*Legend 8*

This day forward

...

Yang was sleeping peacefully, her vision lost to the void of black and dreamless sleep. But a sudden bodily disturbance began to pull her towards consciousness. She woke without a start. Ruby, who was tucked into the crook of Yang's body and using her right arm as a pillow, was tossing back and forth fretfully and muttering a single word over and over again. "Oh, no," Yang moaned sadly. She knew this phenomenon all too well.

Poor Ruby was having her recurring nightmare. It began to haunt her soon after she lost her mother in the battle against The Fallen. It didn't happen every night, but often enough for Yang to know how to handle it. "Mommy..." Yang pushed the sweat-heavy hair out of Ruby's eyes as she waited for the event to run it's course. "Mommy run..." Yang's heart ached terribly at the words, as it always did. "MOMMY!"

Ruby catapulted herself up on her arms as she exited the nightmare in a screaming fit. Yang hugged her frightened sister close and cradled her head to her breast. "It's alright," she cooed in her ear. "It's alright. I'm here baby."

Ruby's body was racked with sobs and shivers. The imagery of her nightmare still dancing vividly in font of her eyes. The details never changed.

She was standing in a snow-covered field. And suddenly, a cloaked woman dashed passed Ruby, screaming to her, "Run, Ruby! The Fallen are coming!" And soon after, a wave of the terrible alien creatures appeared and chased after her mother. By now, Ruby had been left a ways behind, but she gave chase. But though she was running her hardest, her nightmare state allowed her to gain no ground. She could only watch as The Fallen closed in on her mother, their cutlasses raised high. "Mommy!" Ruby would call. But she did not hear her, she only continued to run, but not fast enough.

The Fallen had caught her now, and shoved her onto the ground. "Mommy!" Ruby dashed as frantically as she could, but she seemed to be drifting further away from the scene. The six Fallen Vandals surrounding her mother all struck down simultaneously with their swords, hacking the woman to pieces. Ruby could do nothing more but watch helplessly as her mother's blood stained the snow crimson. "MOMMY!"

Yang slowly rocked Ruby back and forth, doing what she could to bring her to comfort. "You alright?" She asked, slowly petting her head.

Ruby nodded, regaining control over herself. "I'm uh...I'm gonna go for a walk," she said.

"Want me to come with you?" Yang asked her.

"No, it's fine," Ruby said. She crawled out of the bed and walked over to the walk-in closet that they shared. Ruby dressed herself in some of her civilian clothing; a black tank top with her red rose symbol on the front; a pair of slim-fit black jeans; and high-top black boots. She left the room without another word and headed down the corridor. She climbed the small staircase leading up to the tower plaza, and from there, became aimlessly mobile. The plaza was actually a treat to see this time of night. The whole place was illuminated with soft and seemingly ambient lights that cast the various structures in new shadow-casting reliefs. Ruby did a one-eighty turn and was met with the greatest view of Vale she could possibly get.

Standing here as she was, it seemed like the entire city was at her feet. She could see and hear various transport ships, carrying both civilians and supplies back and forth from The Tower. But there was something else that made this view even more spectacular, or rather, there was someone. Leaning on the rail that overlooked the city was none other than Weiss herself. She was still dressed in her guardian gear; bolero jacket covering her one-piece white "combat skirt"; and platform wedge boots. But her weapon was nowhere to be seen. Standing there, she just seemed to be taking it all in, as Ruby was at the moment. Although, for some reason, Ruby found herself hesitant to draw her attention. There seemed to be something almost...perfect about the way the lights hit her, how they seemed to cast her beautiful white hair aglow. But, at length, did Ruby decide to approach her. "Still here are you?" She said rather cheerfully, joining her at the rail.

Weiss smiled a bit. She didn't seem at all startled by the girls' sudden presence. "Guten abend, Ruby," she said. Ruby smiled rather awkwardly, not knowing what the words meant. "That means 'good evening'," Weiss said.

"Oh," said Ruby. The two girls stared out over the city for a few moments, but then Weiss said suddenly, "Ruby, I'm sorry."

Ruby gave Weiss a politely confused smile. "For what?" She asked.

"About the conversation we had earlier," Weiss clarified. "It's just that I made out being a Guardian to be some kind ov glorified suicide pact that we undertake for the good ov mankind and all." Weiss gave her head a shake, as though trying to settle the rest of her imminent speech in her head in a way that would be best communicable. "I don't know," she finished lamely. "It seemed tactless to say under the circumstances."

Ruby was quiet for just a moment. "Well, what you said did make sense," she began. "We know what we're getting ourselves into when we asked for this. We're aware of the dangers...and maybe that's why we choose this life."

Weiss smiled broadly as she cast Ruby a look, one that seemed full of a mental and emotional relief. "I'm glad to hear you say that," she said. Just a few more moments passed, ones filled with the nightly ambiance of their mechanical surroundings. "Well," said Weiss. "It is late, and the announcements of the new fire teams are happening tomorrow morning, so I suppose I should be retiring..."

Ruby understood. "Good night, Weiss," she said.

"Good night, Ruby," Weiss said, patting the other girl's shoulder. Weiss made her way back across the courtyard, but stopped herself after a few paces. "Ruby," she called. Ruby turned from her perch on the railing. "It was good talking to you."

Ruby could feel a sudden and inexplicable warmth rise in her belly. "Likewise," was her response. Ruby didn't trust herself to say anymore for fear of her voice rising to a pitch beyond her control. Weiss nodded and continued on her way back to the dorm.

Her conversation with Weiss still in her mind, Ruby once again began to wander the courtyard with no real destination in mind. She found her feet carrying her across the space to the tower east. She climbed one of the small symmetrical staircases leading up and wandered into the wide space. From her previous exploration of this place with Yang, she learned that this was where the intermediate Guardians lived. At this time of night, Ruby expected the vast space to be empty, save for herself of course, but there were two more occupants than she expected in this place.

They stood in the very center of space. Stepping forward a few paces, Ruby saw that it was Blake and her Warlock partner Lie Ren. At the moment, Ren seemed to be standing beside Blake, as though gauging her progress at her current task. Every muscle in Blake's body seemed to be clenched in a focused tension; her eyes were closed so tightly that her eyelashes were in all probability fused together, and beads of sweat condensed on her forehead. And then at once, a spark of energy came to life in her outstretched hand; a spark of purple energy. As Ruby watched, Blake, as though by the power of her will, began to shape the small spark of energy. It grew in length until it seemed to resemble a...sword? A staff? The pole of energy took on a crescent-shaped curvature, "A bow..." Ruby whispered to herself. At that point, Ruby was as fascinated as she was perplexed. But then at once, the energy in Blake's hand vanished, and her body wilted from exhaustion. There was a stern word from Ren, and Blake began the process over again.

Ruby meant to go on watching the little event longer, but the beginnings of sleep were pulling on Ruby's mind now, telling her to get to bed. Tomorrow was a huge day; her first as an official Guardian. She needed to get to bed. Leaving Blake and Ren to their devices, Ruby made the reverse trip across The Tower courtyard and back to her dorm. She opened the door as slowly and quietly as possible, as not to disturb Yang. Although said precaution was far from needed, as Yang could probably sleep through an earthquake. Ruby took off her boots and left them just at the foot of her bed before climbing into it. After giving her pillow a few therapeutic punches, she lay down and closed her eyes. As sleep began to take her in earnest, she remembered with some little clarity her conversation with Weiss. 'It was good talking to you, Ruby,' she had said. Ruby's mouth curved into a smile that could have easily lit the darkness of the room. "It was good talking to you too, Weiss..." she whispered. And then she was asleep.

...

Morning came in nearly an instant, and brought with it a surprise, Yang was already up and fully dressed in her Titan gear. Yang usually slept like a rock until noon, but the pressure of today's event had seen her rise early. She was pacing the floor and cracking her knuckles with a nervous regularity. "Oh, hey," she said, having seen Ruby rising from her bed. "Have a good sleep?"

"The second time around, yeah," Was Ruby's response. She went over to the closet and pulled out her gear. "Today's the day," she said.

"Mm-hm," was the noncommittal mutter from Yang.

Ruby pulled her combat skirt over her head and settled the corset into place on her chest. "You shouldn't worry," she said to Yang. "There's no way you won't make it. After The Vanguard saw what you and Blake did to those creatures on The Moon, they should have made you a Guardian on the spot!"

"Yeah..." Yang messed about her hair as her nervous paces quickened about the room.

Ruby pulled on her double-layer leggings and combat boots. And from the shelf in the closet she withdrew her Psi Umbra-1 and clasped it across her back. She met Yang in the center of the room.

Yang stopped her pacing, mostly due to the fact that she would have collided with Ruby if she continued. She sucked in a breath and tossed her hair a final time before saying simply, "Let's go."

They were surprised to find the corridors empty at that moment, well, they were and they weren't. Everybody had clearly gotten up early on this particular morning, full of nervously excited energy at the prospect of beginning their careers as Guardians.

By this time, Ruby and Yang knew most of The Tower's layout and were able to find the Vanguard hall with no wrong turns, this was made much easier with the flood of recruits they saw all heading in the same direction. Just at the stairs leading down into the hall, did they meet a familiar face. "Morning, Blake!" Ruby called. She stood at attention and offered Blake the Hunter Salute.

Blake inclined her head, her usual cool method of greeting and departure. "Someone's a little excited," she said teasingly. At this point, Blake noticed that Yang, who was standing right next to Ruby, seemed to share none of her jubilant expectation for the upcoming announcements. She looked as forlorn and withdrawn as Blake had ever seen her. And she knew exactly why. "Ruby, would you mind very much if I spoke to Yang in private for a moment?" She asked the younger girl.

"Don't let me stop you," Ruby said. She cuffed Yang on the shoulder and headed into the hall.

Blake folded her arms over her chest as she asked Yang, "How do you feel?"

"How should I be feeling about now?" Yang asked back with a shrug. Her eyebrows knitted as she suddenly remembered a detail of great importance. "What did The Speaker make of those scans that you showed him yesterday?"

Blake chose a convenient spot on the wall over Yang's shoulder on which to fix her gaze. "The information is classified; I don't know the details," she said. She followed this statement with, "And we both know that's not what I meant."

Yang found herself staring into Blake's gorgeous yellow eyes, and then whispered, "Do you think I deserve to be a Guardian?"

"Absolutely," Blake answered without hesitation. "But it's not about what I think." She paused for a moment. "When The Speaker calls you, you must present yourself with absolute confidence; he'll be looking for a reason to dismiss you, given your circumstance. If he sees you moping about, he'll know that you've already given up." She smirked at this juncture. "But something tells me that you're really too damned stubborn to give up on anything."

Yang smiled back, a genuine appreciation for this girl's method of motivation shining in the gesture. "You got a way with words, don't ya kitty cat?" She said.

"Only for those that need a good kick," was Blake's response. After a few moments of silence she said. "We should head inside, the ceremony's starting."

So the two girl entered the Vanguard hall, which looked much like it did on the day of recruitment appraisal; filled to the brim with Guardians and recruits alike, even some of the non-essential Tower staff was on hand for the ceremony. Blake parted ways with Yang with a quick, "Good luck," and went to join the the other Guardians on the top level of the hall. Yang found Ruby easily enough in the crush of recruits that crowded the floor. Ruby was positively beaming, knowing her place among the Guardians was all but guaranteed. Yang smiled back at her, trying to exercise what Blake had mentioned about having a confident persona upon being called on.

All of the chatter in the hall instantly died away, as though someone had simply pressed the mute button on a television, as none other than Ozpin, The Speaker himself, hobbled his way from backstage, accompanied as always, by Glenda Goodwitch. Glenda took a position just behind The Speaker, whilst remaining clearly visible. On either side of her were the other two Vanguard captains, Cayde-6 and Pyrrha Nikos. The combined sight of the Vanguard's mightiest Guardians along with the presence of The Speaker of The Light, served to create a force of undeniable authority that would no doubt bring awed hush to any beholder.

The Speaker took position at center stage and gazed over the assembly before him. And then, without quite having to take a breath, did he begin to speak. "Above all other things right now, the first thing I would like to offer, is my thanks. To all of you who showed willingness to the cause; to the protection of those who cannot protect themselves. That is not how, but why Guardian are made. And though all of you showed many a courageous trait, we will only be accepting the very best among you. And so, let us begin."

And from there, The Speaker began to read off names, three at a time, denoting the newly assembled fire teams. While Ruby thought that all Guardian fire teams were comprised of one Hunter, Warlock, and Titan each, the second team announced gave her a surprise. "Cardin Winchester, Russel Thrush, and Sky Lark," The Speaker announced. The three young men stood right before The Speaker on the stage, all assuming the posture of attention. Their faces were displayed on huge screens that were mounted on the walls of the hall, so everyone could have a good look at them. "I must say, Mr. Winchester, I am quite impressed with you," Ozpin said. "To fell so many Shanks in a single attack. You've quite the powerful Fist of Havoc, no?"

"Thank you," Cardin said gruffly. His tone of voice implied that he wasn't exactly the most comfortable in formal situations.

Ozpin continued. "From this day forward, you will be known as...Fire Team Cardinal. Lead by...Cardin Winchester." Ruby saw Cardin let out a small fist pump. Their faces were shown on the screens now, with their new team designation emblazoned over their heads along with their Classes and Semblances. They had officially become Guardians.

Every person in the hall broke out into applause to welcome the newest Guardians to the force. "Two Titans and a Hunter!" Ruby nearly had to yell to make herself heard to Yang over the noise.

"Most Warlocks are probably too smart to want to join with those meat heads!" Yang said back.

The applause died down as the next names were announced. "Vashyron, Zephyr, and Leanne Reanbell." The owners of the three names took their positions in front of Ozpin, An older man, a teenage boy, and a young adult female. "From this day forward, you will be known as...Fire Team Trinity. Lead by...Vashyron."

Applause reverberated throughout the hall as their names and images lit up the screens. "Three Gunslingers?" Yang said to Ruby.

"They look really cool..." Ruby sighed. Indeed the trio was quite stylish; Zephyr and Vashyron decked out in cool leather jackets and denim jeans, and Leanne sporting a very cute, and still very combat-functional, one-piece denim dress over long boots. All three of them had hand cannons strapped to their hips.

Again the hall went silent as Ozpin prepared the next names. "Ruby Rose." Ruby felt the blood drain out of her face at the call of her name. Yang gave her a small push and an encouraging nod. Ruby was somehow able to get her legs working as she navigated her way through the crowd towards the stage, causing a rather small commotion as she did so. And finally, after what felt like more than a year, Ruby found herself staring into the eyes of The Speaker. His stare back at her was full of a somewhat smug familiarity, it was as though he had expected her to succeed on her initiation. "Tell me young lady," he said to her. "Your partner on your mission was Miss Weiss Schnee, was it not?"

"Yes sir," Ruby heard herself say.

"Weiss Schnee, please step forward," Ozpin said into the hall. The girl in question made her way from the balcony level to join Ruby's side. She gave Ruby a small smile before turning her attention to The Speaker. "It is my understanding that you were tasked with eliminating the members of a small Fallen house, no?"

"Yes, sir," the girls said in unison.

"And that Fallen house just so happened to include an Archon, whose existence was ended by Miss Rose."

The hall immediately broke out into stunned chatter and shouts. "Is he for real?"

"There's no way that noob killed an Archon!"

"Make her prove it! She's lying!"

Weiss turned around angrily at that last statement, but Ruby calmed her with a hand on her shoulder. "I must say, Ruby, not very many face an Archon priest and live to tell the tale," Ozpin said. "You have more than earned your place among the Guardians."

"Thank you, sir," Ruby said back. "But I wasn't alone." Ruby cast a glowing look at her partner on the mission in question. "Weiss was as big a part of the fight as I was. Her Nova Bomb weakened the Archon, I just finished it off."

Ozpin nodded. "Indeed," he said. He looked Weiss right in the eye and said, "I'd expect nothing less from a Schnee." Weiss blushed all the way up to her forehead at the compliment. "There is one more person who I'd like to hear from," he said suddenly. "Yang Xiao Long, step forward!"

Yang did so, working her way from the back of the hall, parting the crowd as she went. She presented her self to Ozpin, keeping her head held high, remembering Blake's advice on conveying confidence.

Ozpin gave Yang a long stare, which Yang met evenly without so much as blinking. "If memory serves, your mission was to eliminate Fallen Servitors on a Lunar colony, was it not?"

"Yes, sir," Yang said.

"And you were accompanied by Miss Blake Belladonna in this endeavor, were you not?"

Yang nodded. "Yes, sir," she said. Ruby saw that Yang was wringing her clasped hands together furiously behind her back. She was feeling the pressure.

"And were said Servitors eliminated, Miss Long?"

Yang visibly deflated; her persona of confidence completely leaving her. "...No, sir..." she seemed to barely be able to raise her voice above a whisper.

"Then I am sorry Miss Long," Ozpin said. "You have failed your initiation into Guardianship." Ruby's mouth fell open. It couldn't be...her invincible sister...there had to be a mistake!

"However..." Ozpin said suddenly. The eyes of the three girls in front of him were now locked on his person. "Both you and Miss Belladonna exhibited extraordinary composure in the face of an unfamiliar enemy, as well as rational threat assessment capabilities. And in your dispatching said enemy, you both displayed incredible combat prowess and lethality. All of these qualities are exactly what we look for in our Guardians," he finished.

Yang blinked in confusion. "I don't understand."

"What I mean to say is," Ozpin clarified. "Welcome to The Guardians , Miss long."

Now Yang's mouth fell open. But her stupor was quickly replaced by exhilaration. She let out a whoop and a mid-air fist pump. "I won't let you down sir!" She said. "I'll give you a hundred and fifty percent, you'll see!"

Ruby was finally able to exhale breath she had been holding. Why did The Speaker have to scare her like that!?

"I'm sure you will," Ozpin said, titillated by the girl's enthusiasm. "And in regards to a Fire Team...I see no reason why the three young women in front of me can't work as a cohesive unit. Do you?"

Ruby's heart threatened to burst from her chest. Was he really saying what she thought he was saying?

"Yang Xiao Long. Ruby Rose, and Weiss Schnee," Ozpin began. "From this day forward you will be known as...Fire Team Rosenkreuz."

Ruby immediately leaned into Weiss, while not moving her eyes from Ozpin. "Fire Team what?" She whispered out of the side of her mouth.

"There are several meanings," Weiss whispered back. "I'll explain later."

Ruby, however, was in no way prepared for what The Speaker said next. "Lead by... Ruby Rose."

She simply stared. Was he joking? Was this a mistake? She turned to Weiss, who smiled broadly and said, "Congratulations, Ruby!."

It happened. Not only had Ruby been officially made a Guardian; she was able to end up on the same team as her sister, and even more miraculous than that, she had been named the leader of this team. What a coup.

The newly named Fire Team Rosenkreuz was applauded off the stage as they took their places amid the newest of the Guardians. At this point, Ozpin took a few steps forward as to better address the crowd at large. "And that," he said to them, "will be all for this year." There were many in the crowd who gave defeated shakes of their heads, or cries of despaired disappointment. "While your collective efforts were indeed valiant, you have fallen short. You will be eligible for another attempt in one year. Use the course of that time wisely; hone your techniques and strengthen your semblances; reflect on your failure here and use this memory for motivation. And now, Cayde-6 will escort you all to the hangar bay for dismissal."

"Will do," the Exo said cheerfully. He hopped from the stage and beckoned for the crowd of washouts to follow.

Once they were removed, only the official Guardians remained, veterans and newcomers alike. "And now," Ozpin said. "Miss Glenda Goodwitch would like to address our newest members of our Guardian force."

He stepped back slightly to allow Glenda to take the front of the stage. She did so, sweeping her bright green eyes across the collection of fresh Guardians ready to be whipped into shape. Then she began her speech. "Your willingness and determination to join our cause is to be commended, and now having been made true Guardians, those virtues will become your moral compass. The lives you lead before this moment are to be forgotten; your true lives begin today. The Traveler chooses it's Guardians accordingly, and you have been called upon to serve. You will be the protectors of Earth and all her colonies, as well as our worlds beyond.

"Under us, you will be groomed into the fighting force that we need you to be." Glenda paused here, as though for emphasis. "You will become the best we can make you."

She ended her speech with a curt nod as she allowed Ozpin to take center stage again. "As Miss Goodwitch said, your lives begin anew today," he said. "And with that notion in mind, I officially and formally, welcome you to our tower."

The hall burst into applause again as Ruby stopped to take it all in. Her dream; the promise she had made to herself during childhood had come to be. She was now a Guardian, and would live her days spreading The Traveler's Light across the universe in the face of whatever threats waited to be encountered. She had longed for this; dreamed for this. And now it was her reality.

She was ready to become legend.

"Now I suggest you all get back to your dorms and get some rest," Ozpin continued. "For in six hours time you will be called back here for deployment on your inaugural missions."

"Not pulling his punches, is he?" Yang said.

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Ruby said back.

"Ov course you wouldn't, fearless leader" Weiss said, with a smile.

The newly assembled Guardian teams left the hall, flush with their success and expectation of their very immediate excursions. It was as Ozpin said.

Their new lives began today.

...

*End of Legend 8*

...

A/N:

Hurray for new chapters. Sorry for the lack of action in this go round, they'll be plenty in the upcoming chapters...whenever they'll be up.

I'd just like to thank everyone for the faves and follows and general liking of my content. I don't update often, but I like to think quality over quantity.

And on one more note, at the suggestion of a certain reader, (whose name will not be divulged for dramatic purposes) I plan on making an adjustment to one of the characters semblances, which I think fits the character to a 'T'. I'll be working those changes into the course of the story, as you should have already picked up on the first clue in this chapter. Thank you for the suggestion reader (you know who you are ;)

Thanks for reading and I'll post again...in the future.

-B. D. Skunkworks