RWBY: Tale of Two Roses

Chapter 12: New Allies

They spend a couple days searching for any answers or rumors in the bay but to no avail so they elect to start going further inland. Along the way they encounter a town being harassed by grimm. "Blake, Aries, nightshade!" Qrow calls out. Aries and Blake charge forward. Blake wraps her weapon around the fins and Aries uses the scythe to pull her into the air behind him. She clutches the hilt and uses it to slice the nevermore down the wing. They start to head toward the ground and Blake detaches from the scythe.and decapitates an ursa. Aries circles around, picking off beowolves. They clear out the remaining grimm and return to the town hall. "Thank you so much."

"It was our pleasure." Summer says happily.

"Is there anything we can do in compensation?" The town mayor asks.

"If you could arrange a night's rest that would be nice." Summer asks. The mayor nods and they're taken to the hotel and given two rooms. One for Aries and Qrow and another for the girls. "So, you two dated?"

"Dated is a little generous. We were a couple for a day before I left."

"He still obviously cared for you a whole lot, seeing how you guys grew close over all those years."

"Yet, he chose you." Blake turns back to her book. In the other room Aries and Qrow are joking. "So, you have your ex and your current girlfriend, my daughter mind you, and your current girlfriend's mother in a room together."

"Yep, if I were a lesser man I'd be worried. But my history is on the table."

"Maybe that's why you should be worried." Aries hears laughing from the next room and buries his face in charlie's journal.

In the other room Blake has them roaring with a story. "So me and Aries are out on patrol, we spot an ursa and he turns to me and says. "10 lien says I can hug it." He's got this sure grin, like he's a badass that knows he can land this. So I agree, on the condition that if it goes south he retreats immediately. So he flies in close and launches himself off his scythe, his arms outstretched. He yells "Hug meee!" as he flies toward it. It turns and he manages to get his arms around its neck but his head smashes straight into its skull plate. They both get the senses knocked out of them and I rush in to dispatch the ursa. He sits up and rubs his head. The only thing he has to say is "I believe you owe me 10 lien."" Ruby and Summer are rolling. "I wasn't aware Aries had a reckless side." Summer said.

"He used to be a lot looser. He was fun and didn't stress so much. I wonder what broke him?" Ruby clenches her fist. "Did you know about his brother?" Blake looks at the ground. "Wasn't a person in town who didn't, let alone his best friend. But Aries was adamant , he didn't want me to intervene." Blake looks over and sees Ruby trembling. Blake walks over and sits next to her on the bed. "You can't blame yourself for Leo's decisions." She places a hand on Ruby's shoulder and Ruby pulls away. "Did you ever even try and stop Leo?" Ruby asks.

"No, Leo was stronger and faster than most of us, myself included. I wanted to help but Aries wanted me to stay out of the way because he didn't want me to get hurt."

"You couldn't have done something! Have you seen his scars? If only..." Ruby keeps trembling and Blake wraps her arms around her. "I'm sorry. We did what we could. It hurt, it always hurt to see more bandages and know exactly where they came from and being powerless to stop it. It hurt so much!" Ruby hugs her back and weeps into her shoulder. Aries senses her grief and stands up. He walks toward the door and Qrow looks up. "Where you going?"

"On a walk." Aries walks out and into the girls room. "Everything alright?" Blake lets go of Ruby and Ruby wipes her eyes. "Everything's alright." Blake says, wiping her own. Aries smiles, happy his friends are getting along. "Mrs. Rose, Qrow wants you to join him in getting groceries tomorrow."