I freely admit that I am bad at updating certain stories. However when a story does get into my head, I tend to focus on it. I will say though that my school term has once again started up, so updating may not happen fairly often; but I will try.
Thank you to all the reviews, favorites, and follows so far.
New Divide
Ten Years Ago-
They were running across campus towards the nurse's station. Yang was sprinting further ahead with Weiss and Blake trailing just behind her. They had been on their break while their team leader had one of her special classes with the other team leaders with Professor Goodwitch when they received Jaune's message that Ruby had gotten badly hurt and they were returning to the school. No further explanation was given.
"Yang slow down." Weiss called out after nearly running into multiple students.
"No. Ruby is in trouble and-"
"And barreling over our classmates isn't going to get us to her any faster." Blake called out, after giving one person an apologetic look.
Yang stopped dead just as she reached the doors of the main building, lavender eyes now a fiery red, "Then they should look out for me. I just got word that my sister was badly hurt from doing who knows what; and nothing is going to stop me from getting to her."
"We are not trying to stop you." Weiss said trying to be gentle and not panic that her partner's sister looks about ready to kill. She looks to Blake now, hoping that she would be able to help her.
Blake nods at this, "Right, but we don't want you to get in trouble while you're trying to help Ruby either. Besides Jaune sounded like they were making their way back when he contacted you. That means she is already in good hands."
Yang growled low, "And when I find out what happened and why he allowed her to get hurt, then he will need some good hands looking after him." Without another word, she stormed into the main building and started her sprint down the hall. Blake and Weiss just looked at each other and sighed as they ran to catch up to the fiery blonde.
When they approached they saw Jaune and his team already standing there with the door closed. Jaune was looking guilty but otherwise unhurt which made Yang even more livid, "Jaune!" Jaune turned to see Yang storming over to him. Before he or the others could get a word in, Yang grabbed him by his shoulder armor and pinned him against the wall, "What happened to my sister?" She asked in a deadly low voice.
"I-I-I don't know." He stuttered out trying to hold up his hands in defense.
"What the hell does that mean? Were you or were you not supposed to be with her for whatever the hell Goodwitch had you guys doing?!"
"Yang!" Weiss and Blake yelled while Ren and Nora just looked shocked.
Pyrrha went over to them and tried to pull Yang off of Jaune, "Yang come on let him go." She pleaded trying to be the voice of reason.
Yang wasn't listening and roughly brushed her off, "Stay out of this."
"Pyrrha it's ok." Jaune said looking at her as she made a move to try again. He then looked back at the angry brawler, "I really do not know what happened. It was a typical assignment. Goodwitch had us in the Emerald Forest, and our job was to stop a herd Grimm from approaching Vale. She was assessing our combat skills-"
"I do not give a shit what you were assessing. I want to know what happened to my sister." Yang stated finally letting go of him, "So start talking."
Jaune held up his hands again, "Ok right. The assessment is not important anyway. Well we had just taken out a flock of Nevermore from reaching Vale when there was this loud roar. So we of course ran to it, and it was a large Ursa. We were about to attack it, when Cardin and the others called in saying that they needed help; which later turned out to be false;"
"Jaune, the point please." Yang growled out again.
"Right they are idiots anyway but at the time it was either let the Ursa get to Vale or let the others down. Ruby made the decision…"
"Of course she did. Let me guess, you go help the others and she takes care of the Ursa?" Weiss asked.
"Yea pretty much. I tried to argue with her." He added quickly seeing that Yang was going to explode on him, "She wasn't having it. She told me to go and that she had this. However something weird happened at that moment. I was still arguing with her when she had frozen up."
"Froze up?" Blake asked curiously.
"Yes it was one minute she was yelling at me and the next she just…I am not doing a good job at explaining…" He covered his face with his hands and sighed, "Ok it was almost like she got this petrified look to her. Her eyes went wide for a moment and then that was when the Ursa took a swipe. I didn't have time to move to help her. She went flying and hit a tree pretty badly. I called our situation into Goodwitch and managed to get us away from the Ursa. I really do not know what happened. After that I called you all when we were on the airship."
Yang had calmed down for a moment after hearing his explanation. She sighed and asked, "How bad was she?"
"Pretty bad. She was still knocked out, a few times she muttered some things, but I couldn't hear it." He answered as Pyrrha cautiously walked by Yang and stood at his side. Ren and Nora stayed by Weiss and Blake, ready to restrain anyone if necessary, "The claws got pretty deep into her chest, but her aura was healing it nicely, but then that was another odd thing too…" They looked at him as they waited for more, "the medic on the shuttle said that her aura was weird; it was giving off mixed signals, like one minute it would start healing and the next it would drop. They couldn't get a proper read on it."
They were silent for a good minute as they digested this information, it was very concerning, "Ruby freezing up is what I do not understand." Weiss said slowly, "Why would she freeze like that?"
"Like I said, I do not know." Jaune stated, "I am sorry I didn't protect her better."
Yang shook her head. She was about to respond when the door opened revealing Goodwitch, Ozpin, and the nurse, "Hello all." Ozpin greeted.
"How is she?" They all asked.
"Easy now I can say that Ms. Rose is still unconscious." The nurse said as Ozpin looked to her to explain, "Everything else I want to explain to her team first."
"While that is happening, can I see Mr. Arc in my office so that I can have a full detailed report please?" Ozpin asked looking at Jaune.
"Everyone else get back to class, I am sure your classmates will fill you in." Goodwitch said looking specifically at Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha.
Everyone looked at each other and at the teachers. Seeing there was no argument, Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha followed Goodwitch to class, Jaune dejectedly started to follow Ozpin. He stopped only for a moment to try and reach out of Yang, but he changed his mind. Weiss, Yang, and Blake were the only three remaining with the nurse.
She gave them a gentle look and motioned for them to go inside. Once they were inside, the site made their hearts sink. Ruby was lying on her back, hooked up to different machines, and Yang noticed how her chest was heavily bandaged, "I know it looks bad, but your leader is lucky."
"Lucky?" Yang deadpanned.
The nurse gave her a look right back, "Yes lucky. An Ursa wound is no laughing matter. Her aura kicked in at just the right moment or she could have bled out."
"Then why the bandages?" Blake asked before Yang could retort, "And if she is alright, why is she not awake for that matter?"
The nurse nodded, "Well really it is because of her aura. From what your friend said and our medics, Ms. Rose's aura for some reason is not that stable at the moment. So while yes it did kick in and start the necessary healing process and protect her, it seems to also be failing her at the same time; like an interference of some sort."
Weiss took a hesitant move towards the bed. Yang stayed back by Blake, almost afraid to get any closer to her sister, "And as for her unconsciousness, I think it is also because of her aura as well. There was no head trauma, despite your friend's account. I do not foresee any other significant signs of trauma, so until your leader wakes up. I am going to have her stay here for the time being. I'll keep you all posted and feel free to stay as long as you like."
With that they were left alone, Yang now made a move towards the bed and squeezed her sister's hand. Next to it was her red cloak and Crescent Rose, "Hey Rubes. We are here now." They started when they saw Ruby's brows furrow together and she muttered something incoherent.
"Well that wasn't really informative." Weiss said softly, "What did she mean that her aura is causing this?"
Blake goes to Yang's side now and corrected the heiress, "She said could be the cause. Meaning she wasn't sure. The only thing they are sure about is that her aura somehow started fluctuating significantly. Remember our aura is the manifestation of one's soul and it does degrade with continual use."
"So what? Taking out those Nevermore caused her aura level to deplete to where she is like this?" Yang asked rhetorically, "No I am sorry I am not buying it; just like I am not buying the fact that something made her 'freeze up'." She added the air quotes for good measure.
"As rare as this is, I agree." Weiss said agreeing with Yang, but then she sighed "However the machines…"
"What about them?" Yang demanded.
"It says that she was at her limits." They looked at the machines and saw that Ruby's aura was spiked to the red.
Blake nodded as the machine beeped with a constant reading, "So according to this her aura was already decayed to the point where she could have been are left weakened at the very least."
"Which is how she got physically injured." Weiss stated.
"No this doesn't make sense. Jaune made it sound like she was ready to fight." Yang stated firmly.
"But it is also Ruby." Weiss pointed out, "When does your sister ever do anything that is for her own good."
Yang's eyes turned red and she turned towards the door, "Where are you going?" Blake demanded as they made a move to follow her.
"Going to find vomit boy and make him talk to me one more time to find out what the hell happened." She left them.
Weiss sighed, "You better go after her." She said to Blake.
"What are you going to do?" Blake asked as she made towards the door to go after her partner.
"Stay here with Ruby. I'll call if anything changes. Jaune is annoying and oblivious, but he doesn't deserve to be at the wrong end of Yang's wrath." Blake nodded and ran to catch up with Yang.
Weiss took the empty seat next to Ruby's bed and sighed, "Even knocked out you still manage to get people into trouble." There was no response of course, which left a weird feeling that Weiss couldn't describe inside of her. Hesitantly she reached out and touched the reaper's hand, giving it a small squeeze, "You better wake up soon." She added softly. The only response she got were the beeping of the monitors and the slow breathing of her leader's peaceful slumber…
In actuality it was anything but peaceful. She was in a nightmare. Only this wasn't the ones that she would get after watching a horror movie her dad and sister told her she should not to watch, nor was it the 'boogie man' or 'monsters in your closet' ones either. These were the nightmares that were her memories. She had stepped into the vortex, focusing on her destination like the God of Darkness told her to do. However the falling she experienced were the memories of the last ten years playing in reverse, and along with those memories came the feelings that she had buried and locked away.
Everything she was seeing, was flashing backward one hundred fold: her death, the activation of the relics, Salem bringing them out, her final fights with Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury. Her battling Tyrian, Dr. Watts, and Hazel. Battles with multiple Grimm, the ambushes that had occurred over the years with her team. Then the most painful experiences she ever had: the deaths of her teammates: Weiss, Blake, and Yang. Qrow, Jaune, Nora, and Ren…Oscar and Ozpin…this time permanently. All of those moments grow more horrific as everything happens in succession.
The last thing she had recalled was seeing a bright awakening flash and Jaune before feeling her body becoming paralyzed and the swipe of the Ursa's massive paw. She thought it was a dream…somehow another memory or just another way to torture her, so she allowed herself to settle into the darkness of her consciousness once more. It had not remained total darkness for long though, it was the voices that get to her next as if the images of the memories weren't bad enough.
She faintly heard Yang and that triggered a memory. Then she heard Weiss and that triggered another memory, and then Blake's had triggered another. Each was associated with their deaths, and then a final memory of them was her first encounter with Emerald, just before she reached Salem's kingdom. Her 'fall', the God of Light had called it.
Just thinking about this triggered the onslaught once more. The memories replayed themselves, this time going forward. The robbery with her first encounter with Torchwick, entering Beacon, becoming the leader of team RWBY, making more friends, the encounter with the White Fang, finding out Blake was a faunus; different and dangerous adventures with her team, the festival, Penny's death, Pyrrha's death, Cinder. Each memory played once more over again. The feelings overtaking her, "Make it stop! Please!" She called out, "It hurts!"
"Ruby?!" Weiss? "Ruby, what hurts?" That was Weiss, but no. Memory flashed, blood and a lot of it. A giant ice knight crumbling in front of her. She had been too late…
"Ruby!" No a different memory. It was dark, she was surrounded by her friends. They were laughing and smiling at her…but it was wrong. An illusion…Emerald. She had to fight them…that is what this was. It must be what this was. She felt pressure, as if some was holding her down, she had to fight, "Ruby!" Her eyes snapped open and met fearful/worried ice blue ones and she lunged, "RUBY!"
She wasn't thinking. She was acting on instinct. The need to fight, to live, to survive. She saw her threat and she had it pinned by the throat against the wall, "You are not Weiss. You are not real." She growled out.
Weiss for her part tried to fight the younger girl, but she couldn't tell where Ruby had this sudden burst of strength. She had one hand on the arm that was holding her, and the other on the girl's shoulder, trying to push her off, "Ruby…it's me…you are in a nightmare." Although she didn't know how true that was. Seeing her partner's silver eyes glowing almost deadly and predatory like, made her re-think that statement. Ruby really thought she wasn't real.
Ruby's grip tightened and Weiss now saw that those silver eyes were glowing, but now had a flick of red in them. Almost like how Yang's get when she is livid, "You are not my partner or friend. I do not know what kind of game you are playing, but it ends now."
"Ruby…" Weiss gasps out.
"RUBY!" Becoming momentarily distracted Ruby looks up and sees the shocked looks on Blake and Yang's faces. Their shock didn't last long, they came into the room and Yang instantly went behind Ruby as Blake went to Weiss's side. They pulled the two apart and Yang pinned Ruby on the bed.
"GET OFF OF ME!" Ruby yelled trying to fight off Yang.
"You alright?" Blake asked giving Weiss a once over look.
Weiss's hand went to her throat and she winced, "I think this will bruise a bit, but I am fine." She rasped out. They watched as Yang and Ruby fought on the bed, but Yang had enough of trying to convince Ruby to relax that she slapped her sister across the face.
Ruby stopped struggling for a moment and blinked wide-eyed. That had hurt…wait a minute…that had really hurt. This was no memory, a dream, a nightmare, or an illusion. She now met her sister's worried gaze, "Yang?" She breathed out with uncertainty.
"Yea Rubes, what the hell happened?" Yang asked worried, but seeing her sister wasn't going to go berserk again, she moved and allowed Ruby to sit up, hand going to her head.
Ruby took in her surroundings and swallowed, "Where am I?" She asked instead of answering the question.
"Beacon. Jaune said there was an incident with an Ursa in Goodwitch's class." Blake's voice was drowned out by her own thoughts: Jaune, Goodwitch, Ursa, and Class? Ruby looked around again this time now focusing back on Blake as she explained the tail end of the story, "So we came back and saw you about to murder Weiss."
"Weiss?" She breathed out and saw Weiss give her a wary look.
She looked at Blake and saw the bow on her head. She hadn't seen her with it on since the battle at Haven when she led the faunus to help, and she noticed she had kept it off when they were at the train station in Mistral. Now she looks at Yang and sees that her sister has two good working hands. It's here, the evidence is all here before her and she swallows, taking in her teammates once more. They were alive. They were alright…everyone was alright, "Ruby? You alright?" Yang asks giving her sister an odd look as she inspected her hands, "You are scaring us."
Ruby looks at Yang again and then at Weiss before looking at Blake and then returning to her sister, however just in case she looks at her sister and says, "If I am in a dream. Do not wake me up." With that she fell back into her pillows and once again became unconscious.
Yang, Weiss, and Blake looked at one another and then at the young reaper with worry and confusion, "So what just happened?" Yang asks looking at Weiss as if she had the answers.
"No clue." But I am going to find out, she thought as the startling image of her partner's eyes came to her mind.
