Mortals Above, Gods Below: Opening Waltz, Second Flourish

Pain is an illusion dreamt up by those who fear reality. There is only life. And death.

Making her way through the corridor, Ruby had a flutter in her stomach from the other day. Blake had settled into the Cradle quite smoothly, given a suite near hers for the sake of safety. She didn't feel like the Faunus girl would end up in any trouble at least. It was just something they'd decided. Is Ozpin part of those people? Those people were the ones running the Cradle, Ruby's superiors, and members of the various companies. They were the ones who tried to lie to her. It was jarring to lose trust in something she'd grown up with, but it was more unnerving to keep playing along.

The hum was with her again, steady and sure from wind passing over the outer hull to the rumble of human life in a confined space. Relief permeated Ruby, the noise drowning out all of her memories from long ago. She walked slowly through the corridors, traversing the web with a sure step born of years spent inside. People still got lost from time to time, but there were enough wanderers to always get them back on track. There are enough. And that was the truth. Everywhere Ruby went, people seemed to be happy and flourishing. They worked on small projects, or trained for future jobs.

And no one was worried about Grimm or other Kingdoms or anything. They looked past the pilots that walked among them, seeing the people behind the suits. Sure, there was awe at times, but the constant dread of the past was gone. It was better now, her father said so, her sister said so. So why did she feel so uneasy? Ruby never thought about things like this, letting the winds blow her about as she went. Like now, as she strode the metal passageways in a billowy red cloak, she didn't really aim for the classroom. Just drifted toward it.

Still, it wasn't long before the familiar color change from civilian to administrative forced her drifting to an end. There weren't many people here now, and the few that were all had a grim look to them. Are the lectures that bad today? I really don't want to sit through another boring history one. Ruby meandered up toward her doorway when it hit her. I was supposed to bring Blake with me. She doesn't know where this place is. Spinning on her heels, Ruby stormed through the hallway with a trail of petals in her wake. Out toward the main plaza. She'll take that way, it's the fastest.

Turning a corner, she felt the impression of a person as she barreled into, and over them. "I'm sorry!" Ruby shouted back as she stumbled to her feet. Maybe three steps later she looked back to make sure the person was ok. And found Blake staring back.

"Well that was rude," an unfamiliar voice muttered from behind the girl. Ruby saw a figure start to pick herself up, slowly and assuredly, before looking back at her. "A rushed sorry isn't a very good apology miss."

Ruby watched as a slender girl with pale white hair stepped out from behind Blake, frowning in her direction as she brushed at a flowing skirt. "I'm really sorry, I was looking for Blake since I... kind of forgot her." She walked back with her head hanging low. "Guess she didn't need me though."

"It's alright, just look where you're going before speeding down these corridors next time." The girl offered her hand, smiling slightly in a serene way. "Wouldn't want an aspiring pilot like you hurt, would we?"

"How did you know?" Ruby asked, taking the offered handshake.

"Blake said you were," the girl replied simply, "and we were headed to the same place. I offered to take her when she was wandering around the plaza."

Well, at least I was right. "Thank you," Ruby mumbled, still embarrassed at herself, "I guess we can get going then." She turned toward the way she'd come and began slowly walking back. Thankfully Blake and the thin girl followed without a sound. This day is already a bad one. And I haven't even sat through a lecture yet. Stepping lightly back toward the room, they entered and found several seats, Blake taking up the one behind Ruby. Yang and Weiss had already arrived, the two flanking a spot for Ruby. She was grateful the thin girl decided to sit in a corner with another person she didn't recognize.

"Hey sis, what took you so long?" Yang asked, trying not to smile at her glum countenance. "You like to take it easy coming here, but you usually aren't late."

"I screwed up, and I don't really want to talk about it." She watched Yang settle back with her grin just barely hidden now. A slight cough came from behind her, and Ruby turned to find Blake smiling slightly. "Not you too."

"Sorry Ruby, but it was kind of funny," the girl replied, giving her a warm smile. "At least I know where I'm going for next time."

A slight crackle announced the beginning of the class, and the inevitable boring lecture that would follow. Ruby settled into her seat, glancing at the perfect posture that Weiss always displayed. She was a mystery to both Yang and her, the Schnee heiress, here on a consolidated Cradle rather than with her father's. I guess we'll find out one day, maybe. It was a bit disheartening, the girl never joined in on their conversations or tried to talk to them. It was always curt, cordial, and condescending business with Weiss.

"Alright, pilots, please focus up here and give me your undivided attention," a voice from the monitor said. There wasn't any picture, and the voice wasn't one of the professors or any of the men that Ruby had dealt with. "This is team... RWBY? Good, you're all here from what I can tell. Let's get to it, if miss Fanchon would step to the front."

The thin girl from earlier got up, and Ruby saw that she walked with a bit more of a limp than most people. That's not right, she looks like she can barely stand for long. Stepping to the front of the tiny room, she faced the assembled women with a plain look on her face. They sat there for a moment, taking in the frail looking girl in her entirety. The most striking feature that Ruby hadn't noticed before were her eyes. Unlike the pale hair that fell around her shoulders, those eyes bore a rich, almost intoxicating blue. She stared blankly at the back of the room, but the intensity worried Ruby. It was almost inhuman.

"Very good, would the leader of team RWBY please chime in?"

Ruby jumped a little as she found everyone looking at her expectantly. Pushing in the button, she heard a click on through the monitor. "Uh, this is Ruby Rose. "

"Miss Rose, good. I hear you had a successful time down in Vale?" the voice queried with a bright tone. It made her feel sick again at the deception and at being used like that.

"Yes, Blake is here and the mine is in good working order," Ruby intoned, trying to skip all of the formalities.

"Excellent. Well, as you can see, miss Fanchon here is waiting on an assignment." There was a pause as some ruffled paper sounded in the background. "Anyways, we're still not sure on her aptitude... but given your teams record, it's safe to say you are the best candidates. So, from this day forward, Wynne Fanchon is assigned as provisional operator to team RWBY." There was a set of clicks before any more words came out. "That is all, dismissed."

Silence pervaded the room as Wynne began making her way back to the seat. Ruby's eyes followed the girl along with her team's. She made her way back to the chair and, with a slight shake, settled into it with a long sigh. The girl next to her looked mildly amused as she scanned her face. Wynne looked back with striking eyes, but no words were exchanged between the two. An awkward moment passed before anyone decided to start moving, and it was the other girl who decided to get up with a sneer.

Watching her walk out of the room, Yang turned back to Wynne with a bright smile, the kind she used on new people. "So, you're going to be our operator. That's cool I guess, but I think I want to know something more." She leaned over the back of her seat. "You look familiar, you wouldn't happen-"

"No, I wouldn't." The response was short and sharp. "But I am looking forward to working with you. You've done well for yourself miss Xiao Long. Even though I am to stay with Ruby for the majority of the time."

"M-me?" Ruby stuttered, trying to figure out the girl's demeanor. She was cold, yet warm to them in her own way. Like someone with something they wanted to avoid, trying to be sweet for all the other things. "Why me though?"

"You're new, even Blake has more experience in... affairs than you. I'm supposed to be your guide when it comes to these things, as well as your operator."

"Hey! Then what are we going to be doing?" Yang spit out. She was half out of her seat before settling back down, reining in that temper that Ruby had watched grow for so long. "I know there's a shortage, but we're not going to be going out blind. Not if I have any say in it."

"That is what Kasumi is for." Wynne glanced over at the door as she spoke, a slight frown peaking out. "She'll handle any other missions that come up."

There was something not right about the way she was speaking, but Ruby couldn't place it. "Are they expecting any more missions than usual?" It was quiet lately, the mine being only the second time this month Ruby had left.

"No, at least, not that they've told me," Wynne shakily replied. It was jarring, the cool tone giving way for a moment. But before anyone could ask, that smooth exterior returned. "Well, we were given the day to ourselves. I'll see you later." With that she got up from her seat, taking a small bag with her, and left.

"Well that was odd," Blake said, looking around at the assembled women, "I thought you said we were going to have some kind of class?"

"Normally, we would," Weiss put in, bringing both Ruby and Yang's attention to her. "This is not at all the usual affair. We're normally bombarded by a deluge of inane words from either Oobleck or Port."

"Yeah, I'm actually thankful that this happened," Ruby chimed in, trying to keep Weiss talking. It was so rare to get a glimpse into who she was, why she was here.

Unfortunately, the heiress decided to quiet down once more as Yang shifted around to face Ruby. "Hey, since we're all free, why don't we-"

"No thanks, I'll be off taking care of some maintenance." With that, Weiss got up and left the room. Silence followed in her wake as the assembled women felt the cold in her manner. Ruby looked over to Blake, and oddly, the girl had a slight smile on her lips.

"Well, what about you Ruby? Or do you want to mess with stuff on your hunk of metal?" There was a slight pleading in her voice, something behind the request.

"Sure, and don't call my NEXT a hunk of metal. It has a name." Ruby glared at the cheeky smile she received from her sister. Of course she knew that, she's always trying to bug me.

"Waning Petal, right?" Blake broke in, bringing the two girl's attention back to her. "It's nice, sad though."

"Yeah, it is. Hey! Blake, do you want to come with us?" Ruby heard a slight exhale from Yang, and she whipped around to glare at her. "She's more than welcome, right Yang? As part of our team?"

"Tch, fine. But I'm warning her. No funny business."

"Good," she declared, turning back to Blake, "so do you want to come with us? We know all the cool spots to hang out, and there's this nice noodle shop that made it up here."

"That sounds lovely. I haven't really had a chance to look around this place." She seemed to be thinking about something, but it was gone before Ruby could catch it. "But it's nice, all the stories they tell you on the surface, all the lies. I'm glad their wrong."

"Yay, well, let's go and... oh," Ruby broke off as she looked over at Wynne. The girl was smiling at them, a slight thing to match how frail she was. "Uh, would you like to join us as well? We'll take it slow and, if you want, we can-"

"I'm fine doing what ever you were going to do. Yes, I would love to join you, I need to find out more about my pilot." The girl got up, firmly grasping a bag that was resting on her desk. "Shall we go?"

Without waiting, Wynne left the room. Ruby found herself scrambling after her, trying not to get caught by her cloak as Yang and Blake calmly followed them out. Sheesh, do they have to be so cool about everything they do? Even so, the two were clearly not looking at each other as they walked. Ruby ignored them and rushed to catch up with Wynne, preferring to find out more about this strange girl who had been thrust upon them. The day drew long for them, a meager peace in a world that was perpetually at war.

"Well, I can take three of em. And a side of wantons!" Ruby bit back, hovering over her bowl of noodles with a protective glare. "What do you say to that?"

"I say you're gonna have a stomach ache if you try and eat that much food," Yang muttered, unenthused at the situation she'd stuck herself in. At least Ruby is having fun. And Blake's not that bad... for an ingrate that is. "How about we call it a draw and just eat?"

"Sure... you don't go down that easily normally though. I sense an evil plot afoot."

She sighed, trying to hide some of her exhaustion. "No, I'm just hungry and ready to relax on a rare day off. You'll find out why soon enough."

"Well, if you think you can do it, I'm sure you'll find a way," Blake put in, slowly sipping at the noodles she'd ordered. My treat, yeah, sure. Her sister's idea, to be proper and polite to a new friend. "But I do agree with Yang, that's the most likely outcome."

Oh, someone here has a decent idea of their limits? That wasn't fair, she was just being antsy over the day. And the person to her far left, next to Ruby. That was the major source of Yang's irritable mood and snippy tongue. For years Nexus had operated by a set book, they worked with the ex-Huntsman to train up pilots for their new toys. It was routine to have a refresher class, to know where they stood and why they stood there. So to break that routine like this, to throw someone who looked like they'd seen three lifetimes already at them. It was bizarre, to say the least. And Wynne Fanchon was more than bizarre.

"Excuse me, but might I ask. Why do you think it's a good idea to gorge yourself before the day's over?" Wynne queried, slowly sipping at the bowl sitting before her. There was quite a bit left compared to the others.

"Oh, it's alright. I'll just have to run it off if something comes up," Ruby playfully answered, smiling broadly at Wynne. "Besides, what are the chances they finished on both Waning Petal and... whatever Blake called hers the other day?"

"Falling Twilight, and thanks for asking."

Her sister twitched at the words, turning back to smile apologetically at Blake. "Yeah, we beat them up pretty good yesterday... anyways, we're not ready to go out yet."

She was right, Yang caught a glimpse of the damage Ruby had taken. A large section of the torso needed repair, and the cockpit was almost breached. That was most of the reason she'd flown off the handle yesterday, seeing her sister that close to danger. And reason continued to calmly state that Ruby was old enough to make her own decisions, that she chose this life. Just like herself. I chose to fight Grimm, and to protect a bunch of people who hate me. Not... that. NEXTs were new, they were only barely tested, and this was the first time they'd ever fought one another.

And that was with only construction equipment. If she had real weapons, Yang thought grimly, looking over at her smiling sister. "If something comes up, you'll be fine Rubes. I'll see if they can send me out as well."

"Aw, you do care," Ruby playfully chided, smiling broadly at her, "let's just keep relaxing right now, there's always tomorrow to worry about that stuff. Right?"

"We'll see what happens," Wynne answered, finishing up a large slurp of her noodles, "but for now, yes, relax. I would very much like to see you at your finest when next you set out."

There it was again, that cool tone that held a hint of something warmer beneath it. Like a thin layer of ice over still malleable ground back at Patch, it wasn't doing much to hide but it was there nonetheless. And the way she seemed so nonchalant about their work. Almost like she's... but that's not right. Someone as frail as her would never make it through the first minute in an old Normal, let alone the Cores we had. But Wynne seemed to be completely assured of herself with regards to the NEXTs, almost intimate in her opinions. It didn't make sense though, she shouldn't know even half of anything.

"Hey, Wynne, mind if I ask you something?" Yang ventured, trying to tread as delicately as she was able. The girl looked her way and nodded with a calm stare. "You seem to know a lot about our machines, but you don't seem to be the type of person to pilot Cores. So what gives?"

That facade remained in place, but there was a slight tremble. Almost a quiver. "I've, uh, been given a large amount of information regarding... um, your profiles said-"

"They don't say anything about what a NEXT can do. You've been making suggestions to Ruby now about specific things on hers, and I want to know how you think you know this stuff." Her fist rested on the table, the slim bracelets of Ember Celica digging slightly into her. Dad said to keep tradition alive, and I will.

"That's, well, it's really... uh, it's not something-"

"Yang, I don't think she's hiding anything," Ruby tried to interject, shifting between the blond and her pale haired target. "She probably just had a-"

The near silent ringing and tiny vibrations silenced everyone as Yang felt her heart skip a beat. No, not now. She reached into her pocket, pulling out the small device that was vibrating in a simple pattern. Three long, one short. Grimm, and it was urgent. Looking upward, she saw Ruby holding hers as well, the smile gone from her face and a return of that grim exterior Yang hated so much. Like mom had, when she was called away. They shared a look, the shared conviction of their post. Getting up to leave, Wynne silently followed while a bewildered Blake kept up as best she could. Another time.

One foot felt fine, but the other was still getting caught on something. It wouldn't do, a tight fit was key to maintaining control and a solid connection to the NEXT. Don't panic, this is going to be easy. They said Yang could come with, and you know who your operator is. Piece of cake. Still, Ruby could feel the toenail that was getting caught, continually irritating her already frazzled nerves. Waning Petal was patched as best they could, a plate welded onto the front to keep her safe. So why be nervous?

"Hey, Ruby, are you alright?" a soft voice asked from the other side of the door. Blake was waiting patiently for her. Waiting because Ruby didn't want to be alone with her thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm just... oh for crying out loud! This thing is giving me issues, I'll be out in a moment." Cheery, for them, so they didn't pry too deeply. So Yang didn't ask her if she was sure about becoming a pilot for the hundredth time. "Blake, do you think this mission will be alright? I've never done one this close to night."

"I can't really say Ruby, the Grimm don't really come around where I've lived. I only saw a few at the mine, and they were at both day and night."

"Oh, alright," she murmured, finally slipping her foot into place. Sliding the suit upward, the material gripped and conformed to her. It wasn't too long ago that Ruby was embarrassed by the snug fit, she wasn't her sister after all. Pulling it up, she grasped the zipper and tightened the bottom before threading her arms through. There, good enough. Shifting a bit, she opened the door and stepped out to Blake's patient expression.

"Good to go?" the raven haired girl asked, pushing off the wall she was leaning on. Ruby nodded and began walking out of the locker room. Blake followed and they walked while she finished tightening up her suit. "So are you worried?"

"Yeah, it's not a usual thing for us to go out this close to nightfall," Ruby mused, checking her wrists and touching the collar for a good seal. "You probably don't know, but nobody's figured out a good way to see at night. The Vacuan field messes with the cameras, and it's not easy to poke your head out of a NEXT. So night time is officially off limits."

"Really? What about Faunus? We have good eyesight at night, why don't they go out?" They walked out into the corridor, past several people slowly making their way out for the day.

"They tried, Velvet went out a few weeks ago and tried anything to see outside. Nothing worked, and they said it wasn't worth the risk." They stepped out into the main hall, finding it quiet and open for a change. "Even though we have operators, it still doesn't help us on the ground."

"So what is it usually like? Fighting the Grimm that is." Footsteps echoed outward from the pair, a calming sound to Ruby for its inane existence. "I can't imagine what it must be like, seeing those monsters now and watching them tear down Cores like they do."

"It's not that bad, actually. The NEXT is so much better than a Normal, it's like we're cheating." She laughed a little as they passed into the plaza, finding a few strays in the waning hours of the day. Soon they too would be gone, and the world would be silent for a time. "It should be... easy, I hope."

Passing through the plaza, they started down the corridor toward her destination. It's quiet enough now to hear the wind rushing by. There was a peaceful bliss in finding that droning noise again, almost enough to make Ruby forget that Blake was with her. The hall changed, colored once more in administrative colors as she closed in on the docks. Where is Yang? Shouldn't she be here by now? It was probably nothing, she'd taken a while getting changed. Yeah, no problems. Except for the nerves that hadn't quieted yet, or the thoughts of the past that always crept in.

"Alright, I guess this is it," Blake said as they came up to the walkway, peering out at the machines lined up before them. "Go ahead, I'll be here when you get back."

"Thanks, you take care too." Ruby gave her a big smile, trying to at least look the part of a pilot. Even if I don't feel like one most of the time.

Glancing at the far bay, her heart sank as she saw what she feared Yang would do. The bay was empty, Skyward Blaze's usual vibrant yellow frame no longer illuminating the area. No, no, Yang, why? What if they... Saying a hasty goodbye again, Ruby raced over to her own Core, slamming the panel to extend the gangway and impatiently sliding through the doorway. What if you... and what if I can't be there? Fumbling with her panel, she finally got the cabin door open and slipped into the control harness.

"Alright Ruby, let's go over-"

"There isn't any time, I need to go now!" Ruby spat back, flying through the start up procedure. As soon as enough lights turned green she reached over and slammed the red button down, silencing her cockpit. Blue particles whisked in front of her view, slowly forming the field. "Open the bay, I'm ready to go."

To her surprise, the doors under her slid open after a moment, and she felt her stomach jump as she dropped out of the Cradle. "This... this isn't standard procedure. What's the matter? I-I could get in a lot of trouble for this!" It was Wynne, the lilt in her voice uneasy as she tried to figure out Ruby's panic. "I need... no, I just acted on instinct. I'm sorry, but she seemed really worried. Yes, it all went smoothly, no, she didn't contaminate anything."

She's talking to the people in the control room. Well, it sounds like I didn't screw up too badly. "It's my fault, please don't get angry at her," Ruby said, trying to at least take some of the blame from the girl. She seemed nice enough, and it wasn't right to do that to her. But Ruby couldn't live with herself if something happened to Yang without her being there. Not like...

"Yes, yes we're still alright for the mission. Thank you. Alright... listen here, I don't want anymore-"

"Alright, no more trouble. I'll do everything by the book."

There was a moment of silence, then the speaker crackled on again. "Is everything alright then? You stormed out of here without even running the normal checks."

"It looks like everything is ok, ammo count is down since they haven't reloaded yet but..." she cut off as she noticed the problem. "Looks like I won't be able to take many hits, the plate they welded isn't letting the Vacuan field work properly. Guess we can't just jury rig these things."

"What do you mean," Wynne asked before pausing for a few moments, "oh, oh no. It's not stable at all, it's a miracle you're generating power at all." There was a snap of keys, and some muttering in the background. "You... you left because of your sister, right?"

"Yeah, I can't" Ruby paused, thinking out exactly what she wanted to say. I don't want to say it. "I don't want her to be alone, not when I can do something."

"Alright. Normally they'd tell you to come back, to forget about the mission. But I'm not going to tell them about this." Wynne sighed heavily, clearly trying to come to terms with what she was doing. "So come back safe, alright?"

"Yeah, sure." Ruby watched as the clouds fell away. Watching the long descent was calming in a way, and she almost forgot about the silence for a while. The sun was hanging on the horizon, a burning orange ball spreading light out on in one last attempt before it was snuffed out. And the night claimed its domain. Maybe an hour, two if we're lucky. Please, Yang, be alright.

This girl, why is she so impulsive, so reckless? Her sister is like that as well, but she has a cooler head about things. Maybe from a couple years as a pilot already? Wynne sat at her post, keeping her eyes peeled on a set of monitors, as well as a screen that gave a rough shot of the ground. There was a village in the shot, and several square miles of terrain. Several blips showed up from time to time, the approximate locations of Grimm and other moving objects. Yang is still getting to position, Ruby still has some time. Looking back at the monitor, she glanced over the status on Waning Petal.

"Wynne... is there something we can talk about?" Ruby asked over the speaker. They hadn't spoken for a few minutes, and Wynne was beginning to think she was a silent type. Well, I was silent more often than not.

"Sure, although I don't have much to say." She waited for a moment, trying to conjure up something to chat about with her pilot.

"That's alright. Um... so, I am curious, why do you know so much about these things?"

That wasn't something she was expecting, Ruby had given her an excuse when they were at the noodle shop. "That's complicated," Wynne replied coolly, trying to quash the subject.

"Is it? You sound like a pilot so much, but you don't look like one. And then the-"

"I said it was complicated, and I'd rather not say anything at the moment." That should be that, but I should be nice. She's young after all, and I'm being callous over this. "I'm sorry, but it is quite personal," she offered with a slight lilt, "however, what about you? You're very young to be in this profession, most people aren't given a NEXT or even a high grade Normal at your age."

"It's... I can't really explain it, but it seems like I'm being pushed along, like someone is making sure I'm always at the front of the class. Or that I'm always noticed for advancement." Ruby chuckled a little, a mirthless laugh that seemed to say more than her words. "I guess you could say I'm just lucky to be here."

For all of her charm, there was a frankness to this girl that took Wynne by surprise. "That's... not right. But I guess you wouldn't be in that machine if you couldn't handle yourself. Alright, thank you." Is she spoiled? No, that's not the word. She let her thoughts trail off as more work presented itself, trying to push down her own jealousy. It wasn't easy, but years of discipline paid off in the end.

Calm silence continued to consume her, a gnawing pain that her operator only minorly alleviated. She's not much of a talker. And I don't really know anything about her either to get her talking. A conundrum, one that would make Ruby's skin crawl if it weren't for the worry she felt for Yang. Gazing out from her screen, the sun was drooping now, a constant threat of it falling out of the sky. By her guess there was about two hours of daylight left, and then she would have to leave. Or try fighting in the dark.

"Alright Ruby, you're in the area. I have Yang's position, she's a few minutes north of here and-" The speaker cut off abruptly, forcing Ruby back out of herself and into the NEXT she was piloting. Descending the last hundred meters, there was still no word from Wynne. Anxiety grew within her, but she decided to listen to the last bits of info she had and began trundling north.

Yang, please, please be alright. Feeling the feedback from her legs, Waning Petal stepped assuredly across the field. Out in front of her lay a forest, one of the older ones that mankind had known. Grimm were always present, always just outside of sight and mind. And without notice they'd show up, destroy a fragile peace, and leave again without cause or motive. Now though, there was a way to hunt them, a way to keep the monsters at bay. Ruby wanted to be here and now, fighting for everyone. That was all she wanted.

"Can anyone hear me?" she called out, trying to get something from her speakers. As much as she wanted to rush in and find Yang, there was a method that should be followed. To keep her safe.

Crackles emanated from behind her, slowly forming into words. "Ruby? Ruby, it's Wynne. We had an outage, it's nothing to worry about. Have you found Yang yet? She should be to your east."

"Thanks, not yet." That's strange, there haven't been any outages the entire time Ruby had lived on the Cradles. Why now? "Is everything alright? Is... is Blake nearby?"

"It's fine, they said it was just a hiccup in the system. And Blake is standing outside the control room." The unspoken words stayed on the air a few moments longer. "Ruby, there's a handful of Grimm nearby as well."

Again the unspoken words stayed there, and Ruby flung herself into action. Feeling the force of boost rocketing her NEXT forward, she scanned the area, searching for anything that could point her to Yang. A fallen tree led to another, and she turned toward the direction they lay. Scars and divots, scorch marks and shell casings. Finally more static reached her, and Ruby looked out earnestly for the yellow god that held her sister. God? It's just a machine. Regardless, she carried on with her search, searching the darkening forest for any sign of her sister.

Dull thuds reached her first. Off to her right, the sound of cannon fire rang out into the evening air. "Careful, the Grimm are in this area," came the voice from above, a solemn guardian to her machinations.

"Yang? Answer me, please," she shouted into the void, hoping for any response.

"Ruby? What took so long, you're missing all the fun." Clicking sounds and shifting controls accompanied her words, followed by more dull thuds reaching into Ruby's cabin. "There've only been a few so far, I don't know why we were sent out at this rate."

"Yang, please, let's just link up and figure out where the rest ar-" The ground shook beneath her, rocking Ruby in her harness as she looked around. Off to the left a tree crashed to the ground, shrouded in a black fog. No, not a fog, the plates of white giving definition now to a the Grimm. There it is, why we're here. Standing even with her camera, it looked like an Ursa from the old days, only at its present size there was little resembling the bearlike Grimm. Massive arms shifted as it walked toward her, an easy gait of the alpha predator.

"There's a Grimm, here, Yang... I need," Ruby choked off as the beast sprang, moving with an unnatural speed that had caught so many unaware. Instinct flung her back, and machinery followed it with a blast of propellent to send her hurtling rearward. There wasn't time to consider everything around her, as Ruby raised her rifles to bear on the blackened abyss. It moved again, sliding towards her in a sickening and terrifying manner. She felt her hands tighten before shots reverberated and flashed before her eyes. They found their mark.

And the beast ignored them, carrying on without a sign of falter. Ruby took to the air, pushing downward in her harness to redirect thrust toward the ground. Rolling her thumb at the base, hidden tendrils felt the sniper cannon on her back shifting and extending into position over her shoulder. Her opponent had other ideas, slashing outward with monstrous claws and catching the legs of her machine with the tip. Blue flames shot up as they clipped the edge of metal, a reaction from the Vacuan field. Red shouted at Ruby on her screen, but she ignored it in favor of lining up a shot.

Watching the reticule slowly move into place was agonizing, the beast refusing to let her go as it jumped again and again at her floating frame. Heat build up, I need to drop soon, or sink. What about that? The leg seemed sound enough, but she wanted to ease up on it. Green flashed, and Ruby saw that it had a clean enough shot. Letting off the boosters, Waning Petal sank in the air, and she flicked the thumb switch. The jolt was enough to retain a sense of floating a moment longer, and the shell flew true into the shoulder of her Grimm target.

It trembled as the massive shell entered its body, Ruby pressing home now with a burst of rifle fire to get the tremendous thing on its knees. "Ruby, good wo- hang on... two more, direct west!" Wynne's timing was sound, as Ruby felt the calming flow of battle force her body to move. Looking to her left, she spied two more massive Grimm lumbering towards her. They held a small swarm of lesser Grimm with them, the chaff that didn't make it long usually. Swinging her arms around, she let off another volley while drifting back tot he ground, watching as heat bled out.

"Ruby, there's still movement from that first one!" Wynne shouted, but there wasn't time. Fire engulfed her, blue and harmless. But the claws that latched on weren't, lights blinking on and shouting at Ruby to pay attention. Too late, she was pulled around by the limping Ursa looking Grimm, and it slowly made its way to her. There was little she could do, the monster was on top of her almost as she lay on her back. I can't get away, Ruby thought as she stared at her blackened wall. It was big, almost bigger than the trees around here.

They adapted, for there were too few humans to cause natural death for them. At least, that's what we think. The Goliaths were first, growing ever larger until it was too hard for a single Core to take them down. Then too hard for two. More of these monsters appeared, and it seemed like mankind was once more at wits end. Her lessons hadn't really helped with fighting, just the usual history. Well, Ruby was at wits end now, trying to think of something, anything to escape and fight back. I can keep it back... but for how long? It was worth a shot, and she waited a moment longer, right until it was next to her.

Flinging backwards, fire and light played along the black hide, revealing scars and chitin from untold fighting. The Grimm recoiled, buying enough time for Ruby to lift herself upward and back away. Taking aim once more, she continued her retreat while letting loose with round after round into the wounded beast. Heaving, the first Grimm finally fell, and the other two stepped up and over the now limp form. Ruby spied over her screen, noting the amount of ammo she was using. So low, but it should be enough.

"Ruby, there's-"

Claws wrapped around her, shrouding her vision as a wave nausea enveloped her. I'm flying again, Ruby thought as the sky filled her screen before the cruel earth caught up with her. Sense returned a moment later, bringing her machine upright to stare at another Grimm. How many are there? This isn't normal for this time of day, and there's only a village nearby. The screen continued to scream, but there was a more pressing matter at hand. Strands of daylight were seeping through into the cabin. And heat was building up now.

"Yang, Wynne... somebody." Darkness drew closer to Ruby, hulking shapes casting shadows in the failing daylight. They crept closer, and the lights began flickering.

"That's enough!" Explosions rocked the ground nearby, tearing enormous chunks of earth free as the closest Grimm faltered. Screaming into view, the yellow blur slid to a stop in between Ruby and the monsters. Skyward Blaze stood like a monolith, a pair of missile pods hooked to the back of a Core bearing a pair of shotguns. Yang always did like to be up close and personal.

"Yang, don't, please," Ruby plead, trying to keep her sister from going into danger.

The crackle caught her ears, a smooth sound from the other NEXT. "Don't worry sis, this isn't going to take long." And she sprang, flying at the inky monsters with all the force of... well, Yang. It was beautiful to watch, even as a blue patch began taking up some of Ruby's camera. It's the plate, that's where it's getting held up. The yellow destroyer flew up into the air, weapons spitting fire in the dusk air and nimbly dodging far too fast claws. Unsettling speed was nothing new with these Grimm, but Ruby never liked to see it in any case.

As fast as the battle had started, it wound down as fast. Her sister made the machine dance, a blinding flame tearing across her vision. The closest Grimm fell, torn in half by brazen blasts up close. There was a crackle again, but the words didn't come out to Ruby. Even so, she managed to catch the flash of a weapon falling to the ground. In it's place, the shimmering blade of saber shot outward, slashing into the next Grimm with deadly precision. It too fell in a heap as Yang carved through black flesh. As fast as the battle had started, it ended.

Ruby saw her sister stand there, a silent guardian for her. And I couldn't do anything, if she wasn't here I wouldn't be. And if... and what if, her thoughts trailed off again as the NEXT turned back towards her, slowly closing the distance. Fading light revealed the hint of scars, damage the looked bad enough to force them back. But she stood there unwavering, a guardian to her, a pillar against the overwhelming dark.

"Ruby, are you alright? Is that..." Yang paused, and the machine began to kneel, "what's with this glowing spot?"

"It's the plate, it got bent or something and now there's something wrong with it," Ruby confessed, trying not to let her voice waver. She knew what was going to come next.

"Wait, was this happening before you came down?"

"Yeah."

"Why! Why come down then, you knew something could go wrong?" Yang was trying, and failing, to not shout. "This isn't safe Ruby, and you need to be at your best. I don't... hang on, I need to-"

"I came because I didn't want you to get hurt." Ruby couldn't keep it back anymore, the fear, the pain from ten years ago. "I didn't want you to end up like mom!"

Silence hung in the air, a curtain that shrouded the two girls in reality's cruel grasp. Out in the middle of a forest, two giants stood motionless as the wind began howling. Finally Yang moved her machine closer, moving a fist toward the plate on Waning Petal. Lightly pressing, a feat beyond Ruby and reshaping the metal slightly, the blue spot faded and her heat began dropping. Standing back up, there was a sadness in the motionless NEXT.

"Yeah... I miss her too. It's been so long, but I guess I understand how you feel." The speaker crackled a little, but Yang continued. "We keep going out into danger regardless, and I wouldn't want to live any other way. All I can ask is that you stay safe for me."

Ruby felt the moisture on her face, a few stray tears as she moved slowly upright. "Yeah, I will. Will you promise me the same?"

"Yeah, I'll try." She turned away, slowly regaining the life that her machine had held. "Come on, we've got one more thing to do. The village needs to be checked out, and Wynne says there are a few more Grimm in the area." Slowly walking, the yellow tower of metal began to fade into the little light that remained. Ruby wiped at her tears, steeling herself for the last part of the day. I couldn't do anything to keep her safe.