Alright, last Chapter today, probably gonna not write tomorrow, 3 in 1 day is a bit much. prob gonna keep to 1, at most 2 if I really wanna push it.
Having just woken up, the last thing Ruby expected was to be bear hugged by her Uncle. ''U-Uncle Qrow, where am I?'' She asked the man who had tears just stream out of his face.
''Oh lil' Rose, I'm so glad you're awake!'' Qrow told Ruby as he hugged her so hard, she might just pop. ''She appreaciates the concern, but she does need Air.'' A voice told the two.
It was Yang, looking just a tad bit better than Qrow, Walking in, the wound she received having not fully healed, Scar vividly visible.
''I know, but when she woke up, I just couldn't not hug her!'' Qrow exclaimed, having recovered a bit, sniffling as he pushed himself off Ruby, giving her much needed air and space, and she also appreaciated her Ribs not getting crushed anymore.
Ruby now had a good look at the two. Qrow looked like a minute more and he'd fall over dead, or asleep, it was frankly impossible to tell. Yang looked better, but also like she could use some rest. The unified feature on both was that their eyes looked like they had been crying without end.
''Ok, could I please get an answer as to where I am?'' Ruby, still none the wiser as to where she was, asked again. ''Oh, r-right. You're in a hospital, kiddo.'' Qrow said having been snapped back to reality, barely holding on.
''Why?'' She asked sheepishly. ''You might wanna look at your legs.'' said Yang. ''What about them-'' Ruby said as she pulled away the blanket covering her.
Right there where two legs, Black as Night. As she looked at the oddly familiar legs, Memories slowly came back. About the Betrayal, the weird Void she was in, that Humanoid Grimm that gave her its legs.
As those Memories came back, she couldn't help but start sheading tears. ''I-... Everything just happened so fast!'' she cried out, not wanting to believe this all had happened, but it did. Blake, her legs, all of it was so, so real.
Only after she had calmed down somewhat did she notice the glaring scar across Yangs Chest. ''Oh my God Yang, are you Ok?!'' Ruby asked her Sister after remembering what happened to her.
''Oh, this? It's healed a month ago, still gotta be a bit careful though.'' Yang said nonchalantly. Something about what Yang just said irked Ruby. Then she realized it. ''Wait, What day is it?''.
Qrow, realizing as well said ''About 3 months since it happened.'' 3 Months!?'' Ruby exclaimed. 'How could 3 months pass like that?' She thought. ''Yeah, you were in a coma for 3 months after everything you've gone through.'' Qrow answered.
''But i was only in that Void for at most a few hours!'' Ruby said. ''Void?'' Qrow asked. ''Yeah, I was in some weird Void where some Humanoid Grimm had walked up to me.'' She explained. ''I thought that I was done for, when it gave me its legs.'' She continued. 'Humanoid Grimm?'' both Yang and Qrow thought.
''Could you explain what exactly that Grimm looked like?'' Qrow asked. ''Well, it was fairly tall, i would say about 2 Meters, had on what looked like clothes, looked kind of like a cat... thing? and, as I said, gave me its legs.'' Ruby explained. ''it couldn't heal my chest wound though.''
Her mind began trailing off to Blakes betrayal. ''Do you know who did it?'' Qrow asked, out of nowhere. ''Blake Belladona, former Teammate and White Fang member.'' Said a Voice from the other end of the room.
''Weiss!'' Ruby yelled, happy to see that her Teammate's alright. ''I'm so glad you're alright!'' she continued. ''Shouldn't I be the one worrying about you?'' Weiss retorted.
''I guess so?'' Ruby said. Then at the exact same time, somehow, all three exclaimed ''Wait, White Fang member?'' ''How do you know?'' asked Yang. ''They have been messing with SDC Shipments for a while now.'' said the Heirress. ''And I wasn't fully unconcious as she said it.'' she added. She was slammed against the ship, but that was about it.
''Well, this room's certainly lively.'' Said the Headmaster of Beacon, with Team JNPR in tow. ''So, I assume Miss Rose is awake?'' he asked.
''Yup, she's up alright.'' Qrow said. ''Well, that is a relief.'' Ozpin said ''I must ask, have there been any complications?'' He asked ''Not that I know of.'' Yang answered.
Ozpin breathed a sigh of relief at the answer. ''I was sort of inside a weird Void in my head for a few hours though.'' Ruby chimed in. ''you where inside a What?'' Jaune asked.
Ruby began explaining to evereyone else what had happened inside her head, the time difference, the Humanoid Grimm, waking up and accidentally Headbutting Qrow, to which he added ''Kid, you could use that thing as a weapon.''.
After explaining everything, Team JNPR, Nora more specifically, asked to see Ruby new legs. Complying, she once again pulled off the covers. To say they were surprised would be an understatement, even Ozpin for a second.
Nora, being Nora, asked if she could touch Rubys legs. Complying again, she felt only Noras touch, not temperature. They were Grimm legs, so of course things would be different. ''You could Stab through them if you wanted to, wouldn't feel a thing, and would go right through.'' she said ''Please don't, though, I only got 3 Regenerations left.'' she quickly added. Nora looked like she was just about to do that, had Ren not held her back.
One thing Ruby had been ignoring however, was this weird pressure around her back. Sitting up properly, she noticed everyone stare at her, or more specifically, behind her.
Cruel Irony it was, apparently getting the legs of a Humanoid Cat Grimm would, consequently, give you a tail as well.
Feeling something wave around behind her, Ruby looks around as best she could. And wouldn't you know it, there, attached to her was a Cat tail, that much was unmistakeable. The colors however were interesting. Where it was attached, that being Rubys back, it was as Black as her legs, slowly turning into a bright crimson red.
''A Tail?!'' essentially everyone, including Ozpin, said. There were varying Questions. Yang, Qrow, Weiss and Ozpin wanted to know where it came from and why She all of a sudden had a Tail. Each member of team JNPR had a different question. Nora wanted to know if she could touch it, Jaune if it felt weird, Pyrrha if Ruby was alright and Ren how she feels about the new appendage on Her back.
''Nora , for now, no. Jaune, kind of. Pyrrha, yeah. Ren, i guess it's interesting? And everyone else, I guess because of my legs?'' Ruby answered each question after a few minutes.
''Well, we do know very little.'' Ozpin added. Remembering something very important, Qrow stood up and whispered something into Ozpins ear. ''Oz, they told me who did this, we gotta talk.'' Ozpin just nodded. Qrow left after saying ''Love you Lil' Rose, see you later.''
After talking for a bit, Team JNPR and Ozpin left as well. Now it was just Ruby, her Sister and Weiss. Speaking of The Heirress, she said she had some things to look after and left as well. Now it was just Ruby and Yang.
Yang said her goodbye and, just as she was about to go, noticed Ruby clench her hands. As she was about to say something, Ruby grasped her head and fell back, letting out a scream like she was burning from the inside out.
Hearing it, Yang immediatly ran to a Nurse and explained, who, after hearing it, said ''Crap.'' as she rushed to get a doctor. Ruby meanwhile, unable to bear this pain, shut off, falling unconcious. As Yang returned, doctor in tow, explaining what just happened.
''Hmm, seems like she's suffering from Phantom Pain.'' the doctor said. ''Phantom Pain, what's that?!'' Yang asked, worried. ''It's, simply put, a condition that anyone suffers from who loses a limb. The Brain works weirdly. It tries to associate information with what it sees fit. However, if it can't associate Information to where it should go, it doesn't know what to do. So, for example, it attempts to itch a non existent limb, or feels pain somewhere it shouldn't. When she looked at her legs, the memories likely rushed back to her mind, pain included. I've worked with plenty of patients who suffer from this condition, and people who lost half of their arm could barely stay concious, so losing essentially both her legs must have been even worse. We had hoped that, given she has two new legs attached to her body, her brain would just accept what it saw and go along with it. Seems like, even with them, she still feels pain when she recalls those memories. The best action would likely be to distract her from them. If she doesn't recall them, she shouldn't feel the pain.'' The doctor had explained the best he could.
Even with how many lose limbs, the mind is complex, so only assumptions could be worked with. ''If you notice anything, immediately distract her. That's the only thing you can do.''
Yang couldn't believe it, her little Sister was suffering this much, and she could barely do anything.
Qrow and Ozpin were walking to his office. Ozpin had been okay with talking outside the hospital, but qrow insisted on going to his office. Once they were in his office they started talking.
''So, Qrow, you wanted to tell me who did this whole thing.'' Ozpin said. ''Alright.'' Qrow responded, taking a deep breath. ''You know a Blake Belladona?'' Ozpin looked like he was about to fall over.
''Oz, you good?'' Qrow asked as the man just stared into nothing. Before he could continue, he noticed a certain Raven in the Window he had broken a few months ago. It now had a sort of Catflap installed, so He wouldn't have to break it again.
It jumped down, transforming, like Qrow, into a person. It was His Sister, Raven Branwen. ''What do you want, Rae?'' He asked. ''Same as you, Brother, to find out who hurt our family, now speak, who was it.'' Raven firmly demanded.
''I already told him.'' He said, somewhat snarkily. ''Like I said, I asked if he knew who Blake Belladona was.'' Before either of the Branwen twins could start, Ozpin snapped back to reality.
''Blake, was it?'' he asked, albeit still somewhat shaken. ''Yeah, Weiss said that it was her.'' Qrow said ''Why?'' Ozpin asked.
''She also added that she's from the White Fang, before falling unconcious.'' Qrow added. ''Anything else?'' Ozpin inquired. ''No, nothing else.'' Qrow added.
''So we know it's Blake Belladona, She betrayed her team, is part of the White Fang and wiped out a village with someone else.'' Raven went over every piece of Information. Both Men looked at Raven. ''They did what to a village?'' Qrow asked, incredulous. ''With who?'' Ozpin inquired.
''That I don't know. We were planning on raiding it when we found it's smoldering remains. Something I doubt one person could do.'' Raven said. ''Who knows what they are up to now, with how long it has been.'' She added.
They were gonna have to work together if they wanted to ensure something like this never happens again, as much as they may not want to. ''Oz, you get us info, we'll do the rest.'' Qrow said, even if somewhat reluctant to work with his Sister.
''As much as I may not want to go to extremes, three of my Students have been injured. I cannot let this happen again!'' Ozpin said, determined to stop this. ''I will see what I can get in terms of Information.'' he added.
''Got it.'' Qrow said as he and his Sister left. This was going to be a long night. Ozpin sighed as he went to work.
Ruby woke up after a few hours. When she did, she heard as someone approached. When said person finally came into view, she could feel her Heart skip several beats. Walking towards her was Blake. Ruby immediatly got out of her bed, falling as she wasn't used to her new legs, screaming ''Get away from me!''
She got up as quickly as she could, feet very shaky, supporting herself on whatever she could find. As she did, she decided to charge at who she thought was Blake.
As she was about to hit her, Ruby felt like she was getting hugged. Getting broken out of whatever was going on, she realised something.
Blake wasn't here, but instead was getting hugged by Yang. ''W-What?'' Ruby was confused. Where was Blake, why was she getting hugged?
''It's alright, Ruby, I'm here for you.'' Yang said, continuing to hug her Sister. After a few minutes, she let go and carried Ruby back to her bed.
''W-What happened?'' She inquired. Yang began to explain what had happened to Ruby. ''So, anytime I start to remember what happened, I'm gonna feel that pain?!'' Ruby couldn't believe it. And it seems as though this wont be the only time she thinks Blake has returned to finish what she started.
''Yeah, but we will be there to make sure you're alright.'' Yang said, trying to comfort her Sister.
Qrow came into Rubys room. It was about 10 pm when he arrived. He did have to be careful, Visiting hours were over already. ''Goodnight, Lil' Rose.'' He said, before leaving.
It was going to be a long time of Recovery.
So, a few things: 1. I tried my best with the Phantom Pain explenation, but im no medical pro. also you probably shouldn't be looking for medically accurate definitions in a Fanfic. Im content with it, so it most likely will stay. 2. I decided at first to have the Tail get revealed far later, but thought it'd be funny to do it now. Ruby had a reunion with everyone, but also several bouts of Trauma and Oz nearly dies after getting told who did it. Hope you all enjoy. Do leave a Review if you feel like it, will gladly consider Ideas you all got. Next Chapters gonna focus on Rehab for Ruby and ill see about getting her back into beacon, if not, then the one after. Not to far from the OC i thought of to replace Blake, but not gonna say anything. Toodaloo!