Hi guys. I've kinda hit a writers block for a bit but I've finally threw something together.
Scourge From BloodClan: Sorry man this ain't a romance story. I get you, from what I gathered Titan Shifters transform by wounding themselves intentionally, usually by biting or cutting their hands, though its also a mental thing. To turn back the person can get out of the Titan via out of the nape of the neck. How the Shifters maintain their rationality is yet to be fully explained or even how they get the powers in the first place but it may depend on the person's physical and mental limits. As to how this relates to my story in Grimm version... you'll just have to wait and see...
Necrofantasia: Yep it ceratainly would, I might put in the lyrics in later chapters. Your right Ruby will never truly be her old self again with her innocence gone but her friends help her broaden her goals which will be revealed in the next chapter. She'll still have her love for Dust Weapons, be uncomfortable around new people, be a bit naive at times, have her strong sense of justice and occasionally fangirl at her idols at times. As you said, Ruby can at times now be cold and cynical to those she doesn't like. You were bang on about tech mostly used for warfare but the futher in the walls you go the more advanced the cities become. But there are no gunships and very few vehicles. Plus, you were right about Levi being a lone wolf I might make him that.
Anyways here's the next chapie.
The Fall of Vale Arc
Chapter 4: A Grimm Aftermath – Picking up the Pieces.
Year 845: The 'Leviathan' appeared out of nowhere and breaks a hole in the Vale District, sending other Grimm to enter and devoured nearly 10,000 of the citizens of Vale, both Human and Faunus alike. However, another unknown Grimm was known as the 'Durus rex' successfully breached Wall Maria. 4 hours later, Menagerie was attacked. 3 days after that, Daggerhorn. When the last District Vacuo fell within less than a month, the people came to a grim realization that these monsters will keep coming, thus leading to the name Grimm. The leading powers of Remnant convened a meeting on how to deal with this threat to both humanity and Faunus alike.
The head of the Schnee Dust Company proposed more weapon ideas, new training regimes and to dig for more Dust. Wary of another imminent attack, everyone involved went straight to work pooling their resources together to find that magic bullet. The Huntsmen and Huntresses Beacon were the only ones brave enough to hunt the Grimm down in way that would be considered too close and personal. Due to lack of any other long-term solution possible, the military abandoned the Walls of Maria. Mankind lost a third of their territory.
It was a cold winter night. So cold you could see your breath. A little girl in a red dress walked along the thick snow with a man wearing a red jacket. What lay ahead was a dome-shaped building, appeared to be deserted for long. The two arrived at the entrance of the building; the girl in red began to have suspicions about this.
"Daddy, I don't think we should go in there..." the girl warned. "This building seems abandoned for a long. I don't think anyone been here" the redhead inspected the ground and hesitated. She was really worried.
"Don't worry, Ruby. I know what I'm doing" the man in red said, sweetly. The father kneeled down to her eye-level. "I know things have been difficult for the both of us but now I know how to make everything alright. Trust Daddy."
This reassured the 10-year old but she couldn't help but notice something odd about his smile. It seemed… off.
Slowly, her father opened the door. Suddenly, the door slammed shut and the lights shone on the Roses as they walked down the corridor until Thorne opened another door. It was dark and cold just like outside and the doctor readied himself holding his daughter's hand.
Here it was brighter with the white walls of the vast room and much cleaner. They had walked into a laboratory. There was a group of men and women around them wearing lab coats looking like they were preoccupied with some-kind of strange tests. Were they scientists? Doctors too, maybe? Perhaps they were her father's colleagues.
D:
A clap echoed from a distance gaining everyone's attention.
It came from a woman in lab coat Ruby couldn't help but feel that she met her before. She was fairly tall and had long flowing red hair with black streaks. Her piercing lime-green eyes were slanted and had slitted pupils. As the lady walked towards them, Ruby noticed she wore a business skirt, blue blouse, black high-heels and oval-lensed glasses. She appeared to be the leading scientist.
Ruby suddenly backed off. The red-haired woman smiled at the little girl. She hid behind her father. With her devilish grin she stood before them. "Welcome Dr. Thorne, it's been a while. So good of you to come, I see you brought your daughter" she remarked, flashily.
"Yes, it has been a while, Director."
The scarlet woman got closer to Ruby and stared with a devious smirk on her face; easily managing to bring distrust to the girl. "Hello, there. I'll be working with you for a while" the lady stoked her hair, giving Ruby a cup of water. "I'm here to give you a better life."
"Um… hi?" That smile she had sent chills down the girl's spine as if saying 'I have done some scary-ass shit, stay away from me'. And her voice, it was hard for Little Red to tell if she was trying to be friendly or not, it felt like it should belong to a snake's, it was like her words where coiling around her trying to find cracks to get under her skin.
D:
"Thank you for bringing me such an excellent specimen, Dr. Throne."
"Specimen?" questioned Ruby. "What do you mean by...? Oh no."
Thorne looked at his daughter who trembled in fear and hid behind him, causing the father to frown at the scientist lady.
"Don't say 'specimen', that sound wicked" he scolded.
"Fufufu. If you say so" she smiled
She dropped the cup and it collided with the floor, making an eerie cluck and roll. Ruby is speechless, unable to accept that her father brought her to these shady people. Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind by two men who brought her to an operation table in a smaller room. They held down the kicking and screaming Ruby as the scarlet woman looked on in sadistic pleasure.
"What's going on? Daddy help!" she cried but to her surprise, he just calmly walked over to some medical equipment and prepared a syringe.
"Ruby, don't worry" he said in a calm, eerie voice.
D:
"Daddy, please make let me go!" Ruby screamed, avoiding Dr. Throne's attempts to stab her. "I don't like this! What are you trying to do?!"
"Just be a good girl and give me your arm!" Thorne was getting increasingly frustrated, as Ruby kept dodging the needle. "Don't be difficult, Ruby. This is no time to get squeamish!"
"NO! You're been acting all weird ever since mom died!" she cried, through her tears.
That last sentence pushed him over the edge, as he grabbed her by the throat, pressing her against the table and growled angrily. "JUST YOUR SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!"
"Let me go dad, *hic* please" she begged. "You're hurting me!"
"You're no good! You're no good like this!"
"What are you talking about?!" she gripped the rails so hard she left dents in them. "You're not making any sense!"
"Don't forget the key! You must make it there, Ruby! But until then-!"
DX
Shots of various different things were scattered throughout her mind…
Family secret…
Basement key…
Luna…
Get stronger…
Perfect being…
To become a Queen…
Silver eyes filled with pain…
Screams of agony…
…And a bloodbath
DX
"Grrrrrrr! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
xxxx
D:
"Lassie! Lassie, wake up!"
Suddenly, Ruby woke up with a yelp. She was sweating profusely and had tears flowing freely down her face. Panting, she looked around to find herself in a small abandoned building for the night surrounded by two familiar faces. It wasn't something that would stay private for them as many of the refugees were still coming to Trost, so they had to enjoy the peace while it lasts.
Ruby identified that it was early in the morning as the shad barely risen and it seemed the two just got out of bed. They had been able to find some discarded blankets that were sufficient enough to keep them comfortable while sleeping on the floor. In the corners of the room they had some lanterns lit up that enabled some light to penetrate the darkness in the room. Ruby looked to his right where her older sister slept. She slept on a large red blanket and wrapped herself tightly to keep warm but the redhead could see they were shivering slightly.
"Little Lassie, are you alright?!" it was an old man's voice getting her attention. "You were crying and screaming in your sleep."
"Huh? Old man James?" so she had been dreaming. "I thought I saw dad."
"I'm afraid it was just a dream, my girl" he said, solemnly. "There's no sign of Dr. Thorne."
"Oh… I see…" Ruby noticed something around her neck. She was wearing a key.
:D
"My baby sis is alright!" Yang cried, as she pulled Ruby in a suffocating hug having woken up. "I was so worried when you went missing!"
"Ow, sis! Let go of me! YANG!" then she perked up. "Wait. I was missing?"
"Yes! *Sniff*. You were gone for SIX WHOLE MONTHS!" she sobbed. "*Sniff* I thought you were- *Sniff*"
She was gone for that long! But how? She certainly would've remembered.
*DONG!* *DONG!*
"We'd better go get Jaune" the ex-hunter got up, hearing the bells ring. "They're handing out today's rations."
xxxx
(Fast forwarding a week…)
:D
If Yang had been overprotective about her younger sister before the Grimm invaded, it was nothing compared to how protective she was now. She rarely let her out of her sight and usually it bothered her immensely but considering that she had almost been killed, had to flee from their homes and was missing for half a year, she didn't say anything... for now.
Ruby was forbidden from leaving either her room or her bed until she recovered. Yang made sure she wouldn't escape by sitting next to her. Her actions sometimes irritating but she's her sister, what could she do about it?
The Arcs often visited the girl after getting food and Lien from street performing, though only for a while. Although Ruby already recovered from her wounds, Yang insisted her to stay in her room unless she said so.
After a few convincing to her sister, Ruby was allowed to go outside if Yang or Jaune or Grandpa James tagged along. Yang caught her by the arm. "Easy there, little sister. You have to watch where you going."
"Seriously? I'm just taking a walk. I won't wander far" Ruby said flatly. She leaned on a tree trunk, trying to catch her breath.
She kept her eyes on her little sister as she leaped out of her grip. Jaune couldn't help but smile. Lately, Yang was being overprotective towards her sister. She rarely saw her wild side. Now, she was like a gentle and caring mother. The boy was able to see the soft side of her friend.
D:
The next days were madness. The dire situation humanity faced became common knowledge and were paying for their 100 years of peace. As a result of their unpreparedness against the Leviathan, all refugees were evacuated from Wall Maria to seek protection inside Wall Rose. People constantly fought for food to survive, from cutting lines to all out brawls struggling for survival. There wasn't enough food for everyone and soon people started starving. Soldiers discriminated all the evacuees that lived on the outskirts, infuriating Ruby the most. If it weren't for Yang holding her back, she would've hit all those arrogant soldiers long ago.
The place the four sheltered in used to be food reserves, the people who came by ships have now gathered here. The sisters joined up with Jaune to receive today's food rations, one tiny loaf of bread for each to last a day.
"Why do we have to give our food to these refugees?"
"Yeah! I mean, the Grimm got in anyway. They should've eaten more of them! It would've made the food shortage problem bett-GAH!"
Apparently, Ruby overheard the soldiers talking because that moment Yang's eyes left her to look for Grandpa James she stomped her way to a soldier and kicked him in his shin. She gave them an angry glare and started panting in rage, intimidating them. They didn't take it lying down of course and so pushed her in the mud in retaliation.
"You got a death wish kid?!" the Sanctum officer barked.
D:
"You have no idea… You have no goddamn idea…" she mumbled, getting everyone's attention. "YOU NEVER SAW WHAT HAPPENED WITH YOUR OWN EYES!" Ruby screamed, angrily. "YOU'VE NEVER SEEN A GRIMM BEFORE, LET ALONE EAT SOMEONE!"
A deafening silence filled the streets. Just before the policemen could retort to that, Jaune stepped in on his friend's behalf to save her.
"We're sorry, sir! Please forgive my friend!" he pleaded, not wanting a confrontation. "She's been through a lot. She lostsomeone dear to her that no one could ever replace. That's why she's been acting up, she wasn't mad at you so please don't take it personally. We promise we won't let happen again!"
The men thought about this for a moment, while noticing everyone was staring at them. They didn't want to attack a bunch of kids where there were witnesses. "Tch, whatever. Just keep that brat under control and we'll forget about it."
"You'd all be dead if it weren't for us. So be grateful!" his friend remarked, before leaving. "'I doubt there's a single person in Remnant that hasn't lost something precious but you don't hear everyone bitching about it."
If it weren't for Jaune's rescue, the whole incident would've escalated. Unfortunately, Ruby didn't see it that way as she ran from the scene fuming.
"Ruby, wait!"
On the sidelines a black-haired girl with a bow, about the same age as Yang, watched with concern. Just as she was about to follow them, an older, red-haired boy grabbed her shoulder.
"Hey. You can't butt your nose into other people's" the bigger kid said, holding two loafs of bread for them to eat. "C'mon, let's go before someone tries to rob us again."
Hesitantly, the raven-haired girl relented. "Okay, Adam."
xxxx
(On the outskirts of town…)
D:
Ruby couldn't stand it.
How could those 'soldiers' say something like that and just get away with it?! Everyone around her just got on her nerves: the police's discrimination, looters robbing the homeless of what little possessions they had, the locals not having the will to fight back at the poor treatment they were given, her friend dancing like a fool for few Lien with his old man spending most his time resting and her sister smothering her 24/7. What was worse it seemed like she was the only one who gave enough fucks about it.
Finding a field of small, twig-thin treelings, the angry redhead decided to take her frustration out on the poor plants, punching and kicking them until they broke and collapsed.
A light frown spread across Ruby's face when she heard her sister slow to a halt, while Jaune continued forward towards her. She didn't really talk well with Jaune these days. Sure, he was still one of her best friends and the redhead would give her life for the blonde boy but something had changed in their relationship. Before the Fall of Wall Maria, Ruby might've told Jaune what was wrong, if he asked that is. But now, these days – especially the last few – she hardly talked to anyone in general. Anyway, it wouldn't stop her from taking out her frustration on the poor, little saplings. After all, there were only a few left in this area. No point in leaving a job undone.
When Jaune reached where Ruby was training, she had to stop a moment to take in the scenery. He knew Ruby was strong but still… this was something else.
"Um, Ruby… Are you okay?" he asked, after finally having overcome his surprise. "What are you doing?" The silver-eyed girl only sparred a second to glance at her friend.
"Redecorating, I thought it looked a little bland out here (!)" it came wryly from the redhead, her voice seeped out cynicism. Jaune frowned; this wasn't at all like Ruby to use heavy sarcasm. "Look, I really don't want to talk about it right now. So just… just go away."
D:
The blue-eyed boy ignored the request, instead slowly walking over to one of the toppled over trees, using it as a bench. For a few minutes, he just watched as his troubled friend 'redecorated' the area. He really didn't know how to approach the subject…
"Ruby… about what happened back at there-"
"I know I overreacted. I'll apologize to those jerks properly when I get back. I'll tell everyone to suck up to pigs like them. Just to accept it (!)" as she said it, her punches and kick got stronger, fuelled by the anger she felt for what policemen had said.
It didn't go unnoticed by Jaune. He watched as another innocent tree fell before Red Riding Hood. "It really isn't like you, ya know."
"What isn't like me?" the redhead asked raising her eyebrow, getting impatient with him. She had gone out here to be alone. Not to chat.
"Well, this" Jaune said, motioning his hand towards the new clearing. "And starting street fights with grown-ups."
"I'm fine. Just peachy!" she failed to convince her friend. She clenched her hand into fist. Ruby began to slowly walk away. However, Jaune tried to touch her shoulder. Her rage grew and suddenly, a tree next to them was punched in half, startling her friend.
D:
This time it actually hurt her hand as she recoiled and nursed her bleeding knuckle. "Ruby, you're hurt! Let me have a look at-"
"NO! I'm fine!" the girl pulled her hand away defensively.
"No you're not!" the boy responded. "You haven't been yourself these past few days. You never smile anymore; you constantly start fights and hardly ever say anything to us. I'm really worried about you! We all are!"
Finally, Ruby stopped what she was doing and looked straight at the blonde for the first time in the clearing but without really looking, Jaune noticed. She was putting that facade up again. The same one she had used ever since she recovered. He was disheartened at the sight... she had been through so much more out of the trio and it broke his heart the fact that he could no longer see the innocence in her eyes. Her jovial silver eyes of a naïve little girl were replaced by the dark grey eyes of a cynical young woman. Even after 6 months she remembered the tragic day of her mother's death all too well. She had seen how cruel the world truy was and had now forgotten the beauty of it.
He had to do something.
"You're doing it again" Jaune knew that his friend would know what he was talking about.
D:
"Doing what, exactly?" Ruby sighed. "You know what, Jaune. Can't you just… leave?" the silver-eyed girl asked, tiredly. "Just leave me alone. I need to be alone."
"No. I won't." he was determined to snap Ruby out of it, whether she liked it or not.
Ruby's eyebrows' furrowed even deeper. She didn't want to get in another fight but she didn't want to talk either. "Fine then, I'll go" she sighed.
Jaune stepped in front of her. "No you won't. I can't leave you like this" Ruby just stared at him, instead of talking, Jaune grew a little desperate. "Come on Rube! Talk to me! Keeping it to yourself isn't gonna solve anything. We used to tell each other anything when something was wrong."
The redheads eyes lit up for just a second, "Hmph, 'Used to' being the keyword in that sentence."
"Ruby I'm sorry bringing it up back there" the redhead merely scoffed causing Jaune to wince. The blonde didn't really say what happened technically but to Ruby he might as well have. "You haven't been the same since… 'That day'…" Ruby didn't answer. She just shuddered but wouldn't meet the blue eyes in front of her. "It still hurts doesn't it?"
"What if does?" Ruby shot back. "Anyway you had no right bringing that up back there to those asses!"
D:
Jaune threw his hands up in the air, before going through his hair. "For crying out loud, Ruby! You were starting a fight with policeman! You could've got sent to the big house if I didn't get involved!"
"You still had no right to tell about that! I never asked for help anyway!" Both were now shouting at each other, loudly. Jaune couldn't help but think what a good thing it was that they were so far away from civilization.
Ruby had changed significantly since the Grimm had invaded. She was more sullen and antisocial. It seemed all she cared about was killing every Grimm in existence. Jaune often heard the redhead claim that she was going to wipe out all of the Grimm. However, Ruby wasn't the only human in history to want nothing more than to erase the Grimm and there was a good reason why they couldn't pull it off.
The boy took a deep calming breath, knowing how loudly he had shouted. This wasn't helping. Right now he had to help his friend.
"Ruby, please try to understand" Jaune all but pleaded. "Ever since you went missing everyone was heartbroken. Yang spent day and night asking anyone that might have seen you. You have no idea how many times she cried herself to sleep. Your Uncle Qrow searching for you, even ignoring his superior's orders to do so. I could barely get any sleep wondering what happened to you. I was staring to think the worst had happened. We were all so relieved when we found alive but... it seems part was already left behind."
Ruby looked at Jaune surprised by what he said and what they had been through. She now had a good idea what to do now. Jaune was hoping he had gotten through to her but the response he got was the little girl kissing her teeth before walking away.
D:
Jaune felt sorrow swell up in him again. This was proving more difficult than he had thought. They had been there for each other for years. He loved her redheaded friend but this was just- he didn't know what this was.
"Ruby, don't be like that. You know Jaune didn't explain what happened to the police to hurt you" it came from Yang. The Arc boy berated himself: he hadn't even recognised her coming. Guess she decided that she had stayed out of it long enough and now wanted to intervene. "He's already apologised, hasn't he?"
The older sister slowly walked closer, intending to calm down the two. It was clear she agreed with Jaune and wanted to bring Ruby back to her senses. But the 10-year old was having none of it and took a step back.
The Rose girl turned a glare at her sister. "It doesn't matter if he did or not! The fact is it was not Jaune's place to tell what to me."
"Well, were you going to tell me why you suddenly attacked a man from the Sanctum Police? Were you going to tell me why you could've jeopardized our chances of getting any food given the delicate nature of our situation?" Yang asked plainly, showing how much she felt about that particular subject. Ruby just avoided eye-contact, suddenly finding one of the loose stones on the earth very interesting. "I didn't think so."
"Well, I'm so happy we straightened that out" Ruby shot at them before turning around, heading away from town.
D:
Then Yang felt anger built deep inside her, both directed at her sister who was storming away and at herself: Her for acting this way in the first place and herself for not being able to figure out how to solve this. She made a grab for her arm. "Ruby, this isn't normal for you to-"
"Normal? Normal?! What's normal about any of this?!" Ruby yelled, yanking her arm out of Yang's grip. "We lost mom! We lost our homes! We lost our friends! How can either of you know of a way to possibly make things normal?! Even if I talked to about how I felt, how are you going to fix it? Go ahead tell me!"
A deafening silence filled the area as the blondes looked at each other unsure how to answer.
"That's right" Ruby looked away from those desperate, sympathetic eyes, not wanting her friend to see the pain she was feeling and started walking away. "Nothing will be the same again..."
"Ruby, where are you even going?"
"I know how to solve all our problems. I'm going back inside Wall Maria and kill off all the Grimm" she said, to the two confronting her.
D:
"Ruby, you can't serious" Jaune said softly, in disbelief.
"I've never been more serious in my life!" Ruby replied immediately and walked back towards him. "I'm not like those Sanctum Police assholes who only act tough when protected by the wall! I don't need this!" The redhead threw her share of bread at Jaune that she had kept in her pocket.
The blonde boy almost let it fall onto the ground. "Ruby, what are you doing? That's all the food we're getting today, you'll starve!"
"Doesn't it get on your nerves?" she shouted, angrily. "We can't do anything if we live off pity from people like them!"
"Well, maybe we can't make things go back to the way things were but what you're trying to do is just as impossible! You can't defeat them all by yourself!" the older boy countered. "Our only choice is to live inside the Walls. If you do anything rash, you'll die just like everyone else!"
"So that's why you're sucking up to those people?! Don't you have any shame?!" she accused, grabbing his collar pinning in against a rock.
"Oh c'mon Rube, that's not fair! It's not like we're doing it because we like it, it's because it's the only thing we can do to stay ali-."
DX
"THAT'S NO EXCUSE!" she snapped harshly, tightening her grip and eyes full of outrage. "DON'T YOU EVER GET SICK OF BEING A PATHETIC WEAKLING THAT NEVER STANDS UP TO THOSE WHO SPIT ON YOU?!"
Jaune was taken back, clearly hurt by his friend's hurtful words. "I-I…"
"I'D RATHER DIE THAN LEECH OFF OF-!"
*Smack!*
Before the redhead could say anything else, Ruby found herself being slapped. Hard. The sound echoed in the field they were standing in. it took the 10-year old a few seconds to register what just happened and slowly turned to the one responsible.
"Y-Yang…"
"That's the only thing we can do right now" her sister told, as the 10-year old cradled her redden cheek. "We're still just kids; we don't even have chance to kill a single Grimm with all us combined" Yang continued, putting Ruby in her place. "We could try but we'd just get ourselves killed. If you wanna slay Grimm, you'll have to get stronger. But until then you have to put up with swallowing you pride. Yeah it sucks but don't take your anger out on your friends! The lives of those who died so that we could live would go to waste if you die. Your mother's sacrifice to save you would've been meaningless. You still have to live Ruby, for the people who died and for the friends who care about you! Giving up your life like that would be like spitting them in the face to all of them!" she scolded, remembering Summer's words to take care of her daughter.
:D
Ruby was left astonished. She never thought of it that way.
With little red off him, Jaune acquiesced. "We can't escape from the Grimm or leave the city by ourselves. Even the food we eat is from someone else. What's important right now is staying alive, just like your mother said."
Yang walked forward, took the bread from Jaune's arms and shoved the piece of food into Ruby's mouth, who gasped in surprise. "Eat and survive. I won't let you starve to death."
Tears leaked from Ruby's eyes in submission. "Why? *hic* Why do bad things *hic* have to *hic* us? *hic* Why is the world so rotten?"
Deciding not to hold a grudge against her, Jaune stroked her hair in comfort. "I dunno Ruby. I wish I knew."
"Kids? Is that you?" a warm voice of concern got the kids' attention.
"Uncle Qrow?"
xxxx
(The next day…)
:D
Ruby groaned as she continued to walk after her uncle, Yang and the Arcs was beside her just as annoyed as the redhead. They had been walking for hours and were all hungry; they didn't even know how far they walked in Wall Rose. However, the Signal Guard seemed chipper. How? No freaking idea. He was just chipper as he walked along.
He had made small talk about a few things as they had walked, mostly about political crap he had learned about and explained the three different factions of the military to the kids, starting with the Sanctum Police, then the Signal Guards and finally the Beacon Corps. However, Ruby didn't pay much attention and hardly said anything since they set out to find the place her uncle bought.
"Uncle Qrow, we've been walking for hours and its getting dark, are we there yet?" Yang asked, with her exhaustion showing in her voice.
"Almost there now" Qrow simply hummed out. "Just a little bit longer."
"You've been saying that for 6 hours, now" Ruby mumbled.
Everyone groan groaned silently as the sky above started to darken, the moon coming up over the land illuminating the darkened landscape slightly.
"And we're here!" the group stopped and looked around. There was nothing. Ok, that wasn't the truth; there was a small shack and the ruins of an old house.
XD
"You've gotta be kidding" Ruby murmured, turning to her Uncle. It looked like if a butterfly landed on the hut it'd fall to pieces.
"I said it needed work, I never said how much" the old man chuckled, nervously.
Grandpa James walked into the ruins of the house, it had obviously collapsed in on itself some time ago and the years of disuse had simply made it worse. Raising a hand to his forehead, the old man turned and looked back at his fellow companions.
"It's, um, not what I was expecting" Yang started.
"It's, er, not so bad" Jaune said, timidly.
"It's better than nothing, I guess" James added.
"It's a dump" Ruby said, flatly.
After a moment, everyone else sighed in agreement.
XD
"I guess it does need some fixing, this is going to take a lot of time and materials, though" Qrow told them.
"What you're a carpenter now, too?" his niece questioned.
"No but with my magic touch I'm sure I can make it home sweet home" he said, walking back towards them to see Grandpa James having set up several pieces of wood that had been scattered around, some even parts from the house itself. Using a lighter, the ex-huntsman ignited the flames making Ruby sigh. Weren't they supposed to be lying low, you know, not attracting thieves?
"Don't worry. I picked this place because there isn't anything around for miles" Qrow explained, as he raised his hands up to warm them over the flames, the others walked over and sitting down next to the fire. "So, what's been happening with you guys in this crazy world?" he asked, trying to break the ice.
"We were coming to find you but little Ruby got separated from us" Grandpa James sighed, as he looked up at the star filled sky with said girl shifting her eyes away. "Unfortunately, it doesn't look appear she's going to remember what happened to her anytime soon."
D:
Qrow frowned as he stared down into the flickering flames. "I'm sorry I couldn't reach you guys sooner."
The two blondes exchanged a glance. "Well..." Jaune mumbled. "We're not alone at least."
"That's true" nodded Yang. "Don't worry too much Uncle Qrow, we've somehow gotten through the worst of it."
"Yeah but he'd probably be successful" Ichigo muttered making Rukia laugh lightly.
"One day, I'll help you rebuild all your lives. I'll just need time" the dusty crow assured them. "I guess we start rebuilding it tomorrow."
"What about food?" Jaune asked. "I'm starving as it is and with the food shortage it's only going to get worse" he mumbled rubbing his stomach.
:D
"We can figure that out in the morning" the Sergeant told them. "We should rest for the night, don't worry we shouldn't have any complications through the night. I doubt any wolves are going to be showing up again anytime soon. At least I hope they don't."
"That's really reassuring Uncle (!)" Ruby breathed out as she laid down, her back to the fire. "Can we make it so we're actually sleeping inside tomorrow? I'm sick of camping."
"This is what you call camping?" Jaune questioned. "Last night you slept in a tree."
"Oh be quiet. I'm too tired to argue" Ruby yawned out as she closed her eyes, moving away from the group to a more isolated position.
Yang felt the slight breeze as it blew across the field, the light smell of smoke from the fire entering her nose making her open her eyes to see the moon already rising overhead. He raised her head and looked around. Ruby was now fast asleep where she lay and her belongings lay next to her. Her violet glanced over the smoking embers of their fire to see Qrow looking up at the sky a thoughtful look on his face.
"I messed up, didn't I? By letting her down."
The old Arc's eyes softened as he looked at his companion. This wasn't the 47-year old veteran huntsman of the Signal Guards he was looking at; this was the 6-year old insecure boy he first met.
D:
"I can't say for sure, since I wasn't there" the old man said, as he leaned back and lit his pipe. "All I know it is hard these past months, I know that all too well" James answered, remembering the old friends he had lost That Day. "But Ruby hasn't had it easy, either. She's a tough cookie and she has good intentions but she is still a girl – a child –, no matter how strong she is. She's lucky to have me, Jaune and Yang to look out for her."
"Yeah, except she's been distancing herself away from us, too" noted Jaune, solemnly.
"I wish I knew how to get her out of her funk" Yang, said before she had an idea. "Hang on. Do you know what day is it tomorrow?"
"Tuesday" Jaune answered.
"No, no, no. I mean don't you remember it's supposed to be a special day for certain someone?" she pointed, to her sister. It took the men half a minute to get what she was trying to say.
They huddled together and made whispering noises not to wake the youngest. Whilst this was going on the former beacon huntsman couldn't help but notice something.
"That's strange. The amount of Aura in the air around us dropped by at least 50% the moment little red moved away from us…"
So guys what do you think? I hope I didn't make them too OOC. I wasn't too sure about the confrontation scene with the trio but what do you think guys?
Any new ideas for my story are welcome. See ya!