Alright, so I'll tell you all right now I wasn't very pleased with the volume 3 finale. A lot of it just... made absolutely no sense. I'm very miffed and disappointed.
This fic is a commission for overseerorm, but also fulfills a lot of what I'd wanted to see happen and just what I thought was somewhat plausible, because the canon chose to do a lot of things that just made no sense, in my opinion.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
On Wings Of White
"I'll find them. I'll find them, and I'll bring them back."
"No. We will find them."
They ran.
Fueled by determination, fear, and the will to live.
Empowered by a sense of purpose, adrenaline, and a desperation for answers and justice.
They left their wounded companions behind to be flown away to safety.
But not them. For if they failed to succeed in what they'd set off to do, there would soon be no such thing as 'safety', anywhere for anyone.
They kept side by side, one eye trained on the path ahead, teeming with monsters, the other keeping a peripheral track on her partner.
They ran as quickly and for as long as they could, but as soon as engaging the beasts became inevitable, they fought ferociously.
Grimm that would often take entire teams to slaughter now fell victim to single strikes of the girls with courage in their eyes and conviction in their hearts.
Minutes passed, each one dragging like an hour of its own, reminding them that time was slipping away from their grasp, as was the fate of the things and people they loved.
They covered each other's backs without question or request, killing the Grimm in every way possible – some froze, some burned, some were pierced, and some sliced in half.
But the end result was the same, because they would all go down.
In spite of all they'd been through thus far, how long they'd been fighting to defend the things they cared about, they fought with the valiance and strength of seasoned huntresses, needing no words in order to communicate with one another.
It was gradual, but they were making their way through the horde of black bodies.
They weren't quite sure where they could find Jaune and Pyrrha, but it surely wasn't here.
Another swing of Crescent Rose lopped of the head of a Beowolf, and another jab of Myrtenaster pierced through the throat of an Ursa.
Weiss had just withdrawn her rapier from its flesh and whipped around to face the next beast when her scroll went off. Ruby cleared the remainder of the Grimm in the area while both of them listened to the sounds of Jaune's distraught voice.
He was shouting, begging.
As soon as the sound cut off, they knew what they had to do.
So they pushed onward, with even more willpower than before, now knowing a destination to aim for.
The top of the tower...
It was easier said than done.
It was only seconds before another slew of Grimm appeared, some of which dropped from the sky in heaps of black mist.
Looking upward, their eyes widened at the sight of the massive dragon, beating its colossal wings not far away, its jaws parted in a fearsome roar, strings of saliva dangling off its teeth. It perched on the side of Beacon tower, sweeping its blood-red gaze around at its inferior beasts below, charming them to do its bidding. Then, it took off, half-crawling, half-flying up the side of the tower.
The Grimm on the ground didn't waste any time in charging at the two young huntresses, jaws snapping and claws flailing.
Ruby and Weiss now fought back not only with a conscious desire to fulfill, but also to with an innate will to survive.
Ruby's arms were getting sore, and Weiss was out of Dust, relying solely on the cold metal of her blade and the energy for a few remaining glyphs. She propelled herself across the space between herself and her partner to fend off a wolf at Ruby's back. With killer precision, Weiss leapt up and slid her rapier into its eye from tip to base. It howled in agony, collapsing before it could even hope to counter.
Weiss fired a bullet at another approaching beast, casting her gaze over her shoulder to Ruby. She was fairing well for now, but time was running out.
For them, for Pyrrha, and for all of Beacon.
Ruby's grunt of effort from cutting open a Boarbatusk was soon followed by her panicked voice.
"We've gotta hurry!"
Hearing her voice then sparked something within Weiss. It wasn't the need to follow an order, but rather, the desire to help her friend.
She was able to pause for a split second, assess the environment, take note of the tower...
Despite the massive dragon now screeching at the top, Weiss could quickly discern the structure was stable enough for what she had in mind. She could already feel her energy dwindling now, so she'd need to be quick.
She took aim with her rapier, formed one glyph to start off the rest, then cast a familiar trail of them up the side of the tower.
Ruby's eyes were naturally drawn to that silvery-blue color, the one that seemed to be her partner's and no one else's. Seeing the path brought back memories from her initiation day fighting the Nevermore, which now seemed so long ago.
From behind her, Weiss' voice spoke encouragement.
"You can do this."
Despite all that was happening, Weiss had managed to come up with the perfect solution, and Ruby couldn't help but smirk a bit. She really did have the best teammate.
And yet, she couldn't go off alone and leave Weiss here to fight dozens of Grimm by herself.
Ruby stepped back and turned to face her, then reached out her hand.
"No. We can do this."
She smiled.
Weiss felt some of the tension that had been coiled around her heart fade.
This was all she'd ever wanted. To be seen as an equal. To be trusted like her life meant something, too. To be asked to come along rather than stay behind.
Plus, it was the best way to keep an eye on her partner and ensure nothing happened to her.
Weiss' lips curled up into a matching smile as she accepted her leader's hand.
Together, they darted off through the Grimm towards the tower. Weiss put one last glyph beneath their feet, then with Ruby's added abilities they made one massive leap together, hands still connected.
Their feet defied gravity now as they tore up the side of the building, leaving the grounded beasts behind. When the Griffons tried to peck at them from the air, Weiss didn't even need to glance over her shoulder in order to kill them.
Like Ruby's, her eyes were focused up ahead.
Only ahead...
Within seconds, they'd bested half of the tower.
That was when another earth-shattering roar sounded.
The dragon's gargantuan, spiked tail was swinging around the side of the building. Only Ruby's added burst of semblance sped Weiss and herself up enough to avoid getting struck.
Their hearts were pounding as quickly as their feet, if not more quickly.
The top was only seconds and footsteps away now.
They could hear the shrieks of the two women who were locked in a fight to the death.
With one final burst of speed, Ruby pulled Weiss up and over the edge with her.
The air blasted past them with the force of a tidal wave, their hair and clothes whipping back as their boots came to an abrupt, hard landing. Crouching amongst the debris, they were now upright once more, breathless.
Weiss was wheezing as she swallowed a cry of pain. The harsh landing had twisted one of her ankles, immobilizing her.
There wasn't even a second to recover from it all.
Pyrrha was there, crumpled like a crushed, fallen autumn leaf, her body covered in veiny red marks. Blood was seeping from the back of one of her calves, and her body was slumped from a form of unimaginable spiritual and physical exhaustion.
Cinder loomed over her, ragged, but composed.
Calm.
Her sharpest arrow was pointed at Pyrrha's chest.
Everything happened at once.
The dragon gave another roar.
But Ruby's was louder.
"NNOOOOOOOOO!"
"RUBY!"
Weiss couldn't keep ahold of her.
One second, Ruby was there beside her.
The next, her hand was empty and she was alone.
Ruby sped over the shattered building faster than Cinder's arrow could be released. With arms outstretched, she grabbed Pyrrha as she passed her by, bowling her over and out of range.
Cinder stumbled, unbalanced by the force of the rushing air. Eyes of cold fire gazed down at the maiden and the one who had spared her.
But only for now.
That familiar red cloak, that childish voice, those silver eyes...
"You."
It was less of a surprised observation, and more of a statement of fact of whom she was looking at.
Ruby was crouched over a sobbing Pyrrha, shielding her with her own body, glaring defiance up at their tormentor. Sniffling and sobbing, Ruby shouted at her like a cornered animal.
"Get away from her! Leave her alone! Why are you doing this?!"
Cinder took a dangerous step towards them, her crimson heels clicking like the gears of a clock, each one being one less second they had to live. Her voice was a mixture of honey and gravel, raspy and poisonous while somehow still sweet.
"You know nothing of destiny. Of the things that must happen. The things that are going to happen, no matter what you try to do to stop them."
Another step.
Ruby tensed, pressing herself down closer over Pyrrha's shuddering form.
Behind them, Weiss was scrambling desperately to stand in spite of her newest injury. She could feel the blood seeping into the materials of her boot, filling it.
But she didn't care.
She stood, only to crash back down, barely making it a step forward. All she could do was scream.
"Ruby! Pyrrha!"
She tried again to stand, and again she collapsed, coughing and sobbing.
Ruby couldn't even look at her partner. Her eyes were locked with Cinder's, like a helpless butterfly trapped in a cruel, invisible web.
The woman's voice continued, making sure they all knew of the frivolity of their actions.
"You try to defend the world and your friends. Just as your headmaster taught you. It's admirable, but pitiful."
Her steps came to a halt, as did the apparent ticking of time. She lifted her bow, and the penetrating arrow along with it, aiming it between pools of silver.
Ruby couldn't move.
Terror tore through her from the inside out, freezing and burning at the same time.
If she died here, she'd never be able to change anything ever again, never find answers, never see her friends...
By now, Pyrrha had lifted her head slightly, only to see what was transpiring above her. Moaning, she tried to push Ruby off of her so she may take the blow intended for herself.
But Ruby still pushed her down.
Even if it meant her friends could live one second longer, she'd accept her fate.
Cinder held her grip steadily, string taut, her voice as smooth as ever.
"You're only delaying the inevitable. Whatever happens will not stop what is destined to be. You can't stop it, nor can you change it. You can only accept."
Her mouth twitched upward, her eyes lighting up with amusement.
"So accept it, Little Red. Accept how helpless you are. Accept the fact that you failed to save them."
There was a rush of air.
Ruby felt her bangs shifting with it, following the tip of the arrow as it was swiftly pulled away, turning to change directions.
She didn't even get the chance to be shocked, or wonder what was going on.
Cinder turned herself to the side, aimed-
-and released.
By the time Ruby realized the target of the attack, it was already too late.
A horrible sound flew from Weiss' lungs as the arrow impaled itself into her chest. She half-gasped, half-screamed, all while shuddering sobs spilled from her lips.
Blood welled up and flooded down her chest, turning pure white to red. Her blue eyes flashed to silver only for a second before they closed.
She fell sideways, calling out half of Ruby's name, but never finishing.
Time stopped, though Ruby now realized it had never existed at all.
Something ignited within her bloodstream.
It swirled, filling her body with the air of every season, freezing yet sweltering, calm yet torrid, gentle yet vicious.
From her lungs, a deafening scream was ripped, and the backs of her eyes turned to white.
Everything turned to white.
Every beat of her heart was part excruciating pain, and part elation. It continued to alternate, and she didn't know which it would end on.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she wasn't moving.
And yet, it felt as though she were flying somehow, on wings of white.
She never heard the desperate cry from Pyrrha, the fearful bellow of the dragon, nor the enraged shout of the archer.
All was blinding white and silver, suspending her in a portion of space that was void of any sense, rhyme, or reason. She experienced no emotion, no feeling.
In a space of sensory stimulations, she was sterilized.
In a world with laws that all else abided by, she was an unnatural exception.
Her very presence imposed an unknown entity into the air they breathed, something that was never requested, never denied, and never granted – an ethereal transiency.
It was all just white.
. . .
. .
.
. .
. . .
White...
White...
"Wei...ss..."
Somewhere along the lines, the only thought in her mind became audible in the only way she knew how to make it heard.
Her lips trembled with the word, fearing for it.
"Weiss... Weiss..."
And suddenly, she was back.
Ruby could feel her senses flooding back to her all at once.
She could feel the soft bed sheets around her, see the pale ceiling of the room, smell the blossoms of fresh flower, taste the air as it heaved into her lungs, hear the voice beside her head-
"Whoa, whoa! Easy, kid."
When she looked to the side, her Uncle Qrow was sitting there, his legs crossed comfortably and casually.
Ruby wasted no time in sitting up, despite the dizzy spell it caused for her.
"U-Uncle Qrow? Where- wh-what-?"
She couldn't even decide on which question to ask first before her mind was suddenly alive with the memories.
Yang and Blake curled up and hurt so badly, Pyrrha shaking beneath her, Weiss-
"Weiss!"
Ruby was about to throw the blankets off herself, though she hardly knew where she'd be going. She'd be going to Weiss, wherever she was.
But her uncle hastily stopped her, pushing her shoulder gently.
"Hey, I said take it easy, kiddo. Geez, you're just like your mother, never listening when we're trying to take care of you, only worrying about everyone else."
Ruby turned watery silver eyes to his.
"Uncle Qrow... wh-where's Weiss? And what about Blake and Yang and Pyrrha-"
"One at a time." He sat back in his chair and idly scratched at his hair. "Your sister and her partner are here, being taken care of in different rooms down the hall. And thanks to what you did up on the tower, that Pyrrha girl is gonna be fine, too."
Ruby was overridden with relief to hear about Yang and her friends, but her uncle's words posed so many new questions.
"What? What do you mean? Wh-What did I do on the tower? And wh-what about Weiss-"
"How many times do I have to tell you to take it easy?" he sighed. "I'll get there. Just listen, alright?"
Ruby clutched her hands in her lap and nodded.
Qrow arranged his thoughts, then went on.
"What you did up on that tower... well, maybe let's save that for later. You've been asking for your partner since the minute I found you up there, unconscious. Mumbled her name all the way here, and even when the doctors were working on you. You just kept saying her name..."
Ruby's eyes filled with stinging tears.
She didn't care for the other answers right now. Only her partner.
"Where... where is she? I-Is she-?"
"See for yourself." He nodded behind her and directed his gaze over her shoulder.
Ruby turned, looking now for the first time at the other side of the room.
A curtain had been pulled to divide her bed from the next, but Ruby could just barely see the familiar long white hair pooling over the pillow.
"Oh-"
Her heart twanged with fear and relief at the same time. She turned back to her uncle, eyes pleading.
"I-Is she-?"
He was silent for a moment and didn't meet her eyes.
"She took a pretty bad hit. Cinder got her right between the lungs. Almost hit her heart. Almost."
He remembered all the blood he'd found up on that tower when he'd gone to collect Ruby and her friends, but he decided not to tell her about that.
Ruby's quivering hands went to cover her mouth as she looked back at Weiss.
She couldn't see her past the curtain. All she could see were the shadows and shapes of machines, which she heard beeping continuously.
Once more, she cast a desperate gaze to her uncle, hoping there was more he had to say.
Thankfully, there was.
"She's gonna be okay, kiddo. It might take some time, but seeing as that giant Grimm isn't exactly an immediate threat anymore, I think we can spare some. For you partner, your sister, and your other friends, too. And of course, for you."
Ruby hadn't realized when the tears had started to fall. She moved her hands up now to wipe them away, sniffling deeply.
"C-Can I... go see her...?"
Her uncle gave a slight nod.
"Sure, kiddo. I'll go visit your sister and send your dad in here soon. And I'm sure her sister will be close behind," he said with a nod in Weiss' direction. "You go see your partner. Just... brace yourself a bit."
With that, he stood and left the room, the door clicking quietly behind him.
Ruby wasted no time in fighting the blankets off herself, kicking her legs over the edge, and pushing herself to her feet. The floor was cold beneath her bare toes, and she swayed slightly at the onslaught of a dizzy spell.
She clutched at the headboard and got her bearings, then stumbled the few feet to the curtains to pull them aside.
"Oh..."
Her hands went to her mouth once again, fresh tears spilling over and down her cheeks.
Weiss was dressed in similar robes as the ones Ruby was wearing.
But rather than a friend or relative waiting at her beside for her to wake, there were machines.
Wires and bags of liquid dripping fluids into her bloodstream, monitoring her heart rate. An oxygen mask rested over her nose and mouth, just beneath her closed eyelids.
It seemed to Ruby that Weiss' chest was only rising and falling because of the machines.
Wobbly legs took her forward a few more steps until she could sit heavily onto the side of Weiss' bed.
Even though she was right her in front of her now, Ruby could only see Weiss on top of the tower, breathlessly crying out as blood poured from her chest...
She reached out, trembling fingers brushing like feathers against Weiss' pale cheek, thumb tracing the pink line of her scar.
Ruby's other hand found Weiss'. She curled her fingers into her partner's palm, careful not to touch any of the wires. She lightly passed the pads of her fingers over the creases in Weiss' palm, following them like paths that led to home.
She bowed her head and cried, sobs of Weiss' name slipping out every so often.
As the minutes passed on, Ruby would look up at the screens all around her.
In the corner of one was a tiny blue bar that indicated Weiss' aura level. Only the outline of the bar was visible. Nothing filled it.
She then looked to another screen, where a jagged red line bounced up and down, following the beat of Weiss' heart. Sometimes it went quickly, and sometimes it slowed. She was so scared it might stop.
"Weiss... Weiss..."
Ruby still didn't know what had happened. There were so many thing she wanted, most of them answers.
But more than anything, she just wanted Weiss to be okay.
"Please... please..."
She squeezed her hand a little tighter as another tear fell and seeped into white hair.
And like an answer to a prayer, a small sound escaped her partner's covered lips.
Ruby stiffened, fearful and hopeful, her eyes overflowing, but never leaving Weiss.
"Please, W-Weiss, please..."
The hand at Weiss' face caressed her gently, touching her soft skin with a delicate care in contrast to the mask that pressed down on her.
Ruby watched as her eyelids fluttered – struggling. She willed her to keep fighting.
And of course, Weiss fought.
Ruby was aware of the speed of Weiss' pulse now, increasing from the slight strain, but she wasn't giving up.
Still, Ruby tried to ease her struggle, stroking the side of her face and the palm of her hand while whispering her name in a gentle voice.
Like a miracle, Weiss' dazzling blue eyes were then revealed to her at long last.
Ruby sobbed her name and let her face rest on the pillow just above Weiss' shoulder, where she wept freely.
Weiss attempted to rasp out her name as well, but was thwarted by the mask.
Only then did she realize it, the awkward pushing and suction of air over her lips. Her breath hitched against it and she sputtered softly.
Ruby quickly pushed herself up, her eyes frantically wide.
"Weiss-? It's okay, it's okay..."
She moved her hand from Weiss' fingers up to her collar, resting it lightly there, rubbing her palm ever so gently. She knew there was an awful wound not far from where her palm was pressed, and she feared aggravating it.
She could feel Weiss' chest rising and falling softly, more steadily now, though it was still a little shaky.
She soon felt Weiss move an arm, the one with the fewest wires in it. Her partner touched the mask over her lips and pulled it aside before Ruby could stop her.
Gasping, Weiss closed her eyes as a slight pain shot through her chest.
Ruby whimpered and curled over her in a soft hug.
Without the mask, Weiss needed to breathe on her own, which caused a bit more of a strain on her wound.
But Weiss knew she'd have to get used to it sooner or later, so she was starting now.
For a few moments, she laid there beneath Ruby's comforting presence, relishing her touch, her scent, the fact that she was okay...
Ruby continued to trace circles on Weiss' collar, cupping her cheek to catch a few of the tears that leaked out. She waited patiently, listening to Weiss' heart, feeling her breath...
Finally, she heard her partner's voice.
"Ru... R-Ruby..."
Ruby's heart swelled with emotion.
"Oh, god. W-Weiss-!"
She buried her face in Weiss' shoulder and cried - tears of joy this time.
Her arm slid down Weiss' back, gingerly helping her sit up a bit for a more satisfying embrace.
Weiss was irked by the wires on her arms, but she maneuvered around them in order to wrap her arms around Ruby's shuddering form.
And for the first time in many perilous days, it felt like everything was going to be okay.
Pyrrha and her team were safe.
Yang and Blake were hurt, but would recover.
Weiss was awake and already regaining her strength.
Ruby still had many unanswered questions, and she knew there were going to be major repercussions for all of this.
But for now – just for now – this was enough.
A/N: Just short, sweet, and simple. The canon made no sense to me. I don't understand why Weiss would send Ruby up to fight Cinder alone. She could have easily gone with her.
Of course, this is just a happy, cliche scenario ending, but at least it doesn't warrant Ruby's only screentime now revolving around her being put next to Jaune Arc.
I was disappointed by this finale. A lot. But I'll write plenty of stories during this hiatus to try and make myself less bitter...
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