AN: I Live yet again. Thanks to my lovely editors. If you want to know what kept me check the author's note at the bottom.

Unveiled

Today was finally the day. Ruby could feel the butterflies in her stomach as she slowly made her way through the forest. Yesterday was her tenth birthday so she was now old enough to begin her preparation to become a huntress. She could have used her semblance to have already reached Ashen, but as excited as she was, she was also nervous. Ashen was finally going to share his past with her. Whatever it was she wasn't going to let it deter her. Ruby was already familiar with the dangers that came with being a huntress, after all she passed by a heavy reminder of such dangers every time she went to see him.

That didn't mean she didn't want to learn his history. If anything she may be able to better help him move on from his pain like how her family was doing with theirs. Then once he's better she will show him that it's still possible for people to be heroes. Ruby couldn't help, but wonder what training under him would be like. She wasn't sure if it would be like what her dad had been doing with Yang. Something told her though that Ashen would be a much stricter teacher.

Whatever the case, Ruby was determined to see it through. It wasn't long before her mother's grave came into view. She smiled when she noticed the few flowers laying at the base of the headstone.

"Hi Mom. I see Ashen stopped by again." Ruby regathered the scattered flowers. While sporadic, it never failed to touch her heart when Ashen left flowers for her mother. She never asked him to yet he did so anyway. "So today's the day. I promise I'm going to be a huntress you can be proud of. Wish me luck."

As Ruby walked down the cliff path she could feel her nerves fade away. In place was the bubbly slow rise of anticipation. Like always Ashen was waiting for her in his usual place though he seemed to be lost in thought. Ruby waved and called out to him.

"Morning Ashen!"

"Ruby," Ashen greeted. "You came." He didn't move from his position. She could feel the apprehension coming off him.

Ruby pouted. "Of course I did. We made a promise."

Ashen nodded in acknowledgement. There was a moment of silence as Ashen hesitated to press forward. He knew he was being selfish and trampling over Ruby's ideals, but he would rather she hate and fear him if it meant that she didn't end up another corpse in pursuit of a failed ideal. Despite how quick the last two years passed by for him, Ashen would admit that he has gotten fairly attached to Ruby. Which made what he was about to do that much harder.

"So I can correctly assume that you still intend to follow your mother's footsteps to be a hero?" he asked.

"Yep!" Ruby rocked back and forth on her heels as she smiled at him. "I'm going to become a heroic huntress just like my mother and you're going to help me."

"Only if you can keep your resolve after I tell you my story. If you can remain unshaken by the truth I share, then I will train you so you can surpass your mother."

"I will," Ruby nodded. To her surprise Ashen reached up and unhooked the latches to his helmet. She couldn't restrain her gasp of surprise. Despite the years they had spent together Ashen still wasn't comfortable with revealing his face to her. It was one of the few subjects he got testy with if she ever tried to push him on it. Excitement started to bubble up inside her.

Ashen paused with his hand grasping his helm. "This is your last chance to change your mind. Once I do this, there is no going back. Are you certain you want to see the truth, the price it takes to be a hero?"

"I promised I would," she said. Ruby's mouth opened in a silent gasp of excitement as Ashen finally removed his helm. Her joy died faster than an unwatched cookie. There was no suppressing the scream of horror that burst out of her. She stumbled away only to trip and fall on her back. In her panic she scrambled backwards with no regards to how she dirtied herself, unwilling to turn her back to the horror in front of her. The only sound left in the clearing was the sound of her hyperventilating as she tried to get her breathing under control.

Ashen, her hero, was a monster.

Short oily black hair clung to his scalp in loose clumps while his skin was wrinkled, like worn leather and tinged in an unnatural red-orange color. He was emaciated, the skin pulled taut around his skull and missing in places. In fact the skin around his mouth had pulled back so much that he had no lips, yellow and black teeth exposed while the front of his lower jaw had none, white bone and tendons left open to the elements. His throat was a shredded mess of muscle and sinew, through which his spine peeked through. There was a jagged pit where his nose once was, which was more than the flaps of skin that used to be his ears.

Worst of all of it though, were his eyes. At first Ruby thought that they were empty sockets until the black mass shifted. Ashen's eyes had blackened and rotten away inside his skull. Bile climbed up the back of her throat that she struggled to push down. Those pits stared into her. The inky blackness seemed to swallow all light in a way that it felt like it was trying to suck her very soul into the abyss. Ruby's vision blurred and it took her a moment to realize that she was crying.

Ashen smiled at her, the skin around his mouth pulled up into a macabre grin. He was surprised at himself and the small pang he felt at Ruby's rejection of him. It was a familiar pain and easily pushed aside. His curse was something distinctly from his age that couldn't be explained away. She needed to see this as it was the best evidence he had to prove his story beyond a doubt.

"I did try to warn you." Despite his physical state, his voice carried clearly without distortion. "The path of the hero is long and demanding. A price must be paid by all who walk it."

"H-How...w-what…" Ruby struggled as she tried to get her words out. A part of her wanted to deny what she was seeing, to pretend that this was all some sort of dream. All the while another, smaller part was screaming at her to run. It was yelling at her to run away, to call her dad and Uncle Qrow, but she couldn't.

"Are you certain you want to continue? Do you still wish to chase your dream?" Ashen asked. To Ashen's surprise, Ruby wiped away her tears before nodding her head. Despite her horror, she still wanted to press forward even as her eyes glistened with a new batch of tears. It didn't escape him though how she still kept her distance.

"Very well. It is a long story, but I assure you that all of it is true no matter how unbelievable some of it may seem." Ashen leaned back and closed his eyes as he thought back to the old stories. They would serve as a starting foundation for his tale. "All of this, everything that happened to me began long ago when the world was still trapped in a cycle, a curse left behind by the Gods…"

Ruby sat and listened as Ashen told his tale. A dark and heavy tale of monsters, Gods and Fire. A story of souls being beaten, abused and drained until there was nothing left. Of heroes sacrificing everything in futile attempts of protecting their homes for one more day. From his journeys as a warrior of Sunlight, to a warrior of Carthus, and then a wandering knight; only for it all to come to an end at the heart of the world. Everything he fought for came down to a single choice.

A choice between restarting a cycle that would soon reduce the world into ash or snuffing out the flame and letting darkness swallow everything. In the end he chose a third option. Ashen became a god. At least this way while darkness would devour most of the world, a small piece of it would survive. Embers of humanity that would eventually push the darkness back. It didn't change the fact that to guarantee a future he had to erase the past.

It all sounded so outrageous, so insane that Ruby struggled to believe any of it. But she had to. The proof was sitting in front of her in the form of a rotting skull. An immortal being unable to die that was sitting in front of her. This nightmarish story had to be real.

When Ashen finished his tale Ruby found that she couldn't say anything to him. Her tongue felt like a block of lead. How was she even supposed to respond? She didn't know why, but she was in pain. Her chest hurt so bad. In the end she got up and left without a word. Ruby didn't see Ashen's resigned smile as she walked past him. During her walk back she could feel his story pressing down on her like an iron weight.

~x~

Tai heard the click of the front door announcing Ruby's return. She was so excited when she left that morning so he prepared himself for another barrage of hyperactivity. He set down the dishes he was washing and walked over while drying his hands.

"So how did things go—" Tai froze when he laid eyes on Ruby's tear stricken face. Her normally bright silver eyes were dull and glistened with unshed tears.. He could only recall one other time he had ever seen Ruby look so broken. "Ruby, what happened?"

A sniffle was the only warning he got before Ruby's eyes glistened with a new wave of tears. Ruby stumbled forward and wailed into Tai's shirt. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her to console her while he tried to understand what was wrong. There was the storming of footsteps before Qrow and Yang dashed in.

"Tai, what's going on?" Qrow asked while Yang immediately joined in trying to console her sister.

"I don't know." Tai gently pried Ruby off. "Come on Ruby, tell us what happened?"

"It's-it's…" Ruby hiccupped. Yang rubbed her back as she tried to speak through her tears. "A-Ashen…he…"

Tai glanced at Qrow in concern. "Take a deep breath and tell me what Ashen did."

"He… H-He showed…"

Yang shared a worried look with the two of them. Qrow grabbed his weapon he left by the door. It would be faster to get answers from the man himself.

"He's a monster!" Ruby suddenly wailed, startling everyone. "Ashen looks like a monster." She buried her face back in her father's chest as she broke into another bout of tears.

Tai blinked in surprise before he turned to Qrow who was frozen in the doorway. Qrow closed the door before he kneeled beside them.

"He showed you his face?" Ruby nodded. Tai was able to calm down as he understood what was happening. While scars were fairly rare among Huntsmen, they weren't unseen. A couple of the teachers at signal had their fair share. Facial scars tended to be the worst. He still remembers how scared Ruby was when she met his coworker Geoffrey, who has a massive scar from a Beowolf that took his right eye and part of his face. Despite her fear, Ruby still tried to be nice. For her to go as far as to call Ash a monster really made him wonder what she saw.

Tai scooped her up into his arms and carried her to her room. He could hear Yang behind him ask, "How bad do you think it was?" He stayed with her until she cried herself to sleep.

~X~

Yang was startled awake by a loud scream. It took her a second to recognize the source. She stumbled out of bed and scrambled to her sister's room. There she found Ruby crying in bed as she huddled in on herself.

"Ruby, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Yang asked as she scooped her up into her arms.

Ruby buried her face in Yang's chest as she squeezed her tightly. "I-I saw mom. I saw her and she looked like..." She cut herself off. It was too horrifying and she desperately wanted to forget it. She wanted the fear and cold to go away.

Yang grabbed the blanket and pulled it up, covering them both. "Don't worry Rubes, I'm going to be right here." She planted a soft kiss on the top of her head. "I won't leave you alone." ran her fingers through Ruby's hair, miming what their mom used to do for her. It was only after she finally drifted back to sleep did Yang allow herself to succumb as well. Neither girl noticed their dad standing in the doorway with a small smile of pride for his oldest. He closed the door, hopeful that this time his girls would have a peaceful sleep.

~X~

Over the next few days Ruby holed up in her room. For the first day they gave her space, but by the second they realized that her mood wouldn't be changing anytime soon. Despite her family's efforts they couldn't pull her out of her depression. It was one thing to know how hurt someone was, but to actually see it. Now when she tried to remember her mother's face her mind placed Ashen's scars on her. For the first time she thought about her mother's death or rather how she died. Did she suffer? Was she scared? If she didn't die would she have slowly become more like Ashen?

The creaking of wood alerted Ruby of someone opening her door. She huddled in on herself in a silent message that she didn't want to talk. It was hard to interact with anyone when she was unable to sort out her own feelings. The bed shifted in weight as they sat down next to her.

The lack of the smell of alcohol told her it wasn't Uncle Qrow and the weight was too much for it to be Yang. She felt her dad's hand settle on top of her head.

"Ruby." Ruby mumbled something unintelligible as she tightened the covers around her. "You can't keep hiding up here." Tai dragged her bundled form into his lap with little resistance. She buried her face in his chest to avoid looking at him, but Tai was a patient man. They sat there in silence while he waited for her to speak to him.

"...afraid…" Ruby mumbled into his chest.

"What was that?"

"Do you think mom was ever afraid?" she asked as she shifted to look at him.

Tai was briefly taken aback by the question. He could already see where this was leading and while it may not be a conservation he wanted to have, it was one that Ruby needed.

"Yes. I don't think you ever stop being afraid." He couldn't stop the sigh that escaped him. "This is about Ashen, isn't it?"

Ruby shuddered. "I don't know if I still want to be a Huntress anymore."

The protective part of Tai wanted to be happy that Ruby was finally moving on to something else while his nurturing side felt distress at seeing his baby girl despair as her dream threatened to collapse.

"I never thought it could be so painful," she said quietly. "It hurts so much."

"Do you want to know why it hurts?" Tai asked. "You saw what the job of a huntsman can do to a person, what it can take away and the scars that get left behind. You also saw someone you care about hurt and all you want to do is find some way to go back and undo it. To make the pain go away."

Ruby sniffled as she held back another wave of tears. He used the blanket to wipe away the unshed tears gathering in her eyes.

"It's what I felt about your mother." Ruby's face filled with confusion and shock. "She had a set of scars over her left hip. Your mom gained those scars from an Alpha Beowolf while protecting a frontier village." Even now years later he could still picture those three lines as clear as day. "She went on that mission alone as I was still recovering from a previous one and Qrow was off helping a close friend. I didn't learn about those scars until much later. Even now I wonder if there was something I could have done so she wouldn't have had to come so close."

"But what do I do?" Ruby asked.

"There is nothing you can do for what has already happened. This is something that Ashen will have to work through himself, but that doesn't mean you can't help him along. Most importantly I don't want you to let this affect your dream."

"But I thought you didn't want me to become a huntress?"

"I don't, but at the same time I want you to be happy. Whatever you decide to do, I will support it even if that means you become a huntress. I'll support you every step of the way just like your sister. I know Qrow will too." In fact her uncle had spent the last couple days looking for Ashen to give him a piece of his mind. "If you do decide to move on from being a huntress I want it to be your decision, not because someone scared you from it. As much as I want to protect you I want you to be happy. No matter what you choose I will always be here for you."

Ruby wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "Thank you." Tai returned it as he planted a small kiss on top of her head.

~X~

It has been a little over a week since Ashen told his story to Ruby. Since then she hasn't returned. At this point Ashen was starting to feel certain that she wouldn't. He would admit that a small part of him felt sad to see her go. The days won't be as lively anymore, but Ruby will be better off. She will grow up, find someone to love, start a family and live out the rest of her life away from the blood soaked fields that have devoured far too many hopeful souls. It would be a good life.

A rose petal filled gust blew around him. Ashen stared in disbelief at the figure before him. The bright red cloak, a teeth filled smile and bright silver eyes.

"Ruby? You came back."

"Yep," she said, nodding her head enthusiastically. "We made a promise after all."

"I did not think you would return," Ashen stated, still stunned by her appearance. "Why? Are you not afraid of me?"

Ruby's smile faded, but her eyes held firm. "Not of you. I am afraid of getting hurt like you," she explained. "I'm scared I might not come back like mom and leave Yang and dad alone, but I don't want to give up on my dream to be a hero. I want to save people like mom." Ruby walked over and hugged Ashen. He tentatively returned it. "I want to prove that heroes can succeed."

"What makes you think it can be done if one such as I failed?" he asked.

Ruby stepped back. She planted her hands on her hips as her smile returned. "Because I'll have the best person to train me to be a hero. If I have you train me then I can prove that heroes can win and be happy after," she said confidently.

While born of naivety, it was a level of confidence that Ashen often encountered among his brothers in arms, certain of victory or certain of the Sun's continued glow. His shoulders shook as a chuckle escaped him. "You are certainly bold my dear."

"I might have picked it up from you," she teased. "I also didn't tell anyone what you told me. I still kept my promise so you have to keep yours now."

"Very well." Ashen got up before taking a knee in front of her, much to Ruby's delight. "I will do everything in my power to aid you in your quest. My services are yours, my fair lady Rose." He extended a hand towards her. Ruby couldn't help the giggle at the flowery title before slipping her hand in his.

AN: I hope you enjoyed. Leave a review.

Sorry that the chapter isn't long enough to justify the wait. I should have gotten this out much sooner, but some incidents at my job screwed me over.

To briefly explain, I work at a small company that's an online retailer, like Amazon, but without the hellish workload. On two separate occasions, we had two employees ghost us without a word. They quit but never formally told any of us. With both individuals, neither gave any advance warning what so ever, we had to figure it out on our own. The sudden absence screwed up the planned workloads so we ended up over-burdened, which consistently spilled over, eventually spilling into the holiday rush. This meant a lot of overtime hours just to stay on top of things.

Please, take my advice here, if you quit your job have the decency to tell everyone that your quitting. Don't let everyone assume they have a pair of hands to rely on when they don't. When you don't show up it screws up the workload for everyone else because it was planned with you being there. It's a PoS move to do and as you can see, it can really screw people over. This ended up costing me over 6 months just trying to get this chapter out despite it not being that long. Thankfully everything is great, we have more staff and the workload is back to normal levels.

So please, tell your work you're quitting even if you're leaving that very day.