Chapter Six
Ruby followed Orchid through the trees and bushes of the forest, still reeling from the fact that she was about to meet a group of Huntsmen and Huntresses who were inspired by her, of all people.
Shame on you, Ruby, The Curious Cat chided playfully. You never told me you had admirers!
"I didn't know," Ruby whispered, eyeing Orchid carefully.
Just so you know, Ruby, the Cat said, you don't have to talk aloud for me to hear you. Give it a try.
Okay, Ruby replied mentally. Is it working? Can you hear me?
Indeed I can, the Cat confirmed.
Then can you please explain some of your powers? Ruby asked. How they work and how I can use them?
All in due time, the Cat assured her. For now, let's meet these "Rosebuds."
Ruby sighed at the mention of the name. There was a time when she would have been jumping for joy at the idea of having a fan club or groupies. But now, after everything she did wrong, she couldn't feel anything but a twinge of guilt. This meant that people were going to fight for someone who wasn't worthy.
Worth is a matter of perspective, little Huntress, the Cat told her. If you don't feel worthy, then just do what you have to do to become worthy.
But I don't even know what that is, anymore, Ruby admitted. How can I become worthy if I don't know what will make me worthy?
Perspective, remember?
Ruby sighed again. Putting the conversation aside, she focused on where Orchid was taking her. The two had been walking for some time, but she still didn't see any villages or outposts.
"Hey, Orchid?" Ruby asked. "This might sound like a stupid question, but where exactly are we?"
"We're not far from the hideout," Orchid replied. "I'm not entirely sure, but I think most of the Rosebuds ended up on Salem's radar. We do what we can to take out as many Grimm as possible and help as many people as possible, but recently we're being hunted ourselves."
"I..." Ruby felt another twinge of guilt. Was she really responsible for putting them in Salem's path? "I meant where on Remnant are we?"
Orchid looked back at her. "We're in Anima, Ruby," she said, looking confused. "Just a couple days walk from Mistral's southwest border."
"WHAT!?" Ruby shrieked. "Why am I here? I need to be in Vacuo!"
"Don't worry," the older Huntress reassured her. "We can help get you there. But how did you end up here, anyway?"
"That's... a long story," Ruby replied.
"Does that story explain why I was able to see your heart back there?"
Ruby looked down. "When I fell off the bridge between Atlas and Vacuo, I fell somewhere else. And I might have brought something back with me."
"She means me," the Cat chimed in jovially, their front half appearing over Ruby's left shoulder. Both Ruby and Orchid jumped in surprise, with Orchid activating her blades again. "Tch, so jumpy! You know it's rude to point a weapon at an ally, don't you?"
"Ally?" Orchid asked, more confused than ever. "What are you talking about? What are you?"
"I-It's okay, Orchid!" Ruby said frantically, putting her arms up to get some distance. "They really are an ally. This is the Curious Cat. Y'know, like from the story?"
"Wait..." Orchid lowered her blades, her eyes widening. "So, you're telling me that The Girl Who Fell Through the World is a true story?!"
"Ehh," Ruby replied, "more like based on a true story. The Ever After is definitely a real place, but what really happened with Alyx might be a little different."
Orchid blinked, then shook her head to clear it. "So, is the Curious Cat a part of your plan?" She asked as she kept walking.
Ruby nodded. "Yeah, that's right. They have the power to fix the hearts of others. They've promised to help me save Remnant and fix my own heart. In exchange, I brought them here so that we could one day summon the Brothers and find out why they left the Ever After."
"And in order to summon the Brothers..."
"I have to stop Salem and unite Remnant," Ruby clarified, nodding profusely. "And to do that, I need to get to Vacuo."
"But why Vacuo?" Orchid asked. "If you plan on stopping Salem, wouldn't it make more sense to go to her?"
"Because I don't know where Salem's hiding," Ruby explained. "But there are two people in Vacuo who do know. If I can get to them before Salem makes her next move, I can stop her attack on Shade before it even starts."
"Then we can definitely help you with that," Orchid said proudly. "We have an airship that can get us to Vacuo in no time at all. But first, you should meet the others."
"So, how many others are in this little club of admirers?" The Cat asked.
"Counting me, there are five in this chapter. Last I checked, there are over a dozen of us around Anima, and nearly a hundred worldwide."
"That's not very many," Ruby admitted.
"We're a clique," Orchid explained. "There aren't that many of us, but we're all capable fighters."
Eventually, the three reached the opening of a cave in a cliff face.
"Well," Orchid said, a hint of frustration in her voice. "This is our current hideout."
"Hmmmm..." The Cat hummed. "An ominous-looking cave was not what I had in mind."
"It's just a temporary place to hole up. We're moving all around central Anima to help where we're needed, and to avoid being hunted by Salem's loyalists. Now where's Lily? She's supposed to keep watch! LILY!" Orchid's sudden shout startled Ruby. "You'd better not be napping again!"
"W-Wide awake..." a voice mumbled nearby. "Just... just resting my eyes for a bit."
Out from under the bushes, a girl stood up and stretched, yawning. She was even younger than Orchid—she couldn't have been much older than Ruby—and petite, only having a couple inches on Ruby. She had sunkissed skin, shoulder length royal purple hair and wide lime green eyes. Her hair was styled in a similar manner to Ruby's, but was wilder and messier, similar to bed head. Her outfit consisted of a sleeveless purple blouse, a green and black waist cincher with purple laces, and a purple combat skirt with green interior. Her arms were covered with green detached sleeves that ended at her wrists, and she wore a pair of purple knee high boots with green soles. A long purple cape and what looked like a purple and green billhook completed the look.
"Oh, hey Orchid," the girl yawned. "Funny, I was just dreaming about you. Looks like you got some food." She nodded at the skinned deer Orchid was carrying over her shoulder. Her eyes then turned to Ruby. "And a new recruit! Guess I won't be the youngest anymore..." she trailed off, her eyes widening in recognition. "Am I... am I still dreaming?" She pinched her right arm just in case.
"Ruby Rose, this is Lilian Royal," Orchid introduced. "But you can just call her Lily. She's the youngest of the Rosebuds, and also the laziest." She shot a glare at Lily, who was too occupied with Ruby to notice.
"Ruby?" Lily asked, now wide awake. "As in THE Ruby?"
Ruby looked away nervously. "Y-Yeah, that's me."
Lily rushed up to her and grabbed her hands, bouncing wildly. "I can't believe it! You're actually here! You're supposed to be dead but here you are, cool as a breeze! It's a dream come true! Can I have your autograph?"
"I... uhhh..." Ruby was getting more and more stressed, not sure how to feel. All the while, the Cat merely watched, amused at the whole situation.
"That's enough, Lily," Orchid said, pulling the younger Huntress back by her cape. "She's been through a lot, and I think she needs a bit of space before she's ready to give us the full story."
"Oh," Lily replied, taking another look at Ruby. "Now that you mention it, she does look pretty tired."
Almost as soon as she brought it up, Ruby began to realize just how tired she actually was. Everything felt heavy and sluggish, and she was struggling to keep her eyes open.
"Indeed she does," the Cat agreed. "Perhaps you have a bed to spare for her?"
"Wait," Lily said, looking at the Cat in shock. "Did that cat just talk?"
"Later," Orchid replied. "We have a spare bedroll, but I'd like to introduce her to the others first."
"Actually," Lily interjected, " I think the guys are still on a mission right now. Ragnar said they wouldn't be back until tomorrow."
"Right," Orchid sighed. "Okay then, we'll let you sleep first. You can tell us the full story once the others come back."
Ruby smiled her thanks, then followed Orchid into the cave. Inside, there were six indentations that looked like they were blasted out of the walls. All but one had equipment, Dust, and ammunition for various weapons, as well as a bedroll. Orchid dropped the deer on a nearby table and went to fetch a bedroll and pillow. Once she grabbed them, she placed them in the empty indent and left Ruby to climb in, close her eyes, and drift off to sleep.
Meanwhile...
Yang continued to land punch after punch on the heavy training bag that hung from the ceiling, imagining it was the Curious Cat's smug face. She had decided to stay in Shade Academy to blow off some steam while Weiss and Blake went to find their families. Blake had offered to bring her along to properly introduce her to the Belladonna family, but Yang felt too stressed and angry.
Whump! Whump! Whump!
More images flowed through her head. She saw the anger on Ruby's face as she screamed out her frustrations at the Paper Pleasers Acre.
Gotta stay positive! SMILES ALL AROUND! Maybe we'll even get our feelings sorted out! Congratulations, by the way, we're all so HAPPY for you!
Whump! Whump! Whump!
She remembered the look of defeat her sister gave before she ran off.
Don't do that. Just don't.
Whump! Whump! Whump!
Then her mind wandered to their encounter on the Tree. She didn't want to admit it, but she knew exactly why Ruby's smile put her off. It was a smile of madness. The Cat had filled her heart with feelings and her head with thoughts that either weren't hers, or were things she would never seriously consider. The manic smile was then replaced by the Cat's ear to ear grin and slit eyes, and Yang's anger hit fever pitch.
WHAM!!
The bag went flying several dozen feet into the wall, and came to a rest with the sand pouring out. Yang panted as she tried to clear her head. She couldn't get that toothy grin out of her mind. It was completely unnatural and an insult to everything her sister stood for.
"How many bags does that one make?"
Turning to look behind her, Yang saw Oscar Pine walk into the training room, a nervous look on his face.
"Dunno," Yang admitted, walking to grab a towel from the rack and dry off her face and arms. She'd already taken off her bomber jacket due to the heat, leaving her arms and shoulders bare. "I wasn't counting. Probably still in the single digits." She then turned to look at him. "And which one of you am I talking to? Oscar or Ozpin?"
"Oscar," he said, "but it is getting harder to tell."
Yang sighed. "Well, I'm glad that you're still around, Oscar. I don't think Ruby would be able to handle it if you merged while we were away." This time, she really looked at him. Oscar had changed a lot since Atlas. He was a few inches taller now, and a little less wiry. The desert sun had also given him a slightly darker tan. He was now dressed in khaki cargo pants and a sleeveless white shirt, with a long olive green cloak with a red interior over his shoulders. The cloak was showing wear around the edges due to the harsh desert conditions. He still had his orange gloves on, and they also looked fairly worn.
But the biggest difference was in his mannerisms. While he wasn't quite as fluid as Ozpin, every step Oscar took was deliberate and refined. He kept his hands behind his back and stood up straight. It really was getting harder to tell the difference between the two.
"Can I ask maybe a stupid question?" Yang asked.
Oscar nodded. "Go ahead."
"Is it scary?"
He paused and thought about that. "Maybe a little," he replied, before making a face. "Maybe a lot. The only real comfort is that Ozpin and I aren't all that different, no matter how much I want to think otherwise." He looked Yang in the eyes. "But you're not asking that for me, are you?"
Yang lowered her head. "I'm just worried," she admitted. "Ruby and the Cat are joined at the heart. She even said that they're a part of her. What if... what if they end up becoming her? What if they merge into one being like you and Ozpin will? And if that happens..." tears started forming in her eyes. "How much of Ruby would even be left?"
"Yang, we won't let that happen."
"That's what we always say!" Yang shouted, startling Oscar. "Every single time! 'We won't let Beacon fall! We won't let Salem get the Lamp! We won't let her destroy Atlas!' Every time we learn something bad is gonna happen, we say we won't let it, but it happens anyway!"
"Yang-"
"And now that monster took my sister away from me, and turned her against me and... and..." she looked back at Oscar, tears streaming down her face. "And I have no idea what to do! Everything I could say to her won't matter because that stupid Cat can just whisper in her ear and make her hate me! And it's all my fault! I didn't tell her the truth, and now she'll never believe me again!"
Yang fell to her knees, sobbing. Oscar walked up to her and held her gently, rubbing her back. He felt tears of his own falling from his eyes, but he tried to stay strong.
"I understand, Yang," he said quietly, "but it's different this time. You're not going through this alone. You have me, and Ren and Nora. We can figure something out, and we will, but you need to be strong for her. Even if she doesn't want to see you again, you still have to be there for her."
It took several minutes for Yang to finally cry herself dry, but once she had, she looked back at Oscar with puffy red eyes.
"I... I need to know one more thing."
"Go ahead," Oscar replied.
"How do you really feel about my sister."
"Uhh, w-what?" He backed off abruptly blushing slightly.
Yang smiled slightly, despite everything. "It's okay," she assured him as she picked herself up. "I'm not gonna hit you. Be honest with me. You love her, don't you?"
"I..." Oscar lowered his head. "I do."
"How long have you felt that way?"
"Honestly," he looked back at her. "Since the moment I met her. I just didn't realize it until she was gone."
Yang smiled again, this time more warmly. "Then you've got a good reason to stick around for as long as possible." She leaned forward and put her hands on his shoulders. "I think she feels the same way about you. I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I know how much she cared about you. She was always looking out for you, keeping you safe and reassuring you when you felt down. I might not be able to talk to her, but you've never hurt her."
Oscar's eyes widened as she talked, realizing exactly what she meant.
"Oscar," Yang said, hope filling her eyes again. "I think you just might be able to get through to her."
