Specialist Rose

44)Birthday- No Happy For You

The nightmares started that same night. Ruby had mostly stayed awake to the point of exhaustion so her body didn't have enough energy to muster a dream. But after Yang left Ruby's apathy took full control and sleeping was 1/3 of her day to day life.

That came rife with nightmares. Seeing her unborn daughter sobbing in fear made her wake sobbing. Marrow leaving her made her wake up in a cold sweat. Then there were the nightmares of her powers. The damage Cinder had managed to do with only half the power had brought down Beacon and ruined so many lives. The fear of her powers hurting someone she loved, the fear of being hunted like her mother was and the fear of being controlled and turned into a puppet was all to much. Night after night it was a tunnel vision of fear in her minds eye, reliving the deaths of her friends, the pain of her misscarrige and the sight of her mother in the stasis chamber. Yet she never breathed a word to her father.

In the morning, all was silent. Afternoon came, all was silent. Night fell and all was still silent save from quiet whispers and rustling of sheets as Ruby was trapped in a night terror. Taiyang had nothing he could say and neither did Ruby. There was nothing that could be said in consolidation to either party. So they went about their lives as though Yang and Qrow hadn't been there at all even though the house seemed to be alive with their presence. From the fully stocked liqueur cabinet to Yang's shedded hair still showing up everywhere, Ruby never felt more like she was simultaneously at home and yet living in a strangers house, and living in a strangers body. 

As every other morning had been Tai left for work before Ruby emerged from her room though she was awake and had been up for hours. It was a week and a half after Yang had left and most nights Ruby switched off between sleep and anything that kept her brain busy. Mostly it had been writing; love letters never sent; political papers fuelled by her anger at her kingdom's security gaps allowing the fall to happen; fanus rights papers and even personal papers dedicated to understanding her strange magic. Though her progress had not gotten her far. Ruby searched through every fairytale book she owned and still there was no mention that could possibly lead her to the origin of her magic; sure the old man had it before her- but where did he get it from? And what about her silver eyes? Ruby was nothing but frustrated with more questions than answers and drowning in emotions she couldn't name. 

That morning after she heard the door slam downstairs Ruby exited her room. It's not that she didn't want to talk to her dad; but what was there left to say? Ruby cast her head down as she passed Yang's open bedroom door on her way to the stairs. She didn't want to see Yang's empty bed or the faint scorch mark on her floor as a reminder of just how hurt she was when Yang left. Surely the pain Ruby felt was not what Yang felt when she left home for Atlas?

Today there was a note on the kitchen counter with her name on it, probably from her dad. Ruby left the letter and made a beeline for the coffee machine and filled her mug with copious amounts of cream and sugar- coffee was close enough to actual breakfast. Once she sat down on the familiar sofa with her beverage with a warm yet painful memory of Marrow bringing her a coffee after a long day at work or a difficult exam came to mind. Ruby shook that memory from her head and looked at the letter.

~~~Ruby POV~~~

Good morning Ruby, 
Sorry I have to be at work today- I'd much rather be home with you for such an occasion, but we can't get a substitute in. I'll be home early at least and then we can spend some time together. There are some birthday pancakes wrapped in tinfoil in the fridge and I'm bringing home cake.
Happy 19th Ruby!
love, Dad

Right. I had completely forgotten that it was my birthday. Not that I much cared. There was nothing to celebrate. If I didn't want to be alive why would I celebrate being alive? So I retreated to my usual routine as though it were any other day of this living nightmare.

~~~3rd POV~~~

Ruby got up to wash her plates in the sink just as an unfortunate flashback of Penny's death hit her. Ruby stumbled back as though to escape the scene in her minds eye only to slip on some water on the ground. The last thing Ruby saw was the fish pond through the kitchen window before slamming her head on the counter top and collapsing onto the floor bleeding from her skull.

Ruby awoke on the sofa, she looked around blearily before regaining her bearings. She was home in the living room, but everything seemed slightly off. It was dark outside, the beige sofa was now red and-
Beacon tower was visable through the window? The whole world felt a few degrees off its axis with a conflicting sense of feeling familiar and foreign at the same time. The colours were to vivid, any sound had an underlay of static to it. Something was wrong.
"Good Morning Gem."
Ruby whipped her hurting head around to the voice that simply couldn't be.

Arslan was standing behind her, Marrow and Winter at her side's.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, that was a nasty tumble you took."
Ruby said nothing and stared. Before realizing they were waiting for an answer. But what to say to your undead friend?
"Uh- yeah. Yeah, sure. N-nasty fall."
Ruby slowly sank back down onto the sofa holding her head in pain and in disbelief. She looked up out the window again and Beacon Academy was gone. So Ruby stared into the fish pond looking for answers.

I'm alive! Sorry to be gone so long there was a few bumps in my recovery but I'm mostly alright again!
 Next chapter where we see just what's going on with Ruby.
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See you later, love Lizzi