How to Train Your Grimm

Chapter XII

Ruby made it back to the cove, holding a basket of fish over her shoulder. She couldn't take the stress anymore. She had to leave. She didn't want to leave her friends and family behind, but she couldn't kill another Grimm. Not after everything that had been happening lately.

"We're leaving," she called for Toothless. "Pack up your things. We're going to be taking a permanent vacation. Still have to figure out where though. Maybe... Mistral? Vacuo? I don't know. We'll figure it out once we're in the air."

"Who are you talking to?" Weiss' voice came from behind.

Ruby squeaked in surprise, and turned to her. "W-W-What are you d-d-doing here?"

"I want to know what's going on," Weiss said, walking up to Ruby. "You've been disappearing every day. You go to work on your weapon all the time. You sneak into and out of the school at night. And now you just suddenly know more about Grimm than anyone else."

Ruby was getting really nervous. She trusted Weiss as a friend, but she wasn't sure if she could trust her with Toothless.

"So," Weiss said, leaning close. "What's going on?"

"Uh..." Ruby tried to think of a lie, praying Toothless wouldn't show himself. "I go here every day to... think through everything that's been happening lately! Yeah! We've never dealt with this kind of thing before, so... I come here!"

Weiss stood up straight and crossed her arms. "You're acting really weird."

"No I'm not!" Ruby said. "I'm totally normal! And totally calm! And totally not hoping you don't find someone or something, that's not here! Of course."

She heard Toothless growling behind her. "Oh no," she mumbled.

"Get down!" Weiss yelled, shoving Ruby aside as Toothless charged at her.

Ruby used her semblance to get up, take Myrtenaster out of Weiss' hand, and toss it away. She turned to Toothless and held her hands out to him.

"It's okay!" she said, as Toothless stood on his hind legs, snarling. "She's my friend!"

Toothless got down on all four legs, and stood close to Ruby, growling, as she tried to calm him down.

"Ruby, what are you doing?!" Weiss said. "He's going to kill you!"

"No he's not!" Ruby said. "Trust me, this isn't as bad as it looks!"

"Ruby, what is going on?!" Weiss demanded, standing up.

"Uh," Ruby took a step away from Toothless. "Weiss, Toothless. Toothless, Weiss."

Toothless still didn't seem happy with Weiss, and he bared his teeth at her.

Weiss, filled with confusion, took off running back to the academy.

"Well, we're dead," Ruby said. "So about that permanent vacation."

Toothless turned around and started walking away.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ruby said.

Weiss ran through the forest as fast as she could, scared and confused. Why did Ruby protect that Grimm? And why didn't it attack her? None of it mattered now. She had to get as far away from Ruby and the Grimm as possible and tell Ozpin what she saw.

But before she could go far, she felt two strong, inhuman arms grab her by the shoulders and lift her into the air. She screamed as Toothless brought her to a high tree, and dropped her on a branch, before perching on the top of the tree, tipping it over a bit.

"Ruby!" Weiss yelled, hanging high above the ground. "Get me down from here!"

"Please just give me a chance to explain," Ruby said.