A/N: A/N: So, been a bit since the last chapter of this. Mostly because I've been so busy that getting this chapter done was a bit of hassle, especially on top of all the other fics. Thus, moving forwards this fic will be uploaded every 14 or so days as opposed to the original 10 days, should hopefully give me enough time.

That said, do enjoy this action-packed chapter~


Reflections of the Soul

Chapter 5: Red Like Cherries

Ruby felt uneasy.

Not a surprising thing, really. It was her first time out beyond the walls and she was in a tiny village that had only recently been attacked by Grimm; it was pretty justifiable that she was nervous.

That said her unease was deeper than that. Really she could only liken it to instinct; a deep-seated feeling that something was going to go wrong. Patrolling the walls did little to abate the feeling and even when she slayed a few Beowolves that got too close her fear didn't lessen – if anything the sight of a few wayward Grimm made it worse.

Ruby sighed, twirling her scythe around and turning it into its compacted form, slotting it behind herself under her cape. The grassy field around her was void of life, the last remnants of some Beowolves dissipating into wisps. That was the third group she'd killed in the last hour alone. To call it a pack would be a misnomer too; they were just a tiny group of four or five, at most six or as little as three. Far too small to be a threat to her, and probably only a modest threat to the militia within the village, who had unlocked Aura and basic weapons training. Nothing good enough to stave off a full-blown attack, but enough that they could handle the local Grimm well enough.

But that then begged the question – why were the Grimm coming in such tiny amounts? The negativity, she surmised, but the answer didn't feel quite right. If it was the negativity then she'd be seeing a lot more of them, at least a full pack. Beowolves operated in such groups all the time, it just made no sense for a few stragglers to go attacking off on their own.

'Maybe they're leftovers of the last attack?' Ruby mused to herself, glancing behind herself as she caught movement – Garnet and Scarlet approaching, their own weapons drawn but held low in relaxed positions. 'But then how did they get away? Grimm don't tend to run...'

After a second Ruby banished the thought and turned her focus onto her two sisters. ''Hey. How's things on the other end of town?''

''Better than here, clearly.'' Garnet said, gesturing to the decaying corpses of the Grimm around them. ''We've only had to deal with a single stray group, though a couple of the men garrisoned on the walls had weakened them for us already with crossbows.''

''Lucky you.'' Ruby said with a small smile, her words earning a soft snort from Scarlet. ''Did Uncle Qrow say anything?''

''We stopped and asked.'' Garnet answered dutifully as Scarlet wandered off a little, scanning their surroundings. ''Per your suggestion he had the pilot use the radio to call for backup. Unfortunately as all Hunters are currently either occupied or within Vale, it'll take them easily a couple of hours to mobilise and arrive. In the meantime Vale has is sending an emergency evacuation ship to get the citizens out.''

Ruby nodded, relaxing. That was good. She suspected some might not like having to leave their homes behind, especially after having just defended it from an onslaught of Grimm, but it was for the best. If she was in their shoes she sure as heck would want a ride out.

''How long until it gets here?'' Ruby inquired lightly, walking away from the town and sweeping her eyes across the vast fields ahead of them.

''Ten minutes by his estimations. He'd called it in shortly after we'd gone to guard the other side of the town.'' Garnet informed simply, sending her a sidelong glance. ''Something is troubling you.''

''Aha, you can tell...?''

Garnet just smiled patiently, silver eyes soft and almost parental in a weird way. Doubly weird since she looked so similar to her.

Ruby shook off the thought, speaking up. ''It's just... I have this feeling that something's wrong, you know? Not anxiety, but like my gut is just... yeah.''

Garnet made an understanding sound, low ponytail bobbing as she nodded. ''Instinct.''

''Right. That's the word for it.'' Ruby smiled. It was brief, however; her expression becoming conflicted once more. ''...I really hope it's baseless, though...''

''Indeed.'' Her sister whispered an agreement. ''Have you noticed as well? The Beowolves?''

''They keep attacking in small groups.'' Ruby nodded with furrowed brows. ''It's weird as heck.''

''Maybe they're just dumb.'' Scarlet called out from a few feet away, throwing a cheeky smile over with it that emphasised her vulpine features. ''Beowolves are pretty stupid after all.''

''You shouldn't underestimate them.'' Garnet chastised lightly.

Scarlet, being the most mature of the group, blew a raspberry back.

Ruby giggled at the exasperated look on Garnet's face and unsheathed Crescent Rose, keeping it in its sniper form as she scanned through the scope. The fields ahead of them stretched on for miles, ending only at a distant mountain range too far to worry about. Patches of forestry could be seen here and there, with the biggest downhill nearer the mountain, but otherwise there was nowhere for the Grimm to hide. Naturally the Beowolves thus far had used what little pockets of forest they had to hide, but it didn't work well; they made too much noise even when being stealthy to slip past her ears. Cons of having a big, muscly body she supposed.

However her thoughts brought her mind back to the odd behaviour of the Beowolves. Why bother attacking in such small groups? Was it really as simple as them just being dumb? No, she refused to believe it, part of her rejecting the notion outright on some primal, instinctive level.

''...why else would you send a bunch of small groups to attack?'' Ruby murmured more to herself than anyone else, but Garnet heard all the same.

''Perhaps to test their defences?'' Garnet suggested, gesturing back at Viridian.

Ruby started to nod – until a thought struck. One that made her blood run cold.

How would they know to do that?

Beowolves weren't particularly smart. Even in packs, they were limited to encirclement tactics at best, not probing defences. Only Alphas showed such intelligence but even then more often preferred a bold attack as opposed to strategy – so there's no chance an Alpha was telling its pack to sacrifice itself. No, even an older Alpha wouldn't dare, not when it lost valuable pack members.

Which left one possibility – that there was a stronger, far older Grimm somewhere out there commanding lesser Grimm. There was no other reason why Beowolves would act so unnaturally, why they would employ siege tactics when they were mostly mindless wolves at heart.

''...we need to contact Uncle Qrow.'' Ruby decided, her voice quiet but rising in volume as she realised the danger the town was in – that even if this was just her panicking over nothing, that something big was afoot. ''Scarlet, you call him, Garnet-!''

Movement. Ruby's voice died as she turned her gaze ahead downfield, towards the faraway mountain range where the thickest of the forests laid. Towards where a surge of blackness flooded forth, innumerable bodies moving in such a dense pack that it looked like a tidal wave of death and destruction, ripping trees out of the dirt and crushing distant bushes underfoot.

Grimm.

They'd made their move.

'There's so many...'

She wanted to raise her scope, to see – but at the same time she didn't. She didn't want to try and count how many were there. Even from what must've been a mile or more away the wave was so wide it felt like it'd wipe Viridian right off the map by sheer force of numbers, to say nothing of what would happen if the Grimm actually tried to destroy stuff. Or kill all the people inside waiting for an evac that very well might not reach them in time.

Most of all, however, was that feeling again. The anxiety, the dread, the unfathomable feeling of something wrong. It was normal to feel such things when faced with the monsters of darkness but the feeling was infinitely stronger than normal – focused down to a single point within the mass of black creatures. It was in there. The Grimm that was ordering such attacks, that had been probing the town's defences. This horrible shoulder-tensing anxiety, this instinctive fear; that creature was the source of it, even if she couldn't see it.

Then suddenly she was shot.

No, not shot Ruby realised as she clutched at her chest, the wound phantasmal. It was looking right at her. The unseen Grimm amidst the black tide was looking at her, its gaze so intense it felt like a bullet had just struck her in the heart, its attention a physical weight that left her legs trembling and her shoulders rigid, unmoving.

It saw her.

Somehow, those words alone inspired a fresh wave of fear within Ruby.

''...Qrow...'' Ruby whispered, clutching at her cape. Its silky materia gave her comfort, reassurance. ''We need to get Qrow.''

Garnet and Scarlet didn't protest, didn't doubt. Without a word Ruby turned and high-tailed it back to the town, not waiting for her two sisters as she tapped into her Semblance and blitzed through the open gate in a flurry of rose petals, narrowly missing a militiaman that was standing nearby – trusting her sisters to inform them. No, she focused solely on the Bullhead still idling in the open space, relief washing over her when she found her uncle next to it chatting with the pilot.

She just barely managed to grind herself to a stop before she ran face-first into the hull. ''Uncle Qrow! Big problem!''

Her uncle's eyes were on her in a heartbeat. ''Details, spit it out.''

''Grimm!'' She didn't mean to yell it, but a combination of adrenaline and anxiety forced her to. ''L-Lots of them!''

''Gimme a number.''

''Too many to count. I think they were a mile or two away, b-but they probably number in the hundreds at least, m-maybe even a thousand!'' Ruby hurried the words out, imploring her uncle to understand. ''A-And it's not just Beowolves, there's an older Grimm amongst them!''

''Older Grimm?''

Ruby flushed, fumbling for the words. ''The Beowolves I fought kept acting weird. Coming in small groups, like they were testing our defences. Then when the Grimm started their charge I felt one of them looking at me, like it was freezing me in place! I'm being serious I-''

''I know.'' The simple two words gave her pause. ''I ain't doubting you squirt. Listen, I need you and your sisters to run around and tell everyone to line up here. Our pilot buddy will go ahead and thin the horde as much as he can and when the evacuation ship arrives we're all getting on and getting the hell out of here. Anyone left behind won't be able to get on, so move it, alright?''

He spoke slowly, almost softly. Part of her brain almost wanted him to hurry up so she knew what to do but another, larger part of her relished the calmness, as if his stoicism bled into her and cooled her thoughts a little. ''R-Right!''

Then with an application of her Semblance Ruby ran. She appeared before the first house in sight, barely even thinking as she looked the nearest Faunus in the eyes and called for them to group outside in the open area. Then she blurred a dozen feet over to the next house, then the next, and the next. She wasn't thinking consciously, she just moved, repeated the order, then moved again. Sometimes she'd barge into a house and there'd be nobody there, other times she'd bang open a door only to realise the other half of the house was destroyed, the lot vacant.

At some point she ran into Scarlet and Garnet, passing the order along before continuing. Between the three of them they covered the town fast and Ruby hurried up to the makeshift guard-post that had been erected near the southern gate; clambering atop some wooden pallets and smacking Crescent Rose down between two sharp-tipped logs, scanning the horizon with her sniper rifle. The horde had drawn closer frighteningly fast, their distant forms now much clearer. At the rate they were approaching they had just a few minutes, tops.

The roar of Bullhead engines overhead though drew her eyes up, watching as the aircraft soared overhead – before it opened fire with a pair of auto-cannons on the nose, the thunderous clamour of explosive Dust rounds ripping into the horde and clawing a noticeable line through them until the Grimm filled in the gap. Still it must've easily taken down dozens of Grimm, the thought bolstering her confidence.

''Ruby.''

Turning her head Ruby gazed down at the base of the watchtower where Garnet and Scarlet stood. Both wore grim expressions and held their weapons at the ready, Scarlet's fox ears twitching and her tail hanging low, reflecting her internal unease. Ruby tried to smile and they did the same, but with the sound of auto-cannon and rockets firing in the distance, along with the local populace frantically rushing their wounded over to the landing zone, it was hard.

The sound of a fluttering cape drew her gaze over to Qrow as the Huntsman himself arrived. There was no trace of his usual humour, his drunken disregard for manners – his blood-red eyes sharp and his jaw set, emphasising the slight stubble that had grown on it. He looked a lot more serious than Ruby ever remembered him, but she supposed if there was ever a time for it, now was it. The citizens of Viridian were counting on them to survive.

Assuming they survived too.

She tried not to let the thought haunt her.

''Alright.'' Qrow sighed, hauling himself up next to Ruby and spying the distant Grimm with a hissed breath. ''Lot of 'em heading our way. I'm seeing some Creeps up front and what looks like a couple Death Stalkers near the rear. Most of the group seems to be Beowolves with some Ursa thrown in. No Alphas, not that I'm seeing.''

She wanted to ask if she saw the older Grimm but kept her mouth shut. Was it out of fear of knowing? Or because Qrow would've said something if he had? She didn't know and in the end she just stayed quiet, grimacing.

''Local militia is assembling. Walls are still broke so they'll try and slow the Grimm down – evac ship will be on the ground any minute now.'' Qrow added, prompting Ruby to glance over her shoulder – surprised to see the hulking aircraft already so close; looming just above the town and slowly descending.

It was a giant thing, especially compared to a Bullhead. Easily as long as a street and twice as wide it was a floating rectangle of armour, made specifically to enter territory under attack and evacuate as many people as possible whilst enduring attacks from Grimm. It had self-defences weapons on it, many of which she could see already deployed – a couple of machine guns and auto-cannons, but against a horde of this size they'd sooner run out of ammo than kill everything.

''Okay, so, plan?'' Ruby hurriedly asked, looking to her uncle for orders.

He grunted. ''Pilot will sweep around and blow up the front of the charge. Get on the rooftops and jump down once the Grimm are in town – if we try and meet them head on we'll just be trampled. Do what you can to buy time, the evac ship will blare a horn when it's about to leave. Try and get on, if not then the Bullhead will try and grab you. If it goes down...''

He didn't finish the sentence, but didn't need to. They all knew what would happen if they missed their flight out.

''Alright, get to your places ladies.'' Qrow grunted, hefting his scythe onto his shoulder. ''And you better not die. I ain't gonna be the one to tell Taiyang I fucked things up for like, the millionth time.''

The faint joke made the three Roses smile, lightening the mood momentarily. The grim reality was brought back on though by the distant death-howls of Beowolves as the pilot made another pass on them, rockets launched and blasting great holes in the horde but doing little to actually stop them. The reminder spurred the three Roses into action; rushing further into town and leaping up onto rooftops, weapons drawn and expressions grim.

Heavy silence reigned. The low rumble of a thousand footfalls churned closer, and as they neared Ruby could make out small clouds of dirt from the grass upturned underneath wolfish paws. A snarling chorus became audible alongside the high-pitched whine of the Death Stalkers in the rear, their glowing orange stingers wavering as they skittered after their more bestial kin. The sight prompted Ruby to reach up and gently removed her eyepatch, pocketing it. She'd need her full vision for this. She could feel self-conscious about her eye later, if anyone survived to notice that is.

Raising Crescent Rose Ruby aimed through the sights, towards the rightmost Death Stalker. Its glowing orange stinger was like a massive target when it was running in a straight line.

'Breathe in...'

Her chest expanded, the clamour of disaster quietening in her ears.

'Breathe out...'

Her finger curled around the trigger, her body stilling.

'Fire.'

With a deafening bang Crescent Rose kicked into her shoulder as she let the high-calibre round fly, soaring over the heads of the Grimm – and piercing the glowing orange stinger, the Dust within the round imploding it in a blast of yellowish fluid and flesh. The Death Stalker shrieked angrily, stingerless tail flailing about and causing it to trample some of its kin, but the horde as a whole kept charging.

However her attack spurned the others. All around she could hear gunshots echo as the militiamen in their own defensive position opened fire – rifles, machine guns, even a grenade launcher blasting into the incoming horde. The Bullhead did another sweep, rockets and auto-cannons opening up on the frontmost of the horde and shredding apart the Creeps charging, revealing the weaker Beowolves behind. Ruby barely paused to sight one before she pulled the trigger, blowing apart its head. She adjusted her gaze right, taking out another head. Then the torso of the one behind it. Then the one to its upper-right, blowing out a head and the limb of the beast behind it, sending it tumbling and trampled by its peers.

And then the horde was upon them.

The palisade wall that surrounded the town, fragmented as it was, held firm for about a second before the great logs collapsed inwards; some splintered and others crushed under the tide of black-furred beasts that swept into town like a plague of rats. Ruby didn't think and simply slapped a fresh magazine into her weapon before leaping off of the rooftop, eyes locked onto one unsuspecting Beowulf and cleaving straight through it, landing just past its bisected form.

Instinct flared and she trusted it unquestioningly, jerking her head back in time to avoid a paw before pulling the trigger of her scythe – the recoil locking her into a sharp, sudden spin that sliced into three of the Grimm around her, separating arms from chests and chests from waists. She didn't stop to observe the damage though, head jerking right and leaping over, slashing through another only to pull the trigger again, launching herself back into the small pocket she'd formed and beheading a snarling Beowulf, its jaw never getting to snap closed before its head left its neck.

The horde around her had begun to register her as a threat, the tide slowing as more turned their eyes onto her. She quenched any fear she felt under cold determination, both hands on her scythe as she brought it around and stabbed it into a Beowulf's shoulder, another pull of the trigger both launching her back and bisecting the Grimm in one go – her boots coming up and smashing into the chest of an unfortunate Grimm.

Claws came for her face as a Beowulf leaped for her left side.

They never reached her as Garnet closed the distance, body aglow with her Semblance as she densified herself – rendering her enclosed fist as sturdy as a piece of concrete, smashing into the chest of the Beowulf and sending it flying back into the horde with a pitiful yelp. A horde that suddenly found itself engulfed in flames, baleful and bright as they swept over fur and ignited the beasts, bringing forth a chorus of agonised howls that faded into smoky nothingness.

Scarlet landed by her side, fox tail swishing behind her as she turned, bow raised – and let loose an explosive Dust arrow that struck a group of five Grimm running past them, eviscerating one and injuring the other four. With a flourish she flicked her bow out, the string compressing into the back of the blade as it mecha-shifted into its scimitar form, her right hand shifting down to the grip whilst her left held itself out, flames threatening to flicker between her fingertips.

Ruby spared a glance at her two sisters. A grin shared itself between them all.

Then as one they moved, lunging out at the horde around them. Ruby honed in on one Beowulf and feigned a sideways slash, and the moment it started to react she instead twisted her grip and slammed the blade into the dirt – stopping her short and allowing her to flip over the beast. Both boots slammed down into its back and she pulled the trigger, shooting her forth and ripping through the pinned Beowulf in the same motion. The Beowulf behind it though found itself bisected by an upwards slice, black materia sluicing off of her curved blade as she brought it around the neck of another, a gunshot beheading it and pulling her out of the way of separate Beowulf.

A deafening roar drew her eyes right, watching as an Ursa stomped through the ruined palisade wall – only for Qrow to land upon its head, impaling it with his scythe before ripping it out and leaping off, two quick slashes taking out its legs and leaving it vulnerable to another fatal headshot, killing it in seconds. Roaring in front of her however reminded her of her own foes – and Ruby paid for her distraction as claws slashed across her ribs, cutting cloth and taking a modest chunk out of her Aura, bringing a grimace to her lips.

Flames swept past her then, charring the Grimm to ash and forcing the surrounding Grimm back. ''Don't get distracted!''

''R-Right!'' Ruby called back to Scarlet, glancing at the fox Faunus only briefly before smacking another magazine into her gun.

Not a second too soon as an Ursa stomped in after some of the Beowolves, eyes on her and her alone. Up until Garnet skidded in front of it, silver eyes sharp as she pulled her arm back and plunged her straight-sword up into the Ursa's jaw. The beast releasing a terrible roar and reared back on its hind legs, pulling Garnet up with it.

Contrary to her expectations though Garnet wasn't helpless. Flowing with her newfound momentum the eldest Rose flipped up and landed on the Ursa's upper-back, lips parted in an unheard yell of exertion as she forced her sword in deeper – and then with a press of a button baleful red flames rushed down the blade and poured into the open wound, scorching the Grimm's internals and causing gouts of flame to burst out of its body at random, catching surrounding Grimm alight.

However the horde was growing too thick. Those that hadn't stopped to engage them in combat had ran past them into the town itself, screams of terror plainly audible even amongst the clamour of gunshots and explosions. Where had the militia gone? Had they already died, or fallen back? She didn't know and after a half-second purged it from her mind, slicing the heel of a Beowulf that tried to catch her side and letting Scarlet stab it through the head, finishing the beast off.

''Fall back!'' Ruby called out at the top of her lungs.

She waited until she saw Garnet begin to move her way before actually following her own order, shooting at her feet and leaping up onto a rooftop. Scarlet followed a moment later, hand extended and blasting several of the Grimm below with a gout of fire, scorching them to death – but Scarlet's Semblance used their Aura, and even as she stood there Ruby could feel it be sapped away little by little.

Grimacing Ruby scanned their surroundings. The few buildings still standing after the first assault were rapidly crumbling, their own notwithstanding, and she could spot Qrow on the other side of the town cleaving his way through the horde with minimal injuries. Beowolves tore through the town at a frightening pace, the evacuation site their main target – but the evac ship had landed with its broadside facing the incoming horde, allowing its auto-cannons to spray into the approaching Grimm; explosive rounds shredding them like paper and keeping them back.

Until they ran out of ammo, or too many Grimm got through.

Perishing the thought Ruby reloaded, took a breath, and the moment Garnet joined them they leapt back down into the horde. Ruby took the lead, both hands twirling Crescent Rose about and cleaving apart any Grimm foolish enough to get in their path. Scarlet held the rear, blasting flames behind them that crept onto buildings and added to the blaze, whilst Garnet kept her sides clear as best she could – lightening herself to jump between left and right before densifying herself to make her blows hit harder, slicing Grimm with ease or punching them outright, hitting with the force of a pissed-off Yang.

Another Ursa got in their way but Ruby simply tapped into her Semblance, getting inside its guard and slashing across its stomach. It bellowed in pain and swiped for her but missed, leaving itself open to Garnet who landed on its arm and stabbed it in the skull – followed by Scarlet who slashed across its neck. By the time the three Roses passed it the large Grimm fell, already dead.

The evacuation site laid just ahead, clusters of wounded citizens shambling on-board or carried by others, the engines of the aircraft revving up as its horn blared, prepared to leave.

Then everything went wrong.

Practically in unison the east and west walls exploded inwards as two massive Alpha Boarbatusks rolled inside, big as houses and with bodies covered in sharp bone-white armour and with large, curled tusks. The western one tore through houses and defences alike, killing its own in its self-assigned path of destruction – but the eastern Alpha Boarbatusk made a beeline for the evacuation ship. The massive ship began to lift off, those left on the ramp either scrambling inside or falling off-

And then the massive bone beast smashed into the side of the aircraft. It busted straight through the reinforced armour and uncurled itself, pig-like face shoving inside as it began chomping down on anyone unfortunate enough to be within its reach – the screams of those insides piercing over the distance easily. The evacuation ship continued to try and rise but the weight of the Grimm stopped it; the airship dangerously lurching to the right and threatening to topple over onto itself if it rose any further, its own guns unable to so much as dent the thick Boarbatusk's armour.

Ruby didn't know how long she stood there. Only that when a hand grabbed her shoulder she flinched out of her shock, eyes darting left-

-and found Garnet there. ''We need to move Ruby! Now!''

Blinking slightly Ruby felt like she was in a daze. Until she caught sight of the two Death Stalkers from before now charging into town, slowed only by the massed horde. Immediately she snapped out of her daze and shouted an agreement, her grip on her weapon reaffirmed as she made a beeline for the evacuation ship.

'Armour's too thick for Crescent Rose. Probably immune to Scarlet's flames too.' Ruby's thoughts raced. 'Eyes. Only unarmoured part and while it's distracted!'

Nodding to herself she flipped Crescent Rose behind her in a low position. ''Go for the eyes! We have to get it off of the ship!''

''Right!'' Scarlet and Garnet shouted back.

Ruby pursed her lips, and tapped into Semblance. Instantly the world around her blurred as she zoomed towards the giant Grimm, its glowing red eyes gazing into the hull-

Then suddenly they were looking right at her. The Alpha Boarbatusk turned, tearing great grooves through the hull with its tusks as it turned to face her – forcing Ruby to abort her charge, shooting at the ground as she flew overhead. The Grimm followed her with its eyes, shrieking up at her, its maw bubbling-

'That's-!'

Another gunshot sent her flying right – just in time to avoid the high-pressure gout of black fluid the Alpha Boarbatusk spewed up at her, steaming like molten tar. Her widened eyes tracked it as it arced away from her and off into the distance; those same eyes darting back down to the creature below. Though it was impossible to tell its expression, the look in the Alpha Boarbatusk's eyes seemed almost smug.

Ruby's eyes narrowed and she flipped Crescent Rose around – and with a gunshot, she was plummeting down towards it. It bowed its head at the last moment, her lethally-sharp blade ricocheting harmlessly off of its solid bone armour before it jerked its head upwards, sending her flipping over it and ending up behind the giant Boarbatusk. She had barely landed before it kicked both of its hind legs out of her, nearly taking her head off if she hadn't ducked at the last second. In that moment however, with both legs raised, she saw it.

Its underbelly. Protected by layered plates yes, but compared to its underside it was far thinner and with small gaps between the plates, allowing it to curl up into a ball.

She had no chance to take advantage of the weakness, however. Smaller but still dangerous Boarbatusks came to their Alpha's aid, snorting and squealing at her as they rolled towards her – forcing Ruby to leap back, slashing at one as it went and killing it, but the others were too armoured for Crescent Rose to cull easily. With a grimace Ruby backed up further, eyes jumping between the targets in front of her even as the massive Boarbatusk turned to face her, its glowing red eyes piercing with their intensity.

Until a baleful belch of amber flames washed over its front. The Alpha Boarbatusk snorted and turned to face the source, jerking its head left-and-right and if the flames were more of an annoyance than a real threat – until Garnet ran under the belch and thrust her straight sword forth. The Alpha backed up a half-step in surprise but wasn't fast enough to evade the blade, costing it its bottom-right eye, the red orb making a disgusting pop sound as the light went out.

And then a second later the Alpha Boarbatusk squealed. The sheer volume popped Ruby's eardrums and rattled her bones, sending her stumbling back a step in shock, her grip on Crescent Rose nearly faltering as she felt the hard metal vibrate against her palms.

Garnet was outright flung away from the Grimm like she'd been hit with a shockwave, tumbling across dirt until she hit a low wall, mouth open in a silent cry of pain. Scarlet though fell to her knees with both hands pressing her fox ears down against her head, expression equally as pained – and in the back of her mind Ruby remembered that Faunus had much more sensitive hearing than humans did.

Worst of all though the Alpha Boarbatusk was hardly killed by the blow.

It was, however, very pissed off.

A fact she learned acutely as the Alpha let out a high-pitched squeal and tucked itself into a roll – and then charged straight for Garnet. Ruby didn't think twice; her form blurring with a sudden use of her Semblance and her free hand snatching Garnet by the scruff of her blouse, yanking her sister out of the way. The massive Boarbatusk barrelled past them unimpeded, smashing stone and wood alike as it made a wide turn before coming back around towards them.

Ruby grimaced, glancing quickly at Garnet. She still had her weapon. Bleeding from the ears and hunched, one hand clutching at her back, but her Aura was still active. As if sensing her gaze Garnet raised her head and met her gaze, smiling tightly and nodding. She was okay. Mostly.

Such thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind though as the Alpha Boarbatusk neared, and with a grimace Ruby activated her Semblance again, pulling them out of the way at the last possible moment – giving the Grimm no time to change course. However moving another person with her Semblance wasn't ideal, her momentum not matching Garnet's and causing them to nearly fall on top of each other the moment they stopped had Garnet not steadied herself. As it stood however it cost them several precious moments to reorient themselves, not helped by Garnet's damaged eardrums screwing with her balance.

Suddenly a chunk of her Aura just up and vanished, the sudden sap almost like a dagger to her heart. 'Scarlet-!'

Her head whipped around, scanning the destroyed dirt area littered with crushed Grimm caught in the crossfire – and found Scarlet on the ground, grimacing as she stabbed her scimitar up into the skull of a Beowulf, the disintegrating remains of a Boarbatusk in front of her, wisps of fire mixing in with the fading ashes. With haste Ruby made her way over to her, helping haul her to her feet, but the fox Faunus wobbled where she stood, her hearing also damaged.

Proven when she tried to speak and both squinted at her, clearly trying to read her lips than actually hear her.

Worse still the Boarbatusks and Beowolves that had spilled into the city were surrounding them, snapping and snarling at them but not attacking outright, perhaps having seen many of their kin fall to them. Ruby turned to face them, eyes scanning the horde as she brandished Crescent Rose threateningly, teeth gritted.

And then with a roar the Bullhead swept overhead, auto-cannons rattling and cutting into the scattered horde – blowing apart Beowolves and Boarbatusk alike, culling them to the sound of their howls and squeals. The airship strafed in a circle, spraying down as many Grimm as it could in one go and prompting Ruby to raise Crescent Rose to help; downing five more Grimm before she had to reload, keeping both her sisters in her periphery, and the Alpha Boarbatusk.

The latter of which had finished making its wide turn and was coming back for more. Or so Ruby thought, surprise lighting up her face as the beast unfurled and skidded to a stop... and opened its mouth.

Realisation hit like a truck. ''M-Move!''

Her sisters couldn't hear but it didn't matter; a sudden application of her Semblance throwing all three of them to one side-

But they weren't the target.

Molten tar-like substance bubbled and boiled within the Alpha Boarbatusk's mouth as it reared its head up – and fired it at the Bullhead. A gout of concentrated black fluid sheared straight through the underbelly of the craft, through the cockpit and out of the roof, instantly sending the whole airship lurching. The metal holding it together audibly groaned and the engines whined as the whole ship turned unevenly, threatening to fall into a spin but miraculously stayed airborne.

Tearing her gaze away from the damaged craft Ruby set her sights on the Alpha Boarbatusk, gripping her weapon tight. She just needed a moment, an opening. She was sure of it. Garnet and Scarlet were too incapacitated to fight it further but she still had the strength – and with Qrow presumably occupied elsewhere it was down to her to take down the Grimm. There was no way the Bullhead would be able to scoop them up with that thing still active and capable of spewing that liquid.

Ruby bit her lip, mind racing – when an idea struck. A very, very stupid one, but one nonetheless. The Alpha Boarbatusk was fast, heavily armoured, and had only its eyes and possibly its underbelly as its weakness.

However, it was slow to turn.

That, she could work with.

''Stay here.'' Ruby said, hoping her sisters could read her lips. ''I'll be back in a sec.''

Flipping Crescent Rose around into a low position she smacked one of her last magazines into her baby and breathed in. Then she lunged forth, breaking out into a full sprint straight for the massive Grimm, instantly drawing its attention back onto her – and the moment it did, she blurred forth with her Semblance.

The world became narrow, the distance null – and then at the last moment Ruby went left. The Alpha Boarbatusk turned with her, squealing angrily, but she darted right the moment it started to look at her. Then again, and again and again – pushing her body to its limit as she blurred around in a circle, her boots skidding across burnt dirt and crushed rock as she blitzed in a circle around the massive boar, forcing it to keep turning to try and catch up with her. It kicked its hind legs out to try and catch her out but she evaded, and when it swung its curled tusks out she just widened her circle, using whatever bits of debris she could to launch herself into a faster loop.

The Grimm let out another angry shriek, turning its head left just as she emerged – and then she pulled the trigger. Her momentum sharply changed and she leaned into it, tucking into a vicious sideways spin – and cleaved straight through its two uppermost eyes.

Her momentum shot her past the beast just as it let out a deafening, agonised squeal, the volume so shrill it rattled her bones even from over a dozen metres away. Gripping Crescent Rose she didn't stop and simply dug her heel into the dirt, twisting around and launching herself forwards once more. The Grimm's remaining eye shot towards her and it squealed, rearing up to tuck into an armoured roll. One interrupted as a familiar man landed upon its face, scythe cleaving through its sole remaining eye.

Ruby stopped short. ''Uncle Qrow!''

The man himself offered no reply, grim-faced as he leapt off of the Alpha Boarbatusk – the Grimm releasing a shriek of agony, kicking its legs out and stomping blindly. Getting an idea Ruby shot at the ground underfoot, launching herself airborne but more importantly luring the Alpha Boarbatusk towards the sound – causing it to squeal and stampede straight into a still-standing building, collapsing it in on itself. Not that it did much to stop the beast which simply broke through the other side, throwing its head about in a blind rage.

Landing next to her uncle she looked to him for guidance. ''What do we do now?''

''We get the hell out of here.'' Qrow grunted, scowling as a couple Beowolves rounded the corner. ''I led the other Boarbatusk away but I ain't sure how long it'll keep digging into an empty basement – sooner or later the asshole will realise I slipped out. So let's get our asses out of here, now.''

Ruby jerked her head in a nod, tapping into her Semblance and blitzing the two Beowolves. One lost its head before it could react and the other barely had time to turn before it was bisected diagonally, clearing the path for Qrow to sprint past. An Ursa sprinted past them towards where Garnet and Scarlet were but Qrow intercepted, leaping atop the bear Grimm and beheading it in a blindingly-fast slash, leaping off again without even pausing for breath.

Ignoring the fatigue weighing down her arms Ruby kicked off with another burst of her Semblance, rose petals left in her wake as she practically materialised in front of Garnet and Scarlet, the disintegrating remains of several Beowolves around them. No words were said, not that they had the time – the high-pitched squeal of a Death Stalker ringing out as the giant scorpion Grimm came charging towards them.

Qrow scowled, glancing up at the Bullhead as it wobbled closer. ''You three jump on the second it gets close, I'll follow. Don't argue.''

Then he was off, rushing at the armoured Death Stalker. The right pincer came out to snap at him but Qrow slid under it, nearing the creature's maw only to leap over it at the last possible moment, two lightning-quick slashes popping the eyes of the beast and landing him on its back. The shrill squeal of the Death Stalker did little to phase Qrow as he spun his scythe around and stabbed it down into the armoured carapace of the Grimm, breaking bone but failing to pierce much deeper. He didn't get a second chance to strike before the stinger came down, nearly impaling him had he not side-stepped it, leaping off of the beast.

Then in a blur of rose petals Ruby appeared before the beast, yelling as she propelled her blade down with a gunshot, taking out another two eyes on its left side, rendering it partially blind. She zipped out of its retaliatory attack, twisting on her heel the moment she stopped and culling a Beowulf that tried to catch her flank, glancing back momentarily to check on the Bullhead. Closing in, with Scarlet shooting any Grimm that tried to get close to the landing site.

A shriek made her look back at the Death Stalker – just in time too as it tried to stab her. She yelped, stumbling out of the way of its stinger and slashing at the luminescent orange bulb, cutting it but not bursting it like she did the other one. Qrow solved that with a double tap of Harbinger, the shotgun component bursting the glowing stinger easily and earning a shriek from the large Death Stalker, its sideways swipe managing to catch Qrow in the side and sending him flying into and through a lamppost.

''Uncle Qrow!'' Ruby cried out.

The Death Stalker however went for her, shrieking with claws out and half of its eyes bloody pulp. Gritting her teeth Ruby shot at her feet and flipped back through the air, emptying her magazine and managing to pop another eye – but movement made her look down, to where Garnet was. Though deafened and disoriented the eldest Rose sprinted forth with eyes narrowed, Sever held low in her right hand. The Death Stalker turned to face her and shrieked but she clearly didn't hear, continuing her charge undeterred.

Understanding clicked in Ruby's mind and she reacted, slapping her last magazine into her weapon just as she touched down – and then she was off, her Semblance carrying her in a desperate blitz to the Grimm. Said Grimm refocused on her, shrieking at her and snapping its left claw out, nearly catching her had she not changed direction at the last moment, lunging up and forcing the beast to back up a step to keep her in its sight.

Leaving it open to Garnet who charged in low, thrusting her straight sword into its bloody eye socket – and then activated the Dust within.

In an instant bluish electricity shrieked down the blade and into the Death Stalker, bolts jumping through its massive frame. Its muscles seized up and it let out an ear-piercing shriek but Ruby pushed past the pain in her skull, yelling as she slammed the bladed tip of Crescent Rose into its head and emptied her entire clip into it, digging the blade in deeper and deeper-

-until at last it broke through, and she cleaved a thick gash straight through the centre of its head.

The shrill shriek died off as the creature did as well, its limbs falling slack and tail sagging. Both Garnet and Ruby leapt back nonetheless, panting heavily and relaxing only when the corpse began to disintegrate.

''Haah... phew...'' Ruby panted, looking at her sister. ''You alright?''

Garnet turned to look at her and squinted, prompting Ruby to quickly repeat her question – earning a slight smile and nod in return.

A fresh explosion of shrapnel though killed the good mood as fast as it had come as the Alpha Boarbatusk from before stormed past them – blind, but just destroying anything in its path in the hopes of hitting them. That if anything made it even more unpredictable, its path wild and without the previous direction it had, but Qrow's warning echoed in her mind. The reminder of her uncle drew her gaze over to where he'd fallen, relieved to find him still up and about, if with a scowl now.

''Move it ladies!'' Qrow shouted over at them – grunting when a young Boarbatusk nearly hit him had he not kicked the rolling Grimm, sending it into a building. ''We are leaving!''

Ruby didn't question, didn't delay. Snatching Garnet by the arm she hauled her sister away from the decaying Grimm corpse, meeting with Scarlet just as the Bullhead began to descend, wobbling dangerously as it was with a massive hole burned through it. Scarlet leapt up first, catching the edge of the cabin floor and hauling herself up, offering a hand to Garnet who took it and joined her. Ruby followed third and Qrow was just a step behind them.

Qrow barely had a foot on the floor before banging his fist on the hull. ''We're all on! Go, go!''

The pilot shouted something back, inaudible over the roar of the engines as the Bullhead rapidly ascended away from Viridian. Qrow stumbled in further and yanked the cabin door shut behind him, collapsing into his seat with an exhausted groan.

Ruby joined him on the seat across from him, slumping against it and gazing out the door window at the town below – or what was left of it. The palisade wall was almost completely destroyed, just the odd log here and there still standing upright. Practically every structure was in ruins and Grimm roamed the streets ravenously looking for any remaining life, so many of the black-furred beasts still there despite the amount the four of them had killed. The most haunting part though was the two giant Alpha Boarbatusks that now marched about the town, each of them longer than two houses and as tall as one if not slightly more so, the thick white plating visible even as they ascended.

As they flew, however, Ruby noticed something odd. ''Hey, Uncle Qrow, what are they doing...?''

''Huh...?'' With a grunt Qrow shifted up to the window too, peering down. ''The Boarbatusks?''

''Yeah...''

The blinded Alpha Boarbatusk had moved over to the other, mostly-uninjured Alpha, snorting and whatnot – when with its maw open the uninjured one spewed that same black fluid at its peer, right in the face. The attack seemed to serve no purpose... until the black fluid sept into the creature, and within moments four red eyes regenerated on the Alpha Boarbatusk's face. Completely negating all the hard work they'd done to wound it.

''Oh that's just fuckin' great...'' Qrow hissed out, banging on the cabin door. ''Then again, doubt they'd get this big if they couldn't heal themselves in some way. Fuckers.''

Ruby had to agree with the sentiment, part of her wanting to scream in frustration – but she was tired. So very, very tired. Now that the adrenaline was leaving her system her body felt like it was twice as heavy and made of wood, her limbs reluctant to move and the seats so comfortable she could fall asleep on them despite the airship buckling and shaking every few seconds.

An uncomfortable silence filled the cabin for a long time, disturbed only by Qrow typing on his Scroll. How long she wasn't sure, only that it was long enough for her to really catch her breath, and to speak.

''How many?''

Qrow didn't bother asking her what she meant. Everyone knew well. ''...when we arrived, only about sixty percent of Viridian's inhabitants were alive, according to the mayor. Just shy of thirty percent, about sixty, made it onto the evac ship. Twenty-two were lost when the Alpha Boarbatusk broke into the side, and another five died of their wounds within minutes.''

''All in all, only thirty or so people made it out.''

Thirty.

Thirty out of two hundred.

Only thirty people would make it back to Vale. Thirty people would get to be reunited with family and friends, assuming they even had any left. Thirty people who would get to enjoy ice cream, feel the sun shine on them, smell freshly-made bread in the morning or walk through city streets enjoying life.

Something those that died wouldn't ever get to feel again.

A pang echoed in her heart and she screwed her eyes shut, remembering those two boys she'd met when she first arrived. What were their names again? It felt like it was days ago she'd spoken with them, even if it'd only been hours at best.

Jasper.

Jasper and Jacith.

Had they made it? Did they die before they could get to the airship? Or worse, had they gotten aboard only to be eaten alive by the Alpha Boarbatusk?

She didn't know. She didn't know and it hurt.

Exhaustion was thus a welcome relief, and with eyes screwed shut Ruby just tried to pretend it was all a bad dream.

And before she knew it, she passed out.

X-x-X

The buckling of the airship was the first thing that stirred Ruby from her slumber, a weak moan escaping her as she shifted.

Blinking slowly the red-caped Huntress-in-training sat up slightly, immediately wincing as her back protested from the act. It took her eyes a solid few moments to adjust to the darkness around her, and a few moments more for her to realise that the darkness meant they'd been travelling for at least a good few hours if it was already nightfall.

Tilting her head slowly she looked over to her left. Scarlet was sat next to her, fox tail curled over both her lap and around Ruby's shins protectively, whilst her cape was draped over them both to keep them warm. Garnet was on the other side of the cabin near the other door, head up and staring out the chipped glass door-window, though she looked quite tired. Qrow was nowhere to be seen but she could hear his voice through the hull, no doubt sitting with the pillow if their casual tones were anything to go by.

However there was a fourth person in the cabin with them. She was so small that Ruby had initially overlooked her, not helped by the fact she was tucked into the corner of the cabin between the seat and the door. Shorter than Ruby herself by easily a head in height and with a petiteness to match she looked several years younger than Ruby did, her hair the same black with red tips but coming to her shoulders, the tips pooling over them and her hair covering her left eye, leaving just one glum silver eye to peer back from out from under her hood. A hood that hung over her face to her brow, seemingly oversized and identical to the same cape Ruby herself wore, if a bit downsized to fit her petite frame; pulled around her tiny form clad in black clothes akin to Ruby's own outfit.

Ruby looked over at Garnet. The older Rose noticed and shifted, a tired smile on her lips. ''You're awake.''

She hummed quietly, privately relieved that her hearing had returned, then nodded over at the newcomer. ''...who's she?''

''I'm not sure.'' Garnet freely admitted, glancing over at the shortie. ''One moment the spot was empty, I blinked, then she was there. She must've manifested an hour or two ago. She's been quiet ever since.''

''No flashy light-show?''

Garnet's lips quirked up into a small, mirthful smile, but she said nothing and just shook her head.

Ruby shifted some more, carefully shifting Scarlet's tail out of the way without waking the clearly-exhausted Faunus. ''What's your- ah, right, never mind. I have to name you don't I?''

''...sorry.''

Ruby blinked. ''Uhh... what?''

The girl just shrugged. Or Ruby assumed she shrugged; it was too dark to really see and that cloak made it hard to make out her body language.

After a second of thought Ruby just sighed, shifting forwards in her seat and giving the clone – and she could only be a clone – a smile, gentle and sincere as she could make it. ''I'm guessing you're also part of me, like Garnet and Scarlet?''

A mute nod.

''That's okay.'' Ruby voiced. ''I'm not mad or anything, you don't have to worry.''

Another nod, though the glum aura around the newly-manifested clone didn't leave.

Then again given the day they'd all just had, if she really was a part of her... yeah, Ruby imagined she'd be quite depressed.

Sighing Ruby slid onto the floor of the cabin, ignoring the occasional lurch, and petted her newfound companion. ''Hm... I think I'll call you Cherry, since I'm kinda committed to this whole 'red' theme now, eheheh...''

Though Cherry didn't smile or cheer, the small hum she made was an agreement enough for Ruby.

Offering her hand she stood as best as one could in the cabin and led the short girl over to Scarlet; sitting her so she and the Faunus flanked her on either side, keeping her cosy. The hole that had been torn through the Bullhead didn't help with keeping the cabin warm she noticed, a shiver travelling through her as she pulled her cape around herself, sparing a concerned look at Garnet. The eldest Rose just smiled in reassurance, returning her gaze to the window.

''We're in Vale now.'' Garnet said after a moment. ''Should be descending shortly.''

As if her words were the cue the airship gave another, stronger lurch, the engines whining as they switched to a vertical posture and eased them down. From her seat Ruby couldn't see the ground but soon enough she saw the tops of buildings, more and more coming into view as they lowered down. The landing was sharp and nearly sent her from her seat, the jolt waking Scarlet in the process, but otherwise they managed to touchdown without blowing up.

A second later Qrow's voice came over the intercom. ''Alright ladies, up and at 'em.''

Ruby groaned and shifted out of her seat reluctantly, earning a gentle giggle from Garnet. A mechanic of some kind opened the door for them, the metal shifting to one side and instantly allowing the frigid night air to pour inside alongside the torrential downpour ongoing; rain spitting over Ruby's knees as she shuffled up to the edge and stumbled out onto the landing pad. She pulled her hood up to stave off the icy rain, grimacing as she looked back at her sisters and offered Cherry a hand, helping her down whilst Garnet did the same for Scarlet.

She heard Qrow open up the cockpit door and the man himself walked around the front of the airship a second later, giving her a once-over before nodding, opening up the other cockpit door. The pilot began to descend-

-and Ruby gasped as she saw the bloody stump that was his right arm. Though it'd been bandaged with blood-soaked bandages there was no ignoring the lack of arm beyond his biceps. His right leg too was lost below the knee, forcing him to lean on Qrow as he hobbled out with a grimace.

''You're...'' Ruby wasn't sure why she spoke, what she even wanted to say.

The pilot looked over at her them, face obscured mostly by his visor and helmet, but his lips curved up into a carefree grin all the same. ''Heh. Don't mind me, just gettin' me my early retirement bonus.''

''Yeah, I hear they pay out real good in the business huh.'' Qrow dryly remarked.

The pilot snorted, hopping as they walked towards the stairs. ''You wouldn't believe. Lifetime pension for wounds like these. Almost makes it tempting to have a Grimm snack on your leg, you know?''

''Oi oi, don't give the kids any ideas. They're trouble enough as it is, I don't want them becoming pilots.''

''Pfft, as if they, mn, wouldn't like to pilot a big-ass gunship!''

''Yeah, and they'd likely crash through ten buildings during training. They'd be a bigger threat than the Grimm, and that's by accident.''

The two men shared a chuckle, despite the man's life-altering injuries. It was only when Garnet nudged her that Ruby stopped staring – something she seemed to be doing a lot today, the thought making her grimace and start walking. The cold rain, if nothing else, helped clear her mind as she made her way to the edge of the landing pad and down the stairs. An ambulance was waiting alongside some other medical personnel and Ruby sat on a table at their insistence, feeling awkward as the masked doctor looked her over – turning her head this way and that, asking her questions about her wounds, so on. Small mercies they had the foresight to erect a tent so they weren't in the rain, at least.

She must've been sat there for at least ten minutes before Qrow came back, the ambulance driving off. He waved off a nurse that tried to have him sit and made his way over to her instead, hands in his pockets and an odd look on his face. It wasn't quite sadness, but... discontent, if she was to put a word to it. As if things had gone better than they could've, but still not great.

Which, considering everything, she supposed was rather apt. They'd all survived in what was a terrifying situation. That was more than most could ask for.

''How are they?'' Qrow finally said, looking at the doctor attending to her.

''I'm-'' Ruby started to say.

''Not talkin' to you squirt.'' Qrow deflected immediately, looking at the doctor sharply.

If the man was intimidated he didn't show it. ''She's fine, yes. Severe Aura depletion and clearly exhausted but I doubt I need to tell you that – she's lucky, considering what I've heard of the situation.''

''Luck ain't it. She's just skilled is all.'' Qrow dismissed, looking over at the others. ''And them?''

''The Faunus has perforated eardrums, as does the one with the ponytail, though her eardrums are mostly healed – you can thank her Aura for that.'' The doctor listed off almost idly, lifting Ruby's left arm and putting a bandage of some kind on it, pumping it. Testing her blood pressure? ''The young one is unharmed, however.''

''...right. Got it.'' Qrow nodded slowly, sparing a look at Ruby.

Silently Ruby nodded back, mouthing 'clone'. Qrow just hummed and said nothing more.

It was another five minutes or so before the doctors let them go, giving Scarlet some painkillers for her still-sore ears; Aura would do the rest within a day or two at most. Compared to someone without Aura, which could take weeks if not months to heal, it was quite fast – but Scarlet clearly was put in a dismal mood by her newfound deafness, following closely behind Ruby as the five of them left the landing site and made their way to a taxi waiting for them.

That morning she'd left Vale, full of vigour and ready to save a town full of citizens.

Now not even twenty-four hours later she was back.

Yet, it felt like so much longer.

[END]


A/N: A close shave indeed, and one more Rose has joined the pile~ Tell me what'cha think thus far~

Who was the mysterious Grimm too, I wonder~

See you next time in Chapter 6: A Bitter Pill~