RWBY 1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** My friend challenged me to write a RWBY fanfic sooooo, here i go

* * *

There was so much of it.

So much.

Red.

Red everywhere. The crimson leaves of Forever Fall continued to fall, swiftly, peacefully. But this moment was nothing but peaceful. How could this be happening? This isn't right, it shouldn't be happening.

The forest was a blur as she moved through the mass of red trees faster than ever before. Her surroundings being stretched as she increased her speed. She was moving so fast, maybe too fast as her cape caught on a pointed branch which seemed to have grown for the sole purpose of slowing her down. Coming to a screeching halt so as to not tear her precious cape, she hastily loosened it, panting as she did so. She had to move, had to reach her. Giving up hope on her cape she ripped the buckles off her neck and flashed away as soon as she was free from her cape. A cloud of roses left behind floated gently around the cape as it fluttered softly on the branch, a sign that the cape would not be left alone.

_This can't be happening, no it can't! She's too strong for this, I know she is!_

So many thoughts ran through her mind as she flew through the woods, her beloved cape left behind for the first time in a very long time. She paused to gain her bearings. Where was she now, oh no had she drifted off course. Swinging her head around frantically, her head snapped up as there was a loud crack and a flock of birds escaped the tree line just ahead. As soon as she spotted the birds she was gone again, another cloud of roses, but this time a little less.

_I don't understand! This can't actually be happening. She promised me she would never leave!_

Denial was all she felt, but something deep within her had the smallest hint of doubt. A small dark black dot, that was threatening to grow and flood through her and consume her. But she furiously pushed it down, _NO! Everything is fine and even if it isn't I'll make it in time! _

_She's the one I love most, I would never ever, let anything happen to her!_

Actions speak louder than words. Another boom followed by a bone chilling shriek. Her blurred world came to another halt as she paused to listen to the noise. Was it human or something else? It sounded too horrible to be a human, but what about a human in pain? That last thought shot her back into action, shooting off for the third and final time in the direction of the noise. Only a few lowly pedals left behind to hopelessly drift to the floor, defeated by the world, cursed to forever fall.

_I can't accept it. I do not! How can I live without her._

She blasted into a clearing and came to a stop, kicking up dirt and fallen crimson leaves as she dug her heels into the ground. She quickly took in her surroundings. No enemies, nothing just- Oh no.

Forever Fall was so red, just like her cape. Crimson, ruby, maroon carmine all words used to describe the serene land. But Ruby only had one word on her mind. Blood.

That's all she saw. All she could see as she looked at the person she so hopelessly tried to save, was deep dark blood. She fell to her knees, _no._ All her energy, all that power, gone in an instant. _How can I live without her. _She repeated. She weakly crawled her way to the figure, lying peacefully, quietly. She seemed somehow happy, but Ruby new it was all a cruel lie fabricating fate. Her lips trembled as her hands aimlessly floated around that face that she so loved. Not sure what to do, not sure how to act, how to feel, Ruby wept.

Soft, quite, whimpers that barely made it past her lips. Tears gently slid down her cheeks and onto the body in front of her. The clear, pure droplets instantly became poisoned with that crimson, the crimson that belonged to the woman she believed would never have left her. Ruby fell onto the woman's stomach, her sobs becoming more rapid and jagged, her tears flowing more freely. Her vision became blurred and all she could see as she stared at the face that belonged to the one person that meant her life was red. So much red. I cruel irony filled her heart and mind.

It was red like ros-

"Ruby!"


	2. Chapter 2

Ruby's eyes shot open as she heard her name called. She became very alarmed at the persons distressed tone, and also the fact that she felt very weightless. That was odd, what did that mean? She felt as if she was falling, but why would she be fallin- She was falling! But why was she falling, what could have happened to her- "Oof!" Ruby's train of thought was abruptly cut short as she hit the floor with a thud, which caused their room to shudder violently. A coffee cup rattled and a book tipped over on one of Blake's book shelves.

Weiss burst out of her slumber, glyph circling her palm, held in front of her like weapon, adding a soft glow to the otherwise dark room. Blake was sitting up on her bed, scratching her head, looking all very, uninterested yet concerned at the same time. Yang was already next to her sister, being the one who called her name, she knelt by Ruby's side and gently turned her over. "Ruby are you okay?" she asked, concern flooding her tone. Ruby groaned and flopped into her back, rubbed her face and looked at her sister, who's lilac eyes practically were bleeding worry and love. She glanced at Weiss and received a stark contrast to her lovely sister. Weiss was sporting a very annoyed /disappointed / irritated/angry expression. Weiss was amazing like that, she was the only one, besides maybe Blake, who could express so many negative emotions at the same time.

Averting her gaze form the ice queen, in fear of frost bite, Ruby returned her attention to her sister. Rubbing the growing lump on her head, she lazily sat up, "Ergh. What happened?"  
"You were mumbling something in your sleep and then you randomly rolled off your bed. I woke up a tinsy bit too late to catch you." Yang explained, feeling a little guilt for lack of sleep awareness. Then again her snoring probably hindered her hearing, a lot.  
"I didn't" Blake stated nonchalantly, yawning and stretching, expressing her very cat like characteristics.  
"What do you mean?" Yang asked as she helped Ruby up  
"Your mumbling woke me up a while ago" She explained, wiggling her cat ears to further explain herself.  
"You didn't think to do anything about it?" Ruby asked a little hurt that her teammate didn't come to her rescue, "but what about ladybug?!" she exclaimed arms out in an overly dramatic expression.  
"It's one in the morning, that out of my operating hours" Blake responding, still very casual while getting back under her sheets. "Besides I didn't expect you to roll out of bed"  
"Well I think you deserve it" Weiss added, glyph gone, arms folded.  
"Weiss it's one in the morning, don't you think it's a bit early for that?" Yang asked, referring to her folded arms and overall attitude.  
"Early for what?" she replied, sharply tilting her head to one side, her white hair following suite, no longer bound by her usual pony tail. Ruby secretly loved it when she let her hair down at night, she thought it looked beautiful as it cascading down to her lower back, like a snowy white waterfall. Ruby always loved the snow.  
"What was I saying Blake?" she asked, coming back to the present. Blake opened one eye, having decided to go back to sleep she was a little annoyed by the interruption. Although she knew she wouldn't be falling asleep before the rest of them, but she did hope she fell asleep before Yang, nothing can fall asleep when she's snoring like an Ursa.

She suspiciously eyed Weiss and Yang before sighing a somewhat exasperated sigh and replied, "I'm not sure, couldn't make out any words properly" Yang and Weiss exchanged glances, which flew right over Ruby's innocent head, as she nodded thoughtfully. "Now, a cat needs her beauty sleep. Goodnight" Blake stated, a smirk reaching her lips and her joke, but she hid it quickly as she turned onto her side to face the wall.

Yang looked to her partner and chuckled softly at Blake's increasingly sly humour before climbing up onto her bed. "Goodnight" she called, flinging her sheets over herself, which seemed completely redundant to Weiss as she always found the sisters with their sheets haphazardly thrown about. Looking back to her partner Ruby she scoffed all to Weiss like and said, "It was probably about cookies and sugar". Ruby paused as she went to jump up into bed and looked at her partner and tilted her head to one side, "Weiss when was the last time you had a dream?" she asked very childlike. Weiss was taken aback, she recoiled a little with her mouth agape slightly offended by the question. "Excuse me! What are you implying?!" she questioned.  
"Uh oh" Yang mumbled from her bed, Blake replied with a 'humph' and Ruby, realising she made a mistake, disappeared behind the curtains that held her bed up. "Goodnight Weiss!" she called back quickly. "Wha-" Weiss shook her head, her mind still processing the child's question. Decided she couldn't care less, she scoffed loudly and sharply got back into her bed, "Tsk! How rude!" she said to the underside of Ruby's bed.

Then all was quiet, Blake had probably fallen asleep already, Yang wasn't snoring so she hadn't reached that point yet and neither had Ruby. There a soft shuffling from above Weiss and she expectantly, yet slightly irritated, opened her eyes. "Sorry Weiss" Ruby whispered softly, her silver eye visible through the gap between the wall and her bed. Weiss looked at her partners' eyes, a stern expression on her face, which quickly softened at Ruby's sincere soft little voice. Irritated with her loss of composure at the sight of her partners clearly guilty heart, she threw her head to the side, breaking eye contact and said proudly, "Oh don't be ridiculous. I'm fine" Ruby lingered a little, causing Weiss to open one eye a fraction to peer at her and then Ruby was satisfied, "Ok then" she replied, still a little saddened, "Goodnight Weiss" she said, a little more sprightly. Weiss sighed as she turned her head back up, "Goodnight you dunce" she said softly, turning onto her stomach and nuzzling into her pillow. She practically felt Ruby's beaming smile.


	3. Chapter 3

Weiss was at peace. It was quite, and there was no Ruby insight. She was comfortable, lying in her bed sleeping her worriers away. She smiled to herself as- WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT! "RISE AND SHINE TEAM RWBY!" Weiss shot up from her bed, nearly hitting her head on the bottom of Ruby's bed. Torn from her most comfortable sleep, she snapped her head toward the source of that shrill whistle. Ruby. Weiss glared at her as if she was burning a hole through ten inch steel, but Ruby paid it no head, continuing to smile and stand in between the bed.

She winked at Weiss and brought the whistle back up to her lips, "Ruby no!" WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT! Diving back into her pillow, hands covering her ears, Weiss wasn't the only one hating her team leader for once.  
"Argh! Ruby! Cat ears remember!"" Blake called from under her pillow, Yang's pillow and her sheets. Yang was frantically trying to find her pillow, wincing at the high pitched call. "Ruby, honestly it's our second year, do you really believe that's still necessary?" Weiss asked, standing back up and moving toward the bathroom.  
"Well I just thought after last night we might need a little" WHOOOT! "Wake up call"  
"Ruby!" Blake called once more, this time throwing Yang's pillow at her.  
"Hey my pillow!" Yang exclaimed, jumping from her bunk and landing next to her sister, seemingly unaware of what was going on. "Mornin' Rube's" she said happily, kissing her sister on the cheek, and then proceeding to pick up her pillow.

She picked it up, whacking it a few times to expel any unwanted dust from her night time head rest and then gave it an incriminated look. Holding it arm's length, she perked an eye brow, "Blake what did I tell you about stealing my pillow during the night?" she said, dropping the pillow to her side and giving her partner a quizzical look. Blake seemed to blush slightly at the accusation before defending her case, "I did no such thing"  
"Oh yeah? Cat hair" Yang stated, shoving the pillow into Blake's view and pointing out the incriminating black strands of hair.  
"Could be Ruby's" she argued, somehow casually. Both Ruby and Yang looked at the faunas, even Ruby new that was silly.  
"Really Blake?" Yang said arms folded across her chest.

Blake opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by a certain heiress who was looking, unsurprisingly, annoyed.  
"Blake Belladonna, I understand that you're a faunas but could you please keep the shedding under control? Have you seen the bathroom?" Weiss said, gesturing to the open bathroom door.  
"Hey don't talk about her cute little cat ears like that!" Yang said defensively, stepping in between Blake and Weiss, pointing a digit at the heiress.  
"Excuse me, but weren't you just accusing her of taking your pillow?" she pointed out.  
"That's different!"  
"Oh how can that possibly be different?"

Blake began to make her way to the bathroom, mumbling something softly as she went, "I'm feeling so attacked right now" Ruby waited for her to close the door before blowing the whistle for the third time that morning.  
"Ruby Rose I swear if you blow that stupid whistle one more time, I will freeze your mouth shut"  
Ruby looked at her, examining her partners face for any hint that she was joking, but couldn't find any. Dropping the whistle into her hands, she was slightly disappointed that he partner seemed to mean what she said.

"I'm sorry" Ruby replied, head down, shuffling the toe of her shoe into the carpet like a small child.  
"Hey don't threaten my sister like that!" Yang said, getting back on the defensive.  
"She deserves it!" Weiss retorted  
"Why what has she done to you?!" Yang called back.

Ruby looked between the two highly contrasted teammates and slowly made her way towards the bathroom. She quickly stepped in and shut the door behind her, exhaling as the argument was reduced to mere muffled voices. Ruby turned around to see Blake sitting on top of the toilet, with its cover down, book in hand and a look of complete disinterest across her soft features. Ruby looked at the book and realised she didn't see Blake walk in here with one on her. "How did you..?"  
"I have my ways" she replied coolly, never looking up from her book. Ruby looked back at the bathroom door, the muffled argument somehow still continuing. Sighing and giving Blake a tired look, the ebony haired girl simply replied, "This is your fault"  
"I know" Ruby admitted, sighing another time. There was a small silence between them before Blake said plainly, "My ears still hurt".

* * *

After about an hour of hiding in the bathroom with a very silent Blake, Yang and Weiss had finally finished arguing, and the land was safe to travel across once more. Exiting their safety, the team proceeded to get dressed and ready for class. However as Ruby made to open the door that led to the hallway with her team behind her, Weiss pointed out something. "Ruby?"  
"Mmm?"  
"We have no classes today" Weiss said, slowly lifting her gaze from her timetable to Ruby. Yang looked at her sister, mouth open in a 'what' shape and Blake just sat against her bed head, yet another book in her hands.  
"Uh huh we don't?" Ruby asked nervously, feeling Weiss' current glare chill her bones.  
"No we don't. In fact, today is the only day we had to sleep in this fortnight and after last night's incident, I think we all would have liked to sleep in" Weiss answered, slamming her book shut sharply. Ruby looked to her sister for guidance, but all Yang did was face palm and then flop onto Blake's bed in front of her feet. Blake glanced at the blonde and smiled to herself before returning to her book.  
"And not only did you wake us up, you decided to use that blasted whistle" Weiss continued, voice rising with each word. "Then I had to argue with your boisterous sister for an hour" she said waving to the brawler, who was about to get up but Blake intervened and stretched her leg over Yang's head and pushed it back down into the bed, smiling as she herd Yang's muffled protests. "And here we are, in our school uniform at eight in the morning, with no classes and no reason to even be talking at this time! Ruby Rose you unbelievable dunce! How could you have messed this one up!"

Weiss finished, throwing her arms into the air, pinching the bridge of nose and turning away from her leader before abruptly turning back around to face the guilty fifteen year old. Weiss faltered a little at the sight of her leader looking so vulnerable but quickly pushed it aside and continued. "I am going to change out of these clothes and when I come back, you had better come up with something to make waking up this early worth it!" Ruby watched as the ice queen marched her way into the change room, slamming the door behind her, letting out a breath she didn't realise she was holding. She looked to Blake and realised she was smothering her sister, "Blake?"  
"Yeah?" she replied, eyes on her book.  
"Uhh Yang". Yang was flailing her arms, trying to lift her head out of the sheets and get some air, but Blake's right leg had her pinned down good.

"Oh crap!" she cried alarmed, throwing her leg off her partner and moving close to make sure she was ok. "Oh my gosh Yang I'm sorry" the faunas apologised to a spluttering and coughing Yang, although Blake couldn't stifle a laugh or two.

Ruby looked toward the change room, if only her partner had changed as well.


	4. Chapter 4

"Well this is nice" Pyrrah chirped as she looked between the silent members of team RWBY. Out in Forever Fall Ruby decided that a picnic with team JNPR would make 'waking up so early worth it', or so she hoped. Yang was reasonably happy with the idea, Blake didn't seem to have an opinion and Weiss, well Ruby still hadn't figured out how she felt about the idea. Her expression was the same from the moment Ruby pronounced the idea to the moment they arrived at their spot. It wasn't until they had all sat down and Nora happily tried to shove a cookie in her mouth that she changed her mood. "Open uuuuup! Here comes the aeroplane!" Nora said as if talking to a child, making plane noises as she flew the cookie towards Weiss' sealed lips. "Nora leave her alone" Ren said in a way that made it sound as if he was saying it more out of habit than anything else. Ruby watched the display nervously, worried how the stern faced heiress would react when the cookie made contact. "C'mon Weisssssss it's about to craaash" Nora called, waving the cookie in front of Weiss' mouth. Weiss looked at her, arms folded and opened her mouth to most likely scold the orange haired grenadier.

But as soon as her lips parted a fraction, Nora slammed the cookie into her mouth, "GOAL!" she yelled, throwing her arms in the air and falling onto her back, landing in Ren's lap, causing him to drop his sandwich. Ruby's mouth dropped in shock, Yang dropped the chicken drumstick she was holding, Blake's eyes went wide, Jaune froze and Pyrrah brought her hand up to cover her mouth. Weiss recoiled as her mouth was abruptly filled with sugar and chocolate, she turned her head as she coughed and splattered, trying not to choke on the biscuit. Both teams froze as they watched Weiss, except for Nora who continued to yell in celebration, "Score one team JNPR, team RWBY zero! Whooo!" completely un phased at what she had just done, she continued to cackle and dance around the picnic blanket. Ruby watched the slightly crazy turquoise eyed girl, with an expression of utter bewilderment. Weiss had finally brought her coughing fit under control and turned back to face the two teams. Ren caught Nora's hand as she passed by and brought her to a halt. "Hey!" she complained looking at her partner and then to Weiss, "Uh oh". "Uh oh indeed" Jaune said softly. Weiss looked at Nora, correction, she glared at the girl, wishing that she could truly live up to the title 'ice princess' and freeze the fearless member of JNPR on the spot. But instead she slowly stood up without taking her eyes off Nora, dusted the crumbs off her white dress, spun on her heel sharply and began to walk away.

Ruby extended a hand toward her but made no attempt to call her back, afraid of what might happen. But Nora had other ideas. "Round two!" she yelled, grabbing another cookie, and clearly not giving a care in the world about Weiss' hostile and volatile nature, threw it at her like a shruiken. "No!" this time Ruby yelled out, now very very afraid of the situation Nora was getting them into. But before the cookie made contact with the back of Weiss' head it froze mid-flight, a black glyph circling around the sweet. Weiss had stopped walking, she seemed to take one deep breathe before tuning sharply and waving her right hand across the glyph, turning it white and shooting the cookie back at Nora. It was so unexpected and it was moving so fast that it went straight into Nora's forehead, sending her reeling backwards, to land on top of Ren.

Ruby inhaled sharply as Nora tumbled on top of Ren and a small cloud of cookie crumbs followed shortly after. She dared a glance back at Weiss who was sporting a very determined expression. "What was that you said about this being nice?" Jaune whispered to Pyrrah.  
"Uhh I'm not sure" she replied softly. Nora sat up, brushing the cookie off her face and shaking her head, giving Weiss a surprised look. "Uhh Weiss?" Ruby called cautiously as her partner had yet to say anything and she could practically feel the chill in the silence.

"Not good" Yang breathed, looking between Weiss and Nora, who was now reaching for the plate of cookies, again. "Nora don't!" Ren called a little too late. Weiss's eyes narrowed as six more cookies came flying at her again, she waved her arm gracefully and froze the cookies once more. She held her arm in position before thrusting it forward, sending the six cookies flying away from her. Nora was ready this time, blocking two with the plate, they exploded on impact. Two hit Jaune in the head and chest knocking him back, one smashed into the book Blake was reading, knocking it out of her hand and the last one Yang punched out of the air. Six small clouds of cookie debris floated around the two teams, before all hell broke loose.

Blake looked at the book that she was enjoying being immersed in, now stained with chocolate chip cookie. Her hands still in their previous position, as if holding an invisible book, her finger and cat ears twitched in unison. In a flurry of motion, she picked up a bread roll in front of her, spun and threw it straight at Weiss, intent to kill. Weiss' eyes went wide as she saw the bread roll spinning threw the air at unimaginable speeds. But she acted out of instinct, ripping her blade from its holster and slashing at the loaf as if parrying a sword. but instead of knocking the bread stick away from her, all Weiss succeeded in was slicing the front part of the roll off the rest of it, which still collided with her right shoulder.  
"Let's go team! While they weaken themselves!" Nora yelled, standing and pointing a finger at Blake and Weiss. Pyrrah was busy helping Jaune up when Nora threw a small raspberry pie which hit Yang in the back of the head, splattering all over her most precious locks of hair. Ren took one look at Yang, exhaled and facepalmed, "You did that on purpose didn't you?" he asked shaking his head.  
"Only the strongest shall fight the strongest!" She replied grabbing another pie, bringing her arm back to launch the second pie. "Jaune are you okay?" Pyrrah asked, pulling Jaune back into a sitting position while dusting off bits of cookie out of his hair.  
"Yeah I think I'm fi-" BANG! Jaune jumped in his seat as a loud shotgun blast rang through the air. Pyrrah's hand instantly went to her sword hilt as she searched for the source, only to find a very angry RWBY member.

Yang blasted that second pie out the air with Ember Celica, her eyes burning with rage. Her precious blonde hair filled with raspberry and sweet pastry, smelly and, and ruined! she pumped her fist, cocking another round, kicked up the chicken in front of her and punched it toward Nora. Filled with rage Yang mis calculated the power in her punch and instead of launching the chicken toward her target, the chicken exploded on impact.

Wings, drumsticks and breasts flew off in multiple directions. Some scattered pieces of poultry even hit Ruby and Blake, some hit Jaune and the pieces that went straight towards Pyrrah, bounced off her shield. Unphased by her minor failure Yang pressed the offensive, kicking a watermelon, this time not too hard, straight toward the somewhat crazy girl. The melon exploded as Nora brought her arms up to protect her face. A shower of watermelon fell over Ren who was sitting behind Nora, the red fruit splattered all over Ren's slick black hair and tail coat. "Nora!" he yelled, flicking the melon out of his hair. Nora turned to the side, looked at Yang and said, "Lets tango".

Meanwhile, the black and white pair were still going at it. Ruby had resorted to hiding in her cloak while she watched bread rolls and crackers fly back and forth between them. Ruby heard Ember Celica's loud call and turned to see the back of Yangs hair covered in raspberry pie. "Uh oh" she breathed, sinking further into her cloak. Ruby looked around and saw Jaune and Pyrrah sitting across the picnic blanket, Pyrrah brushing off chicken her leader. "Pyrrah!" she called hoping to get some sort of assistance. Pyrrah looked toward Ruby and she sweetly waved back at the silver eyed girl. Jaune on the other hand was looking very fearful, his eyes darting between Nora, Yang and the various items of food that were being thrown between them.  
"What do we do?" Ruby called.  
"I guess" Pyrrah ducked under a piece of cake, "We can only join them" she said as she picked up a brownie, smiled her superstar smile, and then threw one of Ruby's favourite sweet right at her.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: BAM! Even during exams!**

"Aah!" Ruby squealed as she dived out of the way of two brown pieces of scrumptious delights, that she would rather be eating now. Why has it come to this? Why has her plan to have a lovely picnic in Forever Fall with team JNPR resulted in her hiding behind her cloak while one of Beacon's best huntresses throws brownies at her? I guess Nora had a part in this, and then there was Weiss' attitude, which she had to find out what that was all about. Then there was her sister and her obsession with her hair, Blake with her books and Pyrrah, well in her defence she was just getting in on the fun. She had to move, she couldn't stay curled in a ball, pondering he many mistakes like a sitting duck. So she moved to the only place she felt safe, right behind her partner, whom was ironically part of the problem. "Weiss protect me!" Ruby called, latching onto her partners arm.

"Get off me you dunce! Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?" Weiss argued, yanking her arm back and forth in an attempt to throw Ruby off her.

"But Weiss, Pyrrah's throwing brownies at me. Brownies!" You know there was a time when I loved brownies, and now I'm very afraid" Ruby continued, ignoring the heiress demands and latching on tighter than before. Unfortunately for Weiss it was her left arm that was being attacked, the arm that was holding Myrtenaster.

Weiss now had enough and turned to scold her child of a partner, "Ruby Rose I swear if you do not let go of me this instance I will- Baah!" Her mini lecture was cut short by a high speed can of grape soda, which hit her, quite forcefully, in the head, toppling her over and bringing the still attached Ruby with her. Ruby was up before you could say 'people like grapes' trying to help Weiss back to her feet.

"Ohmygoshimsosorryweissididntmeanforthattohappenimsososososorry-!"

"Ruby stop! This is exactly what you were like when we met! You're always in my way!" Weiss yelled over Ruby's pleas, smacking her hand away and lifting herself up.

"Where's that coming from?" Ruby said in a small voice. A voice that made Weiss wince a little whenever she heard it.

"I don't have time for this, nor is it the right place to have a discu-"

"Weiss watch out!" Ruby threw herself at the heiress mid-sentence, bringing them both to the ground once more. But as soon as they hit the ground Ruby was back up and dashing back the way they came.

"Ruby what in the world?!" Weiss was readying for another bout of scolding until she realised what had just happened. Ruby had, in essence just saved her from, what seemed like a very hungry, Beowolf. By the time Weiss was on her feet, the monster was dead and fading away, but as she looked around she realised it was not alone. There was whole pack of them, and they were emerging from the trees that surrounding them all. They were getting boxed in. she looked to the others and saw that they too had averted their attention from the food to the more pressing issue. Yang and Nora were engaging two pairs of Ursa, which seemed like they followed the Beowulf pack for fun, Pyrrah, Jaune and Ren were dealing with their own monsters and Blake was going solo for the time being.

Magnhild's loud boom snapped Weiss into action, dashing forward to aid her partner, who was currently being circled by at least six of the creatures. Blade in hand, she glided straight into the back of one them, yanking her blade out and quickly moving to the next. Flicking her rapier to the side quickly before slashing at a wolf to her right, she readied her canister and primed a round of arc dust, and gracefully thrust her blade into the enemy. On contact, arcs of electricity burst from the point and sent the Beowulf in question into a series of convulsions, before all the arcs focused and joined at the point of her blade and suddenly shot out, striking another Beowulf and leaving a scorching hole in its chest.

Two down four to go. Weiss flicked her rapier to the side, like all good rapier users, and readied herself to… "Oh" she breathed, relaxing a little as Ruby stood with Crescent Rose over her shoulder and four dead Beowulf's lying dead around her.

"Where did all these guys come from?" She asked moving to stand by her side.

"Who knows. Maybe they smelt the food" Weiss suggested.

"Or maybe they heard your yelling" Ruby muttered

"What was that?!" Weiss snapped.

"Oh looks like Yang might need some help" Ruby quickly said, before leaving a cloud of rose pedals in her wake.

"Oh that insufferable little-" Weiss couldn't finish her sentence as her aura flared and she instinctively rolled to the side, just missing the claws of another Beowulf. Rolling onto her feet, she meet the gaze of three of the creatures, snarling and gnashing. "Tsk! Disgusting" Weiss stated, spinning the barrel of her canister, priming flame dust, running her fingers along the blade smoothly before slashing in front of her horizontally. A line of fire burst from the rapier, moving toward the three monsters, and blasting them back on impact. Burning and howling, Weiss left them to their doom and turned to help Blake.

Blake was doing fine, fending off two Beowulf's on her own was no big deal. But after dispatching at least ten of them and then having to continue to fight increasing numbers at the same time alone, was slowly taking a toll. Clones were appearing slower, fading quicker and with less power. She blamed her fatigue on her ruff night last night. Gamboul Shroud was making quick work of the Grimm, working in close quarters, Blake kept the weapon in sword position, not bothering with her bow. The cleaver sheath cut through them like butter and the sword blocked their swipes easily. Blake's clones added to her speed and manoeuvrability allowing her to get behind them and cut them up without resistance. But now, well not so much.

She was slowing down was edging closer to the defensive, larger numbers pressing in on her, four versus one never good odds, but tis the life of a huntress. Then again huntress's don't usually turn picnics into food fights.  
Luckily huntresses are barely alone, and this cat had a snow angle to come to her rescue. A beowulf leaped at her, she brought up her sword to block the attack, but the canine was frozen mid-flight, a black glyph rotating around it. Distracted by the strange feat of gravity defiance, Blake was late to react when another of the four monsters swung their huge claws at her right side. Luckily, the Snow Queen, glided in between the two and an ice wall exploded into view.

The crystalline chinks and crackles were very befitting of the heiress, all graceful and, rather beautiful, but the dark creature frozen within the wall couldn't be spared the same description. Still without missing a beat, Weiss slashed upwards at the third beowulf to the left, used a glyph to glide toward the one still held in mid-air, swiftly removed it's head from its neck before proceeding to gut the forth one, before it burst into flames.

Blake raised an eyebrow at the display of pure brutality, a little unbefitting of the heiress, just a little. "A little angry I see" Blake teased, tilted her head to one side.

"Oh please. When am I ever angry? This is how I always fight" She stated, as-a-matter-of factly. Although her act of slicing the frozen beowulf in half with a 'humph' didn't help to prove her point.

"Riiight" Blake breathed, following the Schnee girl toward Yang and the others.

"And what about you? Kitty had a rough night?" Weiss teased, keeping a straight face.

"Excuse me-"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAW!" Blake was rudely cut off as the tress around them shook and the ground beneath their feet quivered at the sound of, of, "What was that?" Jaune breathed softly. Pyrrah yanked Miló out of a smoking beowulf before turning toward the sound.

"HIYAH!" BOOM! Nora continued, bringing down an Ursa with her grenade launcher. "Haha watch ya got now!" Yang beckoned her with her hand, staring at the source of the noise. "Huh?" Nora breathed, following Yang's gaze. "Oh" she breathed, dropping Magnhild a little. Every breathing thing in that clearing stopped, the beowulfs even seemed to whine and back away. The trees shook, scattering more flowers to the ground, as the beast moved toward them. It's heavy breathing could be heard from even that distance. The only person that did move was Ruby as she reloading and cocked a round, ready to jump into action. Both Yang and Weiss noticed the action and prayed that she would at least wait to see what it was before jumping to attack it.

Boy weren't they all luck that she waited.

That thing was huge.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Didnt' wanna leave you with a cliff hanger :P**

Well whatever _i_t was, it was big. The strange thing was, none of them have seen that type of Grimm before, at least not in real life. Ruby was betting that either Ren or Blake had known at least a little about the giant creature glaring at them. The beast in question was five times as big as an ursa, it had a face like a Beowolf and had long forearms that ended in extremely sharp looking claws. It walked on all fours, its hind legs a bit beefier than the front legs, but the worst part about it was that it's whole body was covered in armour. White bone shrouded the beast almost from head to toe. The only places not covered by the tough material were its eyes, nose, ears and, Yang had her bets on its rear end, but she didn't voice the thought. It had two rows of bony spikes running down its back and the bone around its elbows extended upwards, into a rather sharp structure. There were patches of black fur around its joints and irregular gaps in the armour on its underside, not like they could ever get to it. It had a strange appearance, covered in white, and the sun didn't help to provide a blinding glare off its surface.

"Uhm guys." Jaune gulped, "any ideas?" He asked nervously shuffling backwards, only to feel Pyrrah hold him in position.

"How about hack n slash until something breaks!" Ruby suggested, crouching low and bringing Crescent Rose around.

"Ruby don't!" Yang, Weiss and Blake all shouted in unison, reaching out to grab the 'shoot first, think later' girl. But none of them needed to be worried. Just before Ruby was about to dash to her doom, there was a loud boom directly from in front of the beast.

A figure stood there, shrouded by the cloud of dust formed from his rather brisk entry. "Woah" Ruby breathed, relaxing Crescent Rose a little. "Who's that?" she asked no one in particular, which was good because no one offered an answer. The dust cleared and they could make out the figure more clearly. He too, ironically, was covered in white form head to toe, albeit there were streaks of light blue running through his get up. He had a rather large pistol holster attached to his left leg, mid-way down his thigh, which was a mix of light grey and the same light blue streaking through his pants and around the sleeves of the jacket. He had a white hood pulled over his head and across his back rested a scabbard, white and blue of course, the sword in his right hand. It looked like an expertly crafted blade, with the edges pulsing a sharp blue that ran through the rest of blade down to the grip. The hilt was non-existent, except for a piece that extended from the blade down over his fingers, where a small trigger rested.

Ruby took notice of that and instantly had an appreciation for this man's taste in weaponry. She also liked the slightly smaller sword, held in reverse, in his left hand. With more blue than the longer sword, it was still just as expertly designed, if this man himself made these weapons Ruby would _have_ to talk to him. The two teams were so mesmerised by the persons appearance they hadn't realised the giant beast swinging its arm around to remove the man from the face of the earth.

"Hey watch out!" Ruby called and just before the huge palm made contact with the figure, he slashed at the open palm with his long sword. The blade slammed into the claw with a thrum, and then the strangest thing happened. The enormous appendage began to move backward, which was an exceptional feat in itself as it couldn't be light, but the strangest part was that it was moving in slow motion.  
They didn't notice the sword pulse blue before contact, but they did notice the man himself pulse blue and then the whole beast pulse the same. Then the most amazing, coolest, awesome thing Ruby has ever seen happened.

The hooded figure moved faster than anything or anyone she has ever seen, except maybe herself of course. A series of cuts, slashes and jabs were performed, each accompanied by a blue flash, much like when Blake uses Gamboul Shroud and there are purple highlights around each attack. But these attacks, they were on a whole another level. They were so fast and strong and soon they realised that the beast was moving backward but it was in slow motion. The attacks rang out through the forest and in less than five seconds, Ruby counted at least fifty attacks, the man ended with a double thrust from both blades, a beam of blue light bursting from the tips and blowing through the beast. Without a sound the man straightened up, spun his sword and re sheathed it. The second sword collapsed into a large pistol and he placed it in the holster on his thigh.

The giant Grimm creature was still rearing backward, as if it was slowed in zero-gravity, but when the man slammed the pistol and the sword home simultaneously, the beast pulsed blue and instantly collapsed to the floor. Dead.

"Did he just-"Yang tried to ask but was lost for words.

"Whatever it was he did, yes he did" Blake stated, blinking.

"So much energy" Pyrrah murmured.

"Aaaw so we don't get to fight the big monster?" Nora complained, disappointed.

The man crouched low and made to leap away but Ruby stopped him, "Hey wait!" He paused and turned towards her, revealing a masked face, his eyes glowing a sharp blue, like his aura. "Wh- who are you? Where did you come from? You're so fast I've never seen someone that fast. That was like fifty attacks in less than five seconds! How did you do that?" She spluttered out, moving closer toward him, waving her hands around in amazement.

"You counted?" he asked, straightening up and turning completely to face the red head.

"Well yeah, I'm kinda pretty fast myself too, so gotta have super quick reflexes don't I. I mean boy would _you_ know about that, your brain must be like three times faster than mine. Oh do things go in slow motion for you? Oh that reminds me what did you do to that thing? Is that like your semblance? What are your weapons called? Did you build them yourself?" Ruby rambled, really fast. Weiss exhaled at her partner's ridiculous behaviour at the sight of anything 'cool' even if it was unknown. Like this strange man that had just appeared to save them, out of nowhere. Weiss found herself glaring at the man as he watched Ruby dance around him, shooting off question after question.

"Azure Kezuru" He said suddenly. Ruby stopped and blinked, "Huh?"

"My weapons. Azure and Kezuru" He said tapping the pistol and then the sword respectively.

"Oh that's such a cool name. What does kezuru mean?" Ruby continued, eyeing the weapons with new found respect.

"Ruby I think we should head back" Weiss stated approaching the pair. The man looked to the heiress and held her gaze, noticing her glare and smiling to himself.

"What do you mean? This guy just killed a giant… thing" she stated waving at the now smouldering black cloud that was the giant beast. "We can't just leave now!"

"Yes we can" she deadpanned, "Thankyou for your… assistance" she said looking for the appropriate word, still eyeing the man suspiciously. She grabbed Ruby by the hood and pulled her away from the man against protest.

"See you around, Miss Schnee."

Ruby went quiet and Weiss' eyes went wide, she spun around, "Who are you- Where did he go? Ruby where did he go?" she asked hurriedly.

"I dunno he just went, he's really fast" Ruby replied, her voice becoming more serious. The man had indeed disappeared, the only sign of his exist a small cloud of dust. "Weiss do you know him?" Ruby asked, scanning her partners face for any sign of emotion. All she saw was sharp blue eyes frantically searching the tree line, worrying the red head a little.

Weiss was silent for a moment before she recovered, "No, no I don't. But next time we see him we'll find out who he is."

"Next time?" Ruby asked, slightly confused

"I'm sure we'll be seeing him again" Weiss stated, walking off back toward beacon as the two teams watched her, all very confused. Ruby watched her go, wondering what in the world just happened and whether or not her hurried conversation with the strange man could have ended up in a much worse situation.

"Anyone still want cake!?" Nora chirped.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Guyz how do i do page breaks now?**

It wasn't until they had cleaned up their mess and walked past the cafeteria back at the academy that they realised they hadn't really eaten anything and were all still hungry.

"So uh guys? Wanna grab something to eat?" Yang asked sheepishly, rubbing her stomach and grinning.

JNPR looked amongst each other before simultaneously saying, "Sure". They headed off toward the lunch line, Yang in the lead followed by team JNPR. Ruby, however, was trying to figure where Weiss was going, as she walked off away from the cafeteria.

"Weiss where are you-" Ruby tried to call out but she was already too far out of ear shot. Grumbling to herself she made to give chase, but a soft hand at her shoulder stopped her.

"I think you should give her some space" Blake said softly. Ruby's questioning eyes beckoned her to continue. "She obviously has something on her mind and doesn't want to share it with us." Blake quickly added, "Just yet"

"But Blake that's exactly the problem. She always has things on her mind, and they always stay there. She never lets us in, never lets me in" Ruby argued.

"Well hey, remember what happened with me? Eventually I opened up, just give her some time" Blake tried to reason.

"Blake you only opened up because we _found _out, Weiss is different." Ruby replied in a small voice. Blake placed her arm over Ruby's shoulder and gently pulled her into the cafeteria.

"Ruby, in any case she obviously isn't ready, and prying might just push her away so just give her some time ok? It might not even be anything worth worrying about, so until we _know_ we need to start worrying, then we can start thinking of other ways to get the ice queen to crack"

"Don't word it like that. It sounds painful"

**RWBY dorm**

"Where is he? Is he home?"….

"I need to speak to him about something"…

"No it's got nothing to do with that, just please put him on"….

"I understand that I don't generally like speaking with him but I need to make an exception this time"…

"Thankyou mother"

"Weiss what is it don't you know I'm busy?"

"Yes father I'm well aware that your 'busy' but there is something I need to ask you." Weiss paused to take a deep breath before continuing, "Who is that man that you've sent to follow me?" she asked firmly, getting straight to the point. Her father was silent for a moment, taking in her words and reading her stern expression. Then he answered simply.

"That's none of your business"

"Excuse me!" Weiss replied, taken aback by the response but not entirely surprised by it either. "None of my business? Of course it is the man is following _me_!"

"Weiss don't talk to me like that!" He replied, his voice growing louder, "You are not in a position to question my actions!"

"I'll question what I deem fit to be questioned father! Now tell me who he is and what is his interest in me" Weiss retorted standing her ground. There was a lull in the conversation as her father seemed to consider what to say next. His expression softened a little and then he continued.

"His protecting you". Simple answer, yet very confusing.

"Protecting me? Protecting me from what? Has there been a hit placed on me? Was it the white fang? It doesn't matter I believe I can protect myself anyway. Tell him his services are no longer needed" Weiss replied, going through multiple expressions of confusion, anger and finally confidence.

"No" her father replied firmly, his blue eyes as sharp as ever, Ruby thought her eyes were cold. Weiss was taken aback, but recovered quickly.

"What do you mean 'no'? I don't need some guard dog watching over my shoulder where ever I go, and quite frankly the thought of it is a little creepy. Call him off or I'll tell him myself" She said simply, folding her arms in an attempt to seem more forceful.

"You will do no such thing! Neither will he, he is there for your own protection, you should be happy I'm looking after you!" Her father replied waving a hand at the vid screen.

"Father why can't you just trust me when I say I can look after myself, can't you see I'm doing well?" Weiss pleaded, seeing her father's care beneath his actions.

"That's just it Weiss, I haven't seen you change since you left this house two years ago. How can I be assured of your safety when you haven't been improving?" Weiss recoiled at the accusation but she soon recovered eyes narrowed she spoke.

"That's because nothing I do is ever worth anything in your eyes. You don't accept anything other than perfect! I'm sorry to say father but in these past two years I _have _changed and I now realise that 'perfect' is unachievable!" she stated, raising her voice and waving her hands at the screen accusingly.

"You don't get to where I am without perfection!" He yelled back.

"Clearly you can because there's a whole bunch of masked faunas who disagree with your 'perfection'!" she snapped, immediately regretting her words. Her father was silent for a moment and she could feel his anger boiling through the comm link.

"So you agree with those monsters do you!" he said, getting out of his seat and leaning closer to the screen.

"No father that's not-"

"Those, those degenerates! Have ruined this world! They know nothing of 'perfection' they are the exact opposite if it! I can't believe you would side with them!"

"Father you know that's not true after what they've done how could I?"

"It's that faunas girl isn't it!?" He shot back.

"Wha- who Blake? No she's got nothing-"

"See what I mean Weiss! How can I trust you will be safe when you've let a faunas sleep right next to you?! You think she's your friend?! HA! Don't be ridiculous what would you know about friends! We Schnee are too cold hearted to have 'friends'"

"You're being extremely unreasonable right now" Weiss said, hurt by his last statement, but wise enough not to argue.

"I'm being unreasonable? You're the one who wants me to leave you unprotected!"

"I CAN PROTECT MYSELF!"

"JUST LIKE YOU PROTECTED YOU AND YOUR SISTER ALL THOSE YEARS AGO?!" He yelled at her, slamming his hands onto the desk he was sitting at. Weiss went silent, taking in his words, as he gathered himself and sat back down.

"We promised never to bring that up again" she said softly, seemingly staring off into the distant, almost as if she had become lost in another place.

"Weiss believe me when I say you haven't changed. You don't even know how to pick correct allies, that child her sister and that, _faunas_, will not do you any good" he sounded distant now, as if he was talking about something completely different, "Emotions cloud your judgment and hinder your work, don't let them interfere with yo-"

"Daddy who are you talking too?" A small voice asked off camera. Weiss, who hadn't been paying attention since that little outburst, snapped her attention back toward the screen. Her dad was looking at someone off camera, a short person judging by the angle of his head and his expression had changed to something more, warming.

"No one darling" he said softly, seeming to grab the figure gently by the shoulders.

"Why were you yelling? Is something wrong?" Weiss' hands began to tremble and she felt tears welling up behind her eyes. She knew that girl.

"Winter?" She whispered softly, grabbing her hands in an attempt to stop the shaking.

"No nothing's wrong, I'm actually talking to W-" Weiss quickly slammed the vid screen off, staring off into space, trying to fight back the tears and stop her hands form trembling.  
Not the reaction one would usually get from their sister, but to Weiss, it was completely justified. Her response was due to one major event in her life that had scared her just as the scar across her eye.

It's been two years since she last spoke to her, she must have forgotten about all those emotions she felt and they were rushing back to her at once. She thought time would heal her scars, she thought her heart was stone, just like her father said, but six years ago Weiss nearly let Winter be killed, six years and she still can't looker her sister in the eye. Six years and she's still afraid that somehow, she will relive that moment and her sister will really be taken from her.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Guys do any of you know how to put page lines now? They changed the format and im a little confused. Also ignore the mistakes, it's really late and i wanted to get this up ASAP. Enjoy, feel free to review.**

Back at the cafeteria with the two teams, they happily chatted with each other, re calling moment's forme earlier that day and discussing school and the days to come. Ruby would have loved to participate in such conversations, but right now she was extremely agitated and distracted. Weiss was really getting to her and she was currently taking it out on an innocent pea that kept shooting from the grasp of her fork. Jabbing her fork violently into her plate and mumbling to herself, JNPR and Yang didn't seem to realise. Blake on the other hand, well Blake was very observant.

"Ruby!" she hissed, "Will you calm down!"

"I can't I'm too distracted" she complained

"Yes I can see that. Will you leave that pea alone?" Blake hissed back as she continued to watch the pea fly around Ruby's plate.

"I need an outlet" Ruby reasoned, jabbing the pea one more time. This time the pea flew off her plate and landed in front of the faunas, rolling off the table and into her lap. Ruby smiled sheepishly, and Blake glared at her, Ruby could have sworn she saw her bow twitch.

"Ruby just listen to what I told you!"

"Blake I can't I need to be sure-"

"What did you tell my sister?" Yang asked cutting in. Ruby ceased the opportunity.

"She told me to go, get her something from our dorm I'll be right back" Ruby quickly stood up and left toward the dorm. Blake growled quietly as she watched the crimson girl go.

"What was that about?" Yang asked a little confused.

"Nothing" Blake replied. Jabbing her own fork at a pea, which ironically shot out of _her_ plate. Blake watched the pea fly and instantly put her fork down.

RWBY DORM

Weiss had remained seated in her position from when she abruptly ended the call. She had just cut her father off but he wouldn't be angry, he very well understood the position she was in. She just sat there and stared at the disabled vid screen, memories flooding back to her. That day six years ago is the clearest memory she poses and one that remains unforgotten. Her father had told her that Schnee have a heart of stone, so why did hers break every time she thought of Winter? Was she being reasonable with herself? Has she been living these past six years as a fool? Was her fear just an irrational phobia that she should simply get over?  
No!  
The risk is far too great to simply disregard it. Fear keeps her alert, makes her see things for what they truly are, makes her realise how to keep those she loves safe. In this case, it's to not be with them. It was a simple belief, simple but devastating on too many levels. She made a mistake that nearly costed her beloved sister her life, so to avoid making that mistake ever again, she removed the source from the equation, herself.

She had led herself to believe that it was her actions that nearly got Winter killed, or more importantly, her lack of action.

Six years ago, when she was eleven, Winter had been eight, and befitting of her name, she loved winter and currently it was snowing outside! It was a perfect day, Weiss was with her and the weather was exactly how they both loved it, cold, white and soft! Life back then wasn't as bad as it had become now, the White Fang hadn't really come to power yet, so her family was still quite close and, warm. One fine afternoon, as the snow flake slightly peppered the sky and floated to the ground, Winter dragged her oldest sister out into the garden for what seemed like the hundredth time that week.

"C'mon Weiss before it runs out!" Winter stated, hurriedly pulling on her sisters arm. Winter was almost a splitting image of Weiss, just as pretty and just as elegant. She had shorter hair that reached just a hands length below her shoulders which had a slight yellow tinge to it, almost a very bleached gold. Her eyes mirrored those of her sister's and her fathers and her features were just as sharp as Weiss' albeit a little softer and more rounded. It was believed to be an age difference thing, but as Winter grew her soft nature remained, something that couldn't be said for Weiss.

The two of them were dressed heavily, fur boots, gloves, warm pants and a very warming coat, layered thick with wool. The two sisters shared the same interest in the colours blue and white, Weiss in a white coat and light blue pants, and Winter contrasting her older sister with a blue coat and white pants.

"Winter don't be silly, snow simply doesn't 'run out' especially during this season" Weiss explained smiling all the while as she trudged through the snow with her sister. Winter let go of her arm and jumped ahead of her, spinning in circles giggling and laughing before collapsing into the snow and forming a snow angel. Weiss watched her sister go through this same routine she must have completed hundreds of times in the past few weeks since the snow began to fall, yet every time she watched it did nothing but warm her heart and bring a smile to her face. Winter finally stood up and took a step back to examine her handy work.

"Look Weiss! It's you!" She stated proudly, pointing at the expertly crafted snow angel. Weiss moved to stand beside her sister, and cocked her head to the side, a little confused.

"I'm sorry I don't follow." She finally admitted, turning to her sister for a little more information than 'it's you'.

"C'mon Weiss I thought you were smart" she teased, "Don't you get it, you're a snow angel!" she exclaimed jumping in her spot in anticipation of her sisters reaction. Weiss' eyes widened with realisation and her smile seemed to grow even more.

"That's really sweet Winter. But don't be silly. I don't even have wings" Weiss replied without malice but in a teasing manner.

"Well my angles don't need wings" Winter replied happily, following her sister as they moved further into their back yard. "You can be one of my angels!" Winter proclaimed, beaming at her solution to their problem. Weiss paused at the proposition, pretending to be thinking it over before nodding lightly.

"Well I suppose that's not such a bad idea. But that implies I will always have to be by your side and look after you." She stated, 'as-a-matter-of-factly', enjoying the little role play they had begun.

"Mhmm, I wouldn't expect anything less of a good angel" Winter replied in a amore formal tone. As if she was interviewing Weiss for a job.

"But that also mean I have to make sure you don't do anything naughty and if you do it is my duty to report it for your own good. You must learn from your mistakes" Weiss turned to her sister, smiling as she saw her sister's face drop at the realisation that she had just hired a party pooper.

"You wouldn't dare!" She recoiled, pointing an accusing finger at her sister, keeping in character within the impromptu role play.

"I would" Weiss declared, leaning closer to her younger sister.

"If-if you tell on me, I'll tell on you!"

"Winter don't be silly you don't have anything on me!" Winter thought over her sisters words and realised she was right, but an cute little evil grin spread across her face as devised a plan to give her some leverage over the heiress.

"But as my snow angle you must follow me everywhere correct?" Weiss hummed in confirmation. "Good." Winter nodded and trudged off toward the rear wall that stretched around their mansion at met at two heavy ivory gates at the front.

"Winter where are you going?" Weiss called, perking an eyebrow at the sudden change of action.

"I don't see you following!" she yelled back, Weiss humphed, shaking her head and moved to follow her sister, yet still smiling genuinely. Thinking back to this day Weiss realised how happy she had been back then, not anymore. She finally caught up to Winter at the face of the wall, Winter was standing with her hands on her hips, looking at the three meter wall scrutinisingly.

"What are you looking for?" Weiss asked, annoyed by her silence.

"Hand holds" she replied simply.

"Hand holds for wha- No! Winter stop you can't do that you know what father said" Weiss exclaimed as she watched her 'o so delicate younger sister' scale a wall three times her size. Winter ignored her sisters warnings and continued to climb, she paused after the third hand hold and looked down at her sister.

"Tell me what part comes first, the part where you follow me or the part where you dob me in?" Weiss looked at her sister in disbelief.

"You can't be serious can you?" she breathed, looking up at her reckless sister. "What if you fall?"

"You'll catch me. You are my snow angel" she answered, as if it was commence sense. "Now come on your not gonna let roam around outside all alone are you?" she asked as she pulled herself up onto the top of the wall.

"I can't believe you would do this just to have something to dob me in for" Weiss said exasperated, reluctantly finding her own hand hold and lifting herself onto the wall.

"You know you could have just asked if you wanted to go outside" Weiss stated as she followed her younger sister around their neighbourhood, nervously looking around to see if any of her father's men were running toward them.

"Weiss you know dad doesn't let us out often"

"Yeah maybe there's a good reason" she mumbled to herself looking to the shadows between the trees that lined the back of their house and the houses next to them. Their street was home to a few other houses, which were more like mansions. They were spaced quite far apart and the street was tucked away in its own little corner just on the outskirts of town, an expensive place to live, but a nice and quiet place. The girls got bored often and longed to go into to town every now and then, but their father only allowed it if they went with their mother and even then he had copious amounts of guards stationed to them. Weiss wasn't alone when she wished they had a little more freedom, but she believed there was a reason to her father's actions and she was going to find out just what they were very soon.

Winter decided to move along the back end of the houses, not wanting to walk along the road and instead along the tree line that was now beautifully peppered with snow. "Where are you even going?" Weiss asked, still looking around nervously, she thought she noticed something in the trees to their left but disregarded it quickly.

"I dunno, and stop looking around so much, it's weird" Winter pointed out.

"I'm sorry I can't help it"

"Hey do you wanna build a snowman?" Winter stopped to ask. Weiss stopped and looked at her sister in utter disbelief.

"You dragged me out here, disobeying dad's instructions just so you could build a snow man when we have plenty of snow in our backyard!?" she almost yelled, throwing her hand back toward their home. Winter simply shrugged off the anger and then literally shrugged.

"Well I realised this street is pretty boring and town is kinda far without a car so…. Change of plans?" Winter offered.

"Urgh! You're unbelievable!" Winter chuckled nervously, rubbing her boot into the snow.

"You still my snow ange-"

"Yes I'll still be your snow angel" Weiss stated, pinching the bridge of her nose, "Just get some sticks so we can get this over and done with"

"Yes!" Winter exclaimed in triumph, fist pumping the air and moving toward the tree line to find suitable twigs for arms.

As she went off to do her job, Weiss plonked in to the snow on her knees and began to pile some snow up in a ball, mumbling to herself and glancing over at her sister every now and then. The scene didn't change until the fifth glance.

Weiss frowned as she tried to spot what was out of place, her sister was happily humming to herself as she sifted through a pile of sticks and then she saw what it was. More like, who it was. There was a dark figure, shrouded by the shadows of the tree line, standing behind her sister. The man lifted his arm up and pointed something at the back of her unaware sister. She squinted to make out the shape, it looked like a gu- Oh no!

Weiss knew exactly what the object was. Knew exactly what the man's intentions were, knew that her sister was in danger, knew that she should do something, that she _could _do something. Her sister wasn't that far from her, only a couple of feet away.

Weiss knew that her most cherished being in the world was about to be shot dead. Yet, she. Did. Nothing.

She couldn't move, she didn't know why she was frozen in place, everything was in slow motion and her legs or arms wouldn't move. She couldn't seem to find her voice and her heart was beating at unimaginable speeds with each passing second. She was her snow angel, sworn to protect her, she had to move she couldn't just watch as she got murdered. It was as if her body had cursed her to live this moment, frozen unable to fulfil her duty as her angel, as her sister.

Every night she would ask herself why she couldn't move her body, every night would nearly end in tears and every night she wished she hadn't agreed to be Winter's snow angel, hadn't agreed to follow her where ever she went, then she wouldn't have climbed the wall.

ROAR! BANG! Weiss didn't hear the snarl, but she heard the gunshot and she felt her heart shatter. As soon as she did it was as if her body had released her at that moment just to scrutinise her, she couldn't protect her sister, couldn't do anything until it was too late.

The gun shot rang out through the neighbourhood, followed by Winter's scream, followed by Weiss's.

"Winter!" Weiss ran to her sister, ignoring the fact that man was now being mauled by some sort of grimm, just a few feet from where she was. "Winter! Are you okay?!" she asked, tears already forming. She turned her over and saw that she shot had gone through her shoulder, just above her heart. Blood had begun to soak her clothes and had already seeped through and stained the snow beneath her. "Winter please say something!" Weiss pleaded, gently shaking her slowly fading sister in her arms. "I'm sorry ! Please don't leave I'm sorry I was a bad snow angel!" The tears were flowing freely now, as the last pieces of her heart clattered to the ground. _My fault! My fault! Should have moved should have done something! Why didn't I move!_ She thought over and over as she buried her face in her sister's cloak, mixing her tears with the crimson. "Weiss" she croaked. Weiss' head shot up, to meet her sisters eyes, "Didn't I tell you" she said softly. Weiss shook her head, sniffling and urging Winter to continue, all she managed was, "My snow angles aren't allowed to cry, it makes me sad". It only succeeded in crushing the pieces of her shuttered heart and made her cry even more, wailing and screaming for help, holding onto her sister tightly for one last time, as if she would die if she let her go.


	9. Chapter 9

The flash back ended as a tear rolled down Weiss' cheek and softly splatted on her hand which was resting in her lap. She sniffled and brought a hand to her eye to wipe another tear away before that too left a trail down her cheek.

The wet feeling only aided in reminding her of the tears that flowed free that day. She still remembered how tightly she held onto her dear sister, how close she kept her, how she didn't ever want to let go. Her sister was the closest person to her, and the way she held her in that moment spoke volumes, but as her father's men reached her, her arms were too weak to hold on any longer, and she relieved her sister into immediate medical attention. Weiss cleared her throat and made to get out of her sea-

"Weiss?" the heiress jumped in her seat, placing her hands on the desk roughly causing it to shudder.

"Ruby!?" she half yelled half hissed, recognising the voice and turning her head to hide her reddened eyes. She quickly wiped her eyes, sniffed one final time, composed herself and turned to face the red head.

"I'm sorry if I scared you" she said softly, stepping into the room and gently closing the door behind her.

"What do you want Ruby?" She asked sharply. Ruby squinted at her as if noticing something out of place, causing Weiss to step back into the desk.

"Weiss have you been crying" Ruby asked cautiously, stepping closer to the ice princess to get a better look.

"No I haven't don't be ridiculous you dunce! Why would I have a reason to cry?!" Weiss argued.

"Yes you have your eyes are red!"

"No I haven't!"

"Yes Weiss, you have to stop hiding from me!" Ruby yelled, taking another step toward her partner. Weiss recoiled at the slight outburst and looked over the usually docile team leader. "Weiss what's going on with you, you've been acting so strange lately?"

"N- no I haven't" Weiss tried to protest, re adjusting her posture.

"Yes you have, that whole spat about me getting in your way, it was as if it was how we just met" Ruby stated, throwing her hands back toward the door, as if to refer to Forever Fall.

Weiss shuddered lightly, skin crawling, she was about to blow again. "Well maybe I haven't changed Ruby!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ruby asked, genuinely confused.

"Oh I don't know! Ask him!" Weiss yelled, stomping her foot and pointing to the disabled vid screen, unconsciously refereeing to her father. Ruby took a step back, realising this was about something more than what she could see on the outside. There was a pause in the conversation as Ruby watched her partner who was pinching the bridge of her nose and avoiding eye contact.

"Who is 'he'? Weiss were you, talking to your dad?" Ruby questioned, realising she was walking on thin ice. Weiss brought her hands away from her face and let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding. She moved to the window and leaned on the bookshelf below it. "Did you find out who that man was?" That was a slightly easier question to answer.

"Yes Ruby I did"

"Well?"

"My father sent him"

"To do what?"

"To 'protect' me" she answered, almost spitting the word 'protect'.

"From what?" Ruby continued, still left in the dark. Weiss clenched her fist, growing frustrating with Ruby's all too common barrage of questions.

"He thinks I need protection. That I can't look after myself"

"Is that why you were crying" Ruby asked.

"Ruby I wasn't crying!" Weiss protested

"Yes. You. Were! Weiss stop leaving me out I'm your partner why can't you open up to me!"

"Because I don't want to! I have nothing to open up about I-"

"Weiss you were just crying! Just- Just tell me something!" Ruby stuttered, her frustration impairing her speech a little,

"What do you want me to say Ruby! That my father is ridiculous! That he is cold! That I had a rough childhood! That my childhood only lasted for eleven year of my life! That I've been scared! What do you want Ruby!?" Ruby was taken aback, not expecting such a reaction, and truthfully not exactly sure how to answer her question.

Ruby brought her hands up to her chest, feeling very vulnerable and small. "We-Weiss I don-"

"You don't even know! Well I suppose you already knew those things, so how about I tell you this! The reason why, I don't 'open up' is because Schnee have hearts of stone. We don't open up because we are cold and barren!" those words hurt Ruby, they hurt her to hear them but she didn't believe them, not for one second.

"Weiss that's not true" she said her words said so honest, that even Weiss felt her sincerity and caused her to falter a little.

"Yes it is! I've grown up and I have become immune to many things, in a world where people kept dying around me, there isn't much that affects me!"

"Weiss, how can you say that, you aren't cold hearted, I know you're not. I've felt it bef-"

"RUBY!" Weiss yelled, cutting her off before she could finish her sentence. The seething heiress stared at the silver eyed girl in front of her, they both waited for each other to say something but instead Weiss stormed past Ruby and flung the door open.

Yang and Blake froze in place as Yang was just about to open the door herself. Weiss recoiled at the sudden appearance of the rest of her team, but quickly recovered and moved off briskly down the hall, with Yang and Blake watching her go. Blake turned to Ruby and she couldn't help but feel for the red head. Ruby was looking very confused, very worried and overall a little hurt. She stood there in the middle of the room looking at the spot where Weiss was standing previously.

"Ruby what did I tell you" she said delicately, not wanting to her the girl even more than what just happened must have.

"It's too late now" Ruby mumbled, dropping onto Weiss' bed, feeling like a failure.

Weiss may believe that her heart was frozen solid, but Ruby knew that beneath the thin layer of ice, was something she was sure she could fall in love with.

**A/N: I'm not too sure about this chapter. Leave a review?**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Look guys i figured it out! Shout out to XAnonymous!**

* * *

Weiss found herself outside on one of the many balconies that lined Beacon Academy, leaning against the railing with her hands firmly grasped around the spokes. She arrived at the same time the sun began to touch the horizon and flood the sky with a dim warm light that turned the clouds shades of warm pink and red. Her perch on the balcony gave Weiss a wonderful vista of the rest of the school, and she watched as students hurriedly made the way, presumably, back to their dorms from their last class that day. But Weiss' mind was elsewhere, which it seemed to be doing a lot lately. Thinking over the things that had just happened, her talk with her father, that horrible flash back, she tightened her grip on the railing at the thought. Then there was Ruby's… attack? She wasn't sure what to call it. It was a little unexpected but Weiss always had known it was going to happen sooner or later with the way she was treating Ruby, but she didn't know it would happen at her most vulnerable point. _Urgh! That red headed buffoon! _She thought to herself, scoffing out loud and realising her grip on the fence to turn around.

"Good evening Miss Schnee" Weiss jumped at the sight of the headmaster, she hadn't heard him walk up behind her. She was either extremely distracted or this man was more then he seemed.

"Professor Ozpin! Uh good evening to you too." She said, adopting her usual formal manner, standing straight, head held high.

"How are you this fine evening?" He asked, gently waving his ever present cup toward her, before taking a sip from it. Weiss assessed her principal, trying to understand why he was here but couldn't find a suitable answer.

"I'm" she paused to find the right word, "fine" she breathed, turning back around and leaning against the railing, fixing her gaze on the sunset, wishing she could absorb it's warmth, wrap herself in it and get away from all those chilling memories, but the sun was out of her reach, and even so, she felt too cold for even the sun to warm her.

"'Fine' seems like a bit of understatement" Ozpin said, stepping up beside her and following her gaze whilst taking another sip of his drink. "Am I correct in assuming so?" And there it was. Weiss sighed, understanding where this was going, but for some reason she went down that road anyway. It was just that Ozpin had this air about him, as if he knew exactly what was going on but never said so, as if he knew exactly what to say and how to say it. Weiss knew that this man next to her was a very wise and understanding person and was probably why she explained herself to him.

"I just have a lot on my mind right now" she replied, it was the truth, but a very vague truth.

"Weiss you're strangling the fence" Ozpin pointed out. Weiss looked down and noticed that she was gripping the spoke quite roughly and quickly let go, placing her hands by her said.

"Ok, maybe I have a bit more than a lot on my mind" she confessed, still not giving much away. Nevertheless Ozpin nodded in understanding, as if he had just heard her say a speech.

"Would it have anything to do with that call with your father?" He asked casually, looking out to the horizon. Weiss looked at the professor with a little bit of shock, she was about to ask how he knew when he surprised once more. "Or that talk with Ruby shortly thereafter?"

"Wha- How did you know?" Weiss asked flabbergasted.

"Weiss there isn't much that gets past me, especially when all calls through the school network are monitored."

"Oh" Weiss said softly, "But what abo-"

"As for the one with Ruby, well let's just say I've been keeping a close eye on her" Ozpin explained, sipping from his cup once more.

"Okaaaay" Weiss said, slightly confused and slightly worried about what that meant.

"But let's not tell her that shall we. In any case, would you like to talk about?" he offered, quickly moving on from the subject of Ruby. Weiss' gaze dropped a little at the offer, then she looked back up at the grey haired man and made her decision.

"My father has hired a, _guard _to 'watch over me'. He feels as if I haven't changed, he said I am the same as when I left home two years ago and when I told him to remove the man he called me ungrateful, said that I should be 'thankful'. I told him I could protect myself and the he…" Weiss trailed off, reaching the point that had brought her here. "He said something he didn't need to" she finally finished. Yet another half-truth. This time Ozpin had something to nod about and he did.

"So are you upset about the watchman or the fact that he hasn't recognised your change?" Weiss remained silent, knowing the answer but not wanting to say it. So why not lie? A part of her wanted to tell the truth and lucky for that part, the wise professor gave her that push. "Or do you believe that you have not changed?" he said stressing the 'you' softly.

Weiss looked back over the balcony, the sky had become a dark hue now and the few remaining people below appeared as shadows, their features lost in the darkness. "I- I" she returned her grip on the fence subconsciously, part of her fuming with frustration.

"Weiss, let me tell you this. You are a brilliant student and you are an extremely intelligent young lady, so please don't tell me you believe that to be true." Weiss looked up at her headmaster, her eye's gleaming with something, was it hope? "I don't know your father personally, but I know a lot about him," was there anything he _didn't_ know, "and what I know is that he is a very particular man. Maybe he believes you haven't changed, that doesn't mean you haven't, one man's opinion does not out way the fact. He may have just been looking for a specific change and not looking at the big picture." Now Weiss had turned to face Ozpin completely, showing her full attention.

"Weiss believe me when I say this, in these two years you _have_ changed, you and your father have been looking in the wrong places. It's not in your academic or your physical skills, but within you yourself. Haven't you noticed, you've made friends, you don't care too much if something doesn't go your way, your less, for the lack of a better word, 'snobby' and your more understanding and accepting of others, thank Blake for that one, and I've even seen you make a few jokes and actually enjoy yourself. I still haven't forgotten that little RWBY and JNPR fight in the cafeteria" The mention of the two teams first food fight brought a smile to Weiss' lips, even if she tried to fight it. "Weiss, your _father_ may be a cold man but a father's child need not follow in his footsteps. Weiss believe it or not, you my dear have warmed a little, stop trying to hide it and maybe you might begin to believe it."

That last part was spoken almost as a plea, as if it was in his own interests to get Weiss to see it herself. Weiss looked at the man before her, taking in his words and decided whether to believe them or not. "Ruby was only half true, you aren't only shutting her out, your shutting yourself out" he added gently. Weiss recoiled slightly at the accusation.

"I have good reason to do that" she said firmly, breaking eye contact and looking over the balcony once more. It was dark now, no warm hue, just the cold beams of the shattered moon above.

"What reason does a partner have to shut out her other partner? I didn't force you to be together for four years so that you could remain as strangers"

"We aren't strangers. Ruby has more than enough to call me her teammate!"

* * *

Back at the dorm

Ruby was alone, sitting atop her precariously set up bed for the second year in a row, with a book in her lap that wasn't getting much attention. Of course Ruby planned to read it, but her mind was still distracted by a certain, noticeably fragile, heiress.

Blake and Yang had left a short while ago, stating they were going with Ren and Nora to eat or something like that. Ruby found it weird, it was kinda like a double date. Hehe, Ruby laughed at the idea. If anything it should be Ren and Nora with Jaune and Pyrrah, after all they are in the same team. Which led her back to her team, which led her to bumblebee which led her to her half of the team, which included no other than the one person that was occupying the majority of her mind, Weiss.

"Urgh!" Ruby groaned throwing her pen down and slamming the book shut, she needed a drink, preferably something with sugar, a lot of sugar. She was rubbing her eyes when she walked past the vid screen Weiss had been using and noticed something. The small blue light indicated a call, was flashing. Ruby froze and looked at the light flash repeatedly, should she? She shouldn't. But it could be for anyone. She reasoned with herself before feeling that her actions would be justified she sat down at the desk and turned the screen on. "Uh oh" she breathed, Weiss was still logged on and she had an incoming call from a private number. Ruby eyed the answer button, wishing that her childish nature would leave her and that she wouldn't answer the call. But the thought that it could be that man from earlier pushed her over the edge.

Like a band aid, she quickly keyed the answer button, and boy was she in for it now.

"Uh excuse me, is my sister there?"

* * *

**A/N: Awww sheeeeeit no more hiding now Snow Angel.**


	11. Chapter 11

"Maybe you can be called her teammate, but you are also her _partner_. I could have simply formed you into teams without the need of having partners, but I didn't. Your teammates are there for your _team, _the partners are there for each other, nobody wants be alone and sometimes you just need someone to talk to, someone that's not only by your side because they are required to be, but because they _want _to be. I understand that all the members of your team, maybe even other teams, may reach that point but your partners may become someone a little bit more special." Ozpin explained, trying to make Weiss understand why Ruby was acting the way she was.

"But professor why does it have to be with Ruby?!" Weiss complained, turning away and waving an arm over the balcony. Weiss wasn't really get anywhere with Ozpin, she had expressed her distaste with Ruby attempting to reach out to her and Ozpin believed that _she_, Weiss Schnee, was in the wrong.

"Because Weiss, you still have three more years with her, so who else but the one you'll be spending all your time with? Besides, after you leave Beacon I have a feeling you will all be keeping in touch for a long time"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Weiss asked, raising an eyebrow. She had never thought about life after Beacon and she wasn't sure whether the concept of staying in touch with her team was something she would enjoy or something she would be irritated with. Strangely a part of her agreed with the former.

"I've been at this school for a long time and I've seen many teams stay close together long after graduation. To be honest, I'm still in touch with _my_ teammates" He explained, looking over the school as he did so, he hadn't taken a drink from his cup, and he took this opportunity to do so, reminiscing his own team.

"Professor, you don't understand," Weiss breathed turning away from her headmaster not wanting to make eye contact. "I _can't _grow closer to her, to Ruby, to any of them."

"Don't be ridiculous Weiss, I'm sure Ruby will do most of the work for you anyway" he said with a laugh.

"No! I can't! As in I shouldn't and I won't" Weiss confessed, pointing a finger at her chest roughly. Ozpin raised an eyebrow and took another look at the heiress.

"Oh?" he queried, "and what has led you to believe that?" Weiss looked at her headmaster, her ice blue eyes quivering ever so slightly. Should she tell him? She shouldn't. She wouldn't admit it, but she was breaking inside, she just hid it well. She was overwhelmed with all the recent events, all the memories, all the emotions have just been boiling and mixing within her, and her usually solid composure was slowly being battered and broken. She needed an outlet, needed someone to help her.

Wow. Weis Schnee, heiress to the Schnee dust company, has just admitted she needs help. But this man in front of her, could he offer that help? Weiss exhaled and closed her eyes and turned away momentarily.

"The last person, _I _was close to. Was nearly killed because of me." She said it, now she could just hope Ozpin had something to say that could convince her that she was wrong, a second time. There was a lull in the conversation, as Ozpin considered her words and formulated a wise response.

"I honestly don't see how that applies here. Was this not a long time ago, how it could possibly affect the relationships you have now?" he asked sincerely, hiding his attempt to get her to explain further.

Weiss wasn't sure if she should actually tell him what happened, or even if she could without crying again, she could already feel the tears and the regret and guilt boiling to the surface. She returned to the railing, griping the spokes once again, trying to squeeze the pain out of her. "I-I failed to protect…" she stopped as she tried to compose herself. Ozpin waited patiently, watching the usually composed heiress drop her ice queen act, with a hint of care visible in his expression.

Weiss tried once more, "I failed to protect my-my-"

"Someone you loved" Ozpin cut in, putting Weiss out of her misery. "Someone you held very close to you, someone irreplaceable" Weiss could only nod, she was crying again.

* * *

RWBY Dorm

"Woah" Ruby breathed as she sat back in her seat, running a hand through her hair. What did she just do? She stared at vid screen and the notification, 'call ended'. She wasn't sure exactly what had just happened, it was a bit surreal and extremely unexpected.

Had she just spoken to Weiss' sister?

But Weiss doesn't even have a sister. Or did she? How would Ruby know, there isn't much she did know about the heiress after all. But why didn't she tell us? I guess they never asked, so why was she so surprised about it? Ruby rubbed her eyes, what was she going to do? She didn't think it was something Weiss wanted her to know about for some reason, even though she had never asked. It just felt…wrong.

Winter hadn't said much, only that she wanted to speak to her sister.

"Is my sister there?" she asked as her face appeared on the screen. Ruby blinked, what was this? A mini Weiss, it certainly looked like one.

"Uh excuse me?" Ruby asked, still blinking. This can't be real.

"My sister Weiss, is she there? I want to speak with her, it's been a rather… long time" the girl spoke, suddenly saddened.

"Weiss has a sister!?" Ruby asked, her voice louder than usually

"Uh yeah, my names Winter, she hasn't mentioned me?" Winter asked.

"No she hasn't" Ruby explained, receiving yet another saddened look. "What did you mean it's been a long time?"

"Weiss and I haven't spoken in the past two years, even a little before that"

"Oh. Why?" She shouldn't be asking questions!

"She hasn't told you has she?"

"No, me and Weiss don't talk much either" This time it was Ruby who had a saddened expression. "She's actually out because we had a fight about it"

"Yeah those conversations don't usually go well"

"So what happened?" Ruby asked, wanting to understand why Weiss was shutting her own family out as well. Winter opened her mouth to answer but a voice off screen stopped her. She looked at Ruby and hurriedly cut the call.

"I'm sorry I have to go. Please tell her I called"

"Uh what? Wait!" Too late, the call was closed.

Which brings her back to the present. "What happened between them?" she whispered to herself.

"Happened between who?"

"Jesus Yang!" Ruby yelled, flailing her arms around so as to not fall out of her chair. It didn't help. "Ahh!" Thud.

"Who were you talking to?" Blake asked, stepping into their room along with a grinning Yang. Ruby pushed herself off the floor dusted herself off and standing up. She looked back at the vid screen before answering.

"Uhh I was talking toooo, Jaune! I was talking to Jaune." She didn't know why, but she felt that Weiss had wanted to keep Winter a secret.

"Uh huh" Blake breathed, eyeing her red headed leader suspiciously.

"Weiss isn't back yet?" Yang asked, looking at her bed a little concerned. Yang was always like that, Ruby always said that Blake was the big sister in their team and Yang was the mother. Weiss, she wasn't sure what Weiss was yet. Yang didn't hate Weiss, she just liked to annoy her, they all knew that Yang had a soft spot for everyone.

"No" Ruby stated, peering back at the vid screen, "No she isn't"

* * *

Beacon Balcony

"Weiss, six years ago was a very long time ago"

"That doesn't matter! It could still happen again! I could still fail!" Weiss argued, she was looking very fragile, her eyes were glistening from the held back tears and all the fight she usually carried with her seemed to have drained out in an instant.

"Weiss we just discussed this, six years is a long time, and in the past two you have changed quite a bit. Even if you are placed in such a position again, I believe it will be very different."

"But what if I haven't changed enough, I will never know if I have until I'm put to the test again, and if I haven't! Then I'm just going to lose them for good!"

"So instead of protecting them you're just going to shut them out?" Ozpin asked accusingly.

"If I'm out of the picture then I won't be there to _fail _and they'll be safer. If I keep away from them, they won't rely on me to be there, so they won't expect me to be there and will go to someone more reliable! Someone who won't fail!" Weiss yelled, her frustration and anger at herself getting the better of her.

"Weiss don't you think that's a little ridiculous?" Ozpin said flatly, but in a soft manner.

"How can you say that!? I nearly lost her!" Weiss pleaded, she was losing it. "I sat and watched as that man shot my sister in the back! I SAT and WATCHED! I can't do that to anyone! Oh damn it!" she swore, she was crying again.

"So you would put the people you love in someone else's care?" Ozpin asked, he wasn't making it any easier for Weiss, but then again this wasn't going to be easy.

"Yes! If it means they'll live!" she yelled between sobs, she turned away gain to wipe her tears. She felt so pathetic.

"Weiss did it ever occur to you that no matter who's care they are in, there is always a chance they will be in danger?" Weiss remained silent. "Who better to protect a loved one, than the person who loves them the most?"

"But I can-"

"Please listen to me" Ozpin cut in. "This may seem extremely cliché but, love is a powerful thing. Love can offer the strongest protection and I can feel that you love your sister very much. Some other person, who cannot dream to reciprocate the love that you have, is never going to be able to protect her as much as you could"

His words seemed to calm her down a little, she was listening and she was starting to understand his point. "I don't completely understand" she confessed.

"Ah well then. Suppose your father hires a guard to watch over your sister. This man will do everything in his power to protect her as it is his job. Suppose he would literally take a bullet for her. But here is the thing. This man will do everything _in his power_, and that's it" Ozpin paused to let those words so far sink in.

Weiss had wiped away her tears and she was intently listening to the man who seemed to be saving her from herself.

"YOU on the other hand, you who love your sister beyond reason, beyond expectation would no doubt do everything in your power to protect her, but that said power, will be far greater than that of the body guard. As I said earlier, love is a powerful thing, and it can cause people to do things unexpected. I do strongly believe that your love will push you further than anyone, further than anything, when those that you love are in danger. Weiss your heart is definitely not frozen."

"So why did I just sit and watch all those years ago!?"

"Weiss you were young! Don't be so hard on yourself, stop living in the past, be thankful that she is alive and that you can learn from your mistakes. I know it won't be easy to get over, but you have a team and you have a _partner _who will no doubt be there for you, rain hail or shine"

Weiss was silent. She blinked a couple of times, Ozpin's words sinking in, sinking far into the places they needed to be the most. A large part of her knew he was right, but there was a small part of her that still had her doubts. But she would deal with that later.

"Thankyou Professor" was all she said, stepping back.

"It was my pleasure" He stated, tipping his cup toward her before walking back inside. He knew his job was done.

Weiss was a strong girl, a strong girl that was too hard on herself. She was not as cold as ice, and even if a heart can be turned to stone, it can definitely be turned back.

* * *

**A/N: As you can probably tell, I'm better with fight scenes than with feelz... Review?**


	12. Chapter 12

Weiss returned to their dorm later that night, so late that when she stepped in she had to do so very quietly as they were all asleep. Or so she thought.

Blake and Ruby were both awake when she stepped in, Yang, well Yang was snoring as loud an ursa of course. Her sheets were thrown about, again, her hand was hanging off the edge of the bed and a steady stream of drool was soaking her most beloved locks. Sometimes Blake wondered how much she actually cared about her hair.

Blake had woken as soon as Weiss began to turn the handle of the door, Blake was an extremely light sleeper, perks of being in the White Fang, and waking up at the slightest of noise had become a habit she was beginning to hate. At least now she wasn't drawing a knife every time she did.

Ruby, Ruby never went to sleep to begin with. None of her teammates had ever been out that late, except for when Blake ran away, and she was getting worried, especially since it was Weiss. But when the heiress walked in, trying her best to be as quite as possible, Ruby was relieved and a weight was lifted off her, but she quickly turned around so that Weiss wouldn't see that she was awake.

Blake on the other hand didn't bother about it, besides Weiss would have known that the cat faunas would have woken up. Weiss walked past the faunas and they shared a glance, no words were exchanged and Blake had a hard time reading the heiress, she showed nothing but her signature poker face, hiding all from the world. Weiss walked off and Blake spun around and tried to get back to sleep, _Yeah like that'll happen_, she thought glancing at the bed above her.

* * *

Next morning

The team woke up without a sound, no whistle, no arguing, no talking. They went about their routine with just the regular, "Good morning". Weiss didn't say anything, Ruby didn't mention the call from her sister and Yang and Blake thought it best not to bring up last night's escape.

Although there weren't any words exchanged, Ruby had been glancing over at Weiss quite regularly, maybe a bit too regularly. "What's goin on Ruby" Blake whispered as Weiss entered the bathroom.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, flicking her bed sheet and throwing it over her bed.

"Why do you keep looking at Weiss like that? You think she hasn't noticed?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah it is" Yang called from the other end of the room. Yang might be a bit oblivious at times, but she was pretty observant when it came to her little sister. Ruby looked between her sister and her teammate, the two most loving people she has in her life right now. It was the truth but it hurt her a little that that number was down to two and not three, but that third person was being rather, cold, lately.

"Argh, there's something I have to tell her but I don't know how or even if I should" Ruby confessed.

"Ooo what might that be?" Yang asked, a little more interested now, she loved gossip. Ruby went to answer but the bathroom door swung open. Three pairs of eyes looked to the heiress simultaneously. The silver pair a little worried, the amber pair seemingly disinterested and the lilac pair looking as if they had been caught in the middle of a crime.

Weiss looked at her teammates, "Honestly" she scoffed and moved toward her own bed to grab her things. She walked to the door and paused to face her team, "Class is in five, do you want to be late again?" Then they moved.

* * *

'Class' was a little bit of a lie. The so called class was feeling more like an assembly, Goodwitch was standing on an elevated platform and most of the second year students were present. "This is weird" Yang stated. Team JNPR were positioned next to team RWBY, both teams had no clue what was going on, they both thought they were gonna be having a training class.

"Now you may be wondering why this class is a little unorthodox" The professor began

"You don't say" Yang whispered, awarding her a stern look from her partner.

"But this is your second year here at Beacon, and as a second year student you have been awarded many privileges, but you will also be given certain responsibilities. One such responsibility will be given today" She explained, her ever present tablet in hand. Yang couldn't help but make the connection between Ozpin and his cup, and Goodwitch and her tablet.

"If you will be so kind to have a look at your data pads, you will see that a new icon has been added to the top left corner" There was a mass of shuffling as all the students pulled out their data pads simultaneously.

"Well she wasn't lying" Yang stated

"What is it?" Blake wondered out loud.

"This is your new mission assignment app" Goodwitch stated right after Blake spoke. Ruby and Yang shared a smile at the resemblance to their first day at beacon in the airship. "As second year students, and hunter and huntresses in the making, you have a duty to society. And that includes many things, fighting Grimm, yes is one of them, but your overall responsibility is to keep the peace. Fighting Grimm is only one part of the equation, simple tasks such as community service, guarding, or simply lending a hand is all part of the job."

"Where is she going with this?" Yang asked.

Nora was heard taking in a large breathe, "HUUUH, We get to save kitties stuck in trees!" She bounced up and down. Blake just had to smile at that.

"Your new app will act as a pager, it is catered to all of your timetables, so whenever your team is free, and your help is required, it will send you a notification, and you _will _be expected to accept it. These tasks can range from anything, hunting Grimm to patrol work, whatever the task you must complete it. And don't worry you won't be asked to do anything outside of your ability, we monitor each request and confirm and deny them as we see fit." Goodwitch explained.

Realisation dawned on Ruby and her eyes lit up and a smile burst across her face. "Guys!" Her team recoiled at the sudden outburst, "We get to go on missions!"

"Yes Ruby we just her-"

"Like actual missions! She continued cutting off Weiss.

"You are all dismissed, the pagers are active as of now so don't be surprised if some of you receive requests straight away" Goodwitch called, dismissing the mass of second year students. They all forwarded out, chattering about their new responsibilities, some were excited, some were annoyed, Ruby, Ruby was over the moon. She already had her data pad clutched in her hands, staring intently at the little sword and shield that was the mission icon. Weiss noticed her partner's already excessive enthusiasm and rolled her eyes. "Seriously Ruby there is more to-"

"YES!" She yelled, cutting Weiss off one more time, they all looked at their leader and realised that here data pad was flashing. The remaining trio looked amongst themselves before looking at their own data pads.

"That was quick" Blake stated, reading the mission notification.

"And it's not some boring old patrol mission! Yes! We get to fight things!" Ruby pointed out

"Didn't we do that yesterday?" Yang asked, grinning at her sister's excitement, it rubbed off on people. Yang glanced at Blake and noticed she was smiling too, she turned her attention to the ice princess, and she was honestly a little surprised.

Weiss wasn't frowning as she usually tended to do, nor was she scowling at her sister. She had a rather neutral yet soft expression as she watched Ruby jump up and down and ramble on about the cool things it could be. It was as if Weiss was considering whether she should smile, whatever happened yesterday, she seemed to be over it. Yang smiled at the thought, it warmed her heart to know her teammates were all feeling well, she had a soft heart and she knew it.

"What are you smiling about?" Blake asked, interrupting her train of thought. Yang looked at her partner and could have asked her the exact same thing, Blake wasn't a stranger to smiles, but every time she did, Yang warmed up inside, and coming from Yang that means something.

"I'm just glad whatever happened yesterday seems to behind the two" She replied, nodding her head toward the pair.

Blake hummed in agreement, "Although there's still that thing Ruby had to tell her"

"Yeah, but I'm sure Ruby will figure it out. I'm not the only one who is warm inside" She stated with a grin. "C'mon, I think we should save the ice princess from my over active ruby sister."

* * *

Elsewhere

"Is it set up?"

"Yes it is, as soon as their servers go live they'll be the first to get a notification"

"And the briefing?"

"Short and simple, doesn't give too much away but enough for them not to be suspicious"

"And you" the voice said, turning his attention to someone else, "Are _you _ready?"

"Yes I am" the voice was rough and a bit muffled, as if he was speaking through a mask.

"Good because I didn't pay you off from her father just so you could fail."

"I won't" The main replied plainly.

"Don't underestimate those girls, especially that one in the cape, focus on the mean one first, she seems the weakest"

The man with the muffled voice chuckled, "Haha, you tell me not to underestimate them, but you just did. Miss Schnee is far from weak, it's her heart and mind that brings her down. But don't worry, she will be no problem for me"

* * *

**A/N: You know what that means. Fight scene soon!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: OMG I lied I'm sorry! I guess i either ramble on too much or I'm just lazy. Either one sorry there's no fight. Next chap I swear!**

* * *

"Did they already receive a request?" Ozpin asked, eyeing the departed four girl team as they left the hall. Goodwitch had a look at her tablet, tapping through a few screens before pulling up the roster list.

"Yes it does indeed seem so"

"Who is it from?" He asked, caution evident in his voice

"From an anonymous client, which is not unusual." Ozpin hummed at the statement, still watching the team leave, eyeing them suspiciously. "What is it?" She asked, noticing her long-time friend's distress.

"It's nothing" he replied, drinking form his cup, "I hope"

* * *

_Request sent by: Anonymous_

_Requesting: Team RWBY_

_Location: Vale-Industrial District_

_Details: Possible Grim nest in abandon factory complex located in the south eastern area of the Industrial district. Requesting scouting parting and possible dispatch of grim. Specification of grim is unknown, come prepared for anything. _

"Sounds easy enough" Blake stated after their leader read out the mission alert as they made their way to the location via airship.

"Oh I hope it's a pack of death stalkers, or a bunch of boarbatusks. Oo! Or even a flock of nevermores, of course they won't be as big as the ones we fought in the Emerald Forest but it would still be cool!" Ruby ranted, jumping in her seat, she still hadn't calmed down from when they left.

"Ruby I don't thin-"

"Or maybe a bunch of king taijitu, I've never seen one! I know Ren got to fight one" Another thing Ruby had continued to do since they left was cut Weiss off. The heiress resorted to rolling her eyes and looking out the window, dispatching herself from the conversation, no point in trying if she wasn't going to get anywhere.

"I'm interested in how the grim would have gotten in to the industrial district in the first place, let alone make a nest." Blake wondered aloud. Her teammates turned to face her, they hadn't thought about that. Maybe Weiss did, but couldn't bother stating it.

"Good point" Yang stated, arms folded across her chest, looking between her partner and her sister.

"Well I'm sure it will be fine, I mean what it could be. Besides Goodwitch said they monitor all the mission requests." Ruby assured her team.

"Yeah the requests, not the mission itself" Blake pointed out.

"C'mon Blake, why the doom and gloom, we are team RWBY we can handle anything" Yang called, nudging her partner gently, receiving a plain look from the faunas.

"Yeah except your snoring" Blake replied flatly. Yang recoiled at the statement.

"It's not that bad!"

"Oh please! I'm sure JNPR can hear you over Nora's snoring" Weiss interjected without removing her gaze from the window.

"Ruby tell them it's not true" Yang pleaded, resorting to her sister for support. There's no way she would go against her own sister.

"Sorry Yang, I kinda agree with them, and I now _my _snoring can be bad." She didn't, Yang brought a hand to her chest to feign hurt.

"Ruby your snoring is cute compared to Yang's" Weiss stated, moving her gaze from the window to her partner, looking all very, unimpressed.

"Aww thanks Weiss" Ruby called, jumping playfully onto her partner and wrapping her into a hug.

"Ruby! Get off me!" Weiss yelled, pushing against the red headed girl who was happily laughing and giggling.

Blake leaned toward her partner, "We better not end up like that"

"Oh please you're a cat you love being loved" Yang said coyly, Blake had nothing to say to that.

"Ruby Rose release me at once!"

"We have arrived at our destination, please forward out once the ramp has descended, thankyou" The pilot's voice rang out through the ships speakers.

"HUH! Where here!" Ruby yelled, stating the obvious. She ceased her pestering of the ice princess, who was still in the act of removing the silver eyed girl off her. But before she tried once more, the red head had dashed away and out the airship, ignoring the pilot's instruction to wait for the wrap to descend completely. The heiress was left with a clump of roses peacefully floating into her lap.

"Honestly!" she called after Ruby, dusting the roses off her skirt. Blake and Yang were next to walk out, with Yang stopping next to Weiss before leaving.

"You should keep those, they actually smell really nice" She said, referring to the roses before walking down the ramp. Weiss blinked and looked down at the roses in her lap, she carefully picked one up and brought her up to her nose. She was about to take a sniff before she realised what she was doing and quickly flicked the rose away.

"Please, me, keep rose pedals, from that dunce. Psht" she got up and walked toward the ramp and for some reason found herself stopping at the top of the ramp and looking back at the light pile of pedals. The heiress' stern expression faltered as the pedals began to disintegrate peacefully.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Split this one into two, it's quite long. Also there may be a bunch of mistake's, i was too excited/lazy to proof read seven pages and i wanted to get this up ASAP**

* * *

"Yang! Yang, why would you say something like that?" Weiss called, catching up to the brawler. The blonde hummed as she turned to face her sister's partner.

"Something like what snow angel?" She teased. Weiss winced at the nick name.

"Please don't call me that. I was referring to the roses, how could you even expect me to 'keep one' if they just fade away like that?"

"Oh. Well I guess I forgot about that" Yang stated, "Well the ones she always gives me last a while. Maybe it depends on the way Ruby makes them." She said finger on her chin in thought. "I mean if you really want one you could just ask" She suggested with a grin.

"Oh don't be ridiculous, I was just curious is all" Weiss replied, folding her arms across her chest sharply.

"Relax Weiss, don't read too much into it" Yang laughed, before quickening her pace to catch up with the others, leaving a slightly confused heiress behind.

"What was that supposed to mean?" she mumbled to herself before realising she had stopped walking and had to jog to catch up.

"So here we are, according to these coordinates, we gotta check all of these buildings" Ruby stated, nudging her head toward the factory complex which was boarded by a steel fence and was comprised of three different buildings. They weren't too sure exactly what the factory was for but they could make out the different buildings.

One was definitely a warehouse, which sat at the back of the perimeter and stretched the length of it. The one the right had to be the actual factory, with all its pipes sprouting from the roof and large machinery parked around it. The final building on the left side looked like a regular building, low to the ground and void of any pipes, machines, or huge truck bay doors like the warehouse. Maybe is was a common area for all the workers, they would find out eventually.

But all the buildings had one thing in common, they were all old and degrading. They had to be at least a hundred years old, it was a wonder that they were still around. The metal roofing of the warehouse was rusted and cracking, some parts of it had already gave and caved in. the big double bay doors could hardly be described as sturdy, hanging lopsided and looking as a slight nudge would cause them to collapse. All the windows were dirty and no doubt had stopped allowing light through years ago.

The factory building was no better. The spires and columns extruding from the roof were cracked and some of them had even broken in half. Parts of the roof where the columns mast have landed were broken as well, leaving holes in the ceiling, at least some light would be getting through.

The building to the left was holding up a little better. It didn't have any pipes and columns to collapse on itself, or any metal roofing to rust and crack. But it was still old and looked extremely fragile. If the team were going to fight in there, they would have to be extremely careful so as to not bring the whole place down, literally.

"How about we split up?" Ruby suggested, "Me and Weiss will take a look in the factory, Blake and Yang take a look in that ordinary looking building to the left. Then I guess we'll meet up in that warehouse at the back"

"Good idea Ruby! Let's go Blake!" Yang saluted, quickly grabbing Blake's arm and pulling her toward the building. "See you in a bit!" She called back, waving her hand with a slightly surprised slightly annoyed Blake trying not to fall over as the brawler practically dragged her away.

"Yang! Stop! What the hell!" Ruby and Weiss heard the faunas yell before they were out of earshot. Ruby turned to her partner and offered her a smile, "C'mon partner let's get going!" Weiss rolled her eyes and breathed an all t0o common, "Honestly" as the caped scythe wielder run ahead. At least this time there was no roses, Weiss though as she began to walk toward the factory, not bothering to quicken her pace, Ruby would wait for her, she knew she would.

Weiss would have caught up to Ruby, if something didn't catch her eye before she did. Or someone. Weiss almost missed the person, he was standing atop the warehouse watching her as she went, he had his rifle trained on her. She didn't know whether he was planning on shooting her or not, but when she stopped and looked at him, he slowly got up and jumped off the building, disappearing behind it.

Weiss stood still for a moment, she knew who it was. Even from this distance it wasn't hard to make out the mask and the white and blue attire, he was her supposed 'body guard'. Weiss didn't know what it was but she felt strange, as if something was, something was different. She looked back toward the factory where Ruby was no doubt waiting for her then took another look toward the warehouse. The nagging feeling she felt grew stronger, it was urging her to give chase but the red head was causing her to hesitate.

"She'll be fine" She assured herself before jumping onto a glyph she had just summoned and shot off after the man. She reached the apex of her jump before summoning another glyph to launcher her over the warehouse where she landed on the ground, sliding to a halt.

Surprisingly the man in question was standing there, as if he was waiting for her. Weiss drew her rapier and held it loosely, a little suspicious of the man's behaviour but not wanted to express hostility.

"Miss Schnee, how can I help you today?" His voice rumbled through his mask, his tone dark and low didn't help to ease Weiss' suspicions.

"I've found out my father has hired you, and I've come to tell you that you really don't need to follow me around. So I suppose what I'm saying is your services are no longer required." Weiss said, adopting her most business like tone.

"Ah. That's nice Miss Schnee, but I'm no longer working for your father" He said, removing his pistol and unsheathing his sword. "I've been approached by…. Other employers who have offered me a much more exciting job" Weiss' suspicion had now formed into caution and she tightened her grip on Myrtenaster. The pistol he called Azure, broke apart and changed into its sword form, which he skilfully flipped into a reverse hold. "A job that involves removing a certain Miss Schnee along with her fellow teammates"

Weiss' eye's widened at the mention of her teammates. Not only was this man confessing that he had been paid out by someone else and is now meant to 'remove' her, but he was going for her teammates as well.

That won't do. Besides, he had to get through her first.

Weiss expression changed from frightened to determined. She knew what she had to do, knew that she had to stop this man and she also realised _when _she did, she would be killing two birds with one stone. Not only will she save Ruby and her teammates, but she would be finally able to show her father that she could protect herself and maybe even show herself that too.

The two eyed each other momentarily before they moved.

Weiss attacked first, using her glyphs to close the distance between them in an instant. Holding Myrtenaster at her chest, the blade pointing forward, she thrust her arm out before contact, aiming to skewer the man where he stood. But, not expecting anything less of the man, he swiftly parried the strike, leaving Weiss to continue on behind him, spinning on her heel to face the him once more.

Without missing a beat, Weiss moved once again, her glyphs pushing her faster than any person. She sped toward the back of the man, bringing Myrtenaster around in a downward slash. The mercenary was fast too and he spun around with enough time to block the attack. Although he couldn't block the blast of fire that followed. Weiss wasn't only fast in movement, she could switch and draw out dust in the blink of an eye. Two years at beacon tends to do that to students.

The mercenary yelled out as he was thrown to the floor, quickly flipping over his back and landing in a crouch. Azure collapsed back into a pistol and he fired off a couple of rounds toward the heiress. She blocked each round easily with her blade, sparks flying as the rounds bounced off the sharpened edge of Myrtenaster. The dual swordsman, took the opportunity to advance toward the heiress.

Weiss waved her right arm in front of her, summoning a glyph, shaded blue, which fired a volley of ice shards toward her opponent. But he didn't slow down, Azure changed back into a sword smoothly and quickly, and he swiftly reversed it in his grip and began to deflect the icy projectiles. They exploded as the blade ripped through them rendering them to nothing more than harmless shards that bounced off his mask and cloak.

He reached Weiss, and swung the sword in his right hand, which he named Kezuru, in an overhead arc bringing it down on top of Weiss. Weiss used her dust to strengthen her defence, illuminating Myrtenaster a dull red and she blocked the swing easily. The mercenary quickly brought Azure around in a horizontal slash right after, which Weiss quickly parried, the still strengthened blade causing the man's arm to rebound back around.

He spun into the motion, using the momentum to put more force behind his next attack. Kezuru trailing behind him, it clashed loudly against Myrtenaster sending a loud ringing noise through the complex. Weiss quickly spun her dust canister and stopped it at the chamber housing the spark dust, released some of it and ran her fingers up her blade, the dust trailing behind them. The blade was painted with a few purple coloured glyphs and Weiss thrusted her rapier toward her enemy. The point touched him and arcs of electricity burst from the blade and conjoined at the point.

The mercenary yelled as electricity coursed through his body, sending his muscles into spasms. He was held there for a moment before the point of the blade exploded violently and launched him backwards. Weiss flicked Myrtenaster around expertly as she watched the man land on the ground roughly. "Having second thoughts?" she asked smugly.


	15. Chapter 15

Ruby had been waiting for Weiss for far too long. Surely it wouldn't take her partner longer than five minutes to catch up. With a huff Ruby made her way back to the entrance of the factory to look for her partner. "Weiss! Weiss!" She called as she exited and found the heiress to be out of sight. "Where did you go?" Ruby swung her head round, looking for any sign of her partner. She snapped her head toward the warehouse as she herd a muffled explosion followed by a yell. "What the…" she breathed, pulling Crescent Rose out from behind her back, she waited for it to expand completely before spinning it around and slamming the blade into the ground behind her. She narrowed her eyes as she could now make out slight clangs and dings coming from somewhere beyond the warehouse. She squeezed the trigger and she was soaring through the air. Something was going on, she just hoped Weiss wasn't too involved.

* * *

"Second thoughts?" The hooded man repeated, "Hardly." He got back up and dashed toward the heiress, but this time when he moved he moved with unimaginable speed. Weiss was lucky to bring Myrtenaster up in time, but the force of the blow caused her to stagger backwards. The attacks kept coming and the tide of the battle was quickly shifting, Weiss was losing ground and she had to do something.

There was a small break in the volley and Weiss took her chance. Before he could land another blow, she summoned a glyph in front of her while jumping back at the same time. The mercenary's arm passed through the glyph before it turned black and froze the appendage in mid-air.

Weiss smiled as he tried to yank his arm free, but to no avail, he wasn't going anywhere. "Weiss?!" a small voice called off to the side. Weiss looked to the source and found none other than Ruby Rose. "Weiss what are you doing?" She asked, worry evident in her voice as she jumped down from the roof of the warehouse.

"Ruby! Go away I have this under control" She had to do this alone, on her own, otherwise it wouldn't count to anything.

"Isn't he supposed to be _protecting _you?" She continued, moving closer to the heiress.

"Tsk! If you must know, it seems he's been paid out and is now trying to 'remove' me." Weiss stated plainly, the gravity of her words affecting her far less than it did her leader.

"HE WHAT!? Weiss get back I'll protect you!" Ruby yelled, jumping in front of her partner and holding Crescent Rose at an angle to better protect the heiress.

"Ruby stop! Get out of the way I have to do this on my own!" Weiss argued, pushing Ruby out of the way.

"But Weiss he's trying to-"

"Exactly, _trying_. Don't worry I can handle this myself" Weiss stated, taking up her fighting stance once again, "Now get out of my way". Ruby's eyes dropped at that final statement, _not this again_, she thought. She took one final look at the man she had praised just the other day before giving in and stepping aside.

Weiss is strong, she's too strong for just one man to get in her way and even if he did, Ruby would be there to stop him.

The mercenary had ignored the red head's entry and was still focusing on breaking free of this blasted glyph. He grumbled as it didn't even falter, "Damn this girl" he snarled annoyed that he had to resort to this.

He ceased his yanking and paused as if in concentration. His arm pulsed blue and then he roughly pulled his arm out of the glyph. There was a loud shattering noise, as if a large glass vase had just been smashed, and the two girls snapped the heads toward the man. Weiss was stunned, he didn't only get free of her glyph, he _broke _it. "What the hell" Ruby breathed, witnessing something she thought was impossible.

He flexed his shoulders, still pulsing blue and Weiss and Ruby could have sworn he was smiling. Then he moved, faster than anything. This time Weiss didn't have enough time to block the attack and she knew it. He was merely holding back this whole time, and now she was going to get it.

CLANG!

The man's sword never reached Weiss, even with that speed. He wasn't the only one who was fast, Ruby liked to think she was pretty fast too. Lucky for Weiss Ruby was there and she realised how fast he was moving and that Weiss was nowhere near fast enough. The red head had jumped in between her partner and the mercenary, blocking the strike with her scythe. It was a powerful blow and if Ruby hadn't planted Crescent Rose into the ground for added support, she had no doubt she would have been thrown to her feet.

She made eye contact with the man before he jumped away, leaving Ruby with Weiss. "Ruby!"

"Weiss let me help, he's too fast you'll never move fast enough!" Ruby pleaded, hoping beyond hope Weiss wouldn't say what she thought she would.

"No Ruby I need to do this!"

"Weiss you nearly died, if I wasn't there he would have cut you in half!" Ruby yelled back, her eyes filled with worry and her voice thick with care. Weiss looked at her partner, the look in those silver orbs struck something within her, something she couldn't put her finger on in that moment. She pushed the feeling aside, as well as Ruby's warning.

"No! I can do this, how weak do you think I am!"

"You're not weak Weiss, I know you're not. Neither are you stupid so stop being stubborn and let me help!" There was a small sound from behind them and Ruby spun around a little too late. The mercenary did watch the little exchange for a little while before he grew bored and decided to get on with it. The one in the cape was in his way so naturally he removed her. But she spun around in time to block most of the force of the attack, she was thrown to the side but she would be getting up later, unfortunately.

"Ruby!" Weiss yelled, her voice now thick with concern. But she redirected her attention to the danger at hand. She knew Ruby was alright. There was a part of her that believed that she was too weak, but she couldn't accept it, she had a point to prove. She has changed and she _can_ protect herself and those around her!

Ruby's silent form pained her to see, she didn't know if she was still ok but she just had to trust she was. She couldn't afford to be distracted right now.

Weiss decided to attack first, there was a series of clashes as rapier and swords danced off each other, ringing and singing a tune that could only end one way. Weiss was no longer looking so confident as she did before, right now there was much more at stake. She knew this man planned to go after her teammates, but the appearance of Ruby and her saving her life and then getting hit made it much more real.

Weiss wasn't fighting for herself she was fighting for Ruby and her teammates, her _friends_. That thought didn't help at all to stop what happened next.

As Weiss took another stab at the mercenary, he parried it easily and not only that he was bringing his other blade around to slash at Weiss abdomen. She would have blocked the attack, if her left hand wasn't seemingly frozen in place. Everything was in slow motion and her world pulsed blue, she felt the blade hit her stomach and it launched her into the air, her aura taking the full force of the blow. But she felt different, she felt slow as if she was moving but much slower then she should be.

In fact she was, she had been placed under the effect of the man's semblance, she was in some sort of stasis, where she just floated in the air and everything was slowed down. Everything except the mercenary himself. As Weiss began to float away from him, he crouched low and held his sword in his right hand to the left of him, as if he was charging and attack, and he was. His arm and his sword pulsed that signature blue and then his arm moved, faster than anything Weiss and Ruby has ever seen. "Weiss!" Weiss heard Ruby's call just before the blade hit her. She wasn't sure what hurt more, the sword hitting her or the pain in Ruby's voice.

As soon as the sword hit her she was free from that strange stasis and she was sent soaring through the air, coming to a painful halt as her back slammed against a tree, causing it to shudder and drop a few leaves. Pain shot through her spine as it slammed into the rough bark, she fell limp to the ground, not unconscious, unfortunately. She would have gladly slipped away than have to deal with the pain that ran through her abdomen and back. But as fate would have it, she would soon be thank full that she had indeed stayed conscious.

Ruby watched as her partner flew through the air and slammed into the tree. She called out before she was hit but it was futile. _She should have listened._ Ruby made to move toward the heiress, but when she did pain shot through her ribs and she fell to the floor. When she landed she must have broken one, that was one hell of a swing. The silver eyed leader tried to crawl toward her partner, not really thinking about what she would do even if she did reach her.

When she saw the man who had just knocked her friend out, move toward said friend, she only attempted to double her efforts. But the man in question had second thoughts about finishing off the heiress just yet. He paused halfway way between the Schnee girl and the red headed child, decided that the heiress could wait for something for once in her life, whatever it may be, he changed course and made his way toward Ruby.

Weiss groaned as she regained a little more mental ability, her vision was blurred and every time she moved a part of her body pain shot through her and threatened to pull her into unconsciousness. She was about to accept the invitation when she lifted her head and noticed the man stalking towards Ruby, who was crawling toward her. She tried to call out to warn her partner, but only succeeded in realising a garbled moan. For some reason though, where her voice failed her, her arms and legs didn't. Using the tree to help her get to her feet, even though the pain increased tenfold as she stood up, she pushed through the pain and took one step toward her partner.

Her foot touched the ground and she immediately regretted her decision. Her legs failed and she collapsed to the floor. A moan escaped her lips as she hit the ground with a thud. Weiss had no idea whether she could get back up after that, her head was pounding from the pain and her vision was just as bad. Her legs felt like jello and the only parts of her arms that were responding were her fingertips.

It was a wonder how she got back to her feet. When she did, the mercenary was right on top of Ruby and Weiss' heart sank. _No! No not again! NO!_ she yelled at herself. She would not go through this again! She would not watch as another person in her life was taken from her! Someone as special as Ruby didn't deserve to die because Weiss Schnee watched and did nothing.

She saw the man point his pistol at the back of Ruby's head, and she knew there was no way she could make it in time. But at that moment Ozpin's words echoed through her mind. She didn't know if she even felt that way, but she believed his words, and she moved.

She had never moved faster in her life, her glyphs had never moved her that fast before, but she didn't question it. She had her blade pointed toward her enemy and her dust expelled and planted across the rapier.

The blade went through the man's chest before the hammer even hit the bullet.

Weiss slammed into the now limp body of the mercenary, collapsing to the floor in heap on top of him. Myrtenaster coming free and sliding away from its owner. "Weiss! Oh my gosh Weiss!" Ruby yelled, moving toward her partner, who's white aura was softly glowing around her form. She was alive, thankfully. Weiss heard her partners call and tried to answer, but the pain she was feeling hindered any attempt to do so. As she peacefully drifted into unconsciousness, she felt Ruby's hands gently shake her, and Ozpin's words continued to echo in her mind.

_"As I said earlier, love is a powerful thing, and it can cause people to do things unexpected"_

* * *

**A/N: But wait, doesn't that imply Weiss _loves _Ruby? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.**


	16. Chapter 16

"Your injuries are minimal, considering the circumstances. You do have two cracked ribs on your left side, but other than that and a few scrapes and bruises you're A-Okay. You will have to stay with us for minimum of seven days so that we can ensure your ribs re set correctly and then you can go back to school" The doctor explained with a reassuring smile as he looked over his data pad, regarding Ruby's report.

It was the day after the incident, Ruby and Weiss had been taken to hospital, Yang and Blake finding them about thirty minutes after Weiss collapsed. Turns out, the slash at Weiss' abdomen had gotten through her aura and she had a gash that went diagonally from her right hip to midway down her left side. When Blake and Yang reached the pair, Weiss had lost quite a bit of blood and Ruby had begun to lose hope.

"Weiss! Weiss please! Weiss don't go!" Ruby's gentle shaking had turned into something more desperate. She somehow managed to flip Weiss onto her back and the sight that was revealed to her made her heart sink and her desperation doubled. "Weiss! You're bleeding! He got you and you're bleeding!" Ruby looked at her hands and realised they were red. She paused and stared at her hands, Weiss' blood, it was so red. She looked at the heiress who was eerily silent.

She looked to her hands and then back to her partner and was strangely reminded of an image of blood soaking into pristine white snow. Weiss Schnee, stained by her blood. "I can't lose you Weiss! You can't leave me, you're my partner, you're not allowed to leave me!" Ruby continued desperately, trying her hardest to put pressure on the wound. Weiss groaned from the pain, giving Ruby a speck of hope, she was alive. A speck she latched onto and held so desperately.

Weiss' head rolled around and seemed as if she was looking to Ruby. Weiss was fading in and out of consciousness and she had heard some of Ruby's cries, it was all very familiar but she couldn't figure out why. She tried to call out her name but someone beat her to it.

"Ru-"

"Ruby! Oh my god! Ruby!" Yang yelled as she stepped onto the edge of the warehouse, witnessing an image she had never thought she would see. From where she stood all she could see was Ruby, Weiss and some man, lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Yang's mind only expected the worst.

"Ruby! Blake call an ambulance!" Yang jumped down from the roof and ran to her sister's side. It wasn't until she got up close that she realised it wasn't her sisters blood, but Weiss' and if Yang had taken just a little longer, team RWBY would have lost their leaders partner.

Which brings them all to the hospital. Despite Ruby's injuries and exhaustion, as sleep came to her that night she did her best to fight it.

"Ruby why don't you just go to sleep" Yang said softly from the side of Ruby's bed. Ruby didn't require surgery, Weiss on the other hand needed to have her wound closed up.

"Yang I can't, I'm too, worried" Ruby confessed, her voice thick with exhaustion.

"Ruby, Weiss will be fine, she's a strong girl and it was just a cut" Yang replied, taking Ruby's hand in her own. Her lilac eyes, filled with concern and love only a sister could manage.

"Yang you weren't there! You didn't see how much blood there was, how red it was."

"Ruby" Yang tried to get her to stop, she didn't need to relive that moment, Yang could only imagine what it was like.

"You know what scares me the most?" Ruby asked rhetorically, turning to look directly at her sister. "The colour reminded me so much of roses. _My _roses" Ruby's eyes were quivering now and even in the dim light Yang new her sister was crying. She got up from her seat and wrapped her into the most caring yet gentle hug she could manage, given Ruby's broken ribs.

"Sssh Ruby it's okay! Don't say things like that, it's over now. You had nothing to do with what happened. Silly comparisons like that mean nothing" Ruby was definitely crying now, Yang could feel Ruby's body shake with each jagged breath, but she could barely make out the words she was saying.

The next hour was spent with Ruby wrapped up in Yang's arms, when the nurse came in to check on Ruby she found that Ruby had fallen asleep, albeit Yang had climbed into bed next to her so that she could hold her better. When the nurse came past to check on Ruby's drip, she felt a strange warmth radiating from the bed, and when she looked to the blonde, Yang offered a just as warm smile. The nurse nodded understandingly and moved on to the next patient, leaving the sisters in each other's warmth.

* * *

After Blake checked up on Ruby, she decided it was best to leave the sisters on their own, after saying her goodbye's and stating she would come back tomorrow, she was about to leave the hospital when she had a thought. Weiss' surgery wouldn't take that long, and with Yang and Ruby pre-occupied with each other, Weiss would be on her own when she returned to her room.

Blake didn't hate the heiress, maybe when they first met, but when she told her team she was a part of the white fang and Weiss confessed that she couldn't care less, Blake had never been more grateful of the ice princess. The least she could do was keep her company, even if she would be asleep.

Blake asked the desk clerk where Weiss' room was and noticed it was just down the hall from Ruby's, at least she didn't have to walk far. When she stepped into the room Weiss was indeed asleep, but Blake didn't mind, she merely sat in one of the chairs, pulled a book out from her back pack and began to read. After all, it _was _quite peaceful in there.

The faunas was half way through her book when the heiress woke up. Blake's ear twitched as the sheets shuffled slightly. Blake marked the page and closed the book, placing it to the side and watching the heiress, with slight amusement.

Weiss shuffled her feet first, and then her head rolled over, before her arms came up from under her sheets to rub her eyes open. She removed her hands from her face and blinked a couple of times before looking at the faunas.

"Blah- Blake?" She asked, clearly the anaesthetic hadn't worn off completely. Blake grinned at the drugged heiress and wondered whether she should take advantage of the fact.

"Good evening Miss Schnee" Blake replied, the grin still plastered across her face. The heiress looked at the expression and gave the faunas a questioning look.

"Why are you grinning like that?" She asked with a yawn.

"No reason snow angel" Blake hummed, she had never seen the heiress so, so improper, she just had to smile.

"Please don't call me that" Weiss dead-panned, "I already have two blondes calling me that, I don't need a _cat _doing the same" She tried to lift herself up into a sitting position, but must have forgotten about her injuries. She got halfway before pain shot along the stitches and up her spine and dropped back into her bed with a painful wince. Blake almost jumped out of her seat, she had to check herself to make sure it didn't come across as too feline, she didn't think the heiress would forget about it easily.

Nevertheless Blake was by her side in an instant, gently grabbing her arm to steady the azure eyed girl. "Weiss did you forget you're in hospital?" Blake teased, helping her oppositely coloured teammate into a sitting position. She couldn't help but wince along with Weiss, Blake didn't realise how fragile Weiss could be, she was always so stern, so sharp. Not right now, now Blake felt as if she could shatter like a shard of ice, she certainly felt just as cold.

"Don't be absurd of course I know I'm hospital!" Weiss stated sharply, flattening out the wrinkles in her bed sheets.

"You're also probably exhausted so you should drop the regular attitude, at least just for now" Blake suggested taking a step back and continuing to smile.

"Attitude? Oh please I'm far more than capable of keeping my 'attitude' thankyou very much Blake"

"Whatever you say" Blake said waving a hand and returning to her seat in front of the heiress. The faunas watched the heiress as she continued to fiddle with her sheets. Clearly there was something on her mind and Blake had a good guess what it was.

"Where is Yang?" She asked, obviously beating around the bush. Blake wasn't going to have any of it.

"Weiss why don't you just ask? I know you're worried about Ruby, she's doing fine. She's actually just up the hall." Blake stated, getting straight to the point.

"Ah well that's very good news. Very good." There was a pause as nodded. They sat in silence for a moment, Blake giving the heiress a moment.

"Thankyou Blake, but I'm beginning to feel a little tired after all" The heiress said, patting her sheets bringing her fiddling to a halt. Blake nodded, getting up from her seat and moving toward the door, taking her book with her.

"Thankyou Blake" Weiss called before she walked out. Blake smiled to herself before saying goodnight.

"Goodnight Weiss, see you tomorrow"

Weiss sighed as she heard the door close. Ruby was okay, she made it in time. She didn't think she would be fast enough. She still hadn't forgotten about Ozpin's words and she was beginning to believe them. Maybe she could protect her sister now, she definitely proved it with Ruby. There was- Wait!

Weiss eyes widened and she gripped her sheets tightly. What was she saying? She just said she believed Ozpin, believed what he said about love. She _saved _Ruby believing in those words. Weiss stared at the chair Blake was seated in earlier and her heart began to beat faster.

Weiss knew what this meant, deep down her heart knew _exactly _what it meant, but her mind was having a very, very hard time accepting it. Mainly because she was afraid, afraid of what it meant. What it meant for her and what it meant for Ruby.

For the past two years she had this feeling, but for the past two years her stone heart had been able to block it out, block it for the both of them. But now that her stone heart had been broken and she had realised that shutting out the people she loved to protect them was the wrong approach, she had allowed those feelings to swarm within her and yesterday's actions was the catalyst that had set these feelings in motion.

Weiss' heart wasn't made of stone, and it had fallen for Ruby, and this frightened the heiress.

"Oh no"

* * *

**A/N: Uh, I don't know how this came along. I mean I _know _how it came along, but in my head it feels different to what i wrote. Leave a review tell me what you think? Especially about the part about Weiss, did it confuse you? Do you get it? Are the feelz there?  
I dunno man! I'm not good with these things, compared to some other stories. Like seriously some stories are feel central.**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Kinda a bit of a filler, a lot of talking not much happening, I dunno. It felt necessary to have something break it up a bit.**

* * *

The next day the girls received a visit from Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch. It was mid-afternoon, after Weiss had gone through a few check-ups and scans that the duo knocked on her door and stepped inside.

"Ah Miss Schnee, how are we today?" Ozpin greeted, of course he had a cup in his hand.

"Professor? He-hello, I'm doing fine thankyou." Weiss greeted, repositioning herself to better straighten her posture, "What brings you here?" Weiss asked, surprised at her headmasters arrival.

"Oh we came to check up on the two of you of course."

"We?" Goodwitch hadn't made herself known yet.

"Good afternoon Miss Schnee, it's good to see you're well" Goodwitch announced, stepping into Weiss' line of sight.

"Oh you both came to visit" Weiss stated, a little worried why two of the top professors from Beacon were in her hospital room.

"Don't fret Weiss we are only here to check up on you. Oh and we have notified your relatives about what has happened, but they have been assured you are well and they need not worry" Ozpin stated, taking a sip from his cup.

Weiss was a little taken aback at the mention of her family but she quickly covered it up. She didn't like the idea of her mother fretting about her condition, or her father fuming because of it. To be fair it was partly his fault.

"Erghem" Goodwitch cleared her throat, bringing Weiss back to the present. "I would like to apologise for putting you in danger. I had said we would look over the missions before approving them and apparently we didn't do a good enough job" Goodwitch apologised sincerely. But Weiss held a hand up to stop her.

"Please, Professor if anyone should be apologising it should be me, on behalf of my father. Had he listened to me this could have been prevented"

Goodwitch gave Weiss a questioning look, "What does this have to do with your father?"

"It's complicated" Ozpin interjected, "perhaps we can talk about it later. It was good seeing you Weiss but I think we should go see your counterpart before we are needed back at the academy."

"Thankyou for your visit" Weiss said politely as the duo began to forward out.

"It was our pleasure" Ozpin called back before shutting the door behind them.

* * *

"Yang go home you need to rest!"

"I've had rest. I feel asleep next to you remember"

"That doesn't count, you need proper rest. I'm fine here you don't have to watch over me twenty-four-seven"

"If I don't who's gonna make you eat this delightful hospital food?"

"YAAAAANG! Go home!"

The two professors walked in to see Yang waving a fork piled high, with what could only be described as mush, in front of Ruby, who was trying her hardest not to let the fork anywhere near her mouth.

"Erghem" Ozpin loudly cleared his throat, getting the attention of both sisters. The two girls halted and looked toward the source.

"Ozpin? Oh I mean Professor. Hi!" Yang stumbled, absentmindedly dropping the title. She got up from her hunched over position and put the food down into Ruby's lap, who quickly picked it up and placed it on her bedside table, wincing as she turned her body.

"And how are we today?"

"I'd be doing better if Yang would go home and stopped trying to feed me mush" Ruby mumbled, receiving a chuckle from the headmaster.

"I see we are doing quite well. Yang I haven't seen you in two days, you haven't come back to the academy yet"

"Of course I haven't I've been here with Ruby" Yang replied , ever so slightly offended. Where the hell did he think she was?

"It's just that you appear tired, even if you are trying to hide it." Ozpin observed, waving his cup towards her.

"I'm fine" Yang said sharply, folding her arms across her chest. Ozpin humphed and turned his attention to the red head.

"You my dear girl, it's unfortunate to have to meet you like this. I'm used to having our little chats in a more… meaningful matter"

"Yeah we haven't spoken in a while have we?" Ruby realised it had actually been a long time. "You didn't happen to bring me cookies did you?" She asked nervously, picking at her sheets and avoiding eye contact, the last time they spoke he had cookies, so maybe this time he would too.

"Hahaha, I did actually. Although Glynda nearly stopped me" He answered with a chuckle, offering a brown paper bag he had been hiding to Ruby.

"I really don't think sugar filled biscuit is what she should be eating right now" Goodwitch stated, looking to her partner

"They're just cookies" Ozpin replied, dismissing her statement.

Ruby quickly opened the back and pulled a biscuit out. She looked at the sweet, eye's gleaming and was about to slam into her mouth when she was reminded of their teams picnic they 'had' a couple days ago. She smiled at the memory and was about to eat the cookie when a gloved hand ripped it from her grasp.

"Yang!"

"There you go Professor, that's one less sugar filled biscuit she'll be eating today" Yang proclaimed through a mouthful of cookie.

"How reassuring" Goodwitch dead-panned.

"Yang give it back!" Ruby argued

"Give it back? How am I supposed to give it back?" Yang teased and she swallowed the biscuit.

"Give what back?" The nurse asked as she stepped into the room. Ruby blinked at the lady and realised she was still holding the bag of cookies, cookies she wasn't really supposed to be eating.

"Uh nothing!" She said quickly, shoving the back under her sheets.

"Is that right is it?" The nurse replied with a smile. The nurse had only been with Ruby for two days, but the red heads energetic and adorable personality had already rubbed off on her. The two sisters' interactions only helped in lightening the mood and making the nurse laugh.

"Yang you're still here I see. I really think you should go home, you need to rest" the nurse said softly while checking Ruby's monitors.

"Well we have to head back. Goodbye Ruby, goodbye Yang. It's good to see you both, hope to see you soon."

"Thankyou professor. Thanks for the-" Ruby glanced at the nurse, "brown paper bag!" she finished nervously. Yang face palmed and the nurse shook her head with a grin.

"My pleasure!" He called back with a chuckle.

"If I go Ruby won't eat her food" Yang continued, using the same excuse.

"If that's true I will personally make sure she does" Amy offered, looking to the blonde. Yang looked form her sister to the nurse, she _was _tired, but she didn't want to leave her sister, especially after what she said to her the day before.

Ruby noticed Yang staring at her and took her hand, "Yang I'll be fine. I promise" Yang looked at her sister and had to say she believed her.

"Oh alright! I'll go home with Blake"

* * *

Blake arrived about an hour after Ozpin and Goodwitch left. She went to check up on Ruby and left to check on Weiss with a certain blonde brawler in tow. Blake opened the door to her room and stepped inside. Weiss wasn't in her bed, but she was up and standing in front of a mirror, she had her hospital gown removed from the waist up and she was running a finger along the scar across her stomach. Halfway up the scar she noticed the faunas watching her in silence, "Blake!?"

The heiress lost her footing as she jumped in shock and was about to topple over. But with cat like reflexes and the help of a shadow clone, Blake was beside her in an instant. She grabbed the heiress' arm and placed a hand on her back to steady her, "Sorry" the faunas offered, aware she was about to be scolded.

"Don't you know how to knock?!" Weiss yelled, ignoring her apology and getting back on her own two feet.

"At least you're not completely nake-"

"BLAKE!"

"Sorry, I said I'm sorry" she moved to help the heiress put her gown back on. Blake wasn't sure whether she was angry or embarrassed, either way Weiss' cheeks had turned a light shade of pink and it did nothing but make Blake smile.

"Stop smiling!" Weiss demanded, turning her face away from the faunas as she threaded her arms through the sleeves.

"Should you even be standing up on your own, what if you fell?" Blake asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Please I'm not going to _fall over_. When was the last time a fell over?"

"Do you really want me to point out all the times you fell over?" Blake teased with a grin that Weiss was becoming all too familiar with.

"Oh shut up!" Weiss snapped, returning to her bed.

"Sorry I'm late, Ruby wanted me to bring these with me" Yang strolled into the room, a brown paper bag in her hand, and as she looked at the heiress a huge smile spread across her face. Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Gooodafternoon snow angel" she sing-songed.

"Please don't call me that"

"Don't call her that"

Both Weiss and Blake said simultaneously, awarding Blake a rather icy death stare. Yang on the other hand laughed it off, "Ahaha that's kinda funny" she said glancing between the contrasted teammates, who somehow worked really well together.

"Blake why did you bring her here?"

Blake went to answer, probably something smug in mind, but Yang beat her to it.

"_I'm _here because I want to check up on _my_ teammate. Oh and Ruby asked me to give you these" Yang handed her the brown bag and Weiss cautiously looked inside.

"Cookies?" Weiss asked, looking back to the brawler

"Hey she insisted. You better eat one, remember what happened last time you didn't eat a cookie? Luckily JNPR is busy right now"

"Please how could I forget" Weiss mumbled, pulling a cookie out of the back. "But doesn't she want them?" Weiss asked. Ruby rarely shared her food, especially cookies.

"She already had a few, maybe she's making an exception. Kinda like her roses" Yang stated, teasing at their conversation about her roses. Weiss opened her mouth to say something, but once again Yang beat her to it.

"Like I said don't read too much into. C'mon Blake, I think we should get going" The two partners left, leaving Weiss alone once more. Yang told her not to read into it, but right now the way she was feeling about the red head, all she could _do_ was read into it.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: To mister Anonymous, Blake wasn't jealous, she was just being a smart ass. Thought I'd clear that up.**

* * *

Ruby was rather irritated. She had been stuck in bed for two days and she was yet to see her partner. Everyone else had gone passed and told her she was fine, but the red head wanted to see her herself and having broken ribs and an overprotective sister didn't help at all. Every time she tried to get up Yang would gently push her back into her bed.

"Ruby where do you think you're going?!"

"Yang! Stop babying me I'm sixteen, I can look after myself."

"Your ribs are broken" Yang pointed out.

"They're _cracked_ and I'm tougher than I look"

That was usually how the conversations went, of course she lost each time and ended up back in bed with a sour expression. But now that Yang had finally gone back to Beacon, she was free to do what she liked, albeit she still had the nurse to worry about.

After the nurse had made her rounds over to her room and left, Ruby flung her sheets off herself and placed her hands to the side of her body, readying herself to get up. She carefully moved her legs over the edge of bed, planting them firmly on the ground before using her bedside table as a support to help her stand up. She winced as she lifted herself off the bed, with cracked ribs the slightest of torso movement hurt. She stood still for a moment, readying herself for the journey ahead. Using her bed as a support, she slowly made her way toward the door, moving her hand from her bed to the wall. She didn't have far to go, Weiss room was just a few rooms down, the hallway did turn left midway to Weiss room and Ruby set that as her goal, if she could make it there first, she could make it the rest of the way.

* * *

Weiss was standing in front of the mirror once again, this time she was just looking at her reflection, she was still clothed. She had once asked a mirror if her heart could be turned to stone. She thought it said yes, if it did, it had lied. Weiss' heart didn't feel like stone, it didn't _feel _cold, it actually felt warm.

Weiss brought a hand up to her chest, placing it over her heart. It was usually cold there, not anymore. It was that dunce that had done this. That red head got what she wanted, she got through to Weiss, got through her stone heart and was now making herself at home. It scared Weiss to realise that she had somehow let someone in that much, she didn't even realise it was happening until it was too late.

Ruby was there and Weiss didn't know whether she could truly offer a part of her to the red head. She had let Ruby in, but was she willing to let her stay? She didn't know, at least not yet. Not to mention the fact of how Ruby, herself, felt about the heiress.

Weiss moved her gaze from the mirror toward her door. She was standing and could walk she should probably go see the dunce, considering no one was around. Weiss slipped her slippers on and slowly made her way toward the door, spinal injuries didn't make it easy to walk, and neither did huge scars. Weiss hand moved to the scar, great, now she had another memory she would never forget.

She pushed the thought to the side and made her way outside. Blake had told her Ruby's room was just up the hall, five rooms after the turn. It wasn't that far, for an uninjured person. Weiss leaned against the wall for support as she began to move toward her partner, Blake's words were brought to mind. "Tsk Weiss Schnee doesn't _fall over_"

* * *

Ruby reached the turn without too much trouble. Her ribs were hurting a little and she was slightly out of breath but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.

When Weiss approached the turn, she paused to catch her breath, she was tired but at least she hadn't _fallen over_.

The two girls went to continue on their way but ended up nearly toppling over each other.

"Ruby?!"

"Weiss?!"

They said simultaneously, just as surprised as each other.

"What are you doing out of bed!?" They continued

"I could say the same for you!"

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"Stop copying what I'm saying!"

"Stop being stubborn you dunce!"

"Stopping acting tough _princess_!"

The two partners paused and looked at each other. Ruby's stern expression softened and a wide smile spread across her face before she started giggling. Ruby's giggling was a mixture of 'hehe's' and 'ow's', laughing wasn't easy with cracked ribs.

"Stop laughing you'll hurt yourself" Weiss said, watching her partner with a rather, _plain_, expression.

"Too late" Ruby stated, her giggling slowing down. "Seriously though, why are you out of bed?"

"I came to see you, you dunce! What else?" Weiss folded her arms and stuck her hip out as she usually does, except this time it was much less gracefully between the back pain and the abdomen pain. Ruby's smile returned and she felt like hugging her snow haired partner but she didn't think it wise.

"We should probably sit down before we both fall over" Ruby suggested, moving toward two chairs that were set out along the hallway.

"Agreed" Weiss followed and sat next to her partner and realised that she was still wearing her cloak. They sat in silence for a moment, before Weiss decided to speak.

"So how are you feeling?"

"Weiss I thought I lost you" Ruby blurted out quickly.

"Uh-Uhm sorry?" Weiss blinked, she certainly was not expecting that.

"I thought you were gone" Ruby repeated. "You were lying there and there was all this… blood, it was all… red. I thought I was going to lose you"

Weiss turned to her partner and saw those silver eyes looking at her, quivering and in that moment Weiss felt her heart shatter, _what happened to you Ruby?_

"I-I don-" Weiss wanted to say something, but her mouth wouldn't form the words. Her brain was busy figuring out what that feeling she kept getting was and it was begging to do just that.

"I had you- your blood all over m-my hands and I didn-" Ruby was crying now, looking down at her open palms, which were now shaking. Weiss knew where this was going and knew she had to stop it. People can get consumed by memories such as those, if there is no one nearby to pull them back, they could be lost forever.

Weiss grabbed Ruby's hands in her own and held them tightly, "Ruby stop. Please. It's over now, I don't ever want to hear those word again. I'm not gone, I'm right here. I'll never leave you like that, never." Ruby looked up at her partner and burst into tears. She leaned toward Weiss and all the heiress could do was accept her into her arms, ruby cried and cried ignoring the pain that shot through her rib's every time she inhaled sharply. She was mumbling something between sobs and it took Weiss a while to realise what she was saying.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again! You're my partner you're not allowed to leave me!"

"I know Ruby and I won't. I promise" Weiss said softly, gently rubbing Ruby's back and shushing her sobs away.

What was she saying?! Weiss isn't that person, she can't possibly mean those things?! How can she make a promise she doesn't know she can keep!?

_What's happening to me? I've never been like this before! Never since that day! Oh no. Nononononononono, this can't possibly be happening. _

Weiss was tempted to get up and leave her shattered partner, she needed to get away if just for a little while, it was extremely selfish she knew, but even if she tried Ruby had grabbed onto Weiss' gown as if the slightest nudge would remove the heiress from her grasp.

Weiss was becoming increasingly afraid of what was going on. She had just realised that deep down she meant every word she said. Meaning that she would never leave Ruby, that she would always be there for her.

She had just given herself to Ruby.

Just earlier she was contemplating whether she would and now it seemed that she was more than willing. Upon seeing Ruby in such a state, Weiss couldn't bear to continue to see her like that and decided she would do whatever it would take to keep Ruby away from that dark place. A place where she had been six years ago, a place she thought she would never leave until Ozpin stepped in.

Which brought Weiss to another heart stopping realisation. One involving the red head quietly crying into her hospital gown.

That familiar feeling she kept getting every time Ruby said or did something, Weiss had found out what it was. The feeling she got when Ruby pleaded for her to stop fighting, the feeling she got when Ruby yelled her name when she was hit, the feeling she got just now hearing Ruby's recollection of her terror.

It was exactly the same as when her sister was shot. The yell, the desperate plea to stay with her, the tears, the blood, the way the memory haunted her and continued to feel so real. Ruby was doing the same things Weiss did when she nearly lost her sister. Her sister which she _loved _beyond capability.

Weiss understood what this meant, but the truth was just as hard to accept as it was to accept her feelings for Ruby. Ruby hadn't just fallen for Weiss, she already _had. _

Ruby. Loved. Weiss.

* * *

**A/N: Two chapters? Well funnily enough, I'm having a RWBY marathon tomorrow with some friends so I'm not sure whether I will get one up tomorrow, so i just did two today.**

**Hope you enjoyed, feel free to review feedback is always appreciated.**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I saw the knew episode and just HAD to put it in. Also that's my little head cannon about Blake. I'm telling you she is more cat like than hse lets on.**

* * *

The next couple of days left in the hospital went by without further incident. Ruby and Weiss spent more time in each other's company as their injuries healed and walking became easier with each passing day. It was becoming increasingly difficult for Weiss not to feel uncomfortable when she was alone with red head, luckily for her Blake and Yang visited frequently.

Having realised how Ruby felt about her and coming to terms with how she felt about Ruby, the heiress was becoming afraid with being left alone with her cloaked partner. What if she said something? What if Ruby knew, or if she confessed to Weiss how she felt? What would Weiss do? Run from it, lie and reject her? Running away didn't really feel like an option, she recently just promised never to leave her.

The fact that there wasn't one moment where this whole situation didn't remind her of Winter and herself, didn't help to relax her nerves or her emotions. Part of the reason why she was so afraid was mainly because of this, she hadn't forgotten what happened to Winter after she promised never to leave her. Of course Weiss was slowly beginning to forget that day and forgive herself, but she was hoping to get over it completely before she made even the slightest move to go back down that road with another person she loved.

Of course Weiss did nothing but cover up what she was thinking about and hide how she felt, there was no point showing her team what was going on if she wasn't completely sure herself, plus she didn't need her dunce of a partner finding out either. So as far as Ruby was concerned everything was the same, besides that one little promise she made Weiss make.

When the pair could finally return to Beacon they were far past relieved, hospital food was definitely something they wished never to see again. Blake and Yang brought them home, of course Yang had to borrow a car, although Ruby had a suspicion her sister _bought_ the car. When the team finally reached their dorm room, Ruby and Weiss were still a little slower than usual, they were pleasantly surprised. Except for Blake.

"Welcome home girls" Yang threw the door open, stepping aside to let them through. But neither teammate moved, they did stand and blink. "What? Huuuuh!" Yang looked inside and saw it.

"Woof"

"ZWEI!?"

"A dog!" Blake yelled, noticeably alarmed, moving behind the door frame.

"He's yours? How did he get here?" Weiss asked, moving into the room and looking down at the corgi.

"Who care's!" Yang proclaimed picking him up and nuzzling him. "Hey buddy, what are you doing here?"

Ruby moved off to the side and found a note and a canister on their desk. She picked it up and read through it. "Dad sent him. He's gone away and didn't have anywhere to leave him"

"Your dad sent your dog in the _mail_?" Blake asked dumbfounded, still standing outside.

"Yeah he does stuff like this all the tim-" Yang began to explain but stopped when she looked at her partner. "BAHAHAHAHA BLAKE. OH MY GOSH BLAKE!" Yang had to hand Zwei to Ruby as her laughter took over. Ruby took her pet from her sister while shooting the blonde a quizzical look.

"Blake-Blake please don't tell me…" Yang walked over to her partner, still controlling her laughter. "Ruby give me Zwei" Ruby handed Zwei back to her sister, still unsure what her sister was getting at. Yang took Zwei in her arms and began to move closer to Blake.

"Yang don't" The cat faunas demanded, pointing a finger at the brawler, but the blonde kept coming.

"First the laser pointer and now the dog! I'm sorry this is just priceless. Please don't tell me you're _that_ much of a cat" Yang held out Zwei toward her partner, who looked from the dog to the blonde and back to the dog.

"Roof" Zwei barked and Blake nearly jumped out of her skin. She ran inside and into the bathroom, locking the door behind her just to make sure. All she could hear was Yang laughing uncontrollably. "Yang don't you think that was a bit inappropriate?" Weiss asked turning her hand over in the air.

"Oh c'mon Weiss who could be afraid of this" Yang asked moving Zwei closer to the heiress

"Well she is a _cat _faun- Huuh! He is so cute! Hiiiiiii!" Weiss was overwhelmed by the cuteness presented to her, forgetting her original defence of her teammate and holding her arms out to nuzzle the corgi herself. "Heey cutee! You'll be staying with is for a while huh? That's alright you can stay with me and Ruby until we get better! How would you like that hmm?"

"Yang. What's happening to Weiss?"

"I think Zwei broke her" Yang whispered to her sister, apparently not softly enough

"I'm not that heartless! At least I don't exploit my partner's genetics"

"Tell me this isn't funny. Blake is afraid of dogs! Like a CAT!" Yang explained, throwing her arms open to add emphasise on the fact.

"You didn't think the laser pointer was a bit mean?" Ruby asked, taking Zwei off her partner, it was _her _dog and she was worried Weiss might stay broken from prolonged exposure.

"Rubes Blake knows I'm joking. Don't you Blake" Yang said, knocking on the bathroom door.

"Yang I hate you"

"See?"

* * *

Blake hadn't emerged from her shelter and Yang was beginning to get a bit worried before she heard the shower running, then her expression of worry changed to an expression of thought.

"Yang what are you doing?" Ruby asked cautiously, she knew that look. That look was never a good sign.

"Hmm? Oh nothing"

"Well you have that look and that look usually means you're _about _to do something" Ruby and Weiss were sitting on the bottom bunks, where Blake and Yang decided they would sleep for the next couple of weeks. There was no way Ruby was going to climb into her bed each night, at least for now. Zwei was enjoying his time running from bed to bed, sniffing the two strange new girls in his life, well the one that wasn't blocked by a door. He was beginning to like Weiss already, he didn't mind her strangely cold, yet warm, hands petting and rubbing his underbelly. Ruby watched as her dog moved closer to her partner and jumped into her lap before settling down and nuzzling into her stomach, and she couldn't help but feel the tiniest shred of jealousy.

"How come the dog gets more attention than me?" She muttered

"What was that?" Weiss was sitting across from her and didn't catch that, luckily.

"Uh n-nothing" Ruby replied hastily, rubbing the back of her head and turning away. Yang, however, who was sitting right next to her sister heared her clearly, but other than raising an eyebrow and grinning she didn't say anything.

The blonde quickly returned her attention to the bathroom, she had a hunch, a hunch she had to prove. She was fiddling with her data-pad and Ruby noticed the camera was activated. Ruby looked from the data-pad to her sister, who was looking at the bathroom door.

"Yaaang? What are yo-" Before Ruby could ask, Yang shot out of her seat as soon as the shower stopped and she was _in _the bathroom in an instant. Both Ruby and Weiss recoiled, "Yang?!" Ruby called, alarmed. Blake had just finished her shower, there was no way she could get dressed that quickly.

"I KNEW IT!"

"YANG!? WHAT THE FU-"

"WOOF WOOF" Zwei shot out of Weiss' lap and into the bathroom, finally he would have his chance at that cat.

"Oh no! Zwei! Ruby called, moving from her seat to intercept the dog but was too slow to stop him.

"YANG GET OU- OH MY GOD! DOG!"

"BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Blake it's just a dog calm down!"

"Woof! Roof Roof!"

"CAN YOU SEE THESE CAT EARS!" Blake was sounding extremely out of character, her usual disinterested tone had been replaced with anger and fear. It seemed only Yang found it funny as Ruby was still horrified that her sister was looking at a nude Blake, and Weiss never found this to be funny in the first place, although Blake's reaction did make her smile.

"Now she knows how I feel" Weiss said smugly, folding her arms.

"What does that mean!?" Ruby asked growing more alarmed. Why was everyone seeing everyone naked!?

"WEISS _YOU_ WEREN'T COMPLETELY NAKED!" Ruby shot Weiss a look, as if everything she knew about Weiss was a lie and Weiss did her best to hide her rosey cheeks and embarrassment.

"When did that happen?!" Yang was still in the bathroom, "Roof!" and Zwei.

"YANG! GET OUT!" The next second Yang came flying through the bathroom door and bounced of one of their taller bookshelves, knocking a couple of books off which came tumbling over Yang's head. Zwei soon followed, except in a less violent manner, he came sliding out on the bathroom mat, as happy as he was when he ran into the bathroom. The door slammed shut right after, It was a wonder how the door didn't explode.

Yang's head popped out from the pile of books and it seemed she was very pleased with herself, she took a look at her data-pad and burst into another fit of laughter.

"Yang you didn't just… you know?" Ruby asked cautiously, hoping she seriously didn't.

"Look at it!" Yang said, moving toward her sister and shoving the data-pad in her face. "Please just look!"

Ruby flailed her arms and dived into her pillow, ignoring the pain. "No! Yang I don't want to see!"

"Ruby don't be ridiculous, it's just her face. What do you think I am? Just look" Weiss eyed the blonde suspiciously, she believed her that she didn't actually take a photo of her partner in the nude, but that fact that she barged in while she _was _nude, made Weiss very afraid of having showers with the brawler around.

Ruby reluctantly lifted her head and looked at the photo. It was indeed just Blake's face, and as she looked at it she began to understand why her sister was laughing at it. When Blake stepped out of the shower it seemed she wasn't happy at all, in fact she seemed very irritated. Kinda like a cat after it had been forced to have a bath.

"You're kidding?" Ruby asked

"What were you thinking?" Weiss asked as she took a look at the photo

"I was thinking that Blake was acting all cat like and cats don't like taking showers. So I wondered if Blake did and then I wondered what she would look like after she did have one." Yang explained, proud that her theory was proven right.

"So you decided to sacrifice your partners modesty to satisfy your curiosity?" Weiss queried, raising an eyebrow.

"Mm pretty much. Besides I'm going to see her naked eventually" Yang stated casually, ignoring the worried and confused looks from her sister and Weiss. Ruby was about to ask for an explanation when the bathroom door flung open. Zwei ran toward it but when Blake stepped out all she had to do was give the dog one fuming death stare and Zwei began to whimper and back down.

"Oooh kitty bringing out the claws"

"Shut up Yang!" Blake shot her partner the same look and even Yang was tempted to back down. Ruby had already taken shelter behind the just as afraid heiress. Blake stalked over to where Gamboul Shroud was lying, equipped it, stalked back over to her partner and grabbed her by her hair. Both Ruby and Weiss inhaled sharply, did Blake know what she was doing?

Yang looked at the faunas with wide eyes, "You wouldn't dare"

"Oh I would" Blake replied softly, Yang believed her and she was beginning to regret her actions. Blake dragged the brawler out of their dorm and down the hall.

"Should we be worried?" Weiss asked Ruby.

"She grabbed her hair. Nobody grabs her hair. I think we should be worried, for both of them"

"Roof"

"Uhm Weiss?"

"What is it Ruby?"

"I have to tell you something" Weiss paused, that's never a good sign.

"Go ahead" she replied cautiously.

"Uh, your sister, Winter, she kinda called a while ago"

"WHAT?!"

* * *

**A/N: Geehee!**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Lot's of talking, important plot building. To mister Anonymous; I did see the missing periods when i was proofing it but for some reason i just didn't bother with them lol. Also I know Yang was being mean, but i reckon Yang is a tease like that, plus I wanted to put that in anyway. I told my friend that i thought Blake would look pissed after a shower, just a little head cannon of my own :P**

* * *

"You're telling me this now!"

"Well I wanted to tell you right away but you didn't come back till late at night and then we went on that mission and then we were in hospital and I was too happy that you there and I forgot about it" Ruby blurted out her explanation, moving her hands about nervously, she was dreading this moment ever since she answered that call.

"Well what-what did she say?" Weiss asked, pinching the bridge of her nose. Not only had her sister called her, she had spoken to Ruby, great.

"Well she didn't say much, it looked like she had to leave. She seemed pretty desperate to speak to you though" Ruby stated, hoping to get some information out of her partner.

"Well yes that's understandable considering our… situation. Did she say she would call back?"

"No she just told me to let you know she called"

"Well that usually means as soon as possible"

"Sorry"

"No-no that's alright. It's fine, as long as you two didn't say much." Weiss took a seat on her bed, Zwei was quick to jump up next to her and Weiss absentmindedly began stroking his back softly. Ruby sat opposite Weiss, on Blake's bed, and watched her partner stare off into the distance.

"Are you going to call her back?" Ruby asked carefully.

"Is it any of your business?" Weiss replied looking at the red head with a stern expression.

"Well no" Ruby replied, Weiss nodded and looked away but Ruby wasn't done. "But I think you should, she is your sister and she seemed pretty desperate to talk to you"

"Thankyou for your suggestion Ruby but I think I can deal with _my _sister on my own." Now it was Ruby's turn to nod and look away.

There was silence between the two girls before Zwei got bored of the heiress and jumped across toward Ruby.

"Roof!"

"Hey pal what's up? Hmm?" Ruby began turning Zwei over playfully and rubbing his underbelly and chin. Weiss watched her partner and her dog, she was thinking of something, something that could possibly work out quite well for the heiress. Weiss got up and picked up her data-pad before leaving the room.

"I'm going to make a call"

After she left Ruby turned to Zwei, holding his face in her hands, "She seems to like you boy. Doesn't she Zwei? Do you think she likes me too?" Ruby looked up at where her partner had just been, "I dunno Zwei it's getting hard to tell"

"Weiss?!"

"Hi mum how are you?"

"I'm fine how are _you_? What happened to you darling are you alright?"

"Yes mum I'm fine I thought the headmaster already told you not to worry"

"Weiss I'm your mother, it's my job to worry"

"Well you can stop now, as you can see I'm doing fine."

"Yes I can see that, where are you?"

"I'm back at school, I'm in the library"

"Oh you can make calls there?"

"No not really" Weiss confessed, looking around for any signs of librarians.

"That's unlike you to break the rules" Her mother stated grinning widely.

"I'm not breaking the rules, there isn't a rule that says we _can't _make calls in the library."

"Shh!" Someone hissed off camera.

"I do have to be quite though" Weiss' mother was laughing now.

"Weiss, why are you calling from the library?"

"I needed some privacy" Weiss answered, peering over her shoulder.

"Oh, is something wrong?"

"No no, I just don't want my partner hearing everything I have to say"

"You mean that younger girl that was with you? How is the poor girl?" Weiss sighed.

"She's doing fine mum, she's uh… she's just fine" Weiss stammered, getting her words mixed up in her thoughts about the red head. Her mother perked an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"Mum, did you know Winter called about a week ago?"

"No I didn't. Did you two speak?"

"No I wasn't there, Ruby answered. Is she home right now?"

"No she's at a friend's house, she won't be back till tomorrow, do you want me to tell her something?" Weiss thought for a moment, she wanted something else, but she wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do to Ruby, or even her team.

"I was actually thinking of coming home in two weeks, we have a short break coming up. I think it's about time I spoke to my sister"

* * *

**A/N: By Weiss!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Guyz, how do you dress describe. I don't know how to dress...**

* * *

"YAY HOLIDAY!" Ruby jumped down from her bed, energised and ready for their three week long break. Her injuries had healed and she was back on her own bed, fortunately for Blake. Speaking of Blake, she was slowly waking up, stretching and yawning, much like a cat, before rubbing her eyes and feeling a weight on her stomach. She peered down at her stomach and found Zwei, sleeping comfortably on her abdomen.

"ZWEI!" Blake yelled before leaping out of her bed and somehow ending up in Yang's, hiding behind the blonde. Yang rolled her eyes before jumping from her own bed.

"Blake it's been two weeks, he's going to be here for a while you're going to have to get used to him eventually" She said, as-a-matter-of factly.

"Roof roof"

"How long do you think he was sleeping on me?" She asked, the thought making her shudder.

"Probably long enough to make me jealous" Yang muttered, as she stepped into the bathroom. Blake caught most of what she said and she sent a stern look the blonde's way, but she already closed the door.

"Roof! Roof Roof! Roof!" Zwei was barking as he jumped on top of Weiss' bed and ran up and down the length of it. She wasn't there.

"Uh guys. Where's Weiss?"

* * *

After the airship landed, Weiss was whisked away by her family driver, Robert, and only her driver. Apparently her father was at a meeting and her mother was 'asked' to go with him. It was less of a business matter and more of a company relations meeting. Which just left Winter, who was apparently at home, waiting for her, her home coming party.

She was currently sitting in the back of her limo, alone. It was quite and the silence only helped to bring her actions to mind. She had just left her team without any notice what so ever. Of course they didn't really need her, they were on break there shouldn't be any missions or classes she had to attend. Even so she couldn't help but feel a little guilty, she did leave them a letter, hopefully Ruby wouldn't miss it, she was sure Blake would find it, but she hoped Ruby would find it first.

The red head was part of the reason why the heiress decided to leave without telling them, she may have been taking the whole, 'promise that you will never leave me', a bit too seriously but Weiss knew Ruby would have had a million and one things that they would never have been able to get done in three weeks, and she knew that the moment she told her silver eyed partner she was leaving, the red head would be guttered _and_ worried. Weiss was beginning to think she had exaggerated her reasoning, but she really didn't want to tell her team face to face that she was going home. They knew enough about her to start asking questions about _why_ she was going home and Weiss didn't like questions.

Her thoughts drifted from her team, to the event's to come. She was about to arrive home where her sister was waiting, her sister that she hadn't seen in two years and spoken to in much longer than that. Weiss was far from nervous.

She had no idea what Winter would say, how she would act. Weiss never gave a reason to her sister as to why she avoided her, but Weiss knew her sister wasn't dumb and she knew how to get her mum to 'spill the beans'. So Winter most likely had a vague idea why Weiss had been avoiding her for all those years. Weiss' parents knew that day had an impact on their oldest daughter however, they weren't exactly sure _how _much of an impact it had, so whatever Winter got out from her mother, it definitely wouldn't be the full story. So Winter would still have questions and Weiss didn't like questions.

Before she knew it, Weiss' limo was pulling up in front of her house and her heart rate was beginning to increase. She looked up the steps that led from their front courtyard to the front door, took a deep breath and stepped out of the car.

* * *

"Why didn't she just tell us?" Yang asked, she had emerged from the bathroom, she wanted to wash her hair but apparently the ice queen decided to leave without telling anyone.

"I don't know" Ruby said softly, reading the note for what had to be the tenth time.

"Well it isn't necessarily that bad, she's just gone home, not like she ran away" Blake offered.

"You mean like you?" Yang teased, awarding herself another glare from the faunas.

"Do I have to take you on a 'walk' again?" Blake threatened. Ruby and Weiss still didn't know what happened to the bumblebee pair that night, they weren't even sure they wanted to know.

"Should I try and call her?" Ruby asked, unsure what to do.

"I think you should just leave her, for now. I'm sure she's fine, if she wants to talk to us she'll call." Blake suggested, looking Ruby in the eye. The leader understood exactly what the faunas meant, maybe the white haired fencer was feeling guilty about leaving and was too embarrassed to tell them face to face. Whatever I was, it certainly put a hold on most of Ruby's plans for the next three weeks.

As she stepped into her house she was greeted by one of their many staff, Sonia.

"Welcome back Miss Schnee, it's been far too long" She approached with a smile.

"Thankyou Sonia, how are you today?" Weiss asked, offering her the same smile.

"I'm fine Miss Schnee, how was your trip?" She asked, following her up to her room. The stairs were right in front of the door, as you stepped in there was a u shaped staircase that led to the second level. Off to the left and right were two living rooms, which opened up to more rooms beyond that. The second level housed the bedrooms and bathrooms, Weiss and Winter to the left, their parents on the right.

"It was fine, how have things here been these past, years?" Weiss continued, moving down the hall toward her room.

"Ah, not much has changed, although Winter had grown quite a lot these past two years" Weiss paused, she had forgotten that her sister was around that age, what if she didn't recognise her? Weiss shook her head, that's ridiculous, she's her sister.

"Oh and where is she?"

"Last I saw she was in her room"

"Did she know I was coming today?" Weiss asked, she thought she would have at least seen her sister by now.

"As far as I know, we all knew you were coming today" Sonia replied.

"Thankyou Sonia. That will be all for now" Weiss commanded. Sonia nodded politely and left the heiress alone to her bedroom. Her bags had already been delivered and they sat neatly at the foot of her bed, all three of them although one held Myrtenaster. She took a deep breath and began unpacking, she found that there were already a few new items of clothing in her closet, her mother must have bought them for her. Something that caught her eye was the beautiful white gown, she took it out of her closest to get a better look at it. It was a beautiful pristine white dress that reached to the floor. The back was bare, coming to a point midway down the back, the front pulled up at the chest but didn't give too much away.

What caught Weiss' attention was the rose print covering the torso area. Weiss gave the roses an incriminating look before moving her attention elsewhere. There was no note attached to it and Weiss began to wonder what the dress was for. Usually when a dress was put in her closet and not in the walk in wardrobe down the hall, it meant she was expected to wear it for an occasion.

"I'm having a party in two weeks" Weiss jumped and quickly spun around.

"Winter! Oh wow you've- you've grown. Wow uh…" Weiss stammered, her sister she hadn't seen in two years was standing in her doorway and she had grown. Her face was still had that unique softness to it, her hair had taken on a more pale ivory colour and she had grown it just a long as Weiss' but she wore it loose, not in a ponytail and stood just shorter than Ruby.

"Well yeah two years is a long time for that" Winter replied.

"Uh yes it is isn't it." There was a bit of an awkward silence between the two siblings, "So this party, what's it for?"

"My birthday"

"Oh." Come to think of it, it was her birthday in two weeks. Some oldest sister she was. Winter's attitude wasn't making this any easier for Weiss, she clearly wasn't very happy and Weiss was beginning to wonder just how much she had damaged their relationship. Well, why wait to try and fix it.

"Winter I'm sorry," Weiss started, "I know I haven't been the best person in the past few years, especially to you and I know you have a slight idea why." Winter remained silent as her older sister tried to come up with an appropriate apology for the past six years.

"And you probably still have questions and I hope when you ask me and can answer them. Three weeks isn't a long time, but I promise I will do everything I can to at least make a difference to our relationship, to try and make up for all those years" Weiss offered sincerely.

She stepped forward to get a better look at her sister and noticed that her eyes were slightly blood shot. "Winter, have you been… crying?" Winter narrowed her eye's as she looked at Winter's reddened eyes. Weiss was overwhelmed. Why was she crying? Was it her, did she do something wrong? Did she hate her?

"Weiss. It's been two years since I have seen you, eight since we have even spoken besides hello's and goodbye's. Just three weeks ago, I get a call telling me you're in hospital, that a man tried to kill you. Six years ago a man tried to kill me and you were in a completely different position to what I was. I was worried for days, couldn't sleep for countless nights because I kept having nightmares"

"Winter I'm sorry I-" Winter held a hand up to stop her sister.

"If I was feeling like that, I couldn't even begin to imagine how you felt six years ago."

"Uhh…" Where was this going?

"Weiss I still haven't forgiven you for all of this, but I'm beginning to understand part of the reason why you did it, I don't agree, but I understand. I do have so many questions and trust me, these three weeks are going to be spent with me a lot of the time. We have a lot of catching up to do."

Weiss was stunned, she blinked a couple of times before asking. "So you don't hate me?" Weiss didn't really care about anything else, as long as Winter didn't hate her she was ok.

"Weiss I never _hated _you. Never. I hated how you avoided me more than anything else."

"Winter I'm so sorry. I was afraid and worried. I couldn't forgive myself I thought I was going to lose you and I nearly did and all I could do was blame myself. Two weeks ago I nearly lost Ruby like that, but I didn't and I think because of that I can finally stand here and talk to you like this"

"Ruby?"

"Yeah Ruby but she doesn't matter right now-"

"Woah woah hang on" Winter stopped her sister again. "Ruby? Was that the girl I spoke to?" She asked grinning.

Weiss gave her sister a questioning look. "She's my partner, stop cutting me off"

"Your partner? Ooh I wanna hear about this" Winter said excitedly, stepping into the room and dragging her sister over to her bed.

"Winter I'm trying to tell you something important" Weiss complained.

"Weiss. It's okay, you're here now and that's all I care about. We have three weeks don't worry, your my sister and I wanna know what's been happening at Beacon. Tell me about this Ruby girl"

Weiss peered at her sister, wary of the fact that her reasoning can go both ways, she could tell her this after the important stuff, but that was her sister.

"Speaking of Ruby, who picked out my dress?" Weiss asked.

"Ooh, me I did!" Winter replied, "do you like it? Don't tell me you hate it" Winter went from, excited to worried in an instance.

"No no it's beautiful, it's just very suspicious." Weiss replied, looking for the right word and settling with 'suspicious'.

"Uh okay… So tell me about Ruby. Are you her new _snow angel_?"

* * *

**A/N: I feel like Winter kinda moved to quickly, like she got over it pretty fast. I mean that's how I feel. Please do review, feedback is welcomed.**


	22. Chapter 22

The two sisters sat and chatted for what felt like nothing more than ten minutes, but was actually around three hours. Weiss told her sister about Ruby, how she nearly blew her up when they met, how she managed to get her to climb on the back of a nevermore and how she told her to jump off it and then proceeded to do so without her. Weiss spoke of the first year at Beacon and what she had learnt and the things she had seen, Penny and Torchwick were quite interesting topics.

After learning more about Ruby, Winter asked about the rest of her sister's teammates, so Weiss was forced to talk about the faunas and the blawndee. She did tell Winter that Blake was a faunas with cat ears, which she confessed she thought were a little adorable, and then went on to mention Velvet and Sun as other faunas she knew. Winter had nothing against the faunas, reciprocating Weiss' feelings about them. Weiss did leave out the part about the White Fang though.

Moving from Blake she turned to Yang, telling Winter that the blonde was quite possibly the strongest woman she had seen so far. Weiss explained Yang's relationship with Ruby and described Yang's loving and motherly nature, although not forgetting to add the warning about her hair.

"Don't touch her hair. Ever. Unless you're angry and you're Blake"

"What does that mean?" Which led Weiss to tell her about the arrival of Zwei and the shenanigans that followed.

"You have a dog!?" Winter asked excitedly.

"Yes and he's extremely adorable"

"Aww Weiss you have to show me one day"

Weiss was finding their conversation to be extremely refreshing. It was much more mature and much less energetic compared to the conversations they used to have when they were younger. She was surprised how quickly her sister got over the little hiccup that spanned over about eight years, Winter seemed as if she had completely forgotten about it and was only in the present, which reminded Weiss of how she treated Blake's past.

Weiss spoke briefly about JNPR and Neptune, glossing over her momentary crush on the blue haired student, which made Winter giggle and ask what happened. Weiss simply put it down to his extremely flirtatious attitude toward nearly any and every girl, but Winter knew there was some other reason, maybe a more personal reason.

Weiss went on to ask Winter what _she_ had been doing the past two years. Winter had taken up fencing, much to Weiss' delight, although she had a different instructor, but that was alright it just meant it would be more interested when they fought each other. Winter was still getting used to her semblance and experimenting with her glyphs, she hadn't begun to incorporate dust into them and Weiss offered to lend her a hand when they had time.

Weiss pointed out that when she called she was at a friend's house, she asked when their father allowed her to do that and Winter announced,

"Ever since he hired that bodyguard."

"So he got _you _one too?"

"Yeah, but he got fired right after your little…incident"

"Well he shouldn't have ever done that in the first place"

"What's the big deal Weiss, it's not the first time we've had bodyguards?"

"Well yours didn't watch you from the shadows and then try to kill you did he? Weiss asked, clearly showing her disdain.

"Fair enough" Winter mumbled.

Winter began talking about the people she had met over the years and the friends she had made, Weiss was particularly interested in a young man around the same age as Winter named Gray, apparently he was a close friend, just how close, Weiss wanted to find out.

"Is he coming to the party?" Weiss asked, eyeing her sibling cautiously.

"Of course he is! All my friends are going to be there. Weiss calm down he's just a friend" Winter stated, moving off the bed and toward the door.

"Yeah sure and Ruby is just my partner" Wait, what?

"Excuse me?" Winter spun on her heel, did she hear correctly.

"Uh-Uhm nothing. I-I said nothing, I mean Ruby _is_ my partner" Weiss stammered, trying to cover her slip of the tongue. She thought it was a harmless statement, but as soon as she said it and remembered who she was talking to, she realised it was far from harmless.

"Tell me again, you broke up with Neptune because he was a playboy? Are you sure there wasn't, oh dunno some other, maybe more personal factor to it?" Winter asked, now eyeing her sister suspiciously, how quick the tables turn.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Weiss feigning offense, "He was a good guy but I don't think he even cared and that's all there is to it" Weiss stated, folding her arms sharply. "Where are you going anyway?"

"Oh I think I heard mum and dad arrive, you might wanna come down and say hi"

"Wonderful" Weiss breathed sarcastically, getting up and following her sister.

"I couldn't help but notice that you still didn't tell me if you're Ruby's snow angle or not?" Winter asked casually as they both climbed down the stairs.

"What has that got to do with anything right now!" Weiss hissed.

"Well I just remembered" Winter confessed, shrugging her shoulders.

"Urgh! You're just like that dolt!" Weiss grumbled just as the door opened.

"I'm just saying, she's just had a rough time, try and be a little nice- Oh" Their mother stepped in first, clearly still in conversation with their father, which was no doubt about Weiss.

"Weiss your home!' Her mother quickly placed her bag on the table next to the door and moved to hug her daughter. "Oh it's been so long since I last did this! I've missed you so much Weiss!"

Weiss took a breath when her mother released her, not only did she not like hugs, she hated the ones that left her breathless.

"I missed you too mum. Glad to see your well, your hair might say otherwise" Weiss teased, pointing out the few grey hairs that grew in an otherwise blonde environment. Winter got most of her looks from their mother, the slightly tinged hair and the soft complexion were all credited to her mother. Weiss seemed to inherit all of her father's traits, all the ones that made her the perfect heiress to the SDC, sharp, rough, cold and willing to do whatever it takes to stay on top, Weiss was beginning to think she didn't want to be at the top.

"Leave my hair alone, I could tease you about yours but three against one are poor odds"

"Wise choice" A loud sturdy voice stated from behind them.

"Father," Weiss nodded politely to greet her dad, "It's good to see you too"

Her father looked at her for a moment, he stood tall, almost one and a half times Weiss' height and he held himself just the same. Straight and proud, his hair was short and a dull grey, once it was the same shade as Weiss' hair. He had grown his beard and it was almost as white as snow, all of it together gave him a rather intimidating appearance.

"Like wise" He finally said, "I do believe I owe you an….apology" The corner of Weiss' lips twitched as her father nearly struggled to say that last word.

"It's quite alright father" Weiss managed to lie, "No major harm done, it's all over now" _Except for the fact that Ruby and I were nearly murdered and were put in hospital for a week. _Of course Weiss didn't voice that thought, her father would hardly care for someone else's death, especially since the countless deaths of people they knew made them pretty much numb to it. Imagine how little he would care for some random, although Ruby was definitely no random to Weiss.

She wasn't sure how much he cared about herself but she wasn't about to start holding her breath.

"Nevertheless, I am a fool for letting someone like that so close to my daughter, regardless of the outcome." Her father continued.

Wow, that was unexpected. He was actually admitting his mistake, this was an actual attempt to apologise, Weiss was a little surprised. "Oh well uh thankyou…for that. Just, uh, don't let it happen again" Weiss said, trying to lighten the rather intense and awkward mood, never in two years would she have expected this.

"Well it won't and don't expect this" he gestured to himself and to Weiss, indicating the apology, "to come again easily. Now if you'll excuse me I have some work to do" and then he was off.

Winter looked from a befuddled Weiss, to a nervous mother, "Well that was weird" she stated.

"Maybe just a little" Weiss agreed, turning to face her mother.

"Oh come one, don't be so harsh on your father, he was trying." Their mother stated, defending the man.

"He's decided to try now?" Weiss asked accusingly, not buying it for one second. She knew her father, and one apology like that was not going to make up for anything, although she wasn't in a position to talk.

"Weiss he was worried about you, even if he didn't show it I know he was" her mother pleaded, looking at her daughter sincerely.

"Maybe he should have started worrying eight years ago, when he was ruining our relationship"


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: I Don't even know anymore...**

* * *

The first week of the holidays were nearly over and team RWBY had barely done anything. They had mostly lazed around their dorm all day, reading or watching vid-casts, once or twice JNPR came around and they went out together, but that was it. Although there wasn't any more picnics. They stopped receiving missions, as per the holiday break, and there weren't any classes to attend.

With Weiss gone, Ruby had nothing to do, at least Yang had Blake had each other, and they had already gone out together at least three times, where they went Ruby had no clue. What was even more puzzling to the red head was _why_ Blake went with the blonde brawler, after all the things she had done to the faunas, you'd think she'd try to avoid the tall girl as much as possible.

The rest of the time Blake was more than happy to be left with her novels and just when she was getting to the good part, Zwei would make his presence known. Resting against the wall on her bed, Blake would become happily immersed in her latest novel until Zwei bounded onto her bed, up onto her stomach and then he would wriggle his way under her book and poke his head up at the girl.

"Roof"

With all of her cat like reflexes, she was never able to stop the corgi running along her abdomen, nor was she able to reproduce that mother of all glares she sent him that day, something like that was only born out of pure anger, and anger wasn't the emotion she felt whenever the dog came near.

"Argh! Zwei!" Instead of moving the dog away, Blake moved herself away, diving from her bed and across to Weiss' bed. Zwei was startled lightly, before he sniffed around Blake's bed and turned to bark at the faunas.

"Someone get him off my bed please"

"Urgh" Yang groaned as she rolled over in her bed, swinging her arm over the edge toward the dog. "C'mon Zwei, up here with me". Yang gently pulled the corgi up next to her and rubbing his head. Blake hesitantly returned to her bed, eyeing Zwei until he disappeared above Yang's mattress.

"Good, now keep him there until I finish this book" She said plainly, re-adjusting her position and settling back into her book.

"Give it some time, he'll grow on you" Yang stated, hopping off her bunk and moving to get a drink of water.

"Roof" Zwei barked, seemingly in agreement.

Blake looked up at the bottom of Yang's mattress, hearing the corgi ran up and down her sheets, she heard him nuzzle the bed and sniff around the mattress. Blake watched the small indents move along the bottom of the mattress before they came to a stop right above her head.

"Roof" Blake rolled her eyes and attempted to return to her book.

"Don't hold your breath" She mumbled to herself.

Yang returned and leapt back onto her bed, taking Zwei and putting him in her lap. She began wrestling him with her hands and looked up at her sister. Ruby had been quite these past few days, she wasn't jumping up and down as she usually would and the mornings were much more peaceful, not that she was complaining.

"Hey Rubes watch ya reading?" She called, craning her neck to get a glimpse of the book in her sister's lap.

"Just a book about dust" Ruby mumbled, chewing on the end of her pencil.

"You've been on that page all morning. Something wrong?"

"No! It's just…heavy reading" Ruby explained, warding off any unwanted questions. It didn't work.

"Ruby you know you can't lie to me about things like that. So just tell me what's up" Ruby kept her gaze on her book before finally looking up at her sister.

"Yang what do you think it is?"

"Are you worrying about Weiss again?"

"Yes I'm worrying about Weiss again! She left to _go home_. Why would she go home she hates that place?" Ruby blurted, throwing her arms in the air.

"That's a bit harsh" Yang muttered

"But it's true."

"Maybe she's trying to make things right with her family" Blake suggested, marking the page and looking up at her leader.

"Ruby stop worrying about her, seriously. We both know you have a habit of worrying too much, remember what mum said, there's no point in worrying if you can't do anything about it"

"Mum's part of the reason why I worry too much" Ruby muttered, turning back to her book. Yang sighed and looked at her little sister, she knew there was something between Ruby and the ice queen and the way it made Ruby wasn't giving Yang good first impressions.

"I just feel like there's something going on with her that she doesn't want us to know" Ruby explained, "I just want her to know that I'm here for here" she added in a smaller voice.

"I'm sure she knows that Ruby, but maybe she didn't need you, maybe she needed her family" Yang offered, it was a fair point.

"Yeah maybe" Ruby mumbled. Zwei jumped down from Yang's bed and moved toward Weiss', he jumped up onto it before, nestling down just below the pillows.

"Oh Zwei! I'm offended!' Yang scoffed, bringing a hand to her chest over dramatically. "You'd take that ice queen before your owner? I see how it is!" She scoffed and turned her head sharply, before jumping from her bed and moving to the door that led out into the hallway, "I feel like ice cream, who wants to come with?"

_She got over that pretty quick, _Blake thought to herself, a smile reaching the edges of her lips.

Blake looked from her book, to the dog and then to her partner and back to the dog again. "Sure" she said in her usual tone, taking Yang back to their initiation when she asked, "How about a cute little pony!" Blake sounded just the same when she answered her.

"Ruby, want to come?" The faunas asked from just outside the door.

"Yeah alright" Ruby packed her things and hopped off her bed, "But this time at least let me get what I want" She called, closing the door behind her.

"Last time I did that you ran around Beacon twenty seven times in two minutes before passing out in the fountain!" Yang called back. 'Last time' included six bowls of Neapolitan ice-cream, five bowls of pure chocolate gelato, and three stacks of pancakes with more ice-cream. Yang had no idea why she let her do that in the first place, even then Weiss should have stopped her.

But Ruby didn't hear her sister, she was lost in thought as she came up with a plan while looking at Zwei sleep on Weiss' bed. Oh boy was this a good plan.

"Ruby?" Yang called, noticing her sister was still at their door.

"Oh, coming!"

* * *

Two days later

"Weiss there's a package for you!" Winter called as she made her way up the stairs toward her sister's bedroom.

"For me? From who?" Weiss asked back, meeting her sister in her doorway.

"I dunno, it just has a rose stamp on it. It's also in this weird cylinder thing" Winter said as she shook the tube. Weiss looked at the tube and had a faint sense of déjà vu, she'd seen that cylinder before.

"Oh no!" Weiss snatched the tube off her sister and yanked her into her room, shutting the door behind them quickly.

"Weiss what is it?" Winter asked, partly excited partly worried.

"Ruby please don't tell me you didn't" Weiss mumbled, already believing that she did. Weiss turned the parcel over and opened the lid. She turned it over above her bed before shaking it, and low and behold, a black furred figure popped out.

"Roof!"

"A dog!" Winter yelled, immediately grabbing the corgi and hugging it tightly.

Weiss face palmed, "Oh you dunce"


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: So i went crazy, writing this, I doubted it so much I just wasn't feeling it. Please leave a review, for my sanity, I was sms my friend as the RWBY girls. I need help. **

* * *

"Is this Zwei?!" Winter asked excitedly, ruffling the dogs fur. "You weren't joking about the 'in the mail' part"

"No I wasn't" Weiss breathed, pinching the bridge of her nose, Ruby just sent her Zwei. Why did Ruby send her Zwei? How did she even get her address?

"Weiss I thought you loved this guy" Winter asked, moving Zwei closer to the heiress.

"I do, I do" Weiss reassured her sister, moving her hands from her eyes and taking Zwei in her lap, "it's just…" Weiss trailed off as she began to pet her partner's corgi.

"Is it that Ruby girl?" Winter asked, cocking her head to one side. For a fifteen year old she was extremely interpretive.

Weiss peered at her sister and smiled to herself, there wasn't much she could get past her sister. "You mean that dolt in the cape? Yeah I guess you could say that's what it is"

"Don't be so mean, she just sent you _her dog_. An adorable dog! Ruby's either a bad owner or your very special to her" Winter pointed out, watching her sister closely.

Weiss remained silent, acknowledged her sister's gaze and choose to focus on the corgi in her hands. "Look there's a note on the inside, behind all the cans of food"

"Oh she sent the food too" Weiss breathed, shaking her head.

"'Dear Weiss, firstly please don't be angry. Or at least heaps angry, I mean I know you are going to be angry and telling you not to be angry would be silly so you know' Weiss what have you done to this girl?"

"Trust me, she was like this before I met her. Keep reading it, keep in mind she's one year older than you"

"Ok. 'Anyway, I read the letter you left and it didn't really make me not worry-' You left them a letter?" Winter asked, a little alarmed.

"Yes I did, now please finish the letter"

"Jee aren't you cold"

"Hey!"

"'Saying you're going home doesn't reassure me, especially since it's your family-' Hey what's that supposed to mean?"

"Winter please"

Winter grumbled before continuing, "'I know there's something up and that you won't tell me, but I just wanted to let you know I'm here for you. Because just as you promised never to leave me, I promise never to leave you-' So you are her snow angel!' Winter proclaimed.

"What no that doesn't mea-"

"Yes it does. The contract states that appointed snow angel must never leave the side of the contractee, which is exactly what you've promised" Winter explained, in her most businesslike manner.

"The contract also states I have to _love _the person first." Weiss counter argued, it was a pretty poor counter argument.

"Oh psh c'mon we both know you love this girl!" Winter exclaimed, nudging her sister's shoulder.

"What!?" Weiss yelled out, turning to meet her sister's smile. "I do not!' Weiss exclaimed sharply, standing from her bed, "If anything that stupid dunce loves me!'

"Ah HA! So there is chemistry between you two" Winter pointed a finger at her sister.

"Winter-"

"SHE SENT YOU HER DOG WEISS!"

"WINTER I KNOW SHE LOVES ME!" Weiss shouted back.

Winter shrunk back, "Oopsy, may have crossed a line" she muttered to herself.

"Roof!" Zwei agreed.

"I know she loves me! Okay! I just don't know if I can lover her back" Weiss confessed, flopping back onto her bed, narrowly missing Zwei, who ran into the new girl he had just met. She had all the perks of the white haired girl except this one was warmer, no offense to the older girl.

"Weiss of course you can"

"Well I don't know if I _want _to"

"Why? Why wouldn't you want to love someone?"

"BECAUSE LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!" Weiss yelled, throwing her hand toward her sister.

"Oh." Winter breathed, absentmindedly bringing her hand up to the scar on her left arm. "Weiss I thought you got over that"

"I know, I did. I got over it with _you_. Ruby is different. Ruby would take the shot before I could even try to take it myself." Weiss explained, "And the fact that there will be countless opportunities for that to happen scares me even more"

"Well why would you worry about that from now?"

"Because when am I supposed to worried about it? When it's too late?"

"Don't' worry about it at all!"

"How can I when the White Fang won't leave us alone!"

"And they may never leave us alone. Weiss listen to me. Clearly this girl loves you, whether you like or not she does, so why waste it, don't push her away because of something as simple as a little paranoia"

"Paranoia? Winter she nearly died two weeks ago!"

"But you were there to save her"

"What if I'm not always there?"

"You have to be, you're her snow angel" Winter explained simply.

"Winter don't-"

"Upupupupup. No complaining"

"What if we get separated on a mission or-" Weiss continued, she seemed determined to find a scenario where she would fail.

"Weiss! Please, just take it as it comes, stop worrying" Winter pleaded, grabbing Weiss hands gently, "If something does happen, you will be there for her, and she'll be there for you and if that fails you have that cat girl and the overprotective sister" Winter finished cheerfully.

"Weiss if you are going to worry like that, you're just going to re-live what happened between us, and, as much as this will hurt you, it was the worst thing you could have done"

"Winter I'm sor-"

"Don't apologise, I know you're sorry. Just promise me you won't do it to anyone again. It's not good for you or the other person."

The White Fang had a part in this, they started all of this. They were the ones that ruined their family, but this whole time Winter had ignored their threats, had turned away from checking every dark corner, looking at every rooftop, she lived as if they didn't exist. If she didn't she would have ended up like her father, someone who seemed incapable of loving properly, someone Weiss almost became, hadn't it been for that red head, her headmaster and her adorable little sister.

"Roof! Roof!'

"Huh!" Weiss breathed, "What are we going to do about you!"

"Roof"

"Curse your red headed owner, that dolt has no sense of romance, some roses would have sufficed" _How ironic_, Weiss thought.

"Weiss. She SENT YOU HER DO-"

"Yeah yeah, sent me her dog, I guess it is a little romantic, in a Ruby way" Weiss said smiling.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Shout out to 'Soulbound' by xT-Zealot (who has not asked me to reference him but i am anyway) ENJOY!**

* * *

"So let me get this straight" Winter stated, placing her knife neatly across her plate. The Schnee family was in the middle of dinner and Winter and their mother decided to ask Weiss more about the friends she had made at Beacon, her father had remained silent. So after Weiss explained her teammates again for her mother's sake she moved on to the other teams, such as JNPR. Weiss was in the midst of talking about Jaune when her sister decided she needed confirmation on what she had just said.

"So this Jaune, guy, was head over heels for you, even though, what was her name, Pyrrah, was in love with him and everyone knew it except him?" Winter finished, half asking half re-instating.

"Yes that's pretty much how it went" Weiss confirmed.

"This boy, was he the only one around?" Her mother asked cautiously with a grin.

"Relax mother" Weiss sighed.

"But are they together now?" Winter asked, continuing on about the Arkos pair.

"Mm well I guess you could say that" Jaune and Pyrrah's relationship was an odd one, Weiss didn't even think Pyrrah and Jaune knew where they were at.

"Well good, because otherwise there would be some serious issues with the people at your school" Winter said, picking her knife back up and returning to her meal.

"So who else is there?" Their mother piped, she had already finished her meal and was devoting all her efforts to the conversation.

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked, dabbing her mouth politely with her napkin.

"What other couples are there?" Their mother asked with a smile, leaning forward in her seat.

"I uh-"

"OOH! Is uh, uhm" Winter interrupted clicking her fingers, thinking of a name, "Oh, Yang and Blake, are they together!"

Weiss choked, cleared her throat and took a sip from her cup. Her dad raised an eyebrow and Winter just waited patiently.

"Hehe what makes you say that?" Weiss asked with a nervous chuckle.

"Well I just thought seeing as there is already one pair in your team…" Winter trailed off, taking a sip from her cup, letting the rest be filled in by Weiss, who scowled at her.

"What does she mean Weiss?" Mother asked, genuinely confused.

"Uh nothing!" Weiss said perhaps a little too quickly.

"Your partner, what was her name again?" Their father asked, the first time he had said something that night. Weiss looked to her father a little surprised but she quickly cleared her throat and re composed herself.

"Ruby, Ruby Rose. She's sixteen, she started two years early" Weiss answered, answering her father's imminent second question. Her father nodded in thought, chin resting on top of both his hands.

"Why does that name ring a bell?" He breathed to himself, although everyone heard it. Weiss was about to press the subject when her mother spoke up.

"Weiss, are any of your friends coming this Thursday?"

I thought over the question, Thursday was Winter's party. "No why would they be coming it's not my…. Oh"

Weiss' mother raised an eyebrow, waiting for her daughter to realise her mistake.

"Don't tell me you forgot it's your birthday too!" Winter said, her voice a little higher than usual.

"No I-I-"

"Oh you _dunce_. How did you manage that?" Winter teased, giving Weiss a taste of her own medicine, it made her smile.

"Well we didn't really celebrate birthdays at Beacon" That was a lie. "Besides it's your party anyway, invite your own friends" Weiss said casually waving a hand toward her sister.

"I will Weiss" Winter said, suspiciously a little to cheerful. Something in Winter's eye's made Weiss very suspicious.

* * *

Ruby was really getting stuck into the book she was reading. It focused on aura and even branched off to the aura of animals but mainly centred on the aura of humans. Ruby had reached a chapter talking about the interactions of aura's between two people. It said that it could be possible to actually bond two peoples auras together, to fuse a bond between the two and create a deeper connection between them, one that proceeds any physical and even emotional connection.

Ruby had found the book while browsing the library, alone. She had nothing to do so she had decided reading some books would eat up most of that time. Unfortunately for her, she couldn't find anywhere in the book that explained how to actually form the bond, she would have to search the library again later on.

"Hey, we got mail!" Yang called as she stepped inside.

"Who's it for?" Blake asked casually, keeping her eyes on her book.

"For us! I did say 'we' you know." Yang replied, "Blake I thought you had like, super hearing or something" she teased.

"Shut up" Blake snapped, although she somehow kept her tone neutral.

"Ruby wanna read it? You are the leader" Yang stated, waving the letter toward her sister. Ruby hadn't been paying attention to what her sister was saying and remained engrossed in her book.

"Ruby?" Yang asked again.

"Yeah" Ruby hummed absentmindedly.

"Letter wanna read it?" Yang repeated.

"No it's fine you can do it" Ruby replied, waving her sister off, too involved in the whole, 'soul bonding' thing.

"Gee alright then" Yang fell onto Blake's bed, causing the faunas to shoot the brawler a glare, she didn't like it when the blonde practically threw her weight onto her bed, especially when the bunk above was by no stretch of the imagination, _safely secure_.

Yang cleared her throat loudly, opening the letter and sitting up straight. "Erghem" then she began to read the letter.

"To team RWBY. This July, on the twenty eighth, Miss Winter Schnee will be turning sisxteen- wait who's Winter Schnee?" Yang asked, looking from the letter to her teammates. Blake shrugged, she had no idea.

"It's Weiss' sister" Ruby said from her bunk, she had put the book away and she had become very interested in the letter.

"She has a _sister?!" _Blake asked, rather surprised.

"Yes, keep reading Yang" Ruby commanded. Yang glanced from Ruby to Blake, then back to the letter in her hand.

"Okaaay.-As you may already know, Miss Weiss Schnee was also born on this day and will be celebrating her birthday along with her sister on the twenty eighth.- We didn't know when Weiss' birthday was" Yang pointed out.

"Yeah she wouldn't tell us when it was" Blake stated, remembering the times they tried to get Weiss to tell them.

"Yang who sent the letter?" Ruby asked. Yang skipped to the bottom of the page and read the signature.

"It says, Winter Schnee. So her sister is inviting us to her birthday which is also Weiss' birthday?" Yang asked.

"Looks like it" Blake said plainly, "hey. Where's Zwei?"

Ruby's eyes widened and she dived back into her book, avoiding all eye contact.

"Yeah where is that fur ball? Ruby have you seen him, you didn't lose him did you?" Yang asked, eyeing her sister suspiciously.

"No" Ruby mumbled from behind the book.

"Well where is he?"

"Hopefully at Weiss' house" Ruby mumbled a little too softly for Yang's ears, Blake's ears heard fine. Her cat ears sat up and her eye's widened a little.

"What was that?"

"So this party thing, I think we should go" Ruby said, changing the subject, which wasn't suspicious at all.

"Ruby" Yang called slowly.

"Yes Yang"

"Where's Zwei?"

"With Weiss" Ruby said quickly pulling her book up in front of her protectively.

"What!? How did he get there!?" Yang asked, a little bewildered but not too much seeing as it was Ruby and Ruby wasn't shy of doing unpredictable things.

"I mailed him" Blake had to smile at the irony.

"Why?"

"Well I dunno. Weiss seemed down and Zwei seemed to like her and she seemed to like him and Blake was having a hard time with him and you weren't making it any easier so I though why not kill two birds with one stone so I sent him over to Weiss' house hoping she wouldn't get too angry and I really think we should go to that party I mean I really wanna go and we should probably get Zwei back and I also kinda miss Weiss-"

"RUBY!" Yang yelled, cutting off her sister's nervous ramble. Ruby blinked a couple of times as she waited for her sister to continue. Yang closed her eyes and took a deep breath, _today was the twenty sixth, which meant the party was in two days._

"Ruby!"

"What?" Ruby yelled alarmed.

"We need to buy dresses!' Yang yelled, pulling her sister down from the bunk and throwing the door open, "Like right now!" She flung Ruby into the corridor before stepping back into their room and pulling Blake off of her bed.

"Hey!" Blake yelled in protest.

"You too Blake, I've only ever seen you in that same outfit!" Blake didn't even bother to point out that they _all _wore the same outfit.


	26. Chapter 26

The dress fit perfect, which wasn't much of a surprise, Weiss and Winter were almost the same size they could squeeze into each other's clothing if they had to. But if the dress fir the heiress so well, why was she feeling uncomfortable.

Weiss twirled in front of her mirror, her dress trailing swiftly behind her. It was a beautiful dress, Weiss loved it, although she was very conscious of the rose print that wrapped around the torso. Her hair was pulled up in its usual pony tail, slightly of centre to the left with her tiara neatly placed on top. She looked at herself in the mirror and took a deep breath, her gaze passed over her left eye, where that ugly scar ran through it.

A dull pain appeared across her stomach, trailing the scar that now existed there too. Her hand rose up to her face and her fingers gently ran along the scar, reminiscing the day she got it.

"It's a shame they don't go away" Weiss jumped as she was abruptly brought back to the present. Winter was standing in her doorway, leaning against with her hand rubbing up and down her left arm. When Winter peeled off the door and stepped into the room, Weiss could see the scar that Winter had been rubbing.

It wasn't a large scar, it was about one inch long, and from far it didn't seem like anything but up close the jaggedness and scar tissue could clearly be seen. Winter was wearing her dress, a light blue gown, which was pleated toward the bottom and the back was criss-crossed until it reached the waist. Weiss noticed that Winter's hair had become more alike her own in these past two years, yet she wasn't sure whether she preferred it this way or not. She was wearing it free, like she usually would, one side draped behind her ear, the other over the ear.

"Although it's the ones that you can't see that hurt the most" Winter continued, "So I've been told"

"Well they weren't lying" Weiss replied smiling as she gave her sister the once over. "You look beautiful" Weiss said genuinely.

"And so do you big sis!"

"Well you picked the dress"

"You would have looked pretty in any dress" Winter smiled.

"By the way, the rose print is interesting" Weiss said running her hand over the print while watching her sister carefully.

"Yeah it is isn't it" Winter replied casually, not giving anything away. "The guests will be here soon" she stated.

"How many are coming anyway?" Weiss asked.

"Oh just a few close friends" Winter replied with a broad smile. Weiss' eyes narrowed.

"Winter what did yo-"

"WEISS!"

"Was that dad?" Winter asked alarmed.

"Roof roof!"

"Zwei!" Weiss quickly made for her father's study, hoping she would make it before the dog got it.

Weiss stepped into the study and found her father standing behind his desk with Zwei sitting in front of him, tail wagging happily.

"What is this, mutt?! Doing in my study? What is it doing in my house!?" He yelled, pointing a finger at the corgi.

"Father, calm down he's just a dog"

"Don't tell me to calm down Weiss! Get this, this bitch! Out! Get it out!" her father yelled, he clearly wasn't just angry about the dog.

"Father! Language! And it's a boy!" Weiss said, bending down to pick up Zwei.

"Don't give me attitude Weiss! I don't have time for you!"

"No you clearly don't, it's not like you ever did!" Her fathers face was red and he was fuming, something had gotten him stirred up.

"What did you say!"

"I don't have time for this. We have guests coming soon you'd better calm down by then" Weiss was used to these outbreaks. Years of torment from the White Fang made her father very angry, and she knew all too well how he got when he was angry.

"Where are you going?!" Her father reached over and grabbed her arm tightly. "You can't simply speak to me like that and leave! Who do you think I am!?"

Weiss looked at her father s hand, wrapped tightly around her arm. She could see her aura pulsing around the point of contact of her fathers hand, he was holding tight, perhaps a little too tight.

"Father let me go, you're clearly angry about something, let me go before you do something you'll regret." Weiss said coolly, looking her father in the eye.

"Dad!" Winter called from the doorway.

Weiss and her father both looked toward the youngest Schnee member. Winter looked from her father's crazed eye's to his vice grip on her sister's arm. "Dad let her go, don't do something you'll regret" Winter said, subconsciously rubbing her own arm. Weiss noticed the gesture and her eyes went wide.

She tore herself from her father's grasp, Zwei jumped out of her arms and ran toward Winter, hiding behind her legs. Weiss rounded on her father, her eye's almost mirroring her fathers. "What did you do to her!?'

"N-nothing. I did nothing!" He stuttered, his face becoming stern as he moved his gaze from Winter to Weiss.

"Don't lie to me father!" Weiss said, taking a step toward her father, who remained put.

"Weiss, it wasn't anything" Winter said softly, but Weiss held a hand up to silence her.

"It's none of your business!" He yelled back, still fuming.

"None of my business! Winter is my sister! Do not tell me it is none of my business!" Weiss yelled back, her hands balling into fists, her aura flaring.

"Weiss" Winter pleaded quietly.

"DON'T raise your voice at me young lady!" Her father took a step toward her, this was getting out of hand.

"I swear to you if have hurt her I'll-"

"You'll what!? You'll protect her?! Like six years ago, when we all nearly lost her?! Because of you!" He poked her roughly in the shoulder.

Weiss heard her sister inhale sharply, she quickly looked at her and saw that she was on the verge of crying and her eyes were a mix of fear and sadness.

"You are a failure Weiss! The heiress to the Schnee Dust Company nearly lets her youngest sister perish at the hands of some White Fang dog!" He spat the last words, but each word was filled with just as much poison.

"Dad please-"

"Be quiet Winter!" He yelled back.

"Don't try and change the subject father. Did you or did you not hurt my sister while I was gone!?' Weiss asked, ignoring his attempt to break her composure. He seemed to be speechless, his mouth opening and closing dumbly, he was tittering on the edge of exploding.

"Weiss it was only once and it was my fault" Winter finally confessed softly. Weiss didn't remove her eyes off her father, who was now looking at her sister.

"You, you bastard! You call yourself our father!? What is wrong with you!? I should have never left, I should have stayed and made sure you didn't spoil her like you spoiled me!"

"Weiss"

"Weiss if you were in my position you would have no idea how to handle it!"

"I certainly wouldn't hit my children!"

"THEY KILLED HIM!" Her father shouted, slamming his hand onto his desk. Winter jumped at the sound and Weiss took a step back.

"Killed who?'

"My brother! Your uncle! They killed him! They killed him and I was furious! I wanted to flip the desk, I wanted to break every stupid little ornament in this house. You don't know what's like to be at war with those bastards and always lose! You lose a train! Lose a few crates! Things like that are tolerable, but my BROTHER!"

"So you hit our daughter?"

"I WOULD GLADLY HIT YOU!"

"SO DO IT!"

The blow echoed through the house, it was a forceful slap, straight across Weiss' face. Winter's breath hitched and she was crying now, tears quietly sliding down her cheeks. All this on their birthday.

Weiss slowly turned her head back toward her father, the left side of her face stinging madly. Her father was breathing heavily and his expression hadn't seemed to have faltered.

"I'm sorry" Weiss said slowly. Her father seemed to falter at that. He blinked a couple of times and took a step back. "I'm sorry that you've had to go through all of this, but. If you hurt anyone in this house again, don't be so sure I'll let you take it out on me so easily. You have problems, we all do, but you are our father, you're meant to protect us, not hurt us."

"How am I supposed to protect you, when my own family is being murdered?"

"The White Fang may never leave, dad, they may always be there. All we can do is try our best to protect the people we love. _We _need to protect them, because we are the ones that love them." Weiss stated coolly, before turning and walking out, leaving her father in his study a little dumbfounded.

Winter had to jog, which was difficult in her dress, to catch her sister. "Weiss you didn't-"

"Winter" Weiss held her hand up, "its fine, he needed to hear it." Weiss sated, her face still stinging.

"Yeah but-"

"Winter please." Weiss said softly, wiping away her tears away.

DING!

"We have guests, stop crying"

Winter nodded, wiped her tears before quickly checking herself in the mirror. Luckily she wasn't wearing much makeup. She moved off to open the door, leaving Weiss alone to breathe out heavily.

This was going to be one hell of a night.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

"Roof Roof!" Zwei bolted towards the door, Weiss watched him go and froze as she recognised the voice.

"Ruby!?"


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Urgh I hate dresses!**

* * *

"Ruby what if Weiss doesn't even answer the d-"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Blake's warning was cut off just as the door swung open and Ruby yelled her greeting and just as Blake tried to warn her, it wasn't Weiss at the door.

"Oh uh…" Ruby breathed awkwardly, but the girl in front of her just laughed.

"It's okay, it is my birthday too anyway!" Winter said with a smile. "You must be Ruby! Blawndee is Yang, and faunas girl is Blake. Right? Cute ribbon." It wasn't the most… formal of greetings and it left the three members of RWBY befuddled. Blake was the most surprised.

"Uh yeah that would be us, I see Weiss has spoken about us" Yang spoke, scratching the back of her head. "So where is the ice qu-"

"What are you doing here!?" Weiss burst into view from behind her sister.

"We got invited" Ruby answered gleefully, bouncing up on her toes a huge smile spread across her face.

"Who invited you?" Weiss asked.

"I think she did" Blake stated, nodding her head toward the younger version of Weiss.

"Hehe, oh look my friends are here!" Winter zipped past her sister and the rest of team RWBY down toward the car that had just pulled up in front of their house.

Weiss watched her go, a look of disbelief plastered across her face. She blinked and looked down at her teammates.

"Happy birthday!" Ruby said, shoving a small wrapped box toward the heiress.

"What is it?" Weiss asked, eyeing the box cautiously.

"It's a surprise. Duh!" Ruby teased as Weiss took the box from her hands.

"I think you'll love it" Yang quipped, "This, is also for you" Yang handed her a tall bag with a snow flake print. "It's wine" Yang explained, Weiss shot her a look. "What?! You're eighteen now are you not?"

Weiss scoffed, before moving to the side and opening the door wider, "Please come in" She greeted dryly. They forwarded in and Weiss moved into the kitchen, placed the box on the bench top, but took the wine out of its bag, there was something else in it, probably something from Blake. But Weiss was focused on the wine, her face still stung and now Ruby was here.

She opened the bottle and poured herself a cup, she stared at the red liquid in the cup. She really shouldn't.

"Wo- woah!"

"Ruby!"

"I'm sorry, you know I hate heels"

Weiss sculled the drink.

* * *

Weiss moved back out into the foyer, Winter had returned and her friends had indeed arrived. Three guys and five girls, all dressed very neatly. Weiss turned her attention to her own team. It seemed they had decided to stick with their respective colours, red, black and yellow.

Yang was wearing a golden dress, which was subtly peppered with sequence, you could only see it if you looked really hard, but it gave the dress a nice, 'perky' look, befitting of the wearer. Blake was dressed in black, of course. The back of her dress was a purple mesh that showed her back but still covered it. Her dress was pleated, like Winter's and her bow had been swapped out for a dark purple ribbon.

Weiss finally looked at Ruby, who was obviously dressed in red. It was more of a ruby red, how ironic, and it was expertly pleated throughout. The shoulder straps hung low, sliding below the shoulders and resting horizontally, where they met the breast there was a beautiful rose placed at each. The torso was pleated horizontally, intricately and beautifully. The bottom half was pleated diagonally, although less frequently. Overall the dress was exquisite and with Ruby in it, it seemed a hundred times better.

"Erghem" Ruby shuffled uncomfortably as Weiss seemed to stare at her. Weiss blinked, snapping herself out of her trance, she really shouldn't have had that glass.

"That's uh, a very beautiful dress, Ruby" Weiss stuttered, although what she really wanted to say sounded a bit more like, '_you_ look beautiful tonight'

"Oh uh, thankyou. Your dress looks nice too" Ruby offered, "Not that you don't look nice in it, I mean of course you look nice in it how couldn't you you always look nice did I just say that oh great I'm rambling again I'm sorry and the night just stared how perfect I don't suppose your day hasn't been going too bad has it?" Ruby somehow managed to pull out of that with a reasonable question, although the question made Weiss' face sting a bit.

"My day has been fine" Weiss answered, smiling as she watched her partner squirm in her heels. "I see you're wearing those heels again"

"Yeah I thought I was done with them, had them tucked away, faraway"

"It's true, I nearly gave up looking for them" Yang cut it. Ruby gently pushed her away back toward Blake who was rolling her eyes.

"Seriously, how do you fight in these?" Ruby asked, wiggling her feet uncomfortably.

"It's really not as easy as it looks" Weiss admitted.

"So your sister, you patched things up?" Ruby asked carefully. Weiss was considering another glass.

"Yes Ruby we have, and she seems to have invited you hasn't she?"

"Uh yeah, funny that your both born on the same day"

"It is a strange coincidence" Weiss replied coolly. "What's in the box Ruby?"

"I'm not telling!" Ruby stomped a foot jokingly and crossed her arms. "You'll find out when you open it."

"I'm sure you'll love it Weiss" Yang cut it again.

"What does that mean?" Weiss said turning to the blonde.

"You'll find out when you open it" Yang said evenly.

Weiss looked to the remaining member of her team, but Blake only offered a shrug. She was about to turn away when the faunas spoke up.

"You told your sister about me?"

"Uh yeah I told her about all of you"

"I mean you told her about these" Blake wiggled her cat ears.

"Oh. Well yes I did, I didn't really expect you to ever meet, especially on our birthdays." Weiss stated.

Blake was about to say something before Winter came in. "So you two" Winter motioned to Blake and Yang. _Oh no_, Weiss thought, she was about to tell her stop but was too late.

"You guys a thing yet?" She asked casually.

Blake choked on the drink she just sipped on and Yang just blinked. "Weiss just what did you tell her, and how much did you tell her?" Yang asked.

"I didn't _say _anything. She just came up with it on her own."

"Oh c'mon! There has to be something going on!" Winter squirmed, "You already have Weiss and-"

"I think your friends are calling you" Weiss said, slapping her hand over her sister's mouth, looking her in the eye.

"Mhmm" Winter replied, nodding her head. Weiss slowly removed her hand and Winter sweetly strode off back toward her friends.

"That was awkward" Yang stated, taking a sip from her drink. Blake was still cleaning herself up.

"Hey what was she going to say about you?" Ruby asked, cocking her head to one side.

"Nothing!" Weiss quickly stated, "She was going to say nothing."

"Weiss you don't happen to have any drinks that are a little less" Ruby waved toward Yang and Blake's drink, "Adult" She finished a little awkward.

Weiss blinked at her partner, "Oh you're such a dolt. I'll be right back" Weiss turned and walked toward the kitchen.

"Hey I'm just a kid!" She heard Ruby call. Weiss shook her head, as she turned into the kitchen.

"Please don't remind me" Weiss muttered to herself. She opened the fridge and took out the bottle of juice, laughing at how ridiculous this was, but then again it was Ruby. That thought only made her smile further. She poured the drink and placed it on the table, she made to leave with it before noticing her cup still on the table. The clear glass lightly stained red where she had drunk from it.

"Oh why not" She breathed, filling the cup and drinking it quickly. Her face wasn't stinging as much and the wine itself tasted quite nice, Weiss had never drunk before but she believed she would be fine.

She was about to leave when a voice stoped her. "Drinking I see"

She turned to find her father, standing near the second entrance to the kitchen.

"It's just one glass."

"Is that so" He said, walking over to the bottle and picking it up, "Looks like more than one glass"

"Maybe two then" Weiss admitted.

"Ah. I didn't know you drank"

"I didn't know you hit your daughters" Weiss snapped back. Her father merely nodded, before placing the bottle back down on the table.

"Be careful Weiss" Then he was gone. Weiss eyed his former spot before shaking her head and exiting the kitchen.

* * *

The party continued on without incident, they chatted and laughed and were genuinely having a good time. Zwei made an appearance, running through the group of teenagers and stopping by team RWBY. He was greeted warmly by Ruby and Yang, even Weiss ruffled his fur. Blake, however, spilt her drink as she tried to get away from the corgi, causing her teammates to laugh.

"This isn't funny" She muttered as she tried to dab the drink off her dress, "This wasn't cheap".

Weiss had a few more drinks, although they were with Blake and Yang. By the time they came to cut the cake, Weiss was really feeling the alcohol kick in.

"Don't touch the bottom!" Someone yelled as Weiss and Winter cut the same cake together.

"Oh please that's just some-some childish game" But of course Winter pushed the knife all the way down.

"Now you have to kiss someone" She teased.

"Oh no I don't" Weiss said smiling at her sisters childish behaviour, although her gaze lingered over Ruby, "And I won't" Weiss stated, tearing her gaze from the red head back to her sister. "You kiss someone"

As soon as she said Winter jumped up and kissed Weiss sweetly on the cheek. "Love you snow angel!" She teased.

"How come she gets to say it?" Both Blake and Yang muttered. Weiss shot them both a glare.

Ruby became suspicious of Weiss when she dropped her plate. "Woops"

"Weiss did you just say 'woops'" Ruby asked, watching her partner as she tried to clean up her mess.

"Yes I did actually, wh-whats wrong with that?" Weiss ended up toppling over as she kneeled in her heels.

"Weiss! Weiss are you okay?" Ruby dropped to her partner's side, Blake and Yang seemed to have moved outside, and Winter was showing her friends out.

"Yes Ruby I'm fine" Weiss answered, suddenly sounding not fine.

"You don't seem fine" Sniff, sniff, "Weiss how much have you been drinking?" Ruby asked, smelling alcohol from her breath.

"Oh I don't know, maybe six or seven glasses" Weiss was on her feet but was leaning heavily on her partner.

"What!? I only saw you have four!" Ruby squeaked.

"Oh I had some from that bottle Yang bought me, it's really nice actually, you should try some."

"Weiss I'm sixteen" Ruby replied, suddenly very worried.

"Ah yes that's right, just like my sister. Oh wait! Turn me around!" Weiss suddenly demanded.

"What? Why? I need to get you back to the other's. I don't know how to deal with a drunk person!" Ruby exclaimed, fighting her partners struggle to turn back around.

"No! I can't let Winter see me like this! Take me outside."

"Weiss don't be ridiculous, what's she gonna do?"

"No you don't understand. We had a fight with our father and he hit me, Winter will be very worried if she saw me like this!"

"He. Did! WHAT?" Ruby yelled, holding her partner at arms length, but quickly brought her closer as she lost balance.

"No no, don't worry, it's out of context just take me outside."

"No I can't-"

"Ruby take me outside right now!" Weiss demanded with enough steel in her drunk voice to get Ruby to listen. Weiss guided her to their backyard, which was huge.

"Woah" Ruby breathed as she laid her eyes upon the enormous garden. It was beautifully lit up, not too bright but bright enough so that you could see where you were going. Ruby couldn't see much of the green life, but settled to believe it was pretty spectacular. Ruby was torn from her awe when she felt the weight that was Weiss slide of her shoulders. THUMP.

"Weiss! Oh my gosh I just dropped you!" Ruby exclaimed, trying not to ruin her dress but lift her partner back up at the same time.

"Ruby its fine" Weiss waved, the movement seemed to throw her off balance and she nearly fell backward if Ruby didn't catch her.

"Weiss get up, you're going to ruin that beautiful dress" Ruby groaned as she pulled on her partner's hand, but the heiress had decided she didn't want to move.

"Just…. Sit with me" Weiss managed to say, keeping her slurs to a minimum, in fact Ruby hadn't heard her slur, or hiccup, or stutter, she seemed like a very formal drunk.

"Uhm, I don't think I can" Ruby said awkwardly, lifting her dress.

"Just. Sit!" Weiss leaned forward and yanked on Ruby's hand, pulling her to the ground.

"Woah! Hey! Oof" Ruby wasn't sure if she heard a tearing noise, but she hoped she didn't.

"Weiss. What's going on?" Ruby turned to Weiss and looked at her sincerely.

"Oh, I've been having a rough day. A rough week. I've had a rough life."

"Weiss what did your dad do?"

"Oh that" Weiss breathed, touching the side of her face. "I think he was angry about something, probably some white fang incident. Then Zwei ran in to his office and started yelling and I tried to calm him down and then Winter came in and I found out that he had hit her while I was gone, naturally I became furious and then I taunted him to hit me so he did."

"Weiss-"

"It's fine Ruby, I can handle it" Weiss reassured the red head, swaying gently in the breeze, or maybe she was losing balance.

"Okay, so what about the past week? What's up with that?" Ruby asked.

"Oh uh, well Winter and I haven't had the best of relationships. We haven't spoken in years and all of a sudden when I arrive here, she didn't even care that I had treated her like, like, like a bitch!' Weiss threw her arms in the air and almost toppled over but Ruby quickly stuck her arm out and re-balanced her. Ruby kept her arm around her back.

"Well you didn't care what happened to Blake" Ruby offered.

"Yes but Blake didn't affect me. I practically destroyed my sister's childhood"

"Well maybe she just misses her sister. Her snow angel" Ruby said, squeezing the heiress at the nickname.

"Oh you heard that did you?" Ruby nodded gleefully. "You know I nearly lost Winter once" Ruby looked back to her partner and realised she was looking back at her.

"She was nearly murdered and I just watched it happen. I had hated myself for so long, all those years I ignored my sister I was hiding from her. I was afraid she would die because of me one day so I avoided her as much as possible."

"Weiss you don't have to tell me this now" Ruby said softly. Weiss was drunk, this wouldn't be fair.

"No let me, I probably won't unless I'm drunk. I'm past that now, well I thought I was. Until I nearly lost you." Weiss paused, as she stared into Ruby's eyes. Ruby gulped, unsure of where this was going, Weiss had never looked at her like this and it was really odd.

"You know, I should have never made it to you in time, it was practically impossible especially with the injuries I had."

"Weiss you don't give yourself enough credit" Ruby offered.

"No, it was literally impossible, we all know it. I thought I was going to lose you, and it would have been my fault"

"Weiss"

"But one night, Ozpin told me something like, '_love is a powerful thing, and it can cause people to do things unexpected'_ and after that day, I believed him" Weiss paused, even in her drunk state, she could be dramatic.

"Weiss I don't understand" Ruby confessed, her eyes searching for an explanation. Ruby's heart was beating intensely, she had a feeling what Weiss was getting at, but she wasn't completely sure. Weiss turned to face the red head fully. Weiss would later put it down to the alcohol, she would have never said it otherwise.

"Ruby I love you"

* * *

**A/N: Classic cliche drunk confession, how exciting. I know right. Honestly, I just wanted to get Weiss drunk, yeah uh don't read too much into it lol, coz i don't even know. But uhm, yeah, way to drop the bomb.**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Okay! So, I know this chapter might surprise some people, I mean when i was writing it surprised me how Ruby was acting. But i thought about it and i realised it's fairly justified and reasonable, I mean I didn't want to make it unrealistic for the sake of the ship. I wanted to make it feel as real as possible, so if you feel Ruby is being a little... unreasonable, stop and think about how someone would react in real life considering everything that's happened between them.**

* * *

"I'm sorry what?" Ruby finally said after several moments of gawking at her partner.

"Ruby don't make me say it twice, once was hard enough" Weiss replied, seemingly exhausted.

"B-but you just said-"

"Yes I knnnnow what I said, I'm not that drunk" Weiss cut in, leaning toward Ruby and 'booping' her on the nose. Weiss leaned back and looked at her finger, the one she just 'booped' Ruby with. "Ok maybe I am"

"Weiss, I don't uh- You just-uhm. You're drunk, you can't mean it" Ruby managed, sounding as if she was telling herself more than Weiss.

"Ruby I may be drunk now, but I've been feeling this way for a while. Actually, when we were in hospital I realised how I felt"

"Weiss are you sure you know what you're saying? I mean c'mon, you don't really _love _me do you?" Ruby asked sheepishly.

"Yes I'm sure!"

"Love is a strong word"

"These are strong feelings. Ruby why are you being so hesitant?" Weiss was doing extremely well for a drunk person.

"It's just that…" Ruby trailed off, trying to form words from her thoughts. "It's just that, all this time you haven't been exactly, the nicest of people, I mean we've grown closer since we met, sure, but this is kinda a huge step isn't it?"

"Ah." Weiss nodded in understanding but immediately stopped as her world started spinning.

"I understand. Well Ruby, to tell you the truth, ever since we meet I had this strange feeling about you. It was like this strange nagging feeling that wouldn't go away, but it was a _warm _feeling. I didn't know what it was and it was very subtle, so being the Schnee I am I just bottled it up and hid it away, I had no reason for feelings like that."

Weiss explained and Ruby listened, the red head still coming to terms with what had just been said.

"So those feelings remained there, for the better part of two years, and not only did they stay tucked away, beneath whatever my heart was back then, every moment spent with you was causing them to grow. Like I said, I didn't know it because I had removed them from my view, but looking back I see it now.  
Ruby from the beginning you were getting to me, slowly warming up to me, and slowly warming _me _up. I can no longer look you in the eye and say, 'my heart is frozen'. I used to look at the sunset, whenever I was feeling down, and I'd wish I could just be absorbed by the warmth that would reach me, wish I could leave my coldness behind, I didn't want to be cold like my father. But I knew the sun was out my reach.  
But I had forgotten that I had you, Ruby. You are my sun, you are the star that has managed to warm this ice queen and free her stone heart.  
It wasn't until I nearly lost you that I realised how much you meant to me, it wasn't until I nearly had my heart shattered for a second time, that I realised who had thawed it."

"Weiss, I can't-look I'm trying but I- I don't know if-" Ruby tried to formulate a response, but she was torn between what she wanted, what was in front of her and what she believed was true.

"Ruby"

"Weiss you're drunk! I'm sorry but you can't say things like that to me in a state like that! This is all too sudden, too surreal, it doesn't make sense for you to be acting like this!" Ruby finally managed. Ruby loved Weiss, but she didn't want to be lead on just because Weiss had too much to drink and had saved her life.

"I know this is extremely out of character, especially because I've had a bit to drink, but I'm being honest with you. I don't understand why this is so hard for you"

"Weiss I love you! Okay! I love you and I wouldn't be surprised if you know already, but." Weiss looked at Ruby's silver eyes and noticed they were significantly shinier then before. Maybe because she was on the verge of crying.

"Ruby I-"

"No. Listen." Ruby sniffled and took in a deep breath. "I fell for you a long time ago and when I did I realised it was going to be the hardest thing for me. It was going to be the hardest thing because I had fallen in love with the 'ice queen'. The heiress who let no one in, the perfect girl who didn't need friends, the girl with a stone of heart, battered by the killings of the White Fang and immune to becoming attached to people.  
When I fell for you, I thought I had fallen in love with an ice queen, but deep down I knew it was just on the outside"

Ruby seemed to be struggling to speak and it was hurting Weiss just as much as it seemed to hurt Ruby. What had she done to this girl?

"But I stayed and I tried. I tried to get you to open up, to get a glimpse of the _real _Weiss Schnee, the one that laughed and smiled and cared, the one that loved. But all I got was the heiress to the SDC, who 'had a rough childhood' and didn't care for emotions."

Weiss recoiled, coming from Ruby that hurt.

"But there were those times when your walls melted and you did laugh, you did smile and you did care. The time with Blake, I knew you meant the things you said and I knew you cared. The food fight," Ruby chuckled at the memory, "I could see that you were having a good time, but when I really wanted you to let me in, you turned back into the ice queen."

Weiss knew it was the truth, she knew how she had been acting but hearing it from Ruby succeeded in making the heiress teary.

"And I guess, the thing with your sister and your dad and the thing with the White Fang does explain a lot of it, and I guess it does make me understand" So maybe there is a good part to all this.

"But please, don't suddenly turn around and tell me you love me just because you had some wine!"

Ruby was crying now, Weiss could hear her sobs and every hitched breath tore something within her. Weiss was beginning to understand what was happening.

Maybe Ruby cared about all that stuff from the past, which Weiss admitted may need some work to make up for and maybe telling the red head how she felt while she was drunk might not have been the best idea. Weiss realised that the reason why Ruby was so distressed right now was because she didn't want her heart broken, she didn't want all of this to be a lie, something she no doubt she had wanted to hear was coming out of Weiss' mouth, but she was drunk.

Weiss believed Ruby was having a bit of a, 'too good to be true' moment and the fact that she was drunk didn't help to persuade the red head. Now all the azure eyed heiress had to do was say something that wouldn't ruin her image any further, and not harm her red headed partner even more.

"I'm sorry" Was all she said.

Ruby sniffled, "What?" not what she expected.

"I realise that telling you this right now, may have been a bit of a mistake. It's obviously done more harm than good and I'm sorry. I'm also sorry for being a…. bitch, for all that time, but I think we should talk about this when a bit more sober, for both of our sakes."

Ruby was staring at the heiress, unsure of what to do or say. So Weiss took her hand and looked into her eyes sincerely.

"Ruby I understand where you are coming from and I'm sorry I put you in this position. So I think I should speak to you tomorrow, when I have sobered up, I want you to hear me say it and I want you to _believe me_ and right now I don't think you do."

"Weiss I-"

"It's okay Ruby, the things you said are justified and reasonable, saying I love you isn't going to make up for all that and I know, so let me try to fix this. Just, when my world stops spinning"

Ruby giggled at the joke. She was so overwhelmed with fear and frustration, she would gladly display any other emotion.

"Ruby! Is that you? I think it's time we left!" That was Blake, calling her from inside, "Your sister is waiting!" She continued, "plus she won't stop revving the engine" she muttered angrily.

"Uh, yeah I'm coming!' Ruby called back, "I'll meet you at the car!" Ruby's attempt to get Blake to leave worked, Blake acknowledged the statement and left the pair alone. Or maybe Blake decided to leave them on her own volition, she did have very good hearing.

"Weiss, I-I'm sorry. Really I am. I want nothing more in the world to believe you right now, but I just can't. But I know I will, I always knew your heart was never truly frozen" Ruby apologised as she rose, lifting her dress carefully so as to not rip it.

"Uh Ruby?" Weiss called as she began to walk off.

"Yeah?"

"I'm still drunk. I can't get up." Weiss said plainly.

"Oh crap! Sorry!" Ruby hurriedly doubled back to the heiress, taking her outstretched hand and pulling her to her feet.

"Woah!" Weiss exclaimed, as her vision spun and her balance went hay-wire.

"You okay?" Ruby asked, shuffling Weiss' arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah I think I'm good." They slowly made their way back inside the house.

"You walk surprisingly well for a drunk Weiss"

"And I'm wearing heels"

"Of course you are!" Ruby rolled her eyes and smiled at the heiress, "Seriously you have to teach me."

"Weiss!?" That was Winter.

"Oh boy" Ruby breathed, stock still as she and Weiss had been caught. "Uhm, I gotta go soo, bye!"

"Ruby wait- Woah!" Before she knew it, she was no longer leaning on her partner, but rather drifting through a cloud of petals. Luckily Winter caught her.

"I can't believe your drunk" She scolded.

"I'm fine!" Weiss replied waving her off.

"Is this because of dad?"

"Pff no! Why would I let him get to me?" Weiss asked rhetorically, but she knew Winter had seen through her act. But after glaring at her older sister, Winter decided to leave that subject for another time.

"You told her didn't you?"

"Yes I did"

"Urgh you're such a dolt!"

* * *

**A/N: By the way, I kinda wan't you guys to guess what the present is. I know some people have been curious and my friend, konnor97, already kinda got most of it. I'm just really curious to know what you guys think. Leave a review?**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: To mister anonymous, I know that different people act drunk differently and i had just pictured Weiss as a very proper drunk for some reason, someone who is still proper even when she is drunk.**

* * *

Weiss woke up the next morning with a splitting headache, nothing she hadn't expected, but boy was it painful. She woke up with her eyes squeezed shut, the light in her room seemed excessively bright, probably another hangover affect. "Ergh!" Weiss groaned and turned over, one hand rubbing her eyes, the other stretched out.

"Ow" She heard someone say plainly. Weiss' hand had landed upon someone lying next to her, she had a feeling who it was but she still flipped her hand and moved it around, trying to get feel of the person.

"Wow. I never thought I'd be groped by my sister" Winter said casually.

Weiss' hand immediately shot away from her sister, realising what that soft part she was feeling was.

"Winter!?"

"Good morning to you too Weiss" Winter said with a huge grin she was glad Weiss couldn't see.

"Wha- what are you doing in my bed?!" Weiss exclaimed, rubbing her hand.

"Actually you're in my bed"

"What?"

"You crawled into my bed in the middle of the night" Winter explained.

"I did?"

"Yeah, right after you puked I think" Winter continued.

"I puked!?" Weiss almost yelled, and immediately regrated her decision as a sharp pain shot through her head.

"Mhmm, you know you are the weirdest drunk person I've seen"

"Jee thanks" Weiss replied, slowly getting out of her _sister's _bed. "Hey can you turn the lights off?" Weiss asked as she squinted around the room.

"The lights aren't on"

"Then close the blinds"

"They are closed"

"What? So why is it so bright in here?" Weiss asked confused.

"I'm joking, the blinds _are_ open" Winter joked.

"Winter this isn't funny!" Weiss snapped, at least she tried to, "you don't know what it's like to be drunk"

"How do you know, maybe I do" Winter said

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss turned to her sister, "Have you been drinking while I've been gone?" She asked, surprisingly sternly with a hangover.

"Weiss calm down I'm joking" Winter laughed, moving around the bed to close the blinds.

"Winter this isn't a laughing matter" Weiss continued.

"Alright alright I'm sorry. Stop taking your angel duty so seriously."

"I did tell you I would dob you in if I had to. Alcohol is not a joke"

"Oh yeah, you didn't know that last night?"

"Oh shut up! That's different, I've been having a rough week" Weiss said, defending herself.

"Uh huh. Well I think breakfast is ready, can you get ready on your own?' Winter asked concerned.

"Yeah I think I should be…." Weiss made to get up, she got to a standing position before her vision blurred and her world began to spin, again.

"Woah!" Weiss threw her arms out in an attempt to steady herself but in the end Winter had to grab her.

"Still a bit dizzy huh?"

"I just got up a bit too fast." Weiss let go of her sister and was steady enough on her own to make it to the bathroom.

"Hey don't take forever in there!" Winter called after her.

"I never take too long!" Weiss called back.

"Yes you do! You always did!"

"Me?! Well you should see Yang, she takes an hour to wash her hair!"

"Well she does have very nice hair"

"Yeah, don't tell her that, it'll go straight to her head"

* * *

"Good morning girls! How are we today?" Their mother, sing-songed as the two sisters entered the kitchen. Weiss couldn't help but wince at the noise, the clattering of dishes and silver ware didn't help either. Winter's grin grew every time she saw her sister wince.

"We're fine mum, how are you?"

"Oh I'm just fine, I can't get enough of you in your cute little pyjamas" her mother stated, kissing Weiss on the cheek before moving back toward the stove.

"Watchya making mum!" Winter quipped, plopping into a seat around the table.

"Just some pancakes and waffles and the like. Weiss the coffee has brewed if you want some."

Weiss thanked the heavens that her mother loved her enough to know she liked coffee, right now she definitely needed one. She took a cup out of one of the many cupboards that lined the wall and poured herself some coffee from the pot. But before she began to drink it, she did something she had never down to her coffee before.

Winter watched with a worried look as her sister put a scoop of cream in her cup and then proceeded to add five spoons of sugar.

"Uh Weiss?"

"Yeah?" Weiss answered, taking a sip from the hot beverage in her hands. Weiss eyes widened as her mouth was overloaded with sweetness. Weiss smacked her lips together and turned to her sister.

"Did I just-"

"Yep" Winter replied a smile spreading across her face.

"I just made a Ruby coffee" Weiss breathed looking down at her coffee. Winter burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha! I don't know whether this is cute or funny. Hahahaha! You made a ruby!"

"What's a ruby?" Her mother asked curiously, setting down the plates and food.

"It's nothing" Weiss replied quickly, blushing slightly. How did she manage to absentmindedly make Ruby a coffee.

"Well Winter certainly doesn't think so" Her mother nodded toward the youngest Schnee of the house, who was still in the middle of a laughing fit.

"Just ignore her" Weiss replied sternly, shooting her sister a glare.

"Oh c'mon. how can you not laugh? You somehow managed to make her a coffee and she's not even here!" Winter explanation succeeded in making her laugh even more.

"Winter?"

"Yes snow angel?"

"Shut up" Weiss dead panned.

Winter managed to bring her laughter down to a few giggles and snorts, but when Weiss took another sip of the coffee she started laughing again. Weiss rolled her eyes and sat at the table.

"Good morning girls" Their father stepped into the room. Weiss looked up at her father and they shared a rather tense silence.

"Morning dad" Winter finally said after a rather awkward lack of noise.

"How was last night?" He asked, watching Weiss carefully.

"It was great!" Winter quipped, smiling genuinely.

"Hm. What about you Weiss?" He continued. Weiss looked at her father for a moment before answering.

"It wasn't bad"

"That's a nice bottle of wine your friends bought you. I see it's been open already" He stated, eyeing his daughter carefully.

"Dad" Winter said softly.

"Never mind" He said after another short silence. "I received a call from the police, apparently that man had been hired by the white fang"

Weiss paused in the middle of cutting a pancake, before quickly continuing.

"Which isn't really a surprise, it definitely doesn't make things easier for us" Their father stated.

"Not like things were ever easy" Weiss said.

"Weiss" her mother warned.

"What?"

"But why would they have waited this long to try to attack?" Winter asked, she didn't like talking about this topic, but she would do anything to steer the conversation away from another argument.

"That is an interesting thought" their dad agreed, "I had thought about that. Perhaps they have additional reasons"

A certain orange haired cane user came to Weiss' mind, along with Cinder, Mercury and Emerald.

"Weiss, any ideas?" Weiss snapped back to the present.

"None that come to mind. I think I'm done here, I'm going to get dressed." Weiss neatly placed her cutlery across her plate and moved out of the kitchen. They all watched her leave, Winter's expression dropped and so did her mother's, their father's stayed the same, as usual.

* * *

"You haven't opened your presents yet" Winter said from Weiss door. Weiss had Blake's and Ruby's gifts laid out on her bed. One small box and one slightly larger.

"Uh yeah, I hadn't gotten around to it"

"Well how about now!" Winter said excitedly, jumping onto Weiss neatly made bed. Weiss rolled her eyes and joined her sister as she continued to pat the bed next to her.

"What do you think they are?" Winter asked. Weiss looked at her sister and had to remind herself that she was now sixteen. Weiss rolled her eye's before answering her question.

"I have no clue. It's Ruby and Blake, both very unpredictable people." Weiss explained, looking at the two gifts.

"Start with this one" Winter picked up Blake's present and held it out to her sister.

"Oh fine." Weiss took the gift and began to unwarp it. Beneath was a black and white box with a note on the top.

"Checkmate" Weiss read aloud, smiling at their pair name Ruby had proudly come up with.

"What?" Winter asked, cocking her head to one side.

"Inside joke" Weiss explained simply. She opened the box and was pleasantly surprised. It was a pristine white, queen chest piece standing atop a small pedestal. Underneath the queen was a black king, which was lying on it's side, defeated.

"I presume you're the queen" Winter said with a frown, trying to make sense of it.

"Yes. Well I would hope so at least" Weiss replied with a smile, "thankyou Blake" She said with a smile, placing the statue to the side.

"Ok. Now this one" Winter handed her Ruby's present.

Weiss looked at the present for a moment, before taking a breath and claiming her gift. Weiss unwrapped it quickly and was presented with a small white jewellery box.

"What's with all the white?' Winter asked casually.

"Don't be a dunce" Weiss replied.

"What?" Winter recoiled with a grin, "Hurry up and open it!"

Ignoring Winter's instructions, Weiss slowly opened the box. What was inside literally took her breath away.

Within the box was a necklace, but not just any necklace. It was a rose necklace, a red rose of course. The pendant was a small red rose, beautifully crafted and intricate, it had a wonderful sparkle to it and it seemed to radiate warmth. Upon closer inspection, Weiss discovered that the centre of the rose was actually white, just a touch but nevertheless it was there. The necklace itself was a crimson chain, each link was crafted into tiny rose petals.

As Weiss looked at it the whole thing screamed Ruby, but when she delicately picked it up, it felt even more like Ruby.

"Weiss it's not gonna break that easily" Winter pointed out as she watched her sister, slowly pick up the necklace and delicately spread it out in her palm. "Weiss?" she repeated, her sister seemed to be in another world, and she was…. Crying?

"Weiss are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh yeah I'm fine" Weiss said, sniffling and wiping away a tear.

"Why are you crying?"

"She made this"

"Huh?"

"Winter she _made _this" Weiss stated, moving the necklace closer to her sister.

"Wow that's pretty impressive, how did she cut the things so tiny" Winter asked, peering closely at the chain.

"No you don't understand!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Clearly I don't" Winter dead-panned.

"Oh don't be a dunce. Listen. Every time Ruby uses her semblance she leave rose petals behind, but they usually disintegrate shortly after. Her sister had told me that sometimes she makes some that last awhile. Winter, this necklace, the entire thing is made from those petals. I don't know how she did it but, Ruby has literally given me a part of her, and it's beautiful."

* * *

**A/N: I hope you like this chapter and understood the whole gift thing. If you don't please feel free to ask in the reviews, it was kinda hard to put it into words.**


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Woooo! Chapter 30! I would just like to say a quick thank you to all my followers so far, I think I'm at 55, i think. Anyway doesn't matter. Thanks to all of you, and thanks to all the readers who come passing by, I'm glad to have you all with me.**

* * *

"So Ruby, you never told us how you actually made the necklace"

"Oh well, you know I kinda just used my hands and stuff"

"That doesn't… Uhm wanna try that again?"

"I don't know Yang, it's hard to explain. I kinda just flared my aura and kinda focused it, like a lot. It wasn't easy that's for sure"

"Yeah I know, I saw you passed out on your desk"

The following day after the party saw RWBY-minus the W- back at school and with only a few days left of the holidays.

"Also, what were you doing outside with Weiss last night? You got dirt all over your dress!" Yang asked, not very happy about the dress.

"Nothing, we were just talking"

"About what!? Why were you sitting on the floor?"

"I dunno because Weiss wanted to" Ruby tried to persuade her sister.

"There's no way _Weiss Schnee _would sit on the floor in the dress she was wearing!"

"Well maybe she wasn't feeling herself that night!" Ruby exclaimed.

"What do you mean? Was she drunk?" Yang asked, slightly concerned.

"No she wasn't! I dunno maybe! Yang I don't want to talk about it!" Ruby yelled.

"Woah okay. Sorry I brought it up" Yang recoiled, shooting Blake a confused glance.

"Don't look at me"

"Ruby is everything alright between you two?" Yang asked carefully.

"Yang! Everything is fine! Just… drop it!" Ruby exclaimed, moving around the room frantically.

"Ruby where are you going?" Yang asked as Ruby opened the door to their room.

"To the library!" Then the red head was gone.

"You seriously don't know what that was about?" Yang turned to Blake, who had her head in her book.

"Nope" Blake replied simply.

"I find that very hard to believe" Yang dead-panned.

"Well I'll tell you this. Don't worry about it."

"That's reassuring"

* * *

Head up, shoulder's back, left foot forward. Perfect stance. Weiss Schnee was readying for a fight, a fight against an opponent she had never fought before. She was unsure of what to expect, was this person going to be a perfect match to her level, or would they be above her level.

It didn't matter, because either way Weiss couldn't lose, the option for failure was non-existent, because if she lost, she would never be allowed to live it down.

"You ready to get your ass kicked?" Winter teased, poking her tongue at Weiss.

"Yeah right. You don't even know how to imbue your glyphs with dust yet" Weiss bantered.

"Yeah but you said you won't do that"

"I don't need to to win."

"Ready?"

"Ready"

CLANG! Both sister's had decided to press the attack at the same time. They met in the middle of the arena, their rapier's ringing through the room. They shared a smile before bouncing back to re-evaluate each other.

Winter's rapier was a simple blade, she hadn't crafted her own yet so she was still using the ones that were hooked upon the wall. Weiss was using Myrtenaster, obviously, but she had emptied her dust just in case habit got the best of her and she _did_ use some. She had promised to stick strictly to movement glyphs, seeing as Winter was still learning she didn't want to give her sibling an unfair advantage.

Winter wasn't wearing a battle skirt like Weiss, she was wearing a pair of light blue tights, much like Blake's but a different colour. Weiss didn't mind it that much, she did mind when Winter teased her about it.

"Are you seriously going to fight me in that?"

"In what?"

"A dress"

"It's a battle skirt!"

Battle skirt or not, Weiss was going to win.

Winter's oldest sister was going down!

After what felt like hours of circling each other, Winter made her move. Dashing toward her sister, she performed a series of thrusts and slashes, all of which Weiss parried easily. Each strike Winter performed was executed expertly and with speed Weiss was not expecting. Although her extra amount of speed could be credited to her slight lack of power behind each strike.

Yet Weiss still managed to keep up. She smiled as she witnessed firsthand how far her sister had come since she left, it was definitely a feat worth congratulating, right after she claimed her victory.

Weiss found a window in the onslaught of attacks and used it as an opportunity to stop her sister and retreat. Weiss swiftly waved her hand in front of her, spawning a black glyph, which her sister passed straight through. Winter realised a fraction to late as she was captured within the spinning snow flake, but she would fight fire with fire. In this case, it worked quite well.

Winter placed her free hand on the glyph and used her own semblance to turn the glyph white and it quickly faded away.

"Not bad Winter"

"Thanks. I just find out I could do that" As soon as she finished speaking she was moving again, a glyph propelling her toward her sister. Weiss did the same, moving toward her advancing sibling without hesitation. Winter wasn't expecting her 'snow angle' to drop to her knees and slide right under her blade.

Weiss slid right past her sister, unharmed and with the advantage. Winter had assumed she would be colliding with her sister, so she had put more power into her glyph and now that she hadn't collided with her sister, the extra momentum caused her to keep moving forward. As Weiss slid past Winter, she quickly returned to her feet and summoned another glyph to push her towards her still moving sister.

Winter managed to spin on her heel, although now she was moving backward, but at least she could block Weiss' attack. Weiss' slash fell on Winter's rapier, another clang ringing through the arena, the force behind the attack, coupled with Winter's movement caused Winter to trip over and fall backward. She landed on her rear with a thump, quickly rolling over to dodge a stab from her sister.

She rolled onto her back and quickly summoned a glyph in between her and Weiss, which Weiss' arm passed through and couldn't get out.

"How do you like that?" Winter teased, flipping to her feet.

Weiss poked her tongue at Winter, before yanking her arm out of the glyph. Unlike Winter, she didn't need to pass her aura through the glyph, she just pulled it free with a loud, 'pop!'

"That's cheating!"

"No it's not. You need to reinforce your capture glyphs more, and judge your speed more accurately" Weiss pointed out, flicking her rapier to the side out of habit.

"Your attacks are a little soft, but you make up for it in speed. You're faster than me, but I'm still going to win" Weiss grinned at her sister before lunging at her one final time. Midway between reaching her sister, Winter called out.

"So when are you going to speak to Ruby?"

Weiss was surprised at the question and even stumbled during her dash. Her speed diminished and her blade to the side, Winter made her move.

Winter dashed forward, slashing at her sister's front. Weiss aura flared as the blade danced across it, icy blue flares sparking along the slash. Although Weiss noticed that there was a tiny bit of red mixed through it, which was really strange. Weiss stumbled backward before freezing as she felt the tip of a blade softly pressing against her neck.

"I win!" Winter quipped, retracting her rapier form her sister's neck.

"You cheated!"

"I did not!"

"Yes you did! You used Ruby as a distraction!"

"What, you don't think people who are actually fighting you won't?" Winter pointed out. It was a good point and Winter hadn't meant much by it, but now that it had been brought up Weiss realised that it was true.

"That's a good point" Weiss breathed, trying not to think to many bad thoughts.

"Thankyou. So now that I've one, I will claim my prize" Winter proclaimed, chin in the air.

"What might that be" Weis replied, rolling her eyes and sitting next to her sister.

"Answer the question" Winter demanded.

"Huh?"

"Answer the question. When are you going to speak to Ruby?"

Weiss blinked at her sister, _I can't believe her._ "Well I want to speak to her face to face. So in three days"

"Three days?!" Winter repeated, visibly alarmed.

"What?"

"You can't leave her hanging for three day!" Winter explained.

"Well what do you want me to do? Beacon isn't exactly around the corner."

"Make the effort you dolt!"

"Don't call me that" Weiss dead panned.

"Stop acting like one! Get off your lazy butt and meet her someplace and speak to her! Gee how un-romantic are you?"

"To be fair I'm not exactly experienced in this field"

"Clearly not. Weiss there's no 'experience' you just gotta do what you think will make Ruby happy" Winter explained, sounding as if it was as easy as it sounded.

"Winter, cookies and a cuddle will make Ruby happy"

"Well then go buy her cookies and give her a cuddle! Listen, there is no way you can leave that girl hanging for _three days. _Ring her up and make a date for tomorrow"

"A date!?" Now Weiss was worried.

"Oh relax, besides you can't just love someone without going on dates" Winter explained. "You know what? Ring her now"

"Now?"

"Right now! Ring her now and make a date for tonight"

"Tonight?!"

"Yeah, c'mon you aren't getting any younger and you got nothing to do tonight so why not?"

"It's a little sudden don't you think?" Weiss asked, she really didn't think her sister would be telling her how to deal with all this.

"Weiss, you told her you loved her two nights ago, you don't think that was a bit sudden?"

"Touché. Alright I'll call her."

"Hurray for white rose!" Winter celebrated.

"White what?" Weiss asked, liking the name but wanting an explanation.

"Oh it's the name I came up for you two. Blake and Yang are bumblebee, cute isn't it?"

"Adorable" Weiss dead panned.

"Aw thanks Weiss" Winter kissed Weiss on the cheek before moving back to the ring. "Round two?"

"Fine. But how about I actually teach you how to use dust this time?" Weiss replied, getting up from her seat and bringing a case of dust she had brought with her inside the ring.

"Alright"

"Hey, question?" Weiss asked.

"Shoot"

"Did you see my aura flare, it wasn't red was it?"

"Come to think of it, it was a little yeah. That's weird I thought yours was white"

"It is."

"Ruby's is red" Winter offered.

"Yeah but how does that affect mine?"

"I dunno, it's your aura. Now show me how to make stuff blow up!" Winter demanded excitedly. Weiss rolled her eyes and popped open the case.

It was a wonder how neither of them noticed Weiss' rose necklace glow when they fought.

* * *

**A/N: A bit of a filler, a little bit of a set up for some future things, some _big _things, wink wink nudge nudge. Take a guess at what the set up was in this chapter?**


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Alright guys listen up. I have camp on Wednesday for three days, so there wont be any chapter for at least three days, sorry. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Ruby busted into the dorm and headed straight toward the wardrobe, she flung the doors open and stepped back to look over its contents. Her eye's frantically looking for something, what she was looking for was a mystery, seeing as the only thing in the wardrobe was their school outfits and their alternate outfits. Ruby was hoping up and down on her tip toes and her frantic behaviour was sure to gain the attention of her sister and her partner. Even Zwei noticed the extra energy and began running around his owners feet, barking and jumping happily in unison with the red head.

"Uh, Ruby?" Yang asked.

No reply.

"Ruby?"

"Yeah what?" Ruby finally answered, although she was clearly not paying attention to the blonde.

"What are you doing?"

No reply…again.

"Ruby!"

"Wha- oh. I'm trying to think of something…."

Yang stared at her sister, unsure of what to make from that. Ruby glanced over at Yang and noticed her confused expression.

"Looking for something to wear I mean" Ruby explained.

"Wear for what?"

"Oh uh…." Ruby stopped hoping as he thought over the question. She wasn't really sure whether she should say what she was going to do tonight, whether or not Weiss wanted them to know. In fact Ruby didn't know if _she _wanted Yang to know.

"This-uh thing, with uh Weiss… maybe" Ruby explained, avoiding eye contacting and rubbing her hands together.

Blake peered up from her book, her ear twitched slightly when she hear what Ruby said and she was now a little interested. Blake had an idea about what happened that night, but she didn't think Weiss would ask Ruby out on, whatever this was, so soon.

"What do you mean?" Yang asked, eyes furrowing into a slight frown. She wasn't making this any easier for Ruby.

"Long story short, Weiss has some stuff she needs to tell me, so she decided to tell me tonight instead of waiting for when she got back here"

"Sounds important" Yang stated, continuing to look at her sister suspiciously. Yang turned to her partner and caught her just as she dropped her gaze back to her book. Yang grumbled at her partner before looking back to her sister.

"Well why are you jumping in front of our wardrobe. You know there's nothing in it"

"I dunno, heat of the moment? I'm just a little…anxious" Ruby confessed, ceasing her jumping and moved to sit on Weiss' bed.

"Why?"

"Yang stop asking questions!"

"I'm sorry I'm concerned about my little sister!"

"Well stop! Everything is fine.

"You haven't been acting 'fine' these past few days." Yang pointed out.

"Look- Yang- just! It's confusing ok? Just let me work this out before I start answering questions I can't answer"

Yang was about to ask another question but Blake softly elbowed her in the ribs, along with a stern glance that told the blonde to shut up for the time being.

"Alright alright. But you have to promise me that you'll tell me if something goes wrong" Yang demanded.

"Yeah yeah, I will. Hopefully nothing goes wrong" Ruby replied, looking at Weiss' pillow.

"Ruby what time is this…thing?" Blake asked carefully.

"Uh Weiss said to meet her at five"

"Ruby it's four-thirty" Blake pointed out coolly.

"What?! Oh crap! See Yang, you made me waste time!" Ruby yelled.

"Waste time? You don't even need anything to wear, just go like that! I'm sure Weiss will be wearing her own dress!"

"It's a battle skirt!" Ruby yelled before running out of their room.

Yang watched her little sister go with a smile, following the small rose petals as they floated to the ground, _she's so hopeless when she's not fighting_. When the last petal touched the ground Yang snapped her head toward Blake.

"Alright kitty cat! You're gonna tell me what's going on between Weiss and my sister!"

"Uh" Blake breathed, slightly afraid of the current confrontation. She knew she would have to tell Yang what she knew and she wasn't only afraid of Yang might do, but she was afraid of what _Weiss _would do if she found out she had told Yang.

Luckily a certain corgi saved her. Well he kinda saved her.

"Roof!" Zwei jumped up between Blake and Yang, landing in Blake lap.

"AH! DOG!" Blake had begun to gradually get used to Zwei, but now she was in trouble, so she decided to milk it and use it to her advantage.

Yang had reared back a little when Zwei suddenly appeared, giving Blake more room to move, as soon as Zwei landed in her lap, Blake made a break for it. Blake used a shadow clone to push her away from the brawler and toward the door, luckily Ruby had left it open.

"Blake no!" Yang reached for the faunas but missed her by an inch. But Yang was quick to give chase, "Come back! You WILL tell me!"

Blake was already down the hall when she heard Yang's call, she smiled to herself as she knew Yang would never catch up to her but her smile faded when she realised she was still carrying Zwei in her arms. Somehow he got caught up her brisk escape and was now gently huddled in her arms. He looked up at the faunas, tongue hanging out loosely and a happy look on his face, Zwei seemed to like where he was at the moment, even if the person carrying him smelt like a cat.

"Don't look at me like that" Blake demanded, pointing her gaze forward. Zwei barked happily and seemed to listen, turning his head to face the direction he was headed. Blake glanced once more at the corgi and had to stifle a smile that threatened to spread across her face.

* * *

Weiss had arrived early, around quarter to five. Weiss was never late and being a bit early wasn't something she was shy about, except the reason she came early this time was because she was nervous. Weiss Schnee, heiress to the SDC, was nervous.

"Stop! Just calm down" Winter tried to calm Weiss down before she left.

"Winter its not that easy"

"Well you seemed fine when you told her two nights ago" Winter stated.

"I was drunk" Weiss dead-panned.

"Fair enough"

Long story short, Winter didn't help, clearly. Weiss' sweaty palms and nervous eye movement spoke volumes of how she was feeling. Weiss peered at her data-pad for what might have been the thirtieth time that night, '4:56', it read. Weiss huffed and began to pace back and forth, what was she thinking? There's no way Ruby would get here at exactly five.

Exactly four minutes later, Ruby arrived. At five o'clock.

"Uh, hi" Ruby awkwardly approached Weiss, who was still pacing back and forth and didn't notice her approach.

They were in a restaurant strip of Vale, the number of people was slowly increasing as dinner time approached. A few people passed between Ruby and Weiss, blocking their view of each other momentarily.

"Ruby! I didn't expect you to be here..." Weiss glanced at the time, "At exactly five"

"I thought I'd try to be on time" Ruby replied, fiddling with her battle skirt.

"On time you are. Well are you hungry?"

"Of course I am! Where are we eating?"

"I was thinking maybe you might like pizza. I know this lovely place just around the corner"

"Sounds yummy!"

Weiss moved to the side and motioned for Ruby to walk with her. They walked down the road, side by side, the increasing numbers of people, walking past the pair, as if they knew not to walk in between them, even though there was enough room in between them. They walked in silence for a short while before Weiss spoke.

"How are Blake and Yang?"

"They're good. They've been spending a lot of time together, which confuses me seeing as Yang is a tease and won't leave Blake and her 'catiness', alone."

"And Zwei?"

"Oh Zwei is good too. I think Blake is getting a bit more used to him, although she still isn't very comfortable with him so close"

Weiss nodded as she listened, she wasn't sure why this felt so awkward. Ruby usually wouldn't be quite but now she was extremely quiet, speaking only when there was something to be said. Weiss glanced at Ruby as they walked, she noticed that Ruby was nervously glancing between the floor and herself, she also noticed how she kept fiddling with her hands. Looks like Ruby was nervous too.

"This is the place here" Weiss stated as they walked up to a restaurant called, 'Pizza with Geisler'.

"Who's Geisler?" Ruby asked.

"Probably the owner" Weiss answered as they stepped inside, "Table for two, Weiss Schnee" She said politely to the waiter at the front. He nodded lightly and ushered the pair along, between tables and toward one side of the restaurant. They were seated at a table for two, it was literally a table that fit only two people. There was a row of them along the wall, a few couples were already seated along them, but Ruby and Weiss sat secluded from the strangers.

They ordered quickly, Weiss knew what she wanted and Ruby ate pretty much anything on the menu so the choice wasn't hard, in fact she just had what Weiss was having. The food would take some time, sometime meaning at least fifteen minutes, more than enough time for Weiss to say what she needed to.

She watched as Ruby began to look around the restaurant, taking in her surrounding and taking quick glances at the couples and friends enjoying their own meals. Ruby brought her attention back to Weiss and immediately shifted her gaze as she realised Weiss was looking at her. She turned her head to the side and scratched the back of her head casually.

"Ruby" Weiss called.

"Yeah Weiss?"

"I think we should talk"

"Oh right, about that night"

"Yes, about that night"

Ruby nodded and took a sip from her drink, she set it down and looked directly at Weiss, _oh boy._

"I don't know how much I said exactly that night, considering the amount I had to drink, so I'll just cover everything" Weiss started, readying herself for the now sober confession.

"I know I told you I loved you, which is true. Even if I was drunk, I meant it, honestly I did." Ruby's eyes were slightly more open than usual, she was definitely paying attention, Weiss was just worried she wouldn't be scared off, or think she doesn't mean it.

"I know that it's hard to believe and that it's extremely sudden, but last night it just…. Came out. And I'm sorry it happened the way it did, I never meant to get drunk and tell you all that but I did, so now I'm trying to fix this.  
As I said, I love you and I didn't know it until recently, until we were in hospital. I realised that since I had met you I had feelings for you, feelings I didn't recognise and had hidden deep within me. When I met you, my heart was still….cold" Weiss struggled to find an appropriate word.

"So it was easy for me to ignore the warming feeling I got whenever you were near. But as the year past on and I grew closer to you and Blake and Yang, I began to change. You all warmed me, you all helped me to free my frozen heart, but it was _you_ who made the largest impact. But once it was free, you stayed. Ruby, _you_ stayed.  
Credit it to your persistence, or your adorable nature, or even your irritable ideas and action, it doesn't matter, the fact is you stayed. You stayed and saved me from freezing up again. This isn't the only reason why i feel this way. After that day, I realised that I would never be able to continue without you. You had already been so deep within my heart, that you had become a part of me, a part that I could not afford to lose. Ruby, I used to call you names, I used to hate you whenever you got us into trouble, sometimes I was jealous of you. But now, all i can say and feel, is that I love you."

There was a silence between the pair, Weiss was searching Ruby for any sort of hint to what the red head was feeling or thinking, Ruby had remained silent through the whole thing and right now her face was blank and she was just staring at the heiress.

"Ruby?"

Ruby blinked. Blinked again, after the thrid time she sniffled and released a breath she had been holding.

"Weiss I..." Ruby looked at Weiss and noticed the heiress was looking at her with anticipation.

"Weiss" Ruby tried again, "I melted your heart?"

Weiss blinked, did she just... "Ruby."

"What?"

"What do you mean what?! That isn't really important!"

"I'm sorry! I don't know what to say! Weiss I love you too, for as long as I can remember I have and in the beginning it was really hard. You kept shutting me out and pushing me away and it hurt everytime, it honestly did."

"I know Ruby, and I'm sorry and I promise I will try to make up for it. After my sister I had all these ideas, all these beliefs that to trully protect the ones I loved I had to distance myself from them and I had to harden myself, like my father. But Ozpin said some things to me and now i realise i was horribly wrong. With you by my side I will never go back to that, there's no way I can shut people out when you are with me."

"Weiss. I don't think I ever want to be away from you." Ruby finally said.

Weiss released a breath she was holding, releived she couldn't help but smile.

"That's why I made you that necklace" Ruby stated, smiling back.

Weiss peared down at her necklace and held it in her hands.

"Ruby this is beautiful by the way. I love it." Weiss stated, still smiling.

"Why wouldn't you? You love me and that is a part of me" Ruby said with a grin. Weiss' smile widened, there's that Ruby she knew and loved.

"Speaking of which, what exactly did you do to make thi-"

"FOOD!"

Weiss jumped as Ruby yelled in celebration as the waiter placed their pizzas on the table. The waiter smiled politely at Ruby and quickly left the two alone. Ruby picked up a piece and shoved it in her mouth.

"Mmmmmmmm"

Weiss rolled her eyes, yetbshe was still smiling. "Ruby don't speak with your mouth full" Weiss said, picking up a piece gracefully and taking a bite. Ruby gulped down her piece.

"I said, this is really good"

"I'm glad. Now slow down, before you choke"

"I won't-" Ruby was choking. Weiss rolled her eyes and continued to eat casually, smiling as she watched her partner cough her lungs out.

* * *

After Ruby finished gagging, they were able to finish their meal without any more health risks. Of course Weiss didn't eat every piece, but Ruby was more than happy to eat them for her. They ordered desert, Weiss regulating Ruby's order strictly, one serving of gelato was more than enough for the red head. They spoke casually, it seemed the awkwardness had left them and Ruby was back to her normal self, chatting and babbling about all the 'cool' and 'awesome' things she wanted to do and see. Weiss was more than happy to listen and laugh at her ridiculousness.

Ruby was loving this new side of Weiss, she had never seen the heiress so carefree and...happy. Maybe she really did thaw her 'frozen heart', there was no doubt she loved the heiress.

They left the restaurant around seven and decided to go for a walk before heading home. They ended up walking along a huge fountain, it was almost half the size of a football field. It was surrounded by lush trees and greenery. It was full moon and it's light glowed brightly upon the white rose couple, Weiss smiled to herself as she looked up at the giant orb in the sky, it used to make her cold, tonight it made her smile.

In Ruby style, Ruby was walking along the border of the fountain, arms out to keep her balance, although she was more than capable of keeping her balance.

"Ruby be careful, you might fall in" Weiss said, watching her partner skip and hop along the boundary.

"No I won't, why would I fall-Woah!" To her credit, that part of the cement was a little slippery, although that didn't stop Weiss yelling at her partner.

"Ruby!" The splash of water splattered lightly over Weiss, who quickly made it to the edge of the fountain in time to see Ruby emerge from the water. Seeing that her partner was safe, Weiss relaxed a little.

"Ruby, I told you to be careful"

Ruby pouted at Weiss, not entirely happy that she was slightly freezing and the person that loved her was just watching.

"Shut up and help me" Ruby stuck her hand out and Weiss smiled as she took hold of her hand. But her smile faded as Ruby held onto her hand and smiled back at her.

"Ruby don't!" SPLASH!

Ruby pulled Weiss into the water with her, she burst into laughter when Weiss let out a rather cute high pitched squeal. When Weiss emerged, Ruby was still laughing.

"Hahahaha! That was the cutest yell ever! Hahaha!" Ruby splashed about in the fountain, laughing ridiculously at the heiress who was glaring with al her might at the red head. Ruby's laughter died down as the water began to cool down significantly, so much so she began shivering, although Weiss didn't seem to mind.

"Uh Weiss, is it just me or-" Ruby stopped talking when she noticed that slight layer of frost forming around the heiress which began to spread outward and toward Ruby. Ruby noticed that Weiss was not happy, at all.

"Weiss, your taking the ice queen thing a bit far" Ruby chuckled nervously.

Weiss began to wade her way toward Ruby, slowly and with anger surging through her. "Ruby Rose!" Weiss walked straight up to Ruby, getting to with an inch of her face. Ruby looked into her eye's and could only see anger, but she noticed it quickly faded and was replaced with something softer. The ice had seemed to disappear and Ruby wasn't so cold any more. Weiss was still really close to her, yet she didn't feel like she wanted to move back and neither did Weiss.

"Weiss?" Ruby said in a much smaller voice than she was going for. Weiss gently grabbed Ruby's arms and leaned closer toward Ruby's lips. Halfway there Ruby met her, their lips pressing softly against each other. Ruby leaned into the kiss and Weiss reciprocated and it felt as everything was gone. Their wet clothes felt dry, they forgot about the pool of water they were standing in, forgot about the moon, forgot where they were. It was just Ruby and Weiss, both in love and both lost within their kiss.

It was such a beautiful moment, a moment they would never forget a moment that was spoiled by a security guard doing his rounds.

"Hey!"

Weiss broke the kiss, "Oh no!" she breathed flushing an intense red. Ruby seemed to be a little delayed, still coming back to reality after that kiss.

"Hey you two!"

Ruby came to and realised they had been caught. "Ruby what do we d-" Weiss was cut off as Ruby quickly lifted Weiss into her arms and flared her aura, energizing her semblance and shooting off far away from the fountain. By the time the guard lifted his torch up all he saw was a small cloud of petals.

Ruby and Weiss ended up in a tree, Ruby was tangled in a branch, her cape caught on some branches. Weiss was perfectly seated upon a large branch, looking at her partner swing in the wind. Ruby looked at Weiss, her cheeks as red as her cape. "Hehe" she smiled awkwardly.

Weiss said with a huge smile, "You. Are such a dunce"

* * *

**A/N: This was my first kiss, to write i mean, I had no clue what i was writing but there it is. Feel free to review.**


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: Alrighty people, now chapters till Friday, which might be Thursday for some of you. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Two days later the holidays came to an end, team RWBY prepared for the next semester to come and Weiss left home and returned to Beacon. After teaching Winter a fair bit about dust and her semblance, as well as redeeming herself against her sister in a rematch, this time dust was allowed and Weiss won buy, what she deemed, 'a mile'.

The two days after that date Ruby and Weiss spoke to each other both days. Weiss called the first day, Ruby called the second, both times were just as wonderful as each other. Even though Ruby got home fifteen minutes after Weiss pulled her out of that tree, when she did, she was already missing the heiress. Ruby knew it was ridiculous, but she didn't care, it was probably that kiss that left her missing Weiss.

In hindsight the kiss was extremely unexpected but in that moment Ruby felt as if it was the most appropriate thing to do. Ruby may have had her doubts about how Weiss felt, but when she looked into her eyes before that kiss, all doubts she had were erased immediately. Weiss' eyes were usually cold and filled with either irritation or anger, but when Ruby looked into them, under the full moon and drenched in water, all she saw was love. That was when Ruby believed that Weiss really loved her, that Weiss needed her and that _she _needed Weiss.

Ruby's way of showing Weiss she believed her was returning the kiss with as much love and passion she could manage. She didn't know how Weiss felt about the kiss, but Ruby knew it was the most amazing kiss she may ever experience.

* * *

Weiss walked into her room that night and was surprised to find her sister sitting on her bed, she seemed to have been waiting for Weiss to return.

"I see it went well" Winter said with a grin.

"Hello to you too" Winter said slyly, "may I ask how you figured that out"

"You walked in smiling"

It was true, Weiss hadn't stopped smiling since she pulled Ruby out of that tree. She noticed it, but she didn't care. She didn't care if she looked like a fool, she was just, genuinely happy. She could still smell the roses from that kiss, still tasted Ruby's sweet lips on her own.

She didn't know that she was going to kiss her, to be honest she thought she was going to scold her but when she got that close to Ruby she was just overwhelmed. It was the perfect symbol for everything she felt. She had told Ruby she melted her heart, made her feel warm and that was the perfect example. As she waded toward Ruby, drenched and enraged, she intentionally began to freeze the water, just like her heart. But when she ended up so close to Ruby, her menacing composure was shattered and the ice melted away, just as Ruby did to her heart.

Looking back on it made Weiss realise how real this actually was. How real these feelings were, how real Ruby was and how much she meant to Weiss. Weiss knew that she couldn't continue without Ruby and that meant she now had to be her snow angel.

* * *

Weiss was set to arrive the night before the first day of school, Ruby was a little more excited than Yang would have expected and she was becoming increasingly suspicious of her sister and her snow haired partner. Ruby was currently running around between their dorm, the library and the around campus gathering all her last minute items she had no doubt forgotten.

Blake was peacefully reading her book, which she hadn't done in a while, between Zwei and Yang there wasn't much 'her time'. Right now Yang was out with Nora, relishing their last night of freedom. Zwei was silently lying at her feet, the corgi had seemed to taken a liking to the faunas, Blake didn't know why, she was part cat and didn't even like the dog, or so she said. Blake wasn't that distracted by Ruby's frantic entries and exits, but what did distract her was that rather large book lying on her bed.

It was the same book Ruby had been reading for the past weeks, it was odd because Ruby didn't read much. Blake was curious to know what exactly the red head was reading, so when Ruby dashed out of her room one more time, she got up and picked up the book and flicked through it.

"Soul bound: All the secrets of Aura unlocked" She read aloud as she glanced over the cover. Blake flicked through it and came across a page that had previously been marked by her leader.

"Manifesting aura and storing it" Blake read the title of the page. "Interesting" She began to read through the contents, beginning to understand why Ruby was so interested in this book. Blake continued to read but doubled back and re-read one paragraph just to be sure. She read it aloud as if hearing herself say it would make it clearer.

"There is an ancient technique, long forgotten and hardly used in this day and age. A technique that allows one's aura to be manifested into physical form. A way to store it, or a way to share it." Blake sat down on Yang's bed, now she really understood why Ruby liked this book so much.

"Through difficult meditation and power, it is possible to form an object from aura, in ancient times the most common form was jewellery, mainly rings, necklaces or wrist bands. Things that could be worn and be available at all times. These objects, filled and made from aura can be used for a multitude of things. It can be used as a failsafe, if one's aura is depleted the charm could be used to replenish enough for a retreat. It can be used as a weapon, during the wars many realised that an object overloaded with aura would explode violently, releasing raw power and this could be used as a bomb, the only tricky part was finding someone with enough aura, the person who was selected usually died from aura deficiency.  
Another use, a rather less violent use, was to be given to others. These pieces of jewellery would be given to a person who was loved and cared for. This person would wear the aura filled jewellery and it would be as if they were walking around with that person with them, the one who the aura came from.  
The amount of aura and spirit required to form a charm such as this is so extreme, that it becomes a part of that person. The person removes a part of themselves and manifests it into the charm. This charm will protect whoever it is given to, bonding it's aura with the wearer, effectively bonding the two people in a loose manner.  
But this comes with a price, the reason why this technique was abandoned. As the charm becomes a part of the creator, harm done to the charm is reciprocated to the creator. The most dangerous part of all is if the charm is broken, with the link to the creator still attached, the creator will feel as if a part of them has been destroyed. The pain has said to be unbearable, it is written that people would rather die than feel that pain, and some do. Depending on the amount of aura and soul in the charm, depends on the harm done to the creator. Some are crippled, some die, but many of those who survive, are never the same.  
As a warning, make sure those who are given a charm know what they are being given, that they know the risks, because if they don't know and they believe it is simply a piece of jewellery, they will not protect it and the creator will feel the repercussions."

Blake finished reading and looked up from the book, this was the book Ruby had been reading. Ruby gave Weiss a necklace that she made, Blake put two and two together, "She didn't". Just then Ruby came running back in to their room.

"Blake? Hey that's my book…Uh oh" Ruby was busted.

"Ruby you didn't do what I think you did?" Blake asked carefully.

"I might have…" Ruby confessed, looking down at the carpet.

"Ruby!"

"What? What's the big deal!?"

"Ruby you could die! Did you read this whole thing!?" Blake exclaimed, waving the book at her leader.

"Yeah I did"

"Well?"

"Well what? I'll be fine. Nothing going to happen to me, Weiss is very good with her things" Ruby replied coolly.

"Ruby that necklace isn't one of 'Weiss' things', it's literally a part of YOU!"

"I know! That's why I gave it to her!"

"But she doesn't know what is!"

"Yeah she does"

"She doesn't know that if it breaks you could die! Ruby you have to tell her exactly what it is!" Blake demanded. She was yelling but she wasn't angry, she was just very concerned, very very concerned.

"No I can't!" Ruby yelled back.

"Why not!?"

"Because if I do, Weiss will give it back and she won't wear it"

"So?!"

"Then she won't be safe!"

"What do you mean?"

"I gave it to her so that if I was away from her, I could still protect her" Ruby confessed, looking directly at Blake, her silver eyes quivering slightly. Blake looked over Ruby, she realised that Ruby was genuinely afraid that the necklace was the only way to keep Weiss safe, Ruby was no doubt, in love with Weiss.

"Ruby" Blake said in a softer voice, "You have to tell Weiss"

Ruby made to argue again, except Weiss herself walked into their room.

"Tell me what?" She announced with a smile. Ruby and Blake looked at Weiss and Ruby blinked before coming to. Pushing all thoughts of that conversation out of her mind, Ruby jumped into Weiss, encasing her in a hug.

"You're back!" Ruby yelled, swaying back and forth with Weiss involuntarily swaying with her.

"Yes Ruby, I know that"

"Oh I missed you!" Ruby exclaimed, stepping back and looking at Weiss.

"Ruby it's been two days"

"I know" Ruby replied simply, continuing to look at Weiss with a goofy smile plastered across her face. Ruby and Weiss simply looked at each other for what had to be at least a full minute.

"Roof!" Zwei jumped off of Blake's bed and ran to Weiss feet, yapping and sniffing her boots, breaking the moment the pair were sharing.

"Hi Zwei!" Weiss said in a rather high pitched voice, kneeling over to pet Zwei. "How are you?"

"Roof roof!"

"I missed you too sweety!"

Ruby took the opportunity to look at Blake, who looked back at her with a rather stern expression yet with a soft look in her eyes. Her eyes seemed to plead to Ruby, 'you need to tell her'.

* * *

Ruby was running through Forever Fall. She was running so fast, faster than she had before, she needed to get somewhere, to someone. As she moved through the blurred trees, her world pulled back as she exceeded humane speeds, the deeper she went into the forest, the thicker the snow became. The ruby forest slowly became a white landscape, blanketed in Ruby's favourite gift from mother nature. But there was no time for appreciation right now.

Ruby was brought to a screeching halt, her cape had become hooked around a small branch, she paused to try and free it, but it soon became obvious she would be there too long, so she simply unclipped it and dashed away. She didn't have time to waste.

Ruby was exhausted, puffs of fog appearing rapidly as she breathed. She was pushing herself to the limit, she couldn't let this happen to her. A small clearing burst into view and there was the person she was trying to save. She moved to the person lying in the snow, the snow around her was stained red, a dark red, a ruby red.

She kneeled next to the woman, her quivering hands floated above the girl's body, unsure of what to do. Then Ruby remembered something, _the necklace! _Ruby frantically searched for a necklace underneath all the clothes. She couldn't find it.

"Where is it! Where's her necklace! I knew it! It's Blake's fault for making me tell her!" Ruby yelled, continuing to look for the necklace.

"Weiss! Weiss where is it!" Weiss of course didn't reply, she was currently bleeding out into the snow she lay on. Ruby was late, she wasn't wearing her necklace, it was gone and now Weiss was going to.

"WEISS! WEISS YOU CAN'T!" Ruby shook Weiss, willing her to wake up. The necklace could have saved her!

"WEISS I NEED YOU!" Ruby's vision blurred as tears welled up and began to flow down her cheeks. "WEISS I'M SORRY!" She yelled, her power left her and she collapsed on top of the heiress, her tears soaking into the white battle skirt. Ruby looked up from Weiss' stomach and turned to look at her face. That beautiful face, the pristine white that was all Ruby wanted in her life. She wanted Weiss to open her eyes so that she could see those icy blue eyes, wanted to see that love she saw the night they kissed. But Ruby knew she wouldn't wake up, because she failed.

Weiss was bleeding out into the snow, turning it a dark red. A ruby red, a red like roses.

"WEISS!"

Ruby shot out of her bed landing in front of Weiss before she was even aware she had woken up. Ruby moved toward Weiss' bed and gently shook the heiress, "Weiss wake up. Please" Ruby pleaded, her heart was beating frantically, Ruby had no idea what she just saw it was horrible it was the worst, it couldn't be true.

"Weiss!" Ruby tried again, shaking Weiss a bit more violently.

"Ruby what's wrong!?" Yang asked, who had woken up to see her sister shaking the heiress awake. Ruby ignored her and continued to shake Weiss.

Weiss woke up, the feeling of someone shaking her bringing her out of her slumber. She reluctantly woke up, but Ruby's terrified voice shot through her like a hot iron and Weiss spun around immediately.

"Ruby! What's wrong what is it?!" Weiss asked, the fearful look in Ruby's eyes frightening the heiress beyond imagination.

"Oh thank god!" Ruby breathed, dropping to her knees as if she could no longer stand, going in limp on top of Weiss. Ruby began to cry, the wave of fear leaving her overwhelmed and drained. She was so afraid in those few seconds, she had believed that Weiss was gone even if it was a dream, it felt so real. Now the aftermath hit her and all could was cry.

"Ruby what's wrong?" Weiss asked, her voice thick with concern. "Ruby why are you crying? Ruby you're scaring me" Ruby didn't reply, couldn't reply. All she managed to do was shake her head and wrap her arms around Weiss. Weiss looked to Yang but Yang seemed just as confused, Blake too.

Team RWBY sat in silence for a moment, only Ruby's soft sobs filled the silence. Yang was terribly worried, Weiss just the same and Blake watched her leader with a fair amount of concern. After a moment Ruby looked up from Weiss' stomach, her eye's reddened and still showing signs of fear.

"Ruby-"

"Please just, let me sleep with you" Ruby said in such a small voice it hurt Weiss to hear. Weiss glanced at Yang who was still watching but just shrugged, the blonde had no clue. Weiss looked back to Ruby, her pained expression making Weiss wince a little.

"Uh yeah, ok" Weiss nodded before shuffling over towards the wall, making room for her partner. Ruby climbed in without hesitation and immediately wrapped her arms around Weiss. Weiss wasn't expecting it and recoiled out of reflex, but it didn't matter the way Ruby was holding so tightly to her.

"Ruby what's going on?" She whispered, returning the embrace and softly rubbing Ruby's back.

"I'll tell you later, I just need to hold you. I need to feel you breathe"

Weiss had no idea what to make of that. It was quite morbid and a little frightening. What had Ruby experienced to make her so afraid. Weiss heard Ruby yell her name and it sounded as of Ruby thought she had lost her, a sound Weiss was familiar with.

Ruby nudged closer to Weiss, resting her head under the heiress. Weiss looked down at her partner and gently pressed a kiss to her head and shuffled a little to get more comfortable in the embrace before closing her eyes. Whatever it was, Weiss would be there for her.


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: I'M BAAAACK! Hello people! I'm so tired right now, righting this my vision was just a haze of sleepiness, but i done did it. It's a bit of a slow chapter, credit to my slowness right now, but yea i dunno. Trying to bridge some things and set up some other things and plan for future things. TBH I'm still learning how to write as i write this as I'm still making mistakes. Like not having a plan... But hey, who doesnt like to wing it? Anyway, here you go!**

* * *

Weiss woke the next morning with a very unfamiliar sensation. It felt like there was a weight resting on her, and something had been wrapped around her body. When she felt someone's breath softly blow against her skin she realised who it was. Ruby had fallen asleep with her and know she was holding Weiss as if she was a teddy and Ruby had just had the worst nightmare ever, to be fair she did.

When Weiss opened her eyes and looked at Ruby she had to crane her neck back a bit because of how close the red heads face was to Weiss'. The pair had tossed and turned during their sleep-Ruby much more than Weiss- and now Ruby was positioned on her side with her arm over Weiss, who was lying on her back. When Weiss was finally able to focus her tired eyes on the silver eyed girls face she noticed that Ruby was still showing a pained expression, as if that nightmare still hadn't left her as she slept. Weiss' heart went out to Ruby and she tried not to think about the things she may have seen because it must have been horrid, she had never seen Ruby so distraught before.

Weiss peered past Ruby's head and looked toward Blake. Of course the faunas was already awake, and was already looking at the heiress. Weiss made to look away, although she was fine with the situation she was in, she was still a little embarrassed by it. But before she did she noticed that Blake wasn't looking at her, she was looking at Ruby and she seemed concerned. To be honest they all were, none of them had ever seen their leader act in such a manner, never seen her so vulnerable, so afraid. She had lunged towards the claws of a death stalker without hesitation yet last night she looked as if a small nevermore's wing beat would shatter her.

Not even Yang had anything to say. She was just as confused as the rest of them and just as worried. Albeit a little more being her oldest sister. Ruby had stopped running into her bed from nightmares at around the age of five years, the passing of her mother brought a storm of sleepless nights and incomprehensible crying. But once Ruby stopped, she stopped. This was the first time in years Yang had seen Ruby run away from her bed after a nightmare and it was absolutely the first time she had gone to someone other than her. The fact that Ruby went to Weiss was very strange to Yang. She thought that at least Ruby would tell her something, but the red head went straight for the heiress without uttering a word to anyone else, even when Yang called to her she ignored her and focused on Weiss. Yang knew that there was something between them for some time, she believed they had some issues they had to sort out, she never knew they _had_ sorted them out and moved a far bit past them. By the looks of things their relationship was a thousand times better than what it was a few months ago and Yang wasn't sure how she felt about that.

"Blake, do you know what this was about?" Weiss' hushed voice brought both Blake and Yang out of their thoughts.

"What makes you say that?"

"You're staring at her"

"Oh" Blake looked at Weiss and then dropped her gaze to the rose necklace that hung around the heiress' neck. "I don't think I do" Was what Blake decided to reply with.

There was no doubt that she believed Ruby should tell Weiss about that necklace, but she was definitely not the one to tell her.

"I'm just a bit worried that's all" Blake continued using it to cover up her obvious interest in the red head.

"We all are" Yang chimed in, jumping form her bunk to land next to Blake.

"I have never seen her like that in so long. The closest she ever looked like that was when she found out her mum died. I thought I would never see her like that again, but this, this was pretty close."

"It must have been a horrible dream" Weiss whispered looking down at her partner.

"No doubt about it. She hasn't said anything to you guys has she?" Yang asked.

"About what?" Blake said lifting herself into a sitting position.

"I dunno, about anything. Maybe she's been a bit troubled lately"

Weiss looked back down at her partner and couldn't help but feel a shred of uncertainty. Was this her fault? Was she somehow the catalyst for whatever dreadful things she had seen? Weiss forced herself to push the thoughts out of her mind, she didn't want to believe them and she didn't. But if she was somehow hurting Ruby there was no way she could forgive herself.

"Weiss?"

Weiss hadn't realised that Yang was looking to her for an answer. She had spaced out and completely missed the question.

"Oh, sorry. What is it?"

"Has she said anything to you" Yang repeated.

"No, nothing that stands out"

"Come to think of it, why do you think she went to you and not me?" Yang questioned.

Blake shot her partner a look which Yang seemed to miss, Weiss felt a bit threatened, being put on the spot in a sensitive time like this wasn't exactly her comfort zone.

"I uh- uhm. I wouldn't know, she didn't tell me anything besides she wanted to sleep next to me. She said she wanted to 'hear me breath" Weiss explained, offering a bit more information to try and get herself out of the predicament.

"Yeah but why you? You haven't been exactly the warmest person around her"

Yang was right, and it hurt. Even though Weiss had already admitted to it, it didn't ease the pain that the guilt inflicted upon her every time it was brought to face her. She wished she could go back and changer herself, change the way she was to Ruby, but she couldn't and the price to pay was this guilt.

"Yang!" Blake warned. The faunas didn't disagree with the statement but she didn't condone putting Weiss on the spot like that and filling her with guilt when she was clearly making an effort to change. At least Blake knew she was.

"No no, Yang is right Blake" Weiss interjected before Yang made to argue. "I wouldn't know why she came to me Yang, I don't have a clue what she would have seen in me" Weiss continued.

To Blake and Yang the last sentence felt like it was coming from somewhere else, it was a bit too deep to be related to what Yang had asked. Then again, Yang didn't exactly ask it with a bright smile and a happy attitude.

"Well in that case, I'm sure whatever she found it wasn't in her imagination" Yang replied, moving into the bathroom. Before she closed the door she said one last thing, "Her roses don't just stick around for anybody Weiss. You mean something to her, don't disappoint"

Weiss was left to blink at the closed door for a few moments. Left to take in Yang's words which could have perhaps been a threat or a warning, either way Weiss didn't take those words lightly.

Blake moved off toward the mini kitchen to make some tea, leaving Weiss alone with the still sleeping Ruby. Weiss took another look at the red head and couldn't help but sadden when she found that the red heads face was still tight with hurt. Weiss wished that those sweet lips would curl into a smile and brighten up the room, that those silver orbs would burst open wide and gleam in the sun. But right now Ruby's lips were drawn into a straight line and her eyes were tightly shut, painting a picture of someone who had been broken on the inside.

Weiss instinctively began to lightly play with Ruby's hair, moving her fingers along the black strands that ended in that ruby red she loved so much. Weiss felt Ruby flinch at the contact, her arm tightening slightly and her breath hitched a little, but the red head quickly relaxed and eased back after feeling the lack of hostility and the presence of that cool warmness that Weiss offered the red head.

Ruby must have been extremely familiar with that sensation because not long after she groaned her name as she slowly woke up.

"Weiss?" Ruby stirred, her eye's relaxing out of their squinted state before softening and lazily opening to meet icy blue. Ruby blinked a couple of times, blinking away the haziness that waking up was known for, before realising just how close she was to the heiress.

"Weiss!" She repeated a bit more aware. She removed her arm from around Weiss and awkwardly placed it in between them on the bed. She wanted to shuffle her head back a bit, wanted to hide the slight blush that was forming around her cheeks, but Weiss' hand was still positioned behind her.

"Ruby. What happened last night?" Weiss asked softly, looking directly at Ruby.

"Last night?" Ruby was a bit confused by the question, even more confused why Weiss seemed so concerned, but she quickly remembered why she was in this bed and not her own.

"Oh, last night" Ruby breathed, dropping her gaze onto the pillow and clenching her fist. Ruby looked back up at Weiss and on the way looked at the necklace she made that was hanging around Weiss neck. _Blake. _She thought immediately, Blake told her to tell Weiss but last night Weiss was dead because she had told her. Ruby could never do it.

"Ruby you said you wanted to hear me breath. What sort of dream did you have?" Weiss continued, moving her head to regain eye contact with her partner.

"I uh, I dreamt that you were gone" Ruby explained. A very vague explanation, a true explanation, but a vague one.

"Oh." Weiss replied. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Ruby silently shook her head still avoiding eye contact.

"Hey," Weiss said softly, lifting Ruby's chin so that they made eye contact. "Listen, I made you a promise, I promised I would never leave you. I made that promise once to someone and I broke it, this time there is no way I will. Ruby I will never leave you, if someone tries to take me, I'll fight, not for me but for you, because you come first. Ruby I can't live without you."

Ruby looked at Weiss and knew that Weiss meant every word of it.

"Neither can I Weiss"

Weiss meant it all and it made Ruby happy beyond description, but the smile that spread across her lips was bitter sweet. Although Weiss meant all those things, Ruby had a feeling, a feeling that made her even more afraid about her dream. Ruby didn't know why, and it was making her very afraid but, she had a feeling that even though Weiss meant those things, she would somehow fail.

Weiss would fail and Ruby would lose her.

* * *

**A/N: Oooooh, foreshadowing everywhere! Hey quick uh, question/statement thingy. I'm getting worried that i just keep piling chapters, as in im up to chapter 33 and I know some authors have like four thousand words a chap and I'm averaging 1000. I don't know if i should make them longer or keep them this size, please suggestions please!**


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: Bit of a longer chapter. I had some trouble with this one but i got through it okay. I'm setting some things up, trying to get the ending set up, although I want to keep it going for as long as possible. I have so many things i want to put in this, like bumblebee stuff and more white rose stuff, even Blake and Zwei, but i dunno, we'll see.  
****Oh and thanks to Allen and Panda and Anon for all your reviews last chapter. It makes me happy to know I have fans that actually care.**

* * *

A few days had passed since Ruby had that nightmare and neither Weiss, Blake or Yang were convinced she was completely over it. Ruby never told any of them exactly what the dream was, the most any of them got out of her was that she 'lost Weiss'. What that meant exactly, nobody knew. It could have meant a multitude of things, but the fact that it had such an impact on their red headed leader was a lot more worrying than what the dream was.

That morning Ruby got dressed in silence, she ate breakfast in silence and sat through all her classes in silence. When they were all back in their dorm for the night Ruby remained in silence, only speaking when spoken to. It hurt the team to see their leader so out of character. They were so used to the happy, care free, beaming red head who couldn't sit still. But now all they saw was a silent, morbid girl who would rather sleep than talk with her friends.

Everyone noticed, even team JNPR were worried when they met at lunch. Lunch itself was silent, team RWBY was didn't feel very talkative as if they all felt the way Ruby did. When the team leader is down, so are the teammates.

As they days past Ruby seemed to lighten up a little. Day by day she was slowly becoming herself again, at least Blake and Yang thought so. As days passed Ruby began acting more like herself. She would leap out of her bed instead of lazily climbing down, she ran to class instead of merely walking and she was becoming more involved in class and lunch discussions. After a week it seemed that night was in the past.

Except Weiss had a different view of the situation. While Ruby was acting herself around Blake and Yang, she was definitely not herself around Weiss. It was subtle when Blake and Yang were with them, almost undetectable. But when Ruby and Weiss were alone it was obvious. Weiss would sit and wait for Ruby to suggest that they do something stupid and immature and then she would nag her and tell she was forced to agree. Weiss was waiting for the moments where she would get to spend more time with the red head, where she would be able to hold her close and feel her warmth.

Weiss would sit and remember that night in the fountain where they had their first kiss and she would close her eyes and become lost in that night. She would leave their dorm and would be back in the water with her arms around Ruby and their lips pressed against each other. But when she opened her eyes she would see nothing but Ruby Rose, leader of team RWBY, child protégé and partner to Weiss Schnee. Weiss didn't want that girl and every time she saw that girl her heart sunk a little.

Ruby was being torn in two directions. She wanted nothing more in the world then to be with Weiss, to spend every moment with her, but she couldn't. She wanted to hold her hand and lie against and fall asleep in her arms, but she couldn't. Ruby wanted to pick Weiss up, take her all the way back to Vale, throw her back into that fountain and kiss her like she did that night, but she couldn't. She couldn't do the one thing she wanted to do the most. Ruby had no interest in hunting grimm or looking for Torchwick or building more weapons, all she wanted was Weiss, but she couldn't have her.

Ruby couldn't have her because every time she got too close to the heiress, she would be shot. Shot with the most painful feeling of despair. Ruby hated herself for it, she hated why she felt it, hated why she couldn't explain it, hated why it was there and what it meant. Ruby hated herself for believing that she was going to lose Weiss. She believed it because not believing it made it worse. Ruby tried to tell herself that it was a lie, that the dream she had was nothing but a dream but whenever she did the feeling stayed. It didn't leave it stayed and continued to haunt her and that was when doubt began to work its way through her and grow. Grow and grow until she felt that she had no other choice but to believe it. It got to the point where she began to justify her belief in it, she reassured herself that if she believed it she could work to try and stop it, try and keep Weiss with her. But right now all she was doing was moving further away from the heiress.

It was very bad start to their relationship, right after their first kiss Ruby had effectively shunned her partner, moving away from Weiss without explaining herself. There was one good thing in all this, Ruby knew that Weiss didn't hate her, she knew that the heiress wasn't angry with her and however she did know that Weiss was very worried and was becoming increasingly frustrated. Sometimes when they were all asleep and Ruby was awake, she would focus and concentrate on her aura and eventually she would reconnect with the part of her that was Weiss' necklace. Ruby would use that connection to feel what Weiss was feeling, it was almost an invasion of privacy but it was the only way Ruby could see how Weiss was doing. She found out that Weiss still loved her, that she still cared and she found out that Weiss was worried. It hurt Ruby to realise that she was making Weiss frustrated, Weiss wanted to be with Ruby just as much as she wanted to be with Weiss, and Ruby was depriving her of that and it was making Weiss upset.

Connected with Weiss like that served to remind Ruby just what started all of this. Blake had warned her, almost begged her to tell Weiss about the necklace and there wasn't a day that past that Ruby saw Blake look at her and remind her that she still wanted her to tell Weiss.

* * *

Elsewhere 

"Stupid idiot, couldn't even two girls!"

"Calm down, it isn't that big of a deal"

"I know, I'm just annoyed that I had to spend all that money"

"It really wasn't your money"

"Oh shut up!"

"Now now, there's no reason to fret" A third voice entered. A women, a women in charge by the sound of things.

"Ah, it's you. Where've you been?"

"Out" the women said simply to the older man. "It seems that your plan has failed. Oh well, it was only a matter of time before we got involved." She said coolly.

"What do you mean? You want us to go ourselves?"

"Well who better to get the job done than us. Your little failure didn't come without reward. It seems the little girl and the heiress are closer than just teammates, we can use this to our advantage. If we take the girl, the rest will follow and maybe do something reckless"

* * *

Beacon

Weiss was brimming on the edge of giving up. Giving up on waiting for Ruby. It had been three weeks and Ruby was still acting the same. Weiss thought that in time Ruby would come around, that she would pull herself out of whatever hole she was in and come back to her. But she never did, she stayed perched far on the horizon, remaining as a speck, far away from Weiss.

There were times when Weiss felt like Ruby was right next to her, as if she was in bed with her as she slept, but she knew they were just dreams. The closest she had to Ruby was the necklace she gave her which she had yet to take off since she got it. The only time she did take it off was to hold it in her hand and bring it closer to her heart, hoping that something, anything would come out of the action. Nothing.

Weiss didn't want to say anything for a while, she believed that it was only fair seeing as she treated Ruby just the same not so long ago. But moving into the third week of living with Ruby Rose her leader, and not Ruby Rose her partner, Weiss was finding it harder and harder not to say anything. It wasn't long before she snapped.

Weiss walked into their dorm after a history class, it was her last class for the day and she was sure Ruby was finished as well. Surely enough Ruby was the only one in the room when she stepped in, Blake and Yang still had one last class to go. Weiss stepped in and looked at Ruby, Ruby looked up form whatever book she was reading, simply acknowledging the heiress' presence before returning to the book. Weiss frowned and nearly stomped into the room. She dumped her books onto her bed before briskly moving into the bathroom. Before she closed the door she looked at Ruby one last time, who didn't as much look away from her book let alone at Weiss. Weiss groaned, rolled her eyes and then slammed the bathroom door shut. Ruby winced after the door was closed.

Shortly after Ruby heard the toilet flush, Weiss swung the door open and stomped toward her. Ruby looked up from her book and raised an eyebrow at the heiress.

"Oh so now you look at me" Weiss snapped.

"Uh what?"

"Don't 'what' me! You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

"Weiss why are you so-"

"Angry? Oh I don't know, maybe because I can't stand this anymore. I can't take not hearing your voice when it's just you and me. I can't stand how distant you feel when you are sleeping right above me!"

"Weiss I-"

"Ruby I tried to give you time. I tried to let you ignore me, let myself feel the way you felt when I was treated you like nothing. But screw it all I can't take it anymore! Can you get down from there?"

"Wh-what?" Ruby stuttered. The red head was suddenly on the spot a spot she hadn't seen coming.

"Get off that bed so I don't have to keep looking up at you" Weiss managed to explain with an even voice, as soon as she started yelling it felt as if all those weeks worth of anger and frustration were boiling to the surface. Ruby carefully jumped down from her bed, landing in front of Weiss and realising just how angry she was. She didn't need the necklace to tell her how the heiress felt, she could see it as plain as day.

"Ruby what in the world is going on with you?"

"What do you mean? Nothing is going on"

"Ruby don't you dare give me that! We haven't spoken in weeks!"

"Yes we have"

"I don't mean like that and you know it. You haven't said anything about that night haven't said anything about _us. _Ever since that nightmare all you've been doing is keeping your distance."

"Well now you know how I feel!"

"Ruby don't try and turn this around. Do you know how hard these past weeks have been for me? You've become so distant it's getting hard to even see you. I just wanted to speak to you, but as soon as I came near you moved away. Ruby you need to tell me what is bothering you before I lose you."

"Nothing's bothering me"

"Ruby!"

"Weiss I'm sorry. I can't" Ruby turned and headed for the door. She had to get away, had to retreat and gather her thoughts, she was losing her composure. She couldn't let Weiss know.

"No." Weiss grabbed her arm and held her firmly. "Don't you dare try and run. That's what I used to with my sister and look how it turned out"

"This is nothing like that" Ruby explained.

"This is _exactly _like that. Ruby don't try and persuade me that the similarities I'm seeing are wrong, I know what I'm seeing now please, please tell me what is going on"

Ruby could see just how much Weiss wanted to know. Ruby could see how those blue eyes wavered and searched for her, how Weiss' voice was nearly trembling. Ruby's felt a twang of guilt, this was her fault, she knew Weiss was right what she didn't realise was how much Weiss was being affected. Ruby turned around to face Weiss, letting go of the door handle Weiss let go of Ruby's hand, although she wanted nothing more than to hold onto her.

"Weiss I'm sorry"

"It's okay your forgiven, just tell me why this is happening"

Ruby nodded and moved to sit on the bed, Weiss followed and sat in front of her. She sat and waited for Ruby to start.

There was short silence before Ruby took a deep breath and started.

"Remember my dream, how I said you were…. Gone?"

"Yes I do remember that quite clearly"

"Well, I keep having this feeling that somehow I am going to lose you"

"Ruby I told you I'm not going anywhere"

"Weiss I know what you said and I try to believe it, but every time I do I just get filled with doubt and dark feelings that it scares the hell out of me. I don't know why and I hate it but I really do feel like something is going to happen to you"

Weiss was a little speechless. She didn't really know what to say if Ruby really did think something was going to happen to her. It did scare Weiss a little, the thought that her partner believed something would separate them wasn't a nice one. But right now this was about Ruby so Weiss pushed her fear to the side and focused on her partner.

"Ruby how can you be sure?"

"I don't know. I just feel it, trust me I don't like it, I hate it I really do. But it won't go away."

"But why have you been pushing yourself away from me?"

"Because when I tried to get close I was just reminded that I was going to lose you and it hurt so much"

"But you don't know if you will"

"So why do I feel it!?"

"I don't know Ruby. Maybe the dream had a big impact on you. It's impossible for you to just 'feel' that you're going to lose me, don't be ridiculous."

"But Weiss it scares me" Ruby said in a small voice, the one that made Weiss wince whenever she heard it.

"I know it does Ruby" Weiss moved closer to Ruby and pulled her into a hug. Oh it felt so good to have her so close, both of them relished the embrace. Ruby even felt a bit better, she nearly collapsed into Weiss, she didn't realise how much she missed the heiress.

"I was so afraid every moment of every day when Winter was around me. It was such an irrational fear, it was one that ruined our relationship, it ruined_me_. Ruby, please don't make the same mistake I did, don't live your life in fear over something you can't prove. I won't let you. I can't let you. It's a horrible way to live, it brings nothing but pain"

Weiss felt Ruby nod in her arms, she relaxed her hold and let Ruby move back a little to look at her.

"Weiss I'm sorry"

"It's okay Ruby. Just tell me you're at least a bit better."

Weiss got an even better answer.

"Do you feel like ice cream?"

* * *

**A/N: Guys let me tell you, that last line, I'm the author and I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when Ruby asked that. Imagine how relived Weiss would be, it's been weeks since she did something with Ruby. Aw man! I dunno i just got a little into it.  
Review?**


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: Alright guy's so here's the deal. You know how it's been a chapter everyday for a while now, well school has started, year 12, HSC course, dunno what it is overseas but it's pretty big. So updates may slow down to like three a week or even less. I'll try to keep it at one a week, if I don't I'm sorry. Enjoy!**

* * *

"No Ruby"

"C'mon Weiss"

"Ruby I don't want to"

"Why not? It's just a little bit. Just taste it!"

"Ruby I'm fine with my own ice cream"

"Yeah but what about this one! Try something new! Here."

Ruby took a scoop out of her own bowl with her spoon and moved it toward Weiss' mouth.

"Ruby. I don't. Want." Weiss dodged and ducked her head away from Ruby's spoon, catching a glimpse of Ruby's smile behind the piece of cutlery.

"Weiss! Eat it!" Ruby said sternly. Shoving the spoon right in her face.

"Ruby Rose I swe-MMMMM Gah! Ruby!"

"Great! Now, do you like it?"

Weiss' mouth was abruptly filled with ice cream, ice cream comprising of at least six different flavours. Weiss lost count after caramel and cookies and cream. Ruby's choice in ice cream was rather… unique. Where Weiss was happy with two flavours, Ruby had settled for a multitude of different sweet dairy, all of which she wanted Weiss to taste, all at the same time.

Right now, Weiss had no other choice than to taste Ruby's desert, Ruby had so ungraciously shoved her spoon into Weiss' mouth, a bout of déjà vu accompanied the familiar feeling, taking Weiss back to Forever Fall with a certain orange haired hammer user.

"Well?"

Weiss glared at her partner sitting across from her, waiting patiently for an answer. Still glaring, Weiss swallowed her ice cream and formulated a response.

"It was….okay"

"Okay?! Oh c'mon, give me something more than 'okay'" Ruby exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air.

"Well there were a lot of different flavours, but it did flow very well" Weiss explained.

"So you liked it?"

"Yes Ruby it was nice"

"Good. Now excuse me, I need to use the bathroom." Ruby excused herself and got up and made her way to the bathroom, behind where they were seated. Leaving Weiss alone with two bowls of ice cream. Weiss looked down at Ruby's bowl, still half full, Weiss smacked her lips together quietly, she really did enjoy that ice cream, a lot.

She may have thought it was a bit strange but when she tasted it her mouth buzzed and tingled with joy. Whatever Ruby ordered was delicious, but Weiss would never admit it. Weiss peered over her shoulder, looking for Ruby and not finding her she turned back to Ruby's bowl. Weiss quickly picked up her spoon and took a scoop from Ruby's bowl and quickly shoved it in her mouth. _Oh that's really good_.

"AH HA!"

"AH! Ruby!" Weiss almost flew out of her seat, Ruby suddenly appeared right next to her looking very proud that she had scared the living day light out of her partner. "What in the world are you trying to do?!" Weiss asked, her voice a little higher than usual, a light blush flowing across her cheeks.

"I knew you liked it!"

"I told you I did!"

"Yeah but you like like it. Like a lot"

"Yeah so?" Weiss asked, turning her head to the side.

"So, you should have just admitted it"

"Please"

"Don't, 'please' me." Ruby teased, taking her seat and taking another spoon from her bowl. "Here" Ruby offered it to Weiss.

"No thankyou" Weiss said politely, still looking out the window.

"What!? Weiss just have it!"

"No" Weiss repeated sternly.

"Urgh!" Ruby rolled her eyes and leaned over the table, getting close to Weiss. "Why are you so difficult?"

Weiss was about to reply but quickly shut her mouth when she saw the spoon so close. But Ruby didn't give up, waving and weaving the spoon aiming for those sweet thin lips. Ruby stuck her tongue out to the side in concentration, ignoring Weiss' moaned 'no's' through her sealed lips. Ruby got a little to close and Weiss swung her head to the side and smacked the side of her face against Ruby's spoon.

Ruby quickly jerked the spoon back but the damage was already done. She blinked at her partner, before snickering and then bursting into laughter.

"BAHAHAHA! Weiss I'm so sorry! HAHAHA!"

There was a thick line running across Weiss cheek, a thick line of ice cream. Weiss stared at Ruby, her face void of emotion. Weiss silently grabbed a napkin, and slowly wiped the ice cream off of her cheek, never taking her eyes of the giggling red head in front of her. Once she had wiped the ice cream off her face Weiss silently got up and moved to sit next to Ruby.

"Uh Weiss?" Ruby's giggling died down, the look in Weiss' eyes one she saw not too often. It was the look that usually signified that she was about to do something, something worthy of revenge.

"Weiss it _was _an accident" Ruby tried.

But Weiss ignored her and just leaned in closer to Ruby, much closer. Weiss got within an inch of Ruby's face, staring into her silver eyes. It was a lot like that time in the fountain, but unlike that night, this time Ruby didn't see Weiss' eyes change, they stayed just as cool and deadly as ever.

Ruby shuffled back in her seat but quickly bumped into the wall behind her. Ruby began to feel very cornered and very small and Weiss' close proximity was making her feel a bit hot.

"We-Weiss?"

Just before their lips touched Weiss grabbed her napkin and wiped it all over Ruby's mouth and nose.

"Argh!" Ruby squealed, thrashing her head in an attempt to get away from the napkin. "Weiss!"

Weiss showed no mercy, continuing to smother her partner until she thought no more would come off the napkin. Once she finished she pulled back to take a look at her handy-work. Ruby was pressed up against the wall, one hand on the table, the other against the booth, breathing heavily and looking dumbfounded.

Ruby blinked at Weiss, no words making it to her mouth. Weiss on the other hand looked at Ruby, took in the mess of smudged ice cream and burst into her own fit of laughter. It started off as a small smile, then Weiss giggled a little brining a hand up to her mouth, before she just exploded.

"HAHA! You look utterly ridiculous! Dunce doesn't cut it anymore!"

Ruby watched as Weiss laughed at her, she blinked taking in what just happened. One second she was cornered with the person she loved looming over her, which felt rather…odd. The next she had a face full of ice cream covered napkin. Although the sight of Weiss laughing and smiling in front of her made her extremely happy, she was too dumbfounded to say anything. Ruby searched for a napkin to clean herself before Weiss beat her to it.

"Here let me" Weiss offered, still broadcasting her enjoyment with a huge smile. Weiss took the napkin and began wiping away the ice cream off her partners face. Ruby sat in silence as Weiss affectionately wiped her clean, watching as the heiress' face contorted softly. Weiss pulled back, looking over Ruby one last time.

"Oh, I missed a spot" But instead of using a napkin, Weiss gently wiped her thumb over the spot near Ruby's lips where the small spot of ice cream sat. It was a simple action, but it still made Ruby gulp awkwardly.

Weiss looked over her thumb before shrugging and popping it in her mouth. "You're right, this really is good" Weiss admitted laughing.

Ruby cleared her throat and re-positioned herself in the booth, willing her heart to slow down and hoping Weiss wouldn't notice the blush spreading across her cheeks. "I told you it was" Ruby said in a small voice.

Ruby looked down at Weiss' necklace and noticed it was glowing ever so slightly. _Uh oh. Damn it Weiss why did you have to do that!_ Ruby hoped Weiss wouldn't look down and notice the necklace glow, or feel the aura that was undoubtedly flaring from it, Ruby didn't really have good control over senses at the moment, for some reason she was feeling rather flushed.

"Ruby are you okay?" Weiss asked, snapping Ruby back to the present.

"Uh-yeah yeah I'm fine"

"You look really red, I mean more than you usually do"

"I wasn't expecting that to be honest" Ruby admitted.

"Good. Nothing good comes out of being predictable" Weiss stated smiling.

Ruby nodded and looked at Weiss, who had taken her bowl back and was finishing off her ice cream. Ruby noticed that there was still a tiny bit of ice cream resting on the edge of Weiss mouth. Weiss didn't seem to notice but Ruby did and for some reason it was really bugging her. So Ruby quickly moved toward Weiss and kissed the spot near Weiss' lips, wiping it away with her lips.

"Sorry, you had a bit if uh- ice cream left over" Ruby stuttered, nervously glancing between Weiss and the table.

"Well thankyou" Weiss said after a short silence.

A peaceful silence followed after, Ruby and Weiss both finishing their deserts. Weiss didn't show it but Ruby's little kiss made her heart jump and left her a little flushed, of course it was only fair after what she did to Ruby. But Weiss still had one trick up her sleeve.

"Do you wanna try my ice cream?" Weiss asked casually.

Ruby looked at Weiss bowl and realised it was empty. "Weiss you already ate it al-" Ruby trailed off when she looked at Weiss.

Weiss had smudged the last bit of ice cream around her mouth and was now grinning widely at Ruby, who was just staring back.

"Well?" Weiss asked with a giggle.

Ruby completely ignored what Weiss was implying, instead the red head opted to burst into laughter and slam her hands against the table.

"Weiss, you could me ridiculous! You look stupid! HAHAHA!"

Weiss simply held her smile before gently placing her hand on Ruby's shoulder and brining her own cream covered lips to rest against Ruby's. Ruby recoiled a little, the feeling of the ice cream making it a bit odd, before she got past it and felt Weiss' lips. Ruby was instantly flooded with that coolness that did nothing but warm her heart and make her feel tingly inside.

It felt like an eternity, but it was merely a few seconds. A few seconds was all they needed. Weiss broke the kiss and before Ruby could make any comment the heiress was rubbing the rest of the ice cream around Ruby's face…again.

"Weieeeeeeeeeeeess!"

* * *

RWBY Dorm

"So those two went out for ice cream?"

"That's what it looks like"

"Do you think Ruby got over whatever that was?"

"Looks like it"

"Blake do you ever say more than what's necessary"

"Doesn't look like it"

Blake grinned when she heard Yang grumble and drop onto Weiss' bed. But her grin faded when Zwei came running toward her. The corgi barked before jumping onto the faunas' legs. Blake flinched, but didn't make too much of a fuss. Her body stiffened as Zwei ran along her outstretched legs and sat on her bare stomach, his tail wagging over her skin, tickling her slightly.

Blake lowered her book to look at the dog.

"Can I help you?" Blake asked.

Zwei cocked his head to one side, his tongue hanging loosely to the side.

"Roof!" Zwei jumped over Blake's book and onto her chest, standing on his hind legs to affectionately lick Blakes chin. Blake immediately jerked her head back, bumping it against the wall loudly before she dived out of her bed. She landed on the floor, just near Yang's feet, who was watching this all with interest. Zwei landed next to Blake and moved to get back to her.

Blake shuffled back and thumped against the door, she looked at Zwei and saw that he wasn't giving up. Just before he jumped onto her, Blake summoned a clone and leaped over him. Zwei jumped into the arms of a projection, he was confused for a moment before sniffing the air and turning to find Blake behind him.

"Roof!"

"Zwei no!" Blake tried.

"Roof roof!"

"Yang tell him!" Yang smiled and shrugged.

"Sorry babe, this is too funny."

"Don't call me- Zwei!"

Blake jumped up onto the table, crouching low, ready to leap away.

"Roof!"

Zwei plodded up to the desk, jumping and leaning against it on his hind legs. He cocked his head to the side and whimpered softly.

Blake looked down at Zwei and couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Zwei looked saddened, as if he just wanted to hang out and she kept running from him. Actually, that's exactly how it was. Zwei pawed the desk and whimpered one last time. Yang watched and raised an eyebrow, surprised by what Blake did next.

Blake sighed and rolled her eyes. "Look." She looked at Zwei, "No, licking. Okay? It's not gonna work"

"Roof!"

That was as close of an answer Blake was gonna get. Blake, slowly climbed down from the table, carefully watching Zwei. When he didn't make a move to lick her up and down she jumped down. Zwei happily followed Blake as she walked back to her bed, she sat down and Zwei jumped up and sat next to her. Blake looked at him once more before picking up her book and returning to reading. Zwei watched her momentarily before resting his head on her stomach and settling down. Blake tensed at the touch but quickly relaxed.

"Wow" Yang breathed.

"What?" Blake asked, lowering her book for the second time.

"I just didn't know that you two were so close"

"We aren't _close. _He's a dog"

"And you're a cat"

"I'm not a cat! I'm a faunas!"

"With cat traits"

"Yes Yang with cat traits! Where are you going with this?"

"Nowhere, I just think it's kinda cute. He seems to really like you"

"No we just have a mutual understanding"

"Is that why you let him sleep in your lap and not me?" Yang teased.

"Yang!"

Yang simply held her arms up in defence.

"That's not true, we both know you've fallen asleep on me before"

"Long trips don't count" Yang stated.

Blake groaned and rolled her eyes, "What do you want? Do want to sleep on me? Come, do it right now"

"No I don't want it to be forced"

Blake glared at her partner. "I like Zwei better than you"

Yang brought her hand up to her chest, "Oh, I'm hurt"

"Good" Blake returned to her book, sharply opening the book.

"Does he know?" Yang asked.

"Know what?"

"That you're a cat faunas"

"Who Zwei? I think he does, he's not stupid"

"Not stupid huh" Yang repeated, thinking over the words. "Zwei, come here"

Zwei's ears perked at the call, before he got up and plodded toward the blonde. Yang picked him and began whispering in his ears. Blake couldn't help but be curious, curiosity did kill the cat. When Yang was done, she motioned for Zwei to move off back toward Blake. Blake watched as he made his way over to her, jumping back onto her stomach.

But this time he made his way up her abdomen, crawled under her book and stepped up onto her chest, causing Blake to blush a little, and brought his face right up to Blake's.

"Zwei?"

Zwei had his front legs on either side of her neck, his hind legs were positioned on her chest, something only Yang could have thought of.

"Yang what did you tell hi- ARGH!"

Zwei suddenly began licking all over her face, Blake thrashed her head to the side, she threw her book to side and actually grabbed Zwei and held him back. He barked at her and she stood up from her bed.

"Yang what the hell!"

But Yang was laughing so hard she barely heard Blake. Yang's face was red from the ragged breathing back she couldn't help herself.

"Yang!" Blake tried again, Zwei watching, still in Blake's hands.

Yang continued to roll around on Weiss' bed, thumping her fist into the mattress, cackling loudly and obnoxiously.

"That's it" Blake breathed, she gently put Zwei to the side and cracked her knuckles. "You stupid blonde"

Yang never saw it coming, she was to be busy replaying Blake's reaction over and over in her mind to notice Blake stalk toward her. Blake paused at the edge of the bed, watching her partner momentarily before pouncing. Blake literally jumped onto Yang, grabbing her arms and pinning her to the bed.

"Woah, hello there" Yang grinned, still getting over her fit.

"You don't understand how much I hate you" Blake glared down at Yang, her aura flaring slightly.

"Oh c'mon, I know you love me" Yang teased.

"Far from it" Blake growled, tightening her grip on Yang's wrists.

"Well, before we get into this, I don't like being on the bottom"

Before Blake could process what Yang said, what it meant and what it implied, Yang had broken free and somehow flipped Blake over so now she was pinned onto the bed.

"Ah, that's better" Yang said, her golden hair spilling over the sides of her head and plunging Blake and Yang into a dim light.

Blake attempted to break free, but to no avail.

"Blake did you forget how strong I am?"

Blake just growled at the blonde.

"Don't be so catty" Yang replied, smiling at her pun.

Blake blinked at Yang before resting her head on Weiss' pillow, "I hate you so much" she breathed.

"You're my partner you can't hate me" Yang stated.

There was a silence as Yang smiled at Blake and Blake continued to glare back.

"Blake stop looking at me like that" Yang said in a much softer voice.

Blake noticed that Yang's grip relaxed a little and her eyes weren't so sharp.

"Why not?"

"You don't smile enough. You know how beautiful you look when you smile?"

"S-sorry?"

"What's it going to take to make you smile?" Yang thought. Her eyes landed on the bow that wrapped around Blake's cat ears. Yang's smile retunred when she came up with a plan.

But she needed to move her hands and she knew the second she did Blake would use a clone to move her away. So Yang simply, dropped her body onto Blake's.

"Oof! Yang get off"

"One second Blakey" Yang called back.

Yang was a big girl, she wasn't fat, far from it. There were multiple time Blake had seen Yang walking around in a sports bra and shorts, she was toned as hell. Although they all were, but Yang had just a bit more muscle than the rest of them. Something Blake duly took note of.

Blake felt Yang's hands fiddling with her bow, and instantly became worried. "Yang! Don't!"

"Sorry Blake, I need to see that smile" Yang grabbed hold of the bow and yanked on it, pulling it free from the cat ears.

"Aww they're so cute"

"Yang!" Blake squirmed under Yang's body, using her arms to grab at Yang's. Blake grabbed her hand before Yang could touch her ears.

"Blake let go"

"No way!"

Yang groaned, the things she did. Yang jostled her body forward, lifting herself further up Blake's body. Soon Blake found herself staring straight into Yang's….bosom. Blake's eyes went wide and she blushed horribly, Yang used it to rip her hands free and grab her airs.

"Yang!" Blake yelled.

Yang quickly ruffled Blake's ears. Blake instantly went limp, she tried to fight it but she found herself leaning into the touch. Yang leaned back to see Blake with her eyes closed and a look of pleasure splashed across her face. Yang watched as her faunas partner seemed to go into another world and Yang couldn't help but wonder if anyone had ever done this before. It was then that Yang moved her hand away. Blake slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Yang, all previous anger gone from those amber eyes.

"I uh- I'm sorry" Yang said quietly, moving off of Blake. "I shouldn't have done that"

"No it's okay. It's been awhile since I felt like that, it was nice." Blake replied.

"You looked really peaceful" Yang stated.

"It makes me feel safe. Violent people aren't very capable of being that affectionate" Blake explained.

Yang nodded, understanding what Blake was saying.

"Then again, you always make me feel safe" Blake stated.

Yang looked over at Blake who was looking back at her.

"Why's that?"

"Dunno, you just feel warm."

Yang climbed off the bed and moved to Blake's. "What?" Blake asked.

"Well we should probably not be intimate on Weiss' bed" Yang stated.

Blake's eyes widened with realisation before she jumped up and stood near her own bed.

"Do you really think Ruby and Weiss have a chance?" Yang asked.

Blake looked at Yang and saw the care in those lilac orbs.

"They'll be fine. Weiss will never let anything happen to Ruby."

"And Ruby won't let anything happen to Weiss" Yang countered.

"They'll be fine Yang" Blake reassured, sitting next to Yang.

Yang sat in silence for a moment before she glanced up at Blakes, now bare cat ears which were standing straight up and looking so adorable. Blake sighed when she noticed Yang's gaze.

"Go ahead" Blake said softly, tilting her head toward Yang.

Yang hesitantly reached for the ears, stopping just before touching them. When Blake nudged forward, motioning for Yang to continue, Yang gently ruffled her ears and the hair between them. Immediately Blake relaxed, leaning closer to Yang. A low purr rumbled from Blake's throat, Yang heard it but ignored it, focusing on Blake.

Yang instinctively brought Blake closer, wrapping her free arm around her and pulling her in close. Blake returned the embrace, resting her head against Yang's shoulder. The pair fell back and laid down on Blake's bed. Blake moved to rest her head in the crook of Yang's neck.

Blake closed her eyes and let herself be moved from that place and glide to somewhere peaceful. A place where she knew she was safe, where she knew the white fang and their enemies would never enter. A place with Yang.

"Yang I'm glad you're here, with me I mean"

"I'm glad you let me be here, with you I mean"


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: A short chapter, soz. Some filler coming up, I kinda wanna do something fun for now, I mean something less dramatic and like, 'DUN DUN DUNNNNN' if you know what i mean. Hope you enjoy, and I hope I'll speak to you guys tomorrow.**

* * *

Ruby and Weiss walked back into their dorm to find Blake and Yang asleep on Blake's bed. Even Zwei had joined them and was sleeping on Yang's stomach leaning back against Blake, who was on her side and huddling against Yang. They both looked very happy and at peace, especially Blake.

It was a little strange to both Ruby and Weiss that the faunas didn't wake up as soon as they walked in, or even when they turned the handle. It became obvious that the faunas was having a much more peaceful sleep than usual when Blake still failed to wake up as the white rose pair got ready for bed. Every creak or groan from a door or a bed spring was accompanied by a glance over at Blake, but each time she didn't wake.

It seemed that her habit of waking at the slightest of noise had been broken, or maybe it was the fact that she had her arms wrapped around Yang, at least for Ruby she would say that was the reason. Yang had this habit of making people relax and feel safe, even if she wasn't really trying. Blake's curved lips seemed to answer the question.

Zwei on the other hand didn't share the same experience. His ears promptly sat up as Ruby and Weiss stepped in. Ruby had to bring a finger to her lips and quietly hush the corgi before he made to bark, a 'sit' gesture helped to make sure he didn't jump off of her sister and wake her up. So Zwei quietly sat back down and rested his head against his paws, watching as his owner and her friend moved around the room and got changed.

Weiss noticed that Ruby kept peering over at her sister and Blake, seemingly a little confused by it.

"Do you think they're okay?" Ruby asked innocently. Weiss really couldn't believe how thick her partner was.

"What?" Ruby asked after noticing Weiss was staring at her and blinking. "What is it?" She whispered.

"Ruby are you serious?" Weiss hissed.

"Serious about what?"

"Can't you see?" Weiss pointed at the sleeping pair, who still hadn't moved since they arrived.

"See what?"

Weiss groaned and turned to pinch the bridge of noes, eyes closed and mumbling to herself. "I've actually fallen in love with a dolt. An actual dolt"

"I can hear you Weiss" Ruby dead panned.

"Ruby pleased don't tell me you are actually blind to what is literally right in front of you"

Ruby looked at her partner, thinking over her words, there was something she was missing, something right in front of her. _Blake and Yang? Yeah what about them, they're just sleeping together….._

"Huuuu" Ruby inhaled sharply as she realised what was going on. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth and used her free hand to point at her sister and Blake. She turned to Weiss and waved her finger at the pair, eye's wide and in slight disbelief.

"Ruby did you seriously not realise that they were a thing?" Weiss asked, resting her hand on her hip and sticking it out to one side.

"I thought they were just going out for fun, like normal friends, like Ren and Nora."

Weiss was about to tell Ruby to re-think the part about Ren and Nora but thought one realisation was enough for one night.

"Well I guess they were, but they clearly are more than friends" Weiss stated, walking to Ruby's side and looking at her teammates.

Ruby dropped onto Weiss' bed taking it all in. Even Zwei seemed to think she was a bit of an idiot, shooting her a crooked look before going back to sleep.

"Well this is just…."

"Awkward?" Weiss filled in.

"No, it's actually kinda cute."

Weiss blinked, "What?"

"C'mon Weiss! Tell me they aren't cute together"

Weiss looked at her partner, befuddled. Then again it was Ruby and only Ruby _would_ say something like that in a moment like this.

"Well I guess they are slightly adorable" Weiss admitted looking back to Blake and Yang.

"Do you think they'll be angry that we are kinda just staring at them?"

"What makes you say that?"

"I think Blake is waking up"

Weiss immediately shot up, grabbing Ruby and practically throwing her up on to her bunk.

"Woah!"

"Shh!" Weiss hissed back, diving under her own sheets, quickly turning over and feigning sleep.

"Weiss?" Blake said drowsily, pushing herself up and rubbing her head, it had been a long time since she slept like that, it felt….good. Yang soon followed, yawing boisterously and stretching out before looking over at Weiss.

Weiss turned over in her bed and looked at the pair. "What is it?"

"What were you doing?" Blake asked, her eye's still showing signs of a good rest.

"Nothing, we weren't doing anything"

"We?" Yang chipped in, quickly looking up to find her sister looking down at them. "Ruby?"

Ruby ducked back under her sheets, running from her sister's gaze.

"Seriously what were you two doing?" Blake pressed.

Before Weiss answered she paused as she smelt something on her pillow, something familiar. It smelt like lilacs, like lilac shampoo, like Yang's shampoo, like Yang's hair. Weiss shot Yang a look before sitting up and grabbing her pillow to look at it.

"Weiss?" Yang queried.

Then Weiss found something, a tiny lock of black fur, not hair, fur. Weiss picked it up and slowly turned to the bumblebee pair, who quickly exchanged glances.

"What were _you two _doing? Specifically on _my _bed!" Weiss asked slowly.

"Uh oh" Yang breathed softly.

"Nothing!" Blake spurted. "We were doing nothing on your bed!"

"Clearly you were. I have your fur on my pillow and Yang's smell all over my bed, what did you two do while we were away?"

"Nothing!"

"Hold on Blake." Yang interrupted coolly. She turned to Weiss and looked at her with squinted eyes. "Why, what do you _think _we were doing?" Yang asked.

"I have no idea, that's why I'm asking. I don't appreciate you two rolling around on my bed while I'm out, it's slightly disturbing"

"What are you suggesting?"

"Yang I'm not suggesting a thing!"

"Sounds like you are"

"Am not!"

"Am too"

"Am not!"

"Am-"

"Guys!" Ruby stepped in, "Yang, stop being perverted, Weiss next time just drop it, Yang can keep it up for hours. Blake…." Ruby paused, thinking of something to say to the faunas. "Be nice to my sister"

As soon as she said it Ruby was under her sheets and facing the wall, hiding the blush that was furiously spreading across her cheeks. They were a cute couple, but it was still her big sister.

Blake looked to Yang who offered her a shrug and a warm smile before getting up to change into pyjamas. Blake turned to Weiss, but the heiress just glared at her and threw the tuff of fur at her, before she roughly slammed the pillow back onto her bed and went to sleep. Blake groaned and fell back onto her own pillow. She felt a small weight trod up to her and she turned her head to see Zwei standing next to her. He had this look on his face and Blake could swear he was telling her to do what Ruby said, 'look after her cat' he seemed to say. Then he yapped happily and jumped off her bed to sleep on the floor between them all.

"Even the dog" She mumbled.

"Even the dog" Yang repeated, winking at Blake before climbing into her bed.

Blake was going to call Yang back, but looked to Ruby and Weiss and thought otherwise. One excellent sleep was enough for now. Blake would have more opportunities, she would make sure of it.

* * *

"Welcome back students. It' been a while since we last met like this, I hope you've all been well and keeping yourselves in shape. I hope you have because today we will be sparring, it's been a while since we last had the opportunity and I'm curious to see where you are all at. Do we have any volunteers?"

Goodwitch addressed the class in her usual manner. Tablet in hand, head held high and voice projecting through the entire amphitheatre. It was indeed another sparring class, RWBY, JNPR and CRDL as well as the other teams were all present. This was nothing special, just a regular sparring session, but it still got all the student's blood pumping.

The current class champion was none other than, Pyrrah Nikos of course. Followed by Yang, although some would say that's because of the way she scared people and not from skill, or was that Weiss? Ren was in third, followed by Blake and Weiss, than Ruby who was just in front of Nora. Unfortunately Jaune was at the end, although CRDL and the rest of the teams were below him, but they didn't really count in his eyes.

Yang could be heard cracking her knuckles and slamming her fist into her palm, to say she was a little competitive would be an understatement. Let's just say she wanted to be first really badly. Blake checked her ribbon, Weiss remained still and of course, Ruby was jiggling in her seat. Suprisingly her hand shot up.

"Me! I wanna go!"

"Ah Miss Rose. Please, be my guest." Goodwitch motioned for Ruby to take the stage. When Ruby was next to her she asked. "Tell me, do you have anyone in particular you wish to battle?"

The most cheekiest, evilest, yet somehow adorable look came over the red head. That look in particular made its way over to Weiss. Weiss' eyes widened as she cracked Ruby's plan.

"Ruby don-"

"Weiss Schnee!" Ruby said loudly. "I challenge Miss Weiss Schnee" she repeated with a smile.

Blake and Yang turned to Weiss, to see her just as surprised as they were. An 'ooh' rushed through the class, nobody had challenged Weiss before, they least expected her quite, innocent partner to do it.

"Miss Schnee, do you accept?" Goodwitch asked.

Weiss looked back at Ruby, who didn't falter under her gaze. _She wants to play like that huh? It does take two to tango._

With a proud, determined smirk Weiss replied, "I accept the challenge. Ruby Rose"

* * *

**A/N: *cracks knuckles* Ah the good ol' fight scene. What was that? Ruby and Weiss? Oh hell no! Shit's going down! I pray to the gods to give me the wisdom to understand how the hell a rapier user is going to fight a giant scythe user... dammit Monty!**


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N: pls ignore mistakes, this was a late night one, not the smartest thing to do for a fight scene... Oh well. Enjoy!**

* * *

The stage was set. The aura gauges were calibrated, the protective field was up, the duellers were ready and the students were excited. Ruby versus Weiss, a match up no one had been expecting. Not even Weiss, Blake or Yang were expected their leader to nominate her partner to battle. Yang was expecting Ruby to pick her, it wouldn't be the first time her little sister wanted to brawl. But when Weiss' name was called out, rather confidently if she might add, the blonde was a lot more than surprised. But there was nothing she could do, there was nothing she _wanted _to do, Yang was more than happy to watch her little sister beat the crap out of the ice princess, so sitting back in her chair she readied herself for one hell of a show.

"Okay ladies, you know the rules. Once you drop into the red the match is over. You may begin on the buzzer"

Said buzzer was set to ten seconds, giving Goodwitch enough time to get out of their way, and Ruby and Weiss enough time ready themselves. To calm their nerves, settle their adrenaline and ready their aura's. Both Ruby and Weiss were exercising a 'don't hold back' policy, neither of them were going to lose just because they loved each other, besides, a little competition spiced up a relationship more than it hurt it, at least in Ruby's and Weiss' opinion.

Weiss readied Myrtenaster, grasping it firmly, yet loosely in her left hand, pointing it at the ground in front of her feet, showing proper etiquette for a rapier user before a fight. She had her head up, looking directly at Ruby, who stared back just the same. It was odd how Ruby could be so nervous and have the attention span of a nut when they were in class, but when she was in a fight she seemed so determined and mature. It made Weiss smile, and Ruby smiled back.

Ruby was in a much less graceful stance. Legs crouched, Crescent Rose pointed away from her, the curved blade behind her, held in two hands and seeming firm and steady, Ruby was going to win…. Just to rub it in Weiss' face.

'3' The timer read. Three seconds left, the pair took in one last breath before the moment, Blake taking the chance to lean towards Yang.

"Ruby's gonna shoot straight at her isn't she?"

"Yep"

'0'

BANG!

Low and behold Ruby squeezed the trigger on Crescent Rose, the gravity round shooting her off toward Weiss. Weiss of course didn't expect anything less of her partner and expected the move, so before Ruby got within reach of her, a black glyph appeared in front of the red head. Of course Ruby was going too fast to do anything, so she flew straight into the glyph, freezing with half her body through it.

She grunted as she tried to squeeze out of it, surely she would be able to, and Ruby soon realised that if she didn't get out quick Weiss would be on her in a second. Weiss had dashed to the side and then moved herself to get behind Ruby, who continued to struggle to free herself. Weiss readied her sword for an easy forward jab as she launched herself toward Ruby's back with a glyph.

Neither of them were at all worried about hurting each other, they both new each other's limits and even so, Goodwitch would step in before anything bad could happen.

Ruby heard Weiss rushing toward her and quickly deciding to give it a shot, no pun intended, she pulled the trigger on Crescent Rose on more time. The scythe had been pointed diagonally, so when Ruby fired, still pivoted by the glyph, she spun around clockwise breaking out of the glyph and meeting Weiss just in time for her scythe to deflect Weiss' attack.

Ruby moved into the spin, following through and taking a step back from Weiss ending with her barrel pointing at Weiss. Seizing the opportunity Ruby fired off a couple of rounds, using the scythe to anchor her into the ground, the gravity rounds rocking her back slightly.

Weiss was able to deflect each round with her rapier but each bullet exploded against her blade forcefully, knocking her blade around and jarring her wrist slightly. The third shot left Weiss' sword swinging wildly off to the side leaving her wide open for the fourth round, which impacted against her right shoulder. The round released its pent up energy on impact, sending Weiss soaring backward through the air.

Ruby didn't even flinch when Weiss yelled out, she knew she was fine, they were just having some fun. Some very, rough, fun.

Weiss turned her backward movement into a backflip, gracefully landing on her feet and sliding back a few paces, bumping against the protection barrier that walled off the arena from the students. Weiss looked to Ruby and saw a cheeky smile splashed across the red heads face, Weiss couldn't help but let out a puff of air.

Ruby spun Crescent Rose around, pointing the barrel behind her and firing to launch herself toward Weiss. Halfway there Ruby repositioned the scythe so that it was pointed slightly off to side, fired and began moving to the right before she quickly re-adjusted again and fired, launching herself not toward Weiss' front, but to her left side.

Weiss watched her partner go, acknowledging the red heads change in strategy. Ruby was coming towards her quite fast but nowhere near as fast as she could really go, Weiss would have to watch out if she ever did. Ruby was nearly upon hear so she leaped into the air, gracefully flipping over Ruby's head. Ruby looked up in time to see Weiss soaring above her, Myrtenaster pointed at her, glowing red.

"Uh oh" Was all Ruby managed before the space above her exploded with fire.

BOOM!

A ball of fire exploded from the tip of Weiss' blade, she had spun her canister, primed the burn dust and augmented her blade within a matter of mere seconds, something she was getting much better at. Weiss landed softly on her feet, her combat skirt giving her the slight resemblance to a ballerina, the way she fought added to the effect. There was a small 'woosh' as the fire ball dissipated and the cool air rushed in to feel the space. Ruby was seen stumbling out of the smoke cloud more than stunned.

Ruby stumbled back as far as she could from Weiss, taking a moment to look at her aura gauge that was strapped to her right forearm. She saw that about an eighth had disappeared, she was still in the green but she was below Weiss. She looked up to the heiress and was rewarded with a sly wink before the heiress was moving toward her again.

Ruby rolled out of the way of Weiss attack, still within reach of the heiress Ruby spun Crescent Rose above her head to gain momentum, before bringing it around in a right-to-left downward arc at Weiss' side. Weiss turned a little too slowly, bringing Myrtenaster up just enough to deflect some of the force, her aura took the brunt of the rest of the blow. That large curved blade carving into Weiss' aura, sparking white and forcing her backward.

Weiss growled softly, glaring at Ruby before deciding to take it up a notch. She jumped backward, landing on a glyph she just summoned and shot off upward. Before she hit the roof another glyph appeared, launching her back toward the ground, behind Ruby. But before Weiss even touched the ground a third glyph appeared and moved her off to the side, shortly followed by a fourth glyph that sent her toward Ruby, but a bit further away from the red head.

Ruby spun her head around, trying to keep up with her partner, and even with her heightened reaction time she was having a hard time. It seemed Weiss wanted to compete with Ruby for speed and it looked like she was making progress. Ruby saw Weiss finally come toward her, but misjudged the distance between herself and Weiss and brought Crescent Rose up to block an attack the never came.

Weiss smiled as she flew passed Ruby, the red head had fallen for her feint and now her right side was wide open. Weiss stopped against the protection barrier for the briefest of moments. The students watching saw the heiress appear as a flash before another glyph rocketed her toward Ruby's right side. The moment Ruby lifted her scythe she knew she messed up, it was less than a second, but the way Weiss was moving it was all she needed. As soon as Ruby tried to bring Crescent Rose over to her right side she felt the sharp sting of Myrtenaster slash across her ribs. Of course her aura protected her, but it still hurt.

As of now Ruby had lost twice as much aura as Weiss, so she was losing.

Stumbling to the side from the impact Ruby grumbled to herself, watching as Weiss spun elegantly to face her, flicking her rapier in the way that she does. Ruby grew even more agitated when Weiss smiled slyly at her, _'Who does she think she is? No more little Ruby Rose, time to get serious'_

Ruby took the chance to reload her sniper, slamming home another magazine, before spinning her scythe around out of habit. She spun it and slammed the blade into the ground to her right, holding it with her right hand, one handed, she stood up straight and stared straight at Weiss. Weiss watched as Ruby remained still and silent, frowning when she swore she saw her partner's aura shimmer slightly.

"Game over Weiss" Yang said quietly from the stands.

As soon as she said it, Ruby's eye's shot open and then she was gone. BOOM. She was gone so fast she literally created a vacuum where she previously stood and the air slammed into that place to fill it up, issuing a thunder like clap. As soon as Weiss saw the rose petals she knew she was doomed. One moment Ruby was a few feet from her , the next she was right in front of her, Crescent Rose's barrel pressed against her abdomen.

"Love ya Weiss" Ruby winked then squeezed the trigger.

The excessively large gravity round, shot from the barrel, slamming into Weiss at near point blank. The bullet exploded against her aura, the energy within it blowing forwards, directed by the custom made bullet shell. Weiss could do nothing but yell as she flew backward, she bounced off the protection barrier and landed on her stomach in a heap, Myrtenaster sliding away from her.

This time Ruby did flinch a little, she had to admit, that would have hurt.

Ruby looked at the scoreboard to see Weiss aura gauge slowly drain from green, to yellow , to red. She was about to celebrate when the gauge strangely jumped back up to half full, in the green.

"Hey what?" Ruby exclaimed.

A murmur passed over the students as they became confused. Immediately people began asking if Weiss had cheated, even Goodwitch couldn't explain it, tapping at her tablet and even refreshing the readers. Ruby looked to Goodwitch who shrugged and stated,

"The fight continues"

Ruby looked back at Weiss who was now on her knees, struggling to get back on her feet. Ruby watched as Weiss shook her head in an attempt to clear her fuzzy vision before she pushed off her knee and turned to Ruby. Which was when Ruby found the source of this issue. Weiss' necklace.

"Damn!" Ruby cursed, as she saw the rose necklace glow dimly, radiating that protective aura it was designed to whenever Weiss was in trouble. Ruby didn't think this counted as trouble, she was definitely not happy about it, at least she knows it works.

Weiss looked at Ruby, showing her partner nothing but hate and frustration, Ruby forgot she was in a battle for a moment and became a little afraid, she may win this battle, but when she left this classroom she was sure there would be another to come.

Then Weiss realised that her blade was a few feet behind her, and so did Ruby.

Ruby snapped back and saw Weiss move toward her sword, Ruby took the opportunity to chase Weiss down and get while her back was turned. So using her semblance to shoot her forward, Ruby soon had to show extreme amount of self-control and skill to stop herself mere inches from another black glyph. Ruby came to a screeching halt in front of the glyph, teetering on her tip-toes and waving her arms in an attempt to not touch the circle.

Except Weiss didn't need her too. Picking Myrtenaster up, she turned to Ruby and coolly lifted her hand up to the glyph, turned her hand, the glyph turned to white, and then Weiss thrust her hand forward. The glyph moved with the action and as soon as it contacted Ruby, Ruby was launched backwards away from Weiss all the way to the other side of the arena.

Ruby bumped into the invisible wall and immediately decided to make her way back to Weiss. So Weiss cheekily primed her frost dust and slammed her sword into the floor. A sheet of ice appeared from the point and covered the area in front of her. Ruby made the mistake of moving too fast and was thrown into a skid as her boot touched the ice.

Ruby slid a few meters before she had the idea to use Crescent Rose as an anchor. She came to a stop holding onto her scythe for support. She looked at the scoreboard and found that Weiss was still in the lead. Ruby grumbled and looked back at Weiss, but couldn't find her. Before she tried to look, she felt Crescent Rose come unhooked and fling up into the air. Ruby lost her balance and fell onto the ice. Crescent Rose came free and slid across the ice away from her.

"Oh no." Ruby tried to crawl toward her weapon but she kept slipping on the ice. Shortly after she witnessed a bolt of electricity slam into Crescent Rose and send it sliding even further from her.

"Hey!" Ruby turned to Weiss, nobody hurts Crescent Rose, nobody!

Weiss dashed toward Ruby who was still lying on the ground, pointing Myrtenaster toward the red head as she glided toward her. Ruby rolled out of the way and when Weiss came to a stop, Ruby swept her legs out from under her. Weiss yelled out as she fell onto the ice, the thin sheet cracking a little under her. Weiss held onto Myrtenaster and brought it around to hit Ruby, who was lying to her right.

Ruby grabbed Weiss' wrist and began a battle for control over the rapier. Ruby managed to get up over Weiss, trying to use her weight as an advantage, but Ruby wasn't that heavy and Weiss wasn't physically weak, not at all in fact.

So there the pair stayed, locked in battle over Weiss left hand, Myrtenaster swinging back and forth preciously. Ruby's hand ended up over the dust chamber of the sword, in the struggle she accidently spun it around and primed that one chamber that housed the mix of dust, the one Weiss barely used because it was so volatile. The mix that was inspired by Ruby's 'explosion' when they first met outside Beacon.

"Ruby stop!' Weiss warned, noticing Ruby's hand.

"No Weiss, I'm going to win" Ruby managed between groans and grunts.

"Ruby you dunce, look at what you're doing!"

"Weiss you can't tell me what to do, this is a fight not-"

Click, fizz, BOOM!.

One moment Yang was watching as Ruby sat over Weiss and grappled for her rapier, smiling to herself as she found the scene quite comical. But then the next moment all the could see was a black smoke cloud with snow flakes and bolts of lightning fizzing through it. A wave of déjà vu washed over Blake as she was reminded of that day the three of them met two years ago. When the smoke cleared, what she saw only helped to reinforce the feeling.

Weiss was covered in soot from head to toe yet Ruby remained clean somehow, a little frazzled and confused though. Ruby blinked and looked down at Weiss, who was looking very unimpressed.

"Hehe" Ruby chuckled nervously.

"Ruby. Let go of my hand"

Ruby listened.

"Now get off me"

Ruby got up.

Weiss could faintly hear Yang's laughter from the stands but didn't dare look at the blonde, certain she would just laugh more. Instead she turned to the leader boards.

"I think it's time we called it a good match" Goodwitch interrupted. "Weiss looks like you win"

Weiss remained silent, still staring at Ruby, who continued to offer her partner that sheepish smile she always had when she was in trouble. Weiss clipped Myrtenaster back to her belt, gave Ruby one last look and keeping with the tradition thanked Ruby for the battle.

"Good match" She said sweetly.

Ruby was about to return the compliment when Weiss' expression quickly became much more serious.

"Crater face" Then she quietly walked out of the room. Ruby watched her go, mouth ajar, unsure whether to laugh or be offended. Ruby didn't like the nickname but the way Weiss said it, covered in soot and irritated, made the name a bit more bearable. But when she looked at the scoreboard she decided to be offended.

Weiss did win, but just buy a sliver. "Stupid necklace!"

* * *

Elsewhere

"Send men to wait in Vale, they've been making frequent trips to the city. We can't reach them while they are at Beacon, but in Vale, away from all their professors and hunters, it will be much easier. Capture her and bring her back here, the rest will follow and we will be waiting."

* * *

**A/N: I dont even know what this means! Argh! The ending is gonna be so hard!**


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N: Another late night upload, i hope there aren't too many mistakes. Urgh I'm tired.**

* * *

Ruby was back in Forever Fall, back to that same place she had been two times before. Where it was snowing and she was running. Running as fast as she could, to reach someone before it was too late. Ruby found this all very familiar, she had been here before, had done this before, once with Weiss and once with someone else, but she couldn't remember who it was. All she could do was run.

Her cloak snagged on a branch and for the sake of saving time, she quickly unbuckled it and moved off, leaving the cloak to sway in the wind. Ruby knew she had done that exact same thing before, what was this? She couldn't care less what _this _was, all cared for was that she had to get someone and quick.

Finally she reached a clearing, the trees stretching out of her peripheral vision as she bolted to the centre of the clearing. But Ruby expected to find someone lying on the floor in a pool of red, like the two other times, but instead she found someone standing, very much alive.

Ruby paused a few feet from the person, her ragged breathing forming small puffs of mist in front of her. It took her a moment to realise who it was. A women, with a white hooded cloak draped over her entire body, much like Ruby's red cloak. Ruby's eyes widened and she inhaled sharply, there was only one person she knew who wore a cloak like that.

Then, as if the universe thought she needed more hints, the wind blew, picking up the woman's white cloak, and with it, white rose petals began to appear from the edge of the cloak and fly away. The hood covered the face but Ruby knew who it was.

"Mum?"

The woman looked up at the call, slowly at first, raising her head just enough to take a look at the red head in front of her, before lifting her head all the way up.

"Ruby, it's been too long."

"Mum?" Ruby repeated, shocked beyond belief that her mother was standing right in front of her.

"Yes."

"B-but, you died." Ruby stuttered, her eyes tearing up and her hands trembling.

"I know Ruby, It's hard to explain. I'm sorry I left you, I was sure that I would see you when I made it back home."

"I-I thought you would never leave"

"Ruby I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do this to you, but I had no choice" Summer walked closer to Ruby.

Ruby's mouth faltered, opening and closing multiple times. Dumbfounded, shocked, frustrated and a whole other multitude of feelings, Ruby couldn't speak. Instead she merely gawked at her mother and held her hands out, tears rolling down her cheeks. Summer stepped forward and took Ruby into a hug.

"Ruby I'm so sorry" She whispered gently.

"Why are you back?" Ruby managed between sobs.

Summer looked down at her daughter before replying. "Ruby I'm not actually back"

Ruby softly pushed out of the hug to look at her mother properly. "What do you mean?"

"Ruby there's something coming. I'll only be here when I'm needed then I'll be gone again. My time has already come so there's no way I can come back forever. I'm sorry."

"What does that even mean? How can you possibly even come back anyway?!"

"Ruby, when I died, I never left you completely. There's always been a part of me with you. I just had a friend take that part and make me whole again, even if it was for a little while" Summer explained with a smile.

"No!" Ruby yelled, stepping away from her mum. "No I don't believe you! Your gone, you died! You left me when I needed you and you can't ever come back!" Ruby continued to yell at the woman in front of her, her vision filled with tears and her cheeks wet.

"Ruby-" Summer tried.

"No!" Ruby stuck her hand out, "Please, don't do this to me. It hurt enough losing you, I don't need to be lied to and be broken again. My mum is dead, she's not coming back, as much as I want her too….. she's gone"

Ruby woke much more peacefully then the other two times she had a dream. Her eye's opened and she remained on her back, blinking at the ceiling. She blinked three times before tears began to blur her vision. Ruby broke.

She quickly spun around to shove her face into her pillow before she began to cry. She pressed her face harder into her pillow as her crying became more uncontrollable, her sobs becoming small wails and her breathing became jagged. '_Why? Why do I keep having these dreams?'_

After what seemed an age, Ruby finally pulled her face out of her pillow and turned to her side, ignoring the damp feeling on the side of her head. She found Yang 'sound' asleep, Blake seemed undisturbed and Weiss just the same. Ruby sniffled before staring back at the ceiling, she didn't sleep after that, neither did Weiss. She heard enough to make her heart ache.

* * *

"Yang can I speak to you. You know, outside"

Yang looked at her sister, sensing something was up and nodding quietly before dropping what she was doing to follow her little sis outside their room.

It was the next morning, Saturday. Weiss was in the shower, Blake was gathering her things for the day and Ruby really needed to speak to someone. Weiss had shot her a few worried looks when they woke but Ruby didn't respond to them.

"What's up Ruby?"

"Yang I had a dream last night"

"It wasn't like that other one was it?" Yang asked quickly, grabbing Ruby' shoulders.

"No, it wasn't." Yang relaxed a little. "Mum was there. My mum."

"Oh." Yang breathed. "What happened?"

"She told me she was coming back, that she was needed for something, that she was sorry."

Yang considered Ruby's word's. Yang knew that Summer was a very touchy subject for Ruby and this was the first time she had heard anything about a dream with her.

"You don't… believe her do you?" She asked carefully. There was no way she could come back, as much as Yang hated to admit it, Ruby's mum was gone.

"No. Mum is gone. It just… felt so real. I almost believed it for a second and it hurt so much when I came to my senses. Yang, it was horrible" Ruby neglected to tell her sister that she cried all night.

"Oh Ruby" Yang wrapped Ruby in a warm hug, the kind of ones that made Ruby just that much more happy. "Honestly, I don't know what to tell you. I have dreams about my mum, but she never says she's coming back, even if she isn't dead. Maybe you're just missing her a lot?" Yang offered.

"It was a pretty horrible dream to have for myself" Ruby stated, looking up at her sister from their hug. "She also said that she had never left me, that there was a part of her that stayed with me the whole time"

"Is that right? And what do you think about that?" Yang asked.

"Honestly Yang, that part I believe"

"Are you guys ready? The airship to Vale leaves pretty soon"

"Yeah we're coming Blake"

* * *

Team RWBY arrived to Vale just before noon, with no objective in mind besides to have a good time. School had been hectic the past few weeks and they all needed a break.

"So how do you guys want to do this?" Yang asked as they walked from the port toward the central city.

"Well I want to go to that new weapon shop that opened" Ruby stated.

"Ruby didn't you say that last time we came here?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah, the store is still _new._" Weiss merely shook her head at the logic.

"I'm sure Blake has some bookstore she wants to go to." Yang stated, grinning at her partner, who scoffed back. "So I guess we could split up and meet back up for lunch"

"Sound great, c'mon Weiss let's go!" Ruby declared quickly, grabbing her partner's hand and shooting off down the way.

Blake and Yang shared a giggle as they heard Weiss yelling as she was dragged away.

"Please tell me there isn't actually a bookstore you wan-"

"Since you mentioned it, yes actually there is one." Blake cut in, straight faced.

Yang grumbled as her partner began to walk away, to what would have to be same old book shop owned by some old man seeling some old books.

"Are you going to stay there?" Blake asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Urgh!' Yang grumbled before stomping toward the faunas. Blake smiled as her partner acted as immature as her little sister.

"That smile just made this a bit more bearable" Yang spoke, grinning at her partner.

"Well I'm glad."

"I said a bit." Yang clarified.

* * *

"Ruby, honestly, how many times have you been to this store?"

"I dunno"

"Too many, that's how many"

"Weiss don't be silly. 'Too many' isn't a number" Ruby replied.

"Ha ha, very funny crater face."

"Aww are you still hung up about that?" Ruby asked, turning to her partner.

"No why would I be. If I recall, I did win" Weiss stated proudly.

"Yeah but you looked like a cartoon character when you did" Ruby teased.

Weiss opened her mouth to say something but Ruby continued, "Besides, you cheated"

"I did not cheat! The Schnee's do not cheat"

"So how did your gauge jump suddenly?" Ruby questioned, knowing the answer but just wanting to push her buttons.

"I don't know! Maybe it was faulty"

"Uh huh" Ruby breathed, flicking through a magazine. "Hey look, it's your family" Ruby exclaimed, turning the magazine toward Weiss so she could look at it.

Indeed there was the Schnee family, looking all very happy and family like for the camera's. The only persons expression that would have been genuine would be Winter's. Even if it was a photo, her smile lifted Weiss' spirits just that bit more. Looking to the two remaining members, the same couldn't be said for her father, she scowled at the photo and looked away from it.

"What a lovely photo" She said sarcastically. "I might go take a look at the dust collection" Weiss stated, notcing the large section dedicated to it.

"Mhmm sure" Ruby waved her off, already going through another magazine. Weiss shook her head with a smile as she made her way to the far wall.

She began skimming through the selections, finding nothing too interesting. There were some products she hadn't seen before, something labelled 'laser' and a crystal called 'melt'. She picked one up to inspect it, holding it up toward the window so that the light would dance around within it. As she admired the way the light refracted through it, something outside caught her attention. Actually it was a person, two people.

Two shady looking people, both with bulges under the jackets, both staring straight into the shop looking directly at Ruby.

"Uh Ruby?" She called, returning the crystal and moving toward her.

"Yeah what is it?"

"We need to go"

"What!? We just got here, I still have twenty more magazines to get through!"

"No Ruby I really think we should leave" The men were moving toward them now.

"But Weiss!"

"Ruby!"

The windows of the store exploded inwards, shards of glass flying into the store, peppering Ruby and Weiss, the shards harmlessly bouncing across their aura's. The cashier immediately dived under his desk, hiding from whoever was coming.

"What the hell!?" Ruby yelled, finally noticing the two men stalking toward them, one with a shotgun, the other an assault rifle of some sort.

"Ruby let's go" Weiss commanded, grabbing her arm.

"No Weiss we can't just leave, there are people in here"

"Ruby this is serious"

"Weiss I _am _being serious! We're huntresses, this is what we do!"

BANG!

A volley of pellets blasted toward them, shredding the shelf next to them and knocking Weiss to the floor. Ruby quickly unsheathed Crescent Rose from her back, keeping it in its gun form the levelled the barrel at the closest man.

"Ruby!" She heard Weiss before she squeezed the trigger.

Ruby was dead on point, aiming for the man's shoulder, the was no way she would miss. But she had no clue someone else was about to jump in front of the man and deflect the bullet. Ruby was stunned for a moment, the red and brown haired masked man was quite a surprise. The second man with the machine gun, ceased the moment and fired at Ruby. Ruby had not time to move, but luckily Weiss was with her.

One of her glyphs caught every bullet, before they were all shot back toward the shooters. The masked man quickly unsheathed what seemed to be a red katana, deflected every round before quickly sheathing the blade again.

"Hey is that-" Ruby mumbled to herself, before another volley of bullets came their way.

She quickly sound Crescent Rose in front of her, it opened as it spun, blocking the bullets.

"Ruby we can't fight them, not here at least, we don't even know who they are!" Weiss yelled over the gunfire and cling of ricocheting bullets.

Ruby spun Crescent Rose to the side as the firing stopped, she turned to Weiss to agree with her but there was a loud crash off to their right. A bunch of more men burst out from the store room, rushing into the store and pretty much surrounding them. These guys they recognised.

"The white fang?" Weiss breathed.

* * *

Earlier

"So this is the book store? Wow we haven't been to this one yet" Yang stated as they stepped into the store, the bell dinging sweetly behind them.

"Very funny Yang" Blake said plainly.

"I try" Yang replied proudly.

Blake shook her head, trying to ignore the blonde as she made her way to the counter.

"Ooh comics" She heard Yang say.

Blake was shaking her head when Tuxen emerged from the back.

"Ah. Blake, it's been a while" He greeted, placing a large stack of books onto a table off to the side.

"It has hasn't it"

"Huh! He has X-ray and Vav!" Yang called excitedly.

"You brought a friend?" He asked sweetly.

"Unfortunately" Blake replied with a smile.

"Looking for anything in particular?"

"No not really, I thought I'd come by and say hello."

"Uh huh. You don't have anything to ask, about a particular person or group of people?" Tuxen asked carefully, leaning against the counter.

Yang stopped her reading and began to try and eavesdrop.

"Why? Is there anything to be said?"

"Only if your friends with a red head with a scythe"

"WHAT!?"

Yang almost knocked over an entire book shelf moving to the counter. "What's going on with Ruby?" she asked, grabbing Tuxen by the collar and pulling him over the counter.

"Yang!" Blake yelled.

"Woah, blondey calm down"

"Don't call me that!" She glared, pulling him closer to her face. "What's happening with my sister?!"

"Who?"

"The girl you described!"

Blake took a step back, suddenly she felt very odd. As if a shadow had fallen over her, a wave of darkness passed through her. It felt familiar, and she knew who it was.

"Tuxen" Blake said, interrupting Yang's interrogation. "Yang let him go, he needs to get out of here"

Both of them shot her confused looks, but she ignored them. "Now! Go, he's here Tuxen get out!"

Now Tuxen understood. He swiped at Yang's hand, surprising her with how strong he actually was, before disappearing into the back.

"Blake what the hell is going on?" Yang asked.

Blake ignored her, unsheathing Gamboul Shroud just as the room went dark.

"Blake wha-"

"Shh" Blake hissed.

"Don't 'shh' me-"

"Shh!"

"Blake!"

"Yang shut up!"

Yang couldn't see a thing, being in the dark wasn't her thing, especially when she usually walked around on fire. Blake on the other hand had her faunas ability to see in the dark, it didn't really give her an advantage when her opponent was another faunas, a strong one. Blake slowly turned around, searching the corners for any sign of him, she knew he was here, she could feel his presence.

"Hello Blake."

There he was. Perched on a shelf in one of the corners.

"Who's that?" Yang asked, still in the dark, literally.

"It's been too long. You never did tell me how that train ride was" The persons face glowed red briefly, the mention of the train certainly not a pleasant memory.

"Please spare me the attitude" Blake replied.

"You know I miss you"

There was a silence before Blake spoke. "I'm sorry. I couldn't stand it anymore"

"I'm sorry too Blake"

"About what?"

"Please, I came to tell you to stay out of our way. If you don't, I will have to fight"

"You never _have _to fight, Adam. There's always a choice!" Blake replied, almost desperately.

"Adam!?" Yang repeated, alarmed.

"We work for stronger people now, we don't have a choice" Adam replied, Yang sensed a bit of anger in his voice.

"_The _Adam?"

Blake waved her off, forgetting she couldn't see a thing.

"Who? Adam we can help you, all of you"

"No it's too dangerous for you Blake"

"When was anything we did ever safe?"

"Good point" Adam admitted with a smile.

"Adam, what do you want with Ruby?" That was Yang. Adam turned to face the blonde, tilting his head to the side, taking in the brawler.

"Do you mean the girl? I don't want her, Cinder does"

"Who? It doesn't matter. You can't take her!"

"Oh?' Adam cocked his head to side once more, hearing Ember Celica click and whir as it deployed over Yang's wrists.

"You gonna fight me in the dark?" Adam asked almost laughing.

"Nope" Just then Yang's hair burst into flames, illuminating the entire room with a golden light. Both Blake and Adam had to shield their eyes from it, giving Yang the opportunity to locate the faunas.

Two loud booms rattled the store, Ember Celica firing two rounds toward the masked faunas. Adam swiftly jumped down from his perch, dodging the two rounds and making a break for the door.

"Oh no you don't" Yang pointed her fists behind her, firing and using the force to launch her toward Adam. She reached him in time to block his escape, skidding to a halt in front of him and using her left gauntlet to punch him in the chest. Her fist hit home, slamming into his chest and pushing back into the wall behind him, thudding against it with a thud.

"Yang stop!" Blake yelled.

Yang ignored her and moved toward Adam, fists ready. She through another punch, this time Adam moved out of the way, Yang's hand slamming into the wall and lodging there.

"Shit!" She cursed.

Adam took a step back just to look at Yang as she struggled to free her hand, taking a moment to admire the way her hair seemed to flicker and burn like a fire. Yang noticed him staring and became even more angry.

Giving up on trying to pull her hand free, she angled it toward Adam as much as she could before firing Ember Celica. The blast pushed her hand through the concrete wall, rubble and small pieces of concrete being torn free in her wake.

"AAAAAH!" She fired twice more, tearing through more wall before her hand came free and her fist was moving toward Adam's head. But Adam swiftly arced backward, dodging the fist calmly. Then there was a click and another boom that didn't come from her gauntlets. Before she could ponder what it was, the hilt of a katana was bouncing off her chest. She stumbled back as it hit her, watching as Adam dashed forward, grabbing the sword as it remained in the air and continuing to move toward her.

She quickly brought her hands up to block the attack, but a second attack was on its way even before the first was over. '_Shit he's fast.' _ Yang managed to block the second, just barely. Then there was a third attack on it's way, Yang wasn't going to be able to block it.

But before it made contact with her, the blade made contact with a familiar black blade. "Blake" Yang breathed, stumbling back from her.

"Adam leave her alone"

"Hey she started it"

"Adam! Leave."

"You do realise where I'll be going if you let me go"

"Adam you don't have to do this"

"Yes. I do."

Adam quickly pushed off Blake's blade, following up with an upward slash that knocked Gamboul Shroud out of the way. Adam quickly sheathed Wilt and then fired Blush, launching the blade, hilt first, toward Blake. The handle hit Blake square in the head, as soon as it bounced off, Adam had it in his hands and he was moving toward the door.

"No!" Yang gave chase, immediately realising he was way too fast but not caring anyway.

"Yang!' Blake called after her partner, meeting her just outside the door.

"Who the hell are these jerks?" The 'jerks' in question were a group of at least thirty, wearing masks and holding weapons of all sorts.

"The white fang"

* * *

**A/N: It's everybody's favorite faunas! Adam Taurus! Yes that rhymes! He gonna wreck! He gonna wreck shit. Ruby and Weiss aint gonna know what hit em, especially Ruby...**


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N: Ok, I promise you guys i will re-visit the last few chapter's and fix my mistakes. If they bother you too much just wait till then. Also... I love Adam, just sayin.**

* * *

"Yang go after Adam, I'll take care of these guys." Blake commanded, unsheathing Gamboul Shroud in to its two portions. Blake knew very well that Yang would want to go after Adam, but she also knew that Yang wouldn't just abandon her, she would try to help than go after Adam after. But as it was now, Yang would have a hard time catching him without delays, besides she could take on these guys on her own. That and she wasn't sure whether she would be able to physically stop Adam, she knew Adam would complete his job no matter what, which meant the only way to stop him would be to either injure him badly, or kill him. Blake would never be able to perform the later, even if it was Ruby who was in danger, Blake didn't want to kill anyone, let alone people she held close, even if they had grown apart.

"Are you sure?" Yang asked, even though she was already moving to jump away.

"Yes I'll be fine" Blake replied honestly. Yang looked at her partner, she knew Blake was more than capable but she still didn't like the idea of leaving her alone with a bunch of armed men, but then there was Ruby.

"Thankyou Blake" Yang breathed before blasting into the air, leaving two marks in the ground where Ember Celica fired.

Blake turned her attention to thirty or so men, and possibly women, who had surrounded her. A few were watching Yang fly through the air so she started with them. Using a clone to push her toward an enemy to her right, she slashed at the man's wrist with her katana, an uppercut followed by an overhead strike.

The first attack was to disarm, the second was to eliminate his aura field so that when she spun and kicked him in the gut it hurt and kept him on the ground. Blake spun and kicked him, pushing him away and causing him to crumple onto the ground, arms clutching around his stomach, she probably broke at least one rib.

Blake came out of the spin facing her left, bringing her blade up to block an attack. Her left hand free and holding the sheath portion of Gamboul and the man's arms up in the air, she brought her left hand around in a horizontal slash, cutting through the man's aura, before using a clone to push her toward the man as him stumbled away from her. Her elbow smacked against his forehead, knocking him out instantly.

Blake's aura flared and she quickly spun around and took a step back, narrowly missing a huge war axe that came swinging down at her head. The axe slammed into the ground, the yielder looking quite beefy, Blake jumped up onto the weapon where it was in the ground, ran along the handle like a cat running along a fence, before jumping off the end and bringing her knee into the man's face. He stumbled back, blood already flowing out of noes, before he could do anything Blake summoned a clone and she was skidding toward the man along the floor. She passed him and took his legs out from underneath him.

Blake smoothly got up, collapsed her blade into the scythe, threw it a the person in front of her, hooked it around him, pulled him in then flipped him over her head and brought him down on top of the bigger man who was using the axe and was about to get back up.

Blake yanked back her sword and plucked it out of the air, clipping the sheath back onto her back and using that hand to cock her pistol, time to lessen the numbers.

Blake dropped her weapon to her side, holding it by the ribbon that she kept wrapped around her wrist, before she spun it and threw it at the furthest person form her. The sword bounced of the persons head and as soon as it did, Blake yanked on the ribbon, causing it to pull the trigger and sending the scythe off to the side. Blake controlled it perfectly, moving with the ribbon and making sure not to hinder it's momentum. She took down three people before pulling it toward her and spinning it over her head, hitting four people that were creeping up behind her.

Blake leaped into the air, turning as she floated in the air, before yanking another time on the ribbon and flicking it around in front of her. The scythe responding immediately, spinning through the air in front of the men as Blake seemed to float in the air. The scythe moved so fast they had no chance to even try to block it, it cut through their aura and inflicted enough damage to put them down in less than ten seconds. By the time Blake touched the ground she was ready to turn around and take on the rest.

Yang was soaring through the air, gaining height before dropping before Ember Celica fired and brought her back up and pushed her forward, there was no way she would reach Adam on foot. She wasn't sure whether she would catch up at all, so when she finally spotted the red and black clad figure running along the sidewalk she was a little surprised, but she was plenty angry. Not bothering for a smooth landing, Yang just fired her gauntlets facing toward the ground, launching her downward straight toward Adam and frightening speeds.

Adam twitched at just the right moment to be able to turn and leap backward, for where he was just then was now a large crater, thanks to a speeding blonde that decided to 'iron-man' it toward him. Adam skidded to a halt, watching the dust cloud pool around the crater just before Yang came rushing toward him. He calmly stepped to the side and used Wilt and Blush to deflect the punch, sparks flying as Ember Celica scraped along Blush.

Yang was thrown to the side a little as Adam deflected her attack, so to keep her footing she turned into the motion, throwing herself into a anti-clockwise spin. She fired her right gauntlet, pivoting on her right foot so that she spun quickly to face Adam again. Yang fired again, adding force to an already powerful punch, launching her arm forward at incredible speeds. She aimed for Adam's chest, hoping to break his sternum, but instead she hit the, unbelievably strong blade that was Wilt. Yang's fist slammed into the flat side of the blade, a shockwave burst from the point of contact, blowing in the windows of the nearby store to their right.

Adam was pushed back a few meters, his heels digging into the pavement and kicking up dirt and dust. With Blush in his left hand, he quickly sheathed Wilt and made his move. Instead of running toward Yang he moved toward the wall to his left. He jumped up on to it, ran along it for a few steps before jumping off it and spinning as he did so.

As his back faced Yang he spun Blush around so that the hilt was facing Yang and fired. Wilt flew from its sheath and moved toward Yang, Yang had enough time to bring a gauntlet up to block the blade, it bounced back with a ding and before Yang even realised, Adam had it in his hand again.

He appeared in front of her, Wilt grasped in his right hand as it came down on her in a left to right arc. That was quickly followed by two horizontal slashes at her abdomen, ending with Adam poised with Wilt drawn back and pointed at Yang.

All three strikes were carried out with so much speed that Yang couldn't even see them, she cursed herself for underestimating Adam and being for being so slow. The cringed as she stumbled back from the strikes, trying to ignore the pain that pulsed through her and just as she regained her footing, Adam moved from his pose.

He was crouched low, holding Wilt in his right hand and held it horizontally and drawn back, like when playing pool and you draw back to hit the ball. He waited as Yang stumbled back, or Yang assumed he was waiting, in fact he was gathering power. As soon as Yang regained balanced, his mask and his attire flashed red and his hand flashed forward and then returned to its position, it was so fast it seemed like his hand never moved.

Yang definitely didn't see it, but she felt it. An amazingly sharp pain in the middle of her chest, just below her breast, she felt like she had been stabbed and the blade had run right through her, but in reality Adam's sword only made it a quarter of an inch into her body. Not only was his attack inhumanly fast, but he exhibited extreme skill and strength to be able to pull back his arm just at the right moment to make it a mere quarter inch into her chest.

It didn't matter how he did it, what mattered was what happened to Yang. Yang's aura was shattered on contact with the sword, there was a sonic boom as-believe it or not- Adam's strike broke the sound barrier and made its way into Yang. Yang was blown backwards, lifted into the air and soaring for what was a few seconds before thumping onto the ground and skidding to a halt about thirty meters form Adam.

Adam watched as Yang silently flew through the air and bounced along the ground before coming to a stop, a light trail of blood left behind her. He quickly sheathed his blade and turned around before whispering to himself, "I'm sorry Blake."

"Ruby we have to go, there's too many of them"

"Weiss, I'm sure we can-"

CLING

"-handle-"

PING

"A bunch of white fang"

BANG

Ruby seemed to be doing all the fighting at the moment, blocking all the bullets and even firing he own shots. Weiss had Myrtenaster drawn, but she was standing behind Ruby, trying to get her to listen to her warnings. One of the members of the white fang had turned over all the shelves so that they had no cover to hide behind, so now the floor was filled with ammunition and dust crystals.

The sudden appearance of who they believed to be Adam, only made Weiss even more anxious to get out of here.

"Ruby can you please just listen to me for once!"

Ruby shuffled on the spot, hefting Crescent Rose, her eye's darting from enemy to enemy. There were a lot of them.

"Alright. Let's go-"

A shotgun blast came her way as she turned to face Weiss, forgetting about the group of people that came in through the back. Ruby through her arms up to protect herself, but Weiss had already summoned a glyph in front of her to protect her. Two more glyphs accompanied the glyph, joining it's side, creating a wall of glyphs that spanned the width of the people in front of them.

Weiss spun her canister and opened the burn chamber, throwing the dust across the three glyphs, augmenting them with it and turning them red, something she had been practicing lately, before they all exploded in unison. Realising a steady stream of fire that lasted until all the dust was used. The men who were smart enough to see what was coming dived onto the floor, narrowly missing the ball of flames, those who weren't were engulfed in the fire and ran out of the store yelling and screaming.

"Ruby out the front" Weiss directed. She didn't know whether there were more men waiting for them out back, at least she could see who was out the front.

Ruby made for the door, Weiss following closely behind, both somehow forgetting about Adam. The man in question appeared in front of Weiss, using his speed to attack Weiss before quickly sheathing his blade again. Weiss managed to bring Myrtenaster up in time block the attack, sparks dancing across their blades. Adam went for a second attack but was forced to back away win a huge scythe came swinging through the air near him.

Adam jumped back to give himself some space between him and the two girls. Landing just as Ruby fired at him, he quickly blocked the round before sheathing his sword again and dashing toward her. Ruby continued to fire, and Adam continued to deflect each round except for when a white figure flashed passed him and knocked his sword into the air.

Weiss gave Ruby the opening she needed, squeezing off two more shots, both of which hit home. One in the shoulder, the other off his mask, cracking it and chipping a piece off. Adam stumbled backwards, cursing as his head was rocked backward and he nearly lost his footing on a round crystal. He stumbled back and bumped into a wall, his vision returned in time for him to see Weiss gliding toward him, Myrtenaster pointed right at him.

Weiss made the same mistake as Yang and underestimated Adam's skill. Just before she ran him through, he calmly stepped to the side and as she sped past him, he took her left wrist in his left hand, spun her around before grabbing her right hand and pinning her to the wall.

"Oof!" Weiss breathed as she was slammed against the wall, shocked that he was able to move like that while she was moving that fast. She struggled as she tried to break free from Adam's grasp but she quickly realised she wasn't going anywhere.

"Weiss!" Ruby called. Weiss heard Crescent Rose's chamber being emptied and another round taking it's place. Adam was a sitting duck.

Adam heard the red head and the click of the sniper round being primed, he looked at Weiss then looked to the floor, noticing that there was a burst crystal by his feet and immediately thought of a plan. He waited a few short moments before moving.

He knew Ruby was about to shoot him in the back, knew that she wouldn't miss but knew how to get out of it and help himself at the same time. Using his feet he rolled the crystal back a little, before stomping on it's side, causing it to flip up into the air behind him. Then he quickly spun Weiss around so that her back was facing Ruby, which was the exact moment he heard Crescent Rose fire its bullet. Adam then quickly kicked Weiss away from him, she moved backward, the crystal he previously had launched into the air contacting Weiss' back and moving with her, further away from Adam.

The bullet from Crescent Rose's barrel, flew straight into the crystal that pressed against Weiss back. The bullet slammed into the crystal, cracking the crystal slowly, before the round penetrating the surface layer and the crystal exploded into shards. With the shards, came the natures wrath stored with in.

It blew outwards, a wave of pure energy that sent Weiss flying back the way she came. The roof above the crystal was pushed upwards, it cracked and parts of it collapsed in. Weiss yelled as she was forced forwards, pain shooting through her back, she watched as she moved closer to Adam. Adam stepped out of the way so that she slammed straight into the wall with a loud thud, she bounced off the wall limp and fell to the ground in a heap, dazed and losing consciousness.

"Weiss!' Ruby called out, now completely ignoring the immediate threat and focusing on Weiss' limp body. She made to move toward her partner but Adam soon intervened. He dashed from his position near Weiss to pick up Wilt, brandishing it expertly he dashed over to Ruby, knocking her scythe out of his way and out of her grasp, the sudden force on her wrist jarring her hand and loosening her grip.

Adam quickly followed through with a swing at Ruby's head, turning his sword on its side so that the flat part banged against Ruby's skull, knocking her out.

The last thing Ruby saw was Weiss' limp body lying in the rubble, quiet and unmoving. Ruby nearly blacked out with fear cursing through her heart, but a voice came to her and just made her confused.

"Ruby, I'm sorry. I'll be there soon."

She knew who it was, but she didn't believe it.

* * *

**A/N If you can't tell I'm starting to wrap thing's up, (ikr what the hell?) It feels a bit sudden but i don't mind. I reckon the ending will be top, you may not like it, but you'll enjoy it. If you know what i mean, then have fun when the time comes.  
Guys, review. Haven't heard from you in a while.**


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N: This chapter came out way longer than i expected, so the part i wanted to write will be in the next chapter, which will be out tomorrow. Aslo I may have lied about the proofing, and I'm sure there are a shit load of late night mistakes in this one. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Weiss? Weiss! Weiss are you ok? Where's Ruby? Where did they go? Weiss!"

"Yang" Blake said softly as she watched her partner shake an obviously unconscious heiress. Blake had gotten through all those men a bit after Yang was almost killed. When she saw her partner lying on the floor in a small pool of blood, she nearly collapsed then and there.

"Yang! Oh my gosh Yang!"

Once Blake got closer to the blonde she was far beyond relieved that she was still breathing. But the sight of the blood didn't calm Blake's nerve's. She quickly found the wound and just as quickly recognised it. Adam had done this to hundreds of other people when she was still with him, fortunately most of them survived, most of them.

Blake moved to try and tend to the wound but when her hand drew close to Yang's body she felt a small resistance coming from the blonde. Blake experimented, placing her open palm above the wound and found that when her hand go to close there was a yellow shimmer as her hand seemed to touch a force field. Blake quickly recognised it as Yang's aura, it seemed that the brawler wasn't completely unaware of her condition and was using whatever little aura she had left to heal herself. But if they got into another fight Yang wouldn't last very long.

Blake heard loud rumble come from down the road, when she turned her head using her enhanced eye sight, she saw a couple of people running out of a store on fire.

"Adam"

Blake looked back at Yang, looking at her usually bright face scrunched up in pain, feeling her chest rise and fall, barely but steadily. Blake made the decision to leave Yang and go after Adam, who was most likely already with Ruby. As she ran from her partner, even though she knew Yang would want her to go after her sister, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty about abandoning her partner.

When Blake drew closer to the store she realised she was too late. The store was trashed, the windows had blown in, most of the shelves were toppled over, the floor was covered in dust, crystals, ammunition and all sorts of rubble. The wall near the counter was scorched black, a part of the ceiling had fallen in and there were bullet holes everywhere. But the one thing that caught Blake's attention was a white dressed girl lying on the floor, clearly battered and bruised.

"Weiss?" Blake quickly moved to kneel by the heiress.

"Weiss?" She tried again, picking her hand up and checking her pulse. Blake exhaled as she found her teammates pulse.

Blake gently placed her hand back down and looked over the heiress, looking for any life threatening wounds. Blake couldn't help but cringe when she looked at Weiss' back. A portion of her jacket had been, what could only be described as obliterated. Leaving her back bare and showing the faunas a large purple bruise that had begun to form around the area.

Blake thought of moving the heiress but decided against it in case she had any spinal injuries, instead, confident that Weiss was in a stable condition Blake began to look around the store, or what was left of it. She tried to look for anything that could help to find out where Ruby had been taken and by the time Blake decided it was futile, Yang stumbled into the store.

Which brings them back to here.

"Weiss please!"

"Yang she's out cold" Blake tried.

There was a pause as it seemed Yang was considering her words, before the blonde tried again.

"Weiss" Yang said one last time with a hiccup, all her energy seemed to be drained by that last word as she slumped forward and Blake had to catch her before she fell over Weiss.

Blake knelt by her partner, holding her gently so that she wouldn't topple over. Blake looked down at Yang, who was staring at Weiss with a drained expression and tears at the edges of her eyes. It was as if Yang wanted nothing more in the world right now than for Weiss to wake up and tell them where Ruby was.

"Yang we'll find her, I promise you we will find her." Blake said softly, turning Yang around so that she was looking at her. "I promise."

Yang believed Blake, her words felt so real and so promising somehow, Yang knew that they would get Ruby back, there was no other option. Blake's words re-assured her that she won't be alone when she gets her sister back. But right now she was too weak, to drained and to battered, so all she could do was lean into Blake and be taken away into subconsciousness.

Blake felt Yang thump into her chest softly, she shook her partner experimentally, receiving no response she realised she was out too. She gently laid Yang down beside Weiss, who stirred when she felt Yang next to her, but couldn't manage to speak or to open her eyes. All the heiress could do was feel the excruciating pain radiating from her back, a large circle pulsing with an intensely dull ache that spread to her fingertips. Weiss did manage a groan as she tried to move her hand, she tried to get up, placing her palm against the floor but she felt someone touch her gently.

"Weiss stay down, you're not in good shape right now."

It was Blake. Weiss tried to turn her head toward the voice and make a protest when Blake beat her to it.

"Weiss even if we went after her you wouldn't be able to do anything. They want her for something so we still have some time. At least get healed a little before anything"

Weiss still wanted to argue, even if she was right. But the fact was she couldn't do anything and it was that fact that made her want to move more than anything. Ruby was gone, she was definitely in danger and Weiss was here lying on the floor in a trashed weapon store, doing nothing. There was no way she could succumb to this another time, not after all she's been through and all the obstacles she's overcome. Weiss wasn't going to let Ruby be hurt and there was no way in hell she would let her be killed.

'_MOVE!'_

Weiss yelled at herself, urging her to get up, get up and fight. She opened her eyes and found Yang lying next to her, she looked up and saw Blake looking down at her, those amber eye's telling her to stay down.

"Weiss"

"I…c-can't… do no-nothing"

"Weiss you're no good if you can't fight"

"I'll fight…. I have to"

Weiss had both arms planted against the ground firmly now, readying herself to push against it and get up. She counted to three in her head before she pushed. Weiss got about half a meter off the ground before pain shot through her spine and ran up her neck and along her arms.

"Arh!" Weiss' arms gave out and she collapsed back onto the floor, the pain continuing to course through her at a decreasing rate.

"Weiss, please."

Even if Weiss could answer she didn't want to. She knew she wouldn't be going anywhere right now and she hoped beyond capability that Ruby would hang on until she got to her.

* * *

Sunday morning

"We need to get going"

"Going? Go where we have no leads?"

"We'll get some"

"Yang it's not that easy"

"Have a better idea Blake?"

"Weiss you two just got treated, we all know one good hit and you're out"

"We'll be fine" Weiss and Yang said simultaneously before glancing at each other and sharing a look.

"What about that Tuxen guy he seemed to know a lot?" Yang asked, Blake sensing her distaste as the blonde recalled the man.

"He's probably long gone by now" Blake stated.

"No thanks to you"

"Yang!"

"And while we are at it, what was up with you and Adam?"

"What?"

"You let him get away!"

"Yang that isn't very fair"

"Blake you let him get to my sister, I couldn't care less what you think is fair or not."

"We'll I'm sorry!"

"You should be! If something happens to my sister it's partly your fault!"

"Yang that is not at all fair!"

"Blake-"

"Both of you shut up!" Weiss yelled, fed up with her teammates arguing that no doubt was having an effect on them both.

"This was no one's fault, even if it was it doesn't matter. What matters is finding where Ruby is. Agreed?"

"Agreed"

"Good. Now let-"

Beep beep. Beep beep beep.

Weiss looked down at her data pad at her belt. She quickly picked it up and answered the incoming call.

"Gooodmorning Ice Queen, I hear you are doing better"

"Torchwick!"

"What!?" Yang yelled, the air already rising a few degree's.

"Oh hi blondie, how are _you _feeling today? Heard you got knocked around a fair bit."

"Shut the fu!-"

"Woah hey, language. It's not very fitting of a pretty girl like yourself."

"What do you want?" Weiss spat, looking at Yang who's eyes had turned a redder shade than usual and was having a hard time controlling herself.

"What do _I _want? No no no snow angel, what do _you _want?"

"Where is she?" Weiss asked, forcing herself to ignore the nick name.

"She is right here. Say high red" Torchwick turned to someone off screen.

"Go to hell!" Came the response.

"Ruby!" Yang yelled, her eye's instantly returning to their usual lilac colour.

"I'm sorry, she's currently unavailable at the moment, but if you'd like to come to this address at the requested time, we'd be more than happy to see you." Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

And that was the end of the call. Then Weiss' data-pad buzzed again when she received a message from a blocked number. She thumbed the open button and read the message.

"It's obviously a trap" Blake said.

"Looks like they didn't just want Ruby, they want all of us. Just on their terms" Weiss stated.

"It doesn't matter, I'm going to get my sister back."

* * *

Team RWBY-minus their leader- arrived at the destination described in the message. An old harbour in the lower district of Vale, a few old boats still bobbed in the water but the buildings and markets had been abandoned a while ago. The area screamed ambush as soon as they arrived, walking along the wharfs that looked out into the harbour. Blake had already sensed a couple of people hiding in the shadows and within the buildings, but she didn't really say anything, they were all expecting it. The team walked in silence, sharing no words and no looks, Weiss and Yang both looked determined, although Yang looked a little more angry than Weiss. Blake didn't look the same but she was just as stern as she needed to be, Ruby wasn't just her leader, she was her friend too.

They walked down the harbour until they made it to the stretch of warehouses that used to house all the cargo containers and what-not, which hadn't been done for a while.

"Good evening ladies!"

All three heads snapped up toward the voice.

"It's good to see you all so….happy?"

"Oh I'm so going to-"

"Blondie, you really gotta keep it shut don't you" Torchwick said, pointing his cane toward her.

"If you had a little bit of patience, you would have heard me tell you where your sister is"

Yang forced herself to hold back, Blake placed an arm on her shoulder which seemed to help her calm down, although Blake herself had Gamboul Shroud in her hand and Weiss was holding the hilt of Myrtenaster.

"Good. Now." Just then a group of men came out of the warehouses, at least fifty of them pooled out and circled the girls.

"Just to let you know before we begin, this was all my idea, Cinder wanted to just burn you all on the spot, but that was too boring for me." Torchwick rambled, sounding proud of himself.

"Let me explain this game to you."

"Game?" Weiss questioned.

"There are three warehouses down the way, all have a rose on them, how symbolic right? Anyway, one of those warehouses has little miss riding hood sitting in it, waiting for one of you. Yes that's right, _one _of you. Because if Adam see's two people, or three people, or even no people walk into the warehouse, he will kill her. Understood? Good now. Me and Cinder will be in the other two warehouses, please don't hesitate to join us. Also the warehouses aren't empty, we kinda decked them out before you got her. Now to get this started, meet the grunts"

Then Torchwick was gone and the group surrounding them began closing in on them.

"Hey! Get back, you piece of shit!" Yang yelled after Torchwick, running toward where he was standing.

"Yang!" Blake called just as they opened fire at Yang. Bullets rattled against her aura and then off her gauntlets as she brought her arms up to block the shots. Yang walked back to the middle to re-join Weiss and Blake who were back to back and seizing up their enemy.

"He's treated this as if it's like some game" Weiss spat.

"Yeah well we have no other choice but to go with it" Blake stated.

"Well then let's get this over quickly" Yang said, pumping Ember Celica, before launching herself into the enemy lines.

They weren't expecting the rush, or how fast Yang covered the distance between them, but the unlucky grunt who got hit first was sent flying yards backwards with a large crack through his mask. The man next to him, possibly his friend, found Yang's elbow ploughing into this head, before his face was filled with heat as Ember Celica fired and launched Yang's fist toward a third person in front of her.

While Yang was getting busy, Weiss and Blake sprang into action. The grunt Weiss moved toward was distracted by Yang's display of female brutality and found himself moving backwards at incredible speeds before colliding with a lamp post. Weiss turned to her left, swatted a man's weapon out of his hand with her rapier, before slashing down his torso. She spun anti-clockwise in time to parry a sword swipe, deflect the blade up, slash at _that_ man's torso and then use a glyph to jump back toward the centre. Both men spontaneously burst into flames, fire emerging from the slashed Weiss made at them.

"Weiss, Yang, freezerburn!" Blake called, reading her scythe and unwrapping her ribbon.

Weiss and Yang instantly acknowledged the call, Weiss primed her dust, Yang jumped into the air and slammed into the ice layer that Weiss had just created, flaring her aura to turn the ice into a thick mist that made the night visibility even harder.

Thankfully not all of these guys were faunas, so Blake at least had an advantage over them. The mist made it a bit harder for her, but she managed just as well. Weiss grabbed Yang and together they used a glyph to jump outside of the circle, to get out of Blake's way. As they flew Weiss turned around and summoned a glyph below Blake, the glyph that was made out of a series gears, that basked Blake in a golden light and made her feel amazing. Blake welcomed the exhilarating feeling she felt as the glyph powered her up and pushed her further than she could go alone.

Blake found her targets and swung her scythe around, pulling and swinging the ribbon swiftly and precisely, hearing the boom of its pistol and the clangs it made as it bounced around the grunts it hit. From where Weiss and Yang stood, they could only make out shadows and the frequent purple flashes as Gamboul Shroud fired a sent the blade spinning in the other direction.

By the time the mist began to clear, there were only a few men remaining, which was when Weiss and Yang stepped back in to finish them off.

* * *

"We have to split up. I don't like it but we do"

"But what if something happens to one of us?" Weiss asked.

"Adam, Torchwick and Cinder, I'm sure we can handle any of them"

"Yang did you forget what Adam did to you yesterday"

"Blake I had underestimated him, I know what to expect this time."

"Well anyway, who takes which one?"

Weiss, Blake and Yang had finished off the grunts and found the three warehouses marked with the roses, upon seeing them Weiss absentmindedly touched her necklace.

"I'll take the first one" Weiss volunteered.

"I'll take the second one" Blake said.

"Which leaves the last one. Boy I really hope Torchwick is in there, as much as I want it to be Ruby" Yang said, cracking her knuckles. As she walked off Blake felt the heat radiating off her partner, and hoped that it wasn't Torchwick, for his sake.

* * *

Blake made her way into the warehouse, using the man door off to the left, seeing as the large double doors were sealed shut. As she stepped in she was little shocked by what she saw, Torchwick had told them the houses were 'decked' out, but she didn't know what he meant. Now she did.

The warehouse was filled with containers, stacked and piled around the building to form a kind of labyrinth. He really did want this to be a game. Blake quickly overcame her awe and began to walk through the metallic maze, slowly placing her feet against the steel so as to not cause an echo and reveal her position.

Blake soon found herself following a route that she didn't even realise. She didn't know where she was going but she felt like she was being led somewhere, as if someone was showing her the way. Just then she recalled Torchwick saying that Adam would kill Ruby, which meant that he was in the warehouse with her, which meant that Blake picked the right one, because she felt Adam's presence and he was close.

* * *

Weiss found her warehouse to be quite warm, which was surprising seeing as it was the middle of the night and the warehouse was filled with cold steel. She had a one in three chance of finding Ruby, a one in three chance of finding Torchwick and a one in three chance of finding Cinder. Either way there would be a fight, either with Adam, the red headed child or the flame witch, whoever it was Weiss had no choice to win, gripping Myrtenaster, turning her knuckles white, she promised herself that she _would _win.

Weiss made her way up the make shift staircase that wound around the walls of the warehouse, she wasn't sure what the other's looked like but hers was pretty easy to follow. There was a clear pathway and it seemed the was a platform at the back in the middle, presumably where the person as waiting for her. She cursed herself for always wearing heels as they clicked loudly against the steel containers, sending a metallic shudder through the warehouse.

She made it to the top without incident and met her enemy.

"Fitting isn't it? That ice should meet fire?"

* * *

"Isn't it luck that you picked this one Blake?"

"I wouldn't call it lucky." Blake replied making her way through the maze. She had already hit two dead ends and was beginning to realise that Adam was toying with her and giving her fake trails to follow.

"I think you should call it luck."

"Why's that?" She replied, continuing to feel her way toward him.

"Well don't you want your leader back?"

"I do"

"Well?"

"You know, you didn't have to take her in the first place"

"But if I didn't, we wouldn't be able to have this moment"

Blake hit another dead end. She slammed her fist against the container, issuing an echo. "And what moment may that be"

"A good one" Adam replied, Blake could picture the smile he had as she walked into another dead end.

"How about you just tell me where you are so we can end this?" Blake called after him.

"Im surprised you haven't tried going up yet." He said coolly.

Blake paused for a moment, considering his words before sighing and sheathing Gamboul Shroud. She took a step away from a wall before running and jumping up onto it and climbing above it. When she tunred around she was faced with a platform not far from where she stood, lying over the maze and perched above it was Adam. Ruby was tied to a chair behind him, blinking at Blake.

"Blake!"

"Ruby!"

Blake jumped from her position onto the platform and made to reach her friend before Adam landed in between them. Blake stopped and immediately drew Gamboul Shroud.

"You know, after yesterday I really thought about what you said Blake" Adam sounded very solemn now. Blake was a little surprised, but she didn't lower her guard.

"You said I don't have to fight." Blake perked an eyebrow. "Don't worry, I still believe fighting is necessary. But, I'm willing to make an exception, at least for you. At least this time. I choose not to fight you Blake, so don't waste it."

Just like that, without a fight, without even drawing his sword, Adam turned around, a jumped out a whole in the roof. Blake was utterly surprised. So much so, she forgot about Ruby and had to be reminded by her voice that she was still there.

"Blake! Blake come get me quick!"

Blake shook her head, forcing that moment away from her mind for now, she could ponder it later. Blake reached Ruby and began to free her.

"Blake who went into the first one?" Ruby asked frantically.

"What? Why? It's ok now"

"No Balke just tell me!"

"Uh Weiss went in that one I think, why what's wrong?"

"Weiss!" Ruby repeated, shooting from the chair and running to where Crescent Rose was lying.

"Ruby what is it?" Blake asked, suddenly feeling alarmed as well.

"Cinder is there" She replied.

"So?"

"Blake, do you know how strong she is? There is no way even all of us could beat her! I have to get to her!"

Ruby's heart was racing. She had hoped that none of them would end up there, that somehow they didn't lesson to Torchwick and decided to go all together anyway. As Ruby ran she suddenly began to feel sick, she began to feel something she felt a while ago. That same feeling she had when she believed something was going to happen to Weiss. "Oh no" Ruby breathed, quickly picking up her pace.

Her heart rate continued to increase, every beat reminded her of every second passed that Weiss was with Cinder, and Ruby continued to feel that in any of those seconds Weiss would be taken from her. She knew she was right, she knew something was going to happen. '_Weiss, I'm coming!'_

"Ruby I'm sorry, I'm not going to make it"

Ruby paused as she heard the voice. That same voice she refused to believe. She searched around her, stepped outside and looked around but couldn't find anyone, all she saw was a pile of unconscious men.

Ruby quickly pushed the thought from her mind and dashed toward the first warehouse. If Weiss was taken from her, she had no idea what she would do. When her mum was gone she nearly lost it, nearly gave up. She didn't know if she could survive that a second time.

* * *

**A/N: Danger! Danger! Review?**


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N: 'Achievement unlocked' It seem's i have hit 50 favorites. THANK YOU ALL MY LOVELY PEOPLE! When i started this i had no idea it would get this big, even if 'this' isn't that big at all. It was meant to be just for my friend and whoever came past, I never thought i would receive such a response from you all. All you followers have been great and I'm thankful for some of your frequent review's and for just staying with me for this long.  
This story is nearly finished unfortunately but i still thank you all of you for being with me for this long, who know's i may start a second story.  
Please, enjoy and feel free to review. I haven't heard form some of you in a while :P**

* * *

This was bad. This was very bad.

Weiss was on the offensive but _she _couldn't even keep up. What was this? Upon engaging Cinder, the first attack revealed to Weiss that this wasn't going to be easy. After a few back and forth's, and still not getting anywhere, Weiss began to believe that maybe she was punching above her weight.

It wasn't until she was blown out of the back of the warehouse that Weiss began to feel that she was in danger, that her life was at risk.

Weiss slid back away from Cinder after another engagement, breath heavy and chest heaving. She felt the wall on her back and began to feel like a cornered pest looking at its hunter. Cinder stalked slowly toward her, swinging one foot in front of the other, her black heels clicking loudly against the steel.

Weiss gulped and held Myrtenaster out in front of her, waiting for the next move. As Cinder drew closer, the sleeves of her dress and the front began to glow red, the design in the fabric coming to life. There was a screeching noise as fire began to curl and lick around Cinder's arm before it reached her palm and formed a burning ball of fire. Weiss saw Cinder's eyes glow just the same, before the fire ball was coming her way, screeching at the heiress as it moved.

The ball came toward her, fire trailing behind it like a comet, Weiss brought her blade up to try and reduce the impact on her, even summoning a glyph as well. But the ball ripped through the glyph and slammed straight into Weiss, ignoring her blade and blasting her through the back of the warehouse.

Weiss soared through the air for a moment before she forced herself to flip up right and used a glyph to launch her even further away from the warehouse. She landed on the roof of a small building, skidding to a halt before she turned and ran off the edge of the building, landing sloppily on the ground below.

Cinder stepped onto the edge on the hole she made in the wall, watching as the heiress retreated behind the building, before moving to give chase. Cinder jumped high and as she reached the apex of the jump her arms flared red and fire burst from her palms, launching her just far enough to land on the building.

Weiss didn't have much time to catch her breath before she spotted Cinder jumping down from the building. She was leaning against Myrtenaster when she saw the dust user and was quick to stand tall, she couldn't show weakness. Weiss flicked her rapier up, taking a deep breath, smelling the salt in the air from the harbour to her left. It seemed the harbour stretched around the warehouse and reached over behind them.

Weiss took one last breath before opening her eye's and striking.

She would have taken the defensive, but whenever she tried Cinder would remain neutral, not bothering to attack as if she wanted Weiss to attack her. It irritated Weiss that she was forced to fight like this, it irritated her to know that she wasn't getting anywhere and that every time she attacked she was losing aura and was being countered.

Weiss glided toward the woman, her rapier met Cinder's shoulder before Weis spun on her heel, slashing across Cinder's torso before she used a glyph to move behind her. Cinder didn't even bother to turn around as Weiss slashed at her back, she was more than happy to stand still and let her dust form where the blade came to close and absorb the attack. Weiss couldn't perform her attacks faster than the speed at which the black dust appeared around the woman's body, which was becoming extremely frustrating.

Growling at her, Weiss pulled her hand up to her right shoulder, pointing Myrtenaster at Cinder's back. Myrtenaster became imbued with white ruins which glowed brightly and as soon as the last rune was formed, Weiss thrust her blade at Cinder. Even if the dust formed, the blade would go right through it, Weiss was sure of it, but so was Cinder.

Cinder quickly spun anti-clockwise, stepping to the side of the blade, she grabbed Weiss' hand and yanked her forward, causing the heiress to lose balance and she was pulled forward. Weiss' eye's widened as she felt herself tipping forward, she had missed Cinder, the one attack that had so much of her in it, missed.

As the heiress continued to move forward Cinder placed her right palm against Weiss' back just as it glowed red and exploded violently.

"Arh!" Weiss couldn't help but yell out as she was blown forward, landing a few meters' from Cinder in a heap, scraping her bare legs and landing funny on her right shoulder. As she landed she felt the burning in her back, it stung and felt as if it was sizzling, she could feel tiny shards of burn dust embedded into her flesh and cringed as the continued to burn and sizzle. Besides the fact that this was the third jacket she had, it was the third time her back had been injured, but it was this one that left a burnt engraving on her. Weiss couldn't see it now, but later there would be a circular pattern faintly burnt onto her back.

It had a centre, that was a patterned circle, around that was another circle, connected to the first by a series of tendrils that resembled flames. The outer circle was distorted and random, looking much like a fire. It was a stark contrast to the elegant snow flake that marked the Schnee family, it was a cruel reminder of this day.

Weiss could feel the mark and cursed herself for being so reckless, tears began to form as she realised that she had just received yet another scar, one crueler than the other two. Weiss hissed as the tiny shards seemed to flare up again, shooting off sparks of pain through her body.

"Oh I'm sorry. It seems I've left a mark." Cinder said slyly as she peered over at the heiress back.

_"Get up! Get up!" _Weiss seemed to yelling at herself a lot lately. _"Weiss get the hell up now!"_

Her right arm seemed to be unresponsive so Weiss resigned to using her left hand to get up off the floor, luckily she was left handed.

She got up onto her knees, ignoring the pain that radiated from the grazed skin on her legs. She picked Myrtenaster up and stood to face Cinder.

"Fire and ice, wasn't it simple to know who would win?" Cinder asked.

Weiss didn't reply, she just stared at Cinder, her right arm hanging limply and Myrtenaster held loosely in her hand.

"You do realise you've lost. There's no way you could come out of this alive." Still Weiss remained silent.

"I must say. Torchwick's idea for this isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I really like the-" Cinder paused abruptly as she turned her head to the side, as if she heard something and was trying to hear it again.

Weiss took advantage of Cinder's distraction, quickly using a glyph to shoot toward her. Cinder heard the singing noise as Weiss sped toward her and quickly turned to face the heiress.

But Weiss smartly stopped short of Cinder, Myrtenaster was still pointed at her and electricity crackled around the blade before it shot out from the point and jumped to Cinder. Cinder hadn't been expected it and was helpless to do anything as the electricity coursed through her and sent her muscles into spasms.

Weiss used another glyph to speed past Cinder's right side, Myrtenaster trailing behind her and slashing against Cinder's side. Weiss stopped quickly and closed the distance in an instant, standing at Cinder's back, she slashed an 'x' into that red dress before drawing the blade back and slamming it's point into the 'x'. Ice burst from the hilt of Myrtenaster before it quickly crawled along the blade and exploded against Cinder's back.

Now it was Cinder's turn to be thrown off her feet and thump against the ground roughly. The 'x' Weiss had cut into Cinder was now covered in ice, the solid remained there and Weiss wasn't done with it. Weiss summoned a glyph and gliding, lowered to the ground, toward Cinder where she lay. Before Cinder could get up, she felt Weiss place her hand against her back, followed by a burst of excruciating pain and she couldn't help but yell as she felt her back become painfully cold.

Weiss spun out of her dash to face Cinder. She watched as Cinder withered in pain and arched her back as the ice on her back contorted and embedded into her flesh as the glyph Weiss placed over it, pulled the ice into something that vaguely resembled the Schnee symbol.

"I guess we're even now" Weiss said coolly, just as Cinder began to come to terms with the pain and get her body under control. Cinder glared up at the girl in front of her, that pathetic little Schnee brat.

Cinder picked herself up, forcing herself not to wince or cringe from the pain, that icy pain that washed over her body, as if it had a heart beat and pulsed frequently. Cinder felt what the heiress had done to her, she could feel the marks in her back and the icy shards that remained there.

"Revenge is a bitch isn't it" Weiss spoke again, continuing to hold her gaze with Cinder.

"I've had enough." Cinder said, her dress glowing again but this time it was a much more intense glow.

"We both know you are nearly out of aura and it seems you have underestimated me. You have landed a hit, but that will be your first and your last."

Weiss' eye's widened and she took an involuntary step back as Cinder was engulfed in flames. Her eyes were burning intensely and her entire dress seemed to be made of fire.

What scared Weiss the most was the amount of aura she could feel coming from Cinder. This may very well be the end.

* * *

**A/N: *cough cough***


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N:. . . .**

* * *

Where the hell are they?

"Weiss?!" Ruby called from the warehouse, looking around for her partner. "Weiss?!" She continued as she climbed the stairs.

The feeling Ruby had continued to grow within her and it was making the red head more and more desperate to find her. At least she had the necklace right? But Ruby wasn't sure if it had been refilled since it was used in that sparring match. Ruby had been feeding it aura but she could only do it in small portions before someone noticed her flaring her aura in their dorm. Ruby hoped it would be enough.

Ruby reached the top of the stairs and immediately saw the gaping hole in the wall.

"Weiss?!"

Ruby didn't know how long she had been fighting Cinder for and it only succeeded in making her even more afraid.

"Ruby I'm nearly there, please just wait"

There was that damn voice again. Ruby couldn't understand where it was coming from or why she was hearing it. She didn't care about it anyway, all she cared about was finding Weiss.

There!

Ruby quickly spotted a flash from the other side of the building in front of her, and when she listened she heard grunting. She looked over and realised that it wasn't a flash, but it was a continuous light that seemed to flicker like a fire.

"Cinder!"

* * *

Weiss was shocked, she was shocked and feeling afraid. She felt a wave of darkness fall over her as she realised that there was no escaping this. She had made a horrible mistake and now she was going to pay. The only think that seemed to keep Weiss somewhat composed in the face of her death was the thought that Ruby would be safe. Weiss seemed to draw the unlucky card, having to fight Cinder, who she was sure was the strongest, so Weiss was certain that Blake or Yang had gotten to Ruby.

Weiss began to squint as Cinder drew closer to her, the light radiating from her body growing more intense with each step. Weiss didn't want to die and she wasn't about to go down without a fight, she knew after this they wouldn't leave them alone. They would continue to hunt RWBY down, so Weiss had to at least try. It felt like the end, but Weiss wasn't one to believe in feelings, at least not these ones.

Weiss tightened her grip on Myrtenaster, gathering what aura she had left to try and withstand whatever was coming. Cinder stopped walking and raised her palm toward Weiss, "Fire and ice, it's simple"

BOOM!

The flames around Cinder seemed to move and congregate around her palm for the briefest of moments before it circled around her hand and exploded outward. There was a huge shockwave that blasted vertically from Cinder's hand, echoing a thunder like boom through the air.

Weiss cringed and closed her eyes as the fire approached her rapidly, summoning all the aura she could and pouring it into one glyph. When she did, she found that there was much more aura than she expected, except unlike her usual aura, this aura felt warm and for the briefest of moments before she shut her eye's she saw her glyph flash red.

* * *

Cinder didn't expect the glyph to do anything, no matter how strong it was, her attack was going to hit the girl. What Cinder wasn't expecting was Weiss to explode in a brilliant flash of red and roses.

* * *

Weiss felt the fire ball hit her, but she didn't feel the heat that came with it or the scorching pain of being burnt. What she did feel however was a burst of power explode from somewhere near her neck.

When Weiss opened her eye's she found herself lying on the floor meters away from Cinder who was lying on the floor too. _"What?"_

It was then that Weiss began to feel strange, as if something was missing. She felt cold, but she didn't understand why that felt strange to her. They say you don't realise something is there until it's gone and Weiss was beginning to believe it. Weiss felt cold, she felt as if there had been a warmth wrapped around for as long as she could remember and now it had been stripped away from here.

Weiss thought back, tried to remember what the warmth she felt was. She absentmindedly brought her hand up to her neck, feeling the necklace Ruby made for her. Weiss' heart dropped and her breath hitched.

"Oh no! Please no. Ruby!"

* * *

Ruby was running across the roof when she heard the explosion. The boom urged her to move faster but shortly after she heard it, her heart thumped loudly and her vision pulsed. Ruby came to a halt, dropping to her knees.

_'What the-' _

"ARGH!" Ruby yelled out as she clutched her chest. What was this? It hurt so much, so much pain. Her heart felt as if it had literally shattered. Another heart beat and another bout of pain.

Ruby dropped onto her hands, breathing heavily and cringing as the pain wouldn't go away. Ruby forced herself to stand back up, she had to get to Weiss. She didn't know what this was but she had to push through.

Ruby took a step toward the edge of building, her foot touched the floor and pain rumbled through her. Ruby dropped to the floor in a heap, her body trembling uncontrollably. _'Why?'_

She felt her heart beat slow at an alarming rate, every delayed beat followed by another wave of pain. She felt so weak, so small.

Ruby tried to get back up, making it onto her knees before she wretched forward and collapsed. It was then that Ruby felt it, felt the source of the pain. She delved inside herself and found that there was a part missing. A part of her had been torn from out, ripped out of her without mercy, it felt as if someone had ripped an umbilical cord out of her, tearing free flesh and muscle. Except this wasn't flesh, it was her soul, her aura. It was the part she offered to Weiss in the necklace, Ruby realised the necklace had been broken. Weiss was in trouble!

It was that thought that somehow made Ruby stand up, still clutching her chest and trembling weakly. She stumbled to the edge of the roof, looking over the area finding Cinder and Weiss lying on the floor not too far from each other, Cinder already getting up.

"Weiss" Ruby said so weakly she wasn't sure whether she had said it at all.

Ruby stood on the edge of the roof, barely keeping herself up, her heart continuing to radiate that sickening pain through her. Ruby felt her heart beat one last time, felt the pain wash over her and felt the world stretch away from her. She shuddered as the world went dark and she toppled over the edge of the building.

The last thing she heard was her mother calling her name. "Ruby!"

* * *

"Ruby!"

Weiss had no doubt about it, no matter how much it hurt her to believe it she knew what it was. The warmth that she was describing, it was the warmth she felt whenever she was with Ruby, it was the warmth that saved her, the warmth she fell in love with. It was the warmth that she could not live without. _'No no no no no!'_

Weiss didn't know where she was but she had to get up. Just as she turned over to push herself off the floor she spotted someone standing on the building. Weiss watched the person as they stood there, before they swayed slightly and fell off the edge, cloak trailing as they fell.

"RUBY!"

Weiss willed her body to move faster, to get up and to move. She tried to summon a glyph but she had no aura left. Weiss' heart began to beat faster and her hands began to tremble. She saw Cinder standing up but she didn't care about her, she had to make it to Ruby.

Weiss ran and it seemed the world had slowed down. Ruby seemed to float as she fell, her cloak flapping gently as she fell. It was all Weiss could see at the moment, Ruby falling toward the ground, she knew she wasn't going to reach her in time.

"RUBY!" Weiss yelled, tears rolling down her cheeks as she ran.

Thud.

* * *

Ruby slammed onto the ground beneath with a solid thump. Ruby was barely conscious, she felt so far away from herself, she didn't feel connected to her body she felt like she had begun to drift away, away from her world. But she couldn't, she had Weiss.

"Ruby!"

She heard someone call her name faintly and it seemed to reel her back in slightly.

"Ruby hold on."

That was a different voice, her mother's. This time it seemed to bring her back, back enough for her vision to return.

Ruby rolled her head to the side to find Weiss running toward her, fear filling those icy eye's Ruby loved to lose herself in. Ruby noticed Weiss was hurt and alarm ran through her, but it quickly passed as she couldn't do anything.

Ruby had the strangest feeling as she watched Weiss ran toward her. It was such a dark feeling, so dark it made Ruby want to close her eyes and be gone again, hidden away from it. As she watched Weiss run toward her, she couldn't help but feel like this was the end, this was where it finished.

Cinder appeared behind Weiss, a little off to the side. Ruby saw her in her peripheral vision. That feeling grew within her, it clawed at her heart and tore it up. _'No' _Ruby pleaded. Pleaded to herself, to Cinder, to the world! She didn't want it to end, it had just begun. _'No! Please! Weiss!'_

Ruby watched as Cinder raised her hand, aimed it at Weiss, who stumbled and was still running. Ruby watched as the person she loved like nothing else in the world ran toward her, not caring for the woman off to the side, not caring for anything besides her at that moment. Ruby felt tears form at her eye's, she couldn't do a thing, she was being pulled away again and her heart began to cave in as she watched.

Watched as a fiery red streak passed straight through Weiss' chest. Right through her heart.

* * *

**A/N: . . .**


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N: Ok, besides the fact that some of you may be a bit angry at me and ignoring the actual story for a moment and focusing on the writing, (i am aware this isn't the appropriate time to ask for an opinion in such a sensitive time but) I don't know if I wrote this well. I feel like I didn't get the feelings across, share your thoughts?**

* * *

"Breaking news! Two stores in downtown Vale have been attacked both at the same time and detectives are certain they are both linked. It has been reported that it had involved a second year team from Beacon Academy called, RWBY and that their leader, Ruby Rose has been taken. Authorities are asking for any witnesses to come forth as soon as possible, this girl could very well be in a life or death situation."

"Winter, isn't that Weiss' team?" Winter's mother asked, glancing at her daughter from the tv.

"Yeah it is." Winter replied, staring at the news feed which was reeling through photos of the two trashed stores.

"Should we give her a call?" Her mother asked again.

"No. I'll go check on her myself" Winter said casually.

"What?" Her mother turned to her daughter, just in time to see her leave the room in a hurry.

* * *

"Where the hell is Ruby!?" Yang yelled, stomping around behind the warehouses.

Yang had indeed found Torchwick in the warehouse she walked into. It was a bitter sweet, she had hoped to find her sister, she wanted to be the one to insure her safety, _Yang_ wanted to bring her home. But as it happened, she settled with beating the crap out of the sick, immature red headed criminal instead.

But of course, in true Torchwick fashion, when the tide of battle favoured toward the blonde, he made a getaway. He dropped a container that had been hanging above them as they fought, giving him a window to escape without Yang seeing where her went. By the time she busted through the wall of the warehouse, he was gone, and so was pretty much everyone else.

Yang had stormed over to the side, where she saw a series of scorch marks and torn up pavement, someone had a fight here before them. Yang was surveying the scene when Blake walked up behind her.

"Where's Ruby?" Yang asked carefully, seriously unsure whether she wanted to hear the answer.

"She went to find Weiss" Blake replied, just as carefully.

"Weiss?"

"Yeah. She rambled something about Cinder and then ran off"

"You let her go!" Yang raised her voice and stepped closer toward her partner, towering over her slightly.

"Yang she didn't really give me a choice!"

"Why didn't you follow her!?"

"I came to look for you!"

"What! Why?!"

"Because you're my partner! I was worried!"

"Why weren't you worried about Ruby!? The one this is all about!"

"Because Ruby isn't _my _sister!"

"So? So you just leave her!"

"Yang I didn't leave her!"

"Where is she Blake!? Where is my sister?!" Yang yelled at Blake, stepping toward her and causing Blake to take a step back.

"Yang I-" Blake wanted to give her an answer, but she didn't have one.

"What about Adam?! What happened to him?!"

"What?" Blake asked confused.

"You know, the guy you let go and started all of this!"

Blake's eyes narrowed as she picked up the implication. "Yang, I did not let him go!"

Blake felt the air around her become warmer, warmer and hotter. She heard Yang take in a deep breath before the blonde stepped toward her and grabbed her arm roughly.

"Blake you let him go. You didn't even bother to stop him. You found Ruby and then you let _her _go and now, she's gone. Why is it that I can only blame you?" Yang said quietly, pulling Blake intimidatingly closer, her eyes turning red.

Blake stared up into Yang's burning eyes, it hurt her to realise that she couldn't find the warmth in those eyes that she usually could. She only found fire and anger. This was her partner, the person she felt so close to, dangerously close, but she understood why Yang was acting like this.

"Because you scared"

Yang blinked, stunned by the response. "What!' She spat.

"Yang, you're scared that something is going to happen to Ruby and I understand that, but I promised you nothing will happen to her. So please, come back to me, come back as my partner and not as the brute I'm looking at right now."

Yang blinked a few more times, before she leaned back and let go of Blake's arm. Blake had to force herself not to rub the red spot on her arm that was feeling painfully warm. Yang's eye returned to their usual lilac, the soft lilac that Blake was more than happy to see, but Yang looked away from the faunas, ashamed of what she had just done to her partner.

Blake sighed and moved to turn Yang around to face her, but a voice caused them both to turn around.

"So, looks like you're not the only one missing a sister."

"Winter?"

* * *

"Aah! Ow!"

Ruby groaned and swayed as she slowly came to. Instantly regretting waking up when her body tingled painfully, radiating from everywhere at the same time. Her back ached beyond imagine, radiating a dull pain that emerged from her spine and reached out to her fingertips. But that wasn't what was hurting her most. There was a strange sensation, coming from what felt like the centre of her body, the centre of her being. It felt like a huge gash had been torn down her middle and the wound was being pulled open from the sides and it just bled. Bled what Ruby felt to be herself, her soul. When she woke, besides the insane amounts of pain, she realised that she was extremely low on aura, and the pain she felt, felt as if it was flowing through her just as she felt her aura flow out of her.

Ruby scrunched her face up, trying to squeeze the pain out of her before she finally opened her eyes. She looked around, squinting through the pain as she tried to make out her location. She seemed to be underground, the only light being artificial leading her to believe so. She felt chains around her wrists and when she tugged at the she found that there was little to no slack available.

There was a door across from her, probably leading to the surface and that seemed to be it. There was nothing noteworthy besides the door where Ruby sat, chained to a wall.

So, having scoped out her surroundings, Ruby began to dig around her memory to find out what happened to her.

There was the warehouse, then there was Blake followed by her running around. The last memory Ruby should conjure was the one where she was falling to the ground. But what happened after? Ruby knew there was something after, something important, but what was it.

Just then something landed in front of her in a heap, it's pieces scattering pathetically around her knees. Ruby looked down at the shards, trying to piece together what it was. It was red and it seemed to shine and one of the larger pieces looked like a part of a rose.

"Huu!" Ruby inhaled sharply as the last part of her memory came rushing back to her, slamming into her like a truck.

Ruby stared down at the necklace but all she could see was Weiss running toward her. All she could feel was her heart beat and shudder, all she heard was Weiss yell her name. Then the part she couldn't believe, the moment she still didn't believe actually happened, the moment Weiss chest was blown through by a streak of fire.

"WEEEEEEEISS!"

Ruby strained against the chains around her wrists, yanking it taught as it rattled violently. Her eye's become wild and frantic and her breath began to come out shallow and raspy.

"Oh No! No! No no no NO!"

Ruby slammed her eyes shut, thrashing her head trying to shake the image out of her mind. Ruby began to tremble and she yanked on the chain again. The image of Weiss falling to the ground haunting her mind, burnt there permanently. _'No! It didn't happen! It didn't happen!'_

_'It didn't happen. Couldn't have happened'_

"Weiss!" Ruby yelled as if her partner would answer her call. Ruby began to shake and tremble, she felt her resolve begin to shatter. She couldn't believe the image in her mind, there was no way Weiss was dead.

Just thinking the words made Ruby feel sick. She needed to get out. Needed to get out and find Weiss, where ever she was, Ruby knew she was alive, there was no way she was dead.

Ruby hopelessly pulled on her bindings, ignoring the pain as she felt the shackles dig into her skin and tear it free. Why was this happening? Why did Ruby have to keep seeing things like this? First in her dreams and now in real life.

"Stop that." A voice said calmly as she continued to yank on the chain.

Ruby looked up and found Cinder watching her, her face as neutral as ever, yet Ruby could only see nothing but evil.

"Where's Weiss?" Ruby questioned.

"Where? What do you mean 'where'?"

"Where is she? Where is my partner!?"

"I don't think 'where' is the right word. Weiss Schnee is dead."

"No she isn't!" Ruby yelled back, that image flashing momentarily and causing her heart to beat painfully.

"I do believe she is. I saw her chest burst with my own two eyes, she hit the floor and remained there, in a pool of her own blood, a gaping hole where her stone heart no doubt had been."

"NO! You're lying!" Ruby yelled, swallowing the bile she felt climb up her throat at the description Cinder had just provided.

"I am NOT!" Cinder yelled back and threw something at Ruby. The object landed in front of her and rattled to a halt just out of her reach. It was Weiss' sword. Its white finish stained red with blood.

Ruby knew who's blood it was, the smell of it was enough to make her wretch to the side and vomit. Ruby hacked and spluttered as the smell seemed to linger around her nose. But once the smell dissipated, Ruby was sick a second time when she realised that it was Weiss' blood. _'She said she would never leave me. We just grew closer and now she's going to be taken from me?'_

Ruby slowly turned back around, she had to force herself to say the words she wanted.

"I won't believe it until I see a body."

"I burnt it."

"You what!?" No! Surely Cinder wasn't that cruel.

"I burnt her where she lay, so that there would be no part of her left in this world"

"No." Ruby breathed, slouching where she sat. She felt so weak for some reason, so fragile and vulnerable, she felt naked, as if something had been stripped from her.

The part of her heart that was Weiss, was gone.

"Weiss?" It was more of a question rather than anything else. Ruby said it in such a small, broken voice it was nothing short of pathetic to Cinder. She scoffed and turned toward the door, leaving Ruby alone.

Tears began to roll down her cheeks and her body began to rattle from her sobs.

"Weiss"

Every time she said her name Ruby felt nothing but anguish and sorrow, but as much as it hurt it was all she had left of the heiress, all she could call upon. It was the only thing that felt real at that moment, the only thing that mattered.

"WIESS!"

Ruby's sobs turned to wails as it all came crashing down on top of her, painfully and without mercy. It was as if someone had dropped a tonne of stones on top of her and she couldn't help but topple over onto her side. Ruby brought her knees up to her chest, tucking her head between them in an attempt to hide from the world. She continued to wail uncontrollably, the wail of a mother who had just lost their child, the wail of someone who had someone shove their hand into their chest and ripped there heart out. It was the painful cry of someone who had just broken.

With each passing moment more and more of Ruby began to dissolve away. More and more Ruby gave up and let herself be taken by whatever wound she felt within her. She stopped caring about the growing pain within her just as she stopped caring whether her heart continued to crumble. For her, it was all over.

Ruby had felt this way one time before and it was a wonder she got out of it. She didn't know whether she could this time.

Just like her mother, Weiss had been taken from her. Just like her mother, she said she would never leave. Just like her mother, she was never coming back.

* * *

**A/N: 'Baby come back'**


	44. Chapter 44

**A/N: Hater's gonna hate.**

* * *

"Was it necessary to go as far to tell her you burnt the body?" Emerald asked as Cinder strolled through the door, leaving Ruby's painful wails behind to be blocked by the door.

"It was necessary to break her. Besides, she wouldn't believe that she died."

"Did she?"

"I'm more than certain that she did" Cinder asked seething at the memory of their battle, feeling the mark in her back tingle again.

The two women walked up a flight of stairs before entering another room, one a little more furnished then the one Ruby was in.

"So what now?" Emerald asked as they walked toward Torchwick and Mercury, the former nursing a bruise on his chin.

"Now we wait, the rest of them will sure to be coming, it's a matter of time before we defeat them. Their teammate is dead and their leader is broken and dying, the remaining two will be easy."

"Speak for yourself" Torchwick spoke, rubbing another wound on his side.

"Don't be cocky next time." Mercury teased with a grin.

Torchwick scoffed and turned away from the boy mumbling under his breath. "I hope she beats you up when she gets here."

Then Cinder spoke, "Mercury and Emerald, move the girl. We should get ready."

* * *

"So you don't know where Weiss is?"

"No Winter. We don't know where Weiss and we don't know where Ruby is. We can only hope and presume that they have been taken, _alive, _to where ever they are"

"Gee well that's reassuring."

"Winter for someone who has lost there sister, you seem pretty casual."

"I know Weiss is fine."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" Yang turned to the younger girl walking alongside Blake.

"Because she's my snow angel and she's not a loud to leave me." Winter replied simply, as casual as saying the sky is blue.

"Yeah well so did Ruby's mum. She never came back."

"Yang!" Blake warned, sending her partner a sharp look.

"What? It's true. Although it may sound harsh and cruel but it's true. Ruby's one biggest mistake was assuming the people she needed or wanted in life would simply never leave her. So when Summer was killed Ruby was shocked beyond description. I dare even say she went into denial at one point. It was so hard to watch her go through those waves of emotions, anger, guilt, disbelief, grief the list goes on. Winter don't be ignorant like that, nothing good comes from it."

There was a short silence between the three girls as they walked down the harbour, no real destination in mind.

"I understand Yang. But, I just feel that she hasn't left, at least not yet."

Another silence fell over the trio, those dark words floating around their minds, threatening to sink into their hearts and make them fear the worst.

"Where do we even go?"

Several hours had passed since both Ruby and Weiss went 'missing', in fact that sun was beginning to rise when Blake, Yang and Winter got their first hint to whatever their next move should be.

BEEP! BEEEEEEP!

"Blake! Blake answer it!" Yang called as she was dragged from her sleep by the ringing of Blake's data-pad.

"Blake-"

"Alright alright!" Blake pulled her data-pad toward her and opened it up.

"It's a message."

"From who!?" Both Yang and Winter sprang from where they were lying on the ground, having decided to sleep in a nearby park, just in case someone came back.

"Unknown number. It says, 'Come to this location, Ruby is there, I'll be there too but I need your help. When you get there what for me before you do anything, trust me' and that's it."

Winter and Yang shared a glance, "What?" They asked.

"There's an address, it's not too far from here. They want us to go there at tonight"

"Should we trust them?" Winter asked, looking at the two older girls in front of her.

"We don't have any other leads really" Blake stated.

"So let's go! If Ruby is there I'm bringing her home, alive, no matter what or who is in my way!"

"And I'm bringing Weiss back too!"

"We should probably get some rest. Yang you need to heal up and regain your aura, you still haven't recovered from your fight with… with uh Adam." Blake said carefully, making sure not to pull on any nerves.

"I'm fine"

"Yes but you'd rather be in a much better state to get Ruby back wouldn't you? We should rent a room and leave at night."

"Oh hey." Yang pulled out her own data-pad, finding her own messages.

"I have a bunch of messages from JNPR and the other's. What should I say?"

"Lie. We shouldn't get them involved unless it's necessary. We can't risk losing more people."

"We won't lose any more people." Yang said sternly, looking Blake straight in the eye.

"I refuse to lose anyone again. As long as my fire still burns I will do everything I can to keep you all here."

Yang didn't voice the thought she was having as she said that. Yang loved Ruby so much, she was her sister and they grew up together, even if they were 'half-sister's' Yang loved Ruby more than anything else in the world, more than her bike, more than her hair.

But as she said those words, she didn't know why but she could only think of one person. It was true she had feelings for this person, she had done for a while, but right now they felt stronger than ever. It was as if Yang was being told something, perhaps she was being reminded that it wasn't only Ruby who was in danger, they all were. Whatever it was, Yang just knew that she would be the one to protect them, she would have to be the one there for Winter and for Blake.

Yang refused to lose anyone else, not on her watch. She was going to make sure they returned to Beacon as team RWBY. Ruby, Weiss, herself and Blake.

She would not forgive herself if one of them did not make it home.

* * *

**A/N: So who haS prediction's for what's going to happen? I want to here them pleeeeeeease! **

**Find out next time on. DRAGON BALL Z!**

***W****arning! Warning! Badassery inbound!* :P**


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N: . . .**

* * *

"Oi! Kid, where did you buddy Adam go? We can't seem to get in touch with him"

Torchwick strolled up to a group of three rather young men who were dressed similarly to Adam but with a bit more 'white-fang flare'.

"And you won't'. Obviously he doesn't want to be found." One of the bigger ones answered, leaning on his huge double headed axe.

"Why didn't you leave with him?"

"He didn't tell us to leave so we didn't. We follow orders, we didn't get any so we haven't followed them." One of the more, average sized boys answered.

"Yeah but aren't you all part of a 'team' or something? Don't you stick together like besties?" Torchwick asked, putting his own sarcasm into the question.

"No. We aren't a 'team', we're a squad. There's a difference."

Torchwick looked the boy up and down, not sure whether this guy was depressed or he was taking his role to seriously.

"Sounds like a happy atmosphere."

"It isn't" The bigger one replied.

Torchwick looked at the third person, who was yet to say anything, or even move. He had been sitting there the whole time in silence, running a stone across his blade repeatedly, filling the air with a constant ringing sound.

"Weird kids everywhere these days." Torchwick mumbled under his breath as he turned away from the group. His gaze ended up landing on a small ball of red lying on the floor silently.

The red bundle being Ruby, curled up into what was a makeshift attempt at a foetal position, given being changed up.

"Hey red how's it goin?" He said, getting up and walking toward her. She remained silent.

"Reeed? Still not talking huh? Oh your wrists aren't looking to good, in fact, _you _aren't looking to good how you feeling?" Torchwick knelt down by Ruby, leaning closer as if to hear an answer.

But Ruby ignored him and continued to sniffle into her knees. After Cinder left her alone she just became limp. She curled herself up into a ball and remained there for what felt like an eternity. Only Cinder's words and her painful memories to keep her entertained.

When two men walked back into the room to come get her she remained just as silent and limp as ever. Given she physically wasn't well and was slowly becoming weaker and weaker, to the point where it was dangerously so but Ruby didn't even care what state she was in.

When they unbuckled the chain form the wall and yanked on it to get her moving, she remained as dead weight lying on the ground. They yanked again, harder, and even yelled at her, but she didn't even hear the words they were saying. One of them went so far as to kick her in the gut but she still didn't move, Ruby felt the blow but everything felt numb, she felt so desensitised from the world, as if she had seen and felt it all.

They ended up dragging her to the door before they decided to lift her up the stairs and outside onto the street of the abandoned city. Ruby didn't pay attention to anything as she was moved, didn't look around to see where she was, didn't look at the stars, or who was around her. In fact when she was thrown quite roughly onto the ground, sprawled out, she simply moved herself back into a ball.

"Simply pathetic" She heard someone say. She didn't care, didn't care about anything, even the fact that she felt like she was dying. Nothing mattered anymore, the only thing that ever did was gone, so why should she.

"Not talking red? Oh well, that's fine with me. I didn't really like you anyway." Torchwick stood back up and walked over to Cinder who was standing in front of Ruby, looking down at her.

"You really broke her didn't you."

"Good."

* * *

"We don't even have a plan. Shouldn't we have a plan?" Winter questioned as they began to move to the location they were given.

"We don't need one." Yang replied.

"We _have _a plan. It involves waiting for whoever that person was and seeing what they decide to do before we act."

"But Blake we don't even know who that guy is. What if they don't show?"

"Then we beat the shit out of everyone and get Ruby back or we die trying."

"Don't forget Weiss."

"And Weiss."

The three girls reached their destination ten minutes before the set time, the moon was full and it's light shone brightly. The destination was nothing less than an abandoned.

"What is it with these guys and abandoned places?"

"Abandoned areas are much easier to carry out ambushes and set up deals than other areas. The lack of people and authorities are the main thing, as well as the lack of caution when it comes to making noise or breaking things, as well as the risk of witnesses. Basically they can do what they want here with little risk of getting caught."

Both Winter and Yang turned to Blake, raising their eyebrows as the faunas spat out the information in a way that came across as too confident, as if it was coming from firsthand experience.

"Uh?" Winter mumbled.

"It's just an educated guess" Blake quickly covered up. Winter didn't know about her involvement with the White Fang, at least not yet.

"Anyway. When we approach them, the two of you need to be able to control yourselves, no matter what you see you have to hold back and wait for our mysterious helper to make their move first. They obviously know what's going on, at least more than we do, so we should trust them and not rush in and do something stupid. Understood?"

"Yep" Winter replied with a nod.

"Yang?"

Yang on the other hand was staring down the road, clearly not paying attention.

"Yang?"

"What?"

"Are you going to be able to-"

"Yeah yeah I'll be fine. Just stay out my way if things bad, I'm not being rude, I'm being serious."

Blake noticed Yang clenching and relaxing her fists by her sides, before she brought them up to crack her knuckles. Blake grabbed Yang's shoulder gently and turned her around.

"Yang, it's not going to go bad. I promise you it won't"

"Blake you shouldn't make promises you can't keep."

"I'm keeping this one" Blake replied sternly, squeezing Yang softly.

Yang looked down at her partner, looking at those unwavering amber's. Yang saw strength and courage but beneath that she saw love and care. It was those last two things that made Yang relax just a little, it seemed it was Blake's turn to provide the warmth.

* * *

"They're on their way!" A lookout called back to Cinder and the central group. Immediately people began to move around, taking their positions at various points around the area.

The three of Adam's boys stood around Ruby, two to the side and one behind her, all standing at arms, the bigger boy forced Ruby to sit in her knees and face the direction her teammates were coming from. Cinder and Torchwick stood off to the left side of Ruby, Mercury and Emerald to the right, the pair looking quite unpleased with the whole situation but nevertheless co-operative. As they walked past Ruby, Emerald couldn't help but feel the tiniest shred of guilt, even if she didn't really play a role in what happened to her. But as they stood where they needed, she pushed the feeling away and focused on what was to come.

The three girls were walking down a main street and had been instructed to turn into an alley way. As they followed the directions and turned into the alley, straight down the alley, right in front of it, they saw a small figure wrapped in a red cloak, even from this distance she looked frail and weak.

"Ruby!" Yang was running even before Blake could yell out.

The blonde was bolting down the alley, throwing Blake's warning into the wind, her mind overridden with the urge to get to her sister and just, hold her.

"Ruby!" She yelled out. She was sure it was loud enough for Ruby to hear, but her little sister didn't respond to the call.

"Yang! Stop!"

Blake and Winter were hot on her heels, hoping that the blonde wouldn't trigger a firing squad or walk straight into a blade. Luckily Blake had always been the fastest of them two, Winter, seemingly just as fast, caught up to Yang before she emerged out the alley way.

"Yang slow down!" Blake demanded, grabbing her partners hand.

"No she's right there!"

"Yang!"

Yang shrugged Blake off of her, she may be slower than the faunas, but she was definitely stronger.

"Yang!"

Yang continued to run, stepping out of the alley and onto the road between herself and Ruby. Yang completely ignored the people surrounding the area, focusing on Ruby alone, calling her name out before something wrapped around her foot and brought her to the ground.

"What the fu-" She looked behind her and found Blake's scythe wrapped around her ankle. She turned back to Ruby and _then _she noticed all the armed people around her.

Three around Ruby, Cinder's group, then more people at the back and off to the side, blocking their escape.

"Ruby!" She called again just as Blake and Winter reached her. Strangely her sister still didn't reply.

"Ruby it's me Yang, where here to get you" The only thing resembling a response was the slight sway of Ruby's body, which could have been credited to her weak state and the gentle breeze that passed through.

"What the-. What did you do to her?!" Yang turned to Cinder, now on her feet and already radiating warmth.

"I did nothing. Well, I didn't do everything, she did this to herself." Cinder replied coolly.

"What does that even mean?"

"Of course you wouldn't understand."

Yang began to seeth and breath heavily, clenching her fists and trying so hard to listen to Blake. Thankfully Winter stepped in.

"Hey where's Weiss?" She asked softly.

Ruby's head shot up at the name, instantly locking eyes with Winter, causing the girl to recoil slightly.

"Winter?" Ruby breathed in such a small voice it pained them all to hear.

It was then that they got a good look at Ruby. Just looking at her you could tell she wasn't in good shape, it was her eyes that showed how bad she was. Their usually silvery, brightness was completely gone, replaced by a dull grey that seemed to be an empty void that was a continuous blackness. Her eye's themselves were wide and frantic, similar to a frightened child, they were glassy and red from what seemed to be excessive crying.  
Her cloak was crinkled and her hair was ruffled and dirty, the red shade darker than what it usually was.

Yang had never seen Ruby's eyes so dark, she had never seen her sister so weak, so fragile.

"What did they do to you Ruby?" She breathed.

"Ruby, where's Weiss?" Winter asked cautiously. There was something in those eyes that frightened her and it gave her a very bad feeling. That feeling only became stronger when Ruby began to wordlessly shake her head and mumble 'no' over and over. Ruby tried to shuffle away, but ended up falling over onto her side, she threw her cloak over herself to hide her face.

Yang took a small step forward, but as painful as it was for her too, Blake had to hold her back, just for a little while longer.

"Ruby where is my sister?" Winter repeated, her voice clearly shakier than before.

"No."

"Ruby where is she!" Winter stepped toward her, ignoring the tensing of the guards around the Ruby.

"Winter I'm sorry" Ruby finally answered, moving her head out from under her cloak.

"Sorry about what? Ruby where's Weiss?" Winter asked again, tears forming at her eyes. Her tears betrayed her questions. She continued to ask when she began to understand what was happening, Winter refused to believe it.

Ruby began to shake her head again, continuing to stare at Winter, and only Winter. "She's….. Winter she's…." Ruby struggled, struggled with even those words.

"Ruby please tell me where she is!?" Winter was crying now, but she still yelled. She was already feeling herself crumble inside. _'This cant be real'_

"Ruby!"

"GONE!" Ruby snapped. "GONE WINTER! SHE'S GONE! SHE'S NEVER COMING BACK!"

"No!" Winter fell to her knees, holding her gaze with Ruby, tears streaming down her cheeks, her resolve shattering and crumbling.

"No she isn't!"

"Oh my god" Blake breathed, watching the scene unfold. "N-no. Weiss, she couldn't have-" Blake stepped back, hand over mouth in disbelief. Her eyes began to tingle and she tried to fight the tears, but she couldn't hold it, it was too much for her. The white queen to her black knight, it just couldn't end this way.

Yang stared blankly between Ruby and Winter who were both on the floor, both crying, both falling apart in front of her. Weiss was gone? Yang tore her gaze away from her sister to look at Cinder, who had nothing but neutralism written across her face.

"You didn't…"

"I did"

Yang heard Blake's breath hitch as Cinder answered.

"NO!" Winter yelled, falling onto her hand.

Yang should be feeling sad, she should be taking this in and processing it. But as she looked at her sister, broken and battered, than at Winter, who was in the process of breaking, and thought about the fact that Weiss was gone. All Yang could feel was hatred, hatred and anger all for one person. Cinder.

Ruby squeezed her eyes shut and wished she was deaf at the moment. She couldn't bear to stand Winter's cries and yells as she told her the truth. Ruby didn't expect to see her, didn't expect to see any of them, but when she heard the girls voice, she immediately became overwhelmed, filled with guilt and sadness. Weiss was her partner, but she was Winter's sister first, and now she was gone, taken from the both of them.

Lying on her side, withering in the cries of Winter's cries and hearing Blake's muffled sobs, she wanted nothing more for her world to end. She prayed for a blade to pierce her, prayed for a bullet to fly through her head, prayed for anything, just to get away. Ruby opened her eyes to look to the heavens and pray for mercy but found herself stopping short of the sky.

Ruby found herself looking up at the roof of a building, more importantly looking at the figure on top of it. It was crazy but Ruby didn't know what was more unbelievable, the fact that Weiss was dead, or the fact that she was looking at a woman, dressed in a white cloak.

* * *

**A/N: . . .**


	46. Chapter 46

**A/N: Still thinking exactly how i should end this...**

* * *

Cinder noticed the cloaked woman just after Ruby did, snapping her head up at her just before the cloaked figure disappeared from the roof top and reappeared on the ground, in front of one Adam's men standing to the left of Ruby.

Before he could even ream of drawing his blade, the woman's blade was dashing across his chest in quick succession, causing him to stagger backward. He staggered back a few steps before the woman's free arm shot out toward the mercenary and he was somehow launched backward through the air. All the people standing directly behind him moved out of the way as he flew through the air and slammed into the column of the building behind him.

Even before he hit the concrete, the woman was already engaging the second white fang. This one was a little faster, bringing his katana up just in time. But just as her blade contacted with his, she was moving her sword again, much faster than he had been expecting. He didn't have time to readjust to her speed, feeling his blade being knocked to the side and bracing himself for the strikes that came right after. He felt the sting as the point of the woman's blade was thrust into his chest and he could have sworn he saw a circle appear around the hilt before it slid down the blade and made it to the point. At which point he too was sent flying through the air.

The third mercenary, the bigger one with the axe, had stepped closely to Ruby and had his axe held over his head, ready to bring it down on top of Ruby. At least then Ruby had the decency to want to get away from him now, shuffling her body away from him but not really getting anywhere.

As the axe made its way toward her, the woman, that reminded Ruby so much of her mother, appeared in front of her to block the attack. The axe collided with her sword, which gave off a red glow as the axe slammed against it before it was rebuffed back upward. Ruby noticed that the woman was left handed and wasn't sure whether her mother was too.

Ruby was about to call out to the woman, she wanted to know who it was, but just as she opened her mouth she saw a small flash from one of the buildings a few hundred meters from her, Ruby knew it as a flash from the muzzle of a sniper firing.

The woman noticed it to when she quickly disengaged from the axe user, dashing back toward Ruby and slamming her sword point into the ground. She followed was the sound of the bullet speeding toward them, it was actually the sound of three bullets, from three different locations, but somehow the white figure managed to freeze all three round in the air.

Before the first bullet even touched the ground, she had leaped into the air and made it to the first sniper. By the time the bullets fell to the floor, she had cut the rifle in half, knocked out the marksman and was moving to the second.

The second rifleman had just realised their shots had missed when a flash of white caused him to jump in surprise before his rifle was crushed and a boot was slamming into his skull.

* * *

Back on the ground, the huge axe yielder was stomping back to Ruby, hefting his axe easily. But just as he stepped within range of the red head, a mass of blonde hair appeared before him before he felt a fist slam into his gut, followed by a huge amount sudden force pick him up off his feet, and launch him into the air, bouncing off a street lamp and landing with a thump.

Yang turned around in time to see one of the other mercenary's running toward with two swords in his hands. She pointed his gauntlets behind her and fired, shooting her toward the dual swordsman, where her fist slammed against the flat of his swords. Although he blocked the attack, the power behind it was enough to push him back a few feet against his will. He flicked his swords to the side, Yang waiting for him to come to her and when he died he had a smile on his face. Oh how Yang would enjoy beating that smile out of him.

* * *

Winter and Blake watched as Yang jumped into the fray, still stunned by the sudden appearance of the white figure, even more stunned by the revelation of Weiss' death. As the fighting started Winter's cries had died down enough for her to watch what was going on, all of her attention seemed to be directed toward the cloaked figure. Blake was still dumbfounded and feeling a bit lost and still hadn't made a move to attack.

She watched as Ruby struggled with her chains, watched as Yang threw punch and kick at the swordsman in front of her. She watched as the axe user groggily got back to his feet and watched as the one with the katana made his way back to Ruby. Blake had no idea why, but she felt so lost. She had never suspected to lose someone so early on, especially not someone as close to her as Weiss.

Just as the mercenary with the katana drew his blade from its scabbard, there was a loud boom just as a white ball slammed onto the ground between Ruby and the mercenary. The mercenary paused but didn't flinch, holding his blade by his side and waiting patiently for his enemy. Then out of the dust cloud came a hooded figure dashing toward him.

This time he was ready and was able to keep up with her, blocking and parrying with extreme speed. It wasn't until she started to change things up that he began to stumble. Winter watched on as the new stranger flipped over her opponent, spinning in the air to land facing his back. She stuck out two times before he spun around to block a third.

The woman spun on her heel her sword trailing behind her, scraping across the enemy's katana, sending sparks flying, before she dashed a few meters away from him, dodging a counter attack and just as his katana hit the ground, she was already gliding toward him at excessive speeds. He was slightly bent over and she spun just before she came into contact, adding force to the blow that went across his upper chest. He staggered back and she was about to take advantage of his vulnerability, but she sense something behind her and turned to see the axe yielder making his way back to Ruby.

He was stalking toward the girl when the figure came toward him. But this time he was ready, bracing for the attack and grabbing at the air in front of him when he felt her presence. He managed to wrap one arm around her, quickly using his second to pick her up into a bear hug. Ruby watched as, who she now resigned to calling her mum, struggled and thrashed as her back was roughly squashed. She continued to kick her legs and jerk her weight up and down, hoping to at least get her feet to touch the ground, which she did.

As soon as her boot touched the floor, she flared her semblance and was shooting straight forward, not caring for what was in front of her, seeing as the mercenary would hit it first. The pair shot through the air, almost breaking the sound barrier but definitely breaking the concrete pylon they ploughed through effortlessly. There was a loud grunt, followed by the feeling of freedom as he let go of her but continued moving backward while she planted her feet on to the ground, in time to see him continue through the wall of the building, crashing through glass and concrete.

* * *

"I think you two should go help Brorn, Azura and Ityei get rid of the rest of them, they seem like they need it" Cinder said to Mercury and Emerald, all the while starring at the cloaked women.

"Torchwick can deal with the faunas" Cinder didn't say anything about what she would be doing, she seemed content with watching, at least for now.

Mercury moved off to help Azura, who as the one fighting Yang, while Emerald moved off to back up Ityei, the one with the katana.

Torchwick simply, turned to where Blake and Winter were standing, pointing his cane at Blake and squeezed the trigger.

Blake was so out of it and still so lost, she completely ignored the missile rocketing toward her, up until the point where it froze a meter from her position. Blake snapped to attention, turning to the small projectile frozen in the air before her, which was when she realised that Winter was there to, her rapier held out in front of her and one of her glyphs holding the missile.

Blake watched as the girl gracefully flicked her rapier across the glyph, sending the missile back toward Torchwick, and couldn't help but reminded of Weiss. Torchwick dodged the missile and turned back to see a bunch of ice shards flying toward him. He dived out of the way, giving Winter some time to turn to Blake.

"Blake she's not dead." Winter said confidently.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"I can see you're thinking about Weiss, but I'm telling you she's not dead."

"Winter don't be like that." Blake half warned half pleaded. This was very strange and uncalled for, Winter suddenly telling her Weiss isn't dead even after they were told she was.

"No you don't understand. She _isn't _dead. I know it because I can still feel her presence. She's here somewhere, please believe me because we don't have time to worry about her. We have a battle to win."

Blake looked down at the younger Schnee, this was so crazy, it sounded like the dumbest thing to say. So Blake was very confused as to why she believed Winter. Maybe it was the way her eye's remained firm, maybe it was how her voice sounded so confident, or maybe it was because Blake felt it too, maybe Weiss wasn't dead.

'_But that's impossible there's no way sh- No! I can't think like that now! I need to get focused, we are here to fight for Ruby and I promised Yang nothing would happen to us. I don't break promises."_

Blake's hand clenched around Gamboul Shroud, she had no other choice.

Winter saw the faunas girls resolve harden and was satisfied to see those amber eye's grow still and firm. She stepped to the side and turned to face Torchwick with Blake by her side.

* * *

Winter and Blake weren't the only ones to feel it. Both Ruby and Yang felt something, something they dared to call hope, however small the feeling was it was somehow there and it was probably what got Ruby to her feet.

She stood up just in time to see Ityei and Emerald walking toward her. Ruby couldn't help but feel a little scared, unarmed, weakened and still getting weaker as well as being chained up, there wasn't much she could do. She looked to Yang and saw her sister still fighting the swordsman, her gauntlets clashing against the metal of his swords. She saw her land two good hits before she turned back to the impeding threat.

She wanted to stand tall, wanted to show no fear, but when they got closer to her she couldn't help but shuffle back and even stumble over. She landed on her rear, staring up at the man as he drew nearer, he pointing his scabbard at her and when she looked at it, she realised it doubled as a gun. He wasn't even going to run her through he was just going to shoot her.

Just as he pulled the trigger, her 'mother' appeared in front of her, her sword knocking the gun down and sending the rounds bouncing off the floor out of harm's way. It was then that she seemed to have enough, she took a step back toward Ruby, ignoring the katana that was coming her way, took her sword in her left hand, hoisted it up, before slamming it into the ground. Everyone in a radius around her, except Ruby and Yang, were thrown backward away from herself and Ruby. Yang's opponent was thrown to the side off his feet, Yang watching him soar a little confused. Emeralds and Ityei were thrown backwards and landed near Cinder's feet, who just felt the pulse.

Ruby looked up at the figure before her. Watching as her cape flapped in the wind, emitting those familiar white coloured rose she knew her mother fo- Wait. They weren't roses!

Ruby craned forward to get a better look at them and either just by coincidence, or something else, one of them gently floated past her face. Ruby watched it sail through the gently as it turned and spun peacefully before her, she realised that it wasn't a white rose, but it was a snow flake.

Ruby looked back to the person in front of her, who was turning toward her. Ruby tried her hardest to add it all up, but found it rather difficult. The person was wearing her mum's cape, moved as fast as her mum, but was left handed and created snowflakes instead of roses. Ruby turned to Winter, the only other person who was having the exact same feeling as her. The two girls made eye contact and Winter found the question in Ruby's eyes and offered nothing but a small nod in response.

"Ruby I broke my promise once, I refuse to break it again. I did say I'd be your snow angel."

* * *

**A/N: I don't want to ruin the mood or anything but, I honestly don't think this delivered the 'omg!' moment i wanted it to. I mean if this was animated I could do a much better job, but with words it was a bit awk.**


	47. Chapter 47

**A/N: I'm fairly proud...**

* * *

"Wa-wah-"

Ruby looked up at who she thought was her mother, but was now thinking otherwise. Ruby's mouth moved without noise, opening and closing repeatedly, before the woman knelt down, grabbed her arm firmly and shot off on top one of the buildings away from the battle.

They landed gently on the roof, Ruby stumbling away and nearly falling off her feet again, but she was quickly grabbed and steadied. As she stood in front of, whoever this person was, Ruby began to feel just how weak she was, the toll of being injured and especially that necklace being violently destroyed had been plaguing her body since it happened, slowly draining her and making her weaker and bringing her closer to the brink of losing herself.

Just then her vision began to blur and she started seeing black dots grow in front of her, blocking out the image of the woman holding onto her. Ruby began to tip backward but found herself being shoved forward, she tried to clear her vision by shaking her head but succeeded in making her head swim and making her sight even worse than it was.

"Ruby? Ruby!" She felt her body being shaken and then felt herself being gently lowered to the floor.

Ruby tried to respond but only managed to mumble mindlessly as her head lolled to the side limply. She caught a shady glimpse of a white figure knelt over her, the hood was pulled back but Ruby couldn't make out the face, she couldn't hear her voice anymore either, everything was just a blur. Suddenly Ruby realised she didn't feel any pain anymore, as if it had been banished, all she felt was calm and peace. She felt light and weightless, as if she had drifted away and was enjoying it before she realised what was happening to her.

She was dying.

* * *

Yang watched as her sister was lifted and taken away at blinding speeds, shooting off into the sky and out of eye sight. Strangely though, as she watched her sister be taken further away from her, she didn't feel a sense of urgency, didn't feel that her sister was in danger. Yang decided to roll with it and turned to Blake and Winter, who were now walking toward her.

Their opponents had regrouped after what that woman did earlier, whatever it was, and were now grouped together in front of the three girls, who were currently outnumbered, two-to-one, Brorn was still knocked out somewhere under all that rubble. Yang was pleased to Cinder looking far from pleased with what was going on, Torchwick just the same. Emerald and Mercury were indifferent, not really looking happy or angry.

Yang was proud to see Azura looking quite furious, after besting him, Yang was sure he was seething underneath. Ityei looked neutral, his poker face not giving anything away. In all their minds they were already matching each other up.

Yang had dibs on Cinder and wasn't too concerned whether Azura got involved or not. Blake was eyeing Torchwick, glancing to Azura every now and then. His similarity to Adam was unmistakable. Which left Winter, Emerald and Mercury.

"Not going how you planned?" Yang teased, her face as stern as ever.

"We can adjust." Cinder replied coolly.

Yang 'hmphed', cracked her knuckles and then her neck. "That's good to know." She cocked Ember Celica before launching herself into the fray.

* * *

"Ruby! Ruby!"

Ruby frantically tried to swim back to herself, at least she felt like she was swimming, or was she flying. It didn't matter, she had to fight whatever force was pulling her away from her world.

Wasn't it strange. Just an hour ago she couldn't care less if she had died or not, now, she refused to do such a thing. Why? Well she wasn't entirely sure why but something within her, some small part of her, wanted nothing more than for her to fight. A part of her that she didn't recognise to be herself, it was a part of her that belonged to someone else. A certain heiress with a certain set of blue eyes she could never forget.

Ruby struggled and struggled, clinging onto whatever she felt to be tangible, trying to summon some aura, even a little just something she knew to be herself, to anchor her back down to earth. Memories, feelings, emotions anything. Memories! Yang, Weiss, Blake, memories of her friends and family! They seemed to feel so real, something she could hold onto and never let go. But just as Ruby thought she had stopped drifting, everything went black. And then white.

* * *

When Yang's fist slammed into the layer of dust formed around Cinder's chest, everyone sprang into action. The layer of black dust cracked and exploded off Cinder's body, shards of it breaking away like glass and flying everywhere. The pieces that flew toward Yang, were completely ignored as Yang continued to push the attack without a care in the world. One punch followed another, followed by another, followed by another, all executed with extreme speed and power. Cinder was able to swiftly dodge most of them, the one punch she didn't landed against her shoulder, where a thick layer of dust crystallised and shattered instantly.

Cinder staggered back before, throwing a cloud of dust at Yang. Yang shielded her face from the black cloud before the individual crystals spontaneously combusted together, turning the black cloud into an explosion that pushed Yang back. Yang slid back on her heels, her arms still held up and when she lowered them to counter attack, she found Azura coming toward her.

Quickly gathering herself, Yang readied herself for him. As he charged toward her, both blades gleaming in the moonlight, Yang catching a glimpse of the red that ran through the blades. His foot touched the ground, a few feet from Yang where he quickly spun anti-clockwise, swinging his swords around with him, putting his power and speed behind them. Yang lifted her left arm up as Azura spun toward her, bracing as his swords clanged heavily against her gauntlets, one shortly followed by the other. But Azura quickly stopped his spinning momentum, bringing his arms to a halt before swinging his right arm back around to smack the inside of Yang's left arm. As soon as they heard the clang, his sword was moving to Yang's right arm, smacking it to the side violently. Yang reeled back, both her arms forced outward, leaving her open, Azura quickly struck out with his left sword, thrusting straight into Yang's mid-section.

Yang yelled out as the sword stung her torso, her aura flaring painfully as it dissipated the attack, it rippled from the point of contact before it settled and readjusted.  
Yang clutched the area, glaring up at Azura and snarling angrily at him, feeling the wave of anger pass through her and spark her fire. Not wasting anytime, Yang quickly threw herself back at him, her eyes losing their calming lilac colour and becoming a sharp fiery red. She reached him and immediately let loose with two left hand jabs, Ember Celica providing the bone crushing force that could quite literally, crush bones. Fortunately for Azura the punches rattled off his criss-crossed swords, albeit quite violently, but Yang's next punch didn't care much for his defences.

Right after her second jab left his blade, her right arm was already drawing back before Yang pushed it forward, her muscles rippling firmly as they pulled her fist with extreme force toward it target. When Yang's natural ability had brought her fist to full force, which was already exceeding average amounts, Ember Celica kicked in and fired, adding even more power to the punch. Yang's right arm hurtled toward Azura, slamming into his swords but easily ignoring them and continuing through, crashing heavily into his body. Bystanders watching wouldn't have been able to tell whether the boom came from the punch or from Ember Celica's barrel.

Azura's aura shuddered and rippled violently, resembling a pond that just had a huge stone thrown into it. He was instantly lifted off his feet and made at least thirty meters before landing horribly on his rear, bouncing and rolling over his back to involuntarily land on his feet. Azura staggered back as he tried to recover from his world just spinning rapidly and the pain seething from his chest, but Yang didn't have time for breaks. She ran up to him, leaped into the air and spun around, her leg coming around to round house Azura in the head, staggering him to the side. His world rattled again, he was heavily disorientated and Yang seemed to notice this as she decided to ignore him and walk toward Cinder.

Azura took the opportunity to get in a free hit, focusing his aura on his eyes and ears, his vision slowly came back to him and he was able to run up behind Yang. Yang sensed him coming and spun around, fist already moving toward him. But Azura saw it coming and felt so smart as he lifted his sword up and parried the punch, Yang was more than pleased to smash that smirk off his face.

Yang's right arm skidded against the outside of Azura's sword, she caught a glimpse of his smile as he thought he had gotten her, but she simply smiled even more brightly than him when she easily proved him wrong. As her arm was deflected slightly off to the side, she quickly bent her arm so that Ember Celica was pointed to the side and then she fired. The force of the blast was perpendicular to the motion Yang was already moving with, so when she planted her foot firmly onto the ground, she spun anti-clockwise with the force of Ember Celica. As she spun Azura's left handed thrust felt nothing but air as Yang turned sideways, dodging the attack by mere inches. Yang continued to spin as Azura continued to move forward, and when Yang had just past 180 degrees, where she was now facing the side of Azura as he continued forward, she fired Ember Celica on her right hand, stopping her turning motion, and launching her fist straight into the side of Azura's face, where she fired once more just for fun and rocketed Azura yards from where she was.

Yang stopped to watch him go for a moment, satisfied with her handy work she dusted her hands and turned to meet Cinder.

* * *

White? Everything was white. But shouldn't things be black, with a white light at the end. Did she already get to the white light? But that wasn't fair isn't she supposed to get a chance to walk toward it in the first place? Oh who was she kidding that stuff is only in movies….right?

"Ruby."

Ruby jumped at the voice, she thought she was alone. When she slowly turned around she realised she wasn't.

"Mum? You're here again?" Ruby realised she didn't even know where 'here' was.

"'Here' is a bit of an odd word to describe this place."

"Well what 'is' this place anyway?"

"Well to be quite simple, it's you."

"Me!?"

"Yes, we are… inside you"

"What!?"

"Ruby calm down." Summer said softly with a grin. Although things were going bad outside, neither of them seemed to care.

Ruby looked at her mother, this time really looked. The first time they met, in her dream, Ruby wasn't very welcoming, now, all Ruby wanted was a hug. And a hug she got.

"Mum what's going on?" She mumbled into her mum's cloak.

Her mum rubbed her back gently, kissing the top of her head affectionately, Ruby wasn't the only one who was missing someone, a mother always misses her child.

"Ruby I'm sorry." She whispered.

"About what?" Ruby may have been a bit frustrated before, but she didn't see how any of this was her mum's fault.

"About everything. About leaving you, about not telling you everything, about not being there for you."

"Oh mum. It's not your fault. I'm sorry for being so hard on you before, I didn't mean it I was just…confused." Ruby wasn't sure whether what was happening was really happening, but whether or not it was, she wanted to make the most of it.

"Mum I miss you so much." Ruby confessed, burying her head back into her mother's cloak.

"I miss you too Ruby." They mother and daughter shared a silent moment in each other's arms, but it shouldn't last forever.

"But I can't stay here, and neither can you." Summer broke the embrace and Ruby shot her a confused look.

"Ruby what did I tell you about playing with things you don't understand?"

"Wh-what?" Ok weird.

"Don't play dumb with me Ruby Rose!" Summer said sternly, but her wide grin betrayed her act.

"Mum what are you talking about?"

"The necklace silly, that wasn't very smart to hide it from Weiss" Summer said casually.

"You know about that!" Ruby said alarmed.

"Yes I do."

Then Ruby put two and two together. "You know about Weiss!" She squealed, turning a shade of pink.

"Yes Ruby I do," Summer said with a laugh, "don't worry, I think Weiss is a beautiful girl"

"You do?"

"Yes, she's very well-mannered as well."

"You spoke to her!?" This was getting crazier and crazier.

"Of course, you think I was just going to save her life and not introduce myself."

"So she's the one-"

Summer nodded.

"But I thought she was-"

"She was."

"So how did you-"

"I got to her in time, just as her aura was leaving her. The wound took a bit of work to heal but we got there."

"But how did you _even _get back?"

"Long story short, I had my own version of that necklace you gave Weiss, except a much more powerful one. Which only a few people know where it is. It was enough to summon some of me, at least for a little while."

"So you had a giant rose necklace hidden somewhere that could bring you back?! Why was I never told about this, I would've given anything to see any part of you!" Ruby felt it was unfair that she didn't even know this about her own mother. Didn't know that she wasn't entirely gone.

"Because Ruby, it isn't something you can take lightly. As much as I wanted you to know about it and come and talk to me as much as you could, I knew there would be times when you really needed me, like now. Understand?" Summer placed a soft hand on Ruby' shoulder.

"I guess so." Ruby answered, rubbing her boot into the…. The floor?

"Good girl." Summer pulled Ruby into one last hug. "I'm gonna miss you so much Ruby."

"I already do." Ruby replied softly.

"Here, put this on." Summer stepped back and offered Ruby her white cloak.

Ruby hesitantly took it off her mum but didn't put it on. "What happens when I put it on?"

"Hopefully you wake up." Summer replied, but Ruby sensed some sadness in the response.

"You'll be gone then won't you?"

"Ruby I'm never gone."

Ruby nodded as she thought over the words.

"C'mon Ruby, time is running out."

Ruby looked up at her mum for the last time, "I love you mum."

"I love you too Ruby."

Ruby swung the cloak over her, and she could have sworn she saw a tear roll down her mother's cheek.

"Goodbye Ruby."

* * *

**A/N: So how did i represent Summer?**


	48. Chapter 48

**A/N: Fights, fights everywhere.**

* * *

Torchwick was more than happy to stand to the side and watch as that faunas girl fought the faunas boy, the one with the permanent serious face. '_Some people really need to lighten up' _He thought as he lit a cigar, he paused and looked at the smoke, thinking over what he just said. '_I hate puns.' _

Blake and Ityei both stalked toward each other, sharing similar expressions, both as emotionless as the other. Blake walked confidently toward her opponent, lifting Gamboul Shroud off her back, sliding the sheath portion free, spinning it in her left hand to hold it in reverse. Ityei slowly unsheathed his katana, the black blade hissing softly as it came free.

When the two came within ten meters of each other, Ityei didn't waste any time, immediately dashing toward Blake. His sword slashed straight through Blake, but her figure wavered and shimmered away. Azura was no doubt surprised when he found his enemy to, not be there and looked around frantically to find her. Up!

His head shot up just into time to see the faunas falling toward him, sword swinging at him. He immediately leaped back, Blake's katana narrowly missing his skull. Blake expected just as much, tucking into a ball and landing in a crouch, taking less than a second to spring back toward Ityei. Their blades clashed against each other, the blades themselves a mere blur as the two ninja's moved with expert skill.

Ityei's black sword came to rest against Gamboul Shrouds sheath, poised high above Blake's head. She lashed out with her free hand, clashing her katana against his, knocking it to the side. Ityei spun into the action, coming around with a powerful horizontal slash that released a shockwave beyond the reach of the sword. But Blake had flipped up above Ityei and landed behind him.

What he didn't realise was that Blake had collapsed her sword into its scythe form and had thrown it so that it wrapped around his sword as she flipped over his head. Blake spun around and yanked on her ribbon, pulling Ityei forward, and leaving him open. Blake pulled her scythe free, and as it soared past her, she pulled on the ribbon to fire the pistol. The scythe immediately changed trajectory and was making its way toward Ityei. The scythe cut along his chest before it swung back around to slash across his chest again. Blake lifted her hand above her head and swung the ribbon around twice, the first time the scythe made its way across the top of Ityei chest. The second time, Blake stepped forward, causing the blade to wrap around his neck, at which point Blake yanked roughly on the ribbon, pulling Ityei forward toward her. Blake used a clone to push herself to meet Ityei halfway, where she brought Gamboul Shroud's sheath portion, up in front of her, to cut roughly across his upper body.

Blake spun out of the action, coming to rest with her katana flipping elegantly along it's ribbon back into her hands, where it re-contracted into the katana. Blake took her stance, left foot forward, her sheath held in front of her horizontally, ready to block an attack. Her katana held in her right hand, pulled back and tilted forward, the point trained on her opponent. She watched as Ityei slowly got to his feet, her amber eyes staring straight at him. He stood up and looked back at Blake, silent and still. Before his image wavered and he disappeared.

"What?!"

"Have fun little lady!" Torchwick called from his position, leaning against a post and smoking.

Blake snarled and made her way toward him, before Ityei suddenly appeared before her and lashed out at her. She was to slow to block the attacks and staggered back, pain lancing across her body. She glanced at Torchwick and he tipped his hat and winked at her.

"You sly piece of sh-"

Blake was cut off as her feet were thrown out from under her and she landed roughly on her back.

"Keep your eyes on the ball kitty." Torchwick continued.

"Oh you are so going to get i- Gah!"

Torchwick laughed as Blake was thrown to her feet again by a seemingly invisible force. "Hahaha, oh this is fun."

* * *

Mercury and Emerald shared a glance as they looked at the little girl before them. She may be only a few years under them, but she just looked small and young. To her credit, she did look rather confident, with her rapier pointed at them steadily and her expression unchanging.

"Ladies first?" Mercury offered to Emerald.

"Wouldn't it be easier if we both went?"

"Nah, I think you'd just get in my way."

"Haha very funny." Emerald replied snarkily. "Fine, I'll be right back."

"I'm sure you will." Mercury replied, crossing his arms as his partner in crime walked forward to deal with the girl.

Emerald got within earshot before she stopped and spoke up. "Listen kid we really don't have to-"

Winter was having none of it, flicking her rapier lightly and shooting off a single streak of ice toward the green haired lady. Emerald turned to the side, letting the icicle streak past her harmlessly, it was a warning shot, or more of a 'no talking lets fight' shot. Emerald turned back to the girl, who was still looking as determined as ever, "Well alright."

Emerald quickly drew her two hand cannons as she ran, pointing them forward and squeezing the trigger.

Winter held her ground, deflected each bullet with the flick of the wrist, not moving until Emerald was practically on her. Emeralds cannon's flipped around into two daggers and she brought her left hand around in a low arc as she got close to Winter. Winter gracefully flipped to the side, landing on a glyph in the air which had just conjured. The glyph launched her forward toward another glyph, where she flipped around, her feet landing on the glyph, shooting her back toward Emerald.

Winter shot toward her from behind, her rapier slicing across her side. Winter landed on her feet as she skidded to a halt, back in front of Emerald.

"Not bad." Emerald stated, ignoring the slight pain.

"You should see my sister." Winter replied evenly, taking her stance again.

"Maybe after you I might get to." Emerald replied with a smile, before she dashed toward Winter.

Emerald quickly found herself slamming into a solid object, something like a wall. But when she staggered back she found that it was another glyph that was just highly transparent. The glyph spun quickly as it became a light blue and quickly fired off a series of icy projectiles toward her. Emerald quickly flipped her daggers up and deflected the projectiles, shooting the last one out of the sky.

When she lowered her gun she was in time to witness Winter glided toward her, her white hair flowing behind her. Emerald rolled out of the way of another attack, coming out of it and squeezing off a few more round at Winter's side, which the white haired girl quickly deflected before charging at her again. Their blades clashed together and they held there for a moment, before Emerald heard something click within Winter's rapier and a arc of lighting emitted from the hilt. Emerald leaped back just before the rapier exploded with arcs of electricity just where her head had been.

Winter was ready to dash back toward her opponent, before she found her rapier being kicked upward and a foot slammed into her gut before she felt it fire something and launch her backward. She slid to a stop with her hand on the floor and her other holding her stomach. She looked up and found Mercury with his leg pushed out, just as he kicked her. He lowered his leg and looked at Winter with a smile.

"Mind if I join in?"

* * *

"Ruby! Ruby!"

Ruby's eyes shot open as she was suddenly pulled back from wherever she was. That last image of her mother crying staying with long after her eyes were open. It took her a moment to adjust to feeling much more alive than recently before she finally focused on the person looking over her.

"Weiss!?"

"Ruby!"

"Weiss!?"

"Ruby!"

"WIESS!"

"Ruby?"

Ruby shot up and threw her arms around her partner's neck, accidentally pulling her down to the floor. Weiss let at a squeal as she was violently yanked down toward Ruby.

"Weiss! What- what happened? You-you-" Ruby still couldn't bring herself to say it.

Weiss pulled free from Ruby's arms, pulling Ruby up with her. Weiss felt Ruby gently touch her cheek, so gently it seemed Ruby felt that she could fade away at any moment, those silver eyes saying the same thing.

Weiss took Ruby hand and held it to her cheek, holding it firmly there as she watched her partner slowly come to terms with what was going on. Ruby's eyes began to quiver softly as she stared into Weiss eyes, before she dived into Weis and began to cry into her stomach. Weiss dropped her hand onto Ruby's back, rubbing her gently as she cried and mumbled incomprehensibly.

"Weissyoudiyoudiisawyougetshotthroughtheherandthenyoufelllovebuhnowimholdingyouinmyarmsidintunderstanandmymumwasherenadshesaidthingsbutistilldontknwowhathappenedpleasetellmethisisreal"

Ruby held onto Weiss tighter and tighter with each moment, her fingers curling against the cloak around her partner. Wait, what cloak?

Ruby forced herself to pull away from the hug to find Weiss with a white cloak around her, the cloak her mum wore, the one she gave her just then.

"You're wearing my mum's cloak?" Ruby sniffled, looking at her partner.

"The cloak is like the necklace you gave me, it's filled with her aura, which is how she saved me."

"Is that what she was talking about?"

"In a way, I would assume so. Your mother find me shortly after the….incident. She was there but she wasn't there at the same time, it was strange. She was like a shadow of herself, I don't know how to explain it but it just felt like it. She gave me her cloak to save me and it seemed it was the aura she had left because when I woke up she was gone, but I could still feel her presence."

"So the cloak has her aura in it?"

"Seems so."

"Is that how you were able to do all those super awesome super-fast moves?!"

"Yes Ruby I think so." Weiss answered with a laugh. Awarding her with a smile from her partner, a smile which lifted her spirits and made her feel warm and fuzzy inside.

"Is she still there?" Ruby asked, now with a much more serious tone.

"Yes." Ruby's eyes lit up, "But she's too far to come back enough to speak to her, sorry Ruby."

"It's ok. I'm just really glad your back. I thought you were gone forever, I was dying inside it was horrible."

Weiss couldn't help but feel a little guilty, she had an idea about how Ruby must have felt and just thinking about it hurt her to think about.

"I know, I'm sorry, I never wanted any of this to happen. I'm so sorry I made a promi-"

Weiss was cut off when she felt Ruby's lips pressed against hers. She was startled and almost broke the kiss before she recovered and gave in to it. Weiss felt that familiar warmth she craved every day wash through her, the tingling sensation that ran down to the pit of her heart and warmed her up so lovingly. Weiss wrapped her arms around Ruby and pulled her in closer, holding her as close to herself as possible.

Ruby let Weiss take control and let herself be pulled into the heiress, basking in the icy warmth she felt from her partner. It was such a strange sensation that she still couldn't describe, it felt cold, but it did nothing but warm her up and make her heart beat faster than it should. Ruby was convinced the battle was over ans they were the only two people around, willing to let herself be lost in Weiss arms, but the boom and clangs of the battle below brought her to where she needed to be.

Ruby forced herself to break the kiss, looking Weiss in the eye.

"We have to go."

Weiss simply nodded, standing up and helping Ruby up with her. The two partners walked to the edge of the building, looking over the three battles that were underway beneath them.

"The cloak suits you really well Weiss." Ruby said with a grin.

"Thankyou" Weiss replied with a smile.

They glanced at each other before both of them shot off the roof, a loud boom resonating as they both broke the sound barrier at the same time. A mix of roses and snowflakes floating around each other in the wind.

* * *

**A/N: Honest opinion guys, stupid resurrection or what?**


	49. Chapter 49

**A/N; It's been a while huh? Well I'm back, for now. Nah we'll see school things coming up who know's what we will happen. Sorry about the wait tbh i had been effing around the past few nights, watching rt and crap hehe sowwy.  
Oh before I forget, Xanonymous made a comment about Weiss resurrection, I really wish you weren't anon coz i actually wanna talk about it and see what you though, but I cant do that if you are anon...**

* * *

Ruby had always been the fastest one in their team, if not the fastest in their year, maybe even their entire school, it wasn't hard to believe. So imagine Ruby's surprise to find Weiss shooting ahead of her as they made the very quick trip back to the ground. Weiss made it to the ground at least one whole second before Ruby, and to the red head that was a significant amount of time. They both touched the ground and Weiss turned to her partner, looking very pleased by Ruby's ajar mouth and widened eyes, Weiss winked at Ruby before she moved off to assist her sister. Ruby forced herself to get over it, otherwise she would have been standing there for a while and it seemed Yang could use some help.

* * *

"Mind if I join in?"

Mercury lowered his foot and smiled at Winter as she glared up at him, only making him smile wider. He clicked his foot against the ground, resetting the firing mechanism, before he slid his foot back behind him and lowered himself to get ready to pounce. But he stopped himself when someone answered him.

"I do mind actually."

Winter jumped at the sudden appearance of Weiss by her side, a puff of snow drifting behind her.

"Weiss!?" Winter took a step away from her sister to get a look at her entire figure.

"Yes that is me, didn't expect you to be here to be honest."

"I saw the news." Winter explained, still staring at her sister.

"Ah, well that's good and all, but it does seem we have some people to deal with does it not?" Weiss stated, lifting her sword up and placing her left foot forward.

Winter remained in her position, staring at her older sister who she had thought to be dead, although she did feel that it wasn't true, it was still a possibility. Weiss looked over at Winter and noticed the glassiness in those soft azure eyes and the tears hanging at the edges.

"Winter now is not the time to-"

Mercury tried to interrupt the sister's reunion, taking advantage of the distraction they made for themselves and running to round house the younger of the two Schnee. His plan would have been devastating if it wasn't for the invisible force field that seemed to exist around the two girls. Mercury stumbled back away from the girls, his leg jarred and now a little wobbly he turned to Emerald who simply shrugged at him as she walked to join his side. Weiss shot him a look, that was too casually 'fed-up' for the situation they were in, as if Mercury was an immature boy and Weiss had enough of him.

Weiss turned to her sister, ignoring the two people in walking toward them.

"Winter, I know this may be extremely odd and hard to understand right now, but I need you to focus and not worry about me anymore. I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere, especially when it's just these guys. So put you right foot forward and lift you blade up."

Winter sniffled before nodding and straightening her posture and taking her stance. Standing tall side by side with her sister there was no doubt in her mind that would definitely beat these two criminals and get out of this alive.

Mercury picked up a piece of rubble off the floor and threw it lightly at the sister's, testing the force field around it. Just as he did, the stone hit the field and bounced back, tumbling to the floor. At that time Weiss nodded to her sister, taking her stance and just as the stone hit the floor she was off, Winter just behind her.

Mercury was too slow to register the incoming attack, lifting his arms up just in time to cover his face, although the attack was aimed at his chest anyway. He stumbled back from the force of the attack, regaining his balance quickly and immediately beginning his counter attack. Taking a quick step forward before lashing out with his left leg twice in quick succession. As soon as the second kick made contact, he leapt off the ground off his right leg, turning in the air and kicking with his right, coming to land on his left. When he landed he tucked his right leg closer to his body before pushing out with all his strength, the flat of his boot pushing Weiss back at least a few meters. Before Weiss even came to a halt Mercury was running toward her.

Emerald had more time than Mercury to see the attack, plus the fact that Winter was significantly slower than Weiss at the moment. Winter and Emerald met each other evenly, sword against daggers. This time Emerald was smart not to linger and give Winter the chance to use her dust up close, jumping back away from the Schnee she flipped one of her daggers into the hand cannon. Winter gave chase, gliding toward her and flicking her sword to deflect the bullets that came her way as Emerald stood still and fired as she approached.

Winter deflected each round easily, but even when her sword slammed against Emeralds dagger, Emerald relied on her right hand to hold the sword at bay while she held her pistol in her left hand and fired point blank into Winter's gut. Winter spun around to dodge the shot she continued to spin until she was behind Emerald, but found her to have already spun around already firing at her. Winter was mid spin when the first round hit, the huge hand cannon launching slugs that felt like mini tucks slamming into her body. The first one slammed into the back of her shoulder, causing her to stumble forward and turn to the side. The second slammed into her left arm, followed by her ribs and by that time Winter had her rapier coming around to deflect the last two shots. After the second shot Emerald's pistol cocked back and made an empty clicking sound, out of rounds.

Winter took the moment to gather herself, those rounds hit hard, her shoulder and arm was buzzing and her side was stinging, quite furiously might she add. Winter cringed as she stood straight, forcing her right shoulder to push through the pain, which to its credit was already beginning to lessen, thanks to her aura. Winter stole a glance over at her sister, she seemed to be handling herself well, one less thing she had to worry about. Winter looked back Emerald, rolled her shoulders and flicked her rapier up. Time to kick ass.

* * *

Yang was seething. She had enough of all this shit, she was done! She just wanted to explode and blow crap up, specifically Cinder. She hated that woman so much that night, her anger fuelling the fire roaring within her she was waiting to let loose. Which would be very soon as she stalked over to the woman, fists clenched by her sides, her lilac eyes far beyond red.

Cinder seemed to have no other choice but to fight the blonde girl walking toward her. Cinder opened her palms as she let her dust crawl its way down her arms and accumulate near her hands to form to jagged blades that she seemed very familiar with. Cinder was about to meet Yang halfway but just as she took her first step she saw red coming toward her. Cinder immediately stepped back, bringing her swords up in time to block the huge scythe that swung toward her. The second swing knocked her swords to the side and the third strike made its way up across her shoulder. The whole time she couldn't actually see the person until the figure jumped back to stand near Yang.

"Ruby!?"

"You!"

"Yang!"

Ruby threw her arms over her sisters shoulders, pulling tightly around the blondes neck. Yang's rage immediately left her as she was overwhelmed by the fragrance of sweet roses, another warmth besides her own making its way through her.

"Ruby."

Yang finally returned the hug, squeezing her sister as tight as she could.

"Yng ccahnt breathe!"

Cinder growled and balled her hand into a fist, _'She shouldn't be like that! I broke her! She should be broken!'. _Growling out loud and channelling her anger into a ball of fire, she threw it straight at the pair, not caring to wait for their attention. The fire ball sped toward the sister's without mercy and burning with a fire unmatched. Unmatched when there wasn't an angry blonde brawler.

Yang felt the ball coming toward them, spun lifted Ruby and almost threw her out of the way before spinning around and firing at the fire ball. Ember Celica spat out a round similar to the ball of fire making its way toward it, except this round was burning brightly and furiously, lighting the area around it as it flew. It contacted the ball of fire and exploded, diffusing the projectile mid-flight.

"You aren't the only one who can play with fire"

Yang stepped through the cloud fire, disregarding the flames that licked at her clothing and flickered around her face. Although she was surrounded by fire, it was clear that Yang herself was bathed in it, there was a distinct difference between the flames created by Cinder and the ones Yang was forming. Where Cinder's flame burnt black and orange, scorching and melting whatever it touched, Yang fire burnt brilliantly, shining bright and illuminating the darkness. Yang was covered in a bright yellow flame, a fire raging but nonetheless beautiful. Only a yellow beauty burns gold.

* * *

**A/N: Ok, Honest opinion. Too much dragging out? Are you getting sick of it or what? Tell me so I know please!  
Review damn it!**


	50. Chapter 50

**A/N: Soz guys for the delay. I have assignments and exams and things and I have been a little stressed out lately, so yeah. Hope you enjoy, at first i was unsure of this but now i kinda love it lol :P**

* * *

Blake was still left to her own devices, struggling to predict each attack before she felt it scrape along her body, her aura reaching the end of its capacity. Ityei didn't seem to be giving up his disappearing act any time soon, popping in and out of visibility just in time to strike and then quickly fade away before Blake was able to attempt a counter attack. Blake was amazed at how long this faunas could keep at it, surely he was using large amounts of aura to keep it up. But Blake didn't want to place a bet on how long he would last because she knew how long _she _would last and right now it wasn't looking good.

Even though Blake had her enhanced eye sight she still had a hard time even looking a flicker of movement, she could see in the dark and see further than any human, but she couldn't see things that _can't_ be seen. Blake tried to use her ears instead of her eyes, calming herself and forcing her mind to ignore the background noises of further battles going on around her. She blocked out the explosions, the clanging, the yelling, all of it, her ears twitching as she tried to hone in on the area around her.

…..

There!

Blake spun around believing in her senses, telling her to turn around. But when she spun around to meet her opponent, he wasn't there. Instead he appeared at her side kicking into her ribs and then slashing forward as she staggered away. When Blake flipped back onto her feet, he was gone again. Blake growled in frustration. She was being toyed with, he could have ended her in one attack but he was playing around with her. Blake was a cat, she was the one who does the toying.

Blake released the clip in Gamboul Shroud, letting it fall to the floor with a small clunk. She fished around in her pouch, looking for a specific item. She finally felt her fingers brush against the item and pulled it out and slammed it into Gamboul Shroud, cocked back the pistol and returned the sheath portion back over the blade. This was only the second time she used this specific item that Weiss had given her. The first time didn't go as planned, albeit she had no idea what to expect when she tested it, so hopefully this time around things would go to plan.

One whole clip filled with pure dust. Pure, white dust that shined bright, so bright at times it had to be kept wrapped up. Blake was slightly afraid whenever she came to use dust like this, she felt as though it was incompatible with her naturally dark aura, light and dark were indeed opposites, although when it came to Yang that rule seemed to disintegrate. Which is why Blake was determined to have this work, besides the fact that her life may very well depend on it, she wanted to prove a point to herself, she wanted believe she wasn't as dark as she believed.

Holding Gamboul Shroud in both her hands vertically in front of her, she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. This had to work.

When she released the last of her breath her eyes shot open and she poured her aura into the weapon in her palm, passing it through the dust and calling it back toward her. Her body tingled as her aura came back to her, bringing with it the power of the dust in her weapon. Although it was her aura it still felt different, it felt heavy and thick and where her aura was generally quiet and silent, this aura was energetic and buzzing with power.

Her eyes still held their usually amber colour but now they glowed a bright amber, an orange shimmer illuminating the area around her eyes, Blake's body shook as her semblance came to life, moving her empowered aura through her body. Finally she spun Gamboul Shroud around and slammed it into the floor, her figure shimmered golden for a moment, as if she was out of focus and a second golden image was present around her. Then in an instant that same image burst from Blake's body, just like any other shadow clone she conjured. Except this glowed golden and was much more powerful.

This clone was for from a shadow, showing no sign of any darkness within it even going so far to remove the darkness from around it, illuminating the area around it. This is what scared Blake, this clone was a part of her, yes it came from the use of dust, but it was her aura that brought it to life. This clone was a part of Blake and it seemed to do nothing but fight against the darkness, so what would it do to Blake? Blake believed herself to still be tainted, she still hadn't let go of her former self, the part of her that lived and thrived in the shadows, Blake believed she still had darkness within her and the fact that she was able to summon a part of herself that destroyed darkness, confused her and made her question herself.

The first time she ever summoned this clone it had simply turned to face her, looked at her with narrowed eyes, staring at her as if it was looking for something. That time it seemed to find what it was looking for, but before it could move toward her, it shimmered and collapsed spontaneously, exploding violently, releasing all of its energy. When Blake got back to her feet she was left with an unsettling feeling, the way her clone looked at her stayed with her till this day.

But right now, no matter how much it scared her, Blake needed it, she made a promise to Yang. A promise that they would _all _get out of this alive, _she_ was one of them. The clone shot toward Blake and for a second Blake actually believed it was coming for her, but it passed through her and stopped behind her, blocking an attack from Ityei who had moved behind Blake. Torchwick was just as surprised as Ityei when he watched a gold glowing Blake shoot across the ground, pass right through Blake and then bring it's sword up to parry a strike that shouldn't have been visible. Ityei was definitely not expecting it, one moment he was looking at Blake's back, the next he had a bright figure standing before him, knocking his sword to the side.

Ityei didn't stop to try and asses who was in front of him, rolling to the side and going invisible again. But when he got to his feet that same amber glow was before him striking out at his invisible form. He didn't believe that he could be seen, so he didn't even bother to block the attack, taking the strike across his chest. What was even more surprising was the power behind the attack, the physical aspect of the strike was nothing spectacular, but the sheer power behind it exploded against him and threw him back off his feet. When Ityei got back to his feet he got his first look at the figure, he found a replica of Blake standing in front of him, but this Blake was bathed entirely in an amber glow and as he stared at it, it stared back, narrowing its eyes at him as if it was searching for something.

Ityei never gave it the chance to find it, dashing toward it with blinding speed, but the clone remained still, not bothering to move an inch as Ityei sped towards it. Just before Ityei struck out against it, the strangest thing happened, even Blake didn't know it was going to happen. The amber clone made its own clone to dodge the attack, dashing to the side just before the katana made contact. Immediately the clone's light became dimmer than before, perhaps summoning its own clone was too much for it. But still, the clone slashed out at Ityei's side, quickly slashing the opposite way as Ityei spun around, before slashing horizontally and spinning with the attack. As it spun it brought it Gamboul shroud over its head and brought it down in a wide overhead arc, releasing a beam of golden light that slammed into Ityei and exploded against his aura, shattering his defence and shooting him yards away.

The clone silently returned its weapon to its holster, turning as it did to look at Blake. Blake locked eyes with it as it continued to stare at her, probably searching for that same thing as last time. Immediately Blake began to feel that sense of unease and uncertainty, somehow believing that the clone, that was a part of her, would eventually attack her, a thought that haunted her since she first summoned her. But for now it didn't make a move to come and attack her, instead it simply looked away from Blake and turned to Torchwick, looking at him for a moment before gently fading away.

Blake forced herself to push the feelings from her mind, the clone knew Blake was busy with her own fight and left her with the reminder that Torchwick was still watching her from a distance. Blake looked at the criminal and smiled. This, would be easy.

* * *

Strike for strike, blow for blow, fire with fire. They say not to fight fire with fire, Yang likes to say something a little different. "Don't fight fire with fire, unless your flame is brighter." It was something she lived by, Yang knew when to fight and when to back down, she knew her limits and knew how to assess an enemy, but it was those times where she let her anger get the best of her she made mistakes. Fortunately, in cases such as that it was a hit and miss situation, her judgment became cloudy when she was furious, but she also burned brighter, it was a trade-off Yang was very comfortable with.

Cinder was holding her own just as evenly as Yang was. Every blow she managed to inflict upon the blonde, was rewarded with an equally powerful attack. Cinder had to constantly keep managing her dust, summoning it whenever one of Yang's fists made it past her swords and made its way toward her body. Yang's knuckles would smack against the dust, followed by a shattering noise as the dust was blown away. Ember Celica was frequently heard blasting off round after round, adding to Yang's already powerful blows. Her arms were a blur as she jabbed, hooked and weaved between attack and counter-attack, Cinder's blades almost mimicking Yang, slicing through the air precisely and leaving scratches along Yang's gauntlets.

The air around the two was steadily increasing in temperature as Yang continued to burn furiously, her hair giving off a golden glow, the flames around her hair flickering gold and burning intensely. Cinder's dress soon began to take on its own glow, dark piercing orange that ran along the patterns through her dress. Don't fight fire with fire.

There was a difference between a fire and an inferno. A fire flickered gently in the wind, warming the area around it and brining light into the world. An inferno blazed furiously, ripping through whatever was in its path, burning with furious warmth that bathed its world in a glorious light that threatened to incinerate what darkness it could find.

Yang was this inferno and Cinder was the fire, the dark fire that flickered intently in the shadows. Don't fight fire with fire, unless your flame is brighter.

"AAH!"

BOOM!

* * *

Ruby had resigned to stand at a distance away from her sister and Cinder, thinking it better to not get in their way. There really was no way for her to help without her getting in the way. If you play with fire you're bound to get burnt. When it came to Yang, that rule definitely applied. So Ruby stood at a distance, with Crescent Rose ready to spring in to action at any moment. She stole a glance toward Weiss and Winter, the two sisters still locked in battle with Mercury and Emerald. In that particular moment Ruby witnessed Weiss deftly create a dome of glyphs around her opponent, before she dashed toward one of them and was launched into a flurry of motion. Being passed from glyph to glyph whilst each time going by Mercury, slashing and slicing at him, wearing down his aura in mere seconds. It was a marvel at how fast she moved, Ruby couldn't help but stare in awe as she struggled to count each attack as it was delivered. Right now Weiss was frighteningly fast, Mercury didn't stand a chance.

Ruby looked away just before Mercury fell to the floor, returning her attention back to her sister, just in time to see Cinder take the brunt of a punch, absorbing it with her dust and using the remaining force to backflip away from the blonde, increasing the distance from a few inches to a few meters. Ruby watched as Cinder stood apart from her sister, slowly being engulfed in her own flames, raising her palm as it began to glow intensely. Soon Cinder's entire arm was covered in fire, as if she was wearing a glove of pure fire, burning intensely. Cinder added dust to her burning arm, relishing the moment of slight euphoria as she felt the pure energy rush through her. The fire along her arm burst momentarily, flaring up violently before it quickly died down, but Ruby knew the power was still there.

Yang cocked back Ember Celica, reloading it quickly before charging back into the fight. Ruby wanted to yell out, to tell Yang to watch out but a huge double headed axe entered her vision and she was forced to roll away. Brorn had decided to get up and made his way over to the red head, fed up and annoyed by the way he had bene thrown around, he had a score to settle. Ruby rolled onto her feet and looked up at him, just before she heard her sister yell out.

"AAH!"

BOOM!

* * *

Cinder drew her arm back, concentrating on keeping the fire under control. She waited for Yang to make her move, smiling as the blonde carelessly charge toward her, firing her gauntlets and launching herself toward her, fist pulled back.

"AAAH!"

Cinder heard her yell before she thrust her palm forward toward Yang, a bright red beam shot from her palm, a dark red that bubbled and glowed darkly. The beam made contact with Yang's fist, exploding on contact, a huge ball of energy covered Yang, blowing around her entire form, ripping up the concrete and road underneath her feet. The street pole a few meters behind her melted immediately, disappearing within the cloud of fire.

Cinder drew her arm back, allowing the fire to settle down with a hiss, but leaving the fire around her form to burn. She waited as the cloud was slowly cleared by the wind, waiting to see how much of the blonde was left.

Ruby completely forgot about the brute standing in front of her, her attention focused on her sister. Ruby was beyond shocked to have been looking at Yang in one moment and in the very next moment all she saw was a huge cloud of red hot fire that resembled lava exploding outward. Where was Yang? Yang was in there! What happened to her?

Ruby swung Crescent Rose around in an attempt to shoot off to her sister's side, but once again she was forced to cancel that plan as two blades came rushing towards her. The first spun her around while the second struck out in a jab, pushing her back. Now before her stood Brorn _and _Azura.

You don't fight fire with fire, unless your flame is brighter. But what if it wasn't? "Then make it brighter." That was Yang's response. Yang wasn't one to give up easily, especially when it came to her own principles. If they didn't seem to apply, bend them until they did. How do you make a flame burn brighter? You feed it and what better food to feed it then the other fires power? Luckily for Yang she always had room for more.

Cinder was happy to find the blonde lying face first on the ground at the end of a crevice her body seemed to have formed as she was blown into and along the ground. Cinder smiled to herself as the blonde was covered in darkness, no longer burning with that pathetic golden light, she was done. So when Cinder turned away and immediately saw a bright light in her peripheral, she was beyond irritated to find Yang slowly getting back up.

Yang stood slowly, fire returning to her body and hair and to Cinder's hatred, burning brighter than before. Cinder growled and dug her nails into her palms, _'Why won't they just DIE!' _Yang's hand, where the beam hit her was burnt and bleeding, her gauntlet had been damaged as well, the front part melted and torn away. No matter, she had two hands. Yang turned around to face Cinder, her eyes turning red again and her body exploded. Fire suddenly burst from her body violently, sending a shockwave outward around her, causing those too close to her to stagger away. Yang was burning so brightly that it was hard to actually see her body, she was completely covered in a gold light that flickered and illuminated the darkness without mercy. Cinder blinked as she tried to focus on the blonde, but in the time it took her to blink, Yang had made her way over to Cinder and had thrown her fist with all her might at Cinder's chest.

Cinder watched as Yang began to shrink away from her at alarming speeds and she was confused for a moment before her back slammed against a building, crashing through a support and continuing into the building, smashing glass and desks as she bounced through the office. Cinder struggled to her feet, dazed and in large amounts of pain, she was not only infuriated she was confused. What had just happened? Even form this distance, when she looked up, Yang was still shining intensely and seemed to illuminate the entire world. _'What the hell are these kids?'_

Cinder stumbled to her feet, never taking her eyes of the girl, watching as the girls fire burned around her, flickering and dancing in the wind, resembling wings that were ignited with gold, giving Yang the appearance of a golden angel.

* * *

Blake forced herself to remove her sword from Torchwick's exposed neck, she wanted nothing more to slight his throat and be done with him. Be done with his pathetic presence, be done with his sly comments and his deceptive words. But she knew she couldn't do it, she wasn't a murderer, she wasn't.

"What's wrong Blake? It's not like you haven't done this before."

Blake's head snapped back to Torchwick who was lying on the floor underneath her boot, her heel digging painfully into his chest.

"What did you say?" Blake hissed, returning the blade back to its position.

Torchwick laughed, ignoring the point against his throat.

"I mean, I wouldn't be the first person you killed right?"

"Shut up!"

"Hey now, no need to get pissy, I'll be honest, I've done it before too."

"I don't care what _you've _done! You're a monster, I am nothing like you!" Blake added more pressure against her blade.

"I'm a monster? Hmm, lemme think about that. Monster…. Like scare people and live in the dark? Well the only one in the shadows here is you."

Blake's eyes widened at his words. His damn, sly words. Torchwick continued before she could.

"Adam and his buddy's told me a lot about you. You've done some naught things. Burning stores, raiding warehouses, stealing whole trains! What was that other one they told me about? Oh yeah that's right," he paused but Blake already knew what he was going to say. "Assassination."

"No! No it's not like that!" Blake yelled, stepping off Torchwick and swinging her sword in denial.

"You can't run from your past Blake. You are who you are, you can't fight it. Your just as dark as me, as Cinder, as Adam. You lived and thrived in the shadows, not even I could do that."

"Shut up! Shut! Up!" Blake shook her head and continued to step away.

"You killed them and you knew you were doing it."

"They were bad people!"

"So what about you! Are you not a bad person? Do you not deserve to die?"

Blake stopped and looked at Torchwick. His words, they got to her, was he right?

"What do you think kitty cat?"

Blake couldn't help but believe him in the slightest. Even as he leveled his cane at her heart, she hated herself for believing him.

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**A/N: Review please? Sorry if your annoyed by the dragging out...**


	51. Chapter 51

**A/N: Buh, late night again.**

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There wasn't the first time Blake found herself staring down the barrel of a gun, in fact there was time in her life when this was a common occurrence, yet no matter how many times she found herself in this situation, none of them compared to this.

This felt real, this time felt like the last time. This, felt like the end. She was doomed to die with her final thoughts being that she her death was justified, that she deserved it. Blake Belladonna, fugitive, ex white fang member, thief and assassin. Murderer and a monster. A black beast descending from the shadows, to be slain in them.

Click.

This was it.

_'Yang…Sorry'_

BANG!

Torchwick pulled the trigger with ease. One less faunas girl in his world was nothing to his conscious, well what was left of it. The faunas before him disappeared behind a cloud of fire as his round exploded on impact, no doubt against the girls heart. She had been so easy to manipulate, she was so easily swallowed by his words. Given he had a way with speech, something he was proud about, it wasn't hard to say what he did, the truth isn't hard to say.

Torchwick began to lower his cane, certain his job was done and the faunas had been, quite forcibly, wiped from the earth, but as his cane made the short journey back to his side it was abruptly knocked back into the air, high up and swinging his arm up with it. Out of the inferno came a figure rushing forward toward him, a figure bathed in light. As it advanced upon him, pressing against his already weakened defence, Torchwick realised that it wasn't just a figure, it was that clone form before. That stupid gold Blake that took out Ityei.

_'Where the hell did this come from?' _

Torchwick growled as he struggled to keep up, but he was fighting a short battle that he already lost. The clone may have taken a direct hit to its shoulder but it was showing no signs of injury, moving it swords with just as much speed as the real Blake. With one swift movement, raising her blade up to block an attack before spinning around, still with her blade held up, she completed the revolution with her sword quickly moving away from the cane and coming across his chest. As Torchwick staggered back the clone removed the sheath portion of Gamboul Shroud, turned it to its flat side and swung it with all its might at Torchwick's head. It contacted with a solid clang, knocking his rather stylish hat off and knocking him unconscious. Torchwick's eyes rolled back before he registered what happened, his vision darkened and he toppled to his feet a small line of red trickling down the side of his head. He wasn't dead now, but a brain haemorrhage might do it.

Blake blinked. Wasn't she about to die? And wasn't she about to let it happen? She didn't even feel the need to move let alone summon a clone. Let alone that clone! Blake blinked again, the clone turning to face her. Should she say something? Why did Blake feel the need to say something?

"Uhh… how did you…"

"I couldn't let me die could I?"

Woah woah woah! Shadow clones can't talk! At least, the 'shadow' clones can't.

"You can- you can talk?" What was going on?

"Seems like it."

"H-how did you get summoned, I didn't even use my aura."

"Actually you did. You thought you didn't but you did."

"No! I wanted to die, I had accepted it!" Blake couldn't believe it, she was arguing with herself.

"Maybe you thought you did, but there was a part of you that wanted to keep fighting. The part of you that made that promise to Yang, me. I am that part, the part that has to constantly fight the battles within you, the battles between the dark and the light. Lucky for you, I won this round."

"I don't get it."

Gold Blake looked at real Blake with the look she had used so many times on Yang and to be honest, it frightened Blake a little to see a golden version of herself do it to her.

"Blake honestly, you need to let go."

"Let go of what?"

"Will you let me finish?"

Wow, so Gold Blake had an attitude? Not even Blake had one.

"You continue to live believing that you're not who you want your friends to see. That the person Yang see's next to her all the time, is a lie. You continue to believe that you're still Blake Belladonna, member of the White Fang, apprentice of Adam. Blake, that was three years ago. It's in the past, you moved on. You lived in the shadows, so think of it like this.  
That Blake still lives in the shadows, the shadows that the current Blake leaves behind as she walks in the light. That Blake is the Blake I fight for whenever you recede into the darkness. That is the Blake that Yang and Weiss and Ruby sees. That, is the Blake that exists now.  
I'm not going to lie, you were a beast, all those years ago. But now you've ascended out of them, I am proof of that. I'm, in essence, the embodiment of the light that exists within you. The dust you used, it amplifies positive energy, in a way similar to the Grimm attracting to negative emotions. I wouldn't exist if there was a template for me to made from, a template that came from you. A template that is real and that _is _you."

Blake remained silent, staring at what was apparently the good part of her. She couldn't believe it, this was too farfetched. It didn't make sense. Something like couldn't possibly be a part of her, it just couldn't, there was space for that kind of light, there was too much darkness in her for it! It wasn't right! This couldn't be real!

"I killed people! I killed them in cold blood! I'm stained with their blood, I have no right to walk in the light! The light should burn me, it should hurt me! I don't deserve this!"

Blake yelled into the night, tears coming to the edges of her eyes, the gold figure before becoming a shining star in the tears that blurred her eyes.

"So don't let their deaths be for nothing! You killed them, nothing you do will bring them back and perhaps nothing you will make up for it. But don't you dare let their deaths be for nothing as you crawl back into the darkness and do nothing about the world around you! That would far worse than what you've done so far! If it wasn't you it could have been someone else that killed them, someone who loved to kill, someone who would have done it time and time again. But it wasn't that someone, it was you! You, who left that world behind and you who will make a difference!"

Blake wiped a few tears away from her eye's, returning her sight back to normal, in time to see her clone flicker and her glow die down. Her light was fading.

"Blake, remember who you are. Remember who _I _am, because without you, I am nothing. You are who Yang sees you to be, don't let her down. You made a promise."

Then she was gone, her light fading with her. But as soon as Blake was left in the dark, an enormous light burst to life to her left. Blake snapped her head toward the source, having to shield her eyes form the glare. It wasn't a light, but a fire, burning gold like a light, igniting the world and eating away at the darkness.

"Yang?"

Blake watched as her partner flew toward Cinder and practically pummeled her into a building yards behind their position. She couldn't help but cringe as Cinder ploughed through a concrete slab without the slightest of hesitation.

Just as Yang began to walk over to Cinder, something caught Blake's eye. Something high up on one for the buildings. Something with dark red eyes that glowed in the night. Blake squinted as she tried to make it out, but she had no need to when a huge black figure passed over it and placed its huge talons over its head. Blake stepped back as she took in the sight, a huge nevermore, perched on the edge of the building, its beady eyes scouring the ground beneath it.

"Oh no."

Blake spoke too soon. Just then a enormous King Taijitu slithered its way around the corner of a street, carving its way through the corner of the building. Death stalkers, beowulfs and ursa's followed suit, leaping for the buildings or emerging out of alley ways, roaring and snarling as the ran toward them. Gold Blake's words echoed in Blake's mind.

"the Grimm attracting to negative emotions"

Right now, this area was filled with negative emotions. Apparently there was a huge amount of them, enough to attract the attention of one particular grimm that team RWBY had dubbed the 'titan'. The grimm they almost fought back when they had their picnic, the massive one covered in bone.

That one seemed like a child compared to the one that leveled an entire building as it moved toward them.

* * *

**A/N: *Erghem* snk reference *Erghem* So anyway. I did a thing.**

**Hey guys i was wondering, I've been really curious about the demographic of my audience, as in age, gender that sort of thing. I was just thinking who exactly is reading my story, I mean c'mon, I wanna know who's reading my story. I know this may sound a bit weird and some of you may not even answer but if you don't mind, even go on anon and do it! I just wanna know how old some of you are or even what gender you are.**

**I know it sound really messed up but I'm just curious and it helps to know when i read reviews and stuff, it gives some context to it.**


	52. Chapter 52

**A/N: Hey guys! Thank you to all who actually answered me. I'm gonna be fair and tell you about me. I'm a 16 year old guy living in Australia in year 12 with lots of assignments right now! So updates may be delayed. Also last night was delayed coz I drew Blake, which I'm pretty proud of if i say so myself** **:P**

* * *

The titan was huge, but to say it levelled an entire building may be a little deceiving. It did destroy the building, but it didn't just push it over due to its size, it was _that _big, instead it came charging _through _the building, it was definitely big enough for that. It ploughed through the building like it was papier-mâché, its pale bone plating absorbing whatever force was applied to its huge mass. It came barrelling down the street moving exceptional fast for something its size, its body covered in bone, pointy protrusions extended from its elbows and running along its spine. Covered in white the moon gleamed off its bony exterior as it shook the earth with each step, the building nearest it shedding more layers of concrete and glass, everyone had stopped to watch it go.

Yang stood stock still in awe as she watched the huge beast pound down the street in her direction, completely ignoring the grimm around its feet, crushing them without hesitation. It was coming toward her and didn't seem to be slowing down, yet Yang was to dumbstruck to move. Lucky for her it wasn't going for her, but instead it ran toward the building where Cinder was and smashed its huge skull into the building, moving its huge mouth toward the dust user. The beast violently shoved its mouth through the building, not caring for the rough structure of steel and concrete that was the five floors of office it went through to get to Cinder. It reared its head back as a cloud of dust began to form and Yang could see flashes a fire flash from the ground toward the titans armoured head.

The explosions that appeared at its jaw had literally no effect on the beast, it didn't even require the need to 'shrug them off', simply ignoring them as if they weren't there, in fact it probably didn't even feel them. The shots kept coming back the position of their origin was moving closer to Yang and soon Yang found Cinder emerging from the dust cloud, moving away from the beast. Yang smiled to herself as she launched a flare toward the woman, Cinder turned in time to raise a hand and block the projectile, where it exploded against some force field.

Even though she hated this woman, Yang couldn't help but cringe when a huge claw came swinging toward Cinder, it seemed to move so slow but when it hit the woman she was sent flying. Flying across the street straight into another building.

"Oooh." Yang cringed as she saw the small puff of rubble emit from where Cinder flew through more concrete and glass.

The ground beneath Yang's feet shuddered as the titan placed its claw back on the ground, before it decided to issue one of the loudest noises they had ever heard. It huge jaw opened wide and the world began to shake, glass shattered, buildings crumbled and everyone had their hand over their ears, especially Blake. It was a deep rumbling roar that would have travelled for kilometres, it was so loud that from where Yang stood there was a discernible gust of air that flicked her hair around and even threatened to send rubble tumbling down the street. As soon as its mouth was shut it was moving, and so was every other grimm that had been attracted to the area.

Yang hopped on her feet before tuning and bolting down the way, back to her team. "Oh boy."

* * *

"How did we not notice that earlier?"

Winter walked to Weiss' side, walking away from a rather large icy plume that housed a certain green haired criminal.

"That is a good question." Weiss replied, looking at the leviathan with awe.

"Like seriously, something that big isn't easy to mi-"

AAAAAAAAAAAAAR

Winter was cut off as she was forced to bring her hand over her ears, the shrill sound threatening to render her deaf. Once she acknowledged it was safe she removed her hands to hear even more shrieks and growls, these being issued from the surrounding grimm that had joined them. Beowolfs, death stalkers, nevermores, boarbatusks, King Taijitu, even goliaths had emerged from the shadows, ranging from regular sized grimm to the occasional exception of ridiculously sized grimm.

"Where did they all come from?" Winter asked in a lower voice.

"Grimm are attracted to negativity. What do you think this whole night has been filled with?"

"We can't fight them all! Especially mister Godzilla over there!" Winter threw her hand at the titan, this really was ridiculous.

"We may not have a choice." Weiss replied, her newly acquired cape flapping in the wind behind her.

"You know, ever since that cape you've been acting really…..cool."

Weiss raised an eyebrow as she turned to her sister.

"Stop it. You're not cool. You're my sister." Winter dead-panned, although the kind nature of the statement was evident.

Weiss laughed at her sister, "Oh Winter, trust me, I can be cool."

Then Weiss was off, leaving a puff of snowflakes to float around her sister and leave a cooling sensation in the air.

Winter scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Great, now she's pulling puns."

* * *

Yang joined Ruby, just as she finished off the two guys from before, the big guy and the one Yang thought she had knocked out.

"What the hell is that!?" Ruby exclaimed.

"It looks like that thing we saw in the forest." Yang explained.

"Yeah I know but…" Ruby moved her hands around in the air frantically, "It huge!"

"Dully noted Ruby."

Weiss appeared by her side with a smile, cocking her head to one side as Ruby looked her over.

"You know," Yang began looking over Weiss, "ever since that cape-"

"She's been looking cool right?" Winter had dropped in. "Yeah it's weird isn't it."

"What _weird_," Weiss glanced at her sister, who smiled back, "is all this grimm. What do we do?"

"Hey where's Blake?" Ruby asked, looking around for the faunas.

They all turned to find her fighting off what had to be an entire pack of beowulfs, to add to it there was a pair of boarbatusks and a nevermore circling above.

"Grimm are attracted to negativity." Weiss whispered.

* * *

As soon as Blake recovered from the roar and the grim began to move, she immediately knew they would come for her, at least a large portion of them. She still couldn't shake the doubt and guilt she felt, even after she was lectured by herself. She straightened as a pack of beowulfs began to stalk toward her, fanning out around and behind her, slowly closing in on her. She glanced up and saw a nevermore soar above her, watching and waiting. When Blake looked back to the ground she found two boarbatusks rolling toward her. Blake quickly jumped into the air, turning her body and using a clone to push her higher into the air and away from the second boar.

As she reached the apex of her jump where she hang for a moment, her sword collapsed into the scythe and no sooner was it flying toward a beowulf. Blake spun in the air, her scythe following behind her, carving circles in the air as she spun it around as she herself spun in the air. When she hit the ground she had already taken out at least six of the beasts. Her feet hit the earth and her blade was back in her hand, clone pushing her toward the next target. Gamboul Shroud being split into its components and making quick work of three more grimm. Blake heard a loud snort and some sort of tumbling sound before she turned and found the two boars coming at her again, from the front and behind.

Blake was ready to move out of the way before a flash of yellow slammed into the ground, fist planted firmly against the now crushed skull of the boar. The one behind her was blocked by a glyph, before something white landed behind it and jumped away. Both glyphs turned white and the boarbatusk began bouncing between the two with blinding speed. Blake looked around her and found Ruby, Weiss, Winter and Yang joining her. Before she could say anything the continuous thudding of the boarbatusk between the glyphs caused her to point at with while raising an eyebrow at Weiss. Weiss looked at Winter and Winter flicked her wrist with a sigh and her glyph vanished, leaving the boar to soar high into the air, quickly being lost in the night sky.

"Hilarious." Weiss said sarcastically, not even bothering to look at her sister.

"Yay! We're all back!" Ruby yelled, throwing her arms around her teammates plus Winter.

Blake was pulled into the hug in the last second by Yang, who sent a wink her way, Blake rolled her eyes but nonetheless smiled happily.

"Good to be back." Blake said softly.

She really did mean it. These were her friends, this was her home now, where she belonged. It was with these people she felt the happiest, felt the safest. When she was with them it felt so easy to let go of Blake of the White Fang, all she had to do was let go. She wanted Yang to see her as Blake Belladonna, the cat faunas who played in the shadows, now the faunas who lived and thrived in them. She needed to let go, so what better time like the present?

"So uh, all this grimm huh." Yang stated.

"Well it's a lot easier than fighting people." Ruby pointed out.

"Yeah but people don't come in the hundreds." Blake retorted.

"But that's when it gets fun." Yang teased, slamming her fists together.

"You need to cool down." Blake dead-panned, her smile once gain betraying the intention of her words.

"Nah that's Weiss job." Yang waved at the heiress.

"Ha." Weiss breathed, "Well in any case. We need to do _something_. There are a lot of them and we can't just leave them here."

"Oh I'm sure I'll think of something." Ruby replied, reloading Crescent Rose and pointing it behind her, she stopped before she pulled the trigger, "Eventually."

Even with her extra speed, Weiss was hopeless to stop her partner form jumping into battle carelessly, left with the rest of her team to all face palm. As a team.

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**A/N: Was it just me or were they acting a bit too casual for the situation? Review?**


	53. Chapter 53

**A/N: If you have trouble picturing Ruby's scene, imagine her trailer. ;P**

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Ruby soared through the air, her cloak fluttering freely behind her and Crescent Rose gripped firmly in her hands. Fighting grimm was easy, so much more than who they were fighting earlier. Fighting grimm was what she was used to, it was so much easier for her to slice through hordes of mindless beasts without hesitation then for her to go toe to toe against another living breathing human being with feelings and skill. Ruby had no quarrels with killing beasts, the last thing she wanted to do was kill a person and become a beast herself.

The roars and crashes kept issuing from the huge titan continuing its scavenge through the buildings to try and close its jaws around Cinder. Ruby could just see the tops of its bony white spikes peaking over the building as she flew, puffs of dust and rubble blowing around its form. Ruby was edging to go up against the beast, it was huge and gigantic, she wanted to see it up close and see what it could do. But Ruby knew it would be suicidal to go in alone, besides she needed a warm up. A small pack of beowulfs would do nicely.

Ruby landed on the ground, sliding to a halt in front of a wolf, Crescent Roses' barrel pointed forward, it fired off a round, blowing a gaping hole in the beasts head and launching Ruby backward. Ruby spun so that she was facing forward, approaching another beowulf she spun Crescent Rose around twice, creating a gash through the beasts waist and then removing its head from its neck. Ruby kept Crescent Rose spinning until it came to rest across the back of her neck along her shoulders, where another round was fired and shot Ruby off to the right. She met two more beowulfs, one closer than the other, and as she came close she lowered herself and spun around, causing Crescent Rose to cleave the legs of the first beat out from under its body. Before it touched the ground Ruby rose from her spin and had placed her scythe on the shoulders of the second wolf, the blade resting at the back of its neck before Ruby pulled the trigger and sent the blade _through_ its neck. Ruby jumped and spun into the air, using her body to convert the direction of Crescent Rose so that when she planted it into the ground it pinned the beowulf from earlier into the ground.

Ruby landed on top of Crescent Rose, her feet planted between the staff section and the reverse blade, she pulled the trigger, freeing Crescent Rose from the ground and sending the pair into a spin. They cleaved straight through middle of yet another beowulf, cutting it into two equal halves, and landing on her feet a few meters away. Crescent Rose came over her head and was slammed into the ground yet again, Ruby kept her hold onto it using it as leverage to help her spin into the air as she kicked a beowulf off to her left in the head. As it staggered back Ruby had used her hold on Crescent Rose to swing around and in between its handle and the ground, using the spinning momentum to launch herself, feet first, at it. As Ruby felt her feet smack into its jaw, the speed of her spin gave her enough upward force to yank Crescent Rose free where she brought it up to fire at the beowulf in mid-air.

The beowulf had its chest blown out and Ruby was sent further into the air, where she back flipped and turned around. As she floated in the air momentarily, she saw a line of beowulfs directly below her, how convenient. Smiling to herself Ruby readied her semblance and swung Crescent Rose to her right side, throwing herself into a slow spin and when she was facing away from the line of wolfs she fired. Ruby shot toward the ground in a flash, landing firmly still in a spin to cut the first in line in half. But Ruby was still moving forward, using the reach of her scythe to kill the second in line without having to reach it. As Crescent Rose came around her semblance fired and she was instantly speeding down the pack of beowulfs. Ruby spun as she killed the third one, jumping up and gutting the fourth mid-air, she fired another round to bring her back to the ground where she dropped to her knees and as she slid past the fifth, Crescent Rose was trailing behind her to remove it shoulders and head from it abdomen.

Ruby quickly got to her feet, her semblance still carrying her at lighting speeds, spinning Crescent Rose at her side to cleave through the sixth beowulf in line. Crescent Rose quickly came around back to her front where Ruby placed it against the back of the seventh beowulfs neck, she fired and as Crescent Rose effortlessly cut through its spine and neck and was pushed back toward Ruby, Ruby jumped into the air and slipped forward, cancelling the backward push of Crescent Rose so that she spun in the same position, where she landed with Crescent Rose facing behind her, firing another round, killing a beowulf she missed behind her and launching her forward yet again. As she sped forward the cleaved through the two remaining beowulfs and the force of her semblance causing her to skid to a halt a few meters away from the last beowulf, where she spun and slammed Crescent Rose in the ground behind her to look down the line of strewn and fading bodies. Except when she looked down the line of bodies, the second beowulf was yet to hit the ground, sometimes Ruby forgot just how fast she was.

"Man, I am so bada-"

Ruby's self-praise was cut short by a piercing shriek that was shortly followed by a whistling noise. Ruby looked to the sky to find a nevermore shooting its feathers at her, or had already shot its feathers at her. Just before the huge, razor sharp feather points made it to her a white figure danced across the air in front of her, seeming to land on something for the briefest of moments before jumping away. The feathers slammed into a wall of glyphs that Ruby was sure wasn't there earlier, the glyphs quickly rotated before launching the feathers back towards its owner. The nevermore squawked as it was forced to bank out of the way of the projectiles, tilting its enormous body to the side and gliding out of harm's way.

"Honestly. How many times do I have to tell you to think before you something stupid?"

Ruby looked to her left and was pleasantly surprised to find Weiss strolling toward her, her mother's white cloak still fluttering behind her. Ruby was brought back to attention as Weiss cocked her head to the side, waiting for a response.

"Stupid?" Ruby splattered. "Weiss, I don't call that stupid." Ruby stated, stepping to the side to show off the neat line of carnage that she created in the space of mere seconds.

"I call that awesomeness"

"Yet you still managed to completely forget about the huge bird flying over your head."

"Well that's why I have you!" Ruby answered with a smile.

It was such a strange sight to Weiss. The woman of her love, smiling brightly in the moonlight, a smile that threatened melt her, all the while holding onto a huge menacing bloodied scythe in the middle of a battlefield. Weiss couldn't do anything but smile back.

"You are such a dolt." She answered with a laugh.

"Yeah but I'm _your _dolt." Ruby reminded, lifting herself onto her toes as she said it.

"Well that's great and all but the huge bird is coming back."

Ruby jumped at the voice, she hadn't seen Winter enter and had thought it was just Weiss and herself. Luckily she didn't make any moves otherwise she'd be horribly embarrassed.

The nevermore was indeed heading back, gliding toward the trio, the white of its bone plate gleaming in the moonlight. It opened its huge beak to issue another piercing yell before a barrage of ice slammed into its head. Although it bounced harmlessly off the armour around it head, it was still forced to turn another time away from them. Ruby turned to Weiss and found her blade to be pointed down.

"Hey Weiss, why haven't you been using dust?"

Weiss lifted her sword up to give Ruby a better look at it. It wasn't hers.

"I don't have Myrtenaster, so I don't have dust. Although I don't mind, this swords excellent."

The sword did look quite elegant, it had simple golden hilt that extended outward about five inches and was curved inward slightly. The blade was a pristine white shade, that appeared silver at times. The blade itself was thin but sturdy, much like Myrtenaster and to Weiss it was just as good, minus the dust cartridges.

"Come one you don't need her, I'm just as good!" Winter teased.

Just then she pulled a ice crystal from one of her pouches, she tossed it into the air and slashed her blade through it. The crystal burst into fine specks that seemed to float in the air momentarily, Winter brought her left hand up, her index and middle finger held out, mimicking the motions Ruby had seen Weiss go through countless times before. Immediately all the shards converged into several different points, forming multiple shards of ice that hung in the air. Winter spun around, slashing her sword across the group of crystals at which point they all lurched forward, shooting off toward the nevermore.

"It has all that armour, we won't get to it like that. It's neck is covered as well, so we can't exactly repeat what we did last time." Weiss stated, referring to their first encounter with a nevermore. But Ruby disagreed.

"No, I think me and you can."

* * *

Yang was itching to go and take on the huge titan that was smashing its way through buildings. She wanted to see just how many hits its bony skull would take before cracking. But Ruby, Weiss and Winter had already taken off, leaving her with Blake. Yang would have gone off on her own, but when she looked at Blake she really didn't want to leave her alone. As she recalled, Yang realised just how many times the faunas fought alone, in forever fall she fought alone, she fought alone tonight as well, Yang felt it was time she put a stop to it.

"So Blakey, looks like it's just me and you huh?" Yang asked sprightly, "You know I was thinking maybe after all this we co-"

Yang was cut off as Blake smashed into her and pushed her to the floor.

"Oor we could do it now? Blake remember what I said about me being on the bottom?"

"Oh shut up" Blake quickly rolled off her partner and summoned a clone to push Yang and herself away from their position, just in time to dodge the stinger of a death stalker. Yang got to her feet and looked at the grimm.

"Oh is that shy she did that." She mumbled to herself.

She watched as Blake jumped up and used a clone to dash over the scorpions head, slashing at its skull as she moved, before coming to land by her side.

"You got some smooth moves there Blake." Yang teased with a grin.

"Seriously, do you ever stop?"

"Mmm not really no."

Just then Blake turned to face her and back flipped, kicking Yang as she spun, pushing the blonde back and summoning a clone to push herself back. The space between the opened up just as the black head of a King Taijitu quickly entered the space, mouth wide open.

Yang rubbed her chest where Blake's heel caught her, "That's just mean." She mumbled.

"You deserved it!" Blake called, her cat ears working wonders.

The snake head reared back just as Yang was forced to jump back out of the reach of the death stalker pincers. Yang slid to a halt to the side of the king Taijitu, the black scales fading to white. Then Yang remembered those things have two heads.

The brawler quickly spun around, fist ready, and was glad to find the serpents white head coming toward her, where she was able to fire her gauntlet and send her fist straight in between the eyes of the snake. The head reared back with a hiss, shaking its head to the side in an attempt to dull the pain. Yang felt her aura flare and instinctively spun to the side, feeling the death stalkers stinger just brush against her back. As she spun she fired off another round at the serpent just as Blake appeared above it.

Blake back flipped into the air using a clone to push her toward the dark head of the beast. As she flipped through the air Gamboul Shroud came with her and it slashed upward against the bottom of the serpent jaw. As the snake reared back Blake summoned another clone that pushed her toward the snake as she flew over its head she swung her blade below her, slashing across the top of its head, before she landing on its neck and began to slide down its body.

Blake found herself easily sliding alone the scales of the grimm, moving along as the scales beneath her feet transitioned from black to white. She had to use another clone to push her up toward the second head of the snake as it had just jerked it head back, Blake heard Ember Celica fired and guessed that what did it. As she jumped high over its head, she barrel rolled with Gamboul Shroud held firmly to cut against the beasts second head three times over, before she tucked and rolled, landing on its head gracefully and immediately jumping off toward the death stalker.

As her feet left the snakes head she saw one of Ember Celica's rounds speeding toward the serpent and felt the resulting shockwave against her back as it exploded on contact. Blake reached out and grabbed onto the death stalkers stinger, which was yet to leave the ground, she drew back Gamboul Shroud ready to hack the golden bulb off of its appendage. But as she drew her arm back, the black head of the Taijitu hissed and shot its head toward her. Thankfully she wasn't alone and Yang had jumped into the air, bringing her fist into the underside of the snakes head and pushing it upwards.

The snakes jaw was slammed shut and its head jerked up before it reared back to gather itself. The death stalker had pulled its stinger free and had Blake swinging around with it, barely holding on. _'Is this how Jaune felt?' _Blake thought as she was effortlessly thrown through the air like a rag doll. Suddenly she was whipped back and then thrown forward suddenly, the speed of the movement being too much for Blake and she was violently thrown into the ground. Blake's back slammed into the ground roughly before she bounced up and rolled onto her front, grunting as the thuds created shocks of dull pain that flashed through her body.

"Blake!"

Yang yelled out as she saw her partner being tossed into the ground effortlessly, cringing as she smashed into the ground at painful looking speeds. Yang sprang into a ran as she made to reach her partner, made it half way before she was forced to slide to a halt. As she ran toward the faunas, the white head had recovered and hissed at the blonde before spitting a vile acidic substance toward her. Yang saw the acid in the corner of her vision, falling to her knees in an attempt to slow her down immediately, coming to a halt mere inches from where the acid landed on the ground. Yang watched at the purple liquid as it sizzled and bubbled, expelling an obnoxious gas that had Yang turning her head away from it. Yang flipped back onto her feet, where she heard the death stalker hiss lowly and she quickly rolled to the side, dodging the stinger for the second time.

"You're really persistent."

Then Yang came up with a plan. Looking from the death stalker to the king Taijitu she called out to Blake to come to her.

"Blake! I have a plan!"

Yang leaped back away from the claws of the death stalker landing as Blake appeared by her side.

"Am I supposed to be glad?" She teased.

"Oh c'mon it's not that bad."

Yang quickly explained her plan to her partner, between dodging and jumping out of the way of three different enemies, Blake didn't think that it was all that bad after all. After another strike from the black Taijitu, it brought its head back up and Blake sprang into action. She ran straight toward the serpent, jumped up and used a clone to propel her over its head, her ribbon let loose and Gamboul Shroud in Yang's hands, Blake began to flip around the snakes head, wrapping the ribbon around it, using clones to move her around and around until the ribbon became taught.

Yang held onto Gamboul Shroud as Blake wrapped the serpents head. Yang was reduced to using one hand to dodge and manoeuvre out of the way of both the deaths stalkers pincers and the white serpent's fangs, as her other hand was busy holding onto Blake's sword. Blake finished swinging around the serpents head and rested on top of it as she went to cut the ribbon off or her arm.

"This was a good ribbon." She sighed to herself before she freed herself from the rest of the ribbon. When Yang saw Blake jump down from the snake she gave the ribbon a small experimental tug, testing to see if it was sturdy enough. Just as she finished tucking she felt a much more forceful tug from the other end, the snake was pulling back on the ribbon as it tried to get free. Yang held firm, keeping her ground and waiting for the right moment to put her plan into action. Blake ran across from her, moving to pre-occupy the remaining Taijitu head as Yang dealt with the death stalker and the other head.

Yang grabbed onto Gamboul Shroud with two hands, grunting as each yank threatened to pull her off her feet. She turned to the death stalker and waited as patiently as she could for its stinger to slowly rise into the air. When the death stalker stopped snapping its pincers and lifted it stinger into the air, aiming for the blonde girl in front of it, Yang tensed her arms as she readied herself for the exact moment. When the stinger reached full height, she counted to two before pulling with all her might on the ribbon, firing her gauntlets to add to the pull.

The black Taijitu head was abruptly pulled forward and continued to be moved against its will until it was pulled in front of Yang, right in the path of the stinger that was already on its way home. The death stalkers stinger slammed straight into the snakes head, easily piercing its skull and impaling the beast. The head died instantly but its dead weight was thrown back as the stinger pushed it forward, tumbling on top of the blonde was positioned behind it.

As Blake fought the remaining head it suddenly jerked upward as the black head died, it hissed and spat acid at Blake who easily dodged it with a clone, turning to the dead head and looking for her partner.

"Yang!"

She ran toward the limp head but was thrown back as the death stalker swung its claws at her. It stepped in between her and the black portion of the king Taijitu, blocking her path to Yang. Fortunately the poison from the stinger was already making its way through the rest of the snakes body, making the remaining head sway droopily before it flopped over onto the floor with a loud thud.

Blake was left to fight the death stalker with just the sheath portion of her blade.

"Go for the eye!"

Blake heard Yang's voice but couldn't see her. Shortly after hearing the command a white object was thrown toward her, she plucked it out the air and found it to one of the king taijitu's fangs. Blake looked back up and saw Yang running toward her.

"Throw it Blake!"

Blake looked down at the fang in her hand, then looked at the eyes of the death stalker. Blake was tempted to ask which eye to aim for but decided that sort of humour wasn't necessary right now. Hefting it in her hand, she flipped it over before throwing it toward the scorpion. The fang flew straight and true, slamming into its centre eye easily. The death stalker wretched back with a shriek before Yang jumped over it to land in front of its 'face'. The blonde winked at the beast before throwing her fist straight at the fang protruding from its eye ball.

Ember Celica fired, driving the fang into the scorpion skull like a hammer would a nail, except this hammer was extremely powerful and this nail was pushed deep into its head. The scorpion staggered back, before it swayed gently and then collapsed onto the floor, the stinger slamming into the ground loudly.

"Well then," Yang dusted her hands off, "not such a bad plan huh?"

"Was part of the plan getting crushed by a dead head?" Blake asked with a smirk.

Yang narrowed her yes at her partner before she tossed her sword back to her, "Shut up."

Blake smiled to herself as Yang turned away from her.

"What do you say we try to take on bid daddy over there?" Yang asked, jerking her head toward the titan.

Blake turned to Yang with a smile, "Sure."

* * *

"Here."

Winter handed the crystal over to her sister.

"I haven't used it like this in a while, let's hope I still know how."

"You guys ready?" Ruby asked, hoping on her toes impatiently.

Weiss rolled her eyes but replied with a simple, "Ready!"

"Alright, it coming back around."

Ruby had devised a plan that would surely bring them victory over the nevermore that was covered in bone plate armour. A super awesome badass plan that would totally make her look awesome. Well her _and _Weiss.

The huge bird let out another shriek as it approached, and just as it reared back to flap its wings and shoot off another round of feathers, Ruby launched into the air.

Winter gave her a boost with one of her glyphs, sending the red head speeding into the air with her own semblance moving her at unimaginable speeds. Ruby's scythe met the armoured neck of the nevermore, the curved blade curving with its neck perfectly and she seemed to float there momentarily before her feet pushed against another of Winter's glyphs and she fired another round both adding force as she pushed against the nevermore's neck.

The nevermore felt a slight tug at its neck as Ruby began to pull it mid-flight, the nevermore was about to lean forward and destroy her plan if it wasn't for the continuous supply of glyphs and gravity rounds that issued from her sniper. Each round was accompanied by a glyph that pushed her forward, and soon the nevermores forward momentum was being cancelled out. Then Weiss entered the fray.

Weiss had jumped onto her own glyph when Ruby launched herself toward the nevermore. The heiress remained perched on her glyph as it spun slowly, drawing in power from her aura. The glyph began to spin faster and faster as Weiss continued to feed it, as sat on the glyph, legs bent and sword pointed forward, she managed to apply the dust crystal to the blade, imbuing it with a faint white glow. The whirring noise form her glyph reached the speed where it sounded like one long continuous rotation, no longing a whirring but a long humming and when she saw that Ruby wasn't moving any further, she fired her glyph.

Winter jumped in surprise as she heard a loud boom off to her left, she turned her head in time to see a huge cloud of snow explode against the ground, the concrete beneath Weiss' position was cracked and broken. Winter snapped her head back toward the nevermore just in time to see her sister reach it.

Weiss flew through the air faster than she had ever done before. To the point where it frightened her a little, the world at the edges of her vision drew back and became one huge blur and for a moment she wasn't sure whether she missed her target. But she felt her blade slam into the bone plating, just under Ruby's scythe, and with two hands she pulled with all her strength, forcing her blade to dig into the armour.

Ruby blinked and found Weiss on the opposite side of the birds neck, her blade under hers, she squeezed of one last round as she pulled with all her might against the armour.

"AAAAAAAH!"

The pair yelled in unison as they both flared their auras and fired their semblances together, Weiss summoning a glyph and Ruby giving herself another burst of speed to add to her momentum. The plating cracked, starting off as a small black line where the two blades met, then when they used their semblances, the additional power turned the small black line into a series of larger jagged lines.

Winter watched in awe as her sister and her partner seemed to float in the air, their yells just reaching her ears. She watched as a cloud of snowflakes burst from her sisters cloak and a cloud of rose petals issued from Ruby' cloak, they drifted behind the pair and Winter followed them as they drifted toward each other and twirled in the air, making a mix of red and white in the night sky.

Winter had her attention on the snow flakes and petals and jumped as she heard a loud cracking noise, snapping her attention back to the huge bird she watched as the armour around its neck broke away violently and then Ruby's scythe and Weiss sword sliced right through its neck.

They both spun around in the air to face her direction and the picture before her was nothing short of 'badass'.

Weiss on the left, Ruby on the right and a huge black and white nevermore between them, its head slowly coming off its neck. They all seemed to float in the air for a moment as their cloaks fluttered behind them, emitting a stream of snow flakes and rose petals, that blew around them and covered them slightly.

A white knight and a red reaper, floating in the sky with a huge, beheaded, beast in between them with a full moon perfectly positioned behind them. It was a scene for legends.

When they touched the ground Winters mouth was still slightly ajar and she still hadn't blinked. She thought now was a good time to do that. She ran to meet the pair and was immediately approached by Ruby.

"How did we look did you look awesome? Was it totally badass?"

"I-I uh- uhm… Yes?"

"See! I knew it!" Ruby turned to Weiss.

"Ruby not everything is about looking 'badass'. Have you ever tried looking, sophisticated?"

"Trust me you don't want to" Winter interjected, voicing Ruby's point for her.

"That's why _I'm _the heiress." Weiss stated.

"I don't need to be 'sophisticated', I'm too cute" Winter folded her arms over her chest.

"Oh please, Ruby is cuter than you."

"What?" Ruby quickly asked.

"N-nothing." Weiss began to turn red.

Winter looked between her sister and the red head before she rolled her eyes and said.

"Seriously Weiss, we already know you two are a thing, why do act like this?"

"Maybe she's embarrassed her partner isn't as, 'sophisticated' as her" Ruby teased.

"Ruby do you want to fight the giant grimm down the road?"

"Yeah?"

"Then be quite."

Weiss turned away from her sister and partner as she made her way toward the titan, leaving Ruby and Winter to share a giggle. Weiss was about to turn back toward them when she felt a weight at her arm.

"Ruby?"

Ruby had grabbed onto her arm and was leaning against her as they walked toward the huge beast. Ruby looked at Weiss and smiled brightly at her partner.

"Ruby what are yo-"

She was cut off as Ruby affectionately pecked her on the check before issuing a, "Love ya." Then quickly shooting off down the road.

"Ruby! Wait!" Weiss threw her hand out, but her red headed partner was already too far gone. Grumbling loudly she summoned a glyph and shot after her. When Winter was sure her sister was long gone she voiced her thoughts.

"I think Ruby will be good for you Weiss. I'm glad you let her in."

* * *

**A/N: Blake's signature, 'sure'. Ok guys, I dare to say it but, i honestly hope/believe that there are only three chapters left. I think. It may take some time as school is still a thing and i have to think about the ending, like real hard. I want it to be memorable and not have too many plot holes/conveniences so I'll see what i can do. Thank you to all who have stuck with me into the fifty third chapter! Honestly i would have never though this possible, I thought some of you would leave as it was just going on and on, but i don't think you did! SO thank you all so much!**


	54. Chapter 54

**A/N: Sup home dawgs? I'm back! How you all doing? Hope you enjoy the final chapters :P**

* * *

Ruby sped away from her partner, increasing the distance in between them at an alarming rate while decreasing the distance to the titan just the same. The huge beast had been preoccupied this entire time by smashing and thrashing through the building surrounding it. It's huge bulky, armoured, body ploughing through levels of concrete without hesitation. Everyone now and then a streak of fire would emit from one of the buildings, speeding toward the beast to explode harmlessly against the white plating that covered most of its body. The titan would turn toward the position of the streak, swinging its huge head through the air before brining one hand up to smash through the building. Whilst it was busy tearing down yet another building, Cinder would move across from it before firing again. This time she pulled back on the bow she just formed, three arrows nocked firmly against the thin glass fibre string. The three pointed projectiles flew straight and true, colliding one after the other against the side of the titans head. Two blew against white armour but the third made its way into one of the few gaps in the armour, exploding against the beasts exposed ear.

Ruby saw the three black streaks fly toward the titan, having to crane her head up due to its immense size. Ruby jumped as the beasts head was abruptly blown to the side, one of the projectiles seeming to hit home. The titan staggered to the side, although the step was little, its affect was enormous. The ground shook violently and the building it staggered into, what was left of it, crumbled and collapsed as it lifted itself off of it. The titan turned its head back toward Cinder, its huge mouth opening wide and issuing another thunderous roar. So close to the beast Ruby slammed her hands against her ears, tucking her head low and cringing as the sound vibrating through her body.

The roar died down but not before portions of the building it roared at was blown inward from the sheer force of the roar as air rushed out of its enormous lungs. Cinder really had no quarrel with this ridiculously oversized monster, she could easily leave the beast to deal with the children. Even if it had its sights on her, she could easily out run the giant and be free. But Cinder knew what this beast was capable of, something she wanted to use to her advantage, something that could eliminate all four girls in an instant. The problem was she had to get the beast to unleash this power and as of late she hadn't been doing very well. Finding a hole in the floor she jumped down a few levels, time to reposition and try again.

Ruby looked up at the titan as it sniffed the air around the building. Puzzling over what exactly it was searching for, Ruby quickly threw the thought aside, grabbing her scythe and readying herself to jump into the fray. The leader counted to three in her mind, bracing herself before reaching three and launching into the air. A trail of rose petals was left behind to greet Weiss just as the heiress landed where Ruby had been just a second ago.

"Ruby!"

Ruby felt that all too familiar feeling as she soared through the air at incredible speeds. She relished the sensation of the air speeding through her air and brushing against her cheeks. The way her world blurred around the edges thrilled her as her target became the only thing she could see. Ruby knew she was fast, faster than almost everyone and it was something she proud of. Being able to look at a spot in the distance then be at that very same spot in an instant. Sometimes even Ruby questioned how it was within her ability to do such a thing.

Ruby passed over the snout of the titan just before she brought Crescent Rose down against the thick armour plating. Ruby's world came to a rather forceful halt. Her arm was pulled back roughly and threatened to escape it's socket as her legs continued forward flipping into the air as the rest of her body stopped. She landed on her rear with a thump, hand still grasping Crescent Rose she looked down its curved blade to find the tip embedded in a defect in the armoured plating. A small crack that was conveniently the right size and in the right place at the right time for Ruby's dear old scythe to become wedged within it.

"Oh no."

Ruby got to her feet and pulled on Crescent Rose's handle. After no response from the scythe she tried another time, planting her feet firmly against the smooth bone plating and pulling with all her weight and might.

"Not good."

Not good indeed, just as she voiced the thought the titan began thrashing its head around haphazardly in an attempt to remove the painful sensation from its head.

"Woah! Woooah! Helllllllp?"

Ruby was thrown from side to side, her legs whipping back and forth behind her body. She couldn't let go, she needed her baby, Crescent Rose couldn't be without her, especially in a time like this.

"Weiss, what is your partner doing?"

Winter joined her sisters side as they both watched the red head swing around atop the titans head like a red and black ragdoll.

"That dolt! She never listens!"

Weiss jumped onto a glyph before shooting off toward her partner, leaving Winter with her mouth open as she was about to say something. Winter looked behind her and found Blake and Yang watching from a distance, discussing something before Yang waved her over. Winter shrugged and made her way toward them.

* * *

"How many hits do you think it would take me to crack it?"

Yang asked her partner as they strolled toward the beast. They had to deal with some more, minor inconveniences in the shape of smaller grimm as they approached the titan, but as they got closer it seemed the grimm backed off, there was some sort of unspoken rule between the creatures that told them not to get within a certain radius of the titan. Yang didn't blame them.

"Less than it would take to crack yours." Blake answered slyly.

"Now come on, that's a bit uncalled for."

"I don't think it was."

"Of course you don't." There was a slight lull in the conversation, "Come on Blake, I'll bet you for it."

Blake perked an eyebrow at her golden haired partner.

"Seriously?"

"Yep." Yang answered proudly, placing her arms at her hips.

"What do I get if I win?" Blake asked with a slight grin. She wasn't shy to gamble, it all depended on the stakes.

"Whatever you want." Those were good stakes.

Blake looked at her partner for a moment, "Hmm." She hummed in thought.

"If I win…_You_ have to dress like Weiss for a week."

Yang blinked, "Excuse me?"

"Yep. If you lose the bet you have to wear what Weiss wears for a whole week. Even your hair has to look like hers."

Blake demanded happily. Relishing her partners reaction as the blonde went from confused to shocked then finally to slight despair at the possibility of losing and the resulting consequences.

"Like Weiss?"

"Like Weiss." Blake repeated.

"And I have to put my hair in that… whatever it's called."

"A ponytail? Yes, oh and it has to be off centred like hers too."

There was a pause as Yang took it in.

"Like Weiss?"

"Yes Yang like Weiss. Now are you in this or what?" Blake demanded with a smile.

Yang blinked at her partner, before her expression hardened as she stuck her hand out.

"Fine. But if I win, you have to dress like Zwei."

"What!?"

"Yep, if your gonna dish it out be prepared to take it in." Yang said triumphantly, folding her arms.

"Dress like Zwei? What does that even mean?!" Blake was far from shocked.

"It means you ditch the bow for cute little corgi ears and you walk around with a corgi tail strapped to your butt for a week." Yang explained with the proudest smile Blake had seen on the blonde in a while.

"You can't- that's- that's not fair! That's degrading to a cat faunas!" Blake argued.

"Blake, your making me dress like Weiss." Couldn't argue there.

"Buh-yo-tha-" Blake stuttered, trying to formulate an argument, turning red as Yang's smile grew even more larger.

"You know what, fine! I don't think you'll ever crack it." Blake stated, offering her hand out.

"Well get ready because I reckon I can do it with one punch." Yang took her partners hand.

"What?" Blake was surprised by the proclamation, especially how she said with such confidence.

"Yep, I hope you have a spare ribbon, we're gonna need it."

"For what?"

"Remember when we fought the mech suit?" Yang asked, looking at the titan.

"Yeah?" Blake replied, dragging out the response.

"Remember how we destroyed it?"

"Yeah I spun you around until…" Blake snapped to her partner, realisation dawning on her.

"You don't seriously think-"

"Yes I do Blakey, and little Schnee over there is going to make this work."

* * *

Winter approached the bumblebee pair, taking note of Blake's dumbfounded expression but not thinking too much of it.

"Sup Winter?" Yang called casually.

"Aren't you at all worried about your sister?" Winter asked, jerking a thumb back toward the titan, who was still thrashing its head about.

"Ruby?"

Blake and Yang looked over Winter's shoulders to find Ruby dangling atop the beasts head, swinging through the air violently.

"Aren't you worried about yours?" Yang countered.

Winter looked back at the titan, now not only was Ruby attached to its head, Weiss was there too, probably trying to get Ruby off of the thing.

"I assume she knew what she was getting into when she decided to fall in love with you sister." Winter countered.

"Winter darling, I'm Ruby's sister, I don't know what to expect sometimes."

Blake nodded in agreement with Yang as she watched a red and white cloak swing around the air above the titans head.

"Anyway, I'm sure they'll be fine. Listen we need your help."

"What for?"

"To get Blake dressing like Zwei." Yang explained with a smile and quick glance over at the faunas.

"What?!"

"Long story, look…"

So Yang explained her second plan for the night to Blake and Winter, both sharing similar expressions of disbelief and doubt but nonetheless listening and willing to go along.

"Ok, got it?" Yang asked as she finished her second explanation.

Both white and black hair nodded up and down in acknowledgment.

"Great! Let's move."

Step one of Yang's brilliant plan: Get fired up!

* * *

"Ruby! What on earth are you doing!?"

"Weiss she's stuck!"

"What? Who's stuck?"

"Crescent Rose! She won't come out!"

"Ruby let go!"

"No!"

"Ruby!"

"No!"

"Ruby Rose!"

Before either of them could say anything their world was suddenly tilted upward onto its side, the titan lifting its head up into the air. Weiss lost her footing as the plating she was standing on suddenly became vertical.

"Aaah!"

Weiss let out a squeal as she felt that feeling that came with a sudden drop, only this one lasted much longer. Luckily Ruby _hadn't_ listened to her, which wasn't too surprising, and still had her hand wrapped firmly around Crescent Rose. As Weiss began her descent Ruby threw her arm out and caught Weiss by the wrist.

Weiss looked up and found Ruby looking down at her.

"Still want me to let go?"

"Oh shut up!"

Smiling, Ruby waited for the beast to level its head again before letting go of her partner.

"Now help me before that happens again." Ruby demanded, pulling on her scythe again.

"Ruby seriously. How did you even manage this?" Weiss asked, stepping beside her.

"I don't know it just happened." Ruby explained innocently.

Weiss find herself smiling in such a precarious situation, it was rather out of character and it had her shaking her head at her partner. Although the smile wouldn't leave her lips.

Weiss was about to grab hold of the excessively large scythe before she felt her world being tilted again, this time to downward, and they were moving. Straight toward the face of a building. The titan had given up on thrashing its head about and was now about to take a new approach to the problem. Smash its head into anything it could find until whatever was stuck in its head fell out.

"Ruby!" Weiss called, grabbing her shoulder.

Ruby looked up as the wall of the building drew closer.

"Uh oh."

Weiss quickly pulled Ruby toward her, ignoring her plea as her hands were forced away from her scythe. Weiss held Ruby firmly against her as she focused on keeping her footing and spinning her sword around to slam it into the surface of the armour. As the titans snout smashed into the building a small crystal of ice appeared on its head, covering Ruby and Weiss just before they collided with the building.

Ruby's world was quickly surrounded by ice, captured within an ice crystal she was momentarily captivated by the inside of the structure. Smooth, almost white ice that twinkled lightly and seemed to go one for ages. Before the world shuddered horribly and the ice cracked and broke violently as they met the building and concrete and rubble forced its way through. Ruby felt Weiss tighten her grip on her as the cave collapsed and they were thrown into the building, ice clattering around them along with pieces of building.

"Weiss are you okay!?"

Ruby rolled onto her stomach frantically moving toward her partner. Weiss slowly opened her eyes as she felt Ruby's hands on her.

"Please Ruby, do listen next time."

"Oh thank goodness."

Ruby dropped her head onto Weiss chest, relieved beyond explanation that Weiss was fine. That momentary strike of utter fear slowly making its way out of her body.

"I'm sorry." Ruby muttered into Weiss' chest.

"It's okay Ruby. Now please let me get up."

Ruby shot off Weiss' body, getting to her feet and helping the heiress up.

"Hehe, sorry."

Weiss got to her feet, dusting her sleeves and the back of her dress off, trying to not appear too angry at the state of her appearance.

"Hey look, she's free!"

Weiss looked at her partner to find her hugging her scythe affectionately. Weiss shook her head with a smile as she her partner displayed some sort of affection toward her weapon, which she still wasn't sure if it was a healthy thing. Weiss opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it and spun around.

"You!"

"Cinder?" Ruby called alarmed.

Cinder looked between the heiress and the child, her night couldn't get worse.

"I thought I killed you." She said to Weiss.

"So did I." Weiss replied coolly.

There was a short silence between the women, Weiss glaring at Cinder while Cinder looked back with a neutral expression.

"How's your back?"

"Fine. How's yours?"

"Just the same."

Weiss and Cinder looked over each other, staring at each other in silence. Cinder's back itched along the scar that continued to chill her spine, while Weiss remembered the feeling of the burn that was no longer there, thanks to Summer. Weiss smiled as she was more than certain she could take the witch down, especially right now. Lifting her sword to point toward the pyromancer she ignored Ruby's questions as she focused on her opponent. Ruby she could ignore, her boisterous sister was a different story.

Yang jumped into the building, disregarding the heiress and dashing straight toward Cinder in an instant, throwing her fist at the woman and sending her through the wall. There was an audible groan as Cinder ploughed through the wall with ease.

"Yang?" Both Ruby and Weiss spoke simultaneously.

"Weiss get Ruby out of here." Yang said sternly, peering at the heiress over her shoulder.

"Yang what are you-"

"Just listen to me. Get out of here, I'll deal with her."

"Yang you can't expect us to-"

Ruby was cut off as Weiss grabbed her by the waist and shot off out of the building even before Ruby could even argue.

"Weiss! What are you doing?! That's my sister we can't leave her!"

"Yes we can, she wanted us to and we will."

"She doesn't know what she's getting into!"

"She seemed like she did. Just trust her."

Weiss had seen the look in Yang's eyes and saw nothing but confidence and strength. The heiress knew that the brawler was more than certain she knew she was doing, whatever it was. Plus Weiss was more than happy to get Ruby as far away from Cinder as possible, even if it meant getting closer to the giant outside.

* * *

As soon as she felt Weiss leave with Ruby, Yang moved through the hole she had just created, expectantly blocking a streak of fire that reached her through the dust and rubble. She charged through the dust, reaching Cinder before swinging her right arm around at the woman's head. It wasn't one of her best punches, but it wasn't meant to be.

Cinder calmly stepped out of the way of the punch, letting the fist pass her head before quickly thrusting her own arm forward to place it against Yang's belly and blast it with a wave of heat and fire. Yang found herself bouncing off the back of a wall, the surface crumbling as her back peeled away from it. She staggered forward and gathered herself just in time to roll away from yet another streak of fire.

Yang rolled to her feet, immediately letting loose a round from Ember Celica to launch her into the air toward Cinder. Thankfully the roof had collapsed and allowed Yang to reach high into the air before she aimed her gauntlet at Cinder and fired again, the force launching her downward toward the pyromancer. Cinder side stepped out of the way as Yang's fist entered the ground and she quickly converted the waisted forced into a roll, sliding to a halt behind Cinder.

What Yang didn't see was Cinder throw a patch of dust onto the surface she had rolled onto, which was now glowing red. Yang looked at her feet before the ground beneath her exploded and pushed her up into the ceiling, which this time hadn't collapsed in that area. Yang pounded against the ceiling back first, falling to the ground to find that same patch of dust swarming toward her like a black cloud. Spinning in the air she fired off two rounds that served to distance herself from Cinder as well as eliminate the dust cloud.

The dust cloud absorbed the shots but the explosions of the flares caused the volatile dust to spend its power and involuntarily combust, the cloud quickly turning bright orange as it exploded into a ball of fire. But no matter as Cinder began to direct the ball of fire as her hands danced around the air, seemingly drawing the fire toward her as she performed the actions. She spun around, the ball of fire following her and as she came to look at Yang she unleashed the forces against the blonde.

Yang threw her arms up as the wall of fire hit her, forcing her back. Yang gritted her teeth as she bared the onslaught, the heat searing her clothing and threatening to burn her. The fire died down and Yang lowered her arms, only to find an arrow speeding toward her. Her eyes went wide as she threw her arm out in an attempt to deflect the arrow, and it worked, but as it spun off to the side of her head and behind her, it exploded throwing her off her feet with a yell.

Groaning Yang pushed herself to her feet, turning to her opponent.

"What's the matter? All burned out?"

Yang clenched her fists at the taunt, she wasn't fitting her best she knew it. But it was on purpose. To be honest she ah burned out, but why do you think she decided to fight another fire? It was a risky plan, it was also slightly degrading. Let the witch bitch beat you up until you can't take no more and then punch the giant beast in the head with all the pent up energy.

Good in theory, but putting it into practice was another ball park. Yang knew Cinder wouldn't hold back, so if she went too far into the fight and couldn't come back, she wouldn't be coming back. Yang was opening herself up to a free beating, how much she could take was something she had to make sure she knew, how much she would be _given_ was in Cinder's hands. Yang hoped Cinder wasn't a generous woman.

* * *

**A/N: So Cinder is like a fire bender... Soon this will end! And i mean it! Like two more chapters bro! Swearing may have been out of character... :/**

**As always feel free to review!**


	55. Chapter 55

**A/N:So... i lied. There's going to be more chapters than i bargained for, hope you don't mind.**

* * *

Yang rolled over onto her belly with a groan, her hand clenched into a fist as she cringed the pain away, her body seething with pain and stinging as burns splayed out across her back and along her arms. She could feel Ember Celica still radiating heat from each blast it blocked, whatever blast they didn't stop from hitting Yang, hit Yang. Almost every shot hit somewhere along Yang's body and every hit hurt. Boy did it hurt, but she forced herself to push on, she wouldn't be able to complete her plan without it.

Yang gritted her teeth as she pushed herself off the floor, slowly rising to her feet staggering a little as she rose to her full height. She brought her hand up to wipe away soot off of her chin, glaring across the room at Cinder, both women ignoring the roars and rumbles coming from the street. Cinder offered the blonde a sly smirk, the edges of her mouth curving upwards as a sign of enjoyment. She was undoubtedly enjoying getting back at the blonde for what she did to her earlier.

"It seems your lacking this time around." She stated coolly.

Yang remained silent, her hands clenching and relaxing as she forced to keep herself settled. It was true Yang was allowing this to happen, but it didn't stop her from getting angry. She was a brawler, one that didn't like to lose, so every time she found herself on the ground another bout of anger filled her, surging through her bones and muscles and yelling at her to fight back, at least _really _fight back. So far all she had been doing is pulling her punches and purposely taking hits when she had more than enough capability to dodge them. Cinder hadn't seemed to notice, or if she had she wasn't letting on that she did. Perhaps the joy she was getting out of it was enough for her to not care.

"Well whatever the case," Cinder paused her hand becoming encased in fire, "I will continue to enjoy this until _your _last breath."

Cinder hand came forward, issuing with it three consecutive bursts of fire that streaked across the space between. Yang sprang into action, running toward the streaks twisted her body so that the first streak kept going past her harmlessly. As soon as her body straightened out she dropped into a roll, the second streak soaring above her head and the third missing her by plenty of space. Yang come out of the roll with her fist already on its way to launch a flare at the pyromancer. Yang's hands were a blur as she quickly fired off four shots, each set off by four perfectly executed punches.

Cinder calmly raised her palm, four pulses of fire emitting from her palm as the flares were incinerated on impact. Yang was undeterred by the show, pushing off the ground as she entered a sprint, rushing the pyromancer. But as Yang made her charge, dark crystals appeared before Cinder hovering in place before that shot toward the blonde. Yang continued to run as the projectiles sped toward her, her arms flicking up to deflect the crystals. She successfully slapped two out of her way before she spotted one particularly low projectile making its way to her leg. Forcing herself to keep her stride, the projectile contacted her shin exploding on impact and blowing her feet from under her. As she made yet another journey to the floor a second crystal hit her shoulder, exploding and causing her fall to turn into a spiral that had her landing on her back with a thud.

Wasting no time, Yang threw her legs over her head so that she rolled backward into her feet, spinning around with her fist trailing behind her. She fired Ember Celica once her hand was directed at Cinder, pushing her fist toward the woman. Cinder calmly stepped to the side as Yang's arm past her harmlessly, Yang followed up with a left hook that connected with Cinder's shoulder, smacking her to the side. Yang jumped into the air, spinning as she did with her leg coming around to send her Cinder's head snapping to the side. She staggered away as Yang landed back on the floor rushing the pyromancer once more as she staggered backward.

Yang was about to reach Cinder before the woman threw something at the ground, something that splattered across the surface and immediately turned it all to something akin to lava. Yang skidded to halt just at the edge of the pool, looking down at it with surprise. _'Doesn't she run out of tricks?'_

Just as the thought entered her mind Cinder jerked her hand up and as if it was connected to the pool, the lava like substances practically leaped off the ground and threw itself over Yang. Yang threw her arms over her face as the wave of molten liquid splashed over her, her aura flaring violently as the intense heat threatened to melt away Yang's resolve. Yang yelled out as the burning continued and soon she found herself rolling on the floor in an attempt to removing the searing substance off her form.

Yang ceased her frantic rolling around on her back, staring up at the ceiling as pain washed over her. It _felt_ like she had been burnt but she knew her aura had just held up, _just_. Yang knew that to mean she was reaching her limits and that she should be thinking of a way to get away from Cinder. Yang remained there, her chest rising and falling heavily, streaks of smoke wisping up from parts of her clothing. Underneath all the pain and hurt she was feeling Yang could still feel that slight pulse of exhilaration that flowed through her veins and threatened to rise to the surface and turn her body into a blazing inferno. But Yang hadn't gone through all of this just to waste all of that power, she had to force her body to bottle it up, keep it stored for when she really needed it.

"Had enough?"

Yang heard the question and holding in all her power became just that bit harder. Before she could reply a certain faunas appeared behind her.

"Blake?!" She exclaimed.

Blake looked from Yang's soot covered body, ruined clothes and overall battered appearance, then looked at Cinder, who was looking more than happy with herself, looked back at Yang and made a step toward her.

"Yang I think it's time to-"

Blake was cut off as they heard a whooshing sound and the slight stretching noise of a string being drawn back. She looked up to find Cinder with a bow in her hand and an arrow in its early stages of flight, aimed right at her. Blake found herself strangely rooted to her spot, staring straight at the crystal head of the arrow before her vision was filled with gold and she found herself being pushed backward.

Yang scrambled to her feet throwing herself at her partner just in time to take the arrow for her, remembering that they explode, Yang threw her arms out, pushing Blake with all her strength, which was enough to throw the faunas back out of the building. Just as her hands met Blake's body, the arrow met Yang's shoulder. Blake watched as she was thrown off her feet, watching her partner jerk slightly as the arrow meant for herself, slammed into Yang's back. Helpless to do anything for the blonde all Blake could do was watch on as she soared through the air, just as Blake fell over the edge of building there was an orange flash that was accompanied by a boom. That was when she came to her senses, realising she was falling she quickly took Gamboul Shroud in her palm, grasping the newly equipped ribbon and throwing the scythe back up into the building.

Yang cringed as the arrow just stopped short of her skin, her aura holding together by mere threads. But she knew that cringing now would be a waste, because just a moment later the arrow tip exploded, throwing her to the side roughly. Now her aura was shattered. Yang yelled out in pain as she was blown to the side, slamming into the ground with a jarring thud and scraping her, now unprotected skin, against the crumbled concrete and shattered debris.

The scraping was at the bottom of Yang's list of things to worry about, because right now it felt as if her left shoulder had been blown off the rest of her body and all that was left was a stump. Her entire arm was numb, a dull buzzing was all she could feel from the appendage, her shoulder however was burning with indescribable amounts of pain. Yang could feel the skin burning, the clothing around her neck and back had been incinerated, displaying once smooth white skin that was now horribly burnt and red. Yang groaned on her stomach an attempt to move her shoulder was futile as she soon found out that it was practically shattered. Her shoulder blade, which was right near the tip of the arrow, was no doubt broken and her shoulder itself had either been blown out of its socket or had been broken as well. Either way, it hurt and unlike all the other times Yang was in pain, this time didn't come with any exhilarating feeling of power.

No surge of power, no rush flowing through her veins, just pure unrelenting pain. Yang was surprised that she could manage a groan as she slid her working arm around to place it near her body. Her left arm laying limp by her side, she relied on her right arm to push off the floor. There was no way she was going down now. No way it would be that easy, she had a plan, she made a promise, she had to stay alive. Not to mention the bet she had no intention of losing.

Yang urged her body to rise, she wasn't sure what she would do without her aura. Whatever the case she _had _to get up, she refused to stay down, she was a brawler she co-

"Yang!"

She heard Blake's yell and wondered what it was for before she felt the middle of her back heat up immensely before an explosion forced her back to the floor. Everything went black.

Darkness. Yang was in the dark and her ears were ringing painfully. Her eyes slowly opened but even then her vision was blurring and it was impossible to discern object from each other. Yang blinked twice, her vision clearing enough to be able to make out the dark figure of a person hurriedly coming toward her. When the person knelt by hear, her world became nothing but pain. The pain hit her like a huge javelin being violently stabbed into her back and her face immediately scrunched up in response. Her teeth grinded against each other and her body shook involuntarily, her breath hitched and she sucked in air as she began to lose control over her body. Her working fist clenched on its own in response to the pain, her nails digging into the skin of her palms and her eyes were slammed shut. Yang could only describe what she felt as if someone had taken a thick, molten drill and placed it into her back as it slowly dug into her back. Yang could feel the muscles around the area spasming uncontrollably, Yang was sure there was a burning whole in her back and her stomach seemed to agree as it began to force bile up into her mouth.

Yang forced her teeth apart as the liquid was forced out of her throat, retching and splattering. In her dazed state Yang felt a hand at her bare shoulder gently touch her affectionately, accompanied by a distorted, 'Yang'. But her limbs refused to cooperate and now her mind was threatening to pull her away from consciousness.

_'NO! Not now!'_

Yang closed her eyes as she berated herself, yelling at her body for even thinking of dragging her to sleep. If she could pull through this, whatever 'this' was, Yang was sure she would be burning brighter than she had before. But 'this' was something she had never experienced before, 'this' was beyond pain, beyond words, beyond fair.

"Yang!"

She heard it a little clearer now. Blake? It sounded like Blake.

"Yang! Yang please!"

Definitely Blake. She felt Blake shake her gently and wanted nothing more to respond, to ease her partners undoubtedly overpowering worries, to let her know she was okay. But even if she could say it, Yang wasn't so sure it was true.

'_Of course it is! Don't be an idiot! You're not a quitter you fight till then end! It's just a small burn! Get your ass up and finish what you started! This was your plan so don't make yourself look like an idiot! Besides, you really don't want to dress like Weiss do you?'_

* * *

"Blake?" Speak of the devil.

Weiss appeared in the building. Upon seeing Blake fall out of the building, Weiss had gotten the idea that things may not have been going very well, so she decided to see for herself and when she arrived to find Blake hunched over another woman it took her a moment to realise it was Yang.

"Yang!?"

Weiss was in the midst of rushing to her teammate but was forced to stop as a bolt of fire splashed against the ground at her feet. Snapping her head toward the source, Weiss found none other than Cinder watching her expectantly. Weiss looked back to Blake and Yang, Blake was blocking most of Yang's body but the Weiss knew that the blonde wasn't in good shape. Turning back to Cinder Weiss made the decision to focus her attention on the pyromancer, having another person worrying over the blonde wouldn't really be helpful, the least she could do was eliminate one threat. Weiss lifted her sword up and levelled the point at Cinder, eliminate was something she was sure she could do.

Blake looked down at her partner with increasing worry and despair, her amber eyes flooded with worry as her partner convulsed uncontrollably, her limbs shaking and vomit making its way out of her mouth. Blake looked at the wound in the middle of Yang's back which succeeded in only increasing her fears tenfold. A black mark boarded by rings of red was imprinted against her partners back, the skin was peeling and blood was already trickling from the wound, running along the curve of Yang's spine and branching off down the sides of her ribs. Blake looked away as the sight threatened to make her sick, turning her attention back to her partners face. Yang's scrunched, pain stricken face struck a chord within Blake's heart, one which threatened to pull every other chord free and tear her organ to pieces.

She couldn't lose Yang, she still had that promise to keep. She promised not to lose anyone.

"Yang please!"

Blake pleaded as she felt tears well up at the edges of her eyes.

"I need you. I need to show you who I am!"

It sounded selfish, but she would say anything to keep Yang with her. Anything.

"….I love you."

* * *

Yang heard the words, she heard three separate words but their meaning was lost, all she knew is that she had an urge to hear them again and in order to do that she would have to stop fading into unconsciousness.

Blake still hadn't left her side, she couldn't see her but Yang knew she was there. The blonde couldn't help but feel a little guilty at heaving to put her partner in such a position, Yang could imagine what was going through Blake's mind, there had been more than one occasion where she was in the same position with Ruby. But those words, what were they? She wished that Blake would repeat them, straining her eyes to hear her better.

"Yang… don't…. I… you"

_'What? That made no sense! Wake up Yang!' _

The fact that she could still yell at herself in this current state was amusing to the blonde and it seemed to have the desired effect. Further sounds form her surrounding entering her mind, but she tried to drain them out and focus on Blake. Yang' heart sank when she heard her partner sniffle followed by a sob.

_'No don't cry Blake. Please Blake stop crying.'_

Blake paid no attention to Yang's silent plea, but the faunas did continue to speak.

"I need you! I need you in my life, you're the light that keeps me in the shadows and stops me from entering the darkness. Without light shadows just become part of the darkness. Yang I love you, please don't leave me."

_'There it is! Those were those words.'_

Yang's heart thumped loudly within her chest. Now she had more than enough motivation to get up. There was no way she wasn't going to rub what Blake just said in her face.

Yang willed and fought with all her might for good hand to move. Her muscles shakily began to bring her hand around, groggily receiving the request from her brain. Then her eyes opened, bringing Blake's slouched form to light, she had her hands over her face as she continued to cry. Yang groaned as she forced her arm against the ground, lifting her body off the floor pain sparked through her back and almost had her falling back onto her stomach. But Yang held firm, welcoming the faint feeling of energy that began to from within her, her semblance coming to life as she began to overcome the pain and turn it into strength.

Blake moved her hand away from her face as she saw a faint glow between the gaps of her fingers. Dropping her hands to her side she found the glow to be coming from Yang, the blondes hair taking on a faint, but growing glow.

"Yang?" She queried.

"Just… give me a sec."

Blake jumped at the response, it was so sudden and so casual it was the last thing she expected. Wasn't she dying a moment ago?

"You didn't really think I was down for the count did you?"

"Y-yang?"

"What's wrong Blakey, never seen me take a few hits before?"

"Y-you-"

"Oh, I love you too Blakey." Yang leaned over and sweetly kissed Blake on the forehead, before drawing back and winking at the astonished faunas.

Yang got to her feet, wobbling uncertainly as her legs took her weight. Her left arm still hung limply by her side and her back was still burning painfully, but her aura was quickly returning, courtesy of her semblance, and she could feel some of her minor injuries beginning to heal. Yang looked down at her shoulder, taking note of her now destroyed jacket, craning her neck to look at her back. She let out a low whistle as she took in the damage.

"Oh that going to leave a mark." Yang mumbled to herself, unbuttoning her jacket.

Yang pulled the sleeve off her arm and let the jacket fall to the floor, half of it had been burnt anyway. So now when Blake continued to stare at her partner, still coming to terms with what was happening, she had a lovely view of Yang's toned abdomen as yellow crop top left her stomach bare and her arms free. Yang's hair continued to glow with an increasing intensity and Yang was enjoying the feeling, slowly feeling was being restored to her left arm and the pain at her back was gradually dulling.

"Blake would you stop staring at me, I know I'm hot but we do have a giant animal to kill."

Blake looked at Yang's smiling face, that same face that had been contorted with unbelievable amounts of pain moments ago.

"Blake." Yang's tone was more serious now.

Blake slowly nodded, rising to her feet. "Your so gonna make up for this you know that?"

"Don't worry, I'm counting on it."

* * *

**A/N: Also you've all been awfully quite for a while, what's going on?**


	56. Chapter 56

**A/N: Okay so;**

**I know it's been like a whole week, but exams and assignments k?**

**This chapter is really long, sorry if it get's a bit of a bother to get through in one go, i was thinking of splitting it but i didn't so...**

**Oh and I think one chapter to go, so get ready**

* * *

Yang limped forward, Blake rushed to her side so that she could offer physical support as the blonde leaned against her shoulders. Yang finally noticed the sound of weaponry clashing together and turned her head toward the noise, finding Weiss and Cinder locked in battle just as Cinder pushed Weiss away from her. Weiss jumped back and gave a quickly glance back at Yang, Yang gently nodded her head in recognition and was answered with a nod from the heiress. They didn't speak but the brawler and the fencer understood each other, Yang had had her fun with Cinder and she was more than happy to let Weiss have her round two with the pyromancer.

Weiss turned her attention back to the woman, raising her blade up one more time, eye's focused and her sword held firmly in her palm. Yang spared a moment to watch the heiress before she remembered she had something to do and began to move toward the edge of the building.

"So Blake, our bet still stands right?"

Blake looked her partner up and down, taking in her injuries and feeling the blondes weight against her shoulder.

"Sure." She replied smiling at how unbelievable her partner was.

"Great!" Yang removed her arm form Blake's shoulder, hiding a smile as she saw Blake's surprised expression as she suddenly stood tall and confident. Yang slammed her fist into her open palm, issuing a light thud. The brawler cracked her knuckles before turning to her partner.

"I'm so looking forward to seeing you with corgi ears."

Blake was left to blink mindlessly as her previously battered partner leapt off the thirty second floor of a building without a care in the world. Lucky for Yang Blake was paying attention to her when she hit the ground, the blonde nearly stacked it.

* * *

Weiss and Cinder didn't bother with the pleasantries, throwing themselves straight into battle. Weiss' new speed didn't fail to surprise Cinder as she found the heiress' blade right near her head within the blink of an eye. She stumbled away from the blade and from then on she had a hard time keeping ground during the battle. Weiss continued to press the advantage that her first strike achieved, keeping Cinder on the defensive and pressing her back against the wall. The two swords Cinder had fashioned from her dust were beginning to disintegrate as with each strike Weiss sword bit into the swords and chipped away at them.

Weiss blade was a blur as she performed a multitude of thrusts and slashes with a speed Weiss herself didn't realise she had – although it wasn't exactly all entirely her skill. But Weiss' eye's never faltered, her composure never shifted, she knew she could have this fight even without Summer's help, there was no way Weiss Schnee was going to lose twice to the same person.

Cinder found a wall just a few feet behind her and cursed her position, Weiss was coming toward her and if the heiress pinned her against the wall it could very well be over. But then Cinder quickly thought of a plan. Weiss' sword came down from the left, serving to smack Cinder's blade away from her body leaving her open for the blade to quickly come back around from the right and slash across her aura. Weiss quickly brought her blade back around and leaped into an elegant spin as her opponent was pushed against the wall. Weiss exited the ballerina like twirl, her not so ballerina like sword followed through as she landed on her feet. Weiss finished the volley up with a drawn back thrust that should have gotten through Cinder's aura, had the pyromancer not stepped through the wall.

Weiss was nothing but confused by how the woman somehow passed through the solid wall, but her question was soon answered as the wall began to droop as if it was melting and then began to glow a burning hot red. Weiss' eye's widened and she cartwheeled to the left just in time as the wall exploded outward in a blob of molten concrete.

Cinder was delighted that her little plan worked just as she had hoped, melting the wall just in time to step though it ended Weiss attack and now begun her own. The tide of battle was about to shift. The wall exploded just as Cinder had swiftly moved her hands in front of her as if she was performing some sort of yoga technique, creating a circular rune before she sliced her arm through the rune, severing it vertically. Nothing happened for a short moment but then the rest of the wall exploded as a beam sliced through it along the line Cinder made with her arm. On the other side of the wall Weiss' dress was singed as she flipped over the beam a hairs breadth from it burning her legs off.

With the wall gone Weiss saw her opponent and didn't waste any time to speed toward her. But the heiress' charge was brought to a grinding halt as a wall of dust rose from the ground like a snake and had Weiss using some quick thinking to summon a glyph, which she painfully slammed into before it shot her back away from the dust. Weiss slid to a halt panting a little as she explosion cleared.

"I wouldn't stand still for very long."

Just then the floor beneath her became covered with a bright red circular rune that was quickly begging to glow brighter. Weiss felt heat radiating through her boots and decided that was a good time to get out of the radius of the rune. She made a good decision as the rune emitted a column of fire that would have don't nothing short of incinerate her. That part, she was wrong about.

When she landed on her feet, the ground she landed on felt just as warm and before she could even look down the rune she landed on released its energy and the beam of fire had Weiss slamming into the ceiling painfully. Halfway to the ground Cinder sent a little gift toward Weiss that had her flying through the air with yet another fiery explosion. Cinder smiled as the heiress let out a shriek of pain as her fire ball blew up against that pathetically pristine skin. She watched as the child soared through the air and tumbled to a halt, she waited patiently for her to rise.

Weiss shakily got to her feet, forcing herself to ignore the searing pain at her side and the ache in her face. She looked to Cinder who was smiling wickedly, causing a blizzard to brew within the heiress. The area Cinder was standing in, the walls, the ceiling and the floor, every possible surface pulsed red, displaying all the runes that covered the entire room. Weiss eye's widened in shock.

"Please," Cinder opened her arms with a smile, "join me."

* * *

"Yang!"

"Ruby!"

"What happened to you? What were you thinking?"

"Probably too much about corgi ears."

"What?"

"It's nothing, where's Winter?"

Yang moved past her sister with a twang of guilt, leaving her baby sister in the dark, at least for now. She quickly found Winter standing a few meters away, summoning glyphs and shooting off various bolts of fire, ice and electricity and the huge beast behind them. Speaking of which-

"Yang!"

Ruby suddenly appeared by her side, her arms around her waist before she found herself by Winter's side.

"What the-"

"Yang what are you doing!?"

Yang looked back and found a giant hand slammed into the ground where she had been moments earlier.

"Oops?"

"Yang!"

"I'm sorry Ruby I got knocked about a bit."

Ruby was about to ask another question before Winter interrupted.

"Can I help you with something?"

"Yes!" Yang's sudden enthusiasm caused Winter to recoil a little. "How good are you with those movement glyphs?"

"Uhh not too bad"

"How many can you make at once and how fast?"

"Uhm I think about three or four. Why?"

Yang was silent as she took in the information. She nodded to herself, "I think it can work. Blake!" Yang yelled out for her partner, who was standing right next to her.

"Oh. We're in business, now all we need is-"

"PAW!"

Winter yelled as the Titan's hand came rushing down toward them. All four of them scattered instantly, leaping in all different directions just in the nick of time.

"Ruby! I need you to distract it!" Yang yelled as she fired off a few rounds at the beast.

"What? Why?"

"I need it distracted!"

There was a shot pause.

"Yeah well duh, but why?!"

Ruby joined her sister's side.

"Look, do you want to see Blake dressed as a corgi?"

Ruby paused as she thought it over, picturing her faunas friend with all her kitty cuteness even cuter as a corgi. Yang took the smile that spread across her sister's face as a yes.

"Now, just trust me and distract this thing."

Ruby nodded and was about to shoot off before Yang grabbed her arm, "Oh, and when you see the shooting star make a wish." Yang winked at her before running off. Ruby shook the confusion away and shot off toward the titan.

Yang ushered Winter and Blake toward her as her sister got the beasts attention. "Alright, listen up."

* * *

"Are we ready?!"

Yang looked to Winter who nodded confidently, then turned to her partner, who rolled her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. '_Two plans in one day. That's too many in one year' _Blake thought to herself. Yang ignored her partners attitude and took it as a yes.

"Alright," Yang glanced over at the Titan, watching a flash of red dance around the beasts head, making it irritatingly confused. Yang checked Blake's ribbon that she held in her hand, rolled her injured shoulder pleased with the lack of pain it induced and nodded to herself.

"Here we go!"

Yang fired off a round to launch her forward, feeling the ribbon in her hand become taught before it relaxed as she touched the ground again in a run. She fired off another round and this time a glyph appeared before her and shot her forward even further. Her feet stumbled a little as they met the ground before she fired another round and was off the ground and soaring through the air with the help of another glyph. Blake held firmly onto her ribbon as Yang picked up speed and the centrifugal force threatened to pull her to her feet. Winter concentrated as she kept a steady supply of three glyphs per revolution, as Yang picked up speed she had to summon them faster and faster, whilst retaining their potency.

After the fourth revolution Yang flared her aura and her semblance came to life, her hair burning up and bathing her in a warm glow. Her world became a blur as she began to circle around Blake with increasing speed, she thanked the faunas for not letting go of the ribbon at this speed. To Blake and Winter, Yang had become a blob of golden light that cycled around Blake at incredible speeds, that was increasing with every glyph the brawler passed through.

Blake gritted her teeth as she took the ribbon in two hands and struggled to stay on her feet as the weight that was her partner, spun around her. Any faster and she might accidently shoot her partner off into the night sky. Yang reached a speed where her burning figure created one continuous beam of light that captured Blake within it, but she was soon to let go, she just hoped it was at the right time.

Yang readied herself for lift off, she didn't know how fast exactly she was going, but she definitely knew it was fast.

"Ready?!" She yelled.

"I'm so passed ready right now!" Blake yelled back.

"Get ready!"

Besides feeling exhilarated by her blazing semblance, Yang was feeling a little anxious. If she miss calculated by a fraction of a second she may be shooting off into the night sky. But, there was only one way to find out if she could do it, which was to do it.

Yang passed the titan and began counting, one second passed and she had already made about two and a half revolutions. "Oh boy" Yang breathed.

She continued to count as she tried to get a feel of her speed and when she believed she had it, she closed her eyes, prayed for the best and let go of the ribbon.

"NOW!"

* * *

What was she going to do? She couldn't exactly stroll toward the woman, the entire area was covered in explosive ruins. Or could she? Maybe she could, but she just had to be fast enough. There was undoubtedly a delay on the time the runes were activated and when they actually fired, so there was a window, however small it was Weiss believed she could make it. Her eyes set in determination she looked at Cinder with confidence, although she continued to smile back at the heiress. Weiss would relish the sight of Cinders face when she got past her little trick.

Weiss felt the familiar feeling of a glyph under her feet, she held it there as it charged up before it released its energy. Weiss shot along the ground, gracefully speeding along the surface with her dress trailing behind her. As soon as her feet glided over the first rune it began to heat up, but she reached the third one before it detonated. At the fourth ruin Weiss flipped up to the ceiling, flipping so that she was now sliding along the roof, a trail of bursting columns of fire were left behind her as the ruins fired one after another, shaking the walls and booming loudly. The runes on the ceiling were just as fast as the others, meaning Weiss glided – while upside down- harmlessly across them.

From the ceiling Weiss twisted and summoned a glyph that shot her downward straight toward Cinder. Weiss aimed for Cinder's front as she approached but that same wall of dust from before appeared before Cinder blocking Weiss' path. But Weiss expected it, landing on another glyph that shot her back toward the ceiling where she quickly flipped as her feet touched another glyph that shot her back toward the ground, now behind Cinder. One final glyph had Weiss speeding toward Cinder where she felt that satisfying sensation of her blade running across bare aura. Weiss smiled to herself as Cinder yelled out, just before Weiss thrust her right palm toward her and a glyph had her soaring out the rune room.

Now, this was the end for Cinder.

Cinder got to her feet just as Weiss made another charge toward her. Before impact Weiss shot up toward the roof, just like before. Cinder nearly laughed, as if she would fall for the same thing twice. She quickly spun around flicking her hand up to throw a streak of fire up at Weiss. Weiss took the hit and landed on the floor in a heap, barrel rolling along the ground with a grunt. Weiss quickly flipped to her feet just in time to block a swipe from Cinder's swords.

But the second swipe broke her already shaken defence and Weiss felt the pain of a series of slashes against her aura in quick succession. Weiss dropped to her knees and found Cinder smiling evilly at her again. Weiss had her hand at her chest as she panted heavily.

"So this is the end for you, _Schnee._" Cinder stalked up to her bent over form.

"I don't entirely disagree with you" Weiss said as she rose to her feet. "It is the end indeed," she paused and Cinder perked an eyebrow at her. "But for you, not me."

Cinder's eyes narrowed in an attempt to understand better but before she could either laugh at the statement or question it, a searing chill exploded against her back, followed by her arm and then her hip. Cinder spun around with a growl searching for the new threat.

When Weiss made her charge she left a glyph behind when she leapt toward the ceiling, predicting Cinder's move, she left the glyph behind to fire off shards of ice on demand. Cinder had been too distracted by her enjoyment in getting her revenge on the heiress to notice and now she payed the price.

Cinder raised her arm in an attempt to shoot the glyph down but an ice shard exploded against her open palm and froze it, the force spun her around and she met Weiss' blade, where she spun back around in time for another shard to impact against her face and abdomen. She stumbled back with her vision clouded, her arm frozen at an awkward angle and a chill radiating from her back to her front and down to her toes. She managed a throaty growl and she began to heat up in an attempt to melt the ice, but as is if Weiss would let her.

While Cinder was busy being frozen Weiss had gracefully slashed an 'x' into the air, each slash summoned a glyph, so now there were two separate glyphs peacefully spinning on top of each other. Weiss had her hand drawn back to her shoulder, bracing herself as her glyphs began to spin faster, the point of her sword resting at the centre of the circles. Just when she saw Cinder's clothes glow, she thrust her sword through the glyphs and into Cinder's back.

It seemed when it came to Cinder and Weiss, fire and ice, it was a game of back and forth. Cinder would do one think, and then Weiss would repay in just the same way, but in a more icy manner. Weiss' glyphs exploded with a beam of icy blue energy, the beam hit Cinder without warning and had her soaring into the wall of the other room meters in front of them. She yelled out as her back was instantly filled with a burning sensation, one that was cold and sharp. Weiss stood tall at the glyphs as they released the beam of ice relentlessly at the pyromancer.

Weiss had done this once before, that time had been a test run. She was ecstatic to finally use it in practise, especially against Cinder. The first time she had done it she was extremely exhausted afterward, but now with that white cloak around her shoulder's she felt fine. The wall Cinder was being pressed against was beginning to crack and ice was piling up against her back and clawing its way along her body. Weiss thought that was enough and flicked her blade out of the glyphs, issuing one final blast toward Cinder, which did in fact cause the wall to break and Cinder tumbled through it.

* * *

Yang let go and immediately knew she timed it right. She fired a round from her gauntlets to straighten her out as she spun around to face the titan. When she turned a cone of glyphs waited for her, four lined up in descending order of size, guiding her toward her target. Yang flew through the air and for a moment realised this was probably how Ruby felt at times, the edges of her vision stretched back and only focused on the target, her hair trailing behind her and her clothes flapping in the wind frantically. Yang's aura flared as she broke the sound barrier, fist drawn back ready to go.

The sonic boom drew Ruby's attention toward her sister, leaping away from the titan she looked to the sky. She recalled her sister's words from earlier, "when you see the shooting star make a wish", now she understood. Yang literally looked like a gold shooting star, shooting straight toward the titans snout. Of course Ruby did make a wish as her sister flew over her.

If it wasn't for her excessive speed they may have heard Yang shout just before she hit the beast. All that stored energy from her fight with Cinder added together with her extreme speeds created a punch that she doubted she could ever replicate.

"AAAAAAA!"

Yang fired her gauntlet, shooting her fist into the titan's bone plate armour. Her fist slammed into the armour and issued a huge boom and a shockwave that caused more of the buildings to crumble. Yang seemed to stay frozen in the air for a moment with her fist pressed against the armour.

Everything was frozen. The titan stopped, Ruby stopped, everything stopped. It was silent.

Yang began to drop to the floor and it seemed like nothing happened, but as Yang began to walk away from the beast, the point where her fist contacted cracked. The small crack quickly splintered into a series of larger ones and then a large section of the seemingly impenetrable armour came free. Falling to the ground in silence. Yang continued to walk away without looking back and just as the shard of armour hit the ground and exploded into a thousand pieces, she pulled her shades out and calmly put them on.

Nobody had said anything by the time she reached them all, even the titan remained still.

"Well Blake, looks like I win the be-"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!"

Everyone's hands went straight to their ears as the titan released the loudest roar they had heard. Yang looked back at the beast and was slightly afraid when she saw its eyes to be glowing a deep red. As the beast continued to yell in pain and anger a black mist began to emit from its mouth, accumulating at in middle of its jaw but spilling out the sides. The titan dug its claws into the ground and had left a series of deep gashes in the road as it trembled with rage.

Blake forced her eyes open from the piercing roar and saw the strange mist issuing from its jaw. Instantly her heart dropped. They had to run.

* * *

Weiss jumped as she heard a loud thunder like boom. She spun around and found Yang dropping to the ground, followed by a large chunk of white bone.

"You can't be serious."

Cinder wasn't getting up anytime so she walked to the edge of the building, looked at the titan and found a large portion of bone missing from its snout. Weiss mouth dropped open as she watched Yang stroll toward the rest of her team. The heiress blinked a couple of times in disbelief before she was thrown off her feet as the titan released a roar like no other.

When Weiss got back to her feet, that mist was forming in its mouth. It took the heiress a moment to recall why it was familiar, but when she did, she immediately sprang into action.

She jumped down from the building, her ears ringing painfully now that her hands were pre-occupied. She quickly ran to her teammates just as a purple ball began to form in the titan throat. Weiss' heart began to beat faster, she didn't know if they were going to make it.

"Weiss?" Ruby yelled.

"We need to go! Now!"

Blake agreed.

"What do you me-" Ruby was cut off as a glyph appeared at her feet and launched her into the air.

Just then the roaring stopped and Ruby twisted to see why. As soon as it stopped a huge beam of purple energy burst from its mouth straight toward them. Ruby's eyes widened as it obliterated everything in its path and continued toward them. Weiss summoned another glyph under all their feet and had them shooting off further away, but the beam had insane range and it quickly reached them, all of their auras flared violently and were pushed to their limits. Their orderly flight was disturbed and now they were all flailing hopelessly though the air to come crashing down in a heap at least a half a mile away, where all of their worlds become black.

* * *

Except for Blake. Besides controlling her landing with a clone or two, her aura wasn't as depleted as the rest of her teammates, so when the rest of them landed in a heap, she slid to a halt on her feet. She watched from a distance with disbelief at the destruction the titan had caused. Wherever that beam hit was disintegrated, everything. There was a distinct gouge in the road, signs and lamps had been severed but the most obvious thing was the two buildings that had been standing there before. Now, they were gone.

Blake had seen something like this before, when she was still with the white fang. They had stolen a truck filled with recalled Schnee supplies, something she shouldn't tell Weiss about, and when they tested the supply they realised why it was recalled.

The supply in question was a new form of dust crystal they had never seen before. It was mostly black with a purple hue and released this strange black mist that she couldn't forget and it felt very heavy and left a strange feeling running through you when you touched it. Of course their new leader naturally wanted to test it out, so they went out into the words to try it. They used the dust to fill ammunition rounds and loaded a simple pistol. The unlucky faunas who fired it found the weapon exploding violently in his hands, this was no ordinary explosion. He was put into intensive care for a week and it had created a small little clearing in the forest.

But still, their leader wanted to see what else it could do. About two years ago, just after Blake left the white fang, there was a news report of an entire mountain collapsing for unknown reasons. It was the white fang testing the dust in crystal form.

Now Blake knew where it came from.

She watched the beast thrash around and continue to roar at the world around it, the glow of its enraged eyes visible from here. Blake fished around in her pouch and pulled out a tiny, black dust crystal. She didn't leave the White Fang empty handed. Blake looked back at the beast, she knew what had to be done.

She looked at her teammates, lingering over her partner. The blonde was such a dork, she was boisterous and rude and immature. But she was also loving and caring and that was exactly why Blake had to leave without telling her.

Blake tore her gaze from her partner, wiping away the moisture that had formed near her eyes and began running toward the titan. She closed her hand around the crystal in her palm and focused her aura onto it. She crystal responded with a faint glow and as her aura flowed back into her she shuddered as it overwhelmed her and filled her. It felt strange, it was immense power, but Blake felt as if there was a void there, threatening to pull her in and capture her forever. Blake shook her head and summoned two clones to offload some of the pressure.

But these clones were strange. They lingered and ran by her side, staring at her. Blake looked at the one on her right and the image frightened her. It was her, but there were no eyes, just black. The was a purple glow where the heart would be and veins could be seen stretching out from it and that same black mist followed it's figure. The one to her left was just the same, equally as frightening but luckily they quickly disappeared.

The titan was attracted to negativity or dark forces and right now Blake had just consumed a stone of pure darkness. Her aura was filled with it and she was now a huge beacon for the titan to see. It made Blake feel heavy and to some extent it hurt her, but she needed to get this things attention and move it away from the area. There was no way they could defeat it, even with the armour destroyed, it could destroy them instantly and if it was left to roam free it could destroy all of Vale.

The titan's head snapped toward the source that it sensed. Blake continued to run under its feet moving quickly and without hesitation. She drew Gamboul Shroud and fired off a couple of rounds, the hilt of her sword seemed to sting her palm but she ignored the sensation. The rounds impacting against the titan and for a moment Blake wondered why they exploded brightly, but she quickly disregarded that as well.

The titan turned around as it began to follow Blake, smashing through the buildings at its sides without effort. Blake fired over her shoulder and the titan roared at her before it began to give chase. She ran down alley ways and used clones and bullets to keep the beast interested. Once she reached the outskirts of the town she was met with even more grimm. Regular grimm that had become drawn to her now evil like nature.

Blake felt the darkness within her and had to stop herself from becoming too complacent with it. She had to continuously keep it at bay so that it wouldn't consume her and drag in her into the dark. She worked in the shadows, not the dark, she knew there was a difference.

Blake turned around to look at the titan, it came barrelling around a corner, crashing through a section of a building and charging toward her. When Blake turned back around she found a claw swinging into her face. Blake fell onto her back as the beowulf took her by surprise, it loomed over her and she lashed out with her sword. She cut through its knees and she didn't bother to kill it, jumping to her feet and running. Now that she realised there were a whole lot of grimm waiting for her ahead, snarling and gnashing their teeth at her. A boarbatusk rolled toward her and she had to jump over it, stumbling under the claws of another beowulf.

She turned one last corner and found the forest ahead of her. This would help. Blake leapt into the trees and continued to jump from branch to branch, using her ribbon to help her along. Soon she heard the crashing of trees falling over as the titan charged through the forest to get to her. She wasn't sure how far she had led the titan away from the town, but she had been running for a while and her legs were feeling heavy.

Just then she landed on a branch awkwardly, slipping and falling to the forest floor. She fell on her back and quickly rolled over onto her feet ignoring the pain. As she got up she saw beowulfs and ursa chasing after her, which only helped in getting her to her feet faster. Blake hadn't thought about it yet but had she just committed herself to a suicide plan? Was there no getting out of this alive? Just then the titan stopped in its tracks and all the grimm suddenly stopped, barked at each other and ran off to the sides.

Blake looked up at the titan through the trees, it was only a few meters away and Blake could see it. Blake's heart dropped and she nearly dropped Gamboul Shroud. That same mist was forming at its mouth again, this close there was no way Blake could escape. Was this it? It felt like such an odd way to go out, she didn't even get to say by to Yang, or Ruby or Weiss. She hadn't done anything really. She wasn't even sure if this was far enough. At least she found herself in all this.

She wasn't a black beast living in the darkness, she was a silent shade watching carefully from the shadows.

* * *

Yang groggily came to, groaning as she pushed off the ground. She shook her head in attempt to clear and sat up. She found Winter and Weiss standing and Ruby getting up next to her, but now Blake.

"Hey, where's Blake?"

Just then, on the horizon, past all the buildings there came a huge boom and a beam of purple was seen just above the buildings.

Yang sprang to her feet, she didn't know why but she just did.

"Weiss where's Blake?" She asked hurriedly.

Weiss silently turned to Yang, her eye's wide and silent. Yang stepped toward the heiress and grabbed her arms firmly.

"Where is she?"

"I think she…" Weiss trailed off looking away from Yang toward where the beam was seen.

"No" Yang let Weiss go and stumbled back. She shook her head and quickly turned and began running down the road.

"Yang!" Ruby grabbed her arm and was nearly thrown to her feet as Yang shrugged her off roughly.

"Blake!"

* * *

Before the darkness consumed her, before the beam hit her Blake heard a soft voice, one she recognised but couldn't quite put a name to.

"You made a promise. I thought we don't break our promises, especially one like these.

* * *

**A/N: So? Leave a review I miss you guys :P**


	57. Chapter 57

**A/N: i dunno guys, I couldn't get my angst working, I dunno if this was feelz enough. Pls review?  
****Also don't stress, it may not be the end.**

* * *

"Blake! Blaaake!"

Yang stumbled down the newly formed hill as she ran back toward the city, desperation flooding through her.

"Yang!"

She heard her sister call out to her but it was nothing but a mere blur, a muffled sound that was drowned at by the painful pounding of her heart. Yang found herself tumbling over her feet as slipped and was thrown into a tumble, grunting with each bounce. But as soon as she reached the bottom she rolled back onto her feet and immediately re-entered her sprint.

"Yang wait!"

Her breathing was heavy and her chest stung, her legs began to feel like concrete as her world seemed to come crashing down on her.

"Blake!"

The road in front seemed to stretch out for miles and miles, almost to the point of infinity. Blake couldn't be gone. She made a promise to her, she promised! She couldn't be….

_'My partner….'_

_'MY partner. My friend….'_

"BLAKE!"

_'More than a friend'_

Yang shook her head, throwing the tears off of her cheeks and clearing her vision a little. _'NO! Blake said she promised! She's alive I know it!'_ So why did she feel like her heart was lying to her?

Yang quickened her pace, pushing her limbs to move faster, her feet thumping against the ground with an increasing rhythm. She had to get to her before it was too late. Before she really lost her, Yang knew she was still alive.

"Yang!" She barely heard her sister this time. In fact she couldn't hear anything, or see anything other than the road ahead of her. Nothing penetrated her senses, nothing entered her mind, she shut everything out and filled her heart and mind with only one thought. Her partner, Blake.

Yang ran around a corner, following the trail of destruction left behind by the titan. She reared the corner and ran into the back of figure shrouded in black. The figure seemed unhindered by the collisions, standing still as if nothing happened while Yang was buffeted backward and nearly fell to her feet.

"Hey get out of my w-" Yang was about to punch the figure out of her way if it wasn't for the ribbon above the persons head.

"Blake? Blake! Oh thank god!"

Yang turned the person around and was immediately filled with terror at the sight she saw. This, thing, wasn't Blake, not at all. It looked like Blake, had the same figure, same clothes, even the ears. But this onyx coloured being had no eyes, instead there were just pits of darkness.

"Blake is dead."

"Wha-what?"

"Blake Belladonna is no more."

"What do you mean? Who are you?"

"I'm the greater part of that girl, the part she refused to embrace, the darkness."

"No! You're just a clone."

"Don't label me as such! I am more than you could imagine! Believe me when I tell you, Blake Belladonna is dead!" The shade stepped toward Yang and Yang found herself taking a step back.

"I don't believe y-"

Before she could finish the shade grabbed Yang's head and her world went dark. Everything was black before she felt a strange whooshing sensation and found herself in the woods. Yang's vision was not her own, it was cloudy and blackened and could only be the sight of the shade.

"If you don't believe me, I'll just have to prove it." Yang heard the shade speak from within her mind, it felt dark and heavy, Yang was already feeling uneasy.

* * *

Yang's 'head' turned to the side, she had no control. She submitted to the shade as it showed her proof. Yang saw the titan charging through the trees, it's eyes were set on something and Yang looked ahead of it to find her partner, Blake dancing through the trees.

"Blake!" She called out but it seemed only she could hear herself.

"Call all you want, you cannot change what has passed."

Yang's heart suddenly began to drop. She had an awful feeling, a very bad feeling.

"No, no please no." Yang pleaded as she continued to helplessly watch her partner jump through the trees.

Why was she feeling this? There's no reason to. Blake made a promise that she wouldn't break, there's no need to be worried.

"Blake!" Yang called out as the faunas fell off a branch to the floor of the forest. "Get up. Get up get up get up."

No matter how much Yang urged her on, no matter how much she believed in her partner, Yang couldn't get rid of that painful tug within her heart.

"Wait. Why are you stopping? Keep moving Blake! What is she doing?" Yang's desperation led her to ask the shade for answers. She was losing it.

"It's over. The beast has one."

Yang looked to the titan and her heart dropped when she saw the black mist.

"No! Nonono, Blake run! RUN! Move why are you just standing there mov-"

Mid-sentence the blast consumed the world before her, everything in her sight was masked by the black torrent. Everything.

"BLAKE!"

Before the wave passed, Yang was brought back to reality, violently pulled back to herself.

"AAH!"

She stumbled back as the image of the blast consuming her beloved partner continued to replay within her mind.

"Yang!?"

Yang fell back and found Ruby behind her, grabbing her and holding her up.

"Yang what happened?"

The shade was gone, but it had done it's damage. Yang pushed away from Ruby, shaking her head wildly, trying to rid herself of that image. It just kept playing over and over and over and over. She still felt the shades hand against her face and it stung.

"Yang!"

"No! I don't believe it! I still don't believe it! She promised!" Yang yelled at the shadows.

Ruby breathed in when she saw her sister's wild eyes. The calm lilacs were now filled with terror and dread.

"Yang please calm down."

"I'll find her! I'll prove you wrong!"

To Yang's credit the shade was indeed still there, Ruby just couldn't see it, or hear it.

"Do as you wish. But do not blame me when your heart falls to pieces."

Yang ran off down street, leaving Ruby behind, extremely confused and worried. Yang finally turned the corner that gave view to the forest, she ran through the crushed tree's and torn up dirt and reached an area where the damage spread two different ways. One way was a smooth cylinder of incineration, whilst the other was a wild mess of branches and dirt.

Yang looked down the path, the wide long path of pure destruction and a few meters from her the shade appeared from the darkness.

"She stood here. If you were curious."

Yang was speechless, her lips moved dumbly, her brain overwhelmed by the slowly growing ache in her heart.

"The-there's no body. There's no proof"

"Do you think that kind of power would leave a body." The shade replied simply.

"NO!" Yang threw her arm at the shade, "I won't accept it until I see proof!"

"Not every funeral has a body." The shade continued.

Yang tried to block it out, but the demon's words made it past her mind and straight to her core. Shaking her violently and rattling her heart as cracks began to form.

"She made a promise to me! She doesn't break promises!"

"But how much do you know about her anyway?"

Yang had never heard truer words, none that hurt her that much. It was true, how much did she really know about the faunas. Her birth place. Her family. Her interests besides reading. The White Fang. What cat ears felt like.

Two years and Yang hadn't found out much about Blake, and now it may be too late.

Yang stopped to her knees, defeated. "I love her." She said softly

"How sweet."

"Wait. How are you still here?"

"I'm not a clone. I'm my own being, I can exist without her."

"Why don't I believe you?" Yang looked up at the shade.

"Because you're a fool. A fool with a shattered heart who will grab onto any thread of hope. Blake's dead. Accept it, the road of denial is a dark and painful journey. If you do take that path, I'll be sure to find you."

Then the shade was gone. Gone to leave Yang alone. She stared at the spot where it had been standing, where Blake had been standing. The image flashed within her mind again and tears began to form.

Ruby hadn't reached her sister yet, but when she heard Yang replicate the same wail she had bellowed when she thought Weiss had died, she knew it was over. Except this time Blake wouldn't be coming back.

* * *

Four days had passed since that night. Four days since team RWBY had been attacked. Four days since team RWBY lost a member. Search parties were dispatched upon their return and Ozpin had decided that he wanted to be absolutely sure Blake was indeed….gone.

The head masters optimism didn't affect the remaining members of team RWBY the way he had hoped. They thanked him for his assistance but their mood remained the same. Winter went back home, although she refused at first, claiming her sister needed her but Weiss herself told her to go.

One of the most heart wrenching moments would have been when they stepped back into the dorm. Zwei was more than happy to greet them, running to the door, tail wagging and yapping happily as they forwarded in. But when only three girls walked in and not four he was rather confused.

He waited a while by the door, expecting his cat like friend to stroll through the door like she had every other day, but after at least half an hour he realised she wasn't coming. So he jumped onto her bed and barked at the rest of the team as he pawed at Blake's pillow, as if to draw their attention to the vacant bed.

Yang stepped out of the bathroom just as he barked and looked at her. His head cocked to the side and all the innocence in the world in his eyes he looked to Yang for an answer. He became even more confused when she started crying.

They didn't attend class, wordlessly agreeing to stay in each other's company for as long as necessary. It didn't take them long to realise sitting in their dorm hurt them more than it helped. The vacant bed was a constant reminder and so was the complete bookshelf. Even the lack of hair in the shower drain made Weiss' eyes tingle.

* * *

It might have seemed that it hadn't in fact set in yet. The reality that Blake was dead hadn't really set in. They kept referring to her as 'gone' and not 'dead', Ozpin kept them updated and was perhaps the reason why they hadn't accepted the fact.

"Don't you think this is doing them more harm than good?" Goodwitch approached Ozpin one day.

"Why's that?"

"False hope."

"Is it though?"

"Blake Belladonna is…. They haven't found her, there's no way she survived. They need to grieve and your search parties are putting that on hold."

"I'm trying to keep their hope alive."

"Hope in what?"

"In their teammate."

* * *

Yang spent the first night shattered and lost, crying into her sister's shoulder with Weiss' arms wrapped around her. No one slept that night and Yang wasn't the only one crying, both Ruby and Weiss shared tears, but they knew their pain was immeasurable to Yang's.

The next morning Weiss stepped out of the bathroom to find Yang and Ruby in front of Blake's bed, Ruby was practically holding the older girl up as her legs had turned to jelly. Of course Ruby found it difficult to see her sister like this, Ruby had to deal with her own grief as well as keeping her sister together.

Yang spent most of her time on her own bed, her legs drawn up and her gaze out the window. Her eyes were red and her hair was a mess but she didn't feel the need for a shower, or anything else. Ruby and Weiss had to watch her to make sure she ate something and even then she ate the bare minimum. Yang felt so lost, so empty. Blake usually kept her entertained, they had always spent time together, even if she was reading most of the time. That image kept replaying in her mind, it was a wonder how she hadn't gone crazy. That and Blake's promise kept running through her mind.

The one time she was alone and in the shower she found herself banging her head softly against the tiles.

"She promised. She promised. She promised! She PROMISED!"

Each chant flashed the memory through her mind, and the fourth time had her fist ploughing right through the wall. She winced as she pulled it out, the jagged jib rock cutting her arm. She made it to the nurse's office and back before Ruby and Weiss returned, she hid the bandages but the whole in the wall was a lot more obvious.

"What happened?"

"I slipped."

* * *

Yang hardly spoke to Ruby and Weiss, the only time she did was to yell at Zwei.

The poor corgi was getting exceedingly frustrated with his missing companion, running up and down her bed barking all the while. One night he had woken up for some reason and was particularly frustrated.

"Roof! Roof roof!"

"Zwei go back to sleep." Ruby called lazily.

"Roof! Roof!"

"Zwei please." But the corgi ignored the red head, being a dog he didn't realise how much his actions were hurting them all.

"ZWEI SHUT! UP!"

Yang swung her arm under her bed and threw her pillow down at the dog. Luckily it was just a pillow as it slammed straight into him. He whimpered and quickly jumped off the bed running across the room into Weiss' bed. Ruby looked at her sister, her eyes were red but she was crying. Yang looked at her sister before jumping off her bed. She threw the door open to their dorm,

"I'm going… for a walk." She stepped out slamming the door behind her.

Yang didn't return till the next morning and Ruby ended up sleeping next to Weiss that night.

* * *

It was dark. Absolute pitch black. She was dead wasn't she? She knew it was going to happen, there now way she could make it out alive.

"Love the optimism."

She spun around to find the source of the voice.

"Hello?"

"Hi."

"You are?"

"A friend."

The friend in question was nothing more than a bright glow. An extremely bright glow.

"I'm dead aren't I?" Blake asked.

There was a pause. "Why did you give up so easily?"

"Give up? I didn't give up, it was over. There was no way I could survive that."

"But you made a promise, one you said you wouldn't break. Is that not a reason to fight till the end?"

Blake took the words in. "Well yeah, but it's a bit late to tell me that now."

"Is it?"

Blake paused, "Isn't it?"

The figure glow slowly began to die down to the point where Blake could make out the figure. It was the gold clone from earlier.

"Luckily you held onto that sword of yours."

* * *

Five days and Yang was past sadness and moved on to frustration. She spent most of the day in the training room, punching through punching bag after punching bag. Midday and she was still there, she hadn't eaten properly for days and hadn't slept for days either, but here she was, fighting it out against a bag.

The room was empty and each thump echoed through the room. The rhythmic beating of a repeated combo followed by a yell and the sound of a chain snapping and a thud as the bag fell to the floor. Ruby stepped in just as she hung up a new one.

"Yang."

Thump thump. Thumpthumpthump.

"Yang."

Thump! Thump!

"Yang you need to eat."

"I'm fine Ruby."

"No you're not." Oh how those words were so true.

"I am."

Thump thump.

"Please stop and eat something." Ruby pleaded. Yang didn't stop. Ruby waited until she broke yet another bag and hooked it back up, noticing the cracked and bleeding knuckles.

"Yang what are you doing to yourself!" Ruby rushed forward and grabbed Yang's hands.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not. Hey what's that?" Ruby noticed her bandaged arm.

"It's nothing."

Ruby grabbed her arm and lifted the sleeve up, before quickly unravelling the bandage. The fact that she was able to do that without Yang overpowering her was extremely concerning.

"Oh my gosh Yang what happened!?"

"It's nothing Ruby. I'm fine."

"Will you stop saying that! You're not fine!" Ruby looked her sister in the eye. "Okay? You're not fine. Neither am I and neither is Weiss. Blake is g-"

"No stop."

"Blake is gone Yang! She's gone! She's not coming back! You know, I know it we all do. We all know but we won't believe it because of some stupid search parties and a dumb promise!"

"Take that back! It was not dumb!"

"Yes it was Yang. It was dumb because it was a stupid promise. Remember mum did the exact same thing and she's dead!"

"SHE PROMISED ME RUBY! She promised _me_! I loved her and she promised me."

Yang broke into tears for the thousandth time, falling against her sister yet again. "Why did she lie to me Ruby? Why?"

Ruby forced her tears back, "I'm sorry Yang. I'm so sorry."

* * *

Ruby half carried Yang back to their dorm, ignoring all the sympathetic looks from all the other students. Yang walked with her head down and her arm over Ruby's shoulders, her knuckles were bandaged and so was her arm. They stepped into the dorm and Ruby saw Weiss fiddling with the gift Blake got her, specifically the black piece. The heiress had lifted it up so that it was no longer lying on its side and instead was standing next to the didn't cry as much as the rest of them. She blamed the White Fang for that, but although she didn't cry she was still just as shattered as she needed to be.

That night Yang waited for Ruby and Weiss to fall asleep before she stepped out of their dorm. She had been doing this regularly for the past four days. She'd leave at night and walk through the grounds, trying to clear her mind and come to terms with the situation. Was Blake gone, or was she still alive? Yang had to choose one, the battle within her was taking too much of toll on her and she felt like she might explode one day. Luckily tonight would be the night.

As she strolled through the grounds of Beacon, she made her way to the iconic fountain out front. The statue Blake had run to last year when she revealed her identity. The past four nights had been exactly the same, each night the fountain would be just as still and just as cold, offering no comfort what so ever but the mere fact that Blake had been there once.

Yang approached the fountain the same way she had every other time, but this time she found something perched upon the stone around it. She walked up to it and picked it up, turning it over it her hands she realised it was a black ribbon.

A black ribbon!

"I figured, seeing as I lost the bet, I wouldn't be needing that."

Yang froze. It couldn't be. It's be too cruel if it was a trick. Slowly, she turned around. Slowly her heart beat. Slowly, the image of a black haired girl with a pair of corgi ears and amber eye's filled her vision and solved all the problems in the world.

"Blake!"


	58. Chapter 58

**A/N: So i just realised- and this a little embarrassing- that I didn't explain how Blake didn't die. Well i kinda did, with the whole gold clone thing but I didn't actually explain it. So for the sake of it what i was meant to write was that, the clone summoned itself, like it did before, and basically blocked the attack. But i completely forgot to write it because I was really tired when i wrote that chapter, soooo sorry?**

* * *

Ruby rolled over in her bed just as Yang shut the door behind her. Ruby sighed as her sister left the room in the middle of the night once again, Yang believed Ruby didn't know that she left their room in the middle of the night, but Ruby wasn't finding sleep easy either and had feigned ignorance.

Ruby lay in her bed staring at the handle of the door, her mind wandering off to a different place. The past few days had been nothing short of depressing. Her big, joyful boisterous sister had become a quite morbid sorrow filled person probably with a broken heart. Because Blake was gone.

Blake, her teammate, her friend was no longer with them. No longer sleeping in her bed underneath Yang, no longer reading while everyone else chatted, no longer yelling at Zwei and telling him to stay away. Ruby couldn't help but feel partly at fault. It was unreasonable, she knew it herself, but she was the team leader. It was her job to keep them together, to keep them safe and alive and now it seems she had failed.

Looking back she hadn't been doing a very good job of it. Getting captured by Adam, being hopeless to save Weiss from Cinder, getting captured again and becoming a catatonic piece of bait to draw the rest of them to what was obviously a trap. Even when they got out of that there was still that huge titan that she really shouldn't have fought, what she should have done was led it away from the city and retreated, regardless of how far they have come in terms of skill and power, they were not prepared to fight it, especially since they knew nothing about what it could do. If it hadn't been for Weiss they'd all be incinerated by that blast.

For the most part Ruby hadn't been in the position a true leader was meant to be in, she had been playing the part of the damsel, the part of the helpless team leader, the part of the child. Instead of the strong, brave leader she was a tied up shattered girl tittering on the edge of giving up, and now Blake was gone.

Was it her fault? Could she have prevented it? Maybe she could have, but it was too late now.

"Ruby? Are you awake?"

Apparently Weiss was awake too.

"Yeah."

"Did Yang leave again?"

Ruby sighed and rolled onto her back. "Yeah she did."

There was a silence between the two partners.

"Weiss was this my fault?" Ruby finally asked.

"Your fault? How could this possibly be your fault? Why would you even say that?" Weiss got out of her bed so she could look at her partner properly.

Ruby pushed herself up into a sitting position and looked down at her partner.

"Because I'm the team leader and I'm supposed to keep everyone safe." Ruby was using that small voice that always made Weiss heart twang uncomfortably.

Weiss looked up at Ruby for a moment, taking in her saddened expression and guilty look. She held her hand out for Ruby to take as she gently pulled her down off the bunk.

When Ruby became level with her, she held onto her hand and looked her in the eye as sincerely as she could manage.

"Ruby none of this was your fault. No of it at all. You weren't the one to decide to attack us, you weren't the one to decide to lure us in, you weren't the one to decide that Blake should have done what she did. Don't be ridiculous and take everyone else's choices on your shoulders."

"Yeah I know but, I just feel like I should have done something, anything. We shouldn't have attacked the titan, we should have left it we're nowhere near strong enough. If we had lured it away as a team we would all be here now."

As Ruby spoke it sounded as if she persuading herself more than persuading Weiss. But Weiss could still sense that underlying plea for her to prove Ruby wrong, to tell her it's not her fault and make her believe it. To help lift the burden of Blake's fate off of her shoulders.

"Ruby you can't possibly know that for sure. At the time Blake did what she believed she had to do at the time. It had nothing to do with you being our leader. She did because she believed it would keep us alive, keep us together. Don't blame yourself for that."

"Yeah but she wouldn't have had to if I handled the situation differently."

"You can't know that for certain. Don't be unfair to yourself and take the actions of others as your fault."

"But, if I- I could've-" Ruby stopped herself and looked to her partner. "I just want Blake back."

Ruby stepped into Weiss arms and Weiss held her tightly, the heiress struggled to keep herself together as Ruby spoke those words. No doubt they all wanted the faunas back, Weiss was just beginning to feel closer to the amber eyed girl.

"We all want her want back Ruby."

* * *

Sometime later found the Whiter Rose pair sitting in each other's arms with Zwei between them with only the moonlight through the window to illuminate the room. Ruby was slipping in and out of sleep on Weiss' shoulder and the heiress herself was gently playing with Ruby's hair as she stared out the window.

Yang had been gone for a while, then again she usually stayed out for long. This whole situation felt very strange. Strange in the sense that the grief they were feeling didn't feel complete at all. Weiss wasn't sure what that meant, but the only way she could explain it was that Blake wasn't gone, Blake was still out there somewhere and they all felt it which was this strange feeling of grief was indeed very strange.

"Weiss?" Ruby said groggily, her eye's half open.

Weiss hummed in response.

"Blake isn't really gone is she?"

Weiss paused. Ruby wasn't a mind reader was she?

"How do you mean Ruby?"

"I just feel like…" Ruby trailed off and for a moment Weiss thought she had fallen asleep. "I just feel somewhere that she's still out there. The way we've all been acting feels…strange. Would it be wrong to believe she's still alive?"

Weiss took in the words, they were heavy words and Weiss wasn't sure if she had an answer. Fortunately she wouldn't need one.

The door to their dorm swung open and Yang practically dived into the room. The sudden appearance of the blonde brawler, in such an upbeat manner, more than surprised Weiss. The heiress jumped in surprise and Ruby slowly peeled off her shoulder to see her sister standing in front of them, almost out of breath and with the brightest expression on her face Ruby had ever seen.

"Yang what's going o-"

Before Weiss could finish Yang yanked on something in her hand and pulled someone else into the room.

"BLAKE!" Now Ruby was awake.

"Roof roof!" Zwei knew that smell.

Blake didn't have a chance to form a response before her leader was diving into her with her arms wrapping around her. Weiss stood up abruptly, forgetting about Ruby's bunk and knocking her head against the bottom of it before she ducked under it and stood up.

"Blake? What?"

"SHE'S BACK!" Yang yelled, grabbing the heiress and pulling them all into a group hug.

"How did she- how did you-where did. How?!" Weiss struggled to form a sentence.

"Who care's she's back!" Ruby yelled from somewhere in the hug.

Blake looked down at the red head holding onto her tightly and could only smile at the gentle feeling of all of her teammates arms around her. She had no idea what the past few days had been like for her teammates, no doubt they had cried, as they were now. But this time Blake knew they were tears of happiness.

"I'm so sorr-"

"Don't you dare say it!" Weiss cut her off. "Don't you even think about apologising! It doesn't matter what you may think we went through, what matters is the present. Now that your back…" Weiss paused and looked away for a moment. The heiress tried to compose herself and stop her voice from cracking, but when she looked back at her teammate Blake could see the shimmering of tears.

"Now that your back, everything is fine."

"Roof!" Zwei seemed to agree.

When they heard the corgi announce his agreement they all felt a resistance from within the hug and realised that Blake was trying to get away from the dog as soon as possible. But she only managed to pull out of the embrace-with Ruby still attached to her- tripped over said Ruby's legs, topple onto the floor and gave Zwei the perfect opportunity for him to jump on top of her.

"Roof!"

"Zwei!"

In signature Zwei style he immediately began licking all over Blake's face, not a care in the world and undeterred by Blake's frantic head thrashing.

"Zwei! Please!" Blake finally recovered enough of her ability to come up with the idea to use her hands and lift the corgi off of her body, holding him at arm's length.

"Woof!" Blake looked at Zwei and her looked back at her with his head cocked to the side, and what she could only describe as a smile on his face.

"C'mon Blake he's only happy to see you." Ruby explained.

Yang offered Blake her hand as she pulled her off the floor.

"Yeah well I can see that the rest of you are but I don't see any of you licking my up and down."

"Hey, if that's what you want I'll be more than happy to." Yang replied with a grin.

"Yang!" Ruby warned.

"What?"

"I think I'll pass Yang, Zwei alone is enough-"

Blake sentence was cut short by Yang grabbing her roughly and pulling her into a kiss. Nobody except Yang had expected it, but really, nobody had any complaints, Especially Blake. Ruby and Weiss exchanged glances and even Zwei was watching quietly.

The kiss made all the pain of the past days wash away effortlessly, like a shadow washing over her in the scorching heat Yang finally felt relieved. The weight on her shoulders that she had been carrying with her was lifted off and now she could just relax and bathe in the connection with her partner, with Blake.

Yang broke the kiss and looked at Blake, who's eyes were slightly widened but not at all alarmed.

"I missed you so much."

"I'm sorry I put you through this."

"Blake don't apologise. I don't care anymore. Just don't do that ever again, don't ever leave me like that."

"I won't."

"Promise?" Yang pushed.

Blake looked at her partner, should she really make another promise?

"Hey, technically you didn't break this promise." Yang stated with a smile.

Blake smiled back, "I promise."

"HURRAY! Everything's back now! Team RWBY is back together!" Ruby yelled, brining Blake and Yang out of their moment.

"And it looks like were all together, together now. As in, not just partners but like friend friends. Well I mean I guess we were always closer than that but now you just kissed so it's a hundred times more official. Oh boy I'm making this awkward aren't I? Here we go again I feel like I should stop talking but of course I'm not going to seeing as I never do but I really should stop because now your all staring at me and probably thinking how much of a dork I am I'm really sorry…"

Ruby was right, they were all staring at her and she did indeed continue talking. Weiss simply blinked at her while Yang couldn't help but chuckle and even Blake had to admit it was a little adorable and smiled.

Weiss sighed and rolled her eyes, "You really are, a dolt."

* * *

Although that night was behind them and the past, and even somewhat forgotten, Yang couldn't shake the memory of that black shade she had encountered that night. She hadn't told Blake about it, not wanting to bring it up or remind Blake of that night. But Yang couldn't help but feel uneasy about it.

Had Yang known how Blake was feeling the blonde may have told the faunus. Since that bight Blake knew that there was something still out there. Those clones the made luring the titan away, they were abnormal, and not like the golden clone, they were different. They felt independent, they didn't feel connected to her in anyway like her regular clones, even the gold one did. It was an unsettling thought but she didn't bring it up, although she had a feeling that sooner or later she would have to.

* * *

**A/N: THE END! Now if you haven't already seen it. There's a sequel...**


End file.

RWBY, Hurt-Comfort, Romance