This chapter was fun to write. I hope you all enjoy it. It seems I'm not fully done including perspectives outside of Ruby yet but this is all from our main girl's perspective till the end of the chapter! Enjoy!
Ruby's eyes snapped awake. Her eyes darted around the tent. She was looking around. Her mom not anywhere to be seen. She grinned as she snuck over quietly to the other side where the snacks were kept. The ones she wasn't allowed to have often. She began to rummage through until she found her fabled chocolate chip cookies. She lifted one up to her mouth that was already salivating. Then she felt a hand grab her wrist.
"Drop it." The stern familiar voice of her mother.
"Moooom I was gonna only have one to help wake me up." She was giving a pouty expression.
"Don't lie to me. We both know you would've ate the whole jar." A smirk on her face. Ruby simply gave a smirk back before bursting into a cloud of petals across the tent. She then went for a bite of the cookie. Only to get a fist coming right at her causing her to stop and burst into another cloud of petals on the other end of the tent. Her mother still pressing at her with a spin kick that sent Ruby flying out of the tent and the cookie spinning in the air where she was kicked from. Raven catching it. A smirk on her mother's face.
Ruby was sent flying through the air crashing through wooden posts before hitting the ground skidding before she got up. A smile on her face. She will get that cookie today! She would find a way to beat her mom. "JUSTICE FOR THE COOKIE WILL BE SWIFT!" She shouted as she rushed her mom who gave her a teasing look. Onlookers already forming.
"Sheesh again?" "Even today of all days" "Man that girl never gives up on cookies."
"KICK HER ASS RAVEN!" Was one distinct voice that shouted out from the crowd. The Bitch Vernal. Ruby ignored it as she went in for a kick on her mother who blocked it.
"Come on Little Red. You can do better than that." Raven teased before she then blocked another kick. Ruby was getting an aggravated look on her face before she burst into a cloud of petals that went past her mom. Ruby grabbed her Bokken she made herself, made of red wood. "Oooh you really want it huh? And if I eat it first?"
"NEVER!" She shouted before another burst of petals went past her mom as she reformed and went to slam her wooden blade into her. Her mom blocked it with her vambrace then grabbed it before pulling Ruby hard. She fell forward and stumbled back into the tent Raven then walked forward and oddly enough hugged her. Ruby was caught off guard.
"Happy Birthday Little Red." She then let her go and Ruby looked up
Ruby pondered it for a moment. She was told her birthday around a year or two ago but had trouble remembering it. To her it was just another day. She watched her mother put the cookie on a table then grab something wrapped in a cloth that was about three feet long. "Today you turn six." Mother stated clearly to her.
"Oooh do I get cake?" Ruby asked cheerfully. Her mom just winced. As if she forgot something.
"If you do well today maybe. That also means I can start training you to fight with a real weapon. And also…" A smile appeared on her mother's face. Then she unwrapped a cloth of a sword still sheathed. "This is your first blade. It's called a Waka-
"A WAKAZASHI! OH MY GOD!" Ruby screamed with joy as she bolted up and hugged her mother. Then the hug was broken just as quickly as it formed as she grabbed the sword from her mom. She could swear she heard her mom chuckle but she was sure she misheard. She pulled the sword from its wooden sheathe. A bright blue light glowing from it as it was pulled out all the way. She was enamored immediately. She wanted to begin swinging it around but she didn't want to get scolded for misuse of her first weapon. "It's beautiful." Was all she could say before sheathing it back up. The glow vanished with it. She then bolted back over and hugged her mother. "Thank you thank you thank you!"
Ruby wouldn't be able to see it but a small smile formed on her mother's face. "It's called Moon Shard." Raven explained, Ruby nodded excitedly. The name of a weapon is important. It was what gave it life and a soul to the person who owned and made it. Ruby felt a pat on her back. "Get dressed Little Red. Time to start training with it." She stood up, breaking the hug from her. A smile on her face as she looked at her mom.
"Ye- Yes!" She exclaimed moving over to her dresser. The now six year old girl, eager to get started on being able to do more for the Tribe, hopefully soon.
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Boom
Shattering from the wooden practice dummy happened as she swung Moon Shard for the first time. A bright blue slash coming from it. Her eyes were wide. Ruby was in love. "THAT'S SO COOL!" She looked down at the blade and could see engravings on it in old Mistralian characters. Engraved on the Habaki was the shattered moon.
"Remember Little Red." Her mother spoke in a stern voice. "Dust blades aren't like other blades. They're made from pure dust crystals. They build up energy in three ways." Ruby looked at her mother listening intently so she could understand better. "The first way is sitting for too long. The longer it sits the more energy it will build up and then the first slash when released will make an arc of energy launch out. It takes days to build up that energy though. After a month is when it will be at its peak of energy build up." A nod came from the young girl. "The second way is from friction, from air or colliding with other blades. It's faster than just sitting around but it's still a slow build up but can still happen." Ruby looked down at the blade with a smile of excitement. "The last way is by charging your aura directly into the blade. The dust will take it and charge the blade. This is the fastest way but it will be weaker and take aura away from you. Only use it if you are sure it's necessary."
"Understood!" The six year old nodded her head. She looked at the blade again. It's cyan blade glimmering from the sunlight.
"So with that being said today is the day your serious sparring practice starts. We'll get to that later however." Raven spoke. "I want you to do your routine but with the added weight of the sword on your hip, get used to the weight because you will be wearing it often. At the end of every sprint practice attacks with it on the training dummies."
"Yes mother!" Ruby shouted as she began. She was gonna give it her all. She was so excited she could hardly hold her energy.
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An hour went by and Ruby slashed at the dummy of her last rep of sprints. The blade finally slashed through the wooden mannequin. A lot of panting coming from the birthday girl. A smile still persisted on her face. She was happy to finally have a weapon that she could call her own. A gift from her own mother no less.
"Ah, good you're done. I was worried you'd take longer" Her mother's face was cold, not showing emotion. A serious discussion was about to follow. "Sit. I need to teach you the true purpose of the Branwen tribe now that you have your own weapon." Raven gestured to the dirt ground. Ruby sat on the ground cross legged and then saw her mother do the same. "You already know that we're considered a bandit tribe. However, that is only a cover for our real purpose Little Red."
Ruby would nod her head. She knew that much. That the tribe was bandits. She didn't know that it was a cover for something else. "What's that mean mom?"
"It means we are only bandits by appearance. Really, what we do is hunt." Her mom's red eyes pierced into Ruby's own silver eyes. "Around eight years ago I found the tribe how it was when I left. Still bandits that raided villages of Mistral. So I challenged the old leader. A duel for leadership is one to the afterlife." She paused and Ruby took that all in. Understanding that this new purpose for the tribe was one that her mother made then.
"So… what do we hunt? Grimm?" Ruby asked knowing her mother used to be a huntress. Although her mother hated when she heard about them in the area. She watched Raven's eyes still before shutting then opening.
"No, we kill grimm if we come across them, however what we hunt are Rogue Huntsmen and Huntresses. Those that have turned against humanity. Grimm are a natural threat in the world that can never be fully ended." Raven explained. "While there will always be bad people in the world Ruby. There are those that just let Huntsmen get away with it because they are labeled as such."
Ruby thought about it for a moment. She wondered how and why a Huntsman would even go rogue and turn against their own kind. "So we hunt bad guys?"
"Yes and No. We do not hunt normal people that do wrong. That is not our job and duty as there are already people in place for that. We only hunt Huntsmen that have turned their backs against humanity and use their training to hurt and abuse normal people. We of the Branwen Tribe have the duty of being the Hunters of Huntsmen."
"The- These Huntsmen… what do they do?" Ruby asked, shaking anxiety building up in her.
Her mother's eyes closed a breath coming in then exhaling. "Some of these Rogues become serial killers finding joy in claiming the lives of the innocent. Others use their training to hunt and eat the flesh of humans, believing it will make them stronger." Raven's eyes lingered on Ruby. The young girl's body shaking went from being just from anxiety to now anger. "Some aren't as off in the deep end as that however. Petty crimes like stealing is as tame as it gets. Those we don't bother with. The worst is rape, murder, cannibalism, torture and experimenting. Using people like lab rats."
Ruby's fingers were digging into the dirt. "Their souls… are tainted. These heroes of Remnant… no longer…"
"I suppose so… if they were willing to stop being the thing they swore to protect." Raven answered. Ruby's teeth started grinding with anger.
"They- They're using their weapons… an extension of their souls... Their training… tainting it… and killing innocent…" Her fists were shaking. "Disgusting…"
Ruby was too caught up to notice her mother looking at her with a puzzled look. She wondered if Ruby was angry because of the weapons being disrespected and tainted or because of the Huntsmen going against their vows. Perhaps both?
"Indeed. Rogues are the worst of humanity." Raven said simply. "With that being said. You are at an age and training well enough that we need to start preparing you for your duties in the tribe." Ruby looked at her mother still shaking as she listened. "You will eventually help with cleansing these Rogues from Remnant. Until then you will be trained to fight them. As well as you will have another job inside the camp until you begin the hunt. If you have an idea on what you'd like to do in the camp you may suggest it otherwi-"
"Weaponsmith and Cleansing." Ruby interrupted knowing immediately what she wanted.
"Hmm interesting. What do you mean by Cleansing though?" Raven asked curiously with a raised eyebrow. Everyone knew Ruby loved weapons, she always asked for weapon magazines when the tribe went on raids and for comics. She probably had a four layer bookshelf's worth of books on weapons, parts, ammunition, and schematics alone.
"Erm well… weapons are an extension of our souls. So…" Her fingers fidgeted. "We cleanse Remnant of these Rogues… right?" She watched her mother nod. "... Well their souls and weapons are gonna be tainted and still linger in this world… So I want to take weapons and use them on these Hunts when I start going. To make them do one last good thing… to cleanse them."
Ruby felt like it was her duty to make sure these weapons would get proper care and treatment they deserved. She watched her mother as she closed her eyes. The red eyes being hidden. Her mother was quiet for a bit before finally her mouth opened. "You'll have to start training with many types of weapons then. Not just the sword. You understand that right? You'll not have much free time. I give you an hour of freedom outside of necessities like food, sleep, and bathing." Her mother spoke as Ruby Nodded. "You'll be busy in the blacksmithing area for at least eight hours a day. Training another five hours a day. That's thirteen hours gone with eight towards sleep if you're lucky. Two hours towards hygiene, chores, and eating. So you may get an hour of freedom if lucky."
Ruby listened. She was only six so it took her a moment to fully understand what her mother was explaining. Although she knew this is what she wanted to do. Weapons were important; they were the difference between life and death and should be treated with care. "I understand. Please mother. Let me take up this task and job."
Her mother was eying her. Seeing how true Ruby's words would ring true on the matter. She knew if she hesitated with any sort of response she would be told no. She couldn't allow that to happen.
"Very well then Ruby. You will start training for that job immediately. Blacksmithing tomorrow. Weapon's training today. Go and grab any practice weapon from the wall over there. I will be back in a moment." Raven instructed as they both stood up. Raven turned and left the sparring area. Ruby turned and walked over to the wall of fake weaponry. All made from wood.
She knew most of the weapons from her manuals and magazines. She had messed around with some in her spare time. She looked them all over.
There were traditional Mistral weapons that Ruby was familiar with but never used. Throwing stars, nunchucks, tonfa, sai, kama, and Naginata to name a few.
Vacuo weapons like the scimitar, Khopesh, and boomerang.
Vale weapons were like those out of fantasy of knights, stuff like the long sword, lance, glaive, mace, flail, scythe, warhammer, Zweihänder, and rapier.
Menagerie weapons, which were based off of animals mostly, stuff like claws and gauntlets, but there were a few things like segmented chain whips, chain sickles, Macuahuitl, and wooden staffs. The culture of Menagerie was similar to that of Mistral but a majority of the people there were Faunus compared to here which was mostly human. Ruby had seen the animal people before and they honestly aren't that different from humans. She didn't understand the hate between them, it seemed silly to her young mind. There were even some Faunus in the tribe.
Lastly the other weapons she saw on the wall were stuff like bows and crossbows of different kinds. All guns from Atlas were kept separate over in the gun range. Some older weapons that were from other countries were there as well but most of it was modern Atlas tech. Stuff she wasn't allowed to touch yet. She'd studied up on the parts that went into them but never seen them up close. How she longed to try shooting one.
She eyed the wall and finally found what caught her eye repeatedly. The Scythe. Her mother told her to grab something, she presumed it should be something other than a sword. The Scythe looked cool and she saw someone named Qrow in older magazines that used it in tournaments. It was super neat. She'd love to have her own one day. She then looked over the other weapons and saw the segmented chain whip from Menagerie. It seemed like a good idea to have even more range than a scythe.
She eyed over the weapons. They were beautiful even if they were only practice weapons. She then heard the sounds of footsteps behind her. Multiple footsteps approaching, which wouldn't be unusual but her mother usually tried to keep the sparring ring empty when it was her time to train.
Ruby turned around and saw her mother and three adult bandits and Vernal. She saw a smug look on Vernal's face. Her mother's eyes were inspecting the weapons that Ruby had picked out. "Interesting choices Little Red." Her eyes lingered on the scythe.
"They looked… interesting mother." Ruby responded as she eyed her fellow tribesmen that had been with her mother.
"We'll get to training with those then first. After this spar you're gonna have." Raven spoke with a smile. "Although if you want to try using one of those in the fight you can but they are gonna be using real weapons."
Ruby nodded understanding. She looked at the weapons and picked them up and put them off to the side. "I'll use Moon Shard for now." She then looked at the group. "Who am I sparring with?"
"All of them" Raven spoke with no hesitation.
"E- Eh?" Ruby was really confused. "So like one at a time?"
"No. All four will be fighting you at once Little Red. Huntsmen fight in groups of up to four, maybe more." Raven's words showed no sign of sarcasm or joke. Ruby looked at the four opponents she was about to fight. Two of them had their own katana, the third had a set of tonfa, and lastly was Vernal with her chakrams that's handles were guns. "Don't worry, for now Vernal won't use her guns."
Ruby wanted to argue but a sigh just came from her. She knew she had no chance in this spar that was about to happen. She just looked at her mother. "What should I try to do?"
"Hmmm let's just see how you do in the first match." Her mother smirked at her. "Let's just call it your birthday spankings the first round."
She was doomed.
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On the dirt is where she ended up every time. They probably fought ten matches in thirty minutes. Every time they'd be able to group up on her quickly. She found herself looking up at the sky before grumbling and then jumping to her feet. Her mother hadn't given her any advice yet. She had to find some way to handle fighting multiple opponents at once. Once two of them were on her the two others would back off and wait for her to try and escape before jumping in.
'I can't escape this fight since it's so close quarters.'
She looked at the four, none of them tired and Vernal looked ready to keep going with beating her up till the day went dark. "This is so unfair…" Ruby mumbled to herself as she readied Moon Shard once more. The blade's glimmer throughout the field.
"Little Red. Come here." Raven finally spoke. Ruby ran over to her as her mother crouched down. "What have you noticed in these fights?"
A sigh came from Ruby. "I- well…" She paused. " I can't escape if it's close combat like this. Two of them stay in the back while I fight the other two…" She looked at the four bandits as they stood off to the side talking. "Any time I try to focus on just one of the two the other is able to get an attack in before I can notice or think…" She felt frustrated from this whole ordeal. She wasn't sure if she would be able to do what her mother asked of her. "... It's unfair." Her face pouted as she said those last words as she closed her eyes trying to hold back her tears.
"Indeed but you're a member of the Branwen Tribe. Things will always be unfair. Do not let yourself be weak minded and give up just because it's tough." Her voice was stern. "Now, a bit of advice. Don't let them form a triangle with you. Make them form a line. Force them to fight you one on one. You have a semblance that lets you move quickly to where you need to be. Use it."
"And if more than two jump in?" Ruby asked.
"Then make them form in that line too."
She nodded and looked back at the four. Vernal, Sherry with the Tonfa, Dex and Eli with the katana. The only two with actual skill or were trying were Vernal and Sherry. Perhaps Dex and Eli were going easy on her? Either way she needed to take her mother's words to heart. She walked towards them and readied her blade and got into a stance.
"AGAIN!" She heard her mother shout and the fight began with Vernal rushing in immediately.
Ruby would clash her blade into the chakram in Vernal's right hand before bursting into petals to her left as Sherry came in just as quick. She saw Dex and Eli standing back not gonna let her get too much spacing. Really the fight was more of a Two on One because of their kindness to not just curb stomp her.
Sherry came in swinging the right then left after each block Ruby attempted with deflecting each as Vernal rounded around Sherry coming in on Ruby's right. Ruby burst into petals and got on the side of Sherry that didn't have Vernal on it. The girls lined up like Raven instructed before she Kicked Sherry into Vernal causing the two girls to fumble to the ground. One of the tonfa going flying. Ruby would grab it then put it in her waist sash. Disarming the girl partially. She then felt a blade connect to her back. She gasped before turning into more petals and bursting away seeing Dex standing there next to the two girls who had got up.
'Ok I'm starting to see what I can do. Use them against each other.'
A smirk appeared on the young girl's face as she saw Vernal shouting at Sherry for getting in her way. Ruby sheathed Moon Shard and started charging her aura into it. Dex and Eli were the first to notice while the two girls were still arguing. They pushed her quickly the two katana users pushing from her left and right. She burst through Eli who was on the right. The petals cut against his aura before she reformed. Dex caught on quickly and was swinging at her as she blocked his blade with her own. She back stepped and saw the two girls approaching as well. Vernal swung in immediately, not waiting for Dex to remove himself fully.
"She's MINE!"
Ruby had to back step again into petals. When she reformed she skid across the dirt, dust from it going in the air. As it settled she saw her opponents all staring her down. Four of them standing making a triangle with her being the focal point. She reset her footing then brought her sword back up steadily. None of them moving in yet. She needed to figure out a way to single someone out.
She looked at where her skid marks were in the dirt. She watched cautiously then an idea struck her. It was dirty fighting but she wasn't taught to fight with honor. She sheathed her sword and began pouring her aura into it. The four stood defensively. They knew they couldn't push when she was doing this. Otherwise they'd get hard light energy right at the forefront. So they stood squared off waiting. She charged it as much as she felt she needed. They had the advantage and they knew they could easily dodge this. That's if she was targeting them.
She pulled Moon Shard from the sheathe slowly. Its blade glowing vividly. She smiled at them before she then slashed towards the ground in front of them. The beam hits the dirt sending dust and dirt everywhere. A cloud to cover her movements. It was hard for her to see as well but the four opponents were coughing like crazy.
She bolted towards where Sherry could be heard and kicked her off her feat. Then did a quick few cuts onto her. She had to break their aura quickly. Which with a quick shatter it happened. Sherry was out. The dust cloud still in the air.
"UGH WHERE IS THAT BITCH!?" Vernal shouted through the cloud and that told Ruby all she needed to know where her opponent was exactly as she dashed into the dirt cloud. She turned into petals that cut through Vernal's aura. Then kicked her in the back before a downward slash from her sword connected into Vernal's back. "Oh you CUNT!"
A swing of Vernal's chakram came at her and Ruby parried it before the other could come at her another burst of petals through and around Vernal causing more damage to Vernal. Then she repeated that as Vernal tried to anticipate her movements. The dirt cloud settling back down as Ruby's blade connected once more with Vernal's back. Her aura shattering.
All that was left was Dex and Eli. Who had put their blades against her neck. She could use her semblance but her aura was too low to risk it. She had been fighting the past thirty minutes.
"Do you give?" Eli asked.
She just giggled. "I don't think I have much of a choice here…"
She couldn't make any sudden movements. Their blades weren't digging into her aura yet. They were only millimeters away from her flesh. She could feel her mother's eyes on her back. She couldn't give up in front of her. If this was real combat she would have to take risks to live. She could fight without an aura in a real life situation. It'd just be harder. She sighed before bursting the last time she could into a cloud of petals towards Dex then kicked his feet out from under him as she reformed. Her aura was shattered now but she could still fight. She stabbed her blade into the ground next to his head before ripping his katana from him and putting it to his throat.
"Do you give?" She asked with a smirk this time. She pressed the blade a bit closer to his neck making his aura crackle. Ruby looked at Eli.
"Sheeesh Raven. You made a little monster." Eli said taking his eyes off the hostage situation. "Alright alright, we yield." Stabbing his katana into the dirt. Ruby sighed with relief as she grabbed her Moon Shard wakizashi and then stood up.
"Thank you for the fight." She bowed to her opponents as she saw Sherry and Vernal coming to finally. She then looked to her mother who had a pleased look on her face.
"Tsk bitch…" Vernal scoffed bumping shoulders into Ruby as she left the combat arena. Sherry just walked over and jerked her tonfa out of Ruby's waist sash. Not even acknowledging her existence fully as she left following Vernal.
"Man. That last fight was a pain." Dex spoke, rubbing his neck. "Seriously for only turning six years old today… you're gonna be a monster when you're older." A grin on the older man's face. "You really pulled out all the stops to win that last fight. Still got a long way to go kiddo." He reached up and ruffled her hair and she just made a pouty face. Eli and Dex then walked off. Her eyes then went to her mother's.
"Good job Little Red. Wasn't perfect but it's only day one." Her mother actually had a smile on her face. "Now get cleaned up. Time to celebrate. You're only six once." Ruby nodded her head as her mother turned and walked away.
Ruby looked at her birthday sword. Moon Shard. She was so excited to finally have her own weapon. A gift from her mother too, something that was rare to happen. A smile spread on her face. She'd have to make sure to give it proper maintenance before bed.
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Ruby's eyes widened at the bonfire. Sure the tribe had bonfire's often but this one was massive and most of the tribe was there. Music filled the six year old's ears as she took it all in. A smile on her. Then she saw Dex approaching her with a wrapped box. "Happy birthday little monster."
Ruby grinned from ear to ear as she tore the box open and saw a three stringed instrument. A Shamisen. She was so excited to try and learn this over the years in her free time now. "THANK YOU!"
The rest of her birthday 'party' went off without a hitch. People teased the young Ruby for beating up Dex, Eli, Sherry and Vernal. The latter of the group shouted how they won multiple matches before that. Ruby couldn't help but smile at this. Then she heard her mother approach from behind her. The distinct footsteps.
"Little Red." Her mother wrapped her arms around Ruby and then opened her hands. Inside was a contact case in one hand. The other had a grimm mask similar to Raven's. It was in the shape of a beak. It was red with black highlights. "These are for you to wear when you go out on jobs in the future. You can't let yourself be found. I'll show you how to put the contacts in later."
A sigh came from her mother. "Also… I found someone to help train you with a scythe… He owes me a few favors so he'll do it even if he doesn't want to."
"This… has been the best day ever…" Ruby's eyes began to well up with tears as she turned and hugged her mother. She had just had the best birthday of her life. She got to pick what she wanted to do for the tribe. She got her own sword. She gets to practice with other various weapons and learn how to make them. She got cake! Sure she got beat up in the training ring earlier but outside of that? She finally felt like she was at home. A smile on Ruby's face, a goofy one, as she wiped the tears away.
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Hours passed and Ruby was asleep in the world wrapped in blankets on her cot. Raven looked down at the girl, a smile on the tribe leader's face as she looked at her daughter.
'She's not my daughter… I need to stop thinking like that'
A sigh came from her. She wanted to feel guilty for developing feelings of love towards Ruby; she wanted to feel wrong for all of this. She ditched Yang only to raise Summer's daughter. For fear she would be a bad mother. Now, she was doing a decent job with Ruby. It felt so wrong to think like that.
Raven closed her red eyes and then turned and walked away from Ruby's cot. She looked in the corner of the tent and saw one of the last item's she wanted to look at. Something about three feet long wrapped in a white cloth with a silver rose pinning it all together.
'Not yet… I'll wait till she's fifteen. She'll be able to understand more then'
Truth be told Ruby could already understand a lot. That scared Raven. She was already able to figure out tricks to beat four people at once. Even if it was only one out of eleven matches. She let her eyes fall upon her sleeping daughter's form as she stirred asleep. Then Raven stood up and grabbed her sword. She felt where Qrow was and was relieved he was in a bar in Vale. Then with a slash of her sword a portal opened.
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Stepping through to the other side and finding her brother drunk at the bar wasn't a surprise. She just sat down next to him as if it was natural. "Hello Brother."
Qrow's eyes just glanced at her. "Wow I really have drunk too much tonight. There is no way you're here right now." He smarted off and that caused her eyes to twitch.
"Typically you'd be right but I'm calling in one of my many favors you owe me." She shot him a look and she saw him wince.
"Alright who do I need to help you kill?" He asked begrudgingly.
"Ah no actually it's more the opposite in that." She chuckled.
"What do you mean?" Qrow's eyes squinted. "No I'm not helping you raise whatever baby you're having nope not happening. I already help Tai with Yang enough as it is. You know she has like five dogs now? They all fight with her. Craziest thing ever."
Raven winced at hearing about Yang. Then she breathed. "No… I'm not pregnant, you moron. I have a child that needs training with a scythe."
Qrow then had his eyes go wide looking at her. "No not happening. Can't believe you'd ask me that."
"You owe me a lot of favors brother."
"Consider them paid off for helping with raising Yang." He snapped back.
Raven was close to snapping back at Qrow but then sighed. "Alright then I'll offer something in return that you want. No nothing involving Ozpin however. Only personal information for you that you would like to have." She spoke hoping to garner his interest.
"What would that even be?" He asked curiously.
"Well first I want you to offer your word you'll help train my Little Bird if the information is sufficient enough." She smiled knowing she had him hooked now. "Ah for at least five years."
"Tsk… three years." He negotiated.
"Four or I won't even bother giving you the information." She spoke sternly and showed no signs of negotiating even further.
"Fine bah you could always be a bitch when you wanted to be. I'll train the brat for four years if the information is good." He finally agreed.
"The night Summer died. Tai received a letter from her. About Ruby. Ask Tai to see that letter and tell him I sent you. Then you'll understand." She stood up and turned walking away. "And if you tell Ozpin… I'll make your life hell and revoke the no kill policy on you from my tribe." She stated cleanly before opening a portal back to her camp as she heard Qrow shouting at her to explain further.
Author's Note:
Long ass chapter but a good one. I feel like this is probably one of my better chapters I've written.
Response to some reviews and concerns:
Ruby and her Silver Eyes - I saw some ideas and a lot of people think I should keep them. So I will be keeping them. I'm not gonna activate them any time soon and I really mean that. IF I use them at all. She'll have them but may not ever use them but it will still be pivotal. I won't delve deeper into that. Thanks for the ideas on how to balance them too.
Why I don't use Salem/Relics/Maidens/Ozpin as they are in Canon - The simple fact is that there are so many stories even outside of RWBY that are "end of the world our saviors will save us" type deal. In movies and shows. I honestly tire of that. I think it can be very boring to write and not relatable. Some of my favorite stories are the ones where a normal person gets powers and or the ability to help others and ends up with conflict with themselves and the enemies they make. I find keeping stories self contained to not be world shattering to be the best because they don't feel outside the viewer/reader's reach. Like they can put themselves in their shoes. It's why Spider-Man and X-Men work really well. I'm not saying grand saving the world stories can't/don't work. They do. But for me it's not stories I like to write and for RWBY I find the world more interesting when it's focus isn't on the large looming Grimm Mommy and deus ex machina items/powers. The only reason I'm keeping silver eyes is because of how I plan to portray it in the story.
Showing Ruby's reaction to being kidnapped - Tbh it's not something I felt I could write in a meaningful way other than 'Toddler cries a lot'. It's not something I felt I could tell and would add well to the story. Ultimately it won't matter as most people don't remember before they were five outside of very very traumatizing memories. From what I could read online no one really can remember things from when they're two. So ultimately Ruby being kidnapped won't matter in her eyes cause by the time she is 10 she won't even remember a time before she was 5 most likely. She'll just see Raven as her mother and you can already see that in how I'm writing her now.
Now it's time for the votes.
Who should join Ruby if a team forms for her?
No One - 0 votes
Blake - 1 vote
Velvet - 1 vote
Sienna - 0 vote
Illia - 1 vote
Although I have an idea in my head for who I want to do this now… I'm thinking I'll go with Velvet and Blake. I have plans on how to integrate them into the story. Would you guys be fine with that? Blake won't be joining Ruby till she's fourteen. Velvet when Ruby turns fifteen. I'll probably show their perspectives as much as I fear of this turning into a Team story but I feel like there is enough difference here to show what will make things different when it gets to that point.
The next chapter we'll have some Qrow training Ruby. Ruby does blacksmithing and then with chapter five there will be a time skip to when Ruby is ten.
I do have plans down the line to have this Ruby fight a canon RWBY team from the show. SSSN? JNPR? CRDL? Who knows. What I will say is that this Ruby is a lot more combat and ready at this age compared to Ruby at this age in canon. Training from three years old will do that. I mean just look at Gohan in DBZ.
I hope this story is enjoyable and I can't wait to write the next chapter.
Updates happen:
Team WMMN - Tuesday
Ruby The Cardinal - Thursdays
See you all soon! Enjoy and see you later!
~Cawme