Broken Apart Ch. 2: Life Now: Ruby and Yang
This will be the first of 4 Life Now chapters. But there are only 3 different groups of RWBY now, I'm sure someone here is asking. Oh but of course, you'll have to wait for the fourth one to see what it is =]. First off, I don't think that Yang and Ruby's hug was too weird. Also, do you guys realize that I only have like 700 words written right now? Cause this story has 20 followers and 10 favorites already. I guess my reputation proceeds me. Well, time to hopefully not fuck up... Finally, shoutout to TheWolfBane987 for making the wonderful cover for this story. He actually also has a story, so go check that out as well. Anyways, let us begin. UPDATE: I finished this A/N before my parents brought me in to be evaluated to see if I was suicidal. Spoiler alert, I'm not.
Ruby ran one last rag over Crescent Rose, and folded up her blade. Since Weiss and Blake had left, Ruby was left with only Yang. Now that wasn't a bad thing, she did love her sister deeply. But, Yang took an awful long time to shower and get ready. Normally Ruby would have gone to Weiss or Blake and bothered them until Yang returned. But here she was, with only Yang, and no one else to bother. So she turned to care for perhaps the thing she loved the second most, her scythe.
Ever since Weiss and Blake had left, Ruby had an empty place in her heart. They spent so much time together, hell they lived together for four years, that it was impossible not to miss them. But Ruby's heart longed for the quiet confidence and quick wit of Blake, the cold scolding and brutal style of humor of Weiss. These were things that couldn't be replaced.
But, Ruby's dream was always to become a huntress and help people. Blake was off helping people, and Ruby was sure that somehow her job was helping people. Ruby just had to accept that all of them were living their dream. Except, maybe sometimes your dream can change.
"Rubes!" Yang yelled out from within the apartment. "You got a call." Ruby walked back in, and grabbed her scroll.
"This is team-," Ruby started. "Ahem, this is Ruby Rose, leader of the Ember Sisters. What's up?"
"Terribly sorry to bother you," a voice said from the other end. "But this is George Wash, I'm a hunter squad leader. I'm currently in charge of overlooking a town, and it seems that Grimm have begun to spike. Now, if I had my full squad with me I wouldn't have any issues. But, I'm down to three members at this current town. The rest of the squad is off at their own villages, and so I had to call in some help. I got a recommendation for the Red Reaper and Burning Brute. Would you two mind coming out and finding the Grimm?"
"Do we have a choice?" Ruby asked, taking great care to use a humorous tone.
"Why but of course not!" Came the emphatic reply.
"We'll be there ASAP, which means you have to wait on my sister to get ready. So we'll see you tomorrow." She could hear a hearty chuckle on the other end.
"See you when we do." The line went dead, and Ruby tucked away her scroll.
"YANG!" She yelled out. "HURRY UP! WE GOT A CALL!" Before she knew it, her sister exited the bathroom, missing only her gauntlets.
"Call?" She asked. "Can't be Beacon business, they only use us once. Who is it?"
"Some guy named George Wash," Ruby replied. "He says that he wants us to head out. Got a recommendation for the 'Red Reaper and Burning Brute.'" Yang's face broke out in a wide grin, and she just shook her head.
A year back, Yang had taken Ruby out for her first night of drinking {since her age had finally allowed her too}. Weiss and Blake were still there, and so they had gone with them. Needless to say, Ruby hadn't held it well. She had come up with stupid nicknames, including one for herself and her sister. Red Reaper and Burning Brute were things they had laughed at, and jokingly reported in with those names. Well, they had taken off. As soon as RWBY broke apart, they became the Ember Sisters {seeing as of how Yang had her fire and Ruby's symbol was a burning rose}. Those drunken nicknames had become apart of that gig.
"Come on," Ruby said, picking up her scythe and travel bag. Luckily neither sister had unpacked from their last trip. "Let's get going." Yang grabbed her bag and picked up her gauntlets on her way towards the door.
Small Town Outside Vale: A While Later
The travel airship landed, and both girls calmly walked outside. They noticed a man waiting on them, and the sisters took great care to watch over his details. He had white hair and blue eyes. He wore a very traditional military coat, and he wore an apparently straight sword at his waist.
"Aha," he said cheerfully. "You two must be the Ember Sisters. I'm the one who called you, George Wash."
"Pleased to meet you Wash," Ruby greeted. "I'm Ruby."
"And I'm Yang," Yang finished up. "You mentioned a Grimm problem?"
"Yes," Wash said sadly. "This town experienced a weird spike. I volunteered a small team, who turned out to be unavailable. So I took three others with me to investigate. Well let's just say that the spike that they had mentioned was a bit under done. So I had to call in for some help. Since I didn't want to take away too much manpower, I went for the most bang for my buck."
"Thanks for that," Yang boasted, puffing out her chest slightly. "I certainly have a lot of bang." Yang grinned at herself, but Wash just ignored her comment and kept going.
"So I'd just appreciated it if you two could guard here for a bit. The moment another large Grimm attack occurs, we'll fight them off and trail them. There has to be a nest somewhere, and let's just say a little flames might help burn them out?" Yang just shook her head, and sighed.
"Why is it always that?" Yang asked. "I'm always asked to punch stuff and set shit on fire."
"At least you do a really good job at punching stuff and setting stuff on fire," Ruby replied, choosing to refrain from cursing.
"Thanks sis," Yang replied, grabbing her sister in a head lock. Ruby looked ready to fight back, but a quick tap of a sword brought them at ease.
"Is this how trained professionals are meant to act?!" Wash said forcefully.
"Get used to it," Yang replied. "You're working with fou-." She instantly stopped her train of thought as she realized what she was about to say. Wash just sighed, and pointed over to a small home.
"Since we used up all of the space in the other home," he started. "You two get your own place. Showers are functional, and you'll have two separate rooms."
"Really?" Ruby asked. "You mean I won't have to share with Yang for once?"
"Shut up," Yang said.
"Aaaanyways," he said. "I suggest you both go an unpack. We'll have some times before-." A loud growl was heard from within the woods, and the three companions turned. They saw a pair of red eyes, which was instantly accompanied by several more red eyes. "Well fuck that statement," Wash said. "Drop the bags in the airship and we'll deal with this now." Ruby and Yang nodded, and threw their bags back. Ruby's scythe sprung to life in her hands while Yang readied her gauntlets.
Both girls ran out towards the woods, but Wash signaled for them to stop.
"This isn't Forever Fall or Emerald Forest," he said easily. "This is the Speckled Woods. Tell me, how much experience do you have here?"
"None," Ruby replied instantly.
"These Grimm have been living here for years. Even we don't understand this forest enough for me to trust just letting people out into those woods. Do you know why it was named the Speckled Woods?"
"You know," Yang said angrily. "You're asking a lot of questions right now. I really don't appreciate that."
"It was named that because hunters blood was speckled on the trees." Ruby and Yang finally eased back, and just kept their weapons at a standstill. "Yes, these Grimm have made a name for killing hunters in here." Ruby and Yang finally took a moment to appreciate the woods. The trees all had a black trunk with silver leaves. But there was something off about them, and the sisters couldn't figure it out.
Wash confidently stepped further into the clearing, and the other three hunters with him moved forward as well. Ruby and Yang trailed just behind him, and readied their weapons for combat. Before long, a single Beowolf stepped out into the clearing as well, it's pack moving behind it. Ruby went to take aim, but once again Wash stopped her.
"If we are to chase it, we must make sure the alpha gets away," he whispered. Ruby nodded, and shifted her scope. Wash gave her a thumbs up, and she took a shot at a Beowolf. The bullet went straight through it's chest, and it fell over dead instantly. Without a second though, all of the hunters {besides Ruby and Yang} ran forward at the Beowolves. It took the sisters a moment to start running, but Ruby was caught up in an instant with the others.
She fired off a round to send her over the heads of the hunters, and spiraled down into a Beowolf. The blade of her scythe cut it clean in half, and she just smiled.
"Gotch'ya," Ruby whispered with some sadness. Those were the words that she had uttered during her first fight with Weiss. Temporarily brought out of the moment, Ruby shook the thoughts from her mind and cleaved another Beowolf in half.
Yang had chosen a far less angelic movement. She had simply barreled her way through the front of the line of Grimm. She quickly fired off two rounds, and burned a hole in two Grimm's chest. She swung around her elbow, and cracked the skull of another Beowolf. Yang then picked a fourth up, and threw it into two more Grimm. Yang's biggest thing that she was known for was her rage, which often lead to flames. Well, every time she fought Grimm, she used her rage about Blake leaving on the Grimm.
Wash, on the other hand, was the only one without thoughts. He was just expertly carving his sword into the chests of the Beowolves. He looked over and watched as most of the Beowolves had begun to retreat, but he identified that the alpha was running. With a quick whistle, he managed to grab the attention of the Red Reaper.
"Trail the alpha!" He yelled out. Ruby nodded, and took off in a sprint. She fired off a round to get her into the trees, and went to work jumping from tree to tree. Yang just rejoined Wash, and waited for him to start running after Ruby. They had a tracking beacon in her scroll, which Ruby did have on her. So whenever Wash took off, they would be able to find her.
"Let's move!" He yelled out. Yang nodded, and got ready to sprint. Nothing like the chase.
Ruby wasn't too far off of them, as the alpha seemed to be attempting to move in different patterns. Ruby was able to identify which wolf help that prestigious title pretty quickly. After all, it was bigger then all the other Beowolves. It finally came to a stop, and gently walked forward into a cave. Ruby had to guess that this rather large cave was the den.
Instantly stopping, she laid back in the tree and watched for her sister, Wash, and his group.
She wasn't waiting long as they were able to just take a direct rout. Ruby jumped down from the trees, and landed in front of her sister, Wash, and the other three.
"In there," Ruby said instantly, pointing just behind her.
"Alright then Yang," Wash said calmly. "Let's begin. Light 'em up." Yang nodded, and cracked her fists. She cocked back her fists, and launched two rounds at either side of the cave. She then sprinted at the front, and triggered her semblance. Fire started pouring off her body, and she tossed it around at as many points in the cave as possible.
Smoke started to flow towards the inside of the cave, and many things were actually catching on fire within the cave. After some howling, some of the Beowolves started to come running out of the cave. When they did, Ruby, Wash, and the other three hunters started taking potshots at the Beowolves.
Within the hour, most of the Beowolves had been killed. Yang had rejoined them after a while, and had assisted in taking them out. As soon as the last Beowolf dropped, and nothing more came out, Wash turned to face them.
"Well," he said happily. "I guess that you're time here is up a little bit sooner. I guess that you'll have the choice of leaving, sorry it was so soon."
"Life of a huntress," Yang said.
"Sometimes you can't control when you leave," Ruby continued. "Or who leaves around you." Yang instantly pulled her sister a little closer, and Wash just smiled sadly.
"Yes," he started. "I'm sure it was tough. But, now you're living your dreams right?"
"Yeah," Ruby agreed instantly. "But sometimes dreams can change."
End: Ember Sisters, Red Reaper, and Burning Brute are just names that I bounced around. Questions, comments, follows, favorites, and feedback is appreciated.
