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Part One:
The Witch

For the first time in months, Yang Xiao Long finally felt like she could go outside alone.

The untimely death of her sister had hit her hard.

And Ruby hadn't been just a sister to her; after their mother's death, Yang had stepped up to raise her younger sibling. Their father had been in no state to do it, after all.

But when Ruby died… he'd once again had the indecency to take it even harder than Yang.

With both of them out of commission, Uncle Qrow had been forced to step in. He'd withdrawn her from her classes, so she wouldn't fail them. He'd gotten them both extended leaves of absence from their jobs. He'd arranged for therapy for them both.

But Yang found herself unable to appreciate this, as he hadn't entirely ceased his drunken antics.

Yang found them endearing once.

Then, her sister was killed by a drunk driver.

Yeah, Yang had said some awful things to her uncle over the last few months.

And she still wasn't able to take them back…

Even if he'd started to sober up.

But… she couldn't dwell on it forever.

As her therapist had helpfully reminded her: Ruby wouldn't want her to dwell on it forever.

Today, it'd be a walk around the block.

Tomorrow, she'd try grocery shopping.

Next week? A half-shift at work.

And maybe, just maybe, she could do it.

She would banish from her mind the images of that car bouncing up on the curb. Of Ruby shoving her out of the way, so it wouldn't hit both of them.

There were a few times she'd wished it had.

It would have saved her seeing Ruby's broken, mangled, lifeless body. Of trying CPR even though her sister had long since stopped breathing. Stopped her from screaming into the night as the ambulance pulled away in no particular hurry. In the back, there hadn't been a gurney; there'd been a body bag.

She wouldn't have had to have watched them lower that casket into the ground, and with it, her heart.

But Ruby never would have forgiven her for cheapening her sacrifice, so Yang had to move on.

She had to live her life.

Even though Ruby couldn't live hers.

And it really wasn't fair; Ruby had just started living the life she'd always wanted. She'd finally gotten the opportunity to just be herself! She'd finally started smiling in a way she hadn't since Mom…

...Since Summer…

Yang stopped to pull out a tissue, wipe her eyes, and blow her nose. She was making progress. Now wasn't the time for that.

She just wished… if only she could see Ruby one last time. Have a chance to say goodbye or something. To thank her.

It was at that moment she noticed a person walking purposefully on the other side of the street. Ruby's height, that same hair color: so dark red that it looked black in anything but the brightest of lights…

It wasn't Ruby, of course, it couldn't be. The hair was just a bit too long, and while the dark red suit was certainly Ruby's color, it wasn't a style that Ruby would be caught dead in. And Ruby… she was…

Yang had seen the body…

She should have ignored it.

But…

She had to know.

If she didn't know for sure… she'd always wonder.

She knew it was just the grief talking. She knew her therapist would have some choice words about the event, but if she didn't know for sure… she'd never be able to move on.

"Ruby!" Yang shouted.

The person across the street didn't react.

Maybe that was enough?

Her feet decided otherwise.

She was already sprinting across the street. A horn blared as a car slammed on the brakes and swerved to avoid her. Yang didn't even notice… but the Ruby-like person did.

A flash of eyes too bright to be Ruby's shot towards her before the person pointedly began walking down an alley.

This too should have been enough. Ruby's eyes were a dull grey. They didn't shine, bright like the moon.

And yet, Yang gave chase.

"Ruby!" She shouted again.

The person continued to ignore her.

Suddenly, something slammed into her side. Yang was on the ground, alone in an alley, save for the person who was ignoring her.

And the beast that was pinning her down.

It was a creature made of shadows, with a face made of blood-streaked bone. It looked like some sort of evil, bipedal wolf.

Yang raised her right arm up to keep those wicked sharp teeth away from her throat. She watched the jaws begin to close over the limb, and she wasn't sure she'd be able to keep it.

Well, it didn't much matter. What was a lost arm to a dead girl?

Instead of the searing pain of having her arm torn to shreds, she felt a lightness as the creature yipped and was flung off of her. She rolled over to watch the person from earlier - now wearing a red cloak and carrying a large polearm - kick over the creature and stab it in its neck, and suddenly it was gone, disintegrating into the shadows from whence it came.

And then, those too bright eyes were upon her.

"Gods, Yang! I didn't save you just so you could get yourself killed chasing after ghosts!"

And the pieces fell together. It was Ruby. Her eyes shone like polished silver now, but it was her sister!

"It's really you." Yang said as familiar tears met an unfamiliar smile. "Ruby, you're… alive!"

Ruby clapped a hand over her mouth, then turned to flee. Rose petals scattered behind her as she took off an inhuman speed.

Yang was on her feet and following the trail at a speed she didn't realize she was capable of before Ruby disappeared from sight.

"Damnit, Ruby!" Yang shouted, mostly to herself. "You know I'm going to do stupid shit until I get to the bottom of this!"

Ruby was definitely too far away to hear it. Still, Yang followed the trail until the petals started crumbling into dust faster than she could follow.

The trail was gone. She doubled over, winded, but wearing the widest smile she'd had in months.

Ruby was alive.

And suddenly, Yang was too.

She heard a loud sigh from in front of her, drawing her attention.

"You will, won't you?" Ruby groaned in frustration.

"You came back!" Yang squealed, pushing with the last of her energy to throw herself onto Ruby in a massive embrace.

Her sister didn't budge. Normally, this sort of thing would have knocked Ruby over. Now? It was like hugging a statue of her. A soft, warm statue, but a statue nonetheless. A statue that was softly patting her back, but there was this feeling that the younger girl could snap her like a twig.

"In a manner of speaking." Ruby sighed. "You're making this a lot harder, I hope you know that."

Yang put her hands on Ruby's shoulders and pushed back a bit to get a good look at her. There were tears in those bright, silver eyes, completing a look that implied she'd just lost something, not found it again. There was a twitch under the top of the cloak, and Yang noticed two unusual bumps underneath.

Ruby reached up to wipe her eyes on her fancy suit sleeve, and the cloak shimmered as it faded away into an explosion of Rose petals.

And taking with it whatever the bumps were under her hood.

"Soooo… magic?" Yang asked as she swiveled herself around her sister to get a better look at the fading petals. "Wait… you said gods earlier." She emphasized the plural. "Like more than one. Oh my god, Ruby? Did the afterlife bring you back to life to be a superhero?"

"Uggh, Yang!" Ruby groaned. "I'm not supposed to be talking about this with living mortals! Stop guessing so well!"

"Living?"

Ruby sighed, and softly headbutted Yang's chest.

"It's… probably better if I just… show you."

Ruby softly grabbed Yang's hand from her shoulder, and guided it to her neck. She pressed two of Yang's fingers into her pulse point.

But no pulse came.

Yang felt her vision narrow, and her legs buckled as she fell onto her sister. This time, it seemed like Ruby had to struggle to hold her up.

Yang took a deep breath. It didn't matter if Ruby was "dead" or "alive". Those labels were meaningless. Either way Ruby was here. And as she convinced herself of that, she was able to fight off the oncoming fainting spell.

"This is why I wasn't supposed to tell you." Ruby whispered, heavy with pain.

"Well, I found out anyway." Yang whispered back, countering with determination, and beginning to carry some of her own weight again. "You don't have to go through this alone."

Ruby shuddered underneath her, and began softly sobbing.

"It's been so hard, Yang. I-I made them promise to let me w-watch over you guys… but seeing you hurting and not being able to… to say anything… gods… I'm in so much t-trouble… but right now I d-don't even care!"

"Hey, Ruby, it's okay." Yang said softly as she guided Ruby over to the side of the alley, and sat down beside her. "I'm just glad I get to see you again."

Yang hugged Ruby against her side, and began softly stroking her hair.

They sat like that for a long time. A calm eternity that Yang never wanted to end. But eventually, Ruby stopped crying.

"You have to keep this a secret, Yang." Ruby sighed. "From dad, and… Uncle Qrow too. You can't tell anyone. 'Ruby Xiao Long' is still dead. She has to stay dead. I can't go back to that life."

Yang nodded. She was worried that something like this would happen.

"Okay. I'll… make up some other reason why I'm… happier. But my therapist she's… crafty. She'll probably notice something's up."

"You still have to promise me you won't tell her, no matter what." Ruby said, holding out her pinky finger.

Yang linked it with her own.

"Promise."

There were a few more moments of silence.

"So… if you're not supposed to be 'Ruby', then who are you supposed to be now?" Yang asked.

"No… I'm still Ruby… just… now I go by 'Ruby Rose'."

"Mom's maiden name?"

"Yeah. They let me pick it."

"Well, it suits you."

They stayed cuddled together with their thoughts for a few moments longer.

"Speaking of suits… I thought you said you'd never wear one again?"

"Well," Ruby swallowed. "They didn't give me a choice in attire. I mean, beyond color."

"Can't you just change into something more comfortable?"

"Only when I'm off duty."

"Oh, so it's a uniform? Well, it looks good on you. And no one's going to mistake you for…" Yang trailed off.

"Yeah, well, they did give me skin I'd be more comfortable in." Ruby leaned more into Yang. "Big plus side on that? No more needles."

"Well, good! They owed you at least that much, right? After everything they put you through?"

"I don't know that I'd say they 'owed' me, but… I am grateful."

"Someday you'll learn that you deserve the good things that happen to you, Rubes." Yang leaned over to softly kiss the top of Ruby's head.

They sat in comfortable silence a while longer.

"I probably need to get going." Ruby sighed. "I have a job to do; they brought me back for a reason."

"Will I be able to talk to you again?" Yang asked, holding onto Ruby more tightly.

"Well… I guess I've already broken the rules… Hand me your phone?"

Yang complied, and Ruby began adding a contact.

"Agent Rose?"

"Can't have dad or someone see that you're still messaging me." Ruby said as she handed the phone back. "Best if they don't get too suspicious."

"Right."

Ruby stood and dusted herself off.

"Yang? Could you tell dad that… that I love him? And that I'm sorry… wait, not the second part, it wouldn't make sense coming from you if I was really gone."

"Yeah, Ruby. I can do that." Yang sighed, suddenly cold. "See you around?"

"Yeah, Yang." Ruby smiled wide. "See you around."

And in a flash of rose petals, she was gone again, cloak billowing behind her once more.

As the petals faded to dust, Yang tapped out a message to "Agent Rose".

Yang: This is real, right? It really happened? I'm not hallucinating?

She didn't get the reply until she was walking up the steps to the apartment.

Agent Rose: Yes, Yang, it is. :)