A/N: Thank you so much for all your patience in waiting for this chapter. Hope you like it. Also, a reminder if you'd like (very) periodic writing updates or maybe even just want to ask a few questions or chat, I have a tumblr under hopeofmorning910writes.
Word Count: 10,616
The story thus far: Ruby, Weiss, and Yang have been making their way south to reach the province of Vytal. Along their journey, Ruby falls ill with fever. While Ruby is recovering, Yang and Weiss make the decision to pick up more of Ruby's medicine at the coal-mining town of Black Rock. Soon after they arrive, the town is beset by Creeps that are leaking out from one of the mine entrances. With the help of the apothecary owner, a retired Huntsman by the name of Kuromatsu, our girls head into the mines in hopes of sealing the breach that the Grimm are coming from. It's a tiring journey down into the depths of the earth, and they discover that they might have to contend with Lancers as well as Creeps, but there's no way any of them can just walk away when there are innocent lives on the line.
Chapter 17 — The Breach
Weiss shifted in the darkness, both uneasy and relieved that they'd finally reached the breach.
She, Yang, and Kuromatsu were standing just beyond the final bend in the tunnel. Weiss was at the lead with her rapier in hand, and Yang crouched behind her, ready to scoop Kuromatsu up on her back for the second time that day so that they could reach the breach as quickly as possible. They had already extinguished their lanterns and set their extra baggage aside in preparation for the upcoming battle. The only light left to them was a faint yellow glow bouncing off the tunnel walls ahead—lanterns left abandoned by fleeing miners. As dangerous as it was to have so many unsupervised lanterns down here where a clumsy Grimm might knock one into a pile of coal, it was nice to know they wouldn't have to worry about fighting in the dark.
Ruby's scouting mission a little while ago told them the actual breach was in the far corner of an expansive earthen cavern that was teeming with Grimm. After a brief discussion, they decided trying to fight their way through the horde would be a waste of time and energy. Plus, any fighting on their part might attract even more Grimm to come crawling out from the breach, so it was in their best interests to seal it as quickly as possible. Their plan of having Ruby clear the way of Grimm with her Semblance had worked up on the surface, so they all agreed that there was no reason not to try it again down here. Accordingly, Ruby had already gone on ahead, and the rest of them were—yet again—awaiting her signal.
However, that didn't mean Weiss was any more pleased with the decision than she had been earlier. Far from it, in fact.
Weiss's lips pressed themselves into a firm line, and her grip on Myrtenaster tightened as she tried to parse just why having Ruby out of her sight for no more than a few minutes at most managed to make her feel so unsettled. She wasn't nearly as bothered when Yang was the one to wander off, but when it came to Ruby…
She never got to finish that train of thought. Ruby's whistle suddenly pierced the air. It was time to move.
"Here we go," Yang said quietly behind her. "All aboard, old man."
Weiss heard Kuromatsu give a soft snort and couldn't help but roll her eyes. If it had been any other time, she might have been impressed by how quickly and effortlessly Yang managed to work her way into the man's good graces to the point where he was already letting her make those friendly jibes without taking offense.
Weiss focused her attention ahead and summoned a line of acceleration Glyphs down the tunnel. She broke into a run, and the pounding of a second set of footsteps behind her told her that her companions weren't far behind. They burst out of the passageway, their bodies wreathed in ribbons of pale white light, and arrived at the mouth of a huge, natural underground cavern that was crawling with Creeps. The glow from their beady red eyes could be seen glaring out from every corner of the chamber, giving the place a sinister feel. There were just so many of them. Logically, Weiss knew that it only looked like hundreds of Grimm because according to Yang, Creeps could have anywhere from two to six eyes depending on the age of the creature, but she still felt rather intimidated nonetheless.
Weiss did her best to ignore the chill she felt as she cast a second quick gaze around. The cavern felt so unnatural—a sensation made all the more unsettling thanks to the flickering half-light cast by the miners' abandoned lanterns. If not for the clear signs of human presence—the lanterns, the pickaxes strewn about haphazardly, the mining cart track, and half-filled carts—Weiss could very well believe that they had left Remnant behind for some otherworldly realm.
The earthen chamber was scattered with strange, misshapen, seemingly abnormal rock formations. Most were fractal in nature, but a few were bulbous and rounded, looking more like some sort of petrified fungus than natural stone. Others still stretched towards the ceiling and ended in fragile, needle-like spires. The largest of the rock formations resembled heavy pillars, some of which reached so high that they disappeared into the darkness above. Their lanterns weren't nearly bright enough to reach the actual ceiling, but Weiss could just barely make out the occasional tip of a stalactite hanging down from above.
Is this what the path to hell would look like? Weiss found herself wondering as a shiver ran down her spine. Empty, shadowy, and devoid of life except for the soulless creatures of Grimm? Scattered with stone formations that look like jagged fangs ready to crush and tear into those who dared to trespass?
The floor occasionally rose and dipped, but all in all, it was mostly level except for a few stratified pits. The deepest and most uneven areas were apparently being used as landfills. Instead of carting the loose rubble all the way back to the surface, the miners had started dumping it all in here, leveling out the deeper pits and making the chamber safer to navigate as a whole. One would still have to watch their footing, of course, but at least falling into a pit no longer meant instant death, assuming the person fell right.
The air was filled with the stench of Grimm, but it was also surprisingly cool and noticeably less stuffy than the tunnel they had just vacated. Was there perhaps a fissure or opening somewhere that led to the surface?
Weiss turned her attention back to the front and created a new string of Glyphs that ran parallel to the trail of rose petals stretching out before them. Her eyes widened when she caught the tail end of Ruby's insanely powerful dash. Every Grimm within ten feet of Ruby's passage had either been shoved back or knocked off their feet entirely. One Grimm had even been sent flying into one of the rock formations hard enough that the stone crumbled to pieces.
A small part of Weiss finally settled, and she breathed a soft sigh of relief. It was one thing to be told Ruby could create such powerful whirlwinds, and it was quite another to be able to witness it in person. (Back up on the surface, her ice wall had blocked their view. By the time they had cleared the wall, Ruby was already waiting for them next to the mine's entrance.)
The next sound Weiss uttered was a huff of exasperated disbelief. Ruby had finally come to a full stop at the far end of the cavern and what did she do? Prepare herself for the upcoming fight? Not in the slightest. Instead, she was waving at them a tad too energetically considering the fact they were surrounded by countless Grimm that would no doubt tear them limb from limb given half the chance. Weiss imagined the girl's tail was wagging as well. Yang gave a low chuckle behind her, and a reluctant smile tugged at Weiss's lips despite her best efforts to treat their current predicament with the proper sense of gravity.
Honestly, these two sisters…. Weiss just shook her head.
The breach turned out to be roughly thirteen feet at its absolute widest point and seven feet at its highest point. Weiss suspected the jagged opening had originally been much smaller and that the rampaging horde of Grimm had widened it when they swarmed through to get to the panicking humans on the other side. She couldn't see very far into the darkness of the breach, but what little she could see told her that the hole led to a natural tunnel of sorts.
"Let me down," Kuromatsu grunted out as soon as they had reached their destination.
Yang did as she was bid, and the man limped forward as quickly as he could. Ruby edged away from him as he passed her, but to her credit, she didn't back away entirely. Instead, she squared her shoulders and held her blade ready, clearly intent on providing whatever support the man might need. Once Kuromatsu was about three steps away from the breach, he reached into his belt pouch, pulled out a small cloth sack, opened it, and flung its contents in a wide arc into the opening. What...?
A low snarl was their only warning as a Creep leapt out of the cavernous hole in the wall. Or at least it tried to.
Just as Ruby started to step forward to deal with the Grimm, Kuromatsu held out his cudgel to stop her. He raised a hand palm up, and his dark bronze Aura instantly shot across the ground. It ate up the distance like a wildfire spreading across a field of dry autumn grass. The Creep didn't even make it halfway through the opening before Kuromatsu clenched his upraised hand, and a series of thick, thorny vines erupted out of seemingly nowhere. The plants grew up, around, and straight through the Grimm. The sheer force of their growth ripped through the creature's body, turning it to ash, and the plants didn't stop there. They continued to grow and spread, weaving themselves into a sturdy, protective barrier that soon filled the entire gaping hole.
Weiss could hear more Grimm and even see the occasional glowing red eye though the thick wall of thorns, but none of the creatures seemed capable of breaking through. Every time they tried to claw or bite the vines out of the way, at least two more thorny, tensile shoots would spring up and wrap themselves around the attacking Grimm until the creatures could barely move, effectively adding a layer of immobile Grimm bodies to the barrier.
Kuromatsu continued pouring his Aura into the living barrier until every inch of the gap had been filled with thorn-studded, interwoven, viny branches. Finally, he let out a heavy breath and recalled his Aura. It was at that point that he realized the rest of them were staring at him.
"Bramble and honeysuckle seeds," he explained succinctly. "Rose, dewberry, blackberry, and raspberry for their thorns. Honeysuckle to weave them all together and give them extra stability. I use them as defense against Grimm and bandits whenever I have to travel out of town. Even Death Stalkers have trouble getting away once my vines snag them."
"What happens to the bandits?" Yang asked.
Kuromatsu gave her a cold grin that was all teeth. "I leave them there. If they're lucky, their friends will come back for them. If not, they just have to wait around and hope wild animals or Grimm don't find them before I feel like letting the nearest Riders know where they are." His eyes darkened, and his voice filled with venom. "As far as I'm concerned, the moment they threaten another person, they've given up any right to be treated with sympathy. The world's got enough troubles without our own kind preying on one another."
An equally dark look passed through Yang's eyes—one that Weiss had seen only once before when Yang had told her how Ruby had gotten her scars. "Now that's a sentiment I can get behind." Then Yang blinked, and suddenly the look was gone, making Weiss wonder if she had perhaps imagined it. "By the way," Yang added, "I thought your Semblance was manipulating wood—you know, like trees and stuff. 'Cause that's what you used up on the surface."
Kuromatsu gave a half-shrug. "I can manipulate all plants. The reason you saw trees up there was because when they cleared the area in front of the mines, they didn't bother digging up every single tree root; and those leftover tree roots were the only plants close enough and strong enough for me to call upon."
Yang gave an impressed whistle. "Nice. Kinda makes my Semblance look like a one-trick pony." She spun and launched her fist into a Creep that had come up behind her, sending it flying into three of its brethren. She shot a glance over her shoulder at Weiss. "Go do your thing, Icy. We've got your back," Yang added with a wink before turning away to face off against another Grimm.
A light touch at her elbow caused Weiss to look down only to find Ruby right beside her. At some point, Ruby had sheathed her sword, pulled off one of her ash-caked gloves, and moved up to Weiss's side. Ruby gave Weiss's elbow a gentle squeeze, tacking on her own wordless encouragement, before slipping her glove back on and darting away to help her older sister.
Warmth blossomed where Ruby had touched her elbow, and Weiss couldn't help but brush the spot with her fingertips. Weiss found herself wondering (and not for the first time) if the sisters ever realized how important these little gestures were to her. Most likely not, and somehow that made them all the more precious.
Kuromatsu limped towards Weiss with another small pouch in his hand, presumably more seeds. He gave her a brusque nod as he passed her and sprinkled a portion of the sack's contents just behind her. She gave him an equally curt nod, sheathed her rapier since she wouldn't be needing it, and stepped up to the bramble-filled breach. She slipped off her own gloves and tucked them into her belt. Then she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, determined not to let the others down. To not let Ruby and Yang down.
In all honesty, Weiss wasn't particularly adept at using earth Dust. Every Dust user had a certain affinity for the various types of Dust. Weiss, for instance, was best with ice, fire, wind, and the mysterious black Dust that could do all sorts of strange things like let a person walk straight up a wall or make them light enough to float in mid-air. It wasn't that she couldn't use the other types of Dust, but they always took her a little longer to activate. It almost felt like her Aura balked whenever she tried using them. Still, she wasn't about to let that little detail prevent her from doing what she had to do.
Weiss pulled out the vial of earth Dust, uncorked it, and dipped two of her fingers into the shimmering grains as she called upon her Aura. Sometimes physically touching the Dust helped her get over that initial hurdle faster—not always, but sometimes. Luckily, this was one of those times.
As soon as the earth Dust started circulating through Weiss's Aura, her body fell away and her senses opened up to a torrent of new sensations. The pulse of the earth beat against her skin—slow, steady, and timeless. She was suddenly keenly aware of every grain of sand, every speck of dirt, every piece of rock, and every slab of stone in her general vicinity. She could even feel whenever one of her companions' boots hit the ground or whenever a Grimm scraped its claws against the rocky floor. It was disconcerting at first, but eventually she grew used to it.
Once Weiss was sure she had a handle on all the new sensations, she drew even more Dust into her Aura. The earth Dust allowed her to connect so intimately with the earth that suddenly, she was the earth. She could see every seam and fissure in the surrounding rock—which parts of the stone were weaker and which were solid. She knew exactly where every vein of coal was and how thick each of the cavern's walls were.
Now that her initial scan of the area was complete, Weiss called her Aura back to prepare for the next step. The most important thing to remember about using earth Dust was that the Dust manipulator had to check the surrounding area before attempting anything. Contrary to what most people believed, elemental Dust didn't spontaneously create water (or ice), wind, fire, or earth; they only provided the energy to gather and call each corresponding element forth. Water and ice Dust drew on ambient moisture (whether from nearby vegetation, a river or lake, or even just moisture present in the air or ground). Wind Dust obviously gathered and controlled air; and while fire Dust could summon a flame, the flame in question still followed nature's laws. (For instance, one could not start a fire underwater even with fire Dust.)
Accordingly, if Weiss was going to attempt to use the earth Dust in her possession, she had to make sure the earth she shifted didn't weaken some other part of the chamber. The last thing she wanted was to seal the breach only for another part of the cavern to collapse as soon as the miners resumed digging later.
Weiss took a deep breath and laid her bare hand against the cool, rough stone next to the breach. She closed her eyes and focused, letting her Dust-infused Aura guide her back down into the surrounding rock and earth once again.
She began with all the shattered stone and rock fragments that must have originally been part of the wall that lay scattered across the floor. She dragged them forth with her power, deaf to the way they clattered as they rolled and slid towards the breach, and used the earth Dust to meld the fragments until they were part of the wall once more. The air heated up as she worked—Dust was energy after all—but she was careful to work slowly enough that the heat had plenty of time to dissipate before reaching a critical temperature that might ignite any nearby coal.
Then she stretched her Aura out to the thickest layer of bedrock she could find where there was no chance of the area collapsing even if she shifted some of it, and siphoned the earthen matter to the breach. Little by little, the hole in the cavern wall shrank as Weiss pulled and dragged more earth, more stone, and more rock to not only fill in the gap, but also to make the wall thicker and stronger so that the miners couldn't accidentally create another breach.
Sweat poured down her temple and back as she worked, and her body seemed to grow heavier as her Aura drained, but she didn't stop. The others were counting on her. And the sooner she got this done, the sooner she could help them exterminate the rest of the Grimm.
"Hey, Ruby," Yang called out. "Can I borrow your boot knife?"
As she spoke, Yang dove under a Creep's tail swing and slammed her fist into its leg, shattering the limb completely. She flipped backwards to avoid its pain-induced thrashing as it fell to the ground.
Ruby darted forward to finish it off, stabbing it through one of its glowing red eyes. The Grimm burst into rose petals, briefly freshening the air before the stench of Grimm returned.
Ruby reached down, drew her boot knife, and handed it to Yang.
"Thanks," Yang told her with a grin.
Ruby bumped Yang affectionately with her shoulder before whirling around and rushing off to take out more Creeps.
Yang flipped the small weapon and caught it smoothly, taking a brief moment to get used to the feel of it in her hands.
Yang might not use weapons on a day-to-day basis, but that didn't mean she didn't know how to use them. Uncle Qrow made sure of that. After all, learning to use a weapon was only a few steps away from learning how to counter and defend against it. He made sure both she and Ruby had a good grasp of fighting with and against short, medium, and long range melee weapons—both bladed and blunt.
Unsurprisingly, Ruby excelled at using knives and swords while Yang preferred staves and other blunt force weapons. Simply put, all the rules about fighting with bladed weapons drove Yang crazy. Parry with the flat of your blade or else you'll ruin its edge. (Uncle Qrow didn't want them learning bad habits so he wouldn't let them use Aura to protect their practice gear.) If your opponent was wearing armor, you had to bide your time and wait for a chance to strike where they had little or no armor. If you didn't, you risked either damaging your weapon (if they had metal armor) or dulling the edge of your blade (if they had leather or wooden armor). There was just way too much finesse to it all. Give her a stout cudgel or mace any day, and it wouldn't matter how much armor her opponent was wearing. If she dented their armor, then she could be reasonably sure she was denting the body underneath as well.
Still, swords and other bladed weapons had their uses (especially against hardier Grimm that could take a beating), and Ruby's knife, as small as it was, was more than enough for what Yang needed.
Yang imbued the knife with her Aura and dashed towards the nearest Creep. She sidestepped its lunge and drove the knife up into its unarmored lower jaw, spiking her Aura as she did so. She grinned when the Creep exploded into a cloud of ash. The knife alone might not be able to reach all the way up into the Grimm's brain cavity, but her Aura certainly could.
Quite frankly, Yang was horrible at Aura manipulation, which was why she needed Ruby's knife. Aura manipulation depended on a strong, focused will and the ability to clearly visualize what you wanted your Aura to do. According to Uncle Qrow, the best Aura users could slash a Grimm in half by just focusing and honing their Aura. Yang could fire concentrated Aura pulses, but she didn't have the control to hone her Aura into a metaphysical blade. She could do a sharp spike, but not a slashing blade. Or rather, technically Yang could do it if she tried really hard, but she couldn't do it consistently or well. Ruby could, but even she needed a focus.
That was what Ruby's knife was for: helping Yang focus and visualize what she wanted her Aura to do. It was hard for Yang to imagine her fists and hands cutting or stabbing into something, but knives were made for such things. It wasn't nearly as much of a stretch to imagine her Aura taking on the characteristics of the knife as she channeled it through the weapon.
Another Grimm leapt at Yang, its gaping fangs and claws outstretched. Yang focused her Aura into the knife and tried to visualize her energy cutting the airborne Creep in half as she slashed upwards. A golden arc of energy sliced through the air and bit into the approaching Grimm with middling success. (Yang was forced to dive out of the way to avoid getting flattened.) The Grimm hit the ground behind her, gave a brief shudder, and slowly started dissipating. Upon further examination, Yang found that she had only partially bisected the creature. Her Aura had managed to cut deeply enough to kill it, but it hadn't been an instant death like she'd seen Ruby do in the past. Yang shrugged to herself. At least it got the job done. For now, it'd have to be enough.
Kuromatsu chose to join the fray at that moment, and four sets of thorny vines flew past Yang and wrapped themselves around two of the nearest Creeps. Yang grinned at the assistance, but before she could dive forward to take advantage of the situation, the strangest thing happened.
Every stray rock and stone in the immediate area began to shimmer with white and bronze glitter. The softly glowing stones began rolling and sliding across the ground towards the breach. Yang chanced a glance back and saw Weiss's pure white Aura had picked up the same bronze glitter—a sign of just how much earth Dust the noble was using.
A shiver ran up Yang's spine as she watched all those Aura-and-Dust-infused rocks slide up into the gaping hole of the breach. As soon as each piece of rock fell into place, their edges seemed to melt into one another, forming a smooth expanse of seemingly untouched stone. A few minutes later, the ground beneath her feet began to tremble, and she could hear the earth grinding and crunching against itself as Weiss did whatever she was doing.
It was amazing. Truly and undeniably amazing.
Reinvigorated, Yang dove back into battle and took out the two Creeps Kuromatsu had tied up with his vines only moments before. Turning and pivoting this way and that, Yang laid waste to any Grimm that came within striking distance.
Kuromatsu proved to be a godsend. His vines tied up the Creeps long enough for Yang to dive in and dispatch them one by one. She still occasionally took damage when a stray claw or flash of fangs dug into her defensive Aura, but those instances were few and far between, letting her discharge whatever energy her Semblance was trying to store up almost immediately.
Things were going well until Yang heard Ruby's whistle echo from somewhere out of sight. She paused just long enough to interpret the series of high, middle, and low tones that were piped out in distinct patterns of long and short notes—Ruby's voice in the midst of battle.
Warning! Grimm! Above!
It was repeated again just in case Yang or Weiss (who had learned and memorized Ruby's warning signals amazingly quickly) didn't hear the whole message the first time.
"Kuromatsu!" Yang shouted over the din of Grimm. "Heads up! We're about to have company!"
She slammed her knife into another Creep and sent a spinning kick into another. She hoped there weren't too many Lancers coming their way and that Ruby could hold out until Weiss was done.
Ruby's gonna be fine, Yang told herself. She can take care of herself.
The words didn't quell Yang's worry, but they did help her push back the urge to go find her sister immediately. They had a plan, and it was a good one. If Yang broke formation now, Kuromatsu and Weiss would get overrun, and she was not about to let that happen.
Ruby let her whistle fall from her lips and raced across the battlefield. Her sword flashed repeatedly, leaving a trail of rose petals in her wake. She touched the arrow-filled quiver at her hip and then drew her hand away. Her lips flattened. She only had twelve shots since it was too dangerous to use any of her fire Dust arrows down here. She was going to have to make every shot count if she used her bow.
Ruby's tail coiled uneasily. She wished she knew how many Lancers might be coming their way. Weiss had already killed four, but how many more did they have to kill before the rest of the swarm retreated? Had Uncle Qrow ever told her and Yang how large Lancer swarms could get? She couldn't remember.
Her mind churned. The biggest problem was that Lancers could attack from a distance. Ruby had to do whatever she could to prevent them from getting within striking range of the others. In other words, she needed to make herself the target and keep the Lancers on this side of the cavern. But how?
Ruby cut down another Creep, but her mind was elsewhere, caught up in trying to figure out how to protect her team. It was a mistake. She broke one of the most important rules of battle: don't let yourself get distracted.
Something crunched above her, and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Ruby's gaze shot up just in time to see a Creep had climbed atop one of the rock formations. It launched itself at her with a snarl. Ruby leapt back to avoid getting crushed, but the Creeps were starting to work together. Even before she managed to land on her feet again, a second Creep's tail slammed into her. Ruby's sword arm and ribs screamed in pain as she went flying. If Ruby hadn't had her defensive Aura in place, she was sure the blow would have broken bones.
Uncle Qrow's voice snapped out from the depths of her memories. "Don't ever drop your weapon, Ruby. I don't care how bad it hurts. Until you can fight barehanded like Yang, you hold onto your weapon no matter what."
Ruby gritted her teeth and obeyed, but it was a close thing. She just barely managed to keep ahold of her blade. A second thought flashed through her mind. She had to protect her bow and arrows at all cost—especially since the fire Dust arrows might detonate if she landed on them.
Ruby summoned her Semblance, creating a swirling gust of wind to propel herself through the air just a little farther. The extra boost took her over a ledge and into one of the pits filled with mining debris. It gave her just enough time and space to twist her body so that she could protect her quiver and bow. She landed in a one-handed handstand and flipped forward twice to bleed off any extra momentum before landing solidly on her feet. She grinned in spite of her still aching arm and ribs. It was a perfect landing!
Rocks clattered behind her as several Creeps leapt into the pit after her. Ruby spun to face the newest wave of enemies. Her boots skidded on the loose stones, gravel, and debris as she danced, cutting down one Grimm after another.
Her wolf ears twitched. The oscillating hum of Lancer wings was growing louder, making her pulse speed up. She was running out of time, and she still didn't have a good plan. Then again, it was hard to make plans when she had never actually fought a Lancer before. She would just have to make things up as she went.
Ruby used a touch of her Semblance to boost herself out of the pit only to find herself face to face with another Creep. It lunged at her with a hiss, but she was already gone by the time its fangs clicked shut. She had more important things to do than waste time taking out every Creep that jumped in her path.
Her wolf ears swiveled, tracking the hum of Lancer wings. She hesitated before abruptly shoving her hood back so her sight and hearing were no longer hindered. Even if Kuromatsu ended up being one of those people who didn't like Faunus, keeping her team safe was more important right now. She'd deal with everything else later.
Ruby zigzagged through the throng of Creeps, making her way closer to where she heard that fur-raising hum. (Seriously, the sound was so unpleasant that the fur on her ears and tail had gone all poofy!) She caught sight of a set of rock formations that were tall enough to keep her out of reach of the land-bound Creeps and changed course. Using her Semblance, she sprinted up the side of one of the rocky formations, caught the lip with one hand, and pulled herself up in one smooth motion. Creeps snarled and paced beneath her. A few tried jumping to get to her, but even the tallest of them fell short.
Ruby pushed the Creeps from her mind and kept her eyes trained on the shadowy ceiling, watching for any hint of movement or the telltale glow of Grimm eyes. She didn't have to wait long. The unnerving drone of insect wings grew louder with every passing breath until finally, the first few pairs of crimson, visor-shaped eyes flickered into view. She counted three Lancers. Unexpectedly, the Lancers' wings seemed to emit a faint glow as well. Good. That meant they'd be easier targets for everyone.
The first mini-swarm was soon followed by two more. The second swarm had four Lancers while the last one had three like the first mini-swarm. Ten Lancers total.
Ruby's hands curled into fists, and her tail twined uncertainly. That was a lot of Lancers. But she could do this. She knew she could. All she had to do was keep moving once she got their attention. Simple, right?
Then Ruby remembered how easily a single stinger had been able to send Yang flying into the tunnel wall, and the icy fear that had clenched her chest at that moment returned with a vengeance.
No. Simply running around wasn't enough. If she could, Ruby should do whatever she could to take away the Lancers' most valuable weapons: their stingers. That way everyone else would be safer when they finally finished sealing the breach and joined her for the Grimm clean up.
Ruby drew her sword. First things first. She had to get the Lancers' attention.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out.
The Grimm were always drawn to negative emotions, so as long as Ruby's emotions were more intense than those of the rest of her team, the Lancers would come straight for her. When she was ready, she tightened her grip on her blade, reached into the mire of her darkest memories, and brought them forth.
Ruby's whole body tensed when she recalled once more how Yang had almost been skewered by the Lancers in the tunnels. Her pulse shot up when she thought back to the moment she saw Weiss's Glyph shatter over the ravine all those weeks ago. If Ruby had been even a little slower that day, Weiss might not be with them now. Her wolf ears flattened against her head at the very thought of a world without Weiss.
Other memories flitted through her mind in no particular order. The sorrow that washed through her every time she saw another body torn apart by Grimm. The loneliness she felt whenever Uncle Qrow left for another trip. The anxiety that bubbled up whenever she had to deal with people she didn't know.
She sucked in a breath and gripped the whistle around her neck as yet another memory hit her: the day the butcher in Patch had cornered her near a wood shed when she had been helping Yang deliver firewood. The man had been saying something to her, but she didn't remember what anymore. All Ruby remembered was her racing panic when he caught her by the back of her hood as she tried to get away. She managed to jerk herself free and run, but not before she caught sight of how his face had twisted in disgust the moment he saw her wolf ears. His eyes had been so cold, almost like…
No.
Ruby's eyes shot open, and she pinched herself hard to drag her mind away from that particular set of memories. They would paralyze her and leave her useless in defending Yang and the others. Ruby couldn't let that happen.
Thankfully, the negative emotions she had already summoned were more than enough to call the Grimm to her. The Lancers buzzed in a wide circle, much like a bird of prey would when scoping out its next target, before diving towards her. The two at the head of the swarm launched their stingers as soon as they were within range. Ruby evaded the bony projectiles with a twirling leap and sliced through the Lancers' cord-like connective tissue as soon as they passed beneath her. Distantly, she heard the detached stingers clatter into the stone floor somewhere below her.
She breathed. Two Lancers disarmed. Eight more to go.
Ruby deflected a third stinger, but she wasn't able to cut its cord. Instead, she was forced to abandon her pillar when the two Lancers she had just disarmed came at her, their mandibles clicking furiously. She hurriedly activated her Semblance to avoid falling into the jaws of a hissing Creep, flew a few feet through the air to a patch of ground that was free of Grimm, and hit the ground at a run.
Her lupine ears twitched, and she leapt just in time to avoid getting skewered by another set of stingers. She tried to get close enough to slice through the connective tissue before the stingers were retracted, but a Creep charged her, forcing her to abandon her attempt. She dove to the side, removing the Creep's leg as she did so, and dashed away.
Ruby chanced a glance back. Good. All ten of the Lancers' attention was still on her. She darted behind a bulbous rock formation just as three of the Lancers launched their stingers at her. She circled around, and the moment she heard the rock-shattering crunch of stingers embedding themselves in the stone, she was there slicing through that cord-like connective tissue yet again. Five stingers dealt with.
That was when she slipped up. Ruby was so focused on keeping track of her aerial opponents that she forgot to keep one ear to the ground. She dashed past another rocky spire only to crash headlong into a Creep coming around the other side. She went sprawling.
The Creep instantly pressed its advantage. It leapt at her, its massive claws outstretched and ready to rip her apart. However, despite the immediate danger, a sense of tranquility suddenly washed over her. Time seemed to slow, and her mind grew calm.
Distantly, Ruby recognized this feeling for it had happened before. It never helped her against human opponents, but when she was surrounded by Grimm with no other choice but to fight her way out?—this feeling sometimes settled within her and filled her with peace. Any fear, worry, and distractions drifted away; and all that remained was a pinpoint focus and drive to slay the creatures around her.
Uncle Qrow had called it her "battle focus" and said that it could happen to any fighter in the midst of battle, but Ruby wasn't so sure. His stories and descriptions never quite matched what she felt in times like these.
As always, something deep and ancient shifted inside her and pulsed within her breast. Strength flooded her veins and pushed away any residual doubt. The strangest sensation rose to the back of her throat as though her body was preparing to unleash some sort of howling war cry. The sounds never managed to escape her throat no matter how many times she felt this particular sensation, but it was there, filling her with a wildness she didn't know how to explain.
Before Ruby even realized it, her Semblance activated and her body moved. Her sword flashed upwards, bisecting the Creep above, and the two halves of the creature crashed onto the ground on either side of her before fragmenting into rose petals.
In the blink of an eye, Ruby was back on her feet and deflecting another set of stingers with her Aura-imbued blade. A furious buzz caught her attention. A stinger-less Lancer charged her, likely intending to catch her with its bladed forelegs. Ruby turned to meet it. The Grimm was ten feet away. Eight feet. Five feet.
Ruby leapt high to avoid those slashing forelegs, grabbed one of the creature's antenna for balance as it passed beneath her, planted her feet right between its wings, and thrust her blade at the point of its neck where its exoskeleton was the thinnest, partially beheading the Grimm before leaping off. The creature careened headlong into a spire and exploded into a curtain of petals.
The humming of wings reached a new fevered pitch, and the remaining Lancers' clicking intensified. They learned from the folly of their fallen swarm member and began dive-bombing Ruby instead of taking her head on. She was forced to switch to full evasion since the swarm's teamwork prevented her from counterattacking. If she wasn't dodging a swiping forelimb, she was hurriedly deflecting a set of stingers.
Something within her shifted and pulsed again, and a stray thought rose from the depths of her mind.
Change the flow of battle.
The hairs on the back of Ruby's neck rose, and she shivered in spite of herself. Had that been her thought? Then why did it sound so different? Like whispers of ancient wisdom blowing on a timeless wind.
Her tail coiled briefly before she gave herself a shake. Regardless of whose thought it was, it was a good one, and right now that was all that mattered.
Ruby summoned her Semblance and broke from her flying attackers with a sudden burst of speed. Once she managed to gain some distance from them, she sprinted across the battlefield, zigzagging to make use of Creeps and stone formations alike as shields. The Lancers were so intent on hunting her that they paid no heed to their fellow Grimm, leading to more than one Creep losing its life when a stray stinger impaled it or a nasty swipe caught it off guard.
Ruby sheathed her sword, took her bow in hand, and withdrew three arrows from her quiver. Two went between her teeth while she nocked the third to her bowstring. She couldn't use her fire Dust arrows, but a regular arrow charged with Aura could be devastating at close range.
She raced towards a set of rocks that looked like some sort of misshapen castle with multiple towers. She weaved between the tower-like pillars with the Lancers on her tail and at the last second, launched herself up one of the pillars with her Semblance. The moment she was perched above the Lancers, she took aim and fired three Aura-charged arrows in quick succession. One arrow missed and glanced off the hard carapace of a Lancer's abdomen, but the other two struck true. She had aimed for the place where a Lancer's wings grew out of its thorax and in doing so, successfully shredded two of each of the Lancer's four wings. The two Lancers crashed to the ground, bowling over several unlucky Creeps.
Ruby exhaled, finally starting to feel the strain of her dwindling Aura. She swiped at the sweat dripping down her brow as she dropped to the cavern floor again to lead the remaining Lancers on another chase.
There was a flash of white at the corner of her vision. No time to evade. Ruby instinctively raised her arm and ducked her head.
The stinger ricocheted off her hard leather bracer, but her Aura had been too thin to completely absorb the impact. Ruby sucked in a sharp breath and gritted her teeth as the pain shot straight to her bones. Her bow slipped from her quaking fingers. Her other hand shot out to catch it before it hit the ground.
Ruby drew in another breath and activated her speed Semblance once more to get away from her pursuers as she waited for the pain and numbness to abate. She took the chance to reassess the battlefield. While there were still a good number of Creeps scattered around, their numbers had dropped dramatically. Clean up would be a cinch once the Lancers had been dealt with.
She turned her attention to the Lancers and counted. There were nine of them. Only two of them had been grounded. Five still had their stingers. Not great. Ruby needed to do better.
She tested her arm, tentatively making a few fists. It hurt a lot, but she didn't think it was broken. Probably. It was really shaky though. She tentatively shifted her bow back to her right hand and was pleased to see she could still grip the weapon despite the pain. Good. She could still use her bow. She just needed to buy herself a little more time for the shakiness to go away.
Ruby surveyed the battlefield and caught sight of a thick cluster of stalagmites. Perfect. She dashed towards the cluster with the Lancers hot on her tail. As soon as she reached the stalagmites, she dove between them, forcing her pursuers to split up. The towering spires also prevented the Lancers from using their stingers.
Ruby continued her game of cat and mouse until she felt her arm was steady enough to aim her bow again. Then she put her second plan into action. She broke from the stalagmite cluster.
She headed for a part of the cavern wall that had a slight slope, activated her Semblance, and sprinted straight up the wall. The slope (coupled with her Semblance) allowed her to climb higher than she could have otherwise. She just hoped it would be high enough. She readied three new arrows, and once she reached the apex of her run, she flipped off the wall with an Aura-boosted kick just in time for the Lancers to catch up.
Her timing was perfect, and she had indeed gained enough height for her plan to work. The swarm flew under her, and their vulnerable wings were in clear view. Ruby fired her Aura-charged arrows and shredded the wings of three more Lancers. One Lancer managed to remain airborne despite losing one of its four wings, but the other two Lancer's wings were damaged badly enough that they lost their aerial maneuverability and slammed into the cavern wall. Ruby hoped that had been enough to kill them, but she didn't have the chance to check. She was too busy using her Semblance to evade another set of stingers before twirling toward the ground in a crimson whirlwind.
She wiped away a trail of sweat threatening to drip into her eyes as she tried to catch her breath. The brief lull broke her concentration, and suddenly, she was just Ruby again. Her so-called battle focus faded, and a subsequent wave of exhaustion swept over her.
That was when she heard it—an oscillating drone that was much deeper and louder than that of the Lancers she had faced thus far. The sound set her teeth on edge, and her hair and fur stood on end.
The Lancers that could still fly ceased hunting her and swarmed back up towards the ceiling.
Ruby grabbed her whistle and piped out a new warning to Yang and Weiss before climbing another rock formation to get her out of reach of the land-bound Grimm.
She looked up and paled when the Lancer Queen finally came into sight. How did it even get down here? It was probably four times the size of a regular Lancer at the very least, and unfortunately, it hadn't come alone. There were five new Lancers accompanying it.
"Ruby!"
Ruby's ears perked up at the sound of Yang's voice, and her tail swayed. She swiveled around and saw the others eradicating Creeps as they made their way to Ruby's side of the cavern. They must have succeeded in sealing the breach. Ruby let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding, and her shoulders eased. She didn't have to fight alone anymore.
Unfortunately, her relief was short-lived. A cacophony of insectoid clicking drew her attention back to the ceiling. Ruby gave a little huff. It was never good when Grimm were intelligent enough to communicate with one another.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Ruby slung her bow over her shoulder, drew her sword once more, and leapt down from her perch to reunite with the rest of her team.
She should have been more careful.
Whether it was her exhaustion finally catching up to her or her relief at seeing the others which lessened her wariness, she couldn't say. It all happened too fast. One moment, she was running towards the others, and the next, something slammed into her, sending her head over heels. She lost her bow and only barely kept hold of her sword.
When her violent tumble finally came to a halt, Ruby opened her eyes dizzily. Her stomach lurched when she saw that she was face to face with a Lancer. Its spiny middle legs dug painfully into her sides, preventing her from escaping. The Lancer dove for her. Ruby jerked her sword up just in time to slide it between the Lancer's three-inch-long mandibles and shoved up with all her strength to keep the Grimm's head away from her own. Her arms shook from the effort, and every time those jagged mouthpieces clacked against her sword, another droplet of cold sweat trickled down her neck. Adrenaline sent her pulse racing, and her breathing came in frantic gasps.
The Lancer's wings vibrated furiously, blasting her with eye-searing gusts of wind. Belatedly, Ruby realized that it was the Lancer that only had three wings. It couldn't gain much height without all four of its wings, but apparently three wings were enough to propel itself at its prey.
The Lancer shoved its mandibles at her again. Ruby gritted her teeth as her arms trembled. Its head came a few inches closer to her face before she managed to force it back once more.
Ruby's mind churned, desperately trying to think of a way to get out of this, but she came up with nothing. Yang and Weiss's names were the last thing to cross her mind before the space above her suddenly exploded twice—once with an explosion of skin-searing heat that was immediately followed by a crack of bitter cold.
Weiss's heart jumped to her throat as she watched the Lancer slam into Ruby and pin her down. Fear clenched her chest; she couldn't breathe. The Grimm's abdomen alone was the length of Ruby's body!
"Weiss!" Yang looked her way, her eyes wild and bleeding into red. Her hair shimmered with waves of light and heat.
Weiss swallowed. The urge to tell Yang to calm down before the heat she was generating blew them all up, died before it had even fully manifested. There was no way Yang would listen to reason when Ruby was in danger, and to be honest, Weiss shared the sentiment at the moment. They had to save Ruby. So if she wasn't going to stop Yang, then Weiss better be ready to back her up no matter what might happen.
Weiss gave Yang a stiff nod and instantly summoned a line of acceleration Glyphs for her. Yang leapt forward and rushed along the glowing Glyphs. Her Aura wrapped around her body like a firestorm, and the force of her run sent Weiss's hair dancing in a blast of heat.
Weiss dove into her belt pouch and pulled out her vial of ice Dust. Her hands trembled with nerves; she had to be quick. She opened the vial, summoned as many Glyphs as she could around Ruby and the Lancer, activated the ice Dust through her scattered Glyphs, and then braced herself.
Yang slammed into the Lancer with an enraged warcry. Its exoskeleton cracked beneath her fist. Lines of Yang's golden Aura leaked out from its pitch-black body, and the creature exploded from the inside. However, despite the intense heat and force of Yang's attack, there was no secondary chain of explosions. Not a single piece of stray coal or speck of coal dust had been ignited.
Instead, Weiss had to brace herself as a swirling rush of frigid air and fog swept past her. When the worst of the cold had dissipated, she found her knees shaking with relief. She had made it in time.
Kuromatsu limped up to her, his peg-leg and cudgel announcing his presence with every clunking step. "Quick thinking there. Well done."
He sidestepped a Creep with surprising agility, rammed his cudgel into the side of its neck where it lacked armor, and sent an Aura-spike into it. A second blast of Aura sent it flying so that he didn't get caught in its death throes. He settled himself near Weiss, keeping an eye out for other Grimm as Weiss took a moment to catch her breath.
Weiss drew in a shaky breath before giving him a weak nod. "I wasn't sure it would work though," she admitted in spite of herself. Her heart started pounding as she was suddenly filled with images of what might have happened if she had been even a second too late or if her plan had failed altogether.
It had been a split-second decision after all. The instant Yang started heating the air to dangerous levels, Weiss suddenly remembered countless nights where it had been so cold that their campfire went out without warning. If cold and ice could kill a fire, then perhaps it could prevent coal from igniting altogether. She hadn't expected to create such a large cloud of fog though. She could barely see Yang's glowing form from where she was standing.
Kuromatsu blasted another Creep away with a small amount of concentrated Aura. "Sometimes you don't. You just gotta act and hope things turn out for the best." He gave his head a mournful shake. "It's a sad world we live in when young people like you three fight better than some seasoned Huntsmen and Huntresses that I've seen."
Weiss didn't know how to respond to a comment like that, so she stayed silent. She couldn't quite hold back a sliver of pride, however. A complete stranger considered her to be on the same combat level as Yang and Ruby. It was so incredibly validating to hear, and her face warmed at the very thought.
Weiss tucked her ice Dust away, drew her rapier, and led the way to where Yang had pulled Ruby into a hug. A few Creeps tried to waylay them, but they were easily dispatched now that they'd lost the advantage of greater numbers. Weiss paused only once to recover Ruby's bow and slung it over her shoulder.
"Try not to do that again," Weiss said to Yang when she finally reached the sisters. She stopped at the edge of the ring of ice she had made, and the abrupt drop in temperature made her shiver. At least the fog was finally starting to clear a bit though.
Weiss shifted her attention to Ruby and scanned her from head to toe for any possible injuries. She didn't see any at first glance, but that didn't mean much when it came to Ruby.
"I'll try not to," Yang said when she finally let Ruby go. Her eyes had shifted back to their normal shade of lilac.
The two sisters carefully made their way to the rest of the team. Ruby was crossing the last stretch of icy floor when she suddenly slipped.
"Watch it—!"
"Careful—!"
Yang's hand shot out to catch Ruby's elbow while Weiss managed to grab Ruby's wrist to keep her from falling.
What Weiss didn't expect was for Ruby to wince the moment Weiss wrapped her hand around the leather bracer Ruby wore. It was little more than a flash though—brief enough that Weiss found herself questioning whether she actually saw it or not. Even so, Weiss released Ruby's wrist as soon as the girl regained her footing.
Weiss met Yang's eyes. The other woman nodded, her mouth pulled into a frown. She had seen it too.
Weiss pursed her lips and examined Ruby more closely. Remorse washed through her when she realized Ruby was now subtly favoring her arm.
Weiss gave a low huff and created a handful of platforms so the sisters didn't have to walk across the slippery floor any longer. "Sorry," she murmured as they stepped up onto her floating stepping stones with a practiced ease. "I should have done this from the start."
Ruby hopped down next to her and was soon followed by Yang.
"No sweat, Icy. We didn't think of it either." Yang's expression flickered, and she rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm sorry as well," she added quietly. "I shouldn't have let my temper get the best of me. Thanks for having my back. We'd all probably be dead now if you hadn't done what you did."
Weiss felt her cheeks redden, and she glanced away. "You would have done the same for me."
She turned her eyes towards Ruby. "What happened to your arm?"
Ruby shrank, and her wolf ears drooped. She signed quickly, I'm fine. My Aura protected me.
Weiss's eye twitched. She was getting really tired of seeing that particular response. She crossed her arms and glared. "No, you aren't—not if you're wincing like that."
"Ruby." Yang's tone brooked no argument.
Ruby sagged and then held her right arm up for inspection, looking every bit a child being chastised by her mother.
Yang's hands dwarfed Ruby's as she removed Ruby's bracer and gently felt the bone underneath. When Ruby's breath hitched, Weiss reached out to take her free hand, wanting to comfort her in some way. Ruby latched on gratefully, closed her eyes, and leaned into Weiss's shoulder. Her body tensed, and her grip tightened whenever Yang touched a particularly painful spot. All Weiss could do was squeeze back gently as they waited for Yang's verdict.
"It's not broken, I don't think," Yang said at last. "Just badly bruised, maybe even down to the bone." She blew out a breath, took Ruby by the elbow, and drew her closer. Weiss was pulled along for the ride since Ruby seemed unwilling to let go. Yang wrapped an arm around Ruby's shoulders and rested her cheek against the crown of Ruby's head. "You need to be more careful."
Weiss would have added her own opinion to the mix if Ruby hadn't already looked suitably guilty for worrying them. Ruby finally let go of Weiss's hand so that she could return her sister's embrace. Weiss stepped away to give them a moment of privacy.
She joined Kuromatsu where he had been keeping an eye on the swarming Lancers high above them.
"They're getting ready to move," he said softly. "With the pipsqueak hurt, you're our best bet in taking them out."
"Not a problem." If anything, she would relish the chance to take them out since they were most likely the ones that had hurt Ruby. She retrieved her ice Dust from her belt pouch and held it ready once more.
Something tugged on the bow she had draped over her shoulder. Weiss pulled away and turned to see Ruby with her bracer back on. She scowled, knowing the bracer meant Ruby intended to keep fighting. "No, absolutely not."
Ruby pouted and then signed again, I'm fine. I can do it.
"Ruby—" Yang started to say, but she never got to finish her sentence. Kuromatsu's voice drowned her out.
"Look sharp! They're coming!"
The distraction was enough for Ruby to make her move. In a rare act of disobedience, Ruby grabbed her bow from Weiss before the latter could stop her.
"Heads up!" Yang yelled. She crowded everyone closer to Weiss.
Weiss's gaze shot up, her eyes widened, and she threw up a defensive Glyph large enough to shield all four of them. A barrage of tooth-like barbs rained down on them from above. She blinked. Those didn't look like stingers.
Kuromatsu must have noticed her confusion. "It's the Lancer Queen, and she's got a huge supply of those things."
Well, that was just great.
The same thought must have crossed Yang's mind, judging by her grimace. "I'm at a major disadvantage." Yang scanned the cavern, and suddenly, her expression brightened in a way that made Weiss inexplicably nervous. She glanced at her sister. "Ruby." The girl turned, and Yang tossed the knife she had borrowed earlier back to its owner. Ruby deftly nabbed it out of the air and slipped it back into her boot.
Meanwhile, Weiss blasted two Lancers out of the air with her ice Glyphs. The first Lancer crashed into a pillar. The second fell to the ground, chittering angrily when it found two of its wings and half of its legs frozen.
Ruby disappeared from their side in a swirl petals, and the next second, she was beneath the Grimm. With half of its legs frozen, it couldn't reach her; it could only drag its frozen limbs in an awkward circle. Ruby's sword and Aura flashed up in a crimson arc, cleaving through the Lancer's unarmored belly and slicing it in half. She darted back to them before the creature had even finished dissolving.
"Ruby, you sure you're up for this?" Yang said when Ruby had returned.
Ruby nodded resolutely, her eyes as serious as ever.
Yang blew out a breath. "Alright then. You and Weiss stick together. Focus on the airborne Grimm." She glanced at Kuromatsu. "How much Aura do you have left?"
They all flinched when another flurry of Queen Lancer stingers rained down from above. Weiss kept a careful eye on the regular Lancers as well in case they decided to come at their group from the side.
"Not much," he admitted. "But I've got enough to keep myself alive, so don't worry about me. Focus on yourselves." He glanced back to where the breach was. "I'll see if I can reabsorb some Aura from my plants back there."
Weiss blinked. "You can do that?"
Kuromatsu grimaced. "I can. In fact, anyone with a Semblance that lets them affect living creatures can, but it's not a good idea. It hurts like hell because you're basically sharing a piece of your soul only to rip it away again. Take too much Aura back and it kills whatever you shared it with, and you feel that pain."
Weiss stared at him in growing shock and horror, the implications of his Semblance dawning on her for the first time. "Wait—so when the Grimm were tearing at your vines—"
She ignored the confused looks Yang and Ruby were giving her.
Kuromatsu gave her a crooked smile. "You're too sharp for your own good." He gave them an offhanded shrug. "Yeah, it hurts when my plants get hurt, but that's just how it is. All power comes with its own drawbacks. This just happens to be mine. I can handle a little pain if it means keeping my family safe."
Yang stepped forward with a new look of respect in her eyes as she looked at the old man. "I'll give you a lift. Gotta go fetch some stuff anyway. Icy, can we get another speed-up?"
Weiss gave her a nod as she prepared to summon another set of Glyphs. "Stay safe."
Yang smirked. "No way. I'm gonna cause chaos and wreak havoc, starting with those grounded Lancers over there."
Ruby suddenly vanished from their sides again to cut off a Creep that was heading in their direction.
Yang's bravado slipped as she stared after her little sister, her brow furrowed and lips pressed tight.
Weiss hesitated before reaching out to briefly touch Yang's elbow. "I'll keep an eye on her."
Yang met her eyes, and her expression softened. "Yeah, I know."
Yang glanced back at Kuromatsu motioned to her shoulders as she crouched down. The old man grumbled but otherwise didn't complain. Weiss sent them on their way just as Ruby darted back to her side.
Weiss turned her attention to Ruby as she blocked a set of Lancer stingers with another Glyph.
"Alright, Ruby, here's the plan." Weiss explained the gist of it even as she kept an eye on the circling Grimm. She fired off a few bolts of ice to prevent a handful of Lancers from following Yang and Kuromatsu as they raced off.
"And remember," Weiss finished, "no heroics. We all need to walk away from this fight safely." She let a little of her worry bleed into her voice in hopes of getting Ruby to truly listen. "Please."
Ruby's ears folded down at the sound, and the girl nodded. Weiss could only hope that Ruby would actually listen this time.
A/N: Thank you again to all of you who've been so supportive of this story. Thank you for reading. Thank you for your comments, reviews, and encouragement. Thank you for enjoying this story as much as you have. And thank you so so SO much for your patience. You are the best audience that I could have possibly hoped for. ^_^