"Ruby...Ruby..." Ruby fluttered her eyelids open. Her blurred vision making her see shapes and spots. Soon it came clear and Rin's face appeared above hers, relieved to see her awake. He helped her sit up to her knees. She grabbed the side of her head and a huge bump was formed where Adam hit her unconscious. She rubbed the sore area and looked around.

"Where are we?" Rin shifted his body toward her just in case she was unsteady.

"Looks like they put us in a supply tent...There are two guards outside and we have been here all night." Ruby nodded and then she remembered.

"Where's Juane!?"

"Nora is taking care of him. He's over there." Ruby turned and seen Juane laying on the ground and Nora sitting close by. Ruby crawled over discreetly and made it to Nora next to Jaune. Nora grinned and scooted away so she could get closer.

"Juane...Ruby's awake." Nora said and he opened his eyes, giving a small smile to Ruby. She smiled as well and grabbed his hand. He sat up and grasped her hand with his.

"Hi Juane." She sucked in a cry.

"Hey ya Ruby."

"How's your leg?"

"It's healed."

"What? Who-"

"Blake." Ruby lowered his hand to the floor and starred.

"Blake...Blake?" She looked to Nora for conformation and she nodded making Ruby's heart beat fast. She found her best friend! She was here! "White Fang has her too?."

"No Ruby...She is White Fang." Juane coughed and continued looking into her shocked eyes.

"What?"

"She lead White Fang to me and they captured me..."

"No...No Blake wouldn't do that. She-she healed you right so-" She stopped as Juane looked to the ceiling and back to her giving her an irritated expression which confused her.

"I don't know anymore...who to trust. People can be deceivers. Blake lured me to them...She is apart of White Fang." Ruby let go of his hand and stood up.

"I can't believe that. I won't. I won't Juane." Juane stood up as well holding his arm to his side.

"She let them beat me!"

"I know! But...Something had to of happen." She tried to convince him but he turned away from her. Gripping his fist with aggravation.

"Ruby. I'm sorry but you've been blinded."

"Excuse me?"

"You don't want to see that there might be bad people out there. You can't easily trust somebody like that."

"Her name, Juane, is Blake and she's our friend!"

"Ruby you've changed too! Since when are willing to kill someone in order to get to Cinder!?"

"Only to protect you guys!"

"Ruby you need to be more aware of what you say! You can't be okay with murder! There is no coming back from killing a person!"

"I am not Pyrrah!" Ruby covered her mouth...She couldn't believe what came off her lips. And Juane...His face...His face turned from anger to hurt. Nora and Rin just looked to each other sadly. After a few moments Juane's mouth formed a firm line and he turned back to her.

"You are right...Your not." He grinned shaking his head at her. "Sorry." Ruby went to say something but before she could Adam entered the tent. He grabbed Ruby's arm and pulled her away, leaving her team behind...Again...

Adam held Ruby's arm tight as they walked through the camp. Snow fell lightly in the air, biting at her skin in the bitter cold night. They walked into a near by tent and Adam shoved Ruby in. She almost fell by the sudden impact but soon found her footing, finding herself standing in front of a desk where Cinder sat. She glanced up from her papers and smiled.

"Ahh Ruby so glad that you could join us." She handed a folder to one of the White Fang members as she stood and walked to the front her desk. She leaned confidently against it folding her arms in the process.

"Why am I here?" Ruby ordered.

"I'll show you." Once Cinder finished Adam handed her Taiyang's journal. As the book was exchanged from his hand to hers, Ruby flipped her head to Adam. She looked down at his feet and sure enough there it was-

"Cowboy Boots." She looked up to see Adam wearing a curious grin. "It was you?"

"Like stealing candy from a baby." She furrowed her brows at his remark and turned back to Cinder.

"You are probably wondering why I have this?" Cinder implied as she observed the book leather.

"The thought might have crossed my mind."

"Your father wrote some very interesting tales in this book. Especially about your mother and the tree of life."

"Which was destroyed years ago." Ruby answered.

"We both know that's not true. Your her daughter. And I'm sure you have read this book front to back multiple times. You know there has been alot documented here that raise a few brows." Ruby let out a short laugh.

"Yeah. And alot of the those stories are based off Legend."

"So are the four maidens, yet two stand here now." Ruby licked her lips as she skimmed through the pages. Placing her finger to a passage in it. "Summer is keeping the ember safe. She has had visions. They keep her up at night. Our daughters will have to grow up in her dangerous legacy and there is nothing I can do to stop that. Fate. My wife's bloodline is cursed and they can never know the responsibility tied to their future. To the ember. And to their destiny." Ruby read that page a thousand times never in her wildest dreams would she only find out now what it truly meant.

"You want the ember?" Ruby asked.

"I have been searching years for the ember. It said that only an heir to the Guardian of the tree of life can find it...That's you."

She tossed the book to Ruby. She caught it and held it tenderly in her hand.

"I don't even know where to begin. I was 10 when she died, she never told me where it was or how to find it."

"I think she did. In her own way, besides you have no choice in the matter. I have your friends."

"But-"

"Force yourself to remember!" Cinder snapped. She checked herself for a moment and took a breath in. "I'll give you a month."

"What did I miss?" Mercury entered the tent and smiled widely at Ruby. "Hey you." Ruby clenched her fists and tried not to focus on him. On the man that killed Penny.

"Mercury." Cinder acknowledged and they waited for Ruby to answer.

"I'll do it." She looked to Mercury and then back to the ground. "But I have conditions."

"Fine."

"One...Blake."

"Blake?" Cinder repeated curiously.

"I know she's here and against her will. She gets her freedom and what ever is holding her here." Adam went to retaliate but Cinder raised her hand.

"Done." Adam cursed under his breath, Ruby could feel him starring through his mask at her.

"Two. I want you to give my sister Yang an arm." She glanced over to Mercury. "I think you can handle that." He nodded with a bow as if he wasn't snarky enough. "Three. You release team JNPR."

"As you wish. After you find the Ember. All your terms will be granted."

Ruby was not going to underestimate Cinder again. She couldn't, not after what happened to Pyrrah and Juan. She needed to take that responsibility. She will not fail not this time. She would find the Ember for their sake and then worry about the consequences later. After that the night lingered on and for a long while Cinder told her of what she knew of the Ember that perhaps Ruby had yet to know.

"Wait if you knew about the ember already why did you need my father's journal?"

"I had to make sure it was you, the heir I was looking for. The only way I could know was written in this journal." She pointed at it in Ruby's hands and looked to Adam. "Adam here will accompany you to...well where ever it is your going. Adam."

Adam grabbed her arm again and pressed toward the exit. "Oh and Ruby."

Ruby glanced back at Cinder sitting back in her seat. "Just so we're clear. Bring us on a wild goose chase or say find help. I send your friends to the grave." Ruby was hesitant but nodded anyway. Adam tied her hands together and she walked out of the tent into the night. As they walked Ruby couldn't help but look at the horns peering out from his red hair.

"What?" Adam snared and Ruby blinked away.

"Your a fawnous." He didn't say anything. "I never noticed your horns. What are you a goat?"

"A bull." He snapped defensively. Ruby frowned and noticed a hooded figure in the distance. She felt Adam grip his hand tighter around her arm. "Leave Blake this doesn't concern you."

"Blake?" Ruby pulled with all she could from Adam. "Blake!" Blake backed away sadly and disappeared into the night. "No! No Blake it's okay! I'm so happy your all right Blak-"

"Shut up!" Adam lifted Ruby over his shoulder and she kicked. "I swear I will shoot you sweetheart."

"My name is Ruby Rose!" He walked into the a tent and through her to the ground. She struggled to sit up from the hard hit to the ground. He crouched down in front of her and gripped her jaw, forcing her to look into his menacing mask.

"If you don't straighten up around me Rose, I promise I will give you hell. Understand." She shook her face from his grasp and he chuckled. He stood and walked out of the tent leaving her in the dark.

Blake walked back and forth in front of the tent where Rudy was being held. She paced for a couple hours after Adam left. She clenched her hands into fists and took a deep breath. She swayed her body to the opening and reached the tents fabric and opened it slowly. She watched Ruby look to the opening and blink at her for a few moments. Blake froze as they made eye contact not sure if she would be accepted by her sudden appearance.

"Blake." Ruby gasped though her smile and tried nudging toward her. Blake pressed her lips in a firm line. She fell to her knees and embraced Ruby in tight hug. "I'm so happy to see you! Where have you-."

"I'm sure you have many questions," They broke their hug and Blake grabbed Ruby's tied hands. "But I can't answer them...Not yet. Just know that I'm here for someone I really care about."

"What?"

"They will hurt this person if I don't stay."

"Who?"

"Ruby please." Blake pleaded and Ruby nodded.

"Okay." Blake gave her a half smile and they were silent.

"Are you alright?" Blake asked finally.

"No. My friends are captured and I have to find a...what is it called? A fireplace?"

"An Ember"

"An Ember! And I have to find it with this psychopath; Aaron."

"Adam."

"Right and...Wait you'll be with me right?" Blake shook her head.

"I wanted to but Cinder said I can not interfere."

"So I have to go with this killer!? What if he gets sick of me and kills me off huh?"

"Adam is many, many things but there is one thing you can count on about him. His loyalty and him keeping promises." She reassured but Ruby was still questionable.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning no matter what he would never break a promise; he keeps his word. Even if its for a person he can not stand like Cinder."

"Why?" She asked and Blake shrugged.

"I know it may not look like it but Adam cares deeply about his people and would do anything to give them a better future. Cinder convinced him that she could give them that future in exchange for his help and manpower." Ruby rose her eyebrows at Blake.

"Shocking."

"Yeah."

"Wait. Do you now this guy?"

"That is story for another day...How is Yang?"

"She is alive but...She's not good eathier."

"Oh."

"I hav'nt seen her in almost 6 months."

"So the Ember. How do you feel about that?" Blake tried to change the conversation.

"I don't know. I don't even know where to begin! Cinder said I would know and...know where to find it.." Ruby stopped and stood up. Blake stood as well at her change of expression.

"What?" Ruby turned and looked up at Blake.

"Blake...Cinder said my mom was the guardian and that i'm her heir and that she told me where to find the ember in her own way."

"Yes and?"

"And my mom did tell me in her own way!" She smiled widely and then it changed to a serious frown. "I figured it out...I need to speak to Cinder again."

"Little red riding hood?" Adam smirked and turned away while folding his arms yet Cinder listened to what Ruby was saying.

"Yes."

"We already know the story. A little girl in a red hood goes to to see her sick grandmother with treats and unknowingly directed a wolf to her house and devoured her and the girl. The only ones to save them was a woodsmen."

"Right but my mom told this story different." Cinder rose a brow.

"Intrigued...Continue."

"She told the story as if Little Red were the hero. In her version; Red traveled not only with a red hood but with a bow staff, which she named "the torch" and she had a very unique semblance with this weapon. Red could call forth a flame out from the staff's peak and make a wave of fire that could sweep a forest in seconds. She carried in her basket, Dust, because her grandmother was a huntress who trained other hunter and huntress. The "wolf" was a man who was a wolf fawnous.

In the original story they met only once but in my mothers version they met many times. They became friends...They actually became more then friends. What Red didn't realize is that he was using her to get her powerful staff. So he used her grandmother as leverage, her grandmother for the staff.

Red was heartbroken but before she agreed a young hunter came to save the day and he killed the Fawnous boy. So that the power wouldn't fall into the wrong hands, they all three agreed that the fiery staff should be hidden. So her grandmother infused it with a tree on the northern mountain where she lived and that it be guarded at all times only from her bloodline. The staff was so powerful it could heal anything with its inner flame. They called it The tree of Life." Adam unfolded his arm with his mouth slightly gaped and Cinder smiled and patted Ruby's shoulder.

"Well done Ruby. Now you can start your journey to the northern mountain."

"Sure...but my mother destroyed the tree remember." Ruby reminded. "So she must of hid it somewhere else."

"You are forgetting that your her blood. And only her bloodline can find it. You'll figure it out but in the mean time you should prepare for your journey."