AN: I am alive. Sorry for the wait. As everyone knows these last few months have been very stressful. I know this chapter is on the shorter side, but hopefully it serves as a brief reprieve in these trouble times. Also good news everyone, I have a new cover art. Isn't it adorable. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 10: Family Ties

Yang was not the most patient individual, she could admit that about herself. Regardless, she would think that waiting for over an hour for this mysterious "Ashen" to show up was enough proof that she could be patient. She didn't even care about him that much. It wasn't that she was uncaring, but if the guy wanted to be alone then she saw no reason to poke her nose in his business. That was, until Ruby got involved.

At first she didn't like the idea of her obsessing over this strange man. Yang was willing to chalk it up to Ruby idolizing the person who saved her life. While she was certain that was how it started out, she wasn't blind to what it had grown into. Ruby was using her new friend as a substitute for their mom.

As much as she wanted to be angry with Ruby for doing so, Yang could understand how she feels. She missed their mom too. Not a day went by where she didn't wish that Summer would walk through their door back into their lives and fill the gaping hole that was left behind. To have someone show up and replace her so soon felt like they were insulting her memory. Of course, she had no doubt that Ashen was not intending to do any of that. Ruby was just too nice for her own good at times and easily influenced.

As the weeks turned into months it seemed that Ruby had, thankfully, grown past that and she could breathe a sigh of relief. While she would have loved to meet this mysterious hermit living in their backyard and lay down the law with him, her dad had given her more than one conversation warning her otherwise. Their dad was the only other person to meet Ashen, and from whatever conversation they had, it was enough for him to trust Ruby alone with the guy. While Yang trusted her dad's judgement, she still wasn't comfortable with the idea. It was only for Ruby's sake that she held her tongue.

Now, though, she no longer could. The things he was putting into her sister's head concerned her. Ever since her birthday, Ruby had been waking up before the crack of dawn to go watch the sunrise with Ashen. A habit that has gone on for more than a week now. Her sister should be out making friends her age, not hanging around lonely old men. How many times did Ruby blow her off to go hang with him? Ruby was her sister, not… whatever she was to Ashen.

Yang grumbled to herself as she paced back and forth. A quick glance to her scroll showed that she was passing her second hour of waiting. She managed to distract Ruby with a special edition weapons magazine focused on classic designs. While she would cut herself off from the outside world as she drooled over the pages, it would not keep her occupied forever. Ruby would eventually realise that Yang was missing and her dad would be back from the store too.

With a cry of frustration, Yang kicked at the ground. That was the sight Ashen witnessed when he stepped into the clearing. He watched in confusion as she stomped away.

What was Ruby's sister doing here?

Ashen shrugged. He would ask Ruby about it if she showed up today. He really didn't want to deal with an overprotective older sibling, especially when they're angry. Unfortunately, Ruby did not join him later in the day, so he would have to wait until the next sunrise to ask her.

Surprisingly, Ruby did not show up the next morning. It wasn't too strange for her not to make it. Ruby was still young and not conditioned to rising with the sun. The many naps she took with him prove as such. At some point, she was going to crash and fail to show. He was just surprised she lasted as long as she did. Yet, she did not stop by later in the day. In the end, he did not see Ruby for the next couple days. Usually, she would notify him if she was going to be absent for a prolonged length of time. Hopefully nothing happened with her or her family…

Thankfully, his worries were assuaged after the third day when he spotted Ruby walking down the cliff toward him. She was carrying a plastic container under her arm. He waited for her to step inside his ring's influence before addressing her.

"Good morning. I was surprised not to see you these last couple days."

Ruby rubbed the back of her head with a chagrined smile. "Yeah, sorry about that. I'm back now and I brought a gift." She held the container in front of her. "I brought cookies."

"Oh? Is there some special occasion I am unaware about?"

She shook her head. "No. I made them because I thought we could share them and to make up for disappearing on you." Ruby took a seat next to him before she popped the top off the container. Warm steam slipped free from the many freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies.

"I appreciate the thought. Did anything happen with your family? I hope your uncle's work hasn't caught up to him."

"Uncle Qrow?" She plopped a cookie into her mouth. "He's teaching at Signal right now."

"Do not talk with your mouth full. You risk biting on tongue or choking on your food," Ashen chided.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Yes, Dad. The last thing I need is for you to start acting like Yang."

"Oh? Are you fighting with your sister?"

"What? No. It's just that Yang was very clingy the last couple days. That's why I wasn't able to stop by."

"It does not sound unusual that she would want to spend time with her sister."

"Yeah, but never like this. She was suffocating," Ruby groaned out. "She was constantly dragging me around to go places like the arcade or comic store. She even spent the last few days having a sleepover in my room. I couldn't leave without waking her, so I had to praise the sun from my bedroom window. I hope that's okay."

Ashen chuckled. "It is fine. The teachings do not require us to do so. Most warriors choose to do so simply to pay respects. Where you are or how often you do it do not matter."

Ruby breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. I was worried I was breaking some rule or something." She plucked another between her fingers. "You know, my sister even bought me a batch of cookies from my favorite bakery yesterday. I'm still waiting to hear what she's trying to bribe me for. Those cookies are expensive."

"And you brought them here to share with me. I'm flattered by the sentiment."

Her face flushed red as she laughed awkwardly. "No… I, uh, made these myself. Cookies are best eaten fresh." Ruby held the container toward him. "You can grab one. We're supposed to share, so it wouldn't be fair if I ate all of them."

Ashen hesitated before grabbing one that was a bit more black spotted compared to the rest. He turned away from Ruby before lifting his visor enough to slip it in his mouth. The treat was crunchy with some softer fillings inside, but all he could taste was ash as he chewed. An unfortunate fact of being Undead was that while they were allowed to still eat and enjoy food and drink, the more an individual hollowed, the weaker their senses became until they were gone completely. Another luxury stripped from him.

"It tastes good," he lied.

Ruby frowned. "It's okay to say if you don't like it. I saw that one was burnt. Here, try another." She offered another cookie to him.

Ashen accepted it. Once more all he could taste was an ashen mush in his mouth. Considering it was a type of pastry, he went with the vague"it is very sweet" comment. Though watching Ruby frown as she chewed through another told him that was the wrong thing to say.

"It's not that sweet. I should have put more sugar in it." Ruby sighed and covered the cookies. "You don't have to lie to make me feel better. I know I'm not as good at baking as my dad." She sulked.

"I am sorry. I did not intend to insult you."

"It's ok. I'll do better next time. I promise."

"I appreciate the gesture, but you should not waste such treats on me."

She frowned. "Are the cookies that bad?"

"No. I do not know what they even taste like." Ashen sighed. "I lost my sense of taste long ago. That is why your treats are wasted on me."

Ruby stared at him, horrified. The container almost slipped from her fingers. She flailed her arms, juggling it in the air before clutching it to her chest. The sight brought a small smile to his face while Ruby sighed in relief.

"How did you lose your sense of taste?" she asked in a small voice. The container in her arms suddenly felt heavy.

"The same way I lost so much of myself," he admitted. "I sacrificed a fair bit of my humanity in my travels. Even my sense of touch is damaged." Ashen held his hand in front of him before slowly closing it into a fist. "I can still feel, but the sensation feels… muted. I can barely register pain nowadays—though I can not say if that is a result of my affliction or if I have simply become too accustomed to it. Any further explanation will have to wait until the allotted time two years from now."

Ruby pouted, hating how he hid behind the vow he made to her. A silence settled between them. Since any further questioning would be blocked, she decided to change the subject. Hopefully it would chase away the gloom that she could feel settling around her. Thankfully, there was something that had been bothering her and now would be as good as time as any to bring it up.

"Can I ask you a question about something that's been bothering me for a while now?"

"Go ahead, though I cannot promise if I can answer it."

"When you told me that story about you and your friends, you said that your teacher named you Drifter, but now you go by Ashen. Why? Is there a reason you stopped using the name he gave you?"

He hummed in thought. It was a fair question, considering the story he told her before. "The name no longer fit me," Ashen explained as he leaned back and stared at the afternoon sky. "Matheus named me Drifter because I was wandering from place to place with no sense of purpose. I was restless, unable to stay in one location for a prolonged amount of time. Such an attitude was dangerous. With no purpose, no reason to live, what reason does a man have to stay sane? It is why I am still so grateful that he took me under his wing. I would have wasted away on my own."

Ruby scooted closer to him. Once more she dipped her hand into the container and nibbled on cookies while hanging on his every word.

"After I joined the Warriors of Sunlight, I found that the name Drifter no longer suited me. I no longer wandered aimlessly. I traveled for the purpose of finding people in need of aid—to see new lands and do what I could to protect the people residing within. During my travels, I have gone by many names. Many were given to me by others, some I chose for myself—though they never felt right and were eventually abandoned—and a few… a few names I took upon myself."

"What do you mean?"

"There are a lot of local legends in the villages outside the Kingdom. A few come from the Kingdoms themselves." Ashen smiled. "They are all different, but very similar nonetheless. Each speaks of a brave and noble warrior who sets out to eliminate a threat to their home or accomplish some great feat to make their people proud. These men are the pride of the people. They inspire hope in dark times. Yet, there is something wrong with those stories."

Ruby's hand scratched the bottom of her container. She hadn't realized that she already finished all the cookies. Her body was nearly shaking from anticipation. While she wasn't sure if what she would learn would be good or bad, she at least knew that it would be big.

"How many of those villages do not even know that their famed heroes fell? That the great feats they accomplished had come at the cost of their lives. Some of the heroes even fell before they could face the great threat that their people feared. Yet, stories of their success manage to reach their homes while the men themselves never did. All of the stories have oddly similar endings where suddenly, saving their home was not enough, so they would leave to help others in need. But how could this be if they all died?" Ashen couldn't keep the small smile off his face. "Maybe they encountered someone midway on their respective journeys. Someone who helped. They may have even been there at the start. An individual who was witness to their ends. A person who would steal their name and ensure that their legend would live on. If the task was left unfinished, then they would complete it. A fool who would live the lives of others all to prevent the people from losing hope. Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? Surely such a foolish man cannot exist."

When Ashen finally looked down at Ruby, he found her looking at him with one of her warmest smiles while her eyes sparkled in sunlight.

"I don't think there was a knight more noble than you anywhere on Remnant," she commented. All trace of her previous gloom was chased away. Her heart was filled with awe.

Ashen shook his head ruefully. "I am many things: A warrior, a soldier… but a knight? No, it would be an insult to real knights to call me such. True knights are men and women of conviction, unwavering against death itself. I have lacked the heart more than I am comfortable admitting. There were many times where I made choices not based on what was right or moral, but what would help me survive. I do not believe there are many who would consider me a knight."

"Well, you're a knight to me," Ruby responded. "I think one person believing in you is more than enough for you to be a knight."

"Thank you for your kind words." Ashen reached over and ruffled her hair. "They mean more than you know."

She smiled and kicked her feet in front of her. "You're welcome. So… since you're feeling in a sharing mood, want to skip the wait and just tell me all the secrets you're hiding?"

"Nope." Ashen chuckled. "You are going to have to wait the two years." Ruby crossed her arms and pouted at him. "Trust me, it is best that you do not rush toward it. Savor these two years, because time is more fleeting than you know."

She groaned. "Two years is forever though."

"You say that now, but you would be surprised. Enough about the future. Why don't you tell me about your sister and the events you did together."

As Ruby told him about her time with Yang, she unknowingly confirmed his suspicions. He had no doubt that not only was Yang overprotective of her sibling, like all older siblings were, but that she was also jealous. It was a little surprising that it took this long before something like this came up, but then again, he had no idea what her days were like compared to Ruby.

In the end, Yang was a problem for another time—or at least that was what he initially thought. The following day it was Yang, not Ruby, who showed up. He watched her, safely from the trees, hidden by his ring. She paced in circles, grumbling unpleasant words toward him as her patience grew thin. At first he did intend to approach her, but pulled back at the last moment.

Ashen wasn't lying when he told Ruby that time was short. For someone who lived as long as he had, two years was a blink of the eye. There was no doubt in his mind that when he told Ruby the truth about himself, about what he really was, it would destroy her. The truth would hurt her, scar her even, but it would at least keep her from throwing her life away like so many others. Their relationship would end, but isolation was nothing new to him.

Knowing what was to come, there was no need to get her sister involved, especially with so little time left. She would be needed there to pick up the pieces of Ruby's spirit and she would be unable to if he did the same to her. Yang could come to hate him for ignoring her if she wished, but in the end what he was going to do would benefit her.

In two short years this pleasant distraction in his undead life would come to an end. Ashen appreciated the time Ruby spent with him. He underestimated how refreshing it was to be treated as a human after so long. Ruby would grow up, have a family and eventually pass on from this world. Humanity would continue their struggle against the dark. Throughout it all he would still be here, the silent observer. This was the fate he chose for himself and he had long ago made peace with it. For now he would savor what time he had left with his tiny ray of sunshine.

He had a duty after all, to ensure that the sun always shined.

AN: I hope you enjoyed. If for some reason you can't see the cover art for the story I have the link in my profile. Next chapter should hopefully not take as long and will be longer. Leave me a review or shoot me a pm with your thoughts. Take care and stay safe.