Just to continue the message, I'll have no updates next week which means the next chapter of this will be in three weeks (because SWS misses its slot next week, so gets pushed back to two weeks from now).
Chapter 9
The wagon trundled through four gates before it came to a stop, and Ruby could tell which they were by the dialects and mannerisms of the guards. The first gate from the Collegium to the Upper District was familiar banter between the driver and the guards he likely shared a barracks with. The second, from the Upper to the Merchant Quarter, was polite and reserved. From the Merchant to the Slums was rough and lazy with little in the way of asking for proof of identity. From the slums to the farmland outside, it was little more than a grunt and a `as you were` from the disinterested guards.
It was also obvious they'd gone outside the walls because of how bumpy the ride became, the large wheels bouncing over every rock and hole in the path. The barrels were for food, it seemed, and the wagon was headed toward one of the farmhouses outside the walls. When it eventually came to a stop, the driver sighed and hauled himself off, muttering something to the horse as he patted its neck and tied it to a wooden post before heading off to speak to whomever ran the place.
That was her moment to scurry out the barrel and poke her head above the wooden slat railing. It was downright bizarre that someone would leave a horse alone in a place like this. It was asking to be stolen. Or maybe they had protections against that. The horse snorted and hooved at the ground as she jumped off, but when she quickly moved away it calmed down and went back to grazing. It was still dark out, somewhere between midnight and the early hours of the morning. Faint wisps of smoke came from chimneys on the farmhouses and distant torches could be seen in the slums and on the wall.
Ruby headed for those, picking her way out the farmhouse and avoiding the dogs which would, if she gave them reason to, drag her to the floor and tear out a chunk of flesh. That was only if you pushed them. One woke up and growled softly at her, but she backed away and it lowered its head, content it had done its job of protecting the chicken coop.
"Good doggy. I'm not here for them." Its ears flicked in her direction and its tail wagged softly. She liked dogs, though not enough to walk up and pet a guard dog that had warned her away.
Once she was off the farmland and on the path, she was as good as clear. The only threat from thereon was muggers, and she moved with the gait of one – something any good and non-drunk thief would notice. There wasn't much point robbing other thieves. That just led to drama, injuries and the chance of getting caught. Ruby went unmolested as she reached the gates.
If it were any other quarter, the guards there would have questioned her. As it was, they took one look at someone approaching, decided they weren't armed to the teeth, a monster or some wild animal, and yawned, leaning on their spears. She kept her head down and walked on by, back into the Slums that had was her home.
Had it always smelled so rank?
Really, the smell of manure and filth and human excrement assailed her nostrils. It was combined with sweat and weak ale and piss and all the other things she'd gotten used to after more than a decade living there. Compared to the Collegium, it was downright squalid. Not the happy homecoming she'd expected.
I can't waste much time. Got to find Yang, talk and get back to the Collegium before lessons start.
Ruby cut through the streets between tall, ramshackle buildings, ignoring the people who called out to her for alms or to purchase something `amazing` they'd found. For a while she wondered why they called out to her at all. Couldn't they tell she was dirt poor?
No, they couldn't. Dressed in a well-made cloak and with clothing that fit her frame, not to mention the cleanliness of her face, she looked like some adventurous young boy coming down from the Merchant's Quarter. It was only the way she let her knife be seen on her belt that stopped them having a go at her.
Reaching Junior's, Ruby paused outside, not quite trusting herself to go inside and be questioned by the man. He'd sell her out in an instant if he knew the truth. She hopped up and caught the low wooden slats instead, hauling herself onto the side of the building and scaling it with practised ease. People saw her doing so but shrugged and moved on, not wanting to cause a fuss and not caring if she was some killer out for blood.
Creeping along, Ruby paused outside the window that had been hers and Yang's, cupped her hand over her mouth and made a distinctive three-tone chirping whistle.
Silence.
Had Yang been forced to abandon this place? Had… Had something happened to her? Panicking, Ruby did it again, then a third time, louder. On the third, a return call came from within. Excited, she echoed it again, slapping her hand on the wooden slats from outside.
Footsteps pounded from within and the slats were drawn aside. Yang didn't stick her head out – that was a quick way to get dragged out and thrown down to a broken neck. She stepped back instead and said, "Ruby? Is that you-?"
Ruby's heart leapt. "Yeah! Can I come in?"
"Yes! Of course! Get in!"
Permission granted and knowing she wouldn't get a fist to the face for coming in unannounced, she stepped over to the window and through, immediately being dragged off the sill when Yang grabbed her arm and hauled her in. Ruby's face slammed into Yang's chest, held there by a hand on the back of her head and another around her back.
"Shitting hell, Ruby!" Yang hissed. "I thought they'd got you! I thought you were dead! Where the fuck have you been?" The hug turned from warm and relieved to an angry strangling in a second, Yang growling into her hair. "I turned the slums upside down! I called in every favour I had! You better have a good explanation for this I swear on mom's spirit I'll bend you over my knee and spank you until your screams wake the whole fucking city!"
"Ah ha ha…" It was no false threat, she knew. "That's… well, it's a bit of a long story. And it's good to see you." Her own hands found their way around Yang's back, holding on tight. "I missed you."
"Gods, I missed you too." Yang nuzzled her hair and Ruby was horrified to feel some moisture drip down. "You better have a good explanation. I was worried sick! And what's with these robes? They're so fancy. Don't tell me you sold yourself to some noble get."
Good explanation? She had an explanation, but she wasn't sure it could count as good. Of course, she'd been prepared for the possibility of Yang's anger.
"Before that," Ruby said, pushing away. "I bring gifts!"
"Gifts?"
Ruby nodded and scurried to the table once Yang let go of her, reaching under her initiate robes to bring out a rolled bundle of cloth. It was the same make and weave of her robes, which made them far above what you could afford in the slums. Those alone would sell well, though Yang would need to tear it into strips if she didn't want to sell a clearly recognisable robe.
In it, however, was far more. Rings, bracelets, necklaces, coin pouches and other accessories, along with some golden chains with pendants on and more.
She had not been idle in the Collegium.
"Are these real?" Yang asked, picking a ring up and turning it over in her hand, watching the red gemstone sparkle. "They feel real. Gods, how did you get all this? Have you been stealing from the royal family or something?"
"That's not all!" Ruby said excitedly, turning out another rolled bundle. She laid it out flat. "Ta-dah!"
Cheeses, fruits, slips of meat, cakes, pastries and so much more. It was all smooshed together, but it was fresh and sequestered away from the Collegium's food hall. The kind of food she'd been stuffing her face with, but that Yang had never seen in her life. Already, her sister was drooling, eyes alight as she stared at the bounty.
Ruby couldn't wait to see what Yang thought of it all.
"Dig in. I'll tell you the story while you eat."
"I… ah…" Yang's ass hit the chair. Her hand reached out but paused. "Shouldn't you have some as well?" she asked, ever the worrier, ever the one willing to share with her baby sister.
"I've already eaten. This is all for you."
Yang didn't need to be told twice.
/-/
They both knew she'd timed her story well to coincide with Yang's mouth being full. Food dulled her anger and at spaces where Yang would have normally been on her feet and yelling at her, she was instead forced to sit and glare, fighting euphoria as she munched down on cake and experienced what Weiss called a `sugar rush` for the first time in her life.
Yang couldn't stop eating, much like she hadn't been able to. Weiss had found that disgusting. Ruby found it endearing. And it was something that had her watching with the happiest of smiles. Yang had always looked after her, always sacrificed for her, and being able to give something back at last was an incredible feeling. Watching Yang's eyes light up as her taste buds danced on fine and foreign delicacies was even better.
Never mind that Yang was stuffing her face and spraying food left and right. Seeing her happy was more than enough to have Ruby feeling pleased with herself.
"And that's why I'm stuck in the Collegium," she finished.
"You – mm – are stupid. Ah. Oh, this is so good! I mean, umf." Yang swallowed and forced herself not to insert food into mouth as she spoke. "That's too dangerous!" A slice of beef hovered perilously close to Yang's lips, guided there by her hand, which seemed to be moving outside her control. "You could be – hm. So good!"
"I know, right!? I get to eat this stuff every day! Weiss kept telling me off at first and I made myself stick. Can you imagine that? Sick from too much food. It's a thing! And there are so many different kinds of bread and meat and cakes. They have a meal that you have after a meal, where all you have is cake! It's called dessert and it's amazing."
"Ruby-"
"And the lessons, Yang, the lessons! It's so awesome! They're all magic this and magic that and the Arcanists can make all sorts of crazy things happen." Her face twisted suddenly as she said, "Most of them are Nobles, and they don't even count us as real people!" The smiles came back suddenly, "But the lessons are awesome! And I'm good at them. Maybe a little too good. I need to find out more, but Weiss said that magic isn't supposed to be instinctive and-"
Yang's hand sealed over her mouth, cutting her off mid-rant. "Sounds like someone is excited, but who, or what, is a Weiss? And try to explain in less than a hundred words, please."
"Weiss is a noble I'm being forced to live with," Ruby explained.
"All this jewellery didn't come from her. Did it?"
"No." It would be a bad idea to steal from someone you shared a room with. Immediate suspicion. "I'm not an idiot. I picked them off people during lessons. I thought you could fence them."
"Guess I can."
"Keep it all for yourself," she said. "I have food and a place to sleep and I kinda can't leave the Collegium until I'm a full Arcanist. It's against the rules." Ruby wilted under Yang's sudden glare. "B-But I had to come find you. Because I knew you'd think I might have died or something. I had to risk it."
"Ruby…" Yang sighed. "Right. It's good to see you're okay. You sure I can take all this, though?"
"Yeah. I can't use any of it. I was thinking I could get you stuff, and you could sell it, then you can move out the slums." She leaned forward, brimming with excitement. "Think about it, Yang. You could get a place in the Merchant's Quarter and not have to scrape by every day. You could eat real food like this all the time."
"Whoah. Whoah. And how would I afford this?"
"I can keep lifting things. It's not hard. They barely even pay attention and they're all filthy rich."
"That sounds dangerous. Not to mention you're basically admitting you're going back there." Yang stared at her. "Don't think I didn't notice that. Why do you have to go back? We can go into hiding. We can avoid the Arcanists."
Ruby winced.
"You don't want to come home…" Yang's voice trailed off. "You like it there…"
"It – It's not like I'm unhappy with you. It's just… look at us, Yang. We're surviving, but only barely, and that's because you do all this work for Junior. We're only just getting by. What happens when we get older, or work dies out?"
They'd die out too; they both knew it. People in the slums only lived as long as they could look after themselves. Not a second longer.
"But if I become an Arcanist then I can do stuff!" Ruby sat up, eyes shining. "I can heal and make stuff and use magic and that's always in demand. I can make loads of money and we can use that money to get out the slums and into the Merchant's Quarter. Maybe even the Upper District. We can have better lives."
"As long as they don't find out you're a Wildmage," Yang said. "They're still out here looking for you, Ruby. They haven't stopped. The Arcanists watching the gates have left but you still see them walking down the streets every now and then. What happens if they find out you're a Wildmage and I'm stuck out here unable to help you? You'll be tossed in the Sanctum and I'll never see you again."
"T-That's a risk we'll have to take."
"Like fuck it is!" Yang snapped, slamming her hands down on the table. "I promised mom I'd look after you! You risking your life for me isn't gonna happen!"
"But it's okay for you to risk your life for me?" Ruby asked. "That's not fair either! You keep going out on those dangerous jobs for Junior and we both know if you break an arm or get hurt, he's not going to help you. As soon as you can't fight, he'll give you the chance to be his whore or he'll toss you out on the street, me included. That's no way to live, Yang."
"It's living." Yang grunted defensively. "It's better than being a beggar."
"I know and you did it for me and I love you but let me do the same in return." Ruby scurried around to take Yang's hands in hers. "I have to be an Arcanist. You saw what happened when I tried not to use my magic. It went out of control. I need to know how to use it properly, and the Collegium does all this stuff where it monitors how people use it. That's why they're hunting me down. But if I'm an Arcanist, I'm free to use it how I want." Within reason. "I could learn healing magic and we could set up a clinic. We could make real money. Legal money."
It was something anyone in the slums wanted but could never have, because learning a craft was a case of trying to sell your soul to a craftsman and hoping they chose you. It happened to one kid every ten years or so, if that. Opportunities like this didn't come around often.
"Do you want to stay at the Collegium?" Yang asked. "Be honest, Ruby. Do you like it there?"
"I… well…" She kicked her legs under the table and looked down at it. "I don't dislike it… I mean, I wish you were there, and the nobles are stupid, and I don't like how I'm locked inside and can't go where I want and-"
"Ruby…" Yang sighed. "I guess I should have seen this coming. You always were obsessed with Arcanists. Always sneaking off to try and catch a glimpse of them. Given the chance to become one yourself, of course you'd jump at it."
Ruby's head rose as she detected the small smile on Yang's lips. That was a good sign. "Ahah…" She laughed nervously. "M-Maybe. I mean, I wasn't that bad."
"You were. Every time you saw one, you'd come home and go on for hours about it."
Maybe a little. What could she say? Magic. Magic had always been amazing, but not only because it was something so few people understood. It was because in the back of her head she'd always imagined it would be a solution to their problems. She'd wake up one morning, discover she had magic and then she'd bring her and Yang out the slums and into the light. They'd go on adventures, meet new people, save the world and come back rich, famous and loved by all.
Childish fantasies; Ruby knew that. But now she had a chance to make those childish fantasies a reality.
"Alright."
Ruby looked up; eyes wide as she struggled to comprehend what her sister just said. "Y-Yang…?"
"I said `alright`. Not like I can say much to stop you."
"Yang!" Ruby howled, coming around the table to engulf her sister in a huge hug.
"Yeah, yeah." Yang patted hr back. "I'm just looking out for you, and maybe you do need to learn to control this stuff. Arcanists would just hunt us down otherwise. Just promise you won't forget about me, okay? Promise you'll come back."
"Of course I will! Don't be stupid!" She babbled her answer. "I'm going to become the best Arcanist and I'll show you all the cool magic I can do, then we'll get out of the slums. Live in the Merchant's Quarter, or maybe buy a farmhouse outside the walls. We'll have a better life, Yang. You'll see."
"I'll hold you to that. And at least you'll have some real food while you learn."
"I'll bring some to you!"
"No." Yang pushed her back. "You can't keep sneaking out to bring me food. That's too dangerous."
"I – I have to. It could take me years to graduate, Yang. I can't not see you for that long. I can't."
"Ha. Nice to see I'm that important to you. Look, I'll figure something out. It'll be hard but maybe I can get into the Upper District if I push it. Or I'll find a way to send a message to you. If I get Junior to write something for me, you can find someone to read it. There's better ways to do this than you risking trouble by sneaking out."
She nodded, ready to agree to anything so long as it meant Yang was on her side.
"But tell me more about your adventures there first," she said, leaning back. "You look like you're about to burst if you don't."
Ruby grinned and leaned forward, bursting into stories of the lessons, the people and all the amazing things she'd seen since entering the Collegium, waving her hands wildly and gesticulating as she described the giant halls, the statues, the huge gardens, the river, the newbloods, the food halls and everything else she'd only been able to dream about before.
Yang listened to it all with a smile, content just to hear Ruby talk.
/-/
The sun had begun to peek over the walls.
"Shit, shit, shit!" Ruby yelped, dashing through the Merchant Quarter and toward the wall that separated it and the Upper District. Late. Too late. She'd missed the wagon back. "Argh. I spent too long talking to Yang!"
Too much time making plans, catching up and hugging one another. Time spent with Ruby gushing about the Collegium and promising to not get in trouble by stealing too many more things – even if she totally intended to. If Yang could make money fencing the items she sold, she could move out the slums even before Ruby became an Arcanist, or at least stop taking dangerous jobs from Junior.
Time flew when you were having fun, or so they said. Ruby hadn't realised just how long she spent telling her sister amazing stories until sunlight peeked through the slatted blinds and onto the table, at which point she'd gone into absolute panic. The wagon outside the walls was gone. The city was waking up. Soon, the initiates would be expected in for their first lessons.
And here she was outside the Collegium walls.
How am I going to get in? I was supposed to sneak back in on the same wagon. No, no, no. This is bad. I can't just walk up to the gates – how would I explain this? Can't climb the walls, either. I'll be spotted from across the city.
It was all her fault for getting distracted with Yang.
Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.
Up ahead, she spotted the back of a wagon stacked with barrels. Familiar barrels. It was approaching the wall to the Upper District, though not there yet. Ruby gasped and pushed herself harder, sprinting as fast as she could after it. How she'd get on or hide herself didn't cross her mind, only that it was her only way back into the Collegium.
It was early enough that people weren't paying too much attention. Ruby slowed to a fast walk beside it, looked left and right to make sure she wasn't being watched, then hauled herself up into the back and scurried under some leather tarps that had been tied down over the barrels. They were sealed now and heavy, likely full of fruit, veg and other foodstuffs. Pushing herself in as far as she could, she huddled between two barrels at the back and curled into a ball, heart pounding in her chest.
She'd made it. Just. Her chest rose and fell, and she held a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound of her panting. Her other hand clutched her Arcanum, taking some small comfort in holding onto it. The driver hadn't noticed the sudden addition. The constant clacking and rocking and cracking of the wooden wheels on the path made it loud enough, even without the snorting from the horse or the clip-clop of hooves.
The wagon passed through and into the Upper District without fanfare. The sun continued to rise above, visible through a thin gap in the tarp over the barrels. The Newbloods would already be training at this point. She wasn't sure how long she had.
"Halt," a guard called, likely at the Collegium walls. "Who goes there."
"Anders, you surly prick. It's me, Gratt."
"Gratt? I doubt it. When was the last time I saw you sober?"
"Oh, piss off."
There was some laughter, followed by footsteps on either side of the wagon. Ruby tensed as a shadow walked by the slit she'd been looking through, cutting off all light for a moment. Someone thumped a barrel in the back, several down from her.
"Supplies for the barracks?"
"Aye. Fruit, veg and pickles. You can smell the vinegar from here."
"Who did you piss off to be sent to do this?"
"No one. The rota came back around, and I couldn't find some poor sucker willing to take it off my hands. Unless you're volunteering for next time?"
"Not likely, old man. I got saddled with this a few weeks back." The guard laughed, then said, "You two. Make yourself useful and check the wagon. Don't forget to look under the axles, too. Make sure we've no uninvited guests."
What!? They hadn't done this on the way out!
Ugh. Of course they hadn't. They'd not thought anyone would be wanting to sneak out the Collegium, only in. Ruby bit down on her hand and tried to make herself as small as possible, shaking as some of the straps holding the tarp down were untied on the back end. Gratt, the driver, had jumped off to assist and there was no one to stop the search from taking place.
Light flooded over the back end of the wagon. It dipped as someone pulled themselves on board, moving with heavy tread down and looking between the barrels. It was a matter of seconds before he found her.
Don't see me! Don't see me! Don't see me!
Ruby clutched her Arcanum, which suddenly felt cold in her hand.
Don't see me!
The tarp was dragged back. Light flooded over her and a guard – young, maybe twenty-two summers – stared down at her, his face not four feet from hers and his eyes staring directly into her own.
Ruby froze.
Don't see me.
"Anything?" one of them called.
"Nothing yet." The guard leaned in closer, all but pinning Ruby to the floor. His eyes roamed over her and then past, and he pulled the very barrel she was leaning against aside, looking behind it to make sure someone wasn't hidden behind.
All the while so close to her she could feel his breath on her face.
"That's nothing yet, sir. Remember that, newblood."
He leaned back with a silent scoff. "All clear, sir."
"Yeah?" The older guard stood at the side of the railing, looking directly over her but somehow not perceiving the very obvious girl laid flat on her back with a Newblood stood over her. "Fine. Get the tarp back on and send 'em through. Oi, Gratt. See you at the watering hole tonight?"
"If I gets enough sleep today."
"Ha. Don't pull a muscle, old man."
The wagon trundled on again with Ruby in the back, wide-eyed and unsure what had just happened. Did I do that? Did I use magic to make myself invisible? Or did I use magic on them so they couldn't see me?
That had the potential to be dangerous. She wasn't supposed to use it on people. Then again, she wasn't supposed to go outside the walls either of be a Wildmage, so it could be added to the list of things she'd never tell anyone about. Waiting until the wagon was out of sight of the gate, Ruby crawled to the back and hopped off, diving behind some trees to catch her breath and adjust her initiate robes.
Safe. She'd made it. Letting out a long breath, she waited a few minutes and then walked out onto the path like she was supposed to be there. One of the bells tolled for the early risers and older initiates and indicated that her own dorm would soon be waking up. Ruby hurried down the path toward the twin dorms, relieved to be back in and with Yang finally aware she was safe.
Weiss was waiting for her outside the dorm.
So was Coco.
So was a much older Arcanist with grey-white hair and small, circular eyeglasses.
Along with him, two Collegium guards.
Ruby's smile faltered and died as she came to a slow walk, stepping into their sight and drawing five pairs of eyes towards her. Weiss' face registered relief, Coco's frustration. The other three were blank faced as they watched her approach.
"Miss Rose, is it?" the grey-haired man said.
"Yes." Ruby eyed him nervously. "Who are you?"
"Ruby!" Weiss hissed. "This is Ozpin, the Grand Arcanist! He's the ruler of the Arcane Collegium!"
Oh.
Oh. That was bad.
"Initiate Rose," he said again, inclining his head. "Perhaps you would do me the honour of a meeting."
Ruby swallowed. "I… I have lessons…"
"Please excuse me," he said. "I did not mean to suggest it as a request."
/-/
The Grand Arcanist's office was a stately and large chamber set with rich bookshelves filled with tomes on the left and right, a giant desk that could have fit ten people around it and four tall stained-glass windows behind, each containing a stylised figure reaching up toward the sky as if to accept something from the heavens. There were tapestries between each window and on the walls, along with painted vistas and landscapes.
On his desk, maps were arrayed, with objects holding them down. Documents and pages of things she couldn't read, an open book, a pewter mug of some long-cold liquid and several other knick-knacks she had no idea the purpose of.
Looking around couldn't distract her forever, though. Inevitably, Ruby had to look back toward the person whose office she resided within, and who was here to do who-knew-what with her after she'd been found sneaking out. Her mouth felt dry and her legs shook.
The Grand Arcanist himself, who she could guess from the title was important, sat behind his desk, leaving her standing alongside Coco Adel, her Warden, who looked neither prepared for the meeting nor pleased with Ruby for having caused it.
"Initiate Rose," the man said, watching her with piercing eyes. "Initiate Warden Adel was made aware last night by initiate Schnee that you had gone missing from your assigned quarters. I'm led to understand it caused quite a stir."
Weiss? An uncharacteristic flash of anger ripped through her. Of course this was Weiss' fault.
It surprised her, even if a part of her mind said it shouldn't. Weiss wasn't like her and obviously didn't follow the street rules of not telling the guards anything. Still, they lived together. In some silly way, she'd thought that meant something. That Weiss would stick up for her even if she kept complaining about every little thing she did.
Apparently not.
Why would she have raised the alarm, though? It wasn't like she was dead, and she'd snuck off early in the morning before.
"I woke up early," she said.
Coco groaned.
"You consider midnight to be early?" the Grand Arcanist asked kindly.
Midnight? Oops. Had Weiss woken up that early and found her missing? That was bad. Still annoying, though. Why had Weiss decided to tell on her? Couldn't she have trusted her for ten seconds!?
Well, hours, but still…
Weiss, you traitor. Why didn't you wait and ask me yourself?
Did she want the room for herself? Weiss had all but asked Coco if she couldn't pay to have a room on her own. Maybe this was her way of doing it, getting Ruby in trouble.
"You caused quite a panic for your roommate, and one for your warden as well when she realised she could not locate you. You roused quite a few Arcanists who hurried to locate you, only to have difficulty finding you within the Collegium."
That didn't sound like a question, so she stayed still.
"Where did you go, Initiate?"
"Out," she said. "I couldn't sleep. I didn't think it was against the rules to go for a walk."
"It's not, though one would not normally vanish entirely, nor be quite so difficult to locate. Where exactly did you go if I may ask?"
She couldn't say outside the walls and if she said a place and they said they'd checked it, she'd be caught lying and in trouble. Ruby shrugged, keeping her lips sealed shut. Sometimes it was better just to refuse to co-operate. She was already in trouble. No need to make it worse.
"Did you visit the barracks, Initiate? Miss Adel tells me you have a paramour there."
Ruby shrugged. Sure, she could say she went to visit Jaune or Sun, but it would only take a quick question to either of them to prove that a lie. She'd be digging herself even deeper.
"You did not sneak into the library to study. We asked the keepers there. Did you go to practise your magic?"
Ruby shrugged again, not meeting his eyes.
"Initiate, I would thank you to look at me and give an answer."
She looked at him, but as for an answer, the firm line her lips made as they stayed closed was all he would get. He seemed to realise that, sitting back with a heavy sigh. Beside her, Coco squirmed and looked up at the ceiling, muttering something under her breath.
"You are not making this easy, initiate. You realise that you will be punished if you do not speak. There may be good reason why you were missing, and we can wash over this little incident if you share it with us. Keep silent and I'll be forced to treat this as a breach of discipline." He chuckled in what he must have thought was a friendly manner. Maybe it was, but she couldn't say where she'd really been. "I'm sure neither of us wants that. Do we?"
Ruby shook her head but didn't speak.
Grand Arcanist Ozpin sighed. "I see. This is your decision, then? Silence?"
For the first time, she spoke. "Yes."
Coco slapped a hand to her face.
"Hm." He closed his eyes and chuckled again. "At least you're being honest about that. Very well. While I understand that the rules with which we govern the Collegium can seem stifling to some, they are still an important part of your tenure here. An Arcanist must be disciplined, both to better control their powers but also to better understand why rules exist in the first place. Warden Adel."
Coco stiffened. "Yes, Grand Arcanist?"
"You did well given the limited information at hand." His words had the older girl breathing a sigh of relief. "Upon failing to locate your errant initiate, you contacted an Arcanist and passed the information on. Well done."
"Thank you, Grand Arcanist."
"As for you, young initiate, I believe a lesson is in order." He leaned back and tapped the fingers of one hand on the back of the other. "This is a punishment best left for more serious transgressions, but it would not do for me to imply silence is a means of avoiding such, would it? If you will not tell us what you have done, you leave me no choice but to assume the worst. This evening, and for the rest for this week, you shall work in the Sanctum."
The damning words struck like the tolling of a bell.
"What!?" Ruby shrieked, all but throwing herself back. Or trying to. Coco caught the hood of her robe before she could make a run for it. Ruby twisted and broke her grip, surprising the older girl with how slippery she was. All the while, Ruby's eyes were locked on the Grand Arcanist, her heart pounding as she prepared to run – and to hell with the risks. "You're locking me up!? I – I won't go there! I won't!"
If she had to, she'd fight her way out. They wouldn't take her down. Magic – her magic worked instinctively. Could it be used to blast him away now? He was the Grand Arcanist; he had to be strong. It didn't matter. She would fight. She had to.
She was hyperventilating.
"Initiate," he said, sensing her panic, or just seeing it. "Calm down, please. You are not being sentenced to the Sanctum, merely serving detention within it. When I said I would assume the worst, I did not mean to count murder or being a Rogue Arcanist among that."
Heart beating a mile a minute, she lowered her arms. The adrenaline was rushing just below the surface and she was read to flee at a moment's notice. "Detention…?"
"Collegium Guards and Arcanists do work within the Sanctum, both to keep the guests within and to bring them food and drink. That is the punishment you will be given. To serve in the Sanctum for a week, not to be confined there as a prisoner. You will sleep in your dorm as usual, though Warden Adel will be keeping an eye on you. You shall notify her of your coming and goings until this week's punishment is completed."
Not a prisoner. Not being sent to the Sanctum. Ruby's chest rose and fell, her shoulders slumping on the exhale. That was – That wasn't so bad. Just a week, and they still didn't know she'd gone outside the walls. If they did, it would be a lot worse.
Even so, she was shaking badly. Her nerves were frayed.
"Yeah, I get it. Is that all?"
Coco all but drove an elbow into her side. "Grand Arcanist!" she hissed. "Show some respect. He's the strongest Arcanist in all of Vale!"
The strongest…? Ruby's eyes trailed down the man's chest to the Arcanum he wore like a medal. It was the same as Vale's, the coiling serpent, but what caught her eye was that instead of two gemstones, he had four. Red, white, black and blue. But she'd been told you could only learn two. Arcanists could only learn two colours by their own laws.
Was the Grand Arcanist exempt from that?
Coco elbowed her again.
"Grand Arcanist," Ruby muttered without much enthusiasm.
Really, he knew he was the Grand Arcanist and she knew it. Why did these people get so worked up about their silly titles? It wasn't like she ran around demanding people call her Ruby Rose, female. Was it? People had names. Why couldn't she just use those?
Coco groaned again.
"It is fine," Ozpin said, smiling indulgently down on her. "In fact, it's a refreshing change to not hear the words thrown at me by every single person. With this punishment, I consider the matter between us to be solved. Initiate Rose, please keep the rules of the Collegium in mind in the future, if not for your sake then to assuage the panic of your roommate."
For Weiss? After she'd ratted her out and got her working nights in the scariest prison in the Kingdom for the next week? Not likely. Still, for the sake of Coco and Ozpin, she nodded and said, "Yes, Grand Arcanist."
"Good." He nodded at them both. "You are dismissed. Please enjoy your lessons for the day."
/-/
Coco despaired and told her not to get in any more trouble once they escaped the huge building the Grand Arcanist resided within. She then muttered something about losing several years of her life in panic and wandered off, leaving Ruby stood there in the morning sun. Personally, she didn't think it had all ended that poorly. She still got to see Yang and sort things out there, and so long as the Sanctum thing was temporary, she wasn't in any risk.
Positive result all things considered.
Except for one thing.
"There you are!" Weiss hissed, stomping forward with a red face. "I can't believe you! I woke up and you were gone – and not even so much as a note. Do you have any idea how rude that was? I had to wake up the Warden to -" Weiss broke off with a gasp as Ruby walked past her. "Hey, are you even listening to me? Stop! Ruby! Ah! You insufferable little-"
"No!" Ruby spun on and jabbed a finger into Weiss' chest, startling the noble. "Enough!" Her panic, fed by the fear of being caught and then the terror of the threat of the Sanctum, rushed out of her, burning as anger. "All you do is insult and belittle me. All you do is say nasty things over and over again."
"I-" Weiss stammered. "I don't-"
"I'm not good enough! I'm greedy! I'm rude! I'm insufferable!" Each insult was accompanied by Ruby moving closer, pushing her face all but up inside Weiss'. "Well I'm sick of it!" she yelled, making the girl jump. "And now you ratted me out and I got in trouble. And now I'm stuck working in the Sanctum!"
Weiss gasped. "T – The – Surely that's too much. W-Why didn't you just tell them where you went?"
Stupid Weiss! Why did she have to be so damn nosey? She wasn't one to normally get angry, but the adrenaline was pouring out of her and it needed somewhere to go. An outlet. Weiss provided that, and the constant barrage of insults had been wearing on her for days now.
"That's not important. You ratted on me!" She jabbed Weiss' chest again. "You do nothing but insult me and tell me how much of a pain I am to be around. How much I ruin your reputation. If you don't want to hang around with me, then don't!"
"R-Ruby-"
"Because I don't want to hang out with you!"
Weiss flinched back, mouth falling open and something flashing across her face. Ruby didn't stay to see what it was, spinning on her heel and stomping away, hands clenched into fists and teeth grinding together.
For once, Weiss didn't follow.
Nuuu, Weiss. Even writing this, I feel sorry for Weiss.
While I'm sure one or two might say "Ruby isn't like this in the show…" I'd point out that a) she had a different early life to the show here and has learned to look after herself a little more and b) I believe this would have happened in the show.
Sure, she initially hides in Yang and Blake and tries not to bother Weiss, but Weiss' frustrations toward Ruby are solved so damn quickly we don't get to see her reaction. Weiss calls her out in class, Ruby is shocked and then before Weiss even makes it back to their room she's been cornered by Port, who sets her straight. Then Weiss apologises. The show does that a lot, actually. It teases that something might happen then doesn't. Like Roman beating Ruby on the airship and we're ready to see a big fight and... Roman gets eaten in one gulp. Or Weiss and Ruby argue and I'm ready to see conflict aaaand... Port fixes it. (or Raven appears and says "It's time we talked, Yang..." and doesn't.)
But we DO SEE signs of Ruby's temper and frustration in the show. Remember in initiation where Weiss insults her and Ruby, in a fit of anger, cuts down a tree? That wasn't some funny accident. That was our Ruby showing some signs of fangs. Bless her. Ruby tried to ignore Weiss' mean words (as she did for days here) but when Weiss continued to be mean, Ruby lost her temper and lashed out, albeit out of eyesight of Weiss. Ruby does have a temper.
Weiss in the show just apologised to her because it could become a thing.
Next Chapter: 3rd September (Three Weeks)
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur