Chapter Text
For the longest time, all Ruby had felt was hunger. Not her own, but rather her soulmate's.
For years, all she felt from her soulmate were things like hunger, despair, and depression. And Ruby felt bad for them. She knew that it meant her soulmate likely lived out on the streets, barely able to survive.
But one day, shortly before she turned 15, her soulmate's feelings changed.
Happy, strength, obsession , and a feeling Ruby didn't quite understand. It almost felt like love, but it was muted, like her soulmate was in love but not.
Ruby felt happy for her soulmate! They were feeling so much better now! She can't wait to meet them.
It takes Ruby many meetings with her soulmate to realize just who they were.
She realizes at Haven, shortly after Cinder and Raven and that bandit girl went down to the vault with Yang following. Then Yang came back up with the Lamp, alone.
Crushing despair, horror, and grief suddenly overwhelm her, and she nearly drops to her knees, her hands grasping at her chest. Dots connect in her head, and she whirls on the spot, locking eyes with horrified red behind her.
"Y-You…?" Ruby gasps out, as Emerald grabs her head, activating her semblance.
Pain! Rushes through their soul bond. Ruby doesn't give any attention to the hallucination rising behind her, as she stumbles towards her crying soulmate. Out of the corner of her eyes, she can see Hazel and Mercury hesitating by the academy's doors. After sharing a glance the two rush off, leaving Emerald there.
Ruby gently brushes tears from her soulmate's face and sends her feelings down their bond,
Guilt, sadness, mourning, questioning?
Horror, grief, pain, overwhelming fear, floods back.
Red eyes lock onto her silver. Ruby sucks in a ragged breath, and whispers,
"I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. "
Their feelings synch,
Guilt, mourning, pain, fear, questioning, and a brief flicker of hope.