-Jaune--
It was one of those days. You could tell just by looking at Ruby. The way her usually bright eyes seemed dulled, how her shoulders sagged ever so slightly, and the small, forced smiles she gave in response to our jokes. It was obvious: Ruby was having a bad day. As her friend—and from team leader to another—I couldn't let that stand.
An idea sparked in my mind. Ruby loved sweets, and there was nothing sweeter than ice cream to lift her spirits. I headed to the kitchen, making sure the coast was clear before raiding the freezer. I found the perfect container of vanilla ice cream. Placing it on the counter, I rummaged through the cabinets, finding sprinkles and chocolate syrup. Ruby loved to customize her treats, and I wanted this to be perfect for her.
I scooped a generous amount of ice cream into a bowl, its creamy surface smooth and inviting. I set the sprinkles and syrup next to it, neatly arranging everything to look as appealing as possible. Satisfied, I pulled out my scroll and shot Ruby a quick message: "Come to the kitchen. I have a surprise for you."
With the message sent, I noticed a small, glowing icon on my scroll that I hadn't seen before. Curiosity piqued, I pressed it with my finger. Suddenly, the screen lit up brilliantly, far brighter than it should have. I barely had time to react before I felt myself being lifted off the ground, enveloped in a radiant light.
The sensation of floating in mid-air was disorienting. For a moment, everything seemed to pause in a surreal stillness. Then gravity reclaimed me, and I plummeted downward. I landed with a soft, cold plop, the air knocked out of me as I sank slightly into something creamy and chilly.
I shook my head, trying to clear the dizziness. The realization hit me slowly. I was sitting in a massive expanse of vanilla ice cream. I glanced around, seeing the familiar giant contours of the kitchen from an entirely new perspective. Hills of ice cream stretched in every direction, the sprinkles and syrup jars now towering skyscrapers beside me.
It took me a few attempts to stand up, my feet slipping on the slick surface. I waded through the cold, creamy landscape, trying to make sense of what had happened. My scroll, whatever that glowing icon had been, had somehow shrunk me down to the size of a toy and transported me into the very dessert I'd prepared for Ruby.
As I struggled to gain traction on the icy terrain, I heard the distant sound of the kitchen door creaking open. The thunderous footfalls that followed made the ground tremble beneath me. My heart raced. It was Ruby, and from my new vantage point, she was a towering giantess.
"Jaune, you told me to meet you here?" Her voice echoed through the kitchen, booming and overwhelming, each word reverberating in the air like thunder.
The ground beneath me trembled as the door to the kitchen creaked open, a deep, resonant groan that sent a shiver up my spine. The soft, steady thud of footsteps reverberated through the cavernous space, each one growing louder, more distinct. Ruby was coming. I could feel the vibrations of her approach travel through the very ice cream beneath my feet, making the surface ripple and shift.
From my vantage point within the bowl, the world around me was colossal and disorienting. The walls of the kitchen seemed impossibly high, the ceiling a distant sky. Ruby's steps, once so familiar and light, now resounded like the heavy footfalls of a giant, each one causing the landscape of my dessert prison to quake.
I saw her then, a titanic figure framed by the doorway, her silhouette momentarily blocking the light. Her red cloak fluttered slightly with her movements, a flash of crimson against the stark white and stainless steel of the kitchen. As she stepped inside, her eyes scanned the room, searching for me. The gleam of curiosity and expectation in her eyes was unmistakable, even from my tiny perspective.
Ruby's gaze finally landed on the bowl of ice cream. Her eyes lit up with a mix of surprise and delight, and her lips curved into a genuine smile that made my heart ache with both fear and affection. She started to walk towards me, her steps slow and deliberate, the tremors of her approach growing more pronounced. The kitchen table loomed like a vast plateau, and I felt even smaller, more insignificant, as she closed the distance.
Her enormous face filled my sky as she leaned over the bowl, peering down at the treat I had prepared. Her breath washed over me, a warm, sweet breeze that carried the scent of her favorite strawberry shampoo. In that moment, I was torn between the desire to call out to her and the paralyzing fear of what might happen if I did.
"Wow, Jaune must have left this stuff out for me. How sweet!" Her voice boomed, the sound waves rippling through the air, almost knocking me off my feet. As her hand reached for the sprinkles, I knew my fate was sealed, and I could only brace myself for what was to come.
The ground beneath me trembled as Ruby's fingers wrapped around the jar of sprinkles. From my vantage point, it looked like she was lifting an entire mountain. The lid came off with a soft pop, and Ruby tilted the jar over the bowl. Time seemed to slow as I watched the first sprinkles cascade down, each one a colorful boulder descending from the heavens.
The impact of the sprinkles was jarring. They pelted down like hailstones, each one striking with surprising force. I stumbled and fell, pushed deeper into the creamy expanse of ice cream. The cold seeped through my clothes, sending chills through my body as I struggled to stay upright. The sprinkles piled up around me, and I found myself sinking further into the sticky, sugary mire.
Before I could regain my footing, Ruby's hand appeared again, this time wielding the bottle of chocolate syrup. The dark liquid poured out in a thick, gooey stream, splashing onto the ice cream with a wet splat. The syrup cascaded over me, coating me in a sticky layer that clung to my skin and clothes. The warmth of the syrup was a stark contrast to the cold ice cream, but it only added to my predicament.
I wiped my eyes, trying to clear my vision, but the syrup made everything sticky and difficult. Ruby seemed completely unaware of my plight as she finished pouring the syrup and set the bottle aside. Her face hovered above the bowl, her eyes filled with anticipation and delight. I could see her smile widen as she admired the dessert she had just prepared.
Then, without warning, Ruby's hand reached for the bowl itself. The ground shifted beneath me as she lifted the bowl off the counter. The sudden motion caused me to lose my balance, and I slipped and tumbled down the side of the bowl, landing in a heap at the bottom. The ice cream and syrup made everything slippery, and I struggled to find any kind of purchase as Ruby carried the bowl to another seat at the table
The journey felt like an eternity. Each step Ruby took sent tremors through the bowl, making it nearly impossible to stay upright. The world around me blurred as she moved, the familiar contours of the kitchen becoming a dizzying whirl of motion. I could hear the faint sounds of Ruby humming to herself, her voice a distant but comforting melody.
Finally, Ruby reached the seat and set the bowl down with a gentle thud. The impact caused me to slide further into the mess of ice cream and syrup, my limbs heavy and uncooperative. I lay there, gasping for breath, as Ruby settled into her seat. Her towering form loomed above me, her eyes bright with excitement as she reached for a spoon.
My vision was dimming, the edges of my sight blurring as exhaustion and fear took their toll. Above me, Ruby's face loomed large, her expression one of innocent delight as she gazed at the ice cream bowl. I watched in horror as her hand, impossibly large, reached down with the spoon. The metal glinted in the light, and the ground beneath me trembled with the force of her movements.
The spoon descended, scooping up a large portion of the ice cream. I scrambled to dodge it, slipping and sliding on the slick, sugary surface. The first few attempts were successful; I managed to evade the giant spoon, my heart pounding with adrenaline. But with each pass, my strength waned. My legs felt like lead, my breath coming in ragged gasps.
After four or five near misses, my energy was nearly spent. I knew that my only chance of survival was to somehow get her attention. Summoning the last of my strength, I stopped dodging and allowed myself to be scooped up along with the ice cream. The coldness bit into me, but I steadied myself on the spoon, my eyes fixed on Ruby's giant face as it drew closer.
As I was lifted up towards Ruby's giant red lips, I shouted and waved with all my might. "Ruby! Ruby, it's me, Jaune! Look down here!" My voice was tiny, a mere whisper compared to her size, but I hoped against hope that she might hear me. For a brief, heart-stopping moment, Ruby seemed to peer at the spoon, her eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to focus on something.
Hope surged within me. Maybe she would see me, maybe she would realize what had happened. But the moment was fleeting. Ruby's giant eyes closed in contentment, and her lips parted, revealing the dark cavern of her mouth. My hope turned to despair as the spoon continued its inexorable journey towards her maw.
Time seemed to slow as I was carried past her lips. The warmth of her breath washed over me, mingling with the coldness of the ice cream. The end of the spoon tilted, and I slid forward, tumbling off and onto the soft, wet surface of her tongue. The world became a chaotic whirl of sensations: the heat, the humidity, the slickness of her saliva mixing with the melting ice cream.
I lay on Ruby's tongue, the massive muscle shifting beneath me as she savored the taste. I tried to stand, to shout again, but my voice was drowned out by the overwhelming sounds of her body. The spoon was withdrawn, leaving me alone in the darkness of her mouth. Her tongue moved, pushing me towards the back of her throat. I struggled, but there was no escaping the inevitable.
With a powerful swallow, Ruby's throat muscles gripped me, propelling me downwards in a tight, rhythmic motion. The descent was swift and relentless, the walls of her esophagus squeezing and pushing me along. I landed with a plop into the acidic pool of her stomach, the heat and stinging sensation hitting me immediately.
The air was thick and stifling, filled with the sounds of Ruby's digestive system at work. The acids began to burn my skin, the pain intense and unyielding. I tried to keep my head above the churning liquid, but the effort was futile. My strength was nearly gone, my body succumbing to the relentless assault.
As I lay there, my vision fading, I swore I could hear Ruby's giant, muffled voice. "Mmm, this ice cream is so good." The words reverberated through her body, a final, bitter irony that twisted my heart. She had no idea what had happened, no clue that I was here, suffering inside her.
The pain grew distant as my consciousness slipped away. My final thoughts were of my friends, my team, and the life I had at Beacon Academy. Despair and a strange sense of peace mingled as I let go, my journey ending in the depths of Ruby's stomach.
And so, in the quiet darkness, Jaune Arc's story came to a tragic close. His sacrifice, though unknown to his friends, was a testament to his courage and love for those around him. The world continued to turn, and life at Beacon Academy moved forward, but the legacy of Jaune Arc would never be forgotten.