Ruby's cloak fluttered in the cool meadow breeze as she knelt down. The meadows of Patch were beautiful, especially this time of year. The wind made it look like waves rolled through the grass just beyond the sheer cliff Ruby watched. After a few moments, she tugged at the sides of her cloak, adjusting the hood pulled over her head, pulling it down so that no one would have a chance at recognizing her face.

"Hey Mom, it's me again. I haven't been by in a while, huh? Sorry about that, but Ozpin's got me really busy. We've been training like crazy, but I like it. You would really like to see all the stuff I can do now, Ozpin says it's better than most people twice my age."

She shifted her vision away from the stone, towards the dirt, her voice lowering like she hoped her mother wouldn't hear her.

"I mean, it's not like I can do anything but train, but I guess that's what happens when you…"

Her voice trailed off, and she shook her head. Summer didn't want to hear about this, Ruby was sure. She'd already told her mother about what had happened. She could remember draping herself on the stone, bawling and crying, reliving the things she had done in her head. She'd felt disgusting. She still did, but learned to live with it. If anything, it only motivated her more to become a protector.

Becoming a Huntress was out of the question after the massacre she had been responsible for. Not even she was sure what the total body count had been. Someone like her didn't deserve a second chance, but here she was.

A tear welled up in her eye, and she wiped it away, sniffling.

"Yang and the others are graduating today. I would have gone, but Ozpin wouldn't have let me anywhere near the ceremony. Too many people, you know? Dad's going to be there, I think, I'm sure he'll tell you all about it."

An empty silence settled over her, and Ruby slid into a sitting position. How was her dad? She hadn't seen him in a long time. He called from time to time, but things were very strange between them. She was glad he still talked to her at all, really. He made an effort, and in Ruby's almost total social isolation, that meant a lot.

Of course, he hadn't tried as much as Yang. Ruby didn't know if trying more than Yang was even possible. She called Ruby every night, and even when she didn't pick up, left a message asking how she was, and what she'd done that day. Sometimes Ruby played them a few times.

She looked back up at the stone, reading its inscription. She knew it like the back of her hand, but it still felt important to read.

"I really wish you were here, you know? I mean, everyone else seem like they're moving on, but I'm still…" Her voice trailed off as she lost track of what she was going to say. "I should feel good, right? I'm going to be a vampire hunter, like Ozpin! Maybe in a few years, I could even change my name and show my face in public again. I can fight better than almost anyone at Beacon!"

She sighed. Would she be happier if none of this had ever happened? She could imagine her name called out to the crowd at graduation, and the deafening roar that would follow. Yang would love it, she was sure.

"It feels… I don't know, empty. Its everything I ever wanted, but everything seems like so long ago. Maybe I don't really know what I want."

She hadn't grown much in three and a half years. She might have gained an inch or two, if she was lucky, but that didn't seem as important as it once had.

She looked up at the sky, noting that the grey mat of clouds was starting to break up. A small smile crossed her face. Yang would have a better time if the sun was out. One cloud above her split, and a ray of sunshine washed over her. She couldn't help but bow her head ever so slightly, putting her hands in her pockets so that no skin was showing. The sun didn't feel the same as it used to. It wasn't painful, but it was most definitely uncomfortable.

As the light passed, Ruby thought about what to say next. She doubted that her mom wanted to hear about the changes to Crescent Rose Ruby had made, or the conversations she sometimes overheard between Ozpin and Glynda.

She sat in silence, thinking.

"Hey, you! You know you shouldn't be here."

Ruby jumped in fear, her emotions were so wild at the moment she didn't even sense someone approaching. She pulled her hood further down her face hopping they were just confusing her with someone else. The record said she was dead, and someone outsider her friends or family knowing she was alive could make things complicated.

"You must have me confused with someone else." She said, lowering her voice in an attempt to mask her identity.

"Ruby, I know it's been a while, but it hurts to know you don't even recognize me."

Ruby lifted the rim of her hood, letting a silver eye shine out as she took a look at who the newcomer was. She pulled the hood down when she was it was Yang, a slight blush of embarrassment spread across her face as she realized how silly she must have sounded.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the ceremony?" Ruby asked, anxious to know why Yang wasn't where she was supposed to be.

"Your team, decided it wouldn't be right to go without you. So we decided to throw a party here instead." She flashed Ruby a winning smile as she adjusted the sunglasses over her eyes.

"Yang, you know I'm not supposed to be on Patch, or anywhere where someone could see me. I had to beg Ozpin just to let me come visit mom." The professionalist instincts Ozpin had drilled into her starting to show themselves.

"You think we would throw a party and not invite him too?" Yang commented, stepping up to Ruby and throwing an arm over her shoulder.

"Ozpin is coming too?" Ruby stated with a slight amount of fear. Ozpin was a nice instructor, and helped her a lot with all the different kinds of strife that have afflicted her in one form or another, but when it came to the risk of vampires becoming public knowledge he put his foot down hard on the matter.

"Yep, once he finishes with the ceremony and other pleasantries." Yang started walking away from the gravestone with Ruby still in her arm. They only took three steps before Yang grinned and started to rub her knuckles playfully on her sister's head.

"You're still so short! It's just so adorable!" Yang laughed, while Ruby struggled to free herself.

"You haven't grown in these past few years either!" Ruby lashed out, kicking and squirming in her attempt to get away from her sister.

Yang stopped her assault on her sister, but continued to laugh as Ruby tried to pry her arm off her neck.

"I guess it's just side effect of becoming a vampire. I'm sure there is something about it in that big 'master tome' Ozpin always has you reading." She could see Ruby was starting to get agitated, and decided to let Ruby go before her joke ran for too long.

"Come on. Dad and Uncle Qrow are excited to see you again, and the others are already waiting." She commented, continuing to walk along, throwing her hands into her new jacket's pockets. Ruby nodded and started to follow, but stopped after a few steps.

"Wait!" She called before turning around and sprinting to the grave behind them. Ruby fell to her knees and quickly threw her arms around the stone in a form of hug. She remained there for a moment, until after a bit she felt better inside and released the stone. A small, genuine smile starting to form on her face as she started to stand up.

"I'll visit again soon, mom. I promise it won't be as long as last time."

She stood and ran back over to Yang, who was standing patiently for her. She slowed to her sister's pace at her side as they made their way back to the home she hadn't seen in several years.

"Will there be cake? Is it Strawberry Cookie Crumble?" She inquired her sister as they walked through the meadow.

"Yours is, everyone is getting their own cake. Try not to eat all yours in one go, they are really big, and very expensive, so we don't want you throwing it up an hour after putting it down."

"Yeah!" Ruby shouted, visibly jumping for joy as she walked alongside her sister. Their path was illuminated by the glowing sun, and the grey clouds overhead continued to scatter.

Author's Note:

And thus it ends. If you've readto the end, why not review? Final thoughts are always appreciated. And of course, many thanks to the illustrious Leivve for the help not only on this chapter, but everything past the first one.