Scars were nothing new to the members of team RWBY, and Weiss knew that better than anybody.
With Blake, it was always obvious from the beginning. The way she kept her distance – even moreso than Weiss back then – and how she could get so defensive whenever someone pressed an issue too hard. Things only got worse with the Fall of Beacon but with the help of Sun and Yang, she healed.
Yang was always a little quieter about her internal strives – Weiss only found out about her mother and PTSD after the Fall – but her outside scars were obvious. Due to her semblance requiring herself to get damaged first, she had the most literal scars on the team, sizes ranging all over her body. And after everything happened, that was only amplified.
For Weiss herself, she knew her scars weren't obvious to outsiders, all except the blatant scar that would forever be a blemish on her otherwise-perfect face. But her inner ones – her family issues, her fears of abandonment and secret loneliness – were obvious to anybody that dared to attempt to melt her barriers, which happened to be the entirety of Team RWBY.
No, scars were nothing new to Weiss. And for the most part, they were nothing new to her team.
But with Ruby, in Weiss' mind, it was different.
Weiss spent a good year getting to know her partner and her quirks before everything fell apart. Ruby was always cheerful, energetic and supportive of everyone around her. She was quick and although her impulsive behavior often caused her harm in battle, she hadn't sustained any major injuries. She rarely spoke about her family, but unlike in Weiss' case, when she did speak about them, it was always positive and with good intent.
However, she could tell her leader wasn't entirely honest at all times; the smiles and wistful looks she sometimes received were always concerning; but since it didn't impact the rest of the team or their progression in school, she never felt it needed to be addressed.
It wasn't until the Fall of Beacon that Weiss saw how truly broken her leader was.
As it happened, Weiss took up the mantle of trying to protect Ruby – there was nobody she loved more and while she refused to coddle her partner, she was there to help pick her back up when she fell. And after seeing Penny, Yang, and Pyrrha, alongside the burdens of the world she knew Ruby took upon herself, there were so many pieces to be picked up.
During the fight, Ruby has smiled, and taken it upon herself to pretend to be fine. It was just like before –the same wistful look and fake smiles – only amplified. From experience, Weiss knew her emotions couldn't simply be shoved aside, and without having time to take Ruby aside and scold her for attempting to do so, Weiss instead vowed to be there for her. She wouldn't leave Ruby to try to mend her scars, both external and internal, alone. She refused to leave her side.
…until she did.
In retrospect, Weiss knew it wasn't her fault that she was taken away by her father. The same way that it wasn't Yang's fault that she was affected by the loss of her arm, or Blake's fault that her fight-or-flight instincts kicked in.
But she blamed herself. Weiss thought of Ruby every single day – of all the team, but Ruby especially – and how she would cope. The more she thought about the young hooded huntress, the more she realized how much Ruby probably had been keeping from them. How much Ruby would probably continue to suffer in silence.
It pained her, and with that alongside the reopening of old wounds while staying in the hellhole of the Schnee Estate, Weiss began to lose hope in the ability for wounds to heal fully.
To her, much like the scar adorned on her face, they never truly went away, and would be a burden to bear for the rest of their lives.
Or so she thought.
Because suddenly, after being away for an entire year, after enduring so much, Team RWBY was reunited.
They had their homecoming, and Ruby and Weiss were together again – closer than ever.
And Ruby was laughing. Smiling. Her eyes were full of life again, just as they were when they were first partnered together. The shining light that was Ruby Rose, the light that motivated Weiss to keep moving forward every day, was back.
Sure, things weren't perfect. Nightmares came for all of them, Ruby most of all, and some days, they all had to fight to keep going.
But they were happy.
Weiss had lost her legacy, but had kept her family. She was able to hug and kiss the love of her life every day. She was able to live out her dream as a huntress.
And it was this light, this hope that Ruby emitted even among the bad that made Weiss realize something about scars.
They were there, and they were familiar, but they weren't forever. Wounds could be mended, with the right people, the right surroundings and attitude.
With Ruby Rose by her side, scars could heal. For her, for Ruby, for everyone.
And with that knowledge, Weiss smiled, light reaching her own eyes as well.