Kapitel 694: 37
Chapter 37:
"Such a lovely place," said Sasame, looking at the tranquil woodlands that closed in around both her and Ruby as they walked. "It's a shame that it holds such bitter memories for you, Ruby-chan."
"Yeah," said Ruby. She had to admit, it felt good to be back on the island, the first time she'd set foot on it since the day she'd run away, six years ago. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed the sights and smells of her old home. So long as they kept away from that place, she supposed she could safely indulge in nostalgia.
It had taken some work to dodge the paparazzi that were still lying in wait at Vale's docks, apparently salivating at the chance to get exclusive photos of Ruby. The risk was high enough that Ruby willingly went with her casual ensemble to avoid the risk of her trademark cloak and hood catching the eye of anyone who wanted to investigate her. Aside from that, the application of Suppression had hidden her presence, keeping the chances of people noticing her to a minimum.
Following Yang's instructions, they followed a dirt path that had begun just outside of town, winding its way through the woodland that made up the bulk of the island's terrain. The air was filled with the heady scent of pinesap and the earthy aroma of loam. Sunlight filtered down through the canopy, throwing dappled shadows about as the branches of the trees around them gently swayed in the cool breeze.
The path led upwards along a gentle slope, before the trees gave way to a meadow of tall grass, which opened up in a clearing that terminated at a cliff, overlooking the sea, the faint sound of waves crashing against the rocks below forming a soothing melody to Ruby and Sasame's ears, the ocean stretching beyond the cliff's edge in a beautiful, dark-blue expanse, stretching away until it met the lighter blue of the sky.
However, the scenery was of secondary importance. As Ruby and Sasame entered the clearing, their eyes immediately fixed upon the only manmade object to occupy that space. It was a piece of carved, dark-gray stone, rectangular in shape. It projected up from the ground about three feet, its sides tapering slightly, before terminating in a flattened top, the entire construct standing near the very edge of the cliff. The side of the gravestone facing them was engraved with a rose-emblem, below which rested the name and epitaph of the person it commemorated.
Summer Rose: Thus Kindly I Scatter.
"Mom," whispered Ruby, the faintest hint of a sob reaching her voice.
Sasame, her own face solemn, turned to look up at Ruby, reaching over and taking Ruby's hand in her own. She could understand why Ruby might be on the verge of being overcome by emotion at this moment. After all, it had been a major shock to learn that this grave was here at all.
"Mom's grave!" exclaimed Ruby. "It's on Patch?"
"That's right," said Yang sadly averting her eyes. "It's not really a grave...more of a memorial, really. They...they n-never...they never found her body."
"It was there, the whole time?" Ruby blinked furiously, tears working their way out of her eyes. She wasn't certain if they were tears of sadness...or anger. "All that time...and no one told me."
"They put it on the edge of a cliff," said Yang. "It was a good ways through the forest. Dad made me not tell you, because he was afraid you'd go out there by yourself and...well...you know the rest."
Despite the whirlwind of emotion, Ruby could certainly understand the logic behind Taiyang not wanting her to know where her mother's grave was, if only through the twisted logic of a father who was overprotective to an absurd degree. Patch was considered one of the safest locales in Vale's territory. A fair-sized island, surrounded by relatively shallow seas, it was far easier to keep it cleared of Grimm than most other places. However, as Ruby and Yang's own experience, during that ill-advised excursion so many years ago, demonstrated, it wasn't perfect. No doubt Taiyang didn't want Ruby to know about the grave, because he thought she'd go out on her own, and wind up being attacked by some Grimm.
"A-anyway, I think it's past time you knew that it was there," said Yang. "And...if you and Sasame are going to be spending your last day together, then that might be the best place for you to go. I think Mom would love to meet your other big sister."
Ruby didn't know what to say. Part of her was simmering with barely suppressed resentment that Yang, even after they had supposedly reconciled, had kept something like this from her. However, the rest of her stringently reminded her that it wasn't entirely Yang's fault, and more Taiyang's for insisting that Ruby not even be allowed to visit her own mother's grave. Given the awkward state of affairs between them, until Sasame had helped resolve things, it was only understandable that Yang hadn't really been in a position to tell her about Summer's grave. Plus, the two weeks since they'd reconciled had been rather turbulent for a variety of reasons...and it was the sort of thing that didn't exactly come up in the course of normal conversation.
And now, Yang was stepping back and advising Ruby and Sasame to visit the grave together, on their last day together for what could be months. It was definitely a decision born of kindness and love, a special moment that Ruby and Sasame could have to themselves.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," said Sasame, covering Ruby's hand with her own. "I've always wanted to meet the mother of such a wonderful girl."
Ruby blushed and lowered her face slightly. "Thanks, Yang."
For a second, Ruby's body forgot how to walk. Her legs were unable to move, locked in place as she stood, transfixed by the sight of her mother's grave. Her heart thundered in her chest, almost threatening to explode out of her ribcage, if it pounded any harder.
It shouldn't have been this difficult. When push came to shove, it was nothing more than a block of stone on the edge of a cliff. This thing wasn't actually Ruby's mother. It didn't even have her remains beneath it. But such mundane logic had no place here. In Ruby's heart, she could feel her mother, that vague presence that lingered in the back of her soul, never truly being forgotten. It might not have been in body, but Summer Rose was here...somehow...and Ruby knew it.
She felt a gentle tug on her hand, and looked down to see Sasame smiling up at her, gently pulling Ruby's arm in the direction of the gravestone, without moving herself. That light sensation broke the spell that had locked Ruby's feet in place, and she began to step forward. Sasame released her hand and transitioned her own touch to the small of Ruby's back, continuing to urge her forward, while waiting behind.
Ruby walked forward, her first two steps hesitant, but each one that followed coming more easily. Finally, she came to a stop, just a meter or so away from the stone, standing awkwardly, unsure of what to do next. She tried to remember what people did when visiting graves like this. She remembered her prayer over the grave of the bandit she'd killed, but this wasn't the same kind of situation. She thought back to those rare occasions when she'd accompanied Sasame, Natsuki, and her other friends to visit the graves of their ancestors, watching them pray at the base of those graves. Ruby didn't have any incense or offerings, but she felt she knew what she could do.
Slowly, Ruby lowered herself to her knees, then brought her hands together, pressing her palms against one another, her fingers pointing upwards. Then she bowed her head over them. After a moment of silence, where the only sounds were the whisper of the wind through the foliage, the distant crash of the waves, and the faint sounds of animals, Ruby lifted her head up and stared at the grave once more.
"Hi...Mom," she said awkwardly. "I...I'm not sure where to start. I can't believe I never got to visit you before now...I can't believe Dad would keep something like this from me. I..."
Stopping, Ruby shuddered and turned inward, ruthlessly pressing down her feelings of anger and frustration. "I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't make this about Dad. I'm glad I finally get to see you...even if it's like this.
"It's probably not all that surprising, but a whole lot has happened since you...well...since you died. I ran away from home. I trained to become a Huntress. I got stronger...a lot stronger. And now I'm in Beacon, a team leader no less, just like you. I hope you're proud of me. I've worked really hard...and I'll keep working hard. I'll become a great Huntress, just like you...better than you, I hope.
"I know...I know you might be scared, scared that I'll end up dead, like you did. I have to admit, I'm scared too. The thing that...that scares me the most...is that there are times where I'm not scared of dying."
Ruby let out a wobbly, laugh, wiping her eyes, before continuing. "It's silly isn't it, the thing that scares me is the fact that I'm not scared sometimes. But Sasame-nee and Kyo-nii told me that it's important.
"Oh! I should tell you about my new family. I know you love Dad and that he loved you. But I couldn't stay with him. He would have just tied me down, until I couldn't do anything on my own. That's why I had to go. But I met Sasame-nee, and she became my new big sister-Don't worry!-I patched things up with Yang. Anyway, I met Sasame-nee and Kyo-nii. They took me back to their homeland, and a lot of people there became like family to me too. They taught me and helped me become stronger...a lot stronger. And, thanks to them, Professor Ozpin invited me into Beacon a whole two years early. Isn't that cool?"
Ruby giggled softly, a giddy feeling rising inside her. It was strange, but...the more she talked, the easier it became. It really did almost feel as though her mother was there, hanging onto her every word.
"A-anyway, I was a little worried about going to Beacon so early. But it's been great. I've made so many wonderful friends. There's Yang, of course. But I also met this girl, Blake. She's quiet and sort of mysterious, but really nice. Then there's Nora, who's always super energetic. It's hard to believe she's older than me, sometimes. And then there's Ren. He's even quieter than Blake, but really calm and collected. He's their team leader...and it's hard for him sometimes, but I know he's working hard.
"On my team there's Weiss. She was really uptight at first. She's still pretty prickly a lot of the time, but she's definitely getting better, and we're becoming really good friends. Then there's Pyrrha. She's my rival. Her skills are amazing and, when we sparred, I almost lost against her, but we managed to draw. She's sort of a big celebrity, so she's had a hard time opening up to people. But she's definitely a lot more relaxed around us now. And then there's Jaune..."
Behind Ruby, Sasame stifled a giggle and hid a sly smile behind her hand as she saw Ruby's cheeks turn a light shade of pink.
"Jaune...Jaune's the first friend I made at Beacon. He's my best friend. If it weren't for him, I might not have stayed, after I found out that Yang was there, but he gave me the courage to keep moving forward. I was really worried about him at first. I guess it's okay to tell you, since I know you won't tell anyone, but Jaune didn't really have any training, before he got to Beacon. His family is like Dad. They didn't want him to become a Huntsman; I don't know why. He's amazing, and he's got so much potential and uh...Well...Uh...Anyway, he's really improving a lot, and I know he'll be a great addition to our team. And he's my partner too, which is great.
"Oh! And, by the way, Professor Ozpin made me team leader. Even now, I'm still kinda trying to wrap my head around it. I don't have a lot of experience telling other people what to do...and I know that's not all there is to it. I'm doing my best though. Weiss was really upset about it at first, but now she's accepted it, and we're getting along. Jaune and Pyrrha never really had a problem with it. I'll do my best to become a leader who has the respect of her teammates.
"Oh! And there's Ashley. She's my newest friend. She's this girl I met in town, and we really hit it off. I've only visited her once so far, but I really enjoy hanging out with her."
Ruby sighed. Now it came to a more difficult part of this one-sided conversation.
"Mom...I know you love Dad. I know he loves me...sort of. But...I can't accept what he's done to me, what he's still trying to do. I know that, maybe, you didn't want me to become a Huntress, because of what happened to you. But I still want to. I won't blame you or your stories. I love what I've learned and what I can do, and I'll never apologize for it. I just...I just want Dad to accept the path I chose in life. That's not too much to ask, is it? I don't know if he'll ever change, but...if he does...I might be able to forgive him...maybe...someday... Maybe it's silly to ask, but could you help with that? I'm not sure how, but...I think Dad might still be willing to listen to you."
Parting her hands, Ruby reached out with her left and gently traced her fingers over the upper edge of the stone marker. "I love you, Mom, and I miss you. I hope I can make you proud."
Sniffling, Ruby stood up and backed away from the grave, not wanting to take her eyes off of it. Strangely, she felt at peace. She was reminded of what Kyo had told her, when she was praying for the bandit she'd killed. "Prayers are for the living." It seemed that was true, even under circumstances like this. A feather-light touch on the back of her hand broke the spell, drawing her attention back to Sasame, who smiled up at her.
"May I have a few words with your mother?" she asked.
"Sure," said Ruby, stepping back and allowing Sasame to take her turn.
Moving to stand in front of the stone, Sasame sank to her knees and performed the same ritual gestures Ruby had, clasping her hands and bowing over them, before looking at the grave with a smile that was equal parts warm and solemn. "It's an honor to meet you, Summer-dono.
"For the past few years, I have had the privilege of looking after your daughter, of guiding and nurturing her. I, and many others, have been blessed to have her in my, in our, lives. These years have opened my eyes to so many revelations and experiences that I would have never obtained otherwise. Your daughter, your Ruby Rose is, perhaps, the single most remarkable person I have ever met...and that comes from someone who knows Kyo."
Ruby couldn't quite hide her giggle at that statement.
"I know that you may have not wanted your daughter to follow the path you did. Even if we don't have Huntsmen and Huntresses in our homeland, I know full well that it is a path fraught with hardship, danger, and, inevitably, sorrow. It is the prerogative of any parent to want to protect their child from pain, particularly pain you yourself have experienced. I too know that I would be happiest knowing that Ruby-chan could grow up with a life free from that pain."
Ruby felt her breath hitch, shocked by this revelation on Sasame's part.
"But, despite that, I also know that Ruby-chan's spirit is too great to be restrained in such a manner," continued Sasame. "I know that trying to restrain that spirit would, in the end, cause her far more pain and hardship than any amount of well-intentioned protection could ever prevent. To that end, I, and many others, have endeavored to ensure that Ruby-chan has the strength to carry the burdens she has chosen to shoulder, so that she might still have the strength to smile through any pain or sorrow, the strength to carry on and be true to herself."
Ruby sniffled, wiping her nose, then her eyes widened as Sasame bowed forward, planting the palms of her hands against the earth and touching her forehead to the ground in a gesture of supplication that Ruby knew expressed the deepest respect and reverence.
"Thus, however unworthy I might be, I pray for your blessing, Summer-dono, for the continued privilege of being a guiding light in your wonderful daughter's life, even as we reach that stage where the budding Rose has begun to bloom with all her glorious beauty and strength. I hope that you will accept me, and the rest of her extended family, watching over her, being the wind beneath her wings that will lift Ruby-chan to the furthest expanses of the sky and beyond. I love your daughter dearly, and she is my pride and joy. Please entrust her to me."
Ruby wasn't certain if Sasame's prayer was answered. It wasn't as though there was some kind of miraculous sign of her mother's approval. However, Ruby felt a lightness in her heart that hadn't been there before. Sure, it could probably be attributed to how happy Sasame's words made her. But she'd like to think, if only for a little bit, that it was a sign of Summer's blessing.
Sasame stood up and turned to head back to Ruby. When Sasame reached her, Ruby threw her arms around Sasame and hugged her tightly, Sasame returning the gesture, enfolding Ruby in the warm cocoon of her tails.
"I love you," said Ruby, tears squeezing out from her tightly-shut eyelids.
"And I you," said Sasame earnestly, stretching up to kiss Ruby on the cheek.
They stayed like that for a while, before Ruby finally found the strength of will to release her sister and step away, Sasame's tails unwinding from around her. Their business concluded, they began following the path back to town, intending to take the ferry back to Vale, and spend the rest of the day there.
Partway back, they encountered a fork in the path, which hadn't been readily visible, coming from the other way. Ruby frowned, staring down the path that forked off. She only vaguely remembered where anything on the island was anymore. But a vague memory was enough for her to figure out what lay down that path. A glance down at the ground, and a faded impression of a man's boot, confirmed her suspicion.
"So that way lies..." said Sasame.
"Yeah," said Ruby.
Sasame pursed her lips, staring down the unused path. She could feel Ruby looking expectantly at her. Turning back to Ruby, Sasame smiled. "I won't urge you to do anything," she said. "After what he tried to do, you have every right to leave him wallowing. You made every effort, but he refused to bend at all."
Ruby stared down the path a little longer. Sasame made no move, said nothing, merely waiting for Ruby to come to her decision. Finally, Ruby let out a long, tired sigh. Turning away, she led Sasame back along the path into the town proper.
The journey back to Vale was uneventful. Afterwards, Ruby and Sasame spent their time wandering and taking in the sights of the Kingdom. Having dodged the paparazzi at the docks, they were free to wander, with the photographers having no notion yet that Ruby had come to Vale at all. As the sun began to sink towards the horizon, Sasame led them to Vale's wall. Ruby called over all her friends so that they could say goodbye. Even though none of them were as close to Sasame as Ruby was, they were somewhat sad to see her go, having grown accustomed to having her there. Pyrrha, in particular, seemed melancholy about Sasame's departure, having grown attached to the idea of being Sasame's sister.
They gathered on one of the wall's observation decks, one of the places where the public was permitted to enter and look over the lands beyond Vale's perimeter. From here, they had a view of the woodland hills north of Vale, stretching out into the distance. Sasame gave each of them one last hug. She hugged Yang and Pyrrha for an extended period of time.
"I'll miss you," said Pyrrha sadly, having really grown attached to Sasame.
"I know," said Sasame. "The feeling is mutual. I will be back in the future."
"When?" asked Pyrrha, pulling out of the embrace.
"Well," said Sasame, "After I return home, I hope to be able to return in time for the Vytal Festival. I've always heard that it is quite the affair. It would be interesting to finally see it for myself."
"Cool! That means you can watch us in the tournament!" exclaimed Yang eagerly.
"I'd look forward to that as well," said Sasame, beaming at Yang.
Then, to everyone's surprise, Yang blushed and looked down, scraping her foot in a bashful gesture that looked completely out of character for her.
"What is it, Yang-san?" asked Sasame.
"Um...Well...I've been thinking about your offer," said Yang, "...you know...about us being sisters too..."
"And...?" prompted Sasame with a knowing smile.
"Well...I guess I'd like that," said Yang. "I mean...if the offer's still open and all."
Sasame giggled and reached out with her tails, wrapping them around Yang and pulling her in for another hug, Sasame rising up on one of her furry appendages to kiss Yang on the forehead. "Of course it is, Yang-chan. You are always welcome to this family. Someday, I'll come and take all of you to see the place where Ruby-chan grew up. I think that would be a fine experience for you."
"Yeah, I'd like that," said Yang, while the others nodded in agreement.
"Good," said Sasame. Releasing Yang, she backpedaled and jumped up to the railing that lined the observation platform, beaming at all of them. "I look forward to seeing you all again. I'll try to be back in time for the festival. And, Ruby-chan..."
"Yeah?" asked Ruby.
"I'll try and bring Natsu-chan with me, maybe the others too," said Sasame.
"Cool!" said Ruby eagerly.
Sasame surveyed the group with one last fond look. "All of you have grown so much in just the short time since I've met you. I look forward to what you show me the next time we meet. Goodbye for now."
Her farewell finished, Sasame leaned back slightly, and allowed gravity to do the rest, plunging backwards over the railing and dropping to the ground below. Everyone except Ruby rushed to the railing to see the diminutive girl pull a graceful backflip, landing effortlessly on her feet and turning towards the trees. A second later, she was gone, a blur bounding away across the open ground cleared in front of the perimeter wall, before vanishing into the foliage beyond.
"Wow," said Jaune with a chuckle. "It's only been a few seconds, but I miss her already."
"She's done a great deal for us, even in the short time she was here," noted Ren.
"Yeah, I can't wait to see her again," said Nora.
The others nodded. Weiss checked her scroll. "We should get going, if we want to be back in time for dinner. We'll need to leave some extra time so that we can evade the paparazzi at the docks again."
"I still can't believe we fooled them on the way out here," said Pyrrha, pulling out the beret and sunglasses Coco had loaned her. With Weiss' help, Pyrrha had tucked her flowing, red hair beneath the hat and donned the sunglasses, which, combined with the casual outfit she was wearing, made her look almost like a completely different person as they made their way out from Beacon. Now she'd have to tuck her hair in again. Wearing sunglasses in the fading light of the evening wouldn't be very fun.
"If we're careful, we shouldn't have too many problems," said Blake. "Even if the whole match has become something of a big deal, the news will lose interest before long. There's plenty else going on in the world."
"Never underestimate the staying power of a manufactured scandal," said Weiss with a sigh. "They'll keep it current for as long as they think they can draw interest to it. Fortunately, this isn't Mistral, so Pyrrha isn't as big a name out here. But it still hasn't even been a whole week since the news broke, so let's be cautious."
"And if they do catch us, it's not as though it's gonna be some big thing," said Yang. "The best they'll manage is catching pictures of us getting on the airship. Beacon students fly in and out of Vale all the time. That's why there are regular flights in the first place."
"True," said Jaune. "Best to get it over with. Push comes to shove, the rest of us will cover for Ruby and Pyrrha."
"Let's go," said Ruby, leading the group off the observation platform and back through the Kingdom.
"What have you got for me?" asked Lisa's producer, looking over the desk at her. "It's been a slow news cycle this week. All we've got are more stories about freighters being attacked."
"That sounds like news to me," deadpanned Lisa Lavender, "important news, no less."
She always hated it when her boss dismissed such essential news. More and more freighters were falling victim to the apparently rampant piracy along the sea-route between Vale and Atlas. Both the Valean and Atlesian navies were practically frantic to capture the perpetrators, but had been unable to. Supplying a naval escort to every Dust freighter making its way between Vale and Atlas was too much for either navy, and all their attempts to lure the pirates into traps had been met with utter failure. It was compelling and important, especially as each freighter that failed to make its delivery resulted in another hike in Dust prices.
"Yeah, and we've already got it covered," grumbled the producer, waving a dismissive hand. "What else are we going to tell our viewers besides 'more ships lost' and 'still no success in capturing the pirates'? That's good for-What?-thirty seconds of airtime, if that. I've got the Council on my ass about it too. They don't want to look complacent or ineffectual in front of the populace after all."
"Of course," said Lisa flatly. "So, instead of doing more to capture the perpetrators, they'd rather harass the media into making them look better."
"The navy's doing what they can," said her producer with a sigh. "The problem is that, whoever these jerks are, they're just that good. But saying that much, and admitting that no one knows how they're getting away with what they're doing, just makes the military look incompetent.
"But enough arguing about that. Have you got anymore info on the Rose/Nikos affair?"
Lisa huffed. Putting it like that made it sound as though they were some sleazy tabloid, hawking a story about marital infidelity, not a sparring match with an unexpected result. Despite that, she reluctantly answered in the affirmative. "There's still a strong backlash against Pyrrha Nikos' Semblance, especially in Mistral. Our correspondents over there are even hearing rumors that some of her sponsors are considering dropping her. Apparently, the agency she works with is pressuring her to come back and manage her affairs."
"Any sign that she will?"
Lisa frowned and shook her head. "Not that I've seen. From the looks of things, Nikos has no intention of budging from Beacon, but I wouldn't know for sure, not without asking her directly."
"Any luck in securing that interview?"
Again, Lisa shook her head. "We got a response from Professor Goodwitch saying that it is entirely the girls' decision if they want to participate. So far, they've turned us down."
"Damn," muttered the producer. "And what about Nikos' opponent?"
"I've looked into Ruby Rose."
"And...?"
"She's registered as a natural-born citizen of Vale," said Lisa, looking up her notes. "But the official registry has almost no information beyond that: no listed relatives, no siblings or parents, no background beyond a little over a month ago. It's almost as though she didn't exist until then. I even checked up with the records of every hospital in the Kingdom."
"So she's not from around here?" asked the producer.
"I'm not sure," said Lisa, twirling a strand of her lavender hair around her finger idly. "I did uncover something interesting, though it could be a coincidence."
"If it's something, then it might be a start," said her producer. "What have you got?"
"Well, one of the hospitals I checked was a smaller one, over on Patch," said Lisa. "There was no girl by the name of Ruby Rose born there within the last fifteen to sixteen years. However...there is a Ruby Xiao Long, born to a Taiyang Xiao Long and Summer Rose, pretty much fifteen years ago."
"The mother's surname matches up," said her producer, scratching his chin. "Interesting...Did you look any further into it?"
"I did," said Lisa. "I checked records at Patch's schools. There's a small private academy where Ruby Xiao Long was enrolled."
Lisa pulled out her scroll and opened it up into its tablet mode, calling up the file in question. She turned it around to allow her producer to see it. It was a picture from one of the school's old class rosters, showing a picture of Ruby Xiao Long, along with a basic profile of her.
"That's her all right," said Lisa's producer. "She's definitely younger, but the features match up."
"That's what I thought too," said Lisa, closing down her scroll. Despite her desire to report more substantive news, she had to admit that there were aspects of this story that tickled her enthusiasm. Pyrrha Nikos was a big-name celebrity, of course, but Ruby Rose had a certain mystique about her, with all the blanks concerning her identity.
"What about her parents?"
"Huntsmen," answered Lisa. "Her father is a teacher at Signal Academy. Her mother was apparently lost on a mission, ten years ago."
"Tragic backstory," mused her producer. "That could generate a lot of interest."
Lisa shifted uneasily. "She, if this is the same girl, also has a half-sister, from a different mother. The interesting thing is that Yang Xiao Long is also a student at Beacon, in the same year as Ruby."
That got her producer to raise an eyebrow. "And now we have another lead to investigate, even better."
Lisa nodded. "Now, here is where things get interesting. Ruby Xiao Long hasn't been seen for the better part of six years."
"What do you mean?" asked her producer.
"Six years ago, she was reported missing," said Lisa. "She was reported as a runaway, but the police had no luck in finding her, and the case went cold after a couple of years."
"So...six years later, a girl matching her description suddenly shows up and enrolls in Beacon, two years early no less," mused her producer. "Now we have a story."
"Well, we have a series of connections," said Lisa. "There still isn't definitive evidence that Ruby Rose is actually Ruby Xiao Long, at least officially."
"True," conceded her producer with a sigh. "We aren't some kind of gossip show either. We need that evidence. Have you contacted this Taiyang Xiao Long?"
"Not yet," said Lisa. "He's still listed as a member of Signal's faculty. However, he abruptly took an extended leave of absence...just this week in fact."
"Right after the videos of the match came out?" asked the producer.
"It's hard to say," said Lisa. "I'd have to go out there and ask around to get more info."
"Well, the bit about Nikos' sponsors pulling out is probably enough for tonight," said the producer with a disappointed sigh. "Maybe tomorrow, you can get out to Patch and put out some feelers. We might even have something we can report by tomorrow night's broadcast."
"Actually, I'm thinking that, if we're patient, we might have more than that," said Lisa.
"What are you suggesting?" asked her producer, leaning forward over his desk.
"What we have are separate pieces of information that we're pulling together to make a story," said Lisa. "Now, while I can probably confirm that Ruby Rose was born Ruby Xiao Long by asking her father and residents on Patch, I think that, if we were to send Ruby this information, along with our next entreaty for an interview, she might be more interested in participating. The fact that she ran away from home hints that there might be some bad blood between her and her father. If that's the case, she might be more interested in talking with us than allowing him to write the narrative for her."
"Now that is sly," said Lisa's producer with a grin. "Make it happen, Lisa. But...if she turns us down…?"
"Then I get confirmation from her father, and get his story," said Lisa simply. "Then we report what we have." She didn't want to take that approach, if she could avoid it. She still knew very little about Ruby, but she seemed like a nice girl, from what little Lisa had seen of her. Several of the videos of her match with Pyrrha ended with both fighters laughing gayly, as though they'd just had the time of their lives, a sign that the two of them were probably close friends outside the ring, even if they were fierce rivals within it. Lisa felt more than a little guilty at the possibility that Ruby's life might be turned into some lurid story, simply for the sake of raking in the viewers. Securing an interview with Ruby in this fashion felt uncomfortably similar to threatening her to talk.
Still, Lisa was a person with a job. Part of that job was doing what her producer told her to. She didn't always get to pick the stories she worked. This was one of those times. Furthermore, despite her moral qualms, her curiosity, the curiosity that had drawn her into the journalism profession in the first place, had been tickled by this mysterious girl who had been able to match Mistral's legendary champion, blow for blow. Who was she? Where had she trained? Who were her teachers? Why had Ozpin invited her to Beacon so early? Those were tantalizing questions that Lisa herself now wanted to know the answers to.
Only half-listening to her producer's instructions, Lisa left his office, the gears in her head already turning as she contemplated a way to facilitate this interview that didn't end up feeling so much like blackmail.
"GAAAH!"
The ship's captain slumped to the floor, his pistol clattering across the deck. His left hand went to his shoulder to stem the blood that streamed out from the puncture wound as his right arm went limp.
"I warned you not to try anything," said the dark-blue-haired woman in a red greatcoat, looming over the captain, smirking down at him. "You didn't seriously think you could get the drop on me?"
"Filthy...pirate!" spat the captain of the freighter. "Atlas and Vale will see you executed for this."
"Only if they can catch me," said the woman in a teasing tone, her wine-colored eye twinkling merrily. "Strange though that they can't seem to find any witnesses."
That caused the captain's breath to hitch slightly, which only added to the pirate's amusement as she lifted her head and laughed.
"Oh, don't worry just yet. Your death doesn't have to be a certainty," she said.
"What do you mean?" asked the captain.
"As it turns out, I have quite a few openings on my crew," said the woman, grinning at him. "I'm always on the lookout for experienced sailors willing to get their hands dirty. Of course, the response time for the military is getting shorter, so the window to volunteer is only until we've finished helping ourselves to your cargo." She chuckled. "Best think about whether you'd prefer a new career...or a watery grave."
Morgan Bloodworth strode off the bridge as her men moved to take custody of the captain, and the rest of the bridge crew. All around her, her people were securing the surviving members of the freighter's crew and assembling them on the deck, while the rest of her own crew moved to load as much Dust as they could manage from the freighter's containers and into their own ship. As much as she enjoyed her job, along with the perks that were coming from her new employer's generosity, the one thing that she lamented was that she; once the infamous pirate commodore, commanding an armada of three large ships, and several smaller ones; had been reduced to the captain of a single vessel. That meant she could only secure so much cargo from each vessel she struck, which generally meant the rest went to waste.
But what a vessel it was. With it, she had been able to evade the best efforts of the militaries of Atlas and Vale. Her new ship alone made this extended, if odd, job she'd taken worthwhile.
Grinning, Morgan strode in front of the assembled members of the freighter's crew, those who'd survived the initial boarding operation, and had the sense to surrender anyway. Several of them were nursing cuts, bruises, or even bullet wounds. Some sported burns from fire or lightning-Dust. At least one poor sod was missing an arm.
Seeing that everyone left had been assembled, Morgan smiled indulgently at them. "All right, you sad lot, I'm here to inform you about what's to come. You see, part of our effectiveness is ensuring that the military doesn't get any intel concerning what happens here. Unfortunately for you...that means we need to terminate any and all witnesses."
Already wan faces paled even further at the implications of her statement. Morgan grinned. "Fortunately, however, there is a way out of your predicament. If you sign on with my crew, you'll leave with us, while the rest of you foolish enough to say 'no' to such a generous offer will be sent to sleep with the fishes."
Frightened and excited murmurs ran through the group as different crew members processed her offer. She could see that some of them were giving the offer serious consideration, while others held true enough to their principles to decline on the spot. Her grin widened in eager anticipation.
"Now then," she continued, "here's the catch. You see...there's only seven openings on my crew...and it's first-come-first-served. We probably have another ten minutes before the military arrives, so you'll need to come to a decision by then."
She watched them, seeing the tension gather amongst those hopeful of saving their own skins. Turning, she walked away, waiting for her future crew to settle their roster amongst themselves. A buzzing sound issued from her left arm. Lifting it up, she pulled back the sleeve of her greatcoat just enough to bare what looked like a glowing watch-face. "What is it?"
"Contacts, north-by-northeast," a voice responded. "Identified as Atlesian warships, Dominion-class. ETA: twelve minutes."
"Well, that gives us just enough time then," said Morgan, pulling her sleeve down again. Looking around, she caught the eyes of her crew. "Wrap it up, you swabs! Get those charges set!"
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein