Chapter 2 – A simple talk.


Inside the police station, sitting in a white room with a wooden table, various chairs and a... coffee machine? Yes, a coffee machine, was Ruby. And she still couldn't believe what was happening.

"This place looks amazing!" She said out loud. The walls didn't have any cracks, the table was very solid, and the chairs! If she hasn't been in that place, she wouldn't have thought that such comfiness wasn't possible.

´Do you enjoy this? Even though you don't deserve it? ´ A voice at the back of her mind called out. That was enough to dampen her mood. She has been hearing that voice for a long time, always telling her that she didn't deserve things, that she was a bad person, that anything she did was not enough.

Even if she didn't know what that enough was.

"Please ignore it, Ruby. You aren't a bad person. If you were, you would have harmed those people you talked to. And you didn't." Her friend said, trying to cheer her up. It kind of did, actually. She was a good friend like that.

Is at this point, two persons walked in. One of them was the blonde huntress.

But it was the other person that she was paying attention to.

It was a middle-aged man with silver hair and brown eyes. He has a light complexion and sharp facial features. He was wearing shaded glass spectacles, an unzipped black suit over a dark green shirt, black trouser shoes and long, dark-green pants.

But, above all that, was the singular scent of magic that was pouring out of him. For her, it was almost impossible to not recognize it.

It wasn't for him either, because he was looking at her with surprise in his eyes.

After a few moments, he decided to sit down (with the Blonde huntress doing so too) and, calming down, finally speaks "Good evening, I am Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon academy, and she is Glynda Goodwitch, a professor at the academy, and I must thank you for your help today Miss…" He trails off, giving a moment of silence.

"…Ruby, and… you're welcome?" She answers weirdly. Because, well, there is nothing to be thankful off, is not like she did much, beyond hurting people.

´Like you always do…´ The voice said.

No, don't think about it. Just concentrate in the people in front of you.

"So Miss Ruby. I must say that I haven't seeing someone with such a level of skill in a long time. Would you mind if I asked you, where do you come from?" He talked again.

"Ah…well… I am… not from here?" She answers awkwardly, not knowing the specifics of it. She isn't really sure where Here is exactly, beyond being ´in Vale´. This makes her receive a bit of a funny look from both of them.

"Ruby?" Her friend talked. "Yes?" She replied mentally. "I… think there is something wrong here". "What do you mean?" She asked back, but the Blonde- Glynda! Talked. "So you come from outside the kingdom? Very well then, so, is there a reason why you decided to come here?" She ended, with a curious look.

Now she was slightly panicked. She can't tell them, they would just be suspicious of her, especially the Man- Ozpin. And she doesn't know what else to tell them! What does she do, what does sh-

"Tell them the truth," Her friend said immediately. "What?! Why? Wouldn't that make them hate me?" She asked back. "Well, not ALL the truth, just… a little of it". A little? Maybe, that…could work? She wasn't very sure of it. "Ruby… please, trust me."

That actually relaxed her. She… trust her friend. Truly. So, maybe it could work-

"Miss Ruby? Is everything alright?" Glynda asked. Oh, right, they were waiting. With a little cough, she answers. "Y-yeah, everything's fine. So… I kind of didn't come here because I wanted to. It was more of, I had a… mission about hunting… Grimm, and I just sort of… ended up here." There, basically the truth, so it was fine, right?

Apparently, it was, because Glynda nodded with a look of understanding. "So it is. I understand that sometimes a mission can make you go to unexpected places."

"So… is there any more questions?" She asked, warily. Was this all?

"Well…" Ozpin started "Normally we would ask you to make a statement about what happened at the store, but the owner of that store made a good enough statement for us, and the cameras –both from inside the store and outside in the street, made it very clear who was responsible"

"Also, - "Glynda continued "-Because I managed to reach Roman Torchwick during his escape in that bullhead, it is pretty much obvious what happened, unless there was anything else that happened that we should know?"

"Not really, I fought with those guys, and then followed Roman to the rooftop, that's all, really" Which IS the truth, just not all of it.

"Very well, then that would be- "Whatever Ozpin was about to say got interrupted by a ringing sound that came from… somewhere. Hearing it, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a… thing… what was it called…S- something? Scry? S-roll? Scroll? Is that what it is called?

"…"

"… Jing?"

"W-What? Oh, yeah, it is called a scroll." Her friend responded absentmindedly.

Any question Ruby had for her was cut short by Ozpin excusing himself out of the room, leaving Ruby alone with Glynda, leaving a silence in place. This left her a little uncomfortable. Dealing with silence, she has dealt with. Dealing with silence with someone else? That was new.

Luckily, Glynda felt it too, and decided to talk. "So, Miss ruby, now that we are pretty much done, is there a place you need to go now? I can Gladly help you get a cab if you wish to. Think of it as a thank you for your help"

"Huh?" She answered smartly, "A place… to be?" Did she have a place to be? Furthermore, did she even want to be somewhere? The full meaning of the words settled in. She didn't have a place to be, and didn't know anything. Normally, she would go from place to place, surviving, but she had the sinking suspicion (and fear) that she could not simply do so anymore.

"A-actually, I don't have a place to be… or a place to go back to…" She finally said.

"… Here in Vale?" Glynda Asked again, with a little worry.

"…"

"Excuse me? I didn't catch that."

"…anywhere…"

That put a little frown on her face. Then, she got a… pensive look? She stayed that way for a few seconds, worrying Ruby a little. But before she could ask what was wrong, Glynda asked, "So, have you thought on working? Here I mean". That made Ruby even more confused, where was she going with this? "N-not really. And doesn't that need people to… get of studying? Not, is not that. Studying, learning, learning place…"

"Graduating?"

"Yes, that!"

"You haven't graduated from a combat academy?"

Oh no. She said more than she should, but… Glynda didn't show any hostile intention towards her. And he has to admit that she was enjoying her talk, so… maybe letting her know more will be fine? "I…didn't. I just sort of… they needed help, a-and there wasn't enough people, so I just… started training and then, fought like everyone else."

With that said, Glynda looked down, thinking. Again, all stayed that way, until she looked up again, towards her and, nodding to herself, stood up, "Excuse me, I have something I need to ask" And with that, left the room.

Now completely alone, Ruby… didn't know what to do. Nowhere to go, or go back to. "What… do I do now? What do we do now? What do you think, Jing?"

Silence.

"… Jing? Something's wrong, you have been acting really weird for a while"

"Ruby, something is happening"

Ruby got confused with that. "Something? Jing, I think it already happened, what with being… teleported? To a different place and all."

"Not that. Is… look, you remember I can feel more magic than you?" She said.

"… Yeah? But why that has something to do here? Is it because Ozpin has magic too?"

"No… Well, maybe? He does seem familiar somehow. But not that now. What I'm worried, is the fact that I just felt an enormous wave of magic"

That picked Ruby interest. "A wave… like, a big amount of magic?"

"Pretty much. Of course, I felt it was very little, that's why you didn't feel it, but the way It got here, it must have been a lot".

"… Okay, I think I got it. Do you know where it came from?" Normally Ruby didn't deal with magic (USUALLY, that person non-standing)

"No, it was way too far away, but it is there. I'm sure. Something just appeared."

"So… is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Honestly… I have no idea."


Outside the room, Glynda walked towards the headmaster. She saw him finishing a talk by scroll. When she reached him, he turned around, looking at her. "Ozpin, there is something I need to ask you about"

"Is about our mysterious huntress?" He guessed.

"Yes sir. Apparently, she doesn't have a place to go back to. Nor a Specific Job."

"A most complicated position. So, is there a proposition you want to make her about changing it?"

Glynda wasn't surprised he got it in one. It is one of the many reasons he got to the position of Headmaster as fast as he did. "Yes sir. A huntress of her caliber, with no specific direction, it would be a waste if we just send her away. Especially when she doesn't have a place to stay."

Ozpin raised his eyebrows a little at that. "I must say, I'm surprised that you're taking such interest in this"

Glynda actually looked a little offended at that. "Well, of course I would be. She looks like she doesn't have anything else to lose"

"A sad reality we live with, I'm afraid"

"I know, but she looks too young to be in that position to begin with. And she doesn't have certification to be a huntress."

"… Are you suggesting we gave her a place at beacon?"

"Yes, sir. She is strong, but she is alone. If she goes to Beacon, she can have a better opportunity out there fighting. She won't sacrifice her live recklessly". She finished.

Ozpin gave her a little smile at the end. "Well, Glynda, I'm of the same opinion, but I must admit, that my reason for taking her in are a more selfish. Glynda, that girl… She uses magic."

That made Glynda do a double-take. "Magic sir? … Do you think she is… with her?" Even with that piece of information, she couldn't see that girl working with her. She looked too empty, too broken.

"Goodness, no. For what I could see, she was too honest for it, and while, yes, she wasn't saying all the truth, I'm pretty sure she isn't working with her. But having someone else that can use magic, in this age, is impossible. And the answers as to why are, at best, something to be wary off."

"And you want her to be in Beacon to watch her?"

"I know it sounds too selfish, but someone with unknown loyalty can be as dangerous as a normal enemy."

Glynda was of the same opinion too. She thought that the girl was some broken huntress, but there was more to it, clearly. "Very well, sir." She said in the end.

With that, they entered the room again, just to find the subject of their talk looking in no direction in particular, apparently caught in her own thoughts, but when she saw them enter, she looked at them with curiosity.

"So, it is true that you don't have anywhere to be?" Ozpin started.

"… Well, no. I don't have a place to go," She answered. Ozpin hummed a little. "Then, would you not mind staying here in vale, or even getting a job?" He continued.

She stopped and thought for a few moments, and then looked him in the eyes. "No… I wouldn't mind, actually".

With that, he smiled at her.

"Then, Miss Ruby. Would you mind coming to my academy?"


Author Notes:

This chapter was brought to you one day later by LOKI! Because there was NO WAY I was missing the last episode. (Among working to much at home that I forgot to upload this. BUT ANYWAY).

Not much to say in this one, really. It kind of feel like filler, but is necessary to give a little of a bridge towards the next chapters. Especially the foreshadowing in here.

Beyond that, nothing else of note. So, is this good? Too much talking? To fast in the interactions? Leave a comment.

Until next week!

(PD: Maybe I will move this updates to Friday. Is more convenient. So if I don't upload the next Wednesday, you know why).