Chapter Eight
Navigating through Shining Beacon's halls was like getting lost in a piece of modern art. Every random twist and turn led to someplace new, yet vaguely familiar. But just like the branches of a mighty oak, the winding corridors all led to the heart of the building; a circular room with an intricate rose emblem in the center. This was the only other source of colour found in the magnificent pale blue building, not including the off-white snowflakes adorning certain areas within the hospital.
When Ruby first stumbled upon it, the crimson emblem immediately called out to her, begging desperately for her to come closer. It invaded her head and tapped against the window to her soul asking to be let in. Ruby felt it contained the truth behind who she was, but the emblem was coy and refused to give up its mystery until it possessed her entirely. And whenever she neared it, it spoke in ways she couldn't fathom. The grainy gibberish it sputtered could barely be put into words, but on some days, if she strained her hearing to its limits, she could swear it was serenading her. The voice was like a shout hailing from a great distance, yet was lost in the tailwind. The idea was fairly novel at first, however, the rose's irritating torment did not end there.
"Red like roses fills my dreams and brings me to the place where you rest."
The emblem manifested itself as a crimson cloaked specter whenever Ruby was away from that room. It was benign for the most part, satisfied with merely disrupting her dreams and whispering in her ear, but when Ruby ignored the irksome chattering for too long it would turn aggressive. The phantom's unintelligible mumbling rose to ear splitting screams, while its intangible form became as real as the golden locket around the redhead's neck; however, Ruby never once thought to fear it. She had long since realized that the benevolent entity haunting her was in fact born from the remnants of her forgotten life. It was apart of her whether she liked it or not.
Sighing, Ruby dragged a hand through her long rosewood coloured tresses. Whenever her heart was in turmoil, and the phantom no where in sight, Ruby would pick a path leading from her room and go wherever her sore feet would take her. She would walk and walk until her problems felt like they were a million miles away, and only when she was finally at peace would she find that room.
Ruby traversed through the blank spaces between each crimson petal with the utmost care and grace. She started this ritual shortly after regaining the use of her legs; it was a task that was easier said than done at first. Ruby relied on the Chevalier on duty to help her, then when her legs were strong enough, she continued on with crutches, transitioned to a cane, and now she didn't need anything other than sheer will. Her lower back and right shoulder still ached quite a bit, but she needed to endure it if she ever wanted to be free of Beacon's stifling confines.
Physiotherapy had been the most painful part of her daily routine; her muscles had atrophied during her prolonged bedrest. She dreaded having to wake up at the crack of dawn, but Weiss insisted upon it. Though she did forget to factor in Ruby's clumsiness. Formal training equipment didn't help the way they should have. The parallel walking bars for example put too much strain on Ruby's arms and back, and weightlifting was ruled out almost immediately when Ruby nearly cost the fitness trainer his foot.
Velvet surmised that the difficulty Ruby was having coalesced directly with her unhealthy weight loss. So after receiving Weiss' permission, much to Ruby's relief, Velvet made the decision to hold off any further sessions until Ruby returned to a healthy weight. This simple edict had worked wonders. Without the physical stress and burden forced rehabilitation caused, Ruby's strength and vitality started to steadily return.
"White is cold and always yearning," she mused aloud as her steps led her to the flower's center, "burdened by a royal test."
A week after the order was implemented, Ruby got to meet Weiss' daughter Blanc for the first time. The white-haired woman had spoken animatedly about her wonderful child, and Ruby couldn't wait to meet her. But when they did, a surging wave of nostalgia crashed into her. The undeniable feeling of familiarity Ruby felt when their eyes locked was hard to describe. The way the young girl's clear blue eyes shimmered when she looked up at Ruby had a deep and profound effect on her. It was an innocent gaze that told her that she was someone important, and it almost felt as if Blanc's whole existence had depended on Ruby.
From the unique colour of her isometric hair, to the way she quirked her left eyebrow in question, Blanc was the spitting image of her young mother.
A bitter laugh rumbled deep within Ruby's chest. The conversation she had with Sun two days ago had been weighing heavily on her mind. It had enlightened her in several ways, put her visitor's feelings and actions into perspective, and it shined a blindingly bright light on all the pain she had unknowingly caused since the day she regained consciousness. And if what Sun said was true about the relationship she had with Weiss, then Ruby had inadvertently devastated her own child simply by looking her in the eye, and greeting her like she would a total stranger.
There were no words that could accurately describe the anguish on Blanc's perfect little face when she said the things she did, and it's haunted her ever since. If only Ruby had known then what she knew now, then maybe Blanc would have been comfortable enough to come visit again. But that was all wistful thinking, what was said could never be forgotten; amnesia wasn't that convenient.
"If this isn't a pleasant surprise, then I don't know what is," Weiss said as she walked into the room, her head held high with a stunning smile.
The redhead snapped to attention, instantly feeling her cheeks warm when the sound of Weiss' bell-like voice reached her ears. She pursed her lips together to prevent herself from blurting out the first thing that came to mind when she saw her best friend. Stretching her arms out in front of her, Ruby reached for Weiss with a childish grabbing motion. The heiress crinkled her nose, scoffing at the mere notion that she would comply to Ruby's impetuous antics; however, her body had other plans. And before she could properly articulate a greeting, she began moving on pure instinct and crossed the distance separating them.
"Hey," Ruby whispered contentedly as she melded herself to fit the seamless contours of her partner's slender body.
"Hello," Weiss replied just as quietly. She buried her nose in the crook of the taller woman's neck, inhaling her familiar and comforting scent.
The embrace was warm and inviting, and Weiss couldn't help but sigh in content as a feeling of tranquility pushed aside all her fears and doubts. For the first time in months, Weiss felt alive. And all it took to make her whole again was having Ruby's arms around her waist, holding her the way she used to.
"I missed you," Ruby confessed, unabashed. "I heard what happened, are you alright?"
Weiss withdrew from the redhead's warmth and said, "I'm fine."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Alright, if you say so." Ruby knew Weiss was lying, she could see it written clearly on her face, yet instinct told her not to press the issue.
"I should ask you the same," Weiss said, snuggling back into her old position. "What made you faint this time?"
"Er," Ruby gulped as she absentmindedly drew circles in the small of the older woman's back, "over stimulation?"
"What?"
Ruby giggled at Weiss' perplexed expression. "I just got a bit flustered from asking Sun too many questions."
"Ah, I see—wait, did you just call him by his given name?" the heiress gasped, a glimmer of hope sparkling in the depths of her eyes.
"I asked him a lot of questions," Ruby explained with an awkward chuckle. She looked at Weiss with all the love in the world, and caressed her cheek lovingly. "I know what you did for me, and... well, thank you."
"I didn't do much," Weiss replied, nuzzling into Ruby's soft hand.
"Weiss Schnee," the younger woman said with a steadily widening grin, "you are being way too modest."
"There's," she gulped, surprised to hear her lover say her name for the first time in nearly a year, "a first for everything."
"And second chances,right?" Ruby tentatively stole a glance in Weiss' direction before speaking further. "Because everyone deserves one, right? Please say yes..."
Weiss' hardened expression softened significantly when Ruby's molten silver eyes glistened with unshed tears. She wanted to tell her that there were no second chances to give since the woman had done nothing wrong. But try as she might, the words continued to die on her lips and all she could do was smile weakly.
"Ruby," Weiss croaked, unable to find her voice, "what do you intend to do now?"
The woman in question rested her head against Weiss', her steady breathing had a calming effect on Ruby, but even that couldn't slow her racing heart.
"I'm not too sure," she replied honestly. "I've thought a lot about it these past two days. But whenever I think I know, I start to hesitate and then I'm back to being as confused as I was before."
Weiss tensed at the uncertainty lacing her beloved's tender voice. She had grown accustomed to the confidence Ruby bolstered during her career as a huntress, but now that she was faced with a far more demure version of her wife, Weiss wasn't sure how to proceed. She still loved her, that was never up to question, and she would still follow her to the depths of hell and back. But then what? What happens to their team and the life they built, and would Ruby be willing to stay with them or follow her own path? This scared Weiss more than she could bear.
"Want to talk somewhere else?" Ruby suggested. "I think this conversation is long overdue, how about you?"
"I couldn't agree more. After you then," Weiss said, reluctantly pulling away from her favourite source of warmth.
Ruby led them to the only place she knew by heart: her room. It was the one place she could truly call her own, not that she had much of a choice, but it was still all hers. Weiss had furnished it with everything the old Ruby loved, and according to the regal woman the new Ruby was just as messy.
There was always a small sad smile on Weiss' face whenever she mentioned her in past tense. Ruby hadn't noticed it at first since Weiss was always so calm and collected, but the more time she spent with her the more she noticed these little nuances. So when she saw Weiss' eyes flick to the right, Ruby knew to take a left. Weiss may not have noticed it herself, but she had a habit of looking in the opposite direction of where she wanted to go.
"Ruby, are you lost?" Weiss asked. "Your room is in the other hallway."
"I know," the redhead grinned, "but you have somewhere else you want to be."
"How did you—"
Ruby silenced the heiress with a kiss on the cheek."It doesn't matter how I know."
Taking the other woman's words to heart, Weiss thanked Ruby and led her to Blanc's room with haste.
Ruby had never seen Weiss this frayed and restless before. The way she moved, while still poised and confident, lacked her characteristic elegance. Ruby also noted the way her footfalls thundered against the rubber linoleum floors, it was as if the heiress was unconsciously throwing a tantrum.
The thought of a tiny infant Weiss kicking and screaming made Ruby smile to herself.
"And then what?" Ruby asked in an apprehensive tone of voice.
"We blew a chunk out of Beacon's docking bay," Weiss replied with a mirthful laugh. "Professor Goodwitch was not happy to say the least."
"I wish I was there to see that! Oh, wait, I was."
"You dunce," the business woman chided in jest.
The voices were becoming clearer and clearer to her, and soon Blanc could recognize the jovial sounds of her parents' laughter. At first she considered that she was still in the midst of a delightful dream, but a dull pulsating ache stemming from the left side of her face said otherwise. She reached to touch it, however, the action proved more difficult than expected. Grunting, Blanc tried again and again, but all she managed to do was lift a finger off of the bed for less than two seconds.
Feeling drained, Blanc gave up shortly after. She believed that she was still fast asleep and was merely experiencing a vivid dream. The girl settled down, willing herself to relax and waited for the dream to end and transition into something new.
"So what now?" Ruby asked trying to breach the subject carefully.
"It honestly all depends on you and what you want," Weiss said, biting her lip. "I cannot, and will not, decide for you."
"Weiss..."
"The Ruby I knew is gone, and she will never return."
Weiss had to constantly remind herself that this was not her Ruby whenever they spoke. The beautiful person in front of her was a completely different woman, and that woman, despite saying otherwise, did not truly love her.
"We don't know that yet!"
"How can you be so sure?"
Weiss didn't need to mask the underlying terror filling her voice, instead she embraced and welcomed it. Ruby's life was her own, and if she decided that her life with Weiss was not what she wanted, then she would concede without a fight. This was the least she could do to pay Ruby back for all the love and joy she had given her.
A remorseful shadow darkened Ruby's cheery smile, dragging it down until she could no longer feel the warmth radiating from her cheeks whenever she was around the blue-eyed woman.
Weiss had been subtle about it, but the way she kept her guard up spoke volumes of the heiress' reservations. She had weathered the burden for so long, her shoulders were tired and all she wanted was to finally put an end to things.
"You're right. My memories may never return," Ruby admitted, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "And I don't know what's going to happen since I have no idea what life outside of Shining Beacon is like."
"It's certainly far more exciting, I can tell you that much at least."
"Stories and pictures can't fill in what I should know but don't." Sighing, Ruby rubbed the back of her neck. "I can't bring myself to fully trust the things I've been told, and I know I don't really have a reason to think you're all lying to me, but I can't help it!"
Weiss wrapped the taller woman's hands with her own and held them up against her chest. "You don't need to worry about that. Let it go, this is your life now; live it the way you want to."
"You keep talking about what I want," Ruby growled in frustration. Slowly, she unfurled their hands and brushed the hair covering Weiss' eyes away. "But what about you? What do you want?"
"All I want—all I've ever wanted—is to know you're happy."
"And what if what makes me happiest is being around you?"
Shaking her head, the heiress admitted defeat and smiled. "Then there would be no need for me to keep wishing, correcting?"
"I'm scared, Weiss..."
"What do you have to fear?"
"Everything? Nothing? I don't know," she sighed. "But there is one thing that makes all this seem sort of worth it."
"And what may that be?"
"You." Ruby giggled at the unintelligible shrill noise Weiss made. "Yep, definitely worth it!"
"Ruby, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Weiss managed to say in a shaky tone.
"What do you think I'm trying to say?"
"That you want to come home..."
"... And be a family again, yes."
"Is that really what you want?"
"Mhm!"
"Are you sure?"
Tapping her lower lip in mild contemplation, Ruby could only come up with one answer: "Yes!"
"This is…"
"I was a little hesitant earlier, but now there really isn't any doubt that what I want is to be around you."
Blanc tried to force her eyes open, but the pervading darkness persisted. She desperately wanted to wake up and end this dream turned nightmare; the voices were mocking her with the one thing her heart desired. She had foolishly taken that bait before, and woke up feeling more devastated than the day she learned her redhaired mother may never return home.
"Being a family again would be nice, but there is more to it."
"If you're wondering what's going on between us, then I don't think you have to worry."
"Hm?"
"Weiss, I think you're amazing. You're strong, kind, understanding, and you're honestly the single most beautiful woman I've ever seen," Ruby said in a dream-like voice. "You could have left me behind and moved on with your life, but instead you stuck by me..."
"I would never leave you," Weiss stressed the fact reassuringly.
"I know, and maybe that's why I feel the way I do."
"Are you saying that you—"
"M-Ma…" the little heiress managed to croak out.
Weiss was instantly by her daughter's side calling her name out gently, "Blanc! Blanc, I'm right here."
"It's so—Why is it so dark?"
Blanc found a small reserve of strength and used it to bring a shaky hand up to her cheek. She inched her fingers upward tentatively, imagination running wild with terrifying assumptions. When her fingertips grazed the edge of the obtrusive item, Blanc sighed in relief. The awful images she had conjured were just that: awful images. What she felt was the familiar crosshatch pattern of gauze, a useful item found abundantly in her home. But that realization brought on a new type of fear, one that couldn't easily be forgotten.
Tracing along the uneven edge, Blanc confirmed that the dressing was wrapped firmly around her head in overlapping layers. Drawing on her courage, she raised her hand and lightly touched the area around her eyes. Her movements steadily grew frantic as she blindly gauged the width of the wrappings.
"W-Wha—"
Pain shot through her head when she touched her left eyebrow. She screeched out in pure agony, lurching forward as she desperately clawed at the bandages.
"Calm down, please calm down!" Weiss begged as she tried to restrain Blanc's hands.
"It's dark; I'm scared!" the girl wailed. "Mama, where are you? I can't see you!"
"I'm right here, I'm right here," Weiss cooed, forcing her voice to even out. "I'm right here..."
The sound of her mother's voice helped calm her down just enough for Weiss to ease her arms down and lay her back into bed. The adrenaline coursing through Blanc's veins raised her heart rate dramatically, alerting any nearby medical staff to come rushing.
"What happened?" bellowed an aging doctor, his breath heavy and haggard, as he stormed into the room.
On his way, he plucked a thick opaque folder, the name Blanc "Kaspar" R. Schnee was written on the front in bolded letters, out of an acrylic display case attached to the foot of the bed. It contained all the crucial information regarding Blanc such as: her age, name, parentage, her current condition, medications, medical history, and brief memos left behind by previous medical staff when they checked in. That clipboard was a literal guidebook of the tiny heiress' life to date.
The doctor skimmed over the first page as he hurriedly jogged to the left of the girl's bedside. Taking a blue pen out from his breast pocket, he pushed it open and began to carefully examine her; he paused every now and then to jot down his observations. The young parents sitting across from him, watched his dark hazel eyes scan over their daughter with a hardened gaze. He made no indication of concern and continued to be tight-lipped.
The lack of communication was wreaking havoc on Ruby's delicate nerves, and she could only imagine how her stoic companion felt underneath her calm facade.
Unbeknownst to Ruby, Weiss was feeling the exact same suffocating apprehension she did. Subtly, Weiss bit her bottom lip. She had one hand gripping Blanc's, while the other wrung the life out of the hem of her skirt. Her eyes darted to Ruby's open palms, contemplating whether or not she could hold her hand for moral support. They were friends—probably—and it was a perfectly normal thing to do in tense times like these.
Furrowing her brows, Weiss made the decision to keep her hands to herself.
"She woke up and panicked," Ruby explained on behalf of the presumably speechless heiress.
Ruby looked over at Weiss and frowned. The breathtaking woman sat ramrod straight with a blank, unreadable expression on her face. But despite the unflinching neutrality, Ruby still felt drawn to her, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't tear her eyes away. Gulping, the redhead allowed herself to indulge in the curious feeling she felt burning in the depths of her being. Stealing a quick glance at the doctor's weathered features, Ruby could tell that she was the last thing on his mind.
She started her own examination at the apex of Weiss' head. The snow-white strands were thick and healthy; Weiss had obviously taken great care of her hair. Parting to the right, Weiss kept her fringe just above her line of sight, and the closer it got to her temple the longer it would get. From there, a braid looped around her head; a similar braid in length was found on the left side. The two braids met halfway, fastened together by a vibrant red ribbon tied into a simple bow.
The final lock in the tapered segment was always tucked behind her ear; it was well past her hips, leveling with the longest portions of her hair.
This brought Ruby's astonished gaze back up to Weiss' face and her distinguishable crooked scar. She had memorized every detail that defined the mark, and loved the nobility and strength it added to Weiss' delicate princess-like features. The older woman could say all the negative things she wanted about it, but Ruby would never see it as anything other than beautiful. Surely there were better words to describe it, words that were far more sophisticated and regal, but Ruby felt they took away from the simplicity Weiss cherished in life.
The doctor nodded his head, tapping the pen impatiently against the folder's edge. "And then what? I need details, please."
Ruby placed a reassuring hand over her partner's forearm and gave it a small squeeze. She didn't fully understand the notion behind her simple gesture, and why it felt so natural to her, but judging by the look on Weiss' face she had done the right thing.
"She got scared and tried to take the bandages off," Ruby continued, "and that's when you and the nurses came in."
"I see," the doctor mumbled flipping through the girl's file. "Ms. Schnee, which would you rather be called: Blanc, Kaspar, or Kas?"
"Kas," Blanc replied, still lost utterly lost in confusion.
"Alright, Kas, my name is Dr. Brau," he said in a calm steady voice. "Can you tell me what the last thing you remember is?"
"Falling—I remember falling."
"Can you explain with more detail?" Blanc tried to speak, but her mouth was drier than a Mistraltan desert. "Would you like some water?"
The white-haired girl nodded weakly. Weiss called out her name to let her know that she was the one touching her and not one of the nurses. Blanc readily complied and allowed her mother to move her into a comfortable upright position. The darkness made her feel slightly nauseous, almost as if she was swaying on a boat sailing through rough waters.
"Here, Ms. Schnee, I brought her a fresh glass with a straw," said a nurse as she approached the intimidating business woman.
"Thanks." Ruby took the glass from the nurse and aligned the straw to face Blanc's parched lips.
Weiss supported the girl's frail form with both arms. "Drink slowly, dear."
The child took small sips, shivering whenever the chilled liquid touched her tongue, and drank until the glass was empty. She had been thirstier than she first expected and begged for another which was promptly served to her.
Dr. Brau curiously watched the two young women dote on the girl. He could understand Weiss fussing over her, but the redhaired woman was a new face. and judging from her comfortable carmine coloured attire, the doctor assumed that she was the mysterious patient under Dr. Scarlatina's direct care.
Dr. Brau noticed the way Ruby unconsciously gravitated towards Weiss, he also caught on to the subtle touches and stares the two women exchanged when they thought no one was looking. It was sweet, he believed, to see someone as regal as Weiss lower their guard.
"So you were falling..." the doctor said trying to refocus the young girl.
"Crescent Rose and I were just playing," she replied sounding much better.
Dr. Brau's eyes widened in mild surprise when he heard Blanc's unimpeded speech. "You sound exactly like your mother," he said complimenting the crisp timbre in her young voice.
"Which one?" Blanc asked innocuously. She turned her head to her parents general direction and tilted it to the right.
"I'll be the first to admit that we do sound rather alike," Weiss replied with a faint smile.
Ruby felt a colossal weight lift from her shoulders. She saw a glimmer of opportunity in Blanc's choice of words, and she wouldn't let this chance slip through her fingers. The girl still viewed her as a parental figure, and that could only mean she didn't hate her. And even if Blanc didn't necessarily like her, it still meant there was a chance she could rectify her mistakes and rebuild their relationship.
"Do you recall anything else? Try to be as detailed as possible."
"We were just playing," Blanc repeated adamantly, her voice strong and firm.
"Understood. Now you mentioned a 'Crescent Rose' earlier," Dr. Brau said as he scribbled something onto his clipboard, "could you elaborate?"
"E-labor-ate? What's that?"
"Explain further," Weiss cut in curtly. "It means to explain further with clear detail."
"Yes, thank you, so please try and remember," Dr. Brau said, smiling at the stoic woman who nodded her head in his direction.
"Um," Blanc stammered, hesitantly inching her hand to touch her left eye once more. "I remember jumping over the railing with Crescent Rose... Oh! That's my dog, momma built her for me."
The elder Schnee's blue eyes widened in pure shock. "Wait, you did what!?"
"What do you mean by 'built'?" Brau asked after muffling a chuckle. He found Weiss' shrill voice somewhat amusing.
Weiss fell back into her chair and let out a weary sigh, she had completely forgotten about the walking toaster oven.
"Ruby liked building things; that contraption was one of them."
"So I was some sort of genius inventor?!" the amnesiatic woman gasped ecstatically.
"No," Weiss answered flatly. "You were more of a mad scientist with too much free time
and funding—my funding."
Pouting, Ruby murmured, "That's still cool, too."
"Crescent Rose is more than just some invention," Blanc said firmly, "she's my best friend."
