Author's Headnote: Sorry, I needed to update my other works. Anyways, two more chapters until the Jaune chapter and the poll closes. And from this we're no longer in the Beacon Arc, and we're not at the Mistral Arc. You know by now that the events of this story will not align up correctly with canon. Anyways, here's the first Ruby chapter in the continent of Anima.

RWBY: Festival of Blood: A Different Kind of Vampire

Ruby Rose/Roxy Tudor:

Aura Status: 96%

Thirst: Slightly Thirsty

Semblance: Parasitic Petal Burst

Weapons: Crescent Rose, Slice of Life, Penny

Licensing: None, Illegal Huntress

Party Relations: N/A

End of main character status report.

Village of Kyukei, March 8, Thursday, 2:00 AM, Village Bar

The Village of Kyukei... or however it's pronounced. Was the second village Ru-ROXY had stumbled onto. She had just arrived after exploring the continent and escaping the sun. She needed to settle down and rest here before moving on. She doesn't believe she can do any job before the sun comes up at 5 AM, and setting at 10 PM here. She was thankful for the longer nights back at the former kingdom of Vale, now she has only a small window of time to move place to place, and unfortunately unlike Vale, the Kingdom of Mistral's physical geography does not contain many caves, so she has a small number of locations to sleep out the daytime.

Currently, she's at the village bar, unwinding after her latest expedition. It was mostly brown wood, with the bar having two floors. A public first floor, and a private second floor. The first floor consists of the bar itself along with a number of tables, and a wash room. The second floor has a single table, and three bedrooms.

Although not drinking, sure it's legal for someone 14 or older to drink in Mistral, but she's seen her sister drunk... er... some blonde individual drunk that she's never met in her life... she has to remember that: 'Roxy Tudor' does not personally know any member of team RWBY, especially 'Ruby Rose'. In which people already have considered to be dead. Which means there's no turning back now. She has to go forward; this is something she believes she has to do alone. Like any old teenager whose run away from home, she doesn't have much money. Mostly because she's spent most of it on the trip here.

She's heard about this kingdom; it's mostly ran by criminals. Much like the other kingdoms, the head of state is a figure-head whilst the governing council consists of five members. The head of the capital academy, commander in chief, and three appointed/elected officials. In the case of mistral, three of the most powerful crime families all have one seat on the council. Moon Dragon, Grey Tiger, and Steel Hawk. She knows this from a discussion from Sun. The person, not the fiery orb of death and skin cancer in which Roxy has a rational fear of... because if she steps outside during the daytime, her aura will drain and the sun will kill her.

But no less... she has to lay low, don't take too much jobs or stay in one place until she gets to Mistral. Being that the crime families treat the city as a no-fire zone. Everywhere else, it's free game. Although she knows they don't know she's here yet, but sooner or later they'll find out. And she needs to be prepared for any aggression. So, she needs to actively be aware of the resources of each of these crime families. Although that would be secondary. The first thing she should focus on is investigating Haven Academy, albeit with extra-legal means... she doesn't have a choice in that matter.

So... Roxy was drinking from her flask. Although not the entire thing, but she needed a quick bit of blood. The young girl couldn't take up any contracts this late at night, because by the time she'd be done, the sun would rise... meaning that she has a small window of chance to acquire any money until she gets to Mistral.

No less, she just hangs around the bar for a couple of hours, mind-tricks the bartender to give her a room for free, sleep, wakes up, cleans herself, and then continue onward. By this point it would be 8:30 PM. Which means she'll have to wait another half hour to leave. When she got back to the bar, a couple of Moon Dragon mooks have appeared, wearing a black suit with a purple dragon emblem on them. She knows this particular Yakuza very well... there's no way she'd let herself get manipulated like that again.

"Hey, you..." one of the mooks said, trying to get the attention of Roxy.

Roxy ignored, trying to settle on her business, by sitting at a table tapping her fingers until the sun sets.

"Hey. We're talking to you!" the mook yelled.

Roxy continued to ignore them... minding her business.

"You don't want to get on Beulleodeu's bad side, he's not fond of... outsiders in his territory." the mook said, in an annoyed tone.

"Tell him I don't give a darn." Roxy said, with a slight anger in her tone.

"Oh, she speaks!" the mook said, with a sarcastically surprised tone.

"Don't try to be funny, I'm not here to cause trouble, I'll be waiting until sunset and then I'll get to the next town over."

"And where do you think you're going?"

"None of your business."

"Except it is our business. Our boss doesn't want any smart-math edgelady acting so high and mighty in his territory."

"Unofficial territory."

"Is that a threat?"

And just like that, the door slammed open. It appears the infamous Raven Branwen has busted onto a bar for a third time now... at this point Roxy's not surprised. She appears to be walking toward the mook harassing Roxy.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Raven asked.

"Oh great... Odin's daughter. You know your father has been quite a bother." The mook stated.

"Being lectured by a mere mook? If you were a member of Beulleodeu's inner circle, I would take you seriously." Raven said, using her sword to cut off the man's arm in a quick slice, and then quickly sheathed it. The mook was then screaming. Roxy looked honestly shocked under the aviators and scarf. Seeing someone dismembered right in front of her. "But since you're just a lackey, I'll be frank. You won't be telling anyone I was here."

"Alright, alright... we'll go." The mook said, leaving.

"And you, I suggest you leave too. I don't want to waste my energy dismembering you as well."

The other mook screamed and ran from Raven, leaving the bar.

Raven then decided to sit across from Roxy, taking off her mask.

"Are you alright?" Raven asked.

"I could have taken them." Roxy stated.

"Here's a head's up, the diplomatic route doesn't work for these guys. Their skulls are thicker than stone."

"I much prefer not to start a fight, unlike you. I don't have much a reputation."

"Oh... than what is your name?"

"Roxy Tudor."

"Well, can't say I've heard of you. Name's Raven Branwen, Bounty Hunter."

"Weren't you a huntress?"

"Yes, I was a huntress. But then I quit."

"What? Why?"

"Eh, too many unnecessary rules and guidelines. I prefer doing things my way."

"So... you have no regard to dismembering someone."

"Hey, a dead or crippled criminal is one that you won't see again."

"Isn't that a bit much?"

"Look, if you get to my age, you'll understand that bloodshed is necessary. Especially in this kingdom. But I ran out of time to talk, if you'll excuse me..." Raven said, heading to order a drink.

By the time Raven had left, and then an hour more so, Roxy believes it's time to head out and leave this village.

Mistral Wilderness, March 8, Thursday, 11:00 PM, Mistrallian Forests

Nothing like strolling through the forest in the middle of the night. Not that Ruby has a choice. Still, actively talking to Yang's mother... was an experience... but no less, she needs to not get distracted. She still believes she can get through without taking another life... she's only 'Roxy' in the public. The young mercenary wouldn't abandon her moral code just because she goes by another name now. Albeit she has broken it... she's not a role model, not a hypocrite either. She's doing it because she doesn't trust herself to stop. Well, that was already recited.

Although from the looks of it, she just got ambushed... by grimm... a bunch of metallic looking bird grimm, purple-eyed have showed up. Metallic would be one for it at least, wherst nevermores are more like ravens or crows... these ones are like eagles or hawks. They are also smaller than nevermores, but they are larger than normal birds. Roughly five feet tall. The grimm itself is mostly white, with it's bones more resembling metal than actual grimm bone. And they're all attacking Ruby.

Ruby activated Penny, as one of these strange grimm attacked her by dive bombing, which she used the holoblades to deflect attack, although it broke the guard and Ruby was knocked back... guess she'll have to dodge the attack of these things... she first has to count them... she quickly stops and makes count of these birds... there's ten of them...

"Ah... great..." Ruby muttered to herself, drawing Slice-of-Life, and de-activating Penny. She had loaded fire-dust onto the Pizza-cutter.

After the remaining nine charge at her, she fired one of the blades, and make it revolve around a circle around her, while she prepares to spin attack herself... ensuring that the fire can sear through the metallic exoskeleton and find somewhere the grimm would be vulnerable...

Using a sharp weapon on metal is not a good idea, unless the blade is heated, in which it's enough to cut through the metal. Usually most sharp weapons don't have that feature, thankfully Ruby has made one that can. She uses Slice of Life to do some crowd control as she's being ganged up by multiple grimm birds. And after firing the second blade, she activates Penny again to throw some blades around the vulnerabble areas opened up by the disk blades that were slicing and opening spots for the metal, she threw the blades in areas she thinks would be vulnerable.

After the blades decide to return, Ruby grabbed the hilt and cut through one of the birds, decapitating it.

This leaves nine more of these birds. Ruby then unfolds Crescent Rose in rifle form and started to fire at the blades, which pushes the blades into the grimm, although half of the blades she threw went somewhere that did damage, and managed to kill a couple of more of those birds, leaving seven more. After that, the metal seemed to heal, removing the holoblades and flying them towards Ruby, in which given she did not expect this attack, she managed to get stabbed a number of times.

No less, Ruby de-activated Penny, and thus the holoblades piercing her... thankfully, she managed to get enough spending money for some of those self-repairing clothes. That way she doesn't have to go to a tailor everytime she gets stabbed. And doesn't have to ask questions to how she survived getting stabbed in an area a vital organ usually is.

And after that the eagle grimm all had started to rotate mid-air and the charge at Ruby, in which she dodged most of the attacks, but got scathed, showing a large mark on her left arm. She's going to have to do something blunt when it comes to fighting these things. Her fists are good candidates, but she thinks it wouldn't be enough. Guess she'll have to experiment with grimm powers. She focuses on her hands, although not at her fingers, but moreso her knuckles.

And instead of claws, the knuckles of her hands are encased with grimm bones. With the rest of her hand and fore-arm covered in the usual black grimm. She bangs her fist together, similar in a way her sister does, and then reacts to it poorly since it stings. But no less, she's prepared to try and fist-fight... despite not having much training with hand-to-hand. Mostly because she spent more time with Crescent Rose, that and she failed the basic training since her punches were said to be soft in comparison to her father and sister when they were that age...

Well, no less... time for untrained hand-throwing. Four of the eagle grimm decided to swoop down toward her, doing a dive bomb, in which Ruby countered by punching two of them. She then went toward one of the grimm, opened up her fists... abeit the fingers are bound together like mittens. And grabbed onto it... she then used her vampirc strength to tear off one of the wings and impale it through the opened weak spot, killing it. The remaining six head toward Ruby while she was falling down, in which she toggled her bird form and used her semblance to blitz through the other opened up bird grimm, tearing a hole through it, also killing it.

Which just leaves five... only for them to stop...one of them went toward Ruby and opened it's mouth. With microphone screeching come out of it for a bit, and then it stopped.

"My my... aren't you far from Vale?" the grimm? Spoke.

"Are you talking?" Ruby asked.

"Incase you are wondering, no... I'm not the grimm, I'm the one who made this. Creating grimm from dead birds and scrap metal is an accomplishment, really. Impressed you killed some of them."

"Who are you?"

"None of your concern... I'll just give you this as a warning, I suggest you turn around and head back to Vale. This kingdom doesn't need any spawn descended from the Duke of Bloodshire."

"I figured you'd know my secret. Given you can talk through the grimm, you can see through it too."

"Ya ya, perceptive little lady. And you know that I'm a vampire, too... yada-yada. I've been doing this skit for centuries. But no less, you tresspassers are all the same, except for the one from Vacuo, he's too much of a hassle to death with."

"Hey, I'm not trespassing!"

"You're a Valean vampire in Mistral. You are infringing on our prey. Nuff said. The reason why I didn't just come here to kill you is because you're clearly not a stray. So, what orders does your master have that you need to jump kingdoms?"

"I don't have a master."

"Excuse me for one moment... BA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"

"I'm being serious!"

"Knowing how you dress, and how you speak... you're likely far down the line. You are likely taking orders from those younger than seventy!"

"I can assure you, I'm not bound by any vampiric hierarchy."

"Are you a comedian on the side? Because your jokes are funny as..." the vampire speaking from the grimm said, before wheezing and laughing uncontrollably.

Ruby facepalmed.

"What's so funny?" Another voice asked, from the grimm.

"Sorry, it's just I'm talking to this fledgling with a superiority complex." the original voice said.

"Very well, can you let me see the seer, then?"

"Oh, go right ahead."

"My colleague clearly thinks you're quite the attention grabber... for a... Valean fledgling?"

"Is it that fact I have my grimm showing?" Ruby asked, toggling off her grimm fists.

"Nah, I can tell by the way you use it. us mistrallian vampires don't have the same shapeshifting potential as you Valean vampires, the Mantlean vampires no less. But we can create grimm, and constructs made of grimm, as you can see."

"I see... why are you telling me this?"

"It's because I doubt you'd be able to survive the Shells, or the Steelfeathers, or any of our grimm. Unlike Salem's grimm, we don't need to input direct commands or have a seer nearby to have them sicc on vampires."

"Wait? Who's Salem?"

"PFFFFFFFFT... HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! You're right, this fledgling's funny as a clown!"

"And guessing by her look, she's trying to look 'cool 'and be a 'badass' huntress!" the initial voice said.

"Or perhaps she's trying to be an 'edgy' mercenary!" the other voice said.

"Hey! I'm right here!" Ruby retorted.

"Oh, you're still here?" The voice asked. "Go on, shoo."

Ruby unfolded Crescent Rose, and placed it on her right arm, whilst she activates a grimm fist on her left hand and uses it to rip open a piece of the Steelfeather's outer-shell, and then slices the head off with Crescent Rose, she then de-activates the grimm-fist.

The other steel feathers than flew away.

"That's right! Run you pansies!" Ruby taunted. She then took a sip from her blood flask. "Gonna need to refill this soon, good thing there's no shortage of lowlives."

She then went and looked up at the sky, counting the amount of hours she has left before the sun comes up... she needs to prioritize moving forward as much as possible, whilst also finding somewhere to take shelter while the sun is up. She really can't enjoy the sunrise, not that she wants to. So, naturally Ruby continues to head forward.

She also wonders what the: 'Shells' are... she assumes they're the human-looking grimm, like the ones she saw back at The Club in Vale. Would make sense... but why would they be called shells? Well, she'll have to find that out. For now, she needs to find a bandit camp. She needs to drink and refill her flask. Hopefully that's the last she'd hear of those guys before heading to Mistral.

Just Right Gas Station, March 9, Friday, 1:00 AM, Bar

Although does not have any rooms, this modern gas station will have somewhere convenient for Roxy to hide while the sun is up. If she endures the smell that is. Ya... chances are she's not going to rest in a gas station bathroom. She doesn't know where half of the stuff has been. She's likely going to go sleep in the kitchen larder or something. Of course, she's going to have to mind trick the bartender. Which she has done before, so it's not past her.

She was sitting at the bar, albeit not ordering anything. Which annoying the nightshift bartender... being that she's the only attendant.

"Are you ordering anything?" The bartender asked.

"Nah, I'm just looking for somewhere to rest for the night." Roxy stated.

"Well, Kyukei is not far by..."

"Where do you think I came from?"

"Well... you're heading towards Mistral, I guess... well, there's not much settlements outside of the capital. Grimm or the one of the Yakuza go after them."

"I figured... is there anywhere I can sleep here?"

"Here?"

"I'll pay."

"I can reserve the bathroom..."

"No."

"Wha?"

"You seriously want me to sleep in a bathroom? Besides, I'll be sleeping during the day, I travel at night."

"Why night?"

"A lot less traffic."

"Not there is much to begin with..."

"Eh, better safe than sorry."

"Well, I can't lock up the bathroom for the daytime."

"So... can I sleep in the back?"

"The back? I don't know, I don't want to get in trouble..."

"Don't worry, I'll be discreet."

"Alright, but if you get caught, you never saw me."

"So be it..." Roxy said. "I'll let you know when I feel tired, for now... I'll go for a walk in the night."

Character Change: Ruby Rose - Blake Belladonna

The Belladonna Villa, March 9, Friday, 9:00 AM, Blake's Room

It's been quite a while since Blake had gotten the news about everything that happened. She didn't even go outside during any of it... meaning she mostly spent her days wallowing in her room, only occassionally hopping to the bathroom. But that's about it. If she had been there, her team would have not suffered as greatly, Ruby would have lived... ish... but no, she couldn't be much help, being crippled and unarmed. She only managed to defeat the Sea-fei long on her own with an aura-booster and bayonetted crutches.

She could have saved her team... but instead, Emerald broke Gambrol shroud, broke her knee, and nearly broke her will. The news of Ruby's demise did the rest for her... she feels useless, defenseless... as if she's a burden to her own parents. Sure, the doctor back at Beacon said it would heal in two months, but Blake doubts that, especially after the fight in the SS Canterbury. She's broken, and it would take a lot of effort to put her back together. She was afraid of opening herself up... but for a different reason... given that Adam betrayed her trust, and went against all of her promises. She was afraid that Ruby would swerve down that same path... instead, she's... gone.

"Blake! Breakfast is ready!" Kali announced. "Well, if you want it..."

Author's Footnote: Well, that's the chapter. Being that it's Volume 4... well, minus Sun in Menagerie, the local White Fang plot will be slower, in addition different from the canon story. As for the Ruby chapters, it's mostly going to cover the tough tracks of fighting the crime families on her way to Mistral. The Jaune chapters will mostly resemble canon Volume 4, but the added characters and larger party will make it different. I originally planned on having Raven spill out more info... but I don't want to rush anything so it's pulled off until the next Ruby chapter.

So, make sure to leave feedback. Until then, I'll be focussing my energy on the October FoB Skits. Make sure you vote on the poll while you can, and see ya next chapter.