A/N: Question for you guys, would you like to see Mark and his team return? There's a poll on my profile, or if you want you could leave a review or PM me. This is the last chapter for voting, so make your voice heard now.
Beacon academy hallways
Ruby
The sound of her shoes connecting with the ground reverberated down the hallway, breaking the early morning silence that always occupied Beacon this early in the morning. Most students were awake at this hour, but only a small few of those ventured into the halls before they needed to. Her thoughts grazed back to the events of the morning and the situation that she had created. She always knew that there was something that wasn't exactly normal with the relationship between her sister and Blake, but she never guessed that they held that kind of relationship. And while her sister was a good liar, given that her lifestyle often permitted some… persuasive words to save her skin, her sister was far more observant than you'd expect at first glance. Living a life like the one she had shone light on things in a new way, a way that you normally couldn't tell from her usually excited and flamboyant exterior. And while a year at Beacon had shed some layers off of the childhood naivety that she once possessed, she was still a child at heart, no matter how hard she tried to act mature. Her time at Beacon and especially the responsibility that came with being the leader of a squad forced you to grow up and bare the challenges that life threw at you. You could still be an energetic and upbeat person, but sometimes you needed to be a beacon, someone that could guide your team.
She quickly turned a corner, her footing slipping. Her ankle slid against the ground, twisted inwards, her body quickly slipping to the ground, her ankle forced into bending an unnatural angle, the heat and pain immediately apparent as her brain fought with the signals her body was sending. She could feel her aura healing the area, soothing the burn and the pain as she recovered. Her eyes met the ground, her hands poised on either side of her body, her hips twisted. She quickly twisted her hips, pushing herself up with her hands and pulling her knees beneath her before standing back up. The pain still tingled in her ankle, but having sustained a swipe to the torso from an Ursa last year, it was going to take far more than this to bring her down. She continued her way down the decorated halls of Beacon, relishing in the sunlight as it rose above the outside walls, spraying light through the slightly tinted windows, the blue shadow of the hallway bringing a faint smile to her face. She quickly found her way into the cafeteria, her eyes scanning the tables for familiar faces. When none were found, she made her way over to the table that they tended to gravitate towards and took a seat alone, free to her thoughts. She struggled around the thought of Yang and Blake being a couple, but she still had Weiss, to which she was grateful. She wasn't sure how exactly her sister's relationship would affect her and the team, but she decided to leave that thinking to another day.
Several minutes later, she was accompanied by the souls of her other teammates, quickly finding her and making their way over. They quickly slid themselves into their seats, their conversation continuing once they sat down, causing the crimson leader to sit herself out of the conversation, her eyes drifting towards the ceiling. The beautiful lights of Beacon remained dull as the sun filled the room with natural light as it glistened across the tables of the early morning. Mornings like this always reminded her of a painting her mother had left behind after she left on that hunt and never returned. Her mother had painted it one morning before Ruby had awoken just on the hill outside their home. The picture portrayed a sleeping Ruby still in her crib, the light veiling her sleeping form. She had kept the picture with her, keeping it close as a sign that her mother was still with her, even if it was only a picture. It was still something, a sweet memory that drifted her mind, fighting away even the darkest of thoughts.
"Hey Ruby, are you feeling alright? It's not like you to just zone out like that. Is there anything you need to tell us?" The Faunus asked caringly, her calm voice breaking her leader back into reality. She quickly brought her eyes back from the ceiling, meeting the eyes of the rest of her team. How long had she been zoned out for?
"Oh yeah… Yeah I'm fine. I was just thinking about something." She responded quickly, her voice still staggered as she struggled to retrieve her mind from the clouds and back to the present. "I was just thinking of home, you know." She lied, but it apparently worked, causing a quick shrug from her sister before her sister continued on with their conversation. The gaze from the Faunus lingered several seconds longer, her eyes scanning the expression of the younger girl before returning to her partner's devoid of suspicion. A quick tap against her knuckles caused her vision to dart to her partner's, the evident look of suspicion failing to leave hers.
"Yes Weiss, I'm fine. Seriously, I am" she added when her partner cocked a brow, allowing herself a small smile. Weiss had really become a different person after that night on the cliff. She had shed her ice cold shell in exchange for one of compassionate friendship. She liked the new Weiss far more than she had liked the old one, but something just seemed off in her. She never seemed so caring, and saving her life one time didn't seem to cause you to care about someone as Weiss did. She knew first hand.
"I just don't want you acting up on our mission Ruby. Are you certain that you are still ready to go on this trip? The thoughts of home are becoming more and more constant, and you seem to be taking them worse and worse." She whispered with a nod to the courtyard before continuing. "Do you want to talk about it? You said you'd always be there for me, and it would be selfish and dishonourable if I didn't return the honour" the heiress replied as kindly as she could manage as she looked into the silver orbs of her partner. She placed her hands on her partner's, feeling the smooth hand of her leader. While the palm of her hand was calloused due to wielding the scythe that she managed to drag around with strength she got from dust-knows where, the back of her hand was to the touch, innocent.
"Weiss, I'm fine, really. It's just that some memories are harder to forget than others, and I don't even know if I want to forget it, if you know what I mean." The younger girl replied with a forced smile, but the words struck something inside of the heiress. Her caring and cautious expression was replaced with that of guilt and sorrow, her eyes meeting the table as she withdrew her hands to her head. Ruby's instincts kicked in and she pulsed her semblance, crossing over the table before someone could notice she was no longer there. Pulling the older girl off of the seat and onto her feet, she spun her around, pulling the two together. The frail arms of her friend wrapped limply around her shoulders as she pulled herself closer, no sound coming from her.
The heiress tried her hardest not to cry, the sheer unprofessionalism of the act causing only disgrace according to her father. She instead pulled herself into the arms of her partner, dark memories clouding her mind. Her body fought to remove them, but the battle was being lost. The dark memories that she had fought to bury had resurfaced, stabbing at her being. Feeling the hand of her partner against the back of her hair, her mind began to rip itself apart in turmoil. The two sides of her body fought a harsh battle, the one that cared for her father, the one that cared for Ruby. Her body displayed no signs of this distress, but her mind was the source of a battle that couldn't be explained.
The couple at the table shot a confused look at Ruby, not having caught the quiet conversation. A stern glance averted their eyes, the two looking into each other's eyes as silence filled their table, confusion and grief hanging in the air. The younger girl placed her head against the back of her partner's hair, pulling the heiress closer into her shoulder. She was met with harsh resistance as her partner pulled herself free, the only sign of distress being a slight amount of bloodshot in her eyes, but nothing noticeable by the casual observer.
"I'm alright. I just haven't slept enough recently. I'm getting too agitated over nothing. Thank you for your concern though Ruby, I greatly appreciate it. Anyways, isn't it time for class to start? It seems like it is" she asked with a rushed tone, her voice almost stuttering as she maintained her composure. It wasn't like a heiress to get as riled up as she had. Her father would have scolded her if he'd seen her like this. This wasn't the way that a Schnee was supposed to act, and she felt terrible for it. Grief clouded her mind from the war being waged inside as she headed off towards their first class, leaving the remainder of her team behind, including her confused partner in a metaphorical cloud of dust, her shoes clicking against the ground as she hastily exited the cafeteria, trying not to make a scene.
Ruby looked back to her sister and her partner with the expression of a dear caught in a pair of headlights, her body frozen. She had been a confident leader, one who always knew what to do in any situation. But now her body and mind had frozen, unsure of what to do in her situation. On the battlefield, she was a more than competent leader, and even in most dramatic situations. But not right now. Her eyes met with her sisters, the stern look counteracted by a smile as she pointed towards the direction of the fleeting heiress, allowing herself a small smile at her sister's expression. The only way she could have told her sister to follow her was if she had a sign that said 'follow her!' in her hands while she yelled it into a microphone. Her sister's body began moving once more as she nodded shakily and began her pursuit, her small legs traveling as fast as the wind could carry her.
Beacon Hallway,
Weiss
Her pace was quick as she headed down a hallway of Beacon, her shoes clicking with every step against the beautiful white floor. Beside her sat a large glass window that exposed the open air outside, the view willing her to take a minute to relish in its beauty. The sight of Vale could be seen off in the distance, merely a spec of black against the green backdrop. The light filtered through the window, bouncing off the ground and illuminating the hallway in an almost heavenly fashion. Pictures of students passed lined the hallway, all smiling with their weapon by their side. Their faces were lit with the angelic light, causing them to seem almost holy in their pride days. Once the thought hit her that most of them could be in a wooden box six feet underground, her stomach knotted as she thought that she could be one of them one day. Another pair of noises shot down the empty hallway, bouncing off the walls as she turned her head. The stumbling figure of a rabbit faunus came into sight, her name immediately known. Four bodies followed her as she stumbled into the hallway, collapsing to the ground just before she would've contacted the window, saving a potential trip to the hospital. Her trip appeared to be of her own accord, perhaps loose fitting shoes or a mere slip against the tiled floor.
"Now Velvet, we told you and your team that you weren't going to get in the way again, didn't we?" Came the villainous voice of Cardin Winchester, his voice distinguishable amongst the horde of other students that occupied Beacon. Over the year, him and his team had become a strong contender in the department of team strength, rising above their old status of being weak and uncoordinated. Despite abandoning their old ways of ruthless and random attacks, they were still involved with darker tones inside Beacon, ones that the teachers would shun them for. If they knew.
" I'm sorry Cardin, I didn't mean to. I was just heading to class and then you guys were there and then I was there and then you guys got mad and then I ran and then we're here and I don't want to be here" she replied hastily as she made her way back up to her feet, shuffling her way down towards the shocked heiress, bringing their attention over to her.
"Do you want to get in the way too ice princess? If you want, feel free to step up, but if you're not, get out of this hallway before we force you out of it." He spat as he approached both the fleeing faunus and the stunned heiress, the other three standing close behind him. They walked uniformly, their feet connecting at the same time like a twisted marching band. Every muscle in her body began to make sense of the situation and poised to run, her legs beginning to move. She cared for her classmates to an extent, but she would never throw her neck on the line to save someone else. Her father had taught her that. "It's always better that you have your neck than they do theirs" he had constantly reminded her, his drilling techniques sticking to her. A small laugh came from behind her as her body darted down the halls, unsure of what to make of the situation. Another voice from behind her forced her attention back, her eyes immediately catching sight of one object. The red cape of her partner whipped behind her as she rounded the corner, nearly smashing into the back of Dove before her boots came to a screeching close behind them. A confused look shot across her face as she examined the situation before squeezing by them as though nothing had happened.
"Do you want a piece of this too? Do you think you're so tough that you can walk past us like nothing ever happened huh?" The leader of CRDL asked with false bravado as the crimson girl walked past him before noticing the skittering faunus. Her eyes scanned the team, her brows narrowing as she looked at them with a confused expression, unsure of what they meant.
"Wait, are you guys threatening me?" Came her equally confused voice, not even noticing as the faunus ran down the hallway to safety, leaving her all alone to fight off team CRDL. Reaching around behind her back and pulling out the compressed version of crescent rose; they turned their heels and walked away, not wanting to start a fight in the hallways of Beacon. After they had left, she replaced her weapon, before running back towards her partner who gazed at her partner with deep blue eyes. Her partner came to a quick stop, placing her hand to her chest as she inhaled deeply, her breath quickly returning.
"Hey Weiss, did I miss anything?" The younger girl asked energetically, her carefree voice returning as she looked past her partner, trying to catch a glimpse of the fleeing faunus before returning her head to normal, a defeated huff exiting her lips.
"Ruby, you have to be the most confident and cocky girl I know." She answered, her eyes looking back at the end of the hallway, lost in the event that had just unfolded. And I love you for it.
A/N: There we go. Another extremely late chapter, to which I apologize. Life is just a busy place, but I haven't forgotten this. I just placed it accordingly on my list of priorities. As stated at the top of the page, there's a poll on my profile if you'd like to vote, or you can leave a review or PM me. If you'd like to add conditions that you'd like met if you want them to return, feel free to add those in a PM or review, but sadly you cannot do it on the poll. Onwards to the shoutouts.
Demoneagle: Thank you for your review. I feel as though I should explain to you as to why my writing quality is decreasing. While I do know that I possess the ability to be better, I have simply begun to lose my interest in writing this story. Not that I don't like writing this story, I just don't like what I've done to the plot, and I don't exactly know what I want to do with it. Every chapter is kind of impromptu. Once I regain my direction, the quality will improve. I also write every chapter in one sitting, instead of writing it over time, so I get tired and it tends to slump at the end if you've noticed. Sorry my friend.
Shadowmanji: thank you for your support. In regards to what they will do, I can't tell you yet, as I only have ideas that I can get onto, but they'll be… different shall I say. And that is all I can, so you'll have to find out I guess huh?
Rwbybomb21: Thank you for kicking around. In regards to why you don't want Mark and his team to come back, it is totally understandable, and I get what you mean. It's your decision and I respect it, so I'll add one to the tally of no. And thank you for not getting mad with my writing. Still trying to find the fire that can fuel me to write better as I know that I can do far better.
MasterKosa: I changed the chapter because I really really really hate what I did with it. So if you haven't gone back and reread it, I strongly recommend you do. Anyways, thank you for your… support? I'm really not sure if you want him to come back or if you just want him to show up and die. Anyways, I'll take that as a yes, but I'll put a question mark (hehehehehe) beside it.
Tatya1999: I changed the chapter because I hated it, so feel free to go back and read it. Anyways, they will have feelings for each other eventually, but I'm having fun watching how long I can burn the fuse out for. It's truly something that I enjoy. Anyways, hope to see you again this chapter.
Demonhunter: Thank you for the support my friend. I greatly appreciate it. If you like my writing, check out some of yellowsign's work. He's not well known (sadly) but his descriptive writing experience is far above mine. Really a good read if you have time.
Grimm Hunter: You fit in the same category as MasterKosa, as I'll add you to the yes category, but I'll add a question Mark beside it. (I really love this pun)
Chriz Myth: Hello Chriz, I don't believe I've seen you around yet, So first off, thank you for the review. Anyways, if I get good feedback on Mark and his team, I might make a substory for them as I really want to add them into the plot of this story, although it might be rated M for reasons that you cannot know yet. But yes, right now EVERYONE hates them, which was kinda what I was shooting for, but they're getting a lot of negativity, which is what I want. I'm twisted like that. Also, sorry for the late updates, I'm a lazy human being.
That's it for today, and once more, vote. Make yourself heard. I've got a sheet of paper with the tallies on it, and I'm making this count. It's interactive storytelling in a way. One more thing, we broke 100 follows, which was what I was shooting for. So thank you so much to everyone who has followed, favorited and reviewed. It's inspirational.
Anyways, have a great morning, day, evening, night and take it easy