Later at the party Thalia and Ruby were a lively pair, dancing to song and drink, much to the jubilation around, Gale and Karlach Dragged Wyll to the celebration proper so that he would stop sulking in the corner of camp worried for the future as Halsin laughed celebrated with Zevlore.

Shadowheart watched from the side as she enjoyed a deep rich wine while Alfira sang loud and proud, a hero to her piers. Her sister holding a cheer to every song. Durge Had gone hunting and had brought back a mighty boar to cook over the fire for the festivities while Ilia settled into her new tent as she watched a the teifling wizard Rolan set of magical fireworks.

Ruby drank from her dented bronze goblet as they danced laughing heartedly as Thalia twiled around her, the druid girl far more graceful then one would expect. A Pure happiness to both their smiles.


Chapter 25: Gale's Folly


Ruby woke up in her tent as Thalia stuck her head in. "Morning beautiful." Thalia said with a smile as the young huntress got up. Thalia stepped back as she handed ruby breakfast. "Halsin and I made breakfast this morning."

Ruby smiled as she sat by the fire with the others as they all ate, everyone in higher spirits after the night's festivities. Zevlore and the teifling had left come first light. Ruby hoped to see them again.

Halsin sat on a lug and cleared his throat. "The source of the cult appears to be Moonrise towers." The massive druid said. "In the heart of the shadow cursed lands. We must travel there if we are to find a cure. I also have unfinished buiness there."

"Of course, you were part of the emerald enclave that assulted Ketherics Thorms Sharran stronghold." Thalia said.

"Yes, and there is much to do. The cult of the Absolute operates with impunity within the shadowcirsed lands yet that curse would kill and corrupt all others." Halsin remarked. "I remember the Dark Justiciars and their cruelty."

"Dark Justiciars. Lady Shar guide me." Shadowheart said with a quiet reference.

"I do find it strange that once the Sharrans were my enemies but now I must gight alnog side one. Though you did go out of your way to help protect my grove. So I will trust you."

"Speaking of that, Moonrise is most likely where the cult has taken my father, and we need more of the truth Shadowheart." Wyll said as he drank some water.

"It is breaking the tenats to tell you of my faith. I was sent on a mission by the Mother superior to retrieve this artifact from the Githyanki, and thats all I know and its not a matter of refusal, my memories were erased to keep my ladies secrets safe." Shadowheart told the group.

"Sharrans." Gale shook his head. "Well at the very least we can assume the dark lady wants the Cult gone as much as we do.And we need allies more then we need enemies."

"Ever the pragmatist Gale." Shadowheart replied.

"Well... how do we get to the shadowcursed lands?" Ruby asked.

"I suggest we travel through the underdark. There is a passage through the old Seluneite Temple. The path overland to the Shadow cursed lands is filled with dangers." Halsin explained.

"The Underdark won't be much better, wining tunnels, underground monster, Duegar, Drow, it'll be a blood bath." Durge replied as he finished his food.

"The Drow would have traveled through the Underdark. if were going to track them and my father, its our best option."

"Can someone fill me in on what this Underdark is?" Ilia asked handing Alfira her empty bowl.

"Me too." Ruby added. "I've been reading, but its mostly been the different gods and races, and there isn't much on the drow or the Duegar. Or really much of the underdark aside for the deep gnomes or the general sense of danger."

"Read? I picked up a book and it was in runes." Ilia turned to Ruby.

"Magic coin." Ruby said holding up her magic coin.

"I'll have one enchanted for you later tonight." Gale patted her shoulder as he stood up, "But as for what the underdark is, its a a ecosystem onto it's self entire nations beneath the surface of the world. Of course we will... oh no..." Gale stumbled forward as he caught himself on the log he had been sitting on.

Wyll caught him holding the wizard up as he helped sit him down. "Gale, whats wrong?" Wyll asked.

"My... condition... Gale from his bag pulled one of the hags charms crushing it in his hand as he consumed the magic. Sweat pouring down his brow. "No... no... it's not... its not the strengh as before..."

Ilia bolted to her feet. "What's going on? Whats wrong with him?"

Gale took as deep breath as Wyll held a bottle of water for him as his breathing calmed. "It's... my condition" Gale looked at everyone. "Well, everyone elses dirty laundry is out, Karlachs faulty engine, Durge's memory loss, Wyll and Thalia deals with devils, Shadowhearts Faith, it's time i came clean..."

"Gale what is it you speak of?" Halsin asked.

"My biggest mistake and greatest regret. Allow me to start from the begining, I was born to a most prestigious family of wizards in Waterdeep, and as my magical education grew I caught the eye of Mystra. At first she was my teacher, then my muse, and lastly even my lover, from her i learned to Harness the magic of the weave."

"You layed with a goddess?" Wyll asked shocked.

"The lady of magic no less." Alfira added.

"Yes, I was smitten with love and devotion for Mystra, but every moment i was with her was like the razors edge of the mountain ridge, to stare into the sea of power, a sea she forbade mortals from sailing. I begged and pleaded with her, to make an exception, to allow my beyond her boundaries and step into the realm of the divine. It was my ambition that drove my actions." Gale opened the front of his robe exposing his chest. The mark Ruby had thought a simple tatto glowed bright.

The spell casters in the party stepped back, looks of recognition and terror ethed on their faces for they knew something. "Netheresse magic." Halsin said, a sour expression on his face.

"What is it?" Ilia asked.

"If i do not consume the magic of the weave,.. I will erupt. Leveling a city the size of Waterdeep. Every mage cleric and expert i have seen have all told me it cannot be removed. Long ago the was a empire of mages called Netheril. Led by a man named Karsus. In his pursuit of power he sought to usurp the throne of magic from mystra and become the god of magic. But in his folly he failed yet he shattered the Weave effectively killing magic till Mystra was reborn. Nethril fell. But in my research i learned of a book, with a fragment of the shattered weave." Gale sighed as he looked to the ground.

"I sought to return this fragment to the goddess, a grand gesture to me welcomed into divinity as her consort. I found the lost tome and brought it to my home. Yet when i opened the book... this netherrese blight ripped into my chest. I truly thought i would die. Yet when the pain stopped Mystra was there... and she abandoned me. I locked myself in my home searching for a cure and consuming magic to stave off the orbs hunger. I can never be rid of it." Gale said. "I'll understand if you want me gone. If i die it'll be somewhere cold dark and in the depths of the underdark or the jungels of a far off island."

"No." Wyll said standing to his full height.

"No?" Shadowheart asked.

"No, we will not let each other die, to much hinges on us. We need to stick together. This Absolute is a threat to us all, as we know their true souls are infected like us. As this is not just a threat to Faerun, but to Remant as well. The illithid nautilods can reach Remnant just as easy as anywhere on the sword coast. We need each other more then ever."

"An inspiring speech, Wyll, though i must say, I don't think any of us were going to tell Gale to leave. He's much too powerful to waste like that." Shadowheart remarked.

"And who would I be to make about a fuss about someone else having a ticking time bomb in their chest. Besides, we need to make sure Ruby here keep up her studies so she isn't too far behind her classmates." Karlach laughed.

After everyone finished eating break fast they all began to break down their camp, Packing tents and bed rolls. Ruby frowned as she looked around, it hadn't been long in this camp but it had been a sort of home to them, she would miss it.

As things were debatted on what to bring, leaving large crates and boxes behind to pack supplies into tightly stuffed bags. As Ruby tied her ruck sack up a hand landed on her shoulder to see Ilia looking down at her. "We need to talk."

Ruby followed her to the shore. "I've been thinking, yiur team wasn't just in mountain glenn to kill Grimm we're they." Ilia said looking into the young huntress's eyes.

"N-no... we were after Torchwick and... the white fang." Ruby admitted as she rubbed the back of her head.

"I know i said while we're here we are allies... but... I had a friend who was in the fang till she deserted. I heard she is attending beacon. She's a cat faunas, though you might be able to recognize her because of her bow..."

"You're talking about Blake." Ruby blurted out before covering her mouth.

"You know her?" Ilia asked.

Ruby devolved into a mess of words. "Yes, she's on my team. though she's really quiet. And yes i know some about her past, she dosen't really talk to me that much. Mostly to my sister whose her partner because of the entrance exam." Her words getting faster and faster in a mubbled mess.

"Ruby... just... tell me if she's okay. Or at least the last time you saw her." Ilia shushed her.

"Yes. she was. She should be still with the rest of my team... their probably looking for... me..." Ruby said a spark of a realization crossed Ruby's mind.

"And since you guys were looking for the white fang, and there would be no trace of where you went. They would think..."

"The White Fang kidnapped me."


A few days ago on Remnant


The sound of crashing stone buildinfs awoke team Rwby and Professor Oobleck. Throwing the blankets and sleeping bags off the group scrambled out of their hiding place, as the dust clouds rolled in.

Grimm charged from all directions in the chaos that the roar of dragons were drowned out as the the nautilod obscured by the rusing dust cloud escaped with those on the ground none the wiser.

As the dust settled Yang tang from rubble pile to rubble pile in a desperate bid to find her sister. Only to find an opening into the city beneath the city.

"Ruby's been captured, we have to save her!" Yang shouted.

"That dolt." Weiss responded with as the team made thier way into the caves beneath Mountain Glen.


The next day


Yang, Weiss and Blake sat in their dorm watching the news, the attack of the grimm in vale, the capture of Torchwick and the involvement of the Whitefang.

"Tragically a young huntress has gone missing, Miss Ruby Rose of Beacon Academy and team leader of team Rwby who uncovered the White fangs plot just in time has gone missing. Beacons youngest and brightest star is suspected to have been captured by the Whitefang or Tragically have died in this terrorist attack. Professor Ozpin has stated that he has hired his most trusted huntsmen to the search and the Atlas military has devoted a task force to bring her home."

Blake was the only one to stand at the sound of a knock on the teams dorm. She opened the door to Team Jnpr who rushed in tears in their eyes.


In mountain glen a black and silver haired man weilding a svythe cut down a rushing beowulf. Grunting as he sorted through the rubble as the familiar sound of a portal caught his ear. Looking behing him he shaw a woman in in black and red bandit gard with a full mask resembling the white bone mask of grimm.

She silently shook her head no before stepping back through her portal.


Four days later the entierty of of Beacon stood at the cliffs where the initiation was held, students from the other kingdoms stood in silence. Ruby Rose had been declared dead as the white fang have denied holding her captive.

What remained of team Rwby and the girls family stood at the head as they looked down at a emblem on a stone all to familiar. A burning rose.

A cry for action rang out across the four kingdoms. As that symbol was hoisted over towns and cities across the world. A single clear message as declared by the former head founder of the Whitefang Ghira Belladonna the current of the island nation of Menagerie. "The blood of children should never be the water of war!"

Ozpin watched from his office as the Vale council questioned him as to why such a young and inexperienced huntress was even allowed into Beacon.

Ruby Rose, the sole victim of the Breach. A silver eyed girl who just wanted to help people, another victim in a war hidden in the shadows.


In the shadows of a palace built in a land of shadow, a man with red and black hair stood before the strangest woman he had ever seen. Pale white skin marked with the symbols of grimm.

"Adam Taures... you have done me a favor. And without me having to ask. Your forces your commands lead to the death of Ozpins greatest weapon. You pave the way for our future. Even Cinder has failed to provide such a result. You have moved our plans forward."

In truth Adam had no idea if the Whitefang he had ordered to the mountain glen area had killed her, but so many had died if one had been responsible they likely had died as well. And it was insulting that the news were calling her the sole victim of the Breach. One he would soon rectify.


Ruby Rose stats, class, and racial abilities

Class Fighter lv 6

Subclass Champion

Great weapon fighting style (rerolls one's and twos on damage)

Hp: 65 (6 d12 plus 0 plus tough 12)

Strength: 18 (base 17)

Dexterity: 16 (base 15)

Constitution: 10

Wisdom: 8

Intelligence:12

Charisma: 10

Race Human Variant (Remnant)

Feats:

Ability score improvement: plus 1 str plus 1 Dex

Savage Attacker : Reroll damage once take highest

Tough: Gain 2 hp per lvl

Base Speed: 45 ft Total speed: 65 ft

Aura: 10 temp hit points per level (50 Thp) (resets on long rest)

Semblance: Petal Dash; Dash action is now a bonus action

Improved Critical: reduces critical requirements by 1 (18-20)

Action Surge: Gain an extra action

Extra attack x1

Gear:

Infernal Crescent Rose: plus 2 to damage and rolls to hit, 2 d 12 slashing an fire damage plus strength. 2 d 8 Piercing plus Dex when firing.

Infernal Critical, Reduces critical by 1, and on a critical hit target auto fails save against burn condition.

Searing Petal Smite: While Dashing from at least 60 ft away, auto cast searing smite at lv 2. 2d6 fire damage. Once per short rest.

All but Ruby Rose have disadvantage with this weapon.

Elemental bullets: 2d4 elemental damage added to ranged attacks.

Two-handed, heavy, extra reach

Cleave lacerate trip enemies, piercing shot

1 Half plate armor: Ac 18 (16 plus 2 dex) Medium armor. Reduces piercing damage by 1.

Haste Helm: Plus 10 ft to movement first three turns of combat (Effectively just 10 ft because I'm not drawing out combat for more then 3 rounds except for major bosses) plus one dex save

Speedy Light Feet: Gain three lightning charges when Dashing. Lightning charges deal additional damage on weapon and spell attacks.

Crushers ring: Add ten feet to movement speed.

Gale's coin of Language, Money Talks to all.

Ruby's Explosives bag:

7 Alchemist fire bottles

5 smoke powder bombs

2 smoke powder bags

5 Smoke Powder Barrels