RWBY: Tale of Two Roses

Chapter 8: Home?

They walk up to the old house and Summer's eyes go wide. They walk in and the memories come rolling back. "The place isn't as pretty as it used to be but it's better than nothing." Summer runs her hand along the windowsill as Aries and Ruby share a confused look. "Qrow, it's perfect." Summer says with a small smile. Aries wanders around and notices the place hasn't been touched in years. The paint is faded and the place is covered in dust. But Aries can feel this place is filled with energy. He leans against a wall and the place changes. He can see what it used to look like. Confused, he steps away from the wall and it reverts back. He places his hand on the wall and focuses. A series of images flashes in his mind. A cake, two people with a little girl stretched between their laps, a park, a woman's smile, and a note. He steps away from the wall and stumbles. "Aries?" Ruby asks. Summer and Qrow notice what's going on and Qrow catches him as he falls back. "Woah there, Aries. You okay?" Aries snaps back to reality and Qrow helps him to his feet. "Sorry, had the weirdest thing happen. I touched the wall and I saw, these flashes. They're pretty fuzzy."

"What did you see?" Summer asks nervously.

"I don't know, they're fading. They're gone." Aries shakes his head. "Well put your hand on the wall." Ruby suggests. Aries considers it but something feels off. "I'm good, thanks. The whole experience was rather weird and I'd rather not experience it again." Summer and Qrow breathe a slight sigh of relief. "Well she's a little dusty but I feel it'll do." Qrow says

"Are you sure the owners won't mind?" Aries asks.

"He should be fine with it." Qrow says confidently. They lay down their gear in a corner and briefly explore the home and it becomes quickly apparent nothing is in working order. "This place could use some love." Summer notes. Aries is still looking at the spot he placed his hand. Ruby places her hand on his shoulder as he places his hand back on the spot and they both see the flashes again. This time Ruby recognizes the images. The park Summer would take her and Yang, a baby Yang stretched between Summer and Qrow, summer's smile." Aries pulls his hand from the wall and the memories fade. But to Ruby they're burned into her mind. "Ruby?" Aries asks. Ruby pours over one of the images. Summer and Qrow snuggled up on the couch with Yang between them. "Ru..."

"Mom." Ruby interrupts Summer. Summer and Qrow share a look then Qrow sighs. "Well, what exactly did you see?"

"I-I saw, Yang stretched out in your laps. Mom had her head on your shoulder, or something, it's starting to get kinda fuzzy. But you've been hiding something for a while! Mom even said you were..."

"Ruby, I hide a lot of things. It's how I protect the people I love." He looks over at Summer. "Your mom, she knocked me off a dangerous track. She gave me something better to strive for. She was the best thing to happen to me. Then, I found out our home was going to get a little bigger. I was so happy. But at the same time, I was terrified. Terrified I'd bring harm to her and our child. But it turns out they'd both be dragged into it." By that time both Ruby and Aries have started to put it together. "Ruby, Tai wasn't..." Ruby's about in tears. Aries goes to put his hand on her shoulder when she runs out of the house. He goes to follow her but she's gone. He looks down and sees a pile of petals. He picks one up as it starts to fade away.

Ruby's sat on a rooftop. Her head between her knees, crying her eyes out. Where did the lies end? What's real anymore? Does Aries even really like her? She feels a presence behind her and she turns around. "Leave me Alone!" She opens her eyes to see a large black figure, his hair falling down his body like a lion's mane. She gasps and starts to back up. "So you're the twerp Adam wants us to..." He's cut short by another figure tackling him. "Ruby, Run!" Aries shouts before he's punched onto an adjacent rooftop. The dark figure leaps to join Aries. Ruby does as Aries says and runs away. She looks back for a moment to see Aries fighting the dark figure. She turns around and sprints back to the house.

Back at the fight, Aries is doing his best to contain the figure. But he strikes with such intense speed and ferocity, almost like an animal. His aura starts to burn red. Aries can see his eyes burn red through the eye slits and the tips of his hair turn white. Aries looks on with terror as he recognized the beast that stood before him. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He opens them with a look of determination. The shady figure charges him again and Aries steps out of the way and hits him in the back knocking him down into the street. Aries leaps down ready to strike but the figure sends him skipping off the pavement. The figure calmly walks up to Aries and steps on his back and pushes him to the ground. A second figure emerges from the shadow. "This is the twerp that was chasing you? Adam should have sent me in from the start." Aries tries to get up but the figure just pushes down harder. Aries' already injured ribs send a shock of pain through his body. "The girl ran that way, I'll keep him occupied." The second figure nods and turns the other way. She pulls herself to the rooftop and Aries takes one last desperate try to get up only to be pinned again. Aries simply goes limp, his body too sore to move anymore. The same familiar panic starts to fill him. His hands shake and his heart starts to beat out of his chest. The figure looks down and sees this start to happen and he kicks Aries across the head, knocking him out cold. "Quiet, human." He starts to laugh only to find a huge right hook from a yellow gauntlet. "Aries! Long time no see." Yang says nonchalantly.

"Nice seeing' ya again." Aries jokes. The dark figure returns to his feet and charges Yang a second time. She delivers a massive uppercut to his chin launching him into the air. The second figure sees this happens and rolls her eyes and heads over to assist him. The dark figure hits the ground hard and Yang picks him up and reels back to have something wrap around her arm She sees the source and Yanks her down to their level. The other figure reverses in midair and goes for a flying double kick which Yang blocks easily. The larger figure charges and manages to unleash a barrage to her midsection. Aries manages to weakly return to his feet. He tries to lock the second figure in a barrier box. She pounds on the walls with her sword and sheath but to no avail. Yang catches his fist and her hair lights on fire. She opens her eyes to show them glowing bright red. The dark figure's eyes go wide as Yang delivers a massive blow to his chest and see him smashing through the barrier box and into a wall behind him. The figure inside barely manages to dodge as he blasts through. Aries falls to his hands and knees as the two figures flee. Yang runs up to him as Summer, Qrow, and Ruby show back up. "Aries!" Ruby runs up to his side. And throws her arms around his neck. Yang slows her pace and turns to Summer. She points at them and Summer nods. "Well, who knew Lavender boy would be my little sister's first boyfriend." Ruby and Yang help him to his feet and limp him back to the house. They lay him down on the floor and Summer starts to examine him. Aries simply keeps his eyes on the floor. "My dying breath." Aries says weakly.

"What was that?" Summer asks.

"My dying breath, that's what I swore to Qrow. But each time, not only do I fail to stop them. This time I had to be rescued. If I can't protect myself, how can I help protect her." Aries keeps his gaze stuck to the floor. "But each time you charge in, unasked and without hesitation. You put her before you. I can see why Ruby likes you. You have a good heart. That's all someone can ask out of you." Qrow puts his hand on Aries's shoulder and he winces. "Uh, sorry." Summer finishes looking him over. And stands up. "Nothing severely broken this time. After a good night's rest your aura should have you straightened out. Ruby let's let him rest." She looks over at Yang. "The four of us have a lot to talk about." Ruby gives a kiss on the head and walks into the other room. Aries closes his eyes and lays back against the wall.