Remember how this story was supposed to be light-hearted and funny. Yeah, me neither.

Special thanks to my new beta-reader, LordOda!

The sickening stench of burning flesh and blood invaded her nose, her eyes overwhelmed by red and orange as far as the eye could see. Countless fires scattered the horizon, punctuating the otherwise endless night with scenes of chaos and carnage, a battle with no beginning, no end and no reason. The only sounds one could hear was the crunch of bones and organs, the wailing cries of the damned and dying as they were cut down, only to rise again in this endless cycle of death and destruction.

Atop a continuously growing mountain of corpses she stood, cutting down all those who dared to stand in her presence, laughing at their feeble attempts to dethrone her. Her blood was fire and anger, burning through her body and lighting her very skin to blazing, one of the many glowing torches on the battlefields of hell. Here the strong ruled, and of all the demonic killers confined to this plane, none could challenge her. Here, she was the most powerful of all.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw another worthless maggot coming towards her, and without even turning to face them she shoved her sword straight through their heart. Their anguished cries of pain were music to her ears, the feeling of their blood running down her hand's in rivulets more cleansing then purest water. A cruel grin forming on her face, she turned to look at the wretches' last moments before death once again took them.

Only to discover that she had impaled a crying and broken Ruby, her arms outstretched as if she wished to hug her. Her blade pierced through her back, the blood staining it perfectly matching the color of the smaller girl's cloak. Ruby looked up at her, tears of pain forming in her eyes, and through a mouthful of blood she managed to choke out "Why?" before falling limp.

Horrified, she knelt to the ground, pulling the now still corpse off her blade and holding it in her arms, tears of regret streaming down her face. Only for the limp body in her arms to jerk alive, scream "Delicious candy!" and sink her impossibly sharp teeth into her flesh, biting and gnawing and sucking and…..

Crescent Rose's eyes shot open as she awoke, her body shooting upright as she took in her surroundings. She was drenched in a cold sweat, relief thrumming through every vein as she realized that it had all been a dream, or rather another nightmare. For a few seconds she simply looked at her hands, devoid of blood and death, before she felt another sharp stab of pain in her left side. She threw off the covers, expecting to find some rabid animal taking a bite out of her side.

Instead she was treated to the hilarious sight of a still alive and apparently ravenous Ruby biting fiercely but sleepily into her flesh, muttering something about giant candy mushrooms. Satisfied that she was alive and well, Crescent laid back against the headboard of their shared bed, wincing slightly as Ruby continued to gnaw into her sides every few seconds. Based on her contented moans and random dream mutterings Crescent's flesh now tasted like cookies.

Experience had taught her that getting Ruby to stop wasn't worth the effort, so her only option was to wait it out. Thankfully the wait was relatively short; normally a few minutes was all it took for dream Ruby to be satisfied with her candy consumption habits. She stopped biting and curled forward until her head was resting on Crescent's lap, a dreamy smile on her face.

Crescent gently brushed a few strands of hair away from Ruby's eyes, the mere sight of the sleeping girl alive and well making her the happiest she had felt since becoming human. The sight of her chest faintly rising and falling, the sensation of Ruby's gentle breathing ghosting across her legs and chest, helped to reassure her that the girl was well and truly alive.

Simply by being there, Ruby helped to erase the remains of the nightmare that still plagued Crescent's mind. Slowly she felt her breathing return to normal, eventually matching the slow, steady breaths that were emanating from Ruby's still sleeping form. Crescent laid on her side, a small smile gracing her lips as Ruby cuddled tightly against her. Now more used to the girl's rampant displays of affection she returned the hug, burying her nose into the smaller girl's hair and inhaling. The mixed and heady scents of strawberries, ash and metal assailed her nose, the combined smell calming her nerves further. Her recent nightmare hadn't been the longest, but it was by far the most disturbing.

For the past month, Crescent had been having dreams of violence and bloodshed, which she attributed to her slowly returning memories of her life in Summer's hands. Her previous wielder had been involved in quite a lot of combat over the years, from small scale duels and bandit raids to two full blown wars.

But it was the first time Ruby had been present in any of her dreams, in a violent capacity at least. She had appeared for a few nights after their training sessions, but that Ruby was terrifying, chasing her through darkened woods and empty fields, murderous intent in blood-red eyes. This Ruby was about as far away as she could get, and Crescent had killed her with her own hands.

A knock at the door ripped Crescent from her thoughts; simultaneously bringing a frown to her face at the thought of Ruby's all too necessary sleep being disturbed. That and it was Farenfrost, so Ruby had closed shop for the day like the rest of the village. Figuring it was probably a drunkard who had wandered up to the wrong house Crescent turned to her side, hoping to enjoy a few more hours of sleep before starting her day.

Only to be jolted awake as another knock came to the door, followed by a rapid series of knocks and a male voice calling out "Hello, is anybody there?"

Now wide awake and angry, Crescent got out of bed and strode purposefully towards the door, intent on giving their uninvited guest a piece of her mind, and if necessary fists.

She bounded along the gold and caramel road, eyes wide at the myriad of sweets that lay before her. Chocolate covered strawberry mountains, giant candy mushrooms, cookie shaped animals as far as the eye could see. It was a sugary wonderland made just for her. Not wasting time she devoured everything in sight, consuming delicacy after delicacy until her stomach was close to bursting.

But all was not well, for with a loud crash the idyllic scene came tumbling down around her, delicious goodies threatening to crush her in their multitudes. Considering that there were worse ways to go, she welcomed the onrushing tides of molten chocolate, managing to swallow one last mouthful before she was enveloped by gooey deliciousness.

With a start Ruby woke up. For a few seconds she was vaguely disappointed in her loss of the candy-filled dream, but quickly changed her mind once she realized her current situation. She was lounging beneath the warm blankets that covered her bed, now awake but unwilling to get up and face the chill of the early autumn morning.

Hoping to get access to even more precious heat retention, Ruby tugged at the blankets, trying to wrap herself into a tight cocoon and as conserve as much warmth as possible. But her efforts were foiled by the bed's other occupant, an unexpected but welcome surprise that only increased her desire to be lazy.

She abandoned her blanket hogging efforts and instead burrowed into Crescent's side, enjoying the warmth that was radiating off of her in waves. The older women had been sleeping with Ruby for the past few weeks but it was the first time Crescent wasn't gone by the time Ruby woke up. Normally she would be out training before the first rays of dawn appeared on the horizon, but apparently even master warriors needed a day of rest now and again.

Not that Ruby was complaining. Despite being heavily muscled Crescent made a very comfortable pillow, every muscle in her body made lax by sleep's gentle embrace. Ruby tightened her hold, her head lying in the crook of Crescent's neck as she linked her arms around her shoulders. Her efforts were rewarded by a pair of arms sleepily embracing her. Smiling, Ruby felt her entire body relax as she remembered what day it was, and all the wonderful connotations that that entailed.

Farenfrost was a special day in the never-ending cycles that made up Remnant's calendar. It was the one day that almost anyone could sleep in without worry or fear of being awoken, the one day that laziness was not only allowed but encouraged. It was a day of peace, prayer and relaxation, a day where only the most vital of services were forced to be open.

So Ruby knew that she could enjoy cuddling with Crescent for as long as she wanted, or at least until their bodily needs forced them out of bed. But suddenly the faint sound of thumping against her door assailed Ruby's ears, and a second later Crescent's warmth disappeared as she got up to deal with the annoyance. Ruby remained prone in bed, content in the knowledge that Crescent would deal with the intruder.

The sounds of muffled shouting filled her ears, followed by a rather sharp yelp of pain and a slamming of the door. A series of heavy footfalls preceded Crescent's return to bed, and Ruby once again snuggled into her side.

Eyes still closed, Ruby sleepily asked "Who was that?"

Apparently still angry, Crescent grunted "Some messenger who thought it was a better idea to look at my chest bindings instead of my face while talking to me. He said he had a letter from Beacon or something."

Ruby yawned, burrowing her head deeper as she said "Beacon huh, that's…interesting." A moment later she fully processed what Crescent had said, and shot upward, her eyes opening wide as she shouted "Did you say Beacon?"

Crescent nodded and wordlessly handed her the letter. Tearing it open Ruby regarded its contents, her smile growing wider with every word.

Ms. Rose

We have received your rather interestingly worded letter, and if what you claim to have done proves correct, we would be honored to have you as a member of this court. Please present yourself with the rest of the applicants by 10am on Hardaschen, C15 Year 687 in the Atlas Castle Courtyard.

Should you arrive early, temporary accommodations have been arranged in the castle for you until the testing period. Should you be approved, more permanent residence will be provided.

We look forward to meeting you and your new "friend."

Grand Mage Ozpin

Ruby was barely able to contain her excitement. The day after she had brought Crescent Rose to life, she had applied to all four kingdoms for a court mage position, and she had finally gotten a reply. Cheering loudly, she shoved the letter into Crescent's hands as she began to dance around the house in joy.

Her life was about to get even more interesting.

Leaving was easy, surprisingly easy. For most people, leaving home for the first time was hard and accompanied by a sense of longing at best and sadness at worst. Ruby experienced the same issues, but for vastly differing reasons. Most people missed their friends, or family, those still living that they were leaving behind. Ruby was saddened that it had had taken her this long to get out of the village at all. That everything she cared about in life was packed into a single traveling sack, excepting Zwei and Crescent Rose, who were sitting across from her in the wagon, snoring softly.

The only regret Ruby had from leaving was her mother's grave, but either way that issue would solve itself in time. If they rejected her, she would just go back to the village. If they accepted her, her new salary would probably allow her to pay for someone to transport her mother's remains to Atlas. Her house was being watched by the mayor, on the agreement that if she got the court position it would be donated to one of the younger couples in the village. She had gotten her affairs in order far faster than expected, so fast it was almost worrying.

The caravan she was traveling with was fairly large, compromised of over 20 members of a merchant company from Vacuo, several other travelers headed to Atlas like herself, and a solitary old bard who "traveled where the wind took him." Thanks to a simple display of Crescent's rather impressive skills, Ruby had bartered for a private wagon for the both of them and Zwei, on the condition they did not touch any of the merchant's crates. It was an easy enough request to honor; the wagon was plenty large enough to accommodate their little party with room to spare.

Their responsibilities were non-existent, their only job being staying out of the way. Had Ruby been traveling alone, she would have gone out of her mind with boredom. Instead, she spent most of her time chatting with Crescent. Every day she remembered more of Summer, though not all of it was of pleasant, happy times. A fair portion of her memories were of battles, dark and deadly. The clashing of steel against steel, cutting and burning flesh. The pain and suffering wrought by violence, and the endless void of sadness that followed in its wake.

Those memories Ruby treated like medicine. A bitter draught that she had to swallow as fast as possible, pain that tore through her heart, only to be forgotten in an instant, washed away by the cooling relief of the rest of Crescent Rose's memories.

Summer's laugh, gentle and kind as a warm spring breeze. Pieces and parts of songs she sang before and after battle, music light and sweet that somehow eased the pain brought on by carnage. Her kind and caring hands bandaging fellow soldiers, chasing away their suffering and guilt with her charm, her infectious smile. How she brought joy to those around her simply by being herself; not the invincible warrior, the legendary dragon slayer who could not be stopped, but Summer Rose. Kind, caring, and oh so fragile. Because Summer felt pain and guilt, the same as any other warrior. When no one was looking she wept over the bodies of the fallen, whether they were friend or foe.

The lowest point in Crescent's life had come directly after the end of Great War. Summer had lost the entire battalion under her command, only surviving because she was worth more to the enemy alive than dead. She had been forced to watch as her surviving soldiers were executed, their heads mounted and bodies left to be torn apart by animals. Held in captivity for months, she was finally released along with all other prisoners of war after the peace treaty was finally signed.

Inconsolable in her grief, she had retreated to an isolated monastery in the wilds of Vacuo, isolating herself from everyone and everything. The monks, sensing her suffering, had agreed to let her stay on the condition she took a vow of absolute silence while on monastery grounds. She readily agreed, and spent half a year in reclusion, her days comprised of nothing but prayer. From dawn till dusk and well into the night Summer prayed, shedding countless tears of grief and pain as she prayed for the souls of those she had lost. And throughout all that time, Crescent Rose had been at her side. Silent but always present, soaking in her tears and hearing the whispers of her comrade's names.

Summer eventually left, so spent in her grief that tears would no longer flow. Still burdened with a large wound in her heart she had wandered aimlessly searching for her purpose in life. And she found it again, in a depressed father and a young girl in desperate need of a mother.

Crescent had stopped there, since Ruby knew the logical conclusion of where that story went. But she told her dozens of other stories, of places been and life lived. She was present for most of Summer's life, a majority of which occurred before Ruby was even alive. She could give Ruby insight into her mother that no one else could, not even Qrow or Tai-Yang.

So Ruby listened to her words like they were prophecy, drank them in like the sweetest honey. She committed to memory the good and bad, joys and sorrows alike. It deepened her connection with her mother on a level even she couldn't fully understand, and probably never would. And she owed it all to Crescent.

It was the 10th day of their journey when all hell broke loose. They had stopped at a large clearing for lunch, the presence of a nearby stream making it the prefect spot for some rest. Horses and people alike drank long and deep from the cold, smoothly flowing waters, quenching their thirsts with mountain fed purity. Others took advantage of the break to munch on whatever food could be scrounged up, or just take a breather from the constant movement to admire the surrounding.

That was when the bandits struck, simultaneously rushing the caravan from all direction, sprinting into the clearing from the underbrush in a single wave of bodies. They assumed that their greater numbers, combined with the speed of their assault, would be enough to overwhelm any resistance.

Ruby and Crescent had other ideas. Within moments of seeing the coming assailants, both were on their feet and sprinting straight at their would-be attackers, Ruby wielding her blunted scythe while Crescent rushed in bare handed.

Ruby ran towards the left flank, scythe twirling and slashing as she disarmed and debilitated two of the bandits before they even realized they were being attacked. They fell to the ground, screaming in pain over the bones that Ruby's attacks had broken. Their comrades, wary after seeing two of their own cut down so swiftly, took their time surrounding the red cloaked girl that stood in their midst. Their confidence, still bolstered by the huge difference in numbers, made them underestimate the true danger that was Ruby Rose.

Ruby, for her part, remained in the slowly closing encirclement, her breathing calm and steady. From what she could tell, none of these bandits had any measure of skill, their main advantage being their overwhelming numbers. Since even she would have a hard time fighting so many at once, a pre-emptive strike was once again in order.

Without warning she jumped backward, swinging the scythe in a wide overhead arc before sweeping it low, giving several bandits concussions before knocking them to the ground. Without pause she jumped over their fallen bodies and sprinted towards the next grouping, her scythe once again making short work of her far less skilled opponents.

The rest of the bandits in front of her, their numbers now reduced to perhaps two dozen, had banded together for safety and were now slowly approaching her, weapons drawn and at the ready. Realizing that even she could not hope to face so many and win, Ruby didn't even bother. Instead she merely smiled cheerily at them, sticking her tongue out in mockery before turning in the opposite direction and running away, forcing them to give chase.

On the other side of the battlefield, Crescent was having a far easier time with things. The bandit's weapons, shoddy and rusted over due to a lack of proper maintenance, stung like mosquito bites against her abnormally tough skin. Crescent merely absorbed their blows, fists lashing out at all who came within her range. Arms shattered, legs cracked and screams of pain filled the air as she methodically incapacitated all who stood before her.

Their numbers had been whittled down to the single digits before the bandits wised up enough to realize they could not win. Several of them turned to flee, only to be held in place at an angry shout by who she assumed was their leader. His appearance was unremarkable; a non-descript face with a messy mop of dirty blond hair. But his posture and the ease at which he held his weapon, a hand-and-a-half longsword gleaming in the sunlight, bespoke at least some level of training.

He regarded Crescent with an angry look in his eye as he spat out "Wat, you all gonna run away from a fuc'in woman. Ya fuc'in cowards. I'll show ya how it's done." His men, now reduced to spectators of their boss's suicidal action, watched as he advanced on Crescent, slinging obscenities with every step.

Crescent ignored him, walking forward slowly, casting her thoughts back to similar situations Summer had found herself in. When fighting the leader, a quick finish wasn't enough to fully demoralize his men. He had to be methodically broken down so that their confidence would shatter completely upon his death.

So when he slashed at Crescent, she merely dodged. Weaving around his sword was child's play compared to sparring with Ruby, though to an outside observer it looked like she was barely dodging the sword at all. The bandits cheered on their leader, confidant that he would be able to kill the dark-skinned bitch.

Half focusing on avoiding, she cast the rest of her attention to the battle as a whole. It seemed that her and Ruby's efforts had kept the vast majority of the bandits attention, allowing the caravan guards to finish off the rest. Even as she was fighting Ruby was leading several of the bandits on a merry chase around the camp, none of them fast enough to catch up the red blur they were pursuing. Every now and then she would turn around and quickly attack the lead pursuer, then go right back to running away from the slowly decreasing pack of assailants.

Her opponent had apparently noticed the same thing, because a cruel smile formed on his lips as he said "So that's the other bitch I need to get rid of. Well, afta I kill ya, me and the boys might 'ave a bit o fun with 'er first. I always did like em young."

Crescent heard his words from what sounded like a far off place, rage now boiling through every fiber of her being. He dared to talk about her master that way, dared to dream of defiling her, of hurting and killing her. It was a mistake, the last he was ever going to make.

So when he swung his sword at her next, she didn't bother to dodge. Instead, she grabbed his wrist with her left hand, squeezing hard enough to shatter the bones in her grip, which forced him to drop his sword in pain. In one smooth motion she caught the falling weapon and drew it back, before thrusting it straight into his gut. She twisted the hilt several times in wide circles, insuring that the blade had cleanly cut through the wretch's guts. It would be a quick and very painful death, but still far more merciful then the agony such filth deserved.

She drew the blade out in one smooth motion, and turned to regard the remaining bandits that stood before her in terror. As she advanced towards them she said "Say your prayers wretches. I'm going to wipe out every last one of you."

Ruby paused for a breath as the last of her assailants fled into the woods, having finally realized that they had lost the fight. The vast majority of their fallen comrades were still on the ground, either dead, unconscious or moaning in pain. She watched as the caravan guards brought out shackles and chains to bind the vast majority of them so they could be brought to a town for trial. Thankfully there was a large city only two days out that they were headed to anyway, so it wouldn't delay them to deal with their prisoners.

Ruby had thought she was done when she heard a voice scream "Please, don't" at the other end of the clearing. She ran towards the sound, and the scene before her made her break out into a dead sprint towards her target.

Crescent Rose stood amongst the fallen, her body and stolen blade covered in gore. A single bandit remained alive, on his knees on the ground, begging for mercy. Crescent stood above him, rage evident in the hard lines on her face. Snorting in contempt at the pathetic coward in front of her, she hefted her sword with both hands, preparing to deliver a brutal overhead slash that would end his miserable life.

Ruby, still not believing what she was witnessing, called out "Crescent, don't do it. Stop." Her voice was thick with desperation and hope that the taller woman would hear her.

Apparently having so, she called out "Why should I? He deserves to die with the rest of them."

Ruby, having reached Crescent's side, panted as she said "It's not right." At the look of disbelief on her face, Ruby continued "Please, don't kill him." Unable to resist her request, Crescent lowered her weapon as she kicked out at the bandit's head, the titanic blow instantly knocking him unconscious. No longer needing it, Crescent threw the sword to the ground and walked off towards the nearby stream, intent on cleaning the blood off her clothes.

Ruby followed, desperate to figure out what had transpired. Walking side by side with the taller woman, she asked "Why were you going to kill him? He had already surrendered."

Crescent, unable to understand why Ruby had stopped her, responded "And a minute ago he was trying to kill me. If I had killed him then, would you have had a problem with it?"

Ruby, not backing down from her argument, said "That doesn't make it right to just kill an unarmed man."

"He would have killed us, and the rest of the caravan, without a moment's hesitation." Crescent replied. "Why should we show him the same mercy?"

"Because it's…"

"Summer executed people Ruby." Crescent interrupted, causing Ruby's eyes to widen in disbelief. This was not one of the things Crescent had told her. "Bandit leaders, kidnappers, slave traders and worse. Scum like what we faced today. Humans consumed by darkness, monsters cloaked in human flesh. She knew that letting them live was too dangerous, that if they ever regained their freedom would only cause further suffering. So she killed them to spare the innocents they might have harmed."

Crescent paused for a moment, allowing her words to sink in, before continuing "So if I'm wrong, does that make your mother wrong too?"

Ruby took her time to respond, her thoughts racing. She didn't want to think of her mother as a bad person, but she also didn't think that what she or Crescent had done was right. Or was it? At that moment, she didn't have an answer.

Crescent, sensing her inner conflict, kneeled down so her head was level with Ruby's, and said "There are things I haven't told you because you didn't need to know them. Not yet, hopefully not ever."

"Then tell me everything" Ruby pleaded, desperate to know what Crescent had been holding back, however unpleasant it was.

"I can't, not right now." She held up a hand, halting Ruby's protests, and explained "You're not ready to hear it, not right now. And there are still large gaps in my memory, things that I need to know before I can give you the whole story. But I promise, when I am ready, I will tell you everything. But only if you truly want to know."

Ruby nodded, not liking the situation. But given a lack of alternatives, she had no choice but to deal with it, so she told Crescent "The second you remember everything, you tell me. Agreed?"

Crescent nodded, then stood and wordlessly they walked the rest of the way to the stream, each deep in thought. Ruby was conflicted, both over the revelations of her mother and of what she had seen today. Because while she could understand Crescent killing off a potential threat, even if she didn't like it, the anger visible on her face told her that there was something else going on. Something Crescent wasn't telling her.

Crescent on the other hand was worried about Ruby, and what the whole truth about her mother would do to her. Ruby viewed Summer as more than just a person. She was her inspiration and goal, a shining paragon of righteousness to look up to. And she did not, could not have flaws, or Ruby's precious memories, her only remaining link to her mother, would be forever tarnished and ruined.

To Ruby, Summer was bathed in a golden light. She was a hero, someone who could do no wrong. And if she wasn't careful, Crescent could ruin that image forever. Because based on what little she did recall, her slowly returning memories were the encroaching darkness.

So I changed the summary, mostly because the original one was…absolutely terrible. I think that maybe, MAYBE, the new one is better. What do you think?

Feedback is always appreciated, good, bad or anything in between. Hope you enjoyed!