RWBY: Bonds Between Hearts
Chapter 41: Terror Uptop The Mountain
WARNING: I own none of these characters sides from my OC(s). All rights go to their respective owners and properties.
This is nothing more than, well a fanfic, a story made up by a fan for entertainment and knowledge.
Everything in this fic is not canon and is only meant to give the audience a new idea of the works of each of the franchises in this story.
So please support me, my work and have some fun. Now enjoy the story. ^w^
The trip was as silent as ever for the group, ever since they learned about Vernage's past from Jinn. Many of them didn't know how to approach such a topic now that they learned about it, especially for Cody and Blake who wanted to know Lily's thoughts. Ruby included after that big argument between her and the chosen Saint. Yet so far, she has been avoiding such topics for them as they travel further along the snowy tundra to get to Argus.
They were able to scramble Yang's bike and some dust earlier, but without food or a sense of direction, they didn't know how long they'd last out in the blizzard. They had to make a stop somewhere.
"Man, this sucks… I can't sense a lick of heat anywhere that isn't our bodies…" Cody groaned, as he was using his pyrokinesis to try and detect any heat for them to follow and seek shelter until the blizzard would pass.
"The storm is getting worse too…" Yang grimaced. "We need proper shelter to help us."
"Question is how? Blizzard ain't helping with sights." Qrow raised a hand to look ahead but winced at the harsh cold breeze.
"Think you can make some kind of radar or something to help, sis?" Cody requested, looking to her for answers. Looking behind she saw her eyes stared at the snow as they walked.
"…."
"Sis?"
"..."
"Hey! Just what is going on with you?" Yang questioned Lily with a frown. She didn't like seeing her boyfriend get ignored. "I get not liking us still, but he's your sworn brother for pete's sake!"
Yang saw Lily merely walk past her. "Hey I said-!" Just as she grabbed the saint's shoulder, the blonde then squeaked when she was flipped over, landing on her back and gagged upon the Saint's foot being firmly planted against the blonde's neck and her human arm held tightly.
"Don't. Touch. Me." The glimmering emerald eyes glowered with a brighter color upon its now active glow.
"Sis! What the heck!?" Cody got out, rushing over to stop the fighting. "You're going way too far with this!" He said, attempting to pry Lily's boot away from Yang's neck.
"W-We shouldn't be fighting!" Ruby spoke up as she attempted to reach out to help, only for Lily to slap her hand away. With it, the Saint released her hold on Yang and marched ahead. Yang coughed as Ruby supported her, patting her back to allow the brawler to breathe. Despite her own Aura, her trachea was nearly crushed.
"Hey, hold on there!" Cody growled, gripping Lily's shoulder, "Lily, just what do you think you're doing? That was uncalled for!"
"Live or die. Either we live or we die." She stated calmly but coldly. Her emerald eyes drift to the relic on her hip then ahead. She shoved Cody's hand. "That is what is at hand so shut up and we keep walking."
Cody was stunned with shock from that. Lily hasn't acted like that since the time she was in Faust. Did seeing Vernage's past return her to such a state or was it too much pain for the heiress of the name to bear?
Lily adjusted her blazer, tossing aside an orb that crawled away while another returned to her, scraping her leg like a dog wanting attention. She picked it up as its spiky appendage pointed. "Good." She tossed it. "Go back to doing what I said before." The small orb saluted and hastily curled into a ball and rolled south, past the group and vanishing into the blizzard. "An estate is northeast."
"Finally, some shelter…" Maria sighed in relief. "Still could've told us without being so emo… Just what is with you youngsters these days?"
"You weren't there to begin with."
Qrow rubbed his neck. "Let's just follow her. Otherwise frostbite will be the first to have."
XXX
The trip was still harsh but they soon arrived at the estate… Yet there wasn't a fraction of life around. It was obvious to many it was abandoned, most likely due to Grimm or even Faust. But it was still in one piece, letting them take shelter and rest for a bit until it was better to move onward.
Lily flicked her hand, allowing fire to ignite the fireplace. With it, she walked to explore the estate whereas the others regained the warmth they initially lost from the blizzard.
"Finally… fire…" Ruby said with delight as she rested her hands against the fire to warm up.
"I'll go check to see if we have some food." Blake offered.
"I'm gonna check that barn and see if there's anything we can salvage for easier traveling." Cody chimed up.
"I'll join ya, nobody touches my bike but me…. Not unless you wanna go for a spin?" Yang teased with a snicker from him.
"Maybe once we're in Argus."
"Ugh… get a room, you two!" Weiss groaned from their flirting.
"I love teasing her with this idea you thought of." Yang whispered with a snicker.
"It's so fun to see her reaction." Cody responded with a chuckle himself.
They walked to the door but the second they opened it the harsh blizzard blew in, forcing the male blonde to quickly close it. "Okay, maybe checking after the storm settles."
"Good idea."
Weiss jumped to the brief sound of clattering before they saw another one of the orbs like the ones earlier landing on the fire, not affected by the magic flames and crawled up the wall and into the stairway, no doubt to the Saint.
"If those things keep doing that, I am gonna crush one." It made the sounds on the walls creepy which didn't help the atmosphere.
"She has been sending out a lot of them…" Blake murmured. She lost count how many the saint had sent out after that night. As if she had been sending them to search for something. Her gut told her what it was. "Just… give her a moment."
"That is if she doesn't crush my neck like she tried earlier, Blake." Yang frowned. "She is becoming cold and fixated again."
"She is trying to get her mind together from what we saw." The Faunus defended.
"Mind together? What is there to get? We all saw it and I'm sure we all now understand Vernage better than what we heard of. Yet she's acting just like how she was with Faust! Tell me you don't see her distancing herself from us again?" Yang complained to her teammate.
A sword suddenly impaled the wall between them, a reflection seen on them both. Lily glared at Yang. "Speak of mother like that and it won't miss."
"We're supposed to be teammates and friends, Lily! Stop acting like Night Rogue again!" Yang complained in anger.
"Who said I am?"
"We all do since you're acting like this! Its like you don't wanna change!"
"At least I am trying to give respect when we are in a house of death!"
"Huh…?" This soon got everyone quiet.
"Two bodies are upstairs, and if this is an estate? There is bound to be more." She glared. "I am giving them respect and a heart to care by burying them… at least that is what Night Rogue doesn't do so don't call me that again, clear?"
"I-I…"
Lily scoffed and returned upstairs, no doubt beginning to do her work to seal the bodies into proper burial rather than leaving them to resume rotting.
Cody patted Yang's back for support, knowing she didn't mean it like that. Soon they noticed the girl stepping down the steps as the familiar Gargoyle was carrying two hovering coffins. Ruby flinched upon Lily's glance before the Saint's arms ignited in flames as she stepped outside.
She felt the blazing cold at first but her magic allowed her to alleviate it as the two coffins were set. Raising her arm, Lily allowed the insides to burst into flames, consuming the metal coffins in its own form of a cremation.
Qrow stepped forward to Lily after she set the bodies ablaze, "Was there anything strange about them? Any wounds, blemishes or something chemical?" He questioned the saint.
"None." She glanced at him. "They died in their sleep but their age showed they weren't supposed toz"
Qrow was taken back as not many things could do that. But there were a few things that ran in his mind.
"Seems we're going to have to figure out what's going on here… I don't feel right just leaving these bodies unsolved." Qrow sighed.
"I've already sent my drones to check around. They will report to me the results." Her eyes stared at the fire.
"Still we should… be on guard…" Qrow said before yawning. "Maybe some rest would do us all some good."
"You go on ahead… I still have work to do."
"You know… they do worry and care about you… shouldn't you realize their needs as well? Especially to Blake?" Qrow looked at the young saint.
"There is much to worry about right now, lil bird." Lily frowned. "What I want right now is to ensure the goal is finished."
"Killing Evol?"
"You know it is not over until his head is on a wall and his kin joins him."
"Hmph.. and here I thought my drinking was too much of an obsession…" Qrow said as he returned back to the others.
Lily slipped her fingers to herself. The more she thinks, it feels like her own memories are merging alongside her mother's own. The goals she had and her own becoming one. The emotions that she felt during her eons of reincarnation swelling in her mind like a storm. Her mother's soul saved her by giving it to her… but all she felt was her thoughts and memories being her own. Just as her mother told her, to be the next Vernage.
She won't be alone… she won't have anyone take away the Lionheart Arthur had. Arthur… mother's beloved Arthur. Her drones will search for it. Her mother's blade won't be alone with it. She…
She gritted her teeth and grasped her head. She wanted to kill Evol for everything he did. She had the capability to counter his power. When she fights him again all she has to do is destroy that power of the black hole from the inside out. For her mother. For… For Arthur.
Her gaze snapped back to normal and panted as the memories that made her head rush fade away.
"You won't be alone… I promise…" she murmured. She clasped her hands together. "May the land we stand on and the air we breathe guide your souls under humanity's embrace."
XXX
Within the estate as night drew over and the blizzard seemed to get worse, everyone was gathered around the fire, sharing either a hot drink or meal that they could find that wasn't spoiled and rotten. Though meanwhile as they do so, Maria was reading the logs from the owners of the estate to learn more about them.
"Uncle Qrow, anything?"
"Lily was right. There are more around the whole estate." Qrow answered. "Guess this place has something to hide if they all died the same exact way."
"Were there any signs of it being Grimm or even Faust?" Yang questioned.
"That's the thing, we are not sure. They all just died in their sleep."
"Creepy…" Weiss shivered.
"Odd… then they shouldn't have died if there was nothing like that… Then just what caused them to die?" Cody pondered over this mystery.
"She is finding out. Sending those little orbs scouring the whole area to check. While she…" he sighed, rubbing his neck. "She is still outside burying and giving the blessing and all that for the corpses." At least that is one way to give respect to the dead.
"You sure that's a good idea for her to be out there?"
"She needs time." Cody saw Oscar's eyes, showing it was Ozma. "It isn't simple as you all noticed for Vernage. With the loss of her mother figure, the said figure whose soul is now infused with Lily so she can live, turning her into another Vernage. Her mind is no doubt… struggling between memories as Lily and as Vernage… with her lifelong memories era after era… tis no wonder she is trapped in between it all. A conflux…"
"And you would know that better than anyone else, Ozma…." Qrow looked to the old soul. "Is that why she is cold and bitter?"
"Part of it is… but the damage is there from witnessing what Vernage endured, forcing such memories to arise." 'Oscar' took a deep breath, resting his chin on the cane. "What you should worry about is the end of it. You had seen how Vernage was in her time in Haven. In a time when humanity's hearts were too dark for her to see…. And sadly… still exists now and then today."
Hatred. Selfishness. Many dark thoughts Vernage saw were too much as a saint who wanted to help the poor and weak. "I nearly heard Lily say Arthur as she gazed at the storm. I suggest to keep at arm's length otherwise you will only cause her to snap from the confluence she is having right now."
Yang grasped her throat, recalling that one moment earlier.
"Even so… she can still count on us to be there." Blake spoke up, "She doesn't need to be alone like Vernage was during those years… its different now. She is different."
"Agreed…" Cody nodded, "I just wish she would realize that already…" He sighed, remembering those days once more during their days in confinement. "Say Ozma? What about you? I mean… your view in regards to that? You have been living long like…" he held his tongue. Any mention of Vernage would set Lily off. The woman had ears sharp as a bat, no pun intended.
The old magician took a deep breath, eliciting a tired breath. He was thankful for Oscar to grant him this chance to speak. "Our way of living is completely opposite, Cody." He confessed. "Yes I have lived one life after another but not by rebirth as you may have noticed. Being cursed by the brother had made me see era by era, the changed brought upon it. However the Saint's is not like incarnations." He steepled his hands together, staring at the fireplace. "True reincarnation, something Vernage had done, she grew up from birth repeatedly. You see things as you grow. Watching the world around you change day after day, year after. Wisdom growing as you see the world around you. Alas… I have been genuinely blinded by the dark aspect to it."
"Seeing everything you have… gone forever?" Ozma slowly nodded, "You lose what you have been granted. People age but you regress back to the beginning of your birth. She created a religion where science and magic; to entrust in humans altogether rather than relying on the Brothers for help."
"Did you ever ask that god what he thought of that massive change?"
"Never got the chance… After the first rebirth, that was the last I've felt his presence." Ozma shook his head. "I… truly feel sorry for Vernage. She had created a method that is the definition of sacred rebirth… but at a cost." Her mind was steeled because of Evol. Her love for Arthur made her create a revolutionary evolution in her era but that time was long forgotten by the grace of time itself.
"We all do…" Blake added on, "I just wish Lily understood that we all do…"
Ozma sent a look at all of the young adults. "The only way you can understand her is if you understand what Vernage sacrificed. What it genuinely, and I say this as a serious matter, means to live… and die as her hidden creed went by." His eyes glimmered. "You will have to find your own respective answer. Now, I must rest…"
The glimmer faded, allowing Oscar to yawn upon Ozma's control ended.
"That must be exhausting." Ruby noted.
"That man is right, you know." It was Maria who spoke.
Yang guffawed, "You actually agree to why Lily is like this?"
"Tell me where was that girl born?"
"… Mistral."
"Did she have parents? Siblings?"
"No…" Cody remembered Lily's background in the cell. "She barely knew them because she was thrown out… to survive on her own."
"Vernage had to do the same. To survive in hopes she can kill Evol while being a saint for the people; supportijg them of their plights. Imagine if you were her - seeing everything you cherished. Everything given to you repeatedly wither away like ashes. Seeing your whole world change as you grow up. Of course, I will say this because I can agree and you can hate me for saying it - the world we live in is a dark place. We have our lights but for how long until time itself decides to end it? Can you withstand the mental fortitude of it all?"
"…" Cody opened his mouth but lowered his head. "No… I couldn't… I… couldn't even go as far as killing myself… like Vernage did." A few subconsciously slipped a hand to their hearts, grimacing at that one memory of Vernage impaling herself with her own valuable weapon.
"Then to be fair, nobody at all can even fathom such a cycle. I'm still reeling at the fact that this is our second time around due to the Brothers! Maybe we all need to rethink this venture and know it's what you want." Maria pointed out. "As that man said, think of what it means to live and die under that cycle of suffering she had. Least that saint is better than that 'Salem' harlot if I remember her name correctly. Completely opposites they are."
"That's an understatement…" Weiss scoffed. Her brows softened however and rubbed her arm, mentally seeing a portion to it. 'I had everything as a Schnee… Vernage had everything because she was a princess of one of the first kingdoms but…' All the fame, the wealth, the saint threw it all away because that night she witnessed her guards and Arthur murdered in a bloodbath changed her. She had it all… and lost it all, repeatedly. All she was able to do as years went by… was pick up scraps that faded away as she moved onward through time in her duty as the Saint of Eden. Scraps for brother's sake. Vernage must have lost count how many mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, any family member passed away as she grew up. Her background was more tragic than her own.
"Ugh! All this negativity is getting tiresome!" Yang snapped, as while she understood well both sides now, as well as having more respect for Vernage. This mood now was ruining any chance to fight back and she didn't want to see everyone so down again. After all, they finally had a leg up on Evol, and they need to rekindle that relief and hope again. "I think we should sleep, none of this negativity is good for us. We still have Grimm out there after all."
"Sleep… does sound good…" Ruby admitted as she nodded in agreement.
"Then let's get some shut eye. I'm sure Lily already set her thingamajigs to scout to protect." Qrow rested his feet over a table. He closed his eyes and elicited a soft breath.
Weiss did the same, resting against the wall as did Blake. Ruby saw Yang and Cody were next to sleep though next to each other. Her silver eyes peeked through the window, watching Lily burn the last few metal coffins. Her verdant eyes glum and tired.
'What can you even do with those eyes unlike the others?! If you keep up with that childish charade you will tarnish every silver eye warrior's name who performed their valiance, especially my mother's beloved Arthur!'
Ruby lowered her head at the sharp words yesterday. Her fingers curled and a brief shade of frustration, sadness, and anger rose up. She wasn't sure what to call herself… and she hated it. To not be like the other silver-eyes who fought for others. Tarnishing all those who had eyes like hers. It really felt like Lily was criticizing her that she was tarnishing even her own mom Summer for not seeing the big picture.
'She doesn't know anymore' is what she told Lily yesterday. She still felt that same set of emotions much like from that outburst last night.
Looking at the two bottles in hand, Ruby furrowed her brows and furiously threw it across the living room. The trinkets bouncing and silently clattering onto the kitchen floor. She slid back down against the wall, pressing the palm of her left hand against the left side of her face, clenching her jaw to hide the gritting teeth.
'Just what good is this even doing? What even is the point of it all?' Ruby questioned within her thoughts, bitterly.
Unbeknownst to Team RWBY, Qrow, Maria, and Cody, the slight sound of the two bottles landing in the kitchen stirred something.
Something within the attic.
XXX
Ruby was the first to wake up, the dim embers of the fire place finally going out as she looked to see the sun's rays peaking in. The huntress groaned as she got up and walked over to see that the blizzard was gone, but given the sun's position she was able to tell it was already 2 in the afternoon. Qrow was meant to wake up first and wake everyone up!
Ruby went into the other room, only to see her uncle passed out with several bottles around him. He once again drank himself into a sleep coma. Ruby sighed heavily before she picked up a bottle and tossed it, causing it to shatter and startle Qrow.
"I'm up! I'm up…" Qrow said with a groan of exhaustion.
"Uncle Qrow… I thought you said you'll give up drinking?" Ruby frowned with disapproval.
The man groggily blinked a few times, before rubbing his neck. "Sorry…"
"Honestly…"
"What barked up your tree?"
"Nothing… just… nothing." Ruby murmured, turning away to check on the others. "Guys, get up." She got silence from their slumbering forms. She gritted her teeth and yelled with a stomp of her boot, "GET THE HELL UP YOU GUYS!"
The stomp and yell quickly made everyone jitter and wake up. Cody the only one jumping to his feet and in a combat stance, most likely startled and reminding him of the days he had to wake up and flee Faust.
"About time.." Ruby huffed.
"Geez Ruby… Could've been more gentle there…" Cody groaned with a yawn as his fight or flight instincts faded away for now. He paused to notice Ruby retained a frown and a bitter gaze. "Ruby? You okay?"
"Just peachy." Her silver eyes saw one occupant missing. "Vernage still not here?"
'She didn't address her as Lily?' Cody noticed in puzzlement.
"Maybe she got up before us and went to check things out?" Blake pondered, groaning as she rubbed her eyes (like the cat she is).
They heard the door open and saw Lily using cloth to clean her hands. "Oh, all of you are awake." She noted. "Saves me the trouble."
"And?"
"Found a trailer that I connected to Xiao Long's bike." replied Lily, her frown forming upon catching Ruby's attitude. "With the blizzard no more, we can depart."
"And you didn't consider waking us up earlier because?" Ruby crossed her arms, annoyed.
"You were all sleeping in such conditions. Unless you wish for your sister to crash mid drive."
"We were supposed to be ready to leave by 9! How can you be so careless?!" Ruby snapped.
"Excuse me? I was ensuring your sister does not fall asleep when she drives her vehicle with us in it!"
"Oh, so you 'assumed' my sister couldn't handle it? How typical of you, just underestimating us lowly 'people'. What a 'saint' you are!"
A bottle fell as if a bad omen had come the second those words left her mouth.
"Say. That. Again."
"Ruby-" Yang realized a ticking time bomb.
"You're a failure of the name 'Vernage'..." Ruby glared heavily at Lily.
"RUBY!"
It was too late.
Lily tackled Ruby into the kitchen, slamming her midway into the ground. The older woman tightly gripped Ruby's cloak as the back of Ruby's head hit the floorboard. "YOU TAKE BACK THOSE WORDS YOU CHILDISH BITCH!" Lily snapped.
"LILY!" Cody snapped with shock at the fight.
"I FOUGHT AND REDEEMED FOR MY MOTHER WHEREAS YOU HAD DONE NOTHING BUT LEARN LIKE A NAIVE CHILD!"
"YOU'RE SIMPLY CHASING AFTER EVOL FOR REVENGE! YOU'RE JUST AS A CHILD AS I AM!"
The brawl ensued as Lily had begun to shove Ruby into the floor repeatedly, her hands beginning to ignite with magic. It began to cause panic upon it.
"Revenge and saving are different matters! You don't know anything about what it means to die and live! To survive in suffering!"
"At least I'm not pretending to be someone I'm not! I may not have had such a terrible life, but I still suffered! They suffered too! Don't think just because you've had it worst off that your suffering is more important!"
"All you do is tarnish every person with those eyes! Especially your own mother!"
"T-Take that back!" Ruby snapped, tearing up as she slammed her fist into Lily's cheek.
"Guys stop!"
"Not until you take back what you said, you naive child!" Auras flickered from the painful blows delivered between each other. Before it could get worse, a loud slam echoed. Slowly, Ruby and Lily noticed Oscar with the cane.
"That is enough." Ozma hissed. "Remove yourselves from each other, now."
Lily gritted her teeth before shoving Ruby back into the floor, rubbing away a few splotches of blood. Ruby held a hand over her eye, the corner of her lips bleeding from the searing blow earlier. She felt a few of her ribs aching.
Yang wasted no time rushing to her sister's side to help her up, and hugging the girl out of worry. The scythe wielder shoved her away.
Lily gritted her teeth and marched outside.
"Lily, where-"
"Leaving. I'll go onward on my own." She pointed at Ruby and tossed her the Relic. "Congrats little rose… you got what you wanted." And then slammed the door closed. They briefly heard her outside shout. "Cyclops! Go wherever…."
"Sis! Wait!" Cody rushed outside but saw the arma gigas-sized being already flying away with Lily in its arms. The blonde looked at Ruby who said nothing, still covering her black eye.
"Ruby, just what the heck was all that?" Weiss questioned, confused much like everyone else.
"… all of it…"
"Pardon?"
Ruby somberly glared at Weiss. "I said all of it. What the hell is supposed to be better when nothing is always better. Oh why not fix it ourselves, not like anything bad will happen. Well it did! Why not ask me to think of great ideas! Yeah they were great, great enough it backfired several times! We can beat Evol! We have a chance! We DON'T! All we have are the stupid bottles when only one, ONE person has been able to stop Evol! And she left right out the door because of me!" Ruby ranted furiously. "Keep the relics safe, prevent the Brother's from delivering the oh-so divine punishment that can end us! Oh, let's not forget we still have another snake, spider, and whatever the other two were who want to eat our world! Cody's so-called uncles who are gluttonous, alien freaks who don't have a heart like Evol!"
Everyone stood there as they looked at Ruby, but not with anger or upsetting looks. But ones of worry and care. Ruby stood there, tears in her eyes as she was simply venting all of this frustration after so long of it building up. She just couldn't handle keeping it in anymore.
"We nearly died by Evol! We tried and we failed to beat him! Did we win? Yeah but for how long?! It will be all rainbows and sunshines! IT'S NOT!" she gripped her hair. "All it was is a stupid cycle of endless pain and mistakes!"
Yang said nothing as she walked up to Ruby again, looking at her as the scythe wielder glared up at her. What Ruby got was the buxom brawler's hand slapping her across the cheek.
"Don't you think we knew that already? Don't you think we had these thoughts too?" Yang questioned her sister, "Do you honestly feel better lashing out at us, sis? Believing it was justified to do such harsh things to us all?"
"You know it is the truth!"
"And? To be just as cruel as what we face? Mom… wouldn't want to see you like this…"
The mention of her mom Summer Rose sparked frustration. It was the first emotion before she lowered her head. Her hand lowered.
"As tough as it is, Ruby… As hard and as harsh as everything has been? We can't let it just defeat us…" Cody spoke up, "What we're tackling is beyond what was expected… Yet haven't you proven that despite the odds, doing the right thing is to continue this venture? Wasn't that the type of hero you wanted to be? Don't you remember what Lily once said? There is always someone who can forge the existence of heroes."
"… Is that supposed to make me feel better? Cuz it didn't." Cody and Yang flinched. "I want us to leave… now. And Yang… just don't. Don't involve mom just to make me feel better, ever again."
Ruby stormed off to another part of the mansion, leaving everyone dazed and shocked at the response, especially Yang who looked like she just saw someone kill Zwei in front of her. Cody placed his hand on Yang for support.
"Ruby…." Yang said softly yet painfully.
"What has gotten into her?" Weiss questioned as this was shocking to the heiress as well.
"I… think she basically snapped…" Qrow responded as he looked more surprised than the others. "Everything from Faust to Salem and the relics? I think it practically stole whatever innocence she was holding onto… What she loved was stolen and she doesn't know how to cope…"
The tale of Vernage flashed in their minds. Just like her when her innocence was destroyed by Evol by murdering her guards alongside Arthur and the war the snake caused in her time.
The innocence couldn't be caged anymore as every soul had to see the true colors of the world sooner or later. That was the bitter reality that was painfully part of life.
"Come on… let's at least try to get things working…" Cody said sadly, gesturing to Yang to move with him, mostly though they can talk without many ears around them. "Lily said she already installed that trailer bed to your bike before she… left."
"I just… thought that Ruby could always rely on me… Tell me what's going on in her head and trust me to help her… Have… I been doing this wrong? Have I been a terrible sister?" Yang turned her head to him with tears in her eyes as she was lost to what to do.
"No, Yang. Of course not." He comforted his girlfriend. "You have been doing the best you can. Don't blame yourself for this… It was… sadly bound to happen one day or another… Believe me on that, but you're doing your best. You wanted what was best… but you can't always keep her in the cage. You know each of us got the big picture of reality."
"I never intended as such. I just wanted to make sure she'll be okay…" Yang's human fingers gripped her metal prosthetic. "I know things would get tough for her once she sees more of the world. I always hoped she'd still be as she was full of life and hope… not… what we saw. It's like I was looking at…"
"At…?"
"Lily when she was in Faust. You remember how she was, Cody. You know how she saw everything."
"True…" Cody admitted as he nodded, seeing the similarities were practically the same.
"Then… what can we do to help her? Please… I don't want to see my sister like this…" Yang pleaded. She wanted some kind of answer to help Ruby as the older sibling felt so helpless.
"I wish I knew the answer Yang…" Cody frowned as he didn't know what to say. "I truly wish I did…."
XXX
Ruby stared at the Relic of Knowledge, her thumb brushing across the lantern. She sat on the steps of the manor while her eyes were bitter. The others were busy as the trailer bed was set. It was this stupid thing that brought into light how cruel the world, if not the entire universe, can be to one person.
'If this thing didn't exist…' Ruby grimly frowned at the relic. Her thoughts wander about, believing if they just leave it here then they don't have to fight? Maybe everything could go back to the way it was before all of this went down… Maybe leaving it here would be for the best.
She stood up and approached the well. Her glum eyes stared longingly at the object. Just one release of her fingers and it can go away.
{ThRoW iT}
That part of her wanted to. She hated what she felt.
{ThAt SaInT MadE me SeE CruElTy}
Her fingers on the Relic trembled.
{mOM wAs WRoNg!}
'W-Wait… No.. She wasn't wrong…'
{sHE leFT uS! sHe dESerVEd tO dIE!}
"N-No! These aren't my true feelings!" Ruby said, feeling dread wash over her. But the moment she tried to back away, piercing yellow eyes appeared from the well as a hand reached out and grabbed her wrist, attempting to drag her into the well.
She yelped, tugged again and again before she was pried free. Alas the relic clattered into the well and down into its depths. "No! Nononononon!"
"Alright… we're ready to go now." Yang's voice reached Ruby's ears as she turned back to see everyone, though they looked a bit less energetic and somewhat less colorful than she remembered.
"We can't go!"
"Ugh… seriously Ruby? You just demanded all of us to get going as soon as possible…" Weiss groaned out.
"I dropped the Relic! We have to get it back!"
"Does it even matter anymore? Sides… I'm just… tired of everything now…" Blake chimed in as she looked so defeated now.
"I'M NOT LEAVING WITHOUT THE RELIC!" Ruby stomped her foot as she panted from having to exert herself. But as she does, she begins to realize something as well. How she was treating everyone… Just… why was she acting like that? She was fully upset at what happened, she doesn't deny what she did but now… the guilt was in the open as well.
Her fingers slipped to her hair. It has been growing after throwing away those two Fullbottles. "We… We need to go down the well!"
"Fine… we'll go…" Weiss sighed as the others of her team alongside Cody groaned softly before hopping down the well with Ruby.
Cody took point as he spawned an orb of fire to light the way as the well was nearly dry, only a slight river of water leading around it before they headed further into it.
"Ugh… great. This is going to ruin my leggings…" Weiss groaned out from the water.
"It must've rolled farther in… Ugh, just great…" Cody sighed out. "Ruby, if you cared that much about the Relic, why drop it so easily?"
"It wasn't me! Something… grabbed me… Tried to drag me in… Even making me hear my voice but… not my feelings…" Ruby admitted.
"What?" Cody slowed his steps, looking over his shoulder. "Something grabbed you?"
"Yes! I-I…" She trailed off bitterly. "I was too upset… and then that…" She wasn't sure what to feel.
"Hey… it's okay." Cody patted Ruby's head with a soft smile, "Seems like you got out of your lash out from earlier, huh?"
"I… guess…" Ruby slowly pushed the blonde's hand away.
"Well.. I think there's someone you should apologize to once we're out of this mess." He said, gesturing to her sister who looked just as worried as Ruby was.
Ruby averted her gaze from them but spotted the Relic. She jogged to it, picking up the Relic.
Cody looked around but blinked. He drew closer to the wall and raised the fire. "Are these… claw marks?"
Blake, Weiss, and Yang saw it. Yang raised her fingers and noticed the count. "It's almost like a human hand…"
"But it looks like less of a human hand clawing it but… a skeleton hand clawing it…" Blake noted from the markings on it.
Soon a chill ran down everyone's spine along with a slight feeling of fatigue. Ruby soon turned her head to the dark corridor nearby as coming from it was what looked to be a Grimm. But it looked more human than most, like a decomposing corpse with an unhinged jaw and long limbs.
"AAAAAHHHHH!" Ruby's scream got their immediate attention. Ruby scrambled away and bumped into her team.
"Ruby-" Weiss was interrupted by her upon the scythe wielder pointing.
The others soon see the Grimm, but it was now more than one. How did they not see the others coming from the shadows?
"We need to go, now!" Cody shouted as the girls booked it as he threw a few fireballs to deter the Grimm from chasing them before he followed after the others.
The group continued to run through the tunnels as the darkness grew. They couldn't remember where they came from, nor where the entrance to the well was, as they began to run into more of the same type of Grimm, making them stumble into another direction or tunnel.
"Just what kind of Grimm are these things?!" Weiss shouted.
"How should I know? We just need to get out of here!" Yang responded back as they continue to venture around within the tunnels of the well. It felt like a maze with no end as they either ran into more of the Grimm or a deadend.
"How are they even appearing like this? Other than that claw mark, there was no signs of it!" Blake questioned as fear was growing in her heart.
"I think we may know what killed the people of this place, question is how they did it without even touching them?" Cody panted, tossing another fireball at the horde of Grimm, yet he started to feel weaker by the moment for some reason.
"Hey! I see something!" Ruby pointed ahead as they see a rock wall that was partial open, as if something crawled into it.
Knowing they had no choice, the group rushed into the hole finding what looked to be a… cellar?
"Wait… Could this be the cellar?" Blake noticed.
"Looks like we know how they got in…" Yang commented.
Cody looked around as he tossed the flames to the hanging candles nearby, giving them some light. Though he wished he didn't as laying around them were more bodies, but this time of Huntsmen.
"Seems like this was their stash…" He grimaced as the bodies here were much more torn apart than the ones Lily found. Though as he looked around the bricks for the cellar that lead into the well tunnels, showed that it was taken apart from the inside.
"I think… they were keeping the Grimm here?" Cody noticed as he picked up one of the bricks, "It looks like it clawed its way out into the tunnels… not in…"
"Wait… that means… They trapped the Grimm in this cellar?" Ruby questioned.
"Seems like it…"
"But why? Having something like this in the cellar would be dangerous!" Weiss got out, confused.
Soon an ear piercing screech sounded out, making everyone quickly drop to their knees, feeling more weak than before.
"Y-Yang… get to the door and… open it…" Cody grimaced as he hasn't felt like this in awhile.
"Got it!" The brawler of Team RWBY marched up the steps but just as she cocked her arm, the Grimms' screech forced their bodies to weaken again. As if it was draining their wills.
"S-So… weak…" Weiss groaned out as she could barely lift a finger now.
Ruby slowly looked up with all of her might, seeing the Grimm now slowly trudging towards them, as another screech made them completely lay on the ground as even breathing was difficult.
'I can't… I…' Ruby tried. She had to. She… she…
"Ru…by…" Cody gritted, trying his might as well as one of the Grimm approached the young boy. Looking down at him as it raised a claw and slowly descended one of the tips towards his skull.
She felt… tired.
Suddenly a chainsaw pierced it and two others before retracting. Ruby felt herself and Cody dragged, the former wearily seeing a familiar spiky machine.
'… Grem… lin…? Cerber… us?'
"There you kids are!" A familiar older lady voice called out as rushing up to them as quickly as their body could be, was Maria alongside both the machines… as well as Lily.
"Li…ly… Mar…ia…." Ruby got out weakly.
Lily didn't respond to her but glanced at Maria. "Help her understand while myself and the machines hold them off."
The older lady nodded as she got to Ruby before kneeling down, "Kid… what color are your eyes again?"
"… silver…" Why ask her that question?
"Are all of these your friends? Your family? Do you have a crush or a pet?"
"They…" Ruby's ears were treated to the ear-splitting sound again but Maria cupped her ears to muffle it sightly.
"Kid, you are more special than you realize…" Maria told to Ruby, "Try to focus. Concentrate on everything that you love and makes you happy."
"But… why-?"
"No buts! Just do it quickly. I had enough pestering to do for one day." Maria ordered.
"Listen to that former huntress!" Lily exclaimed.
Ruby was taken back to learn Maria was a Huntress herself. But with everything going on, she had to listen for once. Ruby closed her eyes as she began to focus… Her sister and father… Zwei… her team.. Cody as well as Cross….
'Mom…'
That last thought soon filled her not just with some energy but something else before a blinding white light bathed the entire room, even exiting into the tunnels as some of the horde was turned to ash in moments, and just in time as everyone felt their will and energy returning to them.
"That… was me…?" Ruby said with shock and awe.
"Yang!" Cody shouted to her as the brawler nodded.
Yang pressed a panel on the side of her prosthetic as a slot opened up. She took up the Robot Fullbottle and slotted it in.
[ROBOT!]
[READY? GO!]
[REMNANTECH FINISH!]
"HAAAAAAA!" Yang howled out as she slammed her fist against the cellar doors, shattering the metal panels into pieces.
The group hurriedly ran into the manor and straight towards the motorcycle. Qrow and Oscar took heed.
"Guys what's going on?" Oscar inquired in bewilderment.
"No time! Let's drive!" Yang said, taking no chances as she quickly revved her bike and began to take off.
"What about the Grimm?! If they come back up!" Cody exclaimed from the tractor bed.
"You won't have to worry." Maria glanced at Lily. The Saint flicked her wrist, her emerald eyes glimmering. Everyone jumped to the sound of an explosion and looked back to see the wooden debris spilling everywhere. "They won't bother another soul."
All eyes of the teenagers went to Lily who remained with no eye contact to them and silence, focused on the snowy scenery. But after awhile, the first one to speak up was Maria.
"Those things were the Apathy… Grimm that while not fully strong like most others. They make up with it in numbers and their power… The power to take away the will and strength of others." She revealed.
"How… how did they even get there?"
Maria reached into her cloth and procured the familiar book. "Seems during some harsh times, everyone was uneasy and unable to sleep. So upon discovering one of the beasts? The owner thought if he could take simply one from its pack, it could give them enough rest. And at first? It worked… until the pack came after their missing member… Using an unmark entrance into the tunnel that the owner didn't know about. They rescued their taken member… and in the end their combined forces took the farm's will… hence why our little Saint here found their bodies so well preserved. But seems they turned it into their own den.. Luring in unexpecting passersby and taking them further into the feast."
They swallowed heavily.
"You were lucky Maria here decided to read up on the logs that the family made… Otherwise we wouldn't know about what happened." Oscar praised the elder woman.
The said woman chuckled, grasping her cane with both hands.
"If that is the case then why…" Ruby bit her lip when she looked at Lily. She still couldn't see eye to eye with her. "You could have…"
"Leave you to die? No." Ruby's fingers dug into her skirt by her response. "Goes against what I vowed to my mother…. I only came back because Cyclops convinced me to turn back." She remembered his words. Him. To his own creator. But at the same time, he was following his program as her guardian. He wanted her to do what was best.
"I… I'm very sorry for what I said… Everything is just… too much right now…" Ruby lowered her head in shame, "I… I said so much and don't deserve anything but your ire…. I can't… ever ask for your forgiveness… I was a brat… you were right about everything about me…"
Lily peered at the scythe wielder then at the snow "We all have our darkness. If you want to hear my acceptance to your forgiveness, you have to earn it. It isn't brought to you on a silver platter like some."
"...I'll… do what I can… to make up for my transgressions…. I'm sorry Lily…" Ruby said from the bottom of her heart and the truth for once as she bowed her head.
The Saint snorted and kept her gaze away.
"And Yang… I'm sorry for what I said too.. I.. I just-"
"I know Ruby. You had the right to it." Yang focused on the road. "Can't continue on keeping you in some cage from the outside. The world can be cruel… but just know that whatever you do, just… take it easy. Brothers know some of us try our best. Minus the lack of gods religion girl over there in the corner"
Ruby smiled softly with a nod, as she could feel in her heart that Yang was 'hugging' her even though the blonde was driving. She'll do what she can to gain their trust and forgiveness once more.
"Well, lets change subject and not be so glum…" Cody chimed up as he looked to the elder woman, "Lily said you were a huntress, right?"
"Oh that…. That was ages ago…" Maria waved off.
"Well? Who were you?"
"Why not tell them Saint. You were always a privy girl."
Lily chortled. "Privy isn't one to describe me. Back in Faust… Evol had always kept records of potential victims to kill or experiments throughout his days. Before I was part of it. Records of Hunters who were to be killed by Faust or went off grid. One such person was codenamed… Grimm Reaper."
Silence grew. This was one huntress that everyone knew, as she was a living legend back in the day with many tales, stories and more that were created because of the woman… Even the usage of a Scythe first started with her.
"So… Maria 'The Grimm Reaper' Calavera, why not tell them you were once a taller woman with silver eyes?"
"HAAAAAAAH?!"
XXX
Within the sands of Vacuo, a Faunus was running for his life. For once though, this wasn't a Grimm as it was something else.
Several projectiles pierced through, making the poor soul drop dead.
The footsteps in the sand brushed before the Faunus weakly looked up to see a gun barrel of a cloaked Guardian. Several others had walked across the sand with the sand-colored cloaks.
Evol stared at the scene of carnage as he waited patiently. He had fully recovered but now he was initiating a… clean up. A clean up of what you ask? Ah right, after losing to that bitch he wanted to prepare himself to confront Vernage one last time to end it all for good. Reason to be in Vacuo was due to his ongoing investigation.
"Report: DNA in the room of inn is not a familial match of your DNA."
"None eh? Filtered or unfiltered?"
"Answer: Unfiltered."
Evol made a mock spit to the sand. He had an inkling as to who it belonged it. "Must be those two cronies who were with him back at my home planet."
"Response: Unknown. Rebuttal: Odd emotional activity from creator."
Evol snapped his attention to the Guardian, gripping its head and lifting it up effortlessly.
"Hah? 'Emotional Activity'? You scrap of metal, my race HAS no emotions!"
"Repeat: Odd Emotional Activity fro-"
Evol wasted no time to turning the Guardian into dust. He had more to spare anyways. Evol growled as with a stomp of his foot, most of the sand beneath him vanished.
That cursed bitch's attacks had been causing this stupid nonsense. The space-time and singularity energy she had created was messing with his dark matter lifeblood. "You three! Burn this whole village! The rest of you, I want you to contact my remaining operatives across Remnant! Find me Vernage's location!"
"Roger. Roger."
"Once I kill you Vernage, I will make sure my family is kicked off this planet for me to eat. I will not have my meal ruined with you stepping your filthy human hands on it!"
With a flick of his wrist, Evol vanished into a wormhole made from his power, transporting him to another location to check on with his investigation.
The sooner he proves his kind had been freed from Pandora, the better he can ensure they are off Remnant. Remnant was his meal. And no one will get in his way of his enjoyment.
A/N: Heya minna! Happy new year! Welp, first new chap of the new year and this one was something huh? Now I'm going to say right now, we're not skipping out Ruby's mental snap on Vol 9. This is just to show how it wasn't fully addressed in the show, so we'll be giving some snippets like this here.
Next up is Evol. He's basically searching around to see if Blood and Killbas have been unleashed yet or not. So don't expect much from that until like Vol 7 - Vol 9.
Until next time, later minna!