There was no way for Ruby to claim simple exhaustion this time. Not when her team, multiple teachers, and half of Vale saw her carried back to Beacon in broad daylight. She was almost taken to a Vale hospital, but Ozpin managed to get her placed in Beacon's infirmary instead. He had a feeling her injuries would raise questions neither he nor Ruby wanted answered.
While the word of Beacon's headmaster was enough to stem the worries of the average medical staffer, Ruby's team was less easy to talk down. "What do you mean no hospital!? The infirmary is not equipped for those kinds of injuries!"
"I assure you, Ms. Schnee, we have things perfectly in hand here," Ozpin insisted.
"Can we at least see her?" Blake asked.
"She's still out cold," Qrow informed them, having just left the young leader's side himself.
"C'mon, guys," Yang tried pulling the heiress away. "I'm sure they'll tell us when Ruby's up."
Weiss looked to Yang incredulously and yanked her arm out of the blonde's hand. "No! I've had enough! Something is going on, our team leader is in the middle of it, and it feels like we," she pointed at Blake, "are the only two here who know nothing!"
A very angry nurse suddenly burst through the infirmary door. She pointed a furious finger at the group. "I don't know who is shouting, but there are patients in here who need a calm environment to recover. Please move along, all of you. Yes, including you, headmaster. You may run the school, but I run this medical wing, and I am sure you have more important things to do than hang around here." With her rant over, the nurse calmly shut the door.
Ozpin shrugged in a what can I do? You heard the lady sort of way and left. Weiss frowned but couldn't argue to stay after being kicked out by the head nurse and left in the opposite direction with her team. However, that didn't mean she was done. Once they were back in their dorm, Weiss rounded right back onto Yang, staring the blonde down with her arms crossed.
Yang very quickly grew nervous under the heiress's glare. "…What?"
"I think it's time Blake and I got some answers," Weiss told her.
"Answers about what?" Yang tried to play off. "What is there to know?"
"Why don't we start with just what in the world Ruby did today?" Blake pointed out.
"She probably just used a lot of Dust," Yang shrugged.
Weiss scoffed. "Yang, please. I'm a Schnee. I know more about Dust than anyone in our year, and probably most of the second-years as well. What Ruby did in Vale today? Dust just isn't capable. The amount she would need is astronomical."
The comment made Yang curious. "What exactly did she do?"
"Right. You didn't see," Blake recalled. Yang hadn't crawled out of the tunnel until after Ruby had collapsed, thankfully moments before Goodwitch used her semblance to seal the train's breach.
Weiss fetched her scroll and pulled up a video someone hiding in a nearby storefront had taken of the fight. The quality wasn't the best, but it was clear enough for Yang to make out what had happened. The blonde's eyes widened, "holy shit, Rubes…"
"So," Weiss grabbed Yang's attention back, "are you going to keep trying to tell me that was Dust? It's impossible."
"I mean, come on…" Yang struggled, "w-what else could it be?"
"'Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains – no matter how improbable – must be the truth'," Blake recited in such a way it must have been a quote from some famous novel.
"Couldn't have said it better myself," Weiss picked up. "The way she fights, how she moves her weapon, transforms it. There are some impressive semblances out there, but her so-called 'spatial manipulation' has been a hard pill to swallow from the very start. And then there are her elemental attacks…"
"I've never seen her refill or change out Dust in her weapon," Blake pointed out. "And the way she screams out the attack's name every time… it almost sounds like an incantation."
Yang floundered nervously, "I-I don't know what to tell you…"
"We just want an honest answer," Weiss insisted.
"We're a team. I'd hazard to say we're all friends," Blake crossed her arms. "We shouldn't be keeping secrets from each other. And I know I wasn't exactly forthcoming in the past myself, but you all know everything now. I told you because I trust you. Please, trust us."
Yang felt cornered. There was no way she was getting out of this without giving something up. She sighed deeply, a silent apology to her sister. "It's… not a matter of trust," she told the pair.
Blake and Weiss shared a look of surprise and optimism. They were finally on the cusp of real answers. But… "What does that mean, 'not a matter of trust'?" Weiss questioned.
"It's complicated, and these secrets… they aren't mine to tell," Yang confessed. "I don't have the authority. I can't promise that you'll get your answers, but I can tell you that your best bet is to ask Ruby. I can't say anything she's not willing to."
"Then that's just what we'll do," Blake nodded. "Ask Ruby."
Weiss agreed. "Once she's discharged, the four of us are going to have one hell of a team meeting."
Qrow sitting next to Ruby's bed reading when the young leader began to stir. "You're finally awake," he smiled.
Ruby sat up slowly and looked around, getting her bearings. "How long has it been?" She asked, speaking slowly.
"A few hours. You can only push yourself so far before your body gets its rest one way or another," Qrow explained. "How do you feel?"
"Still tired, still in pain," Ruby grunted. She was still sporting her injuries from her fight with the cloaked figure. "I'm guessing the nurses had no idea how to treat me?"
"They haven't actually seen your injuries up close," Qrow told her. "Oz figured it might be easier that way. Do you really have healing magic?"
"Wanna see?" Ruby smirked. She summoned her Keyblade and held the tip in the air above her. "Curaga."
Qrow had witnessed Ruby's spell in the square, but he had seen destructive magic such as that before. Watching his niece's injuries vanish under the green glow of ethereal flower bells, however, was enough to make his jaw drop. In mere seconds, it was as though Ruby was never hurt at all. As if to prove it, the young wielder jumped out her gurney, twirling her weapon a moment before dispelling it.
"Wow…" Qrow finally managed to find a word to speak.
"Sorry," Ruby offered sheepishly. "I rarely get to show off like that."
"Don't worry about it, I'd show off too," Qrow assured. He stood and motioned for her to follow him, "let's get you discharged."
Ruby's face turned serious as she followed her uncle. "I'm guessing Ozpin wants to talk about the mission."
"I've already given him the broad debrief," Qrow told her. "But he does have one question for you."
"Is the general going to be there?" Ruby grimaced.
"Nah," Qrow shook his head. "He's busy entertaining his new guest."
"New guest?" Ruby asked.
"Torchwick," Qrow explained. "He escaped from Vale PD last time. James managed to spin that into a reason to hold Torchwick himself. He's trying to get answers out of him as we speak."
True to Qrow's word, Ironwood was not in attendance this time. Ruby figured he wouldn't be happy when he found out. Ruby also figured that she didn't care.
"You look remarkably well," Glynda noted with surprise. "How do you feel?"
"Just fine, thanks," Ruby smiled.
"You don't need additional rest?" Ozpin asked.
"Nope," Ruby confirmed.
"In that case, and please forgive my impatience, your report has been delayed long enough," Ozpin stated.
Ruby dropped the smile and nodded. "You wanted to ask me something specific, right?"
Glynda stepped forward. "The nurses didn't have long to look at your injuries from the night you fought the Maiden Thief, but what they do report seems consistent with your injuries from tonight. Yet, Qrow cannot confirm her presence during the mission. Can you?"
"It wasn't her," Ruby told them.
Ozpin frowned at the news. "Then there is someone else with this 'darkness' magic you spoke with Qrow about?"
"Yeah," Ruby's eyes dropped as her mind turned to the person she fought. "And they're way more powerful than the Maiden Thief. I barely survived, and I didn't scratch them. If it weren't for some new spell I used on instinct at the last second somehow scaring them away… I wouldn't be standing here now."
Glynda seemed nervous to ask her next question. "So… what do we do about this?"
"I honestly don't know…" Ruby confessed.
The room was quiet for a few moments. Ozpin thought deeply before standing. "If nothing can be done just yet regarding this new threat, then I suggest we focus on what we do know. The Maiden Thief is still at large, and we are still unsure how the train incident plays into her plans. We should continue to focus on that front, do our duty. And let Ruby do hers."
The young wielder looked up at the headmaster. "What do you mean by that?"
"This new threat is beyond us, but it is what you are trained to fight, correct?" Ozpin posited. "You have been strengthening yourself in the Emerald Forest in preparation for facing our Maiden Thief. I suggest you continue to do so… regardless of class schedule and festival duties."
"You mean… ignore school to train?" Ruby asked for clarification. "Don't I still need to be student, even if it's just to cover my working with you?"
"You will need to carefully pick and choose which classes to skip and when, to avoid detentions or anything worse. I will say you have no need to attend my own classes," Glynda offered. "Your combat skills are leagues ahead of your classmates' anyways."
"And my grades?" Ruby asked next.
"It is not as though you intend to graduate, as you have reminded me on multiple occasions," Ozpin pointed out. "As much as I detest placing so heavy a burden on one so young… you are the only hope we have against this new power."
"Yeah…" Ruby lamented. For the first time in weeks her thoughts turned to her ever-silent Gummiphone, currently in her desk drawer in RWBY dorm. "Yeah, I guess I am."
"On that depressing note…" Qrow cut in, "I think we're done here. You may have gotten a good few hours of sleep, but some of us are well into a very long day."
"Qrow is right," Glynda nodded. "Unless Ruby has something more to tell us, I believe this meeting is adjourned."
"That's it," Ruby confirmed.
"Very well," Ozpin nodded. "I do appreciate your continued assistance, Ruby. If there is ever anything you need, any way we can help you, do not hesitate to ask."
"Thank you." Ruby turned to leave.
"Wait up," Qrow caught her at the elevator. He hit the button for the lobby and the doors closed, leaving just the two of them. "So, fair warning, I think your partner knows we're hiding things."
"Weiss? What happened?" Ruby asked.
"You happened," Qrow answered. "You did what you had to do. You couldn't afford to hold back, I get that. But that also means your team has seen you do some pretty amazing things. Weiss was very vocal about it when we dropped you off at the infirmary."
"Great… I just got Ozpin off my back, too…" Ruby sighed.
"What are you going to tell her?" Qrow asked.
"At this point?" Ruby frowned, "The truth might just be easier… Maybe Weiss won't get angry at me for skipping classes if she knows why."
Qrow arched his brow, "I thought the whole point was that you're not allowed to say?"
"And yet, I told you," Ruby pointed out. "Trust me, I'm in the middle of a very unusual situation."
"That, I won't argue with," Qrow smirked. "Good luck, kiddo."
Weiss, Blake and Yang all got alerts on their scrolls. Ruby had texted all of them a single word, 'Roof'. The three girls made their way up, finding their leader already seated on the building's edge. They all took an ice cream pop from the shopping bag next to her and took their now-usual seats along the ledge.
Ruby opened the conversation with a question of her own, "next time we do this, can it not be because we're about to have a super serious conversation?"
"We'll work on it," Weiss promised. "Until then… Yang told us if we wanted answers, we had to ask you directly."
"I'm so sorry, Rubes," Yang immediately defended. "They had me cornered and I didn't know what to say."
"It's fine, Yang. It's not your fault," Ruby assured with a smile. "It was bound to happen the longer I stayed. We kinda spend a lot of time with these two."
"So, to start, just to get the word out there…" Blake nervously fiddled with her ice cream, "The things you can do. It's magic, isn't it?"
"That's right," Ruby confirmed.
Weiss nearly dropped her ice cream. Expecting the answer made it no less surprising to hear. "By the brothers… Magic actually exists?"
"It's rare… but yes," Ruby nodded.
"Why hide it?" Blake asked.
"Because the knowledge that magic exists alone can be dangerous," Ruby explained. "Few people are capable, but those that are, aren't guaranteed to be good people. In fact, I need you two to promise me that you won't tell anyone else. I've already told too many people…"
"Who else knows?" Weiss questioned.
Ruby sighed. "Ozpin, Goodwitch, Ironwood… and Qrow."
Yang did a double take. "Uncle Qrow!?"
"He works with Ozpin," Ruby told them.
"On what?" Blake pressed.
"First, I need you two to promise," Ruby cut her off.
Blake and Weiss looked to each other. Blake shrugged, "I mean, there are people I wouldn't trust with magic. And the more people that know, the greater chance of information slipping purely by accident. I can see where Ruby is coming from."
Weiss nodded. She only really cared about solving this mystery for herself anyways. The heiress turned back to her partner, "we promise, Ruby."
"Thank you…" Ruby sighed in relief.
"So then, what is it that Ozpin and Qrow do?" Yang asked, it being one of the few things she didn't know.
Ruby carefully explained everything she was comfortable sharing. She didn't elaborate on the Maiden's history or capabilities, simply stating that it was Ozpin's secrets and not her own. She did tell them about her own magic, the powers of her Keyblade, and the nature of the power of darkness she fought. In the end it was nothing more or less than what she told Ozpin and his group.
"In summary," Weiss attempted to compartmentalize, "you are now working with the headmaster's secret organization to take down the ringleader, who is using both the magic Ozpin is protecting and the 'darkness' you are familiar with?"
"That's about it," Ruby nodded.
Blake's eyes had widened early in the explanation and had yet to return to normal. "I still have so many questions."
"I'll answer what I can," Ruby promised, "but like I told Ozpin, there are still things I can't tell you."
Weiss was the first with an additional question, "could you teach us your magic?"
Ruby frowned. "Even if you have the potential to learn, I'm not sure I'm capable of teaching."
Blake finally found her own question. "If you're able to tell us about all of this, what are you still restricted from telling us?"
Ruby winced at that one. "Obviously I can't answer that… I mean, technically I shouldn't have told you guys anything… but I'm kind of lost in this situation…" The young wielder collapsed backwards, laying down on the roof. "If only it wasn't just me… if only someone else were here… I'd even take Master Ventus at this point."
Weiss blinked. "Kairi, Terra, and now Ventus too? How many Keyblade Masters are there?"
Blake had put together an entirely different idea from Ruby's slip. "Your master's not 'out on a mission', are they?"
Ruby sat up slowly, turning to her faunus teammate. "What… makes you think that?"
"The more masters you talk about, the less likely it seems one of them couldn't have taken you," Blake explained. "And every time you mention them, you sound… sad. Lonely. You sound like I did for a long time after leaving the Fang. Not to mention that first time I saw you, before Beacon. You were panicking."
Ruby's face fell. No point in lying about that anymore. "My school was attacked. The Masters survived, I'm sure of it. But I have no idea where they are, and no way to search for them. I was hoping they would be back for me in just a few weeks… Now it's been months and I'm scared they're lost someplace incredibly dangerous." The Dark Realm...
The team fell silent, allowing Ruby to process her emotions. Emotions she had no doubt been struggling with for weeks while trying to keep them secret.
After five minutes of silence, Weiss felt it was appropriate to pick the conversation back up. "I have one last question."
"Just one?" Ruby asked.
"Well, no, but my last question for tonight," Weiss clarified.
"Alright," Ruby nodded, "go ahead."
"How does the person from the train factor into things?" Weiss wondered.
"I honestly don't know," Ruby admitted. "I don't think they're working with the ringleader… I don't know where they came from, I don't know how long they've been watching. All I know is that they're powerful."
"More so than the ringleader?" Weiss's eyes widened.
"Incredibly so," Ruby nodded.
"So what do we do next?" Blake asked.
Ruby stood, looking out over the city while building a mental checklist. "I'm going to up my training, maybe even skip some classes to get extra sessions in the Emerald Forest. I assume you still want to investigate the White Fang, so if we end up facing the ringleader again try to leave her to me. And if we see the black coated figure… run. You three are not to attempt to fight them, understand?"
"I suppose we couldn't do much anyways if they nearly killed you," Weiss conceded painfully. She stood and turned to her leader, "however, I would like to join you again for morning trainings. Unless that bit about me holding you back still rings true even if you're not hiding your magic from us…"
Ruby smiled. "I'll be glad for the company, and while I can't teach you magic… I may still be able to show you a thing or two."
"Me, too." Blake announced, standing to join her teammate and leader. "Things are getting serious. It's time for us to get serious too. I don't want to rely on you, Ruby, especially if you do leave someday. I want to get stronger too."
Yang sighed, "Well, I'm certainly not hanging out in an empty dorm every morning. I might as well come too," she stood in solidarity with her team.
Ruby's mile widened. "All right, you two. I hope you're ready. We better get some sleep now, because we're all waking up at dawn."