AN: Well...this took longer than I expected. Sorry about that, everyone. Truth be told, I was on something of a sabbatical these past couple of months. I had been working late into the night for half of Summer getting something ready. And now that I'm posting here again, I can make the announcement.
After three years of work, I have published my second book online at Amazon: Age of Heroes: The Capital's Secret, by Nicholas Drew. So if you enjoy my work here, check out my original content on Amazon. In fact, check out the book before it, as this is a series now. Check out Age of Heroes: The Hero and the Disciple if you haven't already, and then after you enjoy that, check out The Capital's Secret as well!
Now that my shameless plug is out of the way, we return to the Thimble Arc. Enjoy, everyone!
Chapter 66: Thimble
Thimble was a lot like the town near the Xiao Long-Rose household. The key difference, however, was that Thimble was more of a tourist trap. It was designed to look quaint and cute. The kind of place where if a family of four was driving through, they would look out the window, say 'how cute' and then stop for a while to see all the cute little shops and hiking trails. Besides the beaches of Patch Island, Thimble was probably one of the nicest tourist traps on the whole island. With a nice cabin in the woods, Ruby Rose and her family were well on their way to enjoying a nice family vacation. It was nighttime by the time they arrived at the rented cabin.
"So cool!" Ruby squealed in delight, forgetting her stresses just like Taiyang hoped.
"I mean, it's no beach." Yang lamented, trying to hide that she actually was quite impressed. "But, I guess I can learn to like this place.
Taiyang laughed as he opened up the cabin door. "Just forget the beach for a while, Yang." He chided his oldest daughter as he went to open the back of the family car. "There's a perfectly good lake in the forest we can all swim in. Now, let's unload the car and get everything inside."
The trunk popped open, revealing luggage galore. Ruby gasped and sped past Taiyang and began unloading her stuff on her own.
"Ruby?" Taiyang sputtered, completely bewildered by her behavior.
"Just getting my stuff myself cuz I'm a grown girl who can do this herself!" Ruby shouted in a motor-mouth manner as she ran in and out of the cabin with her stuff.
Taiyang was visibly perplexed by Ruby's change in attitude.
"Okay…admittedly, I'm impressed she was able to move everything within her Semblance…still super confused why she's acting like that though." He said.
"Meh, Ruby's weird." Yang shrugged. "So, do we have an itinerary for tomorrow, or are we just going to wing it?"
"I was thinking we'd just go into town tomorrow and get the lay of the land." Taiyang replied. "I did some research on the DustNet, and there are some fantastic shops in Thimble. There are also some great cafes and restaurants as well."
"I guess that's a good start." Yang replied. "We've got a couple weeks to enjoy everything this town has to offer, along with the hiking trails, the lake, etcetera."
With that, Yang and Taiyang unloaded their portion of the car. Zwei had already run inside after Ruby. As they got all their luggage out, Taiyang decided to bring his concerns about Ruby to Yang's attention.
"Hey, Yang, how was Ruby towards the end of the school year?" He asked, making Yang go briefly stiff.
"I mean, mostly she's been the same as always." Yang replied. "However, she's definitely been pushing herself more than usual. I think learning about all that stuff involving Salem spooked her. I mean, I'd love to say it just gave her a kick in the pants to work even harder, but I think she now takes failures a lot more personally these days."
"Is that so?" Taiyang muttered in concern.
Yang paused for a brief moment. When she thought back on the whole matter involving Ruby, she could not help but also point to Hansel's hiring as the start of her behavior. She knew it was unfair to lay the whole blame on him though. At the end of the day, it was the existence of Salem and the pressure that came with the possibility of fighting someone like her was what stressed Ruby.
"Teach…er, Professor Kobalt, has been quite the motivator to get stronger for Ruby too." Yang admitted.
"Teach, huh?" Taiyang raised a curious eyebrow at Yang's nickname for Hansel.
"I don't want to say his influence has been harmful, but I think Ruby is also pushing herself as hard as she is because he constantly seems like he's one step in front of us." Yang explained.
"Ruby's well aware how tough Qrow is." Taiyang pointed out. "He was her first real teacher, after all. So, what makes Hansel Kobalt different from Qrow."
"It's kind of tough to explain, Dad." Yang admitted with a sigh, hefting a few pieces of luggage onto her shoulder. "Maybe it's because Teach is so close to us in age but so far ahead of us. Maybe it's because he's pushing us harder than any teacher in school. Maybe it's because we've gotten to know him as a person. I honestly don't know. But there's something about Teach that makes you want to chase him."
"In a way, it's similar to Ruby, but different." Yang added. "Ruby's got that special something that makes you want to follow her as a leader. It's kinda similar. Who knows? Maybe it's that weird connection that has turned Teach into Ruby's goal and rival. Like I said, it's tough to explain. All I know is, as far as Ruby is concerned, to become the Huntress she wants to be, somewhere along the way, she decided the best way to do that is to become every bit as strong as Teach. Whether that's going to be a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen."
"Still, I can't deny it's had an effect on everyone in class." Yang admitted. "The class bullies actually work hard now. A few of the nervous ones are way more motivated. Blake and Weiss operate with a clearer head. Things changed after Vytal. A lot has changed for the worse, considering what a lot of us now know about the world. But plenty changed for good too."
"You're really going out of your way to defend 'Teach', huh?" Taiyang teased, unable to resist smiling in spite of the situation.
"I hated his guts when we first came to Beacon." Yang admitted as the two made their way to the cabin door. "Now though…I don't think I could hate him if I tried, not with how many times the guy has bled for us and the rest of the class. Besides, he gets enough hate from the rest of the world. I don't want to add to it. I know Ruby's going through a tough time right now, and I know part of it is because Teach is influencing her. But I don't think he means to, and it's more Salem's fault than his anyway."
"Well, I'll admit this trip is partly to make Ruby forget all that stress." Taiyang then nudged his oldest daughter. "But, I will say, all things considered, I'm proud of the both of you. I must've done something right to raise good girls such as yourselves."
"And don't you forget it." Yang teased. "Mom might come back to hurt you otherwise."
Yang walked away from Taiyang. Taiyang winced slightly at Yang's joke about Raven. It would probably take a natural disaster for Raven Branwen to return to Patch Island, and by extension, Yang.
"Don't think about that, Tai." Taiyang told himself. "Raven made her choice, she has to live with it. And if Raven hadn't left, Ruby would never have been born. Just focus on having fun here at Thimble."
Zwei leapt out of the car, barking at Taiyang. Taiyang smiled at the corgi. He knelt down and rubbed the ears of the adorable black dog.
"That's right, boy, we're not going to let anything bring us down over these next two weeks." He vowed. "The four of us are going to have the time of our lives."
Meanwhile, inside the cabin, Yang quickly found her room for the night. She was then startled when Ruby suddenly bounded out of the room next to her. The blonde brawler almost jumped into the air in fright.
"Sheesh, Rubes!" Yang exclaimed. "What's up with you?"
"Uh, nothing!" Ruby quickly exclaimed. "Just…unpacking quickly cuz I just can't wait to get this vacay started!"
Yang frowned. "Ruby, it's nighttime, we're not technically getting this vacation started until tomorrow."
Ruby laughed nervously. "Well, come on, can you blame me for being excited? We haven't had a family vacation in years."
Yang rubbed the back of her head, still visibly put off by the way Ruby was looking. She was hiding something, but Yang could not figure out what. Besides, what could possibly be hiding that could make her so nervous?
Blake couldn't have lent her a few of those smutty books before she left, right? Yang wondered to herself. She was unable to resist the perverse grin that adorned her face. I guess, considering her…awakening regarding Teach, that wouldn't be too out of left field. And that would explain why she's so nervous about the whole thing.
The more Yang thought about it, the more she became convinced that was exactly why Ruby was being dodgy. She then patted Ruby on the shoulder. Ruby dropped her nervous expression in favor of a confused one. Why was Yang patting her on the shoulder with that stupid grin on her face?
"Whatever you say, Ruby." Yang told her with a wink. "You just try not to make too much of a mess in there, okay?"
Ruby was now very confused. Why would Yang think she would make a mess? She takes good care of her room, minus the comics in the corner. Why would this be any different? Baffled, she vocalized this fact.
"I've already got all my luggage organized." She pointed out. "There's no way that room is going to get messy."
"Sure, Ruby, sure." Yang gave Ruby a thumbs up and went into her room.
"Seriously, what is she talking about?" Ruby wondered before returning to her room.
Ruby smiled at the large pack next to her bed. "Just in case." She muttered to herself.
She then shook her head. Hopefully I don't need to whip it out at any point though. I'm here to have fun, we all are.
With that, Ruby got ready for bed. Before falling asleep, Zwei would somehow get in her room and leap into her lap. The two drifted into slumber together.
Meanwhile, at Beacon Academy the next morning, Hansel Kobalt was called into a meeting with Professor Ozpin. He had been released from the hospital, having fully recovered, and returned to the academy to be informed that all the students had gone home for their break. Now, he was being asked to speak with Ozpin.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" Hansel asked, entering Ozpin's office and standing at attention.
"Yes I did, Hansel." Ozpin nodded.
Hansel found himself gazing at Ozpin's desk. He noticed a tea set that he knew Ozpin did not have before. In fact, he knew Ozpin preferred cocoa over tea. So why tea?
"How are you feeling?" Ozpin asked.
"Sir?" Hansel was taken aback by this question.
"We've both been busy these past couple days. I apologize for that." Ozpin told him. "Between making arrangements for Ann's family, speaking with the local law enforcement and Huntsmen about the enemy's escape, and working on arrangements for the next school year, I've been busy."
"You have nothing to apologize for, sir." Hansel promised.
"But the fact is, you've been through a lot, and I could've spoken with you sooner." Ozpin said sadly as he looked at the tea set. "You would think by now, I would always prioritize the people around me, knowing how easily life can end the next day."
"We both have our duties, sir. I've no reason to hold a grudge against you of all people" Hansel promised.
"Are you alright?" Ozpin asked. "Glynda was a bit silent on the details of your fight with Hazel, or the aftermath."
"I'm fine, sir." Hansel promised him. "I'm ready to get back to work while the students and I are all on break."
Ozpin inhaled sharply. "That is…what I wanted to discuss with you, Hansel." He admitted.
Hansel was confused. "Sir?"
Ozpin then gave Hansel a completely serious expression. "Hansel, I read the report on your fight with Hazel, and I wish to be completely honest with you."
Hansel was not prepared for what Ozpin said next.
"Hansel, this is an order. I want you to take a break from your duties as a Huntsman." Ozpin told him.
Meanwhile, back at Thimble, Ruby woke from her slumber, ready to greet the day. After dressing and taking Zwei out to relieve himself, she was greeted by her dad, whose hair was wet.
"Morning, Dad!" Ruby said chipperly.
"Morning sweetie." Tai said, smiling at how already Ruby seemed more relaxed. It made him more confident this vacation was exactly what his family needed after everything that has happened recently. "If you hurry, you can get the shower before Yang. You know how hard it is to get her up when she's in dreamland, but you also know how long she takes in the shower…and getting ready in general.
"This place has a shower?" Ruby was surprised.
"Just because we're in a cabin out in the woods, doesn't mean this place doesn't have modern-day amenities, kiddo." Tai smirked. "And, to this place's credit, the shower's actually pretty nice."
"Sweet! So, shower first, then breakfast, then we're heading into town?" Ruby wanted to confirm.
Tai nodded. Ruby sped towards the shower, leaving behind a trail of rose petals. By the time Ruby was out of the shower, she saw her dad enjoying coffee on the couch with Zwei on his lap. Yang came lumbering out in her nightwear, yawning with messed up hair.
"Morning," She yawned.
"Shower's ready for you, Yang." Ruby told her.
"Sweet." Yang gave Tai a quick wave before walking past Ruby.
"Don't take too long, Yang." Tai called out to her. "We do have things to do while we're on this trip, you know."
"Yeah, yeah!" Yang casually waved off her dad as she disappeared to shower.
Tai then turned back to Ruby. "So, I was checking out some of the other stuff here in this cabin, and I found an entire bookshelf worth of boardgames."
"Board games?" Ruby was surprised.
"Yes, sweetie, in ye olden days, kids had fun with games on boards and not on screens." Tai teased.
"Ugh, you are so mean," Ruby stuck out her tongue, "I know what board games are. I just can't believe you're suggesting them."
"You used to love board games when you were a little girl, you know. Or are you just going to conveniently forget about Sugarland?" Tai said to her. "You've got no problem playing those overly complicated card games with Yang and your friends, give a nice and simple board game a shot. I guarantee you it's more fun than just hypnotizing yourself with your scroll screen."
"Ugh," Ruby pouted, "every once in a while, I'm reminded how much older you are than me."
With that, Ruby disappeared back into her room. She then emerged moments later with what appeared to be a massive duffle bag. Tai was baffled by the sight of it.
"Ruby, what in the world is that thing?" He asked.
Ruby had an expression Tai could not read. "A duffle bag." She replied.
"I realize that, but why do you have that?" Tai gave her a deadpan expression.
"Souvenirs." Ruby said stiffly.
"Ruby, why does it look already full?"
"That's just how the bag looks." Ruby insisted.
Tai gazed at the bag. It made him think of the case she used to carry around Crescent Rose. The thought of it made him wonder if perhaps she did something that was the complete antithesis of a vacation.
She wouldn't though, Tai told himself, I mean, come on, even she has to recognize she's on vacation, right?
Almost an hour later, the Xiao Long Family was finally able to leave their cabin in the woods and head into the town of Thimble. It was just as Tai had described to his girls. A quaint little place, filled with shops for tourists
"Wow," Ruby could only say in awe. The family had parked and were getting ready to explore in full.
"I know, right?" Tai grinned. "That's not all. Because this place is such a huge tourist trap, they love to have a lot of events in the park nearby. I'm talking about live music, games, and such."
"Enough for two weeks worth of vacay, Dad?" Yang raised an inquisitive eyebrow while putting a leash on a visibly excited Zwei.
"There's plenty close by, outside of Thimble we can do as well. Also, there's hiking, swimming in the lake, and hey, we can even vedge in the cabin if we're just too darn tired to do anything else." Tai explained.
Yang rolled her eyes. "Okay, yeah, I'll admit it, you've at least done your best to plan things out."
"Give your old man some credit, Yang." Tai grinned good naturedly. "I'll have you know, Ruby's mom and I were the main activity planners for Team STRQ."
Tai then sweat-dropped. Though, that's probably only because Qrow and Raven were way too moody to partake in any planning, and we had to drag them kicking and screaming to do anything fun.
"Come on, come on!" Tai was cut from his thoughts by his eager-sounding youngest daughter. Ruby was practically bouncing on her heels as she looked at all the cute shops in town.
"Okay, okay, just don't go speeding off on me, sweetie." Tai told her. "I know you can probably handle yourself, but let's all try to stick together, yeah."
The Xiao-Long-Rose family began their walk through Thimble. The first thing they saw was one of the local bookstores. It was a place called The Treasury. Leaning into the theme of the name, the sign was designed to be a pirate's treasure chest with books inside instead of gold. Tai found the sign to be irritatingly cute.
"Yo, Yang, you want to check this place out first?" He offered with a knowing smirk.
"Huh? You mean to tell me people still buy hard copies of books?" Yang was surprised by that fact. "Come on, people, scrolls are a thing. Electronic copies of books are a thing. Why the hell are hard copies still a thing?"
"Hey now, there's something to be said about owning a hard copy and holding it in the palm of your hands." Tai said in defense of the concept. "You know, some editions of books go for thousands of lien. Collectors kill for that stuff."
"I'm not a collector though." Yang pointed out. "So why the hell would you even think I'd be interested in a freaking bookstore?"
Tai's smile became trollish. "Well, I just figured you might want to buy a new joke book…or two."
Yang's aura became extremely murderous as she glared at her father. Meanwhile, Ruby was blissfully unaware of what was going on behind her. She was simply wondering if The Treasury had some of the newer comics she was looking for; or maybe even something she could get Blake as a present once the new school year started.
"Excuse me?" Yang said slowly. "Care to repeat that, old man?"
"Well, I mean, Ruby says your jokes are even worse than they usually are." Tai teased. "I just can't help but wonder if you're running out of material. But, if you're too embarrassed to shop for one, I could get it for you as a gift."
"You jerk!" Yang yelled. "Are you telling me you held onto a joke like that until we saw a bookstore of all things?"
"It's called setup, Yang." Tai reminded her. "And you underestimate my commitment and patience in that regard."
Ruby then sped inside. Zwei barked, finally getting Yang and Tai's attention. Tai forgot his trolling of his oldest daughter and sighed.
"Sheesh, and after I told her not to go off without us anywhere." He muttered before smiling at Yang. "Come on, you may not consider yourself a collector, but I am."
"You are?" Yang was taken aback by this.
"Summer was," Tai admitted, "that book of fairy tales you used to read to Ruby when she was little? That was her's. It was also a rare edition of that collection."
Yang was surprised. "I never knew…"
Wordlessly, Yang followed Tai into the store. She was now more interested in seeing what this place had to offer than she cared to admit.
I won't say it out loud, she thought with a pout she did her best to keep hidden from her dad, but maybe there is something to be said about owning a hard copy or two of something. I mean, gods know I could never bring myself to get rid of that collection of fairy tales. Especially now that I know it was yours…
Minutes later, the trio came out. Tai looked a bit disappointed the shop did not have any rare books or editions that were within his budget. Yang was smiling, having found the experience more enjoyable than she expected. Ruby was pressing her new graphic novel to her chest. She was thrilled, because after hearing so much about it in recent months, it was finally here and available to the public.
"That's the new series from your favorite author I've heard about, right?" Yang asked curiously.
"Swordsman Under the Moon," Ruby recited the title, "this is a completely self-contained story that is different from the Scarlet Night series written by Carmen Auguste."
"With titles like that, you could've fooled me." Yang muttered under her breath.
"Though I bet she'll find a way to incorporate the two if this does well!" Ruby squealed. "It's the story of a wandering swordsman, who operates as a vigilante at night! He seems inept at first, but in reality, he was once a vicious warrior. But now, he's on a path of redemption, trying to protect as many people as he had once slain!"
"That does sound cool." Tai really did not think that. The concept sounded generic to him, but then again as long as it was well-executed that was the most important thing.
"Doesn't it!" Ruby said eagerly. "It's such a great foil to the heroine of Scarlet Night, the mighty warrior who hunts evil in the endless night that blankets the world due to the spell of an evil archwizard! She seems super serious, but is very kind. He's apparently seemingly goofy and inept, but menacing to all evil in battle! I bet if this graphic novel never once shows the story during the day, that means Ms. Auguste is definitely going to one day cross the two universes together."
"As long as this one sells well too, right?" Tai reminded her, making Ruby nod.
"I'm amazed you and Blake never tried to start a two-girl book club." Yang mused.
The blonde then sweat-dropped. Then again, with the kind of books Blake reads, that might not be the best idea. She shuddered. With how stoic Blake seemed, one would never guess she had some really intense stuff. Ninjas of Love was the tip of the iceberg.
Blake actually reminded Yang of something else relevant. "You bought another book. A romance novel. Why?" She asked.
Tai bristled at this. Ruby was not starting to have those kinds of feelings, was she? Ruby smiled.
"It's a gift for Blake." She revealed. "I don't really get why she likes that genre, but the title was intriguing."
"What was it again?" Yang asked.
"The Magic Palace's Guest of Honor." Ruby remembered.
Yang sweat-dropped again. Well, Blake will appreciate the gesture at least.
"It's apparently about a girl who ends up at the palace of some wizard. She has nowhere to go, so the grumpy wizard lets her stay as a guest of honor. And…I guess the two fall in love at some point?" Ruby tried to recall from the back of the book.
"I mean, that is kind of the point of a romance novel." Yang gave Ruby a deadpan expression.
"Do you think she stays at the palace with him at the end?" Ruby wondered.
"If it's a happy ending, probably." Yang shrugged.
"Are you curious about that book as well, Ruby?" Tai asked, dreading the answer.
Ruby shrugged. "I'm…honestly not sure." She admitted.
Tai went pale, horrified at the thought of Ruby growing up to the point where she wanted to start dating. He was not mentally prepared for such a thing.
Ruby then smiled again. "But the important thing is I've got a present for Blake. Now, I just need to find something Weiss would like." Ruby's smile then turned into a pout. "But what do you get a girl who's rich enough to buy everything herself?"
Tai smiled, proud of how kind his little girl was. "Then you need to get her something that she could only get here. A souvenir that represents Thimble, or even Patch Island as a whole." He offered.
"Something that she could only get here." Ruby muttered.
Tai patted her on the back. "I read up on a great wood carving store here. A bit quaint for a rich girl, maybe, but if it came from her best friend, I'm sure she'd love it."
"A snowflake!" Ruby immediately said with a cheer.
Yang immediately caught on to why a snowflake. "A reference to Atlas, nice!" She praised her sister.
"Hey, Dad!" Ruby turned to her father. "Where's that shop? We should head there next!"
"Hey, come on, we're in no rush, Rubes." Tai reminded her. "We've got the whole day ahead of us to shop and browse."
That said, let's try not to blow our entire shopping budget in one go. Tai sweat-dropped at the thought. It was going to be very awkward if he had to dip into an ATM or two to continue funding this trip. It's a damn good thing I took some extra jobs these past couple of weeks.
As Ruby became more deadly focused on her march through Thimble for the sake of this woodcarving shop and her present, Yang addressed her father once more. She had a smile on her face.
"I guess you are still full of surprises at your age." She teased.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Tai asked.
"Well, you know your stuff about gift-giving. I never would've guessed that." Yang admitted honestly. "It feels kinda weird I'm learning new things about my dad."
Tai laughed. "Well, I can't take credit for how I do gifting." He admitted. "That was all Summer."
"Really?"
"Yeah, she was the best. And that's not an exaggeration. She was the best." Tai fondly revealed. "She could get you the most thoughtful gift and it would be one you never even realized you wanted. And you would love it. That was how good she was."
"How so?" Yang was now curious.
"She once gave Raven and Qrow two very thoughtful birthday presents for their first birthdays at Beacon Academy." Tai revealed. "Neither had opened up very much at that point. Yet, somehow, she found the perfect gift for both of them. First time I ever saw either of them crack a smile. Hell, I heard Qrow laugh the first time because he just couldn't believe Summer had managed to get him the best possible gift."
"I can't imagine Uncle Qrow not laughing." Yang admitted.
"People weren't always the people they are today, Yang." Tai sagely reminded her. "Thinking back, I think that was the moment when Team STRQ really became a team."
Yang smiled fondly. "Ruby's mom was amazing."
"She's your mom too, Yang." Tai reminded her.
Yang's smile widened. "Yeah, you're right." She acknowledged. "I had a pretty awesome mom. A super mom."
The family continued to make their way through Thimble. They stopped at a few more shops on the way to the woodcarving shop Tai had told them about, but they mostly window-shopped. Suddenly, however, their attention was all drawn to someone yelling ahead of them.
A little boy was charging out of a sweets bakery that had Ruby's eye on it. He was being chased by a man dressed in a chef's outfit. The chef looked furious, murderous even. The boy had a cinnamon roll in his mouth and was holding some other pastry in his hand.
"Stop, you damn brat!" The chef yelled.
The boy had fair brown hair and matching brown freckles. His eyes were a darker shade of brown. He looked determined to get away from the chef.
"A thief, huh? Usually you only see that kind of stuff happen in the cities." Tai noted.
Then, just as Tai had said that, something came crashing between the boy and the chef. A very large black mass. Tai gasped, immediately realized what it was. His eyes widened.
"No way, a Grimm!" He exclaimed while Ruby and Yang gasped as well. Zwei just barked in anger at the beast.
The boy collapsed as he stared up at the beast. The chef forgot his rage at being stolen from and ran back into his shop. It was indeed a Grimm. Massive in size with an incredibly muscular upper body and red eyes that glared down at the little boy.
What kind of Grimm could it possibly be though? Tai wondered. My gut tells me it's a Beringel…but it looks so different from all the Beringel I've seen.
Yang was horrified at what she was seeing. The kid! Dammit, of all the times to not have Ember Celica!
The beast slowly advanced on the horrified boy while Tai thought out his next move in what felt like a hundred miles an hour.
I can take it if I move fast. Unlike Raven, Qrow and Summer, I never needed a weapon to fight. Whatever the hell that thing is, it's about to catch these hands!
Suddenly, rose petals flew up in Tai's face. He gasped, immediately realizing that someone else had already acted before him without hesitation.
"Ruby, no!" Tai yelled, knowing that she could not hope to do anything against that thing without her weapon.
Then Tai saw it, the duffle bag Ruby had brought with her. However, it looked different. It looked deflated. It looked like it had been emptied of whatever contents had been inside.
For her part, Ruby moved fast. She burst forth in petals using her Semblance. By the time she was upon the strange Grimm, she had reformed with Crescent Rose in hand and within slicing distance of the monster. Yelling, she spun rapidly and slashed the Grimm just as it had raised both of its arms above its head, intent on smashing the boy into a bloody paste.
Tai, seeing what happened, forgot his frustration at Ruby bringing her weapon on a family vacation to marvel at his daughter's improved fighting prowess.
You weren't kidding Qrow. She has grown. Tai realized.
The boy, for his part, just looked up at his savior and awe while Ruby smiled down at him.
"You okay?" She gently asked.
Meanwhile, in the shadows of an alleyway, a sinister figure watched this all play out. He let out a huff of disappointment.
"Damn it to hell, that was a complete failure of an experiment." He lamented.
His fist clenched briefly before he turned around. "It would seem we have some unknown variables that are now going to make things more difficult. I will have to adjust experiment parameters to account for them."
For a brief moment, his face became unobscured by the darkness of the alleyway, revealing what appeared to be a plague doctor mask with the number 2 on it.
"I wonder what steps I'll have to take to ensure they are dealt with." The 2 of Clubs, of Gray Jackal's Club Division, grumbled to himself as his mind worked to formulate new strategies to ensure the success of his experiments.
One day into this family vacation, and already the Xiao-Long-Rose Families are well on their way towards a nightmare.
AN: Only someone with protagonist energy could go on a family vacation, and then inadvertently run afoul of one of the bad guys, amirite? It's almost like Ruby is a protagonist.
Anyway, in case you haven't figured out by now, this is a very Xiao-Long-Rose Family centered arc. Something that actual show could've used...among other things. There will be some stuff with other characters sprinkled in so we know how they're doing (as demonstrated by Hansel's brief scene), but for all intents and purposes, this is Ruby's arc for now.
Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. If you liked this, check out my Age of Heroes series on Amazon, now two books strong. Good to be back from sabbatical. See you all next time.
