Hello again! So soon? Yes, so soon. It's a wonder what a burst of inspiration and some late nighters can do. Nevermind the fact that I have been feeling a little bit better (Although I felt absolutely dreadfully ill today), I actually wanted to write this chapter and had an idea how to do it. I don't like to write a lot of action scenes because I never feel I can quite convey the fight to paper (or screen in this case). In my mind, I can see what they are doing, I can see how the fight pans out. But I never am satisfied with what I jot down. I prefer drama because what I like in stories is to see the humanity of people overcoming their problems. To me, I always try to find out why people are doing things. What are their motivations? What are their actual individual stories about life? It's so infinitely interesting to see what struggle people have to overcome to where they are, and it's because of struggles like that, that I feel people become grateful of who they are in the moment. Sorry for the philosophy.

desdelor97 - Thanks for the kind words!

poetrymagic12 - I have actually started on Trials in Life, but again, life got in my way. I actually managed to only read Letters by fellow writer 'Unjax' lately, and have been looking into getting back into the Rwby fanfiction. I just have to get around to it. In regards to actually putting additional romantic moments between Ruby and Jaune in, I do want to. But I felt that I first had to resolve Act 2 in order to get all the characters on a same level. There's still things I don't like about how I've gone about it, but I'll maybe fix those in a rewrite. Who knows, I'm not psychic. I'll see if I can get a review for Trials in Life for you soon!

AgentDraakis - Thank you so much for the very kind words. I actually write each chapter and go through them in the end to iron out things I feel I don't convey well or grammatical errors. Even then I usually find more things when I upload to the . Most of the time, when I hit my writer's block, it's because my mind is just not there. I can't visualize what I want to tell. There's a few scenes and other things in the story (which will be coming much later on. Sit tight, this is going to be a VERY long ride.) that I have already known how I wanted them to happen, and then there's a lot of things that I have changed from the original 'plan' (and I say plan in the loosest terms I can.). One of such things is what I'm doing with Weiss and Neo. And I do want to keep updating regularly. But at the same time, life is preventing from doing so. As you've said, I know most of you, my readers, can wait. But I don't want you to have to. I want to tell you this story because it's close to my heart as well.

Anyway, I feel like I've ranted long enough. Enjoy chapter 29, Like old times!

Chapter 29: Like Old Times


Ruby awoke with a startle. When she opened her eyes, she could only see darkness. As her eyes adjusted, she could see the familiar Atlas design of a 'room' for the staff and relaxed. As she looked to her side, Ruby saw Jaune sitting in a chair, his head leaning against his balled fist as he slept. She could see her gear next to him, the rack holding Crescent Rose still. Ruby took a deep breath before laying her head against the pillow of the lower bunk again. In her mind, she went over what happened before.

Haven was attacked. Me and Jaune helped. Tyrian did it. He's dead because of Raven. Salem is the architect of it all. Raven is .. Ruby thought to herself before stopping. She didn't know if Raven was still alive. Quickly she grabbed her scroll from her pocket and opened it. 2:37 AM. I can't sleep anyway, might as well find out. She thought to herself before getting out of the bunk and sighing deeply.

Ruby glanced over at Jaune again and smiled. Placing a kiss on his forehead, she opened the door to the quarters and stepped out. Trusting this ship was the same as she had been on before, Ruby took off towards the medbay. Surely she would find answers there. Sleepily she rubbed the sand from her eyes. Ruby always found the Atlesian airships interesting as a feat of engineering, but had rarely had any chance to really look at them due to all her missions and tasks. Not to mention that the larger ships never landed at the Atlesian Specialist Forces base. But it still felt eerie to walk in the silence through the hallways of such a large ship. Then again, most of the crew is probably asleep. Probably also exhausted from helping all the people from Haven.

Passing a window, Ruby stopped and walked back to it. She looked over the large city below them, some of the ruins in it still smoldering. Ruby felt a pit in her stomach. How many lives have been lost.. Do I even want to know? She thought, balling her fists. Ruby thought back to Tyrian. To how he laughed at the misery and death. It made Ruby hate him even more.

Ruby shook her head, clearing her mind of the hateful thoughts. There are more important things right now, Ruby. Focus. She mentally told herself and continued her walk to the medbay. Rounding a corner, she could spot it. Standing up to the window, Ruby peered inside. All the beds were filled, divided by cloth curtains, some of the occupants nearly unrecognizable by the amount of bandages. Ruby pressed the button next to the door and with a hiss it opened. Silently, she slipped inside, walking by every bed scanning them for the raven-haired woman. The silence was broken by the occasional cough or moan of pain. But in the background there was the beeping of the monitors. Each beat got her further into the room and made the pit in her stomach grow. Is she.. dead? Ruby wondered. The thought had crossed Ruby's mind as she came here, but she hadn't thought it would be so.

Relief filled her as she saw Raven. Thank Dust. Ruby thought to herself. In Raven, Ruby could still see Yang. The two were truly a splitting image, except Raven was darkness and cruelty whereas Yang was warmth and hope. Ruby wondered to herself how different she was to her mother.

Ruby grabbed the chart from the front of the bed. Sure, it would probably not swing well with the doctor's, but she wanted to know if Raven would be okay. Raven had after all saved her life.

First Status: Severe impale wound … Battlefield cauterization … Severe hemorrhaging … Cardiovascular failure due to inflammatory response to scorpion venom (high dose).

Ruby swallowed before reading on.

Second Status: Synthesized antidote to inflammatory effects of venom … Secondary effect of venom is paralytic … Synthesizing of secondary effects underway … Stabilized patient.

Third Status: Possible cure for paralysis possibly too late … Extensive nerve damage … Medical Coma … attempt repair of nerve cells.

Ruby had read enough and put the chart back. She's paralyzed and comatose. She thought to herself. Ruby felt the guilt wash over her as she moved her hand over her mouth and continued to stare. In that moment, all the sounds faded out. Everything except Raven faded away.

"Why did you save me? How did you even see it coming? Why do you insist I am the one that will save Remnant?" Ruby whispered. Of course he didn't expect answers. She just wanted to understand. Ruby furrowed her brow as she continued to stare at Raven, trying to figure out the answers herself.

"Ma'am...?"

What did Raven know that rest of them didn't? That Qrow and Ironwood didn't?

"Ma'am.. Are you okay?"

Something about her powers? About her seeing Summer? Something about Salem directly?"

"Ma'am? Can you hear me?" a voice said before Ruby felt a hand on her shoulder and looked over.

Ruby's eyebrows raised in surprise before realizing she had drifted off into her thoughts. "Oh. Sorry. I'm fine.".

"Ah. I see." the nurse said, her eyes widening a little as she recognized Ruby. "Are you.. Agent Ruby Rose?".

Ruby nodded, turning her head to look at Raven again. The nurse followed her gaze.

"Do you know her?" the nurse asked. "I'm sorry if I'm intruding."

Ruby nodded. "It's fine. She's my sister's mother. In a way."

"With your sister you mean Ms. Xiao Long?" the nurse asked. Ruby nodded again.

"She was here the whole night. On the doctor's orders to get something to eat or some rest she left. I think I just saw her on the mess deck." the nurse said. "You should join her, Miss Rose. If not to talk, then to eat. I don't know how being a maiden affects your appetite, but I presume you still need energy."

Ruby looked at the nurse and saw a compassionate smile. No other words needed to be said in regards to how she knew Ruby was a maiden, or the reason Ruby was there at Raven's bed. "Thank you." was all Ruby said before making her way over to the mess deck.

The large hall was empty, except for Yang who was stirring a spoon in a mug pensively. Ruby sat down across Yang and saw her sister hadn't noticed her. Ruby figured she was probably deep in thought.

"I never felt like Atlesian coffee stacked up against Vale's. Too bitter." Ruby said dryly, trying to get through to her sister. Yang looked up, shaking her head awake at the realization Ruby was there.

"Oh. Hey Ruby." Yang said, barely above a whisper.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked concerned. The flame and passion in her sister wasn't there. Something was obviously wrong.

Yang nodded absently. "I'm fin-" she started, but Ruby put her hand on Yang's.

"Yang. I know you're not." Ruby said. Yang sighed defeated and took a deep breath.

"I'm feeling conflicted. All this time, I wanted to ask Raven all sorts of questions. To figure out why. When I found out why, it.. didn't help me. It didn't give me the peace I hoped I would've had. Even the cruel words she said to me as we captured her don't make sense anymore." Yang said, taking a sip of the coffee.

"It's as if she doesn't want me to know the truth. And then she sacrifices herself for you. Don't get me wrong, I know what's at stake now and why she did what she did. But I feel I'm losing grasp of what's always kept me going strong." Yang continued, looking into Ruby's eyes.

"I'm sorry." Ruby said. Yang shot Ruby a small grin.

"It's not your fault. Qrow always regarded to her having an unique way of seeing things." Yang said, finishing her coffee and shoving the mug away from her. "How are you doing?" she asked, looking concerned at Ruby.

Ruby fiddled with her fingers. "I don't know. Seeing the city burn.. It ripped open some old wounds I'd rather left closed. I'm sorry for running from you two."

"I think I was scared. Scared for all of you. I didn't want to lose anyone again." Ruby continued, sighing heavily. "But I still did. Ironically, Pyrrha's mother this time. It's like it's a curse."

"Ruby.. I can't even think about what it's like being in your shoes. But despite all the hardships you've faced, you still became who you are now. Don't blame yourself. If it weren't for you, I'm sure the town would've been destroyed." Yang said. Ruby knew the words were true. "I mean, Dust's sake Ruby. You killed three dragons by yourself. Those usually takes at least two teams to even think about bringing them down, nevermind three."

"But it doesn't mean I can protect everyone." Ruby said, her voice raising a little higher, the fear in her rising to the top.

"Nobody is expecting you to Rubes. You're trying your hardest like everyone else. And that's all anyone can ask for. After what happened today, I don't think anyone will have to guess what's at stake." Yang said. "And don't worry. We'll all be there to help along the way. You're not in this alone."

Ruby stammered the start of an excuse but noticed she couldn't find the words.

"You're right. It's been such a long time. It's been a little weird to hunt with friends again." Ruby said.

Yang laughed. "Well, better get used to it. I don't think any of us are going to leave."

Ruby smiled back. "Yang?" A sleepy voice called before both Ruby and Yang saw the yawning Blake walk up to them.

"Oh. Hey Blake. I couldn't sleep so I went to get some coffee." Yang said. Ruby furrowed her brow as she saw admiration in Yang's eyes before Blake kissed her partner's forehead.

"Wait. Blake, why'd you just kiss Yang?" Ruby said looking clearly confused at the couple. Both Yang and Blake looked stupefied as they looked at Ruby before looking at each other again. Blake slid into the chair next to Yang as Yang cleared her throat.

"Well, the reason Blake did that is because… well. We're together." Yang said. Ruby's was blank for a short moment as she processed the words before reaching over the table and pulling them both into an embrace, squealing in excitement and joy. Both Yang and Blake were startled, neither knowing what to do. Shortly after Ruby let go, nearly bouncing in her seat with a massive grin.

"For how long have you two been together?!" Ruby nearly yelled, unable to contain herself.

"Well. In a sense, for a very long time. But then.. I left. So we kind of started off where we left it after burying Adam in Forever Fall." Blake sighed. Yang wrapped an arm around her and smiled at her. Blake smiled back briefly.

"I mean, I knew you two were close, but I'd never have guessed you two would be together together." Ruby exclaimed again before she heard a groan coming from one of the entrances to the hall.

"Dust's sake, it's almost 3 in the morning and we've all had a terrible day with a lot of stress and trauma. Why are you three up? Get some rest!" Weiss said annoyed, peering angrily at the occupants of the table.

"Oh hey Ice queen. So what's got you up?" Yang said, flashing Weiss a large grin.

"You guys yelling. What's there even to yell about? Why are you smiling?!" Weiss said.

"Well, I just was told, or well rather shown, that Yang and Blake are together!" Ruby exclaimed again with glee. "Did you know that?".

Yang and Blake both looked at Weiss with panic in their eyes as Yang made a motion for Weiss not to tell Ruby about how she'd found out. Weiss decided that whatever innocence Ruby had left after all these years, even considering her experience as an Atlas specialist and her relationship with Jaune, should be preserved.

"They told me on the search for Raven. Now considering you guys are already awake, I'll grab us some tea so we can at least have something to help us calm down and relax." Weiss said, continuing to the machine. Yang and Blake both let out a sigh of relief.

Weiss placed the tray with the cups of tea on the table. "So why are you three all awake?"

"Couldn't sleep." Yang and Ruby replied in unison.

"Couldn't find Yang." Blake replied.

Weiss sighed, rubbing her eyes before taking a sip of her tea.

"So, how are you doing Weiss?" Ruby asked, amused by her old partner's telltale chagrin.

"All things considered, dreadful. Mostly because I'm quite sure I was having the same issues you were having. Sleep doesn't come easily after what we've seen. Again." Weiss said with a sigh.

Blake nodded. "However, we shouldn't let it bring us down. We're still here. As are a lot of people. There must be a reason for it."

"You know." Ruby started, making them turn towards her. "I've been thinking about Raven's words. Back at Beacon. She told me we'd need to unite the kingdoms and find the other maidens."

"What if we did?" Ruby said. "It'd prevent another attack. We'd be able to counter it before it would happen again. I think we can create the support."

"Ruby.. That'd be building an army across the kingdoms. Even with support from Atlas and Vale, Vacuo is closed off and unlikely to agree after their opinions about what happened at the attack of Beacon, for which they still blame Atlas." Blake said. "And that's just the greater kingdoms. How about Menagerie? The lands surrounding Mistral?"

"I don't know, yet. But what if we pulled it off? We'd just need to know where 'Salem' is and we'd be able to defeat her. Stop her. Together." Ruby said determined. She looked at the others.

"Don't you also want to talk it over with Jaune and Neo here too? I mean, they're basically part of the team, now." Yang said.

Weiss took a small sip from her tea. "I agree with Yang. In fact, I say that first thing in the morning, we try and contact General Ironwood to talk about it as well. Also, I think it might be a good idea to look at the data we've got on the other lackeys Salem has. I'm sure they'll show up sooner rather than later."

Ruby sighed. "Yeah. That might actually be a good idea. I think we'll be a lot clearer when we're rested."

Yang tapped her mechanical arm on the table. "Yeah, talking about clear…" she started, her grin turning mischievous as she looked at Weiss. "What is it with you and Neo lately?".

Weiss flushed immediately. "Yang, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." she immediately responded and drank from her tea to calm herself.

"Oh don't think I didn't see that you held her hand, Ice Princess." Yang sang, making Ruby and Blake laugh. Weiss looked at her friends and the smiles they had and started laughing herself.

"Alright, alright. Look, I'll explain. Let me just grab some new tea." Weiss said, standing from the table.

Ruby smiled, looking at her friends laughing again. Inside, Ruby felt like she was back at Beacon, studying, playing, fighting, laughing. In a way, Ruby felt like she didn't have a care in the world.

In a way, everything still felt like old times.


They had sat and talked for an hour more before they all left for their rooms again. It felt good to be all together again, Ruby had to admit. Weiss had been right about the stress and trauma in a way. With a hiss, the door to the quarters Ruby and Jaune had been given opened. In the chair, Jaune still slept, making Ruby smile as she closed the door.

Ruby took off her cloak, skirt and top, noting the scratches and dents of the armored plating on her usual garb. She'd buff those out later. Softly she tapped Jaune on the knee, who woke up with a small murmur. "Come on. Let's get in the bed together. Like we used to do back at the Atlas academy, I'm sure we can still fit." Ruby said. Jaune nodded at her, taking off his shirt and pants, climbing into the bunk and attempting to create as much space as he could for Ruby to fit. Ruby climbed in and slid herself to his form.

Ruby nuzzled into Jaune's chest, basking in the warmth. She could feel the blanket over her and Jaune place her lips on her forehead.

"Couldn't sleep?" Jaune whispered. Ruby nodded.

"I woke up and let you sleep. Walked around a little. Get my mind in the right place again. Yang was also up. Blake and Weiss joined later." Ruby replied.

"I see." Jaune remarked with amusement. "Little team reunion."

Ruby chuckled. "In a way, yes.".

Ruby felt Jaune's hand go through her hair and goosebumps appeared on her skin as she nearly purred at the feeling. Jaune smiled as he continued the motion, Ruby pushing her head against his hand to continue the impromptu head massage.

"Only in a way?" Jaune asked.

Ruby looked up into his eyes, smiling back at him. "Yeah. Everything's a mess. But it was nice to just sit down together. Not have to be anywhere, even though it's very late and we have a lot to do tomorrow." Ruby said sleepily, eyes half-lidded with exhaustion.

"I guess so. Sleep tight then, my little Rose." Jaune said and placed another kiss on Ruby's forehead as she nuzzled into his chest again.

Jaune could feel her chuckle. "So cheesy.." Ruby breathed before slowly sleep took her. "Goodnight, my white knight.."

He didn't care about the cheesiness of his or her words. Jaune was just glad she was safe in his arms. And he'd do anything to keep it that way.