Ruby Rose

Despite the name of the Blood-moon, it was actually normal looking until the middle of the night. Once the moon was at its peak in the sky, it appeared to bleed from the centre, turning the whole thing blood red in just a few minutes. It would remain like that till the next day. Apparently everyone would start howling when it started turning red, the Blood-moon was a sign of peace between the Vampires and Werewolves. So long as the moon bled once a year, there wouldn't be another war. A very complicated illusion spell just as a sign of peace, a little much if you asked Ruby.

Blake led them from the festival, going into the woods and coming out into another much smaller clearing to talk, this one had a small pond, it was actually quite peaceful... save for the sounds of the festival still raving in the distance.

"Are the kids gonna be alright by themselves?"

"Caitlyn is still back there."

"Oh." And apparently that was the end of that conversation.

Ruby sat on a rock near the pond and Qrow leaned against a tree that wasn't too far away. He kept pulling out his flask every few minutes and debating over taking a drink or not, surprisingly he chose to stay sober. Once Ruby's drink had run through, he pulled the flask out again and refilled her cup.

No one wanted to start apparently, everyone was waiting for someone else to talk.

"So... what else is there to talk about..?" Ruby hoped to jump start the discussion. She wasn't cold away from the festival, she was wearing the dust lined clothes Weiss had ordered for her... they were really comfortable.

Tai had filled Blake and Yang in about what this conversation was for on the way over judging by there expressions. Ruby felt more and more uncomfortable as time moved on, they were all crowded around the same area and Ruby was the only one sitting!

Luckily Blake got the memo and sat on the grass, Tai followed and Yang chose to sit next to Ruby on the rock. Finally, someone spoke.

"Summer didn't want you to know. She... didn't want you to know what your eyes meant." Yang took the flask at Qrows offer and drank more then what should have been in there before continuing. "She was my friend... like... like a sister to me really. It was funny, once her and dad got together she kept insisting I call her 'Mum'. When... when it happened... when..." Yang looked down and sighed, Blake held out her hand and Yang gave her the flask. Blake didn't drink, but spoke anyway.

"After the incident. When you and Summer moved in with us... It was different. You had both spent your whole lives in Patch, Vale was a big change... but that wasn't just it. She was giving everything to make sure you got better. Your injuries were healed and gone but... you still weren't ok... I still can't believe she managed to do it. She brought you back in a way... when you both showed up on our doorstep I barely recognised you... you acted so different but... she managed to make you you again." Qrow spoke next.

"Your mother poured her heart and soul into making you better... she did everything she could... she even managed to get you to be around Tai again without losing your mind... but... she was hurting more then we thought-" Blake had passed the flask to Tai by now... who was drinking more then Qrow usually did. "It was too much for her to handle... she did it, she made you happy again. She made you able to be around your father again... but it took everything from her to watch it and-" He stopped and took a deep shuddering breath, Ruby had put her hood over her head at this point, her glass nearly empty again. "It was too much..."

Summer hadn't died from any injury or disease. Overwork as Qrow had called it. When someone pushes themselves too hard for too long, they can eat away at there own soul. Usually there mana will repair the damage so long as they get a break but... Summer was human. She didn't have enough mana. Her breaks weren't long enough. She pushed herself to get her daughter back... and she had to pay a price for that.

One day, Rubys mother was here and then the next... she was just gone.

Tai was crying, he couldn't tell his part and no one blamed him... not even Ruby. She had forgiven him a long time ago, it wasn't his fault... it was an accident. She knew that. But he couldn't forgive himself.

"I... I'm... I'm s-sorry Ruby... I'm so... so sorry..." He was barely able to speak through the tears... Ruby had heard those words before... on that day.

How exciting! She had never seen something like this before!!

"You think this is cool Ruby?" She nodded her head wildly and Yang smirked. "Most girls your age wouldnt like stuff like this you know." Yang was referring to the vehicle she had recently picked up. The machine was... very strange to look at. It resembled a horse without the legs and one wheel on the front and back, apparently it used fire magic to propel itself... and Ruby loved it!! It was so cool!! How did it work?? Where were the runes?? How did the fire magic make the wheels spin??

She kept darting all over the place, looking at every part of it, trying to get a better understanding of it. Yang had painted it yellow and black and had named it 'Bumblebee' Ruby didn't get it, but it was still so cool!

"Yang aren't these things being discontinued?" Blake spoke up while watching them from a distance.

"Yeah? How do you think I got it for such a cheap price?" She smirked at her girlfriend and Ruby was trying to reach her hand into a pipe that came out the back.

A hand gently wrapped around her arm and pulled her back, turning her around, she was face to face with her mother.

"I don't think that's supposed to go in there young lady." Ruby giggled and Summer pat her head as Yang looked over.

"What makes you say that Summer?" The woman shrugged and winked at Blake and Yang.

"Call it a hunch? Also I told you to call me mum." Blake had to stop herself from laughing and Ruby giggled while Yang stammered for a minute. Summer decided to spare her with a soft smile. "How long are you both visiting for?"

"Just today, dad wanted me to stop by for some reason." Summer thought for a moment, then a knowing smile came over her face.

"Ah, I'll go get him." She turned to Ruby and poked her cheek. "Go get cleaned up Missy." Ruby pouted but did as she was told.

When she came back outside, Blake and Summer were standing by the door. Yang and Tai were a fair distance from the house, but they looked different. Yang had yellow fur that erupted into flames at there ends sprouting over different parts of her body, her eyes were half way between purple and red, and her fingers ended in claws.

Tai on the other hand, he looked mostly normal. He simply had a wolf tail and ears sprouting from his body. Ruby tilted her head at this, but the nine year old girl didn't question once they stayed moving again.

The sparing match was interesting, Yang was actually weaker then there father for once. This new form of Tai's was so cool! The battle ended in a resounding victory for him, and Yang was fairly frustrated by it.

"Dammit! We're totally going again when I get my mastery form!!"

"Haha! Took me five hundred years for this kiddo! You got a while to go yet!"

"You were a late bloomer!! I could get it by the time I turn fifty!!" Blake and Summer were laughing at the argument but Ruby was in awe... that all looked so cool!! She ran over now that the fight was over and Tai turned to her with a smile, he was sweating and it looked like his heart was still racing from the match.

"Dad! Can I be a Hellhound when I grow up??" She was so excited, Yang looked shocked and Blake and Summer had stopped laughing to share in the suprise. Tai looked overjoyed, his eyes filling with tears as he suddenly wrapped Ruby in a big hug, lifting her off the ground.

"Of course you-!" Ruby heard the crunch before she felt it.

It didn't hurt at first. She suddenly coughed up... know, more like threw up a large amount of blood and whatever happened to be in her stomach at the time onto her father. He had a look of pure horror in an instant, though he didn't seem upset about the mess that was on her face... then she started feeling it.

There wasn't any tears. It hurt too much for that. Rather she felt her counciousness start to slip immediatly. Her whole chest... it felt too small. It had been caved in. Her ribs squished from all sides until they shattered and her organs trapped in the middle.

Pain, it wasn't a word that Ruby had much experience with. This didn't feel like pain either... it was too much to be pain right? Pain wasn't this bad. Pain didn't... hurt... this much.

She barely heard the screams. They came from four sources, none of which were hers. All of the noise around her was so muffled and distant. Her eyelids were heavy and she wanted so much to close her eyes... she wanted to sleep.

If she slept... it would stop hurting right..?

She felt the ground beneath her... had she been put down? It wasn't better... rather... slightly less awful.

She had to sleep... it hurt so much... too much. She wanted it to end.

She barely registered the glow. Green light filled her vision completely, six sources, but she could barely tell. It was like the whole world around her had gone green. It still hurt, she wanted to sleep, even as she felt her body stitch itself back together.

As she felt the fragments of her bones dig themselves out of her destroyed organs and set back into place. As her organs returned themselves to normal instead of something more akin to blended fruit.

It hurt so much... but... finally... it hurt just less enough from before that she felt her mind slip and sleep take her. Beautiful, sweet sleep.

Where nothing could hurt.

By the time Ruby had regained conciousness, it was like it never happened. Her body was completely repaired, not even any scars remained. Yang and Tai had apparently both put themselves in the hospital from using too much mana trying to heal her, only Blake had stopped herself short of approaching death. But it had worked, frankly the hospital room had been wasted on her. She was fine... right?

The aftermath of an injury like that was always just as bad. They healed her body but nothing short of erasing her memory would help with her mind, and even that wouldn't fix everything.

She had forgiven her father a long time ago... but that event, it was probably the root of what had taken her mother away from her. They all knew that... Summer would still be here if not for that day.

Tai blamed himself... and on some level... Ruby blamed him a little too. She wasnt perfect. She knew it wasn't his fault.

Summer had chosen not to get help... she never asked for it, never tried to rest enough... She had no doubt felt what was happening to her as she used up her life-force. As her soul was eroded away to keep up with her determination and will.

If Tai could be blamed for taking Ruby's mother away, then maybe so could Summer... and none of that made sense to Ruby.

Ruby needed to say something... She needed to tell him that it wasn't his fault. She needed to make sure he knew. She needed to-

"Bah! This is all getting too real for me!"

"Qrow!!"

"What?? We're here for a party, no use bringing all this stuff up now..." He moved over and grabbed his flask off of Tai, the blonde man looked up and nodded.

"Yeah... sorry guys... I think I kinda ruined the mood." He laughed but it was seriously strained.

Ruby wasnt sure if she could've said something anyway... she wanted him to know it was ok but... It was a private conversation they needed to have. Talking about it in front of Qrow, Yang and Blake might just make Tai feel worse.

"So, Ruby. How you feeling now that you know you've got a fancy Affinity?" Qrow was smirking and Ruby sighed, he was doing his best to bring the mood back up. She summoned a small smile.

"It's pretty cool actually... and... I guess it's a bit of a confidence boost. Maybe I am actually getting all the right Phrases after all." Qrow laughed and Yang cracked a smile. This was better. It was a holiday, they should be enjoying themselves. "Though it does make me think that I don't know much about the different Affinites."

"Oh? What do you mean?" Blake tilted her head.

"Well I didn't know Silver was apparently special, and I've got no clue what Gold or Pink are supposed to be for."

"Gold is a special one like yours and- wait Pink? When did you see someone with Pink eyes?" Qrow stood up quickly and they all looked at him with confusion.

"Earlier at the festival? Well, she had one Pink eye. The other was brown-" Qrow immediately flexed his hand and a piece of parchment burned into existence. The colour drained from his face and a soft red light was shining on his face coming from something written on the parchment.

"Oh fu-" He was interrupted by the sounds of howling in the distance, and a deep blood red light filled the forest from the moon above them.

"Why are we running!?"

"There's someone dangerous back there!"

"There's lots of dangerous people back there!!"

"Then there's someone I need to kill back there Tai!!" The argument was difficult for Ruby to make out as they practically flew through the forest. Yang was carrying her and frankly that was pretty embarrassing, but she didn't comment on it. Yang and Blake were both worried about Sun and Celica.

Bursting back out of the tree line, the festival still seemed to be peaceful. The stalls were all still standing, the people still drinking and having fun, just now under the glow of the red moon. Plus the only thing that was on fire was the bonfire, so that was good.

Still they kept running, Ruby felt like she was gonna pass out thanks to how fast they were moving, she could definitely see the appeal to being able to move like this... but it was probably more fun when you were in control.

With a leap over the last row of stalls, Yang set Ruby down then her and Blake rushed to go find there kids. Tai hung back with Ruby while Qrow scanned the crowd, still tightly clutching the parchment from earlier. Ruby managed to get a look at it over his shoulder.

There were four names on it, one of which was glowing. Raven Branwen, Roman Torchwick, Cinder Fall, and the glowing one Neo. Just Neo? Ruby looked out at the crowd, trying to spot the girl from earlier. It was dense, trying to discern details wasn't the easiest thing in the world for human eyes in this situation.

"I could disperse the crowd-"

"No, if she knows I'm after her she might take a hostage."

"Who is this chick??"

"I have no idea, and that's what worries me." Qrow glanced around before pointing to Ruby. "You, get out of here-!"

"But i-"

"Tai! Get her out of here!" Tai nodded and moved over to Ruby, he didn't touch her, but the implication to move was clear. Ruby was unsure but... she didn't have a choice. She complied.

Qrow Branwen

Good. Ruby was safe, Tai was gone, and Yang and Blake should be back with the kids soon. Now for the annoying part.

Finding her.

He moved through the crowd slowly, making sure to get a good look at the face of everyone he passed.

"Why is Neo here..."

Was she here for Ruby? Did the king hire her? No... it was for another reason. Maybe she was here for Ruby, but his gut told him that Jacques had nothing to do with this. If he really did believe that Ruby would be the next Rose Dragon, he'd be more terrified then anything at the moment. He wouldn't act this soon... this was someone else.

The woman with Gold eyes immediately came to mind. Silver and Gold eyes together made up an Affinity for all magic, even summoning, which was an Affinity not granted by either eye on there own. If this woman was trying to get Ruby to join her... Well, Qrow couldn't see Ruby going along with that. But he'd still kill Cinder for trying.

This was getting ridiculous. The more he looked, the less certain he was that she was still here, or worse, that she wasn't killing people somewhere.

"Where is she??"

He didnt have to search much longer.

Time slowed as the blade swung from seemingly nowhere. He didn't see it, rather he just knew it was there. A large horizontal swing from a thin blade aimed straight for his throat. He stopped his movement and leaped back at just the right timing, and with a blink when he landed, his opponent stood before him.

She was in the form he had spotted her in at the warehouse. The only difference was that she was carrying a long blade attached to an umbrella handle, the rest of the umbrella... or rather the 'sheath' for the blade, was in her other hand before she slotted it back in place. She had a mundane expression on, like she was disappointed she hadn't ended it there and then. This was going to be a fight and they both knew it. Maybe not a fight neither of them wanted, but one they had to have.

He shot his hand into the air and snapped his fingers. The spell activated and the sound was elebated to the point that anyone within ten metres would have ringing ears, he had protecred himself however.

"Festivals over!! Everyone leave!!" With his other hand he drew an object from his lower back where it was stored. The long handle of a weapon that formed as he drew it. It formed a large knife shaped sword that was silver and grey in colour and looked like it should be wielded with two hands, he kept using just the one as he held it out in front of him and assumed a stance.

The crowd seemed to get the memo that a fight was about to take place. Many people looked ready to join in, but figuring out who to help was half the issue, so the crowd dispersed. Qrow noted Yang and Blake running as well, Yang saw them and was ready to jump in to help, but Blake pleaded with her and dragged her away... good.

"Sorry kiddo. But I have to take this seriously."

Yang was strong. Really strong. But he had no clue what Neo could do. She was short in stature and looked pretty frail all things considered... but... no one with a natural hybrid Affinity was weak. Especially not one that had such a strange weapon ready to go.

His pupils focused into the slits of a bird of prey, and feathers sprouted from his elbow leading up to his shoulder. He went straight for the mastery transformation. He didn't know what form she was in... but he was still saving more for later.

Hopefully just his Roc form would be enough.

Qrow weighed his options... how far should he go? The bonfire was till burning so he'd have to be careful with his magic. Qrow had Beserker eyes, same as a lot of his other family members, though his had inhabited his natural Affinity for wind magic which turned them Red, His Roc blood gave him an extra Affinity for wind, which added onto his natural magic made him incredibly naturally strong. There was also his Harbinger title. Death granted him an Affinity for anti-magic, and that would most likely be his most useful tool in this fight.

"Any big wind attacks i make are gonna spread that fire... I need to avoid collateral damage until I know the festival is complelty empty... and who knows how long that will take."

He also wanted to avoid using Deaths power for now. Being a Harbinger granted him an extra mana pool unique to each title. While it was an incredible boost of power that was larger then his own mana pool, he knew that the more he used it, the more he risked attracting Grimm. Luckily the anti-magic Affinity could be used with his own mana.

"As for her..."

He carefully studied her. She appeared calm, almost wistful and uncaring about the fight they were about to have. Like she had twenty things she would rather be doing. She was either an idiot or incredibly sure of herself.

The Brown eye was an Earth Affinity. He couldnt see her as the type to use that a lot... but the problem was the other eye.

Pink. Neither he or even Ozpin had ever heard of it before. It was an illusion. It had to be. But that would use a lot of mana overtime... she could have an Affinity for Illusions in that second eye...

He shook his head slowly. It didn't matter.

For now, he had one job, and he was gonna do it.

She readied her umbrella, it sounded odd in his head, but he knew it was a magic weapon. He could feel the magic coming from it. Too bad though, his own weapon was better.

He gripped the handle tighter and took a deep breath. She hadnt attacked yet so she was likely a more reactive combatant. She hadn't transformed yet either. Which meant she was either underestimating him, or

"Transformed already..." He snickered and pressed his back foot into the ground.

With an explosion of force he was carried straight to her, timed just for when she had blinked he was in her face the second she opened her eyes, swinging his weapon down with his full force in an overhead swing.

He had coated the blade in Anti-Magic, the hope was to end the fight in one swing. She raised her umbrella to block, and Qrow smirked as his blade was about to connect. He could perceive time much faster then he could move, giving him plenty of time to react to her movements and options.

She had made a mistake in trying to block, thanks to the colour of his eyes she probably hadn't even realised that he had anti-

Her eyes... one was pink... one was... white?

"What...?"

The blade connected with the umbrella and a loud ringing filled the clearing, instead of slicing right through it and cutting her in half his blade had stopped where it met the metal of her weapon. He paused in suprise but kept applying pressure... she had braced herself but hadn't moved... she was stronger then she looked.

She tilted her umbrella and let the blade slip to the side to the floor, with a blink her white eye returned to brown and she stepped around, bending and raising her leg, throwing him away as she hit him with a kick using her whole body.

He coughed as he rolled and stood. He was suprised more then anything. She had plenty of tricks... plenty more then he had first thought.

"She can use Anti-magic... but I'm guessing not at the same time as her Earth Affinity... she can switch her eyes out... how many more does she have? And why is Earth her default? Is this the power of the Pink eye? Is that why it hasn't switched... or is that just a trick to make me think she can only use one at a time?"

He had a much better understanding of her fighting style now. She wasn't reactive... she was a little trickster. He had to take this fully seriously... which meant he'd have to put a time limit on this fight.

He raised his hand up once more and a white light formed into it. It fired into the sky and Neo tilted her head, good... she didn't know what it meant.

It exploded at least a kilometre in the sky and briefly the festival was lit in a white light instead of the moons red.

"Looks like I'm letting you help after all Kiddo."

Ruby Rose

Ruby was nearly blinded, she had been looking towards the festival when the flare went off and yelled out in frustration as she blinked tears out of her eyes.

"Owww... what was that...?"

"Tai! Take Sun and Celica and lead everyone as far away as possible! Blake, we have to head back!" Yang issued the orders quickly and there father had stopped complaining once his daughter had called him by his first name. She was in Hunter mode?

"Y-Yang? What's going on??" Ruby complained, but Yang had already started running back to the festival with Blake.

"You don't know Aunt Ruby?" Sun commented as they continued into the forest. "That was a Hunter flare!"

"What? What does it mean?"

"All the colours mean different stuff! But the white one? That's the signal to Evacuate civ... civil... civilns!" He announced the word proudly at the end.

Ruby looked back towards the festival, the flare had died out by now and the sky was red once more.