I wished my palm would swallow my face and send me to the void.

There was no way for me to dig myself out of this mess. I could play dumb. Unfortunately, Weiss wasn't blessed with stupidity. So that option was bound to fall through at some point. I felt like I should face her — confront her, but I didn't want to peek between my fingers.

My hand acted as my safe haven, protecting me from whatever expression she made. It became my small little wall because I didn't know what to say to her nor could I look into her eyes.

The silence between us was deafening.

"You know what Weiss," I sighed into my palms. "Let's forget this conversation ever happened."

I finally drew my hands away and proceeded to get up without sparing her a single glance.

"W-Wait." Weiss reached out to grab a hold of my arm and stopped me. "Do... Do I know her?"

I couldn't meet Weiss in the eyes and I stayed soundless.

It was too complicated to explain.

"Is it Pyrrha?" Her voice softly croaked. "I mean... We're alike in some ways. Maybe Nora but that's stretching by many miles. Or is it —"

"Weiss," I softly cut her off. I finally turned to her with a broken smile. "She's not in this world."

Literally and figuratively.

She drew a long blank stare and her grasp grew weaker until it no longer anchored onto my arm.

"Oh..." Her eyes instantly darted to the floor but they returned back to mine to express her condolences. "I-I'm sorry for your loss."

I nodded in acknowledgement as I kicked a rock off the edge of the dock. It sunk down into the depths of the ocean, reminding me the time I sunk into a period of silent grief in the past. I kind of hated myself when I did. A guild leader was suppose to be someone strong, not an emotional wreckage.

But the past cannot be fixed.

We basked in the silence for a little longer as I stared straight at the ocean's horizon, watching the sky magically turn into an orange hue. The sun was beginning to set but it took its time.

"Do you believe in fairy tales?"

I now have Weiss's attention since I noticed her turned to me.

She shook her head. "Not really. Why?"

I shifted my weight and sat back down at the edge of the docks next to Weiss once more. I tucked my knees to my chest and rested my chin between the valley of my joints.

"I do." I offered a ghost of a smile. "There's one fairytale I like. Want to hear it?"

"I'm sure I've heard it before..." She replied, but I shook my head, positive that not a single word of this story ever made it to her ears. "But I'll bite."

"The main protagonist of the story is a leader who often went by the name Captain. The Captain held feelings towards this one person, but I suppose there was never a happily ever after to their ending."

"What the fuck is this?" I slammed the papers onto my desk and eyed my most trusted guildmates at what atrocity I was handed. "An official declaration of war?"

"At least they have the audacity to declare war rather than surprise us..."

I rolled my eyes and the highness of the angel race shrunk her head with a hesitant shrug.

"I mean I guess," I sighed as I leaned into the conference table trying to figure things out. "I'm not exactly in the mood to go to war with the guild Flaming Kittens."

The name rolled off my tongue in disgust. Like seriously, who creates and establishes a name with Flaming Kittens? It sounds like a terrible joke.

"I don't see what's the problem," the demon lord didn't bother hide the cocky tone in his voice. But I'm not surprised. By nature, the king of Hell would never show humble modesty. "They only have one power house in their guild while we have three. We can easily bring them to their knees."

"The problem is causalities," I did nothing to hide my eye roll. "When we go to war, we also suffer a few repercussion. Not just them."

"But there's also something else bothering you also isn't there?"

I glanced up and noticed another one of my subordinates leaning against the door's archway. Her light colored hair flawlessly cascaded down, trapped between the wall and her back. When she craned her neck, her long pointed ears tilted along with it.

A half-elf.

Affinity for all sorts of magic. Sharp in terms of sense and perception.

Yes, that's what she was. A mix of an elf and a human. A child born out of a wedlock. A bastard of a child tossed away like many others. The elven race were harsh. They did not take lightly to their own kind who were not pure — like her as an example.

"Leave us," I ordered everyone but her.

They abided and they filed their way out of the room. Once the two of us were alone, I pulled a chair for myself and kicked my legs up.

"And what makes you say that?" I dared to ask as my cheeks rested into my fist.

She strode in with a hum. She possessed beauty and intelligence from her elven side, but was born with an aura that matched any normal human.

"There's something more to it," she easily answered. She swooped from behind and played with my hair carefully. They had grown fairly long, but never passed my bosoms. I felt my shoulders relax and she knew it too. "You're wondering why would they challenge us when they don't stand a chance."

Then she suddenly plucked a stray white hair that contrasted with the dark brown I had going on. I hissed and jerked up, shooting her a stern scowl.

"Perhaps you're correct." I admitted. Her perception was on the spot. Like always. "So why do you think they dared to wager war? They cannot hold a burning candle to the demon lord or to the princess of the angels. Nor I in this matter."

"Perhaps they have something planned far deeper and more complicated?" She offered a suggestion.

"Are you suggesting they may have aligned with other guilds that could rival us? Suggesting that their foolish name is just a ploy to lower our guards, hoping to hit us with a surprise? "

"There are twenty power houses in this world. Combine a few together and we might sink."

"You are not far from the truth," I sighed.

XXX

"You're badly injured," she hissed at me. The elven woman pushed my shoulders down to keep me from sitting up.

"So?" I laughed it off. "My aura can heal it."

"Your aura is blocked you dumbass."

"Minor details," I snorted. Who would've thought that someone was capable of developing a magic to temporary block aura. I swear, people nowadays are becoming clever. "Now let me up woman."

"Shut up and let me take care of you."

"Don't you see that there's a war going on? Who the hell would've thought they aligned with four other guilds."

"I am very aware," she rolled her eyes. "Now would you please shut the fuck up so I can figure out how to unblock your aura."

I relented and relaxed onto the ground. Her hair cascaded down and her tips barely touched my forehead. Despite how much I bled and how much I ached, I felt oddly relaxed. Here we are somewhere in a forest where I had crashed. The fight still ensued. People were injured and perhaps dying. But I took this moment to not dwell on it.

"You know we cannot be seen like this right?" I murmured. My eyes were completely shut and my lips tug into a disappointed frown.

She knew it and I knew it too.

The feelings we held.

"You told me multiple times. I am very well aware."

XXX

"I stand by my statement!" I accidentally snapped back to her.

I regretted it but I have to make my point across. The war was dragging on for far too long. I reluctantly made a few alliances with other neighboring guilds, but our enemies were thinking quick on their feet. They were trying to pinpoint my weakness as I stood in their way like an obnoxious obstacle.

"I'm trying to protect you," I added on top of that. "They want me dead. In order to do that, they're going to target you."

"Are you implying that I'm your weakness?" She gritted her teeth at me. She hated when she was called weak. She had everything but strength I would admit. But it wasn't her fault that her aura was very limited. It wasn't her fault she was born with an aura of a human — finite and fragile.

"We weren't being subtle enough and our enemies know how I'm quite 'attached' to you."

"Oh so I am your weakness."

"That's not what I'm saying."

"That's what you're implying," she countered back.

"I'm trying to take precautions. What if they attack you? What would happen if they decide to lay their fingers on you and I'm not there to stop them."

"I'm not a damsel in distress. I can take care of myself just fine."

"And how could I possibly know that? I know my enemies and I know you."

"I could say the same thing," she scoffed. "I know you don't want this. There's more to us. I know you, Ra —"

"Don't say my name!" I twisted my body away from the window and snarled at her.

I didn't like it when people did. They always ended up dropping dead like bone skeletons if they casually mentioned it out loud. It felt like some curse.

Everyone knew not to go to first name basis with me. It marked a moment of closeness — like if some intimacy was involved. Enemies would see it as a window of an opportunity and hunt them down like savage predators. If their target was weak, then that's a bonus for the enemies.

And I could tell that she was beginning to make it on their hit list.

She was my weakness. Get through her and they can get through me. That was one possible way to strike me down.

"My apologies Captain," she spitefully spat out as she understood her place. She simply bowed and sharply turned around before slamming the door behind her.

XXX

My brown eyes couldn't tear itself away from the monochrome stone. Engraved on the stone were letters I didn't want to see. I didn't shed a tear yet, but there was that hole in my chest filled with melancholy.

"I'm sorry."

I recognize the voice behind me. The demon lord. I knelt down and placed the flowers onto the grave. My head lowered and I bit back the grief that was surfacing slowly.

"Do you have regrets?"

The sound of regrets slipping out of his mouth weighed heavily in my mind.

I did.

"Who?" I barely managed out of my throat.

It was loud enough that it could be heard by him.

"The man who befriended her was an enemy spy. He tried to pick off any useful information about you through her. When he realized he couldn't, he apparently planned to use her as a hostage against you. But she took her own life before he could. She knew the predicament she was in and she knew what lengths you would go through."

I let his words sink in. I wiped a rogue tear from the corner of my eyes as I shouldn't be grieving. I wanted to, but I shouldn't. Perhaps I'll grieve another time.

"What's the plan?"

"End the war. I'm going to watch every single one of those little fuckers burn to the ground."

"I-I never heard of such a story before," Weiss faintly murmured. The so called fairy tale sunk into her head and boggled her mind when it didn't sound anything close to Remnant. Remnant didn't have anything similar to this fantasy story. "That's your favorite fairy tale? The ending is so... Tragic."

"It is..." I quietly admitted. "Probably not the best ending you would like to hear from a fairy story, but not all of them has a happily ever after."

"What did happened to the Captain after that?"

"Fueled with rage and sadness, the Captain slaughtered them all. They..." I paused and sighed. "She did not rest nor stopped. She pushed herself to the edge as she was consumed with her emotions. And by the end when she could no longer continue her revenge, she turned cold and pushed away those who wanted to help her. It was until many years passed that something magical happened."

"What magical thing happened?" Weiss sounded deeply invested in this story.

This fantasy world.

My world.

"The Captain found peace and her stone walls crumbled through people that were beyond this world." I lowered my head and fiddled my thumb as my mind drew further back. "The Captain didn't exactly have a family other than her guild. But these people beyond her world were able to fill that empty hole in her heart — something that her companions could not give her."

"So there is a uplifting ending to this..."

"I suppose if you squint pass all that war going on there is."

"And why is it your favorite fairytale?" Weiss pulled the loose strands to the crevice of her ears, genuinely intrigued and curious.

I buried my head into the neck of my cape while I dwelled on it.

"Remember when the Captain stood in front of the grave and the demon lord asked if she had any regrets?" Weiss nodded and I continued. "She did have regrets. She regret holding romantic feelings because her silly mistake led to the death of her subordinate. But yet a part of her regret holding these feelings back, restricting it from ever blooming."

"I like this story because it reminds me to live life without regret." I shifted my head, my attention now steadily pointed to her rather than the horizon. Weiss seemed deeply lost in thought. Who knows what was going on in her head, but I knew what internal battle enraged in mine. "This fairytale is no different than the world we live in — the emotions we feel and the predicament we get pushed in. Nothing is different other than what the world is comprised of. But none of that matters. Life is precious and it only lasts so long."

I closed my eyes and let the rays of orange light seep through my eyelids.

A lot of things changed over the years. I never knew I could experience such drastic changes. It felt strange, but yet, in a good way. I felt free — freer than I ever been.

"...Thank you."

My ears somewhat picked up a quiet mumble. I slowly opened my eyes, gazing directly at the owner of the soft-spoken voice. Her eyes already bore into mine and I blinked, watching how the scarlet-orange light dyed her pale complexion in streaks.

"Thank you for sharing that story." Weiss expressed her gratitude by offering a small smile. "It made me think of things that I haven't thought of."

I shook my head.

"No, thank you for letting me tell it."

I had to admit, it sat in the back of my mind collecting dust and cobwebs. I almost forgot about it from how much I pushed it away.

"Do you have any regrets?" She asked me.

I thought about it for a moment.

Was there any regrets I have as Ruby Rose?

I pulled my chin on top of my arms and leaned forward into my tucked knees. My eyes flicked down when I traced through my memories of what sort of regrets I held living as Ruby Rose.

The whole ordeal with the White Fangs.

My sudden disappearance.

Summer Rose.

My memories.

There were a few...

"I do," I honestly answered her. "It's either too late or impossible to fix them."

I let the lingering silence sit between again until I broke it.

"Do you have regrets?" I questioned her.

I found the courage turn to her and study her face. Her blue eyes flitted down to her neatly folded hands. She wrung them together while she searched through her memories.

"I..." She started off at first but shook her head. "No. I don't regret any of my decisions."

She spoke with confidence and I found my lips creeping into a latent smile.

"That's good."

I closed my eyes and listened to the lulling waves crash. I slowly drowned myself into my thoughts when I thought about more of my regrets. The past already happened and was now out of my hands. But were there other regrets? Were there things I knew that could turn into some kind of remorse? Was there anything within my powers I could do now before it becomes another addition to my growing list?

...Was there?

A hum drew me out of my deep reflective thought. It only took a simple wordless melody to override the coursing waves. A soothing sound, a gentle tone, or whatever you want to call it, I became less... Anxious.

I felt relaxed...

"Hey Weiss?" I called out to her.

Her humming had stopped.

I turned to her one final time and admired how the orange haze casted over her face. It wasn't just her that could feel the brilliant rays, I could feel it splashing on my skin also. A calm current of wind slowly carried passed us, and Weiss finally turned to me, locking me under her eyes.

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry..."

In the back of my mind, I realized there was one thing I could do before it could turn into a lifetime of regret. The inaction... The lack of trying... Being afraid to like someone because it'll get them killed... I don't want these to haunt me forever. I want to live knowing I gave it my all. I want to live knowing my heart did its best to achieve what it wanted. I want to be selfish. I want... More.

I wasn't living in that world anymore.

I'm now living as Ruby Rose.

I want to put an end to my bittersweet fairy tale and find a happily ever after.

"...But I like you."

When you're suppose to be drafting a technical report, but instead, you write fan fiction. Oops.