The Bloody Rose

X: The lost rose returns to Beacon

Ruby groaned as she sat up and looked around her. She was on a Beacon Bullhead transport, it's gun-metal grey interior feeling like an insult to her and Khorne. Her warriors, only ten of them could fit in the transport with the others, were sat at one end of the  passenger compartment, with her team and JNPR sitting on the other end, almost as though they were protecting the cockpit. Ruby had been placed in the middle, 'no-man's land' in all but name.

As Ruby surveyed the passenger compartment and the incredibly obvious tension in the air, she suddenly became acutely aware of something cold and metallic bundled up in her left hand. What she saw there caused her heart to stop and her breath to catch in her throat. There, in her hand, was a symbol of the World Eaters, Angron's cursed Crown. Butchers nails, she counted eight of them, enough for a single person. "What ya got there, Rubes?" Yang asked as she approached her recently found sister, part of her was still in shock at what she had seen in the caverns of Mt. Glenn, but another. Much stronger part of her was just being a concerned sister.

"Just a bit of bad news, Yang." Ruby responded in a almost placating manner as she subconsciously grabbed a small spool of wire from her ammo pouch and began carefully looping the wire between her belt and the nails. After replacing the spool of wire, Ruby gave the nails a quick tug to ensure that they were safely secured before deciding to examine her own body.

Khorne pulling her soul into his realm to congratulate her had caused the raw power of the warp to leak into her body and begin changing her. The first thing she noticed was her right arm, the lower half of her arm had changed to have blood-red skin with pitch black fingers, and it made her think of a Blood-letter. And then there was the horns, they were small at the moment, but still easy enough to notice on her forehead. They were going to keep on growing, she knew that much, but Ruby had no idea when they would stop growing.

"Approaching Beacon now, prepare to disembark." The voice of the pilot echoed through the compartment with the familiar, yet slightly tinny drone of the intercom before the continuous low rumble of the engines grew into a draconic ROAR! "Well Rubes..." Yang said, with a happy smile that Ruby readily returned, "welcome back to Beacon." And with those words seeming almost prophetic as the bullhead doors opened and Ruby Rose took her first few steps onto Beacon Academy for the first time in what felt like a lifetime and watched. Watched as five more bullheads approached, each carrying two squads of her warband and their forsaken...pets, right into the lion's den.

"Ms. Rose?" A familiar female voice cut through Ruby's immediate thoughts as she turned away from the approaching flotilla and stared at Professor Goodwitch approaching her, a halo the colour of freshly spilled blood hanging ominously over her head like a guillotine blade. "Professor Ozpin is waiting for you in his office." And with those words, the professor immediately turned around and began walking towards Ozpin's tower office, with Ruby quickly moving to catch up after giving Yang a quick hug and a whisper of "I'll try and explain everything to you after I finish with Ozpin."

The journey to Ozpin's office was done in relative silence as students and staff alike parted before the two like waves breaking upon the rocks, looks of shock and disbelief painted on their faces as they watched Ruby Rose, the missing student walk past them with the cautious walk of a warrior who was prepared for a fight from anywhere, or to start a fight. As the two traveled up the lift to Ozpin's office, Ruby could easily feel Glynda's eyes continuously glancing over at her, and immediately knew that her former combat instructor was wondering what had happened to her during the time she had disappeared.

The doors opened with a melodious chime and Ruby walked into Ozpin's office, she became acutely aware that he had invited both her uncle Qrow, and General James Ironwood of Atlas, a halo of blood circling above his head, just like Goodwitch. The latter of them two was watching her as though she would launch into a violent rage without warning. "Ruby Rose, welcome back to Beacon Academy." Professor Ozpin said with his usual calm and gentle voice, "I am quite curious about what happened to you."

*A.N. And that is this chapter done! I hope you all have enjoyed reading this chapter, don't forget to voice your thoughts in the comments section. And if you have any ideas for possible Omake ideas for this fic, please let me know. See you all next time.

GLORY TO KHORNE!