A/N: Hey guys!

Here's the long awaited Guilty Rose story.

I'd like to put a few notes right here that are rather important for my more squeamish audience.

This story details some physical and emotional abuse. I'd like to clarify that this is all the abuse that happens. I'll tell you why at the end of the second prologue.

I'm not going to be slowing down my updates on Grimm Hound to write this. Though I may slow my updates for my own sanity's sake.

Last note, I hope you enjoy this story!

I don't own RoosterTeeth or RWBY

5/2/18- I gave an actual transition to the points where it goes from Ruby to Summer. I didn't realize that FF had deleted them, sorry.

5/5/18- My fix didn't stick, so I added a new one

Guilty Rose- prologue part 1

3 and a half years old, and already Ruby was quite possibly the purest soul and most adorable thing in existence.

She was almost always happy or excited about something. She never stayed sad or upset long.

She was also incredibly kind and compassionate for her age. She always tried to help those in distress around her, even if all she could do was try to cheer them up.

The only fault that only certain individuals found about her was her wolf tail. Ruby had inherited it from her mother, Summer, along with almost every other feature she had. Seriously, she was nearly a carbon copy of Summer.

All of these facts about Ruby led the Rose-Xiao Long family to vacation in Vacuo.

Unbeknownst to the family, there were two bandit tribes with their eyes on the city. The relatively known Craven Tribe and the mysterious Oni Tribe had plans for the village.

The Craven Tribe only planned to pillage the village for a quick score of food and valuables.

The Oni Tribe on the other hand had more nefarious plans. They needed new members. And after finding out that the Craven Tribe planned a raid, they decided to take advantage of this opportunity.

….

Everything about this was amazing as far as Ruby was concerned.

She was seeing and experiencing so many things in the last few days. She got to see so many new people, so many faunus and humans alike. She tried so many new foods, like these cookies with nuts that only grow in Vacuo.

"Mommy, can we take a bunch of these home." Ruby asked after swallowing the two she already had in her mouth. They were eating cookies and drinking milk at a local bakery while they waited for Yang and her dad to finish shopping.

This made Summer chuckle at her daughter's antics.

"I don't think any number of them would make it home with how fast you eat them."

A bright smile grew on Ruby's face. She loved her mom.

Suddenly, screams and explosions filled the air. "Bandits!" A crowd of people came running through the streets. Summer grabbed Ruby and was about to pull the small child into her arms. However, the mass of people bowled her over and separated the two.

"Mommy!"

"Ruby!"

"Mom-"

The poor little girl was swept up by a man in the midst of the chaos. "Sorry little one, mommy's not going to find you."

This is the end of any chance Ruby had for a normal life.

And the beginning of the hellish legend of the Guilty Rose.

….

Ruby was beyond terrified. All the child could remember was being picked up by a strange man who covered her mouth with a smelly rag. Now, she was in a cage with several adults standing outside.

"Is this girl all we got, seriously."

"Where's my mommy?"

"Yeah, Marcus was the only one who successfully grabbed a child, the rest of them were too stupid."

"Ugh, they're all useless."

"Who are you people?"

"Yeah, but who knows, maybe we can make something of her."

Ruby couldn't Take it anymore and just broken down crying. The adults just ignored her and walked away. Her red cloak was going to be the only comfort she'd have for a long time.

….

Year 1

"You little brat, watch where you're going!"

Ruby was on the ground, holding her face where she had been painfully struck, tears were already running down her cheeks. Her only mistake was not hearing the woman, Hannya, running from around the corner of the tent. But Ruby knew better than to argue or even look at the woman, it only ever got her hit more. So she just sat there and cried silently.

"Pathetic."

The Oni Tribe was always harsh on Ruby. Any mistake Ruby was caught making was severely punished. Usually she was hit again and again, but every now and then she was locked in a cage for the night.

They taught her how to read, write, and do basic arithmetic. Well, the man named Marcus taught her. He was strict, but made sure she learned everything. He was probably the kindest person in the tribe to Ruby.

Despite Marcus' kindness though, Ruby couldn't remember a single night she didn't cry herself to sleep.

They'd even taken away her cloak.

oooo

"Raven, have you found my daughter yet?"

"No, Summer, I found the Craven Tribe, but they didn't even know what I was talking about."

"Where could Ruby be?"

"I don't know, but I promise you, I will find her."

….

Year 2

Ruby collapsed in her tent, bruised, battered, and tired. She had just spent the last hour being beaten on by two drunken tribe members under the guise of teaching her how to fight.

They never broke her bones or injured her in a way that wouldn't heal after a day or two. But she just laid there crying nonetheless.

"Mommy, why won't you come find me?"

The next morning Ruby was woken up by being savagely kicked in the gut. Hannya stood cackling above her.

"In the Oni Tribe, those who aren't always ready to fight and kill, die."

Another painful lesson from the Oni Tribe. Lessons like this one had been occurring more often in the last several weeks.

oooo

"It's been two years Summer."

"I'm not giving up!"

….

Year 3

CRACK!

Hannya's whip struck Rose's arm.

Rose, that name was all she had left. The Oni Tribe had taken everything else.

She had just collapsed while doing push-ups. She was beyond exhausted from all the exercise and hand-to-hand combat training she was being forced to do.

"I said fifty push-ups, not forty-seven."

"Yes, ma'am."

The wound hurt and bled, but all Rose could do was continue. Otherwise, she'd be whipped again.

"Grr, why won't you activate aura!"

Rose didn't acknowledge Hannya's outburst. The entire tribe knew why Rose didn't activate her aura even though it was unlocked. They had to stop hitting her if they injured her.

Rose no longer cried herself to sleep at night, or at least not that she remembered. Most nights, Rose was too exhausted to put any clothes back on after washing herself before passing out.

"Rose, which weapon do you want to learn?"

Rose looked at the weapons spread out before her. It was finally time for her to learn how to wield a weapon now that she was deemed proficient enough in hand-to-hand combat. However, none of them were tailored to her size.

Then she saw something that looked vaguely familiar and didn't seem like it would encumber her with its size.

"Those."

"Double chained kamas?"

The two hand scythes connected by a chain called to Rose. Then she saw the combat knives and an idea came to mind. She didn't know where the idea originated, but she felt like it wasn't hers.

"Yes, and those combat knives too."

"Two weapons, are you sure? You know Hannya will make you work twice as hard."

"Yes."

Ruby regretted her decision to pick two weapons for the first few weeks, but Rose wasn't allowed to go back on her decision. Thankfully, Hannya saw what the 7 year old had in mind, and only made her work harder to learn how to properly wield both weapons in a way that combined their fighting styles.

oooo

"Thanks for coming Raven."

"You said you had another lead on Ruby?"

"Yes, but let's have dinner first, Yang has news she wants to announce."

"Okay."

….

Year 4

"Only one of you can leave the circle, after killing the other.."

Marcus and Rose were standing in the sparring ring with a single kama between them. Akuma, the tribe leader, had just watched them spar up until he had Hannya throw the kama into the ring.

The second half of his remark seemed pointed at Marcus.

"Akuma!"

"Marcus, you know this is our way."

Akuma's voice held no malice, but this didn't prevent Rose from trembling.

Marcus looked at the kama, then at Rose. He knelt down and sighed.

He had been Rose's teacher for the last few years, but he had been born into the Oni Tribe. He knew that this was coming. This was the ritual that made or broke the young members of the tribe. Though normally, Rose would have been paired with someone her age. But Rose was the only one her age in the tribe right now. Akuma never sent out for new members after Marcus returned with Rose.

"Rose."

"No."

"Do it Rose."

"No!"

"Rose, it's okay."

"No it's not! Don't make me do this!"

"Rose, you're a member of the Oni Tribe. You are here to kill."

"Please Akuma-."

"Kill him, or we kill you both, and Marcus dies for nothing."

Rose shook even more violently as she picked up the weapon and approached Marcus. Her tears were spilling out, nearly blinding her.

"The least I can do is make it painless."

That thought struck Rose as she took her last step towards Marcus. Her tears stopped at that moment and she stopped shaking. The emotions in her still raged, but her body knew what had to be done.

Marcus closed his eyes as Rose raised her weapon.

Rose's aim was true. She knew Marcus felt almost no pain as she ended his life. But she still had to watch the life drain from him.

"You are now an Oni."

Those words broke her heart. But she held back her tears for once.

She was not one of them. She would not be one of them.

oooo

"Yang, what's wrong?"

"I miss Ruby."

"I know sweetie, I do too."

"Are we ever going to find her."

"I don't know anymore, but we can't give up."

A/N: And there we are.

So, it's written differently from how I am writing Grimm Hound, mostly 'cause I feel this style is more dramatic.

This story is going to be darker like the stories that more or less inspired it. Those stories are Less Than Human and re:Bound, they are really good if you get the chance to read them.

So how did you like the first prologue?

If you think there's something I could do better, let me know.

Please follow and Review!

Au Revoir!