A.N: Glad I got these done when I did. With Fire Emblem Three Houses out I've been very preoccupied. BTW, Byleth is a teacher young enough to be a student that has been surprisingly brought aboard to train up-and-coming warriors. Hansel is Byleth from another universe, confirmed!
Anyway, that game is awesome. A total 9/10 in my book. Hopefully this is as well. I'm realistic enough not to shoot for perfection.
Chapter 21: Ruby Rose's Heart
Do you believe in destiny? Pyrrha bravely stared down Cinder Fall once again.
Thunk! An arrow went straight into her heart. Pyrrha let out a death throe.
Yes, I do. Cinder said dispassionately.
Pyrrha! A scream of grief and rage.
Ruby Rose awoke with a startled expression, drenched in sweat. She was practically delirious due to her sheer fright from that horrible nightmare. "-by! Ruby!" Thankfully, Ruby was quickly brought out of her daze by a familiar call.
Ruby turned to see her big sister by her side. Instinctively, she looked down at Yang's arm and saw that it was still attached...unlike what she had seen in her nightmare yet again. "Y-Yang…" Ruby whimpered.
Yang instinctively brought Ruby into a tight embrace. Weiss and Blake gazed at the two sisters, both clearly still worried for their leader's well-being. "Umm...Yang?" Ruby got her sister's attention. "You can let go. I'm fine."
"Oh," Yang gasped, letting go of Ruby, "sorry. I guess I've gotten too used to comforting you after a nightmare, huh? I need to remember you're not a little kid anymore."
"No, it's fine." Ruby smiled. "I'm happy you did. You were just squeezing a little too tight. It was starting to get a little uncomfortable."
"You want to talk about it?" Yang asked.
Ruby sighed. She knew she could not hide this from Yang. "I was back at the Vytal Festival, the night we were attacked." She said. "But...it went differently this time. Everyone was hurt so badly...and Cinder...Yang, she killed Pyrrha, right in front of me."
Yang's eyes widened. "And after that, I just...lost control." Ruby continued. "That's the best I can describe it. I'd wake up soon after."
Yang heaved a sigh. "I guess this means you have a bit of PTSD after the Vytal Festival." She noted. "But PTSD that makes you dream of alternate events. I've never heard of that."
"Yang, I don't think you're qualified to talk about PTSD." Weiss spoke up. "You're not a psychiatrist."
Yang stuck her tongue out at Weiss for that statement. "But, Yang does bring up a good point, Ruby." Weiss acknowledged. "If you're still struggling with what happened that night, talking to a psychiatrist will help. I know our school has a counselor that's specifically trained for moments like these."
Ruby nodded in agreement. However, she had someone else in mind to talk to. "I'll go talk to someone." She promised. "I'll do it tonight, after our detention."
"That's my girl." Yang smiled. "Now go take a shower. We've got shopping to do."
The rest of the week had passed without much fanfare. When he was not teaching, Hansel was dealing with the necessary paperwork that Ironwood and Ozpin were throwing together to make the visit official. Team RWBY would also end up dealing with similar paperwork, albeit with much more reluctance on the part of both Blake and Weiss.
And so, after a quick shower and some breakfast, Team RWBY was on the first available Bullhead into the city. Their goal was shopping for any necessities they lacked for this week-long trip to Atlas.
Ruby, her concerns over her nightmare long forgotten, almost marched right to the local game store to stock up on the latest fighting games, only to be dragged to more practical places of business that sold traveling necessities by Weiss. In particular, a clothing shop.
"So, what exactly are we looking for here?" Yang asked curiously.
"Winter garbs," Blake Belladonna replied, "it's just like Weiss told us. Atlas' climate is far colder than Vale's. Almost like it's constantly in the winter months."
"Right, and if we have to go to Atlas, we might as well go in clothes that will make sure we don't freeze our tits off." Yang said crudely before smirking. "Or in Weiss' case, mosquito bites."
"I heard that!" Weiss screamed from the other end of the store.
Yang ignored Weiss' anger. "Yo, Blake, that reminds me, you've heard stories about people who for some reason traveled to Atlas in their regular gear, right? I'm talking about the kind of stuff you wear during the summer. Who the hell in their right mind would dress like that? Hearing stories like those, it's definitely a good thing we're shopping here."
"Right, because if we have to go to Atlas, we might as well be comfortable." Blake rolled her eyes.
Yang sighed. "Sheesh, it seems like we can't get through one week without at least one of us being pissed at Teach." She noted.
"He's being unreasonable." Blake claimed. "If he knows how awful Atlas is to the Faunus, then why in the world is he insisting I go?"
Yang frowned slightly at Blake's choice of words. Even if she agreed that people were still racist towards Faunus, she could not necessarily believe it was institutional like it used to be. It was just like Teach said: the world had made great strides in improving human-Faunus relations. Blake should not just ignore those just because they are not up to her standards. And it was just like Weiss said, if there was still something of an institutional problem, Sun would not have become a team leader at Haven, Velvet would not be as well-liked at school as she is now, and that Neon girl from Atlas seemed oddly peppy and happy for someone at a school in the most "racist" kingdom.
Were there assholes that hated the Faunus out there? Absolutely, but assholes exist for all kinds of reasons. Is it an institutional thing? Yang honestly did not know for sure. She was no historian, but there was just no way things are as bad as they were back then.
Yang sighed. "Maybe he thinks it'll help you?" She suggested.
"How in the world could this help me?" Blake asked.
"I don't know, but you can't just assume he's doing it to hurt you." Yang pointed out.
"Perhaps he's thinking about why your Semblance is the way it is. And if that's the case, I honestly agree with him. Blake, you told me that your Semblance reflects your tendency to run from your problems." Yang reminded her. "And as badass as your Semblance is in a fight, what it means for you outside of the battlefield is...well, not good."
"I mean, for crying out loud, you came this close to running from us because of Adam." Yang pointed out.
Blake's ears drooped at this. "Yang, I…"
"Look, I'm not saying this trip is going to magically make your problems disappear, but it might help you." Yang told her. "And even if you don't believe me, there's literally no point in complaining. Like Teach said, it's final. And as I'm sure you noticed, Professor Ozpin thought it was final too. We're going to Atlas. You need to accept that."
Blake frowned, clearly not liking the fact that she was constantly being reminded of that. Yang then gave her best friend a smile. "But remember what Ruby said, if any jerks give you trouble, we've got your back. We're teammates after all, a sisterhood of totally awesome Huntresses-in-training."
That made Blake smile. "That...does make me feel better." She admitted. "You three have stuck by me through a lot. I know I can be a handful. So...thanks Yang."
At the other end of the store, Weiss watched as Ruby sped around the clothing racks, trying to find "the perfect winter coat." "Does it have to be red?" Weiss asked.
"Duh!" Ruby briefly phased out of rose petals and into existence. "My name is Ruby Rose! Rose like red, Weiss! That means, by the law of meaningful names, I must dress in an appropriate, color-coded manner."
Weiss sighed. "Well, I guess I'm glad you're...somewhat taking this trip seriously. Hopefully it'll rub off on Blake. I'd hate to see her get in trouble just because of this disagreement she's having with the professor."
Ruby then looked at Weiss in concern. "Weren't you opposed to this trip as well?" She pointed out.
Weiss nodded. "I'm just...nervous about it. I do see the benefits of it...it's just…"
"Your dad." Ruby finished.
Weiss nodded before putting on a brave smile. "I'm just going to tell father exactly what the professor told him. That I'm more useful to him and his company out on the front lines, showing the world that the Schnees are all in too."
"I never knew Professor Kobalt stood up to your dad like that." Ruby noted. "I guess he really is just a big softie."
Weiss chuckled. "Don't ever let him hear you say that, Ruby. Detention will be the least of our problems."
Weiss' expression then turned somber once more, still nervous at the very thought of confronting her father. Ruby looked at Weiss in concern. "Hey," she said, "not that it's any of my business, but...were things really that bad?"
Weiss sighed. "Do you want to know what my father did when he found out I wanted to attend Beacon? He made me fight a creature called the Arma Gigas to see if I was 'worthy'. He couldn't just leave well enough alone. He wanted me to either leave home with a few scars or stay a miserable failure that's easy for him to manipulate and control."
"Maybe he just wanted to make sure you were strong enough to live on your own?" Ruby hopefully suggested.
Weiss laughed bitterly. "Not my father." She claimed. "He hates anything and anyone he can't control, that he can't keep under his thumb. Winter's barely on speaking terms with him for that reason."
Weiss sighed. "I used to be able to let it go. I thought Father was always just a very stressed person, especially when the White Fang started getting more violent." She admitted. "I thought...once the White Fang were done with, he'd be a proper father to myself, Winter, and Whitley. Also, a proper husband to mother."
Weiss frowned. "But even when the White Fang weren't stirring up trouble, it stayed the same. I had blinded myself to that. Fail to be a proper lady, a proper Schnee, a proper noblewoman, well...if I wasn't Daddy's perfect princess...well, let's just say I became very familiar with just how cruel people's words could truly be. And it made me question if Father even was a good man to begin with."
Ruby's mouth was wide open, horrified by what she was hearing. To live with that kind of pressure. How had Weiss not broken from it all? Weiss sighed. "Unfortunately, Mother was rarely any better. As our family started drifting apart and their marriage collapsed, she just...withdrew into alcohol. My father can be an awful man. I can understand why Mother would want to retreat from it all sometimes and find comfort in something else."
Weiss's hands tightened into fists. "But the thing about retreating...is that you leave behind the people who still need you." She bitterly noted.
"Weiss…" Ruby said softly.
"Ruby...I know I haven't always been the best teammate and friend to...well, any of you." Weiss admitted. "But I want you to know that I do cherish our time together with all my heart."
"Because the truth is, you three have become more of a family to me than my own family ever was." Weiss sadly revealed. "And I guess...I'm just nervous about confronting it all again. I just don't know how I'm going to react to it all. And I feel like I need to react properly because you're all with me."
"I think you'll do fine." Ruby promised.
Weiss chuckled. "You say that with such ease." She noted. "Somehow...I just can't help but feel reassured by that."
Ruby smiled and nodded before quickly coming to a decision that seemed obvious to her. "Weiss," she said, not hesitating at all, "if you don't want to go home when school's out...you can always spend your break on Patch Island...with Yang and me."
Weiss' eyes widened at such a generous offer. "Ruby, I couldn't possibly impose." She quickly refused.
"No way!" Ruby laughed. "Weiss, you're family to me too. And if my family needs somewhere nice to spend school breaks then I'm going to try and give it to them. You'll love Patch Island. It's quiet, beautiful, Dad's cooking is awesome…"
"...Will Zwei be there as well?" Weiss asked, barely able to restrain herself from the gleeful thought of spending time with that adorable corgi.
"I mean, unless he's run away from home, yes." Ruby then added, worriedly. "God I hope he hasn't run away from home."
Weiss then embraced Ruby, much to her surprise. "Aww, hugs are nice." Ruby mused.
"You really are the best friend a girl could ask for." Weiss told her. "You know that, right?"
Ruby laughed. "Same to you," she replied, "I mean, you really know how to balance me out. At least, that's what Yang told me."
Ruby then gave Weiss a mischievous smirk. "So… Does this mean you finally admit we are BFF's?"
"What?" Weiss said flatly.
I should've seen this coming a mile away. Weiss added inwardly.
"You know, best friends forever?" Ruby egged her on, thinking Weiss did not know what it meant. "Or as I sometimes call us, super besties?"
"Of course I already know what BFF means, Ruby" interrupted Weiss. She then added with a warm smile, "But I don't need a silly, cutesy label to know that we're best friends; it's your actions and steady loyalty that means the world to me, not that window dressing of an acronym."
"You never abandoned me, even when I treated you so awfully...thank you bestie." Weiss said softly.
Weiss broke the embrace and wiped a single tear of joy from her eye. "Okay," she said with a smirk, "now, let's get you some nice winter clothes. But you need to be open to not wearing red, do you understand?"
"Boo!" Ruby stuck her tongue out. "I'm gonna find the perfect red winter clothes and you can't stop me!"
And so, Team RWBY enjoyed their shopping trip, coupled with a delicious lunch. Soon, detention rolled around, and the four found themselves at the mercy of their taskmaster of a professor and his weighted clothes from hell.
Blake was still angry at the professor, evidenced by her glare at him. Surprisingly, Hansel was being the more mature one of the bunch. He simply ignored Blake's angry stares and ordered the group to begin their laps.
Hansel heaved a sigh. Guess I hit a nerve when I pointed out the flaws in Belladonna's beliefs. He noted. Still, this kinda proves my point that this is all the more reason for Team RWBY to go to.
That's how Professor Ozpin did it after all. If he saw a weakness, he focused every effort on correcting it before we moved onto something else. Hansel remembered. When I first started, I had all the power in my swings, but no control. It put me dangerously off-balance. So, he dedicated our time to improving my balance and control before anything else.
In a way, this trip will be similar in that sense. Hansel noted. All four members of Team RWBY have some sort of crutch that's keeping them from improving.
With Belladonna, it's obvious. While I do agree that Remnant has a bad history with the Faunus, it ain't really a valid fallback anymore, especially when the world's been trying so damn hard to make things right.
The reality is, she's a wannabe politician trying to be a Huntress. She claims to fight for justice and equality, but I'm not so sure she knows what either of those actually are. Granted, I've never really taken the time to figure that out myself, but I do know that it's not what she thinks.
And then there's the fact that she hides her own identity while proclaiming to be a proud Faunus. Hansel added. And with that, there's only one conclusion I can make about Blake Belladonna's personality.
She's a coward. One who likes to spout off ideas of justice and equality, but has no idea how to actually achieve them. Hell, she doesn't even want to fight for them. Sure, she'll talk a big game and participate for awhile, but as soon as things aren't going her way, she'll just run from her problems.
Hansel heaved a sigh as a somber, angry expression appeared on his face. Like how you spouted off ideas of love and family, and then as soon as it was convenient…
Hansel trailed off, shaking his head, not wanting to remember those horrible things. She thinks I'm being harsh, but my words come from experience. The reality is, the idea of justice is worthless in the world of Huntsmen. Mainly because the term changes its meaning with every person. Right and wrong tend to be more universal than justice. Anyone would argue that killing in cold blood is wrong. Anyone would argue that saving an innocent life is right. It only gets complicated when people begin to argue what is the just way to punish a killer, or what is more just: saving a human or saving a Faunus? Or even worse, when is it just to take a life?
If Belladonna wants to be a great Huntress, she needs to discard this idea of being a bringer of justice and simply focus on what's right and what's wrong. Because what's just to her isn't always what's right to other people. Someone like her can never hope to bring forth equality with an attitude like that. This trip...hopefully this will give her the pride and confidence in her identity that she needs, and realize that if she really wants to focus her efforts on equality, there are some notions she needs to cast aside. And most importantly, she needs to stop running and face everything head-on, whether it's reality or even her own flaws. Both of which I'm concerned she's refusing to see.
And then there's Schnee, Hansel turned his attention to Weiss, who was beginning to lag behind her teammates. Definitely an Atlas girl. More disciplined than all three of her teammates. In another life, she'd have made a hell of an Atlas Officer.
But her big test is how she handles her greatest tormentor, her own father. Hansel frowned. That bastard reeked of greed and ambition. Being in a hospital that day was bad enough, but being near him made it even worse.
But Schnee will never be a great Huntress if she can't even stand up to her asshole of a dad. Hansel acknowledged. I mean seriously. How can you be expected to save lives when you can't even protect yourself from the words of some scummy businessman who just so happens to be your old man?
Hopefully when this trip is done, and Schnee manages to show her dad that she's taking control of her life, she'll have the confidence to move forward not as a Schnee Heiress, but as a Huntress who can conquer any demon like she conquered her own.
Next was Yang. Xiao Long...ugh, probably one of two students who will probably give me the most gray hairs. Hansel lamented. If anyone has a discipline problem, it's her. Combine that with her complete lack of strategy, and were it not for her insanely good Semblance and strength, she'd be a liability.
Hopefully, she can learn a bit more discipline and control in her fighting from this trip. Atlas, for all its flaws, is still a military academy after all. And military academies focus on discipline.
Finally, Ruby, who was visibly pushing herself to keep up with Yang, who was in the lead. I have to admit, that girl is definitely a hard worker. Hansel acknowledged. And at least she takes direction well...for the most part. In spite of that mess in the Neverland Gorge, Rose doesn't have the discipline problem her sister has.
I still can't help but think back to our chat outside the Neverland Gorge. Hansel heaved a sigh. The moment where I realized she was probably going to beat me over the head with her dream of becoming a hero for the rest of her time here. That dream...I can't bring myself to tell her how idiotic it is anymore, but perhaps experiencing how Atlas is will open her eyes.
Heroes, like the ones she wants to be...they don't accomplish anything in the end. Not in this world. It's the ones who devote themselves to the everyday grind that make even the tiniest bit of difference. And as a military academy, Atlas does make sure its soldiers can do the little things so that the people can live another day.
Hansel took one last look at Team RWBY. One needs perspective, one needs discipline, one needs a victory, and one needs to face their own flaws. And all of these issues have the potential to be solved, or at least make progress towards, through a weeklong trip to Atlas.
I may be going there for my own purposes, but Professor Ozpin would be pissed at me if I didn't at least try to focus on how my students can use this as a chance to improve themselves. Hansel noted. But hopefully, I can take a more hands-off approach once we're there.
An hour of running soon passed. Once again, Team RWBY looked like corpses. Like last week, Hansel brought them water, told them to rest up and catch their breath, and then hit the showers afterwards. This time there would be no pizza. Which was fine, Team RWBY had the foresight to eat an early dinner this time anyway. Besides, Blake was too pissed at Hansel to want to eat dinner with him this time around.
Secretly though, at least one of the members had wanted pizza again. Ruby really enjoyed it last time.
But, Ruby had other things to focus on now. The young Huntress in training had a promise to her teammates to keep. And as promised, Ruby was now on her way to speak with someone about her recurring nightmare. However, what the rest of Team RWBY did not realize was that Ruby had no intention of speaking to the school's therapist. She did not doubt their capability, but there was someone she trusted way more to open up to about these issues.
Someone who had really put things in perspective for her the last time they had talked. And so, Ruby Rose found her standing in front of Glynda Goodwitch's office. Taking a deep breath, the girl knocked on the door.
"Coming!" She heard Glynda from the other side.
The door opened, revealing the school's resident disciplinarian. However, she had nothing but a warm and friendly smile on her face at the sight of Ruby. "Here for that girl-talk I had promised?" She inquired with a hint of playfulness.
Ruby smiled back. "Yeah," she said, "if you don't mind, that is."
"I promised that my door would be open whenever you needed it, Ruby." Glynda reminded her. "If nothing else, remember that I always keep my promises to students in need."
Ruby followed Glynda into her office. Her eyes widened at the sight of a plate brownies. Glynda noticed Ruby's gaze and chuckled. "You can take one." She said. "The rest are for Hansel."
"They are?" Ruby asked in surprise.
"He's been working so hard lately, preparing for the trip tomorrow." Glynda pointed out. "I thought I'd do something nice for him. To let him know that I'm proud of how much he's taken to this new role of his."
Ruby scooped up the best-looking brownie and immediately wolfed it down. "Whoa," she said in surprise, "this is delicious. It's as good as Professor Kobalt's cookies."
This caught Glynda by surprise. "Oh? You've tried some of Hansel's cooking, huh?"
"Yeah, he wasn't kidding when he said you were an awesome cook." Ruby complimented. "And you taught him how to cook, right?"
Glynda gazed at the single picture on her desk. The one of her and the little boy that looked oddly familiar to Ruby. "He needed an outlet when he wasn't training." She explained. "And while I don't mind his video game hobby, cooking is a lot more constructive. And he took to it pretty quickly...probably because it meant we got to spend time together."
Ruby looked at the picture and finally put two and two together. "That's...Professor Kobalt?"
Glynda nodded. Ruby gazed at the younger Hansel's face. While he seemed somber, she could not help but notice he was also trying hard to smile...most likely for Glynda's sake. "You two look very happy together." She commented.
"Do we?" Glynda smiled at the picture. "I definitely tried to make sure that was the case."
"I...guess I never really put it together how close you really were." Ruby noted. "Judging by that picture...you pretty much raised him, didn't you?"
Glynda nodded. "Professor Ozpin may have trained him...but I did indeed raise him while he was at Beacon."
"And that was after…" Ruby trailed off.
Glynda nodded again, now with a grim expression on her face. "Did you know his family?" Ruby asked.
"Why do you ask?" Glynda inquired.
"Well, I guess I'm still trying to understand how he ended up at Beacon." Ruby admitted. "I haven't dug into the professor's personal life, I promise. It's just…"
"You're curious how a little boy ended up living at a Huntsmen Academy." Glynda finished before sighing. "I guess that's not a problem."
"No, I never knew Hansel's family." Glynda claimed. "From what I understand, the only person who was relatively connected to the Kobalts was Professor Ozpin. And that connection was...well, it's not my place to say."
"I see…" Ruby kept her gaze fixated on the picture, particularly on Hansel.
"You need to understand, Ruby, after the Kobalt name was tarnished, the family began living a rather hermit-like life. We did not even know that the Kobalts had nearly died off until Hansel was left at Beacon in our care." Glynda explained.
"But Professor Ozpin had a connection with them as well, didn't he?"
"He did...but that connection was severed long before Hansel came here." Glynda revealed.
"But enough about that." Glynda said. "As much as I do appreciate your attentiveness and curiosity, a) I wish you showed this level of such in class, and b) this is one subject where it's not my place to go into too much detail, as I explained to you during our previous meeting."
"R-right, sorry." Ruby blushed in embarrassment.
Glynda gave Ruby a gentle smile. "I'm not angry," she promised, "if anything, Ruby, your empathy is a welcome change of pace."
"Now then," Glynda continued, "what did you want to talk about? I believe we've delayed this conversation for long enough."
"Oh, right." Ruby remembered why she was here. "Well, you see, there are two things I'd like to discuss with you."
"Very well, I'm all ears." Glynda nodded.
"The first thing is...I've been having this recurring nightmare." Ruby explained.
"A nightmare?" This was not what Glynda was expecting to hear.
"I'm back at the Vytal Festival." Ruby explained. "But it...everything goes wrong. My friends are all injured...and Cinder kills Pyrrha."
Glynda's eyes widen. "I see," she said, "and what's your second problem?"
"Well, it must seem minor compared to the nightmare...or maybe it's the other way around." Ruby mused. "The thing is...I'm kinda struggling with what to do for my partner."
"Ms. Schnee?"
"Today...she kinda opened up to me about how bad her life at home was. I have to tell you, Professor Goodwitch...I can't believe a parent could treat their own daughter like that."
"Mmm, Jacques Schnee does have a reputation for being...well, a total asshole." Glynda surprised Ruby with her crass response. "And what would you like to get out of this subject?"
"Well, I offered Weiss the chance to stay at Patch for breaks if she ever wanted to get away from her dad." Ruby explained. "I was pretty happy with my solution at first, and she certainly loved it too."
"So what's the problem?"
"Well, now that I've had some time to think about it...I can't help but wonder how much that's going to help." Ruby admitted. "I mean, Weiss will have a great time at our place...but then she's eventually going to have to go back to Atlas, or face her dad in some way. I just don't know how to help her, compared to someone being attacked by the Grimm."
"It must make you feel useless, huh?" Glynda immediately caught on. "You strive to be a hero, and you can't seem to come up with a solution that will save Ms. Schnee from this problem of hers."
Ruby fell silent before nodding. Glynda then gave Ruby a gentle smile. "Well, the good news is, I think the source of both your problems are the same thing."
"Really?" Ruby was surprised to hear that.
"Dreams are still something of a mystery, Ruby. But what we do know is that they occur as a result of high brain activity during what is known as the REM stage of sleep." Glynda explained. "Therefore, it can be inferred that dreams are something of a mental construct."
"A mental...construct?"
"In your case, it appears you're mind is constantly playing back the attack on the Vytal Festival, but not just the attack itself, but an alternate version where Cinder's forces were successful...and your friends either wounded or killed."
"But...why would my mind focus on that?" Ruby wondered.
"The same reason why you offered Ms. Schnee a place in your home." Glynda revealed with a smile. "Because your heart is kind."
"I...don't understand." Ruby admitted.
"Ruby," Glynda explained, "the heart and the mind are more closely connected than you realize. Think of it this way. Because your heart was so concerned about what could have happened to your friends when the Vytal Festival had been attacked, your mind created an alternate reality where your worst nightmare had come true. Your heart is so kind that your mind used that kindness against you."
"...My mind is the bad guy?"
"Well, I wouldn't really simplify it as good and evil. It's more like your mind could very well be trying to prove a point in its own way. Your dream." Glynda explained.
"What do you think my dream is trying to tell me?" Ruby inquired.
"Ruby, your mind may create the story, but what you learn from your dream is all up to you." Glynda explained.
"Okay...then what do you think I should learn from it?"
"Cherish the fact that you have a heart so kind that you dwell on what-if scenarios of what could have been out of concern for your friends." Glynda replied. "But at the same time, recognize that they are indeed just what-ifs and not reality. Cherish the fact that at the end of the day, everyone is alive and well and your nightmare scenario is not real. Your heart can become your own worst enemy if you allow these kinds of nightmares to influence you."
"To conquer this, take control of your reality." Glynda explained. "I'm sure another reason why you're having this nightmare is because deep down, you feel you all got off lucky. So focus your efforts on becoming stronger so that you can protect that which you love. Then you'll have no regrets, and no reason to have nightmares about what could have been."
"That's...great advice, thank you." Ruby smiled before frowning. "But...what does all this have to do with Weiss' problem?"
"That heart of yours." Glynda said with a smile. "This may surprise you, but I was paying attention when you were ranting to Professor Ozpin about how badly you wanted to be a Huntress."
Ruby blushed in embarrassment. "It was so sweet and innocent." Glynda admitted. "And honestly, if I hadn't been so frustrated with you for being so reckless that night, I might've been unable to restrain myself from gushing about it."
"The thing is, Ruby, you don't just want to be a Huntress." Glynda explained. "You want to be a hero."
"Well...yeah." Ruby chuckled.
"And your struggle right now is, you don't know how to save Weiss from this situation she's in. You don't know how to be her hero." Glynda noted.
Ruby somberly nodded. "I mean...it's not like she's being attacked by Grimm." Ruby pointed out. "How do you save someone's life if they're not being attacked by Grimm?"
"Ruby," Glynda frowned, "do you really think that's all there is to saving someone? Just protecting their lives? I expected more from you if you want to be a hero and not a Huntress."
"A hero? Not a Huntress?" Ruby looked at Glynda in confusion.
"Ruby, if all you want to do is save people from Grimm , then that means all you want to be is a Huntress." Glynda explained. "However, it's clear to me from your issue with Weiss that you don't just want to save people from Grimm. You want to save people in general. That means you want to be a hero."
"Okay...still not fully getting it, but how do I do that?" Ruby asked.
Glynda pointed at Ruby's heart. "You already have the answer." She explained. "Ruby, a Huntress' job is to save someone's life. But a hero has to save someone in every way. You can't just protect someone's body from being devoured by the Grimm if you want to be a hero. No, you need to understand that people also need to be saved mentally and emotionally. Not just physically. Think about it, someone you saved from a Grimm would probably still be terrified of the beast and whatever 'friends' it's got. You can't just save their life. You need to do something to put their hearts at ease too."
Ruby looked at Glynda in confusion. "Not just protecting someone's life, but protecting their heart as well. That's what a hero does." Glynda revealed. "You can save someone's life as many times as you want, but if their heart is still in pain for whatever reason, can you really claim you saved them? Of course you can't. So you need to save someone's heart as well."
Glynda gave Ruby a gentle smile. "The fact that you're trying to heal Weiss' heart the way you are, means you're striving to be her hero by saving her in every way."
"So then...being a hero means…"
"Not just striving to be a strong warrior." Glynda explained. "But striving to be a great person as well. It takes a strong body to be a Huntress. But it takes a kind heart to be a hero."
"My heart...so that's what you meant when you said my two problems were related." Ruby realized.
Glynda nodded. "I...I'm starting to get it." Ruby smiled. "Yeah, that makes so much sense!"
Glynda nodded again. "Did you read as a child, Ruby?"
"Of course," Ruby nodded eagerly, "Yang read to me. And then after I learned to read, I got my hands on as many stories about heroes as I could."
"I suggest you revisit those books." Glynda suggested. "You'll be surprised when you find that in every book you read, the most notable personality trait of the hero was not how powerful or courageous they were. Rather, it was how kind they were."
"I think I will." Ruby nodded.
"So tell me now, Ruby." Glynda said to her. "Do you think you've found the answer to your two dilemnas?"
Ruby thought it over. While everything Glynda said did make sense to her...she was still not sure whether she had the answer or not. After all, there was always the possibility that her attempts to help Weiss would fail. Even so…
"I don't think I really do have the answer yet." Ruby admitted. "But...I still want to try. I don't know if any of my attempts will reach Weiss...but I still do want to try. I don't think I'd really accomplish much doing nothing, right?"
Glynda remained silent. "And as for my nightmare...I'll just focus on getting stronger." Ruby smiled in determination. "Then I won't have to rely on luck if something similar happens again."
Ruby rose from her seat and gave Glynda a brief bow. "Thanks for another great talk, Professor Goodwitch, you really are great at putting things in perspective."
Glynda chuckled. "You're very welcome, Ruby. Hearing you using my advice to try and better yourself makes it all worth it."
Ruby excused herself from Glynda's office. The woman could not help but smile at the girl's growth. "She immediately realized it's not a simple fix." She noted. "Perhaps you were right, Professor Ozpin. Maybe she really is something special."
Glynda then took her bowl of brownies, remembering she had a delivery to make. And so, the school's resident disciplinarian quickly made her way to Hansel's office and knocked. "It's Glynda!" She called.
Hansel quickly opened the door and gave Glynda an awkward gaze. "It's...kinda messy in here." He said.
"I'm not cleaning it for you if that's what you're telling me." Glynda responded.
"N-no," he muttered, "I just...don't want you to see it."
Glynda gazed past Hansel and saw his desk cluttered with papers. Hansel sighed. "I've been so damn busy planning for this little trip tomorrow, I've been swamped by schoolwork."
"Well, have no fear, Glynda's special brownies have come to the rescue." Glynda brandished the bowl of brownies.
Hansel gazed at the bowl with a slight hunger in his eyes. Glynda smiled. It truly was a compliment that a big eater like Hansel utterly adored her cooking. "Th-thanks." Hansel said awkwardly, desperately trying to regain his composure.
"You've been working very hard lately, sweetie." Glynda reminded him. "And I just want you to know that I not only see how hard you're working, but I also am incredibly proud of you for it too."
Hansel took the bowl of brownies from Glynda. "So, tomorrow's the big day, huh?" Glynda inquired.
"Yeah," Hansel nodded, "We've got a long flight ahead of us, and then Ironwood's going to show us to wherever we'll be staying...Sunday's going to be a long day."
Glynda's expression fell slightly at the mention of Ironwood. "Hansel," she said, "you know, I don't mind going in your stead. Just give me all the information you have and I can head up this investigation."
"No," Hansel said firmly, "it's gotta be me."
"But why though?" Glynda asked calmly.
"You know why." Hansel muttered.
Glynda frowned. "Young man," she said, "I don't want to see you neglect those girls because of your investigation. Remember, you're also going to help them gain new experiences, not to fully cement yourself as this Ahab-like figure."
Hansel's face fell. Glynda realized she might have spoken a bit harshly. She took her adopted son into a tight embrace. "Sweetie, you know I only say such things because I care about you." She reminded him.
"I know…" Hansel said softly. "It's gotta be me though...I just want to make things right, Glynda."
"I know how you feel." Glynda acknowledged. "But I also can't bear to see you go down a path you can't return from. You mean the world to me, Hansel. Never forget that. Blood or not, you're my son."
"Thank you…" Hansel muttered.
"And since you insist on going," Glynda continued, "I know you promised Ozpin, but you also need to promise me that you'll do your best to get along with James."
Hansel frowned. "What did you ever see in him?" He growled.
"Hansel, for the last time, there was never anything between me and him. I don't know why people always assume there was." Glynda said in exasperation before smiling in amusement. "Don't tell me this problem you have with James is because you thought he was stealing me from you. Such a jealous son I have."
Hansel blushed in embarrassment. "No way!" He denied. "It's nothing like that."
Glynda's eyes widened slightly at how angry Hansel sounded. Realizing she struck a nerve, she immediately backtracked. "I'm sorry, sweetie, was that too far?"
"...It's fine...it's just...it's nothing like that." Hansel claimed.
Glynda gave him a gentle smile. "Would you like to talk about it?"
"No...not now." Hansel shook his head.
"Alright, whenever you're ready, I suppose." Glynda sighed. "But really, Hansel, you need to promise me you'll do your best to get along with James. I know he's going to do his best to act professionally, so the least you can do is the same."
"I...I will." Hansel promised. "I'll do my best for you and the professor."
"That's all I needed to hear." Glynda nodded, satisfied with his response. "Now, don't eat all those brownies in one sitting, young man. You need to be able to sleep well tonight. You have a big day tomorrow."
"Right, bright and early flight out." Hansel acknowledged. "Good night, Glynda."
"Good night, Hansel." Glynda replied.
With that, the door closed. Glynda heaved a sigh. I meant what I said you know, she thought, I couldn't bear to watch you go down a path of no return.
As Glynda left Hansel's office, proud but concerned for her adopted son, Ruby was reading a comic book about a swordsman who jumps between a human and spirit world and fights evil. Immediately, she took note of how kind the swordsman was beneath his gruff exterior. "Saving someone's life...and also their heart. The key to being a great hero...is being a great person." Ruby mused to herself.
An idea then came to Ruby's head. Weiss needs her heart saved as well...probably Blake too. Does Professor Kobalt also need it? He...seems to be struggling with things like they are.
Ruby heaved a sigh. But Professor Goodwitch said not to get involved for his sake...but heroes would just ignore that and do what's right, wouldn't they?
With this little dilemma, Ruby came to an extremely frustrating conclusion. BEING A HERO SOUNDS HARD!
A.N: That moment when you realize you're writing Ruby like a female Izuku Midoriya. I mean, I even drew on Nana Shimura's philosophy for inspiration when writing Glynda's advice. My take on Glynda's probably one of my favorite parts of writing Wild Hunt. It's just great to go beyond the "strict disciplinarian" character and reveal her motherly tendencies. Next, chapter 22.