Howdy folks, how's it going?
Hope ya'll have been keeping safe, as another month in a year that so far hasn't proven much better than the last has come and passed.
Anyway, here is another chapter to provide what little relief and enjoyment I can, and this one is a bit of a doozy. More info will be at the bottom.
As always, shout out to Chaos for his help.
And as always I own neither RWBY nor LoL. If I did, the travesties that were both Ironwood and Viego would've been avoided.
Anyway, enjoy.
/
It was early in the morning in Vale, and all around the city preparations were being made for the Vytal Festival. All in all, there was a good mood in the air, the promise of fun and novelties helping the people ignore the veil of tension and wariness that had befallen the city of late, the populace all too eager to dismiss and forget the recent strings of dust robberies and other odd occurrences. And it was to this festive mood that travelers from all over the world were gathering, like those in the ship that had just arrived at the docks, after a long journey from Mystral.
"Finally, Vale! I was starting to think we'd never get here." A passenger cheered, stretching out with a pleased hum as their feet finally touched solid ground. "Seriously, that took forever! Not to mention how we were barred from entering port for days, what's up with that?!"
"If you had been paying attention when we were informed, you'd have known that there was a White Fang raid gone wrong, and it took them that long to deal with the fallout before things could work smoothly again." One of her companions was quick to note. "Also, you do realize that our journey isn't over yet, right? We still need to get through the city and catch the transport ship."
"Boo, spoilsport." The first one groused. "Lighten up a little, will you? I mean, aren't you curious about the festival? Vale's a big city, should have a lot to explore and browse and snack, where's your sense of adventure?"
"It died an ugly death shortly after I met you." Was the vacuan dry reply.
"Oh ahah, we got a comedian over here. Maybe we should paint your face and have you perform as a clown for the festival and-"
"That is quite enough, you two." Another voice interjected into the argument, calm, collected, but with a weight of authority that had the squabbling duo flinching and turning to look at the speaker, who stood gazing inscrutably into the horizon. "There'll be ample time for exploration and making merry later. Now, we go to Beacon."
"Fine, whatever you say, Boss." The first speaker relented, before commenting ponderingly. "You're really excited to meet the competition, uh? I mean, that's fair, if there's even a smidgen of truth to all the rumors about the latest crop of Beacon students, they're gonna be real tough, just how you like them…"
"Oh, I know the competition well enough." Their leader replied, shocking those present as the usual sternness broke into an excited, eager grin. "And it is about time that we did some catching up…"
/
From another direction, by air rather than by sea, another ship approached the city, flying sedately well above the Emerald Forest, many of its passengers taking the opportunity to excitedly peer out the windows to glimpse at the academy in the distance with wonder and awe.
"Well, been a while since I last been, but I see it hasn't changed a bit. Still tacky as ever, the kid's taste is." One of said passengers commented from his seat to nobody in particular, with an amused shake of his head.
"Excuse me, sir." The air stewardess called to him, a pretty lass with that big smile they all train to give their costumers, which didn't really do much to hide the awkward uncertainty with which she stared at him. "We will be arriving in Vale shortly. Is there anything you need during this final stretch of the journey? Another snack, perhaps?"
"Sure thing, toots. You keep those peanuts coming."
With a nod, the lass turned to go see to his request, and well, if she took issue with how he watched her shapely rear as she went she really should take it up with the fellows that designed the company's uniform.
/
It was the day after the trip to the clinic, and the end of classes saw Ruby and Jaune sitting in the former's room. The red-cloaked girl had decided her friend deserved to know what had happened, an explanation she had just finished providing. The boy did not immediately reply, pacing around the room as he processed what he had been told.
"So, let me see if I got this right," Jaune eventually stated, sitting down. "You went to the clinic just for a medical exam, and along the way you ended up uncovering a horror movie scenario of an unexplainable spread of sleep-caused mania. Which turned out to be a consequence of the contrived coincidence of both medical research gone wrong and your own… freak-out at the docks, drawing the attention of a literal, actual freaking demon of nightmares, who recognized you and you recognized as your demon's former colleague in the League, and who you proceeded to drive away by teaching it the pecking order?"
"Yes…" Ruby mumbled in confirmation, accompanied by an affirmative squawk from Merle.
"…Well, damn." He ultimately replied with a sigh. "I mean, no offense, Ruby, but it seems like being a magnet for the weird is part of your abilities. Like, what were the odds of that?"
"None taken…" She replied, since she really wasn't offended, because it did seem kind of accurate.
"Are you sure this… Nocturne, won't be causing any more trouble? I mean, what's stopping him from coming back?" Jaune asked, clearly disturbed by the notion of what the demon represented. "I thought the Grimm were bad, but the ancient times must have been way more dangerous in their own way if something like that was lurking around…"
"Can't come back…" The red-cloaked girl replied, her expression shifting minutely in what for anyone else would be a pensive frown. "Diminished, somehow, needed particular circumstance, seemed… to hide."
And that was the simple truth of the matter. Ruby knew that, as she currently was, if she had faced the Eternal Nightmare as the vicious, relentless hunter it was in her memories, the fight wouldn't have been nearly so one-sided. What she fought however, for all the bluster, had been but a pale shadow of what once was, little more than a scavenger clinging to the last few scraps it could find while trying to remain unnoticed with as close to desperation as could be associated with such creatures. But still…
"Hide? What could possibly drive a demon into hiding…?" Jaune voiced the foreboding thought for her, before glancing her way. "Present company excluded, of course."
"Don't know… Didn't say. Mean about it." The girl replied, with an annoyed squawk from Merle, which drew an amused snort from Jaune.
"Only you to describe a demon literally made from the stuff of nightmares as "mean", Ruby." He stated, shaking his head with a bemused smile. "Still, I can't help but have this feeling that this is a new piece in a puzzle we still have too few of those to figure out yet… Fiddlesticks, and by proxy you, don't know what happened to make the world the way it is now, Penny's memory is too damaged to remember, this demon was too much of a dick to say anything, assuming whatever's up with that thing is related… Man, I really need to jot this down."
With that, the boy proceeded to grab his notebook and a pen, but before he could start, a thought seemed to occur.
"Say, Ruby, would you mind if we went over to Tukson's in a couple of days or so and told him about this? Maybe something in his vault will help shed some light on this new piece of information, and we'll not get another chance to check anytime soon."
"…Why?" Ruby asked, blinking owlishly at the sudden request.
"Well, you see…" Jaune started, hesitating briefly and glancing around as if watching for eavesdroppers. "The reason why I didn't make a big fuss about Blake's past is because Tukson was also once a part of the White Fang. I don't know the specifics, but I do know that he's deserted them and been trying to live on the down low ever since, and the last few times I've visited he's been… nervous. With the increased White Fang activity in Vale he's decided to head on over to Vacuo to avoid being noticed. I've been helping him pack up his stuff and everything, so I figured when it's time to say goodbye we can kill two birds with one stone."
"Uh…" The red-cloaked girl muttered, blinking again. "'Kay…"
"Super." Jaune said, and then promptly became dead to the world as he began furiously scribbling.
/
Far from the academy, in a nondescript building in a rundown part of Vale, one Cinder Fall brooded in her temporary quarters, her eyes like embers narrowed as she poured over the latest intel she required to ensure her plan flowed smoothly. Because while there were a lot of things in this world that soured the woman's mood, from the ruling elites thinking they had power they didn't earn and freedom they didn't deserve to do whatever they wanted, to the sheer arrogance and short-sightedness of the fools that necessity dictated she make use of, one thing that riled her up more than any other was a plan not coming together as intended.
Which, given the setbacks that had been befalling the operation she had painstakingly set up to deprive the city of as much dust as possible, all caused by the same meddling brats from Beacon, meant that her mood today was sour indeed.
She had just finished checking the latest changes to the schedules of the dust shipments still trying to reach the city and was about to get to the forged papers that would allow her and her subordinates to infiltrate the Academy, to look for what was rightfully hers, when suddenly her scroll wrung, which rankled her even further since she had not been expecting any such distraction, more so when the caller ID showed it was that prick Watts. She very seriously considered just ignoring it, but on the off chance that this was something serious…
"This had better be important." She said by way of greeting, her voice thick with contempt.
"Now, now, child." A voice that very much wasn't Watts' replied, a graceful, polite, even tone that made the words almost not come across as a warning. "Just what have I done to earn such animosity from you?"
Oh shit!
"My Queen," Cinder fought valiantly not to stammer as her mind raced, trying desperately to keep the sudden shock in check, and she damn near scrambled to kneel before realizing it'd be pointless. "My deepest apologies, I did not mean to be-"
"Oh, I am quite sure you did mean to be so cross, as I believe you were expecting dear Arthur rather than me." Salem, the immortal queen of the Grimm and Cinder's master, replied calmly. "I do so dislike to see my subordinates squabble with each other so, but alas, humans shall be human. I do not take offense."
"Thank you, my Queen," The ember-eyed woman stated, not quite keeping the relief off her tone, before very carefully inquiring. "If I may be so bold, why is it you have… called me?"
"I am not so isolated and old-fashioned as to not know how to operate the technology of modern times, child." Came the reply, that ever-steady tone just faintly giving the idea that she thought anyone who believed otherwise to be an idiot. "It just so happened that since Arthur was the one to give me your latest reports, his was the most readily available scroll to contact you."
"And why did you wish to contact me…?" Her subordinate probed further, at this point genuinely confused about all of this.
"Why? Oh my dear Cinder…" Salem replied genially. "Because as it just so happens, I too am rather cross with you."
"My Queen…?" Cinder all but squeaked, trying valiantly to stave off the sudden panic. One did not cross Salem without consequences… "What have I-?"
"You have been remiss in your reports, child, neglecting to specify just who it was exactly that waylaid you."
Gone was the calm professionalism, the cordial politeness. Her master now spoke with only cold anger in her voice, and it sent shivers up Cinder's spine…
"The girl?" She asked, thinking back on the little "red-cloaked freak" as Roman had put it, an assessment from the thief she for once agreed with. "What about her…?"
"What do you know about her?"
"Only what Lionheart was able to provide," Cinder said immediately, scrambling to pick out that particular file from the pile on the desk. "Her name is Ruby Rose, originally from Patch, she is currently a first year at Beacon, joining two years early at Ozpin's recommendation, Leader of one Team RWBY, alongside her sister, the Schnee Heiress, and-"
She proceeded to read out pretty every last bit of information on the meddler she had on her. All throughout, and long after she was done, her master kept silent, a silence that frayed at Cinder's nerves the longer it went on, giving her mind the time to conjure up all kinds of ways Salem could make her displeasure known…
…
…
…
"How did you manage to tame it, you old fool…?" The Queen of the Grimm eventually asked quietly, apparently to no one in particular.
"My Queen…?"
"You have new orders, Cinder." Salem commanded, in a tone that brooked no arguments. "That girl must be disposed of. And this will be your greatest priority, taking precedence over anything else. Am I clear?"
"Yes… I mean, yes of course, my queen, I will see it done. It will require some planning, but when me and my followers head into Beacon it shouldn't be-"
"At that is another thing. You're not going."
…
…
…
"I'm sorry…?"
"That girl has already felt your fear, child. No, don't even bother to deny it, I'm in no mood for pointless bravado." Her master stated before Cinder could say anything otherwise. "If you went to Beacon with her present, all you'd accomplish would be being recognized and captured, and you'd do me no good imprisoned. Send your minions alone, if you must, but you yourself are barred from Beacon while she is there."
"But my Queen, you promised-Aaaarrrggh!"
Her protest turned into a pained cry, as the burning sensation within her, her ever-present, hungering companion, suddenly increased ten-fold, pain stabbing at her from within as if something were crawling just beneath her skin…
"Do not test me on this, Cinder." Salem stated plainly, her tone chilling in its utter lack of emotion. "This girl, this thing, could ruin everything we have worked towards if left unchecked. Your ambition and lust for power are commendable, but compared to the threat she represents, they are meaningless. And I will warn you, just this once, if you try to prioritize anything other than her demise, I will know, and there will be consequences. She. must. be. dealt. with. Have I made myself clear?"
"Y-Yes, my Queen…" Cinder just barely managed to say, pushing through the pain with gritted teeth.
"Good."
And just like that, the pain stopped, leaving the ember-eyed woman to collapse back on her chair.
"I…" She tried to say, struggling to keep her breathing under control. "I will not fail you, my Queen."
"See that you do not, child."
And with that, the call ended as abruptly as it began, leaving Cinder alone to reel at the sudden turn of events that flipped all of her plans on their head, all the preparations that were now useless. All because of one girl. She once again picked up the file, taking a good, long look at the pale face, and the dual-colored eyes that stared back blankly…
The paper burned in her hands, spreading flickering shadows around the room.
/
The next day saw a change to the academy that did not go unnoticed by anyone.
"So, is it just me, or there's more people around than usual?" Jaune asked, looking around the main avenue where the student body stood, witnessing a steady influx of people arriving from the landing pads.
"Well, obviously." Weiss replied, clearly none too amused at his cluelessness. "The Vytal Festival's happening soon, Arc, so the student representatives from the other academies have arrived." No one missed the 'finally' muttered under her breath, but nobody acknowledged it either. "They'll be staying here in Beacon and partaking in our curriculum for the duration of the event."
"Oh right, the Festival. Yeah, that's a thing…" The boy replied disinterestedly, which seemed to only aggravate the heiress further if the twitch in her brow was any indication. "Remind me again, what's that about?"
…
…
Everyone present stared at him oddly, Ruby included.
"How can you not know about the festival, Jaune?!" Nora voiced what everyone was thinking, if more bombastically than would be preferred. "It's the biggest event on Remnant every two years, to celebrate the end of the Great War and promote unity among the kingdoms! It happens on a rotation system once in every kingdom, with the last one happening in Mystral, and there's always a tournament organized with three different brackets of 4vs4, 2vs2, and 1vs1 fights between student representatives of every academy which represents the ideal to always strive for excellence! Not to mention it's a great boon to the hosting kingdom's economy with the influx of tourists and a great way to share the cultural heritage of each one."
…
…
Now everyone present stared at her oddly.
"What?" The redhead demanded defensively. "I'm allowed to know things."
"I see…" Jaune eventually replied, as was ever the case deciding it was better to just roll with it as he rubbed at the back of his head. "I mean, I did know it was a thing, it's just that, I spent most of the last few years travelling around so I never really had the time or inclination to pay much attention to what was going on in the world. Heck, I didn't know Pyrrha was supposed to be famous either."
"And there's no problem with that." The redhead in question chipped in, perhaps a bit too quickly for those present that were quick on the uptake. "Still, what Nora said just about sums it up. We were told to be here today to welcome the newcomers, then the Headmaster is gonna be giving a speech later today."
"Fair enough." The boy nodded, before his expression suddenly grew pensive, and Ruby did not miss how his mood suddenly turned hesitant, nervous. "So, this tournament… It's televised, right?"
"Of course," His partner answered, and upon noticing his sudden uncomfortableness, placing a gentle, comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Jaune. Trust me, I know from experience that being watched by people all over the world can be nerve-wracking, but when you find yourself in the ring you'll see that's all that'll be on your mind."
"Well, there's that, but I was thinking-"
"Oi, Red." Another voice suddenly called out, taking the teams a moment to realize it hadn't really been any of them. "Hands off my man."
…
…
…
"Oh shit…" Jaune breathed out, his face pale and his eyes wide in alarm as he turned to the call's direction, the rest of the rather dumbstruck group taking a few more moments to process the statement and do the same.
Approaching the teams, was a girl, wearing the black uniform of Haven Academy, although she forewent the skirt in favor of pants and a large necklace of red beads as an accessory. Her skin was dark, her pale blonde hair framed her face not unlike a mane, and her olive eyes were locked onto the frozen boy much like a predator homing in on their prey. Behind her another three students stood, a short girl with green hair, a boy with pink hair and another that oddly enough looked somewhat like Ren, all of them looking as dumbstruck as the teams felt, probably meaning they also had not seen this coming.
Ruby tilted her head slightly as she considered the newcomer. There was something about her that felt… familiar.
"Well, well, well." The girl said with an amused smirk as she approached, moving with a confidence that almost seemed to demand that the world move out of her way. "Jaune Arc, speechless? Color me shocked."
"…Oh h-hey, Arslan, how's it going?!" Jaune stammered lamely as he snapped out of his shock, the pitch of his voice an octave higher than usual as he chuckled in a mix of nervousness and panic. "What are you doing here…?"
"Oh, surprised to see me, are we? To learn that I joined Haven Academy and came to be part of the festival, and that I just appeared with no prior warning?" Arslan replied cheerily as she approached, a cheer that felt rather menacing. "Because I can relate. Like when I found out that you ended up coming to Beacon. Or when I learned about the incident with the Ebonmaw. Or the thing at the docks that delayed our ship's arrival. Imagine my surprise then, Jaune. Imagine my surprise that you neglected to inform me or even keep in touch for the last few months."
By then, the girl was face to face with Jaune, who had gone very, very still, as if desperately hoping she wouldn't notice him…
…
…
…And then her arm lashed out, trapping him in a headlock.
"WHAT IN THE SEA GOD'S NAME WERE YOU THINKING, YOU KNUCKLEHEAD?!" She demanded angrily. "Do you have any idea how worried I was that you were in trouble and I wasn't there to help?! What do you have to say for yourself, Jaune Arc?!"
"I'm sorry!" The boy struggled to let out as the hold around his throat tightened, desperately tapping at her arm in a clear gesture of submission. "It never came up and… Arslan… need… breathe…"
"Never came up?!" The girl parroted, releasing him from the stranglehold only to grab the front of his vest and begin shaking rather violently. "And just how, pray tell, could it ever come up when I hadn't heard from you in months?! I only learned you were even alive from the news! I have a scroll, Jaune, why didn't you use it?!"
"Why didn't you call…?" Jaune pointed out without thinking, which got him shaken even more roughly for his troubles. "Sorrysorrysorry! Please, I promise I'll make it up to you, but please stop… I'm starting to feel sick…"
She obliged, holding the frazzled and slightly green looking boy still and considering him with an annoyed glare.
"…You're lucky you're cute." She eventually said, the anger melting from her expression as quickly as it came, to be replaced again with a genuine smile that felt rather… eager? "And as for the making it up to me, I can certainly think of a way to start…"
And then her lips crashed into his.
Ruby and Merle blinked together in perfect unison as they witnessed Jaune somehow both freeze up and go slack at the unexpected contact, then she took a moment to glance around at those present. Of Arslan's teammates, the boys were staring with their mouths open so wide their jaws threatened to unhinge, while the girl stared in awe, skipping in place rather giddily as she repeatedly mumbled 'Ohmygosh'.
Of their own teams, Yang, Blake and Ren where staring wide eyed, but overall composed, Weiss looked mortified, though if Ruby had to guess it was likely more because of how the sudden act clashed with all the "propriety" the heiress believed in, Nora looked a bit like Jaune does when he's about to take notes, and Pyrrha… Pyrrha was frozen in place, everything about the redhead, from the posture to the eyes, looking as brittle as shattered glass…
By then, the duo's lips parted, the boy looking like his mind was a thousand miles away, and while it was hard to notice given her skin tone, there was a slight flush to the girl's cheeks.
"Well, that was certainly worth the wait." She said breathlessly, with a wide grin.
"Eghgghfmmgll…?" Jaune mumbled intelligently in return, his mind failing to recover from the sudden breach of his personal space, only really steady on his feet because his vest was still in Arslan's grip.
"I'll take that as an agreement." The pale-blonde girl teased fondly.
"Hhheerrm, excuse me…?" Pyrrha, who seemed to finally find her voice, chimed in politely, her usual friendly smile looking rather stiff. "But who are you exactly…?"
Seemingly only now noticing her audience, the girl's gaze flitted across those present curiously, before turning back to Jaune with an expression of deadpan annoyance. "I see you neglected to mention me to your friends, Jaune."
"I whaaa…?" The blond asked, before smacking himself and shaking his head to snap himself back into focus, turning to his friends somewhat awkwardly. "Right, right, sorry, I guess some introductions are in order… Everyone, this is Arslan Altan. She's… an old friend I met back in Mystral-"
"Friend." Arslan snorted in amusement. "No need to be so shy, Jaune. You're my promised one, and I am yours."
Jaune winced hard at that as every stare in the vicinity once more fell on him.
"Arslan," He hissed out in a tone of awkward frustration. "You know damn well I was not aware of the implications…"
"And yet you didn't really say anything against them when you did find out." The girl retorted without skipping a beat, smirking victoriously when Jaune promptly gave up with a sigh. If Ruby had to guess, this seemed like a recurring argument…
Now, Ruby would be the first to admit, she was not the most sociably minded person on a good day, but even to her, it seemed blatantly obvious that her friend wasn't very comfortable with the topic. This seemed to her like the kind of situation where a friend tried to divert attention, right…?
"How know Jaune part of troubles…?" She inquired softly, earning her Arslan's attention. The red-cloaked girl couldn't help but tilt her head lightly as the other girl's gaze grew stern, almost as if she were being judged… "News didn't name…"
"…I see you keep interesting company, Jaune." She eventually replied before rolling her eyes. "To answer your question, it's because I happen to know this idiot is a magnet for trouble. There's no way those things could've happened without him in the middle of it, either because he wanted to help or just plain bad luck. It's just how it is."
"I resent that." Jaune deadpanned.
"Am I wrong, though?" Arslan retorted, and once again smirked victoriously when he pointedly didn't answer.
"I… am sorry for interrupting the moment, Arslan." The Ren look-alike suddenly ventured. "But I think we really need to join the others and get our stuff and lodgings settled."
Arslan blinked, then a quick glance around the avenue showed her that indeed, her team was the only one of the Haven contingent still present…
"Fine. I guess further introductions will have to wait until later…" She grumbled in annoyance, before apparently a thought seemed to occur that had her perking up again. "Say, there's another part of you making it up to me, Jaune. You can show us the way and show us around, come along now!"
With that, she proceeded to bodily lift the boy off the ground, and carry him off. Jaune, looking like a man who had resigned himself to his fate, didn't even bother to struggle, and the rest of the girl's team, after a few moments of shared uncertain, confused looks and awkward greetings, made to follow.
…
…
…
"Well," Ren of all people broke the flabbergasted silence. "That just happened."
"Man, that girl knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go for it." Nora commented, nodding sagely. "Gotta respect that."
Pyrrha let out an odd, wheezing sound.
/
All in all, the welcoming ceremony and the speech by the Headmaster made for a rather boring affair for Ruby. Or at least it would have, if she could have shaken off the feeling that she was being watched, which got even more confusing when she couldn't figure out by whom, since as far as she and even Merle could tell, all eyes in the amphitheater were on the Headmaster…
"Miss Rose."
So busy was she wondering about this feeling, that as the meeting ended and people started dispersing, it came as a bit of a surprise when Goodwitch came to address her.
"Yes…?"
"Your presence is requested at the Headmaster's office." The woman stated primly, although it did not escape the red-cloaked girl's notice that behind the usual stern and proper demeanour, the deputy headmistress looked severely annoyed, and also rather… frazzled?
"…Trouble?"
"No, you are not in any trouble, Miss Rose. The Headmaster merely wishes to have a word." Goodwitch replied, looking like she was struggling mightily with the urge to sigh wearily.
Ruby blinked at that, sharing a confused glance with each of her teammates, before nodding lightly.
"'Kay." She mumbled. "Catch girls later."
With that, the teacher turned, and the red-cloaked girl made to follow, the duo shortly catching up with the headmaster at the elevator leading up the Beacon tower.
"Ah, Miss Rose." The man greeted with a nod. "Thank you, Glynda, that will be all, you're free to go about your business for the time being."
"Gladly." Goodwitch replied with rather uncharacteristic relief and sarcasm, before nodding and taking her leave, while Ruby and Merle could not help but glance at each other in confusion for a moment.
"Now, Miss Rose, if you would." The headmaster requested politely, gesturing towards the door. Ruby entered, and the man followed. A press of a button later, they were ascending.
"Why call…?" Ruby inquired, more mildly curious than anything else.
"Patience, Miss Rose." The man requested, his usual polite yet stoic demeanour giving very little. "Explanations will be had shortly."
Nothing else was said on the way up, the girl content with the quiet. Shortly after, there was a ding, and the door opened to the massively spacious office of the headmaster, who stepped in first, with her trailing softly behind.
"Honestly, Miss Rose," Ozpin stated as he moved around the table to take his seat, giving the girl a long, contemplative stare. "Personally, I would've preferred to wait a while longer before addressing these topics with you, but alas, recent events have forced my hand, I believe."
"Yes…?" Ruby prompted, really not understanding where any of this was going…
"Yeesh. You really didn't tell her much, have ya, kiddo?"
"Sqrawk!"
…
…
…
It was a testament to how utterly unexpected that sudden interjection was that Ruby froze, Merle nearly falling off her shoulder and haphazardly managing to take to the air from the sheer surprise.
She turned around, and her eyes widened. Standing there, casually leaning on the wall, was a figure of a bygone era. Broad-shouldered, clad in the heavy layers of a hooded, purple robe, a face hidden behind a black mask, six points of glowing blue light almost seeming to pierce through her. The three-fingered hands and two-toed feet that would have marked him as something other than human hidden beneath bandage wrappings. And leaning on the wall by his side, a staff, one end glowing softly with caged flames…
"Jax…?" She whispered after a long, long moment, not quite able to tell whether this was something she was seeing right now, or another figment from the jumbled mess that were her memories…
And then Jax, Grandmaster at Arms, Champion of the League, spoke and removed all doubt.
"Yo. Long time no see, uh, Fiddle? Let me start this little shindig by asking the most important question: Why the fuck are you a girl?"
…
…
…
"…Seriously, Jax?" The Headmaster eventually broke the uncertain silence, staring at the ancient warrior with a perfect expression of deadpan exasperation. "Seriously?"
"Seriously! I am not joking here, I am having a huge amount of trouble wrapping my mind around the concept." The champion replied eloquently, gesturing wildly in the girl's direction. "Why in the name of all that is sane and good in this world would that damn thing choose to be some demented burlap monstrosity if this was an option instead?! Have you even looked at this girl? She's so bloody adorable I am feeling the desperate need to headbutt a few goliaths just to feel manly again!"
…
…
"… 'M not adorable." Ruby mumbled petulantly, Merle throwing a very deeply insulted glare at the man. "'M scary…"
"Aaaawwww, 'course you are, sweetie, 'course you are." Jax agreed rather gushingly to the girl's immense annoyance, before he suddenly straightened up and turned serious once more. "But for real though, what's with the design change, Fiddle?"
"Not. Him." The red-cloaked girl responded, her eyebrow twitching once. How many more times was she going to have to say it until people started getting the idea?!
"Now, now, I believe we are getting ahead of ourselves here." The headmaster interjected placatingly, heaving a long-suffering sigh at the unexpected turn the conversation was taking. "I would appreciate it if you two refrained from descending into a brawl that'd accomplish little more than thrashing my office. Jax, at this point you are literally the oldest man on the planet, act like it."
The grandmaster snorted amusedly at the words, far from cowed, but seemed to decide to humor the headmaster. "Whatever you say, kiddo."
"Now then," Ozpin gaze turned once more to Ruby. "I am certain that right now you must have plenty of questions, Miss Rose."
"Yes. How he here? Why?" The red-cloaked girl replied in her usual deadpan manner, although Merle hadn't stopped staring open-beaked at the masked warrior.
"Well, if you must know, I trekked from the heart of the Grimmlands all the way to Mantle, and from there took a ship." Jax answered casually, making Ruby blink once. "Honestly, hardest part was getting past those sodded airport security measures. Lovely young thing, the stewardess was though, really made up for it."
"Jax, please." Ozpin grumbled annoyedly, before once more addressing the waiting girl. "Well, Miss Rose, I suppose I will be blunt. As it should be plainly obvious by now, I am far more aware of the nature of your power than I have let on, and a lot more things besides. I know all about Runeterra, about Valoran, the Institute, the League and its champions. About the world as it used to be, when magic and creatures of what is currently considered myth and fiction once roamed the land."
The man paused at the reveal, seemingly gauging the girl for some sort of reaction, but she gave very little away, waiting expectantly.
"I also know about the true nature of your particular abilities, Miss Rose. Who they once belonged to. Like my old friend here, I must admit I was quite surprised to see them in you for the first time. It was such a… departure from what we knew of the demon nursery rhymes named Fiddlesticks."
"The robbery night…" The red-cloaked girl mumbled, only to tilt her head when the headmaster shook his.
"No, even before that." Ozpin admitted. "You may not be aware, Miss Rose, but your family was known to me, long before you were even born. Students here like yourself, and good friends besides. And moreover, I keep a close eye on the happenings in Patch, the location of the ruins that once were the Institute of War. I have known about you from the night when you gained this power, when you somehow breached the wards I myself put in them to ensure they'd remain hidden."
"Hold up," Jax suddenly interjected, finally leaving his spot by the wall to approach the headmaster's desk. "So you knew there was some kind of creepy possession deal going on for years now, and you didn't do nothin' about it? Yeeesh, kiddo, gotta say, that tendency of yours for keeping secrets is gonna get you in deep shit one of these days."
"I did do something, Jax, I monitored, I observed, I kept watch as Miss Rose here grew. And in so doing I realized she wasn't anything like the demon, and in no way a threat like it was." The headmaster replied calmly, before once more levelling a pondering look at the girl. "The one thing I could never quite piece together… was how this, whatever this is, happened. Would you be so kind, Miss Rose, as to explain the details, and assuage the concerns of two old men?"
For a long, long period, Ruby was silent, pondering the revelations of a past that apparently was far closer than it had first appeared, and a lot of the implications thereof…
…
…
"Was this… why you invited me… to Beacon…?" She asked with no judgement, gesturing softly towards the champion who seemed to be looking at her with mild confusion at the sudden shift in her manner of speech. "To keep me… where I could be… observed, and if needed… contained? He's here… to keep me in check."
"Yes. Or at least that was the original intention." Ozpin answered bluntly, honestly, but not unkindly. "Not the most agreeable thing I've ever done, I will admit, and for what is worth, I do apologize for any deception, Miss Rose, but if you share in the memories of the demon as I believe you do, I hope you will understand why I planned for such… contingencies."
Ruby found it mildly annoying that she was forced to concede that point. But with things being as they were, might as well do her part to smooth over any possible misinterpretations.
And so, for the first time in her life, she spoke, in detail, of the events that happened that night, and the odd series of unlikely encounters that irrevocably changed the life of the little girl she barely even recognized nowadays…
…
…
"So let me get this straight," Jax stated, when all was said and done. "All it ever took, all that we ever needed to get that damn scarecrow under control… was just to get a little kid to politely ask for its help? Like, seriously…? We had kids in the League. Annie and Nunu and Zoe, though that one was a weird case, granted-"
For some odd reason, Ruby found herself feeling a surge of irrational hatred at the mention of that last name, but she kept a lid on the muted emotions.
"-And each and everyone of them met the scarecrow out in the fields of justice on multiple occasions, so how come it never happened then?"
"I dunno…" She answered in all honesty, Merle shrugging on her shoulder.
"Equally as curious," Ozpin stated, with an expression of deep pondering. "Was the one that led you to the demon's prison. To think that the Wandering Caretaker would still be capable, much less willing, to take such action… A question answered, yet it raises so many others…"
"It does sound like the kind of cryptic, inscrutable crap that balloon would pull, I'll give you that much…" Jax concurred with a nod. "Seems like them celestial realm creeps ain't entirely down for the count yet."
"What's that mean…?" Ruby inquired with a tilt of her head, to which the two men seemed to share a long, unspoken conversation during the length of a single glance.
"Well, Miss Rose, I suppose it is only fair that we also share some information with you." The headmaster conceded. "Tell me, are you aware of the events that… well, that left things as they are?"
Did Fiddlesticks know, was what was actually being asked.
"No…"
"Would you care to take over for this one, old friend?" Ozpin inquired, turning to the grandmaster.
"Well, kid," Jax interjected, crossing his arms as he took over the explanation with a demeanour of contemplative reminiscence. "The long and short of it is, back in those days, there was tension rising all over Runeterra. Hostilities caused by Noxus' expansionistic tendencies, unrest with Demacia's persecution of mages, internecine conflict between Ionian factions, diplomatic relationships between Shurima and Ixtal falling flat because seriously, fuck Qiyana. Basically everywhere you went, there was bad shit popping up, and the League was trying its damn best to keep things from escalating, but they were stretched thinned, certainly not helped by how many of the champions were taking sides. It all came to a head when, amidst diplomatic talks with the Institute's higher ups that were finally gonna get Demacia to ease up on their bigoted views, that prick Sylas launched his rebellion and ruined it all. The League was forced to crackdown hard to prevent things from getting even worse, but the damage was done, Demacia and most of its champions withdrew from the League and denied any further support or interaction. The morons."
The champion heaved a long-suffering sigh at that, while in Ruby's mind flashes of the peoples and places mentioned seemed to echo.
"Then things got worse when that little princelet Viego suddenly decided to kick the creepy stalker routine up to eleven and launch a full-scale invasion on the whole world with his black mists just to find that gal whose hint he refused to take. Good news, it was the kind of threat pressing enough to force all the others to band together against the Shadow Isles, which we eventually did manage to stop for good. Bad news, it ended up being a long war of attrition with a death toll no one was quite able to accurately count, quite a few champions included. Worse yet, after that shit was finally done, instead of pushing for peace, morons in all the factions still had their heads too far up their own arses and tensions began all over again."
Now in the full swing of telling the story, Jax opened his arms wide, his tone thick with dry, sarcastic contempt.
"And wouldn't you know it, the cherry on top of this fuck up narrative, it was suddenly at that point in time that the Grimm popped up out of nowhere. It started slow at first, a sighting here and there, patrols failing to report, but by then most people were too beaten down and tired to care. By the time anyone realized how big a threat they actually were, they were popping up in mass quantities and razing vast swathes of the landscape. They were ruthless, they were many, and they were basically kicking us while we were down."
"How did… they come to be…?" Ruby suddenly interrupted, as this was the most pressing question at the forefront of her mind.
"Honestly? Fuck if I know." The grandmaster admitted sourly with a shrug. "All I remember was that me and Gragas had been out on a tavern crawl to celebrate a victory out on the fields of justice. Imagine my surprise to wake up to a hangover only to find those creeps attacking the town. And after that most everyone was too busy trying to fend them off to give it much thought."
Jax grew silent then. His heavily robbed and masked figure made it understandably hard to make out anything of the ancient man's mood, but to Ruby, more than anything, he looked as if just the act of remembering all of this left him tired.
"Yes, that is pretty much the events as they were from what Jax disclosed to me." Ozpin continued, taking the hint that the champion was in no mood to speak of it further. "Yet another long war, so soon after the last, had everyone at a disadvantage. Slowly and steadily, Runeterra was forced to give ground before the Grimm. City states fell, even the Institute itself collapsed. Eventually, those few left still able to fight were forced to… take drastic measures."
Then he too spoke no more, his gaze distant. Silence fell upon the room, clinging to it like a shroud. And Ruby, Ruby could only softly look between one man and the other, awaiting for the first that would find it in themselves to elaborate.
"What measures…?" She asked, when it became clear the quiet would not end otherwise.
"Things that would be best left unspoken." The headmaster stated softly, but with finality. "Make no mistake, Miss Rose, what happened then was a tragedy, and any victory that may have derived from it was pyrrhic at best. But regardless these are events of a past now very distant, and if we are to move forward, we must instead look to the future. If I am being frank, I let things stray too far from what I initially intended already."
Ruby tilted her head, considering the man with her ever-blank expression. A part of her was annoyed at being denied so blatantly. But something about the headmaster stopped her from pressing. He hid it well, with his politeness, his forwardness and his usual, casual demeanour, but deep beneath all that, for the first time since she had met the man, Ruby could feel it, that thing that should've always been there but only now seemed obvious.
The fear that Ozpin buried deep within himself, brought slightly closer to the surface by these recountings…
"All right…" She relented, and did not miss the relief in the man's expression.
"I appreciate your patience, Miss Rose." He thanked her sincerely. "Now, to actually answer the question you first asked regarding Jax. While initially he was my contingency in the case that you proved to be a threat, his presence here will now fill another purpose entirely."
Ruby blinked at that, not quite sure where this was going…
"You see, Miss Rose, Glynda has been complaining to me for a while about a situation that's been ongoing in her sparring matches. Of how the other students quite simply refuse to fight you…"
"Pussies…" Jax interjected with a disappointed shake of his head. "What kind of pansies have you been teaching here, Oz?"
"With that in mind," The headmaster continued while pointedly ignoring the jab. "I do believe that this will be the most practical solution."
"In other words, congratulations, lass." The grandmaster stated cheerily, approaching the girl and patting her on the head. "From now on, you and I, we are gonna be sparring buddies!"
…Ruby was not amused.
/
Welp, that happened.
So, a couple of things:
-If it wasn't obvious by now, I happen to quite like Arslan, she's a character I would really love see the show expand upon, and one whose appearances in fiction I find severely lacking, only being able to recall off the top of my head ONE good fic where she features in Tournament Arc. And I also tend to enjoy the occasional crack pairing, so, yeah, two birds with one stone. That said, this take on the character is NOT here just to be a love interest for Jaune, she also has her part to play in the story…
-We get, at last, the first glimpses at the sordid circumstances that led the world to its current state. I would like to just say here as a reminder, that this is obviously a very AU! Setting, and that goes for both the franchises involved in the making of this fic.
Next time, more reveals and developments as follow ups to the events of this one. But first comes the next update to Beneath a Broken Moon.
Cya all on the next one, take care and keep safe.