Chapter 3 – Uninvited Guests
The girl opened her eyes.
And found herself in a completely unknown place.
She was laying in a… bed? It was comfortable, like her bed in patch. Above her, she saw a gray ceiling, slightly higher than the one in her room. Slowly standing up, she looked around herself. There were gray walls making the form of a room, and a window at her right, form which she could only see darkness, and a few stars. And at her left, was a big wooden door, with engraved lines running along the edges. It all looked like a typical room of a castle.
But why was she here? Wasn't she… somewhere else?
"…ruby…"
She can't remember, what she vaguely remembers, is being in a different place. A store, maybe? But How did she end up here? And why?
"… Ruby…!"
And besides! A castle? Were there any castle in vale? Or any castle at all? Was this just a mansion? Wouldn't that make her ask why she was in a mansion?! And- wait, was that a voic-
The door flew open, now having a great dent in the form of a boot, just as the voice boomed, "RUBY!"
"AAAHHH!" Answering with her own scream, the girl –Ruby- jumped high and out off the bed, falling unceremoniously on the floor, face first. "Wha-what?!" She desperately asked, standing up and looking around for a few moments, before looking directly at the new person in the room. Golden hair falling a into her face, tan jacket, short sleeves, black shorts, Brown knee-high boots?
"Yang!" She screamed. "What are you doing here? No, wait. What are we doing here!?"
"What are we- Ruby, you slept in! I came to get you!" Yang answered quickly. "And didn't you feel the earthquake? Or the Magical Pulse?!"
"E-Earthquake?!" There was an earthquake!? She didn't feel it! Could that even happen? And what even was a Magical pulse? Looking to her sister (And was just her, or did she look….Pale, like, Ivory White Pale?) she tried to ask, but her sister beat her to it. "Look, we really don't have time for this, everyone is freaking out, and the Queen has asked for an emergency meeting, and we need to go. NOW." The last part was said while she got close to her, grabbed her by the arm, and dragged her out of the room into a hallway.
"W-wait! Yang! Magical pulse? Queen!?" It was official, Ruby was starting to freak out. She managed to pry herself from her sister, while trying to keep up with her fast walking (or was it slow running?) and was really trying to understand what was going on. Passing a big hall with an equally big wooden table, she actually saw that it was all quite…. Chaotic, to say the least.
Plates, cups, and a small assortment of food (small compared to the whole table, and there was still a lot of food) were spilled all over it, and on the floor. The long line of chairs around the table were flipped over.
And at the very far Wall of it all, in what looked like another hallway, she could see a few persons (chefs? They looked like chefs, with the big hats and all) running from one side to the other, carrying various boxes with as much care as they could. And alongside them, someone in a White, regal-looking outfit, holding a spear that ended in a small drill, was giving orders to them all.
For a moment, Yang slowed down, but she accelerated again, albeit not as fast as before. "Almost thirty minutes ago" –Yang started- "a giant Magical pulse covered the entire kingdom, which was then followed by an earthquake, and while it is over now, things turned… weird" She finished vaguely.
At this point, they were in what Ruby thought was a Hangar. A big Hangar. At one side, a group of Big wooden crates, running parallel to the wall, were being moved by a few dozens of persons towards enormous doors, made with both metal and wooden parts, reaching all the way to the ceiling. And at the border of them, Black lines running from the door to the floor, to a… terminal? That someone was using.
When they got close to the doors, the lines started to shine with a purple light. And with a groaning sound, the doors started to open. Slowly.
They finally stopped at the front of the doors, being surrounded by a group of people (some human, some faunus; and they were all paletoo!), they were all armed, and dressed in the same regal-looking outfit that the person of earlier, just with different colors and accessories. And they were all looking towards the opening doors.
Ruby took the opportunity to catch Yang's attention.
"Y-yang, this is all so… so… confusing! This place. All these people. Magical Pulses? I don't- I don't know what's…" She couldn't end the thought, but it wasn't necessary, because Yang was watching her.
And, with a heavy sigh, she grabbed Ruby by the shoulders, and kneeling down, lowering her voice, she started "Ruby, I know this is all unexpected, I think nobody was ready to deal with… all this. I am not ready either. But for now, I will have to ask you to calm down, and follow me to the meeting. There, we will know what is going on, but right now? I want you to be strong. Can you do that for me?"
Ruby, while still confused, nodded anyway. "O-okay. I will"
With that, her sister smiled, "Good. That's my Little sister"
They were interrupted by someone shouting at the top of their lungs. "Logistics, move the crates to the carriages! Soldiers! Go to the central plaza and find your commanders! Royal Guard! We already told you where you need to go! MOVE IT!" At this, everyone started running outside, in different directions.
And that was the moment Ruby saw it all.
It was a big City. It was all like something out of one of her fairy tales. Very…. Royal-y and…. Medieval…-y. Great wooden carriages being pulled by big Red horses were lined up in the middle of the Street, like a parade. And the other White ones were used by the people with the regal clothes (are they the Royal guard?) to speed out of the place towards the streets. From all the buildings she could see, there wasnt a single one made with metal, like skyscrappers, only White Stone. An a single black tower could be seen above the buildings, far away.
And in the night sky, the broken moon (The one thing that she was familiar with) was shining.
And everyone who saw it looked... fearful of it. The type of fear of the unknown.
"Well, Ruby, it is time to go" Yang finally said, mounting one of the horses, helping her up.
Now seated, even against all her uncertainness, Ruby managed to look ready to fight. "Yes, let's go."
"To meet the Queen", a voice said.
And with that, the Horse started running through the streets, towards the tower.
...
Wait, was that a voice? Ruby thought.
Menagerie.
The safe Haven of faunus all around the world. The one place the people who just wants to be left alone by humanity go.
Said people was now freaking out.
Suffering a Big earthquake would do that to you.
While the majority has managed to calm down, the stress of everyone was being very easy to sense all over the place.
And in the very capital of it all (Kuo Kuana) The chieftain, Ghira Belladonna, was very much trying to reassure everyone that everything is fine, thank you for asking.
Of course, that still mean that he was stuck in a long meeting assessing the damage to the settlements all around the place.
"And the older buildings of the coast are nothing more that rubble now, but luckily there isn't a single casualty, and only a few people got hurt, but not in a dangerous way." Finished the man (a silver haired teenager with fox ears) waiting for any new orders.
"Very well, thank you for the report. You can leave now." Answered a tiger faunus with black hair –Sienna- dismissing him.
After bowing, the man leaves the room, leaving them both alone.
"A freak earthquake. Not an everyday event. Maybe we should commemorate it." Sienna snarked.
"At least it wasn't something worse. But there isn't much we can do, isn't it?" He tiredly answered.
"True. So, is there anything else you want to discuss, or are we done now?"
"For now, no, that's all. But, if you don't mind, can I ask why are you… ah, desperate in leaving?"
At this, she smiled. "As observing as ever, Ghira. Well, apparently a… situation has occurred in Vale that requires my attention." At this, she starts standing up and walking towards the exit, "So, excuse me, but now I will take my leave".
"Ah, sienna?" –She stops, and looks back at him- "… If… If you can find about how's my daughter…"
She gives him a sympathetic look, "… She took her decision, Ghira. But I will see what I can do, when I get there".
Now it was his turn to smile, but with relief. "That's all I can ask for".
With that, she leaves the room. Leaving a worried Ghira in place.
Still, there is much to do yet. He thought, standing up and walking towards the hall. He still needs to help with the reconstruction of all those broken buildings.
At least that wouldn't be too complicated.
And, hey, at least the worse was behind them, right?
