Roses Can't See

by PhantomBlaster1

This is an AU story that is mostly the same as canon with one difference. Following the fall of Beacon, Ruby is left blinded by her silver eye powers. She may be blind forever, but she is determined to fight and save Remnant from Salem. Trained by Qrow to deal with her disability, she is a reaper to all Grimm regardless.

5. Chapter 5: Confronting the Darkness

RWBY Roses Can't See

Chapter 5: Confronting the Darkness

The crystal chandelier glistened the ballroom, serving as the Atlesian gala's only source of light and not without reason. It was a custom of the family to showcase only a little bit of their physical appearances to "lower" people, hence why Weiss and her family dressed extremely formally, pristine suits and dresses clad in pearls or diamonds even in public places. Unless one was an extremely important business partner or noble, the Schnee's rarely would entertain the notion of a grand lite room for all to see that individual rather than the flashy schnee's. This policy, along with many well-dressed rich snobs here today, instead of her friends she wished with all her heart, who were simply paid guests for the family's event to showcase the heiress, brought intense dread to her as she stood still in the center of the room. The arrogance surrounding her, the intense pressure of the total stranger's gazes making her feel as if she was naked, brought a sickening knot to Weiss's stomach. It was the whole reason she song that song about her father, whom she felt epitomized the narcissism she was forced to endure tonight, at least for the moment.

She eyed the room, desperate for an opening amongst the crowd enjoying champagne and boasting about their businesses strides to escape. But one by one, some snotty rich teen boys about her age, heir's to their families companies like she was kept approaching her. One with a violet hair color wrapped in a swirl that wrenched of too much hair cream and cologne approached her with a smirk, as if believing he had a shot with her to Weiss's annoyance.

"Hello madam Schnee! I am the heir to the Masterson foundation. You might have hear-" he started before Weiss abruptly sighed to his shock, cutting him off from his pitch.

"Never heard of it, don't care now excuse me." She said in an almost monotone bored tone before nudging his shoulder as she forced her way past him. His face turned red with rage, a few vein's pressed to his neck as he reached out to grab her shoulder's in offense.

"H-How dare you bitch, I have just as much wealth as your shitty fa-" he growled in low tone, careful not to draw eyes to himself as he imagined the pressure his grip would put on the seemingly frail and skinny maiden before him. He almost licked his lips in anticipation, remembering the many sobbing "plebeians" he made a mess out of and got away with his money. Surely he could buy a little rough housing with this girl who dared insult him with her rejection.

The wicked teen soon felt his arm freeze as Weiss darted her head back a bit to glare at him. Her eyes flashing a blue light that sent an icy chill throughout his arm. He looked down nervously, shaking intensely as sweat dripped from his forehead. He didn't see it, but his heart raced as he imagined a numb purple arm beget by frostbite and seconds away from being severed from the cold. That was the power this girl had over him and the other teen's, trembling as they covered their private parts or ears, feeling the same pressure directed only at them as the crowd around them continued their conversations, unaware of the ordeal their heir's were too stricken with fear to discuss. But as she turned around, squinting her eyes venomously, as if like a snow leopard ready to pounce an unsuspecting hare, the boys choked on gasps, sure they would die as she opened her mouth to utter a single word that made them collapse and wet themselves.

"Rubbish" was all she could whisper in annoyance, it was perfect description for the pathetic rich boys before her, who winced to avert their eyes from her in fear only to see the parts of their bodies they thought were attacked were perfectly fine. She had simply intimated them with a flash of aura and power, something the huntress in training snickered as she walked elegantly away into the space they made up for her when she felled them.

"Ugh what a waist of time." She growled in a low tone as she walked towards the exit of the ball. She was so annoyed not just from remembering how she used to entertain the thought of engaging in mere conversation with snobs like them, but how she could be training right now like Ruby surely was. She froze a bit from her escape as she remembered in fright the letter she read earlier.

"Her eyes…" she whispered, recalling their meeting at Beacon almost a year ago.

"You dunce! You just blew all that dust I worked so hard to prepare all week for! That wasn't supposed to be how you handle dust are you fricking BLIND!?" She had yelled at the soot covered red and black haired maiden with silver eyes quivering in apologetic fright at the time. She would never assume such a klutzy blabbering brat like her would be her partner, let alone team leader. Yet, in the span of a few weeks, Ruby had saved her from Nevermores, taught her new fighting stances, and best of all crippled entire terrorist cells that tormented her family almost single handedly with that amazing scythe of hers. It was the last act in particular that made Weiss felt back then she could always bet her life on Ruby being by her side to save her or give her the confidence to face her tormenters head on. But all that changed when Beacon fell, she lost her school she worked so hard to enter to spite her father, yet another tormentor who controlled ever aspect of her life, and her friends Pyrrah and Penny which fueled nightmares each dark night she slept in her room alone almost crying and begging for one of her roommates back. Worst of all, from that letter Ruby sent her, she realized the true damage those who made it back alive truly had experienced. Ruby had lost her eyes and with it, surely her dreams. The crippling reality that filled her brought whimpers and tears to the heiress who covered her mouth, trying to muffle her pathetic cries.

Her despair was not unnoticed, a few woman in overly extravagant dresses, waists so fat one couldn't help but be mystified how any clothes let alone a dress could fit snickered as they saw her. Another disturbing feature of these woman were their wrinkles and over reliance on blush and lipstick, almost easily mistaken for circus clown's simply wearing dresses. Though these features didn't capture Weiss's attention, rather it was what those snooty woman said at the sight of her sadness that made her eyes widen in offense.

"Huh, the Schnee hair is crying, guess that prestigious school didn't train her much." One snickered.

"Yeah, Beacon definitely got what it deserved from those filthy beasts if they couldn't teach the heiress a few lady-like manners." Another laughed openly.

She clenched her teeth as she heard these insults, her hand shaking as it slowly reached her saber, tempted to cut those fat mouths off before she gasped as she heard one last horrible thing.

"I heard her teammate was one of those beasts and the others were commoners who got their behinds handed to them. How low can a Schnee stoop?" a third hag snickered while the others laughed arrogantly.

This was the last straw for Weiss.

"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT!? TAKE IT BACK!" She hollered, silencing the room with her screech as the entire party ceased what they were doing and glanced at the scene.

"ARE YOU HAGS DEAF?! I SAID TAKE IT BACK!" She screeched as her eyes turned blue, making the older fat woman plop to the ground like the teens before them in fright as they felt her power surge, the crowd around them murmuring in surprise at the tantrum before them, not that Weiss cared. She was filled with too much rage at these woman's insults, she wanted nothing more than to tear them limb from limb until they begged for mercy and forgiveness, not that she wanted to give it nor did a certain someone from afar intend to show it to her.

"Weiss?" Jacquees Schnee, her father, said in a controlled angry tone as he slowly walked over to the scene, trying to get his angry child under control before she further embarrassed him.

He was soon knocked to the ground on his back by an extreme push from Weiss's blue aura that shined as she clasped her head in pain.

"MY SCHOOL DIDN'T DESERVE IT!" She screamed as her eyes shined blue, releasing a veil of blue and white mist that rose above her. Before the crowd soon stood a gigantic warrior clad in white armor shining a blue aura and holding something that made them gulp in fright, a heavy long sword it slowly lifted from the ground, motioning it above its head as the goliath took slow heavy steps towards the hags. Weiss felt the tremor's in the ground as it did so and looked up, her eyes widening in horror as she saw the glyph guardian's actions.

"S-Stop…. hey stop… I order you to stop!" she yelled, but her summon didn't cease its threatening advance.

"Weiss get that thing under control!" Her father yelled.

Weiss shook as she panicky grabbed her saber from her waist and motioned it at the guardian, flaring her aura into it as she stabbed the ground, summoning ice to encase the knight. The crowd all sighed in relief as the knight ceased its assault, Weiss wiping her forehead and exhaling the loudest.

"Damn that was too close." She thought, relief making her body light as a feather before she felt a pain fill her chest as she felt her heart pound rapidly, her instincts roaring at her that something bad was coming.

Suddenly the ice prison started rumbling as the guests and Weiss heard ice cracking, a sound that made Weiss's skin grow pale as she realized the source of her anxiety.

"Everybody clear!" Weiss hollered, but it was too late as the goliath smashed out of the ice pillar sending a shockwave that knocked her and everyone on their backs, shattering aura's and the gilded windows of the ballroom.

Weiss painfully lifted her head to see the knight about to press its blade into the chest of one of the fat ladies, using its feet to keep her in place.

"NOOOOO!" Weiss screamed, desperate not to become a murderer, before a loud rumble ripped through the air like lightning. She opened her eyes slowly, looking past the wet blurs from her crying to see the knight's sword shattered with a large hole in it's own chest before evaporating into thin air.

The source of this salvation was a smoking gun held by an iron robotic fist belonging to a large man in a white Atlesian military uniform.

"G-General Ironwood?" Weiss stuttered, the shock of this event not escaping her body and making her feel frozen in fear as she gazed on the stern eyes of this battle-hardened man.

Ironwood merely sighed as he put Due Process away in his holster, eyeing the panicking guests around him, squinting his eyes at them, the true cause of this chaos. He had heard what those snobs had said about Beacon, so for him, it was natural Weiss would have a fit in its defense, it honestly showed she had morality unlike these snobs. He was almost tempted to let that guardian strike them down if the chaos wouldn't surely draw Grimm to the city let alone undermine his reputation as a competent military officer. This is why when the silence was broken by one of the fat ladies he couldn't help but groan in annoyance.

"Well don't just stand their, ARREST HER!" The noble yelled with demand.

"Yeah right, she's the only one her who's making sense these days." He sneered as he walked slowly towards Weiss and offered his hand to her. She trembled as she slowly accepted the offer, hyperventilation as she eyed the ruined gala her semblance cause, filling her with shame and fear, a fear that was heightened when she saw her Father regain consciousness and begin glaring at her, his gaze filled with danger. Fearful for her life, Weiss pushed the General out of the way and ran out the gala room, ignoring the cries from Jacquees demanding her return.

Weiss soon found herself in her bedroom at the manor, locking the door, as she was desperate to be alone right now as she breathed heavily on her bed, a pillow clutched to her chest. Despite her desire, she felt the softness of the pillow and it filled her with panic. She eyed her dark room, desperate to see if anyone could hug her like the days in beacon Yang would smother her in the gigantic rack of hers when she was nervous like now.

"P-Please…. somebody hug me ugh!" She cried frantically into her pillow, wishing now more than ever she could go back to beacon, to her team, to what little happiness she had found her entire life.

Meanwhile in Mistral…

"Yyyahhh!" Ruby war cried as she fired off a bullet from Crescent Rose to deliver a cartwheel slash attack towards Tyrian. The scorpion man could feel the wind howl and blow on his face as the scythe drew near, knowing his Aura wouldn't shield him completely and his face would be split, he used his tail to back jump onto the roof of a house behind him.

"Your not getting away!" Ruby yelled, tracking his position with his heartbeat and landing sounds, she petal burst to the roof before wobbling a bit at her landing when her foot hit some hard tiles. Tyrian grinned as he saw her state and lunged at her, his footsteps however gave his attack away as she heard his attack coming and ducked, narrowly avoiding a swipe to her head.

"Ruby! You 7 feet to your left and 16 feet to your right!" Ren yelled after analyzing the roof, desperate to help his friend know her location. Though she could handle opponents, the last thing he wanted was to see her slip off the roof she couldn't possibly tell from her blindness how wide it was. It helped tremendously as Ruby used her scythe to pole-vault over a scorpion stinger and land on the edge of the roof behind tyrian, she had memorized his directions and used the landing to propel herself towards Tyrian's back before he did a handstand and kicked the edge of the blade away to disrupt the attack before regaining his footing, ready for another assault.

"Not bad, guess little red can carry more than a picnic basket." He laughed maniacally.

Jaune and his team stood in awe as a flurry of rose petals scattered above them in the sky. Ruby flew around Tyrian Callows with her semblance, constantly slashing to probe for weak spots in his fighting stance. The blind huntress grew irritated as the scorpion faunus assassin was constantly parrying with axe strikes and realized he had no flaws in stance. She wasn't the only one getting annoyed. Tyrian, despite his greater strength and experience, could never seem to land a blow on her, his blades just missed her floating body several times increasing his frustration. He hated to admit it, but she was faster than he could keep up with. Both were soon desperate to create an opening and get an edge over the other.

"Wow" Nora, the usually hyper and loud girl couldn't help but whisper.

Ruby's attacks were the one's the team usually felt amazed at seeing, rapid twirls and shots used to deliver high velocity and heavy cuts and slashes to an enemy. They begun to sweat nervously as, while each one never made an impact on the cackling assassin, who whimsically dodged with his great eyesight or stopped with his axes, the impact of the strikes hitting the roof caused tremors in the air that threaten to knock them off their feet. She had definitely grown much stronger physically stronger since her training with Qrow to compensate for her blindness, something Jaune's gut ached when he remembered the punch she gave him a few days ago. His gut hurt worse with anxiousness as he saw Tyrian's attacks however. While his were also parried completely by Ruby, they were heavier and forced her back, unable to keep her balance for long as she frequently used her semblance to avoid a second strike after the first, draining her aura and energy. Jaune was growing more nervous by the second, wishing he could jump on the roof right now and help her, but his stood frozen as he saw Pyrrah's image in place of Ruby. His fear had consumed his soul, his fear of his powerlessness as he felt the impact of each scythe and axe slam as if he was right in front of the weapons. Ren and Nora likewise realized the folly of joining such a dangerous clash, knowing it was courting death and decided to simply hope the crimson reaper wouldn't be guiding herself to the underworld instead of this creep.

"Heavy!" was all Ruby could think as each strike that met her blade, she could feel the massive weight, yet immense speed and precision Tyrian was throwing her way and it soon made her realize something disheartening.

"This is a man who's killed tons of people." She thought to herself, she couldn't bring herself to speak and possibly distract her senses even with this dark truth. Her sense of hearing, smell, and the vibration's on the ground she honed for months could easily be undone with even the slightest distraction, hence why she told her team to stay back from this man, their heartbeats were pounding to heavily from the deadly aura he was exuding, an aura that he delivered full force into a side swipe to her abdomen, flickering hers and nearly making her lose her footing on the edge on the roof.

"Ruby!" Juane screamed, oh how annoyed Ruby was getting with having to remind him to be quite during her fights at least.

Tyrian cackled as he saw her lose balance and lunged his stinger towards her face. Ruby luckily could hear the wind tear, beyond his laughter, from the motions this assault came with and jerked her right arm awkwardly to twist her scythe around towards her face to repel the stinger and force Tyrian back a few feet, careful not to get his arm cut.

"Can't take your eyes so I thought I'd mess up that pretty nose of yours. Too bad so sad." He sarcastically said.

Ruby grunted as she readjusted her arm, the sound of bone's snapping a bit could be heard as felt a surge of soreness infect her shoulder from the desperate guard. Nonetheless, as she regained her balance, she couldn't help but smile as she heard Tyrian's laughing and chuckled, something that finally ceased the cocky maniacal smile the assassin had as he eyed her confused.

"What's so funny little red?" he asked.

"You really should shut up in battle." Ruby retorted as she honed in on his position from his words and petal burst around him. Tyrian raised his axes to his waste and neck, with his tail ready to sting from behind, ready to parry any attack she might send his way.

Unfortunately for the assassin, she had been preparing for a defensive stance from him, it's what she counted on. In the blink of an eye, Ruby whipped around him in a flurry of rose petals and red energy and generated a wind funnel around him.

The wind was sharp, creating small cuts on Tyrian's arms that his aura frequently wasted healing to his annoyance. He was further enraged when his attempts to strike the flashes of red energy he assumed was Ruby didn't touch her, it was like she was a ghost.

Before he could utter so much as a curse to her to show herself, Tyrian felt his lungs ache and his throat clench.

"W-Wha…tha…f?" he choked as he clasped his throat with one hand and knelt, his face starting to purple a bit. This was Ruby's plan against bandits or murderers, use the rose tornado to create a vacuum that cut off their air supply until they passed out, it was a good technique for her, as she usually didn't wish to kill.

"Should I though?" a dark thought crept into her mind as she snickered at his suffocation. He has clearly killed people with glee, no doubt about it. What right did he have to live after all the lives he likely tormented? She was very tempted to continue the attack, despite him trembling in fear at the realization his death was coming close, before remembering something.

"To bad my master wants you alive." Tyrian's earlier words echoed in her head.

With a grunt of annoyance, Ruby ceased the funnel and begun descending at high speed towards Tyrian's back. She spun with rose petals as her red aura flashed to her legs and she delivered a stomp that threatened to shatter the spine of the Faunus instead of his entire Aura. He let out a gasp of air before finally screaming in pain as he felt the aura induced weight of her legs press against his back, crashing them both into the ground below with her on top, the impact knocking her red bandana off her eyes. Ruby quickly used Crescent Rose's head to pin the scorpion tail of Tyrian's while she jumped off his back and onto his arms, pinning them as well to prevent his axes from cutting her. She snarled at him with a bitter

"Your going to live, but only if you tell me who sent you. Who is your master and what does she want with me?!" She yelled, her instincts screamed at her to cut his neck with her scythe instead, but she had to know who was targeting her lest another assassin will come to slaughter her team or her.

Tyrian's once purple face now flushed red as he felt humiliated by his predicament. A little girl shattered his aura and pinned him, what the hell!? His blood was stabbing his skin with a furry as he viciously growled and wanted nothing more than to peel her skin off slowly and violate her to hear her screams of agony, before remembering he would suffer an even worse punishment from his master for killing her. It gave him Goosebumps as he prepared the one counter he had to get out of this pin, despite how much it would hurt without his aura.

"You'll see her soon enough, once I take you there!" he yelled as he jerked his arm forward a bit despite the pin, forcing a small grenade into his hand his thumb clicked the trigger and he awkwardly threw backwards at her.

"Ruby Grenade!" Ren yelled frantically, causing Ruby to gasp as she petal burst a few feet back, but it was too late. The explosion, though small, had immense impact that sent Tyrian flying forward, his back singing as the flames stuck to it and he groaned. Ruby was also unlucky as the shockwave sent her flying into a house, making a ruby sized indent of the concrete as she gasped in pain as her aura flashed her entire body before flickering. She was getting low. Jaune's team saw this predicament and raced towards her, but Ruby heard something beyond their footsteps, a second click.

"No get back!" she hollered confusing them before their skins turned pale at the sight of what she heard, a second grenade at their feet that soon exploded.

Outside the town, Qrow had just arrived on the outskirts, his back to a tree on a cliff taking a few swigs of his flask while he relaxed. To his irritation, however, it was beginning to run on empty.

"Crap, hopefully once they leave town I can buy some cheap booze from a bar?" before his was startled by the sound of rumbling and the explosion that went off in town.

"Oh shit!" he yelled as he transformed into his qrow bird form and frantically flew towards it.

The team was forced back by the explosion, shattering their aura as the crashed around the area. Ren and Nora cradled each other as they went flying into a pillar of hay while Jaune shattered a window of a nearby bar, groaning as he got up and weakly rubbed glass of his shoulders.

"I-Is everyone okay? R-Ruby?" he weakly asked, his head aching from the impact before his eyes widen at the sight of the attacker who caused it, Tyrian. He was slowly advancing towards her as she forced herself out of the wall and weakly raised her scythe, preparing for round 2 despite her injuries. Both were clearly exhausted, but Tyrian eyed his surroundings and realized he had an advantage she didn't despite his lack of aura; he was alone.

"Your friend's aren't looking so good kid, maybe I should take them the farm to rest?" he cackled as he fought his pain and began running towards Ren and Nora, still laying on the hay reeling in pain.

"Ruby! He's going after Ren and Nora!" Jaune yelled frantically, he wanted to save them but couldn't find the strength to go after him, betting it all on her speed semblance. Ruby, with a look of horror, obliged his wishes as she burst towards her friend's desperate to save them. She could hear the 3 peoples heartbeats and knew the distance. He was right in front of them and was ready to stab the couple, she wouldn't make it in time even with her semblence. As she heard his stinger raise ready to strike, she did something desperate.

"NO!" She yelled as he thrust his stinger towards Nora, who's eyes widen as she awoke to see blood splatter in front of her, feeling cold despite Ren cradling her in her arms. Her chest was aching at the sight of the bloody stinger before her.

"R-Ruby?" she weakly gasped as she saw that stinger imbedded in Ruby's abdomen. Her scythe was laying on the ground a few feet away, she had used it to propel herself to block the attack and save her. Ruby's face, riddled with shock from the pain, trembled as her blank eyes met Nora's as if begging to see her face and know she was okay for sure. She soon slowly jerked her head out of habit, trying instead now to see the wound Tyrian made on her. She slowly patted the wound, feeling sticky blood flood her hand as she felt a surge of pain finally fill her mind as she realized her situation.

She screamed in agony as Tyrian released the stinger, plopping on her knees as she pressed her hand to the wound, desperate to stop the bleeding and pain. She soon felt a rope like substance tie around her neck tightly. She grabbed it, gasping for air before realizing it was the tail that stung her. She and Tyrian jumped backwards as he stood a few more feet away from Ren and Nora, coming eye to eye with Jaune outside the store, smiling eerily as he gave a thousand yard stare to his ailing friend caught in his choke hold.

"Sorry, gonna mess up your girlfriend a bit." He sneered as he lifted her up and delivered a flurry of axe slashes to her back, shattering her aura and drawing lines filled with her blood on her back. Ruby couldn't even scream anymore from the pain, she couldn't breath well and could only give choked gasps of pain as he assaulted her backside. Jaune averted his gaze with a painful wince while Nora covered her mouth with both hands and cried for her suffering while Ren sat in shock. Eventually Tyrian grew bored and slammed Ruby to the ground before him and released his choke hold. She gasped for air with her blood soaked mouth finally opening. Tyrian licked his lips, enjoying the hell out of the mess he made of her right now. He eyed her abdomen, soaked as red filled the white areas. He just wanted to see more and raised his stinger and delivered another thrust to her stomach's center this time, eliciting a painful screech he blushed in perverse excitement over hearing. Luckily for Ruby, her screams wouldn't be the only ones in the area tonight. Everyone soon saw a black flash before them followed by the sound of metal slashing the wind. Out of nowhere Qrow stood a couple feet behind Ruby and Tyrian, holding harboring out in scythe form as he leaned forward. Tyrian soon saw his stinger flying in the air and plop behind the legendary huntsman, purple blood oozing from it as he smirked at him. Tyrian looked down as he felt a stinging pain coming from his tail and saw his stinger severed from his tail.

"AAAAAGHHHH! MY TAIL!" He screamed in agony as he felt his legs wobble and he fell on his back giving spasms of pain.

Qrow quickly grabbed Ruby and jumped towards Ren and Nora, knowing he had to get his niece away from him to be sure she would be safe. As he felt her wet blood soak his arms, he couldn't help but gasp in fright as looked at her, still somehow smiling as she felt his presence. She knew by his touch it was her Uncle, her savior, her idol.

"Y-You r-rock…Unc-cle Q-Qrow." She choked as she spat some blood and fell unconscious in his arms. He breathed heavily in fright as he handed her to Ren and Nora.

"Don't worry kiddo! Uncle's got this, you two! Watch her, I'm finishing this!" he yelled to the couple, startling them as they cradle Ruby and he darted back towards Tyrian, still lying helplessly on the ground rubbing his wounded tail. Despite his enemies state, Qrow had no sense of mercy filling his heart for this wretch who hurt his niece, he wanted blood that wasn't hers. His blood and as he clenched Harbringer and transitioned it into sword form, he was gonna have it.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, sending shivers down Tyrian's spine as he saw his would be slayer approach him quickly.

Tyrian panicked and grabbed a button out of his coat pocket and pressed it. It was his get away signal for when he completed his mission….or at least he wished as he pondered the penalty of failing his master or dying by Qrow's hands, both seemed extremely painful but he decided the former as it least then he may have a chance to live. His chance came now as a red and black portal oozed underneath him and he fell through, Qrow's blade inches away from the Faunus's face as it simply slashed the concrete where he once laid.

"GODDAMN IT!" Qrow screamed in fury over his failure. He kicked the dirt around him as he threw out curses and smashed a few barrels near him, imagining they were that asshole's face right now. He was snapped out of his rage by a maiden's cry.

"Sir please! Ruby needs help!" Nora cried, Jaune and Qrow gasped as they heard this and ran towards Ruby, now limp in Nora's arms. Ren was breathing heavily, he wasn't a doctor but he knew horrible almost fatal wounds when he saw them and his expression made Jaune do a double take, he knew this wasn't good even before he saw Ruby's gruesome wounds.

"I-Is she….dea-" before he could fearfully stutter that question, he felt a painful punch to his sides ten times stronger than Ruby's that knocked the wind out of him.

"Shut your fucking mouth! My niece isn't that weak she'll pull through!" Qrow hollered, his eyes and voice hoarse with rage as he eyed the shivering teens.

"You three! Go inside the stores and see if you can find bandages and medicine, I'll keep her wounds closed now MOVE MOVE MOVE!" He ordered with a furious yell, scattering them as they frantically searched the area for those life saving things, honestly just as worried Qrow would kill them for failing as much as they feared for Ruby right now.

As he pressed a cloth to her stomach and kidney wounds, Qrow eyed his unconscious niece. He was filled with a huge sense of shame, his protégé needed him, yet he was busy drinking rather than watching her and this happened. His eyes swelled up with tears that fell a few drops onto her bloody cheeks.

"I-I'm sorry kiddo, it's all my fault." He sobbed with a broken voice as he eyed his broken niece, silently begging her not to leave him.

Vale

Yang was riding her motorcycle bumblebee at a high 75 miles per hour through the woods of vale. She had just gotten off the ferry from Patch, but she was in no mood for a meal or rest at inns from the docks, she had a mission to accomplish.

"Big sis is coming Rubes, just hang on." She thought to herself, there would be no point in talking over the loud engine humming or risk getting bugs in her mouth. God the only thing that would taste worst than that would be dad's sloppy Joes.

"Man why does that guy put a whole pepper and jar hot sauce in the filling, does he want to burn my mouth off?" she thought as she licked her chapped sore lips from that meal. She wanted them moist for when she gave her little sister the biggest damn kiss on the cheeks when she saw her again. Her heart grew tight as she imagined the tearful blank eyes Ruby would show her, shaking her hands and forcing her away frantically. It would be appropriate, why would she be joyful seeing the sister who shoved her away.

Yang shook her head at the thought.

"No, No she's going to be thrilled, hell I bet her eyes have healed by now that medicine is from one the best doctors dad ever took us too!" she thought hopefully. The doctor who recommended it had once even popped a leg she dislocated while training back in place in a flash. If anyone could heal her it was him. She filled herself with this hope as she came up to a sign in a fork in the road and slammed on her brakes, her motorcycle screeching as its tires skid and she narrowly stopped in time in front of the signs,

Mistral

Was the name on the left side of the sign, but the right side made her heart pound harder then the roar of the engine.

Warning! Bandit Tribe Reported!

Yang sighed as she read this message and remembered her father's warning.

"I know Qrow's told you about your mom Raven being near Mistral, even though I SPECIFICALLY told him not too. I won't stop you anymore, but know this. You mom was always Summer Rose, not Raven. Summer loved you, cared for you but Raven? She walked out on us. So let me ask you this,

Are you going after your sister or Raven?"

His words rang in her head repeatedly as she looked down at her mechanical arm. She felt no real power from the hand that gripped her motorcycle, it just reminded her of her folly both in beacon and the day she brought Ruby around Patch forest and nearly got them killed from a selfish desire to see her biological mother. Tai had warned her the bandit leader was a horrid, cruel and selfish woman who led a tribe worse than even her that pillaged and murdered with glee like her. Despite her disgust for such things, Yang still even now wondered why Raven would leave a life with her and dad behind.

"Was I too weak?" she thought as she clenched her robot arm. Even now she eyed the sign warning of the tribe of bandits thinking whether she wanted to learn more about Raven, a woman who ditched her to find out why. Or go see Ruby, her sister who was likely blind and in danger from Grimm or the monsters who felled Beacon all those months ago."

A few long silent minutes passed before the engines roared and Yang was off on a path, having made her decision.

"Ready or not, here I come." She thought.

Consumed by Darkness

Tyrian fell through the portal, landing frantically on the floor, a dirt floor colored in red that stunk of blood. Before him were two Beowulf's, licking their lips as they slowly approached him, drawn to his fear and pain before their necks were gripped tightly by their and Tyrian's master…

"Master Salem!"

Tyrian's words of awe and horror echoed, making a black haired girl with an eye-patch covering a massive burn scar on her left eye and a stump where her right arm used to be frowned, feeling immense pressure worse than the loss of her body parts from Ruby's eyes from their master's who eyed them both menacingly.

"Cinder….be a sweetie and fetch me my tea." Salem said sweetly, but her tone was underlying with venom that burned her servants ears as she trembled, almost falling on her knees like Tyrian who was bowing to Salem giving frantic apologies as she got the tea and fearfully handed it to the older bleach skinned witch with demon eyes. As she sipped her tea

"I see you didn't retrieve the silver eyed girl who hurt my dear child Cinder." She said softly, but with a demonic like tone, making Tyrian sweat profusely.

"N-No mother, Qrow branwen ambushed me. B-But I managed to sting her twice at least she's….not going to… t-trouble u…." he said with broken English, his voice rasp with fear as he saw her disappointed scowl.

"You've let me down child." She said with disappointment in her now sweat voice as she turned her back on him and left, merely sipping her tea un-amused.

It brought a chill to the man's soul, he clenched his head as he screamed in agony, crying over his adoptive mother and masters words that stabbed his heart worse than any blade. He soon plunged his axes into the heads of the beowulf's, shocking Cinder as she eyed his tear filled gold eyes and grinding teeth staring at her.

"What!?" he yelled, making her recoil, she couldn't bring herself to flare her powers up or speak. Her throat burned whenever she tried, another cost Ruby had dealt her and Tyrian seemed to share this with her as he screamed her name,

"Rose, I'll smash your head!" he screamed, pounding the ground like a toddler having a tantrum at the playground. Cinder bit her lip angrily as she heard Ruby being mentioned, it shivered her body as she felt an urge to burn her, but clasped her own head as fear filled her heart, not finding the strength to do anything as those silver eyes flashing filled her mind. She found the light switch to the room covered in black ooze and red glass windows and flicked it, desperate for some more dark to drown out that flash in her mind.

Outside the Mistral village….

Ruby slowly shook her head, feeling a massive ache as did so. She didn not bother opening her sore eyes, they was no point as aside from the pain she couldn't see anyway. In fact, her whole body felt like it was on fire, her blood being replaced with acid as she tried to move her arms and wrap them around her stomach, which ached the worse. To her surprise she felt a soft cloth of bandages wrapped around it, no wet feeling from blood as she felt some of her pain replaced by a warm heat nearby, a campfire.

"W-Where am I?" she weakly asked, her through still sore and raspy as she spoke, alerting the four around the campfire to her revival.

"RUBY YOUR ALIVE!" Team RNGR'S other members yelled joyfully as they ran up to her, Jaune, whose touch she recognized, held her up as they sat on a wooden log by campfire made outside the town.

"Wha-What happened to me….ugh!...my stomach's killing me!" she groaned as she held her stomach and lowered her head in pain, making the others eye her nervously. Qrow ran up to her and placed a warm hand on her shoulder, easing her a bit despite the pain.

"Easy Ruby, you got pretty banged up back there." He said sorrowfully.

"Uncle Qrow? *Sigh* I knew it you…you saved me." She said with a sob, flushed with mixed emotions right now as her uncle hugged her tenderly.

An hour passed after everyone calmed down, every now and then someone checked on Ruby's bandages, seeing if they needed to be changed.

"Be glad you were unconscious kid, those shitty bandits plundered all the medicine and good booze, had to use cheap one and bandages to close those holes. Trust me, it would have burned like hell." He said.

"It still burns like hell Uncle." She said as she rubbed her aching stomach, her muscles feeling a stinging pain almost as bad. But her heart ached the worst as she pondered something troubling.

"Where you watching us this whole time?" she asked, bringing an air of silence as the remainder of her team eyed him surprised, his gaze locked on her though sternly. He groaned in annoyance, making her shudder at what was likely confirmation. He was filled with regret as he stared at her wounds, getting drunk on booze while she endured that pained brought some to his spirit.

"You were the one killing Grimm, that's why we didn't see many this whole time! Why didn't you help us sooner?" she asked, her tone mixed with anger and confusion matched only by the glares from Jaune's team.

Qrow on her part was irritated his cover was blown, he wanted to keep his distance, but dreaded to mention the reason why to his niece. He always hated being alone, but he hated the sting from people he knew withdrawing themselves or clinging to him when he revealed his semblance's nature. The sting soon grew worse as he heard Jaune accuse him of something that shook him to his core.

"He was using you as bait for that guy wasn't he?" Jaune bitterly said while gazing him.

"NO! I- I mean no kids. I did make things easier for you to train but…I didn't know he was attacking you until that explosion." He said raising his arms in panic before taking a deep breath and calming down.

"I'd NEVER use my sweet niece as bait like that." He sternly said, making Jaune sit down a bit ashamed.

"Then why? Why didn't you just travel with us?" Nora asked.

Qrow shuddered as the moment finally came, his red eyes twitching as he eyed his nieces blank eyes on the verge of watering.

With a heavy sigh he sat down on his log and took a swig of his flask, now filled with cheap booze from the town.

"You know how some semblances can turn on and off like Yang's or yours Ruby?" he asked, drawing nods from the kids.

"Well…. mine is different. It's always on and it's a real shit show like that scorpion pricks tail now." He sighed, earning a slight chuckle from Ruby, she was always amused with his tongue and the thought he messed up that jerks tail that stung her brought immense joy before being startled by Qrow sighing annoyed as he continued, alerting her to focus on him.

"My semblance is… misfortune." He reluctantly said.

"You make bad fortune cookies?" Nora asked.

"No, I bring bad luck to those around me." Qrow countered, shocking the group at the realization. Qrow hated their fearful gazes, not able to count how many people have shown that to him before leaving him, even Tai did at one point at Beacon before they became a team. He eyed Ruby, who was oddly not shivering and just looking at him seriously.

"I was trying to keep you safe from me kiddo. I didn't want to risk making your condition….your eyes worse." He nervously said, but she remained oddly silent.

"Ruby I get your upset, but I trust you. I saw how bruised and burnt that scorpion dick was, you sure gave him one hell of a fight. You all must have!" he said proudly, before noticing the eyes of jaune's team avert to his confusion.

"We didn't fight. Only Ruby could handle him. She said so and we saw firsthand how right she usually is." Ren said shamefully, hugging Nora to his chest as he became fearful of what they could have lost.

Qrow simply walked up to his niece, deciding some praise for her would alleviate the shitty mood before a Nevermore of Manticore flew by and snatched their negativity up.

"Well, proud of you kiddo. You're a real chip of the old blo-" he started saying before he felt his niece's body, it was cold.

"Ruby?" he asked, fearful and bit confused before she coughed up some purple ooze that splattered on his shoes and ran down her mouth.

Everyone eyed her horrified as she soon collapsed on her side.

"RUBY!" They yelled as Qrow lifted her limp body, feeling for her pulse on her neck desperately.

"Her pulse is faint but it's there!" he yelled.

"What happened? What is that Gunk?" Nora yelled frightfully.

"Shit! It's poison!" Ren yelled in equally frightened.

"Ruby! Ruby hang on sweetie please!" Qrow begged as his niece's head moved back awkwardly.

"Well what do we do? Those bandits robbed all the medicine we can't heal her with out bare hands we got to find another town!" Jaune yelled fearfully. Ren and Nora gulped as they hesitated to respond, they had an idea, but were blessed before they didn't have to resort to it when they found first aide in the town for Ruby. But as they eyed her limp body, they knew it was more important to save her then put aside their past.

"We might…" Nora stuttered.

"Know a place nearby that could help." Ren followed suit, drawing Qrow and Jaune's attention.

Nearby the village, a dark a desolate town was filled to the brim with skeletons and rusty swords and shields. Many years had passed since anyone lived in this village….or at least lived more than a few minutes. A rat scurrying through the blood stained streets riddled with rotted corpses and skeletons looking for a meal learned this the hard way as it gave of a painful squeal when a black hand with razor sharp claws pierced its back and retreated with its prey into the shadows of a ruined house. The only indication to what this dark figures identity was, an eerie red smile riddled with fangs and drool with eyes red as the devil.

Sorry this one took so long. Finished a Thorn in my heart and had family and work to attend too so not much time to write. The main characters face evil all around as Weiss confronts her past in the form of her communities vanity while Yang faces a battle of temptation vs sisterly love. Ruby's battle with Tyrian was a plus for Ruby as a blind fighter, beating him down and only losing from a cheap suicidal shot. Vegeta's torture by frieza in dbz inspired this ending as I felt her bloodier one was a good showcase to Tyrian's bloodthirsty side as aside from Clover I didn't see much blood from Tyrian. Now Ruby has been poisoned as a result of Qrow's negligence, and Ren and Nora are forced to risk everything as they reveal their past and an ancient evil to try and help their friend survive. Will Weiss get disowned by her family first? Will Yang look for Ruby or Raven first? Or will we skip all that and go straight to Kuroyuri first? Leave reviews with answers and see next week if you were right on CH 6.