FIRST MEETING

The chilly touch of cold breeze was felt everywhere. The Mountain maples shone amidst the rising sun. The birds' constant chirping further lightened the atmosphere in the forest. The sun rose slowly into the dull morning sky, casting its beams in every direction while it illuminated the small town.

The forest seemingly came alive under the rays of the sun, with rich reds and golden hues emphasizing the autumn season. Bright leaves of ivy decorated the pines and maples, designed at the skirt of the foot of the mountain.

A breeze through the region caused the tall grass to dance with the blowing wind, and the flowers were smothered in morning dew. Fluffy fleeces of clouds passed over the forest as the leaves floated over the running streams that stretched from the mountains over a great distance.

And the grumbling sounds of a girl filled the region while she followed an older man.

When Ruby Rose heard that her Uncle was going to be training her privately in combat so she could achieve her dream of being a Huntress, she was ecstatic. Now it has been a week and her annoyance with the training schedule had not yet waned.

The sleep was still visible in her eyes while she trailed after Qrow. She never understood the reason as to why she had to wake up earlier than the sunrise. They could have started later on and it wouldn't have harmed anyone.

"How many reasons do you want?"

Ruby blinked, not realizing she had been voicing her thoughts. "Uhh."

"A lot of biology involved there but I'm pretty sure your brain wouldn't handle it."

Ruby scowled before letting out a grimace. Although it was kind of insulting, he was right, but she wasn't going to admit it to him. She just followed him through the trees while they approached a clearing.

"First of all it clears your mind, gives you the necessary energy for the day, jumpstarts your metabolism, need I go on?" He looked to the fifteen year old girl behind him and let out an amused chuckle at the expression she had on her face. It was always fun, riling the kids up.

"Yeah yeah," she grumbled. The two reached a clearing that had scars around the surrounding trees, showing the progress they had gone through.

"Well, so far you have done excellently, your aim with the weapon is getting better."

Ruby smirked and began to cradle her weapon lovingly. "It's one of the good things that came out of this."

"And how did you think you were able to use it? With my training, you wouldn't have much problems with it." Qrow elaborated before whistling at the mountain that within a close range. "I never get tired of the sight." He smiled and looked to Ruby who groaned.

"I do."

"Well, Ruby, up you go."

Ruby let out a groan and dropped both bags belonging to her and Qrow as well as her weapon to the leaf covered clearing and began to run towards the mountains, certain that she could climb herself to the top today.

Qrow just let out a smirk at the determination she showed. "That's my girl."

He was certain her grumpiness was just an effect of her being a teenager. Deep down, he knew that she always liked a challenge when it was directed towards her.

Besides, he had a good feeling about today. And that happened rarely.

Ruby greedily gulped down large quantities of water from the bottle as Qrow blinked. "That wouldn't be good for you, cramps and all that."

Ruby let out a loud exhale in relief, lying flat on the earth. "I…" she gulped in air, "I don't care."

"Well, I guess we could use a bit of rest. Nice job, you got further than the last time."

"I'm pretty sure I deserve a bit more than 'nice job'." She muttered with a scowl as Qrow let out a chuckle.

"Well you did well, but you haven't reached the top yet."

She huffed. "Well, I'd like to see you try in lesser…" she blinked realizing who she was talking to. "Oh forget it."

"Don't be all grumpy," Qrow poked at her twice with a stick prompting a twitch from her left eyebrow. "You aren't as old as I am, and I rarely grumble."

"Yeah right."

"What I'm saying, if you keep it up, you could be doing that in lesser time, your body builds up a great deal of endurance, and you are one step closer into being ready to go to the Academy."

"Yeah yeah." She muttered unenthusiastically. She sat up, her eyes taking an inquisitive gaze. "I keep wondering."

"What?"

"Why aren't the Grimm around here?" Qrow arched an eyebrow at the question. "You said that they were in every Kingdom, I'm just wondering why we haven't seen it."

"Do you want to see it?" he asked.

"It wouldn't hurt, I mean sure the drawings and lessons you have given helps, but if I don't meet them head on, how will I be able to know how to fight them?"

"Just because you haven't seen them doesn't mean they aren't around. They are like dormant creatures, looking for something to call them forth." Qrow looked in thought, scratching his beard. "In a weird way, they are like animals; they keep to themselves, unless when provoked or drawn by something."

"Can you pet one then?"

Qrow blinked at the odd question. "Of course not, they'll eat you."

"Whoa."

"Yeah, for some reason, they really hate humans." Ruby just stared at her uncle in curiosity. "That's why no matter what, Grimm being close to a human population is never a good thing."

Ruby looked to the leaves on the earth in thought. "I see."

"You shouldn't be that anxious to look at one." Qrow supplied, drawing her attention. "They are very dangerous you know."

"You said it yourself back then." Ruby muttered. "They have been around since you can remember, and if we do not discover how to defend ourselves against them, we could lose people we care about."

"In my defense I was drunk." Qrow grimaced, not believing he actually told her that. That was quite dark.

Ruby just let out a light laugh. "Yeah you were." She picked a leaf and slowly lifted it up towards the direction of the sun, noting the glow around its edges. She smiled. "But it felt like I wanted to hear that. I want to help people, and I want to fight the Grimm, so I can at least protect Yang, dad…" she glanced to him, "and even you."

"Even me? What does that mean?"

Ruby just smirked, feeling rejuvenated. She crushed the leaf in hand, stood up and began to stretch. "Heh, you wanted me to climb up to the top right?"

Qrow looked to her, and a nostalgic feeling went through his mind; fond memories with her mother crossing his mind. A smile emerged from his face as Ruby took up, faster than before.

He watched her departing figure and shook his head, wistful thoughts creeping through his mind.

If only you were here to see her, Summer.

Ruby grunted as she pushed herself to the top of the mountain, letting out a sigh of relief. She fell on her back in exhaustion, the cool winds from the top of the mountain causing her to exhale in comfort.

She then grinned.

"Yes! Haha, take that Uncle Qrow! I did it!"

She punched to the air multiple times and remained on the ground, not moving a bit. She closed her eyes and savored the cool atmosphere, resting for a brief moment.

It was nice.

"Hey Ruby!"

For the most part.

Qrow's voice echoed from the bottom of the mountain to Ruby whose eyes who scrunched up her face at the disturbance.

"Hope you aren't dead yet!"

Ruby just rolled her eyes and stood up slowly sighing in annoyance. She blinked, widening her eyes at the landscape that greeted her eyes. It was so beautiful, especially when she noticed the way the sun brought out the valleys and plains which were augmented by the autumn grassland.

So exhausted from her previous climbs, she never had the chance to experience the beauty of the land. A bright smile emerged from her face, as she closed her eyes and outstretched her hands.

Her ears took in the sounds of the chirping birds, and the sound the wind made as it moved through the forest.

She opened her eyes, about to start climbing down when she was sure she saw something in the distance, something she couldn't quite place. For some reason her vision was sharp, looking to the far distance to note something black moving towards a cave. For a moment she would have sworn it was a Grimm.

She blinked only to note that it wasn't there anymore.

"Huh." She mused and shook her head, looking once more to see nothing in the distance. "Must be my imagination."

Sighing, she looked down to her waiting uncle and prepared to climb down.

"Here we go."

"So how was it?"

Ruby's father asked, arranging the plates for breakfast on the table. The question caused Ruby to shoot a glare to Qrow's direction, the Uncle looking on in innocence.

"I'm pretty sure he wants to kill me and is finding subtler ways to do it."

"Subtler?" Qrow hummed in surprise as he took a piece of bread. "You tried a big word, impressive."

Ruby's face reddened as her eyebrow twitched remarkably.

"Be careful there Ruby, be sure you don't pop a vein from the headaches." Her older sister, Yang Xiao Long chuckled, dropping a flask right at the middle of the table. Her long blond hair was tied up, with her eyes showing amusement towards the situation in front of her. "Trust me I've been there."

"Blame him." Ruby pointed towards Qrow who didn't regard her comment and looked aloof. Her father just laughed out in response.

"In his defense you are always so easy to rile up."

"Oh come on dad."

"Yang was more receptive to my training methods." Qrow defended himself.

"Don't bring me into this." Yang pointed out, before sitting down. "You don't want to hear my answer."

"Yeah, let's be eating." Qrow grumbled using a spoon to dig into his food. "I have places to go."

"How's she coming along?" Taiyang asked leaning to a tree while Qrow who sat on a large rock kept hurling stones at intervals into a hole in a tree in the distance. The two were seen behind the house, the morning sun brimming through the day.

"Better than expected. She's very good at picking things up. Well, practically."

"I wouldn't have wanted her to be introduced to this so young. She's still a kid. Now, we're moving her up two years. It's almost like-"

"She's a special case." Qrow cut in with a frown. "The Fire Continent do not consider that. We aren't like them."

"But still," Taiyang sighed. "I thought that it ended with Summer."

"It's a good thing it didn't. It never ends. Sure they are now rare, unlike before, but the Silver eyes were always a power to behold against the Grimm. If we do not train her to be more receptive of her power now, it'll just be chaos."

Taiyang smiled wistfully to the distance. "I wonder how she would have felt about the whole thing."

"Summer?" Qrow let out a smile. "She'd have been so pumped that her daughter had such an awesome power."

Taiyang let out a laugh. "You right about that." A sad expression emerged over his face. "I so miss her, you know?"

"We all do."

Taiyang looked to him. "So, where are you going to?"

"Beacon." Qrow muttered, "I need to talk to Ozpin regarding her…situation."

"You're certain we can trust him."

"Yes. He's quite crafty," Qrow shrugged, "but who isn't nowadays?"

Qrow stopped throwing the stones and looked to him, noting the doubtful expression on his face. "She's learnt all she can at Signal. I know as a father you're worried for her. But she'll be alright. She would have Yang, and I'm pretty sure she'll blend in right on."

"I see the reason, doesn't mean I have to like it."

Qrow nodded. "I understand. You should tell her though, that she'll be leaving soon. From Vale I'll be heading on to Atlas. I need to go piss 'em off."

Taiyang just laughed as the mockingbirds birds flew across the forest chirping in the wind.

"Of course you do."

It was night and Yang was seen on her bed, across from her being Ruby.

"It's nice you know."

"What?" Yang asked looking to Ruby.

"You graduated from Signal, and you'll be heading to Beacon."

"I guess." She said, looking to the ceiling. "I'm kinda nervous about it all y'know."

"You?" Ruby looked surprised. "Nervous?"

Yang just laughed. "Yup. I guess… it's because I'll be meeting new people."

"That's quite a bummer."

"I'm not like you y'know." Yang scoffed. "I'm pretty sure I can hold a conversation with people without trying to kill them."

"That was one time, and it was his fault by the way!"

"Sure, sure."

Ruby just let out a smile on her bed. "It's going to be so lonely when you're gone."

"Dad will be here."

"I'm quite sure there are some things I can't talk to dad about."

"Like what?" Yang blinked. "A boyfriend?!"

"Shut up!"

Yang laughed out at the flustered look on Ruby's face. "You are so easy to tease." She then smiled. "I'm really going to miss this."

Ruby was seen in the clearing she was in a day before. She was with her Crescent Rose weapon strapped behind her with her eyes closed as she tried to concentrate.

Multiple bottles were tied at random locations in the trees surrounding her and she quickly unleashed her weapon, firing at incredible speeds towards the objects.

In seconds she was done, and the bottles were nothing more than broken pieces on the earth. Well, most of them.

Ruby opened her eyes and let out a smirk, noting an increased amount from last time. Her aim was definitely getting better. "Oh yeah!"

Hearing the creaking of the tree behind her, she turned to see that she had shot off a great piece of the stem, causing it to fall towards her.

She looked dryly at the falling tree, "Oh come on, not again."

She quickly shifted to the side, blinking with an aloof expression as the birds flew away from the tree before it crashed down.

"Sorry." She apologized to the birds while sheepishly scratching her head.

She then sheathed her weapon and whistled, walking with it towards the mountain. Qrow was gone for the whole week, and she wasn't going to slack off. She wanted to be a hunter, and nothing was going to stop her, not even a giant pile of rock.

And with that mindset, she began to climb.

Getting to the top was easier, and she actually appreciated what Qrow explained earlier. She was surprised that despite going through the regimens that her Uncle had designed, she still felt energetic.

Again she decided to stop and relax, noting that the top actually helped to calm her down. This was becoming her new favorite spot.

She sat down and enjoyed the view for a while, liking the way the morning sun reflected off the waters.

"Huh."

She looked to the distance, and she saw it again. Something black walking towards a cave. She blinked again and this time it didn't go.

Was that a Grimm?!

Quickly getting to the base of the mountain she sped forth, not intending to let this one out of her sight. He uncle said that just because they hadn't seen one didn't mean they weren't there, and he said again, that the Grimm being close to the Human population wasn't a good thing.

Was that their hideout? Were they planning an attack? What were they doing so close to Patch?

For some reason, the need to head back home didn't register in her mind. The need to answer those questions brimming at the forefront.

And so she sped forth, dashing through the trees and branches to the cave she saw earlier.

Deep down, a little part of her was ecstatic. She was finally going to see one up close, and was going to decide what to do with it. She kinda wanted to pet one.

With the weapon she forged back in Signal, she was certain, no Grimm could stand in her way. She landed right in front of the cave and what she saw stunned her.

A human was seen right before the approaching Grimm and he couldn't move. She noted that his back was turned to her and for a second, she saw the full features of the Grimm that towered over him.

For a moment she froze, looking in awe and slight fear at the creature before her. But her eyes caught the human and she blinked, snapping out of her daze and took aim.

"Hey! Run!"

She fired, and it went right through its shoulder, drawing it attention as well as the human.

Naruto blinked at the girl close to his age who took aim again and fired, and this time, the blast went through the Grimm's head stopping the creature in its tracks.

Naruto turned to look at the Grimm, noting the whine that emerged from it, before it collapsed on the ground, and slowly dissipating to nothingness. He didn't move from his position, stunned that a human was close to his location.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Ruby asked, approaching him. For a moment, she was grateful that she wasn't too late, and that the Grimm hadn't killed him. She smiled internally at herself, proud of her achievement.

She was definitely going to be a hunter.

She blinked that he didn't reply, still looking forward at the Grimm's final remains evaporating to the air.

Was he still in shock? Back in school she learned that some traumatic events caused something bad to people. She forgot the proper term but she got the gist. And so she moved to snap him out of it.

Naruto was going through his own set of thoughts, and there weren't positive for the girl approaching him.

She killed it.

She's discovered us. What will you do now?

Kill her?

I wasn't asking you for a question.

Naruto looked doubtful. But… she's not-

Did you see the way she fought? She isn't harmless, if she finds out about who you are, she'd try to kill you. We don't need that; no one, can accept us.

Naruto's eyes slowly ran cold as he became silent for a while, contemplating on what he should do. I'll kill her then.

And a kunai slid from his wrist.

"Hey." Ruby was seen before him giving a light slap to the side of his face to bring him out of the shock she assumed he was under.

What happened next was unpredicted.

The wind blew by slowly, and for a moment, it was as if time had stopped.

For the two individuals, it seemed like they had been transported to another place, despite the fact that they were right there, in the forest, looking to each other.

Ruby's eyes glowed a vibrant white and Naruto's glowed red.

And at that moment, it seemed like the time had stopped. The only motion was that of the wind, blowing the autumn leaves through the region under the sunlight whose beams penetrated every region.

Then time resumed.

Ruby blinked, dropping her hand, not realizing what had happened at that moment. But Naruto stared at her in shock and slight fear. His heart started beating so powerfully, it felt like it would burst out of his chest.

The kunai initially in his hand, dropped to the earth as his hands trembled.

Ruby smiled at the fact that his attention was now on her. He was out of it, it seemed. "Hey."

Naruto's mouth opened, and it felt like a hoarse whisper.

"It's… I…t's gone."

Ruby blinked. "Huh?"

"It's gone."

He looked at the girl before him, and wondered who she was. Just in that moment, what had almost consumed him, was gone. He didn't know if it was completely, or partially. But one thing was clear at the moment.

Ruby looked to him. "W…What's wrong?"

Naruto still looked stunned to the black and red haired girl that was before him.

"Kurama's… gone."