Thank you all so much for reading till the end! I've had this idea for a while now, and this just seemed like the perfect place to put it! Thanks so much, you guys! Enjoy the finale!
Day 10: Ruby & Weiss [Alternate scenario to episode 7-8, I guess? You'll see.]
Genres: Friendship, Suspense (?)
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY
Chapter 10. Red And White
Weiss heard a frustrated scream, followed shortly by a loud cracking sound, but she didn't turn back.
What a child. What an absolute child. Throwing a tantrum now and swinging her oversized sickle about the forest like that. I can't believe this. I can't believe that is supposed to be my partner for the rest of my time here! This is a nightmare!
She continued to stomp through the underbrush, not even attempting to control her anger any longer. The argument she had just had with Ruby was still fresh in her mind. Bossy. She thinks I'm bossy. She thinks I'm self-centered enough to think of myself as 'perfect'. What an ignorant little girl.
But it hadn't been the fact that Ruby called her bossy, nor was it the way she had mocked Weiss in that mortifyingly whiny voice. What had hurt Weiss most of all was what Ruby had said before all of that: "You're a big, stupid jerk and I hate you!"
Weiss flinched again as the line echoed in her mind once more.
She didn't know why it bothered her, but it did.
She didn't know why it hurt, but it did.
Perhaps she had just not been expecting to hear the words she had listened to for the first twelve years of her elementary life to be coming from her partner at Beacon Academy. I guess this place will be no different...
She maintained her stiff pace, refusing to look back to check if Ruby was following or not, biting her lip as she fought back the bitter frustration twisting in her stomach.
Ruby made sure to walk several paces behind Weiss, glaring at her back all the while, snorting as she recoiled Crescent Rose, folding it back into its more portable form. I can't believe this. She thought. This was supposed to be the best time of my life! I'm finally here at Beacon, and so far all I've done is get yelled at! All I try to do is be friendly and everyone turns on me! Plus, my partner is a total snob! How am I supposed to work with her?
Ruby continued to scowl at Weiss' back as she followed, even though they both knew they were hopelessly lost. But Ruby found she couldn't keep the expression on her face for very long.
Yang had always told her she never stayed mad for long, and Ruby realized it was true. She didn't like feeling negative, as it only made her feel worse about whatever situation was at hand, and she was certain it didn't help anyone else feel better, either.
She remembered the look on Weiss' face before she had whipped around and began to stride away, and Ruby felt a seed of guilt taking root within her. "You don't even know me," she had said to Weiss.
Yeah, well I don't know her either... she realized at present.
Sighing, she knew she needed to say something in way of apology before her relationship with her partner got any worse. She picked up the pace a bit as Weiss drew ahead, past a thicket of brambles that opened up into a clearing littered with ruins. Ruby summoned her courage and shouted after her.
"Weiss!"
She watched as the girl before her paused before spinning around.
"What?" she snapped.
Not "don't talk to me!" Not "be quiet!"
Ruby felt a little relieved.
"I- whoa..."
She forgot what she had meant to say when she emerged from the brush after Weiss, her silver eyes widening as she gazed up at the ruins behind the heiress. Weiss had her back turned to the scenery, directing her full attention to Ruby and obviously waiting for her to continue speaking, oblivious as to what was behind her.
"What is it this time?" she demanded scornfully. "I've just about had it up to here with your-"
"Weiss..." Ruby murmured. "Look..." She lifted her index finger to point.
Weiss glared at her for a few seconds, refusing. "Finish your sentences, will you?" she scoffed. "You can't just-"
"Weiss!" Ruby placed her hands on the heiress' shoulders and manually turned her around.
"Hey! What do you think you're-?" Weiss started to protest adamantly, but her voice died away when she finally saw what Ruby had wanted her to see.
A dozen yards ahead of them stood a dilapidated structure, piles of ancient rock smothered by strangling vines. The ruins rose up into the lopsided form of a tower.
But what caught Weiss' attention and caused her heart rate to increase was the large creature that sat atop it.
A nest made of full-sized forest trees shielded the belly of an enormous, beastly Grimm in the form of a bird. It was ten times the size of a full-grown Ursa, but the wingspan was surely the length of its body, if not larger. Its bone mask was lowered into the branches of its nest, quelled by slumber at the moment.
Weiss took in the terrifyingly awing sight of the beast, suppressing a shiver. Ruby gaped beside her for a minute before stepping out into the clearing. Weiss immediately grabbed her wrist and yanked her back.
"And just what do you think you're doing?" Weiss hissed. "Do you know what that is? That's a Nevermore! It's not the same as a Beowulf, you know! That thing would swallow both of us whole if given the chance!"
"I know what it is!" Ruby whispered back fiercely. "But don't you think this could be the forest temple? Wouldn't it make sense for them to put the pieces under the nose of a monster? It's like fighting the final boss!" she mused.
"This isn't a game, Ruby!" Weiss snapped.
However, she couldn't deny what the younger girl had said, that there was some sense in the teachers placing the pieces in the direct territory of the beast. It might also explain why none of the other students were present, as surely it would deter more than one pair.
Weiss thought for a minute but ultimately, it was clear what they needed to do. She closed her eyes and sighed, long and heavy. "Okay," she said, reopening her eyes. "Here's what we'll do..."
But there was no red cloak before her any longer.
Weiss whipped around to find Ruby already sneaking toward the massive Grimm in a manner that was anything but surreptitious.
"Ruby!" Weiss did her best to scream quietly, making sure the fury made it into her voice. "Let's at least come up with a plan first!"
But the brunette had already gone beyond earshot and Weiss felt her head begin to ache. I can't believe this is happening... she moaned to herself.
However, it certainly wouldn't look good if she were to finish the exam alone; she didn't fancy the thought of reporting how her partner had been eaten by some oversized fowl.
Weiss huffed - angry, confused, panicked... and just a little bit eager.
Drawing her rapier, she darted across the open clearing, grabbing Ruby's arm as she went and pulling her behind the cover of one of the broken columns. She would have to spare the lecture about running off without devising a plan for later, and Weiss pressed a finger to her lips for silence. Thankfully, Ruby nodded.
Weiss planned out her next trajectory, making sure the path would lead them to another sheltering of rock out of the beast's line of sight if it were to awake. She then conjured up another spell before grabbing Ruby's arm and pulling her along, successfully bringing them both closer to the sleeping Grimm.
The two girls looked about carefully, searching for anything that may have been considered a piece for them to retrieve, but when their gazes met again, both shook their heads. Ruby looked up at the colossal nest above their heads.
"You don't think they'd put them... in the nest, do you?" she whispered.
Weiss hardly liked the sound of that, but she couldn't refute the idea. She gave Ruby a look that silently told her they would be advancing one last time, but this time she lifted her chin up to the ruins. Ruby's eyes widened. We're really going up? she seemed to ask silently.
We don't have much of a choice. The heiress' expression seemed to reply.
Ruby felt a bubble of eager anticipation rise within her chest as she prepared herself for the burst. Weiss used her glyphs this time to propel them up the side of the ruins with as little noise as possible.
They ended up standing on top of the old marble structure, mere feet away from the prickly nest. Weiss allowed herself a minute to be awestruck by the sheer size of the Grimm, close enough now to see the long, thick feathers that coated immense, rippling muscles.
She needed to peel her gaze away and focus on searching for the pieces, taking care to step cautiously, keeping a tight grip on Myrtenaster's handle.
Ruby, on the other hand, was much easier to distract, and her mouth hung open as she stared up at the bird. Weiss sent her a warning look, reminding her to concentrate on their objective and Ruby nodded back. She began to scour the crevices of the ruins while simultaneously taking in the sight of the forest from their vantage point.
But she was too late to realize when her foot dislodged a loose pebble, and she watched in horror as it tumbled down the side of the column. There was a distinct clinking sound as it rebounded off the rocks, and she felt Weiss' disbelieving glare boring into her back.
But Ruby couldn't tear her eyes away from the pebble as it dislodged a larger rock, and that one proceeded to loosen a larger one...
Seconds later, a loud sound echoed about the forest as the ruins shifted.
Then, like a blasting explosion, the rocks began to part and crumble, falling away to crush the forest below.
Weiss didn't even have the chance to screech at her partner before she was drowned out by another deafening sound. The Nevermore raised its head and let out an almighty shriek, spreading its wings as it began to take flight, the nest of tress shattering around its taloned feet.
Ruby was frantic as she attempted to find solid footing, but it was clear to her what they had to do in order to avoid plummeting to their deaths or being crushed by boulders. Reaching out without a second thought, she grabbed Weiss' sleeve and dragged her toward the claws of the beast.
"We've gotta grab on!" Ruby yelled.
"What?!" the heiress cried. "That is a terrible idea!"
"There's no other way! Just do it!" Ruby screamed, thrusting Weiss forward. Making sure her partner could reach the claw, Ruby let her go before grabbing onto the other foot.
I can't believe this is happening! she screamed in her mind as the Nevermore cawed again, lifting off into the air as the trees and rocks crushed the forest beneath in a terrifying avalanche.
Weiss was sure her heart had stopped - or at the very least she was deaf now - but she continued to keep a tight grasp on both Myrtenaster and the bird, feeling her stomach heave as they were lifted higher and higher. A violent flurry of feathers and wind blasted the girls' faces, not allowing their eyes to open any more than a squint.
Despite how ridiculous the past minute of her life had been, Ruby couldn't help but savor the exhilaration of the daringness of it all.
Weiss, however, had long-since gone pale, paler than usual, her voice being the only thing about her that seemed okay.
"Ruby!" She shouted. "I told you this was a terrible idea!"
"We're fine! Stop worrying!" Ruby called back.
"I am so far beyond worrying!"
"...In a good way?"
"In a bad way! In a very! Bad! Way!"
"Well, why don't we just jump?" Ruby suggested.
"What are you, insane?" Weiss screeched.
Silence.
Silence.
She did not.
Still silence.
"Oh, you insufferable little red- ugh!"
Weiss watched as the red cloak of her reckless partner fluttered out behind Ruby as she fell.
Weiss grit her teeth before resolving herself, and she let go of the Nevermore.
She choked as she failed to catch her breath past the rush of air that met her, but managed to cast a spell and use her rapier to form a glyph beneath her feet. Utilizing her Air Step, Weiss shot toward Ruby as she continued to fall, gaining even more momentum as gravity worked with her.
Just before Ruby ended up impaling herself onto the pointed tip of a small mountain at the edge of the forest, Weiss reached her, grabbing a fist-full of red hood and yanking Ruby onto the circle with her. However, she didn't have enough time to cast another spell, and she could only brace herself as she directed Ruby away from the rock.
Although she did manage to break her partner's fall a bit and thrust her to a grassier landing, Weiss let out a yelp as she crashed against the rocks, tumbling painfully down the side of the mountain as she felt the breath rip from her lungs. She rolled several times, her head colliding with hard stone every time until she slid to a halt on the grass beside her partner and lie still.
"Uhhh..." Ruby pushed herself up with a groan, shaking her head to clear it. Although her body was a bit sore from the impact of the fall, it was certainly not as bad as it could have been had Weiss not been there.
"Weiss...?" she grunted, seeking out her partner. She gasped when she saw the heiress lying on her side, her rapier several feet away. "Weiss!" Ruby scrambled over to her, panic rising in her throat. "Weiss? Weiss can you hear me?" She reached out to shake her shoulder gently, looking her over for any open wounds.
Ruby was relieved to see that the only red she found was embroidered into her partner's clothing, but it still worried her how long it was taking Weiss to open her eyes. Oh gosh. Oh my gosh, this is all my fault. Weiss...
She held her breath anxiously for a minute, shaking the heiress one more time.
At last, Weiss sputtered, her body jerking as she coughed up dust and grit and Ruby remembered to exhale.
"Oh thank god..." She removed her hand from her partner's shoulder. "Weiss? Weiss, are you okay?"
"Ruby-!" Weiss coughed harshly before she could finish, blinking her eyes open slowly as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. "Just... give me a- minute..." she panted.
As Weiss recovered her breath, Ruby fetched her rapier and returned it to her. Weiss slipped it back into place at her left hip as her ragged breathing finally slowed. "That..." she growled, her intense mist-blue gaze piercing Ruby's wavering silver one. "That was the most dim-witted, reckless thing I have ever seen!"
She ended up putting herself in another coughing fit, but was determined to finish chewing the younger girl out. "This is what you get- when you jump into something-...without a proper plan!" she barked.
"I know, I know!" Ruby whimpered with an upturned face. "I'm really, really sorry, Weiss! Are you okay?" She repeated.
"I'll manage..." she replied. "But if you ever do something stupid like that again I swear I'll-"
"I get it!" Ruby cut her off. "I'm just glad you're all right." A small smile settled onto her lips and Weiss raised an eyebrow at her. The heiress felt her ears growing hot and quickly covered it up.
"Please. As if something like that could've hurt me..." She huffed, beginning to dust off her attire, the lecture she had planned out forgotten in her feelings of mild flattery.
"A-And... Weiss?" Ruby's voice was quieter now. "About... what I was trying to say before..."
"What is it?" Weiss prompted.
"I'm really, really, really sorry about what I said earlier," Ruby confessed, bowing her head shamefully. "You're not a big, stupid jerk. And I don't hate you. I'm sorry."
There was a moment of silence as she waited for Weiss to continue yelling at her; she deserved it after everything that had happened.
She felt the heiress slide in beside her.
"Ruby!" she said.
"Y-Yes?!" the younger girl shrieked, straightening up to look at her.
Weiss reached forward and flicked her on the nose.
"You are such a dunce," Weiss mumbled.
Ruby noticed the way her lips curled ever-so-slightly upward in amusement.
"Well..." Ruby cleared her throat. "Then I guess that's your problem now. I am your partner, after all," she declared, getting to her feet. She offered Weiss her hand, and the heiress smirked as she accepted.
"I suppose that's a good thing." She puffed out her chest as Ruby helped her to her feet. "Considering there isn't another soul in the world who would be able to keep track of you."
Ruby grinned a contagious smile that Weiss kept for a brief moment as well before heading back out into the woods. "Come on. We've got to find the forest temple," she stated.
"Right behind you!" Ruby announced, hurrying to her side.
"...Hey, Ruby?"
"Yeah?" She tilted her head sideways as the heiress' eyes met hers again; Ruby made sure to remember the first time Weiss showed her a genuine smile.
"We make a great team, you and I."
A/N: My notorious habit of 'ending stories with their titles' that has been dormant for months strikes back. Regardless, this was probably my favorite chapter to write, simply because it was these two, and I've been meaning to write this idea for a while.
Thanks for reading through until the end! I do hope you enjoyed!
Please review!