Specialist Rose

11) The Next Meeting

Yang, uncle Qrow and Tai were sharing a rare moment of silence. Tai had put 4 new pictures up on the wall from Ruby's birthday out of the thousands he got sent. It had been hard for the 3 of them to go through the pictures and videos to see everything that they had missed. Eventually they settled on Ruby with her rose crown about the blow out her candles. The main lights were off so the only thing to be seen was the firelight dancing in her silver eyes and illuminating her face and the Rose cake in front of her. The second was the group photo of everyone at the party. The third was Ruby midway through tearing off the red wrapping paper. A few of her friends could be seen in the background taking pictures but the main focus was Ruby. Her eyes were shining the moment she saw what was under the wrapping paper and looked like a 7 year old on Christmas day. The 4th and final picture was one of Ruby, a pink haired faunas and a jazz player. They had all fallen asleep against each other. Ruby's crown was slightly falling off her head, the pink haired pony tail had come loose and the jazz player looked worse for wear too, but even in sleep they all looked happy. It was hard to physically print and frame the photos but they did it none the less. Eventually time caught up to them and Yang had to return to school and Qrow had to return to the bar. So whilst they were not happy about it life continued. Well for another 2 weeks at least.

~~~Time Skip To Atlas~~~
Ruby POV

"Are you really sure about this? I mean is it nessacery?" I asked doubtfully. I was being assigned 4 atlesian knights to accompany me for my next mission. They were not programmed to leave a 20 meter radius of me and could be told what to do using hand signals. They were assigned to ensure my safety from the moment I leave Atlas from the moment I return. Apparently I am a valuable asset for the military. Whilst I appreciate the compliment I am also a soldier and can protect myself. For this mission I was to oversee cargo transfer, make small talk with other official people and program the cargo into the new system. Where was this new system you may be asking? Beacon. Of course it's the one place I should be avoiding at all costs. Suddenly I was a bit more comfortable to be having 4 knights with me. Hopefully I'll look so scary that Yang won't go near me. Even so I argued that I could protect myself. The general still insisted.
"Sir please. I know I've got a long way to go as a huntress but I can protect myself and winter will be there as well."
Yes this was not a solo mission. Winter would be accompanying me. Speaking of Winter,
"I shall be accompanying you Gem but you are the main character of this mission. I am merely there to oversee cargo transfer and to come to your aid if these knights fail. These robots are your supporting cast and therefore need to be there. No fairytale is built on a single character. Not that you will need much help. Because you will rock that military uniform, blow those officials away, perfectly complete the mission and you probably won't even see your sister." She said brushing my hair off my eye and adjusting the sit of my cloak over my military uniform.
I took a deep breath and nodded firmly though I didn't quite believe her. I turned around to say a quick goodbye to Neon, flynt and Marrow. They sprung the mission on me so close to showtime that there was no time to panic. I grabbed my bag that Ciel had packed once again and hugged everyone goodbye one last time. The robots booted up and fell into order flanking me whilst Winter and I walked onto the ship. I won't lie as much as I knew I could protect myself a little part of me felt excited to know that from the outside I looked important like I was some high class individual when I was really just a student.

~~~Time Skip Because I Shattered~~~

All too soon the ship had docked at Beacon. I was scared and I think the robots knew it because they fell into a box position around me. Winter exited out the back after explaining what would happen. 
"First you will be met by the headmaster. If he is not outside just walk into reception someone is going to notice you. Remember what to say, you are here to oversee cargo and program it into Beacon system. I'll be leaving out the back way to not attract attention. Remember there are probably a lot of students out there, don't look to threatening and good luck." with those words Winter left the ship and the main bay doors opened to let me out. Winter was right, there were many students here to see what is going on. 2 students stood out however. Yang was there. She looked rough, winter's sister was there as well and the moment I stepped off the ramp this girl had stalked up to me demanding to know who I was.
"I am Specialist Rose, Miss Schnee."
"Well where is Winter? This is her ship you know?"
"I am well aware that this is Winter's ship. She has left prior to my arrival."
The younger Schnee seemed disgruntled at this but accepted it.
"Ruby?" A small voice asked. Said small voice just can't belong to Yang. It just can't there is no way yang would ever sound that weak. But alas Yang pushed her way through the crowd to see Ruby.
"Yang you know this girl?"
"Ruby, this is my sister Ruby. Oh Rubes this is my teammate Weiss Schnee. I thought you said you were never going to visit?"
"Wait your younger sister Ruby who ran away to be a stripper?"
"Really Yang? Lying isn't very fitting for a huntress. Fortunately I did not come here for a visit."
"So why are you here Rubes?"
"Classified."
"Of course, stop trying to sound official. How long are you staying?"
"Classified."
"Listen here you little shi-"
Yang got abruptly cut off my an older sounding man. Looking up I could see professor Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch. A year ago I probably would have freaked out and fallen over myself and scrambled to look my best but this time I had no need for it. I looked fantastic in my uniform and I was happy with where I was. Ozpin spoke in his old wizened voice,
"Girls, if this is the way you great guests to Beacon academy then I worry what you do in your own homes. Specialist Rose is visitor at this school to be treated with the highest respect. Miss Rose if you will follow me please." I didn't hesitate to follow him across the courtyard and into the building. I can only imagine how this whole malarkey looked from the outside. A 5 foot 5 girl supposed to be treated with the highest respect. Shutting down Weiss Schnee and having 4 robot guards following me. A part of me really didn't want to admit it but having atlesian knights guarding me was just a tiny bit cool.
"I apologize for your greeting Miss Rose, I trust the rest of out journey went well?" Alright breathe Gem, Winter taught you what to say.
"It was a easy flight thank you Headmaster."
"Oh please, Call me Ozpin. Might I call you Ruby?"
"Of course."
"Take a seat Ruby, not everything has been loaded in yet so I hoped we might have a chance to talk. It's not usually that James sends his students down on such an important mission, are you his mentee?"
"No I am not. Atlas has yet to choose who to mentor. The General has done much for me from accepting me early and giving me 2 places within his military I doubt he would take me on as a mentee too. I am here simply because I was dispatched not as a soldier but as the mechanic for the army. I understand you need my brains and it saved a trip if I oversaw cargo transport too."
"Well James dislikes wasted potential so I don't see why he shouldn't choose you. Yes we do need your brains. As I understand it you helped make some of this software so who better to wire it up than the mastermind herself?"
"I would hardly refer to myself as a mastermind but thank you for the implication."
"It's not often that students are accepted early into one of the 4 main academies. You must be extraordinarily talented Ruby. A true one in a million individual. Similar to your silver eyes, or your mother."
Alright enough was enough. This conversation was uncomfortable enough in the first place. It was more like an interrogation than a conversation but I knew what he was getting at.
"Enough. I earned my place in Atlas just as everyone else. Skill has never and will never depend on age. For example, Lord knows how old you are but you clearly aren't clever enough to know that as the person running this operation I received a message before we had even entered the building saying that everything was loaded in and ready to go. I recommend fact-checking your lies before trying to con me into anything. I am a soldier Headmaster Ozpin- I can spot an interrogation a mile away no matter how subtle it is. Now if you will excuse me I have some equipment I need to program into your system. Good day."
"Good day to you too Specialist Rose."
With that I turned to leave but as I got into the lift I could hear his defeated sigh and a murmur of something but I didn't care what he had to say. 
I programmed everything into the system as quickly as I could. But as I programmed it in our conversation kept niggling at the back of my brain, Just in case I added a firewall only accessible through my scroll. Something here is just not right. I think that is just a side effect of my conversation with the headmaster and Yang being here.  As I was coding a knock sounded at the door and a red-headed spartan walked in. Of course I recognized her as Pyrrha Nikos but I decided to play otherwise. She is no different or better than me. 
"Come in!"
"Hello, you must be Specialist Rose."
"Oh please. Call me Ruby- though my friends call me Gem."
"Nice to meet you Gem. My name is Pyrrha."
"Nice to meet you Pyrrha. Did you need something?"
"Oh no I thought I just ought to bring you some coffee, you have been holed up in here for 6 hours already."
"It's been 6 hours?"
"It has been yes. I hope you like it, your sister says you preferred it with a ridiculous amount of sugar."
"Whilst she is not incorrect I would prefer it if you didn't call her my sister,"
"Of course, I'm sorry."
"Nah its ok. What's this I hear about me running away to be a stripper? Apparently I have a reputation around here before arriving."
"Yang's team and my own are very close and one day the topic switched to siblings she looked sad. When we asked her what was wrong she said that her younger sister, Ruby Rose, had run away to be a stripper. According to her she had tried to call you several times to talk some sense into her, however I assume that there is much more to the story than we were told." Pyrrha said softly. 
"That elaborate? Well dramatics always did suit Yang. There is a great deal more to the story, but it is a long story."
"Well I've plenty of time."
"Father warned me not to talk to strangers."
"No, you said your friends call you Gem and as I called you Gem that makes me a friend not a stranger."
"Can't argue with that I suppose."
Despite the fact that we had just met she felt surprisingly easy to talk to, I told her my story and she told me hers. Before we knew it 3 more hours had passed and we went to get a coffee. Pyrrha introduced me to her teammates and we could all safely say that we were friends but the end of my visit to Beacon. They walked me to the docking station where Winter and the ship were waiting. Nora had yet to take her suspicious eyes off of the knights and Pyrrha would not stop hugging me goodbye.
"Guys I have to go lest the ship go without me. I promise to facetime and text you all the time. It's not goodbye forever." With that I could a final hug from all of them before walking up the ramp onto the ship. Winter looked at me confused when she saw me waving to team jnpr and I simply said,
"You were right Winter. I aced the mission, talked to the headmaster, conquered my sister and even made some friends."
"See? Told you that you would perform excellently."
I sat down and blinked and we were docking at home in Atlas. Arslan, Marrow, Violet and the General were waiting for us. The last few days have been fantastic. I got to do some travelling, made new friends and had my family waiting for me at home. I went to Beacon and was able to face Yang. If I can do that, I can do anything.

You know the gist.
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See you later, love Lizzi