"Ruby, that's incredibly dangerous, and risky, and some degree of haphazard, even for you." Although she meant it as a thoughtful scolding, Weiss's tone betrayed her words. She wanted to oppose this in-the-spur-of-the-moment plan, and she wanted to knock some sense into its mastermind, but most of all, she wanted to talk Ruby into some other way. But Ruby could be stubborn like this, when she set her mind to something. She was resolute, and looked much more put-together than Weiss had ever seen her.
Of course, they'd had their moments over the past few days. The uncovering of Ozpin's secrets, the journey to the farms, and the struggle against the apathy. With each and every hurdle, they'd been there for each other. Weiss strove to keep a promise she'd made long ago, and Ruby strove to be the leader they all needed. Nobody would call it easy. And despite the danger and mayhem, they'd irrefutably grown closer. Now, the closeness left a lingering warmth in Weiss's heart. And this heart of hers was screaming at her to do something about this insane plan. She ignored it. If Ruby thought this would work, then Weiss would do her best to have faith.
"Weiss, I know, it sounds crazy. But… we have no other choice." Ruby put a hand on Weiss's shoulder and gave a small, reassuring smile. "Trust me. With your help, and Yang and Nora's distraction, we can do it."
The ex-heiress nodded. Beckoning them to an uncertain outcome, the door of the airship roared open, and Ruby was poised to go as soon as the summoning was complete. But, for all they'd been through, and for all they could still lose, Weiss couldn't let her go without some insurance.
Mere moments before Ruby was to venture to confront the leviathan, Weiss pulled her back by the arm and cupped her cheek. With barely a moment of hesitation, she planted a soft, sweet kiss on her lips, doing her best do instill as much comfort as she could manage.
"Weiss… What…-" Ruby was muttering as they separated, caught off guard by the unprecedented affection.
With a light blush, and with a pressured speed, Weiss could do little else aside from wish her success. "We'll have a lot to talk about when we're done here," she assured. "But for now, good luck, Ruby." She wished her partner good luck, and released the leader's cheek, ready to resume her summoning stance.
Ruby stared with wide eyes , her mind racing a mile a minute, but stuck, unable to adequately process what had happened. Her mind was trying with all its might to speed ahead, but it was jarringly stuck in place. Had Weiss… just…?
"Ruby!" Qrow called, trying to bring his niece back to the realm of the sane. Relatively sane, anyway. "Hey, kid, I know you've got this whole touchy, romantic mess goin' on back there, but it's now or never!"
Ruby's head snapped back to the door of the airship, and she realized she'd run out of time to stall. Weiss had already resumed her stance, and the lancer apparition flew smoothly alongside them. With no room left for hesitation, she just jumped, wanting nothing more than for Weiss to kiss her again, and tell her she could do it
The summon brought her face-to-face with the leviathan, before her team successfully distracted the creature. After dispatching the raucous noise assaulting her eardrums, she refocused. She focused on the memories of her family, and her team, and the moments they shared at Beacon. But the memories of Beacon inevitably led to her recollection of its end. Memories of hi jinks and shared meals were inevitably replaced with memories of those final days – of Penny, and of Pyrrha. The negative memories took their hold too quickly, and suddenly, Ruby could easily feel a powerful breath descending upon her, and she was once again face-to face with the Leviathan.
"Why'd it turn away?"
Yang's concern was enough to break some of Weiss's concentration, and in that moment, everyone aboard the airship was filled with worry. And then, Yang yelled Ruby's name. As the name escaped the blonde's lips, Weiss contemplated abandoning the ship, and risking a second summon, if it meant the two of them would face the beast together. If they were going to lose today, she wanted to lose together. But Weiss and all others were frozen in their thoughts and worries, before they could act upon them.
"…I will not allow you to use me without a question again." Jinn declared, with a resounding authority. "Even if this was clever."
Ruby heeded the warning, and turned her attention back to the beast. With this precious, extra time, new, stronger memories replaced the others. Memories of friendships, promises made, and moments of triumph. A vague memory of a lost mother.
But ultimately, Ruby remembered everything she was fighting to protect. The positive experiences, as well as the struggles, were a constant journey to the peace she'd been charged to uphold. And at the end of this path, was the light at the end of a dark tunnel – the light at the end of the war against Salem. A bright white light. So warm. So gentle. So… beautiful. In that moment, Ruby liked to imagine that, among other things, Weiss and more kisses to come would be with her at the end of the tunnel.
As she felt the light welling up inside, there was a singular memory that she broke the dam – a single memory at the end of the line. Remembering the kiss she'd received only moments ago in vivid detail, she knew what she held dear – the people who loved her, and how they made her feel. She was beginning to understand whose love meant the world to her. At the memory of the kiss, the dam broke, and the light and love inside burst forth in a brilliant silver pulse.