Once upon a time, there was a little budding rose and her fully bloomed rose. Today was the happiest day of her their lives. They lived happily in a small village near Kuo Kuana. While they were humans, the near Faunus didn't seem to mind their presence or the fact that they were human. It was only a mother and a small child, the tender age of 5. The whereabouts of the husband and father of the two were unknown to the people. It didn't matter though, their love was enough to fill in the absence of a father and husband. The little rose was an energetic and curious girl, her silver eyes glimmering hope and nativity of the darkness surrounding Menagerie. Her mother was the same, although more mature and less naive.

Life was great for the two, until a disaster hit a protest that soon turned into a riot for Faunus rights. The betrayal, rage, and sadness became a beacon for grimm. Not many of the residents in Kuo Kuana were knowledgeable in fighting, much less killing grimm. The village went from peaceful, righteous protest of Faunus rights to a fest of screams and, slaughter of faunus. The little rose couldn't fathom what was happening. Why children and adult Faunus alike where running and screaming for their lives. Why monsters were tearing their throats and stomachs out to soon turn tail towards their next victim. It was horrendous.

"RUBY!" A panic-filled scream caught the young rose's ear. It was her mother. Running rapidly towards the fear-frozen rose.

"SNAP OUT OF IT!" Summer quickly swiped Ruby up into her arms and ran.

But her escape was short, as a swipe to her Achilles' tendon soon caused her to tumble and fall, loosing her grip on the small child. Summer screamed in agony. Who knew that a small and, barely memorable part of her body would cause so much pain.

"RUN, RUBY RUN!" Summer yelled in between grunts of pain as she dragged herself closer to her treasure.

Ruby could only stare behind her mother, ignoring the pleas, as she tilted her head back to be able to see the full form of the monstrous creature called a Grimm.

A lump had formed in her throat, not knowing whether to scream or cry, until the beast's head snapped to the left from a heavy impact.

Looking back down, Ruby saw her mother with her arm extended to the same directional the head of the beowulf. Letting Ruby know that it was her mother that distracted the grimm. If only for a fraction of a second.

The grimm howled in anger, quickly looking down upon the withering rose.

"GO RUBY, NO-" Summer made the worst and last mistake of her life. She turned to face her little girl without a second thought as the beast's razor sharp teeth tore into Summer's neck.

Summer faintly smiled, giving one last goodbye to her baby, before her eyes glazed over with the veil of death.

Ruby gasped, and choked on her tears, feeling her legs work on their own, turning away from the monster and running the opposite way. Running as far as she could. Running so long that her surroundings warped and the ground seemed to sink in itself. She ran so long that the soles of her feet felt like she was stepping on glass every time her feet slammed against the ground to take another step. It hurt. But Ruby did not care, as she was still being driven by adrenaline and her unlocking of her semblance. This wasn't something to celebrate, this wasn't a day of happiness over her unlocking her semblance early. It was a day of mourn and fear. Of survival.

Today, the day of Halloween was the worst day of her life, and she will forever remember it as so. Her birthday became tinted and became the day of her mother's death.

At 5 years old, Ruby learned the harmful truth of Remnant, of the harsh reality that fairytales weren't real.

Ruby felt herself get tripped over something hard, as she fell over her face and continued to roll down into a tree. Her back slamming hard against the tree. A red aura surrounding her flickered and cracked into tiny pieces as it faded away.

Ruby sat there, motionless before breaking into an ugly sob. Everything seeming to sink in.

"Hey kid shut up, do you want Grimm to come and eat you?" A boy's voice said above all Ruby's crying.

"H-huh?" Ruby sniffed, her momentary curiosity won against her grief.

"I said, do you want the grimm to eat you?" He said more aggressively.

"N-no." Ruby meekly answered, feeling small with this boy who seemed to be 12.

"Okay, then come here, where are you parents?" He asked quietly.

Ruby froze, her eyes widening, "Sh-She's g-gone." She said, barely holding her tears back.

"Oh." The boy scratched the back of his neck, awkwardly taking a moment to plan his next words out, "um, well I'm Adam, Adam Taurus." He extended his hand hesitantly towards the shivering rose.

"I-I'm Ruby..."

"Do you have a last name, Ruby?" He asked still holding out his hand.

"R-Rose." She stuttered.

"Well Ruby Rose, you can stay with me if you want?" He offered, helping Ruby off her back.

Ruby stumbled a bit before holding herself up by using Adam's arm as a makeshift crutch.

"O-okay."

Adam smiled softly, "So, what type of Faunus are you?" He asked, getting Ruby straight on her feet.

"I-I'm a human." Ruby said timidly.

Adam was stricken with shock, his hand absentmindedly reaching towards her face. Where it was marked forever like a cattle in the a breeding farm.

"Are you sure?" Adam was unsure of what to feel. He hadn't had the kindest of memories with humans.

"Y-yeah."

"Where did you live, are you from Atlas, or Vale?"

"I-I'm from Kuo Kuana- was from Kuo Kuana." Ruby answered correcting herself.

"So you're from Menagerie?" Adam asked surprised that a human lived with all Faunus.

Ruby nodded softly, being ignorant towards Adam's inner battle.

"Alright, lets go to my shack." Adam whispered, as he helped the girl walk towards a better part of Menagerie.

-time skip ( 2 years later)-

Adam and Ruby has joined the White Fang while Ruby was 7 and Adam, 14. It was pretty astonishing that a human joined the Fang, more astonishing was that a 7 year old was joining, but it was progressive, for a human to stand at the side of a Faunus.

Adam was the first to be trained, he was trained by the leader of the White Fang, Ghira Belladonna. Adam sometimes came home with bruises and cuts, which worried Ruby but, soon learned not to question it much due to Adam's short bursts of anger. Ruby wrote it off as frustration and impatience with his slow progression in training.

Ruby was the next to begin training, a couple of months after Adam, she chose to learn the arts of an uchigatana. Her straight handle and curvature above the pommel was a slight contrast to Adam's chokutō, Wilt and Blush, which was almost fully straight. Ruby was originally going to make her weapon, Bloom and Wither, but Adam adamantly refused because of how similar it was to his and he was already dealing with their similar weapons. So Ruby just opted to name it Curving Rose, or kābingurōzu, which means the same thing but, it sounded cooler in Ruby's opinion. But it mattered not, because soon Ruby and Adam would start going to missions, as per High leader Ghira's orders.

"Ruby, I'd like you to meet our new partner, Blake." Adam interrupted Ruby's thoughts.

Ruby waved silently at the girl cladding in black. Her feline ears standing at attention and flicking to the side at every sound that was made in the training ground. Her hands nervously rubbing together as if sweat covered them as she nodded in acknowledgment towards Ruby's silent greeting.

Adam cleared his throat due to the awkwardness in the air, "So, she will also go on the mission with us." Adam announced.

Ruby furrowed her eyebrows as she quickly looked back up at Blake and Adam. "I've never seen her around the camp? Is she trained? Are we really taking a defenseless recruit?!" Ruby rapidly asked in confusion and slight anger that they had to train so long and hard to get to go on their first mission but, this-this kid just gets to waltz in and join for no apparent fucking reason??

"Ruby, this is Blake-"

"Yeah I know you said it-"

"Belladonna, she is Blake Belladonna." Adam said through gritted teeth.

"Oh." Ruby suddenly felt small, she knelt down onto her knee so quick that you could hear a hard thud against the dirt floor. "Ma'am."

"Ruby, come on, none of that, Blake wishes to be treated equally." Adam said, patting Ruby's shoulder, signaling her to get up.

"I-I apologize for my rudeness, if I had known, I wouldn't have been so rude." Ruby apologized. Ruby had picked up on the formal talking from the high leader and higher ranking people in the Fang. It seemed very important to know, and of course she also learned a few...less then enjoyable words.

"It's okay, like Adam said, I wish to be treated like everyone else, so it was a breath of fresh air to be treated normally." Blake said with a hint of amusement.

Ruby still had a question that was burning to be asked, "Do you know how to fight?"

"Yes, I was trained by my father and mother." Blake said, bringing forth her weapon, it was a katana with a cleaver and of course the usual touch of a gun mixed with it, a pistol. It was merged to be a ballistic chain scythe with a ribbon instead of a chain. Now that's a katana.

"Her name is Gambol Shroud. I made this with my mother." Blake said with a fond smile, reminiscing that certain memory.

Ruby felt bitter and jealousy bile up in the pit of her stomach. She didn't get the satisfaction of being fond of her mother, she didn't get the privilege of saying that her father taught her anything because she didn't know him, for all she knew, that bastard was dead.

"Ruby." Adam stated sternly. Knowing full well what Ruby was thinking.

Blake twitched her ears in concern and curiosity.

Ruby still held her glare as she tightened her grip on Curving Rose, causing her knuckles to turn bone white.

"Ruby!" Adam shouted, slapping Ruby a bit to hard for Blake's comfort.

Ruby's head whipped to the side, her hair prickling her cheeks as it whiplashed from the slap.

Ruby for the most part didn't look fazed from the slap but, by her sudden bitterness.

"Adam, you didn't have to do that again, we could find another way to, um, stop it." Ruby mumbled as she rubbed her cheek.

"Again?" Blake echoed, perturbed.

"Oh, that? I have to do it every time she gets like that." Adam shrugged, obviously unbothered by his actions.

Blake shifted her gaze uncomfortably, back to Ruby, "So you're the infamous human in the White Fang?" Blake arched her delicate brow.

"Yeah, what of it?" Ruby barked.

"O-Oh I was just asking! I have nothing against you- well other than those racist, evil, disgusting, unfiltered-"

"Um..."

"-Humans..." Blake finished slowly.

"Blake, I was born and raised in Menagerie, apart from not having any ears or tail, I am a Faunus at heart." Ruby puffed her chest proudly.

Blake blinked rapidly in shock, "You really are different from the other humans."

Ruby smirked at Blake, shrugging it off.

"I guess I am."

-time skip 2 weeks later-

"Alright, Blake, Ruby, you remember the plan?" Adam asked, looking them both in the eyes.

"Yes."

"Yeah."

Adam nodded in affirmation, clapping his hands as he pointed towards the center plaza of a Vale.

Adam secured his grimm mask placement before heading towards the center. Blake and Ruby followed suit with their own masks.

Adam lifted a sign that read, 'Faunus Are Equals', he bobbed his sign up and down as he shouted the words like a mantra.

Blake quickly joined him with her own sign that read, 'Justice For All', she also shouted it like a mantra.

Ruby soon joined after, raising her own sign that read, 'Humans And Faunus Are Equals', she decided not to shout since her partners were already making ripples in the crowds.

Ruby heard murmurs around them, which Ruby was sure that Adam and Blake could head with their enhanced hearing.

"Look at those poor kids!"

"Is that a human girl with them?"

"Is she a human slave?"

"Those filthy Faunus."

"That human is a traitor, how could she be with those disgusting animals?!"

"Repugnant."

Ruby looked at Adam and Blake with a side glance, she could see Adam tightening his grip on the sign handle, while Blake's ears flatten lower and lower onto her head.

Ruby felt rage boil in her veins, she felt heat rise above her neck. Sweat began to douse her forehead. She desperately tried to hold her anger back by breathing just like High Leader Ghira had showed her, but it was proving futile as she finally lashed out.

"SHUT UP!" Ruby screamed, the plaza seemed to silence for a second before erupting back into more murmurs.

"Is that girl really defending animals?"

"Wow, her mother must of not taught her-"

Ruby snapped her head towards the man who had mentioned her mother.

Her uchigatana swiftly coming out of its saya and pressed against the man's throat. All Ruby saw was red. Like Adam. Red like Roses.

"What did you say?!" Ruby demanded as she pressed further into the man's throat, cutting into his neck a little. Blood seeping slowly through her weapon.

"N-Nothing! I swear!" He scrambled to get away but, Ruby held on tight.

"Bullshit, I heard you." Ruby growled.

"Please, mercy! I beg of you, I'm sorry!" He pleaded.

"No, I want you to say it one more time." Ruby pushed.

"I-I said that your mother didn't teach-" His words replaced by gurgles and sharp breathes of a man trying desperately to breathe but, unable to because his throat was cleanly cut open.

Screams filled the air as Ruby calmly snapped Curving Rose to the side in a swift motion, splattering the blood onto the street, leaving her uchigatana clean, before sheathing it back into her sheath.

"R-Ruby.." Blake called out in fear.

"Let's go." Adam commanded, grabbing hold of both Ruby's and Blake's arms. Making an escape back to the White Fang base. Adam silently thanked himself for making both of them wear grimm masks too.

-line break-

"Would any of you kindly like to explain what happened in Vale?" Ghira said eerily calmly, his angered glare reaching all three of the children in the room.

"Dad, I-" Blake began but, was cut off by Adam.

"It was my fault, sir, I did it." Adam bowed his head further down to show regret.

Ruby's eyes flicked to Adam before looking back down in shame. How could she let Adam fall for her mistakes. She was the one who killed him. She was the one who felt nothing at killing a man but, felt shameful for getting Adam in trouble.

Ruby began to move her lips before, she saw Adam move his hands into a 'Stay down' signal.

Ruby sighed through her nose as she obeyed.

"So," Ghira walked around Adam, in a slow, and intense way, "You are admitting that you have done something that was STRICTLY forbidden from any Fang members to do?" Ghira questioned harshly.

"...Yes, High Leader." Adam feigned shame and regret.

"Then please, enlighten me as to why you thought this was necessary?"

Adam lifted his head up a bit to face Ghira as he spoke. "He threatened our safety and I had to act to keep my partners safe, sir." Adam coolly lied.

Blake winced at the blatant lie, but she didn't want Ruby to get in trouble either.

"Is this correct, Blake?" Ghira turned his glare upon his daughter, who stood up slowly.

"Y-Yes, father." She said fearfully.

"Alright then, I will forgive you once, the next time something like this happens, you won't be let of so easily, Adam." Ghira finished, turning around back to his main quarters.

Ruby trembled in humiliation and anger, she had once again gotten someone else to take a hit because of her. How could Adam do that.

"Get up, Ruby, we have to go to training." Adam said nonchalantly, as he walked by Ruby and out of the mansion.

"Yes, Adam." Ruby said quietly, following after Adam.

Blake stood there, astonished and awestruck by Adam's bravery and selflessness.

-time skip ( 5 years later ) -

Ruby being 12, Blake, 14, and Adam being 19. They had grown into quite a trio.

"Ruby, Blake, This is Ilia." Adam announced.

Ruby waved, reminding Blake how they met. They've became better friends then anyone had ever thought. Blake knew almost everything of Ruby, and vise versa with herself.

Blake nodded at Ilia and gave her a small smile.

Ilia smiled but, then frowned at the lack of Faunus traits on Ruby.

"What's a human, doing here." Ilia snarled, her caramel skin turning into a vibrant, angry red.

"Ruby, isn't like the others, she's like us, but not physically." Blake answered, trying to reason with the new recruit.

"Blake's right, Ruby here, is actually one of the best member in the Fang right now, and she's been here for 8 years now." Adam smirked.

Ruby just shrugged and continued cleaning her beautiful uchigatana. She would let them sort it out, she would stay out of petty fights over her lack of Faunus traits.

"If you say so." Ilia's skin returned to its original colour slowly, eyeing Ruby suspiciously.

Ruby rolled her eyes, continuing to ignore her. "Whatever."

Ruby was more occupied by Blake and Adam's relationship. Over time they became more than partners. Ruby loved both of them but, their relationship was disgusting. Adam was 19 for fucks sake. Blake was barely 14! This was pedophilia, and it was repulsive. Honestly, Ilia would be a better lover then Adam, and Ruby barely knew the girl. Well, it wasn't like Ruby could voice her opinion since Adam would get really mad. She didn't want to go through the same "training" she gets after getting too cocky. Ruby shivered, remembering her punishment. Ruby missed the old Adam.

Blake didn't know of the punishments, she knew them as "training" sessions.

Ruby let a sigh out through her nose, silently wishing that she could tell Blake.

-time skip (3 years later) -

Ghira had sadly stepped down as High Leader. Ruby really looked up to him. He was powerful, commanding, and a great leader. Sienna Khan on the other hand, she was violent, quite frankly, she was like the female version of Adam, but, more calm and collected.

Speaking of Adam, he became more and more rage filled, a complete stranger to his younger self. His punishments became more apparent, Ruby seemingly always carried bruises and new scars her face, arms and body. Sometimes her clothes were mysteriously ripped in some places.

Ruby of course wore a black White Fang suite, like Adam's. It was to show her high rank in the White Fang.

"Ruby, get ready, we're going on a mission." Adam said.

"What is the mission?" Ruby asked quietly.

"We are robbing a Schnee Dust cargo train." Adam answered without looking at his long time partner.

"Okay, I'll go get Blake." Ruby mumbled as she went over to where Blake was.

Blake was packing books into her small backpack and placing a ribbon in with them.

"What are you doing?" Ruby asked sternly.

Blake gasped, turning around to find Ruby leaning against the doorframe, her eyebrow raised.

"I-I was just-" Blake stumbled to find words.

"Save it, I know you're planning on running away." Ruby walked over to Blake and smiled kindly. "I want in."

"Wh-What?" Blake sputtered in surprised.

"I want to leave too." Ruby said seriously, her voice stern.

Blake stood in silence, the fact that Ruby was willing to run away with her was a huge shock. Ruby basically grew up with Adam. They were siblings in all but blood. Or at least Blake thought so.

"Okay, we go during the hijack."

Ruby nodded.

-line break-

Blake sat on a rock, watching red leaves drift down down in the forest.

Ruby walked up to her, "So we're really doing this, huh?"

Blake slowly turned to Ruby, "Yeah."

Adam, assumed that they were speaking of the heist. "Blake, Ruby, it's time."

"Okay." Blake answered for the both of them.

Adam, Blake, and Ruby slide down a hill onto the top of the train. Upon boarding it they entered a car full of AK-130 Androids.

"Looks like we're doing this the hard way." Adam stated the obvious.

The androids activated and circled the trio.

Blake rolled her eyes, "Don't be so dramatic."

The androids activated their guns on their arms, aiming at the three.

"Intruders, identify yourselves."

Adam responded by cutting the Android in two. Ruby and Blake back him up, unsheathing their respective weapons and tear down the rest of the androids in the car.

Adam bursted our the freight car onto a flatcar and a horde of androids greet them.

"Let's do this." Adam huffed.

They annihilated the androids as easily as the first one.

Adam once again heads into the second freight car. This time a box greeted them.

Adam opened the box and examined the contents of it.

"Perfect, move up to the next car." He ordered, closing the trunk.

"I'll set the charges." He informed them.

Blake bit her lip, "What about the crew members?"

"What about them?" Adam snarked.

Adam turned his head around, spotting a Spider Droid climbing down from the ceiling of the car. Adam moved into a fight stance.

Ruby frowned, which went unnoticed by Adam.

"Adam." Blake said anxiously.

Adam, Blake and Ruby tried to fight it but, it didn't go as well as they thought.

Adam quickly snatched Blake out the way of a massive droid's leg, before it could crush her like a bug.

"We need to get out of here!" Blake shouted urgently.

While fighting it, they seemed to be relocated to the outside of of the car and into a flatcar.

"Buy me some time!" Adam shouted above the roaring wind.

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked.

"Do it!" Adam commanded.

Blake and Ruby distracted it by shooting it and slashing at it, while Adam readied his next attack. As they jump back out the way for Adam to do his thing.

"Move!" He warned.

The droid fired a powerful beam. Adam caught the beam with Wilt. His body began to glow, the droid jumping towards him. Adam slashed out with Wilt, disintegrating the droid and even affecting the trees around them, causing the leaves to fly into the air.

As Adam walked back towards Blake and Ruby, he found them on a separate car, standing near the connector between the cars. As he reached out towards them, Blake spoke up quietly.

"Goodbye." Blake said, as Ruby looked down to her feet, feeling immense shame once again.

Blake severed the connector and lets the released carts slow down as the car that they were in continued en-route. Leaving the monster they once knew as a friend and brother. For Blake, once lover.

Ruby wondered as they saw Adam's car slowly faded into the red forest. What will become of Ilia.

-line break-

A/N: Hey guyssssssss I know that I've been neglecting my other works buuuuut, this one just came to mind and I just had to write it. Plus I read a fic from 2013 about Adam sorta raising Ruby. Anyways I'll try to update Ruby Branwen whenever I find a way to continue it because I left it at a difficult place to pick it back up lol. Anyways I'm still shit at writing buuut, I can't help myself.