RWBY: Siblings Three (Malereader)

Mountain Glenn

Y/n was sitting in comfortable silence, staring at the night sky through the window of his makeshift campsite when Ruby's voice cut through the silence from his scroll. "Hey, Y/n? Why do you want to be a Huntsman? Doctor Oobleck was asking the others and I'm curious, why do you want to be one?"

Y/n blinked in surprise at Ruby's question, lowering the scroll from his ear as he pondered her words. He hadn't really expected a deep conversation over scroll calls, especially after the chaotic day they'd had. But Ruby sounded sincere, and her curiosity had a way of catching him off guard.

He glanced up at the night sky, the stars twinkling faintly through the shattered window. Why did he want to be a Huntsman? It was a question he'd avoided answering before, mostly because he didn't want to be one. He leaned back against the wall, thinking it over before finally responding.

"Why do I want to be a Huntsman?" Y/n echoed, his voice thoughtful. "Honestly, Ruby, I don't."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the scroll, and Y/n could almost imagine Ruby blinking in surprise, trying to process his words.

"You... don't?" Ruby's voice was soft, confused. "But you're so good at it. You're one of the best fighters I know! Why wouldn't you want to be a Huntsman?"

Y/n sighed, running a hand through his hair. He wasn't sure if he was ready to dive into this, but Ruby had a way of pulling the truth out of him. "Listen Rubes, being a Huntsman was never a goal of mine like you or Yang. I only joined Beacon because I'd be arrested if I didn't join, I'm sure you remember when we met Glynda & Ozpin."

Ruby's voice was quiet on the other end of the scroll, clearly processing Y/n's words. "I remember... but I thought you wanted to be here, to fight with us."

"Don't get me wrong Ruby, I love fighting with you & Yang but it's not like I ever dreamed of being a Huntsman. It's not like I won't be though, I plan to graduate with you two and being a Huntsman isn't exactly a bad occupation for me." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "So, while I never planned to be a Huntsman I'm probably gonna end up being one anyway."

Ruby was quiet for a moment, clearly thinking over Y/n's words. When she spoke again, her voice was softer but still full of that unwavering optimism she always had. "I guess I never really thought about it like that. I always wanted to be a Huntress, you know? Since I was little, it felt like my path. But I never stopped to think that maybe not everyone felt the same way."

Y/n chuckled softly, a fond smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Yeah, you're a bit of an idealist, Ruby. But that's not a bad thing. You've got heart, and that's why you'll make a great Huntress. You do it for the right reasons."

"Well... what would you do if you didn't become a Huntsman?" Ruby asked, her curiosity still present but more gentle now. "I mean, if you didn't have to?"

Y/n leaned his head back, staring at the night sky through the shattered window. He'd never really allowed himself to think about that. "Who knows, with you & Yang as my sisters I doubt there's a way I would've been able to live without fighting Grimm."

"To be frank, I don't have any dreams... I just want to be able to protect you & Yang. I may do my own thing a lot but... that's it."

Ruby was silent for a moment, the weight of Y/n's words settling in. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft and full of understanding. "You don't have dreams of your own? But... protecting people, protecting us, that counts, doesn't it?"

Y/n paused, letting her words sink in. It was true in a way, his entire life had revolved around Yang and Ruby, protecting them from the moment they had met. He'd fought to keep them safe because it was what mattered to him. But deep down, he knew it wasn't the same as having a dream of his own.