Chapter 13
The green leaves of the Emerald Forest are blown to the academy and led to a pale girl perching on the top of the building. She caught one of the leaves and look at it with a sad face. The wind blows once again and she release the leaf to fly away. The clouds blocked the sun from her view. She sighed.
She look down to her hand. Her expression has yet to change. Sorrow sticks onto her heart. She doesn't wanted to shed tears but the thoughts of death haunts her, "I've killed countless of people with this filthy hand. This mutt should've better off just like they said..." She mumbled to herself. She clench her hand into a fist. She sighed once again.
"Father, where are you? Why did you left me? What did I do wrong?" So many questions to ask, yet she gets confused even more. She don't remember her father. Nor there's nothing for her to remind her of him. However, she wanted to know whether he's alive or not. And what's his name.
Her Scroll made a beep sound, telling her a new message has entered. She took out her Scroll and tap on the message, "Ozpin wants us to gather at his office." Yang sent her the message. She send a reply and keep it in her pocket. She gets down from the roof and head to the headmaster's office.
Ruby open the door to the room. Yang, Weiss and Blake has gathered along with Alex. She closes the door and take a seat next to her girlfriend. Glynda whispered something to Ozpin but the white girl couldn't hear what they're whispering about.
After Ozpin and Glynda stopped whispering to each other, the man face the girls with a calm yet serious expression. Team RWBY exchange looks with each other. He takes a sip of his coffee and place the mug on his table. "I got a good news and a bad news. Which one would you like to hear first?" He said.
Yang, Weiss and Blake turn to look at their leader. Ruby sigh, "The bad news." Ozpin nod. He takes another sip of his coffee before he continues, "Your team will be investigate the remnants of Daggerhorn. We heard there are survivors managed to survive the attack."
"Daggerhorn?" Ruby ask. Ozpin nod. "I guess you couldn't recall about it. Would you like to know about it?" He ask.
"Sir, I don't think we sho-..." Ruby cut the blonde witch's words off.
"Go ahead, sir. If it's important to me, then I should know about it..." Ruby answered. They paused for a moment. The man takes the third sip of his coffee. After he place the mug on his table, he continues, "Fifteen years ago, the town was burnt in ashes and Grimm swarmed in. Two hundred and thirteen people were killed on that night. And two people went missing before the attack. One of the victims was a huntress named Summer Rosé. Her child and husband went missing and presumably dead. We received a report claimed a black and red furred Grimm murdered her..."
The white girl stays silent. Weiss noticed the change of her girlfriend, squeezed her hand tightly. Few minutes of silence passed by and Ruby begin to speak, "Daggerhorn... I remember it now. My hometown...that I abandoned and ruined. My memories of it faded along with it. I saw what happened but I couldn't stop... So I left. And no one ever find me again..."
"I understand that you don't want to accept this mission, Ruby but your team is the only one left. No one wouldn't wanted to accept this mission. If you're not ready we ca-..."
"No. I don't want my past to haunt me again. I've put it behind me. I don't want to run anymore. I should face my fears..." She notice her sister give her a thumbs up and a smile. She return it with a small smile as well. "What's the good news, professor?" Blake ask.
"We don't know if this information is true or not but don't fret yet. This might be the greatest news you heard so far. Ruby, your father is alive," Ozpin explained.
Ruby is speechless. The words couldn't escape her throat. She stuttered, "M-my dad? H-he's alive?! I-I thought he's dead... W-where is he?!"
"We have yet to get the actual information of him. But once we locate him, we'll inform you ASAP." Ruby smiles. Her team mates are happy for her and engaged in a group hug. After they ended the group hug, the white girl asks, "What's his name? In case I run into him..."
"Felix Rosé is his name. If you ever run into him, send my regards to him. You may dismiss..." The girls gets up and excuse themselves. A bright smile decorated her face. After Yang closed the door, Glynda speaks up, "If she finds out we lied to her, she'll be heartbroken. One of you should tell the truth. You don't want the girl to run around to find her father..."
Alex chuckles, "Let her smile for a moment. She's been frowning for the past few days. At least there's something to motivate her. Until the time comes, let lies be the truth..."
-Team RWBY-
After they left the room, Yang voiced out her concern to her sister, "So, Ruby, since your dad's still alive, does that mean you'll stay with him? If anyone found him of course..."
"Well, yeah. He's my father. So I should stay with him. Maybe scold him a bit for being a selfish old man," she giggled. Yang looked down, depressed. Blake squeeze her hand gently. Weiss give her girlfriend a sad look.
"But, I should thank him too. For leaving me with a great big sister and great friends for me to live with. I won't be here with you guys if it wasn't for that. And...I might reconsider of staying with him. Although I missed him, there's no way I would leave you guys behind..." Her words soothed her team mates. Yang smiled.
"We won't leave you too, Ruby. We're a family, remember?" Blake said. Ruby smile and chuckle, "Funny, I barely recall anything from the past. Daggerhorn. Mom. Dad. But, there's something else. Something that made my heart sank. Something that I yearned to remember. But I don't know what it is..."
Yang lean closer to her sister and place her hand on her shoulder. The white girl look up to the blonde girl. "We'll figure it out together. Right now, we got a mission to fulfill..." A single nod from the leader answered her.
After a long ride on Ruby's back to the ashes of Daggerhorn, they arrived on their destination. The three members of team RWBY dropped themselves from their leader's back. The Beowolf returned to her human self. There's nothing left of the remnants of Daggerhorn. Only ashes and burnt houses decorated the soft white ground. Ruby frowned.
She reluctant to step into the town where the tragedy happened. Where her dark memories implanted her mind. Where she lost everything that's important to her. Weiss noticed the sadness on her face, "Should we head back, Ruby?" She ask. Ruby shook her head.
"It's okay. Let's keep going..." She answered in a low voice. The other three members exchange looks with each other. However, they followed without protest. The leader keep her head low, unable to look at the destruction she caused fifteen years ago although her memories remained vague. She still think it's entirely her fault. If she didn't return while she was in her Grimm, her mother would be alive till then.
As for Weiss, Yang and Blake, they look in horror on the destruction caused by the attack. The blonde girl murmured to herself, "It's terrible..." She look up to the white girl who's head still low. She sighed. Suddenly, she stop on her tracks. The other three stop as well. They barely hear their leader who's voice is as low as a whisper, "Split up. If you found any survivors, inform us..."
No one protested. They later split up and searched the whole town. They dug out the ashes and pushed away the burnt logs. But they found no one. Yang sighed. She turn around and saw her sister stand before a burnt house. She did nothing but stood and look at it.
Ruby watched the house before her in sorrow. She touched the wall with her trembling hand. As much as she doesn't wanted to shed tears, she did. The puddle of tears in her eyes trailed down her cheeks and landed on the soft ground. She reluctant to enter the ruined house however, she slowly stepped in. She slowly walked in and stepped onto something. She look down and saw a burnt picture on the ground. She picked it up despite her hand tremble violently.
The upper part of the photo was burnt and presumably a man standing next to a raven haired woman. The other part is a woman carrying a little girl in her arms. Tears landed on the photo. She hiccuped. Her body shakes violently. Yang who kept watching her sister from outside call her, "Ruby...?"
"It's my fault... I killed mom... I led the Grimm to the village... They were right... I'm a disgrace. A menace. A monster... I don't deserve to live..." Yang frowns. She hated when her sister said that. It hurts the blonde just as it hurts the white girl. The image of the small red and black haired girl replace the current white woman before her. Despite being old enough to look after herself, Yang knew her sister is afraid just like everyone else.
Ruby dropped the photo to the ground. She wiped away her tears. Yang reached out her hand, offering the white girl. Instead, Ruby hugged the blonde. She muttered to her ears, "Do mom...still loves me...? Even after what I did...?"
Yang patted her back gently and shushed her. She said in a soothing voice, "What kind of mother wouldn't love her child...?" The arms around her tightened. Ruby cried on her shoulder like she used to. Yang let the white girl cry with Weiss and Blake watched them.
"So you didn't found any survivors at Daggerhorn?" Ozpin ask. Ruby answered with a nod. The man takes a sip of his coffee before he continue, "Once again, forgive me for letting you to go there. I'm sure there's a lot of painful memories returned to you..."
"It's okay, sir. I wanted to know as well..." She reply and turn her back to him. She slowly walk towards the door and exited the room. Ozpin watched the girl left. Ruby closed the door and stood before it. She decided to take some night air. She walk to the opposite direction of her dorm to the entrance.
As she stepped out of the building, she shifted herself into Grimm, the size of a normal dog. She raised her head up and look at the shattered moon above her. She howl. The same howl that described her sadness. Her howl was answered by the Beowolves at the Emerald Forest. Unbeknownst by her, Yang has been following her and watched her. The blonde girl slowly approaches the white Grimm.
She settled next to her sister. Ruby ignored her, however, not entirely. None of them make any conversation. Few moments of silence later, Yang speaks, " You reminded me of someone that close to me... Someone before you..." The white girl didn't react. But she pay full attention of what her sister is going to say.
"She was a Beowolf like you. An unusual Beowolf. She had beautiful black fur with red streaks. But her mane was bright red. Funny thing is her eyes was silver. Because of her mane, I called her Red. We often played with each other when my parents went out. My dad would went out hunting while my mother helped other women with their housework. On that time, I would find Red. I learn lots of stuff when I was with her. The beauty of life, hunting Grimm style, and I learnt that not all Grimm is evil. Then, I introduced my parents to her."
"They were shocked but fascinated as well. They promised they won't tell anyone and they kept their promise. My dad often went hunting with her. We played together despite we kept her a secret from everyone else. But we were happy. Very happy. But it ended there... My parents were killed by Grimm. I was angry. I wanted to avenge my parents..."
Something deep in Ruby's mind ticks. The voice of a little girl echoes in her mind, "Red! Red!" A young blonde girl running towards her, calling out the name that sounded familiar to her. And another name that she used to describe her, "Yellow...?"
Yang hummed and look at the white Grimm. Ruby's crimson eyes penetrates her lilac eyes, "You were...that yellow haired girl? You...never told me your name. So I thought your name was Yellow. And I...ran away. You said you hate...Grimm. So you might hate me. I was scared you would leave me. Thus, I ran away..."
"I was looking for you, Ruby. When they said they wanted to send me to an orphanage, I shouted no. I went to the place you always rest. But you weren't there. I waited for you for days. I called out to you. Then, I found your footprints. I followed until the snowstorm strike. Your footprints gone. And Uncle Qrow found me and adopted me. If I told him about you, I'm sure he won't believe me. So I decided to forget about you."
"Few days later, you appeared. You were so scared that time. From your eyes, I know you experienced something horrible. I was worried we won't be friends. But you warmed up to me. You called me 'sis' for the first time. I was happy..." Yang give her a warm smile. She hold her paw who later become a hand. The wolf next to her was replaced by a white woman. Ruby return the smile.
Yang leaned her head on her sister's shoulder. Both of them look up to the shattered moon. The blonde slowly close her eyes, "I missed you, Red..." She murmured.
"I missed you too, Yellow..." Ruby smiled and close her eyes with their hands holding each other in their grip.
Author's Note
For more information of Yang and Ruby's past, stay tune for the upcoming prequel of Grimm!Ruby AU on March. Ruby's cursed life as a Grimm begins from her childhood to her life in Signal.