Chapter 2: When It All Fell Apart/Eight Years Ago-Part 1
Ruby was suddenly awoken by a continuous banging that sounded like it was coming from near the front entrance of her family's home. Deciding that she was too curious to go back to sleep, Ruby stumbled out of her bed, barely catching herself with her four-year-old legs. Once she got to her door, she opened it only to find her uncle rushing down the hallway to the staircase that led downstairs.
"Uncwle Tai," She exclaimed, albeit a little nervous now.
"Ruby, why are you up? You need to get some sleep." Her uncle said, turning around
"I heard a noise." The little girl squeaked.
"Oh, that. I was going to see what it was." He replied.
"Can I come wif you?" She hesitantly asked.
"No sweety, you can't. I'm sorry, but it might be dangerous for you, okay. Now, go back to bed." He ordered softly, before going to investigate what the noise was.
Being the curious girl that she was, she did not follow her uncle's directions. Instead, she waited a little before slowly waddling down the hallway. Once she got to the stairs, she managed to fumble down them without making too much noise, so that her uncle didn't notice her. Once she got down the stairs, she found her uncle at the open door, with his body suddenly going stiff.
"I couldn't find her, Tai." Came a familiar, yet broken voice.
"Oi, what the hell happened to you, and what do you mean you couldn't … find ...?" Her uncle's questioning tapered off when he realized what the voice meant.
"I don't have time to explain. Just, please, let me see my daughter." Responded the voice. That's when it hit her. The reason she recognized that voice was because it was her father's voice, but if that is the case, why did it sound so heartbroken. What could've made a man that was so strong, confident, and proud, who was a huntsman that was no stranger to hardship, such as her father, sound so broken. At first Ruby was just concerned for her father, but then she felt something she had never felt before. It was a nagging, oppressed feeling, in the back of her mind. She felt a warmth welling up in her belly, threatening to burst forward. Instinctively, she knew what it was. It was anger, anger directed at whatever had caused her father such distress. She didn't know how to express it. She wanted to yell, or cry, or even hit something, which she had never felt the urge to do so before. She couldn't find it in her, though, to do any of those things, so she did the only thing she could.
"Daddy?" She called out, not actually meaning to get her father's attention, but that's exactly what it did.
Her father stiffened up even more so than her uncle had previously. Her uncle just looked back at her with a look of surprise and then concern. Both uncle and niece turned back to the distraught man at the door, to see a haunted look on his face. He suddenly started to stumble forward, before being caught by her uncle.
"Please, Tai, let me go to her." Came Her father's plea.
"Okay, Qrow. If that's what you think is best." Relented her uncle.
Qrow straightened himself up as best he could, and her uncle stepped aside. Father and daughter finally got a clear view of each other. One looked down too see an all-too familiar, albeit smaller, face, with big, beautiful silver eyes, that had tears welling up in the corners, threatening to spill out. The other looked up to see the face of a man who had run himself ragged, with red, puffy eyes, and tear tracks from tears that would no longer fall out of his faded red eyes.
The father slowly started stumbling towards his daughter. At first, Ruby had felt concern and anger, but now she could only feel fear and sorrow towards the unknown, yet inevitable doom, that the reason for her father's distress would bring. Eventually, her father was standing just a foot away from her, so Ruby had to strain her neck to look up at her father. She saw her father looking down on her with a look of sadness and remembrance. Why is he looking at me like that, she thought? Shouldn't he be happy to see me? Did I do something wrong? Her unspoken query was soon answered when her father dropped onto his knees in front of her and brought her into an embrace tighter than anything she had ever felt before, and he spoke four simple words, his voice still broken, but clear.
"I'm so sorry, Ruby." He said.
"S-sowwy for w-what?" She dared to ask, her voice also becoming broken, and her entire being filling with dread.
"Your mother...," His voice caught in his throat for just a second. "She's not coming back." Fresh tears started to form in his eyes, but they didn't threaten to fall, for Qrow had a duty, as a father, to be strong for his daughter.
At that simple proclamation, the little girl's world was shattered. She knew what that meant. She may have been young and innocent, but her family was a family of huntsmen and huntresses, a family of the most powerful warriors on the face of Remnant. The same warriors who fought terrors that common folks couldn't imagine, to protect those same common folks. She knew her father was not lying, but she couldn't believe it, so she played dumb, so she could get confirmation.
"W-what do y-you m-me-mean?" She stuttered out.
This seemed to break her father's heart more, and she felt even worse, but even still, Qrow stayed strong.
"She's gone." He managed.
After that, all Ruby wanted to do was cry. A storm of emotions was rampaging inside her. She felt
anger, sorrow, and distress all at once. Anger at the world for taking her mother away from her, sorrow for the fact she could do nothing, and distress for not knowing how to continue on. Her father was the only solace she had, since despite how broken of a state he was in, she still found warmth and strength in his embrace so she let her head fall into his chest, while tiny arms wrapped around his torso as much as they could, and her hands were squeezing the sides of her father's red cape. The only coherent sound that could be heard in the house for half an hour was a muffled "Mommy" while Ruby cried into her father's chest until she fell asleep.
Qrow made to scoop his daughter up in his arms, to take her back to bed, but was stopped by Tai's hand on his arm.
"I don't think it'll be good for you, or fair to her," He said, referring to the sleeping Ruby. "if you take her up while reminiscing on times with Summer, so let me."
"But- okay, yeah, it's for the best." Qrow relented, albeit despondent.
"Good, now I wouldn't usually say this, but go get yourself a drink. You certainly look shitty enough, that you need one." Tai offered.
"Ha, thanks, man. You're certainly a better brother-in-law than I ever deserved." Qrow responded.
"Don't beat yourself up. Right now, the best thing you can do is be a good father, and honor Summer's memory by making sure Ruby grows up to be better than any of us ever were." Tai intentionally left out the part that Qrow probably blames himself for what happened to Summer, because it would most likely do more harm than good.
"I'll take her to bed," Tai said, taking Ruby from Qrow. "then we need to talk." He said sternly.
This caught Qrow off guard, but he quickly recovered. "What's there to talk about?"
"We're going to talk about how she's is going to be raised to be the best person she can be." Answered Tai.
"I guess...that makes sense." Qrow sighed. I'm not cut out for this fatherhood thing. I'm going to need more than one drink, He thought.
"Good." Tai responded, moving to take Ruby to bed.
Once Tai got done with putting Ruby to bed, he went back downstairs, and found Qrow in the kitchen with a beer in hand, leaning against the counter. He got himself a glass of water, and took a spot across from Qrow, standing with his back to the counter. He placed his glass on the counter and shot
Qrow a glare, crossing his arms.
"What?" Qrow asked incredulously.
"So, how are we going to do this?" Tai inquired.
"Oh, I figured you'd take her." Qrow answered nonchalantly.
"What?!" Tai exploded. "You're just gonna' give your daughter up, just like that? You're just going to wallow in your self-pity and depression bull-shit? Well, newsflash, that's not what she needs right now. She just lost one parent, don't make her lose another."
Qrow scoffed. "Didn't you hear me? She may not have me, but she'll be getting someone better. I'm no role model. I'm a cocky, alcoholic, dumbass. She needs someone to show her how to live. That's not me." Qrow finished, now walking to the house's entry.
"The hell, Qrow. Where are you going?" Demanded Tai.
Qrow did not grant the question an answer, but instead opened the front door, morphed into an avian form, and took off.
"Goddamnit, Qrow." Tai sighed.
With Qrow, his thoughts were occupied by his apologies to his precious, one and only daughter.
AN: Yo, Zacatac back with the second chapter of The Silver Eyed Renegade(TSER). So, I got this chapter out way faster than I thought I would, but all you guys helped with that. Your support honestly means so much to me. Thanks go out to iamtheshepard16, guillox23, and Shadowknight77 for the support. I know these aren't the only people who I need to thank, but I'm not very organized and my notifications are out of wack. But, goddamn, we already got five favorites and three followers on this story. Thank you again. Also, I originally wanted to do Ruby's backstory in one chapter, but I thought I found a good way to wrap this chapter up and not make it take too long. Anyway, you can expect the next chapter within the week(or whenever). Thanks again. Zacatac out.
Also this is like my sixth time uploading this chapter
