Ruby has an apprentice, the daughter of one of her old enemies. After years of working together, the daughter came clean about her origins. When Ruby asks why she stuck around, it was because the daughter saw Ruby as a mother figure and didn't want to disappoint her.
Ashe gripped her swords, amber eyes focused as she watched Ruby spin her scythe. She took a step back into the shadows, using her semblance to cloak herself. Her eyes closed as she envisioned the shadows in the forest, pulling herself to the shadow behind Ruby, lunging as she felt the afternoon sun on her skin.
Ruby turned around and blocked the strike, grinning. “You’re getting better at that!”
“You’ve taught me a lot!”
“But not everything.”
Ashe’s eyes widened as she watched Ruby disappearing into a cloud of petals that scattered around her, her swords slicing through the air as she lost her balance for a moment. Flames burst from her clothes as she ran a finger down the seam of her sleeve. A gasp escaped her lips as she felt a bullet hit her in the back, her aura shimmering around her body. Then, her arm was pulled back as the blade of Ruby’s scythe rested against her middle, her body shaking as she realized the only thing keeping her from being sliced was Ruby’s grip.
“I think that’s enough training for today,” Ruby said as she pulled her scythe away from Ashe, folding it up. “That’s three wins for me today and… how many for you again?”
Ashe sheathed her blades and sighed. “I’m just a bit off today, that’s all.”
“And being off will get you killed if you’re not careful. Though, that trick with the fire you did, how did you do it? There’s only one person I’ve seen do that.”
“I-” Ashe paused for a moment as she looked between her teacher and the trees, already planning for an escape. “Its nothing to really worry about, you know? Lets get back to training-”
“Not until you tell me what you did,” Ruby said as she pulled her scythe away, keeping her hand on Ashe’s wrist. Her eyes glanced to the hilt of Ashe’s blade, frowning when she saw an emblem that resembled a pair of heels in the shape of a heart inside a black flower. “Dust in clothing is an almost lost art. Who taught you?”
Ashe pulled her hand free from Ruby, her body tensing up as she took a few steps to the nearest shadow. Her hands gripped the hilt of her blades, ready for a fight as she remembered a story her mother had told her about a huntsman from her past. “It shouldnt matter!”
“If you have nothing to hide, then why not just tell me?”
Ashe stepped back to avoid the scythe blade as it sliced down in front of her, narrowly missing her cheek. “What are you doing?!”
“You said you wanted to get back to training, right?” Ruby grinned as she used her semblance to get behind Ashe, pushing her forward into the light with the shaft of her scythe. “So we’ll train again! But with how low your aura is, you might want to be careful!”
Ashe caught herself as she nearly lost her balance, quickly turning around to block another strike with her blades. Her hands shook as she stepped back, nearly tripping over her feet. “Miss Rose! Dont you think this is taking things a bit too far?”
“Of course not! This is what yo unwanted, wasnt it? More training?”
“That’s not-” Ashe slipped and fell to her back, hesitating as she felt the back of Ruby’s blade against her neck, a chill running down her spine as she stared up at the silver eyes looking down at her, the same eyes her mother always told her to be wary of.
“So, are you going to tell me what’s on your mind now?” Ruby asked as she pulled her scythe back. “That’s the worst I’ve seen you do in months and that fear in your eyes isnt like you.”
“I-” Ashe took a deep breath and dropped her blades to the ground. “You… you remember how you used to tell me stories about your training and fighting Salem? And… and how things fell apart for you and your team once she was defeated?”
“Yeah, what about it?”
“I’m… I’m Cinder’s and Blake’s daughter.” Ashe stood up, shaking as she glanced at the shadows near the trees, getting a plan ready to leave as she watched Ruby’s grip tighten around her scythe. “I understand if you dont want to teach me anymore, being the daughter of people who hurt you, but after you saved me from that beowolf and took me in to train me, I didnt want to disappoint you-”
“That’s all you’re worried about?” Ruby folded up her scythe and ran her fingers through her hair. “But, that at least tells me who taught you about sewing dust.”
Ashe froze as she watched Ruby sit down on a fallen log, keeping an eye on the shadows next to her. “You’re… you’re not mad?”
“At you?” Ruby shook her head and sighed. “No, just… disappointed I didnt figure it out earlier. Your eyes and hair, your fighting style… but to think she and Blake got together… Never thought that’d happen.”
Ashe slowly relaxed a bit, bending down to grab her blades. “I… I dont understand. I lied to you… you should be angry at me.”
“The only thing I should be angry about is your form when you’re surprised. I know I taught you better than that.”
Ashe sat down, catching an apple that Ruby tossed to her, claws digging into. “So you’re not going to drop me as your student?”
“I’ve already taught you for a few years now, I’m not going to stop just because I have issues with your parents. The real question is why did you stay with me? Both of your moms are fierce fighters, so why stick with me?”
Ashe paused for a moment and used her claws to slice into the apple. That was the question, why did she stay? All those fears of Ruby being angry at her when she found out the truth, all those fears about being dumped as a student… it would’ve been easy to run and leave. And yet, here she was, wanting to stay despite all of that. “I… I see you like a mother to me. I wanted to make you proud when you took me as a student and I didnt want to disappoint you by failing.”
Ruby nodded and got up. “We’ll end our lesson here then. Get some rest and we’ll meet up again tomorrow.”
Ashe smiled a bit as she took a bite of her apple slice, eyes glistening in the sun. “I wont be late.”
