A/n: Just for clarification, most characters that were younger are aged up, for example Ruby is 18 and Yang is 19. With that out the way, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Narrator Pov
It was a quiet night for Vale, the only sound being the gentle rustling of wind in the trees, a few people were still out, either shopping or just hanging out together. Ruby Rose walked down the street with her red hooded cloak, having the hood cover her head as her headphones playing some music as she looks around Vale, taking in the sights before looking down at a sheet of paper she held, it was a shopping list and she was just about done with one item remaining.
Ruby: "Yang is gonna enjoy this, Tatsu did say he can make it quickly as well. But why did it have to be late night shopping."
She sighs before seeing a dust shop just ahead of her, a smile graced her lips as she ran towards it, surprised a dust shop was still open this late, the name of the shop made more sense to her now, From Dust Till Dawn, she browsed the magazines in the back and picked up the latest edtion of Weapons Magizine.
The shop clerk was putting most of his items away, unaware of the groups of thugs walking toward his shop, the group being led by the infamous Roman Torchwick, they walk in and approach the clerk who was on edge by the group. Roman walked stepped forward, tapping his cigar to shake the ash of it before calmly talking to the clerk.
Roman: "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a dust shop open this late?"
One of his men points a gun to the clerk who raised his arms, he trembled on the spot and wanted to avoid any issues with the thugs.
Clerk: "Please, just take my lien and go."
Roman: "Calm down, we're not here for you money. Grab the dust."
His men spread out, picking up canisters and approaching the dust pipes before collecting the dust from within them. One puts a case in front of the clerk, opening it as Roman spoke again.
Roman: "Crystals. Burn, uncut."
The clerk didn't argue, grabbing the crystals he demanded and dropping them in the case. The rest spread out around the shop, gathering more dust until one of them walks to the back and sees Ruby still reading the magazine with her back to him. He draws his weapon and points it at her.
Thug 1: "Alright kid, put your hands where I can see them."
He was confused with her lack of response and continued.
Thug 1: "Hey, I said hands in the air! You got a death wish or something kid?"
He taps her shoulder which finally got her attention, she pulls her hood down as she turns to look at him, her headphones now in clear sight as they kept playing music.
Ruby: "Huh?"
He points at his ear, signaling for her to remove which she does but looks at both confused and curious.
Ruby: "Yes?"
Thug 1: "I said, put your hands in the air, now!"
Ruby: "Are you... robbing me?"
She looked at the thug a bit confused but didn't seem to be bothered by the robbery taking place, in her head she was debating how quick she could take him out.
Thug 1: "Yes!"
He shouted a bit louder, his frustration clear from the continued ignorance he was getting.
Ruby: "Oh."
She had a sly smirk on her face, the thug was quickly kicked away, past Roman who looked at him with a raised brow. Another thug came to see what happened and looked at Roman who gestured with his head, telling him to deal with it. He stood in front of Ruby and drew his gun, aiming at her.
Thug 2: "Freeze!"
He was dealt with swiftly, kicked through the window and onto the street as Ruby followed, using the man to take the impact. Roman and the remaining thugs peaked out the now shattered window, Ruby stood up with her weapon now resting on her shoulder as it transformed into a scythe, she looks at them with a sly smirk before spinning her weapon around with precisions and skill, slamming the blade into the ground, she paused her music and waited.
Roman: "Okayyy... get her!"
His hired help quickly run out to deal with the new situation, Ruby grabbed her weapons handle tightly, dodging the first thugs attack and spinning on the spot like a gymnast and delivering a roundhouse kick to the man, sending him flying back into the store. She yanked her scythe out the ground and held it behind her as two thugs rushed her from behind, she noticed and adjusted her weapon swiftly before pulling the trigger, using the shot to spin rapidly on the spot, the momentum hitting one into the air before she swung her weapon at the other, using the hook to snag him by the foot and drag him around before she slammed him into the ground.
Shots rang out and she swiftly dodged them in burst of rose petals, firing her weapon to create a dust explosion which threw one of the thugs into the air, she swung her weapon and hooked his feet, slamming him into the ground with a loud thud, the last thug aimed his gun at her and she quickly shot her weapon, building up momentum while evading his shots before coming at him swiftly, kicking him into the air and stabbing her scythe into the ground to reverse her momentum and go in the air, kicking his jaw with her boot and using the blunt end of her scythe to knock him back down, his body landing beside a disappointed Roman.
Roman: "You were worth every cent, truly you were."
Ruby: "You were the that hired them."
Roman scowled at Ruby, dropping his cigar and crushing the end with his cane. His one visible eye glaring daggers at her.
Roman: "Well Red, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening, and as much as I'd love to stick around..."
He lifted his cane up, the bottom pointing at her, an audible click is heard as a scope pops out at the end.
Roman: "...I'm afraid this is where we part ways."
Ruby acted by instinct and aimed her gun to the ground, sending herself into the air and leaping over the fire dust explosion. She landed back down and saw no sight of Roman, she glanced in all possible directions and saw no sight of him on the ground, looking up however, she saw him climbing a nearby ladder to the top of the building. She looked at the clerk who stumbled to the door, his old age not able to handle this stress.
Ruby: "Is it okay if I go after him?"
He gives a simple nod which was all she needed to take chase, she quickly pulled her scroll out and dialed the first person for help, it rang for a second before the call was answered with a soft sigh.
Tatsu: "What's happened?"
He asked straight away, knowing Ruby wouldn't call unless something important happened.
Ruby: "Roman Torchwick attacked a dust shop I was in, he's getting away right now."
Tatsu: "On my way, don't get hurt too badly, mom will be pissed."
She chuckled a bit before ending the call, shooting her weapon down again and propelling herself to the top of the building as Roman reached it.
Ruby: "Hey!"
Roman: "Persistent, aren't ya Red?"
He didn't turn to her but had a smirk as loud engine hummed in the air until a Bullhead rose up, shining a bright light and blinding Ruby for a moment, Roman climbed onto the Bullhead as the door opened, looking back at Ruby who recovered from the blinding light and glared at him.
Roman: "End of the line, Red!"
He held a red dust crystal up, tossing it down to her and aiming his cane at the crystal. She acted quickly though and spun her scythe and hitting the crystal to the side of the Bullhead, the impact making it explode and shaking the Bullhead, Roman nearly falling out as a result.
She aimed her weapon and took fire, her dust bullets causing the airborne vehicle to shake more until Roman had enough, taking out a few more dust crystals and hurling them at her, she tried to aim at them but was reloading her next shot.
Roman: "Not this time Red!"
He aimed his cane again and managed to hit one of the crystals and making it explode causing a chain reaction, the resulting explosion was enough to send Ruby into the air, she quickly aimed her weapon and used the momentum to propel herself toward the Bullhead, dead set on not letting him escape. She managed to grab the edge of the Bullhead and dug her scythe into the metal for more support, but her hand was pressed down on by Roman's cane.
Roman: "I'll admit Red, you truly are persistent. But this is the end of the line."
He lifted his cane and brought it down with more force, getting Ruby to let go and fall, her weapon stuck in the Bullhead, Roman smirked as Ruby fell, but screeching of a bike coming to a halt stopped the silence before it was followed up with another sound.
???: "YEEHAW!"
A metal chain coated in flames flew up and grabbed the Bullhead like a lasso, yanking it back with a surprising amount of force, Ruby planted her foot on the chain and jumped off, using the momentum to land back on the rooftop before looking at her aid with a bright smile.
Ruby: "Thanks, Tatsu!"
The boy, now identified as Tatsu, smirked and looked at her, one would expect a normal boy to be holding the chain. But instead, it was skeleton wearing a biker's getup, his bones on fire, but what stood out were the two horns jutting from his skull, his hollow eyes look at his as he chuckles a bit, his laugh having a deep and demonic tone to it.
Tatsu: "No problem, Ruby. I think this is yours."
He shakes the chain with enough force to dislodge the scythe from the Bullhead, she caught the handle as it landed near, smiling back at him before the Bullhead began to pull away, but he kept his grip and even pulled them closer.
Tatsu: "Come here!"
He pulled them closer as Ruby readied her weapon, they both were surprised as a shadowy figure took place where Roman was, the figure had a feminine body shape, and long black hair, but the face was hard to see, she let a blast of flames out which Ruby countered with her shot, the flames splatting onto the ground before fading, she took a few more shots which mysterious woman countered easily.
Tatsu tried to help and shook the Bullhead around, Roman who was at the controls struggled to keep it in the air while the woman remained unfazed by the movements. Ruby took the chance and fired a few more times, each shot being stopped effortlessly with her hand, though it did illuminate her attire and figure for a moment. Deciding to end it quickly, she lit the ground beneath Ruby and made a small explosion, the shockwave was enough to make her fall off the roof.
Tatsu: "Ruby!"
He quickly acted, freeing the Bullhead of his chain as his bike roared alive as it drove past him, he leapt onto it and turned toward the building, driving up it diagonally and jumping a gap between the buildings, she grabbed his hand and held tight as landed on the adjacent building, driving down diagonally and coming to a halt. Both look up as the Bullhead flew away into the distance, Ruby sighed as she hung her head low.
Tatsu: "Don't lose heart Ruby, you did well from what I've seen."
Ruby chuckled a bit and softly punched his chest, his flames giving no heat to harm her.
Ruby: "You weren't even here when I dealt with the thugs."
He chuckled as his flames died out, his true appearance shown as his Semblance was turned off. He smiled at Ruby before petting her head softly.
Tatsu: "Can't a brother congratulate his sister?"
Ruby: "Not when she doesn't need it."
They both chuckle as her weapon transformed to its compact form, Tatsu pulled his chain and slung it around his shoulder a few times before it was secure.
Tatsu: "And I guess you want us to answer some questions, Huntress?"
He looked over his shoulder as did Ruby for them both to see a middle-aged woman with her attire being like a teacher, thought the vibe she gave off was much stricter. He sighed softly and scratched the side of his head, close to where his horns are.
Tatsu: "Alright then. Guess were gonna have to explain everything. This might take some time Ruby
He said as they were lead away, Ruby grumbled but didn't argue, following without question.
Timeskip
Tatsu and Ruby are brought back to the Vale police station, Ruby was nervous as the Huntress, now identified as Glynda, walked around them, looking at her scroll while chastising them. Tatsu was rather calm given the situation, but that may be due to his past being worse than this.
Glynda: "I hope you both understand your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, you put yourselves and others in great danger."
Ruby: "They started it, I simply wanted to help."
Glynda: "I understand that, and if it were up to me. You would be sent home, a pat on the back..."
She turns to them to show the same strict gaze as Tatsu quickly grabbed Ruby's hand, who looked at Glynda with some hope which was quickly swept away by the sight of a riding crop.
Glynda: "And a slap on the wrist."
She slapped her riding crop on the table, close to where Ruby's hand would have been had Tatsu not moved her hand away in time. He sighed a bit before smelling someone behind Glynda, though sight of him was obscured by the shadows past the doorway.
Glynda: "But there is someone here, who would like to meet you."
The person stepped into the room, both were stunned to see a man, who they recognized, walk into the room. He had a plate of cookies in one hand, with a cup of hot coco in the other. Ozpin smiled to them softly, greeting Ruby first, leaning in to get a better view of her face.
Ozpin: "Ruby Rose. You... have silver eyes."
Tatsu: "How observant."
Ruby was confused at first but giggled slightly, Ozpin looked at Tatsu before chuckling a bit, standing straight as Glynda sighed and facepalmed at the situation.
Ozpin: "I take it your Tatsu Crystal?"
Tatsu: "The one and only. What do you wanna know?"
Ozpin looked at Glynda who held a scroll up, showing Ruby's fight. It than skipped to when Tatsu helped out, his bike was a blur and the chains were on fire as he helped pull the Bullhead down, Ozpin glanced at the screen for a second before looking at the two again.
Ozpin: "So, where did you learn to do this?"
He asked, pointing with his head to the scroll, showing Ruby's skill with her weapon.
Ruby: "Mostly from my mom, and a bit at Signal Academy."
Ozpin: "Ahh, Summer Rose, I take it? And who at Signal also helped train you?"
Ruby: "Uhhh, my uncle Qrow taught me a bit, thought training with Tatsu helped me refine my style a lot."
Ozpin: "Ahh, the dusty old crow. And who taught you Tatsu?"
Tatsu: "Mom helped me a bit with my chain, though she and Qrow helped more when it came to my main weapon, which I didn't have on me at the time. I left it at Signal by mistake."
Ozpin looked at Glynda again, she sighed and nodded.
Ozpin: "I see, well your weapon of choice is rather... interesting."
He glanced at the scroll again, seeing Tatsu's flaming skeletal form as he slung his chain, he turned his gaze to them once more, setting the plate of cookies down. Ruby looked at Tatsu who simply chuckled, she picked one up and took a bite.
Tatsu: "You can just ask about it. I know my appearance it different with my Semblance on, especially for faunus like myself."
Ozpin: "Your semblance is quite unique then, I assume you can control how much of yourself is transformed?"
To prove his question, Tatsu made his arm lit ablaze, the skin disappearing to show his skeletal hand with flames surrounding it, he picked a cookie up and cooked it a bit before breaking a bit off for Ruby, who smiled and took the piece, eating it with glee.
Tatsu: "That and I can control how my flames behave, letting them burn all they want but not hurting people."
Ruby helped prove this point by grabbing the rest of the cookie from him, her hand going into the flames as she grabbed it, no damage to her skin. She ate the cookie, savoring the flavor a bit before swallowing.
Ozpin: "Interesting. Now might I ask you something Ruby, why is an adorable girl like yourself at a school designed to train warriors?"
Ruby: "Well... I wanna be a Huntress."
Ozpin: "You want to slay monsters?"
Ruby: "Yeah, I only have one more year of training left at Signal, after that I'm gonna apply to Beacon. See, my sister is going there, and Tatsu is still waiting for his acceptance letter, she's trying to become a Huntress, and I'm trying to become a Huntress to help people. My parents always taught me to help others, so I thought, hey, I might as well make a living out of it!"
Tatsu chuckled a bit and patted her shoulder, his hand now normal as she calmed down before getting too energetic, she smiled sheepishly at him.
Ruby: "Sorry, got a bit carried away."
Ozpin chuckled softly, looking to Tatsu for his reason.
Tatsu: "Honestly, I never planned on being a Huntsman, or Huntress. But mom encouraged to help others, to make sure my past never happens to another."
He rubbed his arm a bit nervously, Ozpin remained quiet, taking a sip from his cup, he sensed turmoil from the boy but didn't want to push any further.
Ozpin: "Do either of you know who I am?"
Tatsu: "You're Professor Ozpin."
Ruby: "You're the headmaster at Beacon."
Ozpin: "Hello."
Both: "Nice to meet you."
Glynda sighed and adjusted her glasses a bit, Ozpin glanced at her for a second before turning back to them.
Ozpin: "You both want to come to my school?"
Ruby: "More than anything."
Tatsu: "I can't say no, I would hate myself if I did."
Ozpin looked at Glynda who hummed and rolled her eyes, though she wasn't completely dismissive of the idea.
Ozpin: "Well okay."
Ruby's eyes widened slowly, excitement and joy filling her eyes as her mouth went agape. Tatsu remained composed, but let a smirk slip out as the idea settled in.
Ruby: "Really?!"
She said, her excitement and joy making her voice raise an octave or two. Tatsu rubbed his ears a bit from the pain that was caused by her voice, but his smile remained.
Tatsu: "Looks like you're going to Beacon with us Ruby,"
Timeskip
Tatsu was driving his bike to the rented apartment they were currently staying at, Ruby held on his back while giggling a bit. He rolled his eyes and parked close by to the apartment, putting the kick stand down as Ruby hoped off and walked to the entrance before turning around to look at Tatsu.
Ruby: "Hurry up slow poke, I can't wait for the year ahead."
Tatsu: "You do remember how angry mom sounded on the phone right?"
Ruby: "That's future me's problem."
He chuckled a bit before walking past her, she quickly followed, her hands behind her back and a smile on her face.
Tatsu: "I hope this isn't going to be a common occurrence with you."
Ruby: "What? Us doing reckless stuff and getting scolded?"
Tatsu: "No, you doing something reckless and dragging me or Yang into it."
Ruby: "You both can handle yourselves easily, especially you."
Yang: "I can't argue with that."
Both turn their heads to the apartment door to see the yellow bombshell herself, Yang, leaning against the frame, arms crossed and a slight smirk on her face which made both give her a neutral stare.
Both: "Don't you dare."
Yang: "What? It's obvious he's stronger, but he does let us drag-on him around."
Tatsu: "Don't you start Yang, or else."
He held one end of his chain to make his point clear, though Yang never faltered.
Yang: "Alright, alright. Don't have to be a chain-puller."
Both: "Yang!"
She quickly dashed to her room laughing as Tatsu chased after her, Ruby remained behind and groaned before walking into the apartment and plopping down on the sofa. Tatsu came down a bit later in a shirt and jeans, most of the scales on his arms were visible with a few being covered by bandages he regularly wore. Something she and Yang were curious on why but didn't pry when Summer said it involved his past. He was headed for the kitchen but froze on the spot and sweated a bit, Ruby also began to sweat as they felt an eerie presence behind them, holding both authority and power, but they weren't scared or intimidated. They were just in trouble.
Summer: "Now, I'm going to ask a simple question."
Both: "Yes mom?"
She leaned closer and gave them a soft smile with her eyes closed, which only made them shake more.
Summer: "Care to explain what happened."
Tatsu: "Ruby went shopping for items, most for something I was gonna make for Yang as her going away gift from Ruby, she stopped by a dust shop which was getting robbed a while later, she stopped the thugs and went after the leader but called me for help. I stopped the Bullhead from escaping while she kept attacking, they knocked her off the roof so I quickly saved her but had to let them go, we were questioned at the police station, and after answering questions and talking, we were allowed to come home, and you're here, asking us what happened."
She hummed a bit and looked at Ruby who gave a nervous smile, her fingers fiddling around, her feet shifting a bit. She sighed and pulled them into a hug, which surprised the two, though they relaxed and hugged her back.
Summer: "I'm just glad you two are safe, though you would be punished normally, you both did good. I'm glad you both were accepted into Beacon, they did take a lot longer for you though Tatsu."
Tatsu: "Maybe this year has a lot more students applying, they can only take so many after all."
Summer: "I'm just glad you were finally accepted, also you left this at Signal, Yang picked it up for you."
She placed his weapon down on the table for him, he smiled seeing it. Appearance wise, it was a copy of Qrow's weapon, but a few modifications to it made the difference.
He grabbed the handle and pull the trigger, the blade jutting out and making it a single-edged greatsword, he twirled the sword a bit before making it compact again and set it aside.
Tatsu: "Well, I better start working on the present."
He grabbed the items Ruby had gotten for him and grabbed a small toolkit from his bag, he sat at the dinner table and began putting it together. Summer ruffled his hair a bit, causing him to chuckle a bit and swat her hand away before focusing on the present. Ruby sat opposite him and watched him do his magic, he held his hand out and Ruby understood, grabbing one of the dust vials and pouring it in his hand.
Tatsu: "Ahh, electric dust. Best choice in my opinion."
He flashed her a smile and crushed the dust in his hand, his hand coated with electricity which went into the present. He set it down and let out a sigh, it looked like a picture frame and wasn't that flashy but the sentiment behind it mattered more. He connected his scroll to it and uploaded the pictures and videos they all cherished, the once black frame was filled by a single picture before smoothly transitioning to another, and another, and so forth.
Summer: "Is it finished?"
Tatsu: "Yeah, wonder if Yang will like it?"
Yang: "It's perfect, thanks bro."
She wrapped her arms around him from behind and squeezed tight, causing him to cough a bit before chuckling, hugging her arm as they remained like this for a bit. She let go of him and picked up the gift, smiling at all the memories it showed for them.
Yang: "Guess this can have more pictures and videos added?"
Tatsu: "Yeah, though I wouldn't put too many in it."
Yang: "Gotcha."
She grabbed his horn and playfully tugged it, causing him to groan and swat her hand away, he rubbed his sore head before giving her a slight glare. She only grinned as she stepped back and grabbed something he wasn't expecting.
Tatsu: "I thought I left that back home."
Yang: "You did, but I know how much you like playing it so I couldn't leave it behind, plus they are allowed at Beacon so long as it doesn't cause an issue."
He smiled and took the guitar from her, running his fingers across the strings and smiling a bit, tears came to his eyes as he stared at the name he carved into the wood.
'Elana.'
He plucked the strings a bit, tuning it to the correct pitch before letting his fingers do their work, his mind lost in the music as he strummed the instrument, his fingers gliding over the strings. He opened his mouth and sang, his voice echoing slightly.
His tears ran down his cheeks, his hands shaking as he stopped playing. Summer hugged his head, softly rubbing his hair as his tears wet her shirt, the memories of his past flooding in. He felt his guitar shift and a small smile came to his face as he felt his hand get licked.
Tatsu: "Didn't mean to wake you up, Xari"
He looks up to Tatsu and rubs his head against his hand, comforting his owner, a soft smile coming to his face. Tatsu wipes his tears away as Xari pulls himself out from the guitar, reforming as a small Grimm puppy, his glowing eyes staring at his owner.
Summer: "I see Xari is still there to comfort you."
Yang: "I brough him along in secret, he never leaves your guitar after all."
Tatsu: "He does prefer to sleep in it, I mean he always keeps himself small. And he does help with my nightmares."
He smiles as he picks the small Grimm up and hugs him close, Xari returns the affection by nuzzling him, a slight purr coming from the tiny creature. He sets the guitar beside his weapon, rubbing his eyes and yawning, he looked at the clock to see it was past midnight.
Tatsu: "We should all probably head to bed, especially since we have to prepare ourselves for Beacon in two days."
Ruby: "But first."
She quickly hugs him along with Yang, the trio share a laugh as they stay in that position for a bit before breaking the hug.
Tatsu: "Good night."
The two: "Night!"
They walk upstairs ahead of him, he sits leans against the dinner table and scratches his arms, making the bandages move slightly to show his hidden scales, they were grey like the rest, but a few were more colorful and shined in light which caught Summer's attention.
Summer: "Guess it's that time."
Tatsu: "Yeah... I know I say it a lot... but thanks for helping me..."
Summer: "I couldn't let you suffer, I know your past still haunts you. Now come here and let me do my job."
He chuckes and walks closer, removing his shirt and showing his torso was also partly bandaged before taking them all off. The bandages fell to the floor with a bit of wear and tear on the underside, the damage being done by the layers of scales they hid. The scales all held a soft glow, glistening like crystals in the light. Summer began softly removing them ones shining, each scale coming off easily since they were fully mature. His skin was fully visible once the scales had been removed, showing scars he wasn't pleased to see again, he covered the scarred flesh with new bandages.
Summer: "Do you plan on telling them the truth?"
Tatsu: "I will when I get the courage, like you said before, my past still haunts me... they still haunt me."
Summer didn't say anything as Tatsu put his shirt back on, grabbing his weapon and guitar, she placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
Summer: "Don't force yourself to tell them, if you feel ready then you should."
Tatsu: "Thanks... for everything mom."
He smiles at her again, grabbing the glowing scales they took off and dropping them in bag, she ruffles his hair before watching him walk up to his room, Xari following behind him. Once in his room, he placed his guitar beside his bed, his weapon on his nightstand and the bag beside it, Xari jumped on his bed and curled up, falling asleep. He laid down, staring at the ceiling for a bit before turning off the lights and closing his eyes, thinking of his past and gritting his teeth as he fell asleep.
Tatsu: "I miss you mother..."
A/n: Hope you all enjoyed reading the new book and hope you all have a good day.
4902 Words