Chapter 3
The next morning, things started out the same as always as I woke up. A little groggy from the strange dreams, but still pretty average. But then I reach the bathroom to shower. I look in the mirror and notice my arms seem a bit… bigger? I mean, not necessarily huge, it’s just that they’re not as flabby as usual, like they’ve gained some muscle. But I brush it off at first because I’m still waking and think I’m just seeing things in my haziness. Especially since I’m not wearing my glasses. So I just move on to my shower, which wakes me up a little even with what little hot water is left given how Yang is always up first and takes a bit longer than I do. After I dry off and get my bra and panties on is when I notice two things. 1: I definitely notice how leaner I’ve become. I’m not too jacked, but I’ve definitely become a bit muscular. And 2: as I look at it all better in a mirror, I realize how clearly I’m seeing it all despite not wearing my glasses, which I left back in my room! I quickly change into my clothes for the day and head back to my room to test something. I grab my glasses and put them on, only to see a total blur through them. I try this out a few more times before concluding the obvious. My eyes have somehow completely cleared up and no longer match the prescribed lenses so now I can see without them! Then I hear Yang yell from downstairs.
Yang: “Ruby! Time for breakfast!”
Ruby: “Ah!” Startled by Yang, I end up dropping my glasses, I fumble a few times to try and catch them but then they hit the floor and… *crack* …they break. *gasp*”Oh no!”
Yang: “Ruby!” Crap! I don’t have time to deal with this. I quickly gather up the glasses into their case and pocket it. Thankfully none of the lense pieces fell out, they’re just cracked. On my way out, when I close my door… I end up yanking out the door knob… and it’s stuck to my fingers! Then as I’m trying to get it off, I get a strange feeling in my head before I look to see Uncle Qrow coming down the hall, so I quickly turn around with my hands behind my back.
Qrow: “Morning kiddo. You doing alright?”
Ruby: “Um, yeah. Just fine-“
Qrow: “You know you don’t have to try and drive it from me. I came home last night and Yang already told me about yesterday.” I just look down a little downtrodden. “Listen kid. I know it’s not easy for you, what with everything you’ve been through and my always being busy. But I know that it you’re anything like Tai and Summer, I know you manage to put big brain of yours to work in order to pull through.”
Ruby: *chuckle*”Qrow!”
Qrow: “And I thought I’d do something to help too. It’s been a while since we’ve all did something together, so I thought I’d take some time off this weekend and we could… I don’t know, maybe see that new monster movie.” He leans in a bit to whisper. “We can all work together to sneak in cheaper candy.”
Ruby: “Hehe... Thanks Uncle Qrow. That’d be nice.”
Qrow: “By the way. Looks you finally started using those contacts I got you, huh?” Ah, whoops! Guess I should’ve expected that.
Ruby: “Oh, um. Yeah! Um. Well, I kinda had to cause my glasses just cracked.” I bring out my case and open it to show him.
Qrow: “Huh. A well, nothing that can’t be fixed. Just hand them to me and I’ll look into it.” Which I did end doing. But in all honesty...
Ruby: “Okay, but honestly there’s no need to rush it. I think I actually want to try living without them for a while.” Probably the best excuse I can make for now. At least until he starts catching on with his detective skills. “But there is also this...” I finally show the door knob I had been holding.
Qrow: “Whoa! What happened?” He takes the knob from me and... it actually doesn’t stick?! What happened?
Ruby: “Uh, I don’t know. It just came off on my way out.”
Qrow: “Huh. Guess this place is getting a little old. I’ll try talking to the landlord on our way out. Now come on. We better not keep Yang waiting.” This is all really weirding me out. What the heck is happening to me!? First I have those strange dreams last night, and now it’s like I’m not even human anymore. Maybe I can figure this out after I talk with Yang and the others. Speaking of which, Qrow and I finally make it downstairs where Yang is already having her breakfast.
Yang: “Geez. What took you guys so long? You know this stuff isn’t any good cold, right?”
Qrow: “Sorry, Firecracker. Just a quick talk between us for the coming weekend.” As he sits down and start on his breakfast. I sit down next to Yang and start on mine before Yang notices.
Yang: “Whoa, Rubes. Where are your glasses?”
Ruby: “Oh! Um, I dropped and cracked them so I had to use my contacts.” It’d be best if i just talk with Yang, Weiss and Blake for now. I don’t wanna make things complicated with Qrow knowing though. Especially with everything he’s been through with Raven, Mom and Dad.
Yang: “Huh. Gotta be honest, you actually look better like this. Really makes me feel like I’m seeing Mom again.” Right. I’m supposed to be Mom’s spitting image, but she never wore glasses. Whether or not she needed them and was just wearing contacts is unknown to me though. After finishing our breakfast and we all head out. Qrow stays behind a bit to speak with the front desk, likely to meet with the landlord regarding the door knob, so Yang and I go on ahead to walk to school. This is when I finally decide to mention something.
Ruby: “Uh, Yang?”
Yang: “What’s up?”
Ruby: “Um. What I said about contacts was... actually a lie.”
Yang: “What!?”
Ruby: “Before you freak out, I swear I can explain, but first I think we should wait until we meet with Weiss and Blake to talk about it.” Yang stays silent for a minute before finally agreeing.
Yang: “Fine. But you better not try to back out. As harmless as it is in this instance, it’s not like you to do something like this.” Well, that went better than expected. Afterwards, we made it to school and went on with our classes, agreeing to talk with Weiss and Blake when we meet up like usual at lunch. But, throughout all my classes, I just couldn’t get my mind to focus. And then we get to Professor Goodwitch’s class right before lunch, where she notices my distracted state.
Glynda: “Ms. Rose? Ms. Rose!”
Ruby: “AH! Um, yes?”
Glynda: “Would you mind coming up here for a minute?” Should’ve known she’d be concerned about my progress. Especially in the middle of a test. So I get up and head up to her desk. “Is everything alright, Ruby? I’ve heard from your other teachers that like just now, you’ve been rather... distracted during class today. Now, with your grades, I'm not too worried but this is kind of unlike you. I’ve never seen you falter like this in the middle of a test.”
Ruby: “Well, you see, I uh...” What exactly could I say in this instance? I know I plan to talk with my friends about this but somehow, I don’t feel like talking with Goodwitch about this is as clear cut as that.
Glynda: “Would this anything to do with what was brought up yesterday?” Wait, what? “I understand your parents are a touchy subject for you, so I’m sure everything that was brought up about your Mother yesterday was particularly hard for you, right?” ...Well, I guess she’s not totally wrong, but I probably shouldn’t complain.
Ruby: “Yeah... I just... She was the hero I always looked up to but died when I was 4. It’s been such a long time since we talked about her in such a long conversation. I just don’t know how to go about getting over it. Especially on how to process everything I learned about her.”
Glynda: “Still, I can’t overlook a possible dwindle in your education. I know I really shouldn’t do this, but I’m going to let you retake the test after school today to let you have some time to try to work through this. Just come by my classroom after school let’s out and I’ll let you get to work.” That’s quite a surprise. Goodwitch doesn’t usually give these kinds of chances. But then again, she has somewhat been a pseudo-mother to me ever since I started here. She may still be strict with me like everyone else, but I always did wonder why she tends to treat me a bit more than others.
Ruby: “Are you sure? I don’t want to get you into any trouble with Ozpin...”
Glynda: “Believe me, I’ve been through more trouble with him much worse than this...” She has a look of reminisce as she says this. What exactly did she mean by that? *ahem*”Regardless, I’ve had to deal Ozpin a lot longer than you’d think so I know how to work around him with this, so you won’t have to worry too much about it.”
Ruby: “Well okay, if you say so. Thank you, Professor.”
Glynda: “Very good then. You may sit back down, and I’ll see you again after school.” So I make my way back to my seat and noticed the concerned look of my friends... and the angered look of Cardin but chose to ignore him. So after Goodwitch’s class let out, we all head for the cafeteria and just like usual, we all met up at our usual table.
Yang: “Okay Ruby, we’re all here, so spill it. What was that all about this morning?”
Ruby: “Okay. Okay. So it basically goes like this...” I explain everything that’s been happening to me since I started feeling woozy after coming home last night.
Yang: “...Ruby... do you honestly expect me to believe any of this?”
Blake: “Now hold on, Yang. You and I both know she has never been one to lie about anything. Even then, I can typically tell when someone is lying anyway, and I don’t think that’s the case.”
Yang: “Are you serious? You do realize how crazy this sounds, right? Weiss, what do you think?”
Weiss: “I... think I’m with Blake on this one.”
Yang: “What?”
Weiss: “I have a theory as to how this happened, but just to be safe, I think we should run some tests so I can confirm it. Let’s all meet up at my place after school today.” Ah, right. Weiss has a personal lab in her penthouse, which I guess her Dad would’ve been able to do with the kind of Lien they have.
Ruby: “I agree. You guys can go on ahead and get everything set up while I’m retaking my test.”
Weiss: “Sounds like a plan.” That’s when someone grabs my hood and drags me out of my seat and into the middle of the room.
Yang: “Ruby!” When I look up, I see it was Cardin who dragged me over, and when Yang and the tried to come to my aid, Cardin’s little gang of bullies, Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing and Sky Lark, stood in their way to keep them from interfering.
Cardin: “Alright you little runt. I think it’s about time I put you in your place, cause I’m getting real sick and tired of all this attention and special treatment you’ve getting.”
Yang: “Cardin, you coward! Are you seriously so petty that you’d beat up a younger girl!?”
Cardin: “You butt out! I refuse to out classed by a little girl who got here on a technicality! You’re done for!” He goes for a punch but then I get that same feeling in my head I had this morning when Qrow was coming. Thinking about it more, this feels sort of like a kind of warning alarm which somehow let me be able to actually dodge his punch before it hit and afterwards, I was able to get up to my feet. “Hmph. Beginners luck.” He kept throwing punches that I continuously dodged. “Pfft. Quicker than you look I guess. But I still won’t lose to pipsqueak!” At this point, I don’t even realize my momentum when I dodge by bending backwards... with flexibility I didn’t even realize I had. But I didn’t just bend back, I went back far enough to perform a lunging kick at him with enough strength to launch him across the room and through the door... and land right in front of Professor Goodwitch as she was walking through the hall. Upon seeing this, she entered the cafeteria obviously a bit angry.
Glynda: “Who is responsible for this!?” Literally everyone aside from my friends, including Cardin’s crew, all pointed at me. Immediately, she shows a face of disbelief. “Ms. Rose, I’m surprised at you. This is not what I meant when I told you to work through your problem.” It didn’t take long for my friends to step in and stand up for me.
Yang: “Whoa, hold on! This was Cardin’s fault! He dragged her off her seat and started attacking first.”
Blake: “He even deliberately had his little gang stop us from interfering. Ruby was just defending herself.”
Glynda: “Even so, she clearly knocked him unconscious. Something like this cannot be ignored. I can’t believe I’m saying this but... Ruby Rose, please report to Headmaster Ozpin’s office after school.” She starts to walk away and addresses Cardin’s friends on her way out. “You three can take responsibility for your part by taking Cardin to the infirmary.” To which they all scramble to get to it as they all leave. As my friends look at me in concern, I also look down to my hands as I once again question just what the absolute heck is happening to me...