose disappears for a full year, no clues to how or where she was whisked away. We all presumed she was dead, until now"- Ozpin began.
"We had honestly given up on seeing you ever again, just like with your mother, but it seems your sister's faith was rewarded after all"- Tai admitted to Ruby before turning to look at his eldest laying on her bed.
"Damn right!"- said Yang loudly, while grinning - "I just wish finding Rubes didn't need me to quite literally lend a hand"- finished the younger blonde, attempting to make a joke and only succeeding in making both men of her family frown in anger at the reminder.
"That bitch was lucky she was already dead by the time we found out. An arm for an arm is too tame for what I had in mind for her" –replied Qrow, his red eyes holding a promise of pain and death for the crazy psycho, had she still remained amongst the living.
Tai said nothing, but Qrow could see his grip on Ruby tighten, even if the man was still careful to not hurt his daughter. Ozpin took the silence as a sign to continue.
"And that's the thing, Qrow. Your youngest niece suddenly reappears in a place that had been devoid of people half an hour before. No infiltration, no hiding in secret days before, just a light and the sound of an explosion and she is just there, alongside the swordswoman that was trying to kill her and later the teens in this room."
'Well, that was certainly impossible to explain without sounding crazy or lying', thought the old crow.
"Therefore, either Ruby Rose and the surveillance are lying to us… or we must consider her words the truth, no matter how improbable it seems to be."- finished Oz.
…
A leap of faith to find the truth, Ozpin was saying.
A leap of faith to discover what happened to his niece during her absence.
The truth of her apparent long stay in the place called Cvstodia.
"So, Ruby"- Tai spoke, being the first since Ozpin finished his argument – "You are really nineteen years old…"
"Yep"
"And you spent five years someplace we don't know anything about except its name and that time apparently goes different there"- Tai continued.
"Yep"
"…well damn. You owe me and Yang only one present each, but we missed five birthdays of yours."- ah, trust old Tai to successfully ease the tension with humor that did not require puns –sigh, there go my savings"- Tai added passing a hand over his face to put more drama.
"Or we can make a single, big, yangastic birthday for her dad!" - offered not helpfully Yang.
"…" -went everyone afterwards.
"eh, eh?" –tried again the blonde comedian, who didn't seem to catch their reaction.
Seeing her persistence, the audience gave their commentary.
"… I did miss your puns Yang, but you still suck"- went her sister.
"Please desist from further attacks to good comedy"- reviewed mini Winter.
"…this will be a tradition, won't it?"- concluded catgirl.
"BOOOO!"- there went pancake ginger.
Qrow could swear he saw the metaphorical arrows pierce his eldest niece from all directions, her head going lower with each strike. Fortunately for her, the rest were probably too polite to criticize her puns.
Not that it would stop his niece from trying again in the future, so for now she simply pouted.
That aside, Ozpin had mentioned one particular detail that caught the Branwen's attention.
"You spoke about eight people, who will most likely form new teams for Beacon. Please do tell us who are the members of these teams?" –his question came with a little bite, but Qrow was more concerned about his answer than being proper.
Ozpin nodded before looking at everyone gathered and giving the announcement.
"While the teams are usually announced in public after the Initiation is over, I will make an exception since you have all passed. Given your first pairings and your performance in spite the unexpected circumstances, we have decided that if you decide to attend it will be like this:
Lie Ren, Nora Valkirye, Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc. Under the leadership of Lie Ren you would be attending at Beacon for the next four years as Team RANN or Raibow"
Said kids smiled, well more like cheered in the case of pancake ginger.
But then came the part that concerned Qrow.
"Yang Xiao Long, Blake Belladona, and Weiss Schnee. You showed excellent skills and coordination, but you still lack a member for a full team. However, I can make another exception and put you as team-"
"I'm not going without Rubes".
The other girls looked at his niece in surprise, but both Tai and Qrow understood her statement.
(Code Geass OST-Stories Extended)
"I spent an entire year looking for her, while all of Patch and even my family eventually gave up" –she said, making both men flinch slightly in hurt, even after they had already admitted to it.
Then she turned at her partner and mini Winter and her voice went more apologetic, almost begging.
"Blake, Weiss… I'm really sorry, but I just can't. I know it's unfair, that I may look like a selfish bitch. I already dragged you into fighting that psycho because I was stubborn, and I have no right to mess with your lives because of my own desire. But even if it means waiting another year, I'm not going anywhere without my baby sister, nineteen-years or not".
Then his niece did something that he had never seen her do for anyone before, not even to Tai, Summer or him.
Yang bowed her head to the two girls.
"…"- went team RANN.
"…Damn it, dolt. You don't get to use that on us after the mess we went through together, especially when I know I will feel like the most horrible person if I rage or quit. I'm the one who has no original partner and I barely managed to convince my father to let me come to Beacon. To go back after failing for that would be shameful, but to just abandon a sister because of your ambitions… is far worse to me" –mini Winter was the first to speak.
As for the Faunus, she took a deep breath before taking her turn.
"We all need this chance for our own reasons. I made the stupid decision to abandon my family to join the White Fang while it was in the middle of a bad transition."
"You wha-!"- Ozpin interrupted the episode mini Winter was having with a gesture of his hand holding the cane, allowing the Faunus to continue the round of confessions and reveal that Qrow had honestly not expected when he and Tai decided to visit the girls.
"I was a fool. I believed I could fight the injustice suffered by my kind by helping the Fang, that we would fight only the irredeemable corrupt with money and power that abused of Fauni in Vale. But the White Fang were not fighters for equality, they had become extremist looking to make Humans hurt just as much as Fauni everywhere had. I could no longer be a part of that. I could not carry the blood of people who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I could not fight a war of hatred. So I left."
Qrow saw it in her eyes.
The shame, the regret, the silent and desperate plea to be heard and not immediately rejected.
"I was too ashamed to return to my parents, and I needed a new start. Beacon was that. And I decided that I would not judge Humans based on the behavior of the worst they had, but see what every person in here was like. That's why I did not agree to walk alongside Weiss Schnee but instead I became companions with Weiss the student at Beacon. I risked my life not for an heiress, but for someone that offered her own help to a stranger in spite of not having the obligation to do so.
That's why Beacon was my chance to overcome my shame and surpass my own folly, and prove that what Fauni need is not to hold onto our resentment, but instead to work alongside Humans. That's why I am willing to understand your pain and I can tell you that even if I cannot enter to Beacon now, I will not hold a grudge for your decision."
And like that finished the Faunus, no, Blake Belladona.
Each time some revelation had been dropped, silence had followed. And now wasn't the exception.
Schnee said nothing, but Qrow imagined that a lot was happening inside her head given the reveal that the girl that saved her life had been both a Faunus and a former member of the group that had a vendetta against her own family even now.
Yang had lifted her head and was looking at her potential teammates in surprise.
Nobody else said anything either, though Qrow could see Tai and even Ruby were giving their own smiles at the blonde girl. Though the fact that Ruby had opted for saying nothing regarding Yang's choice or that of the other two girls was a sign of how much she had changed since her younger days.
What else had changed for Ruby, and for his whole family… well, Qrow would make sure to be there to find out given what was coming.
"Perhaps a compromise can be reached?"- intervened Ozpin, just like Qrow expected – "Given her contribution to the fight against Crisanta and that her eventual departure from Beacon is the root of the problem, I am willing to extend an invitation to Ms. Rose as well".
And there it was.
The old man had gotten the alibi to introduce his youngest niece into Beacon, potentially into his secret group if the future allowed it.
Qrow may be loyal to a fault to Ozpin's side, but he was not blind to the way the oldest in the room maneuvered situations to his advantage. And given the impressive display his niece had shown against the golden armored bitch, Qrow knew the Headmaster of Beacon would look for a way to convince her to join.
"Wait a minute Ozpin! I have just gotten my younger daughter back, and now you want her to join Beacon? You saw what happened in that cave, she needs time to rest, with her family. I'm not going to force her to become a Huntress after all she must have gone through in that other place!"- Tai argued against the option.
"It's okay dad, I want to do it."
Ruby countered her concerned parent, making said man turn to her and insist.
"Ruby if this is because of Yang and the others, there must be another way. You can visit your sister every week if you want, you can even join Beacon the next year. But don't feel pressured to join now because others can benefit."
"It's not that. Well, there is also that but I want to do this for myself as well. Helping others with my skills is what I do best, what gives me purpose to move forward. I can no longer help the people of Cvstodia, but if there is a way to keep doing what I do best in here, then I will take it. Everyone will be happy this way."
Ozpin did not smile, but Qrow knew this had been expected.
And the sad thing was that he agreed with the choice.
"You sure about this kiddo?"
She nodded her head before looking at Ozpin in question.
"I'm not exactly at the age of beginners, and I'm not sure how everyone will react to the fact that I killed another person."
"… While neither I nor any of the teaching staff condones senseless bloodshed, we know that sometimes the job of a Huntsmen or a Huntress would have them spill another's blood"- the Headmaster began before turning to look at the other teenagers – "Let this be a lesson to you all: the life you seek sometimes will require you to take lives, but only when there is no other choice. Do not embrace this possibility, but neither become so against it that you end up death instead."
All the future students nodded in acceptance, even if many showed their dislike of the truth.
…
"As for the other matter Ms. Rose, you are not the first person above 17 to enter my Academy, and certainly won't be the last."
"In that case, where do we go from here?"- asked Ruby.
"Taking into account how you handled yourselves in the Temple and the recent developments, I will have your partners changed. I want Ms. Belladona and Ms. Schnee to work towards a partnership that will improve their newfound teamwork, while you and Ms. Xiao Long proved to have a natural synergy even when your own style changed.
Now as for the matter of the leadership… as the most experienced amongst the group, you are to assume the mantle, Ms. Rose. You kept your head on your shoulders even while your enemy turned to look for hostages, and quickly took the opportunity given by your companions to finish the strategy that brought you all victory. And even your most extreme actions were driven by concern for others before yourself.
Therefore, you will head team RWBY. Anybody has any complaints about this decision?"- finished Ozpin.
Schnee seemed to consider arguing for a moment, but then decided not to. Belladona simply shook her head, while Yang…
"Hurray! Go Team RWBY!"
…showed her own approval…
"GO TEAM RWBY! AND TEAM RANN!
…and was joined by Pancakes.
"Then I congratulate you all for doing so well despite the event, and for sticking to the challenges to come. I will happily welcome you in about three weeks, so take this time to rest your bodies and minds… you have more than earned it"- concluded Ozpin.
And like that he made his way out of the room, leaving the family and friends to themselves again.
"I'm not going to protest you until I know more about you, Ruby Rose. Do show us that you can carry yourself proudly as the leader of our team"- mini Weiss finally said after the Headmaster had departed.
His niece simply smiled more openly, like in the old days.
"Then I will ask your help whenever I'm about to slip, Weiss."
"Hpmph!"- there went the Tsundere.
And before anyone else could comment more, one of the nurses came.
"I'm sorry to say that visits hours are over. I have to ask you to please continue your visit tomorrow"- said the woman apologetically.
With that, most of the friends gave their own goodbyes and went to their own places, leaving the family of four by themselves, though not for long.
"Well Firecracker, Kiddo, I am honestly very happy to see all of us together again. When you're allowed to leave, do pay a visit to old Tai at Patch. And kiddo, if you wish to keep using a scythe, I got Crescent Rose with me so we can get you back in shape for Beacon"- offered Qrow.
"Yang, the doctors said you should be allowed to leave in two days, and I intend to have you back at Patch at least until your return to Beacon. If you wish you can invite your new friends" –added Tai as he made his way to the door.
"Hear that sis? Sleepover for all of us to celebrate your return!"
"Will there be cookies?"- asked an eager Ruby.
Qrow saw the father of two smile at that and answer before leaving.
"As many as you wish, Little Rose!"
And so they left.
-Island of Patch, Xiao Long-Rose House,
last week before the beginning of classes at Beacon-
(LOTR The Fellowship of the Ring- Flaming Red Hair)
"You dolts! Come back here and face justice!"
"Pfft, you need to improve your cardio Weiss Cream, or you'll never get us!"
"I regret nothing!"
As Weiss with her face covered in white cream was chasing after her sister and Nora, Ruby only laughed alongside her fellow leader.
"So how's been the training for Jaune"- she asked the pink eyed teen, who smirked after making sure his childhood friend was not looking.
"Drill Sergeant Pyrrha has been VERY thorough in shaping up our Knight in Shining Armor. Sometimes I'm not sure if she is making her partner ready for Beacon or preparing her husband to be."
He took another sip at his drink while Ruby snorted in response before doing the same with her pint.
And boy hadn't that been a surprise for her friends and family?
Her dad had been in denial when he had first seen her chug down a whole beer during the party, like it was nothing. Yang had laughed at his face, alongside uncle Qrow.
Until she had taken the latter's flask of booze, sipped from it and then disappeared from sight leaving only red petals behind.
Her friends from team RANN, as well as Weiss and Blake, had arrive to see her being chased by an irate Qrow Branwen, while her father continued frozen in shock and her sister was busy laughing on the ground, hitting it with her robotic arm.
She was interrupted from her musings by Ren.
"What about your team?"
"Hmmm, well… it's not bad. Weiss and Blake aren't super friends yet, but these three weeks have worked to get out the whole awkwardness and suspicion from their system, so they can work together politely and even share some banter. Yang tries to pamper me every time she can, even while I'm technically older than she is!"- she said this last part while pouting in a way that made her drinking buddy chuckle.
"But how do they take your position as leader since Ozpin named you?"
"Weiss is stern but also helpful, even if she sometimes can get a little too strict when I make an obvious mistake. But she is trying not to be over the top with that. Blake is quiet most of times but she listens, and she does have plenty of diversity with that weapon of hers" –she stopped to drink once again – "we are not perfect. Even friendship from battle takes time to build, but I trust we can all become closer during our time in Beacon".
Ren nodded in agreement and then turned to look at something at his left, making Ruby look as well.
Seem like the chase was, over with both Nora and Yang having cream on their faces, followed by a smug looking Weiss and the giggling Pyrrha and Jaune.
"Who needs cardio when you have Glyphs?"- said Weiss to Yang and Nora as they arrived.
"Cheating! Your semblance is too OP; please nerf admins!"- was Nora's response.
"Brain triumphs over brawn everyday"- continued the white haired girl.
"PFFT!"
"…very mature"
"PFFFT!" x2
"…really Yang?"
"Saved you something to drink Weiss"- spoke Blake as she made her presence known.
"Thank you partner. Now let us drink, to Victory!"- she said and raised her glass to the air.
"To victory"
"Victory indeed"
"Yes, Victory!"
"Nora you lost the race"
"Don't care Renny! TO VICTORY!"
"To teams RANN and RWBY!"
They all raised their glasses to the sky and celebrated.
Ruby felt she could get used to the companions she had met, and being back with her family.
But all good times must come to an end.
"!"
"Hmm?"
And the past cannot simply be buried under new memories.
"Rubes?"
Sensing the concern in her sister's voice, Ruby decided to mess along in order to get away from the meeting.
"…I reaaaally need to pee now"
Her comment was met with a deadpan from Weiss.
"After all those drinks I'm not even surprised"
Ruby gave a wider smile to that and continued.
"Yep. Now if you excuse me I got to go and make friends with the bathroom"
As she went back to the house, Ruby made sure to add some swing to her walk to help the impression that she was finally inebriated enough.
She heard no footsteps behind her.
Good.
This was something she needed to do alone.
She had to meet an old acquaintance.
Having made sure that she was not followed, Ruby made her way to the person that caught her attention when she had looked by coincidence to the forest.
And now she was here.
And in front of her, a particular figure.
(Blasphemous OST- Una Senda de Pasos Blancos)
A height that easily surpassed all grown up men she had ever seen, wearing no clothes except for the ropes tied around his legs, arms and torso.
His head covered by a green and long pointy hood that managed to cover his shoulders, and his face hidden beneath a mask made out of many more ropes tied around the green hood.
An imposing figure that could easily by spotted even from the distance, yet somehow remained hidden to all but Ruby Rose.
A figure that she had seen many times before, during her stay at Cvstodia.
"Deogracias"- she greeted evenly.
The man bowed to his knees after being talked to, before answering.
"Sorrowful be the Heart, Our Merciful Lady of the Silver Eyes. This one is blessed to see your gracious self in the flesh once more, since the day Our Lady and the Penitent Crisanta disappeared after the removal of the Sword of Guilt" – he spoke, his voice filled with reverence.
"Has the Affliction returned to Cvstodia?"- she asked him getting to the point.
The man moved his hooded head in denial, making her relax a little bit.
"The Last act of Penance by the Son of The Miracle is still at work. There had been no Outbreaks since your disappearance, though things might always change. The will of the Miracle is capricious, as Our Lady knows."
And Ruby did.
Which is why Crisanta's final act on Cvstodia had hit so hard, even with Ruby returning to her family and meeting new friends.
If anything, sometimes she felt that her current joy was undeserved.
"How and why are you here? I don't believe you are bringing good news"- she continued interrogating the tall Penitent.
"While these vast lands and the land of Cvstodia exist separated, they are still connected by the presence of the Grievous Miracle. That is why Our Lady could reclaim the Sword of Guilt and Sin that had been removed, when she prayed to the Son of The Miracle."
As always, Deogracias spoke of events he had not been directly involved with, events he wasnt directly witnessing. But events he knew of.
"How did you… wait, or course you knew. You always know stuff others don't, Deogracias"- she sighed in frustration.
The hooded man turned his head to the side, as if not understanding her comment.
"This one is but a Penitent who observes and records the happenings of the Miracle. Where the blessings of The Miracle are heard of, this Deogracias will go."
"Blessings of The Miracle? You are not talking about me wielding Mea Culpa to dispatch Crisanta, are you?"
(Blasphemous OST- La Muerte de los Relinchos)
"While the Affliction has yet to make a comeback to Cvstodia, I was given revelations from the Miracle. Of the events that will call forth Its attention and the prayers It will answer to in lands very similar to these."
At that Ruby felt her blood freeze.
No.
No, it couldn't be happening.
Not here.
Not where people were already dealing with the threat of the Grimm.
Not where her friends and family lived.
"Is there a way to stop it? Please you must tell me!"
"The Miracle answers to the prayers, even for those not aware of Its blessings. There is no Church of the Father in these lands, but a Corruption that may be responsible for the spread of the Outbreaks of Darkness. However, the path to enter the domains of this Corruption is closed even for the one that was her companion in the past. Only those under her command can come and go freely"- explained Deogracias.
So similar, yet different.
Only this time, there was no Charles to take the brunt of the task.
It befell on her alone.
"Am I to make a new pilgrimage to stop an upcoming Penance?"
The man nodded.
"The trials will be revealed to Our Lady not too soon, not too late. Once completed, you will be able to access to the domains of the Corrupted One, alongside those you have chosen."
Those she has-
"What do you mean by those I have chosen?"
Deogracias answered without hesitation.
"Those you chose to save from the Penintent without a Glance" –and then he pointed his right index behind her – "those currently listening."
"!"
Ruby turned around quickly following the direction.
She then turned back, but Deogracias was gone already. As if he had never been there in the first place.
And alone, but no longer alone, Ruby Rose chose to speak.
"…Ren?"
She hoped she had wrong.
But as Tranquility's effect were removed, the veil fell.
And her sister and friends that would accompany her for the next four years at Beacon were revealed.
N/A: For those who guessed the visitor, congratulations. Sorry I didn't punch him, neither did Ruby. But like this, concludes the first arc of this story. Revelations and Reverie is supposed to introduce the missing elements like setting the teams and starting their bonding, giving Ruby a reason to train besides being a Huntress and of course introducing her friends and sister to the mess that is The Miracle.
Next arc will have to wait for a while, as I need to return to my academic obligations. Be ready for the eventual updates and please don't forget to follow and review.
See ya all soon.