Welcome to ch 34 of TPA.
It didn't took Ruby long to reach Dragon's Maw main square, but once she got there, she was stopped by wall of bodies. It looked like just about every person in the village gathered there. She couldn't see what was happening, but could hear shouting.
The young Huntress huffed when she attempt to push through failed. She considered her options for a few moments, then with a sigh, used her Semblance to jump on the roof of a nearby building. The scene she saw looked like something out of some old movie.
The crowd made a circle around two groups standing in the center of square. One, consisting of around ten militia members,and a wildly gesticulating sheriff, The other was Jaune standing right in front of sheriff, with Ren and Nora a few steps behind him. Thankfully, it didn't look like they were about to draw weapons.
Yet.
With a sigh, Ruby dashed, landing next to Ren.
"I'm telling you kid, the case is closed. Solved. There is nothing left to do for you and your friends, so pack your bags and get the fuck out." The sheriff growled, poking Jaune in the chest with his finger. The blond opened his mouth to answer, but older man didn't let him.
"Are you deaf or something? Get the hell out of my city."
"No," was Jaune's firm answer.
"What the fuck you just say"
"No, we're not leaving. Not before we find what killed those people, and deal with it."
The sheriff looked like he was ready to punch the young Hunter, but stopped himself at the last moment.
"I don't know if you are deaf, stupid, or retarded. I told you kid, we already dealt with it. Wanna see this monster of yours? Here, take a look." He said pointing behind himself. There, between his men, laid a dead animal, some kind of large dog by the looks of it.
Jaune just shook his head.
"That's just some stray dog. It isn't what killed those people. I think…" The blond paused when sheriff grabbed his collar and pulled him closer.
"I don't care what you think, kiddo. I want you out of this city. Now." He growled through clenched teeth.
Jaune closed eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly let it go.
"Those people weren't killed by a dog. I know this, you know this, everyone who caught at least a glimpse of the corpses know this. I'm not sure who you're trying to convince otherwise, but maybe if you can't deal with this situation, you could at least not get in our way."
Everyone stilled at Jaune's words. No one said a word, not even a single whisper sounded. Everyone stared at the two men in the center of the square. The sheriff's face was bright red from anger, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. Jaune stared at him with a completely indifferent expression.
For a moment, Ruby feared the whole situation would end in violence. She could already see militia members, closing the distance, hands on their weapons. Jaune just stared at the sheriff, whose hand was slowly reaching for the gun on his waist.
"Now, now, let's all calm down." A new, slightly amused, voice sounded. All heads turned to see Regis approaching both groups.
"What do you want?" Asked sheriff, but his voice lacked his earlier anger.
"Well, I heard a commotion, and came to see what's happening. Now, I'm sure you have a very good reason to be threatening four Hunters with only ten people without Aura, but how about we all take a step back, and try to talk it out, like civilized people."
The sheriff huffed, but let Jaune go, with a light shove. The blond just shrugged, and took a step back, apparently content to let Regis do the talking.
"Nothing to talk about here. We got this 'monster' that killed all those people, so there is no need for them to stay here any longer."
"I see…" Regis walked past the remnants of a wooden box containing the dead animal and watched it for a few moments. When he turned around, his face was perfectly neutral.
"While I'm sure you have very good reasons to believe this case is closed, I would like to point out that these people were hired by me, and as such, they will stay here until our contract is complete. But don't worry, it won't take long, they have to be back in Vale before Monday. I'm sure you will be able to tolerate their presence for one more day?"
Both men stared at each other for a few moments. Eventually, the sheriff huffed, and walked away.
"Come on boys, no need to waste any more time on them."
"Thanks for the help, Regis. " Said Jaune, when the sheriff and his men disappeared into the crowd. "It was starting to look really bad."
"So I noticed. And your last comment certainly didn't help."
Jaune chuckled nervously.
"Yeah, I know. My mistake."
"Well, all ended well, so it's ok. Just be careful in the future, you know he doesn't have best opinion of Hunters."
"Really? I never would have guessed."
"But why? Did something happened?" Asked Nora, curious.
Regis shrugged.
"Not sure. I heard rumors that he once worked with a group Hunters, something went wrong and one of his friends died, but I don't know any details."
Jaune shrugged.
"Well, it doesn't matter. Let's focus on task at hand. You find anything new?"
Regis hummed.
"Maybe? I ran some tests and compared them to the data you provided, and…"
Jaune tensed.
"They match?"
"Not completely. I had some strange results, not sure what to make of it, but I'm pretty sure it's not the same substance. You want to take a look?"
Jaune nodded.
"Yeah. I trust you, but I want to make sure." The blond sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Ok, Ren, Nora, I want you to go back to the place where we found the last body. Ren, you have the powder we made earlier?"
"Yes, right here."
"Good. spread it over the area, see if there is any reaction. If it turns red, retreat and find me immediately. Ruby?"
"Yes?"
"You try to ask around town, see if there aren't any people who were acting strange lately. Like a normally, outgoing person avoiding people, or someone disappearing at night, or having trouble remembering things. But be…"
"Discreet?"
Jaune sighed.
"Yeah. And guys? Pack your bags. We might have to evacuate quickly if the worst case scenario happens."
"And what's the worst case scenario?" Asked Ren.
Jaune remained silent for a few moments, then let out a tired sigh.
"A repeat of Spring Valley."
The three Hunters in training looked at each other, then at their leader, and nodded. There was no point in asking any more questions.
Nora looked around nervously. They reached the clearing where the last body was found without any problems. And, as strange as it was, this put her on edge. It all looked so peaceful, so serene, but somehow, that didn't put her at ease. She watched with one eye as Ren started to cover the ground in some strange, funny smelling powder. She didn't know what it was supposed to do - she could only watch them mix herbs, Dust, and gods know what else for only so long before it got boring.
On top of that, they had apparently developed some sort of telepathy, because they were either finishing each other sentences, or didn't finish them at all, but still understood each other perfectly. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to be impressed, annoyed, or jealous.
Her and Renny had been friends for forever, and they couldn't do that!
Yet.
As soon as they got back to Beacon, she and her childhood friend would need to do some special training.
She sighed, and looked around. No danger in sight, but she still had this uneasy feeling. And she learned to trust her instincts more than her senses.
"How it going?" She called out, still scanning the forest for any threats.
"I'm done." Ren walked up to her and smiled. "I would like to search around a bit. Maybe we'll find something."
Nora nodded and followed her friend. To be honest, she would prefer to go back. This place was giving her the creeps.
And she wasn't sure if she wanted to find anything.
Jaune sighed, leaning back in his - or rather Regis' - chair.
"So? How does it look?" Asked the older man, handing him a cup of tea. Jaune accepted it with a smile and took a long sip.
"There are trace amounts of something similar to the poison used in Spring Valley, but there isn't enough for it to be the cause of death. Still, just to be sure, I would like to check out the town's water supply."
"We take water directly from the river. It would be hard to poison it without anyone noticing, but 'l'll check. Anything else?"
"In Spring Valley, he used candles to spread the toxin in the air. You think…"
Regis shook his head.
"Not a chance. Things like that we usually buy from caravans. Last time we bought any candles was over three months ago."
"Good. One less thing to worry about."
"So, what are you going to do now?"
"First, I'll wait and see if my friends found anything useful. If not, I'll just use my Aura vision to track this thing down."
"Why not do it now?"
"It's more effective when it's dark out. When I try to use it during the day, I always end up with a terrible headache afterwards. Plus, I would be able to see the glow of Aura better in the dark."
"I see. So, we wait?"
"We wait."
"Ruby!"
The little red Huntress paused, and turned towards the source of the voice, slightly annoyed. She was in the process of interrogating a grumpy old man, and finally was breaking through his defences. Her eyes stopped on a familiar girl in a green dress running towards her.
"Hey Rias. What's up?"
"Oh, you two know each other?" Asked the older man.
"Ah, hello Mr Graff. Yes, Ruby helped me out yesterday."
"It's nothing." Said girl smiled. "What's happening anyway? You looked to be in hurry?"
"It's about my friend, Emille. She asked me to help her gather some herbs yesterday, but when I got to our usual meeting place, she wasn't there. I haven't seen her since then. She can take care of herself, but I'm worried." Rias chuckled, looking to the side. "So, I thought that maybe you could help me look for her?"
Ruby nodded with a smile.
"Of course."
Rias beamed, and grabbed the young Huntress hands, dragging her towards the gate.
"Oh, thank you Ruby! I know it's silly, she's probably safe, and already back, but I'm just so worried, and…"
"It's alright Rias, just calm down. Tell me, where are we going to start looking for her?"
"There is this one place we always meet at when we want to hang out. Follow me!"
They ran for a few moments, before finally stopping near a big oak tree. Ruby could hear the sound of running water from nearby, probably some small stream. Rias looked around, and deflated a bit when she didn't see anyone.
"So, this is the place?"
"Yeah. We usually go along the edge of forest. There is a small stream here, a lot of useful herbs grow around it."
Ruby made to suggest they go the same way, but the sound of rustling stopped her. She pushed Rias behind her, urging her to hide behind the giant tree, and gripping Crescent Rose. She recalled there weren't supposed to be any Grimm in this area, but one couldn't be too careful. The rustling repeated a few times, getting closer and closer. Ruby bit her lip. Should she pull out Crescent Rose? Normally she wouldn't hesitate, but the people in the town were already very nervous, and she doubted that some villiger walking out in the clearing only to see her brandishing her weapon at them would help the situation.
Ruby tensed when she noticed the bush rustle again, but relaxed when two familiar figures entered the clearing.
"Ren! Nora!" She called out with a sigh of relief.
"Ruby? What are you doing here?" Asked the ginger girl.
"Well, I was helping my friend find someone." She said, pointing at the girl still hiding behind the tree. "Rias, you can come out,. These are my friends, Ren and Nora." They waved to the smaller girl, who, after a moment of hesitation, walked up to them.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you." She said with a bow.
"Likewise." Said Ren, returning the gesture. "You said you were looking for someone? Maybe we can help?"
Rias lit up.
"Really? That would be great! My friend Emi, she disappeared somewhere. She went into the forest to look for some herbs, and I haven't seen her since."
Ren's eyebrows narrowed.
"This friend of yours. Could you describe her?"
"Well, she is taller than me, by about a head. She usually wears a brown, leather jacket and pants, with a blue, or white shirt. Dark brown hair, and… did something happened?" Rias added when she noticed Ren and Nora's expression.
The black haired boy let out a tired sigh.
"I… I think we already found your friend."
Ruby swallowed. Somehow, that didn't sounded too encouraging.
Jaune sighed, and stepped back from the body. A few villagers had come over, put her on a stretcher, and carried her away.
"Fuck." He spat. Another victim, killed in the same way. They were too late, again.
At least we know that whatever it is, it is hiding somewhere nearby.
The body was fresh, Regis estimated she died only two, to three hours ago. Jaune sapred a glance at Ruby, who was currently comforting some young girl, a friend of the deceased if what he overheard was correct. Ren and Nora stood nearby, apparently not sure if they should join their teammate.
Jaune cursed again. Ha hated what he had to do now, but there were no way he could force any of his friends to do it.
"Rias?" He called out when he come closer. Big, shocked eyes look up at him, and he almost backed off. With her simple dress, and round face, she looked surprisingly similar to Sam.
"I'm Jaune, Ruby's friend. Could we talk for a moment?"
She looked uncertain, but eventually nodded.
"Thank you. I know it's hard, but I need to ask you some questions."
She just nodded.
"When was the last time you saw her?"
"T-this morning. We were supposed to go to the forest together, but when I got to our meeting place, she wasn't there."
Jaune nodded. Some of the villagers said they saw her leave the village early in the morning.
"I see. Tell me, was there anything unusual about her behavior recently? Like for example, loss of memory, or her becoming afraid of crowds, bright lights, or loud noises?"
Rias considered the question for a few moments, then shook her head.
"I-I don't think so. She was always a bit of a loner, prefered to wander in the forest than to stay in the village. Wanted to be a hunter." She chuckled. "Well, a regular one. Not like you or Ruby."
"You sure?" His eyebrows narrowed. "Some of the people I talked with said she was pretty outgoing."
Rias looked at him, for a few moments, unblinking.
"A-ah." She paused, looking to the side. "T-thats…"
"Jaune I think this is enough" Ruby said, hugging the smaller girl closer.
The blond ignored her.
"Rias. I need you to be honest with me. Everything you tell me, every piece of information, no matter how small, or insignificant you think it is, can help me find the… thing that killed your friend."
Rias shuddered, and for a moment Jaune though she might start crying, but she just shook her head, letting out short, humorless laugh.
"You will find it…?" She suddenly looked him in the eyes. They were the strangest color of green. "And what you will do with it once you find it? Will you kill it?" She challenged.
Jaune held her gaze.
"I'll free it from it's torment."
A few moments passed in silence. Eventually Rias let out tired sigh.
"Emi, she was… wild. She preferred to spend her time in the wilds, surrounded by trees and animals, rather than people. If she had to sit in the village, she would get restless, and start to look for things to occupy her. So, I guess some people saw this as her being outgoing." She shrugged. "It's not that she didn't like being around people, it's just that not many could keep up with her."
Jaune nodded.
"One more…" the ringing of his scroll stopped him. He excused himself and accepted the call.
"Please, tell me it's good news."
He could hear Regis hum.
"Not sure if it's good or not. I guess it's for you to decide."
"I'm listening."
"This girl, your friend Ruby hangs out with… Rias."
"What about her?"
"I asked around and it turns out she knew every victim."
Jaune tensed. It didn't necessarily mean anything. It could be just a coincidence.
Leon taught him to not believe in conscience.
"Great. Any more good news?" He asked sarcastically.
"Actually, yes. About a month ago, she traveled with caravan to Mistral, she came back about a week ago."
"Wait, alone? What about her parents?"
"Her parents are hunters, the regular kind. They often leave village for weeks. The girl is used to taking care of herself, plus many people like her. She helps everyone she can, and people help in turn."
Jaune sighed.
Ok, let's not jump to any conclusions. None of this has to mean anything.
"Oh, and one more thing."
Jaune groaned.
"That caravan… they were passing close to the place where this 'Master' was found."
Jaune remained silent for a few long moments.
"I see. Do you think…?"
"Well, you are the expert here."
Jaune groaned again, running a hand down his face.
"Ok, can you tell me more about the people that died, and what was their relationship with Rias?."
He spent a few minutes listening to the older man, from time to time casting a glance towards Ruby, who was still hugging her friend.
The blond hung up, and walked back to his team and small girl, who he desperately tried to not think of as a potential culprit.
"Rias."
She and Ruby looked up at him.
"One more question from me. Did you know any of the people that were killed?"
She considered his question for a moment.
"I… My parents were friends with Mr. Falker. He was the fisher that was killed two days ago. And Kamille, I knew her, but beside saying hello to each other, we didn't speak. And the last person… Mr. Drow, I think. I didn't speak with him at all." She shrugged. "I'm sorry, I can't help you with it."
Jaune tilted his head to the side, checking something on his scroll.
"Are you are sure you didn't know any of them closer?"
Rias shifted nervously.
"Y-yeah."
"Then how do you explain this." He said, pointing the screen of his scroll towards the young girl. There was photo on on it, of Rias, and some tall, blond girl. They were sitting together at the table, leaning on each other, and smiling towards the camera.
"Looks pretty friendly to me." He said, staring at the younger girl.
She in turn stared at photograph with wide eyes.
"I.. I don't…"
"And that's not all. I talked with Regis just now, he said you knew all the victims. You were good friends with Kamille. The old drunk, Mr Drow? You visited him often, cleaning his house, and even giving him food. And Falker - he was your uncle."
Rias seemed to grow smaller with each sentence Jaune said. Now that he paused, she looked terrified.
"I-I…" she stammered.
"And on top of that, Falker wasn't a fisher. He was lumberjack."
"Jaune, that enough! She's scared!" Ruby cried out, but went ignored.
"You knew all those people, Rias. You knew them well. So tell me, why are you trying to hide it?"
"I…"
"Rias, what is going on?"
"I.. I don't know." She cried out, looking around for help. Ruby got up, standing between her and Jaune.
"This is enough. She is afraid, she just lost her friend. It's natural she is in shock and can't…"
Jaune sighed, and finally looked at his teammate.
"Ruby, stand down. This isn't simple shock, she shouldn't be forgetting her friends and family. She is either lying, or…"
"Stop!" Ruby cried. "How can you be so cruel?!"
"Ruby, that is enough! She knows something about the Harrowed that killed all those people. She can even be…"
"NO!" They all turned to wide-eyed Rias. She was backing away slowly, mouth opening and closing wordlessly.
"No…" she said again, shaking her head slowly.
Then she turned around and ran.
Ruby, after sending one last glare at Jaune, followed her.
Stupid Jaune. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did he have to be so mean?
Ruby thought, as she ran after Rias. The girl was surprisingly fast, able to easily navigate in the forest, even when it was getting dark. Ruby was too busy chasing her, to consider she, a Huntress with a speed semblance, was having trouble catching normal, fourteen year old girl without Aura.
It's normal. She knows where we are, and is probably used to running through the woods.
Ruby grit her teeth, and sped up. Eventually, she caught up with her friend. She looked around, and realized it was the same clearing with the big oak tree, Rias took her to earlier.
"Rias?" She called out.
"Stay away!" Her friend cried out, taking a few steps back.
"Rias, clam down! I'm not going to hurt you."
"No.. you.. I…" she clutched her head in her hands. "Don't come any closer!"
"Ok." Ruby paused, and after a moment of consideration sat down, legs crossed.
"It's ok. Everything will be alright. Jaune might seem mean, but he means well. I'll still give him a proper scolding later, but for now…"
"No…" Rias shook her head, then chuckled nervously. "No, no no, no... It's all wrong. It wasn't supposed to be like this. I can't.. I don't…"
Ruby swallowed.
Ok, keep calm girl. You got this.
"Rias…"
"I'm sorry, Ruby."
The young Huntress blinked, surprised.
"You don't have anything to apologize for! If anything, it's Jaune…"
"No, it's alright." She sighed, and sat down." I'll tell you a secret Ruby. I can't feel any of it."
Ruby blinked again.
"Feel… what?"
Rias smiled at her, but it was sad, desperate smile.
"Anything. The grass under me feet, the wind on my face. Heat or cold. Joy or sorrow. Anything. I just act like I do, I pretend, because I know people expect it. But it's getting harder and harder. I… I think I'm, starting to forget what it is like to feel anything…"
Ruby swallowed, desperately trying to not think about what Jaune almost said before Rias ran off. It couldn't be, could it?
"I used to get sick easily, you know? My parents always worried about me. Then I meet this one guy, he said he could cure me. It was weird, really weird, but it worked! This medicine he gave me, it really worked. I wasn't hurting anymore, I was stronger, so I could actually help people around town."
She chuckled, then scowled.
"But then I started noticing that I couldn't feel other things, Even that chuckle just now, I did it only because I thought I should. I know that there is something wrong with me, but I just don't care. Because I can't feel anything."
"She then walked to still the sittig, and shocked Ruby, and looked her in the eyes.
"But when I first looked in your eyes, I felt… something. I don't know what, but it was first time I felt anything in a long time. I hoped you might help fix me, but…" She stepped back "It's gone now. I no longer feel anything."
"Rias…" Ruby made to get up, but the smaller girl just shook her head.
"No, it's ok. I had suspected it for some time, but…" She shrugged. "Hey, Jaune?"
"Yeah?"
Ruby turned around. The blond Witcher just walked out of the woods, Ren and Nora following shortly after. Ruby's eyes widened when she noticed her fellow team leader had his black sword drawn.
Rias let out a long, tired breath.
"The monster that killed all those people… it's me, right?"
A few moments passed in silence. Ruby wanted to protest, to tell to them to stop joking like that, because this was definitely not funny.
Eventually, Jaune sighed, walked closer, and stood next to Ruby.
"Yeah."
Ruby shook her head. This wasn't possible! Harrowed were supposed to be mindless monsters! And Rias was a normal person!
Sure, she was super strong, and didn't feel cold, and was able to run as fast as a trained Huntress through thick forest at night, and…
"I see…" She appeared lost in thought for few moments, than just shook her head. "So I guess you're going to kill me now?"
Jaune sighed.
"Technically, you are already dead. For a few weeks, I think."
"Oh…" Rias looked shocked, but then just chuckled. "Well, that would explain a lot. But… why did I kill those people? I.. I don't remember doing any of this…"
"I don't know. It might have been because they saw something that tipped them off you aren't human anymore. But If I had to guess… It's because you are not a Harrowed yourself, rather your body is controlled by one." Jaune took a few careful steps towards girl. "You can't remember what you did those nights, right?"
Rias looked up at him, surprised. Then, after a moment of hesitation, nodded.
"And you usually found yourself in this place in the morning, and you are never sure how you got there."
She nodded again.
"Yeah.. yeah, you are right. What does that mean?" Her voice sounded excited, hopeful even.
Jaune sighed.
"You were attacked by a parasite type Harrowed. It killed you, and is using your body as a host. The reason you don't remember those nights, is that most Harrowed are weaker in sunlight. So, it uses your memories to blend in at day, and takes full control at night."
Rias deflated.
"Oh… So there is no way to help me, right?"
Jaune lifted Eclipse.
"This.. This is only way."
Rias tensed and took a step back. Then she took deep a breath, and walked closer.
"I see." She stopped right in front of Jaune. "I… I don't want to hurt anyone. So please, before it take control of me again… While I'm still me. Please…"
Jaune lifted eclipse, pointing the blade at Rias' chest.
"Sure. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry."
Rias nodded, closing her eyes. She was shaking, but stood in place. Jaune adjusted his grip. One stab, right through heart, it should be enough to…
"Wait!" Rias cried out. Jaune jumped back, but no attack came.
"I.. I.." she took a deep breath. Then another. "Can you… let Ruby do it? I.. I just feel that if it's her, I…" She rubbed her head.
"She is my friend...I think…" She added looking at young Huntress. Ruby blinked a few times, trying to clear her vision, then she nodded.
"Yes, of course! We are besties!"
"Then, please. I know it's selfish, but…"
Ruby wiped her tears, and got up.
"Not, it's ok." She looked at Jaune. "But… can I even do it?"
The blond considered her for a moment, then nodded.
"Should be possible, but we will have to do it together." He stood behind Ruby, holding Eclipse near crossguard with one hand. Ruby grabbed handle with both.
"I'm going to activate it now. You should be able to feel the flow of my Aura. Try to add yours to it, but don't lose control. It will drain you in a few seconds if you lose your grip."
She nodded. Moments later, she felt Jaune's aura flow into blade, and it responded. Black smoke rose and coiled around their arms, painting them black. The blade itself looked like it was made out of blackness. Ruby tried to not think about how much like the smoke Grimm turned into it looked.
But then, she noticed wisps of white appearing in the black mass, coiling around the darkness, binding it, and shaping. It took her a moment to realize it was Jaune's Aura, and she focused on her own, pushing it into the blade.
It was easier than she thought. The power of her soul flowed freely out of her body, and into the blade. The white was joined by red, both colors swirling, never mixing, but working together to bind, and shape the dark blade.
"Good. Now, do it."
Ruby hesitated, looking at Rias. Her friend smiled and nodded.
"Goodbye Ruby." She said, closing her eyes.
Ruby bit back a sob.
"Goodbye, Rias." And then she pushed Eclipse into her friend's chest.
Helpless. That was how she felt. Always sick, always too weak to do anything. Even if she tried to help, she just made things worse. She either messed it up, or got injured.
Completely helpless.
What is point of living like that? Only bringing trouble to others?
And then she didn't felt helpless anymore. Nor sick, nor weak. She was happy… until she realized she wasn't really happy, she just thought she should be. And once that realization came, she noticed she couldn't feel many things.
In fact, she couldn't feel anything. She was empty, completely empty.
Jaune lifted an unconscious Ruby in his arms.
"So, what now?" Asked Nora. Her voice was quiet, uncertain.
Jaune sighed.
"We go back to the tavern. Ruby needs some sleep. And after that?" He shrugged. "We go back to Beacon. Our job here is done."
"It… doesn't feel as awesome as I thought it would…" she said, sparing one last glance at the spot where Rias' body turned into dust.
Jaune let out a tired sigh.
"It rarely does."
And this wrap up ch 34. Our heros successfully completed their mission. But victory is not nearly as sweet as they would like. Well, at least Ruby scored her first Aberration kill, right?
Next chapter will wrap up Dragon's Maw arc, and our heroes will finally get a chance to go back to Beacon and relax.
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See ya next week.