It was different… a far cry from anything she had visualized, a grisly reality etched in stark contrast compared to the idealism of her dreams.
She found herself sitting under the hollow trunk of a twisted tree, its branches arching over like skeletal hands, meeting in the middle as if conspiring against the moonlight. The forest was dense — almost suffocatingly so — with a silence that was grimmer than even the Grimm themselves. She clutched her red cloak tighter; its vibrant color now splattered with the harsh reality of her profession — the unforgettable metallic tang of blood, the omnipresent grime, and the relentless onslaught of despair.
Her heart pounded — an unchecked siren in the otherwise hushed surroundings. Everything had been abound with laughter and life just a few moments ago… and yet, the transition was as sudden as the setting sun. The bustling village, the innocent children partaking in their sweet trivialities; a community thriving with vitality had been reduced to a lifeless tableau of charred wreckage and fallen martyrs — their smiles had morphed into haunting vestiges, their presence effaced, save for the lingering scent of smoke and the landscape of crushed dreams.
It did not take long for s flicker of movement to caught her eye; a blonde-haired girl was shivering like autumn leaves in the howling wind, eyes widened in a petrifying depiction of undiluted terror. The boy adjacent to her — in a desperate bid to fend off his impending tears — masked his debilitating fear with a facade wracked with pretense. Colossal as the change was, these two children stood as the austere survivors, the somber reminder of the life once brimming in the village. They were living testaments — a chilling illustration of the devastation exacted by the merciless Grimm.
A sharp sting radiated from her side, pulling her back from her fleeting thoughts; the Huntress cast her eyes down to the brutal sight — a piece of her clothing, ripped, and soaked in an expanding pool of dark red — her own lifeblood seeping away into the unforgiving earth. Despite her young age, she knew that death and injuries were simply an unspoken entry in the job description of a Huntress, and yet even so, the pain she had experienced today goes far beyond the tangible — it was the brutal wound of failure, cutting deeper into her psyche than any monstrous Grimm claw could ever reach.
It took everything she had just to stand up, each laborious step a grim dance woven into the prevalent symphony of torment, her physical pain strumming in a cruel harmony with the overwhelming dread that saturated the air with its chilling refrain. The muddy terrain underneath her combat boots squelched in agreement — they were imprints of their struggle, emblems of their precarious flight that was etched deep into the earthly canvas. She leaned against the tree for support, it’s bark scraping her skin almost maliciously, as if seeking to remind her of the harsh situation she existed in.
Gritting her teeth against the dull throb of her wounds, she managed to lift Crescent Rose from her side; the attempt to detach the magazine was less of a lithe ballet honed to perfection from her countless drills, and more of a battle against her draining strength and overwhelming discomfort. The soft clinking of bullets against the worn metal echoed in the enveloping silence — each a symbol of their dwindling hope, like the stars dulled by the dense canopy overhead. Her ammunition was running low, just like her rapidly diminishing stamina; the blade of her scythe had long since broken, and all she had now was just a handful of bullets to stand against an army of darkness.
Realizing her own plight, she couldn’t help but to let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding — an erratic, shaky exhale that somehow lost itself in the stale air. She locked her gaze onto the tainted innocence lingering in the eyes of the two children, watching a spark that had yet to be fully extinguished… and it was that spark — the all too familiar light that reminded Ruby of why she fought.
She… is a Huntress.
The reality was frightening, harsh, and cruel; it was a stark contrast compared to the rosy dreams she had nurtured, yet even amidst the darkness, she knew that she would always fight — to protect that spark, and to keep the light alive even if only for a moment longer. True, her childhood perceptions of being a Huntress were nothing more than an illusion, and there is no denying that the truth was bitterly different. Still, this… difference, this callous taste of reality was her calling — her purpose woven from threads of hope and resilience, guiding her path amidst the wavering shadows.
Her gloved hand shivered as she reattached the magazine — a somber symphony that crescendoed with a metallic click around the silence of the forest; a harsh reminder of their desperation. She tucked Crescent Rose back, the feeling of the cold metal against her skin served as a minor comfort against the enveloping darkness. The Huntress wouldn’t — couldn’t — give in to the uncertainty. Her defiance was her last line of defense; the last remnant of her determination that refused to bow down to the monstrous hell that her team had unwittingly unleashed.
With a nod to herself, she painstakingly straightened up and picked her way through the underbrush; each step sending a fresh wave of pain coursing through her body. Ruby approached the two small figures huddled together, her heart squeezing at the sight — two children, bound by inexplicable terror and grief. Kneeling before the two, she tried to give them a genuine smile — a weak beacon amidst the cruel darkness; the edges of her lips turned upward in a subtle attempt at reassurance, her gloved hand gently disentangling knots formed in the girl’s blonde hair.
“We need to move, kids…” She said, her voice coming out steadier than what she actually felt; her silver eyes, the same ones that bore the weight of loss and despair, now looked into the children’s own with a promise. “I know it’s scary,” the Huntress admitted while giving their small hands a comforting squeeze — her touch a shield from the ominous terror lurking around. “But you need to be brave for just a little longer, okay? I promise…” The weight of the impending oath felt heavy on her shoulders, and yet, she knew she had to make it, to bind her words into a cruel and empty promise that would allow the children to hope. “I swear that I’ll protect you both with all my strength… don’t worry, we will find safety together, and I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. No matter what happens, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
The children nodded, their eyes reflecting both fear and trust. Ruby couldn't let them down. She stood up, bracing herself against the pain, and took the girl’s hand in one hand and the boy’s hand in the other. With determination etched on her face, she led them deeper into the forest, away from the darkness that had engulfed their village.
.
.
.
If only things were that simple…
In the end, all fairy tales end… and more often that not, they end not with the happily ever after that the people believed in, but with a bittersweet acceptance of a reality far crueler than anything they could’ve ever imagined…
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Proofreading and Editing by –
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Author’s Note: Just a short chapter about something that suddenly popped up in my mind. Well, I think you can all guess how this story will end up based on the title. Eh, anyway, update on Star’s Salvation is almost done, sitting at around 17k now… sorry it took so long, by the way. Please don’t bash me; my gentle heart won’t be able to take the abuse~
Disclaimer: Honkai Impact 3rd belongs to miHoYo; RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth.
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Remnant of Void & Flame (Honkai Impact 3rd/RWBY)
AdventureShe had made a contract, one that binds her across time and space to a power beyond her comprehension. Now, she must face the consequences of her actions, and in time, perhaps she might just be able to find the happiness that she seeks.
