In a Land Far, Far Away
A/N: I had originally planned to write this drabble much later on, but given recent events and its subject matter, I felt it appropriate to post it now. References from my "Tell Me Something" fanfiction can be found in this drabble.
This is not my most refined pieces, but I just had to write this now. Expect some OoCness. Maybe. Probably.
Thanks for all of your patience, my dear readers. This drabble series is still on HIATUS, but I promise you, I will continue it in the future.
Disclaimer: The characters and the worlds I write in do not belong to me. The stories that I write are intended for entertainment purposes. I do not make any money from them.
Summary: Some things are more precious than others. Team RWBY. Tragedy/Hurt/Comfort. Slight AU.
*** ~ More Than Just a Cloak ~ ***
She awoke in the middle of the night.
3:52 a.m. to be exact.
Not knowing why or for what reason she was awakened at such an ungodly hour, Weiss rolled over onto her side, pulling the blanket up to her chin before she closed her eyes to sleep again.
Despite acquiring the reputation for being a perfectionist, amongst other things, contrary to popular belief, Weiss was a heavy sleeper. A very heavy sleeper. While some people could snap awake at the sound of a pin dropping, aside from a specific beeping tone from her scroll and Ruby's accursed whistle, very few things could rouse the Schnee heiress once she was asleep. So for her to suddenly find herself awake, when the broken moon still shone no less, that was peculiar thing to say the least.
A whimper.
Blue eyes blinked open, Weiss turning her gaze towards the bed hanging overhead a second later.
Team RWBY's dorm room was quiet. Aside from the minor rustling of covers once in a while and Yang's audible but muffled snores, the night was calm, a sliver of moonlight streaming into the room through the crack in the curtains.
Nothing was out of the ordinary.
Sighing, Weiss' gaze lingered on her partner's bed for a few more seconds before she snuggled into her pillow again, her pale hands gripping at the covers as she-
There it was again. That awful sound.
Weiss sat up in bed, the heiress watching the underside of her partner's bed.
"Weiss?" came a soft call from her left.
Weiss jumped, clutching at her blankets in a brief moment of terror. Two glowing amber eyes stared at her from the opposite side of the room.
"D-D-Damn it, Blake!" Weiss exclaimed, her pounding heart in her throat. "You almost scared me half to death!"
Yellow eyes disappeared.
"Sorry..." the faunus said murmured, Weiss gritting her teeth at the undertone of sadness.
Inhaling deeply, Weiss hung her head as she sighed again.
"No, no," the white haired girl said. "It's not your fault. It's just..." A pause. "I still have to get used to that, is all. It's fine."
Amber coloured eyes opened again, Weiss sending a small smile to the ravenette across the room from her, knowing Blake could see it in the dark.
"Thanks Weiss."
Weiss nodded, soon after turning her attention upwards again. There was a whimper and the creaking of ropes as she did that, the unconscious figure above shifting restlessly in bed.
"How long has she..."
Weiss frowned, her lips pursing as the ropes creaked again, this time Ruby's bed swaying slightly as the younger girl rolled over.
"I'm not sure," Blake replied, her voice soft yet uncertain. "I only woke up a moment before you did."
A terrified cry.
Weiss' blanket was flung off of her legs in an instant, Weiss nearly tumbling to the ground head first as she staggered out of bed.
"Ruby!"
At the sound of her shout, the mass of blonde above Blake's bed snapped upright, groggy lavender eyes peering drowsily in Weiss' direction as her bare feet thumped to the ground.
"Huh what?" Yang said, rubbing her eyes. "What's going on?"
Weiss left the brawler to her partner, the rapier wielder leaping onto the edge of her bed using it as step up to Ruby's. Just as she did that, Ruby's blanket slipped off the edge and fluttered past her for the floor, the younger girl now thrashing in her sleep. Ignoring the mumbling pair behind her, Weiss half hefted herself up onto the scythe wielder's bed, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. At the sight of tears running down her partner's face in rivers, Weiss' heart shattered, the Schnee successor immediately reaching for Ruby's shoulder without thinking.
"Weiss! Don't!"
Yang's warning came too late.
Just as the blonde uttered those words, Weiss' hand made contact with her partner's shoulder, Ruby going absolutely rigid under Weiss' touch. A split second later, silver eyes snapped wide open and Ruby screamed.
"Get her cloak!" Yang shouted, leaping off of her bed.
It happened so fast.
"Yang!"
One moment Ruby was whimpering from some awful nightmare, and in the next, all hell broke loose.
"Her cloak!" the blonde screamed again.
Blake flinched at the sound of her partner's shout, the faunas quickly rushing to Weiss' side as Yang struggled with a hysterical Ruby closer to the dorm room door. After letting loose that blood curdling scream, one which still had Blake trembling even now, Weiss was slammed to the ground back first between the bunk beds, the terrified scythe wielder careening into her partner a split second later, Ruby desperately trying to escape whatever hallucinations chased her.
"Ruby!" Yang shouted. "Snap out of it! Ruby!"
Pulling Weiss to her feet, Blake's hands lingered on the other girl's arm until she was sure Weiss could stand on her own. Upon releasing the white haired girl, Blake dashed off to help her partner with her thrashing sister. Ruby was screaming as Yang tried to calm her down, her eyes wide and wild, tears flowing unending down her cheeks. In the end, the blonde resorted to bear hugging her sister, Yang pinning Ruby's flailing arms to her sides as the screaming got worse.
"Ya-"
"Her cloak!" Yang shouted again, the brawler grimacing as she took an elbow to the chin, Ruby having somehow wrenched one of her arms free from Yang's iron grip.
Propelling herself towards the team's shared closet with a shadow clone, Blake was in and out with the red garment in less than a second, Weiss darting past her for the light switch as the faunas returned to the sister pair. Wasting no time, she flung Ruby's cloak around the girl's shoulders, the lights flicking on a moment later, blinding her. Stepping backwards disoriented, she stopped short when she felt Weiss' hand on her back, steadying her.
"Ruby! RUBY!"
Both Blake and Weiss stood side by side watching their partners, trembling. Haggard breaths escaped their lips as they waited, Weiss wringing her hands tightly together in front of her while Blake's feline ears were flat against her head. Blake squeezed her eyes shut, the rising despair she felt making tears burn at the back of her eyes.
Never before had Blake felt so helpless. While there were many a time during her stay with the White Fang that could compare to this situation, at least with the White Fang, she was able to do something. Anything. Even if it was protesting in rallies or raiding Schnee Dust Company cargo trains. But here, here and now, Blake could do nothing. Nothing but wait. And that was the worst part.
"Y-Yang...?"
Blake's gaze snapped back to their leader in an instant, the faunas never more relieved than now to hear Ruby's voice.
"H-Hey there, Sis," Yang said softly, a watery smile greeting her younger sibling. She slowly released her hold around the brunette's body, Yang's hands moving to stop on Ruby's cloak covered shoulders, her thumbs gently caressing the red fabric.
"You had us a bit worried there."
Weiss bit her lip when Ruby's gaze suddenly found her, Blake herself forcing a small smile when it was her turn for attention. Looking back to her sister, Ruby's teary face twisted in despair, the younger girl gripping at Yang's top with white knuckled fists as she buried her face in the blonde's shoulder.
"I'm sorry," Ruby said, her voice shaking and fragile. "I'm sorry."
"Do you guys know why Ruby always wears her cloak everywhere?"
It was almost five o'clock in the morning now, but Yang didn't care. While she knew classes were only hours away from starting, but given what had happened earlier, the blonde doubted very much that she'd be able to fall back asleep now.
Blake and Weiss sat on Weiss' bed. After looking at each other for a moment, they turned back to Yang, shaking their heads in response to her question.
"Before Ruby came to live with me and Dad, she was living with her mom in a small town called Daggerhorn," Yang began, her expression wistful. Looking down at her lap, she gently ran her hand through her sister's hair, Ruby sleeping soundlessly with her head on Yang's thigh.
"It was a small town, most of the people there being farmers or weavers."
A sigh.
"It was during a trip to the city that her mom met my dad, and the two of them kind of... well... hit it off."
Readjusting the cloak still resting on her sister's shoulders, Yang smoothed out the red material before speaking up again.
"They continued to meet each other like that over the months, Summer, Ruby's mom, always having to return to Daggerhorn because of her ailing mother. I lived with Dad in Patch, a small island off the coast of Vale, my own mother having left me with him the moment I was born."
"What happened to your mother?" Blake asked, the faunas nursing a steaming mug of coffee in her hands, just like Weiss.
"I don't know," Yang said, her gaze directed at the dorm room window. The curtains had been pulled open to let the moonlight come in.
"We haven't heard from her since then," Yang said, bitter. "I don't even know what she looks like to be honest."
Weiss looked down at the mug of coffee in her hands, staring solemnly at her reflection in the dark liquid.
Pulling her gaze from the window, Yang settled for staring at Ruby as she slumbered.
"Twelve years ago, Daggerhorn was attacked by a marauding pack of Beowolves in the dead of the night," Yang continued, a tightness to her voice. Swallowing down the lump that had formed in her throat, she took a deep breath before continuing.
"Ruby was the only survivor."
Yang could feel Blake and Weiss' gazes burning a hole in her face, but she ignored them.
"Like Ruby, Summer had a white cloak that she used to wear everywhere. Taiyang, my Dad, had given it to her before Ruby was born, and she absolute adored it. Once Ruby was born, they agreed that both Ruby and Summer would move in with me and Dad. But there were a few complications that needed to be sorted out before that could happen."
Yang gritted her teeth.
"A week before the move, the town was attacked. Ruby and Summer, along with some of the other townspeople, fled to the surrounding forest to escape. But it was only a matter of time before the Grimm caught up to them."
Yang swallowed thickly as her teammates went rigid at the edge of her peripherals. Ignoring their shocked gazes, she pushed on.
"In a last ditch effort to save Ruby, Summer covered Ruby in her cloak and told her to hide in the snow."
A breath.
"She then led the Beowolves away, inevitably saving Ruby in the process."
A white knuckled fist clenched at Yang's side.
"By the time the first hunters and huntresses arrived on scene, Ruby was found wailing next to Summer's body, Summer's cloak stained red with her blood. Apparently the scent of her blood was so strong, that the Beowolves thought she was dead and left her alone."
Yang released a shuddering breath, the brawler nearly whimpering as she fought back the tears in her eyes.
"That's why Ruby's favorite colour is red. Even in death Summer protected her, and to Ruby, red represents the love her mom had for her."
A tear slid down Yang's cheek.
"Yang..." Blake said quietly, the faunas rising to her feet.
Yang chewed on the inside of her cheek, refusing to look at her partner. If she did, the tears would spill, and she couldn't have that. She had to be strong for Ruby, especially now of all times.
"The cloak she wears now is not the same as the one before," Yang said, inhaling deeply. "It was actually Summer's other cloak, the one she wore during fall when the leaves turned red. But for Ruby, the meaning it holds is the same. After that day, whenever the nightmares came, the only thing that chased them away was this cloak. And that's why she wears it everywhere."
A hollow chuckle.
"But with what happened to it yesterday..."
Yang trailed a hand down the length of the crimson material, the blonde wincing when her fingertips met the slashed edges of the garment.
"To Ruby, it's almost like Summer is dying all over again," Yang said, her lip trembling. "And this time, it might almost be for good."
~ Three days later ~
Ruby sighed heavily, finally happy to be done with her classes for the day. It had been a long week for the team leader, one filled with homework, homework and more homework.
And no cloak.
In spite of being known for it, her beloved red garment had been purposely left in Team RWBY's dorm room these past few days, much to Ruby's dismay. Four days ago, on what was a typical patrol around the grounds, it had suffered some major damage all due in thanks to some annoying Beowolves that refused to die. While she was relieved to know her team suffered no injuries in that bout, the same could not be said about her cloak, the remnant of her mother nearly split into two from the hood down, three awful looking tears decorating the bottom right half of it.
Ruby had been devastated. It felt like a piece of herself had been destroyed when that happened. That and they didn't make cloaks like these anymore. But she put on a brave face for the rest of her team and put up a fake a smile for the rest of the week, the scythe wielder opting to leave her tattered cloak in the dorm until she had time on the weekend to see what she could do to salvage it.
That time was now, Ruby having just finished her last Friday class, the weekend finally upon her. Tiredly waving her scroll in front of the electronic lock which kept Team RWBY's dorm room secure, the brunette waited until she heard the tell tale click of the lock opening before she lethargically pushed the door open. Vowing to take a quick nap, Ruby trudged into the dorm room and-
"O-Oh hey Sis!" A swallow. "We weren't expecting you back so... soon..."
Ruby blinked, staring blankly at her sister before the blonde's words finally registered. "Yang...?"
The said brawler smiled nervously, Yang restlessly flicking her hair over her shoulder, a thing she did when she got caught doing something she wasn't supposed to.
"What's... going on?" Ruby asked, an eyebrow raising in confusion. Leaning to the right to peer around her sister's frame, Ruby immediately jolted backwards a step when Blake suddenly materialized in that spot front of her.
"N-Nothing!" the faunas exclaimed. "Nothing at all!" A forced smile.
"Uh huh..." Ruby commented, her eyes narrowing skeptically. For someone who often carried herself stoically, Blake looked rather jittery at the moment. Just like Yang.
Seeing a flash of movement behind the two girls, Ruby leaned to the left to peer between them, only for Yang to suddenly rush forward, engulfing her in one of her signature bear hugs.
"Say!" Yang said quickly, Ruby finding her face pressed flush against her sister's generous chest. "There's a new ice cream shop which opened up in Vale today! How about we go get some ice cream? Blake will come along too, isn't that right Blakey?"
"O-Of course!" the ravenette said, fake enthusiasm in her voice. Blake nodded her head a few times, out of sight of her fearless leader.
Ruby would have said something in response to that horrible acting had she not had a face full of breast at the moment.
"Oh for the love of..." a third voice said behind the bumblebee pair, followed by a sigh. "Stop that you two. You're not convincing anyone, far-a-less Ruby."
Ruby breathed in relief the moment Yang let go of her. As much as she loved her sister, sometimes the blonde got a bit carried away with things.
Yang huffed. "Like you could do any better, Princess," the blonde said, turning towards their last team mate behind them.
"Actually," Weiss said, ignoring the jab. "I can. It's done."
Weiss stood up from her desk, her booted feet thumping against the floor as she joined the rest of her teammates near the door.
"Finally!" Yang exclaimed, throwing up her hands in exasperation. "It took you long enough!"
"Hey!" Weiss retorted, glaring at the Y in Team RWBY once she was in line with the brawler. "I'll have you know-"
Whatever words were said after that were lost on Ruby. For the moment she set eyes upon her partner, the scythe wielder couldn't but notice the item in her hand. Something red.
Her cloak.
"W-What?"
Unlike how it was days ago, the garment held within Weiss' prim and proper grasp was in one piece. There were no tears. There were no holes. There were no fraying edges. It was just her cloak, like the first day it was given to her, all those years ago. And that fact alone made her feel... whole again.
"Surprise," Blake said, a small smile on her face. The faunas was evidently pleased with herself, the smiles on Yang's and even Weiss' face also mirroring that sentiment.
"What do ya think?" That was Yang.
Ruby's mouth opened and closed a few times, no words coming out. When she finally regained control over her motor skills, only two words came out.
"But... how...?"
"Well," Weiss began. "Between Blake's impressive sewing skills, my specially ordered Dust infused thread and Yang's fiery aura, the very thing needed to activate the Dust thread's fusing capabilities, it was an easy fix."
Tears pooled in the corners of Ruby's eyes. "But..." she croaked.
"It was important to you," Blake said, her expression now one of sorrowful understanding.
"We know what it means to you, Sis," Yang said, giving Ruby a one arm hug.
"What kind of best teammate would I be if I couldn't even fix something as simple as my leader's and partner's cloak?" Weiss said, her gaze warm.
Ruby's lips trembled as the tears fell, the younger girl lurching at her teammates, pulling them all in for one giant group hug.
"T-Thank you," Ruby whimpered, the scythe wielder shaking with sobs, tears marking trails down her cheeks. She smiled through her tears.
"Thank you for being the best team a leader could ever have."
A/N: In loving memory of my Grandmother.
Grandma Gloria
November 28, 1934 – October 1, 2014
Rest in peace. You are missed.