Prompt - Connection

"Happy birthday Weiss!"

"Happy birthday!"

"Ya, see you tomorrow. I hope you like my present the best. It's wrapped in red 'cuz I know that's your favourite colour."

"Bye!" Weiss giggled in reply, waving her tiny arms furiously as she saw the last of her friends leave her sixth birthday party. Weiss was happy, surrounded by presents from all her friends. Her big sister Winter was putting the last of the birthday cake into the fridge for tomorrow and her little brother was crying about losing his 'ba-ba', so all was right with the world.

It was already late for the little girl and she was yawning a lot, but she was just too excited to go to sleep. It was her birthday after all! You don't turn six every day, now do you? That meant she had to stay up all night to commemorate the occasion.

"Alright Weiss, you can stay up all night. But you need to do it in your bed, so mother and father don't find out. Okay?"

"Okay," Weiss nodded happily, spinning around so her long hair and fluttery skirts went every which-way.

Now, all wrapped up in her blankets, snug as a bug in a rug, she was ready. Staying up all night couldn't be too hard, right?

Winter kissed her forehead. "Goodnight birthday girl. Sweet dreams."

"G'night Winter!" She shouted in reply. Reaching for her stuffed bear 'Reginald' and her plush unicorn 'Humphry the Third', she was ready for anything that this all-nighter would throw at her.

Of course, it was at that moment that there was a flash of light and now, standing in front of her, was a girl about her age, carrying a stuffed Beowolf, looking around in amazement.

"Eep!" Weiss gasped, hiding behind her stuffed animals.

"Weiss!" the little girl squealed with delight, rushing up to her and enveloping in a glomp of a hug.

"Who are you?" Weiss nervously asked. "What are you doing in my room?"

The girl quirked her head. "You don't remember me? But I was just here! Oooh, you're already bigger than before. That means you're older too?"

"I'm six!" Weiss harrumphed.

"Happy birthday!" The girl shouted in delight. "You are so much bigger. Not me though. I think I'm still four."

"You talk a lot for a four year old."

"That's what my big sister says too. She says the only way to get me to stop is by giving me a cookie. Or a strawberry. I love cookies and strawberries. Do you?"

Unable to be scared for much longer from the chatter bug, Weiss shifted in her blankets. "I like biscuits. And blueberries."

"What's a biscuit?"

Weiss paused. "I don't know, but that's what mother and Winter call them, and they taste tasty."

The girl threw up her hands. "That's so cool! Weiss, when we meet can I try a biscuit with you?"

Weiss giggled. "But we are meeting!"

The girl shook her head. It was short, much shorter than Weiss's and swished around her head. Black in the darkness of her room. Her eyes however were piercing silver. Silver, and super bright from all her smiling. Weiss thought they were friendly eyes. "I don't think we're really meeting. I wish I could meet you though. You're super pretty! We should be best friends!"

"Veronica is my best friend."

The girl's smile dropped for a second. "Oh." Then, with a shake of her head, the smiley eyes were back. "Then I'll be your nighttime best friend!"

With a tackle hug which sent the two into heaps of laughter, the girl screamed, "Super nighttime besties!"

A pounding on her door. "Weiss!" The voice of her father. "What are you laughing at? Who are you talking to?"

Weiss stopped laughing. "I'm talking to-" She turned to where her nighttime bestie had been, only to see an empty bed. "Huh. Nobody father!"

"Then be quiet."

Her father's footsteps quieted as he rounded the corner, leaving Weiss scratching her head. Was she sleeping? No, her father had heard laughing, so that meant she was awake.

Weiss gasped. Was the girl a birthday angel? She was really pretty, so she could be an angel. Weiss was sad. She didn't even get the angel's name!

And with that, a second flash in her room left her looking at a much older girl. "Weiss?" Her voice was deeper than her new nighttime bestie's, but still higher pitched than her big sister's.

"Who are you?" Weiss had to ask.

The girl smiled. "Don't you recognize me? I know I probably look a little older. I think the last night you saw me, I was, what? Four or five? Oh! Happy birthday. Six is a big year for you, right?"

The girl walked up to Weiss's bed and sat on the edge of it. She smiled brightly and rubbed Weiss's leg over her blanket. "I remember last year for you, you said that six was your favourite number. Is that still true?"

Weiss nodded vigorously. "Six is my favourite. Are you really the angel?"

"Angel?" The girl squealed with delight. "Oh my god, I'm so happy you think that. Please, please, pretty please still think that way when I see you and you're my age."

"How old are you? Cuz you look super old."

The girl gasped with mock-hurt, hand on her chest. "Super old? I'll have you know that I am fifteen and already a huntress at the best huntsman academy in the world!"

"Oldy! You're even older than my big sister and she is super old!" Weiss snickered.

The two descended into laughter.

"Oh my god, I'm older than Winter!"

"You know my big sister?"

The girl shook her head. She had the same short-ish hair as her apparently younger self as well as those angelic smiling silver eyes.

"Not yet. I know about her. You told me!"

"When did I tell you?"

"Last year!"

Weiss frowned. "Last year?"

"Yup!" She smiled and scratched the back of her head. "Last year. On your fifth birthday. Don't you remember?"

Weiss shook her head, "nope."

"Aww, I hope that doesn't mean you will forget about me tomorrow morning. I know I'm not going to forget meeting you. You're just so adorable! Just look at you. Six and so much bigger than you were at five. Oh my god, when you were turning one? You were blubbering and complaining until I brought you Reginald."

"Not Humphry the Third?"

"You didn't get him yet. You had him the next year. That was a boring year. You were fast asleep all snuggled up with him. I think he was a birthday present-" the girl paused, almost like she was getting a headache. Weiss's mother made that face often. It looked kind of silly on the girl.

"I think we are almost out of time. But Weiss? I will see you next year. I think. At least, that's what the pattern seems to be, but who knows? See you later Weiss, I hope we meet in real life!"

"Hey!" Weiss giggled. "You said that already!"

"Did I?" The girl asked as she flickered out of existence.

It was only then did Weiss realize she didn't get the girl's name again. Aww. Maybe next year. That was a fun way to spend her night. She saw two angels. One was her new nighttime bestie and the other was a super old person! So cool.

The flash of light which filled her room for a third time now brought with it a sense of excited anticipation from the six-year old. And she was totally ready for this one.

"What's your na- huh?" Weiss paused her question as an old lady flickered into her room. "You're old!"

"Hey! I'm not old. I'm only twenty-seven."

Weiss laughed. "That's so old!"

The girl huffed, crossing her arms as she kneeled on the floor so they were seeing eye to eye. "I'm totally telling my Weiss you called me old."

"You met me in real life?" Weiss gasped.

The girl smiled and nodded, twirling a finger through her much longer hair. She still had those same silver eyes, now with smiling lines. "We did. Almost thirteen years ago."

"Will I see another you?" Weiss looked up at the older girl with pleading puppy-dog eyes. "Can I see my nighttime bestie again?"

She placed a soothing hand on Weiss's head, massaging her hair in an almost-motherly way. "You will see her again. Next year. And every other year on your birthday."

"Not tomorrow?"

"No, not tomorrow. But don't forget us, okay? Sweet dreams little one. You have a big year ahead of you."

Weiss woke up the next morning, remembering most, but not all of her conversations with those three girls who were all the same. The one around her age; her new nighttime bestie, the one older than her big sister Winter, and the one that could have been a mommy. They all looked so happy to see her.

The first thing she did was tell Winter all about them. Of course, Winter laughed and said that she had had an incredible dream, but Weiss was sure it wasn't a dream. They were all so real!

Weiss huffed. And she forgot to get their name. What did the last girl say? Next year? That just meant she had to wait until she was turning seven years old and she'd see them all again. If she wrote down what she did everyday, then she'd have so much to share with them! With that brilliant idea in mind, Weiss begged for a diary from her father, which he was all to willing to give her, to stop her complaining.

Just like they had said, it was a big year for Weiss. Winter joined an academy, so was gone from home for a lot of time. Father said it was to help her gain new business contacts. Weiss was proud that her big sister was doing well, but was sad to see her so rarely.

Some not so great things happened that year too. For one, her mother started to spend less time with her. But at least Whitley started to talk a little, so she still had a friend.

And just like that, with days passing like they do, and new experiences that only a six year old could manage, it was her seventh birthday. Much to her father's delight, she went to bed nice and early that night, with only a small party with her closest friends. And those three girls were there! It hadn't been a dream. It had been real. The most remarkable thing ever.

Her nighttime bestie was still four, and the one that was older than Winter was still older than Winter. The oldest one was still the same age too. They all looked the same as she remembered, without even a hair out of place. They talked a lot until their time ran out and wished her a great seventh birthday.

She forgot to ask their name though.

And it happened again the next year. And the next. Every year, on her birthday, she would go into her room and some time later, there they would be. The youngest, her nighttime bestie, would stay four years old. And as Weiss grew into a young teenager, her nighttime bestie, still happy to see her, would become cuter and cuter. More like a younger sister than a true best friend.

Her age would soon catch up with the middle one. The fifteen-year-old girl who she had come to learn was studying and practicing to become a huntress with as much excitement as anything else they spoke of. The eldest of the three; the one whom she had started seeing as, as much of a motherly figure as her real, oft drunk one, could only look at her with a pained smile.

"Happy tenth birthday Weiss," she said with as much cheer as she could muster. "Big things will happen this year for you. But, I just want you to know that you are strong. Weiss," the woman knelt down in front of her, grasping her shoulder tightly. Her friendly silver eyes stared deep into her soul. "You are strong and brave and kind. And you will do incredible things. Don't forget that. Promise me. Promise you won't forget."

Weiss was too stunned to speak as the light flashed and the angelic woman disappeared like she did every year. "I promise," she whispered.

It took a long time for Weiss to understand what the woman meant. But it all came crashing around her in quick succession. Veronica, her best friend of many years abandoned her. Dropped out of her life completely without a word of warning or explanation. Her father began giving her tutors. Tutors for everything from mathematics and languages to business and leadership. Tutors which were strict, and mean and seem to relish in her failures. But none of that was the worst of it. The worst happened on her birthday, just hours before she went to bed to talk with her midnight angels. Her mother, drunk as always, told her that she didn't love Weiss's father. That she was trying to escape. And her father told them all that he didn't love their mother. That he only married her to take over the company. That their family is, was and has always been a steppingstone towards power and wealth. Nothing more.

And that night, she cried in the arms of all three angels.

But the years passed by. Weiss had grown cold and alone.

Except for her yearly visits.

"Happy birthday!" came the joyful cries of that four year old. The girl threw up her arms in celebration as she looked around the room trying to find Weiss.

Weiss paid her no mind. She was studying. She had so much work to do. It was the night of her birthday, yet all that had been done for it, was being forced to sing for a business meeting and then extra homework assigned by her tutors. Work that would be graded the next morning. As much as she might want to talk to her angels, she was fifteen now. She had more important things to do.

"Weiss?" The girl's voice was shy, quiet even. Losing some of that incredible, unfading joy. It tore Weiss up inside to hear. She finally put down her pencil.

She sighed. "Hi little one."

Almost immediately, light returned to her silver eyes and she bounded forward to wrap Weiss in a hug that only a toddler could manage. "You're so big now!"

"I am!"

"Have we met yet?"

Weiss poked her nose, sending her into a fit of giggles that brought a small smile to her face. "Every birthday night. But not yet. Soon I think."

"That's good. I don't want you to be too old."

"Hey! I'm not that old. You're just very young."

The girl just continued to giggle. It was strange how quick this little girl, her cute little angel, could turn such a terrible mood and turn it into something so pleasant.

"Ooh, I think I'm going to go now. Soon!"

Weiss chuckled. "See you soon." And with that, she vanished.

"Oh, wow." Weiss spun to see her second angel. Fifteen years old, now just like her. She was staring at Weiss in a way that Weiss would only reciprocate. How had she not noticed?

That her angel was… was… indescribable.

They each took a step towards each other. Words, for once, unneeded. It was her angel which broke the silence first, just as they came face to face.

"I knew you were beautiful last year. But now, seeing you as my age? It's…"

"Indescribable?"

"I was going to say a little amazing, but that works too."

They giggled. How had Weiss not noticed how amazing her laugh was?

"I really hope I see you soon. I know you see me every year on your birthday, but I really hope that we don't meet when we're both super old. Or when I'm super old and you're young."

"Maybe we can be on the same team together in Beacon?"

Her angel's eyes lit up. "You're going to go to Beacon?! That's amazing! No, more than amazing. That's life changing! Weiss, I want you to remember something for me."

Weiss nodded. "Anything."

"I'm going to be going to Beacon tomorrow. If you see me there, no matter how old you are, can you say hi? I really want to meet you."

"Of course."

The angel held Weiss's hands, giving them a gentle squeeze. Her silver eyes were shining with unbridled joy and excitement. "See you real soon."

This time, the vanishing act brought out a bubble of laughter from her lips.

"Did my younger self just ask you to say hello?" The eldest angel's melodic voice was just what she wanted to hear.

"Do I get to see you? Do I get to meet you? To know your name? Do I get into Beacon? Early like you do? When do I get to meet you!" The questions came in rapid-fire succession, in a manner that Weiss herself couldn't believe.

"Whoa, whoa. Slow down Weiss. You're talking as fast as me." The woman let out a warm laugh and an equally warm smile. Her eyes twinkled. "I don't want to ruin the surprise for you. But when you do see her, me, her… I could never get this one right…" The angel waved her hand. "When you see me, whenever you do happen to see me, try to accept my apology. It really was an accident."

"I don't understand." Weiss wasn't pleased that her answer only made the woman's smile grow larger. She was clearly hiding something she found quite humorous. "Are you not going to tell me?"

"And ruin the surprise? My Weiss would kill me. It's one of our fondest memories."

Weiss sighed with relief. "It's a good thing to know that whatever happened, it didn't damage our relationship."

Weiss couldn't hear what she said between her spasmic laugh-coughing, only slightly mishearing the words, "did damage a sidewalk."

"See you soon Weiss."

And then she was gone.

And the year passed, without so much as a sighting of her angel. She checked Beacon's logs of new students. With only a face to go off of, it was slow-going and ultimately useless. It seemed like the two weren't destined to meet anytime soon. One good thing did come out of it though. She was newly invigorated to get into Beacon.

She was going to defeat every challenge her father threw at her. She was going to study even harder than Winter had when she still lived at home. She would do her best, anything to ensure her place at Beacon was guaranteed. Her sixteenth birthday came and went, and still, she could only enjoy her second angel's presence that much more. She was desperately hopeful that the two of them would meet soon. She would hate it, if she out-aged her pretty second angel, just as she had her first.

And then, some time after, she was accepted into Beacon.

The bullhead that picked her up from Atlas did not contain her dark haired, silver eyed friend. But she was pleased to note that her ship was only one of many which would be arriving at the prestigious huntsman academy.

All too slowly, the bullhead landed and she began to unload all her supplies. As the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, she was in possession of some of the highest quality dust that money could buy. As as someone who primarily fought with dust, she had brought quite a lot of it.

A lot of dust which was all too quickly knocked over.

"How dare you!" She screamed, trying to see her assailant from amidst the dust cloud.

"Sorry!" squeaked out a voice. A voice which caused Weiss to freeze.

"I didn't mean to knock over your du-" Silver eyes met blue once more and for the very first time.

The girl's eyes widened. "I dreamt about you last night. You at every age."

"What's your name?" Was all Weiss could think to ask at that moment.

"Ruby," came her angel's breathy reply. "Ruby Rose."

And then her angel sneezed and promptly destroyed the sidewalk.

That first night at Beacon was incredible. So completely annoying, thanks to her Ruby's sneeze causing them to get on their professors' bad sides before class had even begun, but also so amazing. She had finally met her angel.

Her Ruby.

It was magical. Ruby seemed to know so much about her. She didn't say too much, just that she go even more beautiful with age. Something which set Weiss's cheeks aflame and left a smile permanently on her lips.

And that night, a night which just so happened to be her birthday, she was visited by her angels once more.

"Weiss!" Came that adorable little voice, as soon as Weiss' stepped into Beacon's locker rooms.

"Ruby!" Weiss cheered, lifting up the toddler in her arms and swinging her around.

"You know my name!" Ruby cheered with unhinged delight.

"You," Weiss ruffled her hair, "are the most adorable little girl I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I'm so happy that you were my nighttime bestie."

"Me too."

"Happy birthday!" Her Ruby stood there in her toddler self's place. It was amusing. This Ruby in front of her was a single day younger than the one she currently knew.

"Hey Ruby," she tried to say with a completely straight face, failing completely as joy sparked in her voice.

Ruby's jaw dropped. "We've met?"

Weiss nodded happily.

"Was it a good meeting? Are we the same age? Am I younger than you? Older?" Ruby gasped. Silver eyes abuzz with excitement. "Am I an old lady?"

"You, Ruby Rose, are perfect."

"Hey!" Laughter erupted. "That didn't answer my question!"

"Call it payback for how we met."

"How did we?"

"Let's just say that it was quite memorable."

Ruby rolled her eyes. It was the cutest thing that she'd ever seen. "I'll just have to take your word for it. See you soon."

"See you soon, Angel."

"Heh, Angel. You still call me that to this day."

"It's what I thought you were when we first met. Or, at least when I first remembered meeting you."

Weiss wasn't even phased by the sudden appearance of the older Ruby. Ruby smirked playfully. "It's because you think my eyes are pretty don't you."

Weiss descended into a blush, refusing to answer.

Ruby chuckled a delightful little laugh. Ruby loved to laugh. They had truly known each other for just one day, yet it was constant and incredible.

"Don't worry Weiss. I already know the answer to that one."

"Can you answer one question for me? Just the one, without sidestepping?"

"I can try my best."

"Are we together? In your time. I know that we're close. We'd have to be. But… are we together?"

Ruby's playful smile slowly morphed into a truly happy one. One that seemed to hold so many fond memories in it. "I can't say anything that can effect the future to such a degree, but I can say that we are happy. You make me the happiest. Trust me on that."

"Thanks Ruby."

"Anytime Weiss. And Weiss? Happy birthday."

And with that, Ruby Rose vanished.

"Weiss?" Weiss jumped at hearing Ruby's voice once more. There was always three. Was this a fourth Ruby appearing? This hadn't happened before. When could this one be? Anything was-

"Weiss, what are you doing awake? It's the middle of the night."

Weiss spun around to see Ruby. Her Ruby, rubbing her eyes and holding back a yawn.

"Oh, I was just talking to you from last night."

Ruby gasped. Her semblance activated and all of a sudden, Weiss was swept up in a rose filled hug. "Happy birthday! I didn't know today was your birthday. I met you on your birthday!"

Weiss laughed. And soon, so too did Ruby. They continued to hug, and laugh and talk the night away. Too caught up in each other to get much sleep, even if it was the night before Initiation.

But it was worth it. Truly worth it to catch up. To not have that couple minute time restriction placed on them.

They bonded that night in a way that they both only dreamed about thanks to their late-night birthday rendezvous. Weiss never enjoyed their connection so much before.

Ruby Rose woke up with a start, quickly looking around her room. It was the middle of the night. "Weiss?"

"Hmm?" Her wife's arm curled around her torso, trying to bring back the warmth which had left her.

"I had the birthday dream last night. You were so cute as a kid. And a teen. And oh boy do I have some years left to look forward to-!" Ruby squealed as Weiss flipped the two of them over, so that Ruby was underneath.

Weiss leaned down, placing a long kiss on her partner's lips. "That's nice honey. Now go back to sleep." Without another word, Weiss lay on her chest and promptly began to lightly snore.

Ruby giggled. At twenty-seven years old, the two of them had been together for thirteen years and married for four of them. She brushed her wife's long white hair between her fingers and kissed her gently on the forehead. "I love you Weiss. Happy birthday."

"Love you too, Angel." Came Weiss's sleepy reply.

This was written with a prompt from the Whiterose Schneenanigans Discord Server.

Thanks to my beta for this chapter, A_Guy_Called_2623 from the RWBY Nook Discord Server.