章 744: 87
Chapter 87
"This can't be!" shrieked Cinder, her right eye blazing with angry orange flames. "You were beaten! You were at my mercy! After all your stalling and pretending, you only show the full power of your magic now?"
"Because I couldn't do it before," said Ruby, smiling past the crackling arcs of lightning that danced along and around her sword. "It's thanks to you pushing me to the edge like this, that I was able to finally use this. Oh...and it's not magic. It never was."
"What?" Cinder's voice dropped to a lower register.
Ruby smirked at her. "This isn't magic. This is a technique, one I've been trying to learn for years."
"Don't lie to me, you little bitch!" snapped Cinder, gritting her teeth. "There is no possible way to command that kind of power without magic! You can't fool me!"
"I don't have to," said Ruby. "You fooled yourself."
"Shut up!" shouted Cinder. "That power is mine! Give it to me!"
"Fine!" Ruby reversed her grip on her sword, then drove it into the ground. The lightning seemed to vanish. "Then come and get it."
With a scream, Cinder launched herself at Ruby. A familiar sound echoed from behind Ruby, the sound of a discharging weapon. Mercury had managed to escape the last attack she'd launched at him at the last second. His right leg had been damaged from his attempt to hit her, while her Tenyo no Hana had been active. Still, he'd managed to launch himself with his left leg, then turn his hips to bring that leg back around for an attack at the back of her head. This time, Ruby had no Aura-forged garment to protect herself with.
Instead, both her assailants froze in place, their bodies seizing up. White lightning wrapped around them, binding their limbs in place. Both Cinder and Mercury couldn't believe what they were seeing.
"Raijin: Moraien." Ruby relaxed her stance, standing casually by her sword, the palm of her left hand resting against Akaibara's pommel. "You've stepped into the lightning's web. Now there's no escape for you."
Cinder and Mercury were now able to see the shape of the power that held them fast. Stretching out from where Ruby's sword was anchored into the ground were lines of crackling lightning, which had been previously circulating around her sword. They were connected by perpendicular arcs of energy, crossing one another in a form that indeed did resemble the web of some monstrous spider.
This is...this is completely different from what she was doing before, thought Cinder.
For her part, Ruby was secretly amazed at how simple it was, now that she'd gotten over her block. She'd envisioned herself doing this so many times, imagining each and every one of the derivative techniques that had been passed down through Sarutobi Sasuke's scroll. She'd created her own variants, using her normal lightning techniques, but they lacked the incredible power that the harnessed power of nature did.
As she'd expected though, controlling this much harnessed, wild, natural power was a lot more difficult than she made it look. Sure, she'd been able to successfully duplicate Sasuke's Moraien. But maintaining her hold was leaving her with a splitting headache. Her exhausted and drained condition wasn't helping matters. It seemed that drawing on the world's Aura could supplement her own, but not replace it. If anything, hosting this kind of power was putting an even greater strain on her body. Without her sword to hold it, the lightning she'd called down on herself would have annihilated her on the spot. Any mundane weapon, even the finest Huntsman-class ones, would have been melted into slag. Only one of Murasame's masterpieces, or a sword rivaling them, would be capable of this.
She didn't have much time. She could feel her control slipping. If that happened, her lightning web would unravel, Cinder and Mercury would be free to go back on the attack, and Ruby would truly be out of options. She had to finish this, here and now.
Ruby separated her weapon, leaving Ibara anchored in the earth, while lifting Bara in her left hand. Holding it up, she took Bara in both hands, taking a textbook sword-stance, holding the blade out in front of her, angled upwards, aligned with the center of her body. "It's time to finish this, Cinder," she said.
Cinder struggled against the lightning binding her body. But her efforts only seemed to pull it in all the tighter around herself. She summoned all her magic, activated all the Dust woven into her dress. The flames streaming from her right eye intensified. Her garment began to glow, casting off flickering embers, glowing, circular arrays forming in the air around her. Given another few seconds, she could blow away this restraint, especially since Ruby was only using the residual power left within Ibara to maintain it. Even if Cinder did nothing, the lightning web would collapse on its own in less than a minute.
But Cinder didn't have a few seconds. Ruby took a deep breath, once again opening herself to the sense of the world's Aura in the air around her. Feeling that power respond, she once again called out to the skies above, where that black mass of clouds still hovered. Ruby shot forward, her sword rising over her head for a downward strike.
"NOOOOOOO!" screamed Cinder, unable to move as Ruby's sword descended.
"Raijin: Honorai Ikazuchi!"
Lightning shot downwards from the clouds, striking the tip of Ruby's sword as she brought it down, both the blade and the bolt of lightning blasting right through Cinder, turning her body into a black shadow against a white backdrop. A second strike, carrying the remainder of the power infused into Ruby's sword, cut through Cinder's body perpendicular to her first stroke, from left to right, cutting Cinder into quarters. Ruby emerged from the other side, coming to a stop with her sword angled up over her head.
Cinder's scream had been cut off by the roar of thunder. The lightning that had infused Ruby's blade consumed even her body, burning it away...until nothing remained. Only a scant few ashes drifted through the air, the sole remaining particles of what had once been Cinder Fall. There was a flash, and a column of orange light shot upwards into the night sky, punching through the clouds above, clearing them away. The light's course curved, carrying it in an arc...towards Beacon Academy.
But Ruby barely even noticed. She staggered, her arms going limp, her hands barely managing to maintain their grip on her sword. Turning around, she slowly made her way to Ibara, step by laborious step. Meanwhile, the web of lightning flickered, then disappeared into scattering sparks.
Mercury dropped down to the floor, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. He could scarcely believe his eyes. Cinder was gone...without a trace. Emerald was down for the count, possibly dead as well. Everything that they'd worked towards had gone up in smoke...all because of this one girl.
Loyalty was not one of the traits Mercury counted as his own. Given what Cinder had been offering, he'd gladly accepted her offer to turn the world on its head. But that didn't mean he held any personal loyalty to Cinder, beyond what she could provide him. Despite his flirtatious attitude towards her, he didn't hold any particular loyalty to Emerald either. From the day he'd been old enough to walk, his father had taught him to treat everything and everyone as a means to an end.
None of that really mattered though. Mercury wasn't the sort to necessarily take pride in his work. But that didn't mean he liked seeing a plan that he'd literally invested years of his life in come to nothing, all in a single instant. And now...looking at the girl responsible for it all going to Hell, what rose up in Mercury's gut was a wave of the purest rage. No matter what else happened...he would make her pay!
As the web of lightning disappeared, Mercury touched down on the floor, his right leg barely able to hold the weight of his body. But he managed it long enough to fire a shot from the sole of his left foot, using that to launch his body into the air. Using his hips and spine, he pulled himself into a spin that allowed him to bring his left leg around, putting everything he had into the kick he was aiming right at Ruby's head. In her condition, she had no hope of dodging or defending. The hit would shatter her skull, and splatter her brains across the floor.
His foot struck the curving surface of a heater shield. Jaune grunted and strained in his effort to stave off Mercury's attack, before shifting his arm and allowing Mercury's kick to skid off the curved surface of the shield. Mercury's eyes went wide, realizing that he was off-balance, not having given a thought to what came after this kick. Because of that, he had no recourse when Weiss and Pyrrha shot past Jaune, thrusting out with their own weapons. They struck Mercury in the chest. His Aura held, barely, but he was launched backwards by the dual hits.
Flying backwards, Mercury's head bent back, allowing him to see a familiar figure, her body silhouetted by the thick mane of wavy, golden hair that streamed from her head. His gray eyes met a pair of glowing crimson ones. "Oh, shi-"
That was all Mercury got out before he flew past Yang, who slammed her right fist straight down into his abdomen, discharging Ember Celica on impact, blasting Mercury right down into the floor, shattering the concrete under his back. With a crackle of shimmering gray, and a faint snapping noise, Mercury's Aura broke and dissipated, his body going limp.
Through it all, Ruby didn't even seem to be aware of the fact that she'd almost been killed, continuing to try and stagger towards the sword she'd planted in the ground. However, her strength gave out, and her gaze went dark. Bara slipped out of the fingers of her left hand, falling towards the floor, While Ruby herself began to fall forward.
"Ruby!" shouted Jaune, quickly turning around, extending his right arm to catch her, careful not to let her fall against the blade of his sword. A second later, Weiss and Pyrrha were beside him, quickly helping to steady Ruby and keep her from falling all the way to the floor.
Meanwhile, Kyo had calmly stooped down, effortlessly catching Bara by its handle, before it hit the floor. Straightening up, Kyo nestled his own sword in the crook of his right elbow, while carrying Bara over to Ibara, joining the swords together, before pulling Akaibara free of the earth.
Jaune had sheathed his weapons and, with help from Weiss and Pyrrha, turned Ruby in his grip so that he could stand up with her in his arms. Ruby's eyes blinked slowly, opening briefly. She stared upwards, seemingly unable to actually see what was going on around her. "M-m-my..." she stuttered, the syllable barely making it past her lips.
"I have her here," said Kyo, smiling as he stepped up to Ruby and Jaune, ignoring the latter's glare. Kyo pulled Ruby's sheath from its resting place on her sash, and slid Akaibara back into place.
"Kyo...nii..." Ruby tilted her head slightly in the direction of his voice. "D-did you...did you see...?"
"I did," confirmed Kyo, beaming. He took Ruby's hands, and closed them around Akaibara's sheath. Ruby grasped the sword and pulled it back, hugging it to herself like a stuffed animal, even gently nuzzling her cheek against the handle as she let out a contented sigh.
"Rest, Ruby-chan," said Kyo, brushing his fingers over her forehead.
Ruby went still, and her breathing became softer, until it was almost impossible to tell if she was breathing at all.
"Will she...?" asked Jaune warily, taking in Ruby's condition.
"She needs rest, that's all," said Kyo. "At the moment, her body has shut down from the exertion. It's a safety mechanism, a result of going so far past her limits."
"She could have died, you know," protested Weiss, glaring sourly at Ruby's brother.
"But she didn't," said Kyo cheerfully.
"Did you know that Ruby would succeed?" asked Pyrrha.
"Beyond all shadow of doubt...? No."
Kyo's response prompted every one, including Glynda, to glare furiously at him.
"Then why did you let her do that?" demanded Nora.
"Because I knew she could, even if I wasn't certain that she would," replied Kyo sagely. "This was never going to be a sure thing. The results could have gone wrong in any number of ways. Ruby-chan could have failed, and died to Cinder's swords before we intervened. She could have faltered on the technique, and blown herself to atoms. There were many risks to allowing her to do this, severe ones.
"However, that didn't change the fact that I still had to let her try. There will always be risk in this. But I had faith that Ruby-chan's training and conviction would see her through. And they did." Kyo laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Of course, that doesn't change the fact that it was a near thing. But you can't exactly fault the results, can you? Nor can you fault the fact that Ruby-chan is quite happy with them."
Jaune sighed, and looked down at Ruby's face. Despite her being unconscious from exhaustion, he had to admit that she looked positively blissful. In the end, arguing with Kyo wouldn't do anything. What was done was done. He tightened his arms around her, hugging her against his chest.
"Let's get her home," said Jaune.
Roman twitched at the sound of tapping against the glassteel of his door. Neo was back
After a few taps, Roman gasped and sat up on his cot, forgetting about pretending to be alone. His jaw hung slack as Neo's report conveyed three simple words.
"Cinder is dead."
"No way..." he muttered under his breath.
"Ruby killed her," Neo tapped out.
"She did it..." mumbled Roman. "That little red brat actually did it."
"Now what?" Neo asked.
"Now..." said Roman, still speaking aloud, not bothering to worry about being covert over this revelation. "Now...we should cut a deal."
Ruby's eyelids felt sticky as she peeled them open. When she inhaled, air entered through a burning throat. The act of inhaling also caused her chest to ache. Her entire body felt sore and worn, her muscles feeling like they had multiple tears, and her bones like they might have been cracked. Her arms, especially, tingled as though millions of microscopic needles were being stabbed into them, over and over again, with lines sharp, burning pain running from the tips of her fingers, all the way up to her elbows.
Despite all that, her head felt strangely clear. This was no sluggish daze that normally accompanied waking up in such a sorry state. She found herself staring up at a white ceiling, one she knew wasn't the ceiling of her dorm room. In fact, her head was probably the only thing that wasn't in pain.
She started by moving her eyes only, taking in as much of her surroundings as she could. It took Ruby a moment to realize that she was in Beacon's infirmary. She wasn't wearing her combat outfit, or her pajamas. Instead, she'd apparently been put into a white hospital gown. The sheets of her bed were probably fairly light, but Ruby felt as though they were weighing down on her chest, making it a little hard to breathe, but not overwhelmingly so.
A faint snore drew her attention. Slowly, Ruby turned her head, the muscles of her neck, stiff and achy, much like the rest of her. She managed to turn her gaze far enough to see a familiar mop of blonde hair, to her right. Jaune was reclined in a chair beside her bed, his head tilted back against the wall. Her right arm was extended out from under the sheets, with Jaune holding her hand tightly in his. The sight made Ruby smile.
Her left arm was curled around something long, thin, and hard. Laboring to turn her head the other way, Ruby's smile only widened as she saw the familiar hilt of her sword protruding from beneath her sheets.
"You were very reluctant to let go of her," said Kyo, appearing at the foot of her bed, almost seeming to materialize out of thin air. "The staff had a hard time getting you out of your clothes like that."
Turning to look at him, Ruby giggled, the noise stinging her throat. "Sorry," she croaked softly.
Kyo chuckled and shook his head slightly. Moving to the side of her bed, Ruby saw him take a cup of water. He braced her head up, so that she could drink from it, before letting her lay her head back down. The water helped sooth her throat. In fact, the cool feeling of it seemed to spread down and through her body, soothing the aching and burning feelings plaguing her.
"Where is everyone?" Ruby asked.
"Well, Goodwitch-dono sent most of them back to their rooms," said Kyo. "They weren't happy at the idea. Your sister protested quite strongly. But Goodwitch-dono remained firm."
"But she let Jaune stay?" Ruby turned her head to look at Jaune again, her neck feeling a little less stiff now.
"Jaune-kun was adamant, and Goodwitch-dono said that partners have priority," said Kyo.
"I'll bet Yang didn't like that," said Ruby wryly.
"She certainly didn't," agreed Kyo.
"What about you?" asked Ruby, turning to look at her brother again.
Kyo chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his head in that familiar gesture of his. "Ah...well...I had to be discreet about visiting. In fact, Goodwitch-dono might have banned me...technically."
"Why?" asked Ruby, raising an eyebrow.
Kyo repeated his head rubbing from earlier. "Well...I...that is to say...I'm afraid that I am not your friends' favorite person, right now."
"Because you stopped them from helping me, right?" asked Ruby, smirking.
"That is...exactly the reason," said Kyo.
Ruby couldn't help but giggle, even though it made her chest ache again. "But you came anyway," she noted.
"Yes, well...for some reason, the staff didn't seem to mind," said Kyo.
They undoubtedly hadn't even noticed. While Kyo didn't look it, his Suppression was exceptional. Suppression erased all outward signs of Aura, but the user was still very much visible, and could give themselves away through physical cues. Of course, Masters, like Kyo, could erase their presence so completely that, to the senses of regular people, or those with more limited training, they might as well be part of the scenery. Ruby suspected that Kyo had walked right in, past the reception desk, without attracting a first look, much less a second one.
Kyo's expression softened, and he reached out to gently brush his hand across Ruby's forehead, his fingers combing through her bangs. "So...you did it," he said.
"Yeah...not that it turned out all that well for me," said Ruby.
Kyo chuckled. "Yes. That is a consequence of going so far past your limits. Still, now that you've experienced the sensation, you can probably attune yourself to the world's Aura without needing to completely drain your own, with a little practice."
Ruby nodded.
"And it would seem that your sword had some remonstrations for you as well," said Kyo, reaching down to carefully trace his fingers along her forearm.
Ruby saw the angry, red lines that ran up the length of the limb, knowing there was a matching set on her other arm. "Yeah, I figured she wasn't happy, when she did that."
"Your sword is a companion who fights with you," said Kyo. "So it generally finds it offensive to have to fight for you. Still, it would seem she isn't too angry."
Ruby nodded. It might have seemed strange to others that her own sword would do something like that. But she still remembered how contrary Akaibara could be, and how hard she had needed to work to earn her sword's trust and respect. Swords like that had ways of reprimanding people that seemed to defy logic at time. Akaibara had thorns that could prick Ruby fairly badly, if she drew her sword's ire. From what Ruby had heard about some blades, particularly those like the Muramasa that Kyo wielded, the consequences of losing a sword's respect could be much worse, so she had gotten off easy. Probably because, whatever else, Ruby loved her sword, and knew full well that that love was reciprocated, however prickly the manner.
"That was very well done, Ruby-chan. I know that Sasame will be ecstatic, once she finds out."
Ruby's smile widened.
Kyo brushed his fingers across the top of her head, before he leaned down and kissed her crown. "I'll see you later, once you're up and about," he promised.
"Okay," said Ruby. "I love you, Kyo-nii."
"I love you too," Kyo answered.
Straightening up, Kyo made his way through the door. The door clicked shut behind him. That tiny sound appeared to be enough to make Jaune stir. Blinking and yawning, he sat up in his seat, groaning and stretching his back, while still keeping a firm grip on Ruby's hand. Turning his head, he looked at Ruby, a relieved smile spreading across his face at the sight of her looking back.
"Morning, sleepy head," she said.
"Shouldn't I be saying that?" asked Jaune playfully.
"Only if you wake up first," Ruby replied cheekily, earning a chuckle from him.
"How are you feeling?" asked Jaune.
"Well...I could be better," said Ruby, shifting, wincing as she felt a variety of tiny pains run up and down her body.
"The doctor said you have multiple mild muscle tears across your entire body," said Jaune. "Your bones were pretty battered too." He frowned and traced his hands long the red lines drawn along her hand and forearm, similar to what Kyo had done earlier. "And then there's what you did to your hands and arms."
"Yeah...my sword had to help me a little," said Ruby. "She isn't exactly gentle."
"This has happened before?" asked Jaune.
"A couple times," admitted Ruby. "One time was because Akaibara got mad at me. I did something she really didn't like, so she...scolded me, I guess."
"You mean your sword actually injures you, when it's mad?" asked Jaune, shocked.
"Sort of," said Ruby. "These aren't severe, and a sword can do way more. There are horror stories about what Kyo's sword can do, if it ever loses respect for its wielder."
"Please...let's not talk about him, right now," said Jaune, his expression sour for a moment.
"Okay," said Ruby, understanding why, and not really objecting. She supposed she had put her friends through quite the scare, with what she'd done, and Kyo had only made things worse in that respect. That aspect of their relationship would probably be a difficult one for her friends and teachers to grasp.
Jaune let out a breath. "A-anyway...why would your sword do that to you?"
Ruby giggled. "Well, she is a sword after all. It's not like she has a mouth or tongue to scold me with. So she does it with her Aura, which is kinda...thorny."
"Thorny, huh...?" Jaune frowned at the red lines running up Ruby's arms. He closed his eyes, seeming to accept what Ruby had told him. When he opened them again, he gave her a small smile. "So...last night...that was that Raikoken thing you were talking about, right?"
"Yeah," said Ruby, a blissful look on her face. "I finally did it."
"I gotta admit, it looked pretty awesome," said Jaune.
"It felt pretty awesome at the time too," said Ruby. "Now I just need to practice to be able to do it without draining the rest of my Aura first." Something occurred to her. "Wait! What about you? Are you okay, Jaune?"
"I'm fine," said Jaune, squeezing her hand, before reaching out with his other hand to cup her cheek. "I got knocked out, when they first caught me, so I was a bit sore at the back of the head, and then the ropes chafed my arms and legs a little. But my Aura healed it all up easily."
"Good," said Ruby.
"Ruby..." Jaune frowned. "...what was Cinder talking about? I didn't get a lot of it, but she was talking about some kind of power...magic?"
"That's..." Ruby frowned. "The gist of it is that Cinder thought I had something that I didn't, something that she wanted."
"What was it?"
Ruby looked away from Jaune for a moment, mulling the situation over. If she told him she shouldn't be talking about it, he would probably accept it. However, that wasn't exactly fair to Jaune, as he'd been attacked and held hostage over this mistake. Ozpin might not like it, but, given what Jaune had already heard, it was probably best to just go ahead and set him straight.
"You have to understand, this is a pretty big secret," said Ruby, looking up at Jaune again. "Professor Ozpin might not like me telling you, but it's probably best you know."
"Okay..." said Jaune hesitantly. "What did Cinder think you had?"
"Magic," said Ruby plainly.
"...What?"
Ruby couldn't exactly blame Jaune for such a flat reaction. Said straight out, it did seem pretty ridiculous. "So...have you heard The Story of the Seasons?"
"Yeah," said Jaune. "My youngest sisters loves that one."
"Well...the story's true," said Ruby.
"Really!?" gasped Jaune.
Ruby nodded, laying out everything she knew about the Maidens, about the nature of their power, and how it was passed from one woman to another. Jaune listened with rapt attention, eyes wide with shock. For the time being, Ruby decided to leave out a couple of details, namely that she knew one of the Maidens personally, and that Ozpin was the Wizard from the story. Other than that, she told Jaune pretty much everything.
"Wow..." said Jaune, once she finished, "...that's...a lot to take in."
"I know," said Ruby. "But it's true."
"So...now that Cinder's dead...um...?"
"I don't know for sure," admitted Ruby. "Hopefully the power that she stole will go back to the person she stole it from, and then that woman will get better. That's the best-case scenario, I think."
"Yeah," agreed Jaune. "But what does that mean for you?"
"I don't know for sure," said Ruby. "I guess, things just go back to mostly normal for us. Cinder's gone, the White Fang have been stopped, and Vale seems to be safe for now. So...there isn't much else to do but just keep working as students, and get ready for the festival, and all that."
"Right," said Jaune, seeming a bit let down by the idea that, after everything they'd done and been through, they'd just go back to being regular Beacon students.
"That's just the way it goes," said Ruby. "This is super-secret stuff, so it's not like Professor Ozpin can give us some kind of award, or any recognition at all really."
"You seem pretty okay with that," noted Jaune.
"Well, Cinder's not a threat anymore," said Ruby. "We've definitely put a stop to whatever evil plan they had in the works, so that means a lot of people, who might have died or been hurt otherwise, will be safe. I think I'm good with that."
"I'm glad to see that you already have the heart of a true Huntress," observed Ozpin, stepping into the room.
"Hello, Professor," said Ruby, jolting a little at Ozpin's unexpected arrival. She hadn't sensed his approach at all. But, then again, having just come out of unconsciousness after straining both her body and Aura past all rational limits, Ruby hadn't invested too much in keeping her senses expanded to track anything beyond her most immediate surroundings.
"And how are you feeling, this morning?" inquired Ozpin, smiling down at her.
"Pretty stiff and achy," said Ruby.
"Oh? I figured that your partner would have taken care of that," said Ozpin, glancing at Jaune.
"W-well...I was waiting to hear back from her doctor," explained Jaune. "If she needed any special procedures or anything, I figured that I might do more harm than good, since I barely know what I'm doing with this healing stuff. But if it's something her Aura would be able to take care of on its own, then I figure I can expedite the process." He looked to Ruby. "That's the right way, isn't it?"
Ruby beamed at him and nodded, glad that Jaune hadn't jumped the gun on her. One might have assumed that the healing arts were easy, simply a matter of channeling one's Aura into their patient. But there were nuances that made it a more complex matter. If a healer was sloppy, they could do a great deal of harm. If bones weren't set properly, before their healing, they would heal crookedly. Damage to organs had to be managed carefully, or there could be side-effects that could do lasting harm. Even with Aura, putting a person's body back together was infinitely more difficult than taking it apart in the first place.
"Well then, you're in luck," said Ozpin. "I spoke with Ms. Rose's doctor on the way here. According to him, Ms. Rose's body is at no real risk, provided she doesn't overexert herself while she's healing up. At most, he prescribed continued bed rest to allow her Aura to do its work. That being, said, I believe you can go ahead."
"Okay..." said Jaune, turning to Ruby, who gave him a final nod of confirmation.
"Remember, don't force your Aura into me," said Ruby. "Project it gently, and let it Flow. Focus on using it to enhance my own Aura's recovery ability."
"Right..." said Jaune, closing his eyes. He clasped her hand in both of his. A few seconds of concentration later, and Jaune's body was outlined with a faint, white light. Then that light flowed down to his hands, concentrating there, before flowing out into Ruby's body.
Ruby bit down on a gasp, feeling Jaune's Aura cause her own to surge. Jaune put more into it than he needed to, not surprising, considering how little practice he had with the technique. However, it was merely a bit shocking, not painful or harmful. Within just a few seconds, Ruby could feel the pain throughout her body subsiding. Even the red marks Akaibara had left on her hands and arms were receding. In just a little over a minute, she felt almost as good as new.
"I think that's good," she said.
"Okay," said Jaune, no longer sending his Aura into her, but still holding on to her hand.
"Quite impressive," said Ozpin. "That is a most welcome skill that you have, Mr. Arc. I hope that you will continue to nurture it."
"I plan to," said Jaune. "I don't want to push it too far, not until Ruby's sister gets back, and I can get some pointers from her."
"Probably the wisest course of action," said Ozpin, nodding to himself. "And how do you feel now, Ms. Rose?"
"Pretty much good to go," said Ruby, before yawning. "Still a little sluggish though."
"Considering what you did, yesterday and last evening, I am not surprised," said Ozpin. "We appeared to have misstepped with Cinder Fall. Though James did not say anything, I think he believes that I hesitated too much...and he might be right."
"I can't say," said Ruby. "Cinder got it into her head that I was one of the Maidens, and decided she was going to try and take my power too."
Ozpin glanced at Jaune, who swallowed.
"I told him," said Ruby. "He was taken hostage over it, so it's only fair that he knows, not to mention Cinder was talking to me about it, right where he could hear it."
"I see," said Ozpin, looking a bit more intently at Jaune. "Mr. Arc, I hope that I do not need to tell you that this is not something you should speak of carelessly."
"R-right," said Jaune.
"So, anyway, I don't think it's your fault," said Ruby, continuing where she'd left off. "The important thing is that everything turned out okay."
"Agreed, in more ways than one," said Ozpin, his expression warming. "On that note...since you are now healed, do you feel up to walking, Ms. Rose?"
"Yeah," said Ruby.
"Good," said Ozpin. "In that case, go ahead and get cleaned and dressed. Your teammates got your outfit cleaned and mended, and it is ready for you." He gestured to a small table, set against the wall, across from the foot of her bed, where her clothes rested, along with the armor she usually wore. "After that, I will be able to show you the consequences of your adventure, last night."
"All right," said Ruby, sitting up.
Her body was still stiff, and the joints of her spine popped a few times. Jaune helped steady her as she got her feet under herself. She was a bit shaky, but ultimately able to stand on her own. Getting up, she collected her outfit, then went into the bathroom to shower and change. There were also the usual toiletries there, which allowed her to brush her teeth. By the time she finished up, she was feeling even more refreshed, able to form her cloak and hood, stepping out of the bathroom feeling as good as new.
"Excellent," said Ozpin. "Now then, if you two will follow me."
Ruby and Jaune nodded, falling into step behind Ozpin as he led the way down the infirmary's hall. A couple of doors down, he came to a stop, and then gently pushed the door open. Ruby looked in past Ozpin, and gasped in shock.
"Emerald!" She barely had the wherewithal to keep her voice in check, the girl's name escaping her mouth in a harsh whisper.
Emerald Sustrai lay on the bed, her eyes closed. Like Ruby, her regular outfit had been removed. Unlike Ruby, she had been linked up to monitors and an I.V, her condition clearly more severe than Ruby's had been.
Ozpin closed the door, giving Ruby a grave look. "The doctor says that she will survive. However, it is likely that the injuries you inflicted to her spinal column are permanent. She has been paralyzed from the waist down."
"Oh..." said Ruby sadly, looking down.
"No one here will hold it against you," said Ozpin.
"I know," said Ruby. "I'm glad she'll live, at least." Having Cinder's blood on her hands was enough, as far as she was concerned.
"Mr. Black has been taken into police custody," continued Ozpin. "He suffered some damage to his prosthetics. However, given how dangerous they were, that is hardly a bad thing."
"Yeah," agreed Ruby. "You're going to want to be careful, when Emerald wakes up. She has an illusion-type Semblance. I think she interacts with a person's senses to interfere with how they perceive their surroundings."
"I see, so she is the illusionist who tried to breach Ms. Forrest's room," noted Ozpin, rubbing his chin.
"Looks that way," said Ruby. "I'm not entirely sure what conditions she can use it under, like how close she has to be, or if she has to have some form of contact with her target. So she could be tricky to handle, even partially paralyzed."
"Understood, I will have the staff and security briefed," said Ozpin. "Now then, let's continue."
He led them out of the infirmary, and through the hallways of Beacon. There were more people out and about now, with most of the missions having officially come to an end. It would only be a couple more days until classes resumed. Ruby was pretty sure that, by Sunday, most everyone would be back.
Ozpin led them to the faculty quarters. At first, she thought he was taking them to see Ashley, though she couldn't figure out why, or maybe Kyo. She had no idea where Kyo presently stood with the enigmatic Headmaster. However, Ozpin led them to a different room entirely. Upon knocking, the door was opened by none other than Glynda Goodwitch herself.
"Hello, Glynda," said Ozpin. "How is our guest doing today?"
Guest...? Ruby wondered. Could it be...?
"A bit more restless than is probably good for her," said Glynda, smiling despite her words. "Not that I can blame her for that."
"Is she up for visitors?" asked Ozpin.
Ruby flinched slightly as Glynda's eyes came to rest on her. "Considering who it is, I think she will be most happy to accept a visitor or two."
Ruby's heartbeat quickened as Glynda led the group into her suite. It was a good bit larger than the Forrest Family's, two floors down; featuring a large living room, its own dining room, and even a full-sized kitchen. On top of the master bedroom, for Glynda herself, it also had a nicely appointed guest room. Ruby supposed that being Deputy Headmistress of Beacon came with its fair share of perks.
Glynda led them to the guest room. Glynda had them wait just outside, while she went to talk to the occupant. Ruby, Jaune, and Ozpin listened from outside.
"You have guests," Glynda said.
"Is she one of them?" came back a soft, feminine voice, weak and slightly hoarse, suggesting that the speaker hadn't spoken in a very long time.
"She is," replied Glynda.
"I'd like that," the other woman replied.
Glynda emerged from the room, and nodded to her guests. Ozpin entered first, motioning Ruby and Jaune to stay back. "Hello, Amber. How are you feeling today?"
"Like jelly," said the young woman, Amber apparently. "But I'm alive and awake, so it's not bad at all."
"Good," said Ozpin, sounding genuinely happy. "It does me well to see you finally on the road to recovery."
"Thank you," Amber replied. "Um...not that it isn't good to see you again, Professor, but..."
"You would like to speak with her, correct?"
"Y-yes."
Ozpin chuckled softly. "Ms. Rose, please come in."
Ruby hesitantly stepped through the door, her suspicions becoming certainty as she laid eyes on the bedridden young woman who occupied the room.
Amber was a young woman, who looked to be of an age with Weiss' sister, Winter. However, it wasn't a sure thing. Amber's complexion was light-brown. Her face was framed with locks of straight, brown hair that ended just above her shoulders. Ruby met her eyes, a shade of brown that matched her hair, with a small beauty mark beneath her left eye. The rest of Amber's body was obscured by the loose fabric of a hospital gown, not unlike the one Ruby had been wearing earlier. Ruby wasn't able to get a good idea of Amber's figure, but the young woman's arms looked almost painfully thin. Her hands were closed around a small glass of water, which she rested on her lap as she sat in the bed, propped up by a stack of pillows.
Amber was clearly a beautiful young woman. But that beauty was marred by the unpleasant-looking, weblike scar that covered much of the left side of her face, including the area around and over her left eye, the lid scarred as well, the discoloration visible when she blinked. Ruby could only guess that the scar was a result of Cinder's partially-successful attempt to remove the Maiden powers from her.
"Ms. Rose, please allow me to introduce Amber Akiyama, the Fall Maiden," said Ozpin. "Amber, this is Ruby Rose."
"H-hello," said Ruby, stepping past Ozpin, and moving to stand nervously at the side of Amber's bed. "It's nice to meet you."
"I'm glad I could meet you too," said Amber, smiling widely up at her. "When I heard what happened, I just had to meet the girl who saved my life."
Ruby sniffed, uncertain why her nose suddenly seemed so stuffy, and her eyes felt like pressure was building behind them. Seeing the chair set next to the bed, near the head, Ruby sat down in it. Releasing the glass she held with one hand, Amber offered it to Ruby, who took it in both of hers, holding it tightly.
It was strange beyond words. Ruby had never seen Amber before in her life, never even heard her name spoken before today. When she'd heard about the Fall Maiden from Ozpin, it had been vague and almost impersonal, Ozpin only telling her a tiny bit about the Maiden's condition. Yet the mere sight of this woman on the bed before her; alive and, if not exactly well, at least on the road to recovery; filled Ruby with more happiness and relief than she could describe. Ruby found herself bowing her head over the hand she held, tears running freely down her cheeks.
Amber herself was smiling so widely that her own cheeks must have been sore from the exertion. She too was shedding silent tears, both of them so overcome with emotion that, for the moment, there were no words they could say to one another.
From the entrance to the room, Jaune also found himself wiping away tears, just glad to see Ruby look so happy and fulfilled, while Glynda dabbed beneath her eyes with a handkerchief. Only Ozpin sported dry eyes. But the uncharacteristically wide smile on his face spoke volumes enough for him.
The strangely celebratory silence stretched on for several minutes, neither of the girls feeling up to words, while none of the other observers dared to intrude on the happy interlude. Finally, it was Ruby who broke the silence.
"I...I don't even know what to say," she said.
"Well," Amber replied, "how about introducing yourself. I want to know about you...everything you can tell me."
"O-okay," said Ruby.
Ozpin rested a hand against Jaune's shoulder and gently directed him out of the room, Glynda following them, and shutting the door behind herself.
"Let's let them have this moment to themselves," Ozpin said softly.
"Sure," said Jaune not minding it, not when he had seen that euphoric smile on Ruby's face, something he found unspeakably beautiful. It made him slightly regretful that he hadn't snapped a picture with his scroll, when he had a chance.
"Now then, while those two are getting acquainted, we do have another matter to discuss, Mr. Arc," said Ozpin.
"We do...?" asked Jaune.
"That we do, seeing as you are now another who knows the truth about the Maidens," said Ozpin. "Therefore, it is important that we ensure your discretion. Ms. Rose has been admirable about keeping that secret to herself. It was only through a set of unique coincidences that you came to learn about it. Therefore, I hope that we can trust your discretion as well. This is something that we cannot allow to get out, under any circumstances."
"Okay..." said Jaune. "I'd ask why not, but considering what just happened to Amber, I think I understand why people learning the Maidens are real would be a bad thing."
"I imagine so," agreed Glynda.
"That said...I think we should tell our teammates, at least," said Jaune, "and probably Team Rainbow too."
"I do not believe that is wise," said Glynda, adjusting her glasses slightly.
"Why do you believe that, Mr. Arc?" asked Ozpin.
"Well, Rainbow and Raspberry know the basics of this situation," said Jaune. "They know that Cinder took me hostage to call out Ruby. But they don't know why. While we could make up some kind of lie, or just tell them that we aren't allowed to talk about it, I feel like that's not fulfilling our responsibilities as their teammates and friends. Not to mention that Yang is Ruby's sister, and would be pretty desperate to know why she was targeted."
"And you believe that making sure that your two teams know about this situation is part of your responsibility to them, Mr. Arc?" said Ozpin.
Jaune nodded. "Without any knowledge of the Fall Maiden, all we had was information on scattered situations. We know that Cinder was working with both Torchwick and the White Fang...or that they were working for her, rather. We know that she was planning on using them to some kind of end. But that end would be completely impossible to figure out without the knowledge of the Fall Maiden.
"All this was to bring about a chance to get at her, wasn't it? Cinder was trying to throw Vale into chaos because she thought that would give her an opportunity to get to Amber, and finish what she'd started by stealing part of her power in the first place. But she got it into her head that Ruby was a Maiden too, and got greedy. Because of that, she went out on a limb, and wound up getting killed as a result. With that, we can get a better idea on the big picture, and it'll keep the others from asking uncomfortable questions."
"Hmm..." Ozpin scratched his chin, mulling the matter over. "Your arguments are fairly sensible, Mr. Arc. Glynda, your thoughts?"
Glynda was silent for a moment. "The more people who know a secret, the less secret it is," she said finally. "Our inner circle is small and intimate for that very reason, to ensure that information does not leak. What you are proposing, Mr. Arc, is that we broaden the number of people with knowledge of this affair by an additional six, not including yourself. That represents an extreme risk."
Jaune tensed, expecting a stern dismissal of his idea. However, Glynda gave him a small smile as she continued.
"That having been said, we have already been entrusting Raspberry and Rainbow with a great deal more than we would the average set of students. Without even knowing why, they have already been acting on our behalf for the better part of a semester, as a part of this secret war. So...we might as well go ahead and bring them up to speed on the situation."
"Very well then," said Ozpin. He frowned. "That being the case, then I feel it most prudent to tell them...everything."
Despite agreeing to tell RYNB and the rest of RASP about the Maidens just a few seconds ago, Glynda was taken aback by Ozpin's statement. "Wha-what...? Everything? Are you sure?"
Ozpin nodded. "At this stage, it is critical that we make sure that Raspberry and Rainbow understand the full scope of the situation, and the forces arrayed." He looked over at Jaune. "Call your friends, Mr. Arc. We have a great deal to talk about."
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