Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You were the shadow to my light. Did you feel us?

Another star. You fade away.

Afraid our aim is out of sight. Wanna see us, alive?

Where are you now? Where are you now?

Where are you now? Was it all in my fantasy?

Where are you now? Were you only imaginary?

Where are you now? Atlantis. Under the sea.

Under the sea. Where are you now?

Another dream? The monsters running wild inside of me.

I’m faded.

Faded – Alan Walker

It’s time to wake up, my little rose petal.

The velvety voice invaded Ruby Rose’s mind, caressing her brain with its seductive touch. The dialect lit the neurons and started the synapses firing with familiarity.

Her silver eyes fluttered open, dark lashes fanning her cheeks.

Who was that?

She heard the rustle of her companions’ awakening.

A brief shadowed image dances across her memory. It was a dream. But it didn’t feel like one. She clambered out of her sleeping bag and prepared for the day with her friends. It was another day of walking.

And the rain the night before wouldn’t make it any better, as the rain carried the remainder of the winter chill with it.

Remember me, little petal… the voice seemed to ask of her.

Ruby shook her head and smoothed her clothes before rolling up her sleeping bag, tying it closed. The canopy of trees and leaves made for a partial cover from the rain. It wasn’t perfect, but it kept the majority of the rain off the traveling teens. Ruby was grateful for it. Jaune had a good sense about these things.

As they gathered around the morning fire, making breakfast, the young Huntress-in-Training noticed a flicker of movement in the water puddle next to her foot. A large blue and black moth.

What? She looked around.

“Are you okay?” Jaune asked.

Nora also looked worried. Ren seemed contemplative as he made their breakfast.

“Yeah. Just had some weird dreams.” She mumbled.

“Maybe it was all this rain. Hopefully, today, we’ll get to find a town and have warm beds.” Nora said. She was in one of her rare, motherly, moods, Ruby noticed.

After a quick breakfast and finishing up their packing, they were on the road again.

He’s here. A tiny voice whispered from Ruby’s left.

She uttered a soft yelp and looked around for the source of the voice. There was nothing around her. Except for some bugs and trees. But bugs and plants can’t speak… She shook herself roughly and followed her friends. But not before the voice returned with a final warning.

He rides the wind…

“Guys, that storm looks nasty!” Jaune’s shocked voice broke through the chill of fear that sunk into Ruby’s bones.

She tilted her head upward to gaze at the sky, seeing the darkening clouds gathering.

“We should hurry!” She cried, breaking into a run.

The others followed and a crack of thunder shook the ground and rumbled through their shoes.

Bloody, bloody Alyssa!

The rage and hurt at betrayal shook Morpheus.

In her one final act of defiance and betrayal, she took her Wish and used it to turn back the clock. Not only sending her mortal back but undoing everything she had done as well. Including going down the rabbit hole.

But that was all well and good. For her. No doubt she was living happily with her human boyfriend.

The thought made the jewels on Morpheus’ face glimmer a sickly green as he paced back and forth in his bedroom, a scowl twisting his mouth.

Fine. Play house with your human all you’d like, Alyssa. I shall get what I want. I always do.

A memory of red and black hair and silver eyes paraded through his memories.

Ah. Her.

He turned on his heel and set off in search of a mirror that he could use as a conduit.

Where have you gone to, my little rose petal?

The Higanbana inn looked warm and cozy. And it was. They all shared a floor. Jaune’s room was across the hall from Ruby’s and Ren and Nora shared a room next to hers. Ruby was never so happy to have a warm room and bed. She shed her hood and took a nice, hot shower, washing away the debris of her travels and the rainwater.

Once she changed into a pair of soft pajamas, she clambered into her bed. Her muscles ached from long walks and fights. Ruby picked up her Scroll and opened it. The words, “Local Signal Only” blinked above the screen and served as a solemn reminder that she can’t contact her sister. Ruby snapped it closed, frowning. She lay back, staring at the ceiling and listened to the soft drumming of the rain along the roof.

Soon, she picked herself off the spongy ground and peered around her surroundings, seeing a large mushroom and smoke surrounding it.

Am I….? Ruby thought, feeling preposterous. In Wonderland?

“Hello, little rose petal.” A velvety voice purred.

“Caterpillar?” Ruby stammered, feeling endlessly stupid.

A rich chuckle reverberated in her bones and she took a timid step closer, waving away the smoke that brought back memories of Yang reading her the story. She coughed on hookah smoke and blinked her watering eyes at the shadowed figure.

“Why am I here?”

“You are here, little rose petal, for the noblest of reasons.” The voice replied. “I am in trouble. And I need you to help me.”

Ruby’s spine straightened at the words.

“Will you be my hero, little rose petal?”

“I will.” Ruby said, remembering her father’s words, “As a Huntsman or Huntress, it’s our duty to help and protect those that can’t help or protect themselves.”

Wings unfurled in the smoke and Ruby bolted upright, looking around her room.

“That was an odd dream,” She commented feeling unnerved by it, rubbing her head. The dream felt so real. She hopped off her bed and padded to the bathroom.

While in there, she washed her face with cool water before starting when she noticed that the mirror didn’t look right. She couldn’t place her finger on it, but something about it was just off. Telling herself that it was simply the lighting and her grogginess, she left the bathroom, unaware that eyes, from the other side of the mirror, followed her as she left the bathroom.

Ruby collapsed on the bed tiredly, checking her phone, seeing that barely three hours had passed. And there were sounds coming from Ren and Nora’s room that Ruby really didn’t want to hear.

“Why?” She groaned up at the ceiling and picked up the second pillow, jumping back and hitting her head on the ironically named headboard, wincing as a flame of pain seared through her scalp, whiting out her vision and causing her eyes to water.

When she’d picked up the pillow, a pair of blue and black wings fluttered and a large moth had flown to the window and out into the storm. Ruby rubbed her scalp with a frown.

“Where did that come from?!” She frowned before standing and closing the window. “I could’ve sworn I had that closed…”

She crawled back into bed and covered her head with the second pillow silencing the nightmare-inducing noises and closed her eyes, falling back to sleep. She had a few more hours of dreamless sleep before she was awoken by a knocking at the door.

“Ugh,” She whined a bit before rolling onto her side. And fell off the bed. She yelped when she hit the floor, hearing the concerned voices of her teammates. “I’m awake!” She cried, throwing the door open to speak to them. Ruby smoothed her bedhead as she gazed at her team blearily.

“Umm,” She heard Jaune start. A faint thump and a whimper signaled to her that Nora kicked Jaune before he could speak. Ruby shot a thankful glance at the ginger bruiser before closing the door and slumping against it. She had a lot to process and not a lot of time to get ready. She changed quickly into her cape and combat skirt.

“I need you, little rose petal…” The whisper caressed the edges of her mind.

I know. And I’ll do my best to help. Ruby thought, clipping her hood into place.

Morpheus’ lips curved into a triumphant smile as he stepped away from the mirror, “Good. I’ll be waiting, my little rose petal.”

Chapter Text

Your whispers follow me when I try to leave.

I fight for a love that I don’t truly believe.

In my heart, you’re a risk I’m willing to take.

But my head is telling me there’s too much at stake.

I don’t trust you, but I want to. Please, don’t let me fall.

I gaze up at the midnight sky, can’t find a single star.

There are times when I miss the light. But I’m not afraid of the dark.

The Dark – Beth Crowley

Ruby winced when the bright rays of sunlight struck her.

It felt as though she’d spent a lifetime in darkness, and was just now introduced to sunlight. It was painful and jarring. But, it was more than enough to kick-start her for the day. She pushed on and began walking with her team.

A cold breeze fluttered her skirts and that familiar voice returned, I’ve been cursed, my rose petal. I can’t tell you many details, but I need you to break it. I beg of you, find mercy in your heart and save me.

Ruby pursed her lips together and thought firmly, I will.

A black and blue moth fluttered past her and the words carried on the wind followed her and her team.

Thank you, my sweet rose petal. Thank you.

Ruby pushed ahead.

She stepped over to Jaune and took the map from his backpack and unfolded it. Her eyes danced over the chart.

“Hmm…” She nodded to herself. “We’re… close?”

The uncertainty of her voice made Jaune step closer to her. He turned the map in her hands and pointed to a road.

“We’re here.” He said.

“Oh!” Ruby nodded and then lowered her head, crestfallen and handed the map back to him.

“So, the next village?” She asked.

“We’ll be there by… nightfall.”

“Great!”

“Tomorrow.”

“Not so great,” Ruby sulked.

“Don’t worry,” Nora bounded towards Ruby, wrapping her in a one-armed hug. “I’m sure we’ll make it to Sagiso soon.”

The village’s name sent prickles down Ruby’s spine for a reason she couldn’t identify. She shook the feeling off and continued walking. Everything seemed different this morning.

It felt almost as if the trees and insects had taken on voices. And were speaking to her, warning her of something – someone. But, with all of them clamoring for her attention, she couldn’t understand them.

Instead, she pulled her hood over her head in an attempt to silence them.

“You okay?”

She raised her eyes, spotting her teammates gazing at her, concerned.

“Just tired,” Ruby said, fearing what they would think if she told them the truth.

They’d probably think I’m crazy.

“You didn’t sleep well?” Nora frowned, placing her hand on Ruby’s forehead.

“No,” Ruby admitted.

“Probably, because two people were making a lot of noise all night,” Jaune put his two cents in, making Nora and Ren flush a bright red.

Ruby pried Nora’s hand from her head and continued walking, her ears hot. She didn’t admit to hearing them. But, didn’t deny it either. And didn’t know which was worse.

Come to me, my rose petal.

“How?” She murmured to herself, feeling frustration seize her.

Sagiso.

“But, that’s days away.” She said, louder this time.

“What is?” Ren queried.

Ruby ignored him.

I know a shortcut, my rose petal.

“Where?”

Tsubaki. Find Tsubaki...

Ruby looked around for the source of the voice.

But, found naught but water puddles, wet earth, trees, and foliage.

“What’s going on?”

Ruby’s teammates all but cornered her.

“I don’t know what you’re –”

“Cut the crap,” Jaune said firmly. “You’ve been acting really strange lately. And it’s worrying all of us.”

“I don’t…” Ruby began and finally, she took a deep breath, “You’ll all think I’m crazy.” She said, at last, her voice small.

“No.” Nora said, “We won’t.”

Ruby swallowed thickly, “I’ve been hearing voices. And having these really weird dreams.”

“Weird, how?” Jaune asked, carefully measuring his words.

Ruby could tell by their expressions that this went beyond simple worries and drifted into concerns for her psychological health.

“There’s this guy and he keeps asking me for help.” She responded, exasperated. “I don’t know what it means.”

They opened their mouths, but before they could utter a word, she plowed through, “And then, bugs and plants started talking to me. They’ve been warning me about someone and telling me to go to Tsubaki. I don’t know what to think anymore!” She threw her hands into the air.

“Think it’s a trap?” Nora asked Jaune slowly.

“It definitely sounds like a trap.”

“But, he’s expecting me there.” Ruby said, numbly.

“Who?” Jaune asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“The Caterpillar.” She responded, feeling stupid.

More so when the others exchanged a glance.

After a moment of silence, they continued on, Jaune in control of the map. Ruby looked over his shoulder, seeing that Tsubaki was in the other direction. Jaune was leading them East. And Tsubaki was West.

She silently snapped a picture of the map and discreetly backed away before tapping her Semblance for a boost. She darted away before they could stop her. If it were a trap, she needed to know.

If it’s a trap, I’ll stop him. She thought, determination fueling her.

She wandered until night fell, her Scroll buzzing every fifteen minutes. But, she didn’t check it. She didn’t need to. Ruby knew that the others had been calling her. And her resolve pushed her to keep going and not look back.

I’m here, my little rose petal…

The voice called to her. Ruby felt the inexplicable pull and followed it. Allowing it to tug her toward the village.

She finally collapsed, exhausted and unfurled her sleeping bag beneath a tree, crawling inside it. She fell into a deep slumber within seconds.

Ruby pushed herself off the ground and examined her surroundings. It certainly wasn’t the Wonderland that Yang told her of. There was something… off. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what.

But, it made her stomach twist into knots.

“Hello?” She called out.

“My little rose petal, at last.” That velvety purr sent thrills down her spine.

And she didn’t like it. Not one bit.

She turned to meet the source of the voice when she awoke in her sleeping bag. Ruby groaned and rubbed her temples before clambering out of her sleeping bag. She ate a handful of the trail mix that’d she’d carried in her bag and washed it down with a sip from her water bottle.

Then, she rolled up her sleeping bag and pressed on. Her stomach gnawed with hunger but, she pushed that feeling aside and kept walking, following the picture of the map on her phone.

She didn’t want to abandon her teammates. But, this man had been haunting her dreams. And she needed to know if he were real. And if so, whether he’d planned a trap for her or not. If that were his intention… Her thoughts briefly flitted to Crescent Rose, nestled safely in her sheath at Ruby’s back.

I’m sorry, guys. She thought before continuing her journey.

Chapter Text

I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I’ll never let you go.

When all those shadows almost killed your light.

I remember you said don’t leave me here alone.

But all that’s dead and gone and passed tonight.

Just close your eyes, the sun is going down.

You’ll be all right, no one can hurt you now.

Come morning light, you and I’ll be safe and sound.

Safe & Sound - Taylor Swift (featuring Joy Williams and John Paul White)

Tsubaki was far different than what Ruby had expected. 

She’d been expecting a derelict village, wasted away by time and abandoned by man. 

Instead, it was flourishing and thriving , even. 

And the fresh flowers the villagers had been growing had equal parts stunned her and took her breath away. 

The outer petals of the roses were black, but as they grew toward the center, they bloomed into the richest and deepest red she’d ever seen. 

"Wow!" She breathed out in awe. " Pretty! " 

After bolting towards the nearest garden, she breathed in the heavenly scent that wafted from the petals. 

"Would you like one?" A woman offered her a freshly cut rose. 

"Oh!" Ruby chuckled in embarrassment. "Ah... thanks." 

She rubbed the back of her neck with one hand while accepting the flower with the other. 

Ruby pinned the rose to the collar of her hood as she walked, perusing the vendors that had set up shop. 

After replenishing her supplies, she reviewed what little information she'd received from Caterpillar. Feeling more ridiculous at having thought of him as such. 

“I need your help. I am in trouble. But, I can’t give you specifics.” He’d said in her dreams. “I fear I would die if I tried.” 

She could hear the frown in his voice. “O - okay,” Ruby muttered, even more, confused than she was in her dream. 

“So, I’ll need… things ,” She said to herself, her mind a haze of bewilderment. “For this journey. A - a key. And…” Her fingers brushed over the satin petals thoughtfully. “Gloves and a fan, scented with talcum powder and pepper. A hairpin. And a feather quill.” 

In her mind’s eye, she could see the items. Each is clear and distinctive. 

And she’d also seen her mother’s hands packing them away, sealing them into a box, placed beneath the floorboards in her bedroom.

“Great,” Ruby muttered. She was miles upon miles away from home.

“ A mother’s promise ,” The words were silken. But also carried the hint with a gentle nudge.

That… sounded familiar.

Her fingers swept the Emblem clipped to the neck of her cloak.

It couldn’t be…

Her fingers hastily unclipped it and turned it over in her hands.

She wandered toward a secluded area in a daze and sat beneath a tree.

“After all this time, I never thought of it,” Ruby said, more to herself than to anyone else.

With that, she sought out the seam, where both pieces of metal met.

Slipping her thumbnail between them, she pried the metal rose open.

Nestled snugly on a cushion was an antique key.

It was tiny and reminded her of the kind she’d used to lock her journals.

“What do I do with this?” She wondered aloud.

“Find your way to me,” There was that voice again.

For one wild moment, she could see Summer using the key.

A mirror cracked and in the center, a keyhole formed.

Her mom placed the key in it and turned the key as if unlocking it.

The glass rippled like water and the Huntress stepped into it.

“Oh,” Ruby breathed out as she returned to her body and the present.

Plucking the key from the pillow, she snapped the rose back together and clipped it on her cloak hastily.

She scrambled to her feet and searched for the nearest reflective surface, a mirror leaning against the side of a barn.

At her approach, the glass shattered and rearranged to form a keyhole, the image in the mirror that of her mother’s bedroom.

Ruby felt as though she were running on autopilot, rather than actually doing this herself.

She moved closer to the mirror and placed the key into the keyhole, turning it with a click.

The surface rippled and distantly, she heard Jaune, Ren, and Nora.

How did they find me so quickly?

She shook off the thought, mostly because she was falling, her stomach twisted, and did flip-flops.

But, panic didn’t have long to set in.

Ruby met the floor with a jarring thud.

Pain flared within her and her heart seized, thumping painfully.

“Did you hear that?” Taiyang’s voice asked from the garden.

“Maybe it’s Zwei,” Yang replied dismissively.

For a terrifying moment, she feared that they’d come searching for her. 

But the only sound that met her ears was Zwei’s feet padding across the floor, his claws tapping against the wood as he searched for her.

“I’m sorry, Zwei,” Ruby murmured.

She didn’t expect that she would have to return home to move forward in her mission.

And it hurt just the same as she’d expected.

Her hands searched the floor for the secret compartment she’d witnessed in her… vision?

She didn’t quite know what it was.

And as she seemed to figure it out, she heard a familiar tipping.

This time, her heart felt as though it dropped through her stomach and into the floor.

“ Zwei! ” The huntress shushed him.

“There he is,” her father said of the canid affectionately. “I’ll let him out, keep tending to the sunflowers.”

Oh, no.

There wasn’t much time for thinking, she pried the board up with her fingers, hissing in a breath as the weathered wood rewarded her efforts with splinters and flung it aside.

There. The box rested, nestled beneath cobwebs and dust.

The front door opened with a click, “Zwei? Come here, buddy!” Taiyang called, making the fractured bits of Ruby’s heart crumble into a fine powder.

I’m so sorry, Dad…

With that, she shoved the pain aside, grabbed the box, and raced to the mirror, jamming the key in and disappearing into it as the Hunstman reached the room.

She didn’t want to see his expression, the shock, hope, and heartbreak as he’d realized.

Finding a safe and shadowy spot, she dropped to the ground, choking back sobs.

Something swept her tears away, light as the brush of a gossamer wing, but with the tenderness and soothing feel of gentle fingers.

“I am so sorry that I have caused you naught but pain, my beloved rose petal.” That familiar voice whispered.

Beloved? The word clicked into Ruby’s mind with a jarring twist in her diaphragm.

Her head snapped up and she gazed around.

She was alone.

Like always.

Do not be so silly and presumptuous, his voice returned, but only to her mind. You have me.

“Right,” Ruby muttered as she looked through her misappropriated findings.

There they all lay. The feather quill. The gloves and fan. The pin.

And the box was perfectly sized to fit in her hip pouch.

Hmmph, how convenient. Weiss’s voice now reached her.

But, she had to agree as she snapped the box closed and slipped into an empty pouch.

“Now, I have to… Burst Through Stone with a Feather.” Ruby said, standing. “But, what stone?”

I feel like you are skipping a step first, my lovely rose petal…

There he was again.

Sagiso.

She remembered. “That’s why I came to Tsubaki.”

Of course. His chuckle reverberated down her spine. Now, shall I show you a shortcut?

Ruby took a deep breath before nodding.

Chapter Text

I arrive at the edge of the world.

And I wonder, should I sit or should I stand?

Should I kneel?

What should I feel?

Will I fall apart?

Maybe that’s all I want.

The Edge by Casey Lee Williams & Martin Gonzalez

It was here, she knew it had to be.

Sagiso looked a lot how she figured old villages would.

Old architecture, cobblestone streets.

It painted itself with a brush of nostalgia.

“Wow,” Ruby breathed, her eyes glancing over the buildings.

There it was, nestled in the park, a sundial. A statue guarded it, one of a fearsome Huntsman wearing armor and wielding a sword at the ready.

The time read seven o’clock. The sun barely peaked above the treetops, creating scarcely enough light to cast a shadow upon the sundial’s surface.

Ruby’s nose scrunched as she attempted to piece together the statue from memory.

“In the book…” Ruby muttered to herself, lost in thought. “The poem!” Her eyes lit up with memory.

The Jabberwocky poem played out, stanza by stanza.

“‘Twas brillig,” she recalled. “Four.” Her eyes landed on the sundial. “Should I wait?”

Time is not my friend, little rose petal.

“Right,” Ruby clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

She flopped to the ground and rifled through her pack, pulling out various items and measuring them against the sundial’s gnomon.

The quill. “Of course,” Ruby mumbled, placing the quill into the hole at the center, it slips in and fits perfectly.

She turns it until the shadow casts itself upon the IV.

Clicks, whirs, crunches, and rock grating against stone and metal reach her ears.

“Did I -?” She exhaled, her heart leaping. “Wait,” She faltered, recalling hearing her friends' voices. “Did they follow me to Tsubaki?”

No, but your mind wandered to them briefly. Which had brought them to you.

Ruby’s stomach twisted. “Okay, then I have to clear my mind of all thoughts of th - them.”

It was difficult. Far more difficult than any test assigned to her by Professor Port or Doctor Oobleck.

Finally, Ruby slammed her body against the sundial, toppling it over to reveal the hole in the earth.

She brushed off her bumps and bruises, for nothing hurt worse than the loneliness in her chest.

“Mom?” Ruby whispered to herself.

“ I love you. Just the way that you are.” Summer’s voice danced upon the wind.

And with that, Ruby stepped forward, allowing herself to fall.

She closed her eyes, expecting an impact. Pain.

Instead, she felt nothing.

Her eyes fluttered open and she saw the objects she floated past lazily.

Wardrobes, shelves, picture frames. All clung to the wall with vines coiled around them.

Jam and honey almost dripped languidly upward.

With a laugh, Ruby swept a finger through a red gelatinous substance and tasted it.

“Mm, strawberry.” She hummed.

The descent was slow, giving Ruby time to snag a book from the nearest bookshelf to read as she fell.

“Ugh, that was boring,” Ruby complained, tossing the book aside.

It floated past her and landed on a cabinet.

Finally, she lighted down gently onto the ground.

Well, at least more gently than she’d expected.

The room was shaped like a globe, dimly lit with dust motes drifting around her in spirals, the scent of burnt wax stinging at her nose.

Smoke danced in an elegant waltz from the candelabras and velvet red curtains sparsely speckled the walls like flecks of blood, with golden ropes draped over finials.

“Okay, what now?” Ruby asked herself, searching the room.

A quick glance upward revealed the hole as a distant star.

With a quick flick of the wrist and a dust-covered sheet flew from an outrageously elaborate contraption made of strings, pulleys, and a giant clock face.

Jabberlocky’s Mousetrap.

Exasperated, Ruby shoved at the lever with a groan.

A series of whirs and clicks made her heart stutter painfully in her chest and she watched as the hour hand of the clock on the ridiculous Rube Goldberg device spun to land on the Roman numeral IV, creating an ear-piercing whistle.

She covered her ears as a streak of yellow caught her attention.

Without thinking, Ruby caught it, realizing it was a sponge.

Reflexively, she pocketed it just as the mechanical noises began again.

Pivoting, she turned to see a curtain lifting to reveal a trapdoor.

“This place is so weird ,” Ruby muttered.

That rich chuckle invaded her mind and left her senses hazy.

A creature hopped into the room.

That was the only way Ruby could describe the… thing.

It wasn’t a cute little bunny, at all.

She blanched at the sight of it.

It looked small, and skeletal, with white gloves and lace-up boots covering hands and feet.

It had a bald, old man’s head, just as pale as the rest of him, wide pink eyes and antlers that sprouted from behind his human ears.

“Late, late, late.” He seemed to be muttering to himself.

Ruby wanted to call out to him, but something told her not to.

Everything from her previous experiences set off alarm bells in her mind, so she pressed her lips together and watched him disappear through the very door she intended to leave through.

But, the door was far too small.

Near the table, she spotted them.

More items from the story.

A bottle with Drink Me on it.

And a cake, this one reading Eat Me.

Ruby pocketed the cake and popped the top off the bottle, taking a healthy swig.

It was bitter and burned the whole way down, making Ruby’s eyes water.

It wasn’t painful. But it also didn’t feel quite normal as she shrank down to the size of the door.

She unlocked it with her key and stepped out into Wonderland.