Happy Halloween everybody!

Now, this is definitely not my usual posting day in the slightest. But, considering that the story is roughly halfway through my notes (not that the story is or isn't halfway done), then I thought this would be the perfect day for a very special gift to you all!

Because I'm sentimental, let's throw out some stats. As of today, Reaper has been read over 230,000 times. It's been followed 897 times (oh boy, gotta get that 900 follower milestone chapter done!) and favourited 693 times. It's also been reviewed a whopping 576 times! Never did I expect this story to get the readership it did, nor to be this long. It's truly marvelous!

Now, for my little Halloween gift to you all. Before writing the first chapter of this story, I jotted down a short, mini-chapter of how I thought the climax was going to go. Since starting Reaper in Red, I used some of the elements from this initial blurb to flesh out Ruby's character, as well as both Weiss's and Blake's. I bet you will be able to spot some similarities between this and Blake's discovery of Ruby as a Grim Reaper. Not to say none of this will be used in the big reveal to Weiss (which is obviously coming. I'm not going to play the fool and pretend Weiss will never be let in on the secret). So, here is your warning:

POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD!

But, with that out of the way, Happy Halloween and I will see you all next week for your regular dose of Reaper goodness!

REAPER IN RED

Interlude: Happy Halloween

"NO!" Ruby's voice cracked as her high-pitched voice shrieked in terror. "Get it away from me! GET IT AWAY!"

Ruby threw the staff from her grasp as it was forming seemingly out of thin air. Tendrils of shadow pooled together to form the solid object, growing in length with every passing second. As soon as it left the young girl's hands, it vanished and begun to reform within her grasp. Ruby fell to the ground, shouting in panic, trying to force her curled up self deeper and deeper into the corner of the dark room.

"I DON'T WANT IT! PLEASE! PLEEEAAASE!" She wailed, tears streaming heavily down her face.

Weiss could only watch as her friend and partner threw away the staff again and again. She could not move to ease Ruby's plight. Nor could she run away. Transfixed by the sight of someone so happy and cheerful in such a state of fear and panic. It was sickening to watch and yet she could not turn away. Her heart beat thunderously in her chest as all the light from the room faded. As if it were sucked in by Ruby.

The girl's face darkened as her moans continued. The bright red hood sucked in shadows, turning crimson, then burgundy, then maroon as more darkness cloaked the cloak draped over her body, until it was pure black. Finally having given up tossing away the staff, Ruby could only cry as the object continued to form in her hand. Ruby's eyes were shut tightly, but tears still streamed down, and the sobs continued. Her voice was low, resigned to the fate in store for her. "Please no. Anything but this. Any time but now. I don't want to. Please. Please." Ruby begged. To whom, Weiss was unsure.

The staff grew. Three feet, then four. Then six. It stopped growing, only for a curved blade to begin to form from one end. The blade of the shadowed scythe was dark silver, almost matching Ruby's eyes. The scythe was eerily similar to the girl's normal weapon, lacking only the sniper rifle to complete the familiar image. Ruby's red cloak was now black, almost obscuring the girl from view. The light from the room had disappeared completely, all light had been sucked into the girl, leaving a dark void behind.

With a final tear-filled sniffle, Ruby rubbed her eyes to remove any traces of sadness. She stood from her place in the corner. To Weiss, there was obvious resignation in her movements. There was nothing she wanted less than to do what she was doing now.

Ruby lifted the hood from her cloak over her head. The cloak had changed. It was longer, now lightly touching the cold floor. It wrapped over Ruby's entire body, with sleeves nearly covering the girl's thin fingers. It looked heavier as well. With a final breathless shudder, Ruby looked up at her friend.

Weiss gasped and took an involuntary step back before she had time to think. Weiss tried to play it off as a stumble, but Ruby twitched in fear. Weiss stared into Ruby's eyes, now as red as her name. With the cloak and the scythe and the eyes together, Weiss could admit she was terrified of the person standing in front of her.

The person who was once her sparring partner. The person who spent every morning munching on cookies and complaining about her history homework. The person who would hug her whenever she was sad, whether she wanted it or not. Who comforted her after every phone call with her father. Who pouted when she could not go play with the service dogs on campus. Whose angry expression rivalled that of a kicked puppy.

No, this was not that girl. This girl exuded a menacing calmness. She did not move from where she stood. As the two stared at each other, the girl's ruby red eyes stared back unblinkingly. The girl's skin was ghostly pale, almost as pale as Weiss's own natural skin tone.

This girl in front of her was the same height as her Ruby. The same build as her Ruby yet had none of the same emotions as her. While Ruby exuded an aura of friendliness, this Ruby exuded one of calm acceptance. Acceptance, not for herself, but allowing those around her to accept that their fate was in her hands. That she would be the one to stay with them in their final moments and help them pass from one world to the next. Accept that she would be the one to break the mortal flesh from the immortal soul and guide it on its journey to whatever came next. Acceptance. Of their death.

And it horrified Weiss. Ruby did not move. Even as she was now, Ruby looked to be pleading with Weiss. Silently asking Weiss for forgiveness as well as something more. Acceptance. Not in death, but acceptance for who the person standing before her really was.

"Grim Reaper."