"FIRE LORD SALEM!!"

Ruby could hear the roaring cheers from across the road. It sickened her. Salem was not a ruler to Ruby, she was a monster.

"Come on, Ruby! Cheer with us!" Chirped Yang, as she jumped up and down in admiration for the monster they so called the Fire Lord.

"Woohoo.." Ruby said in the most exaggerated voice she could muster. Ruby thought this was a waste of time, since this was already mostly preformed in school to instill loyalty among young kids. Excluding Ruby, she found their true nature at a young age. Yang was blind to it all, and so was their father.

"Citizens of the Fire Nation! I am hereby the Lord's request to speak on her behalf!" A man in red robes, braided hair, announced. He sounded crazed. "She has asked of me to bring this bad mouthing traitor and execute him in front of all!" He finished by kicking a person down to his knees. Said person had his head covered by what seemed to be a potato sack.

"I, Tyrian Callows, will show what happens when you disobey our Lord." Tyrian said, raising his hand and pointed it at the struggling man. Tyrian grinned, his eyes gleaming in glee as he let loose a burst of fire into the man. The fire engulfed the poor perpetrator, his screams of agony silenced all who watched. Ruby watched in horror as the man's skin melted off his body and face.

"Ruby!" Yang called her younger sister.

But Ruby didn't react, she couldn't turn away from the horrific sight. Only blissful darkness fell upon her when Yang came into her view.

-line break-

"Yang, are you sure?"

Ruby heard her dad ask. For some reason Ruby decided to play unconscious for a bit longer to eavesdrop.

"Yeah, Dad, I told you, I'll be fine." Yang assured.

"You saw what happened out there, you couldn't possibly want to join them now!"

The sounds of a chair scraping against the ground could be heard, followed by rapid pacing.

"Dad, this is the only way.."

The only way for what?

"Sweetheart, there is always another way!" Taiyang said in desperately.

"But, Mom could still be o-"

Yang was interrupted by the sound of a slam.

"No, she isn't! I saw her! I saw her dead body, Yang!" He yelled in frustration and grief. Ruby flinched unwillingly. She had hoped that no one saw her but, the footsteps that were getting closer begged to differ.

"Ruby, honey?" The blonde elder asked in concern.

Ruby cursed her luck as she cracked open an eye, and smiled awkwardly.

"Rubes?" Yang came in shortly behind.

"Hi?" She waved.

-line break-

Yang wanted to join the Fire Nation's military. Ruby couldn't believe it. Well she could but, after what happened earlier, she would have thought that Yang wouldn't even mention them anymore. Yet here she was doing the exact opposite.

Ruby couldn't handle these news, she just couldn't. Yang was going to join the same people who got her mother killed. Her sister knew that, although she thought it was Ruby's mom who willingly did a heroic sacrifice.

Ruby had to take a walk, for fresh air. Something other then fear and misery.

"STOP THAT THIEF!"

Ruby turned to the source of trouble and found a merchant, hauling a wagon of goods, getting robbed by a swift thief.

The thief had stolen a fair amount of fish in their run.

Ruby, being the justice seeking person that she is, went after said thief.

"Hey, you! Stop!" Ruby shouted, propelling herself above a building as the two ran atop roofs, streets and narrow hallways.

The delinquent didn't utter a single worth, other than the occasional grunts.

This would have dragged on if the thief didn't run into a dead end.

"I won't hurt you, I swear." Ruby said truthfully, raising her hands in a surrendering motion. Ruby inched closer, as if not to scare away a hurt animal.

The cloaked person pressed themselves against the wall, Ruby saw their chest rise and fall rapidly.

"I just want to end things peacefully..." Ruby pressed her lips into a thin line, "Turn yourself in, please."

"I will never surrender to these scum!" The thief now known as a female, shouted.

"Why? It will be easier on you and me!" The young girl begged.

"The Fire Nation is a nation full of liars and murders!" The girl roared in anger and disgust.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, trying to keep the conversation going, long enough for the thief to lower her guard.

"I know you people have something to do with the death of my family." She said, almost as if she were trying to convince herself.

Ruby paused, Is this girl like me?

"I won't turn you in." Ruby brought her arms back down against her sides, "I promise." She mustered the best smile she could at the moment, which probably looked more nervous than what she wanted.

"What is your motive?" The girl said in suspicion.

"None, we are just alike. I want to help." Ruby confessed, "I'll pay for your stolen goods."

The thief lowered her hood, revealing a raven haired teen with amber colored eyes. The teen's eyes narrowed down into Ruby. "Why are you acting like this?"

"Like I said, I just want to help." Ruby looked straight into her amber irises, "My name is Ruby Rose." She reaches to her back and brought out a pouch of coins.

Shaking it a bit to show the girl that it contained money, it jingled.

"What's your name?" Ruby asked.

"My name is Blake, Blake Belladonna." Blake answered after a short period of silence. Her shoulders lowered, seeing the red headed girl meant no ill will.

"What did you mean by 'we are alike'?" Blake asked with air quotations.

"...The Fire Nation killed my mother."

It was still a topic that made Ruby choke every time she mentioned it.

"Salem lied to the whole world about her death." Ruby explained further.

"...I see," Blake lowered her head, "I'm sorry to hear that."

Ruby shook her head, "You're suffering more, please let me help." Ruby didn't want to know how it was to lose her whole family, but she imagined it was horrible.

-line break-

"Ruby, are you sure you're fine with this?" Blake asked nervously, as she tipped-toed to Ruby's room window.

"It's fine, we're partners now, aren't we?" Ruby grinned, trying opening her window.

"I think it's stuck." She sighed.

"Here let me help." Blake scooted up and rose her hand inches in front of the window. Ruby could feel air swirl around them. Her window began to tremble from the force of the air, causing it to open up wide.

"Woah..." Ruby's eyes widened at the revelation of Blake's apparent air bending skills.

Ruby felt stupid, she now noticed the arrows that went down the girl's arms. She had learned this in school.

I thought they just went into hiding.. Ruby thought to herself.

"Ruby? Are you alright?"

Blake's hand waved in front of Ruby's face.

"Huh? Yeah." Ruby shook her head as she turned to face Blake.

"Go on, I have to go through the front door." Ruby pointed towards her room.

"Got it." Blake crawled into Ruby's room and shut the window behind her.

Now all Ruby had to do was go in from the front door and pretend that nothing happened.

Searching her pockets, Ruby grunted. She had left her keys in the kitchen. Great.

Knock, knock

"Coming!" Yang's voice came muffled.

The door swung open, greeting Ruby with a Yang wearing sleepwear.

"Ruby!" Yang wrapped her arms around Ruby, suffocating her. "Where were you!?"

"Y-Yang!"

"O-Oh, sorry." The blonde sister chuckled nervously. "Seriously, though, Where were you?" Yang asked, this time more clam.

"I took a walk." It wasn't technically a lie, since that was her intention in the beginning.

Ruby forced a yawn to come out of her mouth, "I'm super tired, so I'm going to bed." Ruby said, pushing her way past Yang and up to her room.

"Nice book selection." Blake smirked.

"Eek!" Ruby ran at Blake, snatching the book that she held, "That is a private collection!" Ruby was blushing like mad.

"Mhm, Benders Of Love, sounds very interesting.." Blake couldn't help but tease her newfound ally.

Ruby pouted, turning away from Blake, "Anyway, you're sleep on my bed. I'm going to sleep down here." She nodded towards a small corner in the room.

"Wouldn't it make sense if you slept on your own bed?" Blake raised a brow at the red haired girl's logic.

"You're a guest and I won't have any guest sleep on the floor!" She puffed up her chest.

"Oh what a caring woman you are." Blake chirped with a small smirk gracing her lips.

Blake knew they would get along just fine.

-line break-

A/N: If anything is wrong with the chapter blame my beta Ran!

I am a short chapter person so I apologize. If you dislike the elements I give a character then please do not hate just tell me why she/he should be a different element.