Quietly the machines all around hummed to the clanks of disjointed screws, and bit by bit the pieces screeched and scratched across the surfaces of their cousins until falling into place. The young man overlooking all this could only hum along to these tunes with acceptance as the bolts were next inserted. He reached over towards the table at his side, slipping his hand across the pseudo-smooth surface, feeling the few scratches present as they crossed his fingertips, all the while he searched for the next instrument.
Had he no need for tactile sensitivity, he'd have opted for gloves, however those would be too bulky, and his work required a fine amount of tweaking; free of all cumbersome irritation. Soon he came to it, and with the metaphorical brush in his hand he returned to his 'art'.
"I knew I'd find you here." The voice was coarse, rough and heavy as it echoed along with the whirling of the computers and their occasional beeps and boops; running diagnostics and checks of all kinds.
"Hmm?" The boy stopped his pace, pulling away from the opening of his own creation inside the mechanical mannequin, and setting the tools of his craft back in their original spots on the table. He turned to look upon the man standing in the frame of the door, and seeing his crossed arms and mildly stern expression, the lad lifted up his goggles and set them in their resting place on his head.
"Sir." A respectful nod of acknowledgement was given, and the man standing on the edge of the room chose only to grumble, offering a small puff or irritant air before speaking.
"Do you know what time it is, private?"
"I..." It was only now when put on the spot that the boy realized just why his commanding officer appeared less than enthusiastic at the sight of him. "Apologies sir; it slipped my mind again."
"Accepted." The man released his hard look into one more plain. "But don't apologize to me: apologize to yourself. Those classes are optional, and walk-in for that matter - when they're not full that is. The only one missing out by forgetting is you."
"I realize that sir; I'll keep a better eye on the clock from now on."
"See to it that you do; I can only remind you so often before the others begin to question if I'm playing favorites." As those final words left him, the commander made his exit; no doubt towards one of the many classes he oversaw.
As if spurned by the sudden absence of occupants, another soul found himself in the doorway, panting and heaving as if having run a mile.
"Four-eyes! The commander-"
"Has just left." The boy commented, ignoring the previous jab. "You're a little late again with your warning."
"Damn." The shorter haired guy nearly dropped, catching himself on his knees as he sucked in a few more breaths, all the while sweat poured down his face. "I thought I could be fast enough this time."
"When have you ever been fast enough?" The goggled young man spoke, turning back to his work with a sigh. "Besides, it's like the commander said: I chose to try those extra classes myself - no good intentionally skipping out."
"Then why not put your little projects on hold?" The guy said, and having managed to even his breathing, he walked into the room. The tall fellow soon came to a stop, and his darker tone of skin acted as an almost perfect contrast to the blinding white of their uniforms. "I mean, what even is this?"
His eyes shot over to the machine hung up on various tethers and binds. On its own the skeletal husk could barely pass for Human, but the series of limbs outstretched gave it an almost spidery feel. It didn't bother the boy that his buddy didn't recognise the machine; heck, Carbon was lucky to even remember his own name most days. Yet, for what the guy lacked in wits, he more than made up for in raw determination: willing to charge headfirst into danger without a moment of hesitation.
Many of the academy's instructors constantly complained of it, but the boy could only see his friend's rampant determination and fearlessness as something to be admired; stupid, but heroic - that was Carbon to a T..
"I call it the Atlesian Scavenger." The more enthusiastic of the pair told, giving a few taps to his creation with the back of his bare knuckles. "It's a project I've been working on for a while now. With this, we won't have to delve into the more dangerous battlefields to recover resources or allies anymore; these things can do it for us."
"So it's basically a collecting robot?"
"In simple terms, yes, it is." The creator turned back to his machine, failing to restrain the pure excitement behind his eyes as his smile betrayed those feelings. "Imagine what it'll be like having an invincible shield ready to leap into the fray, one who's always there to tank the hits while we focus on fighting from afar."
"My dude, it's just a robot." Carbon shot a skeptical face towards the unfeeling collection of soulless metal. "And besides: whatever it can do, I can do better."
"Yeah, but you kind of need to be alive to prove it." Once again the limber student smirked towards his toy. "When finished, it'll be like having a goon to order around; one lifeless and rebuildable. Why jump into a warzone that'll likely kill you when we can just tell this thing to do it instead?"
"So, what you're saying is I can have this guy take the claws and teeth for me, and then I can clock 'em from behind; that about right?"
"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up."
His friend was still looking at the machine with a minor amount of contempt, but the young scientist didn't much mind. These machines would be the future; a world where people didn't need to endanger their lives to do what was right. As a young man he'd been sickly and afraid. He'd needed glasses just to see, and those were expensive for a less than wealthy lad such as himself.
Atlas academy however had not only offered to cover such personal medical costs, but it had even offered him a term of employment should he finish his schooling. Why, many might have asked? Well, the young man had held an interest in robotics since he was a boy, and with his father being a scientist, who could blame him? For the first six years of his life, they'd had a cozy living, until his father was taken from them by the Grimm whilst out on an expedition.
Insurance covered most basic costs, but things quickly grew expensive in the flying city, and so the young boy opted to turn his interest towards that of a hunter. Hunters in Atlas were trained alongside the military, and offered all the benefits of such, as well as a place to work in said positions as scholarship rewards. Getting such a reward was rather simple, barring you were willing to serve in the armed forces for the first five years upon graduation.
"Yo, Jimmy." Carbon was waving his hands before the young man, and so it was he'd been broken from his fantasies of creating a robotic revolution. "You're spacing out again; do you need to get your glasses checked?"
"They're fine." Jimmy said, flicking his goggles back over his eyes, and adjusting the knob on the side which took his focus from zoomed back to normal.
"Why not just go with contacts?"
"I don't have the money for that yet." Jimmy replied, stepping away from his work and giving a stretch. "Besides, you didn't just come here to warn me of the commander, right?"
"Yeah." Carbon admitted as he walked over to his buddy and wrapped an arm around him. "We've got to meet up with the others, remember?"
"The others... oh, that's today, isn't it?"
"Yep, and you promised to actually join us this time."
"Yeah... I did." And once again 'Jimmy' was reminded of just how lost he could get into his hobbies; academy approved hobbies, but hobbies nonetheless.
"Not chickening out on us, are you?" Carbon teased, only for Jimmy to huff.
"No, it just s-"
"Slipped your mind; yeah yeah, I get it." Carbon began pulling the budding roboticist towards the door. "Whatever excuse you have can wait; the others are already at the docks."
"Right, then we should hurry, shouldn't we?" Jimmy tried, and Carbon swapped from a grin to a smile.
"Finally, you admit it."
.
.
"Sir!" The soldier saluted the general, and the man paused his recollection to address the armored one.
"Yes?"
"We've received a request from the council again."
"Another interview?" Ironwood questioned, appearing not only to know the answer already, but also looking to hide his fatigue. The soldier nodded.
"Yes sir."
"Very well." The general said, turning to me and offering an apology. "We will need to continue this another time I'm afraid."
I had nothing in particular to say, remaining silent as the man turned towards the hall from which the soldier came running. The long, sterile walkway sported nothing but the dust of multiple travelers, staff of all kinds having dusted the once pristine flooring. As opposed to the spotless walls and doors which flicked from faultless white to ocean blue, the floors settled on a more filthy gray, with only splotches of its previous beauty scattered about.
"Take a left turn at the intersection ahead, and make for the third door on the right. At this hour I'm certain the training hall is in use. Both staff and students have been informed of your innocence through a partial briefing; whatever was necessary to keep the peace, and only what was necessary. Try not to hold anything they say against them; they are still young and naïve, and many do not hold the most… 'positive' of outlooks towards you. You have nothing to fear from them, other than some off-comments here and there; but I don't suppose that will bother you, will it?"
I nodded, which appeared to be enough for the man as his expression switched from one of steady patience into a more relaxed form of surety.
"Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me."
I watched for a little bit as he followed the soldier, wondering why he even thought to tell me of his supposed tale; yet, even that had proved of some use to me. It was... interesting to experience how I couldn't muster any more than a mild prick of emotion; which in and of itself was rather concerning - even if I could not feel such concern entirely. Was this the doing of the newest obelisk; had it somehow robbed me of my ability to feel? That couldn't be right, could it? The obelisks of before had only proved beneficial, so why was this one different?
I wouldn't claim that it caused any serious damage as of yet, because it hadn't. Despite my Human emotions being nearly liquidated, I had yet to come across a downside to the change. I couldn't truly feel... and yet I knew when specific emotions would have been applied to my being. To know when I should feel pity, and yet being unable to dig up more than a soft skim of curiosity was...
Incorrect: a fault of my person - as if it were a crucial error of my design.
I had become less Human and more... something else. My first thought had fallen to the Grimm; assuming I'd become more in line with them. However I'd already learned the Grimm could feel through a previous enhancement to my abilities. Every time I drew forth my armor I was able to take heed of their emotions, and even track them to an extent. Yes, I'd eventually come to dull the sensitivity of that power through natural exposure, but even so I could still sense the soft ire and destructive hate of the beasts.
This near complete lack of anything was new, and appeared as though it drew me away from the Grimm and towards something... more.
I decided not to waste time standing around in the halls however, and instead began my trek towards the destination of which the general had specified, and as I did so the thoughts and questions continued to pile up. Perhaps it was the remembering of that which was stolen from me that did this; my mind may not have been able to take it, and so it sealed away my ability to feel altogether. Yet this explanation was wrong; I did not know why, only that it was.
Over the course of a minute I'd made my way to what I'd assumed was the specified room, and stepping inside greeted me with what appeared to be an overlook of sorts. The few others inside appeared to have heard the door, and turned away from the glass to face me. I recognised none, and yet they spoke as if expecting me, and perhaps they had, at some point or another.
"Hello." One woman offered as I walked inside. "You must be Vermillion, correct?"
I just stared, not bothering to answer; if she knew who I was then why did she waste time asking me? After a bit of silence, she coughed into her closed hand, seeming to have understood she would coax no further response from me. Perhaps it would be seen as rude, but meaningless chatter would benefit no one.
"Yes, well... What is it you've come here for? Are you seeking to overlook the other students, or perhaps to train alongside them?"
"I will train with them." I confirmed: standing around watching the fights would do nothing for me, but getting some practice with Atlas's students would offer me insight into their skills. I could watch and observe their movements from outside, yes, but forcing them to react to my own repertoire of abilities would allow me to counteract them should the need arise. The general himself always seemed to hold a sort of pride in his voice as he referred to his students, so I decided to see just how skilled they really were.
The general was my only realistic shot at finding Salem, and until he set an operation into motion, I was stuck biding my time. With this in mind I watched as the woman nodded.
"Very well; follow me." She agreed much faster than expected, and so I questioned it.
"Why allow me to fight?" I asked as we walked over to the end of the room and down a set of stairs. "The general certainly told you about me, that I understand, but why offer me a chance to battle with the students? Are you not afraid I'd commit to something drastic?"
"Our orders were to open the academy's facilities to you, regardless of what we believed, or what our opinions of you were."
So it would seem the previous assumption and claim was correct.
We ended up in the vast open space, with its grid-like design only adding to the technological theme that Atlas seemed to hold so far; especially noticeable with Mantle below having been so drab. It was clear the holographic appearance of the room was for more than just show, as some of the blocky walls looked to shift and sink into the ground. There was a team currently present, and they seemed to take notice of us now.
"Well well..." A shorter, more tanned woman said, zipping up to me with speeds I'd only seen Ruby pull off, and yet unlike the girl who shared my last name, this woman left a trail of lightning in her wake; sparks of electricity fizzling out as she stopped. She bore a curious face, squinting a bit as her eyes flowed all over me. "You definitely match the descriptions."
"Please give the man a little space." A calm, pale looking member of the group called from the back, standing next to the others and seemingly drawing the attention of the woman right in front of me.
"Just checking him out." She turned back to me. "Clover's mentioned a few things about you, you know; I suppose we'll see how true they really are."
I merely watched as she zipped back to the others, wearing a smirk; playful with a hint of eager competition. She was ready for a bout, excited even, and with speeds such as hers I quickly assumed it was a trade off for physical strength; this theory was only added to by her thin limbs appearing to have no fat on them whatsoever - easily broken with the right amount of pressure.
"Try not to worry too much about her." Another man spoke, sporting a noticeable wolf's tail peeking from behind his legs. A Faunus in Atlas, and within their academy no less; the Vytal Festival from before proved that the schools didn't discriminate by race, and yet Menagerie claimed Atlas the worst offender of abuse, especially so with the White Fang - it was curious so far that none had spoke of the pauldron I wore. "Besides; you're here to train with us, right?"
I nodded, observing the group closer as the instructor at my side called for our attention. Harriot - as she was called - was the shortest of the bunch, with her uniform conforming in style with the rest, but being tighter to her skin and lacking material to cover most of her arms and legs, allowing swift motion unrestricted by air or cloth. A tall, rougher woman stood among them, heavily muscled and bare of footwear with a large hammer at her side - similar to that of Nora. The pale, lanky one seemed to hold a relaxed look upon his face, with no weapon in sight; I immediately assumed he was similar to Yang, in that his offense was tied more to martial arts. Lastly was the wolf, who merely crossed his arms; he seemed to notice me, and then scribbled a competitive smirk across his features in response.
They contrasted amongst themselves in both appearance and potentially fighting styles as well; no different than any other team of hunters, save the uniform which seemed to label all Atlas students together as one. Strangely, it appeared their classroom uniforms were also fit for combat as well, whereas Beacon's uniforms were not. It was a miniscule observation, but one that spoke of the schools and their priorities.
The instructor at my side broke the air.
"Seeing as we're all decided, I'll set down the ground rules. First of all, we'll be dealing with single combatant duels." She turned to face me. "Aside from what the general has briefed us on, we only have your previous appearances from the Vytal Festival to pull from when deducing your capabilities; I trust you take no issue with the decision for one-on-one combat?"
I sent another nod, and the woman continued.
"Now." She faced forward towards the rest. "We'll go off of standard conventions for the fights themselves, however we'll be dealing with the combinations differently. One by one you'll have a turn with Vermillion, and a five minute break will be afforded between each fight. However, should both parties choose to, they may forgo the break and skip straight to the round."
"Excuse me?" The call came from the one with the wolf tail in the back. Confusion was clear across his face as he spoke, and his tone seemed to match. "Will we be fighting with each other, or only taking shots against him?"
"You all have a solid grasp on your strengths and weaknesses already, so no, you'll not duel with each other; it is more beneficial that you test yourselves against an unknown. Think of it like an 'on the field' exercise." The instructor turned towards me again, and I noted the small squint of her eyelids; should I have not known better, I'd assume it was of a mocking fashion. No, in her eyes laid a faint slithering suspicion. "Now, seeing as you are the one who'll be fighting most, perhaps you would like to choose your first opponent."
I faced forward again, and my eyes locked unbreakably to the boy who'd questioned the rules of before.
"Wolf." I said, seeing the fledgling hunter's surprise spring to life. He seemed shocked, and even a little disgusted with my call - yet it was so miniscule that it may as well have not even shown. Most likely he was wondering why I chose him, and really, there wasn't a personal reason at all: he just so happened to be the first one I laid eyes on when the instructor gave me the choice.
"What did I do!?"
"Mr. Amin, is there a problem?" The instructor inquired, with a tone so stale as to make it clear she wouldn't accept whatever excuse he had lined up.
"No, ma'am." He resigned himself to our bout, but not without a minor hunch and a grumble.
"Good. Everyone else: with me."
The party left through the same entrance I'd arrived, leaving only 'Mr. Amin' and I, standing some distance apart; awaiting the signal to mark the battle's start. Soon enough a speaker sprang to life above.
"As per Atlas duel customs, the fight shall not end until one combatant's aura is broken. Use of semblances and any other advantages you may have on your person is permitted so long as it does not cause permanent damage to the arena or your opponent's wellbeing. With that said, you may begin at the sound of the alarm.
A moment of quiet was allowed, and then a monstrous sound similar to that of a horn buzzed out slowly with an off-key screech. I'd decided to remain in place, allowing my enemy to take the first move. I knew nothing of these people, of their limits and skills, and so opted to observe for the first few strikes to get a grasp on their technique; I could effortlessly tank a few hits regardless of what they were. Against my expectations, the man never made a rush for me, or even drew his weapon, which consisted of what seemed to be a bent metal blade - a wedge of some sort. Rather, he simply pointed at me, and spoke.
"Stay."
I would have questioned the rationale of such a decision, however, right as the words crossed his lips I felt a strict force coat my body. At once I tried to move, and yet it was as if my body as a whole refused the command, with the air surrounding me feeling as though it kept watch to ensure its prisoner did not flee.
Strange... I wasn't sure what to make of the ability, other than acknowledge its power over me. It was unquestionable that this ability was designed entirely to constrict, which begged the question as to what part of the man's soul felt so attuned to restraint? The tides of his aura wrapped around me, not like a series of chains as one might assume, but rather that of vines, as if the flowery strands were growing from within and wrapping around underneath my skin. The rivers of aura flowed smooth, and I was almost tempted to try and reach out for it, to feel it physically, as to make up for my other lost sense.
It tingled, and I noted a shift in its motions and strength.
My eyes - still locked to the man ahead - took in the tiny flinching of his stance. His face twitched ever so slightly with my 'touch' and I saw how his aura seemed to flicker for an instance.
.
.
"A little early, don't you think?" Harriet tossed over to the guy at her side.
"It is a smart play: to end the fight before it has even begun." The comment came out almost lazily, but unlike a typical careless teenager, the tone held within a stiff intent - similar to a man of religious prayer speaking the same scripture he'd recited for the past twenty odd years - careless, and yet still respectful of what he spoke.
"Yeah, but we're supposed to be reading that guy's skills." Harriet crossed her arms as she looked out with a scowl. "We can't exactly do that if Marrow just up and ends the fight immediately."
"No. However, we are all being given a chance to challenge him; nothing is lost if the battle ends quickly."
"Whatever." Harriet wasn't happy, even if the team's newest member was actually using his semblance smartly for a change. Not that she had anything against the guy, but it wasn't everyday you were given the opportunity to face off against someone who could control the Grimm - granted, there weren't any Grimm in the school, but still.
"Hold on." The tall woman started, with her face contorting stressfully. "What the Dust is that?!"
Harriot shot her vision back to the arena below, only to be greeted with what looked like a crimson disk smack dab in the center of the arena and right before their newly 'frozen' acquaintance.
.
.
"Ruby..." Yang peeked her head into the room, and though she sounded a little faint, the addressed woman heard her sister all the same.
"Yeah?" She called, and Yang stepped in a little more.
"Do you want to come down for lunch?" A small stressed smile tried its best to hold steady as Yang slipped a little snark in her words. "Jaune's trying his hand at pork casserole, and yeah, he isn't doing all that great, but his sis is keeping him in line.
"In a little bit."
"Oh... okay."
The door shut again, albeit softly, and after what seemed to be a moment's hesitation, Ruby could hear footsteps trail back down the hall. The girl just stayed there in bed, only rolling over to stare up at the ceiling above. She never had any dreams last night, not one, and for some reason she wondered if it was because of what Jinn said.
It really is impossible... Ruby continued to stare blankly, looking at nothing in particular as she allowed her vision to lose its focus, all the while her mind continued to wander down the twists and turns which have haunted her since they'd returned.
She thought she was being smart too, well, it just goes to show that sometimes a stupid idea really is just a stupid idea; a childish fantasy she foolishly threw her hopes into. Ruby grimaced, her eyes for but an instant regaining focus again. Why, why had it felt so right? Why was she so self-assured with the idea that she wasted their last question on it; she banked everything on that belief, and ended up being proven wrong, so why? Sure, Jinn straight up told them another wish would be ready to go in three years time, but what if Salem already destroyed the world in those three years?
She covered her face, gripping at the edges with her nails as she stared between her fingers. Ruby was starting to overreact now, she knew it, and for some reason she couldn't help but feel the way she had before. For some reason, the idea that the woman in the book was her just felt so right.
Letting go of her face, the young reaper shot up, startled when she noticed the faint purple glow within the darkness. Staring at her hand she curiously observed how the once smooth cut glowed with a pulse, as if in time with her heart.
And then there's you.
The wound across her skin had healed long ago, leaving no scars visible to the naked eye. Here in the darkness however, the glow pulsed with life, here and now, and she had no idea why. There was no doubt in her mind that V was responsible for her newest change, as he had been with both Weiss and Pyrrha. Ruby's own 'mark' was more in line with the former of her friends though, but unlike with Weiss, she herself had yet to break out some 'hidden ability' and kick some villain's butt with secret ninja skills.
All I ever get is bad feelings and worry. And what better of a time to pop up than when she was right in the middle of a mental conundrum; panicked on why the idea that she was the one from the book and her dreams felt so right.
The glow flared, and Ruby noticed immediately.
The girl waited, and waited, and waited for something to happen, but the glow just remained steady; dulling down even as she focused on it. Her lips twisted as her face fell into a scowl, and she scrunched up an angry glare towards the infectious light. There it went again, as if taunting her; making fun of the idea that she couldn't let go of her thoughts. The idea that backwards time travel wasn't possible - while a bit of a let down - never made her feel so bad, but the idea that she wasn't the woman with V in the past: that was what made the ickiness bubble up.
The glow shifted again, and this time, Ruby paused.
"You're a weird little thing, aren't you?" Speaking aloud to her glowing hand probably wasn't the sanest of things, but ever since Beacon fell, sanity seemed to be on the decline; the queen of Grimm was plotting to destroy the world, gods were real, and one of her friends was a time traveler from the past - honestly, who could blame her for slipping into a small bit of insanity at this point?
The light never answered, rather, it merely dulled down again into its steady silent hum.
Ruby continued to stare at it, and at some point she'd began to find the image mesmerizing. There were no changes, no prompts to force her mind to wander, but as she looked down at the palm of her hand, Ruby felt her mind wander back to Jinn. Somehow, she felt like Jinn had told her something: not just that travel into the past was impossible, but rather a potential hint towards something. Part of her felt that Jinn was right, and that time only flowed forwards, and yet another part of herself felt that she was right too, and the woman in the book and her dreams was her. It was a contradiction, and one that felt perfectly sensible... no, that wasn't right. A contradiction... the idea didn't sit well with her, and another idea filled in the space, feeling much more... palatable.
It was a puzzle, and she was missing a piece; the last piece, the one that would make it all click.
Within the timespan of less than a minute, Ruby was up out of bed and halfway down the stairs. A massive crash rang out just when she was starting to calm herself down, and so without thinking she made for the source of the noise. It was too loud to be a simple dropped plate, multiple maybe, but Jaune was never really all that clumsy, which led Ruby to believe something was going on, and not a good thing either.
She didn't so much as peak, but rather, the young woman tore herself around the corner, coming face to face with a - in all respects - frightful mask.
"We meet again, child of Summer."
"Mom..." Yang's voice came from the other side of the woman who currently occupied her vision, and her sister's gauntlets cocked loudly in the eerie soundlessness that infested the air. "Stay away from my sister."
"Yes..." Raven turned back, and Ruby saw how she never even bothered with the blades occupying her hip. The shadowed killer just stood with her hand resting on the pommel of her grip, blade still sheathed and not looking to even try and draw it. "Still a little soft, but boasting of blatant force: not a bad command, but you can do better."
"Then how about we let the shells do the talking?" Ruby peeked around her aunt, catching Yang just as she finished cracking her knuckles, raising her arms, and looking both ready to fight, as well as unload all her shotgun rounds at once.
Raven it seemed chose to laugh in response: a sly tone of voice with condescendence mixed throughout it in droves. Even though she appeared to be treating Yang's threat as nothing but wasted air, there was this sense of... 'intrigue' sprinkled along the surface of her cheers.
"I'm not messing around!" Yang glared hard, and Raven dulled her laughter into a more laid back chuckle.
"Of course you're not... and I'll admit: you've grown stronger." She seemed to look upon her daughter with... something - she was wearing a mask, so all Ruby had to go off was her basic movements and voice. "But we both know you'd lose an honest fight with me."
Yang smirked, slamming her fists together.
"Wanna take that bet?"
"How about we not tear the place into pieces, huh?" Jaune drew everyone in with that one, and Yang lowered her arms. The guy looked relieved with the apparent decision made, and continued to sweep away at the myriad of shards across the floor, all the while Pyrrha beside him was there with a dirty cloth in hand.
Yang turned back to Raven.
"You're paying for them; you know that right?"
"Once we're finished."
Ruby was now thoroughly confused, and not wanting to be left in the dark anymore she spoke up.
"Can somebody tell me what's going on?"
"Simple." Raven spun around. "We're heading out to unite with the Black Knight."
Ruby stalled for a second, but her uncle Qrow didn't.
"You know where he is?"
"No." Raven shot back. "But I made sure to link with him before I left the first time."
"Link?" Ruby squeaked out softly, not really meaning to let her question escape - it just sort of happened. Raven however heard it anyway, and looked back to the shorter reaper.
"Yes, link. My semblance lets me pick and choose between the people I've met as 'ties' to the land, and I can open a portal to any one of them at a moment's notice, providing I have the aura."
It had been spoken of before, her uncle Qrow had seen to that, and yet none of them really questioned the specifics of how it worked, just assuming Raven could teleport to her family, and only her family. Ruby's everything was racing now, and before she knew it the words were tumbling out.
"You can take us to V?"
"I can, and I will." Raven paused after that, reaching her hand into one of the flaps of her raggedy outfit, pulling out what looked to be a leatherback journal. She then handed it over, and Ruby thus took it in her own hands, and began to stare at it before her vision found its way back to Raven.
"What is-"
"Summer always carried that journal with her wherever she went." Ruby's heart stopped, but Raven carried on. "Always claimed it was her family's history. I didn't know why she loved it so much, but as she lay breathless and dying before me, she shoved it in my hands, telling me to take it."
"You... you saw her-"
"Die... yes." This was twice that Ruby had been interrupted, and before having the chance to fully process what she'd been told, Raven started up again. "It was because of her I even managed to get away at all. We were young back then; fresh faced and thinking we had to be the ones to save the world; well, Summer was anyway." Raven took a long pause after she said that, sighing before she revealed the rest. "But we were wrong, and she paid the price for it."
Ruby swallowed hard, very, very hard. All the worry she had over Jinn, over potential time travel, all of it had dissipated in wake of this. Like a burn the mental wound blistered, and soon enough, it popped. Her sights blurred expectedly, but Ruby never spoke, never wailed or choked. She just stood there, letting her eyes water and taking it all in.
Really, it shouldn't have been a surprise, and it wasn't. Ruby knew her mother died out on a mission, that much had been said, and after Salem's existence was revealed she'd assumed the queen of Grimm had something to do with it; pretty much confirmed it actually. But hearing it aloud, face to face with the one who witnessed it live: that brought out a special kind of sorrow.
"Ruby?" Yang's voice was edging on panic, concern covering every word. Her sister was about to leap for her, Ruby could tell without even looking; Yang had always been like that, ever since they were kids - a mom far before her time.
"It's alright." This seemed to quell her sister's innate need to comfort her, and it was for the better too. Ruby, despite still being partially blinded with her own tears, looked up to Raven, who'd now removed her mask and set it on her hip. The woman faced her not with a look of pity, but strangely enough, understanding. She never made it obvious, but Ruby could see it in the way her breathing flowed; long and smooth - deep breaths to control one's desire to choke. The woman wore a solid, emotionless mask, but her every move spoke of pity.
Raven shut her eyes for a second and then turned away, walking over to the others before she stopped. She drew her blade, slashing to the left, and a great crimson vortex hummed faintly before a chair; the same chair where Crescent Rose sat patiently awaiting its mistress.
"Every second wasted is a second Salem gains." Raven called, sheathing her sword again and sending one last look towards Ruby before she passed through.
"What the heck is wrong with her?" Yang grumbled lowly, and Qrow responded right after with a harsh exhale.
"You mother is something, that's what." He then sent his sights over to the portal. "Either way, we need to go quick; she'll bitch otherwise."
"And just up and disappear on Jaune's family?"
"No worries." The name-dropped guy said, holding up his scroll. "I texted her: we're good. She says goodbye though."
"What!?" Yang looked taken aback. "W-when did you start-"
"When she created it." Pyrrha cut in. "It was obvious she wouldn't afford us departure on our own terms, so I asked Jaune to send a goodbye for us."
"This is nuts." Yang spit out, only for Qrow to pat her shoulder.
"We can take it up with Raven once we follow through; come on, we're already wasting time."
"Hey, uh..." Nora stepped ahead of both Yang and Qrow, staring at the portal intently before wandering around, looking at the other side, and then coming back to the first. "What happens if we take the other side?"
"You pop out on the opposite end of where you stepped through." Qrow told, standing straight. "Don't worry about which side you take; at best if we go in opposite sides, we'll come out on opposite sides - nothing bad, just a little disorienting."
"Right..." Nora then looked to the rest, and then to Ren. "So... Can I jump in?"
"Go nuts." Qrow answered for the man, and Nora just ignored him; her eyes locked on her partner.
"Yes." Ren said, and Nora slipped on a smile and leapt inside. Ren proceeded to sigh before stepping forth. "We'll wait for you on the other end."
Once he stepped inside, Pyrrha and Jaune made their way through, followed by Weiss and Blake - the latter bearing cautious looks, and having remained quiet throughout. This left only Ruby, her uncle Qrow, and her sister Yang. Yang in particular looked over her way.
"Do you need some time?"
"I'm okay." Ruby responded, taking a second to wipe her eyes with her sleeve. She cast a single look at the book before calling out again. "You two can go on in; I'll just grab Crescent Rose and follow along."
Yang continued to wear a concerned face, until Qrow clapped her shoulder one more time. She looked up, offered a nod, and cast one last look at Ruby before stepping inside, followed by Qrow who did the same.
"Stay strong sport; it'll be alright."
She was alone now, and bearing a second's pause Ruby made good on her promise, walking over beside the portal to take Crescent Rose from its position on the chair. On this side of the portal Ruby could practically hear its buzzing right against her ear. Her uncle Qrow said it didn't matter which side they entered from, and so - while she was on the opposite end from the one everyone else had walked through - she took the plunge, stepping inside and allowing the world to dull for just a second.
Everything became clear once again, and she was hit with a strange sensation. Her stomach felt a little queasy, and she shut her eyes for a bit, focusing on relaxing her breathing. It worked to an extent, and the sickly feeling left her... well, not entirely, but it left to the point she didn't want to puke anymore.
"Ruby?"
That wasn't Yang, Qrow, Weiss, Blake, or really any of her other friends. That voice, that sharp, boyish tone that seemed to sometimes bump against her eardrums as if stumbling through the dark, that voice was one that locked her movements, and tore open her eyes. She saw him, the figure who owned said voice, which was now coarse and monotone, and while still trying to come to grips with the feeling welling up inside, the woman addressed him curtly.
"V?"
Author's note
...
She's back again, everyone's not so favorite - unless you have taste - bandit. See, her time with Tai wasn't wasted... At least, I don't think it was. Yeah, she gave Ruby the book, but certainly you've noticed a shift in other aspects of her as well.
I won't say much else for now, because honestly, there isn't much to be said - without spoiling things that is. I will say this though: congratulations on getting this far, you have now read the equivalent of seven fully fledged fantasy novels - only one more to go… hopefully.
Toodles.
Side note: I've finally gotten a better editing system set up, so we shouldn't have so many grammar issues anymore… I think.