Chapter 7:
It took two whole days of rummaging, shopping and Weiss screaming whilst coordinating their packing list and reeling in their (Ruby and Yang's) near uncontrollable shopping spree, but alas it was done. Team RWBY was now ready for their weekend trip. Were it not for the fact that they'd be going to another school, Ruby would have believed it to be a holiday. Still, this made the cut.
"So how long are we gonna wait?" Ruby groaned. They had been at the docks for a good hour and their ship still wasn't ready.
"Hurry up already!" Yang shouted to the ship that was assigned to take them to Vacuo. Clearly, the girl was starting to get impatient. Yang's eyes were bright red and upon closer inspection, one could swear the air around her was on fire.
"Relax you two." Weiss said. "So they had some engine problems. It's not like Vacuo is going anywhere." Ruby turned to see her partner, arching one eyebrow as soon as she noticed Weiss foot tapping impatiently on the floor.
"Yeah, whatever..." Ruby snickered at her friend's contradictory behavior. Weiss frowned as Ruby did so, wondering what she meant.
After what appeared to be two hours, Glynda Goodwitch finally motioned for the students to board the ship. Blake wisely held them back as the crowd of students made their move, trying to funnel through the small gangplank that led up to the ship itself. When it appeared that the crowd of students had shrunk, Teams RWBY and JNPR prepared to board.
Then, another complication struck.
"Sorry ma'am." Said the ship captain to Glynda Goodwitch. "I'm afraid I don't have enough room for everyone."
Ruby's eyes widened. "Not enough room? What?"
"But, then how will we go to Vacuo?!" Yang whined as Blake and Weiss boarded.
"Calm down you two." Glynda silenced the sisters with an irritated snap before turning to the captain. "Sir, is there any way to make do?"
"Sorry ma'am." He shook his head. "I can only afford one more student and you. I have another friend coming though. He can take care of one girl."
Ruby and Yang eyed one another, frowning. Both of them didn't want to be leaving on a later boat and were more loathe to leave separately. Still, it didn't look like there was a choice.
"Rock paper scissors." Ruby said. "That's how we will decide this."
"Fine by me." Yang grinned.
Two hours later, Weiss and Blake stood on the top deck, enjoying the sea breeze. They turned as Yang walked up, stretching her arms and catching every ray of golden sunshine.
"Are you sure we shouldn't have ditched your sister?" Blake asked. "There is something seriously wrong about leaving a girl to herself.
"Ruby is a big girl!" Yang smiled reassuringly. "She can handle herself real well."
Weiss rolled her eyes, looking back toward the direction of Vale and hoping Ruby wouldn't do anything dumb. Truth be told, it was partially Ruby's decision for Ms. Goodwitch to follow the bulk of the students. With Yang, Cardin and a whole lot of other crazy kids, Professor Port might have a small stroke before they left.
"Young lady, where do you get off thinking that way?" Ms. Goodwitch had said, a frown cutting across her face. "I am not having you on a ship all by yourself!"
"I know Ms. Goodwitch." Ruby had replied. "But I'll be fine really! Besides, the next thing you want to worry about is Yang blowing the ship to pieces."
The deputy headmistress and Ruby both turned to see Yang waving from the deck, an arrogant smirk spreading across her face. Ruby glared, half tempted to throw her luggage bag at her in the hopes it would at least break her nose.
For some reason, Ms. Goodwitch had relented, agreeing that perhaps the rowdy bunch would be more than Professor Port to handle on his own. That, and the fact that the minute they had cast off, Yang had already gotten into a 'scuffle' with one rather lovestruck sailor who had a glass of wine too many prior to the trip.
Weiss didn't think that Ruby was going to meet any complications. If anything, the girl knew how to keep a wide berth of any trouble she was bound to have. Additionally, the ship's captain had reassured them that his friend would definitely reserve a private quarters for her. His friend so happened to be a retired Hunter who had once wrestled down an Ursa and tolerated no nonsense from his crew.
Besides, Weiss trusted Ruby's judgment. So many times the red cloaked girl had pulled the whole of Team RWBY through thick and thin. If she couldn't handle herself, then either the team was really lucky or their situations were exaggerated.
"Stop worrying Blake." Weiss said, breathing in the sea air. "Ruby will be fine, I'm sure."
The Faunus turned to face Weiss. "Are you sure?"
"Positive." Weiss nodded.
"Alright." Blake shrugged. "If you say so. I'm gonna go and check on what they've got for lunch."
"Sounds great partner!" Yang smiled. "Mind if I come with?"
"Why not?" Blake said, turning to leave. "No funny stuff though. Weiss?"
"I think I'll stay a bit." Weiss said. "Just enjoy the view."
"Seeing the sea?" Yang snorted, which earned her a frown from Weiss.
"Seriously Yang?" Weiss groaned as Blake walked off, the yellow haired girl following behind. Weiss was now alone to enjoy the cool breeze and the warm sun. Both came together to give a wondrous blend that was perfect for relaxation.
Still, something was...off. Weiss couldn't describe the strange sensation that fluttered around in her gut. As if it was telling her something.
She shook her head, convinced she was thinking too much about the Vacuo students they would meet and proceeded to clear her head with images of the sea.
Ruby took a slight stroll on the deck. They ship she was on was merely a cargo ship that was carrying loads of food supplies and other materials, like Dust, to Vacuo. The captain had been kind enough to offer a hand in getting her over and did what he could to make sure she had a pleasant ride. Still...
"What is this?" Ruby asked him and pointed to a strange circular object on her plate. The ship's cook was supposed to be good, but Ruby wasn't well versed in the type of food sailor's had on a day to day basis.
"Fish's eyeball miss." One of the deckhands had said. Ruby resolved not to put anything circular into her mouth for the time being. She was only an hour behind the rest of Beacon's students. Just a little more time and soon she'll be back with the rest of her teammates.
She was starting to miss them. Her time in Beacon had resulted in her making irreplaceable bonds with so many people that now it was almost impossible to not imagine them around. It made everything feel lonely for her.
Already she could imagine Weiss trying to enjoy some of the peace on the sea while Yang broke her concentration, resulting in all manner of telling off. Blake would just pretend to ignore the whole thing but deep down, would smirk throughout the exchange.
Ruby blew a lock of her hair out of her face. It was starting to get boring on the ship. The sailors had their own form of entertainment in a strange game called Liar's Dice. Ruby couldn't get the gist of it all but it somehow involved six dice per man and a cup. Although the sailor's were presumed to be a fine lot, Ruby had once or twice caught them sneaking to the ship's bar to grab alcohol when the captain wasn't looking.
"Guess the fun's not for everyone..." She said glumly. She decided it was time to head back to her room. She was only two hours away from the Vacuo port, she supposed she could get some sleep before the end of the day.
Suddenly, the ship rocked, knocking loose cargo and causing people to stumble and fall. Ruby fared no better, she landed back first on the hard deck of the ship.
"What was that?" Came a sailor.
"Must have hit something, like a rock or a reef..." Came another.
Ruby's eyes went wide. She recalled the same words and situation from Damien's story. Scrambling to her feet, she watched as the deckhands went about to the sides of the ship, watching the ocean surface for any signs of what they had hit.
What was next in Damien's story? What happened after the abrupt stopping? The strange assumptions made by the crew? Someone was dragged into the water, right?
"GET AWAY!" Ruby screamed. She had never felt terror like this before. She rushed over to the sailors gathered at the edge of the ship, rose petals billowing behind her.
"Stay away from the edge!" Ruby gasped, pushing one of them back.
"The hell?" The sailor snapped, obviously not liking the fact a kid just shoved him. "What is with you kiddo?"
"I heard about this..." Ruby breathed. "I think, something has hooked onto the ship."
"Keep calm deary..." He said. "We are a huge transport ship! What could possibly be big enough to hold us?"
Ruby gulped, not sure if she should say. "The 'Devil'?" In an instant, she knew she had to be overreacting.
The whole crew laughed. What? Devil? Came one voice. Must be as crazy as old Damien! Came another.
"Ugh..." Ruby moaned as the captain reached the deck.
"What's going on here?" He bellowed, demanding answers. "Why'd we stop?"
"C-captain..." One began struggling to contain his laughter. "We don't know. But the little Huntress here says it's a devil." Once he finished, he started laughing again.
The captain didn't see the humor. "Shut it, all of you! Now quickly work to getting my boat moving again or so help me..."
He didn't get the chance to finish as a huge, long tentacle, blacker than charcoal snapped out of the water and grabbed one of the sailors. He screamed, a high pitched keen as he was dragged under the waves.
Ruby, the captain and everyone else stared for a brief moment at what had just happened. The split second seemed to last an eternity, as if it needed an eternity for everyone to comprehend what had just happened and what was going to happen.
Then, the screaming began.
"ALL HANDS TO STATIONS!" The captain bellowed out his orders. "GET THE ARMORY OPEN!"
The men started running, shouting incomprehensible words and taking out weapons such as harpoons and guns.
Ruby glanced to the side as more of those black tendrils started snaking their way up the sides of the ship from the bubbling water below. She could point out the white suction cups underneath it, huge enough to cover a man's face.
She withdrew as soon as one shot up, intending to grab more prey and just missing her by inches. Drawing Crescent Rose, she clicked the scythe open just as the tendrils made their way onto the ship's deck.
Chaos descended faster than Ruby could blink. The sailors were throwing harpoons at the tendrils or firing at them with their guns. But it made little difference. They shook them off as if it was nothing.
The tentacles acted as if they were separate beings with their own will, retaliating by crashing onto the deck, throwing huge boxes of cargo across and grabbing anyone it could in the process whilst smashing the very hull of the ship apart.
Ruby watched as the captain tried to save one of his men who had been seized by a tentacle. The man screamed as the thing grabbing him was too strong, his fingers slipping out of the captain's hands.
Ruby fired Crescent Rose amidst the gunfire and shrieks of more victims that fell to the 'Devil'. She watched as another tentacle came in from her right. With her Aura, she leapt, the tendril finding nothing but rose petals. Ruby fired in response to the attacking appendage, but although Crescent Rose's high caliber rounds gave it wounds, the tendril didn't seem to notice. It continued about, picking up hapless sailors and destroying the ship's bridge.
Ruby swung her scythe with all the strength she had. The blade cut into the huge tentacle. Blood spurted out of the wound, red in color and reeking of something that had rotted away, staining her face. The appendage twitched before retreating to the ocean.
Ruby spotted the captain surrounded by three other sailors fighting off two of the tentacles. She rushed in, slicing a tentacle that had tried to creep up onto them. "Sir! Any ideas?" She panted heavily as she stood with them.
"In all my ex-hunter days, I've never seen anything like this!" He exclaimed as he stabbed one of the tentacles that got too close.
Then, Ruby's eye caught two more tentacles, larger than the others that ravaged all around them, rise up from the ocean. They tentacles were perfectly positioned over the ship's middle, swaying back and forth as if ready to...
Dread gripped her heart as she realized what was to come. "RUN!" She screamed.
The tentacles smashed downwards, cracking the massive ship into two and sending everyone on deck along with what wasn't tied down ten feet into the air. Ruby flailed for a moment before she crashed down onto the splintered deck of the ship, rolling along the gradient of the flipped deck.
She hauled Crescent Rose, stabbing its blade into the metal surface of the slanted deck. She watched with horror as sailors who weren't tied down or had found support rolled into the watery gap between the two halves of the ship. Even worse was that the tentacles seemed to be picking up anything that was tied down and throwing them into that specific area.
Ruby glanced upwards to see a tentacle drop a crate down right where she was. She quickly removed her anchor and shifted to another spot. But she was a millisecond too slow as the crate grazed her temple.
Dazed, she watched as something resembling a circular beak opened up from between the two halves of the ship. Ruby swore she saw teeth now breaking through the water's surface.
"Grab on!" Someone yelled. Ruby turned, trying to find the voice among the clamor of rolling objects and screams of sailors. Ruby spotted the captain who stood beside one of his men, both of whom held a rope in their hands. It seemed the others had been caught by the creature.
Ruby grabbed the rope, twisting it around her arm to ensure support. She pulled Crescent Rose out, firing as she did. The recoil of the rifle propelled her upwards and towards the two men.
Suddenly, Ruby stopped, dead in the air. At the same time, something tightened around her neck and she gagged as her windpipe was choked. Turning slightly, she saw why.
A tentacle had singled her out, grabbing onto her cloak. The strength of the tentacle constricted her neckline, cutting off her oxygen supply. Ruby felt her grip on Crescent Rose slacken. Her vision had started to blur. Anymore and she would soon lose consciousness.
Ruby mustered every last ounce of strength. Twirling Crescent Rose, her finger found the trigger and she aimed the muzzle right at the thinnest point of the tentacle.
She fired, the round disintegrating the tentacle tip. It let go, squirming from the pain. The force of the secondary recoil propelled her right at the captain and his sole surviving crewman. She crashed right into them, tossing all three of them into the water.
Ruby struggled about in the watery surroundings, opening her eyes to see where the surface was. Then she saw it.
The behemoth creature had a sac-like body, the largest section sprouting out into eight appendages. Ruby was now sure that the strange circular beak was the creature's mouth, hidden within the writhing mass of tentacles. Its entire body was black, save for its underside, which glowed an eerie alabaster in the ocean. The narrow section of the sac, which Ruby assumed was its head, was covered in a tough-looking white carapace. Eyes, the color of blood, gleamed out of it, like eyes from underneath a helmet. The creature roared, the sound distorted from being underwater.
Ruby felt her lungs burn, longing for air. She tore through the water, gasping as she broke the surface. She scrambled for a piece of broken wood just within reach, laying her whole body down on it. She panted, gasping for breath, blinking her eyes to squeeze out the stinging seawater.
She turned, looking as the creature-she was certain it was a Grimm- finished off the remains of the ship, the gigantic tentacles dragging the whole thing down into the abyss of the ocean. She was sure that everyone else, save for the captain and the single crewman, were dead.
Ruby shook the thoughts out of her head. At the same time, her head throbbed. She reached upwards, touching the spot where the pain was. She looked as her hand came back into view, this time smeared with blood. Her blood.
From when the crate hit me... She guessed. Exhaustion came over her. She could barely keep her eyes open. Her head fell down onto the piece of wood and seconds later, everything went black. She felt nothing, not the cold water or the lolling of the waves. Not even the hands that reached out and grabbed her.