Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Truth
Chapter 135: Truth
~Third POV~
Ruby was confused by the sudden question when Jack talked to her and remained calm, "I'm... sorry?"
Jack continues to speak in a calm tone to Ruby while staring her in the eyes, "Fairy tales, stories from your childhood. Surely you must remember some of them."
Ruby was put off by the question, but answered with nostalgia while confused, "Well, there's The Tale of The Two Brothers, The Shallow Sea, The Girl in the Tower..."
Jack leaning back forward to her on his chair brought on the real question, "What about The Story of the Seasons?"
Ruby then looks away in remembrance, narrating the story with a fond memory of Tai or Yang reading it to her as a kid, "Well, of course! A callous old man, who refuses to leave his home, is visited by four traveling sisters. The first understands his reclusive nature and urges him to use his time in solitude to reflect and meditate. The second brings him fruits and flowers, tending to his crops and revitalizing his garden. The third warm the man's heart, convincing him to step outside and embrace the world around him. And the fourth and final sister begs him to look at all that he has and be thankful. In return for their kindness, the man grants the maidens incredible powers, so that they may continue to help others all over the world. They graciously accept and promise to share their gifts with the people of Remnant 'til the end of days. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall; the four maidens."
Jack smiles at how playful Ruby was being but then turning from playful to deadly serious in a millisecond he spoke to her, "Well, would you believe me if I told you it was true?"
Ruby got silent for a moment, then gives an uneasy chuckle to him, "Haha… I beg your pardon?"
Jack clasps his hands together giving Ruby an eye-to-eye conversation with beginning to talk to her, "What if I were to tell you that there were four maidens existing in this world, that could wield such tremendous power, without Dust?"
Ruby trying to make sense of this development tries to make sense of the conversation, "You mean... like a Semblance?"
Jack gives a small smile as he delivers his secret to her, "Like Magic."
Ruby looks down unsure whiter to believe it or not with Jack making a chuckles at her reaction of hers, "Yeah. First time hearing it's pretty crazy. But it's the truth Ruby but we are only just beginning to touch the surface of the truth."
Ruby turns her gaze to Jack again, confused wanting to be clear, "You're serious?"
Jack just has a straight-faced to Ruby with his voice being serious, "Do I look like I'm joking?"
Ruby struggles for the right words seeing his expression but is getting more confused, "... No. Why... why are you telling me this? How does this relate to my mom being gone."
Nodding his head at this Jack began to explain to Ruby more explanation to her of the fairy tale stories, "Ruby have you ever read The Girl in the Tower? Did you know that is also a true story? If so, whatever happened to the girl?"
Ruby's eyes were confused by this but soon realizes something, but Jack continues to talk to Ruby while connecting another fairy tale, "Did you know the girl from that story soon became the antagonist of The White Witch in the Woods?"
Ruby was getting more confused piecing what Jack was saying together before she wants to know why, "Wait… are you trying to say the same person in those two stories is the cause for why my mom was missing?"
Shaking his head Jack decided to drop the bomb on Ruby making her eyes widen at the news given in complete disbelief and denial, "Simple. Because of that person… Salem. She wants to harm the Kingdoms for her own ends. And it just so happens to be the leader of the Grimm controlling them. She has her ways to gather allies to all after all… have you ever felt sorry for the girl in the tower Ruby?"
Ruby soon stands up in disbelief and denial not wanting to listen as Jack began to talk more about how Salem gathers her allies through emotional manipulation, "The Girl in the Tower details the story of Salem and her origins. The story is penned by Salem herself, serving as secret propaganda to elicit sympathy for Salem and bring followers to her. Salem wanted to show her story to elicit sympathy and motivate people to come to her aid, subsequently dooming many warriors to die for her. Her story did not include the whole truth and is ambiguous as to what might have been false when she spread the word of her tale."
Ruby trembled a bit not willing to listen anymore hearing Jack's words begin to deny them as lies with her voice trembling, "N-No… Jack what you-u say has to be a lie… there-e is no way what you say-y is the truth…"
Standing up Jack began to get close to Summer touching her head with <Soul Archive> actively showing a hologram screen while glancing his free hand to Ruby and talking to her, "But if you want to know the truth… merely touch my hand once more to see if what I say is a lie by taking a glance at Summer memories? The choice is yours to take…"
Handing his hand over to Ruby she glanced at it remembering how her professor Semblance functions…
Contemplating the chance to learn what happened to her mother with a free chance to see what really happened Ruby calms herself breathing in and out, "Shhh…! Whew… I-I… I want to learn what happened… I want to know who's this Salem person…"
Jack could only nod as he touched Ruby's hand allowing his <Soul Archive> to activate sending a picture of events happening entering their minds.
The two flinched slightly overseeing the events happening to Summer causing Ruby to tremble but at the same time, Jack did as well from her presence as if she was there with an aura like despair around her.
Suddenly, the mindscape turns dark as black smoke rises from the ground nearby them getting the two-attention viewing it from Summer Rose's POV.
All the short images of the torture, Silver Eyes being plucked out, limbs extracted, muscle fibers are taken, and the creation of the Hound…
"AHHHHHHH!"
From it, a giant effigy of Salem, limbs bent and deformed, towers above everyone in the room in Summer's memory. The giant Salem opens her eyes and lets out an ear-piercing scream as it swoops down over to them.
The screen goes black in the holographic screen with Jack stopping the view. Afterward, everything returns to normal, Ruby and Jack both shake in fear as Ruby comes to terms with what she had just witnessed.
Ruby was the first to come to terms when she finally got out of her stupor with her voice trembling down, "W-Wha—w-hat was-s that-t?"
Gulping down a hard swallow of saliva down his own throat replying to her the best he could what the heck they witnessed, "Gulp… An image of her. An accurate one. That… was Salem…"
Ruby's eyes began to tremble down recalling all the torture her mother went through keeping silent when Salem asks her and the other Silver Eyed Warriors, "That's-s why you didn't want me-e to know… why? Why has someone like her exist? How come no one knows of this threat…? Do-o the Headmasters know of this?"
At this Jack replied using his <Breathing> to return his mood back to normal gripping Ruby trembling hand, "Yes…. Every Headmaster knows… Remember Salem mentioned the name Ozpin in her memories…"
Ruby shakes like a trembling leaf mumbling to herself holding her arms together to herself speaking out in disbelief, "It's… this is just too hard to believe… how can anyone in Remnant not know this? And what's worse… there are people willing to join her despite knowing how much pain she causes to Remnant…"
*Woosh*
Rushing slowly hugging Ruby with her accepting it as a sense of security and safety for anything after she witnessed Jack rubs her head as Ruby began to cry out tears into his chest replying to her question the best he could, "Ruby… when a well packaged web of lies has been sold gradually to the masses over generations, the TRUTH will seem utterly preposterous and it's speaker a raving lunatic."
Sniffling into his chest regretting to the know the truth Ruby began to whisper to herself in despair about learning what she gained, "Did you see what it was? Underneath? You know what that means then. That's what was going to happened to Mom…. When I saw its eyes, I knew. Salem used to kill people with Silver Eyes. But why would that change unless, when she met Mom, she learned she could do something new… I'm… scared…"
Gripping tighter to Ruby Jack tries to calm Ruby down while all she could do is return it back wanting to feel secured promising to her, "Yeah… but… I'm not going to let you become Salem experiment Ruby… I'm never going to let that happen not while I'm around. Salem… she maybe immortal but not unbeatable. But as we are now though…"
Not bothering to reply for the time being silence consumed the two for the long while with Ruby replying to Jack in an apologetic tone, "Jack… I'm sorry for yelling at you like that… if I had known this, I wouldn't have reacted harshly at you… I regret knowing the TRUTH of the other side but…"
Holding Jack tighter closer to his chest while he gestures the same Ruby replies a small smile on her face, "Thanks… thanks for trusting me with this… but what do we do now?"
At this Jack replied to her for the time being as the two were both emotionally tired from their fighting, "Right now… I say we continue this tomorrow. We learned a lot and we both need time to think this through… but know this Ruby I won't leave you alone."
Feeling tired Ruby lost the strength in her legs with Jack carrying him princess style with him smirking with Ruby shiny silver eyes glancing at his own eyes.
Walking down away from Summer room with Ruby glancing at her mother before the steel door shut itself….
/////
Next going into a room together the both of them shared the bed not bothering anything with Ruby and Jack going to sleep.
"Sniff… why… why did you take mom…"
Jack opening his one eye sees Ruby crying in her sleep he began to hug her tightly whispering into her ear hoping to soothe her, "No worries Ruby… I won't leave you alone… that's a promise."
Hearing those words seems to soothe the crying Ruby with Jack holding Ruby tightly not letting her go out of her sights.
Somehow feeling the security Jack gave to her Ruby began to calm down as the two both fall asleep with each other holding one another for support and security.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone