Roses Can't See Chapter 4: Dangerous Path's, a rwby fanfic

RWBY: Roses Can't See

Chapter 4: Dangerous Paths

Weiss sat at her dresser, humming to relax her throat before giving off a disgruntled sigh. She couldn't tell why she was bothering to practice, not because she knew the lyrics of the song she wrote by heart, but because of the timing of all this. No one seemed to care about how Beacon fell six months ago, this gala event Father expected her to sing at for a bunch of rich snobs could have been time spent training and preparing to fight Grimm like the one's that decimated her school.

"Yeah right, all they want to do is flaunt wealth and status." She snickered as she eyed herself in the mirror with a smirk. Her smile soon faded as she remembered the small petit face of that silver eyed red head from Beacon. A girl that reminded her how she was once as snooty as these guests she was expected to sing to. She touched her cheek and still felt the burn from the dust explosion the dunce caused that day, but actually chuckled a bit as it brought her a sense of warmth in this cold room, despite now longing to see her again.

The thought made her glanced down in shame to see the many letters from her on the desk. Many had broken scribbles and messy handwriting to her initial confusion at the time she got them before a recent one a month ago had left her reeling in shock to find out the reason.

"Dear Weiss,

Sorry I haven't had good writing lately, Ren helped me write this one to make it easier for you to understand. I'm sorry I can't be with you in Atlas right now, I'm sure things are very heavy for you since we lost Beacon, since we lost Yang, since I lost…"

Weiss felt her stomach knot as she remembered the horror she felt when she covered her mouth with her hand and stared shocked at the words in that letter that day.

"My eyes." Ruby's letter had said. It was a bitter blow to Weiss to read that. She had seen Qrow Branwen carrying her limp body down the tower as the school was overrun with Grimm, but to her relief at the time he said she wasn't dead like she assumed and they managed to get out of their alive and in one piece…or at least she had thought they did. Her leader, her best friend was blind?! It was a terrible revelation that instantly made her swat the letter away and cry into her own arms as she laid her head on the desk.

"I'm a horrible partner." She cried quietly to herself.

Soon a knock came from her door, startling her to straighten up and frantically wipe off her eyeliner that had melted from her tears.

"Miss Schnee, their ready for you at the gala." Klein her fateful butler said through the door, weary of her privacy.

"Almost ready Klein, just putting on…finishing…. touches." she sniffled. Klein frowned as his brown eyes changed to blue. He wanted nothing more right now then to burst open this door and give the girl he felt was like his own daughter a comforting hug, but he not only respected her privacy he knew his place as a mere servant so unstained to his internal devastation.

"Y-Yes Miss Schnee, I'm certain you'll blow them away with your grace." He said in a somewhat forced professional and comforting tone.

Weiss smiled a bit as she quickly reapplying makeup to ensure she didn't embarrass herself, not for the snooty guests sake or her father's but for Klein's. Unlike her family, he always had faith in her and saw her potential. He was more of a father to her than her own. She just had to make him proud.

As she took a deep breath and slowly opened the door (revealing her Atlas attire rather than second design) Klein gave her a warm smile that melted her heart and made her give one herself despite the pressure she was under.

"You look real dapper my little snowflake." He couldn't help but utter despite his position. Weiss couldn't resist giving him a big hug and thanking him before quickly hurrying to the stage, careful not to ruin her makeup again.

"Ladies and Gentleman! Tonight we have a special performance from a special lady!" An announcer at the gala said, his voice making Weiss's heartbeat rapid with expectation and pressure. "Please direct your attention to the heiress of the SDC who is gracing us with both her presence and her lovely voice, Weiss Schnee!" he announced, followed by a chorus of claps that shook Weiss momentarily before collecting herself.

As the curtain's raised, Weiss merely stood silent for a moment to examine the crowd. They were all dressed in overly extravagant wears, the woman wearing oversized flowers on their hats, too much jewelry, and so much makeup she couldn't tell what was really their faces. The men all had black suits on that made them almost indistinguishable from each other, but what Weiss saw that made this more so was the air of ego that surrounded not just the men but the woman as well. She also saw one man smack a goat Faunus waiter for brining a wine he didn't like, spilling it all over the nice servant's suit. Weiss felt tempted to freeze that arrogant man before the bright lights placed on her face as the crowds focused on her reminded her of her place. She couldn't lose her cool here or there would be dire consequences, her cheek burning and trembling as she pondered this risk from bitter experiences. With a deep breath she forced a small smile and placed her hands on the microphone before her to sing a song that represented her thoughts on the man who truly made her feel this bitter.

(song link: watch?v=TiWF_vmJyiI)

"Mirror
Can you hear me?
Do I reach you?
Are you even listening?
Can I get through?

There's a part of me that's desperate for changes
Tired of being treated like a pawn
But there's a part of me that stares back
From inside the mirror
Part of me that's scared I might be wrong
That I can't be strong

I've been afraid
Never standing on my own
I let you be the keeper of my pride
Believed you when you told me
I was nothing on my own
Listen when I say
I swear it here today
I will not surrender
This life is mine!

Amazing how you conquered me
Chained me in servility…..
And made me see,
The world the way you told me to
But I was young, and didn't have a
Way to know the truth

Born to live your legacy
Existing just to fill your needs
A casualty of this so-called "family"
That you have turned into a travesty

But I don't intend to suffer any longer
Here's where your dominion falls apart
I'm shattering the mirror
That kept me split in pieces
That stood between my mind and my heart
This is where I'll start

I'm not your pet
Not another thing you own
I was not born guilty of your crimes
Your riches and your influence
Can't hold me anymore
I won't be possessed
Burdened by your royal test
I will not surrender
This life is mine!

Shame that it took so long
To rescue me
From the guilt you used
To tie me to your family tree

I guess your training failed
You're not in charge, I'm free
Your patriarchal prison won't hold me

Now this conversation's finally over
Mirror Mirror, now we're done
I've pulled myself together now
My mind and heart are one
Finally one!

As the music faded and her tone died down, Weiss paused to see the widen eyes of the guests with some having their mouths wide open in awe. They were so enthralled by her voice they failed to notice the meaning of those lyrics that criticized their culture and soon erupted into a loud chorus of cheers.

Weiss felt a strange mix of pride in herself for succeeding and dejection for the same reason. She had secretly hoped they would have been a bit more offended by her message then happy as she could barely stomach being around this culture much longer. She rubbed her arm awkwardly as she felt cold to the touch.

"God wouldn't I give up my own arm to get one more bear hug from Yang right now." She thought to herself with a frown.

Meanwhile…

Blake was eyeing the performance from her scroll on a small cruise ship heading to her home, the Menagerie. Despite a bit of irritation at the fee for watching the livestream from Atlas, Blake couldn't help but smile as she finally saw the face of one of her friends after so long…at a comfortable distance. She looked at her right arm that held the scroll longingly, still seeing that red blade that claimed her partners right before her.

"I'm sorry…I just can't be around you anymore." She quietly said to her scroll's image of Weiss. Fear had put a nasty chain on her heart these last 6 months she spent running and hiding from Grimm and the White Fang, desperate to draw them away from Remnant, from away her friends as much as she could. After all, it was her fault the attack on Beacon happened (in her opinion). Adam hated her; he wanted that chaos to torture her for leaving. She knew her team would hate her for abandoning them, hell she secretly hoped for it, but knew it was for the best, for their safety so that he wouldn't hunt them instead.

"I will destroy everything you love." Adam's venomous words echoed in her head as she trembled a bit, almost dropping her scroll into the ocean from a startling fright before it flew in the air as she felt a hand touch her shoulder's unexpectedly.

"So how was the show!?" Sun yelled.

"Oh geez!" Blake yelled as her body jolted and flung the scroll in the air, Blake soon felt Sun's shoes on her shoulders, the weight nearly dislocating them as he used her as a stepping-stone to jump in the air and grab it to her irritation.

"Ta-Da!" he yelled extravagantly.

Her annoyance grew as she let out a not so mild groan seeing his cocky smile once he landed and made a grandiose stance.

"Don't sneak up on me again and DON'T step on me again or it's you going overboard not my scroll!" she yelled at him calmly yet with an extremely cold and threatening tone that sent a chill down his spine as he gave an awkward smile.

"Sorry, no stepping or sneaking got it babe!" he said nervously.

"AND DON'T BE BABE!" She yelled with a blush on her face. Her patience was at its end with this monkey boy, she still couldn't believe he stowed away on the ship just to follow her home. With an annoyed groan she put her scroll he gave back to her in a pocket and sat down at a table. A bison Faunus waiter took her tea order only for both to be startled by Sun darting to the table and sitting across from her.

"And a cold club soda please!" he said quickly, Blake rolling her eyes in annoyance as the waiter complied before she could tell him to get lost. Sun however, couldn't find it in him to ignore her, not just because of her sheer beauty with those golden eyes, purple lipstick, and cute black cat ears no, he had to be by her because he knew his friend and love interest was hurting. However, he knew unless he pushed her buttons this girl, the reserved type, would keep everything bottled up and that wasn't healthy. He was going to have to be direct here, though he clenched his face cheeks to brace himself for a likely slap or punch to them for what he was about to ask.

"Why do you keep pushing other's away?" he asked, Blake's ears bending down sideways as her eyes widen before narrowing into a death glare at the Faunus boy, making him shake a bit, but he grasped the table and stood firm.

"It's just…you have a scroll, why don't you call your team if you miss them so much. Why aren't you trying to be with them?" he asked.

Blake stood silent, rubbing her hands softly as she pondered how to respond. She knew the real reason; she was a coward who was running from them to avoid hurting them. She could only run away, it was her semblance as well. Yet, she still couldn't bring herself to admit it, feeling Yang's pride had rubbed off on her a bit. Her silence was a bit confusing for Sun; honestly he expected a more violent reaction from her. She simply raised her head, giving him a stern yet solemn glare that drew his attention.

"Let me ask you something then. Have you ever associated a certain trait with someone you met?" she asked him back. He raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Trait?" he asked. Blake couldn't help but chuckle a bit at his confusion, it was very amusing to see this usually confidant geeky boy flustered.

"Sorry, I meant a quality of character you think someone has. Yang for instance is strength, and god did she have a lot." Blake said with a bite of admiration before frowning and rubbing her arm. Sun frowned as well as he understood why she was upset. He could swear he still smelled the scent of blood in the air when he saw Yang's bloody stump on her arm and Blake's bleeding stomach from Adam's dirty work. It honestly sent a wave of nausea to his gut as he felt ashamed to be even the same species as a monster like that man, whether he was monkey and Adam was bull they were both Faunus unfortunately.

"Weiss was…willpower, at least once I got to know her better beyond the Schnee name." she said nervously, almost ashamed of her past prejudices, something Sun picked up on, he knew then how to brighten her up.

"And look at her now, staying strong and entertaining the world with that lovely voice. You definitely had good taste in friends." He said with a positive tone, earning a shudder from her to his surprise.

"When I met Adam I thought so too." She said bitterly. Sun shut his mouth closed, fearful to say anything worse that could worsen her mood.

"At first I thought, he was Passion….then strength…but after time went on and he showed his true face, I realized neither of those were him. They were too positive." She bitterly said, remembering his passionate speeches, his extreme willpower in the face of racist businesses it was easy to be captivated by it at the young age she was when she joined.

"I realize now, his trait was spite. He doesn't really care about equality or peace he just wants revenge. He wants to hurt and kill regardless if a human was innocent or guilty, they were all guilty just because they were human." She said in a disgusted tone. She always pondered, even in the white fang, how human's and Faunus could be so different on the outside yet so similar on the inside…yet neither could actually make that distinction.

"He sounds like a real creep." Sun bluntly said before covering his mouth, worried he had said something bad again but all she did was nod to his relief.

"He is…he's nothing like Ruby." She said.

"Ruby? Is she a Faunus too?" he asked. He never saw any visible traits, but it wasn't too far-fetched considering Blake hid hers pretty well.

"No, but she really had a great heart like I thought Adam did. But she had none of the hatred he had. I get to know Ruby and think "wow this girl is the embodiment of purity" she never cared I was Faunus or ex-White Fang, she always accepted me." She said sweetly, fondly remembering the times they read books together, how she hugged her once getting her back at the docs, and the sweet smile on her face. It really warmed her heart, but a bitter thought changed that to an ache.

"You said…she lost her sight right?" She asked Sun for confirmation, having heard earlier about his visit to the Xiao-Long sisters a few months back to check on them. She was a bit relieved Yang was okay, even if a bit sullen in her self pity like her. But the news of Ruby, what she lost….she just had to confirm it was real again from him, fear filling her heart for how she'd react if she actually saw her leader and friend in that state.

Sun merely sighed and nodded his head in confirmation, making Blake squeak a little before crying. Ruby would never get to her or her sister again, she could never see the good in the world she always preached about, she could never really be a huntress if she couldn't see. This bitter reality shattered Blake's heart as she slumped her head on the table and covered it with her arms.

"It's all my fault. I couldn't help anyone on my team. Why should I go back to them when I can't do anything right for them!?" she cried.

Sun sat silently, rubbing her hand tenderly in support yet didn't say a word, he knew nothing now would help her except letting it all out.

Evil Lurks in the Shadows

As team RNJR walked towards a small town they saw in the distance, with Nora screaming with joy the prospect of getting a nice shower at an inn to their joint pleasure of imagination, Ruby held her scroll up as she walked with her cane, letting everyone hear Weiss's song clearly to further elevate the mood.

"Man, Weiss sure did always have a great singing voice." Jaune said, almost gushing over the sound of the heiress' voice after so long to Ruby's mild irritation. She formed a small frown before getting a fun idea in her head.

"Sure has a better one than vomit boy here, remember when he played that guitar and tried to serenade her with that goofy song?" She playfully asked her team as she tapped his shoulder mockingly to his embarrassment as Nora gave him a teasing smirk.

"Oh come on! Lay off me for that she was first crush for crying out loud. I wasn't used to being around pretty girls not my sisters!" he yelled in defense.

"Oh so were not pretty Jaune?" Ruby said while putting a finger to her red lip in a fake offended pout. If she weren't wearing a red scarf for a blindfold she'd seal the deal with puppy dog eyes.

Jaune groaned as he pushed the blind girl and Nora forward towards the town.

"Come on lets go get something to eat already I'm starving!" he yelled in annoyance over the two girls giggles, satisfied their teasing succeeded.

But as they approached the town, the three members of the former team JNPR stopped dead in their tracks. Ruby, despite not seeing what they were horrified by, could hear their heartbeats skip a bit and smell the ash and blood in the air, knowing something was wrong.

"Guys, what happened?" the blind girl asked her team who struggled to speak of the devastation before them.

The town was covered in smoke and piles of corpses before them. Most were men in their mid years lying down or with their backs pressed up against a wall. But all of them had been drenched in blood, some even having their stomach organs out to Nora's disgust as she covered her mouth with both hands.

"It's…all gone Ruby." Ren said horrified, earning a gasp of terror from the huntress. As they walked through the team, Ruby felt herself envisioning Beacon from that day. Even if she couldn't see, she could still smell and feel the loss of life around her. Just like when she was in the courtyard, just like when she lost Pyrrah and Penny. The thought made her scarf grow wet from tears as she paused to rub her aching eyes that sobbed. Jaune heard her crying and went to give her a hug before nodding to Ren and Nora to look for survivors in their homes.

A few minutes later yielded poor results, everyone they saw in the homes were dead, either by Grimm claws or to Ren's disturbance sword and gunshot wounds.

"It wasn't just Grimm that killed them, people did this too." He solemnly said as he and Nora regroup with Jaune and Ruby, the latter hiccupping as she struggled to regain herself.

"W-Why would people do this?" she asked, to the team it was an absurd notion for such a bright angel like her to think possible. She had always tried to see the good in others, it even inspired Jaune to grow stronger at Beacon, it inspired Ren and Nora to follow her. Yet Ren and Nora knew how cruel people could really be, how people would kick and scorn them when stealing bread on the streets as kids to survive after losing their parents. This dead town only served as a bitter reminder to them the tough reality of how cruel others could be. They even suspected Ruby really knew this and her question was one of desperation to preserve the innocence the loss of her eyes, their losses at Beacon had killed.

Suddenly they heard coughing in the distance and a ray of hope arose within them.

"Someone's alive!" Jaune yelled as he grasped Ruby's hand and they ran to the direction of the cough. It was on the other end of the town where they saw a huntsman man, probably mid 20's with that short stubby beard and young face on him laying on a stone gate near the edge. The team paused as they saw him clenching his charred stomach, his hand soaked in blood from shot to his gut.

He eyed the kids, silently wishing to himself they didn't see him in such a pathetic state. He wasn't setting a good example as bodyguard of this village. As Ren examined his wound, he clenched his teeth upon hearing the painful wince and seeing the damage on him. He shook his head to his team, he knew a fatal wound when he saw one.

"W-We were attacked by the Branwen bandits, they drew…Grimm here *painful wince* and then we…. couldn't hold the…. line." he painfully said before slowly closing his eyes as he drew his last regretful breath and Ruby heard his heartbeat fade to her horror.

As the team solemnly stood beside this brave hunter, now one of the many corpses in the ruined town around them, Jaune let out a yell of frustration as Ruby put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"DAMNIT! I'm so sick of losing everything!" he yelled. First Pyrrah, then Beacon, and now this whole town, all because they weren't fast enough to get here on time, just as he and Ruby couldn't get to Pyrrah on time. As they pondered these negative feelings, Ruby heard a faint whistle rip in the air as she instantly grabbed her walking cane and parried a barrage of knives aimed at Jaune's neck and back, to the teams shock. They soon drew their weapon's as they eyed the direction that surprise attack came from. They began hearing a cackling laugh from atop a roof to see, or hear in Ruby's case, a cackling scorpion Faunus, eyes narrow and mad like his eerie smile.

"A Faunus? Is he one of the bandits?" Nora asked her team. Ruby clenched her scythe's handle firmly at this notion, almost desperate to slice a head off.

"Why did you attack us or the village? Are you White Fang?!" Ruby yelled at the man who simply laughed more to his irritation as he jumped to the ground before them.

"Oh sweetie, I'm not into the whole preachy fake justice those losers spout. I just want to kill. I'm just disappointed this town already croaked before I could have any fun." He cackled.

RNGR gave bitter death glares to the Faunus for that comment. He enjoyed death and ruination? They definitely wanted to give him a taste of that now simply to teach him a lesson in morals. As Ruby slowly approached him, scythe laying on her shoulders ready for a twirl and a brawl, he cackled once more, giving his position away to her as they stared each other down.

"Glad to see the little rose hasn't wilted after losing her eyes." he laughed, snickering at her disability to her teams anger.

Ruby merely stood firm as she paused her approach towards him.

"I'm going to kill you." She coldly said, sending a chill through the area from her death threat that passed over the scorpion man's head as he put two axe's on his arms, clashing them together as she flipped Crescent Rose forward, colliding the three blades as a clang ripped through the air like lightning.

"Go ahead and try you little bitch." He eerily said while licking his lips perversely.