Specialist Rose

42) Displaced

There was a strange sense of temporary normality that had come over the fall survivors. In Atlas Marrow had taken to sleeping in the barracks as he couldn't stand half the bed empty, the students recorded their lessons on their scrolls as they could barely focus and Winter had taken up as many missions as possible which with the aftermath of the fall were in abundance. All in all they felt like the spare puzzle piece that was knocked under the sofa and forgotten about, not where they were meant to be.

Across the world Ruby too had developed a schedule to keep her sane. She continued to wake at the ungodly military hour of 5am and spent 2 hours getting herself ready for the day. Although she was conscious at 5am it took at least an hour to make herself get out of bed though some days she failed to find the will. Living in mostly tank tops and yoga pants Ruby didn't leave the house all that much save for when she shrugged on a jacket and some flats and walked the length of the island once a day but what with being on the smallest island of Remnant it was a short walk. Though Flynt's hat and Neon's bands never left her person being the only form of comfort she had. Although the people of the island didn't know what had happened they still left her to mourn in peace and didn't draw attention to her whenever she burst into tears or just stopped walking randomly, being part of such a small and tight knit community had it's perks. Nobody judged her when she would wander looking lost or when she would pull our her wallet to pay for something but become transfixed by the picture of her baby that had taken up residence in her wallet. But other than her daily walks Ruby didn't have all that much to distract herself with so she had taken to domestic chores and writing. She would divide her time between crying whilst doing the laundry and writing paper atop paper on anything from the fall of beacon to the military to the government, even some letters to her family she knew would never get sent, though none of her papers got published it was a welcome distraction. Ruby had a lot to process but in her eyes nobody to talk to as she had left the toxic household for a reason. She simply felt out of place, she didn't belong in Vale but with her family in Atlas. To Yang's credit she kept true to her word and was there for Ruby. In the evening the now short- haired blonde sat with the younger in silent support. They would be doing separate things but sat together and though Ruby wouldn't admit it she did find a bit of comfort in it. Every day Yang left Ruby saying that she loved her yet Ruby would not believe it no matter how many times it was repeated. Not that Ruby spoke all that much these days.

That day however was a snowy one and Ruby had not taken her walk so Yang sat with her for longer in the front room with their father occasionally looking up from his work to see the girls exactly how he had left them, Ruby writing and Yang watching a DVD. However this time around when the movie ended and Yang got up to leave Ruby grabbed her remaining hand and pulled her to sit back down on the carpet with her. Yang was confused for a brief moment before Ruby reached under the coffee table and pulled out a box with the Atlas insignia on the top. She said nothing but shoved the box into the elders arm. Yang best she could with the 1 hand took the lid off the box and gasped at its contents. Like a child on Christmas morning Yang practically jumped for joy as she pulled out a yellow painted bionic arm. She tripped over herself to race to a mirror to attach it and Taiyang laughed walking after her with the instruction booklet in hand. A few minutes later Yang was doing cartwheels through the hallway and handstands on the sofa. Ruby was ripped from her seat and given the most enthusiastic hug she had gotten from her sister in 4 years. Ruby did not miss the pain of restricted breathing it gave. Yang dragged thier father outside to the designated sparring area by her new arm and continued to yell gratitude over her shoulder. Ruby lifted her eyes and smiled slightly at her sisters happiness as she had not done on a long time with hope in her heart that thier relationship could be mended after all. Ruby picked up her stationary and went to bed early as she always did to meditate. In her state the powers she possessed were almost always unstable. Ruby still cried herself to sleep but sleep found her faster than other nights and she was quickly out like a light, promising to visit Yang in the morning.

Time skip- that night after Tai went to bed

"You ready to go?"
"Hey Jaune, Haven is a long way to go. You sure you're up for it?"
"The journey will be perilous and weather or not answers lay at the end is entirely uncertain, but we wouldn't be here if we weren't up for it." Ren said in his usual dulcet voice. Before his other half spoke up,
"Is Ruby not joining us?"
"Ruby's still... not in very good shape to put it lightly. Dad can look after her I'm sure of it, I just hope she forgives me for leaving her. That last part was whispered mostly to herself but the others caught it. Putting an arm around thier friend they set off down the dirt path to the shipyard. The ferry was still active and jsut as it landed on the mainland the sun began to rise over the new day so back on the island the slightly younger sister awoke at the new light and went to awaken her sister with breakfast to reinforce the peace offering extended the night prior.

A smash sounded through the house and Tai came running into his eldests room to find a broken and burning tray of breakfast on the floor and his youngest reading a note by the bedside table. Yang's room was too clean for him to not immediately realize what happened.
He got the fire extinguisher and left his remaining daughter to have her heart break a little bit more in peace. Things got worse when the pair discovered a note on Qrow's sidetable too and Ruby just went back to bed dragging her shattered heart behind her.
"They left. They waited, they waited for us to think that there was hope, they took what they wanted and left us."
Tai didn't know what to say to that nor how to comfort his broken child whilst feeling like the most useless parent ever. Everyone in the house went back to bed and decided to try again tomorrow.

Hey everyone. I am alive- no I'm not sure how but you'll be getting more frequent updates again! Yay! I've got plans for this book and the spin off series for this book should be up by next month at the latest.
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See you later, love Lizzi