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Requested By : Polemoduke

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“So…” Tai sighed, sitting on his porch with Qrow beside him, watching the stars while they shared a case of beers. Watching the Southern Star vanish behind a thin cloud, he said, “You’ll take care of her, right?”

“It’s Ruby.” The man huffed, sounding just the tiniest bit insulted. And amused. Taking a long drink and pitching the can away into a little ring of rocks they’d made where a few other cans were already laying, he sighed, “Nothin’ will lay a Gods damned finger on her if I get my way. And if not? Well, that’d be why I have Harbinger, eh?”

“That doesn’t make me feel as good about this as you might think, Qrow…”

“I’m not about to lie, Tai.” The man sighed in agitation, and Qrow grimaced. After a second, he went on, “Her whole life has lead to this. Ever since that awful goddamn birthday party. We couldn’t stop her if we tried- Hell, you know who couldn’t stop her. And we shouldn’t even try. She needs this.”

The other man didn’t say anything for a while, just drinking until his can ran dry and he traded it for another. And then drank half of it, too. Finally, though, he said, “I’m just… She’s so young, you know?”

“I know.” Gods, did he know. It was enough to drive him insane, sometimes, honestly. “But she’s… Driven. Like her mother always was.”

“Yeah…” Tai mumbled, already starting to slide into one of his darker moods.

“Yeah.,,” Qrow rumbled, fllicking the man a look and then shoving his elbow into the other man’s and snickering to break him out of the funk. “And besides, you’re taking the blonde brat to Mistral of all places. Compared to that, Atlas ain’t nothin’.”

“Right.” Tai drawled, shaking his head, “It’s just a barren, frigid tundra full of Grimm, soldiers, and everything the White Fang wants to burn down.”

“Right.” Qrow nodded, “Mistral is way worse.”

“How?”

“My sister lives there.”

“Ah.” Tai blinked, “Ah… Well, shit.”

“Well shit indeed.” Qrow laughed quietly, scratching at his chin and letting his hand drift down to his chest where, ever so faintly, he felt the same ever present… Pressure. Like an updraft, when he was flying, trying to lift him up. And scaring the shit out of him for it. “Yeah, looks like we’re all gonna have to do some reckoning with our Bonds, eh?”

“Don’t remind me…”

“That scared?”

“I’m not…” He started to get defensive, started to lie even, but… Eventually, he just nodded and said, “Yeah. I am.”

“Shouldn’t be.” Tai grunted, “You’re a great guy.”

“Yeah, but-”

“I swear if you start with the ‘who would want the burden of my name’ like slam poetry night…”

“That was eight years ago!”

“Yeah, and every day further from it is a loss to us all.” Tai chuckled, shaking his head and relaxing a bit. Finally, though, he sighed and bumped Qrow’s arm. “I know I don’t say it, but… You’re my brother, and I love you, Qrow. Be safe out there.”

“Yeah.” Qrow nodded, “You too.”

“What, too shy to say it?”

“I’ll break a beer can on your head.”

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Atlas was… A lot of whites and silvers and greys, Ruby realised when they landed and she got off the long, wide airship that had carried them all the way from Vale. And really frickin’ cold, too. Cold enough that Ruby shivered, yawning as she woke up from the nap she’d been enjoying ever since they left, while she wondered if the snowy wind and overcast sky was what her Ember had lived with for all these years. It explained alot…

Slowly, suddenly, she blinked and pressed a hand to her chest.

It was empty, and quiet…

“U-U-Uncle Qrow?!” She squeaked, “H-Help, I-I-”

He was talking to an attendant as he pulled on his pack and grabbed her case off the little rolling conveyor that had been connected to the bottom of the airship, but spun the second she said his name. “What? Another attack?”

“I-I can’t feel which way she is, I can’t-” She sucked in a shallow breath and backed up and he wrapped an arm around her, laughing gently. Which made her scowl, looking up at him. “What’s so funny?”

“You’re too close to her.” He grunted, turning and snatching her backpack up and offering it to her. She was confused, but she took it and let him lead her away from the airship while he explained. “You slept through it, but… As you get closer, the- Well, for me it’s like a tugging, but whatever it’s like, it starts to fade out. After a while, it goes away. Which is-”

“Super inconvenient?”

“Yeah, that.” He laughed, stooping to pick her up. She pouted but let him - she didn’t like all the people pushing past them, talking and shouting, and she could hear him better like this too. “No one knows why, but… That’s how it works, so we gotta find her the hard way.”

“The hard way…?”

“You know how I told you Beacon assigns partners in Initiation through eye contact?” She nodded and he returned the gesture, “Right, well… Bonds are the same way. I’m, uh, pretty sure that’s why Beacon does it, actually. A recognition of how important your partner, and your team, is.”

“Huh. Cool…” And it kinda was, even if it was even more annoying than it was cool. Shaking it off, though, she started to feel her excitement bubbling back up. “S-So if I just… See her, and see her eyes, I’ll know? Just like that?”

“Well, yeah.”

“And I can tackle her for a snuggle assault?!”

“I… Would probably ask first?” Qrow chuckled, hugging her tighter and reaching up with his other hand to play with her hair. “Wouldn’t wanna spook her, right?”

“Ohhhh, you’re right.” She was scared, and hadn’t gotten a lot of affection, Ruby knew. Or, at least, not from anyone else. Ruby had done her best, of course, but… There was only so much good vibes and wrapping up in blankets she could share from a literal continent away. Even through the Emblems. Quietly, she nodded and laid her head on her uncle’s shoulder, “You’re right. I should give her a hug but, like, calmly. I don’t wanna upset her.”

“That’s… Very good of you, Ruby.” Her Uncle muttered, chuckling under his breath, "When did you go and start growing up?”

“When I turned five,” she shrugged, “and someone needed me to.”

“Ah…” He sighed, “Well, shit.”

“Uncle Qrow….” Ruby smiled, “Swear jar!”

“I am not going all the way back to Patch to put a Lien in the swear jar.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“But-”

“Also, I make the rules out here, and I say there is no swear jar.” He grunted, flicking her on the head and shaking his head. A second passed and she opened her mouth and he grunted, “No, that does not mean you get to swear, Ruby. Your father would detect it through some weird, magic force or some shit and come skin me alive.”

“Yeah.” She nodded, smiling, “Fair.”

It took a while of walking after that to get to the Academy but Ruby didn’t mind, sitting up and turning around as much as she could to look at all the people. They wore suits, dresses, uniforms, even armor with full visors that Ruby glowered at. There wasn’t much of a chance that her little ember would be a soldier, of course, but… Still. How could she be sure? She couldn’t, and it bugged her so frickin’ much. But, pouting, she was still excited when they got where her uncle had to go to meet his ‘friend in shiny places’ as he called him.

Atlas Academy…

“It’s huge…” Ruby murmured, letting her Uncle put her down and padding forward into the open, flat grounds surrounding the towering mountain of glass and concrete and metal that was the Academy.

The surroundings were dotted by little planters of trees but mostly empty except for little concrete barriers marking out walkways all around the Academy itself in huge, curving layers that they passed through on their way to a set of stairs in a corner running up to a row of glass doors with an armored soldier in front of each one, waiting with rifles across their chests. As they reached one he stepped forward and raised his chin and Ruby felt nervous all of a sudden and slid behind her uncle, peeking out around his knees while he pulled out a little card.

“I’m here to see Jimmy.” He sighed, “By appointment.”

“Understood, Mister Branwen.” The woman nodded, turning and speaking into the back of her wrist quietly. A second later, she turned back and handed the little plastic thing back and said, “Floor fifteen, room nine. Any guards can direct you.”

“Right…”

“Is that your daughter?” She asked when Qrow took a step and Ruby hung onto his leg. He turned and stooped to pick her up again and sighed.

“Niece, actually.” He grunted, “She’s just nervous.”

“I can tell.” She chuckled, reaching up to press a button on the side of her helmet. He advisor retracted and the woman smiled at her from under a scarred gaze. “See? Not very pretty, but just a person. Nothing to be scared of, sweetheart.”

“Yeah…” She nodded, looking at the long, rugged lines dragged down over one of her bright green eyes. “What happened?”

“Ruby-”

“It’s fine, everyone asks.” The woman laughed, shaking her head and reaching up to drop her visor again. Sighing, she explained, “I got surprised by a Grimm. Nothing more special than that, but… Taught me to pay attention.”

“Did you kill it?”

“My captain did, yes.” She nodded, straightening and stepping to the side. Nodding at the door she said, “Don’t be scared. Okay? Whatever happens, Atlas will prevail. And that means we’re here to protect you, okay?”

She nodded and, with a huff, Qrow pushed by and through the door, muttering under his breath, “Jackboots…”

“What boots…?”

“Nothing, Ruby.” He grunted as they crossed a wide, open lobby overlooked by a balcony above a wide, curved desk pressed against a wall. “Tell you all about it when you’re older.”

“Okay…”

Inside the halls were empty and wide, lined by doors on one side and narrow windows on the other, with a thick red carpet down the middle of it for people to walk on. A few armored soldiers passed by them now and again, and a handful of people in simple grey uniforms did too, but no one paid them much mind. And, after an elevator trip, they finally reached a simple grey door with a white sign on it that said ‘reserved’. Her uncle set her down again and turned, kneeling and sighing.

“Okay, sweetheart, I need you to listen. Okay?”

“Mhm.” She nodded, “Okay.”

“Alright.” He sighed, “Come on, then.”

He pushed open the door and let her head in first.

Inside was a room like she’d seen in cartoons, with a long rectangular table down the middle, lights overhead, and a water cooler against the wall by the door. The other wall was all windows, but curtains were drawn over them. A man was sitting in one of the seats and he stood, smiling and sweeping back the thick white coat he was wearing as he stepped around the edge of the table and offered her uncle his gloved hand.

“Qrow.” He smiled, “It’s good to see you.”

“Jimmy.” Her uncle chuckled, shaking his hand awkwardly and turning to wave Ruby forward. “Ruby, meet Jimmy. The-”

“General of Atlas’ military. I would prefer it be a pleasure, Miss Rose, but I hear the reason you’re here has left you… Somewhat scarred, in more ways than one.” The large man grunted, stepping to the side a bit to stand right in front of her, looming over her with his hands clasped behind his waist. Nervous, she grabbed at the scarf around her neck, pulling it tight and trying not to look away from him. He hummed and smiled, and knelt down in front of her, holding up a hand and tugging the glove off.

Silver fingers curled and uncurled in front of her and Ruby’s eyes widened, “What-”

“We all have them.” Jimmy said quietly, curling the fingers into a fist and sighing. “Don’t be ashamed of yours. Alright?”

“James…”

“Sorry.” He grunted, “What I mean to say is, I… Am a lot like you.”

“Yeah…?”

“I got my scars protecting people.” The man explained, “And you did, too. They’re different, of course, but… Ultimately the same where it truly matters. Don’t you think?”

“I guess so, yeah…”

“I think her scars are a bit different, Jimmy.” Qrow argued quietly, crossing his arms and glaring. “You lost yours to a Sabyr. She got hers from being tortured for years.”

“I know.” The big man nodded gravely, face twisting into a scowl. “To suffer so long, and so deeply, for the Bond to scar you on the other end of it… Do you even know how egregious and consistent this had to be for that to happen, Miss Rose?”

“Yeah.” She nodded, thinking back to their classes on it. “Whenever I get my… Attacks, it hurts so much on both ends that we end up hurting ourselves. Something about our… Muscles doing it?”

“It’s more than that.” Ironwood explained, “It isn’t entirely understood, but… You understand our Aura protects us, heals us, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, from what my theorists say, suffering so often and so deeply through the bond means that you are, essentially, being wounded right to your very soul.” Ironwood explained quietly, laying a hand on his chest and leaning back. “Deep in your heart. So deeply that your Aura itself may very well believe you have been wounded physically, and scars you in its attempt to heal the damage it believes has been done.”

“You mean…” Ruby trailed off, thinking for a moment as her hands balled in her scarf. “I feel it so deep it hurts me - literally?”

“More or less.” He nodded, “And with your story, if you would agree to-”

“We can talk about court cases and laws after we save ‘em both, right, Jimmy?” Qrow cut in, shaking his head. “Last thing I want is for her to suffer another attack…”

“Hm. You’re right, of course.” The man hummed, standing and turning, gesturing at the tables with a hand as he returned to his seat. While they did, and while Ruby fought the urge to spin in the spinny chair, the large man sighed and went on. “Based on your explanation of events, Qrow, my advisors and I have concluded that young miss Rose’s Bonded is, most likely, not a citizen of Atlesian birth.”

“You mean she’s not here?!”

“No, he means that she wasn’t born here, Ruby.” Qrow chuckled, waving her down and frowning. “Adopted, then.”

“In the vile, abused way the term is used for this sort of thing, yes.” The big man nodded, laying his hands on top of each other on the table and frowning. “I have a Specialist under me, someone recently employed for his… Particular talents, compiling the names and surface records of every adopted boy and girl-”

“Mine’s a girl.” Ruby cut in out of instinct, flinching when the big man turned to her and raised a metallically outline brow. “I-I mean, um, mine’s a girl… Sir?”

“You’re certain?” Ironwood asked, humming when she nodded. He fished his Scroll out and typed out a quick message, shooting it off before he returned to his relaxed pose and nodded, his Scroll beside him. “That should speed things up. Is there anything else you know about her?”

“She’s… Older than me.” Ruby answered after a quick look at her uncle and a smile from him. “By a few years. And she works. Like, a lot. With hot stuff and sharp stuff. She hurts her fingers a lot… Burns them and I think cuts them.”

“You feel all of that…?”

“Doesn’t everyone?”

“Not so… Acutely. Not always.” The general shook his head, “Anything else?”

“Nuh uh.”

“Very well.” He rumbled, “Clover, work with that. Field for kitchen workers, dish doers, and anyone else that could suffer such regular, minute injuries. And women within five years older than Miss Rose. Understood?”

“On it, Sir.”

Ending the call, the general smiled and said, “Hopefully, he will find an immigration or adoption record and you will be able to pick her out. They’re all videos from when they enter, so the Bond should trigger off of them. At least, going by our research.”

“Still digging into this stuff, Jimmy?” Her uncle sighed, earning a deep frown from the big man.

“You know I am and you know why I am.” He rumbled, sighing and shaking his head when Qrow just crossed his arms. Whatever they were talking about, they each paid her a look and frowned, and the general moved on as if nothing had been said at all. “Regardless, he should be here shortly with a file and we can begin going through it.”

“Any idea how long ‘shortly’ is?” Qrow asked, “Ruby’s had a long-”

The door opened and cut him off, and a man in armor like the other soldiers came in. He was broad-shouldered and slipped by them without a word, saluting the big man and then turning to plug something into a little box on the wall. A second later, a big paper screen descended and he turned back to them, reaching up and pulling his helmet off in one smooth motion.

“Clover Ebi.” He smiled, looking at Ruby and turning as he said, “And you two must be Miss Rose and-”

As soon as Qrow and the soldier’s gazes met they both froze for a long, quiet second. Before, finally, Qrow breathed out a breath and growled, “Just what the hell is my luck?”

“I mean, I’d say pretty good.” The man smiled, taking a step back and a shaky breath before he turned and said. “General, permission to be at rest?”

“Why…?”

“I just found my soul mate,” the man said, “and I want to hug the bastard.”

“Ah.” The big man murmured while Ruby realized his words and, slowly, smiled. Finally, as Qrow turned and shook his head, the general nodded. “You are relieved, Clover.”

“No.” Qrow grunted, turning and pointing a finger at the other man. “No, no, do not- Ack!”

Ruby watched the new guy pick her uncle up and squeeze him tight, laughing all the while, “You know you want a hug!”

Quietly, while her uncle glowered and pouted, Ruby just watched. And smiled. And wondered…

Is this how her little ember would react when they finally meet?

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