Ruby stares at the moon through a window, sitting on the staircase. Snow is drizzling outside as the night wind rattles the frail house. Ruby walks to the living room to check on Blake, (Y/n), Weiss, and Yang, who are sitting on the rug and staring at the fire from the fireplace. Maria reads a book while sitting on the sofa while Oscar is pacing back and forth. After checking on the others, she walks over toward Qrow. Qrow is sitting in a chair near the front door window, looking outside with his feet propped on the drawer.
Qrow: "Storm's cleared up for now. We should be able to leave by morning."
Ruby: "That's good."
Qrow: "No... I don't have a good feeling about this place, especially with me around..."
Ruby looks down at a wine bottle on the floor with Qrow's hand hovering near it, then looks at him.
Ruby: "Are you... okay?"
Qrow: (scoffs) "Sure. Tell everyone to get some sleep. I'll wake you guys up just before sunrise."
Ruby walks away as Qrow drinks from the wine bottle. Ruby pauses and looks back at him before narrowing her eyes downward.
Back in the other room, the fire continues to burn. The book Maria is reading has a "III" on the cover, with the other two volumes on a nearby table.
Oscar: "It's a diary?"
Maria: "The head of this household, Bartleby. Apparently, he and several other families founded this little settlement to try and live on their own. It sounds like it worked, at least for a spell."
Oscar: "Grimm?"
Maria: "Just one of many hardships. Slowed down their farming, made everything harder... It's a shame, really. He seemed like quite the ambitious fellow, always thinking of new schemes to overcome the odds."
(Y/n): "Sometimes bad things happen to good people, I guess."
Ruby: (walking back into the room) "Hey guys. Qrow said we should get some sleep. We're gonna head out early tomorrow."
Blake: "Thank goodness."
Everyone gets up to get ready to sleep. Maria hops off the couch.
Maria: "Hmph, the last thing you'll catch me doing is letting some kid tell me what to do. (in a mimicking voice) 'Go to bed!'"
She scoffs
Maria sits on an armchair, turns on the lamp next to it and continues reading from the book. Ruby shrugs and smiles before going to sleep herself as the fire continues to burn.
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(Y/n) lies on his back next to a sleeping Blake. Everyone else in the room, minus Maria, is fast asleep. So with a sigh, he stands up and stealthily makes his way toward the entrance hall.
The sound of creaking wood alerts Qrow to someone's presence.
Qrow: "What're you doing up?"
(Y/n): (shrug) "Can't sleep. Plus thought it'd be nice to spend some 'quality father son time.'"
He performs air quotes with his hands
Qrow: (smirking) "Hmph. Suit yourself."
(Y/n) sits on the drawer and leans his back against the door frame. After a minute of silence (Y/n) looks over to see Qrow take big gulps from a large wine bottle.
(Y/n): "You doin ok?"
Qrow: "Yep. Juuust fine."
(Y/n) frowns a little but doesn't say anything.
Qrow: "Oh yah, heard you and your little girlfriend had some fun."
Qrow chuckles to himself.
(Y/n) makes a gagging noise
(Y/n): "Please stop, I am not talking about it with you."
Qrow: "Fine, fine."
Qrow: "..."
(Y/n): "..."
Qrow: "So how was it?"
(Y/n): "Damnit dad!"
Qrow just chuckles some more before raising the bottle to the sky.
Qrow: "Well, cheers to you becoming a man."
Qrow takes another long drink from the bottle.
(Y/n): "Hey, take it easy. Slow down a bit would ya?"
Qrow removes the bottle from his lips and looks at his son then back at the bottle. Then back at his son.
Qrow: "Naaaah."
He takes another swig.
(Y/n): "... You sure you're ok?"
Qrow: (Sigh) "Have I ever been?"
(Y/n): "Well... no, but this is like an all time low bad."
Qrow: "I'm fine kid, don't worry so much."
(Y/n): "Just... don't drink yourself to death. I don't need that on my conscience."
Qrow: "Whatever..."
The awkward silence lasts for a minute or two. (Y/n) rubs the back of his head and gets up off the drawer.
(Y/n): (stretching) "Alright, I think I'll head to bed."
Qrow: "Yah, that's Probably for the best."
(Y/n) takes a few steps toward the living room before sighing and walking back over to Qrow.
Qrow raises an eyebrow.
(Y/n) awkwardly leans down to hug his father. Qrow's eyes widen at this. He's not sure how to react to it.
(Y/n): "I know shit's hard right now, and it feels like everything you've done in your life was all for nothing, but I want you to know that meeting you was the best luck of my entire life."
He lets his father go and stands, looking at him. Qrow's eyes soften a bit and he nods Solemnly.
(Y/n): "Maybe we can't save the world, but thanks to you, I at least have the chance to try. So you can talk to me about things you know. I know you probably don't wanna talk to a 'kid' about your problems, but I'm always here if you need."
Qrow: "Thanks..."
(Y/n): (shrug) "It's the least I can do, you gave me a second chance."
(Y/n) turns and walks back toward the living room leaving Qrow alone.
(Y/n): "Night dad."
Qrow: "Yah, night... son..."
Qrow raises the bottle to his lips once more, but he pauses, thinking about his son and two nieces. With a gruff sigh, he corks the bottle before setting it down on the floor.
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Timeskip brought to you by chibi (Y/n) and chibi Blake cuddling for warmth.
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(Y/n)'s eyes shoot open and he sits up with a start. He has one hand covering his damaged eye and the other on his chest. His breaths are short and ragged, and his forehead is covered in sweat. Safe to say he looks like shit. He ties his cloth around his head, stretches, and gets to his feet.
Ruby also sits up and slowly stands to her feet.
(Y/n): "Hey, morning."
Ruby: "Mornin... Where's uncle Qrow?"
(Y/n) points his thumb over to the front room.
Ruby hurriedly walks over to the window and pull open the blinds. The sun is up and it's bright out.
Weiss: (muttering) "Close the window!"
Ruby walks over to the entrance hall and sees Qrow sleeping with a half empty bottle on the floor. She shakes her uncle awake.
Ruby: "Uncle Qrow, come on, get up."
Qrow blinks awake before looking around confused. He looks out the window and his eyes widen a bit.
Qrow: "Oh, right. Sunrise."
(Y/n): "You sure you're feeling ok? This ain't like you."
Qrow: "Yah, yah; just uh... look it's not important."
(Y/n) and Ruby look at each other worriedly. Ruby's expression softens and she hugs her uncle.
Ruby: "You know, you can talk to me about stuff. Yang too."
Qrow: (hugging Ruby back) "Let's just get outta here."
Qrow gets up from the chair, with Ruby following him.
(Y/n): "Oh so she gets a hug back?"
Qrow just sticks his tongue out at his son as he walks away.
(Y/n) follows shortly after with a tick mark on his head.
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Outside, Weiss uses Mytenaster as a make shift welding rod to make an equally makeshift trailer hitch on bumblebee.
Weiss: "There."
Everyone's eyes are dilated and have bags under them. Everyone except Ruby and (Y/n), however (Y/n)'s eye looks more hollow.
Oscar, (Y/n), and Blake all sit on the porch, with Blake leaning on (Y/n) as she tries not to fall asleep.
Oscar: "Can we just go back to bed?"
(Y/n): "No..."
Blake: "If we're all so tired, maybe we should make breakfast?"
Oscar: "You wanna make it?"
Blake: "Not really."
The two then look at (Y/n).
(Y/n): "Don't look at me. I don't wanna do it either."
Ruby and Qrow push the flatbed trailer behind Bumblebee. Once it's in position, Ruby walks up to Yang.
Ruby: "You guys got the bike ready?"
Yang just gestures to it.
Qrow: "Well, it's done now. So let's hook this thing up and-"
Qrow rests his foot on the side of the trailer, and the tire on the opposite side goes flat. He groans in frustration before checking on the tire.
(Y/n): "Nice..."
Maria: "You people are just beacons for bad luck, aren't you?"
Frustrated, Qrow just walks over to a nearby fence post and sits on the ground. Yang also sits on the ground by the well.
Yang: "I'm starting to think the universe just doesn't want us getting to Atlas."
Ruby: (sighs) "It's just a flat tire, I'm sure there's a spare."
Yang: "It's not just that, it's everything. Storms, crashes, monsters..."
She lets out a weary sigh
Yang: "I'm so tired..."
Blake: "Me too. It feels like we're always having to fight to get by."
Ruby: "Yeah. But that's what we signed up for."
Oscar: "We signed up to try and save the world, not just... delay the inevitable."
Weiss: "Last night, I..."
She pauses, putting a hand on her arm, trying to find the right words.
Weiss: "I couldn't stop thinking - why are we even going to Atlas?"
Everyone shares troubled looks.
(Y/n) remains silent and just observes for the moment.
Ruby: "Weiss, we have to."
Yang: "Why?"
She stands back up.
Yang: "Ozpin hid the Relics behind giant doors under enormous schools, but... how long would it take Salem to find a Lamp in the middle of nowhere?"
Ruby: "What? The Grimm might-"
Yang: "They'd find it eventually, sure, but bury it or just throw it down the well, it would take years. It might not even happen in our lifetime. But we could be done with it now."
(Y/n) reaches up to touch the red cloth on his head.
(Y/n): "I'm... against it."
Yang's eyes narrow at him.
Yang: "Why? You were there, you know we can't win."
(Y/n) raises his hands placatingly.
(Y/n): "I'm just giving my opinion, it seems like a waste if we just give up now. Like all the sacrifice was for nothing. But—"
He turns to Ruby.
(Y/n): "—it's your call Rubes. Whatever you decide to do I'll follow."
Ruby detaches the Relic of Knowledge from her belt, glancing at it before looking up at her teammates, who appear to all have dazed looks as if they were in a trance. Ruby stares at the Relic one more time before walking over to the well.
Ruby: "I am... really... tired..."
Ruby's eyes also turn dilated. Having the same dazed look as the others.
She raises her hand above the well holding the relic. (Y/n) just closes his eye and sighs and takes Blake's hand in his own. Squeezing it gently. She squeezes back trying to show support.
(Y/n): At least I'll get to spend the end with her...
Ruby: "Gah!"
Ruby drops the relic down the well in fright.
The silence is broken causing everyone to look at Ruby.
Ruby: "No! No! No! I didn't mean to!"
Her teammates continue to stare at her with dazed looks.
Weiss: "Ruby, it's okay."
Ruby: "No! No, there's something down there! I saw it, it was looking at me!"
She worriedly looks back down the well.
(Y/n) let's go of Blake's hand and walks over to take a peak down the well.
Yang: (putting a hand on her sister's shoulder) "Hey, it's okay. You just said you're tired. It's probably nothing. Now let's go."
Ruby: (swatting Yang's hand off) "What's wrong with you?! We can't just leave, we have to go down there! We have to get the Lamp back! Oh, what was I thinking?!"
Ruby smacks a hand to her forehead as she admonishes herself about her momentary lapse in judgement.
Qrow: "All we have to do is fix this trailer. Hey, farm boy, check the shed for a spare."
Ruby: "I'm not leaving without the Lamp!!"
The team continues to stare at their leader with glazed and tired eyes.
Blake: (Sigh) "I'll go down with you..."
Weiss: "We'll go down together."
Qrow: "Fine!"
Qrow stands up and begins to stomp off.
Qrow: "Get the stupid Lamp. Oscar, fix the stupid tire."
Stomping past Maria she looks at him rather disapprovingly.
Maria: "Where are you going?"
Qrow: "Where do you think?"
He raises his flask and continues on his way.
Maria shaker her head and looks down.
Maria: "Stupid..."
Blake: "Guys? Where's (Y/n)?"
Everyone looks around a little confused.
Ruby looks at the well. Everyone else soon follows her gaze making a realization.
Yang: "He didn't..."
Weiss: "He so did..."
Team RWBY all collectively groan in annoyance.
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(Y/n) hopped down the well just wanting to grab the relic and get the hell outta this place. If everyone else was gonna waste time arguing he'd start the search in the meantime.
Looking around for the lamp he didn't see it anywhere in the surrounding area. However, he noticed a steadily flowing current of water. Maybe it got swept down further? He shook his head and slapped both his cheeks to try and get rid of the sleepiness he was feeling.
Before he could follow the stream, several splashes were heard behind him as the rest of his team landed in the waterway. He turned around to be met by the sight of Blake approaching.
(Y/n): "It doesn't seem to be around here, it might have been sw-"
He doesn't finish as he's smacked in the face by Blake.
Blake: "Will you stop doing that!"
It didn't sound like a request.
(Y/n): "Ok ok I'm sorry! Can we just find this thing?"
The team draw their weapons and search the area cautiously. They search around for a while but have no luck.
Ruby: "Oh, come on, where is it?"
(Y/n): "Like I was saying before I was interrupted."
He deadpans at Blake who just sticks her tongue out at him lazily.
(Y/n): "The current seems strong enough to carry it further down. Also the thing glows. It might be easier to see in the dark."
Blake: "Turn off your lights and just look for the glow?"
(Y/n): "That's what I was doing yah."
Ruby: (nervously) "Okay..."
Ruby and Yang turn their lights off before they continue ahead.
After a bit of walking the group come across a separate cave.
Blake: "Their."
Blake points to a faint blue glow up ahead in the distance, nestled between a few rocks inside the entrance of a tunnel. Ruby and (Y/n) walk toward the glow to check if it's the relic. Bingo, there's the relic.
(Y/n): (stepping forward to grab it) "Cool we found it, now let's—"
He glances upward and instinct kicks in.
(Y/n): "RUN!!!!"
Swiftly, he tosses the relic back toward Ruby and draws Kioku in a horizontal slash while pulling the trigger. The sword lets off a fiery arc of dust energy, revealing several humanoid Grimm all bunched together just infront of (Y/n).
A startled Ruby catches the relic as well as a glimpse of the monsters. (Y/n) parries a counter attack from one of the beasts arms before jumping back next to Ruby. The two immediately turn around and book it out of the tunnel entrance.
Yang, Weiss, and Blake snap out of their trance at the sound of (Y/n)'s panicked shout and begin to make their way toward the sound. Seeing Ruby and (Y/n) sprinting out, the rest of the team approach them.
Yang: "What is it?"
The rest of the team notice the skeletal Grimm slowly trudging out of the tunnel.
(Y/n): "Whatever the hell that shit is!"
Ruby takes out Crescent Rose and fires multiple rounds at them. One of the Grimm lets out an ear-piercing scream that shakes the cave, causing Team RWBY to struggle to stand.
Yang: "What is this...?"
Blake: "My weapon... feels heavy..."
Maria: "Run!"
From behind, Team RWBY notice Maria appear.
Maria: "Now!"
Maria turns around and runs. Team RWBY watch the Grimm start to move toward them.
Ruby: "Go, go!"
Team RWBY turn around and run, catching up with Maria. They see daylight coming from the well, but before they could reach it, more of the Grimm appear and block their path. Another ear-piercing scream is heard, affecting the group. Ruby notices a different tunnel entrance next to her.
Ruby: "This way!"
They follow and head down the path without knowing where it lead. They continue to run as they avoid more and more of the skeletal Grimm, running further and further through the winding and complex underground tunnels. After several terrifying minutes of running, they find themselves in an underground cave opening. Unfortunately there's already a large group of the skeletal Grimm on one end. Left with no choice they attempt to run to the opposite end, hoping to find some way out of this mess.
The Grimm let out another ear piercing screech causing everyone to fall mid run.
Yang: "I can't... do this... I can't..."
(Y/n) slowly struggles to stand using Kioku to support his weight.
(Y/n): (through grit teeth) "Yes... we can!"
He falters slightly but doesn't fall.
Maria gets back up, using her cane to support herself before collapsing again. On her fall, she feels a set of stairs in front of her.
Maria: "An exit. An exit!"
Ruby looks up and notices the stairs leading up to the cellar door. Ruby crawls forward to Weiss trying to help her.
Ruby: "Come on!"
Ruby then hears a weapon drop behind her and notices Blake collapse to the ground, while the Grimm continue to inch toward her.
Ruby: "Blake... get... up!"
Blake: (pupils dilated) "It's fine..."
Blake starts to get her dazed look from before. More Grimm emerge from the entrance Team RWBY and Maria came from, slowly encroaching on her.
(Y/n): "GET AWAY FROM HER!!!"
(Y/n) summons a Kunai and throws it with a shout of effort. Every muscle in his body felt like they were made of lead. Focusing in on it he disappears and reappears infront of Blake. Using his last bit of strength, he manages to grab Blake and throw her back with a toward the rest of the team just as he collapses. Blake's trance like state disappears from the shock of hitting the ground, just in time to watch (Y/n) fall down to his face in front of the Grimm.
Blake: "(Y/n)!"
He tries to reach with his arm to crawl away but his visible eye glazes over as all of his energy seems to be being seeped away by the beasts. His usually bright Orange eye locks onto Blake's fearful yellow. The light seems to be fading from it, turning a pale color like the damaged one.
Ruby reaches out in desperation as the Grimm slowly reach their arms out to grab at (Y/n)'s legs.
Ruby: "(Y/N)!!!"
Ruby's eyes start to glow brightly, causing the Grimm to back away in pain. Whatever took over everyone vanishes for the time being as their energy returns to them. (Y/n)'s eye snaps back to normal as he realizes the position he's in. He whips around and lashes out with his sword at the retreating beats before scrambling to his knees.
Blake runs over and puts (Y/n)'s arm around her shoulders to help him up while Weiss, Yang, and Maria also get back on their feet.
Blake: "I got him!"
Maria: "What just happened?"
Everyone groups up by the base of the steps. Weiss runs up the stairs and tries to get the doors open, but they don't budge.
Weiss: "They're locked!"
Yang: "Out of my way!"
Yang runs up the stairs, but the Grimm recover from their incapacitation, and another scream is let out. Team RWBY and Maria collapse once again.
Yang: (reaching for the cellar door) "No... No...!"
As the Grimm inch closer, Maria crawls toward Ruby
Maria: "Ruby... what color are your eyes?"
Ruby: "They're... silver..."
Maria lets out a gasp of excitement.
Maria: "You have a family? Friends?"
Ruby: "What?"
Ruby looks up to see the Grimm getting closer, but Maria lays her head down and covers her ears. From Ruby's perspective, Maria's next words sound slightly muffled.
Maria: "Don't think about them. Think about the people who love you. Focus on the thought of them, the way they make you feel. Focus!"
Taking Maria's advice, Ruby closes her eyes and concentrates. While Maria speaks, Weiss tries to budge the doors open, and Yang reaches out in desperation before falling under a trance, her eyes even more blank than before. (Y/n) and Blake desperately try to crawl up the stairs.
Maria: "Life... is beautiful. It is precious. And it must... be protected."
After focusing, Ruby opens her eyes, the silver gleaming. She sits up and her eyes glow brightly once more, driving the Grimm back and disintegrating them all. Maria and Ruby stare in awe while Weiss, Blake, (Y/n), and Yang recover. Yang crawls up the stairs and punches the doors open with her prosthetic arm while firing from its gun. Team RWBY and Maria run out and find themselves in the basement that Ruby and Weiss discovered the day before.
Blake: "We're back in the house?"
Team RWBY then look at the bar and see Qrow leaning on the counter, passed out.
Ruby: (runs over and shakes her uncle) "Uncle Qrow, get up!"
Qrow: (slurring his words) "Hey! Get off me! What are you doing here?"
Maria: "We're leaving, you idiot! Come on!"
Maria runs out of the room, with Blake and Yang following her. Weiss looks back towards the basement entrance.
Weiss: "Not yet..."
(Y/n) steps up next to the white haired girl.
(Y/n): "You thinking Solar Flare?"
The pair smirk at each other. They never got to use any of their old combo attacks in school, why not say fuck it and use one now.
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Back outside Oscar continues to fill up the spare tire with air. The sound of the machine almost drowning out the shouts of his name.
Yang: "Oscar! Oscar!"
Maria: "Oscar!"
Oscar looks behind him to see Yang, Blake and Maria run out of the house.
Yang: "Oscar! We have to go, now!"
Oscar looks at them bewildered but doesn't argue.
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Inside, Weiss grabs a few of the alcoholic bottles from the shelves and throws them towards the basement, shattering them.
Qrow: (still slurring his words) "Hey... Hey! What are you doing?!"
(Y/n) loads a new dust cartridge into his weapon.
(Y/n): "Saving your Kidneys."
As more of the Grimm slowly start to come out from the basement, Weiss uses Myrtenaster and a glyph to send fire toward the cellar doors while (Y/n) draws his sword sending a powerful blast of wind into the fire. The mixture of the wind, fire, and alcohol, was more explosive than expected. Forcing (Y/n) and Weiss to cover their faces and turn away as the Grimm burned and screeched in pain. 'Solar Flare' was a fitting name to say the least. The two teens watch in amazement as the fire rages, rending dark flesh from the Grimm's pale bone. They clink their blades together in satisfaction.
Weiss: "Now we can leave!"
(Y/n) sheathes his blade, then roughly grabs his father before heaving him onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, while Ruby and Weiss book it for the door.
Qrow: "Stop it! Stop! What's wrong with you?! What's..."
(Y/n): "Not right now! We run now!"
As Qrow looks up, he sees the Grimm on fire still walking towards them slowly. Qrow looks on in shock as he is dragged out of the house by his son.
Qrow: "Oh..."
They regroup with the others outside. Ruby and Weiss hop onto the flatbed with (Y/n) following close behind with Qrow on his shoulder. Once they reach the flatbed he unceremoniously drops the drunk next to Ruby and hops in.
(Y/n): "DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE!"
Yang wastes no time hitting the throttle and getting them as far away from the burning house as possible.
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Yang continues driving Bumblebee down the snowy road with everyone sitting in the trailer being pulled behind her.
Maria: "The Apathy. They're not strong or ferocious. They drain your will to go on. Bartleby's estate was hemorrhaging money towards the end. He wanted to cut costs on Huntsman protection, but in order to do that, he needed everyone calm... always."
Oscar: (reading from the book) "Managed to get two away from their pack. Hike back was miserable, but got the bastards in the cellar. Wife thinks I was out sealing the waterway entrance. I'll do it tomorrow and tell her the truth once these things take the edge off of everyone. I'm tired."
Maria: "The next page proves that he did, but not before the rest of the pack followed their missing pair all the way home. My guess is they made their way beneath the estate through the water tunnels that Bartleby sealed up the next morning. Bartleby's plan worked."
She takes the book from Oscar
Maria: "No one was angry or sad or scared. No one was anything. And then... no one was left."
(Y/n): "Jeez..."
Maria takes one more look at the final page of the diary, the last words written down being "I'm tired". She then closes the book and tosses it out into the snow, the cover having "VIII" on it, while the group continues to drive down the road.
Weiss: "I'm... sorry for what I said... about giving up."
Upon hearing this, Yang stops driving.
Yang: "Me too. We can't quit until the lamp is safe."
Blake: "It's not your fault. It was those... things."
Maria: "I should have known. The signs were all there, but I'd never seen an entire settlement withered away like that. I suppose my mind just isn't what it used to be."
Ruby: "Miss Calavera? How do you know so much about the Grimm? And in the tunnels, you knew exactly what to say to make me... to make my eyes do that. How?"
Maria: (smiles) "Well, isn't it obvious, girl? I had Silver Eyes."
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A/n: Bum bum bum! And with that another chapter comes to a close. I know I've been gone for a while so I really do appreciate those of you still reading this as it comes out, especially with other stories out there that are more frequently uploaded and frankly much better written. Anyway that's all for now. I hope you enjoyed, and as always have a good one! Cheers!