Wild Rose: The Vessel

An: This is just a wild idea that ran through my head. It's basically a isekai story, with Ruby as the focus. First few chapters will be rather slow, but it'll pick up eventually!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.


Chapter 1

"Yang Xiao Long! Slow down this instant!"

"Go back to sleep, Weiss! I know you're not a morning person!"

"Hey! I'm more awake than you right now! You, on the other hand, are about to keel over!"

"I don't have time to sleep! I need to find her!"

"Yang! Weren't you telling me to slow down just two months ago?! We'll find her! But we can't do that if you're not at your best!"

"You don't get it, Blake! I can't! I…I wasn't there! I SHOULD have been there! If I was-!"

"You'd have likely been abducted, as well! Yang, please! Just-!"

"I CAN'T DO THAT!" Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna, as well as the few students awake and outside at this hour, flinched back as Yang whirled and leveled a baggy-eyed, bloodshot red eyed glare at her team. It was not a flattering image for the usually beautiful teenager, but ever since her sister Ruby Rose vanished from one of her normal training runs in the Emerald Forest, Yang wasn't taking the best care of herself.

The last month saw Yang barely getting any sleep and working herself to the bone working with the search effort. And while Weiss and Blake understood why she was doing this, it hurt to see their friend kill herself this way. They tried to help, and they believed they had gotten through to her last night, where she had slept for the longest she had the last month: 3 and a half hours.

But, sadly, it seems that Yang was spiraling again.

Yang glared long and hard at them before continuing, "I'm her big sister. I'm supposed to be looking after her. Yet, I…" She shook her head. "We all knew Ruby liked to go into the woods and vent after we did something stupid. And like idiots, we continuously let her do it. If we would have just let go of our stubborn prides, then maybe we would have put a stop to it earlier, and Ruby would not be going there in the first place!"

"To be fair, Ruby is also to blame for some of those instances," Blake pointed out. All it served to do, however, was make Yang growl at her.

"You know she has a point, Yang," Weiss jutted in. "You've always had a blind spot for Ruby." This caused the glare to turn to her, but Weiss rolled her eyes. "Get mad all you want; that's the reality. But getting back to the point, we understand you feel guilty after how we treated her after the Merlot Incident. We do, too! But we are no help to Ruby if we're falling apart at the seams!

"You're her sister, Yang! Don't you think that if she really is in serious, danger, that you need to be in prime physical shape to save her?! You won't be able to do that if you can barely keep your eyes open!" Weiss snarled at her.

Yang opened her mouth to retort when an orange haired missile rammed into her side. "Salutations, Yan-Whoa!" Penny Polendina cried as she tackled Yang with a flying hug, only to send the both of them flying to the ground.

"Gah!" Yang cried as she slammed into the ground.

"Oh! I am so sorry, Yang!" Penny cried as she stood up quickly and pulled Yang up as well.

"Hmph! I rest my case!" Weiss told the blonde matter-of-factly.

"Hm? Were you and Yang just in court, Weiss?" Penny asked curiously, making the white-haired girl's eye twitch.

"It's a figure of speech, Penny," Blake revealed. "We were trying to tell Yang she needs proper rest if she wants to continue searching for Ruby." Penny blinked owlishly.

"Did she not sleep the full six hours she promised me she was?" Penny asked, sounding slightly hurt and making Yang wince visibly. Besides her team, JNPR, CVFY, and SSSN, Penny was the only other student Yang could count on to go out searching for her sister. As one of Ruby's best friends, Penny was just as determined to locate and secure Ruby's safety as Yang was.

Yang hadn't intended on lying to Penny. But when the strange girl had asked Yang to get some sleep, she had promised she would…then promptly spent the next few hours searching on her own before Weiss and Blake found her. All because she heard a rumor about where Ruby might have been taken.

"W-Well, you see Penny-" Yang tried to say, but she was interrupted by Weiss.

"Three and a half hours," Weiss informed the Atleasian student. "That's how long she slept last night, DESPITE assurances to US," Weiss gestured to herself and Blake, "she'd sleep for longer."

"Oh!" Penny still looked upset, but her demeaner was a bit brighter. "That's longer than I was fearing! That's sensational!"

Yang growled. "This is a waste of time! Let's just go and look for Ruby already!"

"NOT until you get some more sleep!" Weiss growled back.

"However," Blake spoke up as she got in-between the two, "we will settle for you sitting down and eating breakfast first." She turned to give Weiss a look. "Won't we, Weiss?" The heiress frowned but huffed and crossed her arms.

"…Fine!" she ground out. Blake nodded.

"Then it's settled!" she told them and motioned towards the cafeteria. "Let's go-"

Suddenly, the ground trembled as the still morning air became a massive vortex of wind, knocking everyone in the area down as a loud CRACK resonated around the area. The sound disoriented the four young ladies for a moment, but it faded quickly, allowing them to regain their senses enough to looked up. Once they did, however, they gasped at the sight before them.

"What the fuuccccck?!" Yang cried to the massive, swirling vortex of energy before them.

"W-What is that?!" Weiss screamed out.

"I don't know, but it's sucking us in!" Blake shouted, and the others quickly noticed their friend was right. They were slowly sliding towards the massive portal.

Panic set in as they attempted to crawl away or anchor themselves. Penny unleashed her Floating Array swords and stabbed them into the ground, while Weiss created a Glyph underneath her to hold her in place. Blake drew Gambol Shroud and stabbed it into the ground; Yang tried to brace herself, but in her weakened state, she couldn't anchor herself properly and started sliding further towards the portal. Luckily, Blake and Penny caught her before she slid too far from them.

Sounds soon came from the swirling mass of energy. At first, they were muffled, like they were traveling through water. However, the sounds grew louder and louder until the girls could hear hoarse yells in a strange language and the clash of steel upon steel. Steel upon flesh. The four looked towards the portal but saw nothing but darkness.

"Is a battle going on in there?!" Yang screamed.

"Something tells me we don't want to know!" Weiss shouted as she formed more Glyphs around her friends.

"STUDENTS!" The four turned at the shout to see Professor Goodwitch and Professor Ozpin leading the other teachers out of the building. All around them, other students were struggling to stay clear of the portal, but Glynda responded quickly and dragged several back from the portal with her Semblance.

"GET OUT OF THERE!" Dr. Oobleck roared as he and Professor Port tried to help other students out of Glynda's sight. Ozpin, meanwhile, rushed forward towards WBY and Penny. He easily avoided the other students and was in front of them in an instant.

"Stay down!" he shouted as he prepared his own Semblance. However, just before he could erect a shield, a loud cry rang out from the portal just as a red clad individual flew out and skidded across the ground. The five's eyes widened at the sight of a familiar red cloak and scythe in hand when the person, a young woman, rose up and gasped in shock and pain. Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Penny's blood turned to ice.

"R-Ruby?!" Yang called out in disbelief, causing the teen to turn their way, revealing shoulder-length red/black hair and wide, bright silver eyes. It couldn't be her. This couldn't be her little sister! This…this lookalike was taller, looked older than fifteen; she wore clothes Ruby would never ever be caught in!

Yet those eyes…and the scythe…and the cloak…

"C-Cra-W-What?!" Yang's breath caught in her throat again. This lookalike even sounded like Ruby! Before either could say anything more, the portal started to shrink, the sound growing worse as it began closing. Ruby's lookalike turned towards the vortex and paled. "N-No. Nononononononononononononononononononono-!"

The lookalike cried as she grabbed her scythe, and Yang gasped again as the lookalike broke into a cloud of rose petals and flew towards the portal. However, just as she reached it, it closed with a loud BANG! Ruby's hand reappeared just as the vortex vanished, leaving her so shocked she completely rematerialized.

"N-No…" Yang stared at the imposter-NO. Only one person had that Semblance…Yang stared at Ruby as she shakily reached out as if to find where the vortex had vanished to. "No…" Suddenly, Ruby's ring and middle fingers on both hands came together as she made her hands look like claws and bringing them to her chest. "Drus!" she shouted, spreading her arms out like she was clawing at something, and suddenly, the portal rematerialized for a split second before vanishing, startling everyone again.

"Drus!" the red cloaked teen repeated the gesture, only for the same result. "Drus!" Again. "Drus!" And again. "Drus!" And again.

"C-Come on! DRUS!" Everyone watched as Ruby frantically tried to open the portal again, though whether in fear or confusion or shock, no one moved a muscle.

Ruby panted as she started shaking in exhaustion. Gritting her teeth, she repeated her previous motion and screamed out, DRUUUUUS!" Instantly, the portal returned in earnest, causing everyone to brace against the dispersed wind it created.

Ruby shook from the strain of holding it open until a bolt of pain shot up her spine, making her cry out as she fell to the ground, the portal instantly vanishing once again.

"N-No…N-Not yet…" Ruby's voice shook looked up at the sky. Yang quickly bolted forward, heedless of Professor Ozpin's and her friends' cries as she ran towards her sister.

"O-One more…" Ruby mumbled as Yang skidded to a stop behind her. "Just once more…" Ruby started trying to stand, and Yang tried to say something, but her voice died in her throat. The previously dispersed crowd of students were now starting to crowd towards the epicenter, and Yang cleared her throat.

"R-Ruby…" she stammered out, wincing at how broken it sounded. Ruby turned, and Yang saw her sister's wide, silver eyes glistening with tears she refused to shed. Yang's heart felt as if it was stabbed with a burning stake as she, hesitantly, stretched her arms out. Instantly, Ruby was latching onto Yang with a surprising amount of strength, her arms tightening around Yang's middle.

"Y…Yang…!" the young Huntress gasped.

"Shh…shh…" the blonde whispered as she wrapped her arms around Ruby's back, calmly rubbing calming circles across her shoulders. "It's alright…" Ruby gasped as she tried to keep her sobs from breaking free. "I'm right here…"

Ruby gasped again as she struggled to contain her sobs as Ozpin and her friends walked up behind the pair. Yang turned to stare at Ozpin, who just nodded her way. Yang returned it and returned to comforting her little sister.

"Ruby…?" Weiss called out, making the silver eyed teen's head snap up to her. "Is that-" She didn't finish as Ruby held out an arm. Quickly deducing the meaning, Weiss stepped forward and wrapped her arms around sisters. Blake didn't even wait for a prompting and walked to the other side and did the same, with Penny walking up to Ruby's side and following her example. Ruby's sobs started breaking through.


Later


"…Yang, quit pacing."

"Screw you, Weiss."

"No thanks. You might like it too much."

"Weiss, please don't antagonize Yang."

"Students," Glynda called out, gaining the attention of the all-girl team as she and Ozpin walked up. They turned to them, and she asked, "Any progress?"

"She's still being examined," Yang grumbled, kicking the ground a bit.

"I see." Glynda turned to the Beacon Medical Center and frowned.

"I should be in there!" Yang growled.

"You heard what Dr. Pitch said," Blake reminded her.

"I know! But this is Ruby, Blake! My sister!" Yang protested.

"We don't know if it's really her or not, Miss Xiao Long," Ozpin told her, but Yang retaliated immediately.

"Bullshit!" she snarled.

"Language!" Glynda reprimanded, but Yang didn't stop.

"That was Petal Burst! RUBY'S Semblance! You can't fake a Semblance! Especially one as unique as hers!" Yang protested.

"You are correct, Miss Xiao Long," Ozpin conceded. "You cannot fake a Semblance, no matter how intricate other Semblances may be. However…" He took a sip of his coffee. "Semblances CAN be stolen…"

"Wait, what?!" Weiss's eyes widened as she turned to her headmaster. "That's impossible!"

"I wish it was, Miss Schnee," Ozpin sighed. "But we have several documented cases of Semblances being 'stolen' by an unknown assailant in Mistral. The 'how' is still being investigated, but the fact it can happen is concerning enough."

"And you think that's what's happening here?" Blake asked accusingly.

"I don't. But I would never forgive myself if I didn't at least take precautions against such a scenario," Ozpin answered. "And that's not even mentioning her…display, in the courtyard…"

Yang was about to say something more when the door opened, and Dr. Pitch walked out with a heavy sigh. Instantly, Yang broke off and was in front of her.

"Is she ok?!" she asked frantically.

"Miss Xiao Long!" Glynda scolded harshly. "Give her a moment!" Even as angry as she was, Yang knew better than to antagonize Glynda Goodwitch and backed down hesitantly. Glynda sighed as she turned to the redheaded woman. "What's the verdict, Dr. Pitch?" she asked.

"She's Ruby Rose, if that's what you're asking, Glyn," Holly Pitch said with a tone.

"Are you sure?" Ozpin pressed, which caused Holly to turn a glare to him.

"No. It's actually Summer Rose back from the dead. Of course, I'm sure!" she barked at him. "DNA's a near perfect match, fingerprints match, and her eyes are naturally silver! If she's not Ruby Rose, then she's the best damn copy I've ever laid eyes upon!"

"Then can we go and see her?!" Yang asked her.

"Hold up a moment, Miss Xiao Long," Holly told her. "I need to explain some things to all of you first."

"Oh, what now?!" Yang groaned.

"Does this have anything to do with her being two years older?" Weiss asked, deciding to join and stall Yang's tantrum.

"Among other things," Holly confirmed with a nod.

"She's not really two years older, is she?" Blake asked.

"Oh, she is. Medical scans prove she's seventeen-years-old," Holly said.

"But that's-" Weiss commented, only to be interrupted.

"Is it them?" Glynda asked suddenly, making everyone turn to her. Holly shook her head.

"No, it's not, Glyn," Holly told her. "I already did the tests. Miss Rose aged two years naturally, not artificially."

"Wait, who? What? What are you talking about?" Yang demanded.

"Nothing you need to worry about, Miss Xiao Long," Glynda sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Ozpin decided to take over from here.

"Dr. Pitch," he spoke up, "first, I'd like to thank you for confirming Miss Rose is who we suspected. But now, that leaves the obvious questions…"

"And I ain't got many to offer, Oz," Holly sighed. "She's naturally aged two years, and from what I could get out of her, she lived them. For her, two years have passed since she's seen any of us."

"T-Two…? Y-You're joking," Yang muttered with wide eyes.

"Sadly, I'm not," Holly sighed again. "And that's not the worst of it…" she grumbled as she reached into her pockets and pulled out a carton of cigarettes. Glynda frowned in disapproval as Holly thumbed one out and stuck it in her mouth, yet she didn't light it.

"W-What do you mean, 'worse of it?'" Yang asked in dread. Holly gritted her teeth as she chewed on the cig.

"She's being tightlipped about 'em, but those two years she apparently lived through weren't easy on her," Holly explained.

"H-How so?"

"She's got a collection of scars she didn't have a month ago," Holly told the blonde teen, making Yang turn white.

"S-S-Scars…?" Yang's voice broke in horror at the mere thought of her sister in less than perfect condition as her legs suddenly buckled underneath her.