Hello everyone, how are you? So, we reached the end of the first arc of the story. Unfortunately, I have nothing more to say about this save for a great thank you for the Xth time. I am really grateful towards anyone who read the story, even those who dropped it.

Without any more blabbering from my side, let's get to the beginning of our second Arc- hope you enjoy and have fun!

December 10, 85

All things considered, it was quite an enjoyable night, Albus thought as he threw the empty pizza boxes inside a large trash bag. He raised his head around the now empty apartment, trying to locate any other garbage lying around.

Yang and Weiss had left early and Erik had dropped off Lumia and Blake at their homes. Meaning, two ladies were remaining in his house this fine morning; and since his living room looked more like a scene from a zombie apocalypse, letting them sleep in was out of the question.

"Ok, lazy bums, time to-" he narrowed his eyes as the open door of Alexandra's room revealed an empty and neatly arranged bed, with a small piece of paper on top. He raised an eyebrow as he picked it

"Good morning, my lovely penguin- Ruby had some business to attend to and I decided to stick by. Have fun cleaning; I love youuuu!"

"Good morning, Albus! I am having a few materials for Crescent Rose delivered today; I gave your address- thanks!"

-o—

Not so far away, two figures walked along one of the suburban streets of Vale City. The tallest one wore a black beanie and a long woolen black coat, while the other was draped inside a bright red hooded cloak, holding a bouquet of flowers in her arms.

Ruby stopped for a second as she thought she heard a faint screaming in the distance. "Albus is going to be so mad." She turned around and looked at her companion.

Alexandra brushed back her white braids, a playful glee reflected in her pinkish eyes. "That makes it more interesting to me; finding ways to make it up to him" she winked, making Ruby blush.

"Aw, goodness Ruby. You still react so cute about some things." The red girl pouted "it's not my fault!" Alex chuckled "I didn't say it was a bad thing, Ruby. I actually find it so damn adorable."

She narrowed her eyes, trying her best to look disapproving, as they walked making idle chat towards the end of the long, white covered road.

Clouds covered the sky, but there was no snowfall for now, so the walk was considerably pleasant, the pale snow getting crushed under their boots.

After about half an hour, Ruby stopped. "Here we are" she pointed Alex to a fence- covered area, with tall cypress trees spreading around it. In front of them a tall gate made of black iron bars stood, its sign above saying "Vale City Cemetery."

Both women walked in, their previous happy chat having ceased as they strode past the graves and the large, silent green guardians that surrounded them.

At some point, Ruby picked out her scroll and made a small turn left, stowing it away as she looked at a lonely figure standing in front of a grave stone.

Alexandra stopped "you better talk to her alone; I don't think she will appreciate a stranger being around." Ruby tried to object, but immediately nodded. "I will be just behind you, don't worry" the albino assured her.

Ruby licked her lips in anxiety and moved towards the figure- a woman dressed in an elegant black coat, with equally dark hair tied up in a bun. She turned around, black eyes filled in make-up to try and conceal the tears fixed at the reaper. She held a large box in her hands.

"I am glad you could come, Ms. Ruby" the woman forced a smile. "I told you I would Ms. Pale" Ruby replied meekly, before both turned to look at the grave.

A beautifully crafted marble plate stood in front of them, colored white, any traces of snow recently removed to make room for flowers and photographs from her friends and family.

Ruby felt her lips quiver. In the top of the tablet, carved in honey-gold colors, was the girl's emblem- a sword hugged by a large tree vine. Next to it was the sigil of the Vale's Huntsmen Unit and below stood the phrase

"Melia Pale, 17 years old.

Beloved daughter, sister and friend.

A true Huntress."

Ruby stood tall and proud, wiping her tears off her face. She then let the flowers in front of the tablet and, to Ms. Pale's confusion bowed deeply before saluting.

"We know everything you did" Ruby said. "We found out that you got possessed by the Grimm to open the tunnel and that you resisted with every ounce of strength you had. We found traces of you trying to get away."

Next to her, the woman found hard to suppress her tears "we also know that, even when you realized you wouldn't escape, you preferred to take your own life than giving the monster a chance to be let free."

Ruby eased "Melia Pale, you were a true huntress. I salute you and hope that when we meet…" she smiled, allowing her tears to run "…we can be friends." She sent off a small prayer "rest in peace my fellow huntress."

"Thank you…thank you so much…" Bonette Pale was crying, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. "I am sure she would be happy to hear you say that- she idolized you as the hero she wanted to be."

Ruby gently let her hand grab the older woman's "If that thing had gotten released when it trapped Melia, without us around, it would have killed anyone.

But with her holding it back, she made it possible. You, Mr. Pale, your sons, every single person who survived was saved because of her sacrifice, Ms. Pale."

Ruby smiled at the woman "she is a great hero, one who deserves respect" much more than me. The woman sniffed "I…thank you. Thank you, Ms. Ruby. It has been quite tough these days…I…"

The councilman's wife raised the box and gave it to Ruby. "I… want you to have this." Ruby reluctantly took the box- and nearly dropped it when she realized what was inside, eyes open wide in astonishment.

"Ms. Pale…I can't…" the woman forced another smile "I know it's not much, but I am sure she would love to know that her blade will continue living her dream. I hope it's not a burden."

"A burden? Ms. Pale, you are giving me your daughter's weapon- there is no greater honor for a huntress! I am not worthy of such a gesture!"

A gentle, glove-covered hand wrapped around Ruby's fingers. "Your reaction shows me that you will honor her memory more than anyone, Ruby."

She looked at the box and the repaired sword that rested inside. "Thank you for the gift; I will do my best to prove worthy of it" she solemnly added, before she heard footsteps approach.

Both women looked to the path and saw Alexandra walking towards them. The woman stopped, gently bowed to Ms. Bonette and turned to Ruby "there is a guy that has been around for a while; very suspicious."

Ruby's eyes narrowed, her face hardening "are you sure he is not simply visiting someone?" The girl shook her head "he has been very cautious, trying to pass unnoticed but he changes grave every minute, moving closer to you."

"I see… where is he now?" Alex closed her eyes, and whistled in a supersonic tune, allowing her semblance to do the rest. Her head filled with information, as her brain slowly registered the surrounding area.

"About 20 meters away, on your ten. Behind a large grave underneath the nearest cypress tree." Ruby nodded "get Ms. Pale to safety." Alex raised an eyebrow "you are unarmed, Ruby."

Silver eyes flashed in determination "this is why you should be the one to protect her; don't worry, I can hold him enough for you to back me up."

Alex bit back a response, knowing Ruby was right; if the man was after the noble woman, taking her to safety was their top priority and Alex was by a large margin the best bodyguard in the SHU.

"Ms. Pale, please follow me. I will take you to a safe place." The woman tried to protest, but Alexandra's tone let her no room for negotiations. She grabbed her and slowly started moving, trying her best to not let their observer understand they had noticed him.

-0-

The man, dressed in a white jacket and a hoodie that covered his head, raised an eyebrow. Not only the white-haired albino walked away, leaving Rose on her own, the latter was now carefully leaving the box she had been gifted down-

His eyes opened as Ruby vanished from sight, leaving a cloud of red petals behind. "Who are you and why are you following Ms. Pale?" he turned around to see the girl standing a few feet behind him, a hard glare on her face.

"Good job noticing me" a youthful voice, full of confidence replied to Ruby as the man lowered his hood to reveal long scarlet-red hair tied in a wolf-like tail and a pair of piercing amber eyes, that seemed oddly familiar to the red girl.

"You didn't answer" she exclaimed. "Well, if I don't then what?" she raised an eyebrow "please just tell me what business you have with Ms. Pale- I don't want us to fight."

"Two things wrong." The man snarled "first of all, it's not the councilor's wife I am after; it's you. Thanks for sending your backup away, Little Red."

She tensed, her eyebrows shooting up to the top of her head. Only two people had ever called her Little Red, and as far as she was concerned, they had both been dead for quite some time.

"Second" he grinned cockily at her as he drew a large, two-barreled handgun with a glistering red-black coating from his side.

To her experienced eyes, it seemed as deadly as it was beautiful. "You are far from able to harm me, we both know you are unarm-"

Ruby's left fist collided to the man's face, sending him crash to the ground on his back. He screamed in pain and tried to shoot, but the girl vanished from in front of him and reappeared to his right, kicking the weapon off his arm.

He rolled backwards and jumped away, taking some much needed distance. "You have aura" Ruby said "and by the way you reacted even when caught off-guard, it is obvious you have been trained in combat."

She tensed her muscles, ready for the man's next move as he simply stared at her, pain evident in his eyes. "Holy shit that hurt! Who spread the rumor you can't fight properly without your weapon?"

Ruby rolled her eyes; this guy came here literally thinking that she was harmless due to being unarmed? Well, he was in for-

Her instinct and experience saved her, as the ground from below shook, large stone spikes impaling the empty air as she burst away to safety.

"Yeah, figures it wouldn't be that easy" his demeanor had now changed, his arrogant and cheerful tone replaced by a menacing glare. "You wouldn't be who you are if I could take you down like that."

The red reaper on her part, cursed on the inside. He had purposefully allowed her to disarm and hit him, in order to relax and think she had it under control.

He is not only skilled, he also is cunning she thought, while anticipating his next attack. The one thing that unnerved her the most, however, was- she ducked away as another stone pillar shot from the snow-covered terrain beneath her.

Ruby burst into her semblance, striding through the cemetery, as many more spikes suddenly emerged around her landing point.

She pushed her speed to its limit, making a full U-turn from a tree, and shot herself as a javelin towards the man.

The ground beneath him shook, as chunks of stone shot up. The man spun his arms into a very elegant- and shockingly familiar- circle, creating a large wall that blocked Ruby's body slam.

Ruby used the hard surface as foothold, spinning around to get away from the incoming counterattack.

True to her expectations, the wall broke in numerous minor projectiles that her enemy sent around like scattershot.

She had been anticipating that and barely managed to avoid getting caught in the blast by hiding behind a gravestone. She then stood up, silver eyes narrowed in fury locking with a pair of equally angry amber ones.

"Who are you?" Ruby asked flatly. The man sighed "you have a very good idea, don't you?" She walked towards him, her body tense in anticipation of another attack, her face a rarely seen mask of anger.

"I know these moves and this sort of gaze. And what's worse, I know this semblance…" she hissed. He smirked, then raised his left sleeve, revealing a huntsman emblem- two curved swords, forming a jagged heart.

"It's the same semblance Cinder used" she finished, barely able to control her anger. "Mineral manipulation" he replied. "A hereditary semblance, passed through the Red Family to its two prodigies."

Ruby gasped- she knew what was coming next even before the man said it. "Alizar Red, that's me, and my sister Elia Red, known as Cinder Fall in her latest years."

He gritted his teeth, staring at Ruby, hatred permeating his very being. "Her latest years, until you killed her in Vacuo, Ruby Rose."

"You are here for revenge; to kill me for taking down your sister." She spat the words out of her mouth as if not believing them.

"Yes and no. I mean, I do want to kill you, but…" Ruby got ready to block another shot at her, but to her surprise he drew a scroll from his pocket.

"I want you to suffer first. Suffer the worst kind of pain possible" he hissed. "What do you mean the worst-" the scroll beeped and a woman's voice was heard from the speaker.

"Operation complete; unfortunately." He grinned evilly as confusion filled the red girl's face. "Please, Cherry. Explain to Ms. Rose what sort of operation you just completed."

A frustrated groan echoed from the speaker, before Cherry complied "Ms. Ruby Rose, I am honored to meet a warrior of your caliber. I am Cherry and I am really sorry to say, this pathetic coward's subordinate at this moment."

At this point, Ruby's pulse had skyrocketed. She knew she could try at least to perform a good attack; she could probably take him down as he was preoccupied messing around with her.

But… there was something lurking around. She could sense a dreadful, ominous feeling from his expression and mannerisms- "I am really sorry, but I have Mr. Arc in my possession."

Ruby's face drained of its color, her lips freezing in place as her brain did its best to not stop functioning. "Wha…t?" she whispered.

"You heard her; we have Mr. Arc's body in our possession. Do you understand-"

"What do you want?" her entire body was screaming in anger. She could count in one hand the times she had felt such ferocious rage and somehow Cinder seemed to be included in most of them.

"Told you- I want to see you suffer. Suffer and die in the worst way possible!" he shouted. "Give Jaune back- I will not ask twice. He needs medical care!"

He raised an eyebrow "I don't think so, Little Red. You see, Cherry here has enough medical skill to sustain him for quite some time."

She took one step forward. "Of course, if anything happened to me, she could very easily forget her skills, do you understand?"

She stopped, her eyes opening wide as her throat seemed to dry. "What sort of person would do such a thing?" "You are in no position to preaCH ABOUT MORALS, YOU BITCH!"

He slammed his foot on the ground "I could easily kill you right now- and I would enjoy every moment." She could sense his bloodlust grow as his breath became ragged.

"But this is not what I want; instead I want to give you a chance." She shot him a harsh, disbelieving glare.

"We promise to not harm Mr. Arc's body at all, if you and your team, WITHOUT ANYONE ELSE, come to meet me in Grimmwater Island in exactly ten days from now. I will return him to you then."

It was a trap. It was an obvious trap; this guy wanted all her team together and was using Jaune to get to them. It was a freaking trap- and Ruby couldn't do anything but step into it.

"RUBY!" Alexandra screamed from behind her, as she ran towards them with pistol in hand. She raised it and took aim- "STOP!" Ruby raised her arms and pleaded, making her friend cancel her attack just in time.

She turned around to Alizar. "How do I know you will keep your part of the deal?" He laughed in the most infuriating, arrogant manner she had seen after her last fight with the Fall Maiden.

"You don't. And that's what makes in even more delightful." He snapped his scroll shut and turned around to leave, letting Ruby kneel down and start crying in the white-haired girl's arms.

In the background, the sound from police sirens slowly filled the sky of Vale.