Legends. Stories scattered through time. Mankind has grown quite fond the tales of their exploits, forgetting so easily that they are remnants, byproducts, of a better world.
Man, born from Dust was born into an unforgiving world. An endless darkness – creatures of destruction – the creatures of Grimm – set their sights on mankind and the lives they've tried to create. These forces clashed, and it seemed the darkness was intent on returning man's brief existence to the void.
However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change, and in time, man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds. This power was appropriately named "Dust".
Nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow's absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life. But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone... darkness will return.
"So what do you think of the situation?"
"Uhh what?" Ruby Rose asked in confusion. A black-haired young woman in her late twenties or early thirties held a strange looking microphone up to her face.
"What do you think of the situation?" The young woman repeated, "Surely you must have heard about the Dust robberies lately committed by the White Fang. They say only a few rogue members of the Faunus organization have been arrested and their leader has still not yet been identified."
"I, uh, don't know anything about that," Ruby admitted. As a fifteen-year-old girl, she could very naturally say that the news held very little of her interest.
The young reporter smiled with a hint of condescension, "Aren't you a Huntress-in-training? You're supposed to be defending the great people of Vale from these… thieves and criminals. What is Ozpin teaching his students if they're so uninformed about current events?"
"Buzz off, lady," Yang demanded.
"And what about you?" The reporter turned to Yang next, twisting her mechanical camera to zoom in on the older girl's face, "Do you have any opinion on what's happening in this city?"
"I don't have any opinion, except I know you're not supposed to be here. This is private property and unless you're a student, you should leave before I kick you out," Yang replied.
"I'm an independent freelancer," The journalist responded calmly, "It's journalistic freedom to go wherever I please unless your precious Headmaster has something to hide..."
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Yang roared, "Just leave us alone!"
"You should take the time to watch my webseries... You may... learn something. The name is Cinder Fall," It didn't seem possible, but the woman was even more condescending than before. I'm currently covering the ongoing string of criminal activity around Vale and I must say, I'm quite disgusted by how uninformed you are as students. I'm sure my viewers would feel the same way."
Yang threw up her hands in exasperation before walking off, "I don't have time for this."
"Yang! Wait for me!" Ruby called after her anxiously.
The young girl had not been ready for her sister's abrupt departure. After apologizing to the blatantly rude reporter, Ruby hurriedly dragged her large suitcase along in a vain attempt to catch up with Yang's long strides, "Where are you going?!"
"It's only one in the afternoon and I'm already annoyed," Yang complained, "I'm going to go meet up with some friends."
"But what about me?" Ruby tried to keep the whine out of her voice, but even she knew she sounded like a spoilt kid. With her dark, long-sleeved black dress and red cape, she appeared to be nothing more than a child playing the part of a hero in a fairy tale.
Yang didn't bother to turn around. "Just wait in the auditorium. I'll be there in about an hour."
"But where's—" Ruby struggled to keep her balance, tripping over the wheels of her luggage. As her support rolled away, she tumbled to the hard cement with a high-pitched squeal, "—the auditorium…"
Every student within a ten-meter radius turned to stare at the sprawled mess of a girl. Some laughed, but a few walked towards her, prepared to lend a hand.
All of that changed the moment they caught sight of her eyes.
"Oh gods…" The closest boy whispered. His hands shook as it hovered over his mouth in mute horror. Before Ruby could say a word, the boy ran away screaming. The others followed suit and within seconds, the courtyard was completely empty.
Ruby took a minute to assess her situation, her gaze lingering on the tallest spires Beacon Academy. She had hoped things would be different here. She had hoped she could make friends and memories that might possibly last a lifetime.
But nothing had changed. She was still Ruby Rose, a silver-eyed monster.
"Hey. Are you okay…?"
Ruby snapped to attention at the new sound. A tall boy with disheveled blond hair was standing immediately to her right, his hand stretched out in front of him.
Slowly, as if she were in a daze, Ruby reached out her hand, and he pulled her to her feet. It was the first time a stranger had ever initiated conversation. For a moment, she didn't know what she should do, so she simply stood where she was, staring at this strange boy with the blue eyes.
"Are you okay," He repeated.
"I…I think so…?" Ruby spun around, checking her elbows and knees. When she was satisfied that she wasn't injured, a broad uncontrollable smile appeared on her face, "Yeah. I'm great."
A small, awkward smile pulled at his cheeks, "I'm Jaune."
"Ruby," She answered quietly. Her name sounded stupid in her ears. Less like a word and more like a poor summation of who she was. She wanted to say something, anything to make herself seem less like an idiot. Maybe she could explain why she was on the ground or that she wasn't clumsy at all. She could tell him she was actually a very competent person.
Instead, she grinned uncontrollably at his face while the different arguments fought in her head.
"So…" He shuffled uncomfortably on his feet. "Do you need some help with that?"
"Oh! No! I don't- It's not so big, and I dont—Umm…" The words came and then they didn't, a jumbled mess no one at all could ever hope to comprehend.
Jaune started to laugh and the sound was like music to her ears. It was nothing like the childish indulgence she received from her dad.
"Here. Let me help you. This thing is huge by the way. It's almost taller than you are," He reached for her suitcase, pulling it along behind him.
Unbridled, almost deranged laughter erupted from her belly, "Yeah! I guess it is!"
He grinned in apparent surprise, clearly not expecting this sort of reception for one of his jokes. "Yeah! You'd be the perfect-sized dinner for a Beowolf. Not too filling."
"Better than being tall like you! You're going to be the first target for a Nevermore."
Regret flooded in the moment the words left her mouth. He would take it as a threat or some sort of prediction. He would think she was creepy, and whatever chance she had of making a friend would disappear because she had no self-control.
But much to her surprise, Jaune didn't do any of those things. Instead, he just chuckled, slowing down his pace so she could walk alongside him, "Nothing's going to eat me. I'm too skinny."
"You're right. You're all bone. Not tasty at all," She returned with a grin. Jaune could still change his mind at any second, but the ridiculous amount of excitement in her system spurred her to keep talking despite her anxiety, "So are you also training to be a Huntsman or are you part of the trades wing?"
Beacon was one of the Big Four: The best of the best when it came to secondary combat schools, but normal students made up a large portion of the student body. They took classes ranging from mechanical engineering, weapons crafting, or even the medical sciences. All the students took classes together even though the Huntsmen and Huntresses-in-training were given special privileges like more leisure time and use of the holographic classrooms.
Ruby could see Jaune was armed, though he turned away with embarrassment when he answered, "Oh…I'm here for Huntsman training."
Seeing Jaune's expression told Ruby she had stepped on the proverbial landmine. Everything about his demeanor said he wanted this topic of conversation dropped though she didn't understand why.
Neither of them said a word for a few minutes. The only sound between them was the rolling wheels of her suitcase against the pavement. While Jaune seemed determined with his silence, Ruby couldn't stand it.
"Soo… I've got this thing." She pulled Crescent Rose from the magnetic belt along her hip, the blade of the scythe falling onto the ground with an ominous thud.
Jaune back away in obvious alarm, "Whoa! What is that?!"
"It's a customizable, High-Caliber Sniper Scythe," She gushed with satisfaction. The weapon resembled a mechanical scythe except for an area halfway up along the handle where a series of buttons and ports were conveniently located. "What about you?"
Jaune's cheeks reddened considerably, "Oh… Uh, I got this shield."
"Ooh…" Ruby's trained eye roamed over the simple design of the face and the dull sheen of the metal. It was old, but clearly made of good, durable metal. "What does it do?"
"It gets smaller, so I can use it to carry my sword," A blush colored his cheeks as he turned away, quickly re-securing his weapons to his belt.
"That's it?" Ruby snorted, struggling to contain her giggles. She didn't want to injure his pride.
"I will have you know this was a family heirloom," He persisted stubbornly, "It was made for my great-great-granddad in the war."
"Didn't you get to make a weapon at school?"
"I didn't get the chance to…" He whispered quietly.
"Why not?"
Jaune didn't immediately answer, his discomfort visibly growing, "It's kind of complicated. I'm not sure you would understand."
"Try me!" She squealed optimistically.
He sighed, but didn't stop walking or run away from her, "I applied to Pharos when I was younger, but they didn't accept me."
Ruby didn't quite know what to say. It didn't seem complicated at all. Pharos was a beginner combat school, much like Beacon but for children from 10-17.
"Why not?" She inquired.
"I didn't pass the aptitude test. I couldn't manifest my Semblance."
Ruby could only stare at the impossibility of what she was hearing, "But…But you can use it now…right?"
He turned his face away.
Impossible. It was impossible. Beacon's Huntsmen program only accepted twenty students every year out of hundreds of applications. The selection process was a mystery, but the ability to use one's aura and semblance was a basic requisite of joining any of them let alone one of the Big Four.
How was Jaune supposed to fight if he didn't know how to use his semblance? Everyone had one. Many people had a semblance unfit for combat, but at least they knew what it was. They knew how to use it. If someone were unarmed, their semblance would be the only thing that could save them from danger or give them an upper hand in battle. How was it possible Jaune had been accepted without the most basic requisite?
The pair once again lapsed into silence. Ruby didn't quite know what to say this time. She didn't have many interests outside of weapons and combat; both topics were already moot.
Perhaps she wasn't cut out for this friendship thing. In her first ever hypothetically real conversation with a friend, she had made him uncomfortable not once but twice.
Not for the first time in her life, Ruby wished to be more like her sister: free from any sort of limitations. Yang had no trouble making friends or talking to people. She was beautiful and funny. The perfect person and the perfect Huntress.
Without quite realizing it, the pair had made it to the front doors of the school. It was a towering marble structure; more than big enough to house a Goliath if it wanted. Through the opening, Ruby could see what appeared to be a hundred students milling around below an empty stage.
A pair of students turned to stare at her as she entered, whispering just loud enough for her to hear:
"I told you! She does exist!"
"I can't believe it…"
"Stay back. They say she can turn people to stone."
"I thought it was just Grimm…."
"I hear they bring death everywhere they go."
Words, she repeated to herself. They were just words. They didn't mean anything. She'd heard them a million times since she was a child. She was used to it. It was nothing.
Jaune placed his hand lightly on her shoulder, "Hey. Don't listen to them."
"I…" Inexplicably, she thought she might cry. She thought she'd outgrown the tears. These things weren't supposed to hurt her anymore. After all the experience she had at Signal, this should have been easy.
But it wasn't. The emotions were bursting to the surface and she didn't know why. But perhaps more importantly, Jaune was still standing by her side.
"Why did you help me…?"
"…Uh, what?" He asked, clearly startled by her abrupt question.
"Back at the cliff, why didn't you just run away like everyone else?"
He said nothing for several minutes, standing very still as he stared at her with some unidentifiable emotion. Every second that dragged by felt like a lifetime.
When at last he spoke, she thought she had imagined it, "You reminded me of myself…"
That was impossible. There was no one else like her in the world. Silver eyes only existed in legends and stories told by mothers who wanted to lull their children to sleep. The tale of a hero, the myth of a God, or the legend of a monster.
"I saw you chasing after that girl in the courtyard. She was your sister, right?"
"Yes, but how did you-"
"I come from a long line of Huntsman. I have older sisters too. One of them is a teacher at Haven, one of them is a technician, but the other five are Huntresses. They all went to Beacon. Graduated with honors and-well-It's—," His free hand rubbed the back of his neck, clearly nervous to get his point across properly.
"Don't get me wrong. We're all really close, but…when I watched you chasing after your sister, I just thought…it just reminded me of myself with them..." He finished slowly while staring at the ground.
Ruby tried to see herself through his eyes; imagine what he saw, but she couldn't. Nothing at all came to mind, "I don't get it."
He seemed taken aback, a violent blush painting over his cheeks. "I just wanted to help you."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm just saying I know how it feels."
"How what feels?" She pressed.
"You know…"
"Know what?"
"Oh, come on. You know."
"I really don't."
"Alone! Ruby. I know how it feels to be alone!" The words came out in an aggravated shout, and everyone who wasn't already staring, turned to look at them.
Perhaps for the first time in her life, she didn't feel the pressure of their gaze. Her head hurt, trying and failing to understand what Jaune was attempting to express. "You… You think I'm lonely?"
"Well. Aren't you…?" He questioned exasperatedly, "Look around you. Everyone treats you like you're a freak. Even your sister avoids you."
Anger started to bubble in the pit of her stomach, "Yang doesn't avoid me! What are you-"
From seemingly out of nowhere, Yang stepped in between them. She was much taller and wider than Ruby, capable of entirely her from view, "What's happening over here? Ruby? Who's this guy?"
Jaune appeared troubled by the sudden turn of events, but decidedly held out his hand for Yang to shake, "I'm uh… Jaune. Jaune Arc."
Yang didn't take his gesture of goodwill, sizing him up before decidedly crossing her arms over her chest in protest, "Yang Xiaolong. What do you think you were doing to my sister?"
He pulled his hand back, letting it hang pathetically at his side, "We were just talking."
"Didn't look like it."
"I…" With every passing minute, Jaune appeared more and more uncomfortable.
The sight of him shrinking under the weight of her sister's scrutiny melted whatever anger Ruby held. He was a kind person. She was sure he hadn't meant to hurt her feelings in any way. Maybe she had overreacted. After all, they'd only met an hour ago. She couldn't blame him for making a snap judgement, "It's fine Yang. We're…friends."
The word tasted strange on her lips. New and foreign. Like a flavor of ice cream she never knew existed and she wanted more.
"We're friends…" She repeated firmly.
"Oh yeah? Well your 'friend' better watch his mouth, or he can't blame me for ripping his tongue out." Yang spat.
Jaune backed away, his hands in front of his face defensively. "Whoa… What is wrong with you?!"
Yang pulled her arms back and a soft click could be heard as Ember Celica shifted into place around Yang's forearm, "Why don't you come at me and find out?!"
His eyes shifted between Yang's face and her weapons several times before he took another step back. "I'm just going to go... It was nice meeting you Ruby."
"You too…" She answered softly.
The two sisters watched him go, his backpack disappearing into the crowd. After they were sure he was gone, Yang turned away shaking her head, "What a weak piece of—"
Ruby cocked her head in a question, unsure of what Yang was trying to say, "Weak piece of what?"
"Nothing." Her older sister responded quickly.
Ruby looked up into her sister's face. It was a familiar face, but also strange in a way. Despite being sisters, they looked nothing alike. While Ruby had taken after their mother, Yang didn't look much like either of their parents. She had their dad's blond hair, but that was end of any family resemblance. She was taller, heavier, and more curvaceous than their mother; appearing older than seventeen whereas Ruby barely passed for a teenager at all.
The two sisters stood in silence. Yang seemed preoccupied swiping through a number of pictures on her scroll. An assortment of men and women Ruby didn't know moved across the holographic tablet. Some of them had their arms wrapped around Yang's neck. Others showed them kissing her cheek or biting her ears.
"Did you meet up with your friends?" Ruby asked quietly.
"Yeah."
"How was it? Did you guys do anything fun?"
"It was fine. We just talked."
"Maybe I can come with you next time? I've never met your friends before," Ruby suggested.
"It's not your kind of scene." Yang replied dully. Her eyes never left her screen, seemingly absorbed in whatever it was she was doing. Her long hair was swept to the side, revealing an ugly purple bruise on her neck.
"You never know. I'm a little older now, and Dad said it was fine for me to—"
"Can we not talk about Dad?" Yang sighed. Her brows were knitted together in annoyance.
Ruby hated seeing her sister this way. Conversation used to be easy. Ruby didn't remember when her sister had changed, but back when they were children, the three of them were one unit. A happy, picturesque family. But then that relationship started to fall apart. Yang started staying out late. They started to fight. Dad started yelling at everyone and Yang stopped smiling altogether.
The room started to quiet as the Headmaster appeared at the front of the stage. Lights dimmed all around them, leaving Professor Ozpin as the only obelisk to draw Ruby's glance.
He was a famous man, supposedly a descendant of the last king of Vale and a great Huntsman in his youth. The tales of his heroic feats seemed too great to be believed, but Professor Ozpin was now mostly old and retired, with graying hair and a long cane. A precarious pair of dark glasses sat on the bridge of his nose. When he spoke, his voice was clear and crisp but notably annoyed:
"I'll... keep this brief. You have all traveled here today in search of knowledge-to hone your craft and acquire new skills. My school can offer you that knowledge but that is the only thing it can provide."
The Headmaster paused cryptically, taking a giant swig of what appeared to be coffee. His eyes swept over the crowd as if searching for something hidden between the ranks of his students. A jolt went through Ruby's system as his eyes passed over her, but they moved on, and the feeling faded to the back of her mind.
"Beacon can not give you a sense of purpose and direction. If you assume knowledge will free you of dubiety, you are wrong. It is up to you and only you to find meaning in your lives."
He turned to move to the right, slipping away into the darkness as another professor took the spotlight in his place. Ruby recognized her as Glynda Goodwitch: A Huntress who had made the news recently for capturing several wanted criminals.
She was much more beautiful up close than she had been on TV. Neither too young nor too old; her pure blonde hair was pulled back into a tight bun. Shrewd green eyes glanced over the crowd through a pair of thin-framed glasses. Compared to Professor Ozpin, she was as straight-forward as a bright red arrow.
"Older students are now dismissed. Classes will resume tomorrow. As for new students, you will gather in the Ballroom tonight. Your Initiation begins tomorrow. Be ready."
The lights clicked back on. A curt and somewhat abrupt end to the opening procedures. The older students began to move. Some were collecting their luggage while others were heading out one way or the other. None of them seemed inclined to help the new initiates.
Ruby grabbed her suitcase, holding it close to her in case they needed to leave immediately. "Yang, I think we should go. Do you know where the Ballroom is?"
Before Yang had a chance to reply, a new face walked up behind them. She was dressed entirely in white. Even her hair was like a pure snowfall on a winter day. There was a bright, but stiff smile on her face.
"Good afternoon. I couldn't help overhearing you didn't know where the Ballroom was. I would be more than happy to take you."
"Oh!" Ruby exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "That would be great, umm…"
"Weiss. My name is Weiss Schnee." She offered promptly with that same rigid smile. "Come with me."
She snapped her fingers twice and a fat, but tall man followed along behind her, pulling along a bellcart full of luggage. Ruby turned uncertainly to her sister, but the older girl just shrugged, a bored expression on her face.
Weiss didn't notice their indecision, already moving on to her next train of thought, "…Don't mind the butler. He'll be leaving once we drop off our things. You're Ruby Rose, right?"
"I—How do you know that?" Ruby spluttered.
"You're the talk of the school," Weiss gushed. "The first Silver-eyed Huntress at Beacon since your mother. I have no doubt you'll live up to expectations, what with being the youngest initiate Beacon has ever seen."
Ruby was speechless. She knew there would be talk, maybe some insults or gossip, but nothing like this.
"I'm sure you have some thoughts about whose team you want to be on. Everyone must be eager to unite with such a well-known individual such as yourself."
"Well I—" Ruby spluttered.
"Of course, I'm nothing to scoff at either. You shouldn't have any complaints about my abilities."
"Oh. No. I, umm-I don't really know."
The haughty girl stopped in her tracks, turning around to loom over Ruby. Despite not being very tall, Weiss seemed to dominate the little space existing between them.
"I must ask you to speak up. If this partnership has any hope of working, communication is very important." She declared.
Ruby hastily pulled back. There was just too much happening too quickly, and her mind didn't have to capacity the process it. She reached around to grab onto Yang's arm in a desperate plea for stability, ". I was just uh… thinking... I uh... wanted to be on the same team as my sister…"
From her obvious shock, it was clear that Weiss had not noticed Yang's presence at all. The girl spent a few seconds scrutinizing the latter before turning back around with an airy toss of her ponytail.
"You sister seems…capable enough. Teams are comprised of four members so there shouldn't be any problem bringing her on as well."
Yang paused mid-step before stomping her foot onto the ground so hard Ruby could feel the earth shake, "What do you mean as well?"
"Oh. You know." Weiss waved her hand nonchalantly; clearly unaware the other two girls had stopped following her.
"No. I don't know." Yang spit. "Why don't you explain it to me?"
Perhaps something in Yang's tone had rubbed her the wrong way because Weiss finally decided to glance back at them over her shoulder. She didn't seem the least bit surprised over the distance between them.
"Look. I'm sure you realize you're just here because of Ruby but—"
"Oh, is that what you think?!" Yang's eyes changed from a shimmering violet to a burning red as Ember Celica once again shifted into place, "Let's go! Right now! I'll beat the lien right out of your ridiculous hair, princess!"
A quiet, snooty sigh escaped Weiss's lips, "I would rather not makes enemies on my first day. After all, my sister taught me violence isn't the answer to all my problems…"
Weiss's left hand flipped a rapier from her hip, pointing the tip of the blade at Yang's chest. A revolver enclosed in the hilt moved as something locked into place.
"However, she also taught me my manners. I am happy to pass along my lessons."
About fifteen minutes later, their luggage was left with the butler and the girls were standing in a grassy part of the courtyard. A small crowd had gathered around them with Yang and Weiss in the center. It was the first fight of the year and the news had spread fast.
"Yang. Are you sure about this?" Ruby whispered nervously.
"Just keep watch on the scrolls."
Yang and Weiss's holographic tablets had already been synchronized to her own. The faces of the two combatants showed on Ruby's screen with several tidbits of information. Beneath their portraits were two bars indicating their aura levels. Both were completely full. "It's…It's ready."
"Then let's do this."
Without another word, Yang threw herself forward. Ember Celica blasted behind her, propelling her faster than humanly possible. It wasn't fast enough.
Some sort of circular diagram appeared on the ground where Weiss had been standing. She flew backward, out of range for Yang's first strike. Yang's punches kept coming, but more and more symbols appeared all around them. The revolver in her rapier seemed to move back and forth. Only now did Ruby notice the colors, the Dust, changing the hue of the images Weiss created.
The arrogant girl spun around Yang like a dancer. Just narrowly escaping every one of her sister's attacks. Those strange cicrles did more than pull Weiss back. Some of them caught her like a platform while another propelled her skyward. Always just out of reach.
"Can you do anything besides run?!" Yang roared.
Weiss didn't respond. The revolver shifted again. The glyph started to rotate, spinning as the colors switched from white to blue and Yang was thrown into a tree by an invisible hand. Weiss went on the offense. Her rapier was fast, moving so quickly it appeared the tip of her blade was striking multiple places at once.
Glyphs. Ruby thought. She had seen them before. During the Vytal Tournament several years ago, an Atlesian girl had fought with that exact Semblance. A girl who looked remarkably similar to the student now fighting in the middle of Beacon's courtyard.
Yang didn't try to escape the onslaught of attacks, taking a stab to the chest to grab hold of Weiss's rapier. She pulled her opponent forward while punching her squarely in the stomach. Weiss's eyes bulged in her face as she flew backward into the dirt, rolling into the crowd.
Yang fired after her, the bullets sending the spectators running and blasting pockets full of grass and dirt into the air with every punch she threw. Weiss flipped in the air to land on her feet as another glyph appeared to shield her from Yang's firepower.
Ruby's sister dived at the shield, smashing through the barrier and hitting Weiss squarely under the chin.
The blowback lifted Weiss off her feet. Yang jumped after her, smashing the defenseless girl back down into the ground. The shockwave was massive. Weiss's aura took a nosedive, dropping from a deep yellow to a dangerous orange. Her aura could shatter at any minute and every punch she took after that would easily break her bones if not kill her.
"Yang! I think you should-" Ruby's pleas fell on deaf ears. Neither girl was listening to her.
Weiss's revolver spun again as the glyph beneath her glowed blue. Yang shot forward, but Weiss stabbed her rapier straight into the ground as ice shot up in in giant slabs. They only held Yang for a second before she blasted through it, rolling to the ground to regain her momentum.
But Weiss was too fast. Shots of red fire and blue icicles sailed from the tip of her rapier, like homing missiles. Yang slowed her momentum, kicking out the projectiles blocking her path. She was getting stronger, but her aura was dangerously low. When Yang's attention had refocused, Weiss was already too close. Her rapier glowed white.
Yang tried to get one more hit, but there just wasn't enough time.
Weiss stabbed the rapier into Yang's chest. Aura kept the stab from being fatal, but the burst from the attack forced Yang into the crowd. They scurried out of the way. Yang's aura flashed yellow before it died completely.
"Yang!" Ruby cried in alarm.
"Stay back!" Her sister growled angrily. Yang's face was bleeding from a cut to the top-right corner of her forehead, "I don't need your help!"
"But—"
"I said I don't need your help!" She swung her fists down with so much force, Ember Celica discharged behind her, sending another group of spectators running.
Without another word, she crawled to her feet and limped away, cradling one arm with the other.
"Yang!" Ruby called, "Yang, come back!"
"Just leave her be," Weiss derided. The winner of the match was kneeling on the ground, her rapier stabbed into the dirt. She was visibly tired, but mostly unharmed. A quick scan of her stats told Ruby that the pompous girl was fine. Her aura was almost depleted but that was nothing a good night's rest and a hearty meal wouldn't fix.
When she spoke, her lofty energy more than confirmed what Ruby could already see.
"Your sister will cry over her loss and she'll come back when she gets over being a whiny brat."
Ruby wanted to tear out the girl's voice box. "Shut up! You don't know anything about Yang! You don't know anything about me! You have no right to say those things!"
Weiss stared at her in clear disbelief. "You're blaming this on me?! This has got to be some sort of low-brow joke. I just wanted you on my team. I was more than happy to make accommodations for a nobody like her, but she was just so unappreciative. If she knew her place in life, this wouldn't have been a problem. She has no one to blame, but herself."
"Urggh!" Ruby just barely managed not to scream in frustration. The result was an intense groan the likes of which would have startled a Beowolf, "I never wanted to be on your lousy team! I'm not like the Grim Reaper or the Warrior in the Woods! My eyes don't do anything! I've never turned Grimm into stone and I'm not special! I'm just a normal girl who wants to be a Huntress! Yang is the most important person in my life! She isn't some nobody!"
There was an excruciating silence as Ruby bore down on this snobby girl who had been her main antagonist for the last hour. Something in Weiss's expression changed from disgust to confusion and then some final emotion Ruby couldn't identify.
"Look... I…can tell… you… care… about your sister," Weiss started slowly, taking extra care not to look at Ruby's face. Instead, Weiss' eyes seemed to roll around her head as if she were physically looking for the proper words to articulate her feelings, "And I can understand that…. But… what was her name? Yang? Yeah. I truly do not believe she cares about you."
Why? Why did everyone feel the need to have an opinion about her relationship with her sister? First Jaune and now this girl. What did they know about Yang? What did they know about anything? All those nights when Ruby laid sick in bed, it was Yang who read her stories and Yang who made her soup. Summer Rose had been her mom, but Yang was her only, beloved sister.
Ruby couldn't suppress her screaming this time, yelling at the top of her lungs, "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! You have no idea what you're talking about!"
"Trust me when I say I'm kind of an expert at this sort of thing," The pretentious girl rolled her eyes, while pulling herself to her feet, "But it's your life. You don't need to believe me, and I honestly don't care. I'm just here to be a Huntress."
Ruby said nothing, glaring resolutely at the first person she could ever definitively say she hated.
Weiss took no notice of her disdain, dusting herself off and looking remarkably well put together after the fight she'd just had. "If you change your mind tomorrow morning, let me know. I'll figure out a plan to make this work."
Ruby bristled with rage. Weiss Schnee was the last person on Remnant she would ever want fighting by her side.
W/N: I'd like to thank Twiins iink, EruptionFang, and Vexed Viewer for the amount of time and analysis they put into their videos. They've given me a lot of insight into how I want to paint these characters and I recommend checking out their videos if you haven't already done so. They are in no way associated with this story otherwise. I do not own RWBY or any of its characters.