Weiss dropped into the train car, knees bending to absorb the impact. It appeared to be like any number of the numerous cargo freighters she had been dragged to see as a child. Only this one would kill her if they didn't manage to stop it.

"I guess this is what we trained for," Yang said.

Weiss drew the Dust cartridge she had modified for Blake out of her pocket. "Here, this should help you."

After their discussion last night, Weiss had lain awake to the sound of gentle snores. What Blake said had struck a chord with her. So often in her life she had wanted to run away from her fears, her father, but she was a Schnee and was bound by chains stronger than steel.

If she had given into her desire, she never would have attended Beacon, never met her teammates, people who actually liked her for who she was. They were her friends. Before Beacon that concept had been as foreign to her as the life of the lowliest Faunus. The only reason she had found the unimaginable was because she didn't run. Blake deserved the same chance.

So as Blake slept, Weiss had worked on modifying a spare magazine for Gambol Shroud. People may have been confusing to her, but Dust was her speciality. Blake had an external Semblance and that meant she could use her Shadows as a matrix into which Dust could be infused. Allowing her to use her power to do something other than run. To face her challenges and overcome them.

Weiss' throat tightened as she tried to find the words to explain the reasoning behind the gesture but, as was always the case, she was unable to convey the feelings she had always been taught were unnecessary. Blake shot her a small smile of thanks, and perhaps understanding, as their hands briefly grazed each other before sliding the cartridge into her weapon. They all took off at a run.

A girl dropped down in front of them. The temperature jumped. Yang's muscles stood out against her skin, her gaze fixed on the smirk on the shorter girl's lips.

Yang took a step forward. "You two go on ahead, this one's mine."

They'd always been taught not to split up, but they had their objective and were required to complete it. No matter what. Anyway they had all been regaled to exactly what would happen if Yang saw the midget again.

With time critical, she and Blake used the window that Yang provided them to slip past their aggressor. The next few carriages were empty, save the remnants indicative of life: food wrappers, canteens, books. The possessions of those who had opposed them. Possessions that would never be reclaimed.

A childhood of strife and pain had stripped Weiss of any empathy for the White Fang. It was fitting that they reaped what they attempted to sow. Unlike the more childish members of her team, she had grown up surrounded by war. Lived in fear of what would happen to her. Fear which had turned to hatred. She had no moral qualms with killing those that would strike out against her, her friends, or her family.

The fact that she was able to follow this ethical chain of thoughts while simultaneously sprinting full tilt after Blake, dodging obstacles she barely registered, surprised her. She shook her head, clearing it. As she helped Blake to pull another hatch open, a sinister scraping flitted through the gap.

In the middle of the car stood one of the vermin, heavily built and wearing one of those nightmarish masks, a chainsaw taller than she was dragging along the floor. She and Blake exchanged a glance, and Weiss knew what she had to do. "You go on ahead."

"Got it." Blake gave her a small nod.

Weiss leapt in, drawing the attack before spring backwards. As she knew she would, Blake blocked the swing that would have killed her. It was still unbelievable to her that she was willing to put her life in the hands of a Faunus. She surged forward, making use of the opening that Blake gave her, landing several hits that knocked the animal to the floor.

Her opponent rose with a menacing laugh. "Finally, I get to kill a Schnee."

Good, he recognised her, he would find out she was no longer a little girl huddling in the corner. No she was a Schnee. She'd had the best teachers money could buy. She'd had built Myrtenaster herself and pushed herself relentlessly, training for this opportunity. She adjusted her footing, shifting her centre of balance just as her instructor had taught her. Myrtenaster tip pointed towards the animal she was going to put down.

He ran towards her, the great blade slashing down. A brilliant blue reflected from the walls as it ground against her shield. Weiss released her control on the Dust, allowing its rampant energy to push her opponent back. She redirected his next strike into the ground, knowing she would never win in a straight conflict of strength, and thrust forwards in the gap.

Weiss flipped over his reverse swing. Flitting around him like a gust of wind, she continued to strike. She was quicker. A glyph aided Weiss as she leapt to the roof and sprang off it. She hit the floor in a roll, carrying her momentum and put all of it into her next attack. Her opponent's breath left his chest in a rush as he was slammed into the floor once more.

The blood pounding in Weiss' ears was a symptom of the adrenaline coursing through her system. She loved duelling, and that her life rested on every kiss of their weapons only increased the fidelity of the world around her.

Through the slits in his mask she could see that his eyes had narrowed as he approached her more cautiously. A smile of satisfaction found its way onto her features. He had expected to kill one of the spoilt Schnee girls, but had instead found her. A warrior who had honed her body to perfection. It was time to finish this.

A glyph materialised below her and as she infused it with yellow Dust. Seconds stretched into days. The beads of sweat dripping from her opponent hung in mid-air. Their inevitable descent halted by the power of the mineral that had allowed humanity to flourish on a planet that resented them.

In the embrace of her own private bubble of time, Weiss became a white blur as she ran forward, casting more glyphs with her right hand. Marvelling in the frozen world around her, she leapt from the floor and slashed at her opponent who was only now beginning to react to her attack.

She altered the attraction of a glyph to hold her in place, before shooting herself at him again. Bouncing between her glyphs she juggled him in the air, every strike diminishing his aura, before casting him to the floor. She prepared to deliver the final strike. Pain ripped through her, white hot magma shredded her nerves as the last of the yellow Dust in Myrtenaster was consumed.

Her mind still worked with lightning speed, sending signals to muscles that were now unable to act upon them. The conflicting messages caused her body to spasm. Horrified, she was suspended in the air, gravity only just beginning to overcome her inertia. His hand slowly, ever so slowly, crawled through the space between them. Desperately she tried to dodge, to leap back, to do anything, but she was a passenger in her inert body. The sickly smell of his sweat engulfed her as the world went dark.

Weiss' eyes shot open, her panicked breaths coming in short sharp bursts. She thrashed in her bed, trying to escape the phantom assailing her. Slowly her conscious mind began to take over. She forced herself to slow her breathing. Her eyes focused on a single point on the bottom of Ruby's bed. It had been a week since their mission, the fight on the train and the terrible toll the Grimm had taken on Vale. A week of sleepless nights and the dread of what was waiting for her when she closed her eyes.

Concentrating on Yang's rhythmic snores, she brought her pulse down to its normal rate. The only solace available was that the noises meant she had not cried out this time. Last time she'd snapped at Ruby's concern. She'd wanted to apologise, but hadn't found the words. If she'd learned anything from her childhood, this was something she had to deal with herself.

Rolling over she looked at her clock, 4:23. She sighed softly, despite the leaden weights dragging her eyelids down, lying in bed waiting for sleep to embrace her again was hopeless. That was enough reason to get up even without what she knew would find her if she closed her eyes once more. Ignoring the chill of the air, she swung her bare legs from the bed and moved to the bathroom.

Keeping the light low, she splashed cold water on her face. Her reflection stared back at her. At gatherings people had always told her she was beautiful, but she was unable to see it. The thick lines beneath her eyes contrasted horribly with her pale skin, and of course, the hated scar. A monument to her ugliness. No, the compliments she received were to gain favour with her father. Though, if that was there desire, they'd picked the wrong target for their observations. A tear slipped free and she crushed that particular train of thought.

A cold moistness nudged her ankle. Zwei looked up at her with his wide eyes. She slid down the wall ̶ ̶ not concerned with decorum as her nightgown rode up her legs ̶ ̶ and pulled him to her chest. Hugging him tightly, she savoured the heat emitted by his small frame. When he'd first arrived, she had held out for just a few seconds before he had won her over. In truth she hadn't stood a chance; she had always wanted a dog, a cat, something to fill the aching loneliness within her. Winter hadn't, so that was that.

"Did I wake you?" Zwei wagged his tail in confirmation. "I'm sorry. I've just been having some trouble sleeping." There was safety in confiding in Zwei. He was someone who wouldn't betray her trust. Wouldn't use her weaknesses to their advantage. It was sad that the only person she trusted was one who was physically unable to betray her confidence. She wished she felt comfortable talking to her teammates, but a lifetime of masks made it a futile desire. She closed her eyes trying to lose herself in the comforting moment, where all her problems couldn't haunt her.

The swipe of a tongue on her face caused her to emit a most unrefined squeak. She glared down at the culprit who looked back, a grin on his face. She was glad no one else was awake to hear that. Otherwise she would have been forced to spend the rest of the morning disposing of bodies. The cold tiles leaching heat from her contrasted against the bundle of wriggling warmth on her chest, and she steeled herself for what she knew she had to do.

"I've have to go and train." Depositing Zwei to the floor, he gave a soft bark. A dog shouldn't have been able to appear that dissaproving. "Don't look at me like that. I've got to. I'm not good enough. I saw that on the train." She paused. "After it all happened, I made a joke about how we don't need to train for the tournament, but I do. The others all won their fights. I was the only one who wasn't strong enough. I lost against one of the vermin who I have spent my entire life preparing to fight.

"I'm not going to do that again, I've been lazy since I got to Beacon. I haven't worked hard enough. If my father found out what happened, he would pull me out of Beacon. I like it here. Beacon allows me to become the person that I want to be. I had to fight so hard to get here and I'm not going to sacrifice that." Zwei's pathetic whimpers didn't affect her resolve as the darkness outside the dormitory swallowed her.


Sunlight clawed against Ruby's eyelids. Moaning she rolled onto her side, willing herself to fall back into the blissful pit of unconsciousness. However, the sun had done its work and sleep was a rapidly fading memory. The warmth of the bed seeped into her muscles. Her alarm clock taunted her. No sane person would be awake at this time.

She lay there exasperated, pulling her covers tighter to herself, cocooning her body. A nagging materialised in her bladder, urging her to leave her haven. In the attempt to find a distraction the Vytal tournament sprung to her thoughts. She had fought competitively before at Signal, but that was nothing in comparison to the excitement of fighting in front of thousands of screaming people. Imaginary fights and triumphs flitted through her mind, before she was rudely interrupted by a more pressing feeling.

"Damn." Losing her battle she threw off her covers, shivering as the cold air ambushed her. Swinging off the bed, she landed lightly on the floor. The bed rocked on its ropes. She froze. The last time that had happened Weiss had shouted at her. No complaints came. Her gaze fell on Weiss' perfectly made bed. If not for the fact she had stayed awake until she heard Weiss enter the dormitory late last night, she would have been worried that Weiss hadn't gone to bed at all.

"She's was gone when I woke up." Blake sat in her bed, a single arm protruding from her quilt clutching a book. Her amber eyes searched Ruby's. "That's every morning this week, and we barely see her in the day as it is. It's not healthy."

The pristine sheets on Weiss' bed crumpled as Ruby sank onto them. "I know, but every time I try and mention it she always has somewhere she desperately needs to be. She can barely keep her eyes open in lectures. She hardly eats anything, and that's when she bothers to turn up to meals at all. I just don't know how to talk to her."

"Ruby, I know she's not the… most approachable person in the world, but you're her partner. She came back for you in the Emerald Forest. You've spent so much time training together, studying together." Blake's face fell. "You're the only one she's opened up to, however slightly it may have been. You're probably the only one she considers her friend in the entire school. If you can't get her to talk to you, she'll just suffer in silence."

Blake had never discussed this with her. "You don't like her?"

"No I do. She's so different from what I was taught to expect from a Schnee and I truly believe she will try and change the SDC for the better. I consider myself her friend, but there's all that history between us. I'm not entirely sure she trusts me. No matter what she's said. Coupled with how self-contained she is, I don't know whether she would call me a friend, or merely a teammate. It's the same with Yang. The only time Weiss has ever actually talked to us was in Mountain Glenn when we were exhausted and Oobleck had spent all day barraging us with questions. She just isn't someone who confides in people."

"She's right Ruby." Yang blinked the sleep from her eyes. "You're the one she feels closest to, even if she attempts not to show it. If she's going to rely on anyone for support, it will be you and you've got to make sure you're there for her."

Ruby sat, still hugging herself, digesting what they had discussed. It was true that Weiss would always choose to sit next to her over anyone else. She thought back to the night where she had awoken to Weiss standing by her bedside, a cup in her hand and her subsequent promise to be the best teammate she could be. Guilt surged up inside Ruby. She had failed her side of the bargain. She made a solemn oath to herself to get to the bottom of whatever was haunting Weiss by the end of the day.

Yang dropped to the floor heading to the bathroom. A now very immediate problem made itself known inside of Ruby. Red petals swirled in the air, coating the room, as the bathroom door slammed in Yang's face.


The cafeteria was still quiet by the time, the three of them walked in. Yang was still less than happy about Ruby's inappropriate use of her Semblance and had threatened to re-educate her. The threat dredged up terrible memories from when she had first discovered her ability. Yang had quickly gone from pride to annoyance as Ruby used it at every opportunity. The resulting ban on sugar had almost driven her to the edge of insanity.

Sunlight streamed in through the windows spaced along the walls and as she strolled past the huge pillars. Beacon really was awesome. Even the food fight had only resulted in a weeks' worth of detention, much to Weiss' indignation ̶ ̶ she wasn't the one who had started it, she was the victim here ̶ ̶ rather than expulsion. They grabbed their food before looking around. Weiss sat alone in the corner.

As Ruby neared, her initial optimism sparked by the fact that Weiss was in the room where you consumed food withered. Weiss merely held a coffee cup and stared off into the distance.

Weiss jumped as Yang dropped her tray on the table. "Hey Ice Queen, we missed you this morning."

Weiss grimaced at the hated nickname. "I just fancied a walk through the grounds before lessons. Is that ok with you?"

Sensing the rising tension Ruby sought to intercede, an idea springing to her mind. "Of course it is. You know, I think the gardens are beautiful this time of year, with all the flowers freshly opened, the riot of colour and the scents are incredible. So… do you think I could come with you? If you decide to go for a walk again that is?"

Weiss mouth opened a fraction. "Umm… no." Her eyes roved frantically. "I like to be alone." Ruby bit back her hurt at the rejection.

"Have you eaten anything today Weiss?" Blake asked.

Weiss' eyes darted between them, only now realising she was trapped. "No… I'm not hungry." She suppressed a shudder at how pathetic that sounded.

"Weiss." Blake's voice cracked with worry. "I didn't see you at dinner yesterday or breakfast. You must be starving." She took the apple she had picked especially for this ̶ ̶ knowing small steps were needed ̶ ̶ and held it out towards her friend. "Eat this, please, for us."

Weiss looked from the apple to Blake, before glancing at those seated either side of her. Guilt churned in her stomach. She hadn't meant to concern them. Her lack of an appetite stemmed from other demons. Ones she had fought in the past and was merely a side effect of all that was warring within her. She reached out and grasped the apple, noticing the hint of hope that flitted across Blake's face. The thought of food almost made her gag but, for her teammates, she took a bite. It tasted rancid. At this small victory the others smiled. For them Weiss resolved to finish the entire apple, despite the bile rising up her throat.

The hurdle crossed the others started on their meals, chatting good-naturedly and making sure to include Weiss frequently. Weiss had finally defeated the challenge in front of her, and placed the offending apple core on Ruby's tray, when Yang spoke.

"So Weiss, when are you seeing Neptune again? I'm not surprised you went for him he's so dreamy, and he's so talented as well." Yang tried to keep the conversation pleasant, hiding her actual feelings about Weiss' boyfriend.

An expression passed across Weiss' face that Ruby couldn't catch before she smiled. "We said we'd meet in Vale on Saturday. We'll probably see a film or something."

"I've got an idea," Ruby said, bouncing in her seat. "We can all go down in the morning and spend time together as a team before your date. I'll even let you take me clothes shopping." Ruby grinned as she played her trump card.

Weiss looked between them, thinking of the pain she had inadvertently caused them balanced against all the hours that she could be training. In the end it was Ruby's puppy dog expression which won the day. "Ok, but you have to get at least three outfits. The lack of diversity in your wardrobe is a disgrace."

"Says the girl who always wears white," Yang said in a whisper she knew only Blake would hear.

Meanwhile, Ruby had swamped her partner in a hug which Weiss endured for a steady count of three before pushing her off. Weiss' mood seemed to have improved in the time they had been talking and Yang took a risk. "So Weiss, where have you been going in the mornings?"

Weiss stood. "I told you," her tone was frosty, the good natured atmosphere evaporating like mist before the sun. "We have to get to class." She hurried off, missing the worried exchange of glances behind her.


The baritone drone of Professor Port regaling the class about the time he had single-handedly saved a village from a pack of Ursai, coupled with the warm temperature, had sapped the will to learn from all but the most arduous students.

Ruby had long since given up on trying to decipher the message within his convoluted story and had resorted to doodling on a scrap of paper. The cessation of the scratching of Weiss' pen flying over her notepad caused Ruby to glance at her partner's notes. A line lay across Weiss' script, ruining the perfectly ordered work. Her hand lay limp around her pen, following the arm up, Ruby's gaze fell on the heiresses' closed eyes. Ruby had never known Weiss to show anything other than studious attention even if she was tired. So that she was now sleeping in class, was only another thing to add to her list of worries.

Leaning over she placed a hand on Weiss' side, making sure not to attract Port's attention. She shook her gently and was rewarded as cerulean eyes cracked open. Weiss looked round blearily, before bolting upright. The scratching began again with renewed fury, a blush rising in her pale cheeks.

Ruby tore off a bit of paper and wrote a quick message. She had quickly learnt that Weiss did not appreciate any attempts at verbal communication while in class. She slid the note across the desk. Are you ok?

Weiss read the note before shooting her a glare. It was somewhat mollified by the brilliant scarlet that was flooding through her face. She pushed the paper back before returning to her notebook.

Determined to persevere, Ruby tried again. It's just I've never seen you sleep in class before. I'm worried about you.

Weiss pressed her lips together hard enough for the colour to vanish from them and she scribbled on the paper. I wasn't sleeping. I was just trying to visualise the scene. Now be quiet and take notes! The conversation was obviously over and Weiss rebutted any of Ruby's attempts to restart it.

When they were dismissed Weiss slipped away almost instantly. Ruby shoved her things haphazardly into her backpack and weaved between the other students to catch up. On the path to the library Ruby touched Weiss' arm. The angry look which had spawned at the invasion of her personal space lessened as she saw Ruby.

"Weiss, the cafeterias that way." She gestured and put on her best puppy dog expression. It had worked this morning.

Grimacing slightly Weiss replied. "Oh, I wasn't looking where I was going." She turned around.

Ruby hurried after her, warmth in her chest. Weiss had agreed without an argument. Her happiness was only buoyed when she selected a small salad and took a seat at their usual table. Ruby stayed silent throughout most of the meal, letting Nora do the majority of the talking.

As Weiss excused herself, her meal half finished, Ruby remained sitting, trying to think of way to get to the bottom of the problem. Any direct confrontation only solicited an angry response and an immediate end to the conversation. She needed to find out what Weiss was doing when she disappeared without asking her. The only, and slightly uncomfortable, solution she could come up with was to follow Weiss when she vanished in the evening.

After dinner in which Weiss had barely touched her meal again, despite the many reproaching looks from her teammates, she split from the group with an excuse saying she needed to see Doctor Oobleck. Ruby waved her goodbye and continued on around the corner before doubling back. Instead of heading towards his office, Weiss had taken the path towards the locker rooms. Ruby began to get an inkling of just what Weiss had been doing every evening.

Red really wasn't a good colour when trying to be inconspicuous, and Ruby was left wishing she'd given her cloak to Yang. Luckily, pristine white was even more visible through the myriad of trees. Ruby continued to dart silently between the foliage, tracking her prey before she came to a stop at the edge of a clearing. Myrtenaster began to flash in the setting sun. Ruby settled down to watch the scene before her.

Since they had spent more time together, she had come to love the way Weiss fought. A scythe wielder was forced to move in large patterns, always conserving momentum before landing the final blow. With a blade as large as Crescent Rose's, precision, for the most part, was unnecessary. A hit anywhere along its length carried tremendous force.

A rapier is different. Being so light, so fragile, precision was king. The lack of weight was a major limitation. The wielder didn't have enough momentum behind the strike to pierce the armoured plates of a Grimm, so instead had to find vulnerable points and drive into them. To have that finesse in combat, to be able to analyse and hit the smallest weak points, was something Ruby knew she struggled with. Weiss made it look so easy. Despite her jealousy, she was so proud of her friend.

As the shadows lengthened, Weiss increased the ferocity of her exercise, bringing her Semblance into play. Watching Weiss bounce between glyphs Ruby continued to compare their fighting styles. It wasn't often she could simply watch Weiss fight and was struck by how graceful Weiss was. Ruby's style was brutal. She would move in straight lines between opponents, ripping into them using her innate speed. Weiss made combat look like a choreographed routine. She leapt through the field, bouncing from her glyphs, flipping in the air, Myrtenaster lashing out. Slaying the invisible enemies assailing her. Handspringing over their blades, always in perfect balance and with perfect poise, her long white hair trailing after her. It was sad that such a beautiful dance should be a prelude to death and not a celebration of life.

Orange light began to permeate across the sky and Ruby could see Weiss tiring. She prepared to reveal herself when Weiss' practice came to a close and tried to think of what she could say. But Weiss didn't stop. She continued fighting, sweat pouring from her shaking body. The sun disappeared and the cracked moon rose, giving the clearing an ethereal feel, perfectly suiting the girl in white within it.

The light emanating from the Glyphs was even more prominent in the dark. Ruby could barely swallow her shock. She'd had no idea that Weiss had been pushing herself this hard and couldn't fathom what was driving her to work her body to this extent. Numb legs resisting Ruby rose, unable to bear it anymore.

"Weiss!" Her cry didn't have the expected effect. Weiss, startled, lost her rhythm and landed heavily with a sharp cry.

Darting forward Ruby blurted out an apology. "God Weiss, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I… I wasn't thinking." She fell to her knees beside injured girl.

"You idiot! What the hell were you doing?" Weiss clutched her ankle, Pain in her eyes. Her entire body shook, but from the injury or the exertion Ruby couldn't tell.

Ruby replied rapidly, the words barely discernible. "I was watching and you looked tired so I thought we should head back to Beacon but then you fell and I didn't mean for this to happen I just wanted to help." She took a few calming breaths, forcing herself to speak more slowly. "I need to take a look at your leg."

Weiss nodded her assent, gritting her teeth. Ruby gently unzipped Weiss' boot and slipped it off, trying her best to ignore the pitiful noises elicited from her friend. Every whimper shook her. Seeing someone in pain was the thing she hated most in the world. She was a huntress able to slay any foe, but what good was a scythe against anguish?

Finally, she was able to place the offending item aside and glanced at Weiss' slender ankle. The pale skin was unblemished. She breathed out a sigh of relief. It most likely wasn't broken. Gingerly she reached out, exploring the velvety flesh with her fingertips, trying to ascertain if there was any damage.

She must have taken longer than she realised as Weiss snapped, "That's enough dolt."

Withdrawing her hand she gave her prognosis. "I don't think it's broken. It's probably just sprained, but I don't want to attempt to move you until your aura has had a chance to try and stabilise it." Weiss just nodded, her body shaking, once again Ruby tried to work out the reason why her partner was trembling, it shouldn't hurt that much.

Then she realised Weiss was sitting on the ground, in the middle of the night, in a thin dress, with a layer of sweat siphoning the heat from her body. Ruby almost hit herself, keeping the patient warm was one of the most basic things she had been taught about first aid and she'd completely forgotten it.

Suddenly thankful that she still had her scarlet cloak, she undid the clasps and slid it around Weiss' slender shoulders, eliciting a sharp breath. Concentrating on the next step of the treatment she looked round the clearing for something she could use to elevate Weiss' leg. Coming up empty, she took off her blazer and wrapped it around Weiss' boot, before gently placing it under her patient's ankle.

The moon had robbed the air of its warmth and she wrapped her arms around herself, bouncing on the spot. Nothing left to do but wait.

"You dolt." Weiss' soft exclamation brushed against her ears as she saw Weiss holding the cloak open. An invitation.

Ruby silently accepted the unexpected gift, snuggling up against Weiss' thin frame. A bony arm wrapped around her, sealing their shared heat in. Pressed this tightly up against Weiss she could smell the sharp tang of her exertion, intermingled with the faint lavender scent emanating from the silky hair that had fallen over her. She could sense Weiss' heartbeat as it fluttered against her side. The muscle still labouring frantically after its owner's antics. She could feel every hill and valley of Weiss' ribcage. The difference in topography far more pronounced than it should have been.

"Weiss…" She said, her voice barely containing her sorrow. "You need to eat more. I'm worried about you. We all are."

Weiss was silent for a time, observing the stars above them, and when she spoke it was in a barely audible whisper. "I know." Ruby waited for her to speak in her own time. "It's just, something that happens. I… I just get so fixed on something I can't think about anything else, and when I look at food, I think about what a waste of time it is. How many better things I could be doing. There's no point even trying to eat, just the sight of it makes me feel sick, the smell…" A ghost of a shudder ran through her. "Even if I manage to eat something I can barely keep it down. I know you're just looking out for me but… I just can't."

Ruby put her arm around her, pulling her close, and thought carefully before speaking. "Is that why you're doing all this extra training? You're fixated on the tournament." She tried to be kind and told Weiss what she was thinking about when she was watching her train. "You don't need to Weiss. I was watching you. I couldn't get over how graceful you are, how good. You're already exceptional."

As soon as she spoke she knew it was the wrong thing to say. Weiss' head snapped round, anger in her eyes. "Exceptional. Is that why I failed on the last mission? Everyone did their job apart from me. You won your fight. Yang won her fight. Blake won hers. What did I do? I lost. To that vermin. One of the animals I have been training my entire life to defeat." Her tirade gaining momentum, she attempted to pull away from Ruby. "I would have been killed if it wasn't for Blake. Every time I go to sleep I relive my mistakes, I see how I failed. How I caused us all to fail. Everything that happened is entirely down to me. It's all my fault."

"It's not your fault, it's all of ours. We all failed. If I hadn't got captured we would have had a better plan. You wouldn't have had to come charging in. It wasn't down to you. You don't need to torture yourself over this."

Weiss shook her head. "If I was stronger Blake wouldn't have had to save me. We could have stopped that train. It comes solely down to me not being good enough. Even Ozpin knew. He made you the leader, not me. He could see it straight away. He knew I was a failure. Someone who couldn't be trusted with positions of responsibility. He knew I would let everybody down. Just as I always do. That I would mess it up. He probably regrets accepting my application now he's seen how useless I am." Tears began to flow from her eyes.

Ruby didn't know what to say as Weiss exposed her inner thoughts that were usually kept strictly under lock and key. She always seemed so assured, so confident. To learn what was hidden behind her neutral smile shocked Ruby. She never would have guessed Weiss was so conflicted, so troubled, so… broken.

She did the only thing she could do and gathered Weiss in her arms, breathing softly into her partner's ear, repeating what Yang had done to comfort her so often in the past. The bright moonlight reflected in the tears sliding down Weiss' face. Tentatively Ruby stroked her thumb over the pale flesh wiping the moisture away.

Weiss pulled her legs inside the cloak, hugging them, the pain of her ankle forgotten under the torrent of emotional anguish ripping through her. Beginning to speak more softly, hurt saturating her voice, she continued. "Do you know what would happen if my father found out that I lost to one of those animals?" Ruby shook her head. "He would pull me out of Beacon for bringing shame to the family. Again. As I always do. He didn't want me to come here in the first place. He wanted for me to take a job in Atlas. Somewhere where he didn't have to worry about me shaming him. Where I could just quietly disappear. Where he could forget the disappointment he sired. I had to work so hard to come here. I just wanted to get away from him, from Winter. And…" her body shuddered. "And I like it here. I like Beacon. I like not having to see him. See the disgust in his eyes. For the first time in my life, people…" Her voice caught in her throat, the tears streaming down her face in earnest. "People like me, actually like me. I actually have friends. And he would rip that away from me in a heartbeat. I can't let that happen. I can't go back there. I've got to train harder, get better, not be the disappointment again. I've got to be like Winter. You know about her?"

Tracing circles on Weiss' back as her chest heaved Ruby answered hesitantly. "She's your sister?"

In truth she couldn't remember, the only time Weiss had ever discussed her feelings was when she was arguing with Blake. She had never imagined that Weiss would be in this position, tears pouring from her eyes as she spilled her soul. The only information she knew about Weiss' life back in Atlas was gained from searches online.

"My twin sister. My perfect, beautiful, better than me in every way, twin sister. My father has never been hesitant in making his preference known. Since I was old enough to understand him I knew that I had to be better, that I was a disgrace. I had to try so hard to do anything. I would spend every hour practising, forsaking sleep, and it was never enough. Winter could always do it better with less effort. Why did I even bother trying? I should know I'm useless." Ruby's heart hammered in her chest, anger filling her veins for a man she had never met.

"Winter was always beautiful, radiant, whereas I was the onlooker in the corner. Complimented only if they couldn't get near Winter. That's when I started having trouble eating. I just thought, maybe, someone might notice me. They never did. I don't even think my father cared I was wasting away before his eyes. He never said anything. In all honestly I think he would have viewed it as a problem solved.

"It was only when one of the staff, someone who didn't care about my father, found out that I started eating again. He sat me down and tried to explain what I was doing to my body. That I couldn't let my father beat me like that." A sad smile flitted over her face. "He even persuaded my father to allow me to take combat lessons and I was good. For the first time in my life I was better than Winter. I excelled. I enjoyed it. It made me happy. So my father tried to take it away, because he hated the idea that I had the slightest bit of solace from the life he desired me to have."

Ruby was struggling to absorb all the emotions that were cascading from Weiss. "But why?"

Weiss gave a harsh laugh. "Winter and I may be twins, but I was born twelve minutes earlier. I'm the legal heir, not my perfect sister, and neither of them have ever let me forget it. Anything I had, Winter wanted. If I didn't give it to her I was punished. Winter would exploit that mercilessly. Anytime she found out I had done anything which didn't reach her perfect standards, she would tell father and revel in his anger.

"It's why I don't talk about me. Anything I said to anyone in that house got back to my father. Any problem I had, I had to solve myself. I've had no one to turn to most of my life. I've lived my life alone." The older girl's head sank on to her knees.

"You're not anymore." Ruby reached out and squeezed Weiss' hand. Her heart had long since broken listen to the tragic girl beside her. "We're here for you. All of us. You can talk to us. We'll support you. Help you. No matter what."

"You wouldn't say that if you knew what a freak I was, when my father…" Weiss cut off, a shiver running down her spine despite their shared warmth.

"No matter what," Ruby reiterated, steel in her voice. "We will help you. You're like family to us."

Fresh tears began to flow from Weiss at the statement. "Then you see why I can't lose this. That's why I have to train. I can't let my father ruin this for me. If I'm not good enough he will. If I'm not top of the class… the slightest excuse and I'll be gone."

Understanding swept through Ruby. She finally knew why Weiss was training relentlessly. Why she had been so distant. She was trying to create space between them. So she wouldn't be so hurt when they were ripped from her life. Shame flared within her, she should have seen this earlier.

"Weiss, I'm sorry. I failed you. We're supposed to be the best partners, and I never realised why you were doing what you did. I don't want to lose you." After a few breaths she continued looking into Weiss' bloodshot eyes. "I want you to promise me that from now on, whenever you have a problem, you come to me. Promise me that. Please."

"How is talking to you going to solve anything? I'm still not good enough. I still can't sleep without seeing my failure."

Ruby hated seeing her in a self-destructive spiral. "If you can't sleep, wake me up, talk to me. If you have to go and train, I'll help. No matter what time it is. I can help you. All you have to do is confide in me. Please, promise me you'll do that."

Weiss nodded, she seemed to be all out of tears. "I… I promise." She gazed upwards as a meteoroid briefly illuminated the night.

Ruby merely clutched her tighter and sat beneath the open sky, stars twinkling above. For the first time at Beacon, her partner had opened up to her. And though what she had said had scarred her heart, Ruby knew they would only come through this stronger.

Life is but a series of hardships, of setbacks. You have to keep going, taking everything in your stride, overcoming whatever is thrust at you. It was the only way you could grow and, as she sat smelling the crisp, fresh air, she acknowledged that they had grown today. But more importantly, they had grown together.

A/N: Well this is the first story I've ever written, so if you've managed to struggle this far thank you. I really want to know what I could improve upon or which scenes worked so if you have time leave a review. This A/N will be rather long so feel free to skip it.

Now onto why I decided to sit down and write this story, RWBY has probably my favourite world and character design of any "anime" I've watched (though admittedly I haven't watched that many) but after finishing Breach I was felt very burned out on the show. I can ignore the animation errors (apart from THAT scene) and the lacklustre fights from the finale, which was just due to a lack of time. What annoyed me most about that episode is the final scene when RWBY are sitting on the cliff talking, I refuse to believe that the terrible Grimm that humanity fears were only able to "hurt" the civilians that were cowering in fear under them, I refuse to believe that Weiss or Yang are happy about being beaten, to the extent that they don't need to practice for the tournament. These are just some of the topics that I will attempt to expand and justify in this story, to try and explain why some of the characters are acting seemingly so out of their established character (looks at Weiss fawning over Neptune) and we'll finally see what Cinder has been planning. There are so many small issues I take with the writing on the show e.g. Why is Weiss carrying around a clip for Gambol Shroud full of Dust? Although I tried to explain that and all it would have needed was a 3 second shot in the show of Weiss working on it, though I can't explain why she didn't give it to her earlier. RWBY has established so many interesting, controversial themes but with their seeming insistence to keep it family show, how deeply can they explore them? Anyway rant over.

In this story there will be slight shipping although it will be very slow burn. The themes will be similar to this chapter, internal angst, the relationship the characters have with each other and how they help each other overcome their many problems, I'll also throw in some more light hearted stuff, just so it's not so dark all the time. As for length most chapters will probably be similar in size, I don't want to split chapters up unless they are exceedingly long and I already have a complete story plan so there will be no meandering between plot points.

I'm sure I've taken up far too much of your time, so thanks again for reading and if you can leave a review they will only help me improve.