Ruby's head is still aching when she wakes up the next morning. She still can't quite wrap her mind around what Qrow told her last night. It had sounded impossible—the relics, the maidens, Salem—not to mention the things she's apparently done. But she trusts her uncle. Qrow might not tell her everything, but he wouldn't lie to her about something this important.
And she can't deny that clearly there's a lot that she doesn't remember. Too many things are different for her to dismiss this as some sort of weird prank.
Gingerly, she shakes her head, trying to clear her troubled thoughts. "Time to get up and stop moping," she tells herself. If things are as bad as Qrow says, then there's no time to be sitting around. Ruby wants to be able to help in whatever way she can.
At least they have a plan. If she's remembering correctly, Qrow said that they were trying to get to Argus so that they could take the lamp to Atlas. And although they're currently stranded, they do have a goal in sight. They just have to figure out how to get there. Things could be so much worse.
So, despite her lingering headache, Ruby is in good spirits when she joins the others. She takes a seat next to her sister on the floor of the train car that they've gathered in, trying their best to stay out of the cold and wind and snow outside.
"Oh good, you're awake," Yang says, turning to look her over critically. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay," Ruby insists, shifting uncomfortably under the scrutiny. "Really, I'm fine." She decides to change the subject. "So, what's the plan?"
"Right." Yang doesn't seem terribly convinced. "I still don't think that you should be out here in these conditions. I'd like to get you out of here and looked over by someone who knows what they're doing." Ruby is about to roll her eyes when Yang continues. "Anyway, the old lady over there," she jabs her thumb in the direction of the elderly woman in question. "Said she found a path yesterday. We thought we'd follow it and see where it goes. Hopefully, it leads us closer to Argus, or at least somewhere with some more supplies."
"My name is Maria!" protests Maria.
"Yang, don't be rude," Ruby scolds.
"Sorry, sorry," Yang says. It's a half-hearted apology at best.
Still, Ruby will let it go for now. "So, uh—" She cuts herself off when realizes that everyone's eyes are on her, shifting uncomfortably under the weight of their gazes. It's as if they're expecting something from her, or waiting for her input for some reason. Like they expect her to make the call about what to do. She laughs nervously. "Uh, that sounds good to me."
Hopefully, she sounds more confident than she feels.
They gather their things, preparing to head out on the trail. Even though she's still exhausted and hurting, Ruby feels bolstered with the familiar weight of Crescent Rose at her hip. In the midst of all this uncertainty, at least her baby is still there for her.
She's about to ask if anyone else needs help when a flash of blue catches her eye. She kneels down on the floor of the train to investigate it more closely, picking it up to get a better look. It looks like an old-fashioned blue lamp, covered in intricate gold markings. It feels warm in her hand, like there's some sort of incredible energy contained inside.
This must be one of the relics Qrow had mentioned. The Lamp of Knowledge.
"Miss Rose, if you don't mind, I think I should be the one to carry the relic."
She jumps at the quiet voice, and turns around hastily, lamp in hand, to see the boy that Qrow had mentioned last night. His green eyes are glowing faintly. What was his name again? Oh, right. Oscar. Who is also Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy, through reincarnation?
Or something along those lines. It makes Ruby's head hurt to think about it for too long.
"Um, sure," she replies with a smile. "Here you go."
But just as she's about to hand it over, she finds herself hesitating. She can't put her finger on what, but something doesn't feel quite right about the situation.
"Miss Rose?" Oscar asks, sounding confused.
By now, the others have joined them.
"What's going on?" the white-haired girl—Weiss, her name is Weiss—demands, her arms folded across her chest. That sharpness that Ruby had sensed hidden under the surface last night is out in full force now.
"It's just that the Lamp is an incredibly powerful magical object," Oscar says, before hesitating. "I believe that it would be best if I held onto it."
That seems reasonable enough—but—but something doesn't feel quite right about this.
"Why?" Blake asks, sounding suspicious. "I thought that you said it couldn't be used right now, so why does it matter who carries it?"
"Unless there's something else that you haven't told us." Yang's steely tone makes Ruby flinch. "Like when you forgot to tell us that the Lamp would attract Grimm."
"It's not like that," Oscar/Ozpin protests. "I just didn't want to make you more anxious or afraid." He turns to Ruby again. "Please just hand me the lamp. I feel it is my burden to carry." He reaches out his hand to take it from her, and once again, Ruby finds herself hesitating.
"Ah!" Oscar's eyes flash, and he yanks his hand back with a cry of pain. "There's something he doesn't want you to know," he chokes out through gritted teeth.
Ruby takes a step forward, concerned. "Are you okay?
"Her name is Jinn," is all that Oscar says. "Please, you have to hurry."
"Hold on, let's talk about this for a second—" Qrow finally decides to step in.
But he's too late. The longer Ruby waits, the more she knows that something about this isn't right. "Jinn?" she says quietly, holding the lamp up at eye level.
Around them, the snow freezes.
Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you liked it.
Just a reminder that I do take requests for fics, so if there's an idea that you'd like to see me write, feel free to message me and if I like it, I might end up writing something for it. Also, if you like one of my ideas and want to write your own fic for it, feel free! I'm not possessive with my ideas, and most of my writing is self-indulgent anyway, so all that I ask is that you let me know so I can read it.