RWBY: Am I Your Teacher or Mother?
Chapter 2: Stuck in the Past
(Before we begin know this, I do NOT condone sexual crimes of any kind, especially against a minor. I will use them as plot for my works but won't show the gory details, this is not smut! Those of a sensitive nature or victim in past may wish to cease reading from here to avoid any unease. You have been warned.)
Ruby Rose groaned as she tossed and turned in her hospital bed, sweating profusely as her face turned red. Weiss dabbed her forehead with a washcloth tenderly, already guessing the cause of the crimson reapers nightmares.
"Hey! Give that back!" Ruby had yelled. Team CRDL was snickering as they taunted the injured Ruby with Crescent Rose in their hands. Ruby grinded her teeth angrily as she saw them caress her "baby" so thoughtlessly.
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm freaking hurt here! I need my weapon!" Ruby roared as she pouted, her cheeks growing red from indignation. Cardin, the leader of team CRDL, just whispered to his teammates who laughed softly, forming grins that almost oozed malicious intent as two of them slowly started walking behind Ruby, one pointing to her bleeding leg courtesy of Grimm hunting. Ruby almost swore she could hear another whisper "We'll make something else bleed soon." but she merely focused on Cardin as he spoke up.
"Where are your manners? We did come to save you after all from those big bad Grimm." Cardin arrogantly said as he talked down to her in a baby tone, further increasing Ruby's anger. She glanced down at her bleeding leg, shaking as she struggled to stand on it. She winced as the pain was excruciating, even making her queasy as she swore she could see bone.
"Damn it! Why couldn't they come when Weiss was here? She'd freeze these bullies asses and get my treasure back!" Ruby cursed in her mind as Sky Lark waved the Scythe at her.
"You should be thankful we're taking the weapon as payment." Sky sneered as he glanced at her uniform, specifically her chest area. Ruby's eyes widened as she noticed this, blushed and covered her breasts, just realizing her shirt was torn by a hound earlier in battle and exposed her.
"A-Absolutely not you pigs! Crescent Rose is my most important treasure, GIVE IT BACK!" She yelled as she shivered, feeling a cold chill overtake her. The boys just chuckled in response.
"Well….we can give it back to you, but your gonna have to pay with your body." Cardin said, his tone chilling as the wind as his eyes narrowed on Ruby's chest. This went over the 16 year-old's head as she assumed he was talking about killing Grimm for him, naturally as she knew CRDL were weak as hell.
"No prob! Were's the nearest Ursa or Beowulf!?" She cheered as she fist pumped the air and flexed some muscle on her arm. Cardin just gave an evil grin as he chuckled.
"That's not what I meant. Ready for some fun boys?" Cardin asked his team as Russel suddenly grinned and put Ruby in a full-nelson to her surprise.
"W-What are you doing?" Ruby asked confused as she soon felt a forceful grip on her shirt. Her eyes widened in terror as she saw Cardin rip off the front of her shirt, exposing her chest for these boys to see as they licked their lips. It was then she realized what they really meant by "paying with her body." She tried to kick the boy in front of her and squirm out of the headlock, only to receive punches to the face and Lark grabbing her good leg. It was then the nightmare intensified for Ruby, as she saw them pull off her pants and knew what was coming.
"No please….NO!" She whispered before screaming with tears in her eyes. Begging for the pain to go away as everything went hazy.
Hours later at the hospital…
Weiss was crying herself as she heard the whimpers of her traumatized partner as she clenched her bed sheets. It only served as a reminder of the heiress's failure to spare her from the torment she endured earlier.
"I-I'm sorry Ruby. I'd give anything to switch places with you." Weiss softly whispered as she cried into her hands. She almost jolted out of her chair as she was caught off guard by a tender pat on the shoulder by Glynda, who was giving her a sad glare.
"You shouldn't say things like that Miss Schnee. This kind of thing isn't something that anyone deserves." Glynda said as she softly admonished the weeping teen before they both eyed the feverish one in front of them, breath a bit raspy.
"Of everyone in the world she was the last one to deserve it. Why? Why did those pigs have to hurt her like this!?" Weiss tearfully cried, making Glynda recoil a bit.
"I-I don't…" Glynda stuttered a bit.
It was honestly a fair question, it was the only fair thing rght now, a question that had no right answer that could console Weiss. Glynda sighed as she pondered the situation everyone was in. Ruby and Weiss had their team broken up, shattered like Ruby's chastity, and the poor girls would no doubt need much therapy and encouragement for this. Glynda eyed the reaper especially, the sight of her squirming and crying making her all the more unsure if she could provide it despite her promise to become the mother she needed. It was at that thought something dawned on her as she wrapped an arm around Weiss's to the heiress's surprise.
"Weiss… bad things just happen, even to the kindest of us." Glynda began saying. Weiss's lip quivered and she raised an eyebrow as she heard this, wondering if that was supposed to be some kind of excuse or something to appease her.
"As Huntresses, we are expected to go through hardships, make sacrifices-" She said before a scream from Weiss interrupted her.
"RUBY'S CHASTITY WASN'T A SACRIFICE!" Weiss hollered, her eyes bloodshot with rage that momentarily caught the professor off-guard. Weiss just huffed a she began hyperventilating a bit.
"True, neither was my Father's life." Glynda sadly said as she nodded. Weiss froze for a moment, almost breathless as Goodwitch rubbed her back and patted her on the chest motherly. Goodwitch was honestly nervous doing this, having spent so much time disciplining children she was unaccustomed to mothering them, no matter how much she knew Weiss needed it right now. The thought of her parents doing this to her as a child gave her strength as she fought the bitterness rising in her as she spoke of her past.
"When I was a little girl, even more little than Ruby, my hometown came under siege by Grimm. My mom was a huntress, my dad was a blacksmith with tons of hammers and axes he used and regularly supplied her. Like Ruby i'm sure, I thought hunters were pure hearted and invincible, that they could keep me and my home safe." Glynda proudly said before her smile vanished, just like the image of her parents warm healthy smiles in her mind as she recalled the painful reality and sighed.
"But like those horrible boys proved her wrong, Grimm just had to prove me wrong. My mom fell defending our village, there were just too many for her. My father hid me in a bunker just in case that happened, even though he said he believed she could smash any foe that came her way and would be back. He just left me that day too when the Grimm broke in and proved him wrong. He could have stayed with me in the bunker, but he chose to die and take on mom's fate rather than stay and raise me. Please Weiss! Don't ever say you want to take on other peoples tragedies again, you will regret it for the rest of your life." Glynda bitterly said. Her father's death was avoidable, it was not a sacrifice for her sake. She hated how he just was caught up in his selfishness, but still quivered to this day when remembering hearing his shrieks of pain as the Grimm's roars echoed with them in the bunker. Weiss felt the trembling Goodwitch's hands gave off and realized she knew her pain. Honestly it was unnerving to the student to see the normally strict teacher empathize with her before her eyes widened as she realized something.
"Is…is that why you decided to adopt Ruby? You didn't want to leave her like he did to you?" Weiss asked curiously, despite her heart already knowing the truth as she stared into Goodwitch's watery eyes. Goodwitch nodded as she sniffled a bit and rubbed her eyes.
"Yes. Grimm aren't the cruelest things on this planet Weiss, people are. Grimm kill because it's in their nature, like wild animals. People like those boys or my bastard father did those cruel things to Ruby and I of their own free will, which makes them worse. We may be expected to have hardships in life, huntresses or not, but that doesn't change the fact we don't deserve them. But when they do happen we blame ourselves or the whole world and become filled with the same hate and pain those monsters inflict upon us. They infect us like they've infected you now, like they infected me back then. I thought the world was ugly for what it took from me." Glynda bitterly said. Weiss gasped a bit quietly as she heard these feelings. It was exactly how she felt right now. Glynda saw this and knew she had to press the issue on despite the pain she was feeling relieving that nightmare, for her student's sake.
"I honestly thought I would rot in that cellar rather and be alone rather than want to come out and see anything else in the world other than that hateful darkness. But when Ozpin rescued and basically adopted me, he saved me from the fate I cursed myself with that day. I just felt I had to do the same for Ruby. You can save her too Weiss." Goodwitch explained with a smile, honestly feeling good to get that off her chest. She wasn't the only one as Weiss gave her a warm smile in return.
"Well….if it makes you feel any better, I think you have what it takes to become a great mother." Weiss said, her smile twitching a bit at those words. Something Goodwitch noticed as she raised an eyebrow somewhat offened.
"What? You have doubts?" Glynda asked jokingly before Weiss gasped and shook her head in denial frightfully. The last thing she wanted was a smack to the head from a riding crop, something she knew Goodwitch was known to do.
"No it just, *sigh* I said something like that to Ruby our first week at Beacon." Weiss said sorrowfully, her smile evaporating to Goodwitch's concern. It was the night Professor Port gave Weiss the kick in the ass wake-up call she needed. He correctly pointed out she felt entitled to everything, especially greatness, since childhood. That was the main reason she had problems with Ruby, it wasn't just her immaturity at the time, she was upset Ruby was given the leadership position over her and she took her problem with that out on the poor girl. Seeing her work so hard, studying the night away until exhausted, made Weiss give her a promise filled with high expectations for the both of them.
"I think you have what it takes to become a great leader, and I promise to become the best partner you'll need to become it." Weiss had said that night. Now Weiss eyed Ruby's worsening condition, a state she felt responsible for not keeping that promise.
"I was there, I should have kept her safe from the Grimm, from those boys. Instead I left her to that too…." Weiss said frustrated, but lost the strength to keep going, each word bringing her worse pain.
"You feel like you failed?" Goodwitch calmly asked. All Weiss could do was nod her head shamefully. Goodwitch sighed as she rubbed her back. Anguish was the worst emotion anyone, especially children, could be forced to endure and a pep talk wasn't always the quickest solution. The road to recover was often long, so a clear path was needed to reach that goal, and one path Glynda knew that would help Weiss was one with second chances.
"Then don't fail her now." Glynda said firmly but with encouragement, making Weiss's eyes widen surprised.
"I won't sugar coat it, Ruby is going to be hurt the rest of her life after all this. The best way I as her new mother and you as her best friend can help her recover is to be by her side every step of the way. We'll be patient with how long it will take, be supportive and calm no matter how upset she gets with us or this, and most of all…just give her hugs and encouragement when she wants it." Glynda said with a warm smile as she hugged Weiss, making the heiress smile a bit as she felt the warmth sooth her discomfort at last. Weiss sniffled a bit as she felt her spirit revive.
"Thanks Professor, I needed that. So! After school everyday I'm gonna visit her and give her all the cookies she can stomach." Weiss said proudly.
Glynda chuckled as she heard this, glad her pep talk worked. She herself felt pride as she felt her first task as a parent was a rousing success, seeing as how she managed to her new daughter keep an important friend in her life. As she eyed Ruby squirming in her bed, she could only sigh and tenderly run her hand through Ruby's hair. Weiss's trauma she knew was nothing compared to Ruby's and she was honestly unsure if she could succeed in saving her from the demons within that were tormenting her as she experienced her nightmares. She took a deep breath as she remembered her words and Weiss's promise to support Ruby to fuel her own drive.
"I promise little one. I help to sooth your pain, your anger, your fear." Glynda softly whispered. She wanted nothing more than to save Ruby from that darkness she herself was once engulfed in.
As she rubbed Ruby's feverish head, Ruby suddenly softened a bit and ceased her painful squirms to Goodwitch and Weiss's joy. Little did they know, it was a prelude to a greater challenge for both of them.
In her mind, Ruby was indeed engulfed in darkness as she assumed a fetal position, shaking painfully.
"It hurts. It hurts. It hurts." Ruby kept whispering, the pain in her body excruciating as what those boys did to it kept replaying in her mind like a broken record.
"Mommy…Daddy…Yang, where are you? It's too much… I need a hug." Ruby whimpered, but felt immense dread as those prayers went unanswered.
What felt like an eternity past for the little girl as she shivered in the void. No matter how much louder she cried her family to come, her cries would only echo and make her feel even lonelier.
"Someone please, I just need someone to hug me. My body feels awful." Ruby whimpered. Her body was sore and sweaty from her assault. She wished more than anything she could be healthy again, to go back to the days her body was pure and received touches that didn't bring stings like those boys did.
Suddenly she saw a warm shine in the void before her. Her eyes squinted as was initially overwhelmed by the sudden brightness. Her eyes widened and flooded with tears she saw a familiar figure before her, with warm silver eyes to match them.
"M-Mommy?" Ruby stuttered as she crawled towards the image of her mother. She was saying something, but Ruby couldn't make out the words. As she crawled closer to try and hear her mother's voice, something she yearned for years since she disappeared, Ruby felt the pain in her heart slowly melt away as another familiar sight appeared beside Summer rose.
"Yang! Ruby cried with a bright smile as the two returned the smile and held out their arms to welcome her. She didn't even care the image was one of Yang as a 7 year old child with a ponytail she had back then. Nor did Ruby notice or care her body suddenly became the image of her 5 year old self as she rushed in a locked the two in a hug with all her might, enveloped by their warmth as her wish was fulfilled.
Soon Ruby's eyes slowly began to open to Glynda and Weiss's surprise.
"Ruby!" Weiss cheered before Glynda held her back.
"Careful, she needs some breathing room. Just… brace yourself." Glynda said as she slowly cradled Ruby's hand, wanting to provide her with a comforting touch as soon as she awoke.
Nothing could prepare either for the shock to their system though as Ruby smiled brightly at them, locked them in a tight hug, and uttered these horrifying and confusing words.
"Mommy! Yang! Your back!" Ruby cheered but in a tone that sounded childish befitting a 5 year old. Weiss and Glynda's eyes widen in shock, unsure how to respond to this. Why was Ruby talking like this or calling them that? A great dread soon replaced their confusion as Ruby plopped back on the beg crying and groaning as she grabbed her own waist.
"Ow! Mommy, why does my tummy and leg hurt so bad?" Ruby whimpered in a childish tone sniffling towards Glynda, who little did the teacher know she saw as none other as Summer Rose.
"Don't you remember Ruby you-" Weiss, who didn't realize Ruby saw her as Yang's old self suddenly had a hand cover her mouth before she could speak. Glynda could only gulp a bit, a horrible frog in her throat choking her as she realized what was happening and couldn't fathom what to say or do in this situation. Ruby had regressed to the mind of her child self. Worse she was hallucinating and saw them as her biological family. Now she felt all her previous conviction earlier flood away with the tears she saw in the poor girls eyes. Either she would remind her of the horrible tragedy that befell the little huntress this morning, or Ruby live a lie, trapped in a prison of her own minds making.
Either way, Glynda wasn't sure how she could act as a teacher or mother in this situation. She felt aimlessly lost and confused right now.
And here's chapter 2. Sorry for the long delay, been helping my friend theDemonHei finish up my favorite fiction he writes called the New Rose. It vaguely inspired this fic's chapter as I decided to have Glynda and Weiss take on a challenge with no win as it seems. Ruby regressing to her childhood state and experience delusions was a desperate defense her poor mind placed her under to avoid shattering. Now Goodwitch will truly experience what raising a child is like, only more awkward since Ruby's a teenager and will have to suffer the fear of awakening the poor girls trauma to help her ultimately recover….or fall trying, can she do it? Next time in ch3: Lets play!