Author's Note: Hello again! I have another chapter for you! So without further delay, here is Chapter 4!

Update, 11/11/14: Grammar and punctuation issues. Also, I took Maple Leaf's advice to all of the first 4 chapters, while improving that which was done on chapters 3 and 4.

Chapter 5 will be updated at a later time.

Title: Remembrance

Characters: Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang

Genre: Friendship, Romance, Horror, Hurt/Comfort

Summary: Some details about the past are remembered.

They sat down and Weiss started. "Our next class we will have is," she looked at the schedule, "Math."

Ruby groaned, "I hate Math."

Weiss smiled, she knew the next subject would motivate Ruby. "That is followed by Weapon Mechanics." Ruby's eyes lit up.

"But first, we have to get through Math. Then we can move on."

Ruby deflated. She complained, "But Weiss, can't we do weapons first, then go back to Math? Didn't you say do what you know first, and then come back to the harder topics?"

Weiss would not let Ruby skip the Math. Ruby would get caught up in Weapons, and Math would not be done afterward. She knew the process. She was not going fall for that. "No. you excel at Weapons, but you don't make the same effort in anything else. Everything they teach us here is what we need to learn."

Ruby argued, "But what does Math, or History, or English, or any of the other stuff we are supposed to learn have to do with fighting Grimm?"

Weiss sighed. Ruby was being difficult to help, again. She didn't accept the help. "That 'stuff,' as you call it, are components of survival, both on and off the battlefield. Do you honestly expect that scythe to live your life for you?"

Ruby countered with the same tone and attitude, "That 'scythe,' as you call it, is my weapon. It's how I fight. And no, it doesn't 'live my life for me.' My life is my own choice. We are in a school for combat, I chose to be a huntress."

Weiss asked, "Have you ever once went anywhere without Crescent Rose? There is more to being a huntress than fighting Grimm. And not all battles can be fought with physical action. You have to strengthen not only your body, but your mind and heart as well. Losing those battles can kill you faster than any blade or Grimm."

Ruby started to argue but Weiss continued, she hated herself for saying what she was about to say, but it would drive her point home. "Ruby, remember a bit over a week ago? Yang lost one of those battles. And it almost killed her and Blake.

History teaches us mistakes, so we can learn from them and grow. Math teaches us how to think more quickly and calculate. English helps us understand reading and writing, so we can learn other knowledge along with those."

Ruby looked hurt at the thought of the incident. She realized Weiss was right. "Have you heard from Blake?"

Weiss shook her head. "Nothing other than she woke up, and after, and I quote, 'Some surprising discussion,' she went back to sleep."

Ruby said, "I hope she's ok." Then something crossed her thoughts. She shuddered, and tears filled her eyes.

Weiss said, "She'll be fine. Half of those treatments they tried, did some weird things. But we thought she wouldn't wake up remember? If there's one thing I can say about your sister, it's that she never gives up. I just wish she would put that drive towards other means, rather than keeping up with the crazy trouble she causes."

Ruby appeared not to hear her. "Are you listening?" She looked closer at the younger girl. Her eyes were glazed. She was daydreaming again. Weiss snapped her fingers in front of Ruby's face. Ruby looked shocked, but came out of her reverie.

Ruby looked scared. She said, "Weiss, I need a minute. I don't feel well. Could you get me some water?

Weiss got up and filled a cup with water, something was wrong. Ever since that day, Ruby kept spacing out and then being frightened. What was she thinking?

She handed the girl the water, and she took a drink. Ruby stood up, and swayed a bit. "W-Weiss? I feel funny."

Weiss laid Ruby down on her bed. The dorm had miraculously been restored to exactly the way it was before the inferno. Ruby was in no condition to sleep in the top bunk. As much as she hated it, she had to let Ruby lie on her bed, instead.

Ruby fell asleep quickly. Weiss stared at her. She couldn't help but feel something terrible was tormenting Ruby, yet Ruby wouldn't tell her what it was.

Weiss was worried. I wish she'd trust me with this. I want to help her, but I don't know what keeps frightening her. If she would only tell me what was wrong.

Her tablet went off then. She looked at the message, it was from Blake.

"Hey Weiss. Yang is awake. She wants to see her sister and you. She wants to apologize for before. Could you two come to the infirmary? Oh! And we have an announcement."

Weiss sent back, "Ruby is sleeping. She's been spacing out and when she comes to, she seems frightened. She won't tell me what it is that's bothering her. And every time, she says she doesn't feel well. But it keeps getting worse. She looked like she was about to faint, so I laid her down."

She got a reply, "Weiss, its Yang. I know what's bothering Rubes. It was about what Blake mentioned that upset her. Don't take it personal. That is something that even I don't know the truth about. Ruby doesn't seem to trust anyone with what happened before she came to live with us. All I know is her mother was killed. It was said by Grimm. She was a huntress. And she was said she was killed by Grimm when they attacked. No one ever found the body. But there seemed to be evidence of her death. That cloak she wears belonged to her mother. I think Ruby knows something, but whatever it is, she's never told anyone."

Weiss understood now. Every time Ruby spaced out, it was because that day was brought up. Apparently that memory of her mother was being triggered by the topic of that incident. And Weiss was usually the one to use it as an example.

Damn it, Weiss. You did it again. You're the reason Ruby's in this state.

She looked at Ruby, and dropped the tablet. She ran to the bed. Ruby was crying, filled with horror. She kept rolling around. Ruby was having a nightmare about the memory. She said, "Ruby wake up. Please wake up."

She got no result. She put her hand on Ruby's shoulder, and shook her. She repeated the same words, louder.

Ruby jumped out of the bed. Weiss wrapped her arms around Ruby, and hugged her. She said, "It's ok. Don't worry. It's over. Gone."

Ruby only repeated, "Gone. She's gone." She started crying. Ruby buried her face in Weiss's shoulder. "I can't help it. I'm sorry Mom. I didn't mean for this." She wept. Weiss realized Ruby did know something.

She said, "Ruby, what happened to your mother? What secret have you been keeping that keeps tearing you apart inside? Tell me. You can trust me. Please Ruby."

Ruby decided it was time to be honest. Weiss was not going to like the answer. "I…I-It was my fault."

Weiss said, "No Ruby. Grimm killed your mother. You didn't make them." Ruby shook her head.

Weiss looked at Ruby in shock, "No, Ruby. You can't mean that." Ruby nodded.

Ruby said, "The Grimm overwhelmed everything. My mom, she told me she was going to help. I didn't want her to go. I tried to tell her to stay. She said, 'I love you, Ruby. But I must help. Don't worry about me.' I tried to run after her. Then I saw beowolves. I ran towards her. I knocked her off balance. A beowolf hit her. She went over a cliff. I made my mother vulnerable, and she's gone because of me.

I ran to where she left me, she had tried to cover me with her cloak. I picked it up. I wear it every day, both as a reminder of my mistake, and a symbol of my vow made that day. 'I will never let another person become weak because of my weakness. I will fight to become stronger, and I will never let another person fall before I do.' That's why I fight, Weiss."

Weiss said, "You fight to redeem your past mistake, because you feel you make others weak." Ruby gave her affirmation.

Weiss realized Ruby was fighting, not for herself, but for everyone else. She didn't value herself, she thought everyone else mattered more than she did. Weiss wasn't sure if that was foolish or humble. But it was noble. She remembered Blake saying that her choice was ambitious for a child. She knew now that ambition was actually guilt.

Weiss realized her tablet had been going off repeatedly since she dropped it. She could see a string of messages from Blake and Yang. She reached down and picked it up. The messages were a set of panicked questions. They started getting very difficult to read, due to bad spelling, as they went on.

She messaged back, "She's ok, now. Don't panic. There is nothing for you two to worry about."

She looked at Ruby, "Your sister is awake. She wanted to talk to us. Apparently they have some announcement. Do you want to go see them?" Ruby shook her head. "I want to sleep. Can't it wait until morning?"

Weiss thought that was a better idea. She looked at the clock. It read 9:15 pm. She realized the whole day had been spent. She told Ruby she would let Yang know they would see her tomorrow, after a night's rest. She relayed that through the tablet. "I understand. Good night," was the only reply.

Ruby said, "Weiss, I don't want to be alone." Weiss was embarrassed by the implication. But she realized Ruby had just told her something she had never confessed to anyone. She couldn't leave that alone and break the trust Ruby had placed in her.

She laid Ruby on the bed again, and pulled the covers up. Then she went to the other side and got under the covers. She wrapped her arms around Ruby and said, "I'll be right here, all night. If anything happens, wake me up and tell me, ok?"

Ruby said "Ok. Thank you, Weiss." And she closed her eyes.

Weiss looked at her with concern. Such an amazing girl. How could someone ever think that about themselves and use it for such a good purpose? I swear she is such a dolt, but she's someone I can trust, maybe even at one point possibly with my life. If she doesn't see the value in herself, then I think I can help her find it. She fights for everyone else, at her expense. But I need to show her, that self-sacrifice is not the way accomplish redemption and growth. I can't let her die for someone else's sake, not when she would just throw herself away that easily.

She felt a weird feeling run through her. It seemed to spread from her chest to everywhere else. She had never felt anything like what she felt. It was the same feeling as before, when she called Ruby beautiful.

Weiss thought, What is this? Why would I feel and think this way? She looked at the sleeping girl. She decided to figure it out in the morning. She went to sleep.

Ruby's Dream

Ruby was standing between the trolls and the princess. She shouted, "Don't fear, princess! These hideous creeps won't get past me! I will protect you, my lady Weiss."

Weiss, the princess of the kingdom of Asarewin, smiled at the knight who had stood by her since they were young. Ruby had always vowed to be a knight. So she did everything she could to accomplish that goal, and she eventually succeeded.

Ruby saw the smile the princess gave her, and smiled back, saying, "it's great to see you happy again."

To which the princess replied, "How could I not be? The knight who stood by me, time and time again, has never left my side."

Ruby said, "I will stand by you forever."

The princess repeated the last word as a question, "Forever?" Ruby nodded and moved to fight the enemies that were threatening her princess.

The trolls laughed and attempted to punch the knight. However, she was too fast. The knight whipped out of the way faster than the eye could follow, it was what got her recognized for her position as a knight. The troll's arm was gone, halfway up its forearm. The troll had no time to react before it was killed by the knight's scythe. The troll fell. The second had a leg and arm missing, before the first hit the ground. Then it met the same fate.

The last troll seemed to have done something it shouldn't have been possible to do. It was learning. The troll seemed to be smart enough to observe and expect Ruby's next move. It grabbed the scythe just below the sickle. Ruby was shocked. No foe had ever been able to do anything like that, especially not a troll. The information about the task had been correct. This wasn't just a troll. It was something else. It raised her to face level. Ruby saw blood-red eyes. It looked like evil was in the troll's eyes. It was unlike anything the knight had ever witnessed. She then used a function of her scythe, not well known by others. She pulled something, it resembled a lever of sorts. At the same time, she pulled the scythe down and at an angle. The scythe let off an explosion, while cutting through the monster's hand that was holding the weapon. The monster made a sound of rage and pain that definitely did not sound like a troll.

She wasted no time, she pointed her scythe backward and fired again, propelling her to the creature. She attacked quickly, rapid slices that were faster than a blur. She landed on the ground. The creature in front of her fell, in pieces, to the ground.

She walked back to the princess, sheathing her weapon. She bowed, "As is my duty, and my promise, those creatures are defeated. But this new creature, poses a great threat. But I will stand by you and protect you, no matter what beast may try to harm you, forever."

Weiss smiled, "When you say forever, what do you mean?"

Ruby stood up, "As long as it takes, whatever it takes, no matter how much time passes." Ruby kissed her.

Weiss's Dream

Weiss was running through the city of Vale. She had to find the store. It was imperative that she reach it, before the time specified in the note. She passed by a shop, she saw the time out of the corner of her eye. Less than two minutes. The note's only instructions were, "Meet me by the shop in the south quadrant of Vale. Be there by 5:30 sharp. If not, you will lose something most dear to you."

Weiss found the note in her dorm, at 5 pm. She wasted no time in running as fast as she could. She never had much that she cared about before attending Beacon, but she found much more than she expected to ever find just by attending an academy. She thought of all the things she held close to her heart: her friends, her sister, her mother.

She smirked at the ironic change. At home, she never had anything but her requirements to her family's company. The only things she held dear then were her weapon, Myrtenaster, and a few keepsakes from before her father became a tyrant. Now she had things that truly mattered, that she knew were worth fighting for.

Then she saw it. There. She ran to the shop. She burst inside, barely noticing the Schnee logo above the door. She stopped to catch her breath. It was dark. She tried to find out what was around her, but she couldn't detect anything.

Then she heard a laugh. She recognized the insane sound. "Father." The lights came on, her father stood there in the middle of the room.

At his feet was, "RUBY!" she shouted. Her father had his weapon out. It was pointed down at the girl on the floor.

Her father said, "I said 5:30 sharp. You walked in 2 seconds early. I taught you punctuality, as well as everything else required as I raised you. But this girl has made you weak. So as punishment, two seconds means two injuries to the girl you love."

He tried to slice at Ruby, but was surprised as his weapon was halted in mid-strike. Weiss had used a glyph to immobilize the sword. She then drew Myrtenaster, shifted the barrel to green dust. Then she dashed in by use of another glyph and forced the weapon out of her father's hand. This was reminiscent of her battle before, where she first failed at perfection while training.

She stood between the two, "Father, you are sadistic and cruel. Your idea of perfection is a sham! You are willing to kill one of Headmaster Ozpin's most admirable students just to satisfy your own twisted fantasy. That is farther from perfect than anything I've ever heard of."

Ruby said from behind her, "You tell him Weiss." She had stood up and was standing behind Weiss, glaring at the man in front of her.

Her father laughed again. The sound was terrifying, he truly had went off the edge. Then Ruby heard a noise. It sounded like rumbling. It was getting closer to the building. Ruby grabbed Weiss and ran out of the shop, using her semblance as a quick route out. They glanced back once, and saw the shop being crushed by a demolition vehicle.

They stopped outside of Beacon. Ruby said, "Thank you Weiss. I wouldn't have lived without your help."

Weiss replied, "Ruby, I won't let you get hurt because of my past. I will always be there when you need me, forever."

Ruby said, "When you say forever, what are you saying?"

Weiss smiled, "No matter where you are, no matter who you're with, no matter when it is, no matter what happens, nothing will keep me from being by your side, ever." She kissed Ruby.

Ruby and Weiss woke up in surprise at the dream they each had. What was more surprising was that the kiss in the dreams, actually happened outside of the dream. They looked at each other in shock and embarrassment.

Ruby started to apologize. Weiss interrupted her with a finger to her lips.

"Why did you do that?" she asked quietly.

Ruby said, "I, uh, had a dream. I was a knight, and you were a princess. I fought off three trolls, one of which was strangely different. Then I walked up to you and explained when you asked what I meant when I said, 'I would stand by you forever.' Then I kissed you."

Ruby's fairy tale imagination amused Weiss. But Weiss recognized those words. Ruby asked, "Why did you?"

Weiss responded with her dream's events, ending with similar words and the same action as in Ruby's dream. Ruby's mouth fell open.

"So wait. We each had a dream, where we protected the other from danger, saying we would be there for each other forever, and kissed? And at the same time? And it happened out here too?"

Weiss nodded at each point. She realized what she had felt. She said to her, "I love you, Ruby."

Ruby looked stunned at what had just occurred. She replied, "I love you too Weiss."

Weiss looked at the clock, it was only 2 in the morning. She said "Let's go back to sleep. We have an announcement of our own to give in the morning."

They went back to sleep, cuddling together.

A/N: And there is Chapter 4! White Rose and Bumblebee are both ago! Next chapter involves the revelations between the team. See you all in Chapter 5!