Ok so there are some Harry Potter fans in this fandom. Yes the previous little filler resulted from me watching a bit of the seventh movie 'The Deathly Hallows'. It called to me and gave me the little inspiration. Anyway you asked and I came through. Sorry it took me a bit, updating as constantly as I planned isn't as easy I as I thought it was going to be.
New Divide
A smaller, more honest soul... It's true that a simple spark can ignite hope, breathe fire into the hearts of the weary. The ability to derive strength from hope is undoubtedly mankind's greatest attribute. Which is why I will focus all of my power... to snuff it out.
-Salem 'RWBY'
The first thing she becomes aware of is not the feeling of laying on the ground, despite recalling the warm and welcoming brightness she had experienced. Instead she is aware of the feeling of almost suffocating softness. Slowly opening her eyes, she closes them against the brightness she experiences; this time hearing the chirping of birds. Taking a deep, and nearly painful breath in, she stirs once more and sees the sunlight streaming from the window. Home…she was home and in bed. She then takes notice of her father asleep in a chair. She tries to sits up and sighs quietly, but it wasn't quiet enough, because in that moment Taiyang to stirs awake.
Tai immediately notices Ruby being awake and gets up to run over to her bed and kneels at the side, "You're awake!"
Ruby groans at his voice, headache now creeping in. Yup she was definitely alive not having been in any type of pain in…wherever the hell she had been with Yang and the rest of her team, "Ugh... what happened?"
He frowns and looks at her concerned, "Your uncle Qrow found you, unconscious. He got you out of there, though, and brought you home safe."
Ruby looks down in thought for a split second, then looks at her father, "What ended up happening exactly?"
Tai runs a hand through his hair as he now gets up and pulls the chair closer to the bed, "Things at Vale are under control, but the school... It's... it's not that simple. That thing, whatever it is, doesn't seem to be dead. Don't get me wrong, you did a number on it. But it's not disappearing. It's... kind of... frozen. I know that doesn't sound too bad, but it keeps attracting more Grimm to the school."
She bitterly sighs and lays back down on the bed, "Damn it! If only he listened to me."
"About that…" Tai starts out with, "What the hell is going on Ruby?"
Ruby looks startled for a moment and looks at her father, "What do you mean?"
"You heard me. First I get an alert that you became an enemy of Beacon. Then Ozpin pulls me into this…convoluted secret organization and that you are no longer an enemy, but are still a wanted person of interest; and then you come out of nowhere and you have this intel that no one your age should have." He takes a deep breath to regain control of his frustration. Leaning forward with his hands clasped and resting on his knees, he stares Ruby down with intent, "What the hell is going on?"
Ruby avoids looking at him. She recalls the conversation in…limbo? Yea that sounded right in her mind. Anyway she recalls the conversation with her team in limbo. She had promised to tell everything to her team when she had gotten a hold of the Relic of Knowledge in Haven. How could she not think of her father? What does she tell him, or better yet what does she tell her uncle? She feels his intense gaze on her and she tries to stall, "I... Look that's not important right now. We can talk about it later. Things are just... kind of a mess." She finishes lamely.
She feels the below up about to occur in him and how he is about to explode all his worry and distress on her and she prepares herself for it when a new voice enters the conversation, "It's always a mess."
Ruby and Taiyang look to see Qrow suddenly standing in the room, near the door. He finishes off the contents of his flask before continuing, "Jig is up kiddo. Might as well relieve yourself of your burdens. Ozpin told us you are like him."
"Which what the hell does that mean?" Tai cuts in before Ruby has a chance to respond, "He never explained that part." At this he glared at Qrow.
Ruby sees the exchange and notices that Qrow doesn't seem to care or is even fazed at the intense glare. She knows what Qrow is getting at despite the miniature shock he had gotten when he had seen her in the headmaster's office, "Ruby?" Qrow calls softly to the reaper.
Ruby looks away and takes a deep breath. She is at a loss, there was no getting out of this. If this was her adult body, then she could easily have escaped. That being said, this wasn't her adult body and using her silver eyed powers like she did…well it seemed that was too much.
She had used her powers here and there when she was by herself, before Yang and the others had met up with her; but had never unleashed them like she had. Lost control like she had. Sitting up again, she lets out a small groan and says, "I guess I have no choice. I can't exactly go anywhere right now really."
The two men waited patiently as Qrow took a seat on the end of Ruby's bed. Ruby sighed and relented, "What I tell you, I promise is true." She starts out with and looks at her father and Qrow in turn, "I am not the Ruby you know. The Ruby you know is gone." Seeing their perplexed looks, she just comes out and says, "I am Ruby Rose from ten years into the future where everything goes to shit."
Tai and Qrow just stare at her with frowns on their faces. Ruby just sits patiently and waits. She watches as her father's blue eyes flash and he abruptly stands up and runs both hands through his blonde hair again, "Damn it Ruby! Now is not a time for your jokes."
Qrow just stares at her, his red eyes soft. He scoffs and states, "I do not think she is joking Tai. Ruby cannot lie worth a damn."
"Uhm…I may have gotten better at that, but I am telling you the truth." Ruby states and then looks at her father as he stares out the window, "Dad please. I am still your daughter, but from ten years into the future."
Tai turns around slowly and looks into her silver eyes, eyes that were so much like Summer's that it pained him for the longest time to look at them when Ruby was little. He could always see every emotion and every ounce of truth or hidden little lie in those eyes. Now though, looking into those reflective silver eyes, he sees that what she is saying is the truth. Slowly he takes his seat and stares at his daughter. Hesitantly he reaches out and slowly brushes his knuckle against her right cheek.
Ruby winces, not because of her father's touch, but because of the pain that she felt when he touched her, "I'm sorry honey." He whispers withdrawing his hand away from her. Ruby reaches out and grabs it and squeezes it firmly.
He looks at her as she says softly, "It's alright. Really." Ruby looks at Qrow too and reaches for his hand, "I will tell you what I can. However I need to two to keep this to yourselves." She then releases their hands and manages to sit cross-legged (albeit painfully), "I promise you both that I will tell Yang and the others when I am ready."
The men didn't know what to say and Ruby took that as permission to continue, "I guess I'll start at the beginning." So taking another deep painful breath in, she started, "This story starts at a dust shop…and a girl in a red cloak…named Ruby Rose…" With that she started to tell them everything.
-SNOOPYKID-
In another part of Remnant there is a very large pool of black slime in a dark red and purple stained landscape. A large paw emerges from within the slime and a Beowolf gradually crawls out, slime sliding off of it and onto the ground.
There are multiple of several such pools and many Beowolves emerging and creeping across this dark and desolate land made up of red ground, purple crystals, and a red and black clouded sky. Watching over in a high castle building, the only sign of life around for miles, from the large ornate window is Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai.
Emerald has her hand to her mouth while Mercury seems slightly disgusted. A gloved hand appears between two purple crystal formations and snaps its fingers. They are in a meeting room, which at its center sites a long purple, crystal table. Four people sit at the table with seven chairs. One of them is Cinder Fall. Emerald and Mercury move away from the window.
Sitting across from Cinder, is a man named Arthur Watts, who busies himself on his scroll. Next to Watts at Cinder's right, is Tyrian Callows, sitting in a crouch casually on his chair, resting his arms on his knees; across from Tyrian is Hazel Rainart. His arms are crossed, and he looks asleep.
Cinder sits quietly, while Mercury and Emerald move to her side. Emerald nudges Mercury out of her way so that she can be directly next to Cinder, "Yes, yes, keep your posse in check." Watts states in a bored tone, as he continues to look at his scroll.
Mercury grunts and makes a move toward Watts, but Emerald holds him back, "You hear that? Silence."
Hazel cracks one eye open and gives Watts an unimpressed sideways glance as the man continues his taunting remarks, "I've half a mind to thank the little girl that bested you."
The scorpion faunus now speaks up, his voice crazed, "If I were you, I'd hunt her down." He lets out a snicker, his eyes shining brightly with underlying craziness, "Find her and, well, she took your eye, didn't she?"
Cinder only stares at Tyrian while he cackles at her. Cinder tries to speak but only manages to make quiet exhaling noises. Emerald leans in to hear her. Seeing this Watts scoffs, "Pathetic. Why did you even-?"
His inquiry is cut off by a sound of a heavy metal door being unlatched. The doors open and everyone stands just before Salem enters. She glides alongside the table with soft footsteps before reaching the head of it, jewels jangling from her hair. Salem stops, facing away from them and toward a candle and crystal display, "Watts." She states simply, her voice firm.
Watts straightens, looking toward her. She turns to face him as she scolds, "Do you find such malignance necessary?" She gestures for all to sit down.
Watts nods his head, "I apologize, ma'am. I'm not particularly fond of failure." He looks at Cinder as he says this.
Watts and Salem sit simultaneously, "Then I see no reason for your cruelty towards young Cinder." She looks at the woman as she starts listing proudly, "She's become our Fall Maiden, destroyed Beacon Tower, and most importantly, killed dear Ozpin. So I'm curious, to what failures are you referring?"
The man looks at Salem while gesturing towards Cinder, "Well, the girl with the Silver Eyes."
Hazel's deep tone enters the conversation in agreement, "Yes. We've dealt with their kind before. How is it a novice was able to best one of us?"
Watts nods along, "My thoughts exactly. Even without her new power, it should have been effortless."
Salem now counters their concerns, "It is because of the Maiden's power." Then she looks to Cinder, "Make no mistake, Cinder, you hold the key to our victory. But your newfound strength brings with it a crippling weakness. Which is why you will remain by my side as we continue your treatment."
Cinder is unhappy about this and lowers her head. Emerald looks at her in sympathy. Salem continues with the revised plan and looks towards Watts, "Dr. Watts, you are to take Cinder's place and meet with our informant in Mistral."
"Very good." He responds.
Salem then looks to Tyrian, "Tyrian, I want you to continue your hunt for the Spring Maiden."
Tyrian laughs joyously, "Gladly."
She then turns towards Hazel, "Hazel, I'm sending you to the leader of the White Fang. Adam Taurus has arranged the meeting. The boy continues to prove loyal. Ensure that Sienna Khan feels the same."
Hazel nods, "As you wish."
Cinder raises a finger. Emerald fails to notice this gesture for a moment, "Oh!" She leans in close as Cinder rasps into her ear. Once she is done, Emerald straightens.
"Speak, child." Salem orders.
Emerald hesitates for a moment and says slowly, "She wants to know…" She pauses and looks a bit unsure before continuing, "What about the girl?"
Watts scoffs and brushes off the concern, "What about her? Seems to me that this is Cinder's problem, not ours." Cinder slams her fist onto the table and glares at Watts, who grins at her.
Raising her hand, Salem stops the stare off with a simple command, "That's enough." Then looking back at Tyrian, she gains his attention, "Tyrian?"
"Yes, my lady?"
"Spring can wait. Find the girl that did this to Cinder." Tyrian giggles elatedly and claps looking a little too excited, "And bring her to me." Tyrian freezes, groans disappointedly, pouts for a second, then looks back up at Salem with an acquiescent shrug.
Salem continues, "Because of your efforts, Beacon has fallen. And Haven will be next." Sensing this as a dismissal, everyone rises.
Tyrian snickers at Cinder and points to his left eye. Laughing wickedly, he says, "Eye for an eye." He then falls into an uncontrollable fit of manic laughter, while Cinder grits her teeth.
-SNOOPYKID-
Ruby sits alone for a while. It had taken most of the day, but she had told her father and her uncle her story. Not really everything, but enough to get the basic meaning across that she really was from the future. Despite the enormity of the tale, they had fully believed her; however since it was a lot to process, they had offered to leave her alone for a bit to recover and for them to gather their minds around the details she had revealed.
She could hear them downstairs as she looks out the window. Sighing at the setting sun, she turns away and is startled to see herself in the mirror hanging on the wall across from her bed. How she hadn't noticed before, but her left eye was covered by a bandage and now she could see that her right cheek was as well. She takes the covers off and struggles a bit at first, but she manages to get out of the bed and go over to the mirror. It is like she was back in that limbo as she sees herself in the reflection. Swallowing, she takes off the bandage on her cheek first and notices the heavily cross-shaped scar.
Gently, Ruby takes her finger and touches it; wincing in the process. Yup this was real. Dread pools in her stomach and reaching up, she takes off the bandage by her eye. Keeping both eyes closed as she does so, she manages to get it off and slowly opens her eyes. This time she doesn't touch the crescent moon shaped scar, knowing that this too was not a dream, "How the hell did this happen?" She asks out loud.
"I found you underneath some rubble." Ruby jumps and reaches for her weapon that wasn't by her side. Qrow is standing in the doorway once more, this time holding a tray, "Easy kid, before you ask, your father is having a beer downstairs, your weapon is in the shed it needs repairs, and I brought you up some tea."
"Wouldn't explain the scaring though." Ruby stated going towards her desk as Qrow places the tray down on her dresser.
"Unless you got it in the battle and you do not remember." He pours her a cup of tea and hands it to her.
Ruby accepts with a smile, "I do remember and she didn't cut me in the face. She used fire mostly and I didn't try to let her arrows hit me in the face." She takes a sip and then asks, "Mind sharing something a bit stronger?"
Qrow gives her a lazy smirk, "I doubt your father would appreciate me giving his sixteen year old niece this stuff." He pulls his flask out.
"Technically twenty-six remember? I am an adult."
"Not from where we are sitting." Qrow counters and she pouts. He sighs and hands her the flask, "One sip and that's it. Don't tell."
Ruby smiles gratefully and takes a large gulp. Qrow cocks an eyebrow as she hands the flask back, not even fazed. He then looks at her as she places her tea cup on the desk and proceeds to get out a pen and paper, "You do that a lot?"
"What?" He coughs and she looks up from her writing and sees his motion towards the flask, "No. I…didn't let myself follow that path…" She watches as a relieved look cross his face and she goes back to writing, "I…may have confused vengeance with justice somewhere along the line though." She confessed.
Qrow screws the cap back on and places the flask in his inside jacket pocket. He sits on the bed and watches as she writes. They sit in silence for a moment, "I was there you know. When you told them the story of the maidens and Salem." Ruby continues to write, "I guess you knew that."
"Raven told us." Ruby admitted, "We were in the camp when we got the news, but I explained that part."
"You did." Qrow didn't really know what to think now. He knew of Ozpin's reincarnation, but he never imagined Ruby now seemingly being in the same boat, "You left out a few details in your story though." Ruby now paused, "Tell me. If you cannot tell your father, tell me at least."
"I can't. Not yet. Besides I have to tell the others too." Ruby went back to writing, "There are things that I…cannot say out loud yet. Please Uncle Qrow…" she added sensing his protest.
He raised his hand, "Fair enough, but kid I have to leave soon. So I can stay for a few days, but-"
Ruby finishes writing and stuffs it in the envelope, "No. You need to go now. I know you have Oz's cane, but I can help you." She hands him the envelope and he looks curiously at her, "Yang and the others should be on their way towards Haven. Find them and give Yang the letter. Next, you need to find a kid named Oscar Pine."
"A kid?"
"He is Ozpins next carnation." Ruby explained, "Uhm…I am not too sure where Oscar lived exactly…but he lives on a farm somewhere in Mistral. I'm sorry I cannot be much help on that part, but then try to get a hold of Winter Schnee."
"The Ice Queen? Why?"
Ruby sighed, "Where you not listening to me earlier? We are going to need help getting into Atlas after Haven." She sees that he is not pleased with her response, "Please Uncle Qrow, trust me. I can handle with whatever happens at Haven. You need to focus on Oscar and Winter and getting us transport. We will meet up with you in Argus."
"And if you need help? There are no communications unless you are local. You'll need back up." Seeing her own displeased look, Qrow presses forward, "If things go south as you claim they do you will need backup."
"Well look at you being responsible." Ruby states arms crossed, but once more she keeps her ground, "You need to focus on that. Ozpin knew more than he let on to you. In fact…" She pulls out another envelope and paper and begins to quickly write, "I will write him this note and then hopefully he'll trust me this time." She then seals it and hands it to him, "Please do not worry about me. I will be out soon."
Qrow looks at her and then watches as she stares outside, "You are not going to tell Tai what you are up to?"
"I revealed myself. Isn't that enough?"
"No. You said you went on this journey last time. You left without saying goodbye to him."
"I left a note." She corrected.
Qrow shook his head, "Not good enough kid."
Ruby looks at him and he now sees the years that had taken their toll on his niece in the silver pools, "I know but I know what he is going to want me to do. I cannot stay out of this. I will not stay out of this. I will finish what I started." He hears the unspoken ultimatum in her tone, "Please do not tell him."
"If he asks me directly I will not lie to him." He warns as he gets up, "However I guess this is where I leave you. I got this part so for now you try and get some rest. You're in no condition to go anywhere right now." He then starts heading to the door, "Like you said, our enemy's trail leads all the way to Haven. That'd be quite a trip for a pipsqueak like you." He then gives her his signature wink, "Catch ya later, kiddo." With that Qrow closes the door and she hears him bid a goodbye to her father before leaving.
Ruby sighs and gets up towards the window. Looking outside, she sees her uncle walking down the path, and once he reaches the woods a black crow suddenly flies out of the forest a few minutes later. Going back towards her bed, she lays down and falls asleep just as Tai opens the door to check on his little girl.
He stands watch for a moment or two before shutting it softly. He sighs and leans his back towards the door, before sliding down it. Drawing his knees up close he rests his head on them and says softly, "How did this happen?" Picking his head up he stares at the ceiling, as if it would show him the answer he was looking for, "How could this have happened Summer?"
