Yang was nursing her muscles at the dining table with a smile on her face. She had successfully turned her sister's near surrender into one of their most intense training sessions. So much so, the redhead had gone straight to her room after to rest. Taiyang let them be and prepared dinner alone. As he cut the heat on the stove, he called out to his eldest, "Dinner's on! Go get your sister!"
"On it!" Yang hopped up from the table and skipped down the hallway. She reached Ruby room and entered quietly. She smiled. Yup. Still sleepin'.
Yang approached slowly and poked her sister's shoulder. "Ruby, time for dinner. C'mon, get up."
Ruby didn't react. She poked again. Nothing. She shook Ruby's shoulder. Still no reaction. "Ruby?" Starting to become concerned, Yang examined her sister closely. She appeared to be asleep and nothing else, but why wasn't anything waking her? Did training tucker her out that much? Is she going through a Keyblader thing?
She decided to head back to her father and let him know. Aqua had given him a 'Gummiphone' so they could contact each other from across worlds at a moments notice. Maybe the Master could tell them whether or not this was normal before they started freaking out. "Dad! Something's happening!"
Ruby felt herself falling through a dark void. She had no idea how long she had been falling, or where she fell from. All she knew was she continued to fall. As her mind caught up to her situation, she began to tense. What was going on? Where was she?
Don't be afraid.
Ruby would have flinched if she was able. She didn't hear a voice… It was like the words appeared in her head.
Trust me.
Trust who, though?
The only danger here comes from within.
Ruby suddenly felt a resistance in the air. She began to flip, completely reversing where her head and feet were. It wasn't until her feet made contact with the ground that she finally regained control of herself. Her eyes opened slowly, and what she saw only confused her more.
She was standing atop a massive spire in a pitch black void. The ground beneath her feet was made of thick stained glass, making an image of herself suspended ethereally to one side, the background image showing the towers of Beacon Academy. There were smaller portraits surrounding the image. She recognized Yang, but other two around Yang were unfamiliar. One was a platinum haired girl with a scar, and the other was a raven haired girl with a bow on her head.
"Who are they…?" Ruby asked quietly
They are those connected to your heart, or those who will be. The people you are destined to meet.
"If I haven't connected to them yet, how can I see them here?" Ruby asked.
…
Figures, Ruby thought, my first serious question and no answer.
The heart processes time differently.
"Differently…?" Ruby appreciated the answer, even if it was a little late. "Wait, if I'm supposed to see people I'm connected to, then where's Kairi?"
One thing at a time. First, watch out!
"Watch out!?" Ruby startled. Heartless Shadows began fading in from under the ground around her. "I thought this place wasn't dangerous?"
The only danger here comes from within.
Ruby watched the monsters helplessly. "I… I don't have a weapon!"
You have everything you need.
One of the Shadows jumped and attacked, knocking Ruby back and onto one knee.
You just need to reach inside and take hold…
The Shadow jumped again. Ruby desperately swung her fist. A flash of light momentarily blinded her. She opened her eyes cautiously and counted that there was one Shadow less before, and realized she never felt the heartless's second attack. She also realized she was holding something…
You have gained the power to fight back.
Ruby was holding something resembling an elongated beam of light. It was weak and formless, but it was light none the less.
"It may be weak," Ruby pushed herself back to her feet, "but it's more than enough for these little Shadows!" Recalling her practice with Yang, Ruby lowered her stance, put one foot forward, and firmly held her weapon with both hands, the blade angled forward and upward.
The next shadow jumped, and Ruby was ready. She twisted the blade of light around for an upward slash, destroying it with ease. The next Shadow jumped from behind, and Ruby hopped out of the way. As the dark creature occupied the same space Ruby was once in, the redhead brought her weapon down through it.
The remaining two Shadows flattened themselves against the ground. All Ruby could do was wait until they resurfaced, watching them. She noticed a change in how one of them was moving, and focused on it as it moved behind her. Sure enough, it leapt out of the ground, and Ruby spun quickly to meet it with her blade. She refocused on the last heartless a moment later, watching for the same change in behavior.
She didn't have to wait long, and the second in started, Ruby began to rush it's position. Once she neared, she jumped and raised her weapon. The Shadow began it's rise and Ruby came back down with a heavy overhead swing. She cleaved the Shadow clean in half. Ruby watched it dissolve before her eyes as she caught her breath.
Good job! You have taken the first step on the journey to come.
Ruby stood straight and noticed a door nearby. She did a double take and examined the entire platform. "That… wasn't there before… right?" Ruby neared the door cautiously, weapon ready, and opened it slowly. There was another flash of light. Once she could see again, she immediately noticed the ground.
The stained-glass image had changed. Ruby was still hovering to one side in the image, but the opposite side this time, wearing an outfit Ruby herself was unfamiliar with. The background showed the castle at the Land of Departure. There were more portraits, this time being Kairi surrounded by three more people Ruby was apparently destined to meet. A girl with blue tipped hair and a black beanie, a girl with a short brown bob and dark red eyes, and a girl with long, braided red hair.
As she examined the new image, she noticed shadows moving across the ground toward the center of the arena. "Ugh, what now?"
Don't be afraid. You have everything you need. Take hold of your light and defeat your darkness.
"My darkness?" Ruby asked. She watched the darkness collect in the middle and begin rising out of the ground, taking a familiar humanoid shape.
The only danger here comes from within.
Across from Ruby stood a pitch black version of herself, featureless except for round yellow eyes. The dark figure summoned a spike of darkness in it's hand that resembled Ruby's blade of light. It slowly assumed the same fighting stance Ruby had chosen for herself, prompting the real Ruby to so the same.
They ran at each other. Their runs, swings, and inevitable clash of blades were a mirror of each other. The blades held each other in place for a few moments until both parties pulled away. Ruby pushed the assault. Two strikes barely blocked by the dark blade, with a third locking the two swords together once again.
Anti-Ruby was in a stronger position for that clash, and managed to push the light blade away. Anti-Ruby brought it's blade back across Ruby's gut, knocking the girl back and onto her knee. Ruby grabbed her stomach with a wince. There was no physical damage to her clothing or skin, but that still hurt. Anti-Ruby brought her dark blade down from overhead. Ruby quickly brought her light blade up horizontally to block. Ruby supported the far end of her blade with her palm. Anti-Ruby pushed down, trying to break through Ruby's guard.
Ruby's light blade broke. It vanished into fading particles as the dark blade dropped right through Ruby's torso. Ruby fell completely to the floor, clutching herself in pain. "Damn it!"
Don't give up!
"My weapon is gone!"
You haven't lost your light just yet!
Ruby curled, watching her dark self raise their weapon above their head.
Ruby!
For a moment, time seemed to stop. That last one was different. Ruby could have sworn she actually heard a voice instead of the empty words in her mind. She could of sworn she heard…
Dad! Something's happening!
"Yang..."
Ruby suddenly looked up at her assailant with a fury in her eye. It began to bring down its blade, and Ruby kicked it's ankle. Anti-Ruby lost balance and began to fall. Ruby wound her arm, the blade of light reappeared in her fist, and she took a swing at her falling foe. Anti-Ruby was rocked to one side, and fell a good distance away from Ruby.
"C'mon, Rubes..." Ruby whispered to herself, "how are you supposed to be..."
She forced herself back on one knee.
"...an almighty space-cop..."
And pushed herself up until she was standing.
"If you can't stay on your feet!"
Ruby straightened herself out and turned to face her dark self. Anti-Ruby was slowly getting to it's feet as well. "I get it now," Ruby spoke clearly and confidently. "You're my darkness. You're my fear and doubt. Well guess what? I don't fear you anymore..." The redhead assumed her combat stance, "and I am DONE doubting!"
Anti-Ruby's stance shifted and it's weapon fell an inch or two, looking as if Ruby's words alone had weakened it. It refused to let go so easily, and rushed Ruby. It's strike was easily reflected by Ruby, the redhead following up with a strike of her own. The strike didn't connect, but did knock the dark blade away and opened anti-Ruby to attack.
The opening was taken, and the light blade tore through anti-Ruby's torso. Anti-Ruby screeched inhumanly and swung its dark blade wildly. Ruby easily ducked under the swing. She spun to add momentum to her own follow up, and stood back up to crack her light blade on anti-Ruby's face.
Anti-Ruby's feet completely left the ground and it began spinning through the air. It never hit the ground. Ruby stood straight as she watched her dark self spin once or twice before simply floating away on its back. It began to dissolve, revealing something bright inside. Once the darkness faded, all that was left of anti-Ruby was a little light that made up its core.
"That light feels similar to..." Ruby looked down at the blade of light still in her fist. Her eyes widened. She watched as the blade dissolved, the particles drawn into the light anti-Ruby had left behind. They fused together into a larger, stronger light.
Congratulations!
The voiceless words returned. Ruby nearly frowned, missing Yang's voice already.
You will be returned to her soon. Now reach out, and take your prize.
Ruby eyed the light with caution. So far, she had only been attacked by things that manifested in this place. Speaking of, she never really learned where this 'place' was. But she doubted the voiceless voice would answer now. Anyway, I've only been attacked by dark things. The only light thing before now did help me.
With this logic, Ruby reached out to the light, grabbing at it slowly. An energy exploded from the light. A persistent whirlwind of power emanating from it, pushing at Ruby, who was only held in place because her fist was locked within the brilliant orb. It slowly began to shift and change. A long shaft stretched outward with another beam of light winding around it. Other beams curved themselves around Ruby's hand.
How the light shifted beyond that was lost to Ruby. The light became to bright to look at, until one massive burst filled the entire void with white.
"How long has she been like this?"
"I don't know. She came up here right after the girls finished sparring in the backyard. A half an hour, at most?"
"And nothing will rouse her? Are you sure she isn't just sleeping heavily?"
"We wouldn't have called you if we hadn't tried everything. I even slapped her!"
"Yang!"
"What? She wasn't waking up, and she still didn't wake up! Nothing is… wait, are her eyes opening!?"
Ruby roused to the sound of three voices around her. She sat up before registering the people around her. Her sister, her father, and a face on the Gummiphone in her father's hand. "Dad? Yang? Aqua?" She tried hard to force her drowsy brain to lucidity. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"Did something… did something happen, Ruby!? Gods!" Yang hugged her sister, "what happened to you!?"
"Yang," Aqua's cut her off, "let me talk to her."
Yang was tempted to give Aqua the stink eye, but thought better of it at the last second. She reluctantly pulled away as her father held the Gummiphone so Aqua could speak to Ruby. "It's good to see you, Ruby. How are you feeling?"
"Fine?" Ruby rubbed the back of her head, "Tired, I guess? Everyone's panicked… how long was I asleep?"
"Ruby, what is the last thing you remember?" Aqua asked, "the very last thing, however strange it may be?"
"I mean, I remember training with Yang, then I was super tired and came up her to nap," Ruby explained.
"That's all?" Aqua pressed expectantly.
Ruby frowned, thinking. "Well… I guess I did have a weird dream. I was falling through a pitch-black place..."
"And you landed on a stained-glass floor," Aqua finished. It wasn't a question.
Ruby was taken aback. "...How did you know?"
"Maybe this," Yang spoke up, reaching for something on Ruby's bed, "has something to do with it all?"
Ruby turned and her jaw dropped. It was beautiful, clean and shining. Yang picked it up and held it out, and Ruby stood and stared at it, appreciating it.
Aqua was blind to the current development, but she didn't need to see for herself. "Let me guess. Her Keyblade, right?"
"Crescent Rose." The name appeared naturally on Ruby's tongue. The shaft and handguards were a solid black metal core visible between bright red plating. The brushed steel look of the weapon and various quirks of its shape gave off the appearance of a sniper rifle. In contrast to the look of cold steel, a thorned vine wrapped itself around the blade, climbing up to the very tip. There, it turned into a rose blossom to form the Keyblade's 'teeth'. Lastly, the keychain took shape of her own chosen icon, a burning rose.
"Crescent Rose, huh? Well, Rubes?" Yang held the weapon out.
Ruby's hand shook as her fingers closed around the Keyblade's handle. Her Keyblade's handle. I have a Keyblade. After seven years, I'm finally holding my own Keyblade with my own hand. For a moment, all eyes were on the weapon. Silence permeated the air.
"Not to ruin a happy moment with possibly sour thoughts," Aqua broke the silence, "but you do know what this means. Right, Taiyang?"
Taiyang brought the Gummiphone back up to look Aqua in the eye as he nodded slowly.
"It means I'm leaving," Ruby realized as well. Her eyes left her new Keyblade. The hand holding it dropped, both it and Crescent Rose hanging by her side. "I'm leaving to train. At the Land of Departure. I'm leaving home, leaving Remnant entirely..."
Aqua shared a look with Taiyang and pointed with her head. Taiyang understood, and moved the Gummiphone again so Aqua could speak with Ruby. "Are you having second thoughts?" she asked, "It's not too late to back out. We don't want to force you into something you don't want to do."
Ruby thought for a brief moment, and quickly shook her head. "I want to do this. I want to help people. It's what I've always wanted. If I gave this up over some selfish fear, I'd never forgive myself."
"The choice has always been yours," Aqua nodded.
Rather than turn the phone back only to turn it around once again, Taiyang re-positioned himself so that he and Ruby would both be on Aqua's screen. "So, how are we doing this?"
"It works out that Master Kairi is currently on an assignment. She'll be the one picking Ruby up, so that gives you a few days," Aqua explained, "I'll call you the day before she sets out for Remnant."
"Thank you..." Taiyang breathed, happy to have a little extra time to get used to the idea of Ruby leaving home.
"Ruby," Aqua looked to her, "as far as your Keyblade goes, the only thing I want you practicing for now is summoning and dispelling it. Do not try to use magic, and do not use it to spar. Crescent Rose will hurt your sister a lot more than a wooden practice sword. Do you understand?"
"Yeah… Uh, I mean!" Ruby cleared her throat, "I do, Master Aqua." Now that she finally had her Keyblade and was set to begin training, it felt right to call her teacher by her proper title. Perhaps unnecessary, but she wanted to prove how serious she was about all this.
"Taiyang, I'll speak to you in a few days. Ruby..." Aqua smiled, "congratulations." with that, she signed off.
Yang was the first to break the silence that followed. "So, how does it feel?"
Ruby looked down at her Keyblade once again, and smiled. "It feels like… I got something back that I never knew I was missing."
"So, um..." Taiyang rubbed the back of his neck, "Dinner is probably cold by now."
"Dinner?" Yang shook her head, "that's what you're thinking about right now?"
"Hey, can you blame me for craving a bit of… 'normal' for the next day or two?" Taiyang defended.
Yang was ready to make another joke, but the meaning behind Taiyang's word hit her. "You know what? No, I can't blame you," she admitted. "So. Dinner, Rubes?"
Ruby looked to her Keyblade and closed her eyes. She fiddled with her fingers and flicked her wrist a couple times, eventually managing to dispel Crescent Rose. It vanished with a flash of red light and the effect of rose petals. Her gaze returned to her family, and she smiled and nodded, "Dinner."
The last few days were a strange mix of emotions for the new Keyblade wielder. Her and her family were trying to ignore the fact that she would be leaving in a few days. At the same time, they were doing special things because she would be leaving in a few days. Taiyang took the days off work to be home with his girls. They watched movies and went to all Ruby's favorite restaurants and diners. The night after Kairi called them about picking Ruby up, he made her favorite homemade dinner and even took a stab at Summer's strawberry cookie recipe.
Ruby woke up the next morning both anxious and excited. Yes she would be leaving home at twelve years old, but it was to study an ancient weapon on another world entirely! She quickly double checked her bag to make sure everything she needed was in there. It was, of course, seeing as she checked it three times the night before.
With nothing else to check, Ruby summoned her Keyblade. She had been taking a few minutes at a time to get used to the weapon, and she adjusting quickly. It was already second nature to call on and send away Crescent Rose. For a few moments she simply admired her Keyblade, still barely believing it was actually hers.
"Excited?" Yang asked from the doorway.
Ruby jumped in, having missed her sister enter the space. She dispelled Crescent Rose and smiled, "of course I am!"
"Just remember it might still be a while," Yang reminded her, "Kairi's still gotta get up, go through her morning routine, and travel here using the Gummiship before she can pick you up."
"I know," Ruby nodded. She followed Yang downstairs for breakfast.
Seeing Ruby packed and ready to go stirred something in Yang. For seven years, she had lived her life getting her sister better, to be ready for this. Now that it was all coming to pass, what was Yang going to do next? She always knew she would have to eventually decide a future for herself, but had always put off the thoughts and conversations with their dad. Now she was out of time and excuses.
It took until nearly noon for Kairi to arrive. The family was out in the backyard, soaking the sun together, when they saw a shadow pass by accompanied by the unmistakable sound of the Gummiship engines. Ruby dashed inside to grab her bag while Taiyang went out front to meet Kairi.
"So the day has come," Taiyang greeted her.
"Yep!" Kairi seemed as excited as Ruby, but didn't miss Taiyang's mood. "We'll take good care of her, I promise. In fact, can I see your Gummiphone?"
Taiyang handed it over and watched Kairi enter something into it before handing it back. "What's new?"
"The contact information for another Gummiphone, the one we'll be giving Ruby," Kairi told him. "Obviously she won't be able to pick up all the time, but this should help you keep in touch with your daughter, without needing to middle-man through one of us."
Taiyang pocketed the device, a smile growing on his face. "Thank you," he offered sincerely.
Kairi nodded. "After we have a few weeks to work out Ruby's training schedule, Aqua or I will contact you about working regular visits home into Ruby's routine as well."
"Thank you," Taiyang offered again, "for everything. Seriously, you probably could have offered only half of these accommodations and I wouldn't have had a problem with it."
"It is for Ruby's sake as well," Kairi explained, "we wouldn't want her losing connection with the important people in her life. That's just not healthy."
"And the fact that you're thinking of her well-being proves I can trust you with her." Taiyang had a chuckle, "I just hope she doesn't give you too much trouble in the long run."
"Kairi!" Ruby appeared, apparently having run downstairs based on her shortness of breath.
"It's good to see you, Ruby. Are you ready?" Kairi gestured to the ship.
Ruby took a few steps forward, but stopped quickly. She turned to face her family, dropped her bag and ran back to them to pull them both into a large hug. "I'm going to miss both of you. I'll do everything I can to visit as soon as possible. I promise." She squeezed them the best her twelve-year-old muscles could and let go to take a step back. "I love you."
"We love you too," Taiyang managed a smile for his daughter's sake.
"Be good, Rubes," Yang ruffled her sister's hair, "you'll do great."
Ruby picked her bag back up and boarded the Gummiship with Kairi in a flash of light. As the ship flew up and out of the atmosphere, Yang's thoughts returned once again on what was next for her. For the last seven years she had stuck with Ruby, making her stronger and trying to fulfill the job Riku had given her to the best of her ability. And while she felt she had done a good job until now, everything was about to change.
While it was just the two of them, in the backyard with wooden swords, they had easily kept pace with each other and grown together. And while 'sparring partner' wasn't exactly one of her implied duties as Ruby's foundation, she felt like the other things were easier when her and Ruby were on the same level physically. Now Ruby was off to learn more mystical abilities, things Yang could never learn herself.
Yang idly fondled her munny. She knew she had to stay strong. Keeping up with Ruby may be a pipe dream now, but Yang had to try. She had to get as strong as she could be. And on Remnant, there was only one way she could do that. "Dad?"
"Yeah, firecracker?"
"I know I'm a bit late, but… do you think I could manage to get into Signal?"
Taiyang sighed with a smile, wrapping one arm around Yang's shoulders. "I'm sure we can figure something out."
"Thanks, dad..." Yang leaned into her father's embrace.
Up in the Gummiship, Kairi turned away from the controls for a moment to speak to Ruby in the seat behind her. "Are you excited?"
Ruby 's smile was a mile wide. "Yeah! I wonder what I'll learn first? Magic is probably a little ways off. Probably basic combat stuff. But I've already done a ton of sparring with Yang! But I guess sparring while looking at diagrams in a book isn't really a substitute for formal training huh? Oh! Didn't you say I was your first 'prospect'? Have you found other students yet? Will I have classmates!?"
Kairi couldn't help but giggle at Ruby's frantic energy. She could tell already that teaching her was going to be a joy.
This concludes what has essentially been a four-part prologue. I probably could have easily began this story with the next chapter, but I really wanted to explore how Ruby got her Keyblade within the story itself without resorting to flashbacks or explanation dumps. Next up, we jump to the beginning of the story the synopsis actually describes! I hope you all continue to enjoy it!