They'd been flying for about an hour now, Ruby having fallen asleep on Jet's back. The combined sounds of the onrushing wind and Ruby's heavy breathing made Jet feel strangely soothed.
He recited the song he'd sung to Ruby when he'd mistakenly killed a patch of her most sacred form of plant life. He'd sung it to her in its soft form. He knew about the two ways of reciting the song. One of them foretold hope for the future, another warned against danger. He'd heard the other version when he was first taught the song. So the question was, which had he given to Ruby?
He was distracted from his thoughts by the warning light that indicated someone, or something, was trying to communicate with him.
"Time to get to work, Venom." Jet muttered to the mechanised suit, which responded with several beeps, as if awaiting his command. The visor of his locked helmet lit up as several numbers indicating height, altitude and a small map of where they were came into his vision. "Open up communications with that signal."
The suit responded with a beep and a small microphone indicator appeared. It flashed as a voice came though.
"Unidentified aircraft, you are entering controlled airspace. Send identity and purpose."
Jet recognised the voice. It had certainly been a while.
"Greetings. Good to see you too Dennis. Jet in craft Burning Jet Venom, purpose is to land. Request landing area, preferably close to you." Jet responded, and grinned when a delighted laugh came from the other side.
"J? Acknowledged. Landing area three-triple-eight is now yours. Welcome home, my man." Dennis replied.
"No place like it." Jet said, before he ended the connection. He then spoke to the suit. "Open up communications between me and my passenger." The suit beeped in acknowledgement, and Jet saw an icon that indicated he could speak to Ruby. "Wakey wakey!" he called.
"Muh…" Ruby groaned a little as she awoke. "I was having the best dream too."
"I'll hear it later." Jet called back in reply as they passed into a series of clouds, Jet starting to slow down, dispelling the purple light that surrounded the armour suit. "How are you feeling?"
"Good." Ruby said, and Jet noticed her gasp as she realised there was nothing but pure white in her view. "How fast are we going?"
"Compared to you, not very." Jet explained as the craft shook a little from the turbulence. "We'll be arriving shortly."
"Where?" came Ruby's question.
"A place off the grid. Somewhere not even the kingdoms know about." Jet said, and noticed the clouds beginning to part.
"Welcome to Theyl Nocturne, better known as the City of the Sensory Night!"
The clouds parted, and Jet gazed upon the place he called home.
Ruby felt her mouth drop open as she lay in the passenger section of Burning Jet Venom. The city was far different than anything she'd expected. Tall, grand spires of silver and black buildings soared above a mass of shopping malls and retailers. A massive ball park lay in-between the pointed spikes of buildings, and Jet swerved around the outside of the giant city as Ruby took it all in.
Jet flew towards a runway linked to a small airport, and Ruby felt her stomach drop as he descended. As he neared the tarmac of the runway, she felt tiny looking up at the largest buildings she'd ever seen with her own eyes.
Jet slowed down, still not touching the ground, and hovered in place merely a metre above the ground. Ruby felt her cover retracting back into the suit, and stood atop Jet once it had fully retracted. She hit the ground awkwardly and fell, her legs feeling quite stiff, and she watched from the ground as Jet's armour suit disintegrated into shadows, leaving her beloved standing on the cold tarmac.
He held out his hand to Ruby and she took it, before she was lifted to her feet. She smiled at Jet before her attention was drawn by a happy yell from someone on the runway behind them. They turned to see a burly, fairly tanned man with messy ginger hair and a crop of stubble across his smiling face. He was dressed in a well-worn tank top and ripped jeans.
"J!" the man yelled as reached them, standing over a head taller than Ruby, and lifting Jet off his feet and into what was unmistakably a bone-crushing hug. "How have ya been my man?"
"Good… thank you." Jet groaned, before the man put him down and turned to Ruby, his blue eyes looking her over.
"And who is this fine damsel? Looks to me like o' them from outta here." the man said, grinning and causing Ruby to blush a little.
"Ruby, this is Dennis Loch." Jet introduced the man, before returning to Ruby's side. "And Dennis, meet Ruby Rose, a fellow student at Beacon Academy and my girlfriend." Dennis responded with a wheezing bout of laughter.
"So you did get hitched. And what's this I hear about Beacon? You got in then?" he asked excitedly.
"Yes, as I said I would." Jet replied. "And as much as I'd love to stand out here, it is kind of hot, especially for my little Rose."
Ruby hadn't noticed, but she was beginning to sweat profusely. Jet also looked a little hot under the collar, but Dennis looked dryer than Weiss' hair after she was done with the hairdryer.
"C'mon then. I've got a place for ya already." Dennis said with confidence, and led the couple off the runway onto grassy field that lay in-between the airport and a vast carpark.
"I'll warn you, he can be overly friendly at the best of times, but the big lug has a heart of gold." Jet remarked warmly to Ruby.
"He seems that way." Ruby muttered to herself.
"So I jumped over the blighter's fence and made off with the rest of 'em!" Dennis laughed and both Ruby and Jet laughed with him, though in truth, Ruby hadn't gotten the joke, and she had a nagging suspicion that Jet hadn't either.
They sat in Dennis' home, which was a large apartment in one of the main Black Spires (Jet had told her a little about this place), comprising of a conjoined kitchen and living room, a guest bedroom and Dennis' bedroom, both of which had bathrooms. Jet and Ruby were sat together on an ornate armchair that despite the looks was actually quite comfortable. Ruby held Jet's hand behind their backs, and he felt him rub her palm with his thumb affectionately.
"But enough about me." Dennis said, sitting down at the opposite end of the cosy little corner. "How have you two been then, eh?"
"It's been no smooth ride, that's for sure." Jet answered, his voice ambiguous. Ruby recognised that he wanted her to lead the conversation, and she did so.
"It's been really fun." she said, and she felt Jet shift as he put his arm around her as she gazed up at Dennis. "I've met lots of new friends, and me and Jet are now like whaa-chaaah!" she yelled, doing a very bad impression of martial arts. Both Dennis and Jet chuckled.
"Well, I happen to have a plan for you two." Dennis said derisively. "Care to meet the crew again, Jet?"
"I'd love to." Jet replied. "Forgive me however, but I must shower before I meet them."
"Me too." Ruby replied, and her stomach growled. Jet rose, but put a hand on her shoulder when she made to follow him.
"Dennis, can you get Ruby something to eat before we leave? " Jet asked. "Some doobleberries should be fine."
"Sure thing. I can hear her stomach grumble-rumblin' as well." Dennis said, getting up too and wandering to the kitchen.
"Doobleberries are berries only found here." Jet explained, looking at Ruby. "They're very sweet."
"I'm fine, Jet." Ruby said, almost exasperatedly, but Jet put a finger to her lips.
"Trust me, you'll need the energy." was Jet's only words, before he left for the shower, disappearing behind a door, a great grin plastered on his normally solemn face. Ruby sat back in the armchair, feeling the patch where Jet had been. The apartment could have seen better days, but Ruby wasn't complaining, and Dennis did seem like a nice guy. Said guy lumbered around the table with a small bowl in his hand, which contained something that looked akin to black cherries, but the fruit was more of a prism shape.
Ruby took one and examined it, before looking up at Dennis, who nodded in approval before sitting down opposite her, and she took a small bite. The explosiveness of the sweet flavour in her mouth was something to behold, and the texture of the pulp made for a very tasty treat. Ruby immediately ate them all at her usual speed of eating sweet things; very quickly.
"So how long have you known our Jet, then?" Dennis asked, clasping his hands together, very much like Jet when he was nervous, only this man exuberated confidence.
"About six months." Ruby replied carefully, wiping a little juice from her mouth.
"He always seem so formal?" Dennis asked, and Ruby had to pause to think about that one. He had been formal initially, but he seemed able to shift seamlessly between formal and informal, causal and serious, without any trouble at all.
"Yes and no." Ruby said. "He's been formal most times, but there's been times where he's more casual… like me."
"Strange." Dennis said, a hand on his stubbly chin. "He was never formal at all before he left home for Beacon. I known the fella for four years, and never in that time did I ever hear him say 'greetings' or 'forgive me'. Guy was always so casual, y'know?"
"It's not like he's changed for the worst." Ruby interjected, scared at the direction this conversation was going. "He's really kind, and he looks after me whenever I'm with him. Jet's tactful, and he knows what to say. He's a really good person."
"'Course he is." Dennis said with a grin. "That part's not changed. Does he still… have episodes?" At Ruby's confusion, he elaborated. "When his eyes turn black, it's like he's a different person."
"He doesn't anymore." Ruby replied. "What was he like? Before I met him, I mean?"
"The nicest son-of-a-gun you'll ever meet." Dennis replied. "Never wants to hurt anyone, but he had a fire in him, one that made him do great things, sure-as-shit. I owe him my life, and gosh-darn I've said it to him many times, but he always says it was the 'right thing to do' and not to give him anything!"
"You owe him your life?" Ruby asked, startled.
"He took a death-stalker stinger straight in the back. One that was aimed at me." Dennis growled, cringing at the memory. "Thought he was dead, but he was still breathing. Blood gushing out of his back and chest, us surrounded by Grimm, I didn't know what to do. That's when I met the one watching over him. Guy was a pure shadow, no colour, just blackness. Red eyes were the only thing I saw. The thing plunged this machine into his chest and surrounded them in darkness. Next thing I know, he's carrying me into the infirmary! Him! Carrying me! After what had happened to him!" Dennis slapped his own forehead.
Ruby was startled too. So that was how Jet had gotten that machine. She also had a nagging suspicion she knew who that shadow was. Shade. But then, Shade turned out to be Jet in disguise! If it was indeed Shade that had saved the young Jet, then that would mean Jet… saved himself? What was going on?
She was spared from voicing her confusion by the call of Jet from the bathroom.
"I'm done!"