Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ruby Rose had made the trek to her mother's grave many times.

Be it in the bright spring months, the long evenings of the summer or the growing dark of the autumn season, the only thing that ever really stopped her was storms, and even then that just delayed her trips until it cleared. When she was younger she visited the grave on a regular schedule, always on a Saturday and with a small picnic brought with her so she could tell her mom about how the week had gone.

As time passed though her visits grew more sporadic. She still visited regularly, but no longer adhered to a routine. She wasn't sure when it'd started; maybe it was just because attending Signal put a strain on her free time, or that she was starting to heal and didn't feel the need to always be there – but still, even as times changed she could never deny that visiting her mother's grave brought her comfort, even if she knew that said mother wasn't buried there. It made her feel close to her in a way.

The trip up to the plateau though was... hazardous, at best.

Grimm inhabited the quaint island of Patch. No matter how many times Huntsmen came and swept the island clean they always returned and in numbers impossible to have simply hidden away, to the point many thought that they simply grew out of the ground. An impossible feat, they all knew, but they could offer no other explanation as to how the Grimm kept reappearing on the island. Thankfully though the regular cullings kept the population in check and meant there was only some low-class Grimm present, such as Beowolves and the occasional Ursa. Threats, yes, but nothing the local and retired Huntsmen couldn't eliminate easily.

One location that the Grimm were more common was the forest near Summer Rose's grave, up on the plateau. Not for any reason, just that it was far from the main settlement on the island, but that meant that Ruby had to deal with them often on her trips.

Such as today.

''...hmph.''

Pouting to herself Ruby hefted her beloved sniper-scythe onto her shoulder, sweeping her gaze around the snow-covered plateau, finding nothing but dissipating remains of Grimm. Like they were made of ash the black particles evaporated up into the air, carried away with a strong breeze to destinations unknown. When no other howls of battle or snarls of stalking Grimm came she felt confident enough to collapse her trusty weapon back into its more compact form, holstering it behind her back.

Once upon a time Beowolves might've intimidated her. Now they were easy-peasy for her; practice, if anything. She hadn't even taken more than a handful of hits, and all of those were absorbed by her Aura.

Turning her back to the dark forest Ruby finally approached her mother's grave. It was a small thing by the edge; quaint, humble, much like her mother herself had been. Her silver eyes swept over the inscription like they had a thousand times before, yet the familiarity brought her a comfort she couldn't name. A comfort that was pushed aside, however, as she let her gaze fall further and noticed an odd lump next to the grave.

It was small but noticeable, and after a second Ruby squatted down by it and brushed aside the snow. Her fingers bumped against something cold and metallic, making her flinch, but it only fuelled her curiosity to new heights and encouraged her to unearth the unseen object. The powdery snow came away easily, revealing a glossy gold that gradually expanded into a cup as she dug it out of the snow.

''The heck...?'' Ruby blinked, gently grasping the sides and lifting it out at last – raising it up to get it in the moonlight.

It was a cup, or a goblet to be more precise. It was gold and surprisingly heavy, with what looked like rubies forming a line down one side of the goblet down to its stem – and when she turned it she realised there was sapphires on the other side, then emeralds after that and with amethyst forming the fourth cardinal direction. Coupled with the encrusted rim of the glass it looked awkward for drinking from, but there was a richness to it that made Ruby's eyes sparkle.

''I wonder if I can sell it...'' She breathed to herself, a grin spreading across her lips. ''I could buy so many sweets if I did~!''

It was a childish thought, but an honest one; even if it was just gold she was sure it'd fetch a pretty penny. However curiosity encouraged her to inspect it further, her mind turning to why it was here at her mother's grave. Had someone came to visit and dropped it by accident? Or had they left it – and if so, why? Did they know her mother and left it as a sign of respect? Or was this maybe a hint to her and her family that it was related to Summer Rose? Maybe even Summer herself left it...

Ruby pursed her lips, then banished that thought. It was a cruelly-hopeful thought, but one she knew was unlikely – Summer had been gone for so long, she doubted she was still out there. She wouldn't, couldn't say that her mother was dead for sure, but she'd had to face the facts years ago. Her mother was gone. Not dead, but gone. If she hadn't come back to see them in all this time then there must be a reason why; she wouldn't leave a 'hint' for them. She wasn't cruel and manipulative like that, she'd at least leave a letter or something.

Frowning she inspected the goblet in more detail. ''Hm...''

Lifting it up above her head she noticed writing on the underside. She really had to squint to see it, not just because of the light level but also how tiny it was scrawled, each letter ornate but fitting snugly in the limited space, slowly spiralling inwards towards its centre.

''For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death.'' Ruby read aloud, squinting as an odd feeling of familiarity hit her.

Unbeknownst to her, a golden light flickered to life within the goblet.

''I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee." Ruby recited, recalling then that it was the chant for awakening Aura in people. ''Huh... weird. Maybe it's from the old days when...''

Suddenly she became aware of a distant, high-pitched whining, like her ears were ringing after a loud gunshot. Blinking she lowered her goblet, her eyes widening as she noticed the steadily-glowing glare of golden light within the cup itself, like a flare that was ready to explode.

''Um... is it supposed to do that...?''

The light glowed brighter.

''Uh oh...''

The last thing Ruby saw was a blinding, all-consuming flash of light – and then total darkness.

X-x-X

''Ugh...''

Pain was the first thing Ruby felt. A dull, achy sort of pain that pervaded her bones the moment she dared twitch. She scrunched her face up and tried to turn but her body was as heavy as lead, her limbs limp by her sides, but with some effort she managed to open her eyes. Her vision blurred for a long second, forcing her to blink several times until it cleared.

When it did she found herself looking at an unfamiliar ceiling. Grey, flaking and revealing the wooden panelling beyond in places, it was most certainly not her bedroom, nor Yang's or even her dad's. The thought helped stir her more awake, coherency returning to her with painful slowness, but her eyes at least worked – flicking right and spotting fraying old wallpaper, red in colour and peeling from the walls. It was then that she realised she was in an unfamiliar bed as well, the covers pulled tight and the pillow hard under her head.

It was when she looked left though that she was given the greatest surprise of all. There, sat just a few feet away on an old wooden chair, her gaze focused on the cracked window beyond her, was a girl probably only a couple years older than herself. An off-white blouse hugged her torso and the long sleeves ended in layered cuffs, emphasising her slender figure and contrasting the scarily-familiar red cape pinned to her shoulders by two silver cross pins, the rosy hue carrying down to the burgundy skirt that fell to near her ankles. Her hair was the same dark colour as Ruby's own and fell down her back in a low ponytail, the red colour much more clear at the tips. And as the unknown girl turned to face her she noticed not only her gentle silver eyes... but the fact that they looked nearly identical, aside from having less rounded cheeks and a more mature look to her.

''Hello, Ruby.'' The unknown girl said calmly.

Ruby tried to speak but no sound came out of her lips. She thought it was just shock, but when she tried again no sound was produced – forcing her to cough harshly to get whatever lump was out of her throat, as if her throat was so dry it'd stuck together.

''Who... are you...?'' She managed to croak out, trying and falling to turn onto her side.

''I am you.'' The unknown girl said, looking at her expectantly.

It took Ruby's sluggish mind a few moments to register the words, then another few to react. ''H-Huh...? But... I'm here...''

A giggle answered her. It was sweet; melodic even. ''I understand this might all be a bit confusing for you. Just know that I'm a friend, okay?''

Ruby tried to nod but her neck felt painfully stiff. The girl seemed to understand though, merely smiling at her. ''Ssh, don't move. Your body is very overstressed after... what happened. I managed to carry you to an abandoned cabin and barricaded us inside so no Grimm will wander in, but we should be quiet just to be safe.''

The reminder of Grimm gave Ruby more clarity, a groan escaping her as she tried to sit up, but her muscles just wouldn't cooperate. It felt like she was paralysed; the mere thought sending a rush of fear through her and hastening her struggles. The unknown girl was by her side in a heartbeat, one dainty hand on her collarbone and easing her back down. Weakened as she was Ruby could only comply, frustrated more with herself than anything else.

''Why am I...?'' Ruby groaned the words out.

The girl looked at her with sympathy. ''What do you remember?''

Ruby squinted and tried to remember. ''I was going to see mom... I fought a pack of Beowolves, then I... I found a weird cup thing, and...''

Pieces of the past returned to her. Reading aloud an Aura awakening incantation. Seeing the cup glow – and then the last thing she saw being blinded by it.

''Correct.'' A hand laid over her own, rubbing the back with a thumb. She found the gesture oddly soothing. ''That cup was something known as the Holy Grail. When you spoke the incantation on its base, you activated it, and I was born from it. Think... think of me as a part of you, but just slightly different.''

Ruby frowned and tried to parse through the information provided, but her head still hurt and thinking made it worse. ''I-I kinda get it...? But why did it do that?''

The girl said nothing, but Ruby suspected she older girl knew why but just wasn't saying – there was a slight dip to her brow, a pursing of her lips, a hesitation in her eyes. After a second though the older girl rose to her feet and approached the window, grasping a chunk of broken glass from the frame and bringing it over, holding it flat and non-threateningly. The reason why became apparent as Ruby saw her own reflection in the glass, albeit warped and wobbly... but there was no hiding the obvious fact.

Her left eye had changed. Gone was the gunmetal-silver iris that used to be there, replaced instead by a bright gold one that seemed to glow faintly. Her other eye was fine, the same silver hue as it had always been, but that didn't do anything to dispel the gnawing horror that overcame her – a bone-deep, paralysing fear that left her rigid in her bed.

''W-What's wrong with my eye?'' She stammered.

''It's the Grail.'' The young woman answered her softly. ''I am unsure of all the details, but it had to 'take' something from you, to make you its host. I get the impression it had to be a part of you – an organ, a limb, something. It chose your eye. Whether there's a reason for that, or it just chose at random, it didn't tell me.''

Ruby's eyes slowly slid from her reflection up to the young woman's face. ''You can talk with it...?''

''Not really, no. It's not exactly chatty. Maybe to be expected from a mysterious old goblet.'' The girl answered with a slight smile. ''It just passes on information from time to time.''

The joke made Ruby smile lightly in return, though the humour was unfortunately short-lived, her gaze returning to herself. Already a multitude of questions arose within her, breeding even more with their presence. What would the others think? Her friends, her family? She was already isolated enough as it was at Signal because of her status as a prodigy, with this she'd undoubtedly be treated even more warily. She could still see perfectly fine thankfully, so her dreams of becoming a Huntress didn't seem to be at risk, but that didn't change the fact it'd be an uncomfortably large question whenever someone saw it.

'Is this how Faunus feel? Disliked because of something they can't control, and didn't choose to have?' Ruby thought to herself glumly. Nobody had even seen her eye yet, but she could already imagine the comments it'd earn her.

Suddenly a water bottle was pushed in front of her face. Ruby blinked, then turned her gaze up onto her newfound... clone, she supposed was the right term for it. With some effort she raised her head – aided by her companion – and managed to take a drink. The water was stale but frankly she'd take any relief she could, the liquid cold on her throat and easing the scratchiness that had formed over the course of their conversation.

''...what's your name?'' Ruby finally queried when she finished.

''I don't have one.'' The young woman remarked lightly, easing her back down. ''The Grail didn't give me one.''

''Hm...'' Ruby frowned up at her, pushing past her lingering headache. ''How about... Garnet? Y'know, since I'm Ruby, you can be Garnet!''

The newly-named Garnet smiled brightly. ''I love it.''

Ruby giggled happily at that, the sound not dimming even as Garnet gently rubbed her head, mindful not to ruffle her hair much. Easing herself back onto the bed Ruby turned her gaze up onto the ceiling, finding her mind overwhelmed with both questions... and fatigue.

Garnet must've noticed as she soon spoke. ''Rest. I'll keep watch.''

Ruby hummed and shut her eyes, just listening to the distant howl of the wind.

Within the minute, she was out like a light.

X-x-X

Time passed strangely for Ruby.

One moment it was day, the next night. She woke up for only brief spans of time before sleep called to her once more, as if though she had gone an all-nighter and just now gone to bed. It troubled her, but Garnet didn't seem all that alarmed and just kept watch over her, feeding her and giving her some of their increasingly-scarce water when she could; taking short naps in the time Ruby was awake before they swapped over again.

Each time she awoke though she felt a little better. Not a lot, but enough that she could stay awake for longer and give Garnet some time to rest; reading an old book the older girl had gotten for her from somewhere else in the cabin. It was a familiar one, being a semi-popular fictional story that she'd been taught in school, and while it wasn't all that great she'd take anything to keep her mind busy. Or at least, busy aside from the questions that constantly probed at her mind.

Upon waking up once more though, the sky outside their little hut dark and a fierce storm thundering in the distance, Garnet spoke.

''We should move soon.''

''Huh?'' Rubbing her eyes Ruby slowly sat upright, a task made easier by the hand that laid itself on her back. ''I-I mean, I'm not against it, but...''

''But why now.'' Garnet finished for her, smiling slightly. The motherly girl looked tired, but still managed to keep a gentle expression on her face, soothing Ruby's nerves. ''The reason is that we're getting low on supplies. You only brought enough in case you wanted to have a picnic up by mom's grave, and though I've rationed it between us as much as possible, if we stay here any longer then we put ourselves at risk of starving.''

Ruby shuddered at the thought. ''R-Right. So, we head back home ASAP?''

''That's the plan.'' Garnet gently agreed, rising to her feet, her low ponytail fluttering behind her in the faint breeze. ''Can you stand?''

Huffing a little Ruby pushed off the stale but now-familiar sheet and sat upright, doing it slowly enough that she didn't give herself vertigo. No such sensation came though, emboldening her and tempting her to slip off of the bed, her legs like jelly for a moment before her muscles seemed to remember how to function. Garnet cast her a worried look but Ruby merely grinned back, strutting about until she did a lap of their small room, her confidence only growing as she felt little to no strain. She didn't feel great by any measure – she was tired, hungry and probably smelled pretty bad after not showering for what must've been days – but she was alive, and ready to kick some butt.

She felt a slight pang in her knees at the thought, her legs wobbling, but she stayed standing. 'Okay, maybe fighting Grimm is off the table...'

Garnet took her by the arm with a gentle smile, returning the folded-up Crescent Rose to her before leading her towards the door. Wordlessly Ruby fell in lockstep with her and the two girls marched out into cold. Almost immediately upon stepping outside Ruby could feel some of her bravado leave her; a strong wind blowing the strength from her limbs and amplifying the weakness in her bones threefold. She endured it, however; unconsciously tapping into her Aura and shielding herself from the worst of the cold. It wasn't much, but she'd take every little bit of help she could.

Her newfound companion aided her, snaking an arm around her and pulling her close to share what little body heat they emanated; pulling their cloaks around themselves to aid in that endeavour.

''Let's get going, hm?'' Garnet said with a hopeful smile.

A smile that Ruby returned with more vigour. ''Yeah! Just wait until Yang finds out she's got another sister, heh.''

''I can only imagine.'' Garnet giggled.

Ruby beamed, a well of confidence filling her as she thought of Yang. A spike of guilt hit next as she realised she'd been gone for several days; she hadn't thought to bring her Scroll since it was low on charge and the out-of-the-way nature of Summer's grave meant signalling the main town on the island wasn't easy with anything short of starting a forest fire – which she'd really like to avoid if possible. She chased off the thought though and refocused on her surroundings, warily watching the trees for even the smallest of Beowolves.

The walk was done mostly in silence. The soft crunch of their boots against the snow and the howl of the wind formed the only sound between them, though Ruby didn't blame her older companion; both were tired and conserving their energy was important. Now that she had the time and clarity to think, though, all manner of questions rose up within her mind. Such as did they share the same Semblance? The same Aura? The latter seemed less likely since they had different bodies, but souls were weird things, and the idea of a clone sharing her Aura wasn't the strangest thing that would've happened on Remnant, not by a long shot.

A distant howl though made her put those thoughts on-hold, a grim expression crossing her face. A single look shared with Garnet revealed her older clone wore an identical pinched expression.

Beowolves. And where there was one, there was a whole pack not far behind them.

''Hurry, we've got to move fast.''

''R-Right!''

X-x-X

Ruby was missing.

That sentence alone struck fear into Yang the second she heard it, memories of days long gone coming back to haunt her – of taking Ruby in a wagon out into the woods, hoping to find her mother and nearly getting them killed as a result.

This time it wasn't her fault, but that didn't lessen the panic she felt even a little. Naturally she was first in line to volunteer for the search party with her dad just a step behind her, the two heading out into the cold winter night. They both knew Ruby had gone to see mom thanks to a note sticky-taped onto the fridge, and when they made their way up the familiar path they saw evidence she'd been through the area, be it footprints in the snow or the signs of a battle against the local Beowolves; their bodies gone but the claw marks in the bark remaining.

However when they reached the grave, she wasn't there. Naturally they swept the area, fanning out gradually with the help of some locals, but the winter night was cold and most had to retreat, lacking the Aura needed to insulate them against prolonged exposure. Yang however persevered, as did her father, the two of them hunting for Ruby late into the night and returning only when they were so exhausted that they could barely walk straight.

However after a quick rest, they were back out again, looking for her.

And the day after that too.

Four days passed and many of the locals who had first aided them started to relent. Yang knew they were doing it because they'd lost hope, that they'd assumed the worst, but doing so just made her angry. It was only because she knew them, having grown up with them, that she held her tongue and waited until she was out in the forest to take out her rage – seething at the mere idea that Ruby was dead, that the Grimm had gotten her like the locals whispered when they thought she wasn't listening.

''Yang.''

Yang gritted her teeth, drew in a breath, then exhaled it out – an old trick to help calm herself down. It didn't help much. ''Yeah?''

''Cool it.'' Taiyang's voice was soft but firm.

Yang wanted to get angry at him, to rage, but one look into his eyes quenched that fire faster than any bucket of water could. Her own pain was reflected in his eyes and she was reminded of the day Summer went missing, how he had completely shut down. The sight made guilt well up in her chest and she mumbled out an apology, bowing her head and chastising herself for being selfish, for not thinking about how her dad must feel. He was hurting just as much as she was, if not more. He was their father after all.

Looking away from her father Yang stared defeatedly at their surroundings. The forest's edge was near and they were gradually moving deeper, but not up the main path towards the plateau. Rather they were taking a side route, one that would lead to a cliff-side path up to the other end of the plateau, roughly in the opposite direction of Summer's grave. In the past both she and Ruby had been warned never to take it due to the fact it was not only next to the ocean, but also dangerously unstable, especially during bad weather. The only reason it still existed was because if it became a choice between fighting Grimm or taking an unstable route back to town, the latter was always more preferable.

The sea would likely kill you. The Grimm would always kill you.

She opened her mouth to speak, to ask what they should do – when her father held up a hand abruptly. Yang tensed and immediately raised her guard, Ember Cecilia cocking on her forearms – Grimm. Or at least, she presumed so. Her father's senses were much better than her and she knew from experience that he could pick up on sounds she'd completely miss, from the crunch of a distant branch to an uneven shifting of grass.

Seconds passed in tense silence and the cold started to make her squirm and shift, trying to keep her blood flowing in her feet. ''Dad...''

''I heard something.'' He raised his hand and pointed off to their left.

''Grimm?''

''Footfalls. Slow.'' He said, before craning his head back. ''Is anyone there?!''

His voice carried easily through the trees, and for a moment there was no response.

Then suddenly there was. ''D-Dad?!''

Yang's heart stopped, then soared as realisation dawned on her. ''Ruby!''

The blonde didn't wait for her father to speak and took off running, her boots stomping down any snow in her path and rushing through the forest. The trees were barren but thick, making for a winding maze amongst the thick snow, but there was no hiding the hint of a red cape that she saw from behind a tree. She rushed straight for it, turning around a tree – and immediately noticed three things.

One, Ruby looked pale and exhausted, her left eye tightly closed.

Two, she was leaning against a person for support.

And three, that person looked hauntingly like Ruby herself. And like a certain Huntress.

The word stumbled from her lips faster than her brain processed them.

''M-Mom...?''

The young woman, who she realised distantly was too young to be Summer Rose, smiled awkwardly from Ruby's side. ''I'm afraid not, I'm-''

She was cut off as Taiyang himself caught up with her. ''Yang, have you found... Ruby...''

''Hey, dad.'' Ruby waved, though her arm moved stiffly and when it fell she brought it close, pulling her cloak against her body. ''S-Sorry for being gone for so long, things uh... happened.''

Taiyang nodded slowly, almost dimly, his gaze turning fully onto the slightly-older girl standing next to his precious daughter. ''I... I see. And you... who are you? And why do you look like my daughter?''

The unnamed girl just smiled, a touch exasperated. ''My name is Garnet Rose, Ruby's... erm, clone, for lack of a better word. I'll gladly explain myself, but can we get somewhere warmer? Ruby's nearly freezing and we're both exhausted.''

That snapped both blondes to attention, focusing on Ruby and only then truly realising how bad her state was. Her hair was greasy and unwashed, her skin was paler than normal and her body hunched in on itself, both from hunger and to try stave off the cold. Garnet herself though didn't look much better, smiling but visibly shivering in the slightest breeze, and while she seemed the better off between the two... in this situation, that wasn't saying much.

''Alright, let's go.'' Taiyang declared a split-second later, no hesitation in his eyes. ''Yang grab Ruby, I'll grab... Garnet. It'll be faster if we carry you both.''

He said the latter more towards the two Roses, and with only a groan of embarrassment from Ruby they complied – letting the blondes ferry them back home.

Out of the cold, and into the warmth.

[END]

Chapter Text

''So... you're born from Ruby's soul?''

Garnet smiled slightly at Yang's query; asked with a raised brow and a mixture of uncertainty and awe. The living room around them was toasty; a stark contrast to the freezing outdoors that they'd trudged through for what felt like hours, and during the night at that. Taking the cliff-side path had been a dangerous calculation, but both of them knew that the Grimm were more likely to stalk the main path looking for weary traveller or runaway kids. Many residents of Patch had been lost that way in the past.

Dispelling the thought Garnet answered Yang's question. ''Yes. I understand it's probably strange, but I think my appearance can confirm that I'm 'related' to her.''

Taking her eyes off of the blonde Garnet swept her gaze over to Ruby. The younger of the two Roses was slumped against the corner of the couch, several layers of warm blankets on her and the fire crackling away at full blast, helping bring her temperature up. She'd already had a bowel of cereal, some hot cocoa and whatever bits of food Yang could scrounge up on a dime. Now, her risk of starvation no longer imminent, Taiyang had taken to cooking them something a bit more filling; bacon, eggs, toast and some beans to go with it.

Not exactly night-time food, but they both needed the calories admittedly, so Garnet didn't bother protesting. Not that she wanted to anyway; her stomach needed food just as much as Ruby's, thank you very much.

Yang plopped herself down in the seat across from her, chin coming to rest on her palm. ''Do you have, like, her memories and stuff too?''

''Indeed.'' Garnet smiled. ''I remember constructing Crescent Rose, hunting my first Grimm with Qrow, celebrating with you and Taiyang when I got into Signal, your atrocious puns-''

''Hey, they're pun-tastic!''

Ruby groaned from her spot on the couch. ''Ugh, Yang, please not today?''

''Alright alright, I'll throw you a bone,'' Yang grinned. ''Though I gotta say sis, you're pretty cold today.''

''I will throw this cushion at you, Yang!''

Garnet giggled, joined soon by Ruby and Yang, the three sharing smiles. Ruby herself squirmed about in her bundle of blankets until she had her back to the arm of the couch, allowing her legs to lay across and with her feet ending on Garnet's lap. The older Rose smiled and tickled them a little, earning a squirm and giggle from the young Rose – though one that trailed off as Yang asked a question. One that Ruby had been expecting, but secretly hoping wouldn't come up.

''Hey Ruby, mind if I ask something?'' The blonde brawler asked in a soft voice, legs crossed and leaning forwards.

Ruby hesitated but nodded. ''Y-Yeah?''

''I can't help but notice you haven't opened your eye, like, once.'' Yang pointed out, concerned. ''Is something the matter?''

Ruby spared a quick glance at Garnet. Garnet smiled back and dipped her head in a shallow nod – an interaction that didn't go unmissed by Yang, but one she didn't comment upon. ''Um... maybe?''

Before Yang could ask further a loud clatter was heard from the kitchen; preluding Taiyang sauntering out with a cheer. ''Food's ready~!''

With two plates in hand the bulky man sauntered into the room, laying both plates chock-full of greasy, high-calorie food before the two Rose sisters and instantly derailing Ruby's entire train of thought, her lips ajar and a steady stream of drool starting to leak out. Up until Garnet gave her leg a firm nudge, startling Ruby out of her daze and making her remember what she was about to say. The moment she did her mood lowered, the brief burst of joy overcome by a sense of hesitation, of uncertainty.

''I...'' Ruby paused as she felt Garnet's hand on her thigh. It was a simple thing, but it brought her comfort. ''I think it's time that I tell the whole story, right?''

The mood in the room became more sober, the food temporarily forgotten. Taiyang was the one to speak. ''Yeah... I guess so.''

Ruby drew a breath and then began to speak. ''So you know how I said I passed out and Garnet was there to take care of me, that we hid in an abandoned cabin? Well... when I was visiting mom's grave I found this weird goblet thing. I thought someone might've left it so I held it up, a-and I found a message on the bottom. It was the same chant thing people use to awaken a person's Aura – I read it aloud and the thing started to glow, then... poof, I woke up sometime later in the old cabin.''

''I had been summoned when she was knocked unconscious.'' Garnet filled in for her, giving her a break. Ruby was silently grateful for that. ''The item that Ruby found calls itself the 'Holy Grail'. It... communicates with me to an extent. Not like two people talking, but like... like if you were to try and converse with one of the holograms at the CCT. Some questions might yield answers, but others will just get generic 'please rephrase' responses.''

Taiyang nodded slowly. ''I've never heard of this 'Holy Grail' thing, but... well, I don't exactly have a reason to doubt either of you. Summer never had any children before Ruby and you look older than her, so you can't have been born after her either.''

Ruby drew a breath. ''There's more.''

Without waiting for either to answer she opened her left eye. Immediately their own eyes widened and Ruby resisted the urge to shrink back into her seat, merely swallowing her unease and letting them look. She had admired it before at the cabin with Garnet's help, and while she had to admit it looked kinda cool, it still made her uncomfortable. Having a golden eye was weird enough, but a glowing gold eye? That was painfully weird. Like, latex bodysuit combat gear weird.

''Woah... yeah, that's uhh... that's something alright.'' Yang said slowly. ''What happened to your eye?''

''The Holy Grail.'' Garnet was the one to answer. ''For reasons beyond me, it required to take a part of Ruby, to make her its host. It chose her left eye.''

Taiyang frowned. ''It made her it's... host? It's inside her?''

''In a metaphysical way, yes.'' Garnet seemed uncertain as she spoke. ''I'm sorry, I don't know much more about it.''

''Can it be taken out?'' It was Yang who spoke – before immediately raising her hands. ''If Rubes wants, that is.''

Ruby frowned at that, looking down. Did she want it gone? Her first thought was a resounding yes... but putting aside her weird eye, she'd gotten Garnet, who for all intents and purposes seemed like a calmer, more collected version of herself. Putting aside the awesomeness of having what amounted to a twin, it also led her to question what else it could do. Maybe the Grail had created her because she was weakened? If so, what else could it do? Make her shoot fireballs? Give her more Aura to work with? An extra Semblance? So many doors opened themselves to her, and while she doubted many would open, the prospects alone made it hard to want the Grail gone. If it turned out they it was bad or had some serious drawbacks, then sure, she'd like it out of her head ASAP, but until then...

''I'd actually be fine with it. For now, anyway.'' Ruby spoke before Garnet could. ''I-I mean it's weird, but not really bad, right? Garnet's cool, and I just need an eyepatch to hide my eye in public, so it seems like a win-win to me, right? Right? I always thought I'd look cool with an eyepatch, ehe...''

Garnet smiled wryly at her, but answered Yang's question all the same. ''Technically, I suppose it could? I mean, we've heard of devices that could take out and transfer Aura between Hunters, so it's not impossible. What it'd do to me, or more importantly Ruby, I can't say though. Maybe nothing, maybe her eye would turn back to normal, maybe...''

She trailed off but gestured at herself, her unspoken meaning obvious. She had no clue what would happen to her, a being created by the Holy Grail, if said Grail was to leave Ruby.

''Well I think we can let the idea rest for now.'' Taiyang responded firmly, a smile coming to his face. ''It's been a long night and you two look like you could use some rest. Eat up, I'll go make some calls and tell everyone we've found you – you had a lot of people worried, young lady. Or young ladies now, I guess.''

Both Garnet and Ruby giggled; the latter shuffling forwards and tucking into her meal with gusto, in contrast to Garnet who managed to be a bit more reserved about it – making conversation with Yang as she ate.

''So, you sleeping with Ruby I'm guessing?''

''I suppose so if Ruby doesn't mind?'' Garnet looked over at the shorter girl, who stuck a thumb-up.

Yang snickered. ''Well that was easy. Though, kinda makes me think... since you popped up out of the blue, how old does that make you?''

At that Garnet paused mid-bite, blinking. ''I... don't know, actually. The same as Ruby, I would guess?''

''You look older than her though... hm, and I doubt people will think you're a long-lost twin.'' Yang scratched her chin, looking to Ruby for assistance... only to find the younger Rose busy stuffing her face. ''Uhh... maybe... seventeen? You look around that age, I think. Could pass for seventeen anyway.''

Garnet nodded hesitantly. ''Then I guess I'm seventeen now.''

''Hey, don't sweat it. Dad will sort something out.'' Yang soothed, grinning. ''Heh, if you're seventeen then which of us d'ya think is the eldest sister?''

''I think I'll leave that role to you, aha...''

A muffled sound from Ruby gave them both pause, looking over at the youngest Rose as she swallowed her food. ''Ooh! Ooh! What about stuff like Semblances? Can you go really fast like me as well?''

''Hm... I don't think so. Semblances are supposed to be expressions of the soul, right? And since I'm a different aspect of your soul, perhaps I wouldn't have the same Semblance as you.'' Garnet answered thoughtfully. ''Though, since we ultimately share the same soul just in different bodies, I would assume we share the same Aura.''

''That's so cool~!''

''And also probably kinda risky.'' Yang pointed out with evident concern. ''Ya gotta think sis, if you both share the same Aura, then that just means it'll run out twice as quick in a fight.''

''Oh.'' Ruby blinked, understanding blossoming on her face. ''Ohh.''

Garnet bit her lip at that. ''I hadn't thought of it that way.''

''Well, look on the bright side! You can always do those good ol' Aura exercises dad made us do before we got into Signal.'' Yang grinned – said grin widening when both of them groaned at the memory. ''Oh come on, you'll love it!''

''I don't think you're in a position to talk Yang.'' Garnet sighed, taking a quick mouthful of food before continuing. ''If I remember right you hated doing those and would complain all day to dad.''

''Aha... yeah, fair point.'' Yang sheepishly smiled. ''Still! Look on the bright side; since there's two of you, it'll make it go by twice as fast, right?''

''I guess you have a point...'' Ruby grumbled, shovelling another slice of bacon into her mouth.

Garnet didn't comment but gave a wry smile in response, tending to her own late dinner.

It wouldn't be long until the two exhausted Roses retired to bed either, snuggled up for warmth and letting days of wilderness survival catch up to them, granting them a nice long rest.

X-x-X

The tweeting of birds was the first thing Ruby heard as she stirred from her sleep.

She was hot, almost uncomfortably so, but she couldn't muster the effort to do anything and so just shifted about slightly. The covers were thick and puffy, completely unlike the stale thin ones that she'd had to endure at the abandoned house up in the woods – the thought gradually stirring the slumbering Rose and earning a sleepy mumble from her as she turned onto one side, squinting against the bright sunlight that was pouring inside, the curtains shut but still letting a lot of light in.

She wasn't alone in bed though. Laid just beside her was Garnet, her hair undone from its low ponytail and splaying down her back in a more free fashion, black locks transitioning into red tips that curled inwards. For a moment Ruby just stayed where she was, admiring her other, older self. Smaller details that she'd initially overlooked became much more apparent from up close, like how Garnet had slimmer shoulders and a couple inches of height on her, or the more lithe build to her. Their busts seemed to be about the same but Garnet's figure made it seem slightly smaller, giving her an overall more slender appearance.

As if woken by her thoughts Garnet shifted subtly before cracking her eyes open, staring at her with silver eyes she must've seen a thousand times in the mirror, yet they felt different. Older, wiser.

''Good morning Ruby.'' Garnet then spoke, a smile spreading across her lips.

''Hey.'' Ruby said and shifted, a yawn slowly forced out of her. ''Mn... what time is it?''

Garnet turned over and fumbled for their bedside table for a second until soon nabbing her – their? – Scroll and opening it. ''It's... ten-thirty. We've been asleep for quite a bit.''

''What time did we even go to bed at?'' Ruby groaned as she sat upright.

''You know, I don't recall ever checking.'' Garnet did the same, wiping the sleep from her eyes. ''Well, we best get ready I suppose.''

''Huh? Are we going somewhere?'' Ruby cocked her head to one side.

Garnet made a so-so gesture. ''You said you wanted to find out if I have a Semblance, so I was wondering if we could practise a little, see what happens. It could also be useful if you want to start wearing an eyepatch; fighting with one eye closed is pretty hard, after all.''

Ruby's mood dropped a little at the reminder of her eye, but a gentle touch from Garnet shook her out of her momentary depression – a smile, albeit a small one, returning to her face. ''Okay. You wanna just head out now or go in the shower first?''

''Let's just head outside now.'' Garnet smiled, before looking down at herself. ''Well, after we get dressed, anyway.''

Ruby's giggle brought a light blush to Garnet's face, but soon the elder Rose found herself giggling as well – the mood light as they climbed out of bed and got ready for their spar.

…

It took the duo a little over ten minutes to throw on some clothes and head outside, with Garnet borrowing some of Ruby's looser clothes that covered her enough for her liking.

Ruby was practically bouncing from place to place, grinning even as she made a few practice swings with the wooden sword in her hands – a relic from her youth when she wasn't sure what weapon she wanted to use and, naturally, defaulted to a standard sword to see what suited her preferences. Taiyang had even chopped down a tree solely to make the swords himself. While she hadn't used a sword in years she knew she couldn't exactly use Crescent Rose against Garnet, who was without a weapon of her own.

Taiyang himself had come out to supervise, having already been awake and about to start breakfast when Ruby had loudly proclaimed their intent. Though considering they were both just using wooden swords, she doubted that they even needed the supervision – but, Taiyang was curious, and as such neither had seen fit to chase him away. It wasn't like it was secret anyway.

''Are you ready Ruby?'' Garnet smiled, levelling her sword out towards her, one foot before the other.

''Heh, you bet!'' Ruby grinned and mimicked her posture. ''Dad! Count us down!''

''Alright.'' Her dad chuckled from his spot by the back wall of the house. ''On go. Three, two, one...''

Ruby tensed her legs.

''...go!''

In an instant she burst forth, reflexively tapping into her Semblance and closing the distance between them in little under a second, her wooden sword sweeping out in a standard swing. For a split-second she realised she might've overdone it – but any such worries purged themselves from her mind as Garnet reacted with equal swiftness, raising her wooden sword up and blocking the blow. Their weapons collided with a dull thunk but the wood chipped from the harsh impact, tiny splinters flying from their blades. For a second they just gazed in surprise at one another.

Then Ruby's momentum died down and she fell back to the ground. Garnet took a single quick-step back before swinging out with both hands on her blade, forcing Ruby to raise hers to block. The second the wood thunked together Garnet pulled back, silver eyes gleaming with focus as she brought her blade down again, this time at a slight angle – preluding the many more slashes that followed, each one hurriedly blocked by Ruby, but her lack of swordsmanship showed as she was forced to take several quick back-steps to avoid losing her footing.

''Mn-!'' Tilting her blade at an angle Ruby pushed Garnet's own blade aside – before with a valiant battle cry she charged in, intent on poking her clone in the stomach.

Garnet, however, side-stepped at the last second – executing a fluid spin before bringing the blade down on the back of Ruby's head. The younger Rose yelped and stumbled forwards, rubbing the back of her now-sore head, but aside form the soreness no wound was to be found.

A poke to her ribs though reminded her that Garnet was still there, and didn't consider this 'spar' over.

Pouting Ruby spun around to face her clone in response, yelling with determination as she swung for her counterpart's head – but Garnet ducked, a slight smile twitching at her lips. Growling Ruby followed it up with several more earnest swings but Garnet nimbly dodged each one, evading her blows even without a Semblance of her own, prompting Ruby to try and compensate by walking forwards with each swing, trying to make her opponent lose their footing.

A mistake, as Garnet parried the wooden blade aside with her forearm before jabbing her in the tummy, earning another yelp from Ruby. However with a grin Ruby copied her clone's earlier move, twisting and pouring her momentum into a sudden, strong spin and bringing her blade down on her foe. Garnet pulled her blade back in time to block it but her grip was loosened; her fingers fumbling to reassert a firm grip on the wood.

Ruby dashed in then, pushing her clone's hands to one side and jabbing her in the stomach. ''Hah~!''

''Oof.'' Garnet obligingly sounded out, smiling even as she skipped back a step. ''Not bad.''

''Hey, you got, like, two hits on me first.'' Ruby grinned bashfully. ''I miss using these things actually, it's nice not having to worry about accidentally lopping someone's head off.''

''You probably shouldn't jinx yourself.'' Garnet amusedly remarked.

Taiyang drew their attention by knocking on the wood three times, amused. ''She's right. That aside, not bad, good to see that you haven't lost your touch Ruby. Same for you, Garnet; I wasn't sure if you'd have the same muscle memory as Ruby, but from the way you're both moving I can tell that you do.''

Garnet smiled and tapped the side of her head. ''Mm, it's all in here. I wonder what weapon I should use though?''

''You don't need to decide right now. Heck, you two just started practising.'' Taiyang chuckled ruefully. ''I'm guessing if you've got Ruby's memories you'll also want to become a Huntress?''

''Indeed.'' Garnet said, looking over at Ruby. ''If that's alright, of course.''

''Alright? It'll be amazing!'' Ruby proclaimed with a bright grin. ''I mean just think of it, two butt-kicking sisters killing Grimm and saving the day!''

''Hey, already forgettin' about me sis~?''

The cheeky lilt drew Ruby's gaze over to the backdoor where Yang now stood, leaning up against the frame with a familiar cocky grin. Dressed in a loose orange tank top and some shorts she wasn't out of bed much later than the Roses, but the gleam in her eyes spoke of her intent well.

''Mind if I join in?'' Yang cracked her knuckles playfully. ''Bet I could take you both on.''

''Yeah right! There's two of us!'' Ruby puffed her chest out confidently. ''We don't even need our swords! Right Garnet?''

Garnet glanced over at her younger companion, and smiled. ''I think I'll keep my sword to even the odds.''

''Wha- we'll be fine! Trust me, I've got a plan.''

''Since when?''

''About three seconds ago.''

Yang snorted. Taiyang wasn't so polite and chuckled outright.

Ruby stuck her tongue out maturely at them. ''Hmph! You'll see! Come at me- er, us!''

Yang complied.

…

''Ugh...''

Safe to say, attempting to spar bare-fisted with Yang was a good exercise in remembering that Yang was a hand-to-hand fighter, whilst Ruby was very much not.

Garnet had a slightly easier time, if only because her added height and arm length meant she could strike Yang a tiny bit easier, but unfortunately she didn't gain any magical ability to fight bare-knuckled when she was summoned. It was only made worse when Taiyang decided to join in for some 'family-bonding', and all three of them went up against their father... and lost. Mightily. Arguably Yang was able to hold her own at the start, but Taiyang was a veteran Huntsman, whilst Yang was still one in training.

The result was all three of his daughters sprawled out across the grass, groaning and in various states of pain. Their Aura healed any bruises they had accumulated but the soreness was taking its time to leave.

Chuckling Taiyang brushed off some imaginary dust from his shoulders. ''Alright, now it's been fun playing with you girls-''

Yang groaned and flipped him the bird. Taiyang continued as if she hadn't reacted.

''-but I'll go ahead and get started on breakfast. I'm sure you could all use it after some light exercise.''

''You call this light?'' Ruby moaned pitifully from her spot on the grass.

''Oh trust me, when you get to Beacon you'll find out that this is a walk in the park compared to some of the training they undergo.'' Taiyang teased, heading back for the house. ''Don't stay outside smelling the roses for too long, girls!''

Yang groaned and propped herself up on her elbows. ''Ugh... I forgot how hard he hits.''

''As did I.'' Garnet panted out in agreement.

Ruby on the other hand was already starting to crawl towards the house.

''Strawberry milk... will restore... my strength...'' She grunted out but soon gave up her arduous journey, her hand falling limp. ''Bleh...''

Yang stifled a snort and stumbled to her feet, her whole body sore but her Aura slowly starting to work its magic, removing some of the stiffness from her limbs. ''Here, maybe if I kick you in the butt you'll move faster.''

''I don't think that's how it works Yang.'' Garnet groaned out.

Yang wiggled her brows in the elder Rose's direction. ''You wanna find out?''

''...I think I'll pass.''

The laugh Yang let out brought a smile to Garnet's lips, and as one the three shambled back inside just in time for breakfast.

X-x-X

After a hearty breakfast and amicable chat about what to do with their day, Ruby and Garnet decided to go out shopping – mainly to get Garnet some more fitting clothes. Yang, naturally, tagged along with her sister and sorta-sister, leaving Taiyang in the house alone.

The man himself hummed at that, deep in thought as he reclined into his chair. 'I still don't know how to feel about that...'

On one hand, it was a bizarre, unheard of thing. A clone? Or as Garnet called herself, a manifestation of Ruby's soul? Nonsense, part of him decried, but any such thoughts perished the moment he looked into Garnet's silver eyes. They were the same as Ruby's. Not the colour, not the shade, but the look in those eyes. Call it paternal instinct, but one look was all he needed. She was Ruby through-and-through. That was good enough for him to call her his daughter.

'I wonder what you would've thought, Summer...' Taiyang thought with a hint of melancholy.

Thankfully footsteps outside his house stopped him from falling back into heavier thoughts, his head perking up as he heard a rustle of bushes and kicking of some stones, all of which were far too methodical to be coincidence. His suspicions were proven correct when he heard a key stuffed into the lock and a mere second later the door rattled open, allowing a certain old crow to stalk inside, eyes heavy but red irises sharp.

''Where's Ruby?'' Qrow intoned briskly.

''Out with Yang and a friend.'' Taiyang soothed his former teammate, unable to miss how Qrow's shoulders slackened almost imperceptibly.

''So she's alright.'' He muttered, stalking over to the dining table before slumping into the nearest chair. ''Thank goodness.''

Taiyang's lips just quirked up and he hummed, not saying anything as he watched Qrow pull out his flask and take a deep drink. Normally he would've told his friend off for that, but considering the scare Ruby's disappearance had given them all, he let him off the hook. It was pure luck that Qrow had returned from a mission a mere day before Ruby disappeared, though unfortunately the man himself wasn't able to find Ruby before she rematerialised on her own. He didn't blame him though; flying in this kind of cold weather wasn't feasible for long periods, and the man could only do so much on a massive, forest-riddled island.

Movement drew Taiyang's eyes down and a brighter smile lit up his face as Zwei meandered over to him. The family dog had proven useful in tracking Ruby in the past so naturally went with Qrow, who was best equipped to track – and though this time he'd failed to find her, it was hardly a loss when they got her back in the end. With that thought in mind he reached down and scratched the dog behind the ear, earning a happy, panting smile from the canine.

''So.'' Qrow grunted after a long moment, putting the cap back on his flask and drawing Taiyang's attention. ''What's the story?''

''Oh you know, Ruby took a walk, went to visit Summer's grave, found a magic cup that knocked her out and gave her a clone.'' Taiyang teasingly fired back.

Qrow snorted. ''Yeah, you're a real jokester.''

''Who says I'm joking?''

''You seriously expect me to believe that shit?''

Taiyang smirked wider. Qrow paused.

''...fuck me you're not kidding.''

Taiyang burst out laughing; his uproarious voice filling the house even as Qrow let his head fall onto the table with a dull thud, his groan lost amidst the boisterous laughs of his brother-in-arms. With some effort though Taiyang manage to wrangle his laughs under control, though a few errant snickers still sneaked out as he leaned forwards in his seat, arms crossed and gazing across the table at his comrade, his expression growing a tiny bit more serious.

''I am being serious though, for the record.'' Taiyang said, the last of his humour trickling away. ''Yang and I found Ruby coming down from the plateau near the cliff-side route. She was in bad shape; underfed, cold and exhausted, but she made it all the way from somewhere near the plateau, an old house of some kind.''

''I swore I'd searched them all.'' Qrow frowned.

At that, Taiyang could only shrug. ''I guess you missed this one. If it's any consolation, Garnet said she picked one as far away from any Grimm as she could, so you might've just overlooked it?''

Qrow nodded slightly but his eyes narrowed, picking up on a little detail. ''...Garnet?''

''Ruby's... clone. For lack of a better word.'' Taiyang remarked. ''The story is that Ruby went up to visit Summer, found a, quote, 'weird-looking cup', accidentally recited the incantation to awaken an Aura and caused it to activate. This apparently knocked her out and left her weak for several days, during which time Garnet – who manifested when Ruby fell unconscious – took care of her. When their supplies dwindled they staggered back here, where Yang and I found her.''

Qrow soaked it all in with a slow hum and deep, contemplative expression. Taiyang waited but when it was clear his companion was too deep in his own thoughts he gave him a light kick, nudging Qrow out of his thoughts. A pointed look made the dark-haired man grunt and recline into his seat, frowning.

''I can't says I've ever heard of that happening before.'' Qrow muttered. ''She safe? Not some weird Grimm in disguise or something?''

''No.'' Taiyang remarked with absolute certainty.

The confidence must've shown in his eyes as Qrow backed down without question, trusting his judgement. ''Alright then. When do I meet the little squirt?''

''Not so little. She's older than Ruby. Physically, at least.'' Taiyang snorted. ''Like I said, they're out shopping. Should be back any minute now as a matter of fact.''

''Good.''

As if jinxed they heard voices coming from down the path; the resounding laughter of Yang, the petulant whines of Ruby, and the more reserved giggles of Garnet. Qrow undoubtedly noticed the familiar, but ever-so-slightly different pitch Garnet's voice took – but Zwei lacked any hesitation the old Huntsman had and eagerly charged out through the ajar door.

A second passed.

Then the sound of a body hitting the floor.

''ZWEI! I was wondering where you were! Who's a good boy, who's a good- bleh, wait, no drool! I just bought thi- aw man...''

Yang's laughter resonated all the louder, and with a smirk Qrow rose from his seat and sauntered out to meet his newest niece. Taiyang meanwhile stayed where he was, a fond smile on his lips and eyes gently closing.

'...I think you'd like her, Summer.'

[END]

Chapter Text

Ruby woke up slowly.

In part because she was so warm, so cosy. Tucked under a thick quilt and with sunlight beaming against her side of the house and gradually warming it up she was at best drifting between the waking world and dreamland, if not fully immersed in the latter; her thoughts jumbled at best when she stirred before seamlessly falling back under the veil once more. The only thing that kept bothering her was a light, ticklish feeling, almost like a feather.

Her nose twitching at the consistent irritant Ruby's expression pinched; a low, whining sort of grumble escaping her as she finally cracked her eyes open... before they snapped open wide as she found not an empty bed, nor one occupied by Garnet.

But by a fox Faunus.

''W-Whau?!''

With a startled yelp Ruby scrambled back and fell over the edge of her bed, falling in a heap on the carpet. Tangled up in the sheets Ruby flailed blindly, the sweaty sheets clinging to her and refusing to simply be shoved aside, her panic rising as she heard quick footsteps in the hallway outside her bedroom door – before with a sudden, rushed hiss her bedroom door audibly slid across the floor. There was a moment's pause as one of her family members stood in the doorway, their breathing quick but no words of accusation coming out at the unknown Faunus in her bed.

Instead, after a long moment Garnet spoke. ''...Ruby? Are you alright?''

Ruby shoved the covers off at last and poked her head out. ''T-There's a...!''

The words died on her lips as she actually looked up at the bed, and the person on it. Silver eyes met her own heterochromatic ones and black hair with red tips framed the young woman's face – but unlike Ruby's own hair it was messier and longer, spilling over her bare shoulders and down her back. Two fox ears unmistakably of Faunus origin stood atop her head, parting her hair around them and twitching every so often. Movement drew Ruby's gaze down, noticing only then that the woman also had a bushy tail the same colour as her hair, the black ending in a red, furry tip.

And thanks to the fact the woman was kneeling on the edge of the bed, grinning cheekily as she looked down at her, she realised the woman was completely naked aside from a red cloak draped over her back.

She also had large boobs.

''Uhh...'' Ruby stared for a solid three seconds before realising she was doing it, face turning scarlet as she looked aside. ''S-Sorry. Who are you? A-And why are you in my bed, naked, and erm... hello?''

Garnet let out a light sigh, approaching. ''Don't you notice something odd about her, Ruby?''

The young Rose frowned at her companion, then up at the mysterious woman. Her first instinct was to say 'Faunus' but she felt like that would be stating the obvious... and it was as she stared into the woman's silver eyes that she realised why. ''W-Wait, are you...?''

''Yep.'' The young woman answered in a surprisingly smooth voice, but in a pleasant, slightly deeper way. ''I'm the same as Garnet; born from your soul.''

''...but why are you naked?''

''Eh.'' The nameless clone shrugged. ''Don't ask me, I didn't ask to be.''

''I believe it may be because you were summoned only a few days after me?'' Garnet proposed, although seemed unsure herself. ''Or it could be because I was summoned out in the freezing cold, whilst you were summoned in a warm bed? Maybe the Grail didn't think you needed them, or that it didn't have enough energy to make you the clothes?''

Ruby groaned. ''Can't you like, ask it?''

''It doesn't work that way.'' Garnet softly disagreed.

''Yeah. Trust me, it feels weird for me too. The waking up next to me, that is.'' The unnamed clone grinned at her – which, coupled with her more slender cheeks, gave her a very vulpine smirk. Which was a bit odd to see when she could see so much of herself in her; the same nose, the same jawline, all that.

Ruby frowned a bit. ''So you're a part of me, like Garnet.''

''Yup.''

''Then why are you a Faunus?''

''Ehh...'' She waved a hand about. ''No clue.''

''Are there gonna be more of you? Or me?'' Ruby groaned and clutched at her head. ''Ugh, this is so confusing!''

''Ssh, easy there.'' Garnet soothed her, approaching and petting her shoulder. ''It's not that bad, is it?''

Ruby immediately felt guilty. ''Uh, no, I didn't mean it like that. Sorry... me?''

''It's cool.'' The Faunus shrugged in a care-free manner that reminded her vividly of Yang. ''I mean, being a Faunus is kind of weird, but also... not, I guess? All my memories were from you, but having a tail and ears doesn't feel all that foreign; it's like I've had them all my life.''

''Plus.'' She added with a grin, sliding an arm under her chest. ''I got these puppies~''

''Ack-! Don't just do that!''

''But we're the same person y'know.''

''Still, it's embarrassing!''

''Oh come on, you know you wanna feel 'em~''

Ruby's stammered, red-faced, but before the unnamed clone could smother her original self Garnet intervened. ''That's enough now. I think we have more... noteworthy concerns first and foremost, right?''

The wisdom in her older clone's words wasn't lost on Ruby, who clung onto the lifeline presented to her. ''Y-Yeah! We need to get you some clothes!''

''That's not what I was intending with that statement, Ruby...''

''Huh? Oh, right.'' Ruby's expression became a touch more contemplative, turning her gaze back onto the fox Faunus before her. ''You need a name, right?''

''Duh.'' Said fox Faunus maturely stuck their tongue out, bringing a light smile to Ruby's face. She could appreciate the light-heartedness. ''And please don't call me Foxy, that's just so cliché.''

Ruby pouted and crossed her arms. ''I wasn't gonna call you that, thanks. I was actually thinking that since I called Garnet, well, Garnet, I could roll with the whole red theme. So! From this point on, you'll be known as... Scarlet!''

With a proud smile and hands on her hips Ruby made her proclamation, eyes glittering with a desire for acknowledgement.

An acknowledgement she got in the form of the newly-named Scarlet tackling her original self in a hug. ''Thanks~! I was seriously worried you'd say something dumb, but I knew we're too cute to do that!''

From the sidelines Garnet raised a finger, about to correct her, but apparently thought better of it and let her finger drop.

It was also at that very moment that Yang chose that moment to open the door, groaning. ''Ruby, why are you making such a racket? It's only eight in the... morning...''

Yang soaked in the sight laid before her. Garnet, stood off to the side with a flustered expression. Ruby, laid squished on the floor with an unknown, naked look-a-alike on top of her. A look-a-like with unmistakable Faunus traits.

''...nope.''

And with a click, the door shut once more.

X-x-X

''So... you woke up and found her next to you.''

''Yep.''

''And she's like Garnet.''

''Correct.''

''And she's also a Faunus... somehow?''

''Uh-huh.''

Taiyang scratched his chin, doing a remarkable job of looking entirely unsurprised. No, not unsurprised, but rather just taking the surprise in stride. Probably a trait of being a Huntsman for as long as he had been, Ruby had to guess. Off to the side Yang looked much more in disbelief, though thankfully she didn't seem adverse to Scarlet's presence – not that she thought her sister might be. None of their family held any ill will towards the Faunus and though Scarlet seemed a bit... eccentric, Ruby trusted her.

Well, mostly. She was a bit clingy and overly affectionate, which got embarrassing fast when the fox-girl emphasised her bust, even after she'd put on some of Yang's old clothes. Never before had Ruby felt self-conscious about her chest until she saw what a quasi-older version of herself looked like with bigger jugs.

''I see.'' Taiyang crossed his fingers and rested his chin upon them, looking straight at Scarlet. ''Well... looks like I'll be buying thrice the amount of snacks I usually do, huh?''

Scarlet grinned at that and Garnet let out a soft, sheepish sort of chuckle, nodding in agreement. Ruby beamed too, the private, niggling doubt in the back of her mind washed away in an instant. Though she doubted her father would've kicked Scarlet out, it was good to know he wouldn't – putting aside questions of what that'd mean for her, since Scarlet apparently came from her soul, it just wasn't right. She was basically alone in the world otherwise. In the same way Ruby would be if she was ever kicked out; outside of a handful of people like Qrow and some family friends, she didn't have anyone she could fall back on. Only Scarlet wouldn't have even them to fall back on, and with her Faunus traits would undeniable earn the scorn of some by virtue of existing.

The thought almost made Ruby bristle. She'd never liked the injustice Faunus faced – it was all just senseless hatred to her, and equally as stupid. Alas there wasn't a huge population of Faunus on Patch, so her exposure to them and their strife was likewise limited, as was her ability to stop it. However since Scarlet was going to be hanging for the foreseeable future, such conflicts would inevitably spark. If it did, there was only one solution, naturally.

Kick the butt of anyone who looked at her fox buddy funny.

Ruby was snapped out of her thoughts as Taiyang chuckled and rose from his seat, sauntering over towards the kitchen. ''Alright, that aside, I gotta make you girls breakfast. Qrow is still asleep in the guest room so one of you go wake him up – Ruby, mind filling Zwei's bowl while your... sisters, set the table?''

There was a slight pause in his words as he mentioned 'sisters', but after a second shrugged and seemingly rolled with it. Ruby rolled it over in her mind even as she did as she was asked, going into the cupboard and rummaging around for the open bag of dog food – should she start calling Garnet and Scarlet her sisters? She'd already made half-hearted mentions of it already, but on the whole she saw them more like clones than siblings. Yang was her one true sister, in her eyes. Yet, if she went about calling them clones or introducing them as such, then it'd inevitably spawn questions that she really didn't want to have to answer, especially to a stranger. She was socially inept as it was, not even taking into consideration having to answer hard questions.

Filling Zwei's bowl to the tune of a hum Ruby soon set the bag back in the cupboard – making sure to lock it so the Aura-empowered corgi couldn't get in when they weren't looking – and headed upstairs to go shower, leaving her look-a-like sisters to help dad out with the breakfast. It was much quieter upstairs and she slipped into her room to grab her usual outfit, slinging it all over one shoulder before heading towards the bathroom. And on the way there, she ran into a certain dusty old crow.

''Mn... mornin' Ruby.'' Qrow grunted out, looking tired even as Yang followed him, rolling her eyes.

''Hey Uncle Qrow.'' Ruby smiled cheerfully. ''Dad's downstairs making breakfast, he should be done in ten minutes or so.''

''Got it.'' He grunted out.

''Oh, and by the way.'' Ruby felt a grin twitch at her lips as she kept walking. ''I've got another new sis waiting downstairs.''

''Uh-huh, good to kn- wait a second what the fuck-''

Ruby didn't hear the rest before she slipped into the bathroom, giggling to herself as she heard Qrow's muffled, stumbling curses, audibly short-circuiting from the new information. Yang's uproarious laugh only made Ruby cackle more to herself, her voice filling the bathroom until the hiss of the shower's spray joined it. By the time the water warmed only a few errant giggles escaped her, though the warmth in her chest didn't abate one bit.

As she stripped off to get in though she caught sight of herself in the mirror. She didn't look all that different aside from the fact that her left eye was now gold, but it was startling how much a simple colour-change made – it almost felt like she was looking at an entirely different person. She frowned a little at that and glanced down at the pile of clothes she'd left next to the shower before bending down and plucking one item in particular up.

Facing the mirror she raised the newly-purchased eyepatch up and laid it against the left side of her face. It was black steel and form-fitting to the curvature of her cheek, covering her eye completely and hiding the small amount of light her gold eye let out before curving down to her jaw. The black steel was engraved with a rustic-red rose with a thorned vine curling down to the jaw corner; fitting, considering her last name.

Small mercies the store already had one in her size. But in a world of warfare against the Grimm, eye injuries were uncomfortably common, so it was only natural that accessories like it were sold in practically every town near the kingdoms.

Banishing the dark thought Ruby laid the eyepatch back down before hurrying into the shower, intent on washing off all the sweat that came with sharing a bed with her newfound sisters.

X-x-X

Breakfast was about as lively as one might expect with four teenagers, a drunkard, bombastic dad and a dog.

Thankfully the dining table survived (unlike the previous Christmas) so they able to finish their breakfast, after which Qrow suggested some sparring – half of his reasoning being to train them for both her next year at Signal and Yang's first year at Beacon once the mid-year vacation was over. The other half of his reasoning though was out of curiosity; which, honestly, Ruby couldn't find a fault in. She was curious as to how skilled her sisters were too, considering they had different bodies to her but had only her memories.

Thus, Garnet and Scarlet were currently sparring against Qrow from the sidelines. It was one-sided obviously, and everyone present knew Qrow was holding back as he mock-fought them with a wooden sword, but it was training for a reason – testing and honing their reflexes, finding out which weapons would suit them best based on things like their posture and reaction speeds. Ruby wanted to join in too, but she understood that this was more of a test of Garnet and Scarlet than it was her.

Instead, Ruby found herself sat cross-legged over to the side in the shadow of the house doing Aura exercises.

''Breathe in, breathe out.''

''I know dad.'' Ruby said, though a small smile twitched at her lips all the same.

Taiyang chuckled off to the side but she tuned out his voice as best she could. Aura exercises, at their core, weren't all that dissimilar from breathing exercises – they might've even stemmed from them, in fact. By breathing in she drew her Aura inwards, picturing it like a glowing red sphere in her mind that contracted, before by exhaling she tried pushing it out as much as possible. It was almost like working a muscle, and about as tiring as well, albeit mentally. The repetitiveness of it as well got boring fast, at least for her.

However it was a necessary exercise, both according to Signal Academy and her own father, so she went with it. By doing it the person's Aura would gradually grow both in strength and capacity, again not unlike working a muscle and gaining better endurance or strength as a result. The primary drawback however, and the main reason all of humanity weren't superpowered gods of war, was because the process was slow.

Sure, someone who trained from childhood into their seventies would have unbelievable amounts of Aura, but they were more likely to die by Grimm before that happened – and it wasn't as if the kingdoms could afford to just let a segment of the populace train their Aura relentlessly for years on end. People who did that needed food, housing, support; something that would be hard to keep consistent over multiple decades as populations grew, politics changed and people just decided that they didn't want their taxes going to support what, to them, seemed like a stupid or even fruitless endeavour. Assuming the people involved even had the willpower to spend their entire lives doing a single, repetitive task.

Which, as cool as a super powerful martial artist seemed to Ruby, she had to concede that it just wasn't practical – not to mention that Aura wasn't everything. A Hunter with half the Aura but twice the skill would win the day, hands-down.

Plus her situation was unique. Aura was especially important to her – and her sisters.

Something that she was reminded of as she felt cold metal touch her arm, before with a light beep Taiyang measured her Aura with his Scroll. She cracked her right eye open to see and felt uneasy at the sight of the yellow fifty percent displayed on it. So far all the damage had come from Garnet and Scarlet taking hits, the latter more than the former; their Auras absorbing the blunt force of Qrow's wooden sword and transferring little to their actual bodies. Had Ruby been in their position, she was confident her Aura would still be at around seventy to eighty percent... but, since they all shared the same Aura, it was stretched between the both of them.

Twice the attack potential, but twice the risk.

In one-on-one she was confident it wouldn't be too bad – but against a horde of Grimm? Then it'd become that much trickier. If she was by herself only so many Grimm could surround her – they existed in the physical world after all and took up space. However with two others sharing the same pool of Aura, that meant the Grimm could surround them too and theoretically deal several times the amount of damage to their Aura, and break it all the faster as a result.

''Something's troubling you.'' A hand nudged her knee.

''How'd you...?''

''You've make a funny face when you're bothered about something.'' Taiyang noted gibily.

Ruby pouted at that briefly, consciously relaxing her expression before answering, explaining her worries. Taiyang listened dutifully, a slight frown marring his own face as he hummed and nodded along, speaking only when she was finished.

''I see... yeah, that's a problem alright.'' Her father sighed, scratching his head. ''Well the obvious answer is 'don't get overwhelmed', but that's a given to any Huntsman or Huntress out there.''

''Duh.'' Ruby stuck her tongue out.

Taiyang smiled briefly before returning to the topic at hand. ''Hm... I guess there isn't really a solution per se. What you can do is train your Aura further – don't give me that look – and also focus on evasion more. You're already pretty good at hit-and-run style tactics and I'm sure Garnet and Scarlet will too, but they, as far as we know, don't have your Semblance; they'll need to play cautiously not just for their sake, but for yours too.''

Ruby nodded at that, frowning as she looked out at her two clone-sisters. Even now as she watched she could see them improve – strikes becoming more accurate, more confident, until Qrow ripped that confidence away with an expert parry or deflection that was just too fast for them to beat. Yet with steel in their gunmetal eyes they picked their swords back up and continued without a word – Garnet with determination and Scarlet with a broad grin, revealing vulpine fangs that only accentuated her foxy appearance. Where Garnet was cautious and favoured going for Qrow's blind spots Scarlet was like a fire, surging forth with as much speed as her legs could give and lashing out with a blinding flurry of swipes. It wasn't for naught, as it forced Qrow to focus on defence long enough for Garnet to sometimes get in a blow or two, though it was never enough to do much, and even without a Scroll she knew her uncle's Aura was still well above ninety percent, easily.

She cycled through ideas in her mind – ideas for weapons, naturally. Many sprung to mind but in her meditative state she moved through them with the calmness befitting of a forger, watching each strike her sisters made and trying to gauge which weapon would fit them. Garnet favoured precision, Scarlet favoured all-out assaults. An axe that spewed fire for Scarlet, maybe? Or a sword that turned into a cannon? Now that she thought about it a sword would suit Garnet better – a rapier maybe, for precision? No, she was going for slashes rather than stabs, so maybe a straight sword of some kind? With mecha-shift capability?

It was only at Taiyang's firm nudge that Ruby stopped herself before her thoughts could be muddled with weapon designs – a sharp, pointed inhale cooling her veins before she went back to meditating.

She wasn't sure how much time passed. She kept her eyes closed most of the time to ward off distractions, all noise fading into the background as she just flexed her Aura over and over again. Yang wasn't around since she was hanging out with some friends and Zwei was just kept entertained by Taiyang so there wasn't a whole lot to bother her – if anything she felt like she was getting the hang of things, falling into a trance of sorts wherein she breathed, exhaled, and repeated.

Then she heard her name being called. It was called again, then again – and it took Ruby a conscious second to realise that someone was actually calling her name. Her eyes slowly opened, the daylight harsh compared to the darkness of her eyelids; a groggy feeling lingering over her as she scrunched her eyebrows together and squinted through the bright haze in her vision. Her left eye offered her no sight though, part of the world dark, and for the briefest of moments she felt panic-

-until she reached up and touched the metal there, remembering. Eyepatch. Right.

''...uby? Ruby, you good?''

Blinking Ruby looked up at the concerned face of Scarlet, then tilted her head enough to look up into the soft, worried eyes of Garnet. ''Um... yeah? Why?''

''You zoned out for a second there.'' It was Qrow who answered her, lazily inspecting his wooden sword which now bore multiple chips in it, but still held firm. Never let it be said that Taiyang couldn't made a fine weapon, even if it was just made of wood. ''The girls were calling on you for nearly a minute.''

''Oh. Sorry.'' Ruby shrugged a little, her shoulders weirdly stiff. ''How long was I meditating for?''

''Two hours.''

''Wha- no way! It couldn't be that long!'' Ruby squawked in disbelief.

However as she blinked away the grogginess and looked up at her two sisters she noticed all the smaller details she'd overlooked. The bruises that marred their arms from where they'd been struck. The sweat making their clothes cling to them, the slight shake to their limbs that came from fatigue. Nothing that could feasibly happen in what was likely just a few minutes – if they were anything like her, it'd take more than a few minutes to reduce her to such a state, even if it was rough sparring like with Yang.

''You were really into it.'' Scarlet noted, lips slowly twitching up into a smile. ''Don't get too deep into it, eh?''

Ruby scratched her head with a sheepish smile. ''Yeah, sorry. Did you guys need me for something?''

A huff from Qrow got her attention. ''I want you to join in; pipsqueak like you could use some extra training anyway. Your Aura still good?''

Ruby pouted at the nickname but took her Scroll out all the same, fiddling about with the Aura-checking app before answering. ''Um... I've still got about thirty percent.''

''Higher than I'd have expected.'' Qrow mused, shouldering his sword. ''By the way... you three girls still sure you all want to be Huntresses? Even with everything that's gone on so far?''

It was a light question. Easy, even, but Qrow wouldn't be asking it if it was that simple. The thought made Ruby's eyes sharpen and she hopped to her feet, not protesting when Scarlet chucked her now-chipped wooden sword at her; catching it and sweeping it out with a flourish. Only a few paces away Garnet too straightened up, her own sword held out towards Qrow whilst keeping her left arm aside and able to land a free, if ineffectual, hit. Scarlet on the other hand just raised her fists with a tight smile and fire in her eyes, her fox appendages twitching and swishing vigorously.

A beat of silence weighed on them all.

Then Qrow grinned. ''Good. Now come at me, midgets.''

And with a trio of matching grins they charged, the rush of battle in their veins.

X-x-X

Days passed in what felt like a blur.

With Signal Academy currently being out of season there was no school to distract Ruby from her daily life, nor force her to answer awkward questions like 'why do you have an eyepatch?' or 'why are there several clones of you running around and why is one of them a Faunus?'. Instead it became a cycle of sleeping in, eating tasty food cooked by her dad, and training with her newfound sisters.

That latter aspect became a mainstay of her daily life. Though Garnet and Scarlet had been manifested with her memories, both mental and physical muscle-memory, their bodies were different from her own – Garnet had an inch or two of height on her and Scarlet another inch on top of that, not to mention longer limbs and such; little details that required extra training to overcome. Nothing too arduous, nor anything too exciting, but it was fun and only made more so since she got to hang out with what amounted to two slightly-older, cooler versions of herself. They were like the best kinds of friends you could have.

Which, in hindsight, was a little sad her closest friends was basically two clones of herself, but she didn't listen to that little intrusive thought.

Ruby chased the thought away, pulling her red cloak around her tight. Cold winter winds buffeted against her, milder than they were when she first trekked her way up to the plateau, but winter still had its nasty grip on the island of Patch. The fact it was already becoming night didn't help. However, when she originally found the Grail it was at night, so part of her had wondered if maybe signs of its origins would only show up at night.

Thus she, Garnet, Scarlet and Yang found themselves trekking up towards mom's grave. Alone Ruby was pretty confident she could handle herself and with Yang she was even more so – the two of them could effortlessly clear out most of what Patch housed, and the Hunter population meant that nothing truly threatening ever really managed to get a foothold on the island. Garnet and Scarlet came along for two reasons; one was to see if their presence helped at all, and second was their desire to protect Ruby. She suspected the latter reason was the main one.

However without any real weapons of their own and limited hand-to-hand skills they would, admittedly, not be of much use in a fight. Being told that didn't seem to dispel their desire to come along even slightly though.

''What time is it?'' Scarlet broke the light quiet between them, looking to Ruby.

The aforementioned Rose fumbled about for her Scroll, the metal cold as she pulled it out from her pocket and turned it on. ''Uh... just past nine. We should be back by eleven at the latest, hopefully.''

''Sweet.'' Scarlet flashed her a light grin. ''Personally I like it hot more than cold. Makes my ears feel funny.''

''Yeah? How so?'' Yang idly queried.

Scarlet hummed, her fox ears twitching as she shook her head a little, getting off some snow that had fallen atop it. ''Sorta numb? Probably just the wind chill though...''

Yang agreed, engaging the Faunus in a light-hearted conversation, mostly poking and prodding about her Faunus nature – asking questions she wouldn't normally ask one of her Faunus friends lest it be offensive. Things like how her tail and ears felt, how could she move them, and so forth. Ruby just watched the interaction with a light smile, her gaze lingering on Scarlet as she admired her new outfit. Picked out by Yang herself during a little shopping trip it suited her nicely; a pair of black form-fitting pants hugging her legs whilst a deep red Mistralian-style top clad her torso, the deep red bleeding to a more scarlet-red hue near the loose, flappy sleeves that draped over Scarlet's slim hands and akin to the colour of the cape down her back.

Movement made her gaze drift over to Garnet as the elder Rose walked alongside her; head on a swivel as she scanned the forest around them for any Grimm. Her own outfit was a near-perfect copy of the one she was summoned with, down to the same sort of fabrics and retaining the flowing red cape that matched Ruby's own.

''Relax.'' Ruby nudged her older sister. ''It won't be like last time, right? I won't pass out or anything?''

''I hope not.'' Garnet agreed with a light nod, though didn't stop her self-assigned watch duty.

The sight made Ruby hum and do the same, deciding she should probably take this a little more seriously – even someone like Qrow could die to a Beowulf if he wasn't careful. Then again he'd killed one with his bare hands when drunk once upon a time, so she wasn't so sure about that now that she thought about it...

A firm shake of her head banished such wandering thoughts though. Just in time too as the trees stated to grow sparse, opening up into the field of flowers that was currently covered in snow. The place where she'd found the Grail in the first place. Unconsciously Ruby's pace sped up into a jog and she made her way towards where Summer's grave was, knowing it by heart even with the terrain draped in a white blanket, the moonlight glinting off of the snow as it crunched under her boots.

Until soon she reached the grave. It was barely higher than the snow that surrounded it, the plaque simple and humble, as Summer would've liked, according to both her father and uncle. She scanned the inscription with a comforting familiarity – 'Thus Kindly I Scatter', it wrote. Even with some small piles of snow hiding the letters she could still read it clear as day. She didn't allow herself to fall into memories though and reluctantly turned her gaze away from the inscription, scanning the area around the grave for any signs that the Grail's arrival might've left.

Unfortunately, none was forthcoming.

''Anything?'' Yang nudged her, not looking too hopeful.

Ruby had to share the sentiment. ''I'm not seeing anything. Garnet, Scarlet?''

''We're fine too.'' Garnet answered for both of them, though kept glancing towards the treeline. ''I do feel like we're being watched though.''

Ruby frowned, straightening up. The field was large and only snow reigned upon it, but the trees that surrounded it were dark and leafless, the black wood potentially hiding any number of Grimm. Now that she focused on the feeling the unsettling sense of being watched felt more real; a shiver up her neck and twisting of her gut that she'd learned to trust over the years. Sure it might be wrong... but it was better to be prepared for nothing, than unprepared for something.

''It's probably nothing.'' Yang tried to assure the three, though her expression was firm; serious. ''Why don't you try taking off your eyepatch? Maybe that'll help?''

Ruby quietly complied, reaching up and removing the metal – metal that had grown cold in the harsh winter, though it remained at least lukewarm where it touched her flesh. Pulling it away she had to blink a few times before her eyesight adjusted, and only then turned her focus onto the grave itself. Nothing stood out still.

''Maybe we should look around a bit further-''

A howl. Far off, but ever so haunting for what it represented.

''What was that about it being nothing?'' Ruby complained as she stood up, hurriedly putting her eyepatch back on.

''Hey, I was tryin' to calm you girls down.'' Yang grinned and cocked her fists, activating Ember Cecilia. ''Besides, it sounds like it's just a bunch of Beowolves, ain't nothing we can't handle.''

''It wouldn't do to jinx us.'' Garnet pointed out.

''Aw come on, we're at Patch! There's barely any Ursa or anything here!''

As if to spite Yang specifically a louder, bear-like roar echoed out.

''Oookay, I'll just shut my mouth.'' Yang sheepishly grinned.

Ruby grumbled some choice words about knuckleheads and withdrew Crescent Rose, brandishing it with a flourish. ''Okay, we can still handle this though, right? I'll sweep in and handle the Beowolves, Yang you punch the big meanies, while you two stay behind and try and avoid getting their attention!''

She directed the last of her impromptu-speech at Garnet and Scarlet, the latter of whom frowned. ''Hey, I can probably punch a few too.''

''Perhaps, but we share our Aura with Ruby.'' Garnet wisely pointed out, though didn't seem happy with the arrangement either. ''Any hits we take would only put her life at further risk.''

''Hrn... true...'' Scarlet deflated.

Ruby was about to respond had another howl not broke through the quiet – and then the charge began, well over a dozen or so Beowolves launching themselves from the surrounding treelines and making a beeline straight for them. With steel in her sole visible eye Ruby jogged forth, her pace rapidly evolving into a sprint as she closed the distance with the incoming pack, her fingers curling around the shaft of Crescent Rose as she dragged it behind her, the tip just-barely grazing the snow. Several Beowolves came straight for her, converging from all directions, and it was then that she tapped into her Semblance.

The world blurred but her vision remained laser-focused, distance becoming null-and-void – until the blade of her scythe caught the neck of a Beowulf. She felt a momentary hint of resistance, the jolt travelling through her arms, but her lethally-sharp blade cleaved through the beast's neck a split-second later and her momentum carried her forth into the thick of the pack. They turned towards her, apparently taken off-guard by her speed and without hesitation Ruby capitalised upon that, a pull of the trigger blasting the head off of one Beowulf and sending her flying backwards, a dexterous twist of and spin turning her into a razor-sharp spinning top that cleaved effortlessly through a second, felling both Grimm without a scratch.

Whatever shock she'd struck into the Grimm evaporated then and there, and with a chorus of howls the beasts lunged for her. Ruby spun, sole eye soaking in the sight of two, before with a spin she fired at the ground and launched herself up and above the two beasts – a second shot firing her straight back down with all the force of a rocket. Her boots crashed down onto the spine of one and she hooked her blade under the neck of the beast, another trigger-pull beheading it and sending her out of range of the other wolf's claws, her cape fluttering around her as she flipped head-over-heels and landed in a crouch.

She swept her gaze around herself. One ahead and three more charging from the left.

Bending her knees she kicked off of the snow-covered ground, her Semblance activating and sending her blurring across the field – before her blade struck the torso of another Beowulf and mercilessly cut it in half. She barely slid to a stop before she fired another bullet and launched herself back towards the two, but had to duck to avoid the claws that would've otherwise torn into her; ending in a low roll past the beasts.

The one on the right charged at her first but she met it head-on, parrying aside its paw with the blunt end of her weapon before swiftly spinning it around, slashing it across the chest. The Beowulf howled in pain and recoiled but before she could finish it off the other intervened, lunging at her with the intent of pinning her down. Something it might have succeeded in had she not spent her last bullet to blow its head off, using the momentum to knock herself backwards too.

'Still a couple more...' Ruby's thoughts were quicksilver, her hand reflexively dropping into her pouch and withdrawing a fresh magazine, slapping it into Crescent Rose just as the old one fell out.

One Beowulf charged her from ahead and she narrowed her sole silver eye, bracing-

-when she was hit from the left side. For a brief moment she was airborne, tumbling, then with a gasp she crashed down onto the thick snow. Pain flashed up her left arm but she knew better than to inspect it yet and hurriedly stumbled back to her feet – just in time to avoid the paw that tried to crush her head.

Another Beowulf stood, snarling. Unseen until that moment by entering her newfound blind spot.

'Crud.' Ruby grimaced and shifted so her right side was facing the two wolves.

The leftmost Beowulf however crouched low and shifted around to her left-side, intentionally trying to get into her blind spot. Knowing better than to keep tracking it with her sight Ruby planted the blade of Crescent Rose into the snow and fired, a high-calibre bullet crossing the distance between them in seconds and blowing the arm off of the beast, the recoil sending her weapon jerking upwards. She flowed with the momentum, spinning her weapon around with dexterous twists of her wrist before catching the shaft with both hands, her knees bending.

Then she was off, tapping into her Semblance and closing the distance, beheading the one-armed Beowulf. Its comrade leapt for her but she was gone in a flutter of Rose petals, a gunshot its only warning before she came slingshotting back and sliced it in two parts. Not willing to stop Ruby set her eyes upon the nearest Grimm and shot again, her momentum sending her flying straight for it and allowing her to slice one of its legs off, sending it to the ground with a howl. Landing in a controlled roll the Rose bled off her momentum and jerked her head around, taking note of the Beowolves around her before going for the one to her left, a gunshot launching her towards it.

Wind whipped at her face and she lost herself in the movements, her limbs starting to ache but determination keeping any fatigue at bay as she hacked, slashed and cleaved countless Beowolves apart – her kill count easily rising over two dozen in minutes, her momentum carrying her across the field that had become their battlefield and slaying them with practised efficiency. In the brief glimpses she got between attacks she noticed Yang handling herself well too, punching Grimm into pulp with her fists like always.

But it wasn't just her and Yang on the battlefield.

Something Ruby realised as a sudden weakness hit her – a chunk of her Aura abruptly sapped from her, so much so she noticed even without a device to tell her.

Beheading another Beowulf Ruby's eyes widened as she caught sight of Garnet and Scarlet struggling with a trio of Grimm. They barely got any attacks in but instead focused on evasion, ducking and diving between the Grimm's claws and jaws, but it was clear they were starting to tire. How long it had been going on Ruby wasn't sure but that didn't matter; her eyes hardening as she slapped a fresh clip into her weapon, and then fired.

Distance became null and void, another use of her Semblance ferrying her across the snowfield – and then with a precise twist she entered a spin, flying over the head of Garnet and cleaving through a Beowulf like a saw to plywood, sending smatterings of black matter across the snow before it quickly began to dissolve. She didn't wait to watch it vanish though and lunged for the next Grimm, cutting one arm off before ending it with a shot to the back of its head.

However the third intervened, slashing her across her side. She gasped, her Aura protecting her from damage but not from the pain, and with a snarl the black wolf slashed at her again – nearly taking her head off had she not ducked in time. She back-stepped as much as the thick snow would allow and jerked herself out of the way of the next two swipes, ducked under the third – and then with a gunshot she launched herself like a missile into the Grimm. Apparently surprised it failed to react in time and was send tumbling away with her just a few feet behind. One final gunshot propelled her across the distance, her blade hooking under its jaw, and beheading it.

''Hah...'' Ruby's shoulders sagged as she ended what must've been her thirtieth Grimm so far. ''You two alright?''

''Yes, we're fine.'' Garnet answered, though her gaze quickly went past Ruby. ''Alpha!''

Ruby's head jerked to the right. From the treeline came the hulking form of an Alpha Beowulf, its presence easily made distinct from its fellows by the armour that coated much of its body, particularly its forearms and shoulders. Its lower body was somewhat less armoured but its knees, hips and other weak points were too covered in the ivory armour, including its head; its lips pulled back into a fearsome snarl. In contrast to its fellows it walked on all fours, more akin to a traditional wolf but with longer forearms and shorter legs.

Then as if to make things even worse the trees off to the left cracked and fell over as two Ursa's stomped through, bear-like masks looking around only briefly before settling upon not Yang, who was nearest, but Ruby herself. The dozen Beowolves that remained on the field rallied at the presence of their pack leader, snarling and snapping in the direction of the four girls but not breaking into a charge just yet. Not while the Alpha remained at the back, still slowly approaching with one paw before the other, as if patient. It wouldn't be surprising; Alpha Grimm were often more intelligent than their lesser kin. Which, incidentally, made them much more dangerous opponents.

''Yang!'' Ruby called out, hurriedly loading another magazine of bullets into Crescent Rose.

''Yeah.'' Yang just answered, retreating back towards her. ''I think it's time we skedaddle.''

''I don't think we can outrun them.'' Garnet pointed out, watching the Alpha warily. ''Especially not that one.''

The Alpha raised its head then, as if acknowledging Garnet's words. Its lips pulled back as a menacing snarl arose from deep within its chest, building and building-

-until it let out a bellowing roar. The sheer volume of it displaced snow and made Ruby gasp and clutch at her ears lest they pop, yet even then she felt her bones rattle from it; Crescent Rose vibrating uncomfortably in her palm. The roar lasted only a number of seconds but when she dared to open her eyes once more she was shocked to find that the Beowolves had already begun their charge; making a beeline for them.

''Y-Yang you handle the Ursa!'' Ruby just cried out before shooting the ground at her feet, launching herself towards the Beowolves.

There was no time to strategise, to plan, and so with both hands upon her sniper-scythe Ruby fired a second shot, turning herself into a human spinning-top and slicing clean through two of the Beowolves, a third getting nicked but not losing a limb despite her hopes. She hit the ground slightly unevenly and stumbled but not long enough to be hit; managing to dodge backwards to avoid a claw from the Beowulf lunging at her.

A strike from the blunt end of Crescent Rose stunned it long enough for her to get the blade around its neck, beheading it with a tug of her scythe. Dimly she was aware of Yang taking down two Beowolves as well as she charged at the Ursa, who were all too happy to meet her – their massive paws smashing down on the snow but missing Yang by a hair's breadth, her fist connecting with the skull of one and snapping its head back, forcing an angry roar out of it.

A roar mere feet away reminded her of her own opponents, and with a quick twist of her hips she skidded to a stop, evading the lunging Beowulf. It landed on all fours and spun quickly to face her, its legs tensing as it prepared to lunge – but she met it halfway, using her Semblance once more to close the distance and smash the blunt end of Crescent Rose into its face, knocking it back with a yelp. A quick slice separated its head from its shoulders, ending it too.

However apparently the Alpha had enough of waiting.

Something Ruby realised as she felt a heavy presence behind her, wind rushing by – and it was only thanks to her quick trigger-finger that she avoided being eaten whole, her body jerked upwards by the recoil and leaving the Alpha Beowulf to snap its jaws around thin air. Its glowing red eye peered up at her and she glared right back, a pull of the trigger launching her straight back down towards the beast, Crescent Rose swinging out.

The blade made contact but failed to penetrate the armour on its head; digging in just an inch at most and carving a deep groove down to its jaw before she landed before it. The Alpha snarled and swung at her with its paw, missing only by the barest of margins as she flipped backwards, landing in a low crouch. Ignoring her building fatigue she launched herself forth with another use of her Semblance, getting under the Alpha's legs and slashing at its armoured ankles, chipping the armour but not severing the limbs so easily.

The Alpha's tail whipped faster than she expected though, knocking the air from her lungs and sending her bouncing across the snow before tumbling to a stop. It took more effort to climb back to her feet but adrenaline did wonders for that, giving her the strength to stumble back up – when she lost another chunk of Aura.

She looked past the Alpha even as it turned to face her. Behind it, beset by four of the remaining six Beowolves, was Garnet and Scarlet. Once more they had resorted to ducking and dodging but Garnet had acquired a hefty stone to use as a blunt instrument, striking the skull of a Beowulf when it missed its attack – but, predictably, the hefty stone did little more than daze the creature for a second or two at best. If rocks was all that was needed to defeat the Grimm, then mankind would've done it centuries ago.

''So uh...'' Ruby stalled for time, her mind racing. ''How's it like being a Grimm?''

The Alpha snapped its jaws at her, red eyes narrowing with a low, primal growl.

''Yeah, I guess it sucks big time.'' Ruby said, reloading another magazine as a plan formed in her mind. ''Don't worry though! You look kinda cool with a scar on your mask!''

Whatever meagre patience the Alpha Beowulf possessed ran out then and there as it lunged, mouth opening to devour her whole. With a pull of the trigger Ruby shot herself directly towards it, waiting until the last second – and the moment its jaws twitched she stabbed her scythe blade into the snow. Her momentum harshly curbed itself and a jolt shot up her shoulders but her grip on Crescent Rose was unrelenting, killing her momentum a mere foot before she would've flew into the beast's maw – a maw which snapped shut, miscalculating where she would've ended up.

Ruby capitalised on that, flipping her weapon around and bringing the pointed edge of the blade right down – and pierced through its eye. Instantly the Alpha threw its head back with an agonised howl, throwing her over it in the process, but with lightning reflexes Ruby shot towards the sky and launched herself down at the others – both boots coming up just as she reached the rightmost Beowulf, all of her momentum striking right where its spine would be and knocking it past Garnet, sending it flying over the edge of the plateau and into the forest below.

Slamming her blade into the snow she braced, then opened fire – emptying her clip as she blew holes in the Grimm ahead of her, killing one just before it could lunge at Scarlet's back. The Faunus shot her a thankful look and moved backwards, avoiding the fourth and final Beowulf that tried to swipe for her throat. It missed mostly, but the tip of its claws raked across Scarlet's throat, causing her rose-coloured Aura to flare up and shield her; taking a small but much-needed chunk out of it.

Ruby aimed, pulled on the trigger-

-and the Beowulf that she thought she'd kicked over the cliff lunged at her back, its weight shoving her down and its claws raking down her back. Ruby cried out in shock as she was pushed into the snow, the air forced from her lungs and her weapon pinned flat by the beast's forearm. Jaws attempted to snap around her head but her Aura shielded her, glowing feebly as sharp teeth pressed around her head in a cage of death, her heart leaping into her throat as she pushed with all her might.

Her Aura quaked.

Her left eye burned.

Then Scarlet cried her name – and a rush of scorching heat washed over her.

The Beowulf jerked back, a howl bubbling in its throat that never managed to leave; its body incinerated as a literal wave of orange flames swept over Ruby's head and burned the Grimm to ash. Even after the flames waned Ruby remained where she was, shocked stiff until she somehow found the strength to tilt her head up, spotting an equally-shocked Scarlet as she stared at her hands – wisps of fire dissipating between her fingers.

Her Semblance.

There was no time to marvel at the discovery however as the Alpha Beowulf gave another howl, its thunderous footfalls shaking the ground as it charged them. Ruby shoved herself to her feet and wobbled but managed to bring her scythe around, meeting the beast's gaze before launching herself at it with another, weak burst of her Semblance, her fatigue slowing her reactions ever so slightly. It was because of that, then, that the Alpha managed to turn its head in time to intercept her, its jaws opening to snap around her.

She might well have ended up in its mouth – had Scarlet not intervened, her amber flames roaring out and scorching the Grimm's mask, forcing it back. Ruby took the opening provided and dashed directly under the Alpha, flipping her scythe around and slamming it up into its more vulnerable underbelly as she fired – tearing a deeper gash across the Grimm's body and forcing a howl from it, right before it jerked its body into a roll.

Ruby barely managed to yank her blade out in time, grunting with effort as she glared at the Alpha Beowulf, its black-furred form staggering back to its feet once more. Its injuries were clearly taking their toll but it wasn't nearly as near-dead as she'd have liked. Glancing out of the corner of her eye she watched as Yang finished up with her own opponents, the final Ursa falling and leaving Yang winded, but alive.

Movement made her look over to the right, and her eyes widened as Garnet walked up to her side, falling in line with her and Scarlet. ''H-Hey! You should stay back-''

''It's fine.'' The simple answer gave Ruby pause – and any words she wanted to muster withered as Garnet raised her left arm. Before her very eyes it seemed to wobble, the limb distorting as it became transparent, before then returning to normal. ''The Grail is reacting to the threat and bringing out the part of us that belongs to our Semblance. It's working to protect us. To protect you.''

Ruby wasn't sure what to say about that – and never got to, as the Alpha Beowulf snarled and dug its claws into the snow, throwing it up. The smokescreen was crude but obscured the beast's form long enough for it to burst into a sprint – its black, bone-covered form lunging straight for Ruby. The youngest Rose though was ready and leapt to one side, sole silver eye hardening as she pulled the trigger mid-motion, launching herself at the wolf as it passed and carving a gash across its side.

The Alpha howled and crashed onto all fours. Nary a second later it spun and went for her again but Garnet intervened, stepping into its path and suddenly gaining a faint, thick black outline as she raised both hands – and to Ruby's surprise caught the Alpha's large paw. She didn't outright block it however; the sheer force behind the blow making her skid back several feet, but the Alpha seemed just as surprised as Ruby herself was.

A surprise that lasted no more than a few seconds before the Grimm got over it, snarling as its other paw slashed out at her. Rather than tank it Garnet stepped into the beast's guard and struck its underbelly with a punch empowered by her newfound Semblance, staggering the beast back even if it did no damage – but the stagger was enough for Ruby to shoot herself off of the ground and deliver a spinning slash across its face, taking a chunk out of its mask where she'd landed her previous slash.

''Get back!'' Scarlet called out.

The rising temperature was a good enough warning and Ruby complied, another gunshot putting some distance between her and the Alpha. Garnet on the other hand leapt back, and not a second too soon as a baleful belch of flames roared out from Scarlet's palms, washing over the Alpha Beowulf and setting its black fur ablaze. The creature of Grimm yowled in pain and rolled, quenching the flames as fast as they came, and after several seconds Scarlet stopped with a laboured exhale.

Yang however didn't let the opportunity go to waste. Even as the Alpha extinguished the flames the blonde appeared from the sidelines, yelling with effort as she cocked a fist back and smashed it into the side of the Alpha's skull, jerking its head to one side and sending it onto its back, flailing.

''Ruby!'' Yang barked, fiery gaze directed at her.

''Right!'' Launching herself forth once more Ruby closed the distance, leaping up – before with a final gunshot she brought herself down like a spinning wheel of death, slicing through the Beowulf's right arm and tearing a gouge deep through its flesh.

Had it been a mortal creature the blow would've been immediately fatal, but as it was the Alpha Beowulf yowled again and finally rolled itself over, swiping with its paw to force both Ruby and Yang back. Lacking one arm now it looked much less confident, but no less bloodthirsty – its wolf-like mask pulled back into a hateful snarl at them, its one remaining eye burning a baleful, malicious crimson.

Ruby got an idea then. ''Garnet, bait it! Scarlet, distract! Yang, 'fireball'!''

The codename didn't go unnoticed by any present, one crafted back when Ruby was still a first year at Signal. With a vicious grin Yang barked an agreement and fell back, allowing Garnet and Scarlet to charge the Alpha Beowulf. The Grimm snapped its jaws at them and lunged at Garnet first, swiping not at her but at the ground under her, clearly intent on uprooting her if she tried to tank another blow. Garnet however leapt over the attack, getting inside the beast's guard once more and forcing it to stumble back lest she take advantage again.

However it was a ruse. Something the beast realised as Garnet didn't attack, but instead took the first opportunity provided to run past it – the lack of an arm meaning it couldn't stop her even if it knew. The momentary pang of confusion the beast felt evaporated however as the temperature around it rose, the sound of crackling flames filling the air right before Scarlet threw up her hands, an eager grin on her face as she expelled a torrent of fire at the Alpha Grimm, forcing it to stumble back with a yowl.

Ruby meanwhile finished running; her heels digging into the snow-covered dirt as she spun back to face the distant beast, drawing in a breath. Her Aura was low, her body ached with fatigue, her grip was starting to slack, but in that moment she drew herself inwards, bringing all her focus to bear as she tensed – and then she was gone, rose petals in her wake as she blitzed straight for the beast. Gun shots thundered out as she propelled herself even faster, pushing herself to her limit and nearing the flames – flames that withered away just in time.

Then Yang stepped into her path, arm extended.

A heartbeat later Ruby extended her own arm out, hooking it in with Yang's own. Her shoulder lurched back but her momentum transferred through to Yang, the two of them briefly spinning around – before Yang loosened her hold and was launched straight at the dazed Grimm, a furious battle cry leaving her lips-

-and then her gauntlet-clad fist smashed into the Alpha's skull, cratering bone into fine powder – before the Grimm was sent flying backwards. Its great bulk tumbled as it flew, flailing over itself blindly until eventually striking a tree over thirty metres away, its back snapping up against the thick trunk as its momentum abruptly ceased.

For a moment the beast was still, a twitch spasming up its remaining arm.

Then in the next moment it went slack, head dropping. Seconds later smoke began to rise up from it, signalling its demise.

''Woo baby! That's what I'm talkin' about!'' Yang hollered, laughing and hopping from foot-to-foot, adrenaline still coursing through her veins. ''Holy crap, I never thought that'd work, but damn if that wasn't awesome!''

''Haha, yeah...'' Despite her fatigue Ruby couldn't help but grin too, her left arm throbbing in pain. ''Next time though we should, mn... we should do it with more Aura. I think I'm totally spent.''

''Huh? Oh, shit, right.'' Yang jogged back over to her, concern now written across her face. ''How are you holding up? Same for you girls too.''

''A couple of bruises, but nothing that can't be fixed.'' Scarlet answered with a grin.

''My muscles are sore, but much like Scarlet I'm not terribly hurt.'' Garnet answered, turning a warm smile onto Ruby. ''Thank you for watching out for us back there. We really should've brought some simple weapons with us; we would've been less of burden then.''

Ruby however shook her head. ''No, it's fine, really! Plus, you guys unlocked your Semblance right? So it's a win-win – plus we killed an Alpha! That'll save the Hunters one more Grimm to kill!''

''Right you are sis. I'd say this calls for some early pocket money from dad.'' Yang grinned cheekily.

''I don't know if he'd agreed with that...'' Garnet noted, but a smile twitched across her lips all the same.

Yang chuckled and she pulled out her Scroll, checking her Aura. ''I'm down to thirty percent. Damn Ursa were a pain to deal with.''

''Beowolves weren't much better.'' Ruby grumbled as she did the same – only to squeak when she checked her own Aura.

Five percent.

''H-How the heck...'' Ruby's astonishment quickly quietened as she remembered why. She wasn't fighting alone anymore; every bit of damage Scarlet and Garnet took meant damage to her Aura too. ''I know dad warned me, but still...''

Garnet smiled apologetically. ''Mm. We did our best to avoid being hit, but Beowolves can be crafty...''

Ruby just smiled weakly and nodded. ''What about your Semblances? Maybe they drain it too?''

It wasn't a ridiculous concept. Some Semblances drew upon Aura just as some drew upon a person's stamina. Her own Semblance took only her stamina to perform, whereas Yang's drained both – if she had no Aura left she could still activate her Semblance, but it would be much weaker than if she had Aura. Some people couldn't even use their Semblance at all if they had zero Aura left.

Garnet must've thought the same as she hummed, her whole body becoming slightly transparent. After several seconds she stopped, but no change happened to the Aura gauge when Ruby re-scanned herself. ''Mine seems solely to be a physical limitation.''

''What's it even do?'' Yang queried, poking her arm curiously.

Garnet smiled and the arm Yang poked went translucent again, allowing Yang's finger to simply phase through it – making the blonde jerk her hand back in surprise. ''From what I can tell thus far, I can manipulate my own density. I can make myself more solid, or less... though, I'm unable to breathe during it.''

Ruby winced at that. ''Dang. It doesn't hurt to use it, right?''

''Right. So long as I use it briefly I'm okay.'' Garnet assured her younger counterpart.

''Mine is just fire. I did feel a drain on our Aura though when I was using it.'' Scarlet piped up then, shrugging. ''Shoots from my hands as far as I can tell. Ooh, should I give my Semblance a name? Hellfire? Flames of Purification? Fire of-''

''-I think that's a discussion for another day.'' Yang interrupted with a wry smile. ''Like don't get me wrong, seeing you two unlock your Semblances is cool as heck, but uh... can it wait until we get home?''

The three Roses looked around then, remembering that even if they'd just killed a bunch of Grimm, that didn't mean Patch was magically free of them. More could turn up at any moment – indeed, the sounds of battle might well have attracted them.

''...good point.'' Garnet noted with an embarrassed smile. ''Let's get a move on. We can try searching for clues another day.''

''Right.'' Ruby collapsed Crescent Rose and put it on her back, shivering at how cold the metal felt. ''Alright gang! Let's go home!''

A small but unified cheer came from the others, and with her chest puffed out pridefully Ruby marched them back homewards.

Until she got tired and let Yang lead the way.

[END]

Chapter Text

Several days had passed since their fight against the Alpha Beowulf.

Most of it had been spent recovering from their injuries and fatigue. Aura helped most of it but didn't remove the lingering weakness, but aside from some first aid they were all okay and moving about the next morning, if a bit haphazardly. Taiyang had praised them for a job well done and indeed gifted them some extra pocket money, their training had continued both physically and spiritually, and overall life continued on.

The fight had been a learning experience for Ruby in particular. Though she'd faced Grimm on the same level as the Alpha before, it was her first time actually coming head-to-head with an Alpha Grimm before. She liked to think she'd handled it pretty well, and was even confident she could've beaten it solo, if with a lot more life-threatening injuries to show for it. However the main focus was on Garnet and Scarlet, their new Semblances, and how to integrate that into their weapons.

Which, incidentally, was what she was going over with them right now.

''So I was thinking maybe an axe?''

''Hm... I kinda like it, but it feels a bit bulky, y'know? I like going fast and being all nimble, like a ninja.''

''But fire isn't really stealthy...''

''Bleh~''

Ruby couldn't help but giggle at Scarlet's childish expression, tongue extended and eyes shut, emphasising the slash of red eyeliner she'd used that accentuated her more vulpine features. Garnet looked equally as amused; the three of them laid on their fronts in their pyjamas with a spread of papers, diagrams and blueprints in front of them, some more shoddily-made than others – but that was fine. They were just brainstorming, as they had been for the past two days.

One of the biggest problems about their trip to Summer's grave was that both her clone-sisters didn't have weapons, even basic ones. If they hoped to find any sort of clues as to the Grail's origins then they'd probably be encountering more Grimm in future. As such, getting weapons for both of them was top-priority, something that even Taiyang had acknowledged. Thankfully he was willing to fund their little weapon-smithing projects... provided they didn't go overboard.

So no dust super-reactors hidden in swords, unfortunately.

Nonetheless, Ruby felt like they were making good progress. One by one they ruled out designs and styles, working their way through an entire catalogue of weapon combinations by the hour with plenty of discussion littering it – the three practically forming their own debate club, giving reasons for or against certain weapons beyond simple preference and more based on how useful they'd be in working as a team. No point in having an ultra-big cannon if it couldn't be used around allies, after all – and both were adamant about accompanying her into battle whenever it may arise, so teamwork was not just something to think about, but an inevitability she'd be foolish to ignore.

''Hm... what about-''

Garnet was interrupted as their bedroom door opened and Yang strolled inside. ''Hello my dear sisters~ Any of you seen my hairbrush? Ya didn't use it, did you?''

Scarlet laughed sheepishly. ''I might've... sorry, Ruby's doesn't work on my hair. I think I left it on the bedside table.''

''Hrn... fine, I'll give ya a pass. This time.'' Yang crossed her arms, though a light grin remained on her lips. ''What'cha up to anyway? Still coming up with weapon ideas?''

''Yep.'' Ruby popped the 'p'. ''I think we're getting there. What 'bout you? About to go out?''

''Yeah. Me and the girls gonna hit the town before our inter-year mission in a couple days. Want me to grab you anything on my way back?''

''Um... nah, I think I'm good.'' Ruby smiled lightly. ''Have fun though!''

Yang laughed and uttered a quick thanks, snatching up her brush before hurrying back down to the bathroom. Ruby watched her go and her smile dimmed quickly, a nugget of jealousy worming around in her heart. Inter-year missions. The name was a familiar one ever since she'd gotten serious about becoming a Huntress. After four years at a junior hunting school like Signal, students had the option – but were not required – to take on a low-risk mission with a professional Hunter or two, in exchange for extra credits that would help when applying to a senior school like Beacon.

The missions weren't that dangerous and often took place just outside of Vale's walls or in one of the nearby settlements beyond them, focusing on small but important field skills like tracking Grimm, detecting what kinds of Grimm existed nearby by their footprints or damage done to the terrain, how to lay defences and traps; stuff that were only a tiny part of a Hunter's career, but could prove invaluable should the need for them arise. The more attractive part of the inter-year missions though was that those at Signal actually got the chance to go beyond the walls and potentially test their mettle against some Grimm – and while there was always the occasional tragedy, with one or more trained Huntsmen present along with being so close to Vale itself, it was rare enough that it was still a regular part of trainee life.

Of course, that was for those who graduated Signal. Not for second-years like her.

''Are you alright Ruby?'' A nudge from Garnet drew her gaze.

Immediately Ruby forced a smile. ''Yeah, 'course I am!''

Garnet gave her a faintly-amused, but ultimately gentle look. ''Ruby, myself and Scarlet were a part of you. We share your memories – and your sentiments.''

Ruby's cheeks flushed slightly at that and she mumbled something inaudible even to herself, before sighing. ''Just a bit jelly I guess. Yang gets to go on a cool mission while we're stuck here doing more Aura exercises.''

''It's a valid concern that Taiyang wants us to correct.'' Garnet pointed out.

''Still doesn't change the fact it sucks.'' Scarlet whined childishly, kicking her feet.

Garnet shot her an exasperated look that Ruby couldn't help but giggle at, looking between her two clone-sisters. ''I wonder if dad would let us go on our own mission too? I mean, we're pretty good, and the only reason Yang beats us in spars is 'cause she knows we're not good at hand-to-hand stuff. Grimm won't.''

Scarlet grinned at that. ''True, but you gotta hand it to her~''

Ruby almost reflexively groaned. ''Ugh, not you too! I don't need two sisters who make terrible puns!''

''Oho~!'' Came a slightly-muffled call from down the hall. ''Did someone say puns~?''

''U-Uh, no! No you didn't!''

Ruby would end up holding the door shut to keep the pun demon at bay, leaving Garnet to continue going over weapon designs whilst Scarlet cackled in the background.

X-x-X

The next day was a busy one.

With Signal currently out of session the forge there didn't see many visitors – mostly just students coming by to sharpen their weapons or to make modifications, as was allowed by the academy. Forging was also allowed but understandably less common; everyone who already attended a Huntsman academy would naturally have their own weapon and thus not need to make another.

As such, Ruby and her two new sisters had the entire place to themselves for the whole day. Bringing in all the materials they needed in the morning they set to work with a determination matched only when Ruby herself originally forged Crescent Rose, their skill with blacksmithing shining then and there as they meticulously heated, treated and cooled metal, infused Dust where needed or added in other materials to reinforce the metals, allowing them to better stand up to Grimm or cut through hide easier. The towering smokestack above the forge building chugged on for hours, the sun rising to its peak and descending to its lowest before finally, finally, the trio emerged from the forge's reinforced-steel doors.

''Haah~ My arms are killing me~''

Ruby's tired moan earned a pair of giggles from Scarlet and Garnet, the two sisters following behind her with amused smiles. Upon Garnet's waist was a sheathed straight sword, its steel-grey blade inlaid with a darker grey down the middle; a narrow channel down the core of the blade to allow the usage of Dust Crystals inserted via the pommel, enabling anything from her blade to ignite to it becoming electric, depending on the element involved. While it lacked any mecha-shift capability, its simplicity was something Ruby could still appreciate.

Scarlet on the other hand carried her weapon about and practically cuddled it to her bust. A black-bladed scimitar slightly longer than average, the mecha-shift within allowing it to transform into a bow that could launch Dust arrows; each one carrying a far more potent charge than regular Dust-infused bullets. With both of their weapon utilising Dust their pocket money would start running out fast, that she knew, but she'd been wanting to try make some weapons with Dust for ages now, and her enthusiasm was clearly present in both her sisters too.

''So! What'cha gonna call 'em?'' Ruby cheerfully inquired as they walked.

''Hm...'' Garnet tapped the hilt of her sword thoughtfully. ''Perhaps... Sever.''

''I was gonna call mine Lavish Rose, but it's a bit of a mouthful now that I think about it, so maybe just Lavish?'' Scarlet added her two cents in, fox tail swishing behind her merrily. ''Get it? Since I'll be lavishing the Grimm with arrows?''

Ruby smiled brightly. ''I like 'em!''

''So do I, squirts.''

The familiar voice made Ruby stumble, surprised but her bright smile unwaning as she laid eyes upon Qrow; the older man leaning up against a tree just a dozen feet away, blending in with the shadows seemingly out of habit. ''Uncle Qrow! Look! We finally got new weapons~!''

''I can see.'' Qrow smirked casually as he sauntered up to them, hands in his pockets. ''Listen, much as I'm sure you three would wanna chat my ears off, I got a little proposition for ya.''

Ruby blinked. ''A proposition...?''

''You two get a grip on your new weapons, and I'll take you out on a little scouting mission beyond the walls.''

The surprise and elation must've shown on her face, as Qrow soon chuckled. ''Yep, a real treat ain't it? Couldn't help but overhear you talkin' about how you were down because of Yang's mission and all, so thought I'd treat you. Provided you actually learn how to wield your new toys.''

''Three days.'' The declaration came not from Ruby, but Garnet as she stepped forwards. ''Give us three days. That is all we will need.''

''Bold words.'' Qrow smirked, but didn't look surprised. ''Best get to it then. And I want a little demonstration when you're done – like hell I'm whisking you three out into the wild if you can barely swing straight.''

A unified cheer came from the three Roses, and as one they ran back home – earnest in their newfound training.

X-x-X

Three days passed fast.

And on the fourth day, Ruby found herself giddily shifting in her seat on a Bullhead, soaring out past the walls of Vale and into the wilderness that laid beyond.

It was her first real taste of life beyond the walls, in all honesty. Though Patch was technically adjacent to Vale and more vulnerable to the Grimm it wasn't quite the same; it had a large retired-but-able Hunter population, it was within close proximity of Vale and thus had the direct support of it – even though she'd fought Grimm on the regular, the wildlands that surrounded Vale were so much more exotic, so much more fascinating.

She wasn't stupid, of course. With that exotic fascination came danger the likes she wasn't keen on being the focus of. Deathstalkers, Nevermore, all sorts of greater Grimm that she'd never come up against were present. Thus in the evenings after training she'd taken to refreshing her memory of all the local Grimm with her Scroll and textbooks, meticulously reading everything and anything she could get her hands on, in the off-chance it became necessary.

For the sake of herself and her sisters, she hoped not.

They'd left by morning and it was already nearing noon. Lush greenery blurred under the Bullhead as it flew, much of it culled to make spotting Grimm easier but with enough foliage here and there that natural wildlife could remain, making hunting for food possible. Past it all though she could see their destination; a small humble town by the name of Viridian, located further south than the location where Yang should be doing her own mission.

However it wasn't like she expected, nor was told about. When Qrow came to her and her sisters he informed them they'd be visiting Viridian due to a report of increased Grimm activity; they'd do some perimeter checks, cull some of the local Grimm and possibly help shore up some defences until some other Huntsmen teams were available to come take over. It'd take a couple days at most and on the whole it'd be an easy mission.

Except, that implied that Viridian would still be standing.

Instead as the Bullhead circled around Ruby could only stare in disbelief at the destruction below. What was once a wide-ringed palisade wall was now uneven chunks of wall with great gaps smashed through it; leftover chunks of log scattered about if not outright reduced to splinters from where great beasts charged through. Of the fifty or so houses within the village easily half were little more than rubble with sharp spikes of wood sticking out of crumbled stone, whilst the guard posts that surrounded the village were completely gone. Even from such a great height, Ruby could motionless bodies near the piles.

Dimly she heard Qrow curse, his tongue foul, but in that moment she didn't have the heart to chastise him. The Grimm had clearly attacked already – but how many people remained? From this high up it was hard to tell but she could see the occasional person shifting about, their tiny forms moving from one building to the next or hauling material towards the walls, presumably to try and rebuild them.

Rebuild, before more Grimm were drawn in by the negativity.

''Doesn't look good down there.'' The pilot's voice came over the intercom.

Qrow snatched the radio off of the wall, bringing it to his lips. ''Yeah no shit. Bring us down.''

''You sure?''

''Well we ain't gonna get anything done from up here are we?''

A sigh. ''Got a point. I'll land but keep the engines hot. You need to bail, you tell me and we'll be in the air ASAP.''

''Got it, thanks.'' And with that Qrow smacked the radio back into the mount, scowling. ''Alright, change of plans. We get down there, I'll go find the mayor and figure out what's going on. You three get on any rooftop you can and keep an eye out for Grimm – don't go running off on your own and don't play hero. You do that, people will die because I had to come look for you.''

His words were harsh, blunt, but none of the three Roses complained, simply grimacing and nodding.

Silence returned to the cabin once more as they descended, the whine of the engines turning into a dull roar as they flipped to a downwards positions, their descent slowed – and when they were within a dozen feet from the ground Qrow yanked the door open and simply jumped out. Unbuckling her belt Ruby hastily followed, hopping over the edge and watching the dirt ground rush to meet her – before she landed in a roll, bleeding off her momentum without so much as a scratch.

Behind her she heard Garnet and Scarlet land too, both scanning their surroundings warily. Ruby couldn't help but do the same, staring at the countless houses around them – countless homes that were little more than piles of wood and stone. Something about it just made her gut clench uncomfortably, uneasy with the sight. Why? She'd seen destroyed houses before and on TV, so why did buildings evoke such emotion?

Because people lived here. A small part of her mind whispered.

People who, judging by the dark stains stuck to the walls of some buildings, were no longer around.

Ruby swallowed the lump in her throat though and forcibly straightened up, pushing the negative thoughts from her mind. They'd only draw in the Grimm, she told herself, steeling her will. She could mourn the people she never met later. Now she had to focus on who she could save, and more importantly making sure nobody else died to the Grimm on her watch. With that thought in her mind she turned her gaze onto her sisters, jerking her thumb left then right. They took the hint and, although reluctantly, turned away and began making their way to the leftmost and rightmost points of the village, leaving her to take the southern tip so that they formed a vague triangular shape.

Qrow was already gone, leaving Ruby alone as she walked down what must've been the main street. The cobblestone that formed the road was ruined in many places; stones upturned from their rightful place if not crushed into several pieces, leaving it more dirt than stone. Houses lined the street and as she walked she noticed some people poke their heads out, relief on their faces, but they didn't venture past their doors. A trend she was quick to notice, however, was that many of them were Faunus.

Scratch that, most of them were Faunus.

It was a tiny detail, but one she couldn't help but be aware of; feeling a bit self-conscious as some of the civilians looked at her distrustfully, as if she was here with an ulterior motive. She tried not to let it bother her though and soon reached the edge of town, looking about briefly before finding one of the remaining houses – half of it gone but the other half still standing tall, the rubble providing a convenient route for her to climb up with.

''Mn... nn...'' Grunting she hauled herself up onto the tiled roof, wobbling only briefly before finding her footing and ascending up the slope; balancing herself against the remnants of a chimney.

She was high enough that she could look over the palisade wall. Past it laid a great open expanse of grass that stretched for miles upon miles, only a vague dirt track worn into the grass that led down the hill and into the distant – to another village, perhaps? Some forest was off to her right, nearer the western side of the village and thick enough to hide some Beowolves, but nothing like that of an Ursa.

The reminder of the Grimm drew her gaze to the destroyed wall, a frown coming to her face. What did this? Not Beowolves clearly; they didn't have the bulk to break through the wall, hence why it was used for outer villages like this. Creeps, maybe? They had the strength, but they were more cave-ish Grimm, not the sort you'd seen out in the open. The gaps were too small for Deathstalkers or the likes of Nevermore, but that still left dozens of possible suspects.

After a long minute Ruby just sighed, unholstering Crescent Rose and peering through the reticle on it – scanning the distance. Nothing, just grass and trees. At best she could see the occasional deer.

''H-Hello?''

The sudden voice startled Ruby so much she nearly slipped, yelping as she wobbled, but after a second she managed to get a hand on the chimney and steady herself – looking down. Near the base of it she found a young Faunus boy no older than twelve, his olive skin marred with dirt and a bandage wrapped around his forehead, pushing his short black hair up. A pair of deer antlers protruded from above them, one of them missing several of the protrusions, as if broken off. She almost winced at the thought.

''Y-Yeah? What is it little guy?'' Ruby called down to him.

The Faunus boy looked a little irritated at the 'little guy' comment, but apparently kept his tongue in check and answered. ''Are you here to help us?''

Ruby smiled then. ''Yup! Don't you worry, we'll help you guys out.''

''Then why didn't you guys come sooner?''

Her smile wilted slightly at that. ''U-Um, well, we didn't know things were this bad. We were told that the village had been having a problem, but not that it was this bad...''

The boy looked ready to say something else but was interrupted by another, older male voice. ''Cool it Jasper.''

Ruby leaned a little further into the chimney, peering down to the next house where a slightly older teen boy came from, probably around her age if not a year older and with the same features as the younger boy, albeit with larger antlers and his hair a shoulder-length brown, messy and rife with dirt. ''Um, hi?''

''Sup.'' He nodded up at her, expression casual and hands in the pockets of his torn cargo pants. ''Name's Jacith. You one of the Hunters helpin' us?''

''Yup. Well technically I'm not a Hunter yet, I'm still in training, but y'know.'' Ruby laughed sheepishly. ''Um, mind if I ask what happened here? Beyond the obvious that is.''

Jacith nodded, peering up at her past his antlers. ''Bunch'a Grimm with big skull heads came charging through the walls. The militia here went down pretty fast, me and Jasper hid in the basement of the inn with the others. A Huntsman staying there helped the guards and took down the Grimm too, but didn't make it.''

'Big skull heads? He must mean Creeps, but... why would Creeps be out here in the open?' Ruby pondered within the privacy of her mind. The Creep's main strength was that they had a powerful charging attack, but were weak from any angle other than the front – hence why they preferred enclosed spaces.

A village surrounded by fields was possibly the worst place for them to be. Though it wasn't unheard of Grimm of different locations to 'migrate', to use the term loosely, it was still pretty rare.

And never a good sign.

Ruby shook her head, banishing the worrisome thought.

''Have you guys called for help at all?'' Ruby inquired, idly scanning the horizon again.

''Can't. Radio tower got knocked down during the attack.'' Jacith thumbed over his shoulder, and from her spot atop the destroyed house she could spot what must've been a tower at some point. Now it was just a stack of rock with a bunch of workmen hurriedly erecting wooden scaffolding, presumably to repair it. ''Any more of you coming?''

''I don't think so.'' Ruby said awkwardly. ''But when word gets out there'll definitely be!''

''Feh, yeah right.'' Jasper grumbled under his breath but Ruby heard him easily. ''Nobody gonna come to this backwater town.''

''Jasp.'' Jacith scolded, whacking the younger boy over the head and earning a scowl from said boy, but at least succeeding in quelling his comments. ''Anything we can do to help?''

Ruby was about to decline and send them away – she was supposed to be guarding the border, not making small talk, but an idea hit her. ''Oh! Go look for my uncle – the old guy I came with – and tell him what you told me. Also tell him to have the pilot message Vale, that'll probably speed things up!''

''Got it.'' Jacith grunted, turning away. ''With me Jasp.''

''But-''

''With me. Ain't nobody know when the Grimm'll come back.''

The young boy complained under his breath but followed nonetheless, the two walking down the street and out of her sight.

Seeing that Ruby sighed, returning to her assigned task. Not a Grimm in sight.

'Yet... why do I have a bad feeling about this...?'

[END]

Chapter Text

Ruby felt uneasy.

Not a surprising thing, really. It was her first time out beyond the walls and she was in a tiny village that had only recently been attacked by Grimm; it was pretty justifiable that she was nervous.

That said her unease was deeper than that. Really she could only liken it to instinct; a deep-seated feeling that something was going to go wrong. Patrolling the walls did little to abate the feeling and even when she slayed a few Beowolves that got too close her fear didn't lessen – if anything the sight of a few wayward Grimm made it worse.

Ruby sighed, twirling her scythe around and turning it into its compacted form, slotting it behind herself under her cape. The grassy field around her was void of life, the last remnants of some Beowolves dissipating into wisps. That was the third group she'd killed in the last hour alone. To call it a pack would be a misnomer too; they were just a tiny group of four or five, at most six or as little as three. Far too small to be a threat to her, and probably only a modest threat to the militia within the village, who had unlocked Aura and basic weapons training. Nothing good enough to stave off a full-blown attack, but enough that they could handle the local Grimm well enough.

But that then begged the question – why were the Grimm coming in such tiny amounts? The negativity, she surmised, but the answer didn't feel quite right. If it was the negativity then she'd be seeing a lot more of them, at least a full pack. Beowolves operated in such groups all the time, it just made no sense for a few stragglers to go attacking off on their own.

'Maybe they're leftovers of the last attack?' Ruby mused to herself, glancing behind herself as she caught movement – Garnet and Scarlet approaching, their own weapons drawn but held low in relaxed positions. 'But then how did they get away? Grimm don't tend to run...'

After a second Ruby banished the thought and turned her focus onto her two sisters. ''Hey. How's things on the other end of town?''

''Better than here, clearly.'' Garnet said, gesturing to the decaying corpses of the Grimm around them. ''We've only had to deal with a single stray group, though a couple of the men garrisoned on the walls had weakened them for us already with crossbows.''

''Lucky you.'' Ruby said with a small smile, her words earning a soft snort from Scarlet. ''Did Uncle Qrow say anything?''

''We stopped and asked.'' Garnet answered dutifully as Scarlet wandered off a little, scanning their surroundings. ''Per your suggestion he had the pilot use the radio to call for backup. Unfortunately as all Hunters are currently either occupied or within Vale, it'll take them easily a couple of hours to mobilise and arrive. In the meantime Vale has is sending an emergency evacuation ship to get the citizens out.''

Ruby nodded, relaxing. That was good. She suspected some might not like having to leave their homes behind, especially after having just defended it from an onslaught of Grimm, but it was for the best. If she was in their shoes she sure as heck would want a ride out.

''How long until it gets here?'' Ruby inquired lightly, walking away from the town and sweeping her eyes across the vast fields ahead of them.

''Ten minutes by his estimations. He'd called it in shortly after we'd gone to guard the other side of the town.'' Garnet informed simply, sending her a sidelong glance. ''Something is troubling you.''

''Aha, you can tell...?''

Garnet just smiled patiently, silver eyes soft and almost parental in a weird way. Doubly weird since she looked so similar to her.

Ruby shook off the thought, speaking up. ''It's just... I have this feeling that something's wrong, you know? Not anxiety, but like my gut is just... yeah.''

Garnet made an understanding sound, low ponytail bobbing as she nodded. ''Instinct.''

''Right. That's the word for it.'' Ruby smiled. It was brief, however; her expression becoming conflicted once more. ''...I really hope it's baseless, though...''

''Indeed.'' Her sister whispered an agreement. ''Have you noticed as well? The Beowolves?''

''They keep attacking in small groups.'' Ruby nodded with furrowed brows. ''It's weird as heck.''

''Maybe they're just dumb.'' Scarlet called out from a few feet away, throwing a cheeky smile over with it that emphasised her vulpine features. ''Beowolves are pretty stupid after all.''

''You shouldn't underestimate them.'' Garnet chastised lightly.

Scarlet, being the most mature of the group, blew a raspberry back.

Ruby giggled at the exasperated look on Garnet's face and unsheathed Crescent Rose, keeping it in its sniper form as she scanned through the scope. The fields ahead of them stretched on for miles, ending only at a distant mountain range too far to worry about. Patches of forestry could be seen here and there, with the biggest downhill nearer the mountain, but otherwise there was nowhere for the Grimm to hide. Naturally the Beowolves thus far had used what little pockets of forest they had to hide, but it didn't work well; they made too much noise even when being stealthy to slip past her ears. Cons of having a big, muscly body she supposed.

However her thoughts brought her mind back to the odd behaviour of the Beowolves. Why bother attacking in such small groups? Was it really as simple as them just being dumb? No, she refused to believe it, part of her rejecting the notion outright on some primal, instinctive level.

''...why else would you send a bunch of small groups to attack?'' Ruby murmured more to herself than anyone else, but Garnet heard all the same.

''Perhaps to test their defences?'' Garnet suggested, gesturing back at Viridian.

Ruby started to nod – until a thought struck. One that made her blood run cold.

How would they know to do that?

Beowolves weren't particularly smart. Even in packs, they were limited to encirclement tactics at best, not probing defences. Only Alphas showed such intelligence but even then more often preferred a bold attack as opposed to strategy – so there's no chance an Alpha was telling its pack to sacrifice itself. No, even an older Alpha wouldn't dare, not when it lost valuable pack members.

Which left one possibility – that there was a stronger, far older Grimm somewhere out there commanding lesser Grimm. There was no other reason why Beowolves would act so unnaturally, why they would employ siege tactics when they were mostly mindless wolves at heart.

''...we need to contact Uncle Qrow.'' Ruby decided, her voice quiet but rising in volume as she realised the danger the town was in – that even if this was just her panicking over nothing, that something big was afoot. ''Scarlet, you call him, Garnet-!''

Movement. Ruby's voice died as she turned her gaze ahead downfield, towards the faraway mountain range where the thickest of the forests laid. Towards where a surge of blackness flooded forth, innumerable bodies moving in such a dense pack that it looked like a tidal wave of death and destruction, ripping trees out of the dirt and crushing distant bushes underfoot.

Grimm.

They'd made their move.

'There's so many...'

She wanted to raise her scope, to see – but at the same time she didn't. She didn't want to try and count how many were there. Even from what must've been a mile or more away the wave was so wide it felt like it'd wipe Viridian right off the map by sheer force of numbers, to say nothing of what would happen if the Grimm actually tried to destroy stuff. Or kill all the people inside waiting for an evac that very well might not reach them in time.

Most of all, however, was that feeling again. The anxiety, the dread, the unfathomable feeling of something wrong. It was normal to feel such things when faced with the monsters of darkness but the feeling was infinitely stronger than normal – focused down to a single point within the mass of black creatures. It was in there. The Grimm that was ordering such attacks, that had been probing the town's defences. This horrible shoulder-tensing anxiety, this instinctive fear; that creature was the source of it, even if she couldn't see it.

Then suddenly she was shot.

No, not shot Ruby realised as she clutched at her chest, the wound phantasmal. It was looking right at her. The unseen Grimm amidst the black tide was looking at her, its gaze so intense it felt like a bullet had just struck her in the heart, its attention a physical weight that left her legs trembling and her shoulders rigid, unmoving.

It saw her.

Somehow, those words alone inspired a fresh wave of fear within Ruby.

''...Qrow...'' Ruby whispered, clutching at her cape. Its silky materia gave her comfort, reassurance. ''We need to get Qrow.''

Garnet and Scarlet didn't protest, didn't doubt. Without a word Ruby turned and high-tailed it back to the town, not waiting for her two sisters as she tapped into her Semblance and blitzed through the open gate in a flurry of rose petals, narrowly missing a militiaman that was standing nearby – trusting her sisters to inform them. No, she focused solely on the Bullhead still idling in the open space, relief washing over her when she found her uncle next to it chatting with the pilot.

She just barely managed to grind herself to a stop before she ran face-first into the hull. ''Uncle Qrow! Big problem!''

Her uncle's eyes were on her in a heartbeat. ''Details, spit it out.''

''Grimm!'' She didn't mean to yell it, but a combination of adrenaline and anxiety forced her to. ''L-Lots of them!''

''Gimme a number.''

''Too many to count. I think they were a mile or two away, b-but they probably number in the hundreds at least, m-maybe even a thousand!'' Ruby hurried the words out, imploring her uncle to understand. ''A-And it's not just Beowolves, there's an older Grimm amongst them!''

''Older Grimm?''

Ruby flushed, fumbling for the words. ''The Beowolves I fought kept acting weird. Coming in small groups, like they were testing our defences. Then when the Grimm started their charge I felt one of them looking at me, like it was freezing me in place! I'm being serious I-''

''I know.'' The simple two words gave her pause. ''I ain't doubting you squirt. Listen, I need you and your sisters to run around and tell everyone to line up here. Our pilot buddy will go ahead and thin the horde as much as he can and when the evacuation ship arrives we're all getting on and getting the hell out of here. Anyone left behind won't be able to get on, so move it, alright?''

He spoke slowly, almost softly. Part of her brain almost wanted him to hurry up so she knew what to do but another, larger part of her relished the calmness, as if his stoicism bled into her and cooled her thoughts a little. ''R-Right!''

Then with an application of her Semblance Ruby ran. She appeared before the first house in sight, barely even thinking as she looked the nearest Faunus in the eyes and called for them to group outside in the open area. Then she blurred a dozen feet over to the next house, then the next, and the next. She wasn't thinking consciously, she just moved, repeated the order, then moved again. Sometimes she'd barge into a house and there'd be nobody there, other times she'd bang open a door only to realise the other half of the house was destroyed, the lot vacant.

At some point she ran into Scarlet and Garnet, passing the order along before continuing. Between the three of them they covered the town fast and Ruby hurried up to the makeshift guard-post that had been erected near the southern gate; clambering atop some wooden pallets and smacking Crescent Rose down between two sharp-tipped logs, scanning the horizon with her sniper rifle. The horde had drawn closer frighteningly fast, their distant forms now much clearer. At the rate they were approaching they had just a few minutes, tops.

The roar of Bullhead engines overhead though drew her eyes up, watching as the aircraft soared overhead – before it opened fire with a pair of auto-cannons on the nose, the thunderous clamour of explosive Dust rounds ripping into the horde and clawing a noticeable line through them until the Grimm filled in the gap. Still it must've easily taken down dozens of Grimm, the thought bolstering her confidence.

''Ruby.''

Turning her head Ruby gazed down at the base of the watchtower where Garnet and Scarlet stood. Both wore grim expressions and held their weapons at the ready, Scarlet's fox ears twitching and her tail hanging low, reflecting her internal unease. Ruby tried to smile and they did the same, but with the sound of auto-cannon and rockets firing in the distance, along with the local populace frantically rushing their wounded over to the landing zone, it was hard.

The sound of a fluttering cape drew her gaze over to Qrow as the Huntsman himself arrived. There was no trace of his usual humour, his drunken disregard for manners – his blood-red eyes sharp and his jaw set, emphasising the slight stubble that had grown on it. He looked a lot more serious than Ruby ever remembered him, but she supposed if there was ever a time for it, now was it. The citizens of Viridian were counting on them to survive.

Assuming they survived too.

She tried not to let the thought haunt her.

''Alright.'' Qrow sighed, hauling himself up next to Ruby and spying the distant Grimm with a hissed breath. ''Lot of 'em heading our way. I'm seeing some Creeps up front and what looks like a couple Death Stalkers near the rear. Most of the group seems to be Beowolves with some Ursa thrown in. No Alphas, not that I'm seeing.''

She wanted to ask if she saw the older Grimm but kept her mouth shut. Was it out of fear of knowing? Or because Qrow would've said something if he had? She didn't know and in the end she just stayed quiet, grimacing.

''Local militia is assembling. Walls are still broke so they'll try and slow the Grimm down – evac ship will be on the ground any minute now.'' Qrow added, prompting Ruby to glance over her shoulder – surprised to see the hulking aircraft already so close; looming just above the town and slowly descending.

It was a giant thing, especially compared to a Bullhead. Easily as long as a street and twice as wide it was a floating rectangle of armour, made specifically to enter territory under attack and evacuate as many people as possible whilst enduring attacks from Grimm. It had self-defences weapons on it, many of which she could see already deployed – a couple of machine guns and auto-cannons, but against a horde of this size they'd sooner run out of ammo than kill everything.

''Okay, so, plan?'' Ruby hurriedly asked, looking to her uncle for orders.

He grunted. ''Pilot will sweep around and blow up the front of the charge. Get on the rooftops and jump down once the Grimm are in town – if we try and meet them head on we'll just be trampled. Do what you can to buy time, the evac ship will blare a horn when it's about to leave. Try and get on, if not then the Bullhead will try and grab you. If it goes down...''

He didn't finish the sentence, but didn't need to. They all knew what would happen if they missed their flight out.

''Alright, get to your places ladies.'' Qrow grunted, hefting his scythe onto his shoulder. ''And you better not die. I ain't gonna be the one to tell Taiyang I fucked things up for like, the millionth time.''

The faint joke made the three Roses smile, lightening the mood momentarily. The grim reality was brought back on though by the distant death-howls of Beowolves as the pilot made another pass on them, rockets launched and blasting great holes in the horde but doing little to actually stop them. The reminder spurred the three Roses into action; rushing further into town and leaping up onto rooftops, weapons drawn and expressions grim.

Heavy silence reigned. The low rumble of a thousand footfalls churned closer, and as they neared Ruby could make out small clouds of dirt from the grass upturned underneath wolfish paws. A snarling chorus became audible alongside the high-pitched whine of the Death Stalkers in the rear, their glowing orange stingers wavering as they skittered after their more bestial kin. The sight prompted Ruby to reach up and gently removed her eyepatch, pocketing it. She'd need her full vision for this. She could feel self-conscious about her eye later, if anyone survived to notice that is.

Raising Crescent Rose Ruby aimed through the sights, towards the rightmost Death Stalker. Its glowing orange stinger was like a massive target when it was running in a straight line.

'Breathe in...'

Her chest expanded, the clamour of disaster quietening in her ears.

'Breathe out...'

Her finger curled around the trigger, her body stilling.

'Fire.'

With a deafening bang Crescent Rose kicked into her shoulder as she let the high-calibre round fly, soaring over the heads of the Grimm – and piercing the glowing orange stinger, the Dust within the round imploding it in a blast of yellowish fluid and flesh. The Death Stalker shrieked angrily, stingerless tail flailing about and causing it to trample some of its kin, but the horde as a whole kept charging.

However her attack spurned the others. All around she could hear gunshots echo as the militiamen in their own defensive position opened fire – rifles, machine guns, even a grenade launcher blasting into the incoming horde. The Bullhead did another sweep, rockets and auto-cannons opening up on the frontmost of the horde and shredding apart the Creeps charging, revealing the weaker Beowolves behind. Ruby barely paused to sight one before she pulled the trigger, blowing apart its head. She adjusted her gaze right, taking out another head. Then the torso of the one behind it. Then the one to its upper-right, blowing out a head and the limb of the beast behind it, sending it tumbling and trampled by its peers.

And then the horde was upon them.

The palisade wall that surrounded the town, fragmented as it was, held firm for about a second before the great logs collapsed inwards; some splintered and others crushed under the tide of black-furred beasts that swept into town like a plague of rats. Ruby didn't think and simply slapped a fresh magazine into her weapon before leaping off of the rooftop, eyes locked onto one unsuspecting Beowulf and cleaving straight through it, landing just past its bisected form.

Instinct flared and she trusted it unquestioningly, jerking her head back in time to avoid a paw before pulling the trigger of her scythe – the recoil locking her into a sharp, sudden spin that sliced into three of the Grimm around her, separating arms from chests and chests from waists. She didn't stop to observe the damage though, head jerking right and leaping over, slashing through another only to pull the trigger again, launching herself back into the small pocket she'd formed and beheading a snarling Beowulf, its jaw never getting to snap closed before its head left its neck.

The horde around her had begun to register her as a threat, the tide slowing as more turned their eyes onto her. She quenched any fear she felt under cold determination, both hands on her scythe as she brought it around and stabbed it into a Beowulf's shoulder, another pull of the trigger both launching her back and bisecting the Grimm in one go – her boots coming up and smashing into the chest of an unfortunate Grimm.

Claws came for her face as a Beowulf leaped for her left side.

They never reached her as Garnet closed the distance, body aglow with her Semblance as she densified herself – rendering her enclosed fist as sturdy as a piece of concrete, smashing into the chest of the Beowulf and sending it flying back into the horde with a pitiful yelp. A horde that suddenly found itself engulfed in flames, baleful and bright as they swept over fur and ignited the beasts, bringing forth a chorus of agonised howls that faded into smoky nothingness.

Scarlet landed by her side, fox tail swishing behind her as she turned, bow raised – and let loose an explosive Dust arrow that struck a group of five Grimm running past them, eviscerating one and injuring the other four. With a flourish she flicked her bow out, the string compressing into the back of the blade as it mecha-shifted into its scimitar form, her right hand shifting down to the grip whilst her left held itself out, flames threatening to flicker between her fingertips.

Ruby spared a glance at her two sisters. A grin shared itself between them all.

Then as one they moved, lunging out at the horde around them. Ruby honed in on one Beowulf and feigned a sideways slash, and the moment it started to react she instead twisted her grip and slammed the blade into the dirt – stopping her short and allowing her to flip over the beast. Both boots slammed down into its back and she pulled the trigger, shooting her forth and ripping through the pinned Beowulf in the same motion. The Beowulf behind it though found itself bisected by an upwards slice, black materia sluicing off of her curved blade as she brought it around the neck of another, a gunshot beheading it and pulling her out of the way of separate Beowulf.

A deafening roar drew her eyes right, watching as an Ursa stomped through the ruined palisade wall – only for Qrow to land upon its head, impaling it with his scythe before ripping it out and leaping off, two quick slashes taking out its legs and leaving it vulnerable to another fatal headshot, killing it in seconds. Roaring in front of her however reminded her of her own foes – and Ruby paid for her distraction as claws slashed across her ribs, cutting cloth and taking a modest chunk out of her Aura, bringing a grimace to her lips.

Flames swept past her then, charring the Grimm to ash and forcing the surrounding Grimm back. ''Don't get distracted!''

''R-Right!'' Ruby called back to Scarlet, glancing at the fox Faunus only briefly before smacking another magazine into her gun.

Not a second too soon as an Ursa stomped in after some of the Beowolves, eyes on her and her alone. Up until Garnet skidded in front of it, silver eyes sharp as she pulled her arm back and plunged her straight-sword up into the Ursa's jaw. The beast releasing a terrible roar and reared back on its hind legs, pulling Garnet up with it.

Contrary to her expectations though Garnet wasn't helpless. Flowing with her newfound momentum the eldest Rose flipped up and landed on the Ursa's upper-back, lips parted in an unheard yell of exertion as she forced her sword in deeper – and then with a press of a button baleful red flames rushed down the blade and poured into the open wound, scorching the Grimm's internals and causing gouts of flame to burst out of its body at random, catching surrounding Grimm alight.

However the horde was growing too thick. Those that hadn't stopped to engage them in combat had ran past them into the town itself, screams of terror plainly audible even amongst the clamour of gunshots and explosions. Where had the militia gone? Had they already died, or fallen back? She didn't know and after a half-second purged it from her mind, slicing the heel of a Beowulf that tried to catch her side and letting Scarlet stab it through the head, finishing the beast off.

''Fall back!'' Ruby called out at the top of her lungs.

She waited until she saw Garnet begin to move her way before actually following her own order, shooting at her feet and leaping up onto a rooftop. Scarlet followed a moment later, hand extended and blasting several of the Grimm below with a gout of fire, scorching them to death – but Scarlet's Semblance used their Aura, and even as she stood there Ruby could feel it be sapped away little by little.

Grimacing Ruby scanned their surroundings. The few buildings still standing after the first assault were rapidly crumbling, their own notwithstanding, and she could spot Qrow on the other side of the town cleaving his way through the horde with minimal injuries. Beowolves tore through the town at a frightening pace, the evacuation site their main target – but the evac ship had landed with its broadside facing the incoming horde, allowing its auto-cannons to spray into the approaching Grimm; explosive rounds shredding them like paper and keeping them back.

Until they ran out of ammo, or too many Grimm got through.

Perishing the thought Ruby reloaded, took a breath, and the moment Garnet joined them they leapt back down into the horde. Ruby took the lead, both hands twirling Crescent Rose about and cleaving apart any Grimm foolish enough to get in their path. Scarlet held the rear, blasting flames behind them that crept onto buildings and added to the blaze, whilst Garnet kept her sides clear as best she could – lightening herself to jump between left and right before densifying herself to make her blows hit harder, slicing Grimm with ease or punching them outright, hitting with the force of a pissed-off Yang.

Another Ursa got in their way but Ruby simply tapped into her Semblance, getting inside its guard and slashing across its stomach. It bellowed in pain and swiped for her but missed, leaving itself open to Garnet who landed on its arm and stabbed it in the skull – followed by Scarlet who slashed across its neck. By the time the three Roses passed it the large Grimm fell, already dead.

The evacuation site laid just ahead, clusters of wounded citizens shambling on-board or carried by others, the engines of the aircraft revving up as its horn blared, prepared to leave.

Then everything went wrong.

Practically in unison the east and west walls exploded inwards as two massive Alpha Boarbatusks rolled inside, big as houses and with bodies covered in sharp bone-white armour and with large, curled tusks. The western one tore through houses and defences alike, killing its own in its self-assigned path of destruction – but the eastern Alpha Boarbatusk made a beeline for the evacuation ship. The massive ship began to lift off, those left on the ramp either scrambling inside or falling off-

And then the massive bone beast smashed into the side of the aircraft. It busted straight through the reinforced armour and uncurled itself, pig-like face shoving inside as it began chomping down on anyone unfortunate enough to be within its reach – the screams of those insides piercing over the distance easily. The evacuation ship continued to try and rise but the weight of the Grimm stopped it; the airship dangerously lurching to the right and threatening to topple over onto itself if it rose any further, its own guns unable to so much as dent the thick Boarbatusk's armour.

Ruby didn't know how long she stood there. Only that when a hand grabbed her shoulder she flinched out of her shock, eyes darting left-

-and found Garnet there. ''We need to move Ruby! Now!''

Blinking slightly Ruby felt like she was in a daze. Until she caught sight of the two Death Stalkers from before now charging into town, slowed only by the massed horde. Immediately she snapped out of her daze and shouted an agreement, her grip on her weapon reaffirmed as she made a beeline for the evacuation ship.

'Armour's too thick for Crescent Rose. Probably immune to Scarlet's flames too.' Ruby's thoughts raced. 'Eyes. Only unarmoured part and while it's distracted!'

Nodding to herself she flipped Crescent Rose behind her in a low position. ''Go for the eyes! We have to get it off of the ship!''

''Right!'' Scarlet and Garnet shouted back.

Ruby pursed her lips, and tapped into Semblance. Instantly the world around her blurred as she zoomed towards the giant Grimm, its glowing red eyes gazing into the hull-

Then suddenly they were looking right at her. The Alpha Boarbatusk turned, tearing great grooves through the hull with its tusks as it turned to face her – forcing Ruby to abort her charge, shooting at the ground as she flew overhead. The Grimm followed her with its eyes, shrieking up at her, its maw bubbling-

'That's-!'

Another gunshot sent her flying right – just in time to avoid the high-pressure gout of black fluid the Alpha Boarbatusk spewed up at her, steaming like molten tar. Her widened eyes tracked it as it arced away from her and off into the distance; those same eyes darting back down to the creature below. Though it was impossible to tell its expression, the look in the Alpha Boarbatusk's eyes seemed almost smug.

Ruby's eyes narrowed and she flipped Crescent Rose around – and with a gunshot, she was plummeting down towards it. It bowed its head at the last moment, her lethally-sharp blade ricocheting harmlessly off of its solid bone armour before it jerked its head upwards, sending her flipping over it and ending up behind the giant Boarbatusk. She had barely landed before it kicked both of its hind legs out of her, nearly taking her head off if she hadn't ducked at the last second. In that moment however, with both legs raised, she saw it.

Its underbelly. Protected by layered plates yes, but compared to its underside it was far thinner and with small gaps between the plates, allowing it to curl up into a ball.

She had no chance to take advantage of the weakness, however. Smaller but still dangerous Boarbatusks came to their Alpha's aid, snorting and squealing at her as they rolled towards her – forcing Ruby to leap back, slashing at one as it went and killing it, but the others were too armoured for Crescent Rose to cull easily. With a grimace Ruby backed up further, eyes jumping between the targets in front of her even as the massive Boarbatusk turned to face her, its glowing red eyes piercing with their intensity.

Until a baleful belch of amber flames washed over its front. The Alpha Boarbatusk snorted and turned to face the source, jerking its head left-and-right and if the flames were more of an annoyance than a real threat – until Garnet ran under the belch and thrust her straight sword forth. The Alpha backed up a half-step in surprise but wasn't fast enough to evade the blade, costing it its bottom-right eye, the red orb making a disgusting pop sound as the light went out.

And then a second later the Alpha Boarbatusk squealed. The sheer volume popped Ruby's eardrums and rattled her bones, sending her stumbling back a step in shock, her grip on Crescent Rose nearly faltering as she felt the hard metal vibrate against her palms.

Garnet was outright flung away from the Grimm like she'd been hit with a shockwave, tumbling across dirt until she hit a low wall, mouth open in a silent cry of pain. Scarlet though fell to her knees with both hands pressing her fox ears down against her head, expression equally as pained – and in the back of her mind Ruby remembered that Faunus had much more sensitive hearing than humans did.

Worst of all though the Alpha Boarbatusk was hardly killed by the blow.

It was, however, very pissed off.

A fact she learned acutely as the Alpha let out a high-pitched squeal and tucked itself into a roll – and then charged straight for Garnet. Ruby didn't think twice; her form blurring with a sudden use of her Semblance and her free hand snatching Garnet by the scruff of her blouse, yanking her sister out of the way. The massive Boarbatusk barrelled past them unimpeded, smashing stone and wood alike as it made a wide turn before coming back around towards them.

Ruby grimaced, glancing quickly at Garnet. She still had her weapon. Bleeding from the ears and hunched, one hand clutching at her back, but her Aura was still active. As if sensing her gaze Garnet raised her head and met her gaze, smiling tightly and nodding. She was okay. Mostly.

Such thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind though as the Alpha Boarbatusk neared, and with a grimace Ruby activated her Semblance again, pulling them out of the way at the last possible moment – giving the Grimm no time to change course. However moving another person with her Semblance wasn't ideal, her momentum not matching Garnet's and causing them to nearly fall on top of each other the moment they stopped had Garnet not steadied herself. As it stood however it cost them several precious moments to reorient themselves, not helped by Garnet's damaged eardrums screwing with her balance.

Suddenly a chunk of her Aura just up and vanished, the sudden sap almost like a dagger to her heart. 'Scarlet-!'

Her head whipped around, scanning the destroyed dirt area littered with crushed Grimm caught in the crossfire – and found Scarlet on the ground, grimacing as she stabbed her scimitar up into the skull of a Beowulf, the disintegrating remains of a Boarbatusk in front of her, wisps of fire mixing in with the fading ashes. With haste Ruby made her way over to her, helping haul her to her feet, but the fox Faunus wobbled where she stood, her hearing also damaged.

Proven when she tried to speak and both squinted at her, clearly trying to read her lips than actually hear her.

Worse still the Boarbatusks and Beowolves that had spilled into the city were surrounding them, snapping and snarling at them but not attacking outright, perhaps having seen many of their kin fall to them. Ruby turned to face them, eyes scanning the horde as she brandished Crescent Rose threateningly, teeth gritted.

And then with a roar the Bullhead swept overhead, auto-cannons rattling and cutting into the scattered horde – blowing apart Beowolves and Boarbatusk alike, culling them to the sound of their howls and squeals. The airship strafed in a circle, spraying down as many Grimm as it could in one go and prompting Ruby to raise Crescent Rose to help; downing five more Grimm before she had to reload, keeping both her sisters in her periphery, and the Alpha Boarbatusk.

The latter of which had finished making its wide turn and was coming back for more. Or so Ruby thought, surprise lighting up her face as the beast unfurled and skidded to a stop... and opened its mouth.

Realisation hit like a truck. ''M-Move!''

Her sisters couldn't hear but it didn't matter; a sudden application of her Semblance throwing all three of them to one side-

But they weren't the target.

Molten tar-like substance bubbled and boiled within the Alpha Boarbatusk's mouth as it reared its head up – and fired it at the Bullhead. A gout of concentrated black fluid sheared straight through the underbelly of the craft, through the cockpit and out of the roof, instantly sending the whole airship lurching. The metal holding it together audibly groaned and the engines whined as the whole ship turned unevenly, threatening to fall into a spin but miraculously stayed airborne.

Tearing her gaze away from the damaged craft Ruby set her sights on the Alpha Boarbatusk, gripping her weapon tight. She just needed a moment, an opening. She was sure of it. Garnet and Scarlet were too incapacitated to fight it further but she still had the strength – and with Qrow presumably occupied elsewhere it was down to her to take down the Grimm. There was no way the Bullhead would be able to scoop them up with that thing still active and capable of spewing that liquid.

Ruby bit her lip, mind racing – when an idea struck. A very, very stupid one, but one nonetheless. The Alpha Boarbatusk was fast, heavily armoured, and had only its eyes and possibly its underbelly as its weakness.

However, it was slow to turn.

That, she could work with.

''Stay here.'' Ruby said, hoping her sisters could read her lips. ''I'll be back in a sec.''

Flipping Crescent Rose around into a low position she smacked one of her last magazines into her baby and breathed in. Then she lunged forth, breaking out into a full sprint straight for the massive Grimm, instantly drawing its attention back onto her – and the moment it did, she blurred forth with her Semblance.

The world became narrow, the distance null – and then at the last moment Ruby went left. The Alpha Boarbatusk turned with her, squealing angrily, but she darted right the moment it started to look at her. Then again, and again and again – pushing her body to its limit as she blurred around in a circle, her boots skidding across burnt dirt and crushed rock as she blitzed in a circle around the massive boar, forcing it to keep turning to try and catch up with her. It kicked its hind legs out to try and catch her out but she evaded, and when it swung its curled tusks out she just widened her circle, using whatever bits of debris she could to launch herself into a faster loop.

The Grimm let out another angry shriek, turning its head left just as she emerged – and then she pulled the trigger. Her momentum sharply changed and she leaned into it, tucking into a vicious sideways spin – and cleaved straight through its two uppermost eyes.

Her momentum shot her past the beast just as it let out a deafening, agonised squeal, the volume so shrill it rattled her bones even from over a dozen metres away. Gripping Crescent Rose she didn't stop and simply dug her heel into the dirt, twisting around and launching herself forwards once more. The Grimm's remaining eye shot towards her and it squealed, rearing up to tuck into an armoured roll. One interrupted as a familiar man landed upon its face, scythe cleaving through its sole remaining eye.

Ruby stopped short. ''Uncle Qrow!''

The man himself offered no reply, grim-faced as he leapt off of the Alpha Boarbatusk – the Grimm releasing a shriek of agony, kicking its legs out and stomping blindly. Getting an idea Ruby shot at the ground underfoot, launching herself airborne but more importantly luring the Alpha Boarbatusk towards the sound – causing it to squeal and stampede straight into a still-standing building, collapsing it in on itself. Not that it did much to stop the beast which simply broke through the other side, throwing its head about in a blind rage.

Landing next to her uncle she looked to him for guidance. ''What do we do now?''

''We get the hell out of here.'' Qrow grunted, scowling as a couple Beowolves rounded the corner. ''I led the other Boarbatusk away but I ain't sure how long it'll keep digging into an empty basement – sooner or later the asshole will realise I slipped out. So let's get our asses out of here, now.''

Ruby jerked her head in a nod, tapping into her Semblance and blitzing the two Beowolves. One lost its head before it could react and the other barely had time to turn before it was bisected diagonally, clearing the path for Qrow to sprint past. An Ursa sprinted past them towards where Garnet and Scarlet were but Qrow intercepted, leaping atop the bear Grimm and beheading it in a blindingly-fast slash, leaping off again without even pausing for breath.

Ignoring the fatigue weighing down her arms Ruby kicked off with another burst of her Semblance, rose petals left in her wake as she practically materialised in front of Garnet and Scarlet, the disintegrating remains of several Beowolves around them. No words were said, not that they had the time – the high-pitched squeal of a Death Stalker ringing out as the giant scorpion Grimm came charging towards them.

Qrow scowled, glancing up at the Bullhead as it wobbled closer. ''You three jump on the second it gets close, I'll follow. Don't argue.''

Then he was off, rushing at the armoured Death Stalker. The right pincer came out to snap at him but Qrow slid under it, nearing the creature's maw only to leap over it at the last possible moment, two lightning-quick slashes popping the eyes of the beast and landing him on its back. The shrill squeal of the Death Stalker did little to phase Qrow as he spun his scythe around and stabbed it down into the armoured carapace of the Grimm, breaking bone but failing to pierce much deeper. He didn't get a second chance to strike before the stinger came down, nearly impaling him had he not side-stepped it, leaping off of the beast.

Then in a blur of rose petals Ruby appeared before the beast, yelling as she propelled her blade down with a gunshot, taking out another two eyes on its left side, rendering it partially blind. She zipped out of its retaliatory attack, twisting on her heel the moment she stopped and culling a Beowulf that tried to catch her flank, glancing back momentarily to check on the Bullhead. Closing in, with Scarlet shooting any Grimm that tried to get close to the landing site.

A shriek made her look back at the Death Stalker – just in time too as it tried to stab her. She yelped, stumbling out of the way of its stinger and slashing at the luminescent orange bulb, cutting it but not bursting it like she did the other one. Qrow solved that with a double tap of Harbinger, the shotgun component bursting the glowing stinger easily and earning a shriek from the large Death Stalker, its sideways swipe managing to catch Qrow in the side and sending him flying into and through a lamppost.

''Uncle Qrow!'' Ruby cried out.

The Death Stalker however went for her, shrieking with claws out and half of its eyes bloody pulp. Gritting her teeth Ruby shot at her feet and flipped back through the air, emptying her magazine and managing to pop another eye – but movement made her look down, to where Garnet was. Though deafened and disoriented the eldest Rose sprinted forth with eyes narrowed, Sever held low in her right hand. The Death Stalker turned to face her and shrieked but she clearly didn't hear, continuing her charge undeterred.

Understanding clicked in Ruby's mind and she reacted, slapping her last magazine into her weapon just as she touched down – and then she was off, her Semblance carrying her in a desperate blitz to the Grimm. Said Grimm refocused on her, shrieking at her and snapping its left claw out, nearly catching her had she not changed direction at the last moment, lunging up and forcing the beast to back up a step to keep her in its sight.

Leaving it open to Garnet who charged in low, thrusting her straight sword into its bloody eye socket – and then activated the Dust within.

In an instant bluish electricity shrieked down the blade and into the Death Stalker, bolts jumping through its massive frame. Its muscles seized up and it let out an ear-piercing shriek but Ruby pushed past the pain in her skull, yelling as she slammed the bladed tip of Crescent Rose into its head and emptied her entire clip into it, digging the blade in deeper and deeper-

-until at last it broke through, and she cleaved a thick gash straight through the centre of its head.

The shrill shriek died off as the creature did as well, its limbs falling slack and tail sagging. Both Garnet and Ruby leapt back nonetheless, panting heavily and relaxing only when the corpse began to disintegrate.

''Haah... phew...'' Ruby panted, looking at her sister. ''You alright?''

Garnet turned to look at her and squinted, prompting Ruby to quickly repeat her question – earning a slight smile and nod in return.

A fresh explosion of shrapnel though killed the good mood as fast as it had come as the Alpha Boarbatusk from before stormed past them – blind, but just destroying anything in its path in the hopes of hitting them. That if anything made it even more unpredictable, its path wild and without the previous direction it had, but Qrow's warning echoed in her mind. The reminder of her uncle drew her gaze over to where he'd fallen, relieved to find him still up and about, if with a scowl now.

''Move it ladies!'' Qrow shouted over at them – grunting when a young Boarbatusk nearly hit him had he not kicked the rolling Grimm, sending it into a building. ''We are leaving!''

Ruby didn't question, didn't delay. Snatching Garnet by the arm she hauled her sister away from the decaying Grimm corpse, meeting with Scarlet just as the Bullhead began to descend, wobbling dangerously as it was with a massive hole burned through it. Scarlet leapt up first, catching the edge of the cabin floor and hauling herself up, offering a hand to Garnet who took it and joined her. Ruby followed third and Qrow was just a step behind them.

Qrow barely had a foot on the floor before banging his fist on the hull. ''We're all on! Go, go!''

The pilot shouted something back, inaudible over the roar of the engines as the Bullhead rapidly ascended away from Viridian. Qrow stumbled in further and yanked the cabin door shut behind him, collapsing into his seat with an exhausted groan.

Ruby joined him on the seat across from him, slumping against it and gazing out the door window at the town below – or what was left of it. The palisade wall was almost completely destroyed, just the odd log here and there still standing upright. Practically every structure was in ruins and Grimm roamed the streets ravenously looking for any remaining life, so many of the black-furred beasts still there despite the amount the four of them had killed. The most haunting part though was the two giant Alpha Boarbatusks that now marched about the town, each of them longer than two houses and as tall as one if not slightly more so, the thick white plating visible even as they ascended.

As they flew, however, Ruby noticed something odd. ''Hey, Uncle Qrow, what are they doing...?''

''Huh...?'' With a grunt Qrow shifted up to the window too, peering down. ''The Boarbatusks?''

''Yeah...''

The blinded Alpha Boarbatusk had moved over to the other, mostly-uninjured Alpha, snorting and whatnot – when with its maw open the uninjured one spewed that same black fluid at its peer, right in the face. The attack seemed to serve no purpose... until the black fluid sept into the creature, and within moments four red eyes regenerated on the Alpha Boarbatusk's face. Completely negating all the hard work they'd done to wound it.

''Oh that's just fuckin' great...'' Qrow hissed out, banging on the cabin door. ''Then again, doubt they'd get this big if they couldn't heal themselves in some way. Fuckers.''

Ruby had to agree with the sentiment, part of her wanting to scream in frustration – but she was tired. So very, very tired. Now that the adrenaline was leaving her system her body felt like it was twice as heavy and made of wood, her limbs reluctant to move and the seats so comfortable she could fall asleep on them despite the airship buckling and shaking every few seconds.

An uncomfortable silence filled the cabin for a long time, disturbed only by Qrow typing on his Scroll. How long she wasn't sure, only that it was long enough for her to really catch her breath, and to speak.

''How many?''

Qrow didn't bother asking her what she meant. Everyone knew well. ''...when we arrived, only about sixty percent of Viridian's inhabitants were alive, according to the mayor. Just shy of thirty percent, about sixty, made it onto the evac ship. Twenty-two were lost when the Alpha Boarbatusk broke into the side, and another five died of their wounds within minutes.''

''All in all, only thirty or so people made it out.''

Thirty.

Thirty out of two hundred.

Only thirty people would make it back to Vale. Thirty people would get to be reunited with family and friends, assuming they even had any left. Thirty people who would get to enjoy ice cream, feel the sun shine on them, smell freshly-made bread in the morning or walk through city streets enjoying life.

Something those that died wouldn't ever get to feel again.

A pang echoed in her heart and she screwed her eyes shut, remembering those two boys she'd met when she first arrived. What were their names again? It felt like it was days ago she'd spoken with them, even if it'd only been hours at best.

Jasper.

Jasper and Jacith.

Had they made it? Did they die before they could get to the airship? Or worse, had they gotten aboard only to be eaten alive by the Alpha Boarbatusk?

She didn't know. She didn't know and it hurt.

Exhaustion was thus a welcome relief, and with eyes screwed shut Ruby just tried to pretend it was all a bad dream.

And before she knew it, she passed out.

X-x-X

The buckling of the airship was the first thing that stirred Ruby from her slumber, a weak moan escaping her as she shifted.

Blinking slowly the red-caped Huntress-in-training sat up slightly, immediately wincing as her back protested from the act. It took her eyes a solid few moments to adjust to the darkness around her, and a few moments more for her to realise that the darkness meant they'd been travelling for at least a good few hours if it was already nightfall.

Tilting her head slowly she looked over to her left. Scarlet was sat next to her, fox tail curled over both her lap and around Ruby's shins protectively, whilst her cape was draped over them both to keep them warm. Garnet was on the other side of the cabin near the other door, head up and staring out the chipped glass door-window, though she looked quite tired. Qrow was nowhere to be seen but she could hear his voice through the hull, no doubt sitting with the pillow if their casual tones were anything to go by.

However there was a fourth person in the cabin with them. She was so small that Ruby had initially overlooked her, not helped by the fact she was tucked into the corner of the cabin between the seat and the door. Shorter than Ruby herself by easily a head in height and with a petiteness to match she looked several years younger than Ruby did, her hair the same black with red tips but coming to her shoulders, the tips pooling over them and her hair covering her left eye, leaving just one glum silver eye to peer back from out from under her hood. A hood that hung over her face to her brow, seemingly oversized and identical to the same cape Ruby herself wore, if a bit downsized to fit her petite frame; pulled around her tiny form clad in black clothes akin to Ruby's own outfit.

Ruby looked over at Garnet. The older Rose noticed and shifted, a tired smile on her lips. ''You're awake.''

She hummed quietly, privately relieved that her hearing had returned, then nodded over at the newcomer. ''...who's she?''

''I'm not sure.'' Garnet freely admitted, glancing over at the shortie. ''One moment the spot was empty, I blinked, then she was there. She must've manifested an hour or two ago. She's been quiet ever since.''

''No flashy light-show?''

Garnet's lips quirked up into a small, mirthful smile, but she said nothing and just shook her head.

Ruby shifted some more, carefully shifting Scarlet's tail out of the way without waking the clearly-exhausted Faunus. ''What's your- ah, right, never mind. I have to name you don't I?''

''...sorry.''

Ruby blinked. ''Uhh... what?''

The girl just shrugged. Or Ruby assumed she shrugged; it was too dark to really see and that cloak made it hard to make out her body language.

After a second of thought Ruby just sighed, shifting forwards in her seat and giving the clone – and she could only be a clone – a smile, gentle and sincere as she could make it. ''I'm guessing you're also part of me, like Garnet and Scarlet?''

A mute nod.

''That's okay.'' Ruby voiced. ''I'm not mad or anything, you don't have to worry.''

Another nod, though the glum aura around the newly-manifested clone didn't leave.

Then again given the day they'd all just had, if she really was a part of her... yeah, Ruby imagined she'd be quite depressed.

Sighing Ruby slid onto the floor of the cabin, ignoring the occasional lurch, and petted her newfound companion. ''Hm... I think I'll call you Cherry, since I'm kinda committed to this whole 'red' theme now, eheheh...''

Though Cherry didn't smile or cheer, the small hum she made was an agreement enough for Ruby.

Offering her hand she stood as best as one could in the cabin and led the short girl over to Scarlet; sitting her so she and the Faunus flanked her on either side, keeping her cosy. The hole that had been torn through the Bullhead didn't help with keeping the cabin warm she noticed, a shiver travelling through her as she pulled her cape around herself, sparing a concerned look at Garnet. The eldest Rose just smiled in reassurance, returning her gaze to the window.

''We're in Vale now.'' Garnet said after a moment. ''Should be descending shortly.''

As if her words were the cue the airship gave another, stronger lurch, the engines whining as they switched to a vertical posture and eased them down. From her seat Ruby couldn't see the ground but soon enough she saw the tops of buildings, more and more coming into view as they lowered down. The landing was sharp and nearly sent her from her seat, the jolt waking Scarlet in the process, but otherwise they managed to touchdown without blowing up.

A second later Qrow's voice came over the intercom. ''Alright ladies, up and at 'em.''

Ruby groaned and shifted out of her seat reluctantly, earning a gentle giggle from Garnet. A mechanic of some kind opened the door for them, the metal shifting to one side and instantly allowing the frigid night air to pour inside alongside the torrential downpour ongoing; rain spitting over Ruby's knees as she shuffled up to the edge and stumbled out onto the landing pad. She pulled her hood up to stave off the icy rain, grimacing as she looked back at her sisters and offered Cherry a hand, helping her down whilst Garnet did the same for Scarlet.

She heard Qrow open up the cockpit door and the man himself walked around the front of the airship a second later, giving her a once-over before nodding, opening up the other cockpit door. The pilot began to descend-

-and Ruby gasped as she saw the bloody stump that was his right arm. Though it'd been bandaged with blood-soaked bandages there was no ignoring the lack of arm beyond his biceps. His right leg too was lost below the knee, forcing him to lean on Qrow as he hobbled out with a grimace.

''You're...'' Ruby wasn't sure why she spoke, what she even wanted to say.

The pilot looked over at her them, face obscured mostly by his visor and helmet, but his lips curved up into a carefree grin all the same. ''Heh. Don't mind me, just gettin' me my early retirement bonus.''

''Yeah, I hear they pay out real good in the business huh.'' Qrow dryly remarked.

The pilot snorted, hopping as they walked towards the stairs. ''You wouldn't believe. Lifetime pension for wounds like these. Almost makes it tempting to have a Grimm snack on your leg, you know?''

''Oi oi, don't give the kids any ideas. They're trouble enough as it is, I don't want them becoming pilots.''

''Pfft, as if they, mn, wouldn't like to pilot a big-ass gunship!''

''Yeah, and they'd likely crash through ten buildings during training. They'd be a bigger threat than the Grimm, and that's by accident.''

The two men shared a chuckle, despite the man's life-altering injuries. It was only when Garnet nudged her that Ruby stopped staring – something she seemed to be doing a lot today, the thought making her grimace and start walking. The cold rain, if nothing else, helped clear her mind as she made her way to the edge of the landing pad and down the stairs. An ambulance was waiting alongside some other medical personnel and Ruby sat on a table at their insistence, feeling awkward as the masked doctor looked her over – turning her head this way and that, asking her questions about her wounds, so on. Small mercies they had the foresight to erect a tent so they weren't in the rain, at least.

She must've been sat there for at least ten minutes before Qrow came back, the ambulance driving off. He waved off a nurse that tried to have him sit and made his way over to her instead, hands in his pockets and an odd look on his face. It wasn't quite sadness, but... discontent, if she was to put a word to it. As if things had gone better than they could've, but still not great.

Which, considering everything, she supposed was rather apt. They'd all survived in what was a terrifying situation. That was more than most could ask for.

''How are they?'' Qrow finally said, looking at the doctor attending to her.

''I'm-'' Ruby started to say.

''Not talkin' to you squirt.'' Qrow deflected immediately, looking at the doctor sharply.

If the man was intimidated he didn't show it. ''She's fine, yes. Severe Aura depletion and clearly exhausted but I doubt I need to tell you that – she's lucky, considering what I've heard of the situation.''

''Luck ain't it. She's just skilled is all.'' Qrow dismissed, looking over at the others. ''And them?''

''The Faunus has perforated eardrums, as does the one with the ponytail, though her eardrums are mostly healed – you can thank her Aura for that.'' The doctor listed off almost idly, lifting Ruby's left arm and putting a bandage of some kind on it, pumping it. Testing her blood pressure? ''The young one is unharmed, however.''

''...right. Got it.'' Qrow nodded slowly, sparing a look at Ruby.

Silently Ruby nodded back, mouthing 'clone'. Qrow just hummed and said nothing more.

It was another five minutes or so before the doctors let them go, giving Scarlet some painkillers for her still-sore ears; Aura would do the rest within a day or two at most. Compared to someone without Aura, which could take weeks if not months to heal, it was quite fast – but Scarlet clearly was put in a dismal mood by her newfound deafness, following closely behind Ruby as the five of them left the landing site and made their way to a taxi waiting for them.

That morning she'd left Vale, full of vigour and ready to save a town full of citizens.

Now not even twenty-four hours later she was back.

Yet, it felt like so much longer.

[END]

Chapter Text

Night turned to day awfully fast.

With it came wakefulness; the four Rose sisters stirring from their hotel beds and shambling about, taking their turns with the shower and ordering some breakfast from the room service. However contrary to the hotel's modest but cosy atmosphere, the four girls were in anything but good spirits.

Ruby least of all. The day before weighed heavily on her conscience, every misplay or mistake living freely in her mind – wondering, fruitlessly, if she could've changed anything. Some things she knew were beyond her control of course – she couldn't have predicted let alone stopped the two giant Alpha Boarbatusks, she couldn't have stopped the Grimm horde before they reached Viridian, she couldn't have saved every single person-

But what about other things? Maybe if she brought more ammo she could've taken down another dozen or so Grimm. Maybe if she'd followed behind the civilians escaping she could've jumped onto the Alpha Boarbatusk and at least distracted it. Maybe if she suggested all the residents group up for evacuation the moment they arrived, more lives could've been saved, especially the infirm and old who wouldn't have been able to run to the evacuation ship on their own.

So many maybes, so little answers.

Worse still, Qrow was gone – out to make some calls about what had happened, and would presumably be busy for most of the day. She didn't blame him for that, especially since he was the only true Hunter on the scene and thus was the main source of info for those needing it – but still, his absence weighed heavily on her mind.

''Haah...''

Ruby's sigh went unanswered as she flopped back into her hotel bed. She was still in the same uniform as yesterday, the cuts and tears in the fabric yet to be fixed, but it didn't really show off much so she wasn't in a rush anyway. The others were scattered around the room in front of her – Garnet sat on the opposite bed watching the news, Scarlet was busy trying to brush her tail in the bathroom and Cherry was sat by Ruby's feet, also watching the news. If only because there was nothing else to do.

Originally she'd have thought they'd be going back to Patch, but Qrow had decided it was better for them to stay in Vale since Yang would transit back there in two days or less – thus, they could all head back together. A decision Ruby supported... but, also left her with little to do but think.

And thinking was the last thing she wanted to do right now.

Grimacing Ruby rolled over and swung her legs over the edge of her bed. Crescent Rose laid there in its compacted form, tucked against the rounded handle of the bedside drawer before she plucked it up and slotted it behind her back, the magnetic lock activating seamlessly.

It was only when she started to go towards the door that Garnet spoke up. ''Where are you going?''

''For a walk.'' Ruby said, glancing back at her three sisters with a smile. ''I'll be back soon.''

None stopped her and so with a hint of haste Ruby departed the stuffy hotel room. The hallway was a tiny bit cooler but it wasn't until she made her way outside the hotel proper that she felt like she could breathe freely – the air still cold. Though not much snow remained on the ground she could spy a few piles tucked up against the corners of shops or under automobiles. The sight of it reminded her of Patch, which was still doused in a heavy amount of snow, and without thinking she reached up to touch her eyepatch.

The metal was cold against her fingertips and she relaxed minutely; relieved she hadn't forgotten to put it on. It was becoming strangely easy to just ignore losing half of her view. Sure she still bumped into people or objects, but it was getting easier day by day, her Aura adapting almost and warning her if she was about to bump into something or something was about to touch her. Not enough to be useful in actual battle, due to the speed that attacks came at, but at least in day-to-day life it lessened the amount of times she walked into other people because she misjudged the distance between them.

Dispelling the thought Ruby started off in a direction at random. Vale wasn't entirely unfamiliar to her but she had to admit her current surroundings most certainly were – her sole silver eye scanning the rows of shops of both sides of the street, the occasional hotel or government building between them. People milled about through the early afternoon air without even looking at her – some on their Scrolls talking to people, others looking at shopping lists, some just looking ahead without even glancing in through the store windows.

It was all so... normal.

She clenched her fists then, taking a moment to draw a breath and clear her mind. Why was she so on edge? Sure, Viridian had been her first taste beyond the walls and she felt guilty about those that lost their lives – but she'd fought Grimm before. Never on this scale, yes, but she'd gone and killed Ursa, Beowolves, Boarbatusk – heck, she'd even killed an Alpha Beowulf not that long ago! She'd even faced down an Alpha Boarbatusk that must've been decades, if not centuries old and lived to tell the tale!

So why was she still so tense?

Because of that Grimm.

The thought came to her, sending a cold jolt up her spine as the pieces clicked into place. The haunting, piercing stare that was so potent it felt like she'd been literally shot – she'd never actually seen the Grimm responsible. She knew without question that there was an elder Grimm among the horde, there was no other reason why she'd feel that way... but she'd never seen it. Not at the forefront when the town was attacked nor even when they took off. Had it fled, or hid itself? Or had it simply blended in with the horde when they departed?

Some part of her way glad she never actually had to come face-to-face with such a monster. If just being looked at it was enough to paralyse her, she didn't want to know what engaging it in battle would be like.

'I don't even know what it looks like though... how is Uncle Qrow supposed to warn others if I can't even give a description?' Ruby sighed to herself. 'Maybe I should-'

Her thoughts were interrupted rather suddenly as she turned a corner, and walked straight into someone.

''Ack-!''

''Oof-!''

Ruby landed on her ass with a yelp, wincing as a jolt went up her tailbone, but otherwise she was fine – drawing her gaze onto her unwitting companion. He was about the same age as her, maybe a few years older at most and with a youthful complexion, his blonde hair messy by nature. With a quick shake of his head the young man – clad in jeans and a hoodie, she noticed – looked up at her, his bright blue eyes locking onto her.

And then as one they spoke. ''A-Are you okay?!''

They both stopped immediately after, baffled, before with an awkward chuckle the blonde stumbled to his feet. ''Sorry about that, I wasn't looking where I was going...''

''Oh, same, aha...'' Ruby laughed sheepishly. ''I didn't, um, hurt you right? I walked into you pretty hard.''

''No no, I'm fine, really!'' He assured with a smile, offering a hand. ''I'm Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, ladies love it.''

The attempt at suaveness brought a wry smile to Ruby's face. ''Uh-huh, really?''

''Well, sometimes...'' Jaune admitted bashfully.

Ruby giggled at that, accepting his hand. ''I'm Ruby Rose. Nice to meet you. Or run into you, I guess.''

''Haha, yeah... hey, you really okay?'' Jaune remarked, genuine concern in his eyes. ''Not trying the whole 'I'm okay' thing only to run around the corner and wince sort of thing?''

''Sounds like you're talking from experience.''

''I'm just saying, you know...'' Jaune half-heartedly tried to deflect the query.

Ruby couldn't hide her smile. ''Yeah, I'm fine. Just... got a lot on my mind, is all.''

''Wanna talk about it?'' The blonde teen offered, holding up his hands. ''If you're cool with it of course.''

Ruby was about to decline – he was a stranger after all... but then again, strangers were just friends you hadn't met yet. And who better to vent to than someone who didn't have any bias towards her, no pre-conceived judgement?

''I...'' She sighed. ''Sure.''

Jaune just smiled. ''I'm all ears.''

X-x-X

Vale was a big place.

It felt like stating the obvious, given it was one of the four main kingdoms, but you could never fully grasp what it meant until you saw it with your own eyes. The far-reaching streets that wound this way and that, as old-fashioned town paths turned into modern, grid-based city streets, how older houses were mashed between modern apartments, how the walls looked so small from a distance but so tall you had to crane your neck back just to see the top when up close – Vale was big in a way that, to a island girl like Ruby, made it feel unfathomably huge.

Jaune though was clearly a native to such an environment. With a casual smile he'd taken her to a café one of his mother's friends ran, affording them both a seat on the top-floor balcony overlooking the city streets and adjacent plaza. A fairground had been set up there; some tents, a bouncy castle and some other small events meant for children. She'd not heard much about it but given Jaune barely spared it a glance she assumed it was normal in this part of town.

Maybe it was. What better way to ignore tragedy and keep the Grimm at bay than by focusing on the simpler things in life?

''So the mission went south, huh?''

Ruby grimaced, shifting in her seat. Jaune sat across from her, his vanilla milkshake remaining mostly untouched for the last five minutes of her story. It almost impressed her with how much information she was able to stretch out – normally she sucked at giving detailed explanations. Now she'd just given him a play-by-play of the whole day, near enough.

''Yeah.'' Ruby remarked softly, sighing. ''It's just... weighing on my mind, you know?''

Jaune hummed slowly, finally leaning in and sipping his milkshake. He downed a good third of it before he spoke. ''You still saved thirty or so people, right? That's gotta count for something.''

''But what about the other hundred that didn't make it?'' Ruby mumbled, glancing at her own drink. Strawberry milkshake with cream and grated chocolate on top, with a big juicy strawberry sunk into the side of the glass.

She took the strawberry out and nibbled on it.

''Could you have done anything about it?'' Jaune asked – and then immediately followed up before she could answer; ''And I mean anything? Like, short of gaining superpowers and magically saving everyone.''

Ruby eased back into her seat, expression conflicted. Could she? She wanted to say yes, that she'd stalled too long or made the wrong move – but as she played each instance back in her mind, she realised, with some amount of sorrow, that there wasn't. She couldn't have known about the incoming horde – she couldn't have even known about the state Viridian was in. Likewise when she finally saw the Grimm approaching... she wanted to say she could've shaken off that elder Grimm's stare, but how? How did you just 'overcome' something like that?

But even if she had, would it have mattered? She'd been frozen for a minute at most, probably not even half of that. Even if she'd bolted inside and yelled warnings to everyone would that've made a difference? Probably not. Nobody inside the walls of Viridian knew how close the Grimm were – if they'd left their wounded or infirm behind, they'd likely do the same even if Ruby had gotten there a minute sooner. Either out of fear, selfishness or simple pragmatism. Likewise she couldn't have predicted the Alpha Boarbatusks and definitely not stopped them in the midst of their charge; even Qrow, for all his strength, would just be flattened by one of those things. Only someone with inhuman strength or some unique Semblance could've had a chance of stopping such a giant charge.

''...no, I couldn't of.'' Ruby whispered out, defeated by the realisation. ''...I still feel bad though, for everyone who wasn't able to come back to Vale.''

''That's how you're supposed to feel though.'' At her startled expression he smiled awkwardly. ''I mean, if I was in your place I think I'd feel the same. It's normal to feel bad about that sort of stuff.''

''...mm, guess you're right about that.'' Ruby murmured, munching the last of her strawberry before taking a long drink of her milkshake, draining a good portion of it. ''How are you so good at this whole comforting thing?''

Jaune just chuckled sheepishly at that. ''I come from a family of Hunters, my sisters are all Huntresses too – I guess I just sort of... picked it up. You'd be surprised how often even professional Huntsmen come back feeling like they could've done more; my dad was usually the one that walked them through their actions and helped cool their heads. I had to give my sisters that talk though, once or twice. Guess sometimes all you need is someone else to point things out.''

''Are you a Hunter too?'' Ruby inquired lightly.

''Aha... not really, no. I mean I wanna but, well...'' He scratched his cheek. ''Long story short, I'm... not that good of a fighter.''

''Your family hasn't trained you?'' She questioned with brows knitted. When she had expressed the desire to become a Huntress Taiyang had obviously tried to discourage her at first... but when it became apparent she was dead-set on her future, he'd been the one to rigorously train her, and when available Qrow did too. Signal took over after she was of age for it.

So why didn't a literal family of Hunters train their son to be one?

''My mom doesn't want me to.'' Jaune sighed – and that sigh alone contained a decade's worth of frustration, anger, and defeat. ''Says it's too dangerous – apparently not too dangerous for my sisters, but it is for me!''

''I'm guessing you're an only son?''

''Yeah, took my parents ages to have me. Kinda strange to think my family would've been a lot smaller if they weren't determined to have a son too – something about the Arc legacy and all that.'' Jaune confessed. ''I mean I understand that she wants to protect me and all, Grimm are freaking scary, but come on! If my sisters can do it why can't I?''

Ruby just smiled awkwardly. ''Overprotective parents suck huh?''

''Oh you have no idea.'' Deflating Jaune sipped despondently on his milkshake, draining it. ''You relate?''

''Sort of.'' Ruby admitted. ''My dad's really protective, but I guess it's kinda warranted after all the stuff that's happened.''

She caught Jaune glancing at her eyepatch then, something almost like understanding in his eyes. The thought almost wanted to make her smile – did he think she was blind or lost an eye? Then again, that was probably the normal assumption when you saw someone wearing an eyepatch, wasn't it...

''It looks good.'' Jaune suddenly said, before hurriedly adding; ''The eyepatch, I mean.''

Ruby giggled, bringing a blush to his cheeks. ''S-Sorry, probably shouldn't have said that so suddenly...''

''It's fine.'' Ruby assured, her smile much more tame. ''Thanks. For being so nice to me.''

Jaune shook his head. ''I just did what anyone would do.''

''Funny, you're the only one who noticed I looked down.''

''That's probably why we walked into each other, wasn't it?''

A beat.

Then as one they burst out into light laughter, grins on their faces. The weight that had previously rested on Ruby's shoulders felt so much lighter – the thought strange, but maybe all she'd really needed was someone to talk to. And maybe strangers really were just friends you hadn't met yet.

''Hey, since I'll be in Vale for the next couple of days, anywhere else I should know about?'' Ruby wiggled her eyebrows. ''That you have 'secret contacts' in.''

Jaune snorted at her wording. ''I do actually – there's this pretty flower shop down the road, and the bakery just next to it, and down by the docks there's...''

On and on they talked, and by the time they left the café they had a laundry list of places to visit and see – with Jaune acting as her impromptu tour guide.

X-x-X

The rest of the afternoon bled away with Jaune by her side, leading her around the streets with a confidence that came with familiarity. Even if said confidence wilted somewhat when it came to talking with people.

Eventually though the sun began to set and they had to part ways; exchanging Scroll numbers so they could talk more in future – though he lived in Vale and she in Patch, he had an aunt in Patch and visited her often so the chances of them running into one another were fairly high. Ruby was just happy that they'd be able to meet again; though she wasn't a loner by any stretch of the imagination, especially not with her newfound sisters around, she didn't have many friends on the whole. Sure, a couple ones she could hang out with at Signal or those who failed to pass and now worked in Patch as apprentices or shop-keeps, but none of whom she trusted enough to tell about her newfound... situation.

Jaune though was different. He was new, he didn't have any expectations of her – and because of that she could probably introduce her sisters and he'd just roll with it, heck he might even think the eye was just cool and nothing more. Despite that she carefully avoided letting too much slip out – he was her new friend, yes, but Ruby wasn't dumb enough to spill the beans to the first person who was kind to her. Heck for all she knew telling him would be a bad idea, as people might want to hurt him to get to her – if not now, then in future.

Shaking her head Ruby dispelled the heavy thoughts that started to creep in – the act a lot easier than it was that morning. With a light smile on her face she entered the hotel once more, chirping a light greeting to the receptionist before ascending up to her floor – the journey leading her down the beige-themed walls and across red carpets before arriving at her room door, the same one she shared with her three sisters.

Some part of her still hadn't quite adjusted to the idea. Another part of her loved it.

''I'm back~'' Ruby called out as she strolled inside.

''Ruby!'' And then a second later she was practically tackled by Scarlet, the fox Faunus furtively petting her all over. ''You're okay right?!''

''Wha- yeah, of course I am!'' Ruby squawked, a little flustered as her older look-a-like petted her all over. ''Why? Did something happen when I was gone?''

''No.'' Garnet's voice floated from across the room. ''Scarlet was just worried you'd been gone for so long.''

''Of course! She said she'd just be gone for a little bit...'' Scarlet trailed off, pouting.

Ruby smiled wryly and petted the Faunus's hands. ''Sorry, I'll try not to take so long next time. At least your hearing is back, though.''

Scarlet brightened at that. ''Mm! It felt super weird – I was just laying on the bed and bits and pieces started to come through, until eventually I could vaguely make out what Garnet was saying. Took about another hour though until my hearing got to where it is now. Still hard to hear if you whisper, but Garnet said it should be healed fully by tomorrow!''

Ruby could emphasise with her elation – if she'd lost her hearing, even if only for a day... yeah, she'd be pretty bummed out too. Being half-blind with her eyepatch on was one thing, but entirely deaf? That'd be agony, not even accounting for what it'd be like in a battle.

''Actually.'' Scarlet looked back at her, quizzical. ''What took you so long anyway?''

''Oh, I ran into a boy by...'' Ruby trailed off as she realised how that might be interpreted.

But it was too late, a foxy grin spreading across Scarlet's lips. ''Hehe, a boy huh~''

''N-Not like that! I mean I just ran into him – literally! Well, not literally, I walked into him, b-but you get the point!'' Ruby tried not to stammer. She failed. ''A-Anyway, when's Uncle Qrow coming back?''

''You're not evading the question that easily, Ruby~'' Scarlet crooned mirthfully, hugging her right arm into her generous bosom. ''So what was he like huh? He our age? Cute, handsome, is he into weapon forging? Oh please tell me he's into weapon forging~''

Mercifully she didn't have to answer the incriminating questions as Garnet came to her aid. ''Ruby's newfound companion aside, Qrow should be back any minute now-''

As if her words were the trigger hard knocks banged on the door behind Ruby. The flustered Rose was all too happy to escape Scarlet's questions and yanked the door open without hesitation, a bright, genuine smile lighting up her face as she found Qrow on the other side... with a stack of three pizza boxes in one hand.

''Hey squirts.'' Qrow smirked. ''Got you some pizza.''

Ruby cheered, both for the pizza and for the fact Scarlet was instantly distracted – the two Roses forced away from the door so Qrow could waltz inside. He didn't get far before the top two pizza boxes were whisked away, earning an eye-roll from the man himself but he didn't protest, simply opening the last box and taking a slice of pizza for himself. Ruby on the other hand ferried her box over onto Garnet's bed, earning a thankful smile from her sister before she took a slice out of her own, eating it with grace.

Much more grace than Ruby had, anyway. She didn't care though – after the last few days she had, she was entitled to eat messily.

''Schow!'' Ruby spoke as she ate. ''Wher wur yuu ahl dahy, Unkle Qrow?!''

''Don't talk with your mouth full.'' Qrow said first and foremost, taking a bite and finishing it before speaking further. ''And same thing I told you this morning. Mostly calls about the unusual Grimm behaviour, where the Grimm went after the attack, passing messages along to various Hunters to be on-guard about future incidents like that – that sort of thing.''

Ruby nodded, swallowing her food. ''...what happened to the Grimm after we left, by the way?''

''We don't know. By the time support came to try and thin the horde, only a few stragglers were left – the bulk of the horde had gone back the way they'd came, judging by the tracks, though they've not been spotted yet.'' The Huntsman shrugged. ''I doubt they'll do anything about it – no point in antagonising them and risking them attacking another town.''

''...what's to stop them from doing that anyway though?'' It was Cherry who deigned to speak, peering out past her hood as she munched on a bit of pizza.

Her despondent aura somewhat at odds with Scarlet, who sat across from her wolfing through her pizza slices one after the other.

''Technically nothing, though the other neighbouring towns in the area just beyond the walls are being reinforced, and patrols are being undertaken more regularly – if an attack does happen, the Grimm will have a much harder time breaking through.'' Qrow assured. ''Anyway, I also called an old friend of mine – mostly to do with that damn Grail inside of you, Ruby.''

''Oh... erm, why?''

''Just to see if he can figure out anything we can't.'' Qrow confessed. ''He's pretty knowledgeable about this sort of thing, a heck of a lot more than I am. We'll go see him tomorrow afternoon.''

Ruby was even more curious now. ''Who is he?''

In response Qrow just smirked, mirth in his eyes.

''Ozpin.''

[END]

Chapter Text

Ruby was nervous. Really nervous. Also really excited. But mainly nervous.

It was an understandable reaction, she liked to think. It wasn't every day that you were invited to Beacon to speak with the headmaster, who himself was a fairly famous Huntsman in his own right. The thought sent butterflies through Ruby's stomach, part of her wanting to squeal with joy whilst another, larger part of her kept herself composed, if only so she wouldn't embarrass herself in front of her future peers.

A hand brushed against her own, drawing Ruby's eyes away from the approaching form of Beacon Academy, the airship around them buckling slightly as it ascended up to the cliff's edge. Garnet stood next to her and gave her a small smile, slipping her hand into Ruby's own and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Smiling her thanks Ruby squeezed her sister's hand back, turning to look over her shoulder to where Scarlet was currently sitting; Cherry by her side as they both watched a news report on one of the overhead screens. Qrow, naturally, was stood just a few feet away toying away on his Scroll.

He'd been awfully busy as of late, she had to note. Then again he normally went on long-term missions out into the wilds, so maybe this was his way of making up for his absence in that regard.

Shaking off the deep thought Ruby refocused on the approaching academy. At this time of year it'd be out of session, she knew, so only a handful of people would be hanging about – a blessing, really. She didn't think she could walk about her future peers and keep her cool, especially if they happened to be carrying their weapons around on their persons. If they were faculty it'd be a lot easier; they had an adultness to them that kept her fan-girlish tendencies at bay, if only out of fear of embarrassing herself in front of them.

''We are now arriving at the dock, please gather all items. If you forget anything please contact the Beacon Help Desk at...''

The automated voice rattled off a number but Ruby didn't pay it much heed, simply doing a once-over to make sure she hadn't magically dropped Crescent Rose before turning her focus over onto Qrow. Her gruff uncle caught her gaze and nodded, pocketing his Scroll before shoving both hands into said pockets, shoulders in as he marched over to the front doors. They were the only ones on the airship at the moment so the queue was non-existent, the four Roses all gathering behind Qrow as the airship lulled to a stop.

Then with a hiss of hydraulics the doors slid apart, revealing the grand view of Beacon without the tint of the windows to mute it – the grand structure ripped right out of a fairy tale. Qrow seemed entirely unphased and just strutted out into the open, leaving Ruby to hurry after him, glancing behind herself to make sure none of her sisters tripped on the lip or anything. None did, though Scarlet grinned at her in thanks.

She opened her mouth to speak then, attention shifting to her uncle – when another, feminine voice cut in.

''I see that you've arrived Qrow. On time, for a change.''

Instantly Ruby looked ahead. Stood crispy just off to the side was a blonde woman who Ruby didn't immediately recognise, but she vaguely recalled her being on the posters of Beacon Academy – so one of the teachers, no doubt. She certainly looked the role, especially with a riding crop tucked under one arm.

''Looking wonderful as ever Glynda.'' Qrow drawled casually. ''Also, since you've got your weapon on you, I'm guessing someone blew something up?''

''Yes.'' Glynda sighed at the reminder, one hand coming up to massage the bridge of her nose. ''Several third year teams decided to stay at the dormitory for the inter-year period. They have been... particularly lively, the last few days. Necessitating I repair the walls of the cafeteria yet again.''

''I pity you.''

''I'd take your words more sincerely if you weren't grinning, Qrow.''

Qrow just snorted, unrepentant. Glynda rolled her eyes at that before focusing them on Ruby herself, the Rose unconsciously straightening up under the scrutinising look, vividly reminded of Signal's entrance examiner. The old guy had a mean stare.

''I wasn't aware Summer Rose had more than one child.'' Glynda's words snapped Ruby out of her thoughts. ''I presume this has something to do why you are here to visit the headmaster?''

''Yep. You know the deal.'' Qrow shrugged.

Glynda hummed at that. ''Quite. Follow me then.''

Ruby hurried to do so. ''Did you know my mom?''

Glynda didn't look back at her. ''I did in fact. It was back when I was still a junior teacher that she enrolled in the academy as a first year. She was always quite the... spirited woman.''

Qrow snorted. ''More like she was high on life.''

''Perhaps. But in a world such as ours, being perpetually full of energy is something of a blessing. If not to themselves, then to those around them.''

''Funny, 'cause I remember never being able to sleep because she'd babble into the night with Taiyang about all sorts of comics that'd come out.'' Qrow countered with a smirk. ''That's probably why I failed my combat class that first semester and had to redo it.''

''Perhaps. Or perhaps because you decided to mess around with some boys in your year and got caught by some of your female classmates in the act.'' Glynda pointedly remarked, expression unchanging.

''I don't remember that part of the story.''

''They did hit you quite hard, after all.''

Ruby listened intently from the back, awed as she learned more about her mother, and even her uncle – albeit indirectly. Their words painted vivid images in her mind, the languid mirth to her uncle's voice adding a layer of assuredness to their reminiscence. She'd never known her mother was into comics either, but with everything she knew of the woman... she could picture it. She always had a fondness for bedtime stories; that much she remembered well.

The two continued to talk as the four Roses dutifully followed. It wasn't a long trip, thankfully, as Glynda took them down the most direct route to the giant tower at the heart of Beacon Academy, several hallways winding their way towards it. The lack of any students about made it feel almost hauntingly quiet; Glynda and Qrow's voices carrying far, but there was an odd charm to the quiet – not quite peacefulness, but... solitude, if Ruby was to put a word to it. In the same way a gloomy day could be as beautiful as a bright sunny one, so too could this haunting quiet be as charming as a peaceful type of quiet.

'...it's not like me to think about this kind stuff...' Ruby mused to herself, shaking her head. Maybe her nerves really were getting the best of her.

Thankfully they reached the elevator then – Glynda the one to speak. ''The headmaster is waiting for you. I'll be down here doing paperwork if you need me.''

''Sounds fun. I envy you.''

''Yes yes, of course you do, now get going.''

Qrow snorted and gave her a two-fingered salute before waltzing into the elevator. ''C'mon squirts, lets go see the big man himself.''

Ruby hurried to oblige. ''T-Thanks for bring us here, Miss Glynda!''

''It's Glynda Goodwitch.'' Glynda remarked as she adjusted her glasses. ''I don't believe I caught your names either.''

''Oh right, sorry.'' Ruby blushed. ''I'm Ruby.''

''I'm Scarlet~''

''...Cherry.''

''And I am Garnet.'' Garnet finished with a small smile. ''It was a pleasure to meet you.''

Glynda nodded and uttered the same before departing, leaving the elevator doors to close.

The ride up was short, the low hum of the elevator filling the quiet alongside the faint music coming through some speakers mounted in the upper corners, the pleasant tunes doing little to quell Ruby's anxiety. An anxiety momentarily halted as a large hand settled on her shoulder, luring her gaze up to Qrow himself. Though there was no smile to be found on his face the slight quirk to his lips spoke of his humour well enough, as did the gentle care in his eyes.

''Hey, relax. Ozpin's a nice guy.'' Qrow remarked, chuckling. ''He'll probably just ask you some questions, there ain't tests or anything.''

Ruby doubted that there would've been but she relaxed a little all the same, murmuring something that could've been an agreement if she said it a little louder. The elevator cabin fell silent in the absence of conversation, the quiet lasting just a few more moments before the cabin slowed – and with a ding the elevator doors opened.

Qrow strolled right on in unabashed but Ruby remained standing where she was. The grand interior stun-locked her – the shockingly spacious room and clock tower design seeming like something straight out of a fairy tale. Her sole silver eye traced the bookshelves by the walls, winding her gaze around to the modest desk at the far end of the room. Behind which sat one of the most famous Huntsmen currently alive, his greying hair and reclining posture giving him a somewhat older, yet still wise appearance.

Ozpin. Headmaster of Beacon Academy.

''Welcome, Ruby Rose.'' The Headmaster smiled mysteriously. ''And sisters.''

His words snapped Ruby out of her daze and she blushed, stammering out a hello and hurrying inside the office – hearing more than seeing her sisters follow, though at a more sedated pace. Qrow had already meandered up to the older Huntsman's desk, casually leaning up against a nearby wall and embarrassingly leaving Ruby to stand as the focus of Ozpin's attention. A situation that left her wanting to hide behind Garnet, self-conscious, but a gentle hand on her back stalled such motions.

Drawing a breath she steadied herself, the simple act seeming to cleanse herself of some of her worries. ''I-It's an honour to meet you, sir.''

Ozpin smiled and dipped his head. ''And I you. Your uncle has told me about you and your prodigious skill with the scythe – expected, given he was your mentor, but remarkable all the same. I take it you intend to enrol in Beacon once you've completed your time at Signal Academy?''

''Hopefully; I've still got two years to go, eheh...'' Ruby squirmed bashfully under the praise.

''If your skill now is anything to go by, I expect great things by the time you arrive at Beacon Academy proper.'' Ozpin remarked, bringing a mug to his lips. ''But that aside, I heard you required my insight into a matter involving this... Holy Grail, I believe it was called?''

Ruby stiffened momentarily at the reminder before hesitantly nodding. Reaching up to her eyepatch she carefully removed the cold steel from her face, having to blink a couple of times to get her full vision back – taking a few seconds to adjust to the change in light level. Once it felt fine she pocketed her patch for the time being, trying not to squirm as she looked at Ozpin, letting him see her glowing, golden eye.

The man himself looked remarkably unphased. ''I see... well, I can safely say that's new.''

Ruby faltered slightly. ''D-Does that mean you don't know about it?''

''Quite the contrary, just that I've not seen a case like this. Not recently, anyway.'' He added the latter almost as an afterthought to himself. ''Please, tell me everything you can think of relating to this artifact. Leave nothing out.''

Ruby obliged. She told him about how she went to visit her mom, how Garnet appeared and saved her after she'd blacked out, how she woke up with a new eye and how they had to venture home. To how Scarlet manifested in her bed, to how they fought the Alpha Beowulf and awakened their Semblances, to travelling to Viridian and then coming into contact with Cherry, who manifested in the cabin of the Bullhead. Garnet and Scarlet interjected where needed to give their perspectives, whilst Cherry remained pointedly silent, stood at the back of the group with body tucked behind the folds of her cloak-like cape.

Ozpin listened in thoughtfully. It was hard to gauge his thoughts despite the fact he was so expressive – he nodded along or hummed, he frowned or lightened his expression where needed, but never in a way that felt forced. Yet she failed to grasp at his actual thoughts, whatever musings he was rolling around in his mind kept from his face. Eventually she finished her retelling, straining her mind to think of any other pertinent details but coming up short.

Near-silence was left in the wake of her speech, the only distraction being the slow, repeated drums of Ozpin's fingers on the table as he mused.

Until at last, he spoke. ''So you say that all of your sisters here were born from the Holy Grail.''

''Right.''

''And they all manifested whilst you were asleep?'' Ozpin noted lightly. ''Nobody saw the moment they appeared?''

Ruby hesitated, glancing back at her sisters. Both Garnet and Scarlet shook their heads – the former the one to speak. ''I was not present for Scarlet's manifestation, and Cherry appeared while I wasn't looking. There was no flash or anything to signify her arrival; she was merely not there one moment, then there the next.''

''I see.'' Ozpin's finger-drumming ceased as he stood. ''I will admit this is quite peculiar – I should not have to explain that, even for a Semblance, manifesting an entire functioning individual borders on impossible. The greatest feats were often semi-sentient clones of the user; shadow clones, knights that could fight according to their master's whims, animalistic monsters that shadowed their owners... but a fully independent person?''

He shook his head. ''That falls outside the limits of a single soul to do. A soul must come into being all at once, never piecemeal. A single soul cannot provide the energy needed to create another.''

''Eh? Then how does that work when two peeps go at it?'' Scarlet inquired with blatant curiosity, tilting her head.

Ruby blinked, baffled, until Garnet sighed and whispered it into her ear. Her cheeks rapidly reddened after.

Ozpin chuckled and tapped his cane. ''Because when a child is conceived their soul is not 'created', per se.''

The exact wording caught Ruby's attention, her embarrassment taking a backseat. ''Huh? But then, how...?''

''Hmhm.'' To that, the older man just chuckled. ''Tell me, do you believe in reincarnation?''

The dots connected in Ruby's mind. ''Oh! So you're saying that souls aren't made when... y'know, people do that, but are instead just pulled in from like an afterlife?''

''In essence.'' Ozpin nodded along. ''The subject is still a fresh one at academies, so you'll have to take my word for it, but let's just say I've done my fair share of research into the subject. I've also done my fair share of investigation into unique artifacts like this Holy Grail you now possess – artifacts we may well call 'magical'.''

The Headmaster gestured at her sisters. ''However, one thing that has never come up in my research was a device capable of creating another soul, believe it or not. It is simply beyond even these trinkets from days long gone by. No, such a feat is simply impossible for anything outside of a deity to do, and they seem to be in terribly short supply in these trying times.''

''Which of course leaves me with the question; how did your sisters here manifest, if even the Holy Grail should be incapable of creating a soul on its own?''

As Ozpin finished he looked not at Ruby, who seemed to struggle for an answer – but at Garnet.

Garnet said nothing but her shoulders were tense, her lips formed into a thin line and her throat shifting as she swallowed.

…

''Well, I suppose it's not something that can be answered easily.'' Ozpin remarked vaguely, turning away to look out the window. ''I will do some more research on my end and contact a few people – with any luck we'll be able to scavenge some more information about what possessing this unique artifact will mean for you, Miss Rose.''

''R-Right!'' Ruby jolted out of her thoughts, nodding.

''Do be warned, however.'' Ozpin continued. ''Though the Holy Grail is rare and known scarcely, there are those who will undoubtedly know of it – and if they know you possess it, will no doubt seek you out. I do not think I need to tell you that they may not have the nicest intentions.''

The warning sent a chill up her spine. She's always been aware of that on some vague, peripheral level. She'd heard stories even when she was young of bandits and evildoers who kidnapped and attacked the heroes, often for a relic or cool power they had – but to know she was in the same position as those heroes... she was glad Yang stopped her from reading the more mature, violent stories involving that sort of thing. Not that it stopped her imagination from filling in the blanks.

''Understood.'' Ruby managed to not let her voice tremble.

Ozpin nodded. ''Good. On the note of the Grail though, one piece of information I happened to stumble upon long ago was that it, according to old testaments, had a consciousness of some sort. I would suggest meditating to try and draw that consciousness out – by working in harmony with it, you might well be able to utilise more of its power, and use it for good.''

There was emphasise on that last word but Ruby didn't think twice about it, nodding along.

''I'll have Qrow here pass along anything pertinent I come across.'' Ozpin added, looking back at them with a small smile. ''Fret not, Miss Rose, the archaic artifact within you will cause you no harm. Do not let your worries stymie your future endeavours.''

The older Huntsman's charisma wove itself around her heart, chasing away the worries she had, if only for a moment. ''Y-Yes sir!''

''Hmhm. If there's nothing else, you're free to go then – I merely wish to speak with your uncle regarding some matters about his most recent mission.''

Ruby was about to agree – when she recalled something. ''About that mission, sir?''

''Hm?''

''During it, I felt like I was being watched.'' Ruby confessed, chewing her bottom lip. ''N-Not like by a person, but by a Grimm. I never really saw it so I can't describe it, but it felt old, you know? Like... its stare was so intense it made me freeze up.''

''Truly?'' Ozpin remarked. ''And this was in Viridian, was it?''

At Ruby's nod Ozpin hummed. ''I see. That is indeed quite troubling – though the report mentioned a potential elder Grimm sighting, to know one is lurking so close to Vale's walls is problematic, to put it mildly. I'll notify the Huntsmen in charge of the area. Thank you for the information, Miss Rose.''

Feeling a lot lighter Ruby thanked him and hurried to the elevator, her three sisters quick to follow – before with a ding, they departed down.

A brief quiet fell over the office in their absence, broken only by a sigh as Ozpin sat down.

''An elder Grimm... really, how troublesome...''

''Hn.'' Qrow grunted an agreement, pushing off of the wall. ''So. How much of what you told them was true?''

''Most.'' Ozpin freely admitted, pausing briefly to take a sip of his cooling coffee. ''If what she says is true though, then it's entirely possible she knows that Miss Rose is in possession of the Holy Grail.''

Qrow's expression tightened, a displeased hiss escaping him. Ozpin nodded his grim agreement.

''She's most likely been hunting for it ever since the last owner of it perished.'' The older Huntsman remarked. ''That would be a King of Vale, if I recall right. He perished centuries ago but the Holy Grail has failed to show up since. How curious it appeared before the grave of a Silver-Eyed Warrior, don't you think?''

''What do you mean by that?''

''Nothing. Just speculation on my part, is all.'' Ozpin shrugged in his seat. ''Regardless it's undeniable that if she doesn't know about the Grail yet, then she will know sooner or later, and the moment she does Miss Rose's life is in danger.''

''So you want me to keep her away from any and all Grimm?'' Qrow crossed his arms. ''I mean I could, but...''

''She wishes to become a Huntress. A duty that involves fighting the Grimm on a regular basis.'' Ozpin nodded sympathetically. ''No, keeping her away from the Grimm will not only be pointless, but counterproductive – at her age she needs to learn all she can about fighting the Grimm. Especially if she is going to come after her – the more experience she has under her belt, the better, even if it means putting her in danger in the first place. If anything that might be best; the greater the threat, the more power of the Grail she'll be able to tap into.''

Understanding flashed through Qrow's eyes – eyes that soon narrowed. ''You want me to take her out on more missions.''

''It is an unenviable task, but one that could prove fruitful, Qrow.''

''She's still in junior combat school.''

''Classes are out of session, last I heard.''

Qrow's jaw set. ''That's not what I mean and you know it.''

Ozpin dipped his head in acknowledgement, rising to his feet. ''I will not force you, of course. I am merely stating the obvious; the more combat experience your niece has, the more likely she will be able to evade death when she makes her move. And she will make a move, sooner or later.''

The scythe-wielding Huntsman clearly disliked that but couldn't fault the logic. Especially when he'd been privy to the greater threats that lurked out far beyond the walls of Vale.

What happened in the dismal depths of Salem's territory.

''And what about her clones?'' Qrow asked instead. ''You gave her that whole speech and all.''

Ozpin hummed and wandered over to his computer, idly typing away at a few keys. ''I have my suspicions, but I won't say what they are. Matters of the soul are a very personal affair; I have no right to intervene. Rest assured though, they mean Ruby Rose no harm.''

'Especially if my suspicions about them are true...'

X-x-X

With their meeting with Ozpin done and no one to guide them, Ruby and her sisters found themselves wandering Beacon Academy on their own.

At first it felt a little dangerous, as if they were doing something they weren't supposed to, but when they passed a teacher who just gave them a hurried nod before ferrying their stack of paperwork elsewhere she dared to relax a little. Practically speaking she was sure it was fine, anything they wanted to keep sealed from public eyes was probably in a basement somewhere, so she doubted walking the grounds was against the rules or anything. Still, it felt audacious of her to do so.

Thus it was a blessing that Scarlet was by her side, her bolder sister eagerly snatching her by the arm and dragging her all over campus. It took some effort to keep her clear of the dormitories but outside of that none of the other Roses had the will to really stop Scarlet, letting the fox Faunus drag them through the lush gardens, the pretty courtyard, and even into various training rooms or the forge – the latter easily twice the size of the one at Signal and with even more weapon stations present. Shame there was no fancy weapons just laying around, but the sight of the forge alone was worth the trip.

It also got her thinking of what weapon to make for Cherry.

''Any ideas?''

Cherry peered up at her from under her hood. In stark contrast to Garnet's warm demeanour or Scarlet's eternally-cheerful one, Cherry always felt a bit... morose, if she was to put a word to it. At first she thought it was because of what just happened at Viridian but ever since then she'd been the same, leading Ruby to suspect this was just her default persona – or maybe it was just trauma from Viridian. If her mind was as young as she looked physically, then that would probably be pretty traumatising... but then again, she said she was part of her or something, so how did that work?

After a moment of thought Ruby dispelled the idea and refocused on her glum younger self, the red cape she wore wound around her like a cloak and hiding her petite form. ''Don't know.''

''Hm... maybe a dagger?'' Garnet floated the idea but Cherry shook her head.

''You're pretty short, so maybe a smaller weapon?'' Scarlet added her two cents, bending down more to Cherry's height – measuring her with a hand compared to Scarlet herself. The shorter of the two only came up to her bust, at most slightly past that when accounting for shoes.

Surprisingly Cherry shook her head at that too. Ruby sighed at that and scratched her head, wandering over to where a row of basic metal weapons laid on some racks – all of them generic as one could make. No mecha-shift capability, no ornate designs, no Dust utilisation; they were traditional and probably more just to show what each weapon was like, both in design and in weight distribution.

She glanced aside and was surprised to find Cherry by her side. The girl could move quietly when she wanted to, Ruby thought with a slight quirk to her lips; gesturing helplessly at the rows of weapons for her companion to pick out. Obviously they wouldn't be able to keep the weapon but if it helped narrow down Cherry's selection, she was sure it'd be fine to pick them up and swing them around a bit. Provided they didn't damage anything.

Cherry shuffled about, eyes peering out from under her hood and scanning the row of weapons – past swords, past daggers or maces, and slowed only when she reached polearms. A second later she reached out and grabbed-

''...a halberd?'' Ruby said slowly, perplexed. ''Uh... you sure you can even lift that?''

Cherry looked over at her, silent. Without answering the short girl lifted the polearm and swirled it between her fingers, holding it behind her much like how she'd hold Crescent Rose – not a hint of strain despite how petite she was.

Granted because it was a halberd she had to hold it quite close to the blade so it didn't outright bump against the floor, but considering she was only a number of inches shorter than Ruby herself it wasn't impossible to create a weapon like it that was shaved down a little to fit her shorter height. Yes, Ruby thought to herself with a budding grin. She could see it now – the posture, the pose, the small glint of confidence in her glum silver eyes.

She'd made her choice. Ruby felt compelled to say it was fate that made her pick the weapon out.

''Hey, d'ya think they'd let us use the forge if we asked?'' Ruby eagerly asked, looking over at her two older sisters.

Scarlet grinned but Garnet sighed exasperatedly and shook her head. ''I doubt it. We'll have to resign ourselves to using one of the forges in Vale, I'm afraid.''

''Darn.'' Ruby sighed, but expected as much. ''Alright! First order of business is making a halberd! With Dust!''

''And a gun!'' Scarlet cheerily added.

''...just a gun shift is fine.'' Cherry flatly added her two cents.

Ruby bobbed her head. ''Fine by me~! So, let's get going!''

''Yeah, sounds good to me squirts.''

The remark snapped the four Roses from their conversations; a bright grin lighting up Ruby's face as she turned and laid eyes on Qrow. He returned her expression with a smirk of his own, jerking his head towards the exit doors.

''C'mon, I know a place you make scheme up another damn weapon.''

''Thanks Uncle Qrow, you're the best!''

A chuckle was his only answer, and with him at the front the four departed Beacon Academy.

Only Garnet aware of the eyes that followed them from the tower at Beacon's heart.

[END]