Chapter 16 Diverging
At Beacon
General James Ironwood is a respected leader and a competent one to add. However, he is not without faults and no one regardless of their experience or position could ever be perfect. Perhaps there are others who could do his job better, perhaps others can do worse. What makes Ironwood unique is his dedication not only to Atlas but the alliance between the four kingdoms. So even when some might not like his methods or think he's brutish despite being responsible.
Ironwood is far from the best and most reliable person. Unlike most politicians, the general is not afraid of public opinion and is willing to make difficult decisions. Sometimes those decisions can be unreasonable, but someone has to make them. Right now, with the news that Ironwood had been given, Ironwood would have to clear his mind and quickly think of how to move on from this tragedy.
"Ozpin is dead?" Ironwood asked, looking greatly disturbed.
Glynda closed her eyes and nodded, "It is quite unfortunate." she said.
Like Ironwood, Glynda is still capable of emotion but this wasn't the time to be sad and to drop everything to mourn. They knew they had a job to do and even if things looked bleak, the deceased headmaster would have at least given everyone in his group to recover for a short time. Then likely have them prepare for the fallout the very next day.
Despite respecting the headmaster and listening to whatever he had to say. Everyone in his group had free will and independence, they were all capable of thought and knew they were on their own. For now at least.
"Then it might be awhile before we hear from him again." Ironwood said with a tired sigh.
"What do you plan to do James?" Glynda asked.
"I will have to shorten my stay in Vale. I need to reorganize my soldiers and see what can be done about the Paladins and Atlesian Knights." James answered before looking outside. "But don't worry, I'll leave everything in the hands of Esdeath. Her priorities may be skewed, but she's the most competent person who can defend Vale with what we have." he added.
"I see." Glynda said.
Glynda wasn't a fan of Esdeath, barring the fact that she's been harassing Ruby for reasons she didn't know about. Esdeath already had a reputation of being Ironwood's opposite. The blue haired woman wasn't a typical stiff with strict behavior like many high ranking officers and commanders in the military. She enjoyed the thrill of fighting and strived for a good fight to satisfy her. She would even give intense training to her own soldiers to make sure they could keep up and survive.
However, Esdeath wasn't a psychotic maniac like she appeared to be. She was not soft, but she had empathy for her soldiers and knew when they would break. Esdeath has her own deluded goals, but at least she is capable of leading and organizing soldiers. So while her methods may not be better or worse than what Ironwood would do. This is the only person capable of preventing Vale from falling apart in the meantime.
"Glynda, I know you don't trust her and I am not a particular fan of her methods. She can sometimes take things to the extreme." Ironwood began to say.
For many would probably consider Ironwood's methods to be extreme as well. Glynda still had not forgiven him for shooting Ruby. Regardless of whether or not the girl could survive heavy attacks at point blank range.
"However, that does not make her any less capable. I'll leave a few officers to keep her on track as there's still a few important objectives left to be investigated." Ironwood said.
Glynda narrowed her eyes, "Such as locating some of my students." she said.
Glynda was not giving a voice of concern. She wasn't asking Ironwood to locate specific academy students. She was pointing out that Ironwood made a personal goal to locate them.
"Glynda, if what my team of scientists say is true. The Rose girl may have some secrets that might shake Remnant." Ironwood said as he pulled out a small bag. "This is a piece of the crystal fragments. It was generated by the Titan and it appeared twice in Vale before trapping the Wyvern." he said.
"And what does this have to do with Ms. Rose?" Glynda asked.
"I think she has a connection with it." Ironwood said lightly.
He already had a theory and several others agreed. Despite how dark things were the other night. Ironwood was able to get clear footage of the Titan with Ruby's features such as her eyes and hair. Now the general wanted to locate her for reasons unknown to Glynda.
Glynda could only assume the worse knowing how far Ironwood takes it.
"Well I'm afraid I cannot help you. Ms. Rose had already left the day after the attack with Mr. Belmont and a few others." Glynda stated.
It was a lie, but Ironwood was not able to catch onto it. He didn't want to damage the relationship he had with Glynda by tearing apart the academy. Not that he would not have a few operatives keep an eye out Ruby's teammates or Naruto's.
"How unfortunate, I will leave you alone to organize the academy Glynda. Just let me know if anything changes." Ironwood said.
"You will be the first to know. You have your duties James, as I have my own." Glynda said.
Ironwood nodded and walked off, leaving Glynda alone to sigh. A few seconds later, she looked annoyed and turned her head to the side.
"Jiraiya, are you some kind of primate? Why do you enjoy hanging out of windows?" Glynda asked, sounding slightly irate.
"What's the fun in using the door? I wouldn't be able to appreciate your lovely appearance, Glynda." the eldest Schnee said.
Glynda sighed at how silly Jiraiya was being but she can tell his attraction to her wasn't the only reason why he was here.
"You listened to the whole conversation, didn't you?" Glynda asked.
"You don't need to be a prodigy or a spymaster to know James is going to stir trouble." Jiraiya said, now sounding serious.
"Indeed." Glynda replied.
Jiraiya then crawled in through the window and walked towards the desk. Where he looked at the messy office that was caused during the incident from the other night.
"So Ozpin is dead. Do you have any idea as to when he or his successor will appear?" Jiraiya asked.
"I'm afraid that will take some time and patience. Although, it appears he had a contingency for such an event. One where he would seek out Qrow." Glynda asked.
Jiraya raised a brow, "If Qrow didn't clean up his act. I would have called Ozpin a fool for thinking he was the most reliable person." he said.
Qrow used to be an alcoholic and used it as a way of hiding his pain and depression. However, with recent years regarding him taking care of Yang among other things. Other than that, Jiraiya wasn't fully aware of Qrow's personal life other than being a former member of the Branwen tribe. At least now, the man seems reliable despite having literal bad luck as his semblance.
"Jiraiya, Ozpin may not have been all knowing and has made mistakes, but that does not mean he's incapable of preparing backup plans. While you may not like it, we will have to be patient." Glynda said with a sigh following after.
"Okay, anyways how is that Rose girl?" Jiraiya asked, now whispering.
Glynda walked out the door to double check that Ironwood had really left and double checked her surroundings. When it came to working with people like the general, Glynda found herself being overly suspicious and cautious too.
"Don't worry, I don't think Jim has any way of listening to us but let's keep the volume down anyways." Jiraiya suggested.
Glynda nodded, "I'm afraid that Ruby has been comatosed. It's been days and the girl hasn't even responded to any form of stimuli." she said.
"She's in a coma? Glynda, what are we going to do? She can't be taken to a doctor without the risk of Jim finding her." Jiraiya said, feeling anxiety build up in him.
"Jiraiya, calm down. It may not look like it, but I will be taking care of her myself." Glynda said.
"Glynda, you're not..."
"Jiraiya! I am not doing this out of stubborness or pride! Ruby Rose is my student, not only was I tasked to train her but it is my duty to keep her alive while she is vulnerable!" Glynda said, slowly losing composure.
Jiraiya winced at the outburst, "Glynda, I know you care for your students, but I'm just saying. Assuming this girl does recover quickly, she needs a lot of equipment and it's pretty scarce here." he said.
Sure, maybe Glynda could try to order some stuff and even with the Grimm being wiped out by a massive flash of light. There's no way Glynda could request medical equipment to come to the academy. The surviving students were all moved out of Beacon so other than the Atlas soldiers here, Glynda and a few staff members are all that remain. Even most of them can't be trusted to keep Ruby a secret.
"Jiraiya, I understand your concern. So unless you wish to contribute in any way. I ask that you be on your way." Glynda said as she took a seat. "I have my duties and you have your own." she said.
Jiraiya groaned, "The things I do for love... and the good of the world." he said before walking towards the window. "Goodbye my lovely headmaster." he said before jumping out.
"Why does he keep doing that? And why do I feel angry just knowing that he does that?" Glynda asked.
For some reason, despite knowing Jiraiya for less than a decade. Glynda could not help but feel annoyed by some of Jiraiya's antics. She was strict so it was natural to dislike someone who does the most unorthodox things as well as be an open pervert. However, Glynda could not help but feel like Jiraiya is this annoying childhood friend. The type that always boasts about himself like he's trying to get her attention as well as all of those who look down on him.
Glynda just sighed, 'Given his past history with his family. Jiraiya does have a reason to want to be something bigger. Not that he hasn't succeeded.' she thought.
Besides being a prodigal huntsmen and an accomplished writer (where porn unfortunately counts as literature), Jiraiya lives his life to the fullest. Even if he can be silly, he still does his part to help.
'How did I give my heart to a younger man?' Glynda thought.
Elsewhere
At the docks in Vale, Naruto and Yang were meeting with Squall and Adam. Both of them were in disguise thanks to Naruto's Henge (Transformation) technique. It was a good thing he could use the power on other people. The discrete actions were necessary as Atlas was looking for them for some reason. All Naruto and Yang could figure out was that they were seeking out Ruby. With both fearing that it was in regards to her being a Titan.
"So I have to talk to this now?" Squall asked.
Squall already had a good memory of Naruto's basic power set. Other than elemental manipulation, he knew about techniques that originally seemed like parlor tricks. Yet it seemed like the Henge just gave him a minor headache because he could barely comprehend that he's speaking to Naruto and Yang.
Naruto was disguised as some generic brown haired guy with green eyes while Yang just had a different hairstyle and a darker shade of blond hair with light green eyes. Obviously their clothes were also changed during the transformation to make it look less obvious.
"Yeah, I know it's weird but you know why we're doing this." Naruto said.
"It makes sense, Atlas was a bit hostile when they questioned us." Adam said, agreeing to the need for disguises.
Squall sighed, "It's not that I don't want you disguised, it's... never mind." he said.
They decided to move along with the topic before Atlas soldiers start noticing them.
"So this is goodbye then. I knew the risks of being a huntsmen, but I didn't expect us to separate like this." Naruto said with a sigh.
"At least we're alive." Squall said.
Yang looked away in disappointment. Which everyone noticed and Naruto could sense the anger in her.
"At least you guys had the decency to say goodbye. Weiss got taken away and Josuke had some job opportunity." Yang said.
"You're not the only one that's disappointed." Squall said.
Adam looked at Naruto with confusion in his eyes. Or confusion on his mask, sometimes it was tricky to tell what he's thinking half of the time with the mask.
"Is this about Josuke or Weiss?" Adam asked in a whisper.
"No, Weiss we all understood and accepted. Josuke is random, but we respected his decision." Naruto said before continuing. "Blake's gone. She just left around the time the attack ended with that light." he said.
"Really? I didn't notice, I just thought she was somewhere else." Adam said.
"She is, on the road and running away." Yang said, sounding disappointed. "I know she's been alone, but at least she could have said goodbye or told us a part of her plan." she said.
Yang didn't say anything about Weiss because she's the heiress to the Schnee family. So her bastard father took her back to Atlas and since he had connections with the government and a partnership with the Atlas military. It was easy for him to take her away and leaving Team RWBY with little to fight back with.
Yang didn't know Josuke that well, but Naruto and the boys did. He was scouted by an unknown Atlas officer who offered him a job on behalf of Ironwood himself apparently. The boy was offered a position to keep training and eventually a real job. Before he left, Josuke mentioned that they also offered to relocate him and his mother to a better home in Atlas too. It made sense that Josuke wanted to protect his mother and use whatever resources he could to help.
As for Blake, she just ran away again. No note or message or even a single word. She just upped and left after that flash of light that wiped out the remaining Grimm. Now Weiss is gone, Ruby is in a coma and Yang is all that's left of the team. Even if Blake had her doubts, Yang still felt betrayed by her own teammate who she saw as her best friend.
"Whatever." Squall said.
"Whatever? Is that all you can say?" Yang asked, sounding a bit irked.
"Yang, calm down. You know how Squall is. He's known Blake longer than you have." Naruto said.
Naruto could tell that Squall felt very disappointed too. More than usual, he could tell that things between him and Blake were getting better. Only for the girl to leave without so much as saying anything. She's probably on the road to anywhere in their opinion. As for Adam, he didn't feel anything other than slight concern as he couldn't remember his past with her or anything significant.
"Look guys, just try to keep your heads down and watch your backs. At the very least, you two have each other." Naruto said.
From what the boys told Naruto, they were heading to Menagerie. It's the smallest continent and its where most of the Faunus population reside. As well as the birthplace of both Squall and Blake. Naruto was still confused as to why Squall wanted to go and just gave vague answers. As for Adam, he thought he could at least try to seek out his past and maybe learn something. If his memories are gone, at least he could try and recover some useful information to help him.
"You take care as well, Naruto." Adam said as he patted his shoulder. "I'm grateful for you and Ruby taking me with you guys. I was just some lost guy and you two still took your chances." he said.
"We're cautious, but we're not heartless. You are a nice guy that did a lot of good." Naruto responded.
Adam nodded, "I'm glad you see it that way, but if there's any truth to what Blake said. Along with what some of the White Fang told me. There's probably a dark past I don't know about." he said.
"Then we'll open it up and get over it." Squall said. "Together, for now at least." he said.
Adam smiled at Squall who's at least still trusting enough to accept teamwork.
"Well then, Team JASN is disbanded for now at least." Naruto said with a sigh. "Seriously, take care you two. I hope Menagerie has whatever you're looking for." he said.
Squall just nodded while Adam just smiled again.
"Take care of yourself too, along with Ruby and Yang." Adam said.
"You better not die." Squall said to Naruto.
"You can't get rid of your best bud that easily." Naruto replied.
Squall opened his mouth to say something but abstained. He knew anyone in this group would interrupt him mid sentence then finish what he was about to say.
Squall and Adam then boarded the next boat off of Beacon. Where they would continue on another dock with a ship that would sail to Menagerie. Naruto waved goodbye to the two as the ship sailed far enough to the point that it looked like a speck of dust.
"Well Yang, it's just us and Team JNPR." Naruto said.
Yang looked at him with blue eyes and Naruto cursed.
"Sorry, us and Team JNR." Naruto said sadly.
Yang then gripped his hand with her good arm. She looked at her right arm which was hollow. It looked and felt real thanks to Naruto's Henge, but that thing was felt as useful as a slice of salami.
"Naruto, when I met you. I really didn't like you. I was jealous and..."
"Yang, I know you feel bad but now isn't a good time for repentance. Besides, I forgive you and I think Ruby is slowly accepting you again." Naruto interrupted.
"That's not it, I wanted to say that I treated you like an enemy in the beginning. Then you became my friend. Someone I could trust, not just because you felt bad for me. Because you're a good person and I know it doesn't take your weird emotion powers to feel empathetic." Yang explained before taking a deep breath.
"What are you trying to say Yang?" Naruto asked.
Yang smiled at him, "Naruto, I'm just happy to have you. Even with all this going on and how much we lost. I'm happy to still have you here with me." she said.
"Well, I'm happy that I wasn't wrong to trust you. Here we are, practically alone against the world." Naruto said.
Yang laughed as she started walking back with him.
"By the way, we're not going to look like this the whole time, are we?" Yang asked.
"Just when we're in the public eye. At the very least, general crazy ass will be looking for you for being on Ruby's team." Naruto explained.
Yang sighed in relief, but suddenly felt stressed out by what Naruto said next.
"It's not likely, but they might also put some priority on me too. Weiss' sister got to know me a bit and might tell her boss about me if it seems relevant." Naruto continued.
"What do you mean she got to know you?" Yang asked.
"Well, I can barely remember but we talked and she had issues with Weiss getting mad at her for insulting Ruby." Naruto said with a sigh.
Yang's hand curled into a fist when she heard that. Weiss may have acted like an entitled brat to Ruby but at least she humbled herself. Sure she still acted angry and was quick to judge but she started learning. What didn't help was the fact that Yang never met Winter in person and couldn't help but imagine Winter as an older and more rude version of Weiss in a uniform.
Though to be fair, if Naruto spent more time to know Winter. He would see she is a lot nicer, but likely has as much difficulty as Weiss when making friends.
"Well, I feel sorry for Weiss. She can't be like Ruby and have a cool big sister or even a cool brother." Yang said.
"Didn't Weiss say she had a brother?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah, but he writes perverted books that Blake enjoys." Yang answered.
Naruto cringed as he slowly closed his eyes.
"Okay, now I see another reason Squall dislikes Blake." he said. "Anyways, let's get packing. We should get with Team JNR and hurry before Atlas patrols get more intense." he added.
Yang nodded and the pair returned to the hiding spot where Ruby is.
The next day
Naruto was finishing packing up while Yang was ready and sitting by Ruby's unconscious body. Yang was staring at the unconscious girl and ignored the surrounding world. Only paying attention to how fragile and vulnerable Ruby looked.
This wasn't the same shy little girl that Yang grew up anymore. Yang had acknowledged that, even then she knew Ruby was far from invincible. The fight they almost had in the outskirts in the abandoned city showed how fragile and broken Ruby was underneath. Now here she is, unable to wake up.
"Please wake up." Yang whispered.
Yang then bent her forehead down to touch Ruby's. Leaving Naruto to sigh as he sat next to the bed and gently squeezed Ruby's hand.
"She's still alive, that's what matters the most." Naruto said.
Yang closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Ruby being alive did matter, but it wasn't enough if she couldn't live and be her normal self. Yang opened her eyes and for a moment, thought that she saw toddler version of Ruby looking snug under the covers. She blinked a few times before seeing Ruby all grown up again.
The older girl couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Ruby all grown up before Beacon began. When Yang saw her, she thought she saw Summer standing in the auditorium with her. Instead, she was that it was her baby sister, she was a survivor and against all odds. Yang was happy, she was ready to burst into tears seeing that Ruby was alive.
Yang still had that small part of herself that denied that Ruby died the day she abandoned her.
Flashback, several years ago
It was a long time since Yang returned to Patch. The first thing the girl did was scream for Ruby's name. Despite the way Raven treated her, Yang was aware of how scary and intense the world is. Except that did nothing to stop Yang from thinking Ruby managed to escape the Grimm infested forest and lock herself up in the house.
Instead, Yang saw the house where her father raised her burned down. The same building where Summer moved in and would one day give birth to Ruby. That house was her life and it was just a massive pile of wood that had long since been burnt.
Yang's next instinct was to use what little strength her small arms had and began tearing apart the rubble. Thinking Ruby was trapped somewhere, not realizing how long it had been since the house was gone.
"Firecracker, please stop. You're going to hurt yourself." Qrow said softly.
Qrow watched as his niece was hurting herself with trying to push away the damaged beams of wood. He let the girl work for a few minutes, hoping she would tire herself out. As much as Qrow wanted to find his other niece, his bad luck and experiences taught him better. After a few more minutes of trying to tell Yang to stop. Qrow just walked up to Yang and picked her up from behind.
"Put me down Uncle Qrow! Put me down! Ruby is trapped under there and you're not helping!" Yang screamed as she kicked the air.
Qrow held onto Yang as she struggled in his grip and continued to cry and even curse him. But eventually, Yang stopped and began to sob in his arms. Qrow turned Yang around and gently stroked the back of her head as she began to grieve.
"Ruby... my baby sister... she's... I have to... she's out there..." Yang said as she sobbed onto Qrow's shirt.
"I'm sorry Yang, I did everything but flip over the island. Ruby... she's... not here anymore." is all Qrow could say as Yang screamed into the heavens.
All Qrow could do was hold his niece and look at the mess. Only watching as a damaged red hood tried to float into air but was stuck under some debris.
Qrow couldn't tell if it was one of Ruby's spare cloaks or if it belonged to Summer and looked small due to the fire damage. He knew the younger girl wanted to be like her mother and mimicked her appearance.
"I want my sister back." Yang murmured.
"I know Yang. I want her back too." Qrow said.
Among many things, not being there to protect his nieces from both the Grimm and Raven was one Qrow's regrets. Even if it wasn't his fault, this was the worst event in his life. The one that was meant to break him and it wasn't some sense of obligation that kept him alive and mentally sane after this day.
It was the desire to protect someone so precious and so important to him.
End of Flashback
Yang wiped her tears as she grabbed Ruby's hood and placed it in the girl's arms. She then bent down and kissed her on the side of the head.
"I'm sorry Ruby, but this time. I'm coming back for you. Your big sister won't let you down this time." Yang said, promising to return to Ruby soon.
As she said this, Naruto got to work on writing a couple of letters. Where he left some paper and a pen for Yang to write as well.
"There's no telling when Ruby's waking up. We should leave her something just in case." Naruto said.
Yang nodded, "Right, that makes sense, I think." she said.
Naruto's plan was hoping to at least explain things to Ruby. If it were up to him and Yang, they would carry her with them all the way to Haven. For now, they would have to settle with hoping to calm the girl down in case she woke up feeling alone and abandoned. The latter being the worst feeling that Naruto would never want Ruby to feel.
Ruby is a strong.
It didn't mean that the Belmont wanted her to be alone at all.
"We're coming back for her, right?" Yang asked.
"Of course, hopefully not too long. It wouldn't go past me for Ruby to wake up and somehow follow us." Naruto said.
Yang was about to snap at him before realizing that he was being truthful. The girl was a lover of jokes like her father, but she could suddenly tell Naruto was being truthful.
'I guess I don't fully realize how stubborn my little sister is.' Yang thought.
Now the possibility of Ruby making her way across Remnant to reunite with them, or at least just Naruto, being a possible feat. Then again, assuming Atlas or another government isn't patrolling where she is. Yang can imagine Ruby turning into a Titan and just rushing across kingdoms of Remnant to reach them in Haven.
"I'm also leaving Professor Goodwitch with some instructions. Ruby is a big girl, but she can be delicate when handling her." Naruto said.
"I guess my little sister is still the same in some ways." Yang said.
A few hours later
After packing up and leaving everything for Ruby and Glynda. Naruto and Yang grabbed their bags and met up with Team JNPR's remaining team members.
"So this is it." Jaune said as he looked at the damaged academy. "I just wanted to be a huntsmen. I knew it was hard but all this..." he said trying to find the right words.
Nora looked to Ren and grasped his hand, hoping to find comfort. Which Ren tried to give her by squeezing her hand. The both of them were like Naruto and Ruby, two kids having to survive on this cruel world and doing whatever it took to see the next day. Now the temporary haven they found in Beacon is gone along with a team member who they deeply cared about.
"We're gonna figure this out by the time we get to Haven, right?" Jaune asked Naruto.
"I hope so." Naruto answered.
Naruto took a deep breath as he looked at the doors to the room where Ruby was being kept in secret. He then looked at Yang who placed a hand on the door before looking away. Once they were ready, Naruto transformed himself and Yang just as Glynda arrived to see them off.
The new headmaster of the damaged academy took a deep breath before looking at her remaining students.
"Personally, I am not very good with speeches. In a way, Professor Ozpin was not so good when it came to hope and all that. He was a realist, he was honest and had great vision." Glynda began to say.
With that piece said, Glynda started to find the right things to say.
"I know many students, possibly some of you as well, saw me as this mean teacher who doesn't care. My methods are not just tough love but my desire to see you at your best. I know how terrifying the world is and how much worse it looks now." Glynda explained as she looked at the damage.
The scary world was a lot more obvious as of a few days ago.
"As much as I wish to say hope, friendship and optimism is all you need. I would not be entirely honest." Glynda said before closing her eyes. "However, while you all have your strengths. There is no shame or weakness in relying on each other. After Beacon was attacked, everyone was hurt in a way and some were heavily damaged from that day." she continued to say.
Yang looked at the arm that was now missing. Jaune looked at the ground, wishing Pyrrha was still here. Naruto looked back at where Ruby is. Ren and Nora held each other's hands more tightly.
"The scars you all have run deep, but the pain goes away. It's temporary, but if you choose to wallow in it and give up, then it will be permanent." Glynda said before opening her eyes. "As much as it hurts, you should fight for those who still live and honor those who made sacrifices. Remember the fall not for despair, but so it can never happen again." she said.
The last part sounded a bit too hopeful, maybe a bit too optimistic. But what was to stop these future huntsmen from trying and doing their best to keep fighting? It may sound naive, but these young adults need motivation to keep fighting.
"Had it gone my way, I would be congratulating you all on becoming huntsmen. Young men and women who fight to protect their fellow man." Glynda said as her voice started to raise itself. "For now, all I can tell you is I am still proud. Even with the fresh scars, you all persevere. You are all adults now, you may be leaving but you are all my students. The only thing I request, is to see you all return one day stronger and successful and to prove I was not wrong to put my faith in all of you." she said, finishing her speech.
The students felt a bit better hearing Glynda's words. It didn't sound like a lecture or a fancy way of telling them to shut up and stop crying. It was a cold woman showing her compassion revealing how much faith she has in them.
"Now go out there. We will all be waiting for your return someday in the future. Even if you have become proper huntsmen by then." Glynda said, giving them all a bright smile.
Nora started squeezing Ren's hand to the point that he started showing visible pain. When she let go, she ran up to Glynda and hugged her.
"I'm gonna miss you Miss Goodwitch! I don't care if you were mean and scary anymore!" Nora said.
Glynda grunted, "Right, I'll miss you too Miss Valkyrie." she said as she awkwardly tapped Nora's back.
"Group hug!" Nora declared.
"Uh Nora, I don't think..." Jaune tried to say before being interrupted.
"I said, group hug!" Nora commanded.
Ren and Jaune fearfully approached Glynda and hugged her as well. Making things uncomfortable for the new headmaster. Soon enough, Yang also joined the group hug and swung the single useful arm she had.
"Oh, you're not a bad lady. We're just kids that need guidance." Yang said.
Thinking about it, Glynda's absolute worst day would be better than being around Raven on her best day.
Naruto silently walked up Glynda and gently patted her shoulder. He already thought Glynda felt uncomfortable and didn't think it was a good idea to crush her.
By the time Nora broke the hug and they all began to get ready to leave. Glynda stopped Naruto for a moment.
"Mr. Belmont, Ms. Xiao Long, I know you have heard this enough but while I am still a bit against the idea of you all travelling to Haven alone. I promise to protect your sister with my life." Glynda said.
"Thank you Professor Goodwitch." Yang as she squeezed Naruto's hand for comfort.
"Thank you ma'am, it doesn't take every semblance in the world to know you're a good person." Naruto said gratefully. "A big heart requires some really thick skin." he added.
Glynda nodded and watched the pair walk off with Jaune's team. The woman watched them go for a few minutes before entering to check on Ruby. Where she found Qrow had already arrived and was gently stroking the young girl's hair. Glynda could tell Ruby's condition had him pretty hard too.
"I heard what the Belmont kid said." Qrow said without looking at Glynda. "I'm grateful too, Glynda." he said.
"And what will you do now Qrow? Something tells me you won't stay around to watch over Ruby either." Glynda said.
Qrow sighed, "You really want to hear a lot of excuses?" he asked.
Glynda just crossed her arms and could tell where such an argument would go.
"I'm going to keep an eye on Yang's group and call Najenda so she can expect them." Qrow said.
"And you will maintain your distance, I assume?" Glynda asked, knowing Qrow is always cautious about his semblance.
Qrow nodded, "I wish that kid finished that paper of his. He looks and thinks like his dad, but I can tell he's really more like his mom." he said.
As Qrow watched over Ruby, he could see Ruby's eyes were rapidly moving under her eyelids. Qrow was no doctor, but he heard this was meant to say that a sleeping personw as dreaming. He just hoped his niece wasn't having a nightmare to further damage her mind.
The poor girl already used her silver eyes just after witnessing a good friend die.
In Ruby's mind
Ruby was darting towards the top of the tower where Ozpin's office was. She felt like her body was on fire to the point it was peeling off. She looked down at her body and saw fragments of it breaking apart and turning into red petals. Despite how scary it seemed, Ruby continued to run up the wall despite the pain. Ruby never experienced such urgency since her younger years when she was just a defenseless child.
Unlike those times, Ruby wasn't running to survive, she was running to protect someone.
But it was pointless when Ruby had arrived.
Despite the pain and sacrifice, Ruby arrived and saw Cinder stabbing Pyrrha with an arrow. For a brief second, Ruby saw the masked woman in black from the day of the Beacon Dance. The masked woman and Cinder were trading places every few seconds as Pyrrha sat there on her knees.
Ruby felt helpless as she tried to reach out and help Pyrrha, only to feel her knees beginning to break. As Ruby fell, she watched as Cinder ripped out the arrow and whispered something to Pyrrha. Before watching as the red haired girl shattered into gold fragments of fire. The scene horrified Ruby, leaving her broken and barely able to respond as she was about to hit the floor.
"PYRRHAAAAAAA!" Ruby screamed as the entire office was enveloped in a silver light.
Ruby suddenly watched as Cinder stood there, looking confused and shocked. Before hearing the woman scream as she was burned by white fire. Eventually beign reduced to nothing but dust.
Ruby didn't focus or even find herself caring that much for what happened to Cinder. Instead, she turned her attention to the image of a large monstrous Grimm that was holding itself and crying out in pain as the white flames surrounded it. Ruby cried out again as she tried to reach out to the Grimm.
"Big brother!" she screamed before watching it being engulfed by the flames.
Ruby wanted to scream out again before watching the Grimm being reduced to ash. As Ruby lost her voice, the whole world was filled with the silver light she unleashed. The young girl closed her eyes and covered her face as she cried in anguish. Wishing for everything to go back to where it was. Begging for none of this to have happened.
To return to a simple life.
"Ruby..."
Ruby continued to cry and shield her eyes from the world that was gone.
"Ruby..."
Ruby shook her head and then proceeded to hold her own body, shivering as the air felt cold.
"Ruby!"
Ruby continued to shiver before covering her ears, feeling like a strange noise was invading her hearing.
"Ruby, sweetie. Please don't cry."
Ruby sniffled as she began to open her eyes, only being able to see the silver light. She blinked several times and wiped her eyes as she saw the lights fade away. Seeing nothing, but hearing the voice calling out to her.
"It's okay baby, you're not alone."
Ruby looked around in confusion as her vision began to adjust.
"Who's there?" Ruby asked as her voice returned.
Ruby tried to call out again but found her eyesight taking in a lot of detail. Before she realized it, she was back in her room again. Her old room from her houes in Patch and she was facing the ceiling.
'What?' Ruby wondered.
Ruby still had a relatively hard time being able to see and found it hard to move. She thought her body had completely broken down into petals. She then found her voice was coming and going, barely able to form complete words.
But the voice was still there.
"There there, mommy is here." the voice said.
Ruby tried to look around before feeling herself being lifted up. On instinct, Ruby tried to kick her legs around but found herself barely able to move. When she found herself in front of a woman who looked like an adult version of herself.
The woman smiled as she started rocking Ruby in her arms and singing a familiar song.
"Hush hush baby rabbit on the hill. Tell me why your eyes are so very red." the woman sang.
Ruby began to tear up as she heard this song. She tried to raise her head and get a good look at the woman as she continued to sing.
"Because when my mother was expecting me. She dined on red berries from a tree. And that is why my eyes... are so very red." the woman sang.
Ruby began to reach out to the woman. Mentally pleading to hold her closer.
The woman then held Ruby close to her chest and patted her back.
"But you're different, you have big silver eyes. Just like me." she said.
'Mommy, it's really her.' Ruby thought as she tried to grasp her.
Ruby turned her head to the side and saw her reflection. She was a baby again and Summer was holding her. Summer was smiling brightly at the reflection of herself holding her daughter. The mother-daughter moment was interrupted by some noise in the background that made Summer sigh.
"I guess your sister and cousin are back from playing outside." Summer said.
'Cousin?' Ruby mentally asked.
Summer raised Ruby up to her shoulder and kissed her head.
"Let's go Ruby, your cousin has been waiting for you to wake up." Summer said.
Ruby was feeling a lot more confused now but could not do anything. She then found herself being taken across the hall and into the living room. There she saw her father talking to another blond man. Only to stop talking and greet Ruby.
"Hi my little gem, did you have a nightmare?" Taiyang asked.
Ruby got tearful again and tried to say something to her father. Except all she could do was muster a few groans and other baby noises. Which made Taiyang chuckle as he kissed her on the cheek.
"My precious little gemstone." Taiyang said, introducing Ruby to the other blond man.
"She's adorable. You should have seen how Kushina smothered Naruto when he was a baby." the man said.
'Naruto? Kushina?' Ruby thought.
"I'm going to get Ruby her bottle and see if she feels like seeing her cousin." Summer said.
Summer then took Ruby to the kitchen where she grabbed a bottle and reached for a microwave. But then Summer realized she was having a bit of trouble seeing as Ruby was already in her arms.
"Let me help you with that." said a new voice.
"Thanks Kushina, I forgot how much of a literal handful a baby can be." Summer said.
Ruby then moved her head and saw a woman with silver eyes and red hair that was black at the end. It kind of looked similar to her own and Summer's but in reverse. But that's when Ruby realized something about the mystery woman who was helping her mother.
'Aunt Kushina?' Ruby wondered.
Ruby tried to extend her hand towards Kushina who put the milk to heat up. When Kushina turned, she smiled at Ruby and gently grabbed her hand.
"Hi Ruby, are you back from nap time?" Kushina asked.
Once again, Ruby's response came in the form of groans. It appeared she wasn't developed enough to babble just yet. Before Ruby could be further frustrated by her inability to speak. Her eyes turned towards the sight of two small children who were eating some snacks at the table.
"Yang, look who woke up." Summer called out.
Ruby then witnessed a chibi version of Yang stumbling towards Summer and she eagerly smiled at Ruby. Yang then reached for Ruby's tiny hands and gently shook them.
"Hi sleepy, you had a super long nap today." Yang said followed by a giggle.
Ruby let out a groan as a response.
Yang continued to giggle before focusing on the other child who was with her.
"Cousin, come here. Ruby waked up already." Yang said.
Ruby looked at the other child and was surprised by who she saw.
'Big brother!?' she thought.
Ruby saw a chibi version of Naruto stumbling towards her. He looked at Ruby as if she was the most exotic thing on Remnant. He reached out to her, but recoiled when he heard Ruby groan.
"I don't think she likes me." Naruto said sadly.
'I like you!' Ruby thought as she extended her hands. 'Augh! Stupid small hands! What good are they!?' she thought.
Ruby let out more groans as she moved her hands in Naruto's direction. Just then, Kushina arrived to give Summer the milk bottle. As Summer began to feed Ruby, who was already annoyed of being a baby already. The red haired woman bent down to Naruto's side and looked at Ruby from her angle.
"Did you introduce yourself to your cousin?" Kushina asked.
"I think I scared her." Naruto said.
'No you didn't! I like you!' Ruby thought as she moved her hand again. 'Big brother, come here and... augh! Mom, don't give me this much milk. At the very least give me cookies. I have teeth at this point, right?' she thought.
A few moments later, Ruby pushed away the bottle to the best of her ability. Where she then turned her head and tried to reach for Naruto. Only to be picked up by Kushina who sat down and held her out for the children to see. Of course, Yang was the first to be in front of her and played a few games meant to distract babies which annoyed Ruby at first. Until she started remembering how innocent Yang was, just like her.
This wasn't the reckless girl who abandoned her. In fact, seeing Yang as a small child who was happy to have a little sister started to make Ruby's heart pang. Ruby was still a bit angry deep down but it hurt knowing this loving older sister abandoned her. Even still, Ruby didn't find it in her to hate Yang or wish any harm onto her.
"Cousin, you play with Ruby too. She likes you." Yang said.
Naruto nervously approached Ruby and gently reached for her hands. As he was about to pull back, Ruby managed to grip one of his fingers. She then surprised him by giving him a cute baby smile.
"Aw, she likes you." Kushina said.
Naruto smiled back and sook Ruby's hand as if it they had just met. Yang giggled on the side before shaking Ruby's other hand. Ruby continued to giggle as sister and cousin played with her.
Then a thought hit Ruby's mind.
'Wait, this doesn't make any sense. I don't remember Naruto being with us.' Ruby thought as she stopped smiling. 'Yang would have brought him up. Did Naruto hide the truth about knowing Yang? It doesn't make sense unless...'
"Kushina, I've been meaning to ask. Have you spoken to Najenda? It's been a while since I've seen her." Summer said.
"Oh, I've been meaning to catch up with her lately. I kind of feel bad for forgetting about her." Kushina said, giving a sheepish smile.
Ruby had no idea what they were talking about but drowned out the conversation. Where her mind was focusing on how Naruto and his parents were here. She doesn't remember seeing any photos of her cousin or aunt and uncle around the house. Then again, it's possible there was a photo album she didn't find or that Ruby was too small to remember after she burned the house down.
'That's it, Naruto and Yang don't remember each other!' Ruby thought as the realization hit her.
Then again, it also occured to Ruby that she was going through a dream sequence. Obviously, it didn't make sense that she somehow traveled back in time. However, the whole scene with Pyrrha's death and the imagery following it was pretty surreal on its own. Leaving Ruby unsure if she was creating all these scenes with the information she knew.
Ruby's thoughts were cut off as she was taken to a couch where she was given to Yang. Ruby nudged her body around uncomfortably as Summer tried to help Yang hold her properly.
"Now be careful Yang, Ruby is very tiny. She can be hurt so have a good hold on her." Summer instructed.
Yang looked a bit anxious as she held Ruby in her arms. A little baby was so fragile and yet, she suddenly felt heavy in Yang's arms. Once Yang lost her anxiety and had a good grasp of Ruby, she started to smile.
"Hi baby sister, can you say hi back?" Yang asked.
'I'm a baby, of course not.' Ruby thought.
Yang giggled as she heard Ruby make a groaning noise and mistook it for baby language.
"Remember me? My name is Yang and this is our cousin, Na-ru-to." Yang said, pronouncing her cousin's name.
Yang adjusted Ruby to see Naruto who waved at her. Ruby once again extended her hand but struggled to move it properly
"I know, our cousin has a funny name, but at least he's not named after his daddy." Yang said with a pout.
"Yang is a pretty name because I have a pretty cousin." Naruto said making Yang blush.
Ruby started to whine, 'Stop flirting!' she thought.
Yang began to panic as she tried rocking Ruby. She immediately thought Ruby was about to cry and began to comfort her.
"Please don't cry Ruby." Yang pleaded.
"Don't cry cousin. Don't be scared." Naruto said before gently kissing her head.
Yang immediately frowned at Naruto for kissing Ruby.
"How come you don't kiss me when I get hurt?" Yang asked, making Naruto blush.
'Is she jealous!?' Ruby thought.
Kushina and summer laughed in the background.
"Those two are so close. I can't imagine how they will be when they're teenagers." Kushina said.
"Careful Kushina, don't let Taiyang hear you." Summer warned.
Ruby began to whine more loudly as she started thinking about how close her sister and Naruto became in the present day.
'Those two better not be flirting in real life!' Ruby thought.
As Ruby's whining was mistaken for crying. Summer gently took Ruby back and began patting her back.
"There there, don't you want to play with your sister and cousin?" Summer asked.
Ruby let out a groan as a response as she looked back at Naruto and Yang who stared at her. She still felt some discomfort with how this dream felt.
However, as she watched, she saw Kushina gently pulling Naruto to the side. Yang stayed close as she didn't want to leave her side but Ruby wasn't worried about her older sister. Instead, she looked at Kushina and Naruto and saw them talking. She couldn't hear or understand the gestures Kushina made to her son. What Ruby did notice is Kushina smiling and giving Naruto a little charm or a necklace. Naruto accepted it and nodded before hugging his mother and getting a kiss on his forehead.
"Here Summer, let me hold Ruby for a bit." Taiyang said.
"Okay, just try not to toss her into the air again. She's scared of heights and it makes her queasy." Summer warned.
"I know, I know, I won't make my baby girl cry again." Taiyang promised
Ruby leaned her head close to Taiyang's chest as her father patted her. As she took in her father's warm embrace again. She looked out the corner of her eye and saw Summer take out a necklace that looked exactly like Kushina's. She then saw Summer approaching Yang but didn't know what else happened as Taiyang took Ruby outside to get some fresh air.
Ruby let go of her curiosity as she took in the fresh air with her father. Even if this was some sort of lucid dream. Ruby found some amount of comfort in seeing her parents and feeling their embrace. It only made her sad knowing she would have to wake up soon. For now, she could only take in whatever her mind was trying to show her.
"See this Ruby? Patch may not look like a lot but it's ours. I know it looks too little, but that means you have a lot of growing to do." Taiyang told his daughter as they looked up at the sky. "Your sister, she's very big now. Someday you're going to be big too. Neither of you will be my little girls anymore. You will be both women and you will try to take on this scary world." he said, looking down.
Ruby reached out to her father and gently tapped on his cheek. Causing Taiyang to smile brightly at his daughter.
"Aw, who am I kidding. You can't understand me. Besides, you are a lot more cute and precious by being this tiny." Taiyang said, earning a smile from Ruby. "That's right, shine brightly my little gem." he said before kissing her on the forehead.
'I love you dad. I miss you too.' Ruby thought as she snuggled her head into his chest.
At Beacon
Ruby slowly began to open her eyes and once again found it hard to see and hear whatever was going on around her. She struggled to make out shapes and sounds. Her body felt numb and it felt difficult to do so much as raise her head.
By the time that some of her senses came back. Ruby found herself alone in a room that looked like a makeshift nurse's office.
Some people didn't like doctor's offices for many reasons. Some of which are understandable as they ranged from long waits to uncomfortable tests regarding one's own health. As for Ruby, she immediately hated her situation because she saw a familiar blue haired figure looking away from her.
"I'm in hell, aren't I?" Ruby asked.
The blue haired figure grinned before standing up and facing Ruby.
"Finally, you left me waiting for too long." said a familiar sadistic voice.
Ruby narrowed her eyes, "If I could feel my arms. I would punch you." she said.
"I love you too." Esdeath said, snickering at her threat.
Ruby was confused and a bit afraid. How did she end up in Esdeath's clutches? Where was everyone else? Naruto, Yang, her other teammates, not even a staff member was here. Why was she alone with this sadistic psychopath?
"Two months, more than 60 days you have been enjoying your beauty sleep. You so much to catch up on." Esdeath said.
"What do you want, Esdeath?" Ruby asked, venom slipping out.
As Ruby tried to keep her anger in check, she also tried to find the strength in her limbs to move again.
"Primarily, a better performance. Your results were lacking when you were pitted against a giant lizard, even when you released your true power." Esdeath teased. But then her face became serious, "You could barely land a blow on the creature as it tossed you around. Turning you into a pincushion when you had the power to destroy it." she said in a reprimanding tone.
"What are you talking about?" Ruby asked, trying to control her anger.
"I'm here to collect on our deal from before the incident. Or did you forget that during your sleep?" Esdeath asked.
Ruby groaned as she remembered how Esdeath was practically scouting her. She used her position and authority to reach Vale in order to find her. With the woman wanting to turn Ruby into some kind of student or successor or something.
"I'm just here to make good on our agreement. Although I'm still disappointed that you didn't beat that overgrown lizard when you match its size and force." Esdeath said as she moved closer to Ruby.
Ruby scoffed, "You sound like Weiss' sister. Are you really trying to force me to learn or are you going to insult me because you can?" she asked.
"That's the first time words have actually hurt me. Even the slightest bit." Esdeath replied.
Apparently being compared to a drone like Winter Schnee was as painful as being shot with an arrow to Esdeath. However she ignored that and quickly moved along.
"Anyhow, your brother left you in the care of Glynda Goodwitch. Which didn't make it too difficult for me to find you." Esdeath told her. "Luckily for you, I will not pawn you off to the general like a brown nose expecting praise or reward." she said.
Ruby didn't trust her one bit. Even if that was true and Esdeath wasn't going to be a dog for Ironwood. Esdeath's personality already told her so much about her character and didn't feel any better in her opinion.
"Now then, I suppose I will have to wait a little longer. Just so that Goodwitch can help begin the first stages of your recovery. You would be so surprised to see how skilled she is at medicine." Esdeath said before helping Ruby sit up.
Esdeath then grabbed one of her arms and used her free hand to raise a finger.
"The therapy will be very important and beneficial to you. I suppose disciplinary training will also have to be fit into my agenda." Esdeath said, seemingly confusing Ruby.
Esdeath then raised Ruby's hand as Ruby saw her own hand was slowly hardening. Ruby cursed that she was caught but was also angry that her powers were reacting too slowly. Despite the risk, her anger and frustration towards Esdeath only made her want to stab her in the throat with a crystal sword.
"I will not deduct points for preparing yourself." Esdeath said.
"Then I hope you are prepared to get hit in the face again." Ruby said.
"I will welcome it." Esdeath said, not even mad that Ruby head butted her during their last spar.
The blue haired Atlas colonel wanted to shape Ruby. With some desire to make her somewhat like her. Yet, Esdeath couldn't find Ruby more fetching if she lost her own individuality and sense of independence. Ruby just needed some more training and preparation in her opinion.
Esdeath saw Ruby as gem that needed to be polished. Naruto had taught her well but she needed more.
TO BE CONTINUED...
JASN Chibi!
#1 - Road Trip
After waking up from the coma, Ruby was placed in a baby car seat much to her embarrassment. The girl growled and kicked as Naruto buckled her in. Keeping her stuck in place.
"I'm not a baby!" Ruby yelled.
"Ruby, you know the rules! We can't legally let you sit in the car until you gain another 15 pounds. Those cookies are just empty carbs for you." Naruto said.
"They are not!" Ruby yelled as she continued to thrash around.
Naruto sighed as he sat in the passenger seat with Yang taking the driver's seat. Once Jaune, Nora and Ren were onboard the minivan, the road trip to Haven began.
Things seemed to go well and smooth for the first hour. With everyone relaxing for the long trip. That is until the hour ended and everyone was already sick and tired. With so many miles left to go until they reached Haven.
"I'm hungry." Nora whined.
"Nora, just eat the apple slices Yang packed for you." Naruto said.
"I don't want apple slices." Nora replied.
"Then have some chips. Maybe that will calm you down." Yang chimed in.
"Oh, were we supposed to share those?" Jaune asked, his mouth covered in some kind of orange dust.
Naruto slapped his forehead while Yang groaned in frustration. Ruby didn't help the situation any more as she has not stopped thrashing around in the baby seat.
"I want a kids meal!" Ruby complained.
"Can I have one too?" Ren asked.
"Ren, your doctor said you need a diet or else you're blood pressure will increase." Naruto replied.
"You never let me have anything." Ren said before crossing his arms.
Nora then started kicking Naruto's seat much to his frustration.
"Nora, I swear if you keep that up..."
"I'm hungry!" Nora complained.
Naruto groaned as he slammed his head against the dashboard. Leaving Yang to sigh as she pulled up to a nearby fast food restaurant.
Unfortunately after making their orders and reaching the window where they have to pay. Yang was given some bad news once she pulled out her debit card.
"I'm sorry ma'am, our card reader isn't working. We only accept cash right now." the cashier said.
Yang faced Naruto and gave him a sheepish smile as he frowned.
"Hubby, please help me." Yang pleaded.
"You're lucky I went to the bank before we started this road trip." Naruto said as he handed her cash.
"Thanks, I love you." Yang said.
"I love you too." Naruto said.
Ruby started kicking Yang's seat next.
"Ruby, knock that off!" Yang yelled.
"Stop flirting!" Ruby demanded.
"I swear, raising kids is going to be the death of us." Yang said.
"I know, at least Pyrrha's behaving." Naruto said.
Naruto and Yang both turned to see an urn sitting on Jaune's lap. Jaune glared at the two who quickly looked away.
"Sorry, too soon." Yang said.
Yang then looked back at the cashier and was given all the bags she ordered for everyone. Along with an extra order that was wrapped up.
"Uh, I didn't order this." Yang said.
Suddenly, Chibi R0tatcid poked his head out.
"That's the World of Remnant Secret, it's a free item that you just won!" R0tatcid said.
"Wow really?" Yang asked excitedly.
Everyone watched as Yang took off the wrapper to find a burger. Yang then lifted up the top bun and saw the secret written in ketchup.
Secret: Politics on art and literature aside, Jiraiya Schnee is an accomplished writer who has gained quite a fortune from his perverse novels. However this earned the ire of Winter not because he's more popular or because he's rich despite Jacques disowning him. Rather because he's sort of infected James Ironwood who secretly reads his perverted books.
"Oh, Weiss is not going to like that one." Ruby commented.
Chibi R0tatcid chuckled, "Definitely not, but you will definitely see more of Weiss in the near future. Next Time! Chapter 17: Never Alone!"
END OF JASN CHIBI