Right, let's get some things straight . 1. Ruby is 5 and hasn't unlocked her semblance but has got her aura unlocked, Yang is 7 and has both aura and semblance unlocked. 2. Edward is 6 he robbed his first store when he turned 4 meaning Ruby bumped into ‘The Man’ when she was 3 and her aura was unlocked because she begged her mum to unlock it after she returned from her mission in the north north-west area. 3. Edward has spent two years in Vale and has made some connections.Now let's get into the story!!
Strumming the guitar that Edward stole, from where that's not important, he was singing a song that he liked from his past life, the song was however interrupted by the local thugs that patrol the poorer side of Vale so grabbing the tin-can and making a run for it so not to be robbed like before when he thought people would just ignore him.
Running away from the street and heading towards the 'Red district' but this world's Red district can barely be called that it's more of an area for pubs, clubs and crime, now you're probably wondering why is he running that way. Well it's simple because he has protection from thugs at Juniors Bar even though there's an age limit Edward has his ways.
The reason he didn't go and head to the library is because he wants to keep Lucy safe as she's been quite kind to him. It's already bad enough that some of the Faunus are making Lucy's life worse as they hate humans and how 'by protecting a human show he's not a TRUE FAUNUS bla bla bla…' though he's done nothing to gain the local Faunus' hate, he might as well not make the problem worse and lead thugs to Lucy's library if they decided to follow him.
Running and arriving at the back door of Junior's bar I knocked in a specific pattern being 2 knocks high and 4 knocks at the bottom, why that knocking patter well the 2 knocks high tell the person that we know the schedule as the person behind the door is Bob and his number is 2 and the 4 knocks at the bottom is for Bob to know that it's me, 1 knock is for Junior showing he's the boss then 2 means it's Melanie Malachite and 3 knocks for Miltiades Malachite since she's the younger twin sister and 4 knocks for me since the twins' kind of treat me like there younger brother.
Bob opened the bar and allowed me in, Bob is a nickname for Robert McGraw Jr he's somebody everyone respects, mainly because a few year ago a rival gang tried to interrogate Bob but it was more like torture, Bob along with 4 other people were the only ones out of 45 to not break from the torture and Bob is the only one who is still alive so everyone respects him.
"Hey Bob, how are you today?" Bob is a man who wears black combat boots and Atlas designed pants so it's very militaristic along with a Vacuo designed shirt that has a image of a cactus and underneath is light armour that's distended for huntsmen and huntresses he's got scars all over his body especially around his hands, feet, head and eyes, he mainly covers all this with gloves, glasses and a blower hat.
"Yeah I'm alright just waiting for someone to bring me my meds'. I could have done it myself but someone offered to do it for me and I accepted." It's good that people still respect their elders.
"Damn well I better get going also I have a surprise for you later, so if you can please come to the bar it would be appreciated." It isn't much of a surprise I just convinced Junior to make the groups official outfit be reddish glasses and a blower hat just like Bob's.
"Oh is that what Junior wanted to talk to me about, yeh sure I'll be there, I'll even put a reminder on my scroll so if I fall asleep I'll still be there." All I did was nod at that since he is old and needs his naps.
*Time-skip given to you by Bob talking about the good-old days and a quick montage of his life* 13:38 22nd of July 70 years after the great war the spare room in Juniors.
With my suitcase and backpack slung over my shoulder and my essentials checked off, I made my way down the glass stairs of Junior's bar. The familiar sights and sounds of the place brought a pang of nostalgia. Every creak of the steps and murmur of the regulars in the bar reminded me of the countless nights spent here.
"Hey kid, all set?" Junior's gruff voice cut through the background noise as I approached the bar. He's wearing the uniform that I suggested. (The same outfit he was wearing in volume 1)
"Yeah, I think I got everything," I replied, shifting the weight of my backpack and suitcase. "Any chance my fake ID is ready?"
Junior slid a small card across the counter. "Here you go. Don't lose it, by the way your new name is now Edgar, a 6 year old who has had enough of the crime in vale so is going to Signal to become a huntsman."
I chuckled thinking that it was kind of ironic since I don't even know what I want to be, taking the ID anyway and tucking it safely into my wallet. "Got it, Junior. Thanks for everything."
He nodded, a rare smile crossing his face. "Take care of yourself out there. Signal and Patch can be a rough place at times, especially for someone like you even if it is relatively safe." 'You're just too trusting of people.'
"I will," I assured him. "I just need to find Lucy and figure out why she disappeared. Maybe I'll even manage to get my aura unlocked."
Junior's expression darkened slightly at the mention of Lucy. "Just be careful. Not everyone out there has good intentions."
With that ominous remark, I made my rounds, saying goodbye to the regulars. Some offered gifts—small trinkets and good luck charms—which I accepted with gratitude. The atmosphere was a mix of sadness and excitement, everyone wishing me well on my journey.
Finally, I stepped out into the street, the light rain misting down and cooling the air. I pulled up the hood of my jacket and began the walk to the port, each step echoing the bittersweet feelings of leaving a place that had become home. The road ahead was uncertain, but the promise of new beginnings and the hope of finding Lucy kept me moving forward.
The port was bustling with activity as I arrived. Bullheads were lined up, passengers hurrying to and fro. I spotted the one heading to Patch and quickened my pace. The rain was starting to pick up, and I was eager to get out of the weather.
As I handed my ticket to the attendant and boarded the bullhead, I found a seat by the window and settled in. The engines roared to life, and soon we were airborne, leaving the city behind. I watched as the familiar skyline faded into the distance, replaced by the vast expanse of the sky.
This was it. A new chapter was beginning, and though the path was uncertain, I felt a sense of determination. Whatever lay ahead in Patch, I was ready to face it.
??? P.O.V 13:52 22nd of July 70 years after the great war.
The gentle sound of clicking gears echoed, allowing the empty coffin to lower into the earth. In the coffin holds only a tattered, blood-stained white cloak—a secret that the children don't need to know. To them there's a real body in the coffin, that and their mother will never be coming back to say goodnight or whisper a simple "I love you," and that heartbreaking truth is etched on the faces of everyone present.
Six people are present, including a bird perched solemnly nearby. Among them stands a grey-haired man, his eyes a shade of metallic red. He wishes for the forgetfulness of alcohol, his attire mostly grey with a reddish-black cape along with a glove on his left hand in the same colour. As if mirroring his grief and bad luck, the sky opens up, shifting from a light drizzle to a heavy downpour. It gives the men an excuse for their tears, even if it's a funeral.
There are also two young girls standing besides each other. The younger, just five years old, has black hair with red highlights reminiscent of dark red roses. Her eyes, now a dull metallic silver, are filled with deep sadness, tears streaming uncontrollably. She wears a black dress with red accents. The other girl, seven years old, has long golden hair cascading past her shoulders, the longest strands reaching the middle of her back. Her eyes are a unique lilac that sometimes turns red when feeling intense emotions, flickering now between lilac and red. She, too, wears a black dress, but with yellow highlights.
The final person is a blond-haired man with blue eyes tinged with lilac. He wears a black suit, formal yet casual. He's on his knees, head buried in his hands, tears stream through his fingers as he lets out a heartbroken cry. His sobs ignite a wave of sorrow, uniting everyone in their shared grief. A loyal dog sits beside him, whimpering softly as if mourning the sudden loss of his master.
The scene is one of profound loss and shared heartache. Each tear mixing with the rain, each sob a testament to the love they hold for the one they have lost as on the grave it states "Summer Rose / Thus Kindly I Scatter" it is a simple statement but one with a great history.
The little ones were dealing with this the hardest, especially since this was when the 5 year old decided that it was a good time to escape, escape from the painful truth, that her mother was gone and she will never be able to hug again.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Qrow, the grey-haired man with metallic red eyes, sees Ruby dart away. "Ruby, wait!" he shouts, his heart racing with worry. He rushes after her, his movements quick and determined despite the rain pouring down harder. But Ruby was small and fast for her age, her aura being awakened decided that this was the moment that her semblance will be unlocked resulting in her going even faster while scattering red rose petals. It is just like Qrows luck that this would happen now.
Ruby, not noticing this, continues to dashes through the forest, tears blurring her vision. She doesn't know where she's going; she just knows she needs to get away. The trees blur past as she continues running, her breath quickening and coming in ragged gasps. Behind her, she hears Qrow calling her name, but she doesn't stop.
She spots a thick bush and dives into it, crouching down and holding her breath. Qrow runs past her hiding spot because of the rain and mud covering the petals, his footsteps fading away slowly. For a moment, Ruby feels a pang of guilt, but she can't face the coffin, the funeral, or the reality of her mother's absence.
Crawling out of the bush, Ruby stumbles and collides with a boy who was busy looking at his scroll while dragging along his suitcase. Both of them tumble to the ground resulting in both being covered in more mud. The boy is slightly older, with unruly dark-brown hair and chocolate brown eyes similar to hot-chocolate. He looks at Ruby with a mix of surprise and curiosity.
"Who are you?" Ruby asks, brushing the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand while slowly sitting back up so as to not get more dirty.
"I'm Edward," the boy replies after a moment of consideration. "Who are you?" he replied even if he already knew who she was but it was best to act as if not knowing.
"Ruby, Ruby R-Rose" she whispers, her voice trembling when remembering that she is the only Rose left in the world as her mother is gone.
Edward's eyes soften when he sees the tears in her eyes. "Why are you crying?" he states out of genuine concern and curiosity as Ruby barely ever truly cry's.
Ruby's lower lip quivers. "My mommy… she's gone." resulting in more tears being produced which Edward quickly wipes away with using a slightly wet handkerchief that was in his left pocket.
Edward's face falls. He knows that pain all too well. "I'm sorry, Ruby, I didn't mean to make you cry... I've… never had a mom or dad but that's fine when I know I have myself and maybe others." As he speaks he puts up this act of not caring.
Ruby looks at him, her silver eyes wide. "You don't?" Ruby asks out of genuine confusion as in her mind that means he's never felt what genuine love feels like.
Edward shakes his head. "No. I live by myself." He grabs his scroll and suitcase then offers Ruby his hand. "Do you want to see where I live?" he asks, not wanting to continue the questioning further.
Ruby hesitates for a moment, then takes his hand. Edward leads her through the forest to a small, makeshift house made of wood and leaves. It's humble, but it's dry and warm along with being a gift from Bob who gave it to him after finding out that he was moving to patch.
"This is my home," Edward says proudly and happily as he will finally be able to get away from the rain, he was also thankful to Bob for giving him this house even if he has to clean it up a bit.
Heading inside Ruby looks around, feeling a strange sense of comfort and warmth. "It's nice." and she meant it.
Bob's house, which is now Edward's house, is crafted from wood and leaves, is a small but ingenious structure nestled deep in the forest. As Ruby steps inside more, she notices the remarkable details that make the space both functional and surprisingly cosy.
The walls are constructed from sturdy branches and logs, interwoven with thick vines and layered with large leaves to keep out the rain. The roof is a patchwork of leaves and branches, meticulously arranged to provide shelter from the elements. Despite its rustic appearance, the house feels secure and dry.
In two corners, there's a makeshift bed made from an array of animal furs and blankets. It's covered with a large, weathered piece of fabric, likely scavenged from an abandoned campsite. It looks surprisingly comfortable and warm.
A small wooden table stands in the centre of the room, fashioned from an old tree stump with smoothed surfaces. On it, there are a few handmade wooden utensils, a bowl for fresh forest fruits or foraged nuts. Next to the table, a couple of small stools made from tree stumps serve as seats.
Shelves made of planks and branches line one wall, holding an assortment of collected treasures: smooth stones, colourful feathers, interesting twigs, and other small trinkets Bob left for Edward that he found in the forest. There's also a crude but functional lantern made from a hollowed-out gourd, filled with fireflies that emit a soft, natural glow.
In another corner, there's a small fire pit encircled by stones, with a stack of dry kindling and firewood nearby. Above it hangs a metal pot, likely found or traded, used for cooking simple meals. The fire pit has a makeshift chimney made from hollowed-out logs to direct the smoke outside, preventing the interior from getting smoky.
Various items are hung on the walls with twine: a handmade fishing net, a slingshot, and a small collection of foraging baskets. These tools indicate Bob's resourcefulness and his ability to live off the land making Edward wonder who Bob is.
Despite its simplicity, the house exudes a sense of ingenuity and care. Bob has created a safe haven for himself and now Edward and Ruby, with the limited resources available to him. The space feels alive, filled with the essence of the forest and the resilience of Bobl who has made it his home.
There was even a bathroom that uses a pipe that uses the collected rain water which is filtered and stored in large barrels and 5 smaller barrels for emergencies. On the table these a letter that's addressed to Edward, he moves in closer to the table leaving his suitcase and backpack under the shelf near the door while also inviting ruby in to read the letter with him in the letter it says:
"To Edward,
Hey Edward I've made you this house, I realised you were wanting to head to patch and attend Signal you're probably also wondering who I am but that's not important for now I'm just Bob and that's all you need to know.
The house is made slightly close to the Rose and Xiao-Long family though it is around a 5 to 10 minute walk so if you're ever in trouble go and run to them and they'll help you out (I've seen how fast you can run it'll only take 30 seconds for you).
The house is mainly made out of wood and leaf's with the odd bit of hardened clay and metal so it should be quite sturdy but it is best to check on them just in cases, there is also a shower that does work but it's mainly got cold water so if you want to heat it, make a small fire underneath one of the smaller barrels with metal so the heat can transfer into the small barrel there's still a limit to how much hot water you get but hot water is hot water.
From Bob
P.S there is a small garden in the back that you can use to train these, also a shed that's also a workshop.
P.P.S Rose and Xiao-Long's family has 2 girls around your age, you might want to get to know them. ;D Both Edward and Ruby blush about this though Ruby's blush is more tame still not over her mothers death.
P.P.S The house was made on the 26th June 70 years after the great war so it might need some cleaning."
Edward didn't know how to react about this yes he's 6 and everyone thinks that 'he's just a very smart 6 year old' but in reality he's 27 in mind that means by the time he turns 18 he'll really be 39 so having a relationship would be weird although not as weird as Ozma being many millennia years old and still having wives and children so it should be fine.
Deciding to distract himself he pulls out a custom made laptop, keyboard and mouse along with other tools all this coming out from his backpack each thing he pulls out has a personalised logo, ruby seems to recognize those symbols but is too focused on other things
Ruby asks Edward "D-Did you make all this?" she would be amazed if he did do all this since he seems to be around her age, 'I'll never be able to do this, but I can try… right?' This unknown to Edward inspires her to create things.
Edward embarrassed replies "Hmm oh this, yeah none of the store around Vale had what I was looking for so instead I had to learn how to make it myself, it required a lot of reading and some of the books were quite old fashioned for example instead of a hard light keyboard and mouse it's more real, though the software I made myself and it took what felt like forever to make even a operating system." *sigh* "By the way, do you have your scroll on you? If so, can I borrow it… please?"
Awkwardly Ruby thinks then says "Umm, yes I do have a scroll on me? Why do you want to borrow my scroll?" Ruby is very hesitant to share her things to others especially after those few times where her friends were just using her to either get to Yang or take her things, like her cookies.
Edward, seeing the uneasy look in Ruby eyes, says "You uh don't have to if you don't want, I know how you feel really, I rarely ever give people my things especially things that can contain my personal information. I just thought that we could trade numbers so that we can stay in touch and if you ever want to talk then I'll be here. … How… How about you go take the first shower? I'll lend you some of my spare clothes and you can think this through in the shower."
Ruby not knowing what to say just nods, adding even more complicated feelings into her life. As Edward heats up the small barrel so Ruby can enjoy her shower, Ruby is looking at all the missed calls on her scroll and decides to send Qrow a message telling him that she's fine and is going to stay at a friend's house for some time as she just wants some time to process things. Ruby then strips and leaves her mud soaked clothes in the middle of the floor and proceeds to take a nice warm shower where it wasn't too hot or too cold allowing her time to process her emotions.
Just outside the bathroom Edward was about to enter so he can give Ruby his spare cloths luckily (or unluckily, yeah right SHE'S 5 FOR FUCKS SAKE) he was able to hear the sound of muddy clothes hitting the floor before he opened the door then the sound of the shower running.
Embarrassed, Edward just stood there for a few minutes then knocked on the door a couple times and shouted "H-Hey Ruby, I'll leave these clothes near the door and some towels, also just shout for me if the clothes don't fit and I'll get another pair for you!"
"Alright thanks Edward." Is the only response that could be heard from within the shower, Edward seeing how that's sorted decided to do his daily meditation so he can one day unlock his aura by himself.
Qrows P.O.V around the forest in patch, still looking for Ruby around 15 minutes after Ruby sent her message.
"RUBY! Come on answer, answer dammit! You can't just send me a message then not answer, how do I even know if that is you!?"
Putting his scroll back and flying high to hopefully get a better view of the area he sees a house that he doesn't remember being registered on the map deciding to go check it out he was just in time to see Ruby place a hand on a dark haired boy shoulder before closing his eyes because of a extremely bright light.
Ohh cliffhanger be sure to make theories on what could happen next time even if this was a rewrite and you've probably already read the next part or you just don't care to write one.