Chapter 4:
It was one of the rare days in Atlas where the air wasn't frigidly cold. The fact that the country was in the extreme north had also led to the constant exposure to sunlight. The pleasant combination was not wasted on Yang Xiao Long, who was currently making her way to one of the various cafes that lined the streets of the veritable metropolis in order to meet with her longtime friend and partner, Blake Belladonna.
The two had already decided to find one another after finding that the end date for both of their missions coincided very conveniently. They were also expecting a certain CEO to be there as well, though, strangely enough, said person had not contacted either of them.
Easily sweeping the thought from her mind with work as the excuse, Yang slipped into a smaller establishment on the side of the road with an older sign that simple read "Cafe" above it. It certainly wasn't as modern or "chic" as the other stores on the street, but it certainly had many charms that other places weren't able to match. Most importantly, it had the unique feature of offering private rooms to parties who wished to reserve one. It was perfect for people who wished to perhaps work on something quietly, or in this case, hold a private conversation.
Letting the door close slowly behind her, Yang made her way up to the counter where a middle-aged man, about 40 and some years old was reading the paper. Glancing at her from over the edge of his paper, the man folded up the object before shooting her a questioning look.
" 'scuse me. Was wondering if there was a reservation for a Miss Belladonna anywhere on there." She gestured to the computer monitor that sat in front of him. "The name is Yang Xiao Long." She added. Even as she spoke, the words "Miss Belladonna" in her voice sounded strange to Yang's ears. At least the blonde knew where her more "refined" teammate had acquired her mannerisms.
After a momentary glance, he answered as he handed her a key; all of the rooms were locked for privacy purposes unless otherwise requested by the patron. The only ways to get in, legally anyways, was to either have your name on the list, or to have the other person let you in themselves. "Miss Belladonna will be in the last room at the end of the hallway. If you need anything feel free to ding us with the pager that is inside the room."
Giving the man a nod, Yang departed for the previously indicated room. Giving it a light knock to indicate her arrival, Yang inserted the key into the doorknob and twisted. The room was of a medium size, a clean cloth couch lining the wall for anyone to relax. A small window was open to the side street that it looked out into, though it could be just as easily obscured with the curtain that lined it. Yang's attention however, was caught by the person who was sitting at the single table in the room.
"Still got a thing for tuna after all these years huh Blake?" Her tone filled with mirth, Yang stared at the feline faunus that was furiously attempting to swallow what seemed to be a too-big-bite of a tuna sandwich.
Taking pity on the raven-haired woman, Yang closed the door with one arm as the other handed her the glass of water that sat on the table. After taking a panicked sip, Blake was finally able to respond.
"You could have waited for me to open the door…" She shot the other woman a dirty look.
"Eh, but where's the fun in that kitty-cat!" The grin on the blonde's face told Blake exactly how much Yang actually cared about the glare that was sent her way.
"Please, don't tell me that your humor has extended to rhymes now as well."
Taking her own seat next to Blake, Yang's smile never faltered. "Of course not 'Miss Belladonna,' what on earth would give you that idea? Besides, I know you yearned for my puns day and night while I was gone."
"Of course Yang, whatever you say." Blake was, of course, unamused by the display. Still, she appreciated the time she spent with her teammates nevertheless. "Any word on if Weiss is on her way?"
Seeing the subject switch to the rapier expert in their team, Yang responded with a negative. "Can't say I would know. I thought that Ice Queen woulda gotten in touch with you if anything."
Blake shrugged, it wasn't uncommon for the shorter woman to be too busy to meet with them, though she would always try her best. "Well, that aside, how was your mission with Sun in Vacuo?"
"Boooring… A week of guiding a caravan through the desert, except there was nothing going on anyways. I could feel the sand between my boobs only a few hours in! It was amazing that I made it all the way without dying of boredom!"
Secretly, Blake also found it amazing how Yang always managed to have talk so shamelessly; then again, her partner had never been known for her modesty, even back at Beacon.
"At least we got into a scuffle with some Death Stalkers on the way back, managed to get some exercise that wasn't walking after doing way too much of it." Yang finished her story while scratching her head, looking for something on the menu. "Anyways, how was your mission?"
"It was the elimination of a pack of Grimm on the edges of Vale. Ren and I were more than enough for a pack of that size. Not to mention the biggest Grimm that we ran into was an Ursa."
Thinking back to the few days that she had extra at the end, Blake's thoughts naturally went back to the conversation with Ren.
"Yang… did you get any news on your end?" The lilac eyes hardened; there was no need for an explanation as to what Blake was asking.
"No, still haven't heard anything." Her fist clenched in frustration. Before Yang could potentially cause any damage to the table however, a knock at the door sounded.
Trying her best to put a smile on her face, Yang stood up to open the door, already suspecting she knew who it was.
"Hey Wei- Winter?" Standing there in her Atlas military uniform, was Winter Schnee.
It wasn't as if the Atlas Specialist had never met her sister's teammates before; far from it in fact. There had been occasions where various parts of team RWBY had cooperated with Winter Schnee for one reason or another. It was simply that the latter had never deigned to meet with them outside of working, save for a few occasions.
As efficient as always, Winter went straight to the point. "May I?" She indicated the door, preferring not to wait until Yang's impression of a fish ended naturally.
"O-Oh yeah, sorry." Stepping out of the way, Yang allowed the elder Schnee sibling to walk into the room before closing the door again. As the woman took a seat next to Blake's other side, the faunus was already posing a question.
"Not that we aren't happy to see you, but what are you doing here?" The relationship between Winter Schnee and the remaining members of team RWBY had always been one of mutual respect, not of friends. Being curious was only natural, if slightly prude.
As always however, Winter forwent the formalities and went straight to the point. "My sister has left a message for you both."
That got the attention of both girls. What kind of situation had Weiss gotten herself into that she couldn't get in contact with the two of them herself?
"You will understand better if you read this." She handed the same document she had to Weiss two nights ago to the two huntresses. The information was classified, but only to a basic level; hunters and huntresses were certainly entitled to it.
As she noticed the two of them approaching the end of the report, their eyes growing wider with each line they read, Winter finally spoke.
"Weiss left two days ago to investigate this lead. She was unable to tell you due the fact that the two of you were away and without access to the CCT. I informed her that it was foolish to go alone, but she was insistent in doing so."
Winter waited for the reaction thats she knew was coming… and was surprised when it didn't. Instead of immediately exploding and charging out the door as many would have expected, Yang only sent a concerned look at Blake.
"They should be okay Yang." Blake recalled the words that Ren had spoken to her only a few days ago. "Weiss is strong. Ruby too."
Winter was puzzled to say the least. "I would have thought that the two of you would be the first ones to pursue my sister in her search for your missing teammate."
"Well ya see…" Yang scratched the back of her head in a sheepish manner, knowing that she was the main cause for this expectation. "We trust Weiss." The lilac eyes opened from their previously closed state. "Ice Queen might be pricklier than the cactus I almost stabbed myself on in Vacuo last week, but she's also a part of Team RWBY."
Winter was floored to say the least.
"Not to mention." Blake added on. "You said Weiss left two days ago right? With that kind of lead, we wouldn't be able to catch up before she was already on her way back considering where she was headed."
The small smile on Winter's face would've been nearly unnoticeable unless someone was watching her specifically.
It seemed as if Weiss wasn't the awkward little girl anymore. After all, she had made some very good friends.
-Break-
Weiss' eyes were as wide as she could manage in her dazed state. The previously fiery pain that had been tearing its way through her nerves was now little more than a dull throb in her side, her shock doing a better job of relieving her pain than the most expensive analgesic.
"Ruby…" The name came out as a breath, her burning lungs screaming at her for air, but her brain too taken with the scene in front of her. Perhaps Weiss hadn't expect it, but in reality, it only made sense that Ruby would have changed the most out of all of them; the girl had been 15 when she entered Beacon. Six years later and the young woman had done more than simply grow taller; at the prime of her life, Ruby was… beautiful.
Gone was the baby fat that had still remained on her face, a sleek paleness remaining despite how much of her time was spent outdoors. Her previously short hair was now let down, the crimson tips now reaching beyond the woman's shoulders, a small hair ornament in the shape of her namesake adorning it. The rest of Ruby's attire had clearly been adjusted for combat; the red cloak now only hung on one shoulder, trailing down her back until it reached the her waist.
A black wool sweater hugged her figure, and opening on the lower back showing a large scar that Weiss was certain had not been there before. Long dark maroon pants were worn underneath something akin to a sarong. The pitch-black cloth was trimmed in the dark red that had come to be expected of Ruby, with small silver trinkets in the shape of crosses being sown into the edge as well.
One moment was Weiss almost drinking in the sight of her partner…
'If I can even call her that anymore…'
Then Ruby, quite literally, vanished.
Disappeared.
Faded Away.
Whatever words you wanted to use, the redhead was gone, a deafening silence left in her place. It was only broken moments later by the sound of something falling to the ground; the sight that complimented this left Weiss wondering if she was still dizzy from the hit.
As if by magic, the Death Stalker that had been previously threatening her life, laid neatly bisected lengthwise in front of her. Crescent Rose danced in Ruby's hands, the weapon itself having undergone several changes along with its wielder. The shafter and blade were both lengthened to match up with Ruby's reach and height. Though it had previously towered over the young girl when she wielded it, the size of the scythe now was such that Weiss doubted whether most lesser huntsmen could even lift it, much less wield it. Still, it didn't prevent the reaper from carving through the Grimm at a blitzkrieg pace.
Beowolf, Ursa, Death Stalker. It didn't matter to the grim reaper's blade as it tore through all of them, cold metal meeting bone and flesh that just as quickly yielded to the deadly weapon. Already there were much fewer Grimm in the area, a testament to Ruby's skill and efficiency. Ending just as suddenly as it had begun, the engagement hadn't managed to last more than a few minutes at most. The sound of Crescent Rose being sheathed signaling the end of the fighting.
Now came the hard part.
"Ruby." Weiss spoke as if drunk, her voice sounding alien even to herself.
"Third times the charm?" Bewildered blue eyes met silver as even Weiss' apprehension was given pause at the remark.
"Excuse me?"
"Third time you've called my name today Princess." Ruby chuckled a bit at the look that she had rarely seen even two years ago.
"That- That doesn't matter…" Struggling to come up with something intelligent, the white-haired woman opted for a question instead. "Where have you been Ruby?"
"Oh, you know, here and there." The answer was purposely vague, Weiss could tell as much by the smile on Ruby's face.
Relieved that she could at least find something familiar about Ruby, Weiss replied in kind. "Oh? And where would that be?" A single eyebrow raised, the CEO gave no room for more roundabout answers.
"Everywhere!" Of course, the look that had many lesser businessmen cowering had no effect on Ruby. "Seriously though, I've been around everywhere. Vacuo, Mistral, Atlas, you name it."
Shaking her head, Weiss accepted that she would probably never get a proper answer to the question, at least, not to the extent that she wished it to be. At least Ruby was behaving like herself, something that Weiss was confused, but more importantly, relieved by. "Whatever, that's not important right now. What is important is that you come back Ruby."
The smile stayed on her face. "Why is that? I don't think anybody is in mortal danger right? Last I heard, the White Fang was still defunct."
"Because-" Weiss hesitated. She wanted Ruby to come home. What reason did Ruby have to come back? Because the crimsonette missed the rest of her friends as well?
"I'm perfectly fine out here Weiss. I knew that Uncle Qrow telling you guys wouldn't have done it, but now that you see me all in one piece, it's fine right?" That smile was still there.
"You- How can you be so calm about this? Ignoring the pain in her side, Weiss shuffled her way towards Ruby, her fury that had been slowly building starting to show through.
"You've been gone for two years Ruby." She stomped a foot into the ground. "Two years. We didn't know what happened to you. You didn't communicate with anyone!"
"Well…" Rubbing a hand on the back of her head, a sheepish smile made it's way onto Ruby's face. "I didn't have much time you know?" It was a weak excuse, not nearly enough to satisfy Weiss' need for an explanation.
"That's not good enough you damn dunce!" Politeness and dignity forgotten, Weiss grabbed Ruby's shoulder, shaking slightly. "We were all worried about you! The least you could do is take some responsibility."
As if stunned by the sudden outburst, Ruby's facial expression didn't change. "Hey, if that's what this is about I can call you guys from now on." Though Weiss didn't see it, Ruby bit down on the inside of her cheek.
A low growl was the reply. "No Ruby Rose. I am not leaving unless you're coming with me. Blake, Yang, and I all made a promise to bring you back if we ever found you."
Weiss didn't pay much attention to the words that she spoke, anger and stubbornness clouding her judgement.
The same could not be said for Ruby.
"Promise." With one word, the rush of memories came back to Weiss, regret and apprehension, among other things, filled her. It had been just one word, but for the two women, it may as well have been thousands.
"So you promised them right Weiss? Just like you promised me." The dam had been broken.
"No Ruby wait. I'm sorr-"
"No Weiss." Ruby spat out the words through gritted teeth. "You're not sorry. You can't be sorry, because you don't even know what you did!"
Weiss was suddenly very pale, even more than usual.
"You broke your promise to me Weiss, so why should I believe that anything you say is any better?!" The cheerful silvers from before had become a hard steel, a cold glint radiating enmity showing itself.
"I trusted you." A deafening bang as Cresent Rose once again made itself known, slamming into the tough rock beneath their feet. "And you showed me exactly how much that meant to you back then." That goddamn smile was still there, the same smile that Ruby had worn since the two had seen one another.
How could Weiss have believed that the smile that Ruby Rose wore on her face was real?
When the former had relentlessly crushed the other's heart those two short years ago.
"I never forgot Weiss." As the woman met those cold grey eyes, she couldn't help but feel a horrible sense of wrongness. "Just. Go."
The burst of white-hot emotion that had come forth like an inferno to burn Weiss was now retracted, Ruby's weapon doing similarly with a cold efficiency as its wielder turned away and began to walk.
It wasn't right.
It wasn't right for those grey orbs to contain anything but happiness. For them to look so hurt, so betrayed…
"Ruby…"
"Go."
"I'm sorry."
"Weiss. This is the last time. Just go."
And for a moment, Ruby thought that her former partner had left. She threw the ever familiar red hood on, the silence surely signifying a lack of presence.
"Please Ruby." The mentioned female froze. In their relationship of six years, Ruby had never heard Weiss Schnee of all people, beg.
Once she turned around, she wished that she hadn't. Slick tears were running down Weiss' face, the drops twinkling in the fading light of day.
The sight made something stir in Ruby's mind. The scene of a girl in a red hood, desperately begging for a white-haired beauty to stay.
"No… Weiss please…" The words were distorted, Ruby's voice choked by her tears that were now streaming down her face. "Please Weiss… come back."
Ruby hit her lip until it bled. Why did she remember now?
"I'm so s-sorry Ruby…" A small hiccup interrupted Weiss' apology, sobs wracking her small frame. "I never wanted to-" She paused, realizing what she was about to say.
"To hurt you like that…" Yes. She had hurt Ruby. Hurt the most important person in her life. The one who had dragged her from a life of solitude and deception with little more than her bright smile, one that she could now only hope of ever seeing again.
Weiss was thoroughly crushed, having never realized the power that her actions had held. She had been all but ready to throw herself off of a cliff to apologize to Ruby. Never had she thought about if her precious partner would actually accept.
Never had she thought about the pain she had truly caused.
Weiss had Yang.
Weiss had Blake.
Weiss had Winter.
Weiss had everyone.
Ruby was alone.
Why? Because her best teammate had left her. For what? A petty grudge?
Ruby could feel the tension in the air. She knew that her next words would decide how she would spend the rest of her life. Either alone, or with her friends… her family.
And yet, it was so much easier to stay away. These past two years had been numb, but they had never been as painful. Never as painful as that fateful night.
And so, she spoke.
"I can't Weiss." Her body moved forward as the words spilled out of her mouth, a faint wetness on her cheeks making itself known. "I'm scared to be hurt. To be cold."
And yet, the warmth of the woman in her arms was undeniable.
Weiss heard the words, felt her heart sink at the denial… before finding comfort in the arms that now embraced her shoulders; she reciprocated.
"Then come home Ruby." The words were slow, hesitant, like a child afraid of making a mistake. "I won't leave again, I-"
Her mind froze. It was just one word. One word that had caused them so much anguish that she dared not to speak it.
"Promise?" It wasn't Weiss that spoke. It was Ruby that whispered into her ear. The grip only became tighter.
Moments of silence followed before it was finally broken. "Yeah…" Her grip tightened, as if afraid Ruby would run away. "Promise."
Their faces flushed, and tears running freely, two women embraced one another among a field littered with the ebony corpses of Grimm.
-Break-
It would be several minutes before either woman was up to even moving, their soft sniffles echoing like a drum in the empty mountains around them.
"Ruby…?"
"Yeah Weiss?"
"I'm sor-" A finger held up to her face stopped the woman from finishing her sentence.
"Don't say anymore Weiss. I'll forgive you." Ruby's voice was flat, as if her forgiveness had been a forgone conclusion.
'I haven't done anything to deserve someone like her in my life.' Weiss thought to herself. Never had she berated herself for the first impressions that she had of Ruby more. Unlucky? Being put on a team with the absolutely impossible girl in front of her had to be one of the most fortunate occurrences of her life!
"Then let me say this instead." With the two finally letting go of their embrace, Weiss pushed Ruby's finger down. "Thank you Ruby."
"Hey don't mention it, what are partners for?" This time, a real smile made it's way to Ruby's face; the large silver eyes once again filling with joy.
It was quite a while before Weiss would stop crying again, unable to believe that she deserved any of this.