How to Train Your Grimm

Chapter XIV

Ruby stood in Ozpin's office, with Ironwood, Qrow, and Ozpin questioning her.

"How did you control it?" Ozpin asked. "It did as you asked."

"He was just protecting me," Ruby said. "He's not dangerous."

"'Protecting you'?" Qrow said. "I told you not to--"

"I know what you said!" Ruby said. "But he's my friend!"

He groaned, and took another drink.

"Look," Ruby said. "Yell at me, be mad at me, but please, just don't hurt Toothless!"

"The Grimm?" Ironwood said. "That's what you're worried about? Not the people he almost killed?!"

"He wouldn't have tried to kill you if you hadn't charged at him!" Ruby started to raise her voice.

"They killed hundreds of us!" Ironwood yelled.

"And we killed thousands of them!" Ruby yelled back. "They're just under a spell that restrains their soul! They kill us because they have to! If they don't get enough people, they'll be killed themselves! There's something else in their hive! It's a Grimm like no--"

"'Their hive'?" Qrow said, his rage building even more. "So you've been through the fog."

Ruby regretted saying anything. "D-Did I say 'fog'?"

"How did you navigate it?" Ozpin asked.

"N-No, I-I didn't!" Ruby said. "Toothless did! Only a Grimm can find their hive!"

Ironwood's eyes widened, and he turned to Ozpin. Ruby realized her mistake again.

"I'll prepare the ships," Ironwood said.

"No!" she said. "Guys, no! You don't know what you're up against! It's like nothing you've ever seen!"

"I apologize Ms. Rose," Ozpin said. "But it seems you have chosen your side. So... I'm afraid I must expel you."

"W-What?" Ruby said, tearing up again. She turned to Qrow as he followed the others to the elevator. "Uncle Qrow, please! I promise you can't win this one!" He ignored her. "Uncle Qrow! No!" She grabbed his arm, and screamed at him. "FOR THE SAKE OF EVERYONE IN BEACON, WILL YOU PLEASE JUST LISTEN TO ME?!?!"

Qrow shoved her aside, and stepped into the elevator.

"I didn't want you going down this path, Ruby," he said. "I trained you better."

"Uncle Qrow..."

"Don't call me 'Uncle'. You're not my niece."

The elevator doors closed, and Ruby felt her heart shatter. She'd lost everything. Toothless, her team, her uncle. Everything was gone.

Ruby soon watched from a distance as Huntsmen, Huntresses, Atlesian soldiers, and Atlesian Knights readied the ships for battle. They prepared tanks. Huntsmen and Huntresses grabbed their usual weapons, and a couple teams from the tournament volunteered to go along with them.

Toothless was boarded onto the main ship, chained down to a palette, muzzled, and restrained with a neck ring. He tugged on his restraints, trying desperately to escape, but it was no use.

Qrow watched Toothless get boarded onto the ship, taking a drink from his flask. Then, he saw Ruby, watching them from a roof, her cape blowing in the wind.

He felt an emptiness in his chest, and regretted ever saying she wasn't his niece. He wanted to go tell her he was sorry, and to never pull anything like this again, but it was already time to leave.

He boarded the airship, and joined Ironwood near the windshield.

The ships took off, and slowly made their way to the fog.

Ruby watched as the ships flew into the fog, and to their doom. She couldn't believe it. She failed. They were going to die, and Toothless was going to die with them. And there was nothing she could do.

She pulled out Crescent Rose, and looked at it. She felt disgusted the more she looked at it. This was the weapon she'd used to kill Grimm for years, and because she had just caught Toothless off guard using it, all of this was happening.

Ruby couldn't stand the idea that she was the one who had possession over this weapon. This weapon she used to adore, and used to hold with pride, now made her angry, and sad.

So she tossed it away as hard as she could, and saw it falling into the Emerald Forest. As long as she was far away from it, she was fine.

But it didn't change the anger she felt towards herself for shooting at Toothless, and not doing anything about it when he was captured.

She could hear Weiss walking up next to her, but she didn't acknowledge her.

"So... you got expelled?" Weiss said.

"Yup," Ruby said. "Why couldn't I have killed that Grimm when I found him in the woods? Would've been better for everyone."

"Yeah," Weiss said. "You've done it so many times. So... why didn't you do it?"

Ruby stayed silent.

"Why didn't you?" Weiss repeated.

"I don't know," Ruby said, trying to walk away. "I couldn't."

"That's not an answer," Weiss said.

"Why do you want to know?!" Ruby asked, turning to her.

"Because I want to remember what you say right now," she said.

Ruby groaned, and turned to face her fully. "I was a coward! I was weak! I wouldn't kill that Grimm!"

"You said 'wouldn't' that time," Weiss said.

"Whatever!" Ruby said, getting annoyed. "I wouldn't! Hundreds of years, and I am the first Huntress who wouldn't kill a Grimm!" She turned away again, angry at herself.

"First to ride one though," Weiss said. "So...?"

Ruby slowly turned back to Weiss. "I wouldn't kill him because he looked as frightened as I was. I looked at him... and I saw myself..."

"Well, I bet he's really frightened now," Weiss said. "What are you going to do?"

"Probably something stupid," Ruby said.

"Well, you've done that before," Weiss said.

"Then something crazy," Ruby said. She turned around and ran off.

"That's the Ruby I know," Weiss said, following her.