The Tale Of X-49: A RWBY Story

Chapter Ninety Six - The Blacksmith

As the still shrunken X-49 joined Ruby and Little, Little takes a nap in the back of her hood.

Ruby: Teapot Lady... Teapot Lady... Uh...

Suddenly, a loud clanging can be heard. Ruby finds herself alone with all the other denizens walking around suddenly gone. Darkness encroaches and surrounds the area on all sides except for the small area Ruby is standing in. Ruby gasps as she notices what is happening. She raises her hand as a bright light is emitted from her right. She notices a rack of weapons, among them being Penny's Maiden sword. Ruby grabs it off the rack and holds it in her hands.

X-49: That's Penny's sword....

???: Does that one interest you?

X-49 and Ruby looks up to who spoke, and sees a feminine-looking, metallic Blacksmith standing before their forge. Their features are obscured by the forge's bright flames. Ruby approaches them, entering the shop.

Ruby: I... I thought this was lost forever.

X-49: Where did you get this?

Blacksmith: Nothing is truly lost.

Ruby stares at the Floating Array sword and a reflection of Penny appears in it. She gasps. 

X-49: Ruby? 

Ruby: P...Penny....

X-49: She might have lost that during the fall. 

Blacksmith: And what of you? Are you lost?

The Blacksmith holds a pair of tongs holding a heated, metallic butterfly wing. 

Ruby: No, no. I'm just... My friends went somewhere else.

Blacksmith: You're doing this all alone?

Little wakes up and notices their surroundings in the Blacksmith's tent.

Little: Ruby... I don't think we're supposed to be here.

Blacksmith: If you change your mind, you may choose any one of these you like and set your burden down.

Ruby looks down to find a dagger in the Floating Array sword's place. She stares at the blade and a reflection of Alyx appears.

Ruby: I already have a weapon. I did...

Blacksmith: And yet, here you are, searching for something else that you do not even know.

Ruby sets the dagger down on the table next to her, before looking up to see a rather intricate axe-like hybrid weapon with a trigger function. The Blacksmith continues hammering, the clanging sound ringing. Ruby gasps as she sees on the blade with a reflection of Summer Rose, her Silver Eyes starting to glow and obscuring the screen in a bright white light. Soon enough, Ruby hears the Curious Cat's voice. Ruby gets startled and turns around. She is seemingly back, having snapped out of her vision with the Blacksmith. The Cat is seen holding the Grow-gurt Parfait ingredients in a basket with their mouth. Weiss is riding on the Cat's head with Blake and Yang in the basket.

Curious Cat: Ruby? Who are you talking to? Did you retrieve the nose hairs?

X-49 and Ruby looked around, noticing the Blacksmith's shop and forge is gone.

Ruby: Uh... no, not-- not just yet, but--

Weiss: Ruby, come on. We got everything else.

Ruby: I... Uh... I'm sorry.

X-49: Go on ahead. We'll catch up.

Curious Cat: Come now, X-49. Some of your friends are in quite a hurry. It is quite rude....

X-49: I said we'll catch up. There's something me and Ruby need to discuss in private. We won't be long. 

Blake: It's fine. We'll be waiting next to the Teapot Lady's shop when you're ready.

The Curious Cat hesitates as they takes the rest of Team RWBY to the Teabot Lady's shop. X-49 and the Curious Cat exchanged looks at one another before parting ways. Once they were alone, X-49 speaks to Ruby.

Ruby: I...I wasn't going crazy, was I? The Blacksmith's forge....

X-49: You weren't seeing things, Kiddo. I saw it too. Clear as day.

Ruby: But....but why is the forge gone? Why did it...show up out of nowhere? And why did I see....Mom's weapon?

X-49: I....I don't know. This whole place doesn't make any sense. It's clear that there must be a reason that this place is calling to you.

Ruby paused as she tried to think of a response. Ruby lowered her head, wearing a sorrowful look. At this point, it was clear that everything that has happened up until this point began to take it's toll on Ruby. X-49 placed his hand of Ruby to try and comfort her. 

X-49: It'll be alright, Kiddo. Once we get to our regular sizes, we'll find a way back to Remnant. 

Ruby: I....I don't know....

As X-49 and Ruby talked, the Curious Cat observed them. 

Yang: That's odd. I wonder what that was for.

Blake: I'm sure they have their reasons.

Curious Cat: Can you trust the Tin Man?

Yang: What kind of question is that? Of course we can! X-9 is our brother!

Curious Cat: Just a curious little question. 

Weiss: And why would that question be on your mind?

Curious Cat: You said that the Tin Man was on Remnant much longer than any of you have and asleep? A lot of things can happen in that span of time. Perhaps....he's not right. Perhaps he's broken. 

As the Curious Cat said this, they glanced back over to X-49, remembering what had happened at the Herbalist's enclave. For now, they would keep that information to themselves. Back with X-49 and Ruby, X-49 did his best to comfort Ruby. 

X-49: Look....I know things have been bad recently, but I know we'll be able to pull through. 

Ruby: How do you know?

X-49: Because we've been through worse. Being stuck in a fairy tale word is....just a bump on the road. 

Ruby paused as she pondered on X-49's words. With that, X-49 and Ruby began making their way to the Teapot Lady's shop. What no one realized that a danger would soon reveal itself.