Chapter Text
It was over. She’d lost. She’d tried her best, but in the end, it hadn’t amounted to anything.
She should have told Raven, Qrow, Tai, or anyone what she was doing, but she’d listened to brothers-damned Ozpin and gone off to do her “duty” and now she was on her last legs against an immortal foe who shrugged off her best attacks like they were nothing.
Even her silver light hadn’t done more than inconvenience her for a minute, which she had used to get this last bit of breathing room.
Salem was breaking out of her stone prison slower this time. Either she’d unleashed a stronger light, or she was doing it to toy with Summer knowing that with her injuries she wouldn’t possibly be able to flee from her but she still wanted her to try.
Well, she wasn’t going to do that. She might be dying today but she wasn’t going to give her that satisfaction.
She’d noticed that she’d hardly reacted to any of her other attacks even as they obviously dealt damage but she screamed when she was burned so she’d make sure her last memories of Summer Rose were of flames.
She hastily gathered all the fire dust she had left and waited. As soon as she saw an opening in the statue, which was starting to crack, she was going to shove all this fire dust inside and hold it there. Let it burn both of them for as long as she could manage.
She steadfastly ignored the tears staining her cheeks as she thought of her family, her team, and her beloved children.
Little Yang, so bright and ready for adventure. Ruby with the boundless energy that came from youth and a curious gaze. She hated leaving them but they deserved to grow up in a world free from this witch and while she couldn't manage that maybe she could make her think twice before messing with a Rose!
She shuffled closer slowly, unable to force her legs to go faster, and needing to use her beloved weapon as a crutch. She made it as the cracks spread across the entire surface of the statue and drew her arm back waiting for her moment.
Suddenly several tendrils burst from the statue and tore the dust crystals from her hand before she felt herself pinned to the ground as Salem stood before her once more.
“I have to admit I almost expected you’d run. Even in your…condition,” Salem offered as a backhanded compliment.
“I’m not afraid of you,” Summer spat in return as Salem shrugged gently.
“Then you shall die braver than most,” Salem retorted blithely as she held up a finger and summoned a small ball of magic she aimed towards the woman she held on the ground.
The sun broke through the clouds at just the right angle to cause a reflection from a ring on Summer’s hand and Salem stopped for a moment.
“You are…married,” Salem said, sounding intrigued as Summer nodded, seeing no reason to hide what was already known.
“I love them…,” Summer said, not being ashamed of that in the slightest before she snarled, “not that you’d know anything about loving someone, or children of your own, you monster!” Summer growled before the hands holding her down tightened their grips even further.
“Children, you say? You’d be surprised,” Salem chuckled and if she was bothered by Summer’s statement she didn’t show it save for a glint in her eye.
Instead, she turned and picked up Summer’s discarded weapon and examined it as she thought about her plan. She was going to simply kill her, but now…what if there was a more amusing option that could still advance her plans? Or perhaps her plans that none would know of, that had been little more than a desperate dream until this moment.
There was no harm in checking surely, and if she was wrong then Summer’s death would merely be postponed for a few hours which hardly mattered to her. She’d already proven that Summer didn’t pose a real threat to her, irritating silver eyes or not. Her mind made up she turned back to her captive.
“I have excellent news for you. Despite Ozma’s attempt to kill you,” Salem said and continued ignoring Summer’s eyes going wide, “I have decided on a more amusing course of action. Feel free to resist. It won’t matter," Salem informed summer as she brought her hands to either side of her head with a spark of magic flowing between them.
Summer had no idea how long she’d been tortured but she must have at some point given Salem what she wanted since it had stopped. She was so sure she hadn’t. Perhaps she'd simply used whatever strange magic she had to pry the information from her mind.
“It seems as though we have some travel ahead of us,” Salem said as she effortlessly picked up her weapon in one hand and Summer herself in the other and tossed her over her shoulder seemingly unbothered by the weight.
Summer wished she had the strength to resist, but she could barely keep her eyes open, which was probably for the best. The speeds Salem moved at were terrifying, and far beyond even what she was capable of.
She wasn’t sure how long it had taken as she’d passed in and out of consciousness but night had fallen as she saw the home she shared with the others.
Salem finally stopped a short distance away and hurled her weapon so it clattered near the house. When no one came to investigate Salem seemed satisfied and entered the home.
A television was on and playing something in the background and Salem was drawn to it as a series of hands drug along Summer and kept her silent.
Sitting in front of the screen and on the couch was a worried-looking child with a blonde ponytail and a smaller child that Salem was able to see from the reflection had silver eyes.
Perfect.
“Hello dears,” Salem said as the children spun around only for Grimm hands to pour out of the floor and tap each child on the forehead sending them to sleep.
Screaming children would be irritating to deal with.
“Well, Summer, silver eyes for silver eyes is a fair trade, yes?” Salem asked rhetorically as Summer’s eyes widened and she began to thrash against the hands holding her in place with renewed fervor even as her eyes started to glow.
Salem merely waited knowing Summer hadn’t yet regained the energy to do anything substantial to her and when her light shone she simply held up a hand and let it be turned to stone. Admirable but a pointless waste of energy as she merely flexed her hand and the stone fell away.
“I do hope you make the most of your second chance. And remember that Ozma was the one to set this in motion. I do hope you make better choices on who to trust in the future. Don’t worry about the little one you’ll see her again in due time,” Salem promised cruelly as the Grimm hand repeated its earlier action and knocked Summer unconscious.
Not wishing to stay here and risk having to deal with any more nuisances she had a hand carefully carry the sleeping child, and went up the stairs to gather a few sets of clothes in a small backpack with a dragon figure on it. It might have been millennia ago but at one point she did have children of her own, and she wasn’t naive enough to think she had what she needed on hand at the castle.
That being said she wasn’t sure how things would go so she simply took some of everything for the time being. Perhaps more than she should, but she was almost pleased with the potential to enact her most desired of plans so she indulged more than she normally would.
Everything was ready in short order as she sped away to begin the next stage of her plans.
Summer’s family would return home to find their missing member on the floor of the living room next to a sleeping Yang with Ruby missing.
Once Summer woke and was stable she informed them of what had happened.
Summer never forgave herself, nor did Yang even though she was just a child and couldn’t have possibly done anything.
They would never give up looking for their daughter.
Thankfully despite everything, it didn’t break them and they were closer than ever even if Yang’s dream had shifted from adventure to finding her lost little sister.
Ozpin or Ozma became an enemy to the home’s occupants that day.
Salem had much to do. A silver-eyed child by itself was amusing but of little use. Thankfully she appeared to be past the need for diapers even if only barely, but she was still young enough that she would be easily moldable in any way she needed.
For her plan to work, she needed a child of light and dark. Silver eyes as irritating as they were, represented the light, and she wasn’t ignorant that her own abilities were the dark.
If they’d been able to work together to curse her with immortality then perhaps another combination of the same could end it.
And if that didn’t work then she could always just burn the world to the ground. Perhaps when nothing was left they’d destroy her just to start anew. Either would work for her.
Thankfully with magic, she was able to keep the young child asleep for now, or else she was sure it would be wailing.
She had to be very careful about this. Thankfully she’d already experimented with silver eyes before so she was able to make sure the darkness and light were perfectly balanced, and best of all if she’d done it right silver light wouldn’t harm her.
A perfect balance to bring an end to her life. In the future at least. She’d need to keep a close watch on the child to ensure it grew up well. No use having the child and it was too stunted or underdeveloped to be of use.
She would be dangerous and deadly and cut down all who stood before her, or in the way of Salem’s will.
The child’s name had been on the back of her shirt and Salem saw no reason to change that. Ruby was a perfectly fine name or at least adequate enough and Salem didn’t have to waste time thinking of another. Besides it would be easier for her former family to identify her that way and be all that much more amusing when they saw what she had become.
The child was at first scared but soon came to find the castle as her own home as Salem raised her as best she could given the only real experience she had was millennia ago.
Ruby didn’t seem to mind and Salem found herself slightly more amused than usual at what was essentially her daughter, and almost on rare occasions felt protectiveness toward her.
Of course, while Ruby’s abilities were a shadow of hers they were still light years ahead of anyone else’s on remnant save perhaps for Ozma and they would only grow in the future.
Unfortunately, while she could train Ruby in most of her abilities and did she could not train her to wield a weapon as she’d never had much use for them herself and as Ruby would be going to Beacon for various reasons so she was forced to improvise and having one of her underlings try to train her was the height of folly.
None of them were that stable save perhaps Arthur but he was much less a fighter than the others. No. Arthur would teach the child what she needed to know to blend into society.
The good doctor would deal with her education where Salem lacked and she had others who could help train her when she was more ready for advanced training.
She would however be forced to improvise after Ruby had explained the weapon she wished to wield.
On Ruby’s seventh birthday she left early, took Ruby with her, and located her target.
“Qrow Branwen,” Salem said lightly as the man glared at her his scythe at the ready and waiting to slice her to ribbons.
“Where. Is. Ruby?” Qrow demanded his eyes sharp and clear, no hint of his usual almost there slur present.
“She’s waiting for us,” Salem said as Qrow blinked stupidly at her.
“Just like that?”
Salem nodded. “She wishes to be a huntsman and finds the scythe fascinating. You were closest, and I assumed you could fill her relatives in on her condition. I did say they’d see her again at some point.”
“You’re shitting me,” Qrow said and Salem merely stared.
“I am not nor would I waste my time doing so. This is your last chance before I get bored and leave. Do you wish to see her again or not?” Salem said her tone indicating she was getting impatient.
At Qrow’s wary nod, which was understandable if Salem were honest, she turned around and left at a speed she judged he could keep up with a short distance away to a clearing where Ruby was already up and running around playing with a Beowolf she’d taken a liking to years ago.
For some reason, that specific Beowolf never left her side if it could help it, and oddly enough she seemed to understand it to a degree even Salem herself was incapable of.
“Ruby, this is the huntsmen I mentioned who used a scythe,” Salem explained patiently as the seven year old’s eyes sparkled in delight.
Qrow stepped forward no doubt to attempt to grab and free her but was restrained by dozens of Grimm hands which seemed to be…draining his aura? Or were keeping him from transforming into his crow form? He was unsure.
“Here is his weapon,” Salem said as she handed the large scythe to the smaller girl.
Qrow fully expected her to be injured trying to hold it up and was surprised when she managed it without seeming to struggle.
Seeing his confusion Salem smirked.
“You did not think I would allow you even the slightest chance of escaping with her did you?” Salem smirked at his frustrated face.
“Should you do as instructed then I might be… inclined to seek you out and allow a few more of these…visits as she grows up. You can struggle all you like but you will not find me, or Ruby unless I allow it. You can enjoy time with her and teach her, or you can run along and tell Ozma, and I will know if you do and then you will never see her again. The choice is yours,” Salem said as the bindings released him.
“Hey kiddo, you ok?” Qrow asked his niece or at least what he assumed was his niece as she nodded happily at him, or at least he thought she did in her black cloak.
He came next to the smaller figure who was petting a Beowulf puppy. Did those exist? Apparently, there was at least one.
“Always thought red would be your color,” Qrow admitted as he sat down as the smaller figure fiddled with his scythe.
“The inside is red! I like it!” The voice answered cheerily.
“Your name is Ruby. You know that right?” Qrow asked, wanting to be sure as the girl in question tilted her head and he saw silver eyes shining brightly from within.
“Well duh, who else would I be?” Ruby asked before she went back to fiddling with the scythe before Qrow’s hand darted forward to grab her own.
“Careful that will activate the shotgun, and with the way your hands are could hurt you,” Qrow said glad his semblance hadn’t struck just yet.
“Oh,” Ruby said as she looked behind him and Qrow turned slightly to see dozens of shadowy hands ready to grab onto him before they relaxed slightly as Salem remained a short distance away.
The girl removed her cloak and Qrow gaped. Instead of a malnourished waif or tortured child, he’d expected was a healthy looking seven year old. Well if one ignored the black veins on her hands and parts of her face, and eyes.
“What have you done?” Qrow demanded whirling around only to find throes of hands already raised to meet his advance.
“I’ve made a perfect balance. Her eyes of light will shine as bright as ever without harming her, and she has all the powers of mine she can handle. Her chosen career requires her to be well protected, and I am nothing if not thorough,” Salem explained, her voice full of pride before she looked curiously at him.
“You weren’t going to call her a monster were you?” Salem said with a cruel smirk as Qrow looked back around at Ruby who was watching him.
“What? No of course not! That’s my niece!” Qrow said aghast as Salem nodded.
“And I assume you will keep this to yourself? You may inform the others that Ruby is well and will attend Beacon when she turns fifteen. I will make sure of it,” Salem asked Qrow who looked at her carefully.
“And if I do I’ll see her again?” Qrow asked, wanting to do nothing more than bury his scythe in her face and flee but that wasn’t his semblance and he’d seen how fast she or her hands could move.
Salem nodded and Qrow sighed before nodding in defeat.
“Wonderful. I knew I made the right decision. Go spend time with your niece then,” Salem dismissed him as she returned to her previous post and watched them closely.
Ruby, it turned out despite looking like a partial Grimm was all heart. Perhaps a touch more bloodthirsty as she enjoyed his stories more than a normal seven-year-old might, but honestly it could have, should have, been much worse.
The visit was called to a close much too soon for his tastes but he held his tongue knowing that if he did anything different they’d never find her again. At least this way he could see her and make sure she was doing alright.
“Bye uncle Qrow! It was nice to meet you! You gotta teach me more about the scythe next time!” Ruby said as she ran over to stand near Salem.
“Yeah…sure kid,” Qrow replied as Salem returned his weapon to him.
“You’re…going to keep your word,” Salem stated, sounding almost surprised before she nodded and a quick hand of Grimm jabbed into his arm before it vanished and his swing missed.
“What did you do to me?” Qrow demanded even though he couldn’t feel anything different.
“I simply gave you a gift. I’m aware of your little semblance, and after experimenting I found out I have the delightful ability to manipulate one should I desire it. It is not easy, but I had gathered enough blood from you to manage.”
Qrow’s brow furrowed. “All those sudden Grimm attacks over the last year where they went only for me…that was your doing!” Qrow accused and Salem smirked.
“Indeed it was. Your semblance is no longer simply bad luck, rather it’s now luck in general. Good, bad, or none at all. It’s up to you. As for the why? I don’t need it accidentally harming Ruby before I’ve finished with her and think of it as a reward for keeping your word,” Salem shrugged.
“But how?”
“I wouldn't worry about it, rather enjoy the fact that you can remain close to others without tragedy befalling them if you so choose. Farewell for now,” Salem said before she and Ruby were gone from his sight and he sank to his knees after changing into his corvid form and being unable to spot her anywhere within eyesight.
She could change a semblance? With that kind of power? What were its limits? Was she even telling the truth? He’d have to practice. After he let the others know about Ruby at least.
Except for Ozma. He was well-hated in the family these days and only Tai was barely on speaking terms with him out of necessity.
Still, at least they’d finally found her. He could decide the rest later once he told the others the good news.
