AN: Well, crap. I was hoping to have this out before I hit one-thousand views. That's right; just a few short hours ago this story broke into the four-digit numbers. Since there are no words that can accurately express my gratitude let me just simply say, thank you.
Also as another way to show you guys how grateful I am I have decided to do something. I will be taking a prompt from one of you. Now note; it must be RWBY related. It does not however have to take place within in the universe of this story, but if you want it to it can. For example; want to see how Ruby and Weiss got together? I can do that. Want me to write a comedic piece that has nothing to do with this story? I can do that to. Leave your ideas and I'll pick one and post it upon its completion.
Now on to why you are really here. This one came out really easy, possibly because I've had it envisioned for the better part of a month. I've gone over it several times with a fine tooth comb and I'm overall proud of how well it turned out. Which, with my writing I know that isn't saying very much, but what are you going to do?
As always please leave any and all criticisms that you might have. PS. Don't expect the next chapter to be out as fast...
I hope you enjoy!
It was hot, almost unbearably so as Blake cautiously strode her way through the thick red underbrush that impeded her path. Her eyes and both sets of ears stood on alert for even the smallest sign or sound of Grimm. Needle sharp thorns cut and nicked at her exposed arms and stomach as she continued to push forward. She grimaced slightly as some of her sweat found the small bothersome wounds before her Aura could heal them.
Note to self; invest in sleeved combat attire.
Finally working her way out of the thicket she came to the base of a small hill. Glad to be done with the brush she quickly made her way up to the hills crest. Once on the apex she stopped and examined the area of dense forest that was all around her.
Everything was red. From the grass, flowers, bushes, and even the leaves on the trees; that fell in a constant rain like rhythm. It was all bathed in a deep red that all but mirrored the color of blood. It went on like this for miles in every direction.
She found it unsettling.
"Blake, are you there?" Hearing the sound of Ruby's voice, she pulled her scroll out from her vest's inner pocket.
She and Ruby had been dropped off at the edge of the forest around three and a half hours ago. After quickly splitting the search area up and agreeing to contact the other in thirty minute intervals they had went their separate ways. Something that she knew, had Yang been there, never would have been allowed.
She smiled as she thought of her girlfriend who was back home, no doubt up to her bangs in paperwork. Hopefully Weiss isn't too hard on her.
Activating the screen she is greeted by a very annoyed looking Ruby Rose. Who seemed to be distracted by insects that were currently flying all around her face.
"Did you find another nest?" She asked the girl, doing her best to not laugh at the situation. This would be the fifth nest of Rapier Wasps that the red girl had disturbed.
"Maybe…" Ruby pouted like a sad puppy, "I'll be scratching for days at this rate."
Blake covered her mouth with her hand to hide the smile that had broken across her face. "I wouldn't worry, I'm sure that we can find some form of ointment for you once we get back."
Ruby sighed again as she flicked her nose, "I know," She paused as she looked off screen for a moment before looking back. "You see any signs of those Beowolves?"
"None yet," She shook her head, "And I'm almost done with my quadrant."
"So am I." Ruby's brow furrowed, suddenly serious "Odd for Ozpin to send us out here on a goose hunt."
It was a very odd thing for the headmaster to do.
"He never said how old the reported sightings were," she offered. "It's possible that a long enough time has passed that the Beowolves have moved on."
"Maybe," Ruby sounded far from convinced. Not that she could blame her; she also had the feeling that something was off. "I say we finish up our scouts and regroup. I can see some pretty nasty clouds in the distance. Looks like there might be a storm rolling in, so the quicker we're out of here the better."
She nodded, "I'll see you then."
Ending the call she returned the scroll to her pocket, before she turned her eyes to the sky. She could see the clouds Ruby had mentioned moving in against the clear blue of the summer sky. There was a quick flash of lightning. She counted the seconds down.
One novel, two novesl, three nov…a powerfully loud rumble filled her ears. It was close.
That's definitely a storm, a bad one from the sounds of it.
She watched the clouds for a moment longer; a chill ran down her spine as they appeared to get even darker. Tearing her eyes away she moved down the hill. She had an assignment to finish, storm or no.
She held onto a small bit of hope that they could finish in time to outrun the storm. Another even louder rumble found her ears. She knew then that it was a false hope.
"I hate being right," Blake mumbled to herself as she carefully jogged across the now soggy ground of Forever Fall, her every footfall causing a small splash. Every inch of her being was soaked, from the last strand of her hair all the way down to the last fiber of her clothing.
It was everything she could to do to keep the water out of her eyes, let alone her ears, not that she could see anything through the thick sheets of rain. Nor could she hear anything over the sound of the wind, rain, and thunder. She cursed her luck as she continued to make her way back to where she would meet Ruby.
The storm had overtaken Forever Fall with the full fury of nature's wrath. The rain that had started to fall when she was a little over halfway back to their meet up point, came down in torrents that rivaled even the most powerful of monsoons. Which was something that not even the thick canopy over her head could protect her from. There was a constant flashing of light as the lightning streaked wildly across the sky. It was followed closely by the tremendous sound of thunder that had yet to fail in sending a shiver down her spine.
Though, she wasn't really sure if it was the thunder that was causing her to shiver. Or if it was the ever growing feeling that something wasn't right.
She couldn't put her finger on it but there was something, something that was filling the air with a dreadful energy. And it wasn't the storm.
The wind howled.
I hope Ruby's okay.
She hadn't heard heads or tails from the red haired reaper since the rain had started. It worried her. While Ruby had grown and matured over the years the girl, much to Weiss's great displeasure, still had some rather impulsive tendencies. Like for example; running through a forest full bore in a rainstorm that was currently making the ground slicker than ice.
It was all she could do to keep the thoughts of Ruby having horribly injured herself by running through the wet woods out of her head. She had no idea how she'd explain such a situation to Weiss, let alone Yang. Especially after she had told the blonde that everything would be fine.
She shook her head, its fine. Ruby will be at the clearing, safe and sound, waiting for me.
Why couldn't she believe that?
Her ears flicked as the clouds roared yet again.
Another shiver.
It took several more minutes, but she finally managed to exit the maze of trees and enter into the clearing. Where the rain, without the buffer of the canopy, appeared to be coming down even harder, if that was even possible.
Stepping out past the tree line she peered through the thick fog of rain, trying to pick out the familiar flash of red that was her friend. The natural red background did little to assist her.
It's like trying to see a needle in a haystack. It didn't take her long to realize that even if Ruby were there, there was no way she could pick her out against the back drop of Forever Fall.
So, she moved back to the tree line and took what little shelter she could find under one of the larger red oaks, and waited.
Seconds passed.
Then minutes.
She could feel the anxiety as it slowly built a void in her stomach. The longer she stood there the worse the feeling got. Ruby should have been there by now. She checked her scroll. It had been twenty-nine minutes since their last check in.
Okay, it's fine. She tried to reassure herself, She'll call in a minute and tell me that she's almost here.
The minute passed, no call ever came. Ruby never came. Then another passed and another and another, by the thirty-fifth minute she was dialing Ruby.
Nothing.
She tried again.
Same result.
She dialed the red head a third time.
Ruby never answered.
Ruby always answered.
Something's happened, it has to have. Her legs were getting weak. She couldn't remember the last time that Ruby had been late to anything. If there was one thing that the youngest member of the team had absorbed from Weiss over their years of knowing each other it was definitely her punctuality.
She looked back through the thinning rain to the trees that Ruby had disappeared into several hours earlier; panic gripped her heart as she looked for any sign of the other girl. She still couldn't see her. Her thoughts from earlier stormed back into her mind with a renewed vigor. Except this time they were of a dead or dying Ruby somewhere out there in the storm, all alone.
Alone.
Alone is what I'll be when I get back. The thought caused her already hysteric heart to seize.
She knew that despite becoming friends over the years, Weiss would never forgive her for allowing the one person she loved the most in the world to die. And Yang…
Yang had said that she cared about her, but she seriously doubted that that feeling trumped what she felt for her little sister. No, she was sure neither one of them would never want anything to do with her ever again.
The thought paralyzed her.
Her legs finally gave out and she dropped to her knees with a splash. The wet red clay instantly dirtied her leggings, but she didn't notice nor care. Nothing mattered anymore, not if what she thought would happen happened.
Hot tears streaked down her face, mixing with the cold rain water that continued to fall albeit at a much slower rate than before. She kept looking, unable to accept what was happening.
She wanted to get up and go look for the energetic red head, but her body refused to respond to her commands. The iron grip of fear had set in and it wasn't about to let her go anywhere. That and she was terrified that if she did go looking she would only prove her fears.
She bowed her head. I- if only I had…if only I hadn't talked Yang out of coming, then maybe…She cried harder, as she sobbed out. This can't be happening…
Her ears twitched as a new sound mixed in with the cadence of the storm. It seemed familiar…
She didn't pay it any heed though. Instead she chose to stare at the ground in despair. She cursed it, the ground. She cursed it, the clearing, the rain, the forest, Ozpin, herself, and most importantly she cursed the new sound that was growing closer, and sounding more and more like Ruby's voice.
It's just the wind playing a cruel joke…Her mind was too far gone to believe anything else.
She heard it again. Wait…
She perked up slightly, honing her ears incase the sound came again.
There! She heard it again; it was faint, but it definitely a voice. Hope started to form in her listless heart.
"Blake!"
Turning towards the source she forced her vision that was blurry from the rain and tears to focus.
"Blake!" The voice called out again.
She would hear the voice call out another three times before she could finally see its owner. Upon realizing who it was she felt her heart beat for the first time in minutes.
It was Ruby, a very drenched and cold looking Ruby, but a Ruby that was, from what she could tell from this distance, very much alive and well.
Seeing her young leader returned her control over her body. She was up and running towards her in an instant.
"Ruby!" She watched as the other girl stopped and after taking a moment to spot her wave to her.
Despite the slicker than normal terrain Blake managed to cross the distance in record time. She paused just short of Ruby taking in her waterlogged appearance. Her damp hair stuck to her forehead in clumps, and her normally loose fitting tunic and combat-skirt clung to her like a second skin.
She looks absolutely fine.
Ruby cocked her head to the side, "Blake, are you okay?"
The Faunus blinked, why would she ask…The thought died as she looked down to examine herself. Much like Ruby her clothes were plastered to her skin from the rain, and her legs from her feet to her knees were covered in mud and red clay. She was a mess.
"Oh, I uh…slipped and fell on my knees as I was making my way…" She stopped as Ruby shook her head.
"I'm not talking about that, it looks like you've been crying." Concern laced her normally chipper voice.
Caught off guard Blake searched her mind for a way to get out of the accusation, despite its truth.
"It's just the rain," Weak Belladonna.
Silver eyes narrowed, "I wasn't born yesterday Blake." Ruby's voice took on its commanding tone.
"I…" Silver bored through her. She sighed, Guess I'm not getting out of this. "I got here before you," she started. "I waited for a bit…then when our contact time passed I-I started to worry."
She could see understanding bloom in her teammate's eyes.
"You tried to call me didn't you?"
"Three times."
Ruby threw herself at her, wrapping her in a tight hug that could rival even one of Yang's embraces. She took a step back to prevent the two of them from falling to the ground.
"You thought something happened to me, didn't you?"
Always perceptive.
She gave a short, feeble, nod. Ruby pulled away.
"I'm sorry that I worried you." She smiled weakly, "I kinda got turned around in the rain and it took me a while to find my way back."
"Why didn't you answer your scroll?" She asked the question that had been festering in her mind.
"Heh, about that…" Ruby sheepishly scratched the back of her head. "It might have bounced out of my pocket and fell into a puddle as I was running back here to meet up with you…"
She looked up with pouty silver eyes, "Do you think you could maybe not mention that part to Weiss?"
"I suppose that I could," Blake started as she ruffled the younger girl's hair, the anxiety that she had been feeling having started to abate at knowing that her teammate was safe and sound. "So long as you promise not to scare me like that again."
Ruby knocked her hand away, "I'd really appreciate it. Weiss still gives me a hard time about the last one."
"Well you did feed it to a Boarbatusk." She couldn't help but make a jab at the girl's expense.
"I did not!" Ruby argued, "It fell out of my pocket and the Boarbatusk just so happened to eat it!"
"You know, a lot of your scrolls seem to just fall out of your poc..."
That's when she heard it; her ears perked up and turned to the left as they strained to pick up the new sound.
The sound was of the unmistakable deep and ragged panting of an Alpha-Beowolf as it charged. She didn't even have to look to know she was right. She had seen and killed enough Alpha's to perfectly picture the creature. It had body that was nothing but lean muscle that would be covered in the blackest of fur, bone spikes would protrude from its arms and down along its spine. Its face would be covered in a similar bone protrusion, which itself would be covered with red lines that resembled war paint. It's most striking feature would be its two blood red eyes that held nothing but malice and hatred for any human or Faunus that it laid eyes on. She could faintly pick out the sound of its razor sharp claws slicing up the wet ground as it cut across the clearing.
It must have heard us calling out to each other.
"Ruby."
"I see it, it's directly behind you. Fifty-yards," Ruby's voice was as serious as she had ever heard it as the girl pulled Crescent Rose from its resting place at the small of her back.
Blake could feel adrenaline surge through her as her hand went to the hilt of her own weapon. She had it a quarter of the way out of the sheath before Ruby stopped her.
"Wait, it doesn't know we see it yet." She whisper-shouted the words, "When it gets closer use your Semblance to distract it and I'll cut around behind it." Ruby grinned maliciously.
"It'll never know what hit it."
She nodded. It was a good plan, one that they had used to great success in the past.
She tightened her grip on Gambol Shroud. It was much closer now; she could hear it growling as it continued to close the distance.
She widened her stance as Ruby cycled the bolt on Crescent Rose, feeding a high-powered round into the sniper-scythe's chamber. The two locked eyes.
"Ready?"
"Yes."
"…Now!"
Ruby disappeared in a flash of rose petals as Blake rolled to her right, leaving a perfect shadow-clone of herself where she had recently stood.
Getting to her knees she pulled Gambol Shroud from its sheath, flicking the safety off she folded the weapon into its pistol mode.
Finger on the trigger and ready to fire she swung around, towards where she thought the Alpha should be; stunned by their recent maneuver. Getting all the way around she was shocked at what she saw. Her shadow-clone remained where she had left it. Untouched. As the Alpha turned its attention to where Ruby was at its back, the red themed girl just barely had enough time to dodge out of the way as the creature swiped at her with a powerful clawed foot.
It…it didn't fall for it. She was dumbfounded, that trick always worked.
"Blake, a little help!" Snapping out of her thoughts she looked to where Ruby ducked another attack. The girl fired her weapon using the force to propel her out and away from the creature.
She felt a chill run down her spine as the beast roared in what she assumed was anger at missing its prey.
With the back of the Alpha to her, she made her move. She turned her weapon back into its sword form as she pulled the sheath from her back. She charged across the ground as it made another lunge at Ruby.
Summoning up her Aura, Blake jumped high into the air. Reaching the apex of the leap she angled downward towards the Grimm, the tip of Gambol Shroud gleamed with deadly intent as she aimed it at the base of the creature's skull. From there she allowed gravity to do the hard work as she quickly descended down upon the creature, which was still distracted by Ruby.
Got you! She was just seconds away from severing the Beowolf's spine when the creature quickly turned around, its powerful arm was incased in a black glow as it swung in a deadly arc right towards the Faunus.
She barely had enough time to call up her Aura before the blow impacted on her right side. The force of the blow was so much that it caused her Aura to explode all around her.
She could feel the air leave her lungs as she slammed into the wet ground, she skidded across its wet surface coming to a stop twenty- feet away from the now fully enraged creature.
Dazed she could barely make out Ruby's voice as she called out to her.
"Blake, Move!"
Doing her best to shake off the cobwebs she looked up to see that the Alpha was charging full bore directly at her. She could see Ruby behind it doing her best to catch up, but even with her speed…
She's too far. And it's to close.
Ruby couldn't catch it. And it was too close for her to effectively dodge. She knew it, and she could tell by the terror stricken look on Ruby's face that she knew it as well.
Only one option then.
She gritted her teeth in pain as her entire body roared out in a chorus of pure agony as she shakily rose to her feet. Three ribs…maybe four, she pushed the pain away. Rising to her full height she summoned what was left of her Aura, she didn't have enough left for another hit like the one she had just took, no, but she had just enough for what she had in mind. She channeled the energy down her arm and into her weapon; a black glow surrounded the blade as she connected its base to the ribbon she wore tied around her arm.
She pulled her arm back and measured the distance out in her mind; she drew an imaginary line across the ground. She then waited for the beast to cross it, too soon and I'll overshoot, wait too long…she pushed the idea from her mind.
The Alpha continued to charge. Its hate filled eyes focused directly on her. Another shiver traveled through her.
She looked to the line. A little closer…there!
"Ruby, duck!" She yelled the words as she threw Gambol Shroud with as much might as her battered body could muster. The sword-pistol cut through the air with deadly accuracy as it sailed past the charging Beowolf.
She tightened her grip on her end of the ribbon. She had one chance to get this right.
A heightened level of awareness settled over her. She could feel every fiber of the ribbon as it skimmed through her thin fingers. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as the Alpha drew nearer.
The ribbon pulled taught.
Clamping her hand around her end of the black material she jerked the ribbon back. The jerk was enough to reverse Gambol Shroud's direction. The bladed angled back, its tip aimed directly at the Alpha's skull. She flicked her wrist; the action forced the sword-pistol to fire, adding to the speed of the weapon.
Dodge that!
It didn't.
What it did was far more horrifying.
Just as Gambol Shroud was about to make contact, another, darker glow surrounded the Alpha and the weapon just bounced away harmlessly.
Horror gripped her as she watched her weapon stick, blade first, into the mud. She looked back to the creature as it let out another roar, its Aura having faded away.
"That's…that's no-not…possi-possible."
The beast over took her, rearing up on its hind legs as it growled down at her. Droll dripped from its wide-open maw as it reared its arm back.
Move. Dammit move!
She couldn't though. For the second time that day she found herself utterly paralyzed by fear. She could only watch as the beast brought its arm down in an attack.
Without her Aura to protect her this time she felt the full brunt of the attack. Searing hot pain tore through her chest as the blow landed with a sickening crack. She was sent flying back through the air.
"Blake no!"
Ruby's panic ridden words just managed to reach her ears as her back slammed against a tree. Her head snapped back and cracked against the hard bark.
Everything went black.
AN: I wasn't originally going to put anything down here but decided to anyway. I really, really, hope that I didn't jump the shark with anyone. When I first decided to continue this story I knew that I wanted to continue to play with the girls in their post graduation lives, but I felt that I also needed something with a little more grandeur. Something that would really step up the game, if you know what I mean.
So, I made a list of potential plot ideas. This was one of them, and from the second I wrote it down it just jumped at me. It's something that I don't think I've ever seen done, and while I know the pitfalls of the, 'can you and should you,' thing but I just couldn't help myself. Hopefully you guys are intrigued enough to stick around for the long haul, because we've still got a ways to go yet.
That's it for me. As always, have a good night!