RWBY 1. Chapter 1

Ruby P.O.V.

The heavenly smell of pancakes filled my nose pretty late into the morning. Then the smell revealed a strawberry and chocolate scent within its goodness, but still, I didn't feel like opening my eyes. I wonder why Blake was making pancakes? She only made pancakes, waffles, or French toast on special occasions. And they were very rarely accompanied with anything but syrup and milk. This could only mean two things. One, something really good happened, or two, something really bad happened. Either way, I knew that I'd need to pry myself from my feathery resting place. Normally, I got up pretty early, but for whatever reason, a certain time of year, every year since I was eleven, I get massive headaches, fatigue, and terrifying nightmares every single night for a month. This was the end of the first week of this. I rolled out of bed and onto the floor then I pulled myself to my feet and stumbled into the long hallway and down the stairs to the main hall. I followed the scent to the kitchen where Blake was preparing a stack of chocolate chip pancakes topped with homemade strawberry syrup and fresh strawberries from the garden. Something was up.

"Happy birthday, Ruby girl," Blake smiled and handed me the plate.

"Oh, is that today?" I asked. Really, if it wasn't for stores and Weiss and Blake asking what I wanted, I wouldn't have known it was Christmas last year.

"Yeah, didn't you know?" Weiss questioned. I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly.

"W-Well, not really, I kinda forgot what the date was today. I just know that those nightmares are back," I explained. Weiss thought for a second.

"Ruby, why don't you see if you can go talk to a consoler. Maybe you _need_ to remember what really happened a long time back in order to stop this," Weiss suggested.

"But what if it's too terrifying. I-I must have thrown all of the memories away for a very good reason," I expressed my fear. Blake put an arm around my shoulders after I had set the plate on the bar.

"I know you're afraid of what you'll find, but you were only eleven when you forgot. And really, we have no idea whether they are still there or not. Remember when you went the hospital because you were seeing things?" Blake reminded.

"Yeah, I remember that," I said, sitting down on a bar stool and started picking at my pancakes.

"Hey, why the long face, Blake and I have a present for you," Weiss said.

"What is it?" I asked. Blake grinned.

"Remember when Princess said you weren't allowed to get your driver's license because she was too paranoid you'd get in a wreck?" Blake asked. I groaned. It's like I'm a toddler.

"Yes, I remember that," I narrowed my eyes at them.

"Well, we discussed it, and we decided you can get your driver's license today if you want," Blake said.

"But if you don't, that's fine too!" Weiss added quickly. I grinned.

"I really can?" I asked.

"Yes, you can get it," Weiss huffed. I ran up and hugged the two of them.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou! You're the best big sisters ever!" I squealed. Blake and Weiss hugged me back.

"You're welcome, but don't think this isn't gonna have rules. You must be home by ten each night, don't pump gas in the dark, park as close as you can, park under a light, and if I ever find out that went to Country Side Homes, you'll be in your room for a month with no cell phone, no TV, no computer, and no Weapon Weekly, got it?" Weiss lied down the rules.

"What's wrong with that cute little neighborhood?" I asked. Weiss looked at me with a bit of a upset face.

"There was a very, very bad set of people that lived there a while back. They killed a young girl and beat her sister for years on end, the evidence was everywhere, but the neighbors did nothing about it," Weiss explained.

"But that was a while back, they're gone now, right?" I asked.

"Yes, but I don't want to take any chances, just please, don't go there," Weiss asked. I sighed.

"Ok, I won't," I said.

"Thank you, now hurry up and finish eating so you can get dressed and Blake can take you to the DMV," Weiss said.

...

"Hey, Weiss, I'm gonna go spend the night at Nora's house," I said. Weiss looked up from her history book.

"Ok, make sure to pack an extra blanket, it's gonna be cold tonight," Weiss reminded.

"I will, Mom," I teased. Weiss huffed.

"You know, Blake and I love you to pieces, we worry about you so maybe you could try being thankful that you're loved."  
"I am, I was just joking, you can be a little over protective sometimes," I said. Weiss set down the text book and gave me a hug real quick.

"Be careful, ok, I don't want to lose you," Weiss whispered.

"You're not gonna lose me, Weiss. I'm perfectly fine, nobodies after me," I assured.

"I know."

...

The snow pounded onto the car like nobody's business. I could barely see outside of the windows. And that's with my lights on. I was a little too far away to turn around. It'd be safer heading to Nora's house than to turn around and go home. Still, something was a little unsettling about this storm.

...

Unknown P.O.V.

"Looks like she's driving on thick ice. Something tells me she isn't gonna get home anytime soon," I stated, sitting on the roof of some house. The frigid wind rushed through my hair, sending it flying into my face. I tucked my locks behind my ears and looked around. "Well, we'll see how this plays out."

...

Ruby P.O.V.

Suddenly, I saw a young girl standing in the road. I slammed on my brakes, sending the car flying into a ditch full of ice. Worst part is, I couldn't move. The air bags crushed me against my seat, and because I was already slouching, I was practically being suffocated by the thing. I tried to reach my purse, which had my cell phone, I couldn't reach it on the floor in the back seat. Then I realized that the electric blanket I had in my lap somehow wrapped around my legs and the cord got stuck in one of the pedals. I was stuck. And did I mention there was a _BLIZZARD_ going on outside. Not my ideal way of going out. I struggled, but one restraint lead to another. Sure, there was some broken glass I could easily rip the air bag with... if I could move my arms. I don't think I had ever felt so helpless. Nobody was going to find me for a very long time. By the point somebody found me, and hopefully got me medical attention, I could very well be dead. What would Weiss and Blake do? They just spent a boat load of money on a car. And money's a little tight with Weiss' college tuition and Blake's wedding coming up, the last thing they need is to pay for car repairs. Everything was overwhelming. I just decided to close my eyes and try to sleep a little and ignore the pounding headache.

...

When I woke up, I wasn't in my car. I was in the street. I was also not wearing my jeans and red coat. In fact, I was in a skirt. I was wearing a long sleeved black shirt, puffy black and red battle skirt, black thick leggings, and black combat boots. I pulled myself to my feet and looked around. How did I get there? Why was I in... Oh crap. Weiss is going to kill me. Country Side Homes. But how? I wrecked on the interstate. I ran to the gate and was bounced back into the middle of the street.

"Looks like somebody's a little scared," a voice said. I turned around to see a tattered light brown teddy bear.

"I _really_ hit my head," I commented.

"Listen to what I have to say, Ruby," the teddy bear said in a stern voice.

"Uh.. Ok, what's up?" I asked.

"My name is Ming. Do you by any chance know where you are, Ruby?" the bear asked. I shook my head. "Welcome to Memorwonderneverland."

"Um... That's quite the mouthful," I said.

"Well, the person who created this place is a little confused in the head and often conflicts with herself. She compromised with her other opinions, but residents are taking a vote on a new name," Ming explained. "Though that stupid tyrant will probably just forget to make anything official again and another war will break out."

"Lovely, now how do I get _out_ of Memorwonder-something another," I asked.

'Can't believe I'm talking to a stuffed bear. I really hit my head hard in the crash, didn't I? Oh well, just go with it.' I thought.

"Well, Ruby, Memorwonderneverland is a very special place. This is a world created after you forgot everything at eleven. In this world lives your memories. Fragments, different memories are scattered about. If you wish to return home, to have future, you must rediscover your past. Collect memories as you make your way to the Queen's Palace. Be wary of Weeping Dolls, Injured Angels, Monster Boys, Lost Souls, and Ten Faced Girls. Also, if you happen to run into a girl that can dissolve into super heated desert sand, can fly, and is clad in a green shoes with little bells on the ends along with yellow bracelets of gold, kill her. She's a criminal that has been a pain to us all. Causing trouble in the existing world, creating dreams for children, and eating the last of the cookies. Off with her head," Ming explained. I looked around.

"And you expect me to find this palace without my phone's GPS?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"You'll have to use a map, you poor unfortunate soul!" a weird rabbit like thing exclaimed sarcastically as he tossed a crumpled up map at my forehead. I straightened it out, looking at the old looking map. Well great, I barely know how to work these things.

"Also, you might want this," Ming said, handing me a folded up piece of metal. Gee, thanks, I'm sure that this thing is very useful. "It's a scythe and sniper rifle. Not too complex for you I hope." my mouth dropped.

"Not at all," I replied. Ok, I regret my first thoughts, this thing is awesome.

"Well, be on your way, Ruby, and remember, to unlock your future is to rediscover your past," Ming said as she faded into a pile of ashes.

...

Blake P.O.V.

"Blake, she hasn't called us yet, something must have happened," Weiss paced the living room. As much as we fought at first, Weiss and I had grown close over the years. After Ruby's break, Weiss became super over protective over Ruby. Ruby had yet to contact us since she left for Nora's house.

"Weiss, chill, I'm sure that Ruby's just enjoying herself and forgot. I doubt anything happened to her," I assured.

"But what if something _did_ happen? What if she's hurt, or dead, or abducted by aliens, or attacked by zombies, or attacked by a sworm of angry wasps, or joined the rebel alliance and is being electrocuted by Darth Vader in the flesh! Blake! We need to call the police before she begins her battle to the death against Sub-Zero in the Hunger Games! We need to go to Lucifenia now!" and at least I know Weiss had coffee today.

"Chillax, she's fine. She's not fighting to the death, on another planet, dead, or in the Lucifenian revolution. You're overreacting because of caffeine overload. Just, calm down a little bit," I said. Weiss sighed, holding her forehead.

"Geez, where did this migraine come from," Weiss asked.

"The seven cups of coffee you drank earlier," I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Well I have to be the first in my class to turn in this essay so my professor realizes how exceptional I am," Weiss yawned.

"Go lie down, I'll wait up for a phone call," I said. Weiss nodded and stumbled up the stairs to her room... or I hope so.


	2. Chapter 2

Ruby P.O.V.

Slowly, made my way to what seemed to be a glowing key. I poked it and it burst into purplish smoke. It was all over the place! In the distance, I could see two little girls playing on a swing set, laughing, having a great ol' time. Suddenly, one stopped. I walked closer so I could get a better look. The girl who got off of the swing looked like tiny Weiss. The other kinda looked like me in an odd, beat up way. The one the resembled Weiss observed the other girl.

"Ruby, your arm looks... burnt... What happened. Don't tell me you were playing with matches or sticking your arm in the oven like an idiot?" Weiss' mini me questioned, quirking an eyebrow. The other girl who shared my name shrugged.

"Actually, Yang and I got in a fight. She grabbed my arm and scorched it because she was upset about Summer and all that..." Ruby said. I was taken aback. Yang? Summer? Those names... It felt like I've heard them before. Like a very long time ago I knew people by those names. But somehow, I'd rather believe Yang and Summer are characters from a video game and that's why they are familiar.

"How atrocious! How _dare_ that, that filthy _DOG _do such a thing!"

"No, no, no, Weiss, it's my fault! I shouldn't have annoyed her! Don't call Yang mean names! She's really a nice girl!" Ruby exclaimed. So that girl... Is Weiss?

"You're delusional if you think that she's a good person," Weiss scowled. After that, the mist faded away and I saw something on the ground. It seemed to be a burnt handkerchief. If you looked closely, the name Ruby Rose was sewn on in what would've been red string. I bent down to pick it up and stuffed it in a black silk bag I had found earlier from walking around.

"Oh good, you've recovered a memory!" Ming's voice said. I turned around to face the battered teddy bear.

"So those little girls were Weiss and-"

"You, yes," Ming finished for me.

"But who's Yang?"I asked. Ming grinned.

"That's for _you _to discover for yourself," and with that Ming disappeared once more. I pulled the handkerchief back out of the bag and looked at the cloth again.

"Why would somebody want to burn me alive? Was I a bad kid?" I questioned.

...

Blake P.O.V.

"Blake." I could barely hear the whisper. I just figured that it was my imagination.

"Blake," the voice spoke up. Again, I'm dreaming.

"BLAKE!" CRAP! Somebody was actually trying to get my attention. I jolted into alertness and looked around my bedroom for the source of the voice. It was Weiss, who looked stressed out.

"Weiss, are you ok?" I asked. Weiss shook her head.

"I'm beginning to think we screwed up somewhere along the line," she murmured.

"With what?" I asked.

"With not telling Ruby about Yang after she forgot," Weiss said. I thought for a moment.

"Maybe, maybe not. Either way, none of us are related, nor were we two old enough to properly care for her. Unfortunately, if we went to the foster system, we'd surely be separated, and that would've been hard on Ruby when she considered us two her family. Why are you now concerned? Yang's long dead," I said. Weiss wiped her eyes and sighed.

"Because I had a dream. I dreamt that Yang's spirit was upset with us for letting Ruby forget and she tormented Ruby to death as punishment. I don't believe in ghost, but I do believe that this was my mind telling me I screwed up," Weiss explained, finicking with the skirt of her nightgown.

" I personally think, that since her mind was already under so much stress, she purposely block Yang's memory. I don't have to tell you how she blamed herself and felt guilty after we told her. Interfering with her way of coping with it all could've had an extremely negative effect. Besides, we were thirteen when that all went down, it's acceptable for us to have messed up maybe a little bit. And besides I'm willing to take the blame for potentially having screwed Ruby up, are you?" I asked.

"Yeah, I've been too protective," Weiss sighed. "I just... When Ruby and I first came up with the idea to move into a house, all three of us take care of each other, be a family, I was so happy. When Yang tried to apologize, I saw her as a threat to us. Ruby at that time kept us all friends. If Yang took that away, we wouldn't have stayed. I would've kicked you out, I saw you as a hazard to my health," Weiss paused. "Of course I think of you as a sister now, but the whole point of this rambling is I've been afraid of losing Ruby. I don't want her to remember Yang. I don't want her to. Because then, she's gonna remember Yang making an effort to fix relationship, and that means that she isn't going to love us as much anymore. In fact, she might _hate _us for not letting her make things right between her and her sister. And then when she remembers Yang's dead, she'll hate us more."

"Not hardly. Ruby's not the type to hold grudges. She's never been that way," I reasoned.

"I know, but the whole idea freaks me out," Weiss said in a scared tone.

"How about this; Around lunch we'll call Ruby home, then we can talk to her about things. I think that it's time we see if those memories even still exist. If we bring up core things that could remind her of her past, she should remember. If not, then it's safe to say they're long gone, or at least buried deeper into her soul then we thought. It's settle, and will avoid the longer drawn out conversation of actually telling her," I suggested. Weiss sighed.

"Yeah, let's try that. We'll call her later then," Weiss said.

"You mean tomorrow," I corrected.

"It's actually four AM. I never went to sleep," Weiss said. I narrowed my eyes at her. "Well, I'm gonna go watch some TV. They're having a Clannad marathon, and I'm not going to miss it." and with that, Weiss left. I chuckled.

"So much for being proper and sophisticated."

...

Ruby P.O.V.

I traveled away from the rusting park where I recovered my first memory. As I walked, I saw lots of odd creatures. Some looked to be broken, crying porcelain dolls, which would break at the slightest touch. I felt bad for them. It would be inconvenient to break constantly. I approached two bikes, above them was another floating key. I grabbed it and the smoke brought about another memory.

Two girls were riding bikes together. One was small and had black hair, the other had lots of blonde curls that bounced about when she walked, almost like the Disney princess Merida. I was beginning to question if the blonde even had combed her hair at all that day. The blonde also was taller and seemed older.

"No, no, like this," she said, untying the helmet straps and putting it on the younger girl correctly. She tightened the helmet a little bit then smiled. "There we go, now it won't fall off, Little Bear." The younger girl grinned, then the memory faded. It left a helmet as a fragment this time. I picked up the red child sized helmet and observed. What a sweet memory, but did I know those two little girls? Childhood friends perhaps? I just ignored that almost aching feeling on my chest and the turning of my stomach. It couldn't be anything. I doubt that anything bad was related to such a cute little memory.

"Aw, how cute!" a voice said. I looked around, checking the ground for Ming, but nowhere in sight was the stuffed bear. "Nope! Up here!" I looked up to see a preteen sitting on the branch of a tree. She had curly pigtails tied with white ribbons with bells dangling off the ends, violet eyes that shone with glee and maybe a bit of mischief, and was wearing a yellow tank top with a light brown vest atop it, an orange scarf, a pair of black shorts, orange socks, and elf like shoes with bells at the tips of the toes. She grinned.

"Nice to meet you. I heard you're the new girl here. It must be true, because I don't think I've ever seen you in my life," the girl said. "Ruby, am I correct?"

"Y-Yeah. So you know my name, do you have a name?" I asked. She hopped down from the tree and approached me.

"Yes, Ruby, I have many names. Dream Keeper, Sandman; I still can't believe they got my gender wrong, Tinkerbelle, Mischief's Daughter, Your Worst Nightmare, and so on," she said.

"My worst nightmare!" I exclaimed. She giggled.

"For most of the locals here." I looked at her again.

"You look harmless," I stated. She giggled a bit.

"They just can't take a joke, that's all. They think I'm a bad spirit for giving children dreams. When they're bad, I give them nightmares, but when they are good, I give them happy dreams," She explained.

"Do you do the same for teens?" I asked. She nodded.

"Then what do I keep doing for those awful nightmares every year?" I asked. Her face dropped.

"Well, it's not _all _ your fault. It's sorta mine, sorta yours, sorta somebody else's. Either way, that reality isn't going to change anytime soon unless you recover all of your memories. That's the only shot you have at fixing your little problem," she explained in a more series, less playful tone.

"Well can you at least tell me _why_ I have them?" I asked. She motioned for me to sit down on the ground with her, which I did of course. She sat criss cross apple sauce on the ground then looked at me.

"I might be able to help you. Explain the nightmare," she said.

"Well, I'm in a dark room, and I can't move my arms or my legs. Later, this bruised up girl, maybe twelve or thirteen years old removes my blindfold to reveal I'm in bedroom with only a simple bed, and a cardboard box. I try to scream for help, but she shushs me, telling me to be very quiet or 'They''ll get us. Just then these people come running in, a man and a woman, and they start yelling at the girl. They're yelling 'Where is she,' and calling the girl horrible names. They beat her, and practically torture her until she looks like she walk off the set of a horror movie. She just grins and says that they'll never find 'her' and the man shoves her off the edge of the stair case, and she falls and dies. Then I go to her funeral, but everyone there are imps, and they try to kill me, telling me it's my fault she died. I runaway and then I get hit by the grim reaper driving a spiky black carriage. At the end, a little girl with short black hair runs into a six foot hole. I look down into the hole and see another young girl with blonde hair at the bottom with her. I throw a teddy bear in with them and walk off into a burning forest. For some reason, that dream always terrifies me," I explained. She looked as if she were in deep thought.

"If I had to make a guess, I'd say that it's a demonic version of real memories you've buried into the pit of your soul, so far and so deep, you can't retrieve them. But they're still there. Potentially, somebody's trying to remind you of what you tried to forget," the blonde said.

"B-But I couldn't have possibly experienced something that horrific. I-I was found by my two big sisters when I was a toddler, but I got hit by a car and lost all of my memories. I hallucinated for a long time, but I lost my memories," I explained. She frowned.

"Maybe that's true, but I don't believe it. I'm willing to bet my allowance money that those are memories gone wild," she said.

"Whatever, I don't care what you think, because I know you're wrong. Nothing bad happened. I lived on the streets with my big sisters, Blake and Weiss until we got home of our own. Nothing else. No one else. Just us three," I argued. She growled.

"Well excuse me for trying to help! I'm leaving, this is a waste of my time. Besides, you're probably never going to see daylight again," and with that the girl stormed off. I rolled my eyes and walked off.

...

Weiss P.O.V.

"That's the fifth time I called. She's not picking up," Blake sighed.

"What if something bad happened?" I questioned, several awful scenarios running through my head.

"Let's wait it out. If she isn't here by ten, we'll call the police," Blake said.

"But what if she's in danger _now_?" I asked. "She could be anywhere at this point."

"She's a responsible girl, Weiss, she's almost certainly fine," Blake assured... It didn't help.

"Well, I don't exactly trust the fact that there was a blizzard last night. What if she was still driving when it happened and got caught in it?" I rambled. Blake chuckled.

"You made her pack possible way of keeping warm. If that was the case, she probably was huddled up in her blanket watching Red Vs. Blue or something like that," Blake replied.

"And if she got in a _wreck_? If the wreck didn't kill her, the cold would've finished her off," I growled, flailing my arms around.

"Stop being so dramatic. It would've been on the radio traffic update if that was the case."

"Blake, I'm worried sick about her! She's probably the first person that ever showed me kindness, she's my first friend, don't act all casual about her not picking up her phone when you know that there was a blizzard and she was on the road!" I yelled. "Do you even care about what happens to her!?"

"Of course I care! You're just paranoid!" Blake yelled.

"I'm not paranoid, you're heartless!" I threw my phone at her. Blake hissed (literally) and scratched my right eye with her claw like nails.

"Yeah, I'm the heartless one. I spent my childhood in a poor house because ignorant people like you killed my parents when I was four. Yeah, I'm the heartless one. If not being paranoid and obsessed with Ruby, who is growing up makes me heartless, then I am. But don't you dare act like the martyr all the time, Weiss. I had it a lot harder than you did," Blake said in a low furious voice before walking off. I just stood there in utter shock.

...


	3. Chapter 3

Ruby P.O.V.

The more I walked, the more discouraged I got. Who knew what time it was back at home. Weiss and Blake were most likely worried sick about me. But I couldn't wake up and go home until I recover all of these stupid memories. What purpose would that serve? I survived just _FINE_ without them. And what's with the crazy dream girl. Thinking she knew who I was and what happened to me. Pft, she doesn't even know who I am. Who is she to tell me what happened? Nobody, that's who.

Yet, I couldn't shake the feeling that she could be right. I shook my head. No. Just, no. There was no way she was right. I was rescued by Blake and Weiss. I have no family but them. This is all a stupid, stupid, STUPID, dream. And I'll return to my family as soon as I wake up.

My surroundings probably set the mood for a lot of my frustrations. Everything was gloomy, and weird objects and figures were floating about in mid air. Place if you looked straight up at the sky, there was just a bunch of Japanese writing that I couldn't understand. It was dark, I barely had light to see, and on top of that, the floating dolls were singing Sorry I'm Sorry by Hatsune Miku constantly. I liked the song, but at this point in time, it was annoying to say the least. Worst part was, the memories. Yes, the memories. They kept... getting worse. And I still didn't understand them.

I kept seeing the blonde girl floating around. She'd wouldn't say anything, but she'd grin. Not just any grin, an 'I told you so' grin. The kind of grin when you see it you just want to rip your hair out. If she _really_ knows the truth, I don't see why she doesn't just tell me and save my time collecting these stupid memories.

I looked around the premise a bit before seeing another floating key. I walked towards it and grabbed it.

_"Hey, Ruby, look, isn't she cute?" A little blonde girl asked. The black haired girl looked up from her stuffed beowolf toy and looked at the newborn the blonde was pointing at._

_ "Yeah, she's cute, Yang, but can we please go home now. I'm bored," the six year old asked. The eight year old looked flabbergasted. _

_ "Well, I guess maybe Dad can take us home. I'll go ask," and with that, the blonde now known as Yang left. Ruby just stood there, looking at the baby in the crib at the hospital._

_ "Hey, Summer, it's nice to meet you."  
_

"GAH!" I fell backwards onto my behind. "WHAT WAS THAT! I DON'T KNOW THESE PEOPLE!" I screamed. I held my knees close to my chest. Things I didn't know even existed in my mind were starting to swell, and rise up to the surface. I didn't want them to. I tried to shove them back down, where I had put them to begin with, but with no avail. I gained at least three more memories. Three more horrible memories.

...

Blake P.O.V.

I should really apologize to Weiss. Really, I just hope her eye is ok. I don't know what got into me, I just... Scratch her with no rhyme or reason. It's like when she said I was heartless, and that I didn't care what happened to Ruby, it triggered something in me that just made me want to shred her into tiny pieces. Obviously, I didn't go _that_ far with my little temper tantrum, but still, I can't believe I did that. No, I can't believe she'd say something like that. But either way, I was in the wrong. I also doubted Weiss wanted to hear an apology at that moment, so I turned on the news to see the weather forcast, but I got something much, much different.

"Breaking news, severe wreck on Country Side Avenue. It included a four car pile up, and one went into a ditch. The car that went into a ditch ended up being a teenage girl named Ruby Rose, and seemed to have crashed hours earlier than the rest. She's been sent to the hospital for treatment," click.

"WEISS, GET IN THE CAR NOW!" I shouted as I ran to grab my keys and head to the garage.

...

Ruby P.O.V.

The voices kept echoing in my head.

_"Worhtless brat! Why aren't you like your sisters!?"_

_ "Get away from Summer, you germ."_

_ "I don't care whether you live or die, just leave me alone, will ya!" _

_ "Ruby! I hope you're happy, Summer tripped and fell. It's YOUR fault you brat!"_

"STOP IT! PLEASE STOP IT!" I yelled. I could feel tears streaming down my face. I looked down at my legs, which were starting to break into pieces like porcelain. I felt oxygen and bloodflow to my head practically stop, and felt so exhausted.

...

Slowly, but surely I opened my eyes to see I was in a small room. It was obviously that of two little girls. The bed across from me was tattered the red comforter was torn. Really, that whole side of the room was beat up and not very nice looking. That was the left side of the room. I turned my head to see the wall on my side had several posters of boy bands and some TV shows. I saw that the blankets covering me up were yellow and orange and that the bed I lied in was perfectly fine. Actually quite comfortable. When I looked the left again, I saw the blonde girl I had fought with earlier. She had obviously just knelt down beside me.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I guess ok. What happened?" I asked.

"I don't know. I just found you passed out on the ground and didn't have the heart to leave you there for dead," she answered. "Did something frighten you?"

"Memories. The people wouldn't stop yelling at me," I sobbed. "And I think they were my family." Her face dropped.

"Yeah, they were," she answered.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"I've been in your dreams have I not? You used to have bad dreams about them hurting you when you still lived with them. I used to come into your dreams and comfort you, so you'd have the strength to keep holding on," she replied.

"Do the nightmares have anything to do with my past?" I asked after a long pause.

"They have everything to do with your past. When you buried your memories, you buried somebody with you, and that certain somebody doesn't want her sacrifice to go in vain, which by forgetting her, you have let that happen. She's upset, and wants you to remember her, and to visit her," the girl explained.

"But who _is_ this person. I want to clear everything up and start over. Every memory I uncover gets more painful," I explained.

"What can you tell me about your past?"

"Well, I had an older sister named Yang and a younger sister named Summer. After Summer was born, Yang got really mean and even hit me sometimes. My parents were always a bit mean, but whenever they came after me, Yang would protect me, but after Summer was born, she started to hate me and never spent time with me or protected me. Nobodies cared whether I lived or died," I explained.

"Y-Yeah, I watched that all go down. Unfortunately, I'm a ghost, really you couldn't have been saved until you met Blake and Weiss," she explained rubbing the back of her neck. "Sorry about that."

"Don't apologize, you're not the one I hate," I stated simply. The ghost girl had an expression of shock on her face.

"Y-You hate somebody?"

"Yeah, I hate Yang. I hate my parents. But I hate Yang the most. She promised when I was little that no matter what happened she'd always love me and take care of, yet when Summer came along, she left me for dead. After she promised. I hate the fact she lied to me," I expressed how I felt on the situation. The ghost's face dropped.

"What if she was sorry?"

"That's not gonna happen. Whatever happened to her, I really don't care, I'm just glad somewhere along the line, I got taken in by Blake and Weiss. They're a better family than what those idiots could ever give me. I'll take Blake and Weiss as my big sisters over Yang in a heartbeat. They at least don't lie to me." The ghost girl sighed. "What's the matter?" I asked.

"I understand what you mean. Trust me, if you feel this way about them now, you'd kill 'em all in a heartbeat further into your memories. It gets worse," she said.

"H-How can it possibly get worse?" I asked.

"Here, it's one of your memories, I found it by the creek," the ghost girl handed me a piece of what seemed to be firewood.

_As we walked, Summer kept looking up at me. I finally asked her what she was wanting and she practically knocked me over with a hug._

_ "Summwr wuves Wuby." Summer cued. I returned the hug and stroked her blonde hair._

_ "Ruby loves you too, Summer." I said. Summer seemed to not really want to let go of me, so kept a hold on her. I almost never got to spend time with Summer, nobody would let me. Every time I cuddled with Summer, Mom scolded me for 'hurting her'. I wouldn't ever want to hurt Summer. I love her too, so I don't understand why everyone thinks I'm out to get her. I eventually released Summer and continued the search for firewood. _

_ I found a bunch over by a try looked over at Summer. She was currently sucking on her thumb and looking around._

_ "Summer, stay right there. Don't move, I'll be back." I said as I turned my back and went over to gather the wood. As I scooped up the wood, I was about to force more into my arms when SPLASH! I turned around to see Summer in the stream we were near. I ran over and tried to grab her, but I couldn't reach._

_ "WUBY! WUBY! SAVE MWE!" Summer screamed, her voice getting muffled by the water. I jumped into the stream without a second thought, immediately being exposed to the ultra strong current. I tried my best to paddle towards Summer, but I had a hard time. Eventually I was able to grab her tiny body, pull her close to my chest, and try to swim to the edge. Unfortunately, I couldn't get there without being sucked under water several times and soon enough I got my jacket caught in a rock and I couldn't get away. I started to scream, but my voice was muted by rushing water. Suddenly I saw Mom, Dad, and Yang rush to us. _

_ "Hand over Summer!" Dad demanded. I did my best to extend my arms with little Summer curled up in them. Dad grabbed her and started to try and wake her. Mom extended her hand after I begged for five minutes for someone to help me. I grabbed onto Mom and was discarded to the side as soon as I was on the ground. I fell flat on my face, exhausted. Dad then pulled me up by my hair. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!?"_

_ "S-She's dead." Yang sobbed. I felt my own tear roll down my face. _

_ "T-Try getting the water out of her lungs." I suggested._

_ "We did. Why are you such a little demon you would kill someone as innocent and sweet as Summer? HUH! ANSWER ME, YOU LITTLE IMPISH DEVIL!" he yelled. I felt more tears form._

_ "I didn't drown her. I promise. I told her to stand right where I left her while I grabbed the wood and next thing I know it she's in the water. I tried to save her, bu-"  
"THAT'S A LOAD OF BS!" he yelled. I cried more._

_ "You are truly a despicable little girl." my mother glared. I sobbed more. _

_ "I didn't mean for this to happen, I swear!" I begged. Dad let go of me and cradled pale, beautiful, lifeless, little Summer and walked off with Mom. Yang was still whimpering to herself. I crawled over to her. "Yang, I promise I didn't do it. I was only trying to-" SLAP! I held my now red cheek. Yang growled before grabbing me and shoving me hard onto the ground then kicking me several times. "YANG! YANG PLEASE! I'M TELLING THE TRUTH! YANG!" I begged as she beat on me. Eventually Yang had her fill and knock me back into the stream and walked away. I clung to the edge with the last of my energy. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you, Summer." I whimpered. _

_..._

Weiss P.O.V.

I continued staring out the window on the drive to dinner. Blake and I weren't exactly talking too much. Maybe we were still mad at each other. I honestly wouldn't have been able to tell you if I was mad at her or not. She's not exactly the first thing on my mind.

"Hey, Weiss," Blake started. I turned to face the faunus woman who was driving us to the restaurant.

"Yes?"

"You were right. I'm sorry for calling you paranoid, especially when you were right. And about your eye... I'm sorry about that too," Blake said.

"It doesn't matter to me. I've gone through much worse. I'm just scared the one person that kept us all a family isn't going to live," I said. Blake nodded.

"Yeah, that has me worried as well, Princess."

...

Ruby P.O.V.

Tears streamed down my face. Why? It wasn't my fault. The ghost girl was right, I will never, ever, _EVER_ forgive them. Each memory seems to unlock more, which means I can only a few more until I can go home. Till I can go home and lock them away again.

"Ruby, I know how you're feeling, but trust me, you won't find peace if you don't unlock the memory at the bridge. I-It's bittersweet. And really, the beginning of it makes me happy. Makes me feel like even the most despicable can be redeemed. Not at a price though..."

"No, I don't want anymore. Just cut to chase and tell me who brought me here to torture me with this. I can't stand it. All the memories rushing back makes me want to take back even being born at all. Please, I just want to go home," I sobbed.

"Y-You don't want to know who brought you here. You'd lose your mind, and sure wouldn't listen to what she has to say," the ghost said sadly.

"If she'll take me home, I promise I'll listen to whatever she has to say," I begged. The girl sighed.

"Ruby, unlock the memory of a bridge. The memory where Blake and Weiss meet Yang for the very first time. It's still there, search within yourself for it." I sighed. Bridge. Weiss and Blake meeting Yang. Let's see...

YES! I found it!

_"I think we lost them." Blake panted._

_ "D-Do you think they were trying to take me back?" I asked._

_ "I have no doubts they were planning on finishing you off." Weiss said coldly, looking out at the scenery below us over the side of the old bridge. _

_ "It's pretty." I said happily._

_ "Yeah, it's a beautiful view." Blake grinned. I wrapped an arm around their waists and brought them closer to me. _

_ "We should camp some time, that'd be really fun." I smiled._

_ "Ugh, why would I go sit out with the bugs?" Weiss scoffed._

_ "Aw, poor little princess can't learn to rough it." Blake teased._

_ "Shut up, Belladonna if you know what's good for you!" Weiss screamed. Suddenly I heard a panting from behind us. We turned around to see Yang, holding her knees and breathing heavily._

_ "I. Finally. Found. You." Yang panted, regaining her posture. Blake hissed at Yang._

_ "Chill, Kitten, I'm not going to hurt her, I'm only want to talk for a little bit." Yang said._

_ "Not on my watch. You've done enough damage." Blake hissed. Yang started to walk over to us. "Don't come any closer. You're not touching my little sister." _

_ "Excuse me, she was mine first." Yang growled, her eyes turning red with anger._

_ "You had your chance. You screwed up." Weiss glared._

_ "I'm tired of having to keep my apologies to myself!" Yang exploded. Tears started to flow down her cheeks. "Let me say goodbye. I'm not losing Ruby without saying goodbye and sorry."_

_ "Make it quick, but you can't touch her." Weiss said, allowing Yang to wander over to us. Yang sighed._

_ "I screwed up." Yang started._

_ "You really did. I thought we were friends." I said sadly._

_ "We used to be. I would do anything to take it all back, keep that bond we once had. I should've never blamed you for Summer's death and if you could ever forgive me, I would be so thankful." Yang begged._

_ "You were the worst sister anyone could ever have. You hurt me several times. Heck, you beat on me for no reason. I cried myself to sleep every night because of what you did to me. But somehow, I couldn't grow to hate you. I could've taken the easy way out and called the police, but that would take you out of our home as well, and I couldn't let you get separated from Mom and Dad. So if you want me to forgive you... The answer is yes. I've been waiting for your friendship again for a very long time, and I thought that this would never happen, so I'm very happy to hear you want to be friends again, just never hit me again, ok?" I extended my pinkie. Yang smiled up at me and threw her arms around me, squeezing my guts out._

_ "WHAT DID I SAY?!" Weiss freaked_

_ "Let go of her." Blake hissed. I just wrapped my arms around Yang into return._

_ "I've missed you." I whispered. Yang squeezed me tighter._

_ "I love you and I am so sorry." Yang whimpered._

_ "It's ok. I love you too, so let's be friends again, ok?" I offered._

_ "Y-Yeah." Yang stuttered. Blake put her hand on my shoulder and yanked on it lightly, a silent plead for me to let go of Yang, which I complied. "So are you three foster sisters?" _

_ "Nope! We all live in a big house alone. We take care of each other. This is Blake and Weiss." I introduced._

_ "Good to know you're going to be ok." Yang said. _

_ "Yeah, I'm just fine."_

_ "Trust me, she's a lot safer with us than she'll ever be with you." Blake glared._

_ "Hey, I've changed, can't you give me a second chance?" Yang asked._

_ "No, you are pretending. People like you don't change." Weiss growled._

_ "Good to know I'm gonna have to lose an arm and a leg trying to spend some quality time with MY sister." Yang narrowed her eyes at Blake and Weiss._

_ "Come on, guys, stop fighting for my sake." I begged. THUNDER! "GAH!"_

_ "It's raining." Blake commented._

_ "No drr, Sherlock. " Yang growled._

_ "Shut up, I'm not done with you." Blake hissed._

_ "Yeah, if you go anywhere near our Ruby, we're going to literally kill you." Weiss scowled. Yang frowned._

_ "Stop holding a grudge against me when I'm trying to change. You're making it harder."_

_ "STOP IT!" I screamed._

_ "Enough, Ruby, we are trying to protect you." Weiss said. _

_ I glared at the three before climbing up on the side of the bridge and shouting, "Hey! Look at me!" Their attention snapped to me. I was walking along the edge with a grin._

_ "Ruby! Get down here before you slip!" Weiss scolded._

_ "Not until you guys stop fighting and become friends. Like it or not, I still love Yang, and I shouldn't have to give up any of you." I crossed my arms._

_ "Not going to happen, you said it yourself she beat you." Blake reasoned._

_ "And she's being the bigger dog and asking for forgiveness." I stated._

_ "Listen, I'll leave you guys in peace, I just wanted to fix what I broke before never seeing my baby sister again." Yang defended, starting to walk away. _

_ "WAIT! SIS! " I started to run when I slipped and fell off the side of the bridge. "SISSY!" _

...

"You know, Yang really did mean what she said back there. Every word of it," the ghost said. I felt tears stream down my cheeks.

"I-It's just... I don't know. Why the sudden change of heart?" I continued to cry.

" You never know how much something means to you until it's gone," she said simply. "Come on, you still have one more memory, I'll lead you to it." and with that, I followed the ghost girl out of the house and out to the back yard. A large, what seemed to be bottomless hole was dug in the ground. I quirked an eyebrow.

"What?" SHOVE! CRAP! Suddenly, I was falling back wards down the hole.


	4. Chapter 4 - Finale

**AN - The section after **"As you wish," she grinned before merging her mind with mine. **is a little intense. But I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's the finale for If Ruby Could Remember. **

Ruby P.O.V.

I looked around the darker, monotone world I was in now. I wonder why she pushed me down such a deep hole? I could've been killed! But all things aside, I walked through the world, looking around for my last memory. Everywhere I looked, there was broken glass and the sound of bitter, heartbroken sobs rung through my ears. No matter how much I walked, I heard the sobs. I began to run, and I ran, but the more I ran, the worse the sobs got. Suddenly, there was a loud, painful wail, which was followed by more sobs and a sniffle. Then another wail. And another, and another. I tried to hide within myself, but no matter where I tried to send my mind to, I was interrupted and pulled back to reality by those awful, horrible, painful, cries. They sounded to belong to a girl, who was maybe a few years younger than me, but not by much. Not a child's, but definitely not an adult's screams either. The more I walked, I felt this weird feeling of sadness take over. The last thing I need is more painful memories.

...

After hours of walking, I found my last memory, but it didn't reveal itself to me. Instead, it started to speak, in a robot like voice, but a heartbroken robot.

"Walk further into the world of despair. Don't step on glass... Ok sweetie?" the key spoke. I felt my stomach get that 'Oh crap, this isn't going to end well' feeling you get when you're afraid, but I ignored it. I couldn't leave until I knew everything there is to know about myself, and I wanted to go home to Weiss and Blake. They were probably worried sick about me...

...

Blake P.O.V.

I couldn't sleep that night. Not when I wasn't sure if this home I had helped build up was going to fall apart. And after that, what would I do? There aren't a lot of jobs for people like me. And what would Weiss do? She was right, we should've never let Ruby go out by herself to Nora's. We should've dropped her off. Maybe then, all three of us would be struggling to hold on to life in the hospital, together...

...

Ruby P.O.V.

When the key finally stopped talking in that creepy voice, I came across a teen girl who was curled up in the corner. She had bruises all over her face, arms, and legs, messy blonde hair, and wore ripped up jeans, and a ripped courter length sleeve shirt that was black with blue sleeves. She had no shoes on either. Her cheeks were stained with tears, giving me the impression that the wailing belonged to her. She grinned at me before getting up and beginning to walk towards me. I back up a bit, but she just came closer. Closer with that unsettling grin. I began to run away, but she followed me. I ran, and ran until I found a house where I decided I could hide. I ran inside and barricaded the door with an old tattered couch and a living chair. Satisfied with getting away, I decided to try and explore the place, but I see something in the corner. It's the girl that was chasing me. Come to think of it, she looks like the ghost girl who knows my dream. Are they the same person?! No, this girl is scary, the other was just nosey.

"Ruuuuuubbbbyyyyy! It's niiiiice to seeeeeee youuuuu," the girl slurred. I turned to run away, but she grabbed my arm with a strong, inhuman strength. "You can't run from meeeee," She giggled as I struggled to get away.

"Let go of me!" I cried. She just shook her head and grinned.

"Nope!" she chirped. I growled at her.

"Nope is my thing..."

"Nope!"

"I already hate you..." I sighed. She shuffled her feet a bit.

"Yeah, I know..." she whispered before looking up at me again with tear filled eyes. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to let you live in ignorance."

"Ignorance of what? This whole memory thing has done nothing but hurt me, is that what you want?" I hissed. The girl shook her head.

"No, I don't want to hurt you, but hiding from the truth is not a good road to go down," she explained. "You don't have the full story yet. It'd be a shame for you to never know what happened next, right?"

"No, I'm just fine never knowing. But this memory won't work," I told her.

"I know why," she shrugged her shoulders.

"Well why?" I asked. She leaned into me more till she was inches from my ear.

"Because I'm the one who brought you here in the first place. I was your way in, I'm your way out. And that memory can't be activated without my help. How far are you willing to go to return to Kitty Cat and Princess, Ruuuubbbtyyyyy? Huh? Answer that? Are you willing to see things from _my _perspective? To relive what _I _went through?" she questioned.

"Yes, anything," I answered.

"As you wish," she grinned before merging her mind with mine.

...

Suddenly, I was curled up on the floor of an office, holding my obviously injured head. It hurt really badly, like I had been bashed in the head several times. And my nose was most likely broken from what I assume, wait, I did get my face smashed into that desk over there. Two people were yelling at me as they through things in rage.

"WHERE IS SHE!?"

"I-I don't know, " I answered without actually answering. You see, I was sharing the feeling of this girl's body, but I couldn't control it. He walked closer and grabbed me by my shirt.

"You liar, we know she told you where she's hiding," he spat. Literally, spat in my face.

"You're right, I do know where she is, but you'll never get me to tell," I said. He threw me through the glass office door.

"WHERE'S RUBY!?"... Ruby? Me? What? Why is this person looking for me?! Wait, who's eyes am I seeing all of this through anyways. I looked down to see my reflection in the broken glass. A young girl, with untamed blonde curls, bloodshot violet eyes, and bruises all over her face. But a familiar face. This is the face of the girl who I looked up to when I was young, the face of the girl who hit me out of anger, the girl who followed me to the bridge to apologize for hurting me, and now the face of the girl who seems determined to keep my where abouts secret. This face belonged to Yang Xiao Long, but why? I was roughly picked up again at my waist, a little too tightly. Ok, a lot too tightly, I felt like he'd break my-her ribs if he squeezed any harder. "Where is that little brat? If you value your life, I'd answer. And if you do, all of this will stop, you'll be ok."

"Over my dead body," she spat in his face. Enraged, he threw her done the stairs where she hit her head with a big thud. It hurt, I felt as if the back of my head broke. I shakily rose my hand to see a small bracelet that read, 'My best friend', on it, and felt a grin creep on her lips, despite the awful pain. Why is she smiling?

" I love you..." she whispered before everything went black.

...

I saw the sceneary change back to where I was originally. The girl was crying a little, but I was wailing like a baby. She enveloped me in a hug as I cried. At this point, I didn't care who was holding me, I just needed to cry. When I had finally calmed down to just some sniffles and silent tears, she folded the key into my palm.

"This is your last memory, after it, you can return home through the gates out the back door," she said. I nodded before unlocking the memory.

...

_ I was at a graveyard with lots of other people. The person I recognized first was a boy. Brian Green, one of Yang's close friends and our neighbor. I never really liked him when we were little, mostly because at the age he was actually willing to play with me too, was the age I was possessive of Yang, I didn't like sharing. The next people was Blake and Weiss, who were beside me, wiping away my tears. Then the preacher said to pay our respects, and everyone crept up to the coffin, except me, I was last. I still don't know whether I was scared of what I might see, or afraid to say goodbye, but either way, I didn't want to see what lied within. Holding Ming tightly to my chest for comfort, I, lastly, walked up to pay my respects. _

_ Inside of the black coffin lied a familiar girl. In fact, a girl I grew up knowing. She looked hurt. Even in her sleep, she look hurt and afraid. I didn't like that. So I put Ming in her arms. The teddy bear was a little damp with tears, but fluffy and comforting. It comforted me through the years. Maybe it'd keep her comforted. I leaned in to kiss her forehead like she used to, and murmured a goodbye before walking off. But I had to take one last look, and when I did I saw she was wearing the bracelet I made her in kindergarten. I couldn't believe she still had it. That's when I was positive for sure. Every word she said that day at the bridge was true. _

_ "I love you too..." I whispered before walking away to Blake and Weiss who were ready to leave. But there was still so much I wanted to say to Yang. So that night, I snuck out to visit her, so we could talk. And I did that every night since then. Until I lost it. Visiting her grave, it reminded me that she died trying to protect me. And that made me want to cry my heart out. One night, I couldn't stand the thought of her, so a ridded myself of anything of hers and any memory of her, I shoved into the pit of my soul, where I couldn't retrieve it. _

_..._

"You know, once you stopped visiting me, I started to get lonely... And when I decided to visit you, I found out that you threw me away. That was more painful than death itself. I-I just... Couldn't stand to see you oblivious to my existence, and see Weiss and Blake taking my place. I know I screwed up, but I still wanted to exist in your life. Why? Why did you throw me away?" Yang sobbed. I felt tears run down my cheeks.

"It was too much... It was just too much," I said sadly.

"So you let me die in vain just because it was hard on you? How could you be so careless?" Yang asked.

"I-I'm sorry, I just... It was hurting too much. I thought that if I forgot the pain would go away," I sobbed. Yang sighed.

"I-I understand. You were still young. It's just... I felt like I died for nothing when you threw away my memory. So please, visit me again," Yang begged.

"I will," I held out my pinkie. Yang grinned and wrapped hers around mine.

"Thank you, little sis," Yang gave me a quick hug. As she started to pull away, I wrapped my arms around her tighter.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you too," Yang sobbed.

...

My eyes shot open to see I was in a white room. Beside me was Weiss and Blake, who I greeted with a big hug.

"I'm so glad to be home!" I exclaimed.

"Home? You're in the hospital?"Weiss informed.

"No, I mean in Vale and with all of my memories," I smiled.

"Yeah, everything I forgot, I remember now. I-I need to go visit Yang today," I said. Blake and Weiss looked flabbergasted.

"How do you remember?" Blake asked. I giggled.

'"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I smiled.


End file.

RWBY, Family, Tragedy