Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

And so fell the sword of fate… 

On a quiet back street in the city of Vale, a group of young punks stood across from a tall, very angry looking blonde and an equally angry looking brunette with red highlights in her hair. The blonde had her foot on one punk's head, grinding his head into the pavement.

“What the hell is wrong with you?! No one jumps one of my boys and gets away with it!” The tallest of the group charged the blonde and was swiftly met with a fist to the face, knocking him out instantly. One of the remaining punks shouted, “Oh shit, she just took out Cardin!” The brunette spoke up. 

“Alright, listen up! Do you see that over there?” The brunette points over her shoulder at a shattered vase and a crushed bunch of flowers. “First question. What do you think that is?” 

One punk mutters, “I… I guess those flowers were left for somebody who got killed here…”

Before he can finish, the blonde charges forward and punches him in the gut. The brunette replies, “Exactly! Now, you, why is that vase destroyed?” The last punk standing hesitantly answers “We just thought it would be kinda funny to break it…” This time the brunette answers him with a kick between his legs, causing the punk to crumple to the ground in a heap. “Apologize, or next time the flowers will be for you!” 

The punks drag themselves to their feet and swiftly apologize to the small shrine before running as fast as their various injuries will let them. The brunette turns to the blonde. “Thanks for the help, Yang. You're my favorite sister.”

Yang chuckles. “I'm your only sister, Ruby. But you know me, I can't stand assholes who like that. I'm happy to lend a hand. Now, you alright little one? Those guys won't be coming around here anymore. One of us will bring you some new flowers tomorrow.” The sisters turn to the spirit of a young girl standing next to the broken vase. 

“Thank you. I think now I'll finally be able to rest in peace.” 

Ruby smiles. “Don't mention it. It's the least we could do for you.”

Ruby and Yang turn and walk away as the young girl slowly fades away. 

“My name is Ruby Rose. For as long as I can remember, my sister and I have been able to see spirits. I'm 18 years old, in my final year of high school. Our dad is a doctor, so maybe because he cares so much for the living my sister and I have the ability to see the dead.”

As the two sisters entered their home, their father came flying at them with a kick they easily evaded. Taiyang Xiao Long dragged himself to his feet and smiled. “Good job keeping your guard up! But you were still late for dinner! What were you two doing out so late?”

Both Yang and Ruby groaned. Yang replied “Come on Dad, I'm 20 and Ruby is 18. Having a 7:00 pm curfew is ridiculous and you know it!” 

Ruby nodded. “Yeah, what if I wanted to hang out with Weiss after school or something?” 

Taiyang rushed over to a shrine in the corner and began weeping. “Oh Raven, oh Summer, our girls are all grown up and they're being so mean to their old man and disobeying me! Whatever shall I do?” 

“You could start by getting rid of that shrine for Raven for starters. Mom I understand, but Raven isn't even dead. She's just… Gone.” Yang marched up the stairs to her room. Ruby sat at the table and quietly ate her dinner while working on her homework.

In the morning Ruby had an uneventful walk to Signal, the high school she attended. Yang had left earlier in the morning on her motorcycle to get to her classes at Beacon University. Ruby took the long way to class, dropping off flowers for the spirit of the young girl from the day before, but she was nowhere to be seen. “Hopefully she passed on,” Ruby thought to herself. As she made her way to campus, Ruby found herself deep in thought and didn't realize where she was going until a familiar voice called out “Watch where you're going, dolt! We don't want a repeat of freshman year, do we?” Ruby immediately dropped out of her train of thought and turned to the woman speaking to her, a smile rapidly growing on her face. 

“Weiss! Will you ever let me live that down?” Ruby smirked. 

“I guess you running into me wasn't all that bad… I did meet you after all.” Weiss leaned in and kissed Ruby. “Did you get all your homework done?” Ruby groaned.

“Most of it.”

“Really?” 

“Okay, maybe only half. But it's so boring…”

Weiss flicked Ruby in the forehead. “I swear, sometimes I don't know why I put up with you. You want to get good grades and get into Beacon, don't you?”

Ruby winced. “That hurt Weiss! And you know I do. Technically we both could have skipped a few grades and gotten there early…”

Weiss sighed. “Yes, but then we might not have met. Fate works in mysterious ways.”

The bell ringing caught their attention and they said their goodbyes and made their way to class. The day passed without further incident and after the last bell rang Ruby made her way home. As she passed a parking garage she noticed the spirit of a young boy running towards her, screaming for help. Ruby called after the boy, “Slow down! Where are you going? What's wrong…” A deafening roar cut her off, and a massive creature came out from behind the parking garage. Ruby's face paled and she began running with the spirit. “Just what the hell is that thing?!” she thought to herself as she fled. The beast was in hot pursuit but before it could reach Ruby or the boy a sudden black blur collided with the creature, its hideous masked face splitting with a spray of blood before it disintegrated entirely. 

“What was that thing? And what killed it?” Ruby thought to herself later that night as she lay in bed. Yang was out late, probably hanging out at the club she liked to frequent. As Ruby lay there, a figure dressed in black climbed in through her window. “Uh, who the hell are you and why are you in my room?” 

“Strange, I thought I felt a strong spiritual pressure here… Where could it have gone?” The black clad woman appeared to be speaking to herself, entirely ignoring Ruby's presence. 

“Excuse me, I said what are you doing in my room?” Ruby asked the woman again. Still being ignored, Ruby kicked the woman, knocking her down. The black haired woman stood back up, turning to the brunette. “Wait, what? How can you see me? That shouldn't be possible! What's wrong with you?” 

Ruby looked offended. “Wrong with me? What are you talking about? You climbed in through my window like some kind of burglar and…” Ruby noticed the sword at the stranger's side, “And you're armed! What am I supposed to do, not defend myself?”

The stranger scoffed. “Even then, you still shouldn't be able to see me unless you have some level of latent spiritual pressure, and I can barely sense any from you. But… Wait a minute. I saw you earlier today with the spirit of that boy and the Hollow that was chasing him. You must have just enough power to see spirits, so I'll explain it to you. I'm a Soul Reaper. I was sent by the Soul Society to track and eliminate Hollows here in the World of the Living. It's also my job to make sure that souls unable to pass on on their own are guided to the Soul Society.”

Ruby gave her an incredulous look. “Uh huh… And that makes more sense than you being a burglar with a sword, how exactly?” 

“Wha… You can see spirits but you refuse to believe in Soul Reapers?” The black haired stranger looked offended almost. 

Ruby shrugged.

“Well, I've seen spirits all my life but today is the first time I've ever seen… What did you call yourself? A Soul Reaper? And I've never seen Hollows before today either. Now why don't you get out of my room before I make you get out?”

The black clad woman sighed and made a gesture with her hand while shouting “Bakudō 1, Sai!” 

Ruby's arms twisted behind her back and she fell to the ground, barely able to move. “What… What the hell did you do to me…”

“That is called kidō, specifically a bakudō. It's a low level spell designed to restrain targets with a low spiritual pressure. How's that feel, coming from something you don't believe in?” 

Ruby was about to reply when a roar shook the walls of her room. The stranger turned towards the window. “Did you hear that? A Hollow is on its way!” She drew her sword and attempted to jump out the window but before she could the wall exploded inwards, showering the room and both women with debris. 

“Hey, let me out of this spell!” Ruby shouted. “I can help!” 

“Fool, you don't know the first thing about Hollows! Leave it to me!” 

The Soul Reaper was about to jump down to the street when she felt Ruby struggling against her bakudō. She turned back to Ruby. “Hey, don't struggle against the spell like that, a simple human like you can cause permanent damage to your soul trying to break it! I'm warning…” The Soul Reaper blinked, shocked by what she was seeing; a meer human, spiritual pressure or no, shouldn't be able to break even the lowest level bakudō and yet this woman was not only struggling, but succeeding at breaking out of it! The bakudō snapped and Ruby stumbled to her feet. The Soul Reaper realized in that moment that this woman had much deeper reserves of power than she had previously realized. “That Hollow earlier today, and this one now… It wasn't after that boy, it was after you! Just stay here, let me kill this thing, then you and I need to talk.”

The Soul Reaper jumped down to the street and turned to the Hollow, preparing to strike it down, but it vanished in a burst of speed. Ruby ran out into the street. “Wait, where did it go?” 

“Look out you idiot!” The Hollow had appeared again behind Ruby, ready to strike, but the Soul Reaper jumped between them and took the blow meant for her. She flew across the street from the force of the attack, slamming against a wall. Ruby ran over to her.

“Are you okay?!” 

“No, I'm not. I'm too injured to finish this fight, but if you want to defend yourself and your home, there is one thing I can do for you. Take my sword and pierce it through your heart. I'll transfer half my power to you, and you will temporarily become a Soul Reaper. You'll have just enough power to take on this Hollow. I can't guarantee you'll survive the process, but it's the best chance either of us have. Will you accept?”

Ruby didn't even hesitate.

“What's your name, Soul Reaper?”

“Blake. Blake Belladonna.”

“I'm Ruby Rose.”

Ruby moved forward, impaling herself on Blake's Zanpakuto. In a blinding flash of light, Ruby was transformed. Now she wore a shihakushō and carried a Zanpakuto longer than she was tall. Blake was stunned by Ruby's transformation as well as her own. Her own shihakushō was now pure white and her Zanpakuto was nowhere to be found. “I was only supposed to transfer a small amount of my power to her, but somehow she got all of it!” Blake thought to herself. Before either girl could fully react to the situation, the monstrous Hollow that had previously been stunned had recovered and was barreling down on them, roaring, with its claws ready to strike them both down. Ruby raised her sword in a defensive stance and blocked the potentially fatal blow. 

“You're not hurting anyone else tonight, monster,” said Ruby. “You're going down!” Ruby pushed the Hollow back with her Zanpakuto, staggering it and causing it to stumble backwards. Before the beast could recover, the massive blade cleaved through its masked face. The Hollow's blood sprayed everywhere for a moment before it began to turn to dust and ashes, then dissolving into nothing. Ruby planted the tip of her Zanpakuto into the ground and turned around to Blake. “Did you see that? I killed it! I…” Blake cut her off, screaming “Ruby! Look out!” 

Ruby turned just in time to see a second Hollow lunging at her, ready to bite. She reached for her sword but it was already too late. The Hollow began to close its jaws around Ruby's arm when two bright blue arrows struck the Hollow between its eyes, making it flinch back in pain. Five more arrows struck it across its body and the Hollow burst into blue flames and crumbled to ashes.

“Ruby… Please tell me you didn't…” A familiar voice called out, “Please tell me you didn't become one of them…” 

Ruby turned to see none other than Weiss, her girlfriend, wearing a strange white uniform and carrying a bow made of light blue energy. “Weiss, what are you doing here? What are you wearing? What's going on?” Ruby took a step towards Weiss and Weiss took a step back away from Ruby. Ruby looked hurt. “Weiss…” 

“You're a Quincy, aren't you?” asked Blake. 

“I don't speak to Soul Reapers.” Weiss spat back.

Ruby stepped between Blake and Weiss. “Weiss, Blake lent me her powers so I could defend myself and dad against the Hollow that attacked us. I don't know what's going on. What's a Quincy? Why do you hate Soul Reapers? I have so many questions. Why didn't you tell me about this before? You were the only other person who knew I could see spirits besides Yang and Dad. You said you couldn't see them but here you are, fighting Hollows. I…”

Weiss cut her off. “I'll explain later, but not while she's around. I…” Weiss's expression softened. “I'll see you at school, Ruby.” With that, Weiss left at high speed, faster than Ruby could follow. 

Chapter Text

Ruby woke up on the couch in her living room the next morning, groggy and disoriented. “What a weird nightmare,” she thought to herself, “Maybe it was something I ate, or…” Ruby's train of thought immediately derailed as she reached her room and saw the caved in wall with a light pole sticking through it. “I guess maybe some of last night did happen. Where are Yang and Dad though?” As if to answer her question, Taiyang called Ruby back downstairs.

“Hey kiddo, heard you up there inspecting the damage. I'm so glad you're okay. Can you believe some drunk driver knocked down the light pole straight into your room and just took off? Good thing you weren't in there at the time, you could have been seriously hurt!” 

Ruby cocked her head to the side, looking like a curious puppy. “I don't really remember much of last night to be honest. I guess school really took it out of me yesterday if I fell asleep on the couch. I had a really weird dream too, there was…” Ruby was cut off by a sudden tackle hug from behind by Yang.

“Rubes, are you okay? I heard what happened from dad, were you hurt?”

“Yang, relax, I'm okay, I promise. Apparently I fell asleep on the couch last night and besides a few weird dreams about monsters and something called a ‘Soul Reaper,’ I'm alright. Slept through the entire accident even,” Ruby reassured her sister. Taiyang was briefly shocked by the mention of a Soul Reaper but neither of his daughters seemed to notice. “Well, accident or not, it's still a school day. You two go get ready or you'll be late!”

Yang and Ruby groaned but made their way upstairs to get ready for their days. Ruby arrived at Signal earlier than usual hoping to bump into Weiss, but Weiss was nowhere to be found. Disappointed, Ruby made her way to her first class of the day. Her second class of the day was as boring as the first, but Ruby was excited for her third class of the day since it was a class she shared with her girlfriend. Alas, Weiss was still a no show. “Where could she be? It's not like her to miss school like this. I hope she isn't sick. I'll text her after class, see if she's okay,” Ruby thought to herself. As Ruby unpacked her textbook and notebook to prepare for class, the teacher spoke up.

“Alright class, everybody settle down and be quiet. We have a new transfer student here at Signal, please give a warm welcome to miss…”

Ruby looked towards the front of the class and her face went pale. A very familiar looking girl with long black hair, cat ears, and golden-yellow eyes was standing at the front of the class. 

“Hello, my name is Blake Belladonna, it's a pleasure to meet you all.”

Ruby's mind turned to static. “How can she be here? Was last night not actually a dream? Maybe I've seen her before and my brain used a face I've seen before? Last night was so vivid, but it can't be real, can it? I…” Ruby was ripped from her thoughts by Blake speaking to her. Ruby jolted slightly in her seat. 

“Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Do you mind if I sit next to you?”

“N… Not at, go ahead. I'm Ruby, Ruby Rose.”

“Nice to meet you Ruby Rose.”

Ruby could have sworn she heard Blake quietly add “Again” at the end. 

The rest of class passed quickly enough and the bell rang for lunch. Ruby took her lunch bag to her usual quiet spot on the roof of the school and started unpacking it when she heard footsteps coming closer to her. 

“There you are, I've been looking for you. I'm sure you have questions for me.” 

Ruby looked up and there was Blake once again. 

“Questions? Questions like what?” 

“Questions like what we'll be doing while you have my Soul Reaper powers while we wait for my power to regenerate.”

Ruby blinked and then sighed. 

“I was really, really hoping that it was all just a dream, but I guess I can't get that lucky. So much for just being a normal girl that can see spirits…”

Blake shook her head. 

“Sorry, but normal went out the window when you got those powers. Now then, questions?”

Ruby took a bite of her sandwich and swallowed it. 

“So what now? I have Soul Reaper powers and a Zanpakuto and that's cool and all, but what exactly does a Soul Reaper do? Is it all fighting monsters twenty-four-seven or is there more to it?” 

Blake smiled. 

“It's a bit more complicated than that. Our primary purposes in the World of the Living are to fight Hollows and to guide the souls of the dead who can't pass on on their own to the Soul Society. For that we perform the rite of Konsō. It's crucial we do this, because the longer a soul is restless the greater the chances of it becoming a Hollow instead of passing on. Hollows on the other hand must be slain, or their endless appetite for souls will lead them to rampage across the world, consuming anyone with even the slightest hint of spiritual power. When we kill Hollows we exorcise them, cleansing the soul of its sins committed as a Hollow and allowing them entrance to the Soul Society and the cycle of rebirth. Make sense so far?”

Ruby nodded and continued to eat her sandwich.

“Why are you here at Signal? And why can everyone else see you if you're technically a spirit?”

“I'm here to keep an eye on you and guide you as a Soul Reaper until my powers return to me. The reason you can see me is because I'm currently in a gigai. Think of it as an artificial human body designed for a Soul Reaper to inhabit in case they have to interact with the physical world.”

Ruby pulled a massive chocolate chip cookie from her lunch bag along with a carton of milk. She took a few bites from the cookie before continuing. 

“Next question. You called Weiss a ‘Quincy.’ What's that?”

“I…”

“Go ahead, Soul Reaper. Tell her. I'll fact check.”

Ruby and Blake turned to see Weiss had joined them on the roof. Blake's ears flattened. Ruby's face lit up. “Weiss! You're here! I…” Weiss held up a hand. “Not yet, Ruby. Let her talk. I want to hear this, and so should you.”

Blake began her story. 

“The Quincies were a tribe of humans that came into existence over a thousand years ago. They started out only able to see spirits and Hollows, but their spiritual powers made them prime targets for Hollows. Under constant attack, they began to train themselves in ways to fight back against Hollows. They created weapons made of Reishi, spirit particles, capable of allowing them to fight back and kill Hollows.”

Ruby spoke up.

“Sounds a lot like what a Soul Reaper does. Kill Hollows and save people.”

Blake shook her head.

“There's a difference between a Soul Reaper exorcising a Hollow and a Quincy killing one. When a Quincy arrow or spell kills a Hollow, that's it. The soul is destroyed, any chance at redemption denied. They're removed from the cycle of rebirth permanently.”

“That's horrible…” Ruby began but was again stopped by Weiss. “Keep going, Soul Reaper. Tell her everything.”

“Soul Reapers were once called Balancers. The number of souls in the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, the world of Hollows, and the World of the Living is always in flux but remains relatively stable. It was our job to keep the balance of souls between the three worlds. Quincies were destroying so many Hollows that the balance of the worlds was disrupted, nearly causing them to collide. It would have been the apocalypse. A delegation of Soul Reapers was sent to negotiate an end to Quincy hostilities against Hollows. The direness of the situation was explained to them, but the Quincy leaders were prideful. Their hatred of Hollows ran deep for generations, and they refused to stop their campaign against the Hollows. I can hardly blame them, given how many of them had seen loved ones and friends killed by Hollows. In the end…”

Weiss interrupted again.

“In the end, the Soul Reapers decided that my kind needed to be eradicated for the sake of the three worlds. The Quincies were butchered to nearly total extinction almost two hundred years ago.”

Blake looked at her feet, unable to look Weiss in the eyes.

“I can hardly blame them, in all honesty,” Weiss said, causing Blake and Ruby to look at Weiss in shock. “What? I'm being truthful. The Quincies of old knew what they were doing and still pushed the world closer to disaster. You tell the story well, Soul Reaper. My grandfather told it much the same way. I even found myself agreeing with the Soul Reapers when he first told me the story of our people. My grandfather always wanted to find common ground, a way for Quincies and Soul Reapers to put an end to their past hatreds and work together towards a common future…” Weiss scowled and clenched her fists. “Until you Soul Reapers murdered him.” 

Ruby whimpered slightly. She'd never seen Weiss so angry before, not even when they'd first met and Ruby had accidentally run into Weiss and knocked her to the ground during their freshman year. Weiss spoke again.

“My grandfather was a kind and gentle man. He never harmed anyone in his life. He tried again and again to reach out, to build bridges between the last of the Quincies and the Soul Society and was denied time and time again. The day he died he was attacked by five Hollows. FIVE. He was always under supervision by the Soul Reapers, but the day he died it took them hours to finally respond to his cries for help! I know with all my heart that my grandfather, Nicholas Schnee, an old man who could barely still summon a Heilig Bogen to defend himself, was left to die by YOUR KIND! That is why I will never forgive the Soul Reapers, and that,” Weiss turned to Ruby. “Is why I'm sorry I didn't reach you in time last night. If I'd been faster I could have killed those Hollows and you never would have even known you were in danger until I had a chance to teach you how to control your spiritual pressure. You should never have had to be in a position where you were forced to become one of them. I still love you, and by my honor as a Quincy I will always be there to protect you.”

Ruby was in a stunned silence. She didn't know what to believe or what to say. “I… I love you too Weiss, but this isn't your fault. It's just… bad luck that this happened the way it did.” Ruby stood up and reached out a hand to Weiss. “Your grandfather wanted Quincies and Soul Reapers to work together, right? Maybe that can start with us?” 

“Ruby, you dolt…” Weiss took Ruby's hand. “I may not like Soul Reapers, but I love you, and I won't let something like that come between us.”

Weiss turned to Blake. 

“As for you, if Ruby gets hurt in any way because of this, I will come after you.”

Blake nodded. 

“Understandable. I want you to know that I am genuinely sorry that I had to transfer my powers to her. If it helps at all, giving my powers to a human is considered a grave sin in the Soul Society. I may not be welcomed back with open arms. Hopefully my powers return before anyone catches on though.”

The lunch bell rang again at that moment, signaling the students to return to class. 

“Oh crap, next period is chemistry and I totally forgot to do my homework!” Ruby exclaimed. 

Weiss shook her head and chuckled. “Spirits, Hollows, Quincies, Soul Reapers, and more and yet it all pales in comparison to Ruby Rose and her true enemy; actually doing homework. What am I going to do with you, my precious dolt?”

Chapter Text

Ruby yawned and stretched, rolled over on the couch and dragged herself up into a sitting position. Saturday was pancake day in the Xiao Long-Rose household and she didn't want to miss out on a hot, fresh stack of chocolate chip pancakes. She could smell the pancakes cooking all the way from the living room, and she bounced to her feet, quickly making her way to the kitchen. Yang was at the stove, hard at work ladling batter into the hot pan. Ruby stifled a yawn.

“Morning, Yang. Please tell me I didn't miss the chocolate chip pancakes.” 

Yang shook her head. “Just started on the first batch, should be ready soon. Mind getting the syrup and butter out of the fridge for me, Rubes?” 

Ruby rummaged through the refrigerator, retrieving the requested items. She set them on the table. “Kinda surprised dad isn't down here. Late night at the hospital or early morning?” Yang shrugged.

“Not sure. I got in late last night and he wasn't around to try to suplex me, so if I had to guess, probably a late night.” Yang flipped the first batch of pancakes. “So, how's school been?”

Ruby shrugged. “Same as always. Boring because I already know most of what they're teaching. Sometimes I still wish Weiss and I had skipped straight to Beacon but then I wouldn't get the ‘normal high school experiences’ like dad wants me to have. Why do I need to sit in desks that haven't been replaced since the 80s that have five pounds of chewed gum stuck under them again?”

Yang laughed. “Trust me sis, college isn't all it's cracked up to be, even Beacon has its fair share of outdated equipment. Besides, if you and Weiss had skipped straight to Beacon, who knows if you ever would have met, and what would I tease you about then? Speaking of the Ice Queen, how've you two been?”

Ruby smiles at the mention of Weiss. “Same as always. I'm actually meeting up with her and a new friend from school later today to go over a project we were assigned.” Ruby smirks and thinks to herself “By the way Yang, my new friend is a Soul Reaper, Weiss is a badass monster slayer, and I'm a Substitute Soul Reaper now. Yeah right, Yang would be dragging me to the hospital to get me checked out if I dropped that on her all at once.” 

Yang nudged Ruby's shoulder, causing Ruby to flinch and lose her train of thought. “Yo, Earth to Ruby, you there? I asked you what the project was, I might be able to help you out.”

Ruby shook her head. “Thanks Yang, but it's AP Chemistry. The new girl is only with Weiss and me because she's a transfer student and needed the extra help to get up to speed.”

Yang narrowed her eyes slightly. “Trying to ditch your big sister to hang out with your girlfriend and a mysterious new girl? Are you sure you're not just making things up to get alone time with Weiss?” 

Ruby playfully shoved Yang. “I'm 18, Yang. It's not like I'd need your permission to hang out with Weiss. And second, do I smell something burning?” 

Yang's eyes went wide. “THE PANCAKES!” 

After the thoroughly burnt first batch was tossed in the garbage, Yang made a big stack of pancakes for Ruby and then herself. Not content with the current chocolate and sugar content of her breakfast, Ruby drowned her pancakes in chocolate sauce and maple syrup. Yang chuckled as she watched Ruby tear into her food. “Rubes, it is a miracle that you don't have diabetes and that you're practically a toothpick.”

Ruby attempted to answer Yang with a mouthful of pancake but decided against it and swallowed before saying, “That's what track is for! Plus I drink milk!”

“You say that like milk magically makes everything better,” Yang said. 

Ruby put on her best offended look and says, “You take that back! My own sister, doubting the power of milk! Milk makes me strong!”

“I think it's the almost daily training and exercise that makes you strong, but…”

Before Ruby could say anything, her phone rang. Ruby checked the caller ID. In large letters it displayed WIFE <3. She answered the phone and Weiss said, “Hello Ruby. Did you sleep well? We have a long day ahead of us.”

Ruby nodded like Weiss could actually see her. “Yup. Just finished breakfast with Yang. Where did you want to meet up?” 

“You know the old train station? The one that was condemned a few years ago? Meet me there. Loathe as I am to suggest this, bring your Soul Reaper too. We'll likely need her if we're going to train you.”

Ruby nodded again. “I'll get ready and bring my stuff. See you there. Love you, Weiss!”

“I love you too, Ruby. I'll be waiting for you.”

The call ends and Ruby thanks Yang for the pancakes. She makes her way to her still destroyed room. The large hole in the wall had been temporarily patched with plywood until it could be properly repaired. Ruby changed into a casual outfit of black jeans, a black t-shirt with a red rose emblem on it, and a pair of combat boots. She grabbed her school bag to make it look like she was actually going to work on a project and said goodbye to Yang. As she exited the house, she almost jumped out of her skin to find Blake waiting for her. “Did I scare you, Ruby? Sorry about that.”

“How do you do that?”

“Do what?” Blake asked, with her ears perked up.

“How do you move around so quietly? You always seem to be nearby without me noticing you until you say something or make yourself known. It's kinda scary…” 

“Years and years of stealth training at the Soul Reaper Academy,” Blake laughed. 

“Wait, there's a school for Soul Reapers?” 

“Of course, how else would someone gain the skills and knowledge to become one?” 

Ruby nodded. “Makes sense, yeah. Well, let's get going or Weiss will be mad at both of us for being late.” The pair walked several blocks in the direction of the library before doubling back and making their way to the abandoned train station. It wasn't long before Ruby and Blake found where Weiss had been waiting for them. Weiss waved to them. 

“Took you two long enough. I'll let you both inside. Wait here for a minute.” Weiss jumped from the sidewalk to the roof of the building, entering through a maintenance door on the roof.

Ruby's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. “How did she do that?!” Ruby turned to Blake, who replied,”

“That's just one of many things you'll be able to do once you're trained. Our technique is called flash step. You'll have to ask Weiss what the Quincies call their movement techniques.”

The door to the abandoned train station opened at that moment and Weiss leaned out.

“Hurry up you two, get in here. I'd rather not get caught and arrested for breaking and entering.”

Ruby and Blake quickly followed Weiss into the building, locking the door behind them. They followed Weiss into the train yard portion of the old station and to an abandoned container car. Weiss unlocked the padlock on the train car and slid the door open. She climbed inside and retrieved a white duffle bag. “I'm going to change into my gear. You two wait here, I won't be long. Maybe you can start Ruby's training in the meantime, Soul Reaper.”

“My name is Blake. Blake Belladonna.”

“I know.” With that, the door to the train car slid shut. Blake stared at the door for a moment.

“Wow, rude.”

“I mean, she does have her reasons for not liking Soul Reapers,” Ruby said to Blake.

Blake sighed. “I know. I know. I can't do anything to change what happened to her grandfather, but I'm not one of the Soul Reapers that allowed him to die…” Blake sighed again. “Enough of that though, let's get to why we came here. Are you ready for this?” Blake put on a red, fingerless glove with a white skull emblem wreathed in black and blue flames.

“Ready for wha…” Ruby's question was cut off as Blake slammed her gloved hand into, and then through, Ruby's head. As Ruby's physical body fell to the ground, her soul form was forced out of her body, and she stumbled backwards. “Ow, what the fuck Blake? Why did you…” Ruby caught sight of her body laying on the ground and her jaw dropped as she pointed at her fallen body. “Holy shit, am I dead?!” 

Blake scoffed. “Hardly. I've used this glove to force your soul from your body. Take a look at yourself, you should be at least somewhat familiar with your Soul Reaper form.” Ruby looked down at herself. She was wearing the same shihakushō from the other night when she had slain her first Hollow. That memory reminded her of her Zanpakuto, and she felt the weight of it strapped across her back. She reached back and grasped the handle, pulling the blade from its sheath and bringing it to bear. This was the first time she had a chance to get a good look at it. The blade was truly massive, almost ridiculously so. By her estimate the blade alone was almost as long as she was tall, and the overall length with the handle included absolutely made the blade dwarf her in comparison. She almost laughed at the sheer size of it. Continuing her inspection of the Zanpakuto, she saw that the guard was decorated with entwined roses. The handle was wrapped in bright red cord, and the end of the handle had a bright red tassel dangling from it. Ruby thought it was the most beautiful sword in the world. 

“Hey Blake, quick question for you. Your Zanpakuto seemed to be a regular sized sword, how come mine is so huge?” Blake pondered for a moment. 

“I suppose it has a lot to do with your untrained spiritual pressure. The size of a Zanpakuto has a lot to do with how much spiritual pressure you pour into it. Without proper training, many Soul Reapers would likely have Zanpakuto a lot like yours. Try to remember that the size of a blade doesn't always reflect its power or the power of the wielder.”

Ruby nodded. “Got it. So once I learn how to control my spiritual pressure then it might shrink to something more reasonable.”

The train car opened and Weiss stepped out. She wore a white peacoat with silver buttons and light blue trim on the ends of the sleeves, with a mid-thigh length white skirt, light blue tights, and knee high white boots. A silver bracelet adorned her right wrist with a five pointed silver cross dangling from it. “If there's one thing I'll agree with Blake about, it's that your spiritual pressure desperately needs to be controlled. I've felt it growing for years now, but I never really knew how to bring up the fact that I'm a Quincy so I could teach you how to… Ruby? Are you paying attention?”

Ruby's cheeks were bright red, her mouth slightly open as she stared at her girlfriend. “You uh, you look beautiful, Weiss!” Ruby gulped. “Not to say that you're not always beautiful, just that you look really good in that outfit, but like, you look beautiful in everything you wear also so I guess what I'm trying to say is…” 

Weiss cut her off with a kiss.

“I'm glad you like it, Ruby. Take a deep breath, inhale slowly, hold it for a few seconds, then exhale slowly.”

Ruby did so and felt much less flustered. She grinned sheepishly. “Thanks, Weiss.”

Weiss smiled. “Any time, my love.”

Blake coughed lightly. “As much as I hate to break this up, we don't have all day…” 

Weiss nodded. “Agreed. Well Blake, she's all yours for the time being. Ruby, if you need any help I'll be right here keeping an eye on your physical body, I promise.”

Ruby leaned in and kissed Weiss one more time. “Thanks, Weiss. Alright Blake, what's lesson number one?” 

“Lesson one is…” A ringtone sounded from. Blake's pocket. She fished out what looked like a smartphone, though the technology was clearly different. “Lesson one is postponed, a Hollow just appeared a few blocks from here. We'll need to take care of it quickly. Follow me!”

Ruby rushed off after Blake. “See you later, Weiss!” It only took the pair a few minutes to the site of the Hollow. The Hollow looked like a massive ant, its round mask decorated with lines that looked like tears coming from its eyes. Each of its six limbs tapered to a needle-like point. Like all Hollows, it had a massive hole in its chest. The monster was chasing the spirit of an old man, its masked jaws open wide, ready to swallow the innocent soul whole. Ruby got between them just in time, wedging the Hollow's mouth open with her Zanpakuto.

“You're not eating anyone today, Hollow!” Ruby shoved the Hollow back, the force of the blow slightly cracking its mask. The Hollow reared backwards, roaring in pain. Ruby brandished her sword in both hands, ready to attack the beast or defend herself. The Hollow lashed out with its front two limbs, the deadly points striking too close to Ruby for comfort. Ruby managed to dodge the first two blows, but the third caught her in the left shoulder, cutting her deeply and making her lose her footing. She dodged behind a building, shaking slightly. Blood was pouring from her wound, but she couldn't feel it due to the adrenaline. Blake was with her within seconds.

“Ruby, I know that you're hurt but you're the only one who can exorcise this Hollow. I can patch your wound with kidō and heal it fully later, but right now we need to move. Hold still.” Blake muttered something under her breath as she held her right palm close to Ruby's injured shoulder. A faint light emanated from her palm and the bleeding mostly stopped, along with the pain that was just beginning to creep in. “Are you ready, Ruby? I can do something to distract that Hollow and let you land the killing blow. Just wait for my signal. You'll know it when you see it. Ready?”

Ruby gritted her teeth, a look of resolve on her face. She nodded. “Let's do this.”

Blake and Ruby reengaged the Hollow. Blake took her position and chanted, with her palm facing the Hollow, "Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws! Hado 33, Sōkatsui!" As she finished the chant a stream of blue flames erupted from her palm, striking the Hollow. The Hollow staggered for a moment, but a moment was all Ruby needed. She charged in and cleaved its masked head in two. Blood sprayed from the Hollow for a moment before it turned to dust and ash, along with the rest of the Hollow.

“And stay down!” Ruby shouted. She turned to Blake, who had a concerned look on her face as she stared at the hand she'd cast her spell with. “That should have been so much stronger than it was. It should have killed that Hollow outright… Why is it that my powers seem to be even weaker than they were the day I gave Ruby my powers? Why am I not getting better?” Blake thought to herself. 

“Uh, Blake? Are you okay?” Ruby asked. 

“Hmm? Oh yes, I'm okay. Let me get that shoulder patched up the rest of the way and then we'll get back to Weiss. I'm sure she's worried about you.” Blake tended to Ruby's wound with the same healing kidō she'd used earlier and the two began to leave when a voice called out to them. 

“Th… thank you both for saving me from that monster. I thought for certain it was going to eat me!” The spirit of the old man the Hollow had been chasing was back. Blake spoke to him. 

“Tell me, why haven't you passed on yet? What's holding you here in this world?” 

“My wife. She's in the hospital. She doesn't have very long left, the doctors say. We promised each other that whichever one of us passed first, the other would be there to greet them on the other side. I can't break that promise.”

Blake gave the man an understanding smile. “When you're both ready, find us. We'll guide you to the Soul Society. It's a peaceful place, free of the worries of this life. Go be with your wife. That monster won't be bothering you any longer.”

The spirit thanked them again and floated off in the direction of the hospital. “I thought lost spirits needed to go through konsō or they'd eventually become Hollows?” Ruby asked. 

Blake nodded. “Normally that's true, but this spirit harbors none of the negative emotions that would cause the transformation. He might not even need to seek us out for konsō once he's reunited with his wife. They may pass on in their own way like most spirits do.”

Ruby and Blake made their way back to the abandoned train station yard. Weiss was sitting on a salvaged chair, reading a book. Ruby's physical body had been propped up against the container car. “Took you two long enough. It was just one, low level Hollow,” Weiss said as she bookmarked and closed her book. “So, how did your first official Hollow slaying go? I could feel your spiritual pressures spiking from here, though I must say that yours, Blake, was less than I thought it would be. Yours on the hand, Ruby, spiked wildly and very high. I'm surprised it didn't attract the attention of more Hollows.”

“Oh you should have seen it, Weiss! I stopped it from eating an old dude, and then it cut my shoulder open with its weird pointy arm, and then…” Ruby was cut off. 

“I'm sorry, what? It cut you? Are you okay?”

“Oh yeah, I'm fine. Blake patched me up good as new.” 

Weiss turned to Blake. “Thank you for keeping her in one piece. I know what we do is dangerous, but I can't stand the thought of her being hurt.”

“It was nothing, really. But you're welcome.” Blake said.

“So uh, how do I get back into my body?” Ruby asked. “Don't get me wrong, I love being a sword wielding badass, but I would like to be normal sometimes.”

Blake replied, “Oh, that's easy. Walk over to your body and just sit inside it the same way it's positioned. Your body and soul will combine and you'll be back to normal in seconds.” Ruby followed Blake's instructions and stood up once she was safely back in her body. 

“Thanks, Blake. So, what do we do with the rest of the day?”

Blake shrugged. “Lesson one was just entering your body again. Lesson two is going to be controlling your spiritual pressure. How are you with meditation?”

Ruby smirked. “You mean that thing where you sit cross legged and pretend not to fall asleep? Not very good at all. I can never get my mind to calm down enough.”

Weiss sighed. “Well, it's something we'll have to work on, because you can't just run around hemorrhaging spirit pressure. It can draw in Hollows and affect the people around you if you're not careful.” Ruby sighed and nodded. 

“I guess you're right. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me.”

Weiss gives Ruby a hug.

“It'll be okay, Petal. We'll get you there, I know we can.”

Ruby smiles. “Thanks, Snowflake.”

Chapter Text

“We still have a few hours before Yang expects me back home. Was there anything else we could practice? I kinda want to learn some of those spells you were using, Blake, especially the healing ones. Seems like it would come in handy.”

Blake shook her head at Ruby. 

“First things first, we need to get your spirit pressure under control. Without proper control any kidō you try to cast could easily explode,” Blake put her red glove back on and approached Ruby, “But first we'll need to get you back out of your body. You'll want your Zanpakuto close by. Soul Reapers usually meditate with their blades close by to deepen their connection with them.”

Ruby flinched slightly. “Go easy on me with that glove please. I don't want my body to get hurt while I'm not in it.”

Weiss moved behind Ruby, holding her arms out. “Don't worry, Ruby. I'll catch you.” Ruby smiled. “Thanks, Weiss.”

Blake placed her gloved hand on Ruby's chest and pushed forward gently, causing Ruby's body to fall backwards into Weiss's waiting arms. Weiss sat Ruby's body down and propped it against the train car. Ruby smiled at Blake.

“Thanks, Blake. And thank you for catching me, Weiss. So, how do we do this?”

“Draw your Zanpakuto and place it on the ground in front of you, then sit down and get comfortable. We'll start with the basics,” Blake said as she moved into a sitting position, legs crossed. Ruby and Weiss followed her lead. “Now close your eyes. I want you to breathe in slowly and exhale slowly. Become aware of each breath as it enters and exits your lungs. Feel the beating of your heart, steady and strong. Once you're ready, we'll move on to the next step.”

The three sat there for several minutes practicing their breathing techniques. After a time, Blake spoke up again. “Alright Ruby, I want you to try to picture your spiritual pressure. Think of it as a large, bright orb of light. It pulses in time with your breaths. Now I want you to picture a smaller, empty orb next to it. This is the size we want your spiritual pressure to be at unless you need to use it in combat. I want you to picture yourself pouring all that light into the orb. You might think it won't fit, but it will. We'll know if it's working if the size of your Zanpakuto changes at all.”

Ruby kept her breath steady, doing her best to visualize her spiritual pressure the way Blake had instructed. As she pictured pouring the energy into its smaller container she heard what sounded like metal rattling against concrete, followed by Blake gasping quietly. Ruby's eyes shot open to see her Zanpakuto rattling in place, but not doing much more than that. Ruby lost her concentration and the blade stopped moving. “Aww, I thought I had it…” Blake smiled reassuringly at Ruby.

“Your Zanpakuto was definitely responding to your attempts. Try again, Ruby. You've got this.” 

Ruby smiled back slightly and closed her eyes, returning to her breathing and concentration. The next hour went much the same. Ruby would try to shrink her spiritual pressure, her sword would respond somewhat, but ultimately nothing changed. Ruby groaned in frustration. “I don't get it! I'm picturing my spiritual pressure, I'm trying to contain it, but all we get is my blade rattling around!” 

Weiss laid a hand on Ruby's shoulder. “You're doing good, I promise. The odds were this wasn't going to work on the first try, but the more you practice the better you'll get. You're Ruby Rose. You can do anything you put your mind to.”

Ruby smiled lovingly at Weiss. “Thanks.”

“Blake, I'm going to try guiding Ruby's meditation for a moment. I have an idea,” Weiss said, moving so she sat in front of Ruby.

Ruby cocked her head slightly, her silver eyes locking with Weiss's pale blue eyes. “What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to close your eyes and breathe, same as before. Then I want you to picture one of our first dates. Remember when we went to the park and you showed me that garden hidden in that grove of trees? The one that was overgrown because the city had forgotten it was there?”

Ruby smiled and blushed. “My mom used to take me there as a kid. Even overgrown, the roses that grew there were still just as beautiful as I remembered them. I wanted to share that place with you because of how much it meant to me. It means even more to me now because you're part of those memories.”

Weiss blushed also. “Well, remember the second time we went there in the winter and found that someone had cleaned it up and pruned back all the rose bushes?” 

Ruby nodded. “I was so angry. I couldn't understand why anyone would destroy them like that until you explained that by pruning them they would grow back even more beautifully now that they were being taken care of. Sure enough when we went back in spring there were more roses blooming than ever before. I love these memories, but I don't understand why…”

“Shhh, we're getting there. I want you to picture your spiritual pressure like those overgrown roses. Just like those plants, your power grows wild and uncontrolled. I want you to imagine pruning it back, trimming it so it can grow under your control and all the more beautiful. Can you do that for me?”

Ruby nodded and then closed her eyes again, taking control of her breathing and picturing the overgrown rose garden. She carefully tended to it, trimming back its twisted and overgrown branches and stems. Once her work was done, the remaining stems grew new buds which swiftly bloomed. Satisfied, she opened her eyes.

Blake and Weiss were both grinning at her.

“Congratulations Ruby!” Weiss said, “Take a look at your Zanpakuto.”

Ruby looked down, expecting to see the massive, oversized katana she'd been growing used to. In its place sat a far more reasonably sized katana with a narrow, slightly curved three foot long blade instead of the nearly five foot long, broad and cumbersome blade she had before. “I… I did it? I did it!”

“Just remember to keep up with your meditation. Right now you're actively controlling the output of your spiritual pressure. In time it will become second nature to you, like breathing.” Blake stood up. “Now, it's been a few hours, we might want to start thinking about getting out of here.”

Ruby paled. “Crap, Yang will be wondering where I am. Are you girls willing to walk home with me? I told her we were working on a project for chemistry.”

Weiss sighed. “What am I going to do with you, you dolt? Get back in your body, I'm going to get changed out of my combat gear.” Weiss climbed into the train car and closed the door behind her while Ruby sheathed her nearly resized Zanpakuto and got back into her body. 

“So Blake, where do you live?” Ruby asked. 

“The Soul Society gave me a small amount of money when they gave me my long term assignment here in the World of the Living. It was meant for food mostly so I could replenish my spiritual pressure but I found a cheap enough hotel. I am almost out of money though. I'll have to look for alternative lodgings soon enough.” Blake sighed. “I don't suppose you have any ideas?” 

Ruby shook her head. “Nope, sorry. We can ask Yang if she has any ideas when we get back to my house.”

Weiss hopped out of the train car wearing her usual white, long sleeve shirt and black pants. “You two head out the front, I'll leave through the roof exit same as I got in.” The girls left the train yard and station and slowly made their way to the Xiao Long-Rose house. As they approached, Ruby spotted her dad's car in the driveway. 

“Awesome, dad's home! Hopefully that has Yang distracted enough that she doesn't realize how late I am coming home…”

Ruby's wish would not be answered. As she unlocked the front door it was suddenly jerked open and less than a second later she was tackled in a bear hug by a six and half foot tall, blonde man.

“Ruby, what have I told you about staying out past your curfew? I was worried about you! Where have you been? Are you okay?” 

“Dad… Dad, I'm okay, I promise. Can you let go of me please? You're embarrassing me in front of Weiss and my new friend.”

Taiyang released Ruby and stood up, realizing he had an audience.

“Oh, hey Weiss. Nice to see you again. How's the family been? Are your mom and sister doing well?”

Weiss smiled politely and nodded. “They're doing well, thank you for asking Mr. Xiao Long. How have you been?”

“Oh, you know, same old. Long days at the hospital, my back is achy. Nothing new there. How are things with Ruby?”

“Dad! I'm right here!” Ruby exclaimed indignantly. Weiss smiled. 

“Everything is perfect. I couldn't be happier.”

Taiyang nodded. “Good, good. Glad to hear it.” He turned to the newcomer who had been patiently waiting. “Where are my manners? My name is Taiyang Xiao-Long, but you can just call me Taiyang. I hear you're Ruby's new friend. What's your name?” 

“I'm Blake Belladonna. I'm a transfer student from Menagerie. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Xiao-Long.”

Taiyang seemed lost in thought for a second before he replied. “Well it's nice to meet you too, Blake. Have you had dinner yet? You can stay if you'd like, Yang and I always cook way too much food so there's plenty to go around. It's tuna casserole night if you're interested.”

Blake's eyes sparkled. “You had me a tuna casserole. If I'm not imposing of course…”

“Not at all. Weiss, will you be joining us?” 

Weiss shook her head. “Sorry, but I have to be getting home. I'm sure my sister is worried about me by now. Ruby, Blake, thanks again for the help on that project. Same time next week?”

Ruby and Blake both agreed. Weiss leaned in and kissed Ruby on the cheek. “See you tomorrow, Ruby.” 

“See you tomorrow, Weiss.”

Weiss pulled out her phone and pretended to call a cab as she walked down the street, but as soon as she was out of sight of the Xiao Long-Rose house she disappeared in a burst of high speed. Back at the house, Ruby and Blake had sat down in the living room, waiting for dinner to be ready. Yang poked her head in. 

“Hey, Rubes, welcome back. How did the project go? Were you able to help your new…” Yang caught sight of Blake sitting on the couch. “Oh, hi. I'm guessing you're the new friend!” Yang entered the room fully. “Hi, I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister.” 

Blake smiled politely. “I'm Blake Belladonna. I'm a transfer student from Menagerie.” 

“Oh wow, that's a long way from here. How are you liking Vale so far?”

“It's… different, that's for sure. A lot more concrete and glass than I'm used to. Not as much green as back home.” Blake thought back to her previous assignment in Kuo Kuana, the capital of Menagerie. While she hadn't truly lived there, she remembered it fondly enough. Yang nodded. 

“Yeah, when we first moved here from Patch it was definitely jarring. It's a small island off the coast, but it's nowhere near as developed as the city. Lots of forests to run around and get lost in. I still miss it sometimes. At least the parks here are nice.” Yang heard a timer go off in the kitchen. “And that's dinner ready! Come on you two. I'll get your food plated.”

Blake and Ruby followed Yang to the kitchen. Ruby grabbed plates and utensils and set them out on the table while Yang and Taiyang scurried about the kitchen, pulling hot casseroles and a pie from the oven and setting them on the counter. Yang called Blake over. 

“So, since you're the guest, you get dibs on the first piece. What looks good to you?”

“A corner piece, please.” 

Yang nodded and cut the tuna casserole, scooping out a generous corner piece onto Blake's plate. 

“Alright, dig in! We don't stand on ceremony or anything here, so enjoy the food and let me know how it is!” 

“Thank you, all of you.” Blake took a bite and her eyes went wide. “This is amazing! And there's so much tuna!” 

Yang smiled. “I'm glad you like it. Xiao-Long family secret recipe.” Yang plated everyone else's food and then joined them at the table with her own plate. The group ate mostly in silence after that, and once they were done with dinner and dessert Yang and Ruby gathered everyone's plates. While Ruby loaded the dishwasher she asked Yang,

“Hey, so Blake mentioned she was looking for a new place to stay while she's here in Vale. Got any ideas?” 

Yang looked surprised. “Wait, where has she been staying?” 

Blake interjected. “It's a long story, but this all happened at the last minute and very recently. I've been staying in a hotel for the time being but I'm looking for something a bit more stable.”

Yang gave an understanding nod. “I gotcha. Well, as it so happens I've been looking at getting an apartment of my own a little closer to Beacon. Wanna be my roommate? I know we just met and all but there's something about you that I feel like I can trust.” Blake looked surprised. 

“Are you sure? I wouldn't want to put any pressure on you or anything.” Yang nodded.

“Absolutely. Let me know when you have some free time and we can go looking. I know you're still a full time student so don't worry about rent or anything for now.”

“I don't know what to say. Thank you so much, Yang.” At that moment Taiyang walked into the kitchen. 

“Wait, my baby girl is moving out? And you didn't tell me?” Taiyang ran to the shrine in the living room. “Raven! Summer! Yang is moving out and she didn't even tell me! What am I supposed to do…” Yang clobbered him over the head.

“Stop talking to that shrine like that! We have a guest over and it's ridiculous that you even have a shrine for my mother! She's not even dead!” Yang turned to Blake. “Sorry about that, he has a weird tendency to get over dramatic.”

Blake chuckled. “It's fine, really. I think it's sweet that he still talks to your mom. But I do have a question…”

Yang sighed. “Raven is my mom, Summer was Ruby's mom. Summer died almost seven years ago, and Raven disappeared not too long after that.”

Blake's ears flattened slightly. “I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how hard that must have been.” 

Yang shrugged. “Yeah, it was hard for a long time. Still is some days. Ruby and dad took it the hardest. She wouldn't leave her room except for school for weeks after Summer died. I was… so angry for a long time. It all felt so unfair. Luckily dad got us the therapy we needed, and I found outlets for my aggression. MMA and cooking are great for releasing pent up stress. I know, those sound like complete opposites, but trust me, it takes the same level of passion, energy, and drive.”

“I can believe that. I never did much cooking growing up, but I did join a…” Blake stopped for a moment. “Let's call it a kendo club. That and I practice Jujutsu.”

Yang smirked playfully. “Maybe we could spar some time then? I'd love to see what you can do.”

Blake blushed. “Y…yeah, sounds like a good time.”

Ruby made a faux retching noise that startled Blake and Yang. “Gross, flirting.”

Blake and Yang blushed and both tried to speak at the same time.

“No, I wasn't… I mean, I wasn't not flirting, but I also didn't mean to…”

“Ruby we weren't, I mean, I don't think we were, I just…”

Ruby burst out laughing. “Oh you should see the looks on your faces. I'm just messing with you. But it is starting to get dark, I was just going to ask Blake if she needed someone to walk her back to her hotel.” 

“Hey Blake, ever been on a motorcycle? I have a spare helmet you can borrow, I can give you a lift.” Yang pointed out the two helmets hanging near the door.

Blake's ears twitched nervously. “I don't know. I've never really been comfortable with…” Blake saw the slight look of disappointment in Yang's lilac eyes. “A ride would be great, thank you. But no, I've never been on a motorcycle before.”

Yang smiled. “You're in for a treat then. Grab the black helmet and follow me, I'll introduce you to Bumblebee.”

“You named your bike?” Blake asked. 

“Rebuilt her from the ground up myself. She's never let me down.”

“Alright, lead the way.”

Chapter Text

Yang and Blake zoomed through the streets of Vale on the back of Bumblebee. The yellow and black motorcycle rumbled beneath them as Yang changed lanes to get on the highway to get downtown faster. Blake's arms were wrapped tightly around Yang's waist, holding on as if her life depended on it. After a few minutes Yang took the exit towards downtown. The traffic lights at the next intersection switched to yellow, then red, and Yang brought the bike to a stop at the light. Yang tapped Blake's arm. 

“You okay back there? Liking the ride so far?”

Blake nodded but then realized Yang couldn't see her.

“I'm okay. It's a little scary but I can see why you like it.”

Yang was about to respond when the light turned green again. She revved the engine and took off. They made their way further downtown towards the hotels. Yang pulled over. “So, which one of these is yours?” Blake pointed to a hotel further down the road with a green and yellow sign.

Yang nodded and was about to get back on the road when Blake's Scroll went off.

 “Hold on a minute please, I need to check this out.” Blake hoped against all hope that it wasn't a Hollow alert, but unfortunately it was, and it was close by. “Shit, and Ruby is nowhere nearby… How am I going to handle this?” Blake's thoughts were interrupted by a loud roar coming from the mostly empty strip mall they had pulled over next to. She hoped that Yang hadn't heard it.

“What the hell was that?” Yang asked, dashing Blake's hope for the second time. Yang turned the engine back on but a sudden blast of invisible energy caused the motorcycle and the lights of the nearby buildings to shut off. “What the… Oh come on, don't do this to me girl…” Yang tried the ignition a few more times to no avail. The bike was dead. “Great. Just great. I'm sorry Blake, this is going to take me a little bit to fix. I hope you don't mind.”

Blake was thankful the helmet hid her nervousness. “I don't like whatever that sound was. Let's get out of here as soon as we can please.” Both girls hopped off the bike and took off their helmets. Yang rummaged through a bag mounted on the side of the bike, taking out a tool kit and a battery powered lantern. 

“Don't worry Blake, I'm sure it was just a stray dog somewhere. I'll have us out of here as fast as I can.”

Blake fidgeted nervously. “Okay. I just don't like the looks of this place.” Again the Hollow roared, this from much closer. Blake turned towards the buildings and spotted the creature on the roof closest to them. The Hollow looked like a cross between a boar and a gorilla. Its tusked mask had lightning bolts emblazoned across it. “Yang, we need to go, like, now.”

Yang looked up from her work. “Hey, you gotta be more patient, this isn't rocket science but that doesn't mean I can… rush… it… Blake? Do you see that too?”

At that moment the Hollow roared again and reared up on its hind legs. It slammed its fists together and a pulse of electricity emanated from them, this time close enough to cause Yang and Blake to be momentarily stunned. The beast jumped down from the roof, charging towards them, jaws open and ready to devour them. Blake barely managed to recover in time to cast a kidō. 

“Hadō 4, Byakurai!” A pale blue bolt of lightning shot from her finger tip, striking the Hollow and catching it off guard. Blake momentarily lamented how weak it was but gathered herself as the Hollow temporarily retreated. She dragged Yang to her feet. “Yang, we need to go, now!” 

Yang nodded. “Yeah, totally. After we get out of here you have some explaining to do.”

“Of course. Now let's get going before…” The Hollow roared in pain and rage, charging at the girls again. “Shit! Run!” 

Blake and Yang took off as fast as they could, but the Hollow maintained its pursuit. After a few blocks they ducked behind a closed down gas station. Yang was the first to catch her breath.

“Blake, just what the hell is that thing? And what was that magic you used on it? Just what the hell is going on?”

“It's a long story, Yang. Short version, I'm a Soul Reaper, that thing is a Hollow. It's a monster that eats human souls. It's my job to fight them but right now I don't have all my powers.” Yang nodded.

“Definitely gonna want the full version later. So how do we get rid of this thing? Got any more fancy spells that will get rid of it?” 

Blake shook her head. “Sorry, but no. I'm missing a significant part of my power right now. Our best hope is to try losing it.”

“And if we can't?” Yang asked. 

“Then we'll have to improvise a way to kill it.” The Hollow's roar came from close by, which got Blake and Yang's attention. 

“Come on, let's move!” Yang grabbed Blake's hand and pulled her to her feet and the two took off again, doubling back to the strip mall where Bumblebee had been abandoned. Yang jumped on the bike and tried the ignition again to no avail. Yang slammed her fists on the bike. “Damn it, come on!” The Hollow was still following them, closing the distance rapidly. Yang grabbed a tire iron from the bag on the side of her bike. “Okay Blake, how do we fight this thing?” 

“With my powers diminished like this, our options are limited. If you're strong enough to see Hollows then you might be strong enough to at least hurt it enough to force it to back down. If I can distract it with kidō do you think you can get in close enough to crack its mask? That should be enough to force it to retreat until we can get out of here.” Blake wished she had a way to get ahold of Ruby to properly deal with the Hollow, but for the moment survival was the name of the game.

Yang nodded, a look of determination on her face. “You blast it, I beat on it. Sounds good.” 

As the Hollow drew closer, Blake ran further into the parking lot in an attempt to draw it away from Yang. The Hollow was fixated on Yang however and raised a fist, ready to bring it down and smash Yang and her beloved bike. Thinking fast, Blake aimed her hand at the Hollow’s fist and shouted “Hadō 4, Byakurai!” The blue lightning hit the creature and it reeled back, then turned to Blake and charged. Blake turned and ran, drawing the creature further away from Yang. She looked over her shoulder and saw Yang chasing after them. Blake turned around and ran between the Hollow's legs, confusing it and causing it to stop and turn. By the time it turned to chase them again, Blake had readied a spell. “Bakudō 4, Hainawa!” Yellow ropes of energy shot forward from her palm, wrapping around the Hollow and holding it in place. As it struggled, the ropes already began to stretch and snap “Yang, hurry! Break its mask!”

Yang charged in, tire iron raised. She brought it down again and again on the Hollow's mask but only succeeded in chipping it slightly. The energy ropes holding the Hollow snapped completely and it lashed out with its fist, tossing Yang into a nearby light pole. Yang fell to the ground with a groan. 

“Yang! No!” The Hollow turned its attention back to Blake and charged at her again. Blake's ears flattened in fear and she ran.

“Damn… I really thought I had that thing…” Yang thought to herself as she lay there. “I'm sorry Blake. Sorry I'm not strong enough to protect you. And Ruby, I'm sorry I won't be there to protect you anymore. I… No. No, I AM STRONG ENOUGH. I WON'T LET THIS THING BEAT ME.” Yang staggered to her feet. “I am Yang Xiao-Long. I'm not letting this thing beat me. I will protect them!” Yang clenched her fists as an unfamiliar feeling welled up inside her. It felt good. It felt powerful. She reached out towards that power, and in that moment molten gold poured from her wrists, engulfing her hands and upper arms before solidifying into a pair of armored gauntlets. They both had a design of a dragon coiled around them, mouths open on and breathing flames. Yang smiled. “I don't know what this is, but I can work with it.” Yang took off in the direction of Blake and the Hollow.

Blake was starting to run out of stamina. She had already had a few close calls with the Hollow nearly catching her. “It's this damn gigai.” She thought to herself,  “It's slowing me down. I'll have to talk to that man about it tomorrow… if I'm alive.” The Hollow lunged at Blake again, knocking her down. Blake tried to get up, but it was too late. The Hollow was bearing down on her, jaws open and ready to bite down. “Shit. I guess this is it… I’m sorry mom. I'm sorry dad. I…” Blake was pulled from her thoughts as she realized she wasn't dead yet. She looked up and saw Yang holding the Hollow’s jaws open. 

“You wanna mess with someone, freak, you mess with ME!” Yang shoved the Hollow back with her newfound strength and then kicked it in the jaw. The Hollow screamed in pain. “Leave this to me, Blake. I've got it.” Yang squared off with the Hollow, the creature and Yang slowly pacing in a circle around each other, waiting for a chance to strike. The Hollow lashed out first and Yang blocked its punch with her left gauntlet. She smirked. “You're too slow!” Yang threw a bone shattering punch into the Hollow’s right arm, breaking it in two places. Yang pressed her advantage, raining blows on the Hollow and not letting it back up. With each blow the dragons on her gauntlets began to glow. As the Hollow fell to the ground, Yang slammed her fists together. Her gauntlets were engulfed in flames and her lilac eyes turned red. With a wild grin, Yang threw one final  punch into the Hollow's mask, shattering it entirely and destroying its head. Its body was consumed by the flames from her fist and rapidly disintegrated. “What? That's it? You don't want some more?” Yang took a deep breath and centered herself. The flames dissipated and her armored gauntlets faded back to wherever they'd come from. She turned to Blake. “Are you okay?” 

Blake nodded shakily. “Y… Yeah, I'm okay. How did you do that? I've never seen a power like that before.”

Yang shrugged. “Neither have I. It's new to me too. Feels great though. Let's get back to Bumblebee. I'll get it fixed up and then you're staying with us tonight. We have a lot to talk about tomorrow.”

Blake nodded and stood up. “Agreed. We'll want Ruby and Weiss for that too. There's… A lot to tell you.”

Chapter Text

The night passed swifty at the Xiao Long-Rose house. Morning came before any of the girls under its roof were ready for it. Taiyang had been called back to the hospital early that morning due to a multiple car accident, leaving Ruby, Yang, and Blake to their devices. Ruby and Yang made a simple breakfast for the three of them, eggs and bacon with a side of toast. They quietly ate their meal, an obvious tension in the air between the three of them. Ruby was the first to break it.

“So… wanna tell me what happened last night? I thought you were taking Blake back to her hotel but when I woke up she was asleep on the other couch.”

Yang and Blake exchanged a glance before Yang spoke. 

“We were on our way when Bumblebee started giving me problems. I had to patch her up so I decided it was safer to turn around and bring Blake home for the night instead of trying to drive all the way to her hotel and possibly getting stranded or just not making it there.”

Ruby narrowed her eyes slightly but said nothing. She could feel the change in her sister's spiritual pressure from across the city so she knew already there was more to the story. She decided to keep that to herself for now. “It's not like I don't have my own secrets that I'm keeping from Yang,” Ruby thought to herself.

Blake coughed lightly. “When is Weiss going to arrive? It would be easier to explain everything once she's here.”

“Everything?” Yang asked. 

“Yeah. There's a lot that needs to be discussed.” Blake's gaze shifted between Ruby and Yang. “Unless you think we should have this conversation twice…”

Yang shook her head. “No, better to get it over with all at once.”

“I texted Weiss, she said she can be here in two hours.” Ruby got up and took her plate to the sink. “Until then, I guess we just sit around awkwardly?” 

“Oooor we could watch a movie,” Yang said. 

Ruby smiled slightly. “Yeah, that's a better idea.”

The trio retreated to the living room and Yang put on a loud, cheesy action movie. Blake's attention was glued to the screen as they watched a movie with increasingly improbable car chases and vehicles that refused to obey the laws of physics. When the credits rolled she shook her head, wondering when movies became like this. “I don't get it. They spent the entire movie fighting this guy and then somehow the power of family makes him switch sides and join them? It makes no sense!” 

Yang laughed. “No, but it was a fun way to kill two hours and let your brain shut off.”

“It's already been two hours?!” Blake's ears twitched. “How is that possible?”

Yang shrugged, smiling. “That's the power of bad action movies. They suck you in and next thing you know they've made fifteen of them. Honestly, and Weiss would kill me for saying this if she was here, but I think the Rapid and Enraged series is the best thing to come out of Vale Cinema like, ever.”

Blake looked appalled. “I'll have to disagree with you on that. Moulin Rouge is so much better. It's such a tragic romance…”

Ruby groaned. “Why does nobody I know like anime? It's the best thing to come out of Mistral since sushi!” 

Blake's ears perked up at the mention of sushi. “Sushi is great, but what's anime?” 

Ruby's silver eyes went wide. “What's anime?! How do you not know…” before she could finish, the doorbell rang. “Wife! I mean Weiss!” Ruby bolted to the door and peeked through the peephole before opening it. “Hey, come on in! We were just talking about movies and stuff. Can you believe Blake has never heard of anime?” 

Weiss scoffed. “Of course she hasn't, Ruby. She's a…” Weiss caught sight of Yang on the large couch. “She's an exchange student. From Menagerie. They probably don't get a lot of media from Mistral.”

Blake sighed and thought, “Time to rip the bandage off of this, I guess…” Blake walked in front of the TV. “It's okay, Weiss. Yang knows, at least in part. Sit down and we'll begin.” Weiss and Ruby sat together on the large couch and Yang stayed put where she'd been sitting on the floor. Blake took a deep breath and exhaled. “So, starting from the beginning. My name is Blake Belladonna, and I'm a Soul Reaper…” Blake recounted the first night she'd met Ruby and how she'd given Ruby her powers. Ruby told Yang about her first battle against a Hollow. Weiss cut in to explain her presence there that fateful night, as well as the history of her people and her abilities. It took over an hour to get Yang caught up. For the most part Yang seemed to take the news well, though she did scowl when she found out about Ruby's occasional injuries. Yang stood up. 

“Okay, so you're a Soul Reaper…” Blake nodded. 

“You're a Substitute Soul Reaper…” Ruby nodded.

“And you're a Quincy…” Weiss nodded. 

“So then what the hell am I?” Yang told Ruby and Weiss about what happened the night before with the Hollow and the strange gauntlets that had appeared on her arms. The emotions of that night were still fresh in Yang's mind and the gauntlets emerged once again. “See? What are these? Why do I have them?”

Weiss examined the gauntlets and shook her head. “They're made of reishi as far as I can tell, but they're not like Quincy weapons. We make bows and arrows for the most part, though we do have other tools.”

“I haven't seen anything like this before either,” said Blake. “It's definitely a mystery. I know someone who might be able to give us some answers though. I'm actually supposed to meet up with him later today. If you girls want to join me, you can.”

“If it means getting answers, I'm definitely coming with you,” Yang replied, “I want to know what's happening to me and how to control it.”

Ruby nodded excitedly. “Count me in! I wouldn't mind getting in some training today too, if there's time.”

Weiss nodded slightly. “Looks like we're all in agreement. Lead the way, Blake.”

Blake led the group deep into a somewhat sketchy looking part of downtown Vale. They arrived at a shop that looked like a run-down thrift store. “This is the place. Follow me.” Weiss looked skeptical. 

“Are you absolutely certain we have to go in there? This isn't exactly the best part of town and I'd rather not get shot or stabbed.”

“Trust me, there's no better place to get, let's call it, ‘specialty items’ in Vale.” Blake entered the building and a small bell rang, alerting the person behind the counter. A woman with curly blonde hair, piercing green eyes, and glasses called out. 

“Welcome to Ozpin's Thrift and More. If we don't have it, we can probably get it. How can I help… Oh, it's you. What can we do for you today, Miss Belladonna?”

Blake smiled and shook her head. “Glynda, nice to see you, but I told you it's just Blake. I've brought a few friends with me today. We're here to look at the special items and to talk to Ozpin. I also have some private questions to ask him once we're done.”

Glynda nodded. “Understood. Follow me, girls. I'll show you to the back of the shop. Ozpin is in his office, as usual.”

Glynda led the group through a set of double doors in the back of the shop into a space that seemed far too large for the building they were in. Strange items lined the walls, shelves, and display cases of the back room. Talismans that promised protection from evil spirits, large crates labeled ‘Gigai’, a shelf marked ‘Soul Candy,’ and many, many items that were unlabeled, but were clearly not meant for the World of the Living's usual citizens were dotted around the space. “Welcome to Spirit Supply, a place for all your spiritual needs. Ozpin's office is through those doors in the back corner. Knock twice and he'll be out shortly.” With that, Glynda walked back to the thrift store half of the shop. Blake watched as the other three looked around the Spirit Supply, taking in the strange sights. Weiss leaned over a display case for a moment and spotted a small cluster of tiny silver tubes with a five point cross on them. She shouted,

“Hey, how does this shop have Quincy gear? No one should have this equipment besides Quincies!”

At that moment the door to the office opened. “Those were traded to me as payment many years ago, miss. I assure you I acquired them in a perfectly fair deal. Welcome to my shop. My name is Ozpin, how may I help you on this fine day?” The girls turned to see a grey haired man with a small pair of glasses over brown eyes. He wore a black coat over a green shirt with black pants and shoes. He propped himself up on a cane. 

“We have a lot to ask you about, Ozpin,” Blake said, “But let's start with Yang here. She's recently developed a power I've never seen before. I was hoping someone with your… diverse expertise would be able to help us.” A large orange cat with black stripes jumped on the counter next to Ozpin, as if it was curious to see what they were talking about.

Ozpin gave a slight smile and a nod. “I would be happy to assist you. Now, which one of you is Yang?” Yang walked over to Ozpin. “Ah, of course. So, what is this power of yours?” 

Yang tried to bring out her gauntlets but they wouldn't respond. Grunting from the effort, she tried harder and harder to force them to appear but to no avail. “I don't understand. The other night they just showed up when I needed them the most, and earlier today they showed up for pretty much no reason. What the hell is going on?”

Ozpin took off his glasses for a moment, wiping them against his sleeve as he pondered. “Perhaps it has something to do with your emotions? What were you feeling when you first summoned them and what were you doing earlier?” 

Yang thought back to the night before, her feelings of helplessness and sorrow. She concentrated on those feelings but still nothing happened. She thought back again and remembered her vow to protect Blake and Ruby and her determination to never let them get hurt. A familiar feeling of heat welled up inside her and the gauntlets formed again, their now familiar dragon engravings glowing slightly. Yang grinned. “Yup, that did it. So, anything you can tell me about these?” 

Ozpin tentatively reached out towards Yang's left hand. “May I get a closer look?” Yang nodded. Ozpin inspected the gauntlets, observing their construction and composition. “They are spiritual in nature, there's no doubt about that. Tell me, what have you been able to do with them so far?” Yang recounted her fight to Ozpin.

“The Hollow I fought was a big, tough bastard. When I blocked his first strike I felt a rush of power, and as I beat it down that power grew until my gauntlets burst into flames. That's when I was able to get the killing blow.”

“I see. So you gain power by blocking or attacking and then this power manifests as flames. Fascinating, truly. I've never seen anything like this before if I'm being honest.” Yang's face fell. “But… I will take some time to research this power. I believe I will be able to get you some answers.”

Yang grinned. “Sounds good to me.” 

Ozpin nodded. “I would recommend training this ability when you get the chance. Better to gain mastery over the unknown than to let the unknown master you.”

“Uhh, okay…” Yang shrugged. “I'm always down for training though.”

Ozpin turns his attention to Ruby. “Ah, hello miss.” Ozpin leaned in close and stared into Ruby's eyes. “You have silver eyes. How interesting…” He leaned back. “How can I help you?” Blake cut in.

“We're going to need a soul candy for her. I won't always be around to help separate her from her body when she needs to fight.”

Ozpin nodded. “I see, so this is why you needed that gigai from me. Very interesting indeed.”

Ruby nervously chuckled. “So what's so interesting about my eyes?”

Ozpin waved his hand somewhat dismissively. “Silver eyes are very rare. I haven't met many people with them. You're only the third.”

Ruby turned to Blake and Yang, her expression begging for help out of this awkward situation. Weiss got Ozpin's attention. “How much for the ginto? I'll take all of them.” 

Ozpin stroked his chin for a moment. “500 Lien and they're all yours.”

Weiss pulled her credit card from her purse. “Will credit do, or do you want cash?”

“Credit will do nicely, Miss Schnee.” 

“Wait, how do you know who I am? I haven't introduced myself yet.” Weiss allowed the Quincy cross on her bracelet to dangle freely, ready to defend herself if necessary.

“That won't be necessary, Miss Schnee. I figured out who you were because there aren't very many Quincies left in this world, especially not Quincies with white hair and pale blue eyes. It's a unique trait of the Schnee bloodline. I make it my job to know about any and all spiritually powerful people in this city.” Ozpin gestured to the cash register. “We do accept cash, debit, and credit to answer your question.”

Ozpin unlocked the case and removed the ginto, packaged them in a small box, and handed them to Weiss after she swiped her card. Ozpin smiled. “Back in Quincy hands where they belong.”

Weiss nodded curtly and opened the box to inspect her new ginto. The silver capsules were in excellent condition and appeared to have been well cared for. “Thank you.”

“As for the item you requested, Miss Belladonna, follow me and I'll show you the different models we have in stock.” Ozpin led Blake to another shelf that held an assortment of portable candy dispensers. Each of them had a different cartoon animal head on them. Blake rummaged through the selection and decided on one that had a corgi mascot on it. “Not my first choice, but somehow I feel like Ruby will appreciate it.” Blake thought.

“I'll take this one.” Blake paid and took the item over to Ruby. “This is a Soul Candy. Think of it as an artificial soul that will puppet your body for you while you're out on Soul Reaper business.”

Ruby raised an eyebrow. “I'm not sure I like the idea of someone else running around in my body and pretending to be me…”

“It's nothing to worry about. They're standard issue for Soul Reapers assigned to the World of the Living. They let us separate from our gigai, or in your case your body, and the artificial soul inside can get the gigai to safety. It's perfectly safe, I promise you. Keep this with you in case you ever spot a Hollow and I'm not around to help you separate from your body.”

Ruby nodded and clipped the dispenser to her belt. “I'm still not sure about this, but if you say they're safe, I believe you. Thanks for picking one with a corgi on it. It matches my favorite plushy.” 

Blake smiled, then turned to Ozpin. “I have a few things we need to discuss privately. Can we use your office?” 

Ozpin guided Blake to his office and shut the door behind them. “So how may this humble shopkeeper assist you, Miss Belladonna?” 

Blake glared at him. “‘Humble shopkeeper’ my ass. I don't know how you get half the items in this shop and frankly I don't want to know. What I do want to know is why it feels like none of my powers are returning and why I'm having so much trouble controlling this gigai.” Blake held up her left hand, noticeably termoring. “It's been getting worse, like the gigai is rejecting me. I don't know what else to do except take larger doses of the anti-rejection drugs you've been giving me.”

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure that's wise? When it does finally come time for you to exit that gigai it's going to hurt a lot if you have too much of that in your system.”

Blake gritted her teeth. “I can't leave this gigai until my powers have returned, so I don't exactly have a choice.”

Ozpin sighed and retrieved a set of vials and syringes from a drawer in his desk. “Consider this set on the house. If you find yourself needing more, you know where to find me.”

Blake gathered the supplies and put them in her backpack and joined the others. “Ready to go?”

The girls all nodded and made their way out of the shop. The large cat jumped onto the counter next to Ozpin.

“What are you thinking, Ozpin?” The cat asked, its voice deep.

“I'm thinking that fate has a funny way of pulling the strings, Sienna.” Ozpin twirled his cane and returned to his office. 

The girls all made their way back to Ruby and Yang's house. Once they'd sat down in the living room, Ruby asked Weiss, “So, what were those things you bought back at Ozpin's? They look pretty.” 

“They're called ginto. They're a special tool that let Quincies store spiritual energy for later and also allow us to cast powerful spells with that stored energy. These ginto haven't been used in quite some time but they've been well cared for. I should be able to put them to good use when we hunt Hollows again.” Weiss turned to Yang.

“Sorry you couldn't get answers about your powers. At least Ozpin said he'd look into it.”

Yang shrugged. “As long as I get some answers at some point. For now I'm just happy that I can fight these monsters on my own terms.”

Ruby smiled. “Welcome to the team, Yang.” Ruby slapped her thighs. “So… bad movie marathon until we have to fight a Hollow or it gets too late?”

Yang laughed. “Hell yeah. The new Rapid and Enraged is streaming. I heard they go to space in this one!” 

The other girls groaned but resigned themselves to their fate.

Chapter Text

Ruby woke up early the next morning and spent an hour deep in meditation. She pictured the rose garden in her mind and saw that it had started to overgrow again. By the time she was done, the garden was tidy and blooming again. “As much fun as it was to swing around a giant sword like that, it's easier to learn to use a regular size Zanpakuto.” Ruby thought to herself. “I wonder if Zanpakuto come in other shapes? A scythe would be so cool…” Ruby finished getting dressed for school and made her way downstairs to eat breakfast. Blake and Yang were in the kitchen chatting by the coffee maker. Their conversation quickly ended as Ruby entered the kitchen. Yang smiled at Ruby. 

“Hey Rubes, welcome to the land of the living. Coffee?” 

Ruby nodded and grabbed a far too large mug from the cabinet. She filled the cup about a quarter of the way with coffee and then added a seemingly impossible amount of sugar to it before filling the cup the rest of the way with milk. After a few sips Ruby let out a content sigh. 

“I love coffee so much.”

Blake shook her head. “I'm not sure you can still call that coffee…”

Ruby stuck out her tongue. “Don't knock it ‘til you try it! Hey, now that I think about it, do they even have coffee in…”

Taiyang entered the kitchen, yawning and hardly noticing the presence of an extra person in his kitchen. He grabbed the remainder of the coffee pot, poured a full mug of steaming, black coffee and then chugged it. A shiver ran from his head to his toes as he drank the last drop and slammed the mug onto the counter, causing Blake to jump slightly. The sisters didn't so much as flinch. 

“WOO! THAT'S THE STUFF! Morning Yang, morning Ruby, morning… Blake, right? Sorry if I startled you. It's been a hell of a time at the hospital lately and I desperately needed the coffee. How are you all doing? Have a good weekend?”

The girls exchanged a look and Yang shrugged.

“Same as every other weekend, I guess. Oh, dad, can I borrow your car in a week or two? I'll need it to move my stuff to my new place.”

Taiyang sighed.

“All grown up… alright, my sunny little dragon. As long as nothing comes up at the hospital, the car is all yours.”

Yang smiled. 

“Thanks, dad. You're the best.”

“Well, I'll leave you all to get ready for school. I'm heading to the hospital for the day.” said Taiyang, heading back upstairs to finish getting ready for work. 

Yang washed and dried her mug and put it away. “Well, I'm gonna shower and get ready for class. See you two later.”

After Yang left, Ruby said, “It kinda sucks today is a school day. I wanted to learn more about my Zanpakuto and my Soul Reaper powers.”

“You could use the Soul Candy I gave you. It can go to class for you, take notes, and keep up appearances while you're out on Soul Reaper business. It would give us more time to train.”

Ruby shook her head. “Nah, I'd rather keep that for emergencies, like if a Hollow shows up during class or something.”

Blake shrugged. “Just a suggestion. We should start getting ready for school. Be ready to use that Soul Candy if the time comes though.”

“I will, don't worry.”

The girls finished getting ready for school and made their way to Signal. Weiss had waited out front for Ruby and the two hugged before heading inside for class. The first class of the day went without a hitch, but halfway into the second class Blake's scroll sent off a Hollow alert. Blake, Weiss, and Ruby excused themselves to run to the bathroom to prepare for the fight.

“Any idea what we're looking at?” Weiss asked.

“Two Hollows by the looks of it, nothing major,” said Blake.

Ruby pulled the Soul Candy dispenser from her belt and gave it a squeeze. A small, pale green sphere popped out of the Corgi mascot's mouth. “So, do I just swallow this?” 

Blake nodded. “Exactly. Swallow it, your soul will come out of your body, and the soul inside the candy will take over your body while we're gone.”

Ruby tentatively put the candy in her mouth and swallowed it. She felt a pressure in her chest as her Soul Reaper form was pushed backwards out of her body. Her body stumbled forward slightly and then stood up straight and turned to Ruby. “Hi, my name is Zwei, I'll be your double! What can I do for you, miss?”

Ruby's mouth opened and closed. It was beyond weird seeing her body moving and talking without her. “Um, I guess just keep a low profile in class and take notes while I'm gone? It's nice to meet you, Zwei.” 

Zwei saluted. “Absolutely, miss Ruby. I'll take good care of your body while you're away and I'll get those notes for you.”

“Alright, let's get those Hollows before they do any damage, come on!” Blake ran out of the restroom with Ruby and Weiss close behind.

“Yeah, I'll get those notes for you Ruby… and after that I'm taking this body for a joy ride!” Zwei thought to themself before heading to Ruby's class. 

The girls ran several blocks to a construction site where two Hollows were wreaking havoc. One had a humanoid torso with a long, snakelike tail in place of its legs. It roared, opening its masked mouth and revealing a mouth full of fangs. The other Hollow ran on all fours and looked like a wild boar, complete with a tusked mask. The Hollows appeared to be fighting each other over the right to consume an injured human that was lying on the ground between them. 

Ruby's silver eyes narrowed as she drew her Zanpakuto. “Blake, get that person out of harm's way. Weiss, take the snake. I'll take the boar. Ready?”

Weiss nodded and summoned her bow. Blake got into position to rush in once the Hollows were engaged. Ruby tightened her grip on her sword. “Alright, go!” 

Ruby charged the massive, boar-like Hollow, dodging between its legs. She slashed at the back of its left front knee, causing it to stumble mid-charge. Weiss jumped to the top of a nearby crane and fired a volley of arrows at the snake Hollow. The creature roared and slithered towards the crane, grabbed it with its clawed hands and crushed the main arm of the crane. Weiss nearly lost her balance but managed to jump away to another, higher vantage point. The boar Hollow regained its balance and turned around towards Ruby, rage in its eyes. It charged at her and attempted to gore her with its tusks but Ruby dodged out of the way and took another swing at it, taking the tip off its right tusk. While Weiss and Ruby engaged their targets, Blake ran in and slung the injured man's arm over his shoulder, dragging him to the relative safety of the nearby sidewalk. Weiss fired a few more arrows at the snake, causing it to bleed and enraging it further. It coiled its tail and jumped at Weiss, grabbing the edge of the incomplete building level and pulling itself up. Weiss smirked and backed away before firing volley after volley of arrows at the edge of the floor, shattering it and causing the snake Hollow to fall several stories. She jumped down after it, landed on its neck, and finished the creature with an arrow between the eyes. Blue flames began to engulf the Hollow, and soon it was nothing but ash and dust. “And that's what you get for messing with a Quincy.”

Ruby was having a considerably harder time with the boar Hollow. For every blow she managed to land, the Hollow seemed to get stronger and angrier. Ruby had been gored in her right leg and was bleeding profusely but she refused to let the beast get the better of her. The Hollow roared in its own defiance, locked its eyes on Ruby, and charged. Ruby stood her ground, took a deep breath, and grasped her sword in both hands. As the Hollow drew nearer, she shifted her balance slightly and used all her energy to jump above its head, swinging her sword down as hard as she could into its masked face. The blade cut down through its mask and as the Hollow charged it caused the Zanpakuto to slide from the front of its face deep into its neck, killing it almost instantly. Ruby landed and collapsed from the pain of her wound, but Weiss and Blake were on her in seconds to help treat the wound. 

Ruby sat up and rubbed her leg where the tusk had gored it. “Well, that's another two Hollows down. How's the guy they were after?” 

“He'll be fine. Small cut on his forehead. I called him an ambulance,” said Blake.

Weiss kissed Ruby on her forehead. “I still hate the idea of you being injured like this, but you fought well.”

Ruby blushed. “Thanks, Weiss. So did you.” 

Weiss smiled. “Well, we should probably get back to class. We've been gone for a while now, I'm sure the teachers are worried.”

The girls made their way back to the school and Weiss and Blake slipped quietly back into their classes. Ruby wandered the halls searching for Zwei so she could take her body back but after searching the entire school they were nowhere to be found. Ruby became increasingly anxious as the bell rang, signaling the next class. She found Weiss and Blake in the hall and gestured for them to follow her to a quiet place in the library.

“Guys, my body is gone! I searched the whole school twice but couldn't find them anywhere! Blake, I thought you said these things were foolproof!” Ruby exclaimed.

Blake's cat ears twitched. “This has never happened before with the candies I've used. We'll just have to track down your body the hard way. Are you familiar with Spirit Ribbons?” 

Ruby shook her head.

“Spirit Ribbons are a visual manifestation of spirit energy. Close your eyes and concentrate on Weiss and I's spirit energy and spiritual pressure. Imagine seeing that as a ribbon that leads straight to us,” Blake explained.

Ruby closed her eyes and focused her mind, and eventually she was able to see many white ribbons floating in the air in front of her. She grabbed the ends of two that felt the most familiar and then opened her eyes. “Weird, yours is white, Weiss, but Blake, yours is red.”

“Soul Reapers have red spirit ribbons. Humans have white. It's part of how I knew you'd changed into a Soul Reaper, Ruby,” said Weiss.

“Oh! Then how will we track down the soul candy in my body? Do they have different colored ribbons?”

Blake nodded. “You'll be looking for a pale green ribbon that feels kind of like you but not.”

“Got it.” Ruby focused again and found the ribbon. “Alright, found them, let's go!” 

The girls left the school, tracking the spirit ribbon down. They ran block after block and eventually found themselves downtown in the shopping district, right outside Vale Mega Mall. 

Weiss raised an eyebrow questioningly. “The mall? Why would they go here?” 

Ruby shrugged. “We can ask them when we find them.”

The girls made their way into the mall, tracking the ribbon to the third floor and into an arcade. A crowd had gathered around one of the machines and was cheering for someone. Weiss, Ruby, and Blake made their way through the crowd and found Zwei at the Dance Dance Revolution machine, currently setting a new high score. 

“Ahem, Ruby, aren't you supposed to be in class?” Weiss asked Zwei, who turned to her and paled slightly

“Well, it's been fun guys, but it's time for me to go!” Zwei jumped off of the machine and over the crowd before taking off into the mall. “Catch me if you can!”

“Damn it, get back here!” Weiss shouted before the girls took off after them.

As they exited the arcade they watched Zwei jump from the third floor to the ground floor in a single jump. “Blake, how are they doing that with my body?!” shouted Ruby.

Blake shook her head. “I have no idea! Soul candies aren't supposed to be able to do anything like that!”

The girls took the long way down, using the escalators. The spirit ribbon led out of the mall and down the street. “Great, they're super fast too,” said Weiss. “I'm gonna use my hirenkyaku to catch up with them and try to pin them down, you two catch up as soon as you can!” With a burst of speed, Weiss disappeared into the distance.

“I sure wish I could move that fast…” said Ruby. 

Blake smiled slightly. “With time and training you definitely can. For now though, we do this the hard way.” Ruby and Blake ran after Weiss, tracking her ribbon and Zwei's. After several more blocks they caught up with them. Weiss had pinned Zwei to a wall by their jacket with one of her arrows.

Ruby grabbed Zwei by the collar. “What the hell, Zwei? You were supposed to take notes for me and wait until we got back! Do you know how much trouble I'm gonna be in because of you?!”

Zwei struggled. “And I did take notes! But then I got sooooo bored and I didn't wanna waste my first chance with a body in over 100 years on something as boring as school!”

Blake's eyes narrowed. “You don't sound like a soul candy. What are you exactly?”

Zwei sighed. “I'm not a soul candy. I'm a Mod Soul.”

Ruby raised an eyebrow. “What's a Mod Soul?”

Zwei began to answer but was cut off. “A Mod Soul is the result of a project to create modified souls capable of allowing the human body to fight back against Hollows using enhanced abilities. The project was shut down and all of them were destroyed over 100 years ago.”

Blake turned to look at the newcomer. “Ozpin? What are you doing here?” 

“I came as soon as I realized what had happened at the shop the other day. This Mod Soul prototype had gotten mixed in with a batch of Soul Candies without me realizing it until it was too late. Now, Miss Belladonna, if you don't mind using your Soul Glove to extract it and then hand it over, I'd be more than happy to replace this defective item.”

Zwei's face paled and they began to struggle more. “No! Please no, don't give me to him! He'll destroy me! I don't want to die! All I did was cut class and play video games! It won't happen again, I swear!” 

“Is it true you're gonna destroy them?” Ruby asked.

Ozpin nodded. “Mod Souls are illegal and far too dangerous.”

Ruby shook her head. “No. All they want to do is live. I won't let you destroy them for that. We're keeping them.” 

Weiss and Blake nodded in agreement.

Ozpin sighed. “Very well. Just make sure to keep them out of trouble from now on. We can't afford the Soul Society to come poking around.”

Ruby nodded. “Blake, I do need my body back though, would you mind evicting Zwei for now?”

Blake put on her Soul Glove and pressed her palm against Zwei's forehead. Zwei twitched for a moment and the candy capsule fell out of Ruby's body's mouth. Ruby caught it and placed it back into the dispenser before re-entering her body. “Phew, glad to be back in one piece again. I guess we should head back to Signal to face the music though…” 

The girls groaned and made their way back to the school.

Chapter Text

What was the cost of skipping class to fight soul eating monsters and then having your body hijacked and taken for a joy ride through an arcade? Detention for two days, as it turned out. On day two of detention, Ruby, Weiss, and Blake sat quietly doing their homework, waiting for the time to pass. Ruby looked up at the clock and saw they still had another fifteen minutes and she groaned in frustration. “This is soooo boring,” she thought to herself. “It's so not fair! We were out saving lives! Can't exactly explain that to the teachers though, I guess.” 

Weiss finished her homework and took a moment to redo the braid on her ponytail. Blake had finished her homework some time ago and was reading a book hidden by her geography textbook. Whatever part of the book she'd reached made her blush and she quickly closed it and slipped it quietly into her backpack. The clock on the wall ticked slowly but eventually the teacher overseeing their detention dismissed them.

Ruby yawned. “Ugh, I thought that would never end…”

Blake stretched as she stood up. “Honestly, two days of detention for skipping a class is nothing compared to the… ‘academy’ I went to. Break the rules there and you were in for a world of hurt.”

Ruby looked at her phone and then frowned. “With everything that's been going on I didn't realize what day was coming up…”

Weiss took Ruby's hand and gave it a squeeze. “You okay?”

Ruby shook her head. “Seven years this Friday. I still miss her so much.”

Weiss pulled Ruby into a hug. “I'm here for you. I always will be.” Ruby clung to Weiss and began to cry.

Blake was about to ask who Ruby was talking about when she remembered what Yang had told her about Ruby's mother dying. She waited quietly while Ruby cried on Weiss's shoulder. After a few minutes Ruby's tears subsided and she let go of Weiss and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. “Sorry, Weiss…” 

Weiss cut Ruby off. “I've said it before and I'll say it again. You have nothing to apologize for, Ruby. Grief affects us all differently.”

Ruby gave Weiss a weak smile and nodded. “You're right.”

The girls quietly began to walk to Ruby's house. As they crossed a bridge over a drainage canal, Blake hesitantly spoke up. “Ruby, if you don't mind talking about it, what happened to your mom?”

Ruby and Weiss both stopped and turned to Blake. Weiss scowled at Blake. “Blake, this is hardly the time…” Ruby held up a hand and cut Weiss off.

“It's okay, Weiss. Blake doesn't know.” Ruby sighed deeply and pointed down to a walkway next to the canal. “It happened seven years ago, right down there. Yang and I have been able to see spirits our whole lives, but she was always better at telling the difference between the living and the dead. I had a harder time until after…” Ruby wiped a tear from her eye. “It was raining. My mom, Summer, was walking me to school and as we reached the end of the bridge I looked down into the canal and saw a little girl standing at the edge of the walkway. She looked like she was about to fall in, so I pulled away from my mom and ran to help her. When I got closer I… I don't know, I guess I tripped and hit my head. Everything felt heavy and it was hard to breathe. I closed my eyes for a second and when I opened them, mom was standing between me and the girl. I closed my eyes again and… I don't know how long I was out but by the time I woke up mom was laying in a pool of blood and… And…” Ruby closed her eyes, tears flowing freely again. “I passed out again and woke up in the hospital. Dad was there, and so was Yang and her mom, Raven. I saw the looks on their faces and I knew that mom was gone.” Ruby clenched her fists and grit her teeth.  “It's my fault! It's my fault she died because if I'd just been able to see it was a ghost I never would have run down there and my mom would still be alive!” 

Weiss put a hand on Ruby's shoulder. “Ruby, you know that's not true…” 

Ruby pulled away from Weiss and turned away. “Everyone keeps telling me that. Maybe one day I'll believe it…” 

Ruby, Weiss, and Blake slowly and quietly walked the rest of the way to Ruby's house. As they walked, Ruby tentatively reached out and took Weiss's hand and gave it a light squeeze. As they approached the house they saw Yang in the driveway working on her motorcycle. Yang looked up from her work and waved to the girls. “Hey, what's up? How was school?” Ruby shrugged and walked past Yang into the house. Yang got up and looked at Weiss and Blake. “What's up with Ruby? Why's she in a bad… mood…” Yang checked the calendar on her phone and paled slightly. “Shit. I've been so distracted lately that I almost forgot. Weiss, are you coming with us on Friday?”

Weiss shook her head. “Winter and mother are expecting me to join them at Jacques’ grave this year. I'd rather be there for Ruby, but I don't think I can get out of this this year. Must keep up appearances, as you know, in spite of everything…”

Yang pulled Weiss into a hug. “If you change your mind or need an out, let me know. You're part of our family too.”

Weiss patted Yang on the back and stepped back. “Thank you, Yang. That means a lot to me.” Weiss looks at the door to the house. “Every part of me wants to go in there and check on her, but I know she needs her space. Please let Ruby know I'll be here in the morning to walk with her to Signal.” Yang gave Weiss a thumbs up before the white haired girl turned and walked away.

Blake and Yang stood together in an awkward silence before Blake quietly spoke up, her cat ears flat against her head. “I asked Ruby what happened to her mom. She told me the story.”

Yang sighed. “She still blames herself after all these years. We keep telling her she didn't do anything wrong and that it's not her fault. She's seen three different therapists about this, but deep down she still blames herself.” Yang punched the side of her bike. “I wish there was something I could do to help her understand.”

“There's something about Ruby's story that stood out to me. Something I'm not sure how to bring up to her.” Blake said. Yang looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “Ruby said that when she got closer to the spirit that she fell over and could barely move and had trouble staying awake…” 

Yang shrugged. “Yeah, doctors said she probably tripped and hit her head hard enough to give her a concussion. What are you getting at, Blake?” 

Blake continued. “When we fought that Hollow at the strip mall, you could feel its power before you saw it, right? It felt like a weight pressing down on you.” 

Yang's lilac eyes widened. “Yeah, now that you mention it, I could. Are you saying what I think you're saying?” 

Blake nodded. “Unfortunately, yes. I think Ruby was attacked by a Hollow. At that age with untrained spiritual energy and minimal spiritual pressure she wouldn't have been strong enough to withstand the presence of a powerful Hollow. Its spiritual pressure would have smothered her, making it hard to move or even stay conscious. Tell me, did Summer ever mention being able to see spirits?”

“Summer and Raven could both see spirits, yeah. They taught us to tell the difference between the living and the dead, but Ruby always struggled with it.” Yang's expression turned grim. “I don't like where this is going…” 

Blake's ears twitched. “Ruby said she saw the spirit of a little girl that looked like it was going to fall in the canal, but she couldn't tell that it was a spirit. She runs down to save the girl, but is crushed by the spiritual pressure of a powerful Hollow. At this point I'm speculating, but it's possible Summer saw the Hollow and put herself between it and Ruby in order to protect her.” Blake looked Yang in the eyes, golden-amber eyes meeting lilac. “There is a Hollow we were taught about in the Soul Reaper Academy. It's at least two centuries old and has slain countless humans and dozens of Soul Reapers. Somehow it's able to project images of the souls it has eaten while remaining invisible to bait in unsuspecting spiritually powerful humans, souls, and even Soul Reapers. We call it the Grand Fisher. If I'm right, Ruby's mom was killed by that very Hollow, and died saving Ruby's life.”

Yang clenched her fists and started to tremble. She closed her eyes and started to cry. “So this ‘Grand Fisher’ is still out there?” Yang opened her eyes, her lilac pupils fading to a deep red. “How do we find it? How do we kill it?” 

Blake shook her head. “It's too dangerous. You both need more training and you don't even fully understand your powers yet. If you go looking for him you'll just end up hurt or dead.”

“You can't just expect me to do nothing! That fucking bastard killed our mom!” Yang paused for a moment. “Wait… Did you tell Ruby any of this?” 

“No, I didn't. With the mood she was in and the way she blames herself for Summer's death, I didn't think it would be a good idea. Maybe someday when she's stronger, but not now. Not yet.” Blake looked away. “I'm sorry for dropping all this on you, but I felt like someone needed to know just in case Grand Fisher comes back. Vale is his favorite hunting ground for some reason, and with the uptick in Hollow activity since I was stationed here there's always a chance he'll show up. If that happens I'll do my best to keep Ruby safe. You have my word.”

Yang took a few deep breaths, her eyes fading from red back to their natural lilac. “We'll have to tell Ruby eventually. Sooner rather than later.” Blake opened her mouth to speak, but Yang cut her off. “Ruby is a smart girl. Brilliant even. She'll figure out something is up.”

At that moment Ruby stepped out of the house in her workout clothes which consisted of a tank top, shorts, and running shoes. “Figure out what's up?” 

Yang panicked internally, sweat forming on her brow. “Uh, nothing much. What's up with you?” 

Ruby raised an eyebrow. “You're acting more nervous than that time dad almost caught you and that girl Neo making out on the couch. You still owe me for dropping that bowl in the kitchen to distract him from the living room, by the way.”

Yang's face turned red from embarrassment. “For the last time, we weren't making out! We just…”

Ruby faked a cough, “Bullshit.”

Yang launched herself at Ruby and put her in a headlock. “You are such a little shit, you know that?” 

Ruby elbowed Yang in the side, pulled out of the headlock, and jumped back. “Yeah, but I'm your little sister so you have to deal with it!” Ruby blew a raspberry at Yang. The sisters laughed for a moment before their moods turned sour again. Ruby sighed. “I'm going for a run. I'll see you later.” Ruby sprinted away before Yang could stop her.

“Damn it, Ruby. Why are you like this?” Yang sighed.

“Will she be okay? Should we go after her?” Blake asked. Yang shook her head. 

“No. She'll be back for dinner, maybe do her homework, and then lock herself in her room blasting music. It's what she does every year around this time. She'll be back to her usual self in a week or two, for the most part. I just… I wish she wouldn't do this to herself. She's doing better than she used to, but there's still that part of her that hates herself.” Yang sat on the stairs of the porch. “She blames herself for mom's death, blames herself for Raven ditching us.” Yang looked at Blake. “We have to tell her it was the Hollow that did this. It might be the only way she can finally heal.”

Blake sighed. “You might be right, but I'm still worried that she'll try to challenge him before she's ready.”

Yang smirked. “She's not the only one you have to worry about, kitty cat. I want a piece of that bastard too.”

Blake scowled. “Don't call me that.” Blake sat down next to Yang. “We should train this weekend, all four of us. I still need to get my strength back, Ruby needs to learn how to control her spirit energy better, and you need to practice just to see what you're capable of.”

Yang stretched and stood up. “I'm gonna finish working on Bumblebee. I'll see you inside.” Blake nodded and went inside, worried about the possibility of encountering Grand Fisher before they were all ready.

Chapter Text

Ruby returned home later that evening. She barely touched her dinner and then locked herself in her room, happy that the wall had finally been fixed. She jammed her headset over her ears and cranked the volume on her stereo to maximum, letting angry guitar riffs and thundering drums wash away her anxiety and grief as she drifted off to sleep. The next morning Ruby skipped breakfast entirely and slipped out of the house early so she could take a longer path to school with Weiss, avoiding the bridge. As the day progressed, her mood worsened. Ruby's usual cheerful and excited mood darkened. She barely spoke to anyone. Even Weiss had a hard time getting through to her, though Ruby did accept a hug and held Weiss's hand as they walked through the halls. The rest of the day passed without event and Ruby took another run after school in an attempt to clear her head. Her rest that night was dreamless yet restless, and she woke feeling absolutely drained. 

Ruby never went to school on the anniversary of her mom's death. That day was always spent with family and they would visit Summer's grave. Ruby got dressed, choosing a red shirt with a black rose emblem on it, black jeans, and her usual steel toed combat boots. Just as she was about to leave her room she froze and went over to her dresser, digging through her sock drawer and carefully pulling a small jewelry box out. Ruby gently opened it and a sob caught in her throat as the events of seven years ago replayed in her head. Inside was a small, silver rose pendant in the same design as the emblem on her shirt. The pendant hung from a simple silver chain. Ruby removed it from the box and with shaking hands she put on her mother's necklace. 

Ruby made her way down the stairs and joined Yang, Blake, and Taiyang at the table. She quietly poured herself a bowl of cereal. Everyone else at the table sat in an awkward silence until Yang cleared her throat and spoke up. “Ruby… I know it's a dumb question, but how are you holding up?”

Ruby dropped her spoon back into the bowl. “I'm fine. Don't worry about me.”

Taiyang sighed and shook his head slightly. “Sweetie, we know this day is hard for you. It's hard for all of us but if you don't talk to us about how you're feeling, we can't help you.” Taiyang continued, “What can we do to help you?”

Ruby pushed her bowl away. “I'm going to my room. Let me know when it's time to leave.” After the others heard the door to Ruby's room shut they released a breath they hadn't realized they'd been holding.

Taiyang hung his head. “I just don't know what to do.”

Yang looked at Blake and raised an eyebrow questioningly. Blake sighed and nodded slightly. Yang put a hand on her dad's shoulder. “Blake and I are gonna go talk to her, see if we can break her out of this.”

Taiyang smiled slightly. “Thanks, you two.”

Yang and Blake quietly made their way up the stairs. Blake stopped Yang before she could knock on Ruby's door, her cat ears flat against her head. “Yang, are you sure about this?”

Yang shook her head. “No, but nothing else has worked. Maybe this will.” Yang knocked on Ruby's door. 

Ruby cracked her door open and locked eyes with Yang. “What do you want?”

“Blake and I need to talk to you. It's important.”

“Fine, whatever,” Ruby rolled her eyes and opened the door. Ruby dropped into her computer chair. “You two can sit on the bed if you want. Now what's so damn important?” 

Blake took a seat at the edge of Ruby's bed. Yang closed the door and remained standing. Yang took a breath to steady herself. “Blake and I talked yesterday and… look, this isn't how we wanted to tell you but I don't know what to do anymore. You're my sister and I hate to see you hurting this much, and…”

Ruby cut her off. “Yang, just get to the point. I'm really not in the mood for this.”

“I'm just not really sure how to say this. It's kind of a big deal and…”

“Ruby, I believe your mom was killed by a Hollow.” Blake interjected. Yang flinched slightly. Ruby froze for a moment and slowly looked towards the cat Faunus. 

“What did you just say?”

Blake looked at Yang for a moment before looking Ruby in the eyes again. “Based on everything you told me on Wednesday, I believe your mom was killed by a powerful Hollow known as Grand Fisher. From the accounts of survivors we know it can project images of souls like some kind of lure while it remains unseen and undetected. Think about it, Ruby. You saw the spirit of a little girl next to the canal. As you got closer you fell and could barely remain conscious. I want you to think about the Hollows you've fought so far. You could feel their spiritual pressure radiating off of them, right?”

Ruby nodded tentatively. “Yeah…”

“You were young, with only enough spiritual energy to see spirits and barely any spiritual pressure of your own. A Hollow as powerful as Grand Fisher has immense spiritual pressure. You weren't able to withstand it, and you collapsed. Then…” Blake looked down. “Then your mom caught up to you. Yang told me that both of your moms were spiritually aware. Maybe she saw Grand Fisher and got between the two of you. Ruby, she saved your life.”

Ruby slumped in her chair. She was quiet for a few minutes before she spoke, barely above a whisper. “Get out. Both of you, just… Go.”

Yang took a step towards her sister. “Ruby…” 

Ruby bolted out of her chair. “I SAID GET OUT! NOW!”

Blake and Yang quietly left, closing the door behind them. As the door shut they could hear the sound of Ruby flopping onto her bed and sobbing. 

The girls made their way downstairs, where Taiyang was waiting for them. “Judging from the looks on your faces I'm guessing whatever you said to her didn't go over well.”

Yang hugged her dad, fighting back tears. “I think I made everything worse.” 

“Shhh, it's okay. I'm sure you did your best. You were just trying to help your sister.” Taiyang smiled. “You're a great kid, my sunny little dragon. Never forget that.”

Yang gave a half-hearted laugh as she let go of her dad. “Dad, I'm 20, I'm not a kid anymore.” 

Taiyang smirked. “You and your sister will always be my kids, no matter how old you get.” He turned to Blake. “Will you be joining us today? We leave in a couple of hours.”

“I wouldn't want to intrude on anything, sir.”

Taiyang smiled and shook his head. “Nonsense, you're more than welcome. And please, call me Taiyang, or Tai. ‘Sir’ just makes me feel old.”

Yang lightly punched her dad in the shoulder. “That's because you are old.”

“So mean to your dad,” Taiyang said, frowning. “Next you're gonna tell me I'm getting gray hair!” 

“Well, I wasn't going to say it, but…” Yang busted out laughing as her dad ran to the bathroom to check his hair in the mirror. A faint groan of anguish could be heard from downstairs.

The next two hours passed slowly but quietly. Taiyang and Yang cleared up the breakfast dishes and Blake sat quietly on the couch, reading a book. When it was nearing time to leave, Yang went up stairs and knocked on Ruby's door. “Hey, Ruby, it's time for us to go.” Silence answered her. Yang knocked again. “Ruby? Ruby, are you awake?” Silence again. “Sorry about this Ruby, but I'm coming in.” Yang opened the door and found Ruby laying on her bed, headset blasting music in her ears. Ruby jolted out of bed as saw her door opening. 

“What the fuck, Yang! Why didn't you knock?”

Yang crossed her arms. “I knocked twice. It's not my fault you couldn't hear it over your music.” Yang sighed and uncrossed her arms. “I just wanted to let you know we're leaving soon.”

Ruby shut off her stereo and put her headset away. “I'll be down in a minute.” 

“Ruby, are you okay? I know we dropped a lot on you earlier, but…” 

Ruby cut Yang off. “I'm not ready to talk just yet. Maybe after we visit mom, okay?” 

Yang nodded slightly. “Okay. I'm here whenever you're ready.” Yang left the room and Ruby followed her not long after. The car ride to the cemetery was long and quiet. Ruby stared out the window the entire ride. Yang occasionally looked at Ruby from the passenger seat to make sure she was okay, but Ruby's face was expressionless. Blake occasionally shifted in her seat, feeling awkward still about joining them. Taiyang pulled the car into a lot near the cemetery and the group got out. They walked quietly into the cemetery and through the rows of gravestones towards a large oak tree near the edge of the cemetery. A solitary gravestone lay under the shade of the oak. The inscription read:

Summer Rose

Thus Kindly I Scatter

1970 - 2004

Taiyang approached the grave first and kneeled down next to the stone, placing a bouquet of flowers. “Hey, Sum Sum. It's me again. Brought the kids to see you. Life is… It's going well. I'm still working at the hospital, still telling bad jokes at inappropriate times.” He sighed. “Raven is still… somewhere. Haven't given up looking but there's not much to go on. I miss you, Summer. It hasn't been easy, but all I can do is take it one day at a time.” Taiyang stood and took a step back. “I love you. Always will.”

Yang approached the grave next. “Hey, mom. It's Yang. A lot has happened this year. Finally finished rebuilding my motorcycle. Painted her yellow and black and named her Bumblebee. I'm still with the MMA club. Oh, I'm going to college now! Working on a culinary degree, if you can believe that. I've come a long way from the little girl who burned ramen in the microwave because I forgot to add water. I can still remember the smell. It was so bad. There's so much more I want to tell you but I'd be here all day if I did. I love you, mom. Miss you a lot.” Yang moved aside so Ruby could have her turn.

Ruby slowly approached the grave and knelt next to the gravestone. “Mom. I miss you so, so much. I've been doing well in school. Mostly getting As, a couple of Bs. Sometimes I forget my homework, but Weiss usually keeps me on my toes with that.” Ruby smiles and perks up slightly at the mention of her girlfriend. “Speaking of Weiss, we're dating now. I guess you probably saw that coming since last time I was here I couldn't shut up about her. You'd like her, mom. She makes me so happy.” Ruby's mood drops like a stone. “It hasn't been easy for me, mom. For years now I've replayed that day at the canal over and over in my head. I've tried to think of something, anything I could have done differently. For years now I've blamed myself for what happened to you. Hated myself for what happened. I couldn't understand why no one else blamed me, why no one else hated me, because no matter how many times I relived that day it always felt like it was my fault that you died. If I had been able to tell that girl was spirit, if I hadn't run down there, if I'd just kept walking with you, you'd still be here.”

Ruby stood up and clenched her fists, tears streaming down her face. “You've been gone for seven years now, mom. Seven years.” Ruby took a deep breath. “I'm done blaming myself. There was nothing I could have done. I know that now. I was only 11. Whatever happened that day, I know you were protecting me. I won't let you down by dragging myself down anymore. I love you mom, and I miss you, and I always will.” Ruby turned and walked away, making her way through the graveyard. 

Taiyang looked at Yang and Blake. “I guess whatever you said to her this morning did more than you thought.” Yang wiped a tear from her eye and started to follow Ruby, but her dad grabbed her shoulder. “Let her be, Yang. She needs time.”

Ruby's mind was in turmoil as she walked through the cemetery. Years of self loathing boiled beneath the surface as she tried to wrap her mind around the truth of her mother's death. “It really wasn't my fault. It was a Hollow, and mom died protecting me from it. There was nothing I could do then…”  Ruby thought to herself. “But that was then. I'm stronger now, and if I run into Grand Fisher I'll avenge her.” As Ruby passed a mausoleum, she spotted something moving out of the corner of her eye. Turning, she saw someone duck behind the structure. Her mind was split between following it to see what it was or running back to her family. In the end her curiosity won out and she walked around the side of the mausoleum, where she saw the spirit of a young girl. Ruby's blood froze in her veins as memories rushed through her. “No… it can't be…” 

It was the same spirit she had seen seven years ago. “Grand Fisher…”

Chapter Text

“Grand Fisher…” Ruby ran to the other side of the mausoleum, her heart thundering in her chest. She stopped and leaned against the wall of the mausoleum and took several slow, deep breaths, exhaling slowly between each breath. As her heart beat calmed down, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the soul candy dispenser and popped the pill into her mouth. Ruby had barely separated from her body when she grabbed Zwei's shoulder and spun them around. “Zwei, I need you to listen and I need you to do this for me. I promise I'll take you to an arcade this weekend but right now I need you, got it?” 

Zwei saluted. “What do you need me to do, Ruby?” 

“Go back to my mom's grave, get Yang and Blake. Just them. If my dad tries to follow, tell him you just want to talk to them alone. Hurry!”

Zwei turned and ran as fast as they could. Ruby drew her Zanpakuto from the sheath on her back and took a breath to steady herself. Ruby slowly looked around the side of the mausoleum to see if Grand Fisher's lure was still there, only to find that it had moved further into the cemetery. Ruby tightened her grip on her sword and shouted, “Grand Fisher, I know that's you hiding behind that fake spirit! Show yourself!” 

A low, rumbling laughter echoed through the cemetery as a massive Hollow faded into view. It stood on all four legs and was easily 10 feet tall at its shoulders. Its body was covered in faded, light green hair that highlighted the gaping hole in its chest. The monster gripped a tombstone in one of its red, bird-like talons, crushing it with ease. A bone white, oval mask covered its face. It glared at Ruby with blood red eyes, and laughed again, the mask's grotesque, red lipped, smiling mouth opening as it did. From the top of its head ran a long, spindly line leading into the back of the fake spirit. The spirit twitched for a moment before splitting down the middle and opening like flower petals, revealing its true nature as little more than bait for the Grand Fisher. “So, you're a Soul Reaper, then? I haven't tasted one of your kind in years. And a woman, no less. Your soul will taste very sweet, indeed. Make this easy on yourself, little Soul Reaper. Lay down your sword and I promise to make your death quick and painless.”

Ruby scowled, gritting her teeth. “You killed my mom, you bastard. I'm going to kill you!” 

“I've killed many mothers, Soul Reaper. That hardly means anything to me.” Grand Fisher flexed its talons. “Been a while since I've had to fight one of my meals. Be a good little Soul Reaper and die quickly, will you?” The beast lunged at Ruby, slashing with its claws. Ruby blocked the first blow with her Zanpakuto and dodged the next several attacks narrowly. 

“Seven years! For seven years I thought I'd gotten her killed! But it was YOU!” Ruby swung her sword at Grand Fisher but her blade only met air as the Hollow jumped backwards.

Grand Fisher chuckled. “Seven years, you say? Now that you mention it, your spiritual pressure does feel familiar. Was this your mother, little Soul Reaper?” The Hollow activated its lure, and in a flash of light, Summer Rose stood between the Hollow and Ruby, looking just as she did the day she had died. Ruby had always known she looked just like her mother, but now it felt like she was looking into a mirror. The same brunette hair cut into a spiky bob, the same silver eyes. The only difference was that Summer looked just a bit older than her. Ruby's hands began to tremble.

“Mom? Mom, is that you?”

A red fist slammed through the projection and into Ruby's chest, knocking the wind out of her and sending her flying.

Zwei had managed to get Yang and Blake to follow them without involving Taiyang, but as they tried to explain what was going on the three of them could feel Ruby's spiritual pressure flaring wildly. They took off at a dead sprint towards the mausoleum and arrived just in time to see Ruby crash through a tombstone. Yang shouted, “RUBY!” and ran over to check on her sister. 

Blake grabbed Zwei's shoulder. “Zwei, get Ruby's body to a safe place, now!” Zwei nodded and took off at an inhuman speed.

Yang pulled Ruby from the rubble of the tombstone. “Ruby, are you okay? Talk to me!”

Ruby groaned in pain and stumbled to her feet. “Feels like I got hit by a car, and I'm pretty sure I busted a rib. I'll be fine Yang. I promise. I need to see this fight through. He… he used mom as a lure, Yang. I don't know how, but it looked exactly like her. It even felt like her.”

Grand Fisher chuckled. “Every soul I have ever consumed is a part of me. I can use any of their forms to lure in my victims.” The Hollow stood on its hind legs, towering over the girls. “Your mother died screaming, and so will you! I should thank you though. You brought me more food!” Grand Fisher charged at the sisters, a fist raised to crush them both. The fist came down… but it never reached its targets. A gauntleted hand wreathed in flame caught Grand Fisher's fist before it could land a blow. Yang's eyes turned blood red, an aura of flames surrounding her.

“DON'T YOU TOUCH MY SISTER!” Yang screamed in rage. Her other fist cocked back to deliver a punch, and as she threw it a ball of flames erupted from her fist, flying towards the Hollow's chest and causing it to stumble slightly. The fireball was followed up by Yang's fist. The force of the blow sent Grand Fisher reeling backwards. “Huh, the fireballs are a new one.” Yang grinned. “Let's see just what these babies can do!” Yang threw a volley of punches towards Grand Fisher, each one causing a fireball to erupt from her gauntlets and launch towards the Hollow. 

Most of the fireballs struck their target and the smell of burning fur filled the air. Grand Fisher dodged the last few blasts, which detonated as they collided with tombstones and monuments. As Grand Fisher tried to regain its footing, Blake shouted “Hadō 4, Byakurai!” The lightning spell tore a small hole through Grand Fisher's right arm. Ruby rushed in while it was distracted and delivered a blow to the Hollow's left knee. Grand fisher fell to all fours, roaring and flaring its spiritual pressure, stunning the girls for a moment with its power. “I've had enough of you little bitches. Just die already!” 

Grand Fisher charged at Yang, who was still trying to find her bearings, and slashed at her with its talons. Yang flinched, waiting for the blow to land, but it never did. She opened her eyes and saw Blake standing in front of her, shielding Yang with her body. Blake coughed weakly, blood trickling from her mouth. Three jagged cuts ran across her chest, blood flowing from the wounds. The flames surrounding Yang subsided as she caught Blake before she fell to the ground, fear etched into her face. “Blake? Blake, can you hear me? What should I do? Blake!”

Blake coughed again, pain wracking her body. “Get me to cover. I can heal this enough to hold out until we can get to Ozpin's place.”

Yang nodded and shouted to Ruby. “Rubes, need you to keep this thing distracted for a bit, can you handle it?” 

Ruby nodded. “You got it! Go, now!” Ruby flared her spiritual pressure and charged the Grand Fisher, raining blows on it as Yang dragged Blake away from the battle and behind a tree. 

Blake muttered a kidō incantation and the blood flow stopped as the wounds started to slowly close. “Go back and help Ruby, I should be fine for now.” 

Yang took a shaky breath. “Are you sure?” 

Blake nodded. “Yes, now go. Ruby needs your help more than I do. Go!”

Yang returned to the battle just in time to see Grand Fisher land another blow on Ruby, talons cutting into her arm as she failed to block an attack fully. Yang could feel the flames burning around her again as she rejoined the battle, catching Grand Fisher off guard with several blows to its ribs. The beast roared in fury and pain and threw a wild punch at Yang, catching her in the side and knocking her to the ground. Yang clutched her side and winced. “Definitely broke a rib there,” she thought to herself as she dragged herself to her feet. Ruby had engaged Grand Fisher again, putting everything she had into her attacks, but it didn't seem to be enough. Blow by blow, Grand Fisher was driving her back. Ruby raised her sword to block an attack when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. 

Four tiny, silver tubes struck Grand Fisher in the left arm, and a familiar voice cried out in Atlesian, “Spüren Sie den Zorn der Schlacht und fallen Sie dieser heiligen Klinge zum Opfer!” A massive blade of glowing, blue light materialized out of thin air and swung down on the Hollow's arm, severing it above the elbow. Grand Fisher roared in pain, giving Ruby and Yang enough time to regroup with the new arrival.

Ruby locked eyes with Weiss. “Thanks, Weiss. Now let's get this bastard!” 

Weiss summoned her bow and knocked an arrow. “Strategy?” 

Ruby readied her sword. “Weiss, keep him on his toes, but don't kill him. This Hollow killed my mom and her soul is still in there. I need to purify this thing to set her free. Yang, see if you can take out his legs. I'll go in for the kill. Got it?” 

Yang and Weiss nodded and took their positions. Weiss fired a volley of arrows at Grand Fisher, careful not to hit anything vital and making it dodge and stumble around. Yang charged in and delivered a blow to its already injured left leg, grinning as the Hollow screamed and fell. Ruby charged in, ready to bring her sword down on Grand Fisher's masked face and end it once and for all, but before she could, it reached out with its remaining hand and tore a hole in the air. Through the tear in reality Ruby could see a swirling mass of darkness.

“This is bad… You brats have come closer to killing me than any others before you. This ends now. I'll be back eventually, and next time I'll kill you all!” Grand Fisher took a step towards the rip in the air, but a rope of yellow energy wrapped itself around its legs, throwing it off balance onto the ground.

Yang, Weiss, and Ruby looked in the direction the spell had come from and saw Blake breathing heavily, leaning against the wall of the mausoleum with one hand stretched out towards the Hollow. “Bakudo 4, Hainawa. It won't hold him for long, Ruby! Kill him now!” 

Ruby's expression turned grim as she approached the fallen and trapped Hollow. She raised her sword above her head. “This is for my mom.” The blade fell, and Grand Fisher's masked face split open, blood spurting from the wound. For a moment, the world was still and silent. The rip that Grand Fisher had opened shut suddenly, and his body began to rapidly disintegrate. Ruby fell to her knees. Weiss and Yang were with Ruby in the blink of an eye, arms wrapped around her.

Blake slowly stumbled towards them, her expression a mix of awe and pain. “We did it… we actually killed Grand Fisher…”

Ruby pulled herself to her feet, still clinging to Weiss and Yang. “Yeah. Yeah, we did.” Tears streamed down Ruby's face. “Mom, wherever you are, I hope you're okay now.”

Chapter Text

Weiss stared out of the window of the SUV as she returned home from the cemetery with her family. Her older sister, Winter, sat quietly next to her, staring straight ahead. Their younger brother, Whitley, sat in the back row, thumbs blazing across his phone as he sent someone a message. Their mother, Willow, sat in the front passenger seat, eyes focused on the road ahead. The drive back to the Schnee Manor was quiet, the air thick with tension. Weiss thought back to the events that had led to this and quietly sighed. 

-

The Schnee family had gathered to visit the tomb of the late Jacques Schnee, Willow Schnee's husband and father of her children. In the public eye, Jacques was seen as a shrewd businessman, a doting husband, and  caring father. He made a grand show of just how kind he was to them and how happy the family was. In private however, he was an entirely different man. Cold, calculating, even cruel at times. The affection he showed his family in public melted away, showing his true self. Jacques cared nothing for his family beyond the image they helped him project to the world and the power he had married into. Everything and everyone had to be perfect at all times. If they weren't, he would let you know. He knew exactly how to verbally tear someone down without even raising his voice and he only showed a modicum of approval when you met his exacting standards. 

After Nicholas Schnee passed away, Jacques took over the girls’ training and would closely observe them, always demanding more of them no matter how skilled they were. Jacques would criticize every misstep, no matter how trivial. Weiss once spoke up for herself, telling Jacques to his face that she was a better Quincy than he ever could be. Her defiance was met with a backhanded slap across the face so hard that it knocked her to the ground. A blue arrow pierced Jacques’ shoulder only a split second later, launching him backwards and pinning him to the wall behind him. Winter followed her attack with a promise that the next time Jacques so much as yelled at one of them that the next arrow would be in his head. 

Jacques rarely interacted with the rest of the Schnee family after that day. He instead spent most of his time managing the family's investment company and was only seen with them when circumstances demanded they make a group appearance. Only a few months after that incident, Jacques Schnee was found dead in his office of an apparent heart attack. He died the same day as Ruby's mother. 

Willow, Winter, Weiss, and Whitley only visited his tomb once a year, on the anniversary of his death. In truth they didn't care that he was gone. His wife and daughters hated him, and his son barely remembered him. They only visited for the sake of keeping up appearances. Weiss stood quietly, mostly looking down at her shoes than paying any real attention to the tomb. She wished she could have gone to support Ruby, but her mother had been very clear that the whole family needed to be together for this visit. Weiss could feel the turmoil in her girlfriend's spiritual pressure from across the cemetery and she started to move slightly in Ruby's direction. Winter placed a hand on Weiss's shoulder and stopped her before she could take a full step. She quietly whispered “Patience, sister. You can see her when this is done.”

Weiss tensed up for a moment before sighing and relaxing herself. She knew Winter was right, of course, but that didn't make it any easier. Just as Weiss had relaxed though, she felt Ruby's spiritual pressure flair, alongside a powerful Hollow. Weiss knew that if she could feel it, so could her family. They would know Ruby had become a Soul Reaper. Weiss looked towards them and they all had their eyes on her. Winter and Whitley looked shocked, but Willow's expression was unreadable. Her eyes betrayed her ever so slightly however. Willow was furious. Weiss felt Blake and Yang's spiritual pressures flaring near Ruby and the Hollow, and she knew they had joined the battle. Weiss took a step back from her family. Winter reached out to grab her but Weiss took another step back. 

“Weiss, don't. You know we don't get involved with Hollows until after the Soul Reapers leave or die,” Winter said.

Weiss shook her head. “I won't abandon Ruby. Not now, not ever.” Weiss could feel the battle intensifying, the various spiritual pressures fluctuating as blows were traded and injuries were dealt.

Willow spoke this time. “Weiss, by consorting with their kind, you are endangering this family. You will not intervene in this battle, and you will not see the Rose girl again, am I clear?” 

Weiss's face betrayed none of the rage she felt towards her mother in that moment. “Crystal.” With that, Weiss disappeared in a burst of spiritually enhanced speed, bow already summoned.

Weiss joined the battle against Grand Fisher, and shortly afterwards it was defeated. As Weiss comforted Ruby, she heard Willow shout for her. “Weiss Schnee! You will get in the vehicle this instant!” 

Weiss turned and glared at her mother, then turned back to Ruby, her expression softening. “I have to go, Ruby. I'm so sorry.”

Ruby smiled weakly. “It's okay, Weiss. I'll see you later, right?” 

Weiss kissed Ruby on the forehead and backed away. “I hope so, Ruby. I hope so.” Weiss ran to the SUV and got into the back seat. 

-

The SUV arrived at the Schnee Manor and parked out front. The driver exited the vehicle and opened the door for Willow, who got out and walked halfway up the front steps to the house, waiting for the rest of her family. The driver opened the door for the Schnee children and they followed their mother inside the Manor. “Winter, Whitley, you are dismissed. Weiss, you will meet me in the study in five minutes.” With that, Willow made her way to the study. 

Winter placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. “Good luck, Weiss.”

Weiss sighed and made her way to the study, waiting outside until her five minutes were up. She knocked on the door and waited until her mother said “Enter.” Weiss opened the door and entered the room, closing the door behind her. The study was spacious. Bookshelves lined most of the walls, some packed tightly with books and others dedicated to various Quincy relics. A large mahogany desk sat in the middle of the room with a comfortable looking, high backed office chair behind it. A decorative wooden globe sat next to the desk. The wall behind the desk was almost entirely glass, and outside was a small but well tended flower garden filled with white roses. Weiss reminded herself to cut a few roses for Ruby at some point. Willow stood behind the desk, facing the window and looking out across the garden. The Schnee matriarch spoke, her earlier fury seemingly gone and replaced by disappointment and curiosity. “Weiss, I want to know what you were thinking. Explain yourself.”

Weiss seethed internally but kept it out of her voice. “I was thinking that if I didn't intervene that there was a chance my girlfriend might die.”

Willow turned and faced her daughter. “Your girlfriend is a Soul Reaper. How long have you known?” 

Weiss swallowed nervously. “Three weeks. That's all.”

Willow nodded. “The last time I spoke to the Rose girl, she was human as far as I could tell. Spiritually aware with some modicum of power, but most definitely not a Soul Reaper. I presume this has something to do with the other one that I felt. I also presume you know the full story. Explain, and spare no detail.”

Weiss sighed and recounted the story of Ruby becoming a Substitute Soul Reaper to her mother, the involvement of Blake Belladonna, and even the awakening of Yang's own strange abilities. “... And that brings us to today.”

Willow muttered, “Yang is a Fullbringer? Interesting…” She took a seat behind the desk and placed her hands in her lap. “Do you have any idea the danger you may have brought down on this family? If the Soul Reapers hear about this, do you have any idea what they will do? The Schnees are the last pure blooded Quincies alive! My father…”

“Grandfather wanted Quincies and Soul Reapers to work together! It was his dream!” Weiss interjected.

“And look what that dream brought him!” Willow snapped. “You and I both know the Soul Reapers allowed him to die. How can you stand being around them?” 

Weiss glared at her mother. “Because I love her! I loved her before she became a Soul Reaper, and I won't stop loving her now!”

Willow's shoulders slumped. “Weiss… You're 18. Legally there's nothing I can do to stop you from seeing her, but for the sake of your family I am begging you to stay away. If the Soul Reapers think we're a threat, they'll kill us all. Do you not understand that?”

“If they were going to kill all of us, they would have done it when they killed grandfather.” Weiss sighed. “You are right, there is nothing you can do to keep me from the woman I love. She isn't a threat to me, and neither is Blake.”

Willow turned her chair around and stared back out at the garden. “I only hope your naïvité doesn't come back to bite you, or this family. You three are all I have. I don't want to lose any of you.”

Weiss's defiance and anger dissipated in a flash. “Mother…” 

Willow waved a hand. “You are dismissed. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

Weiss curtsied out of habit and left the study, closing the door behind her. Willow sighed deeply and got up from her chair, walking over to the globe. She opened it to reveal a small bar stocked with rum, Scotch, bourbon, and glasses. Willow tentatively reached for a glass, but her hand froze before she could pick it up. She slammed the globe shut. “No. Never again.” Willow slumped back into the chair. “I must have Klein empty that damn thing out one of these days.”

On the other side of the door, Weiss was trembling slightly as the adrenaline from the fight against the Hollow and the confrontation with her mother wore off. After several deep breaths, Weiss began to walk to her room so she could change into something far less formal. As she passed Whitley's door she realized it was cracked open slightly, and Whitley opened it fully only a second later. He gave Weiss a slight smile, which she returned with a weak smile of her own. Whitley leaned against the door frame, arms crossed. “So, how badly did mother rip into you?” 

“Not as badly as I was expecting,” Weiss said. “It was bad enough, though. Apparently I'm putting this entire family at risk by dating a Substitute Soul Reaper.”

Whitley shrugged slightly. “She isn't exactly wrong though, is she? If the Soul Society finds out…”

Weiss cut him off. “Yes, yes, I know. We all die horribly. I just had this conversation with mother, I don't need it from my little brother as well.”

Whitley huffed. “I'm just saying she's not wrong. Besides, I like Ruby. She's nice. Not like she can help what she is any more than we can.”

Weiss smiled and rolled her eyes. “You only like her because she sneaks you those raspberry and cream pastries from that bakery across town whenever she comes over.”

Whitley scoffed. “I have no idea what you're talking about, and even if I did I wouldn't say anything to incriminate myself.” 

Weiss shook her head, smiling even more. “You sound like a lawyer, Whitley.”

“Lies! Slander! Calumny! I'd rather be a circus clown!” The siblings burst into laughter for a moment.

Weiss pulled her brother into a hug. “I needed that. Thank you.” 

Whitley patted her on the back. “Any time.”

Weiss entered her room and ditched the black formal wear she'd worn to the cemetery for her usual tones of white and blue. She opted for a white blouse, blue jeans, and a pair of white sneakers. Weiss took a moment to redo her braided ponytail, shifting it from behind her head to its usual off center position. She grabbed a small purse and made her way back to the front of the manor, yelling behind her, “I'm leaving! I'll be back later tonight!” Before anyone could stop her, Weiss disappeared, blinking from rooftop to rooftop and making her way to Ruby.

Chapter Text

After the battle at the graveyard, Ruby, Blake, and Yang rode home with Taiyang. When they arrived at the house and got out of the car, Blake grabbed her stomach and winced in pain. Taiyang was the first to notice. “Hey, are you alright Blake?” 

Blake nodded. “Just uh, hungry. Yeah, hungry. Yang, would you be willing to take me to that place I told you about?”

Yang blushed slightly before it clicked and she remembered that Blake needed healing from Ozpin. “Oh uh, yeah, sure. Let me grab my keys and we can head out.”

Seconds later the black haired cat Faunus and the blonde were on their way. Blake held onto Yang as tightly as she could as the two rode Bumblebee to downtown Vale. They parked in front of Ozpin's shop and Yang helped Blake walk into the store. As the pair entered, Glynda greeted them from behind the counter. “Welcome to Ozpin's Thrift and More! How… oh, it's you two. I'm assuming you need the special shop?”

Blake shook her head. “I need healing. Barely hanging on as it is.”

Glynda's expression changed in an instant, going from happy shop clerk to steely eyed and stern. “You, blonde girl. Sit Miss Belladonna in that chair and lock the door. Flip the sign to ‘closed’ and then bring Miss Belladonna to the back of the shop.”

“My name is Yang, but sure.” Yang gingerly sat Blake in a nearby chair and went about locking down the shop. She carefully pulled Blake back out of the chair and carried her to the back part of the shop where Ozpin, Glynda, and an orange and black striped cat were waiting for them. A cot had been set up in the back corner of the shop. 

“Please place Miss Belladonna on the cot, Miss Yang,” Ozpin directed. “What happened to her?” 

Yang placed Blake on the cot and Glynda kneeled down next to her, mumbling what Yang assumed was a kidō incantation. An orange glow enveloped Glynda's hands and she ran them over Blake's abdomen. Blake winced in pain and groaned. Yang turned to Ozpin. “We were at the graveyard. Ruby was attacked by Grand Fisher and Blake, Weiss, and I joined in to help Ruby. We barely managed to kill it but Blake took a claw to the chest to save me. Scared the hell out of me but she managed to patch herself up long enough for us to get here.”

Glynda and Ozpin stared at Yang in shock. Ozpin adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. “Can you please repeat that? You four managed to kill Grand Fisher, a Hollow that has eluded or killed Soul Reapers for many, many years, and you all lived to tell the tale?”

Yang shrugged. “Well, we did get busted up pretty good. Pretty sure I have a broken rib. Ruby had a few injuries too but once she got back in her body she seemed fine. Weiss was the last to join the battle and she didn't get hurt at all. Blake got the worst of it.”

“To have the power to take down Grand Fisher and live to tell the tale at such young ages…” Ozpin looked at Blake and then Yang. “Truly impressive. May I ask who delivered the final blow?”

Blake sat up with Glynda's help. “It was Ruby. All the souls within Grand Fisher were freed.”

Ozpin nodded. “Very good. Very good indeed. Glynda, how is your patient doing?”

Blake spoke up, “I'm feeling much better…” 

Glynda glared at Blake, green eyes flashing. “Poorly repaired lacerations, damaged intestines, and internal hemorrhaging caused by a rushed healing job as well as severely depleted spiritual energy. No, you are not feeling better and you will be staying here until I'm done healing you, do I make myself absolutely clear?”

Blake's cat ears drooped. “Yes ma'am. Understood.”

“Can I stay here while she heals?” Yang asked, then quickly added, “If that's okay with you, Blake.”

As Blake nodded Ozpin said “You are more than welcome to stay, Miss Yang. It should only take… a few hours at most, if my estimates are correct, Glynda?” 

The blonde haired healer helped Blake lay back down on the cot and nodded to Ozpin. “If all goes well, two hours.”

Opzin smiled slightly. “Very well then. Please, pull up a seat and make yourself comfortable, Miss Yang.”

Yang grabbed a chair, moved it near the cot, and took a seat. Time passed slowly as Glynda healed Blake's injuries. Every time Blake would groan or hiss in pain, Yang would flinch slightly. At one point Yang took Blake's hand in hers, letting the cat Faunus squeeze her hand to help relieve the pain. After the first hour Blake seemed to be in less pain and she drifted off to sleep. Yang stayed quiet so she didn't interrupt Glynda's healing process and occasionally checked her phone to answer texts. Ruby texted her shortly after Blake fell asleep to ask where Yang and Blake were. Yang replied that they were at Ozpin's getting healing. Ruby said that she and Weiss would be there soon. Almost half an hour later, Ozpin escorted Ruby and Weiss to the back of the shop.

“How's she doing?” asked Ruby. 

Glynda replied without turning away from her work, “Her internal injuries are mostly healed. At this point I'm just restoring her spiritual energy. Another half hour is all it will take.” 

The girls waited patiently as Glynda finished healing Blake. Blake woke up a few moments after Glynda finished and yawned before carefully sitting up. “How am I doing, ma'am?” 

Glynda adjusted her glasses. “I repaired the damage completely and restored your spiritual energy, though you may experience some soreness for the next few days. I suggest you take it easy, if at all possible. Now, as for you Miss Yang, I believe you mentioned a broken rib?”

Yang waved her off. “Nothing I haven't dealt with before. I think it's more cracked than broken anyway.”

Glynda glared at Yang, refusing to take no for an answer. “Stand. Now.”

Yang gulped. “Yes ma'am.” 

Glynda's hands were enveloped in an orange aura once more and she ran her hands along Yang's sides. “Two ribs cracked, one almost completely broken. I'm surprised you're standing, let alone that you rode a motorcycle here.” Glynda quietly recited an incantation and Yang winced as she felt the spell knitting her bones back together.

Yang grinned sheepishly after Glynda finished her work. “What can I say? I've always had an insane tolerance for pain.”

Ruby punched Yang in the shoulder. “Not an excuse for ignoring that you're hurt!” 

Yang playfully shoved Ruby. “Speaking of ignoring that you're hurt, got anything to say for yourself?” 

Ruby shook her head and Weiss scoffed. “Did you not say you were thrown through a gravestone? You were complaining about a pain in your chest and back the entire way here!”

Ruby looked puzzled. “Yeah but I got injured in my Soul Reaper form. Why would that affect my living body?” 

“As a Substitute Soul Reaper your spiritual condition affects your physical condition and vice versa. I'll check your wounds and heal them.” Glynda performed the same evaluation on Ruby as she had on Yang. “Fractured vertebrae and three broken ribs. The shift from your Soul Reaper form to your body may have numbed the pain and masked the damage, but it's still there. It won't take me long to heal.” Within a few moments Ruby felt as good as new. 

“That feels way better! Thanks Glynda, you're the best!” Ruby exclaimed. 

Glynda adjusted her glasses. “That's ‘Miss Goodwitch’ to you four.”

“Yes ma'am, understood Miss Goodwitch,” Ruby said while nodding. 

“Well, now that everyone is healed, I think the four of us should talk to Ozpin,” Weiss said. “Earlier I was forced to tell my mother about everything that's happened these last few weeks and she mentioned something about Yang's power that Ozpin might have more information on.”

Yang's eyes widened. “Seriously? Then let's go find him!”

“Ozpin will most likely be in his office. Run along now, girls. I need to rest.” Glynda made her way back into the thrift shop portion of the building while the girls went over to Ozpin's office and knocked on the door.

After a moment Ozpin opened the door and welcomed the girls in. “Now, how can I help the four of you on this wonderful day?”

Weiss was about to speak up but Yang beat her to the punch. “Weiss said she has a clue about my power so we wanna see what you can tell us.”

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. “Indeed? Please, Miss Schnee, go right ahead.”

Weiss glared at Yang for a second before turning to Ozpin. “What can you tell us about ‘Fullbringers?’ My mother mentioned that Yang is one and I think we'd all like to know more about what that means.”

“‘Fullbringer?’ That's very interesting. Very interesting indeed. One moment please.” Ozpin went to the bookcase behind his desk and searched through the notebooks stored in it. He selected a volume and skimmed through it before returning it to the shelf. “Fullbring is quite the rare phenomenon, I must say. I haven't had a chance to study it very thoroughly, so I can only tell you the very basics of what I know. Tell me, Yang, was your mother spiritually aware in any capacity?”

Yang nodded. “Yeah, Ruby's mom was and so was mine. How did you know?” 

Ozpin adjusted his glasses. “In extremely rare cases, a woman who is spiritually aware and is also carrying a child that has latent spiritual potential may be attacked by a Hollow. Whenever spiritually powerful beings are near each other, some amount of their energy may rub off on the other. In the case of Fullbringers, that Hollow energy that rubbed off on the mother becomes transferred to the child in their womb, developing into the unique abilities of a Fullbring. In other words, your powers, Miss Yang, are closer in nature to a Hollow than a Quincy or Soul Reaper.”

Yang looked like she'd been slapped in the face. “Are you seriously saying I'm like those monsters?” 

Ozpin shook his head. “No. While your powers may have originated from a Hollow, your soul remains entirely human. Why these powers manifest the way they do is admittedly still a mystery to me and the full extent of what you're capable of is a mystery as well, I am certain that we can discern their nature in due time.”

Yang sighed. “I guess that's as good as we'll get for now. Maybe we'll meet some more people like me eventually.”

Ozpin smiled. “In a world as big as Remnant, I'm certain you will. Perhaps even here in Vale.” The large orange cat with black stripes wandered into the office and climbed onto Ozpin's desk where it stretched, laid down, and closed its eyes. “Was there anything else I can help you girls with today?” 

Yang looked at her sister and friends who all shook their heads. “Nope, I think we're good.”

The girls left Ozpin's thrift store and made their way over to Yang's bike. “So, Blake is riding back with me, what about you two lovebirds?”

Ruby took Weiss's hand. “We're heading out, gonna grab some burgers. I'm thinking a triple…”

Weiss cut her off. “Double.”

Ruby smiled sheepishly. “Right, double smash burger. With cheese and bacon, onion rings on the side, and a chocolate shake.”

Weiss rolled her eyes and shook her head. “For the life of me I don't understand how you're so thin when you eat like that.”

Ruby pouted. “Oh come on, it's my cheat day!”

The couple walked off and rounded a corner.

Yang turned to Blake. “So, any place you want to go while we're out? Dad does think I took you to lunch after all.”

Blake blushed slightly and pushed a lock of hair behind her left ear. “How about you pick? Oh, as long as they have fish of some kind.”

Yang smiled and passed Blake a helmet. “I know just the place.” Yang put on her own helmet and the two of them sped off further into downtown.

Chapter Text

I hate to do this, but for now this is the end of Death and the Rose. I've become increasingly unhappy with writing this story due to my barely surface level understandings of Bleach and RWBY and growing unhappiness with my writing style. I might come back to this some day with a total rewrite and proper planning but for now this is the end. I'm sorry if this comes as a disappointment or a shock to any of you.