Literally just wrote this up in fifteen minutes. After that hellish new episode, I needed some fluff. And damn it, I need more White Rose interaction this volume too! I don't care how platonic it is, just give my babies screen time together!

.:Okay:.

Now that the adrenaline had worn off, Ruby found her body was aching terribly. Her stomach felt like it had shriveled up in a tight ball from Torchwick's cane, and she could just picture her ribs laying in a crumbled pile any place other than where they belonged. She could almost feel the bruises coloring, and could already hear the earful she was sure to get from Yang and Weiss.

Still, she couldn't afford to nurse her wounds here. She had seen that giant Grimm flying straight for the school. She wasn't sure where Weiss and Blake had gone for their coffee and tea date, but they had likely stayed on campus, and Yang was definitely still there since she was confined to her room. She needed to warn them.

Unless it was already too late. Ironwood had said Grimm were crawling all over the city, but if they had made it to the colosseum, they were surely on school grounds now as well.

She winced after a particular step forward sent a bolt of searing pain through her, yet Ruby would not be deterred. She would find her friends, and she would be the hero of Vale.

They all would.

They all had to.

Vision swirling dangerously and an incessant ringing in her ears, Ruby was able to make out one frantic cry, and one blur of white stumbling quickly towards her.

"Ruby!"

XxXxX

Weiss was exhausted. Not only had fighting off all those paladins and soldiers been tiring in itself, but then to have somehow unlocked her summoning partly? She wasn't sure what had been different this time than the time with Winter and any before that, but if each subsequent manifestation was going to drain her, she wasn't sure she wanted to see anymore of that glowing white arm.

Still, she supposed she had it to thank. After all, that looked to have been a pretty nasty blow she would have suffered. Weiss wasn't certain her aura would have been able to take the hit.

But right now was not the time to be fussing over her stamina. No; no, she was on an important mission—a critical one, even—to find Ruby. Yang had entrusted her with Ruby's safety, yet even if she hadn't, she still would consider this mission equally as important. Ruby was their leader—their friend; one who had been missing upon the breach of the school. Surely she was out there contributing to the fight, but in what condition? And what if something were to happen? Weiss would never forgive herself. Forget Yang's order, the best teammate ever couldn't allow anything to happen to their leader, and Weiss would be damned before she let anything happen to Ruby.

Still, the fatigue haunting her refused to surrender, and each step she took felt like moving two blocks of lead. Still clinging to Myrtenaster, it felt like putty in her grip, and she knew were she to be attacked by Grimm, she'd quickly fall to them. But she couldn't give up. Wouldn't give up. Not until she saw that dolt safe and unharmed with her own two eyes.

Then, like a beacon among the grim situation, her tired eyes managed to lock on to a form in red. Blinking didn't help, but Weiss knew. She could feel it; feel her.

Shouting her name, she moved to quicken her pace, noticing only when the ground was inches in front of her that she had fallen in her haste.

"Weiss!"

XxXxX

They came together in the middle of an abandoned courtyard, Ruby catching Weiss seconds before hitting the ground.

"Are you alright?" she asked, lowering both of them more gently to the cool concrete beneath them.

"I'm…okay," Weiss replied, deep breaths causing her to pause in the middle. "Are…you?"

The leader managed a smile, albeit a smaller one than she normally would bear.

"I'm okay, too."

The heiress smiled briefly as well, before slackening even more in Ruby's grip.

"Good," she huffed. "Don't…scare us like that again…dolt."

"Hey, you scared me when you collapsed just now!" Ruby said sternly. "I won't scare you again, but you have to promise not to scare me either, Weiss!"

Weiss could only nod her head before her eyes finally won their long fought battle and she succumbed to the blackness in Ruby's arms. The younger girl only smiled somberly, pulling her cloak tighter around the two of them before falling victim to her own fatigue and injuries as well.

When they were finally found hours later, they were both passed out, beaten, and clinging to the other should they disappear were either of them to let go, yet twin serene smiles were mirrored upon their face.

Because in that moment, no matter what was to come next, they were both okay.