Now We're Only Falling Apart

"Team RWBY won't leave your side for a second! I promise."

Weiss had failed.

They had saved the people of Mantle and Atlas, but she had failed.

The relics were in Cinder's hands, and Salem's revival had been imminent. She'd failed to keep them out of the enemy's clutches.

She'd heard Jaune's cry, and when Winter arrived, wreathed in the power of a Maiden, she knew that despite their best efforts, she'd failed Penny.

But worse of all, she'd failed her team.

They were gone.

And she was alone.

"Do. Not. Fall."

One thing.

Ambrosius had warned them of one thing.

And yet, one by one.

Yang.

Blake.

Ruby.

They had each fallen into the void.

Weiss was the only member of Team RWBY who could fly due to her Summons. If anyone could have prevented them from falling, it was her and yet—

She hadn't been fast enough to summon something to catch Yang. She'd only barely been able to hold Blake back when she'd failed to snag her with Gambol Shroud and prevent her from going over as well.

Then her Aura had broken, leaving her winded, and she hadn't recovered enough to go help Ruby fight Neo or even to distract Cinder once more. Then with no more Aura, she had no hope of summoning something to catch Blake and Ruby as they'd tumbled away.

This was her fault.

"It figures that a Schnee would be the last one standing, letting all her friends die first."

A raging heat had burned through Weiss at those words, even as a different heat had gathered in her eyes and spilled over in tears.

It's not as if that's what she had wanted!

She thought she'd gotten stronger. She had learned to take hits so she'd no longer be the first one to fall in a fight. She trained and trained, because she knew now that she did some of her best work when she acted as support. She wanted to support the others! She wanted to be there for them and do everything in her power to make sure the mission succeeded.

Wasn't it ironic that after training so much to support them and not fall, she would fail to support them and be the one left standing?

Yang and Blake were bad enough. She didn't even know if Yang was fully conscious when the darkness had enfolded around her. And Blake's agony had broken her heart as the other girl had shuddered in her grip. But at the same time, part of her had been grateful, because if Yang hadn't intervened, it would've been Ruby falling.

Weiss had understood Blake and Ruby's need to go after Neo, so she thought she'd at least support Penny in her fight against Cinder.

Then there had been the back and forth of fighting. Of teaming up with Penny against Cinder. Of intervening in Ruby's fight with Neo when she and Blake traded places. Of pushing Ruby away from Cinder's explosion and her Aura finally breaking when she crashed.

Then her heart had stopped when she'd looked up and seen Ruby, Aura now broken as well, falling.

There was a reprieve as Blake managed to catch her…

But her heart had plummeted as the ribbon broke, and Blake and Ruby disappeared.

Yes, losing Yang and Blake were bad enough.

But losing Ruby was an entirely different level of pain.

"Just know that I am going to be the best teammate you will ever have."

Yang and Blake were her teammates, and she cared for them, but Ruby—

Ruby was her partner.

The people she'd known in Atlas before Beacon had noted the changes in her after her time there.

Because she wasn't lying when she said that Atlas and Mantle were her home. She wasn't lying when she said that Klein, Winter, Whitley, Willow, and even Jacques were her family.

But in Beacon, Weiss had found a new home, a new family.

Yang and Blake, along with Team JNPR as well, were a great part of that, but it was mostly due to Ruby.

Ruby, who had wanted to be her friend despite their initial explosive start. Ruby, who'd taken her by the hand and dragged her into forming connections with others. Ruby, who believed in her, supported her, and thought the best of her even when she didn't think she deserved it.

Weiss of Team RWBY, who stood by her team, supported them, and fought for what's right, only existed because Ruby Rose had seen her within the persona of Weiss Schnee, heiress of the SDC.

Ruby had let her finally be true to herself.

And together, with their friends, they'd grown stronger.

Weiss just wanted to return that regard, to be the best teammate Ruby would ever have.

Because Weiss, no matter what, did not do things by halves.

Because that's what Ruby deserved.

"What if I hadn't caught you?!"

"I knew you would!"

Twice, Weiss had failed Ruby in less than twenty-four hours.

Weiss was supposed to catch Ruby whenever she fell. To support her no matter what crazy plan she had concocted. To give everything she had and more for the sake of her, the team, and the world.

She'd failed Ruby when the Hound had come, snatching Ruby away. Her Summon had shattered before it could even get off the ground, and Ruby had fallen from the Grimm's grasp to the ground.

Then she'd failed her once more when she'd let her and Blake and Yang fall into the void.

She was supposed to catch her!

Weiss was officially the worst partner ever.

And now her partner and her team were gone and—

Weiss's thoughts stopped short.

She had fallen too, in the end.

But here she was thinking, feeling, and if she was doing that…

Weiss opened her eyes.

And then she blinked as it made no sense.

Tropical trees towered over her, and through their leaves, she could see the oranges and pinks of a sunset coloring billowing clouds. The distant crash of waves and the chattering of bird songs reached her ears. It was nothing like she'd ever experienced before.

Weiss slowly sat up and took in the scenery, still not quite sure what to make of it, but—

She was alive.

The realization hit her like a blow from Cinder.

She was alive!

She'd fallen, but she was still alive! And if she was alive…

Then, Yang and Blake—

Ruby—

They must be, too!

Weiss smiled and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

She took a deep breath, gathered herself together, and rose to her feet.

"We all have to carve out our own way."

Ambrosius hadn't been clear on what would happen if they fell, just not to do it.

Weiss didn't know if she was in a pocket dimension similar to the vaults, stuck on some other gods forsaken part of Remnant, or somewhere she couldn't even begin to fathom, much less understand, but one thing was clear.

She was alive, and as long as she still had breath in her body, she would continue to fight. She'd already made her decision.

Weiss would find her team, find Ruby, figure out where they were, and find a way out to rejoin with the others.

They might be apart for now, but it wasn't the first time and it probably wouldn't be the last.

But when they found each other again, they would undoubtedly be stronger for it.

As long as they kept moving forward.

Weiss drew Myrtenaster and took the first step to reuniting with her family once more.

AN: Weiss may be hard on herself with her own expectations, but I'll admit that I did have her be a bit harder on herself here than usual. However, I think it's somewhat justified, because when Cinder was rubbing salt into the wound of losing her teammates, even if she was still standing and fighting, Weiss had tears in her eyes.

I can only think of two occasions where Weiss has actually cried: due to losing her teammates, especially Ruby, and after Jacques revoked her inheritance. I mean, not to be harsh on Yang, but Weiss managed to keep it together until Blake and Ruby had also been lost. So I think Weiss is a bit of a cry, and with Cinder's words especially in her head and the other events of the last few days, I could easily see Weiss blaming herself for it.

But just like usual, Weiss always gets back up and puts her eyes on the prize. With a goal in mind, she practically unstoppable, so I know she will definitely find Ruby.