Chapter Text
When her mother died when she was only five years old, her father decided that Ruby deserved to learn more about her Faunus heritage. She should meet others like her and learn their experiences and history. There were no other Faunus on Patch, no other Faunus in the family, so Taiyang took his daughters on a trip to Menagerie. Something that would be great for the entire family. Ruby could learn where she came from, meet Faunus besides her mother for the first time, and her sister and father could learn how to support her best as a Faunus living with humans.
That single trip. It had been done with the best of intentions, and Ruby firmly believed it was a good thing, but it still planted the seed of not just the greatest happiness in her life but the greatest sadness as well. Her father had wanted her to see that she belonged, that she had a people and heritage as a Faunus. But Ruby already thought she belonged. She thought she already had a family to call her own. What was different about her from her sister and father? Why did being a Faunus take precedence over everything else? It created so many questions and made a life she thought she already understood so complex and confusing. She was a daughter and a sister. How come that wasn’t enough?
She could trace everything that had happened in her life in the last ten years back to that moment when she first truly realized she was a Faunus.
And that she was different from the rest of her family.
“Well, here we are, this is Menagerie,” Taiyang said with a big smile as he stepped off the boat with his two daughters, the seven year old Yang and the five year old Ruby.
“Whoa...” Yang said with her eyes wide and her mouth open in wonder.
It caused Tai to chuckle, this was certainly a different sight for the two girls than Patch. They had never been anywhere else before aside from one trip to Vale that they would both have been too young for to remember. It was easy to tell just what exactly had gotten such a reaction out of Yang too, as the biggest difference between living on Patch and behind someone like Kuo Kuana was the amount of people. Patch was small in size and even smaller in population whereas Kuo Kuana was bustling with life and activity. Just from taking one step off the boat and Yang and Ruby had seen more people in the last five seconds than they had in their entire lives before this.
Of course, he wasn’t surprised by Yang’s excited reaction. That was something he had seen coming. And, though he didn’t want to put it so selfishly or make it sound like he was playing favorites, this trip wasn’t a trip that they had all taken for her. What he really wanted to see was Ruby’s reaction. What would she think?
Tai looked down at his youngest daughter, the daughter of his second wife, Summer Rose. That wonderful, perfect, person who had healed his heart after what happened with his first wife. Tai still missed her dearly, but he had to be strong for his children. Especially Ruby. Summer was special in a lot of ways, and different from most people he knew. And she had passed on those differences to Ruby. Right now the young girl was half hidden behind his leg, shy and quiet, her slitted silver eyes looking out at all the people.
All the Faunus.
Every last one of them, a Faunus like her.
“Well, Ruby? What do you think?” Tai asked her.
She looked up at him, and then back out at the massive crowd just off the docks and along the water. There were so many little shops set up and Faunus hanging around everywhere.
“It’s a lot of people,” Ruby said.
“And it’s really hot, can we go swimming?” Yang asked, a huge smile on her face.
Tai sighed and patted Yang’s head, knowing he had to keep an eye on her or else she’d zoom off somewhere in a second. “Later, this isn’t some beach resort, Yang. We’re not here for that.” He knelt down next to Ruby, both so she couldn’t keep hiding behind him and so he was more on eye-level with her. “Yes, there are a lot of people here. Do you notice anything else about all of them? Do you know why I wanted to bring you here, Ruby?”
The only other Faunus Ruby had ever seen in her life was her own mother. And Summer and Ruby both were very human-like in appearance. Their traits were invisible from a distance, their fangs able to be completely hidden unless they wanted them to be shown off. Most Faunus weren’t like that. They had animal ears on their heads, tails, scaled skin, or something else that was far more noticeable than the traits that Ruby has and Summer had. A lot of people might even think Ruby and Summer were human without taking a closer look. Even a lot of the Faunus here on Menagerie might think that it was three humans who had arrived.
It was also the case that Ruby herself likely didn’t understand the difference. Tai and Summer had never had some moment where when raising her they said: “Oh, by the way, you know how you have slitted pupils and can spit venom like your mother but the rest of your family can’t? It’s because you’re a Faunus and technically a different species from humans”. They had never had that talk. A completely different type of talk than the numerous other talks Tai expected to have with both his daughters one day. Ruby knew she had fangs and could spit venom and her eyes were different from Yang’s and Tai’s. But she didn’t know the why behind the why. Ruby still just saw herself as a young girl who was different in the same way her hair was a different color than her sister’s. Not anything greater than that. Summer had carefully raised her and instructed her about being careful with her fangs and venom but as for actually teaching her what a Faunus was? Nope. And now, Summer was gone and it was up to Tai to do his best. There were no other Faunus on Patch, none he really knew personally from Vale, but he didn’t want Ruby to lose the heritage that connected her to her mother. There was no better place to go than here, he had been planning it and setting things up for a while now. Maybe he shouldn’t have kept so much of it as a surprise but he wanted this moment to be special.
But what did Ruby think? How was she going to feel about all this?
“They look different,” Ruby answered Tai’s question.
Tai smiled but it was a bit uncomfortable. That wasn’t entirely what he wanted to hear. “Well... yes and no. Ruby, you remember how your mother had the same eyes and fangs you do?”
Ruby nodded, her face still full of uncertainty. “Yeah... and Yang doesn’t because she had a different mom.”
“Hmf,” Yang pouted. But that was an entirely different can of worms that Tai wasn’t opening right now.
“That’s right,” Tai said. “Well, Ruby, the reason you have snake eyes and fangs is because you’re a Faunus. Summer was also a Faunus and she passed her spitting cobra traits down to you. You and Summer weren’t simply born different from other people on Patch. A Faunus is like a human, but different.” He winced, he really hoped he was putting this the right way. “Faunus all carry animal traits but they can be all kinds of different things. That’s why everyone here looks so different, but they’re all still Faunus. Menagerie is a country populated almost entirely by Faunus, it’s a place they can always call home. I brought you here because I wanted you to learn about your roots and your heritage as a Faunus. Because knowing what it means to be a Faunus isn’t something I can teach you like I can with Yang.” He sighed and rested a hand on Ruby’s head. “With your mother gone... I wanted you to be able to still form a connection to her that only you and her had.”
“Ohhhh... so that’s why no one else on Patch had fangs,” Yang helpfully added.
“Yes, Yang,” Tai smiled at his eldest.
Ruby was still looking out at all of the Faunus around them. There was a young woman with dog ears, a man with a scorpion tail, a girl her age with leopard spots, someone swimming in the water with fins protruding from their arms. They all looked so different. Despite her dad’s words, they looked more different from her than she did from him and Yang. But she was a Faunus like them and not a human like her family apparently.
It was confusing. It was a little much for her five year old mind to take in.
“You see, your uncle helped me get in touch with the leader of Menagerie thanks to his connections with Ozpin and Leonardo Lionheart. I told him about our family situation and asked if we could visit Menagerie,” Tai explained as he saw both his daughter’s eyes wandering. “He was more than happy to accommodate us. So we’re actually going to be meeting him and staying in his home for the week we’re here.”
“We get to stay with the the King? Or President? What’s he called in Menagerie?” Yang asked.
“Chieftain. Ghira Belladonna and his wife Kali. I also heard he has a daughter the same age as you, Yang,” Tai smiled. He looked back at Ruby, seeing the girl was still silently gazing out at the huge crowds of Faunus. Well, that wasn’t exactly unexpected either. She wasn’t as outgoing as her sister.
“Ruby, how are you feeling?” Tai asked the girl.
“Um... I dunno,” she honestly answered.
“Well... how about we head to where we’ll be staying? Along the way, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. Or if you want to try talking to the other Faunus, that’s okay too. I’ll be right here with you,” Tai said.
Ruby nodded as Tai stood back up and he reached down to take her hand. With how crowded it was here he really didn’t need either of his daughters getting lost.
The other Faunus.
Already Ruby instinctively realized from her dad’s way of saying that that she had been lumped in with them.
She squeezed his hand as the two of them walked through the crowds, away from the docks and the ocean and towards the big houses she could see in the distance. It’s not like she was afraid. She had just never seen people like this before. She was curious, and she wanted to go up and ask about every little thing she saw. If that woman with dog ears on her head heard through all four ears, if that guy with eagle wings could fly, what kind of animal was the person with rough grayish skin? But she was too nervous right now. Her heritage? It didn’t look like it. She had never paid anymore attention to her eyes and fangs than she paid attention to Yang’s lack of them. Everyone on Patch was pretty much the same, but everyone here was so different and yet they were all still “Faunus” at the same time? Ruby didn’t quite get it. And now...
But. She loved her mom. She missed her mom. And she loved her dad too and knew he wanted the best for her.
So no matter what, she also knew that being a Faunus could never be a bad thing. That was something she instinctively realized as well. And it made walking through these crowds a little bit easier. Ruby was still confused, but not afraid.
“It’s so hot...” Yang whined from the other side of dad.
Tai laughed. “Yeah... it’s way hotter here than on Patch. Humid too. Don’t worry though, I’m sure Mr. Belladonna’s house will have air-conditioning. And there are plenty of beaches, Yang.”
The huge crowd of people wasn’t making the heat any better either. But Ruby’s mind was on so many other things that she wasn’t even minding the heat. Yang, ball of energy and impatience that she was, clearly also wanted to go off and see everything new and different about this place, but dad was holding an even tighter grip on her hand than Ruby’s. The fact that she was stuck there probably just made the heat worse for her.
As they pushed through the crowd, Ruby looked up and saw a large man with tusks coming out of his mouth. She wanted to ask what animal they were from, just like her fangs.
She wanted to show off her snake fangs and ask if they were the same even if they were so different.
No one would ever mistake Ruby and any of these other Faunus she was seeing for family. No one would think they were related. And yet they would all still call them Faunus? Is that how it worked for Ruby now?
“Oh, that’s Mr. Belladonna’s place just up ahead. We’re almost there,” Tai said.
Ruby tried to peer past the huge crowd of people but being a very short child she didn’t have much luck. It wasn’t until they had actually left the main road behind and walked out onto the grounds of the property that she got a good look. And both her and Yang were surprised once more. In front of them stood the biggest house they had ever seen, it was bigger maybe than any building except for maybe the hospital and some of the buildings at Signal on Patch. Someone lived here? They made houses this big? And now Ruby was going to be staying at it for the next week? She almost couldn’t believe any of it even as her dad led her and Yang up the big stone steps to the front door.
“He said to just knock when we get here...” Tai looked a little unsure himself, being just a bumpkin who wasn’t used to anything like this either. The man had sounded so friendly when they spoke though, Tai wasn’t worried. Anyone who would just let a mostly human family come here and do this, a family of strangers at that, had to be a good man.
So momentarily letting go of his daughter’s hands, Tai knocked on the heavy front door.
“Coming!” A loud, bass, voice said from inside after just a moment and soon the door was opened up by a large dark-haired man.
Ruby had to tilt her head up to see his face. Big man for a big house. She tilted her head as she looked at him, she couldn’t see any animal ears, or different looking eyes, or anything. He was a Faunus like her too?
What did it mean to be a Faunus if so many of them just looked like humans?
Her dad’s face though lit up at the sight of the big man. Who was also very hairy now that Ruby was looking.
“Hello, Mr. Belladonna! I’m Taiyang Xiao Long, great to finally be here!” Tai said and stuck out his hand. “You can just call me Tai.”
Mr. Belladonna laughed, a loud booming sound, and happily took the outstretched hand. His huge mitt nearly covered Tai’s hand entirely as he shook it with gusto. “And I’m happy to have you and your family here, Tai. And you can call me Ghira, please.” He looked down and saw both Ruby and Yang, smiling at the both of them. “And I see these must be Yang and Ruby, is that right?”
“That’s right,” Tai smiled and ruffled Yang’s long hair. “This is Yang.” And then he reached down and squeezed Ruby’s shoulder. “And this... is Ruby.”
Ruby noticed the pause. Well, she already knew she was the reason they were here.
“Hello,” Ghira said, his eyes focusing on Ruby. “So, you’re the young Faunus girl of the family. How are you finding Menagerie?”
“There are a lot of people,” Ruby answered. She fiddled with her dress for a moment, shyly glancing away. “Are you a Faunus? Like me?” She looked back up at Ghira and opened her mouth, letting her fangs unfold and hang down in her mouth, despite being told numerous times by her mother to not do that so casually.
Ghira showed no fear or worry though at seeing the young girl reveal her snake fangs. He merely chuckled and lifted up his right hand, where retractable claws slid out for her to see. “I am indeed. We Faunus come in all shapes and sizes, as I’m sure you’ve seen.”
“Cool,” Yang oohed at the sight of his claws.
Ruby only nodded as she let her fangs rest against the roof of her mouth again. If that was true then she still didn’t know what being a Faunus meant.
“How about you come inside? You can meet the family, and I’m sure you’d like to get out of the heat,” Ghira said and stepped aside, gesturing to the interior of his large mansion.
Tai placed his hands on his daughters backs and scooted them inside. “Thank you.”
“Yeah, it’s too hot,” Yang nodded.
Ruby though was quieter as she took a look around, just the inside of this one room was as big as their home in Patch. What did they need all this space for? Before she could think too much though, a woman with slightly tanned skin and two cat ears on her head came walking from another room. She had a smile just as welcoming as Ghira’s and she nearly squeed at the sight of Ruby and Yang.
“Welcome! Oh you two are adorable, I’m so excited to have you here as our guests,” the woman said.
Ghira chuckled. “And this is my wife, Kali. As you can tell, she’s been looking forward to this since I told her the news.”
Tai shook her hand as well as soon as she came over. “Pleased to meet you ma’am.”
She giggled and waved her hand up and down. “Just Kali, please.”
“Hello!” Yang waved to her, not as quiet as when meeting the huge Ghira.
“Hello there!” Kali smiled back and knelt down to Yang and Ruby’s height. “Little Yang and Ruby. I promise you’ll have a very fun time here in Menagerie. For the next week, just consider our home to be yours.”
“Okay!” Yang happily agreed while Ruby merely nodded.
At least Kali’s cat ears were easier to see than Ghira’s claws.
Tai cleared his throat as he stood by Ghira. “So... um, this is definitely kind of a new experience for me too. I’m not really sure where to go from here. Did you have anything planned? Ruby is also... well, let’s just say we’re kind of ignorant on most things Faunus. If you know a good place to start then I’ll leave the ball in your court.”
“Well, I think for today the three of you should just try and settle in, relax and have fun. You had a long trip after all. Tomorrow is when I’ll tap into my teacher side,” Ghira laughed and patted Tai on the back.
“Before that, Blake should really come down and meet them. She’s up reading in her room with Ilia right now,” Kali said to Ghira.
Ghira sighed but with a smile still on his face. “That girl can never take her nose out of a book... I told her you were arriving today too.”
“Your daughter, right? You said she was the same age as Yang?” Tai asked.
“That’s right, her friend Ilia too. I’m sure they’d both like to meet you and your daughters. I’ve already told Blake why you’re here and she’s very understanding, she’s almost as wrapped up in Faunus right as I am,” Ghira said.
Ruby’s ears twitched at that and she looked up at the adults. “Faunus rights?”
Ghira’s face fell briefly. “Oh... well, that’s...”
Tai also awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, just making Ruby more confused.
“We can talk about that later,” Kali said, gently reaching down to pat Ruby’s head. “It’s just that right now, Ghira and I lead a group called the White Fang that’s interested in supporting Faunus across Remnant. That’s all.”
It didn’t sound like all. But Ruby nodded in acquiescence all the same.
Kali smiled. “Good. Now let’s see if Blake and Ilia are deaf or not.” She turned towards the large stairs of the mansion and cupped her hands around her mouth. “Blake! Ilia! We have guests!”
Ruby, Yang and Tai heard the sound of a door opening and the excited running of what could only be children coming from a hallway upstairs before two young girls appeared. Ruby looked at the first one she saw--seeing cat ears similar to Kali’s on her head, while the other... Ruby didn’t see anything different about them. They just looked like a girl with slightly darker skin, freckles, and brown hair in two tiny pigtails off the side of her head. Was she a Faunus or a human? The two of them quickly saw the guests as well and with bounding steps they came right down the stairs to the first floor.
The girl with cat ears, who looked almost like a miniature Kali, stopped and politely bowed before her family while the other girl stayed back, a little shy.
“Welcome to our home, it’s nice to meet you,” the cat-eared girl said.
“N-Nice to meet you...” the other girl waved.
Kali came over and put her hands on her daughter’s shoulders. “This is our daughter, Blake. And her friend, Ilia.”
“Hi! I’m Yang!” Yang waved at the two girls in a much more excited manner than Ilia.
“Ruby...” Ruby nodded.
“Dad told me about you,” Blake said to them. Her eyes roaming over Yang, and Tai, before stopping on Ruby. “Hi, you’re the Faunus, right?”
“Um... yeah,” Ruby said. She guessed she was.
The Faunus. Apparently that was her now.
“Why don’t you kids get to know each other?” Ghira said to them.
“Okay!” Blake’s face lit up, while Ilia seemed a little nervous but still nodded.
“You can take them up to your room, Blake. Just be nice, and... answer any questions Ruby might have about the Faunus and Menagerie,” Kali said.
“Sure!” Blake smiled and reached forward to take Ruby by the hand. “Come on up!”
Ruby wasn’t used to getting so much attention or making friends so easily, in fact she didn’t really know anyone else her age back on Patch unless Yang counted. And with everything else going on today she was nervous. But Blake’s hand was still warm, and the smile on her face so friendly, it did a little to assuage Ruby’s worries. She had too many questions already, and not sure what ones to ask, or what else they were going to talk about, but maybe she could figure it out. All of this Faunus stuff was confusing.
Yang eagerly stepped forward to join them but Tai reached down and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Hold on for a second, Yang,” Tai said as he looked at the three young Faunus girls. “Why don’t you stay with the adults for now?”
“Huh?” Yang frowned, looking up at him as Ruby, Blake and Ilia were already heading up the stairs. “Why?”
“It’s just... how about letting your little sister make friends on her own first?” Tai said.
Yang watched as Ruby disappeared onto the second floor with Blake and Ilia. Staying with the adults sounded boring. And why was she being singled out? “Okay...”
“That’s a good girl. You’ll get to play around with them plenty, I just think the three of them should have some alone time first.”
Ruby had never seen so many books. It seemed everything today was going to be a brand new experience. She was a little hesitant when she noticed Yang not coming along, but that quickly changed when Blake and Ilia had brought her to Blake’s room and, despite it being big, it was still clearly the room of a girl just like her. Only with more books. But Ruby saw the stuffed animals, the pictures of family, the toys, everything that reminded her of her own room back on Patch. Blake and Ilia were girls just like her. It made Ruby feel a little more welcome, a little less worried. Still, her eyes were mostly drawn to the several large bookshelves around the room, had Blake read everything here already? She was only seven.
“Come on, take a seat!” Blake grabbed a few pillows off her bed and put them on the floor for the trio. “Ilia and I were reading before you got here, but you probably don’t want to just sit around reading, right? I bet you’re really excited about being here in Menagerie!”
“Mmm...” Ruby nodded and sat down silently, Ilia joining her.
Blake leaned in towards Ruby. “Do you want to talk about the Faunus? Or Menagerie? Or the White Fang? Anything you want to talk to us about, feel free to ask.”
Well, if she insisted, there was still a question Ruby was really curious about since coming here and seeing all the different Faunus.
“Do your ears work?” Ruby asked as she stared up at Blake’s kitty ears.
Blake frowned and reached up to cover her ears. “Of course they work. You shouldn’t ask other Faunus questions like that.”
“I-I’m sorry...” Ruby glumly looked down at the floor, embarrassed, and upset that she had upset Blake. “I didn’t know...”
“Blake...” Ilia nudged the other girl.
“Right...” Blake relaxed a little and looked back at Ruby with a more understanding gaze. “You don’t know much about the Faunus at all, do you?”
Ruby shook her head. “All my mom really told me was not to bite people or spit venom... I don’t really know what a Faunus really is at all.” She looked at Ilia, nervous about asking this as well after her last question. “A-Are you a Faunus too?”
“Mhm,” Ilia nodded. There was a slight wavering in her expression, like she wasn’t happy to have been asked that but understood the situation well enough to not be angry at Ruby. “I know I’m a little different cause you can’t really see my Faunus trait but-” Ilia smiled and her skin turned a light pink color. “See?”
Ruby’s eyes widened as far as the slitted pupils could go. “Wow...”
“I’m a chameleon Faunus. You mentioned biting people and spitting venom? Are you a snake Faunus?” Ilia asked, her skin going back to normal.
“Spitting Cobra. That’s what my mom told me,” Ruby nodded and briefly showed off her fangs before letting them rest again.
“But you didn’t really learn anything else about Faunus?” Blake asked.
“My dad said me and my mom were the only Faunus on Patch... and my mom’s gone now. Um... this is my first time seeing or meeting any other Faunus,” Ruby curled her legs up against her chest and hugged herself. “I didn’t know what a Faunus was. I didn’t know I was different from my dad and sister like that...”
“Well, you are different from them, but it’s not a bad thing. There’s nothing wrong with being a Faunus at all!” Blake smiled and reached over to pat Ruby’s shoulder, trying to cheer the younger girl up. “Being a Faunus is amazing!”
“But... does it make me not family with Yang and dad? Is it that much different from being human? I thought I was human... are Faunus not human?” Ruby whimpered.
Blake shook her head. “We’re not human, we’re Faunus, we’re the same, but different. That’s all it means. It doesn’t mean your dad and sister aren’t your family, it just means you have a second family now too.”
“If you’re the only Faunus on the island you live on, that just makes you even more special. You should be super proud of being the only Faunus on Patch!” Ilia cheered.
Their enthusiasm was a little infectious, and it helped alleviate Ruby’s mood and brought a smile back to her face. “Thanks...”
“So about your fangs... you said your mom told you about them? And she was a spitting cobra Faunus just like you?” Blake asked.
“Yeah,” Ruby nodded.
“But all she told you was to be careful with them?”
“Well... she said it was dangerous if I’m not careful... cause of the venom,” Ruby shyly admitted.
“I guess but... your fangs aren’t any more dangerous than someone who can pick up a rock and throw it. There’s nothing dangerous about being a Faunus that has venom!” Blake resolutely told her. “I just want to make sure you know that. And remember to never ever be ashamed about your traits. Ever!”
“I’m not...” Ruby shook her head.
“Good!” Blake smiled while Ilia nodded beside her.
But the way Blake was talking, and why she saw the need to bring that up in the first place, made Ruby wonder if there were people or reasons that one might have to try and make her ashamed of her traits. But her young mind just couldn’t understand why just yet. All Ruby knew is she never once regretted or felt bad about having her fangs.
“We’re going to teach you everything there is to know about the Faunus while you’re here,” Blake said. “I’ve got so many books; on Faunus history, culture, the history of Menagerie, everything! We’ll read them together!”
“You’ll know what it means to be a Faunus soon,” Ilia reached out and rubbed her arm.
“I’ll even lend you some of my books when you go, promise,” Blake smiled.
“T-Thank you...” Ruby blushed.
For the first time, she might have been entirely excited and looking forward to something. Blake and Ilia were so happy to have her here. Ruby had never felt sad back home, and certainly knew her dad and sister were just as happy and supportive when it came to her, but she could feel something different about this. The two other girls weren’t family, but they were supporting her all the same. So many things had happened in her life lately, and just today, but now she felt like it was all going to be alright.
Blake’s eyes widened as she sat up straight on her pillow and looked at Ilia. “Oh! I’m gonna go ask my dad if we can introduce Ruby to Adam!”
“Will your dad want us to?” Ilia asked.
“Why not? Adam’s staying here now too, he’ll want to meet Ruby too while her family’s here,” Blake shrugged and got up.
“Adam?” Ruby said.
“He’s another Faunus that came to Menagerie recently, he’s really great,” Blake smiled.
“Um... but Blake, what about-” Ilia started but before she could finish the cat girl was already marching out of her bedroom.
“Come on!” Blake waved to them to follow her.
“Well, guess we should go with...” Ilia said and helped Ruby up, holding onto her hand as she led Ruby along.
Ruby and her new Faunus friends walked down the hall to where Blake could apparently hear her family talking. Ruby and Ilia couldn’t, but that just made Ruby more aware of how Blake’s cat ears really did work. They stopped in front of a sliding door that Blake opened to reveal a large sitting room, where her dad was talking to Mr. and Mrs. Belladonna and Yang was slumped over a table looking bored out of her mind. Of course Yang perked up when she saw the door open and the others turned their attention to the girls as well. Blake swiftly ran up to her dad, Ilia and Ruby stepping into the room right behind her.
“Blake? What is it?” Ghira asked his daughter.
“Hi dad, I just wanted to ask if we could go see Adam and introduce Ruby to him?” Blake asked.
Ghira’s face fell a bit, something Ruby and Tai both noticed.
“Oh... well, that’s...”
“Who’s Adam?” Tai asked.
“Adam is a young boy who has also recently come to Menagerie. He had nowhere to go so I’ve taken him in for now,” Ghira answered.
“So can we?” Blake pressed.
“Blake... I’m not sure if that’s appropriate right now,” Ghira awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
Tai frowned. “Is something wrong with the boy?”
“No, no,” Ghira shook his head. “He’s a good boy, it’s just...”
“Just what? I thought I heard Blake say my name.”
Ruby turned around at the source of the voice and saw a boy standing behind her, in the doorway. He was tall with red hair, and little horns over his forehead, he looked like he could’ve been anywhere from ten to thirteen years old. Ruby wasn’t sure, only that he was definitely a few years older than Yang at least. Though the most distinguishable thing about him had nothing to do with his height or Faunus trait. It was the jagged scar and mark over his left eye.
“Adam... hello. We have some guests that will be staying with us for the next week,” Ghira gestured to Ruby’s family.
“Hi, Adam!” Blake waved at him with a happy smile.
Tai though was staring right at the brand over Adam’s eye. He recognized those letters and knew exactly what they meant. And why Ghira had been hesitant to let Ruby and Adam meet. This wasn’t something that Ruby needed to see. This was supposed to be a positive trip, to learn everything good about her being a Faunus and her heritage. Not something like this.
Adam looked at Tai and Yang for just a second, frowning, before his eyes met Ruby’s.
And Ruby, being her sweet and innocent self with her curiosity once more uninhibited, asked a question:
“What happened to your face?” Ruby asked, pointing straight at his scarred and disfigured eye.
“R-Ruby...” Tai hissed out through his teeth, thoroughly embarrassed and also worried about the pain that might cause the young boy. Yang also clapped her hands over her mouth in shock and looked between Ruby and Adam. Not much older but old enough to know Ruby had just done something she really shouldn’t have.
There weren’t any tears though. No crying child here. There was a very different, much rawer reaction.
Adam’s face tugged down in a frown and his eyes narrowed. But his anger wasn’t directed at Ruby.
“The Schnees happened.”
And that was the moment when Ruby learned something else about who she was and her place in the world.