RWBY: Godzilla

Hopeless

Everyone thought I was strong.

Despite being under the rubble for probably an hour or so, my aura had actually managed to protect me for the majority of the time I'd spent under there, leaving me with only a few broken bones, which wouldn't take too long to heal up. And, even though I felt a lot of pain, I still managed to pick myself up off the stretcher, and walk, despite the broken bones in my waist area.

Everyone thought I was strong. I couldn't disagree more.

If I was strong, how come I couldn't get myself to hate (Y/N) even when I tried? How come when I looked over the countless people dead or clinging to the last ounce of life they had, I still loved (Y/N) deeply, and just wanted to see him normal again?

I felt weak, hopeless.

I was in a camp set up a few miles outside of what used to be Vale, where medics were scrambling to keep people alive. Most of them were unsuccessful.

"Ruby!"

I turned around to see my teammates running up to me. They embraced me. Their hugs, especially Yang's, only added to my already terrible pain, but I endured.

"Where's (Y/N)?" I asked.

"He left," Yang said, breaking the embrace. "He's in the ocean."

"I meant the kid," I said.

"Oh," Yang said. "He's looking for his mom. Did you find her?"

"Yeah," I said. "But she's hurt really bad."

"What happened?" Blake asked.

"What do you think happened?" I said. "(Y/N). He tried to kill me, and I was keeping her close. I should've led him away from her--"

"Don't blame yourself," Weiss said. "You were thinking in the moment. It would take a much quicker thinker than you to think of something like that in a situation that terrible."

"I don't know whether to be offended or thankful," I said.

"She's right you know."

I turned, and I saw Oobleck standing next to us, looking over the survivors and corpses filling the tent.

"None of this is your fault," he said. "It's (Y/N)'s."

"Yeah," I said. "I tried to stop him. And I almost reached him. But he didn't think I could actually forgive him for... all this."

"Do you?" Blake asked.

"Do I forgive him?" I said. "I know I shouldn't but... I do. I understand why he did all this. Even though I know it's wrong... I still love him so much. I just hope we can save him before he kills anyone else..."

"I don't think we can," Oobleck said. I turned to him. "As much as I hate to admit it... I don't think there's any way of reaching (Y/N). He's long gone by now."

He started to lower his head, looking ashamed.

"Profes-- Doctor Oobleck?" Weiss said. "Is something wrong?"

Oobleck looked at me. "Ruby... do you remember that... thing... I showed you and (Y/N) the other day?"

I tapped my chin, trying to jog my memory of anything that happened before all this Godzilla stuff. Then, it all came back to me.

The Oxygen Destroyer!

"Yeah," I said. "You told us... to... keep it... secret..."

"Keep what secret?" Blake asked.