So here it is… the end of The Snowy Rose. A whole school year has passed since I started writing this story but… this story will live on with a sequel. It won't release immediately that's for sure. I still need to finish Red Snowflakes and I'd rather focus on that 100% more than just work on two stories at once. I went on a long hiatus with that story and I need to get back to writing it. Anyways… thanks for reading and here's Chapter 26. Reviews are greatly appreciated at this moment.

Weiss

How… how could she leave me? I jumped at the loud bang that echoed from the abandoned home Cinder and Ruby were in and I watched as the structure crashed down on top of my girlfriend and the black-haired without warning. At that moment, the flames engulfed the remains of it and I made a run for the home to save her, but I stumbled and fell to the ground with a loud thud. "RUBY!" I screamed. I wanted to crawl to the destroyed home to save my special one but I was too weak to pick myself back up. How can I be weak at a time like this?

Behind me, I heard familiar voices calling my name in worry but I was too exhausted to look and see who it was. Closing my eyes, I went into a state of unconsciousness, my mind filled with total rage and complete sadness. Everything was silent for a long time, my thoughts had been put on pause and all I could see was darkness.

Then suddenly, I heard a familiar voice. It was filled with worry and emotional pain. "Weiss, wake up. Please wake up."

I opened my eyes slowly only to be met with a pair of amber-colored, cat-like eyes. "B-Blake?" I called softly. She wrapped her arms around me and I wondered why she had called for me as if she was in pain. Then everything hit me like a wave of fire. Ruby! "Blake! Get off!" I exclaimed, trying to get out of her embrace. "R-Ruby! She's out there! We can still save her!"

I could hear the sobs emanating from my faunus teammate as she kept me from escaping her. "Please stop Weiss… you've been asleep for a day. Headmaster Ozpin already conducted a search for her and came up with nothing!" she replied.

I kept struggling, not wanting to believe the words that came out of her shaky breath. "NO! SHE'S STILL ALIVE! LET. ME. GO!"

Slap…

It happened in a flash and all I could feel was the stinging pain on my right cheek. "Weiss… p-please listen to me. Ruby's gone… she's gone for gods sake! Searching for her was painful for me! We searched and searched until night came and found nothing but this!" She pulled away from me and picked up a torn and charred red cloak.

"R-Ruby's cloak." I said softly, my hands shakily grasping onto the once pristine fabric and clutched it protectively to my chest. "Oh god… Ruby." I buried my face into it and cried loudly into it. "Why did you have to leave me? It was Cinder's fault that you're not here and breathing. T-that bitch… if only things went smoother-"

I shook and gasped when I felt a hand clasp onto my shoulder and looked up slowly to see Blake, giving me a look of depression. "Weiss, whatever happened that night, none of it was on you. I need to know what happened… tell me what happened… please?" she said softly, hearing her tone turn into a plea at the end of her sentence.

I hesitated. Blake needs to know… she has to know. I took a deep breath and told her what had happened that night, how the plan had backfired, how Yang got injured and I went to her aid… then the finale… the fight between Cinder and the R & W of our team. "Then Cinder knocked me down before going to Ruby in that abandoned house you searched. She was going to kill her Blake. Before that could happen, I saw with my own eyes…" tears began to pour down my eyes like an endless stream before continuing, "R-Ruby took out her weapon and shot upwards, a-and the house fell on them. The fire engulfed it and then I ended up here after passing out."

Blake stared at me with a shocked expression, then she suddenly pulled me into another embrace. "I'm so sorry Weiss." she said softly.

I buried my face into her shoulder and wrapped my arms around her. "How are we going to tell Yang? She's her sister… and there's no way she's going to believe it."

"I'll deal with her; I'm her partner remember?"

Silence took our voices for some time, then I pulled away and looked down at the cloak on my lap. "Was that all you found? W-what about… R-Ruby's body?" I asked.

Blake gave me a pained look and shook her head. "Weiss… R-Ruby probably didn't die by fire." My eyes widened and was about to ask questions but she stopped me. "But there was a blood trail that went deep into the forest that looked like a creature of Grimm dragged her away. We found her cloak halfway through the trail."

I trembled violently and tightened my grip on Ruby's cloak. She didn't burn to death… but it was still a horrifying fate for her. Oh god Ruby… I'm sorry.

A week later…

"We're gathered here today to mourn for one of our most beloved students. She was such a determined leader and energetic young girl that everyone here grew to cherish. That student… was Ruby Rose." All of Beacon, including Yang, Blake and I stood a few feet from Headmaster Ozpin, who was speaking while standing next to a small headstone that had my partner's name engraved onto it. Rain was pouring down on us all in the courtyard and everyone was dressed in black, a color scheme that I never thought would see during my time here at Beacon.

"A series of events took place before Miss Rose's fate which involved the kidnapping and soon, rescue of her partner, Weiss Schnee… and then the death of one of the most infamous criminals that we all of Remnant knew nothing about until the death of Sapphire Melody. Cinder Fall." That name hit me like a giant brick. She was the reason why Ruby was gone… and the Grimm was also another reason but no one ever found the one creature that took her away in Forever Fall forest. "Ruby had sacrificed herself to ensure Miss Fall would not hurt anyone else… a brave act that almost no one can commit. It had only been months since she was given the role of team leader of team RWBY and she excelled so well that her teachers and even myself had considered her to be a natural born leader… but it wasn't just her combat prowess that made Miss Rose the girl that everyone adored. She thanks the ones that were close to her and the teammates that she took care of."

I heard a sniffle next to me despite the rain and looked to my right to see tears falling from Yang's cheeks, something that stood out on the blonde brawler. Blake, who was to the right of her, placed her in an embrace. I turned back to the Headmaster and silently cried. "Ruby Rose, your death was not in vain and you will not be forgotten. Now…" the white-haired man turned to the three of us, "does any one of Miss Rose's teammates want to-"

Without thinking, I went up to him and nodded. "I want to give my eulogy about Ruby Headmaster Ozpin." I said softly. He gave me a hum in acknowledgement and stepped towards the crowd, making all the eyes of Beacon Academy turn to me. I looked down and took a deep breath before starting my eulogy. "I… I can't believe she's gone. It destroys my heart that Ruby's dead. She was such an energetic girl and even though I called her a dolt and a dunce…" I stopped for a moment to cherish those memories of Ruby and how goofy and childish she was and made a choice, I'm not hiding our love anymore Ruby… you're gone and father may have my head for confessing that I am in love with a girl but it will all be worth it. I looked up at everyone and smiled, "she was the girl that I loved." As I expected, I looked through the rain drops in front of me to see faces of shock and surprise. The only ones in that crowd of students that weren't surprised by my statement was Yang and Blake.

"It's… something that Ruby and I realized just a couple of days ago. She saved my life when a blizzard had struck in the city of Vale and… well that gave us a chance to confess to each other. She was the kindest girl I've ever met. But because of her… because of Cinder Fall, that kindness is gone. I don't know anymore if I'm to blame. Wait… of course it is." Tears fell from my cheeks but the rain had certainly covered that to everyone else but me. I looked down and clenched my fists. "Cinder had wanted me all along! I-I should have turned myself in and then R-Ruby wouldn't have-"

I tensed when I felt a pair of arms wrap around me. Looking up, my eyes were met with a pair of amber eyes. "None of this was on you Weiss." Blake said softly. "Ruby knew what would happen if she lost you again… we all did. It was for the greater good… and for you, Ruby would never want you to get tortured ever again."

"Blake…" I buried my face into her shoulder and cried loudly, "I just wish she was here with me; I miss her so much already."

"I know… we all miss her."

I felt a hole tear through my heart as the funeral went on. I wanted Ruby back. I want to embrace the girl that made me happy once again… but I knew that would never happen. She was gone from my life and I knew nothing can bring her back.

At that day… at that same time the eulogy of Weiss Schnee was made, a white cloaked woman watched from afar. She had heard the words the white-haired girl had given and it made her heart wrench. "Oh Weiss Schnee… if only you knew." she whispered. With one final look at Weiss, she disappeared in a flurry of white rose petals.

I did so bad. I'm just saying that because I feel like I didn't do the end justice and I was having so much trouble with writing this chapter that it took me two weeks to finish it. I'm sorry for taking long you guys to conclude this chapter.

It'll be greatly appreciated if you guys if you can make reviews, telling me your opinion of this conclusion and it would be amazing if you can make a sort of review of the whole story in general. *sigh* Anyways… with this story finished, I will get back to writing Red Snowflakes. If you haven't read that story, then you should give it a read so you can be up to date on it. :) I have a feeling that that story will make you feel for the characters.