The Malachite twins couldn't believe their eyes. First Yang breaks some kid's leg, swearing up and down that he attacked her. And now Penny… one of Ruby's closest friends lay in literal pieces on the arena floor. They could only stare along with everyone else as the horror filled the arena. The screens turned bright red with the image of a black queen chess piece.

"This was not an accident…"

As the speech droned on, the twins didn't know what to think. The words made sense, but… they knew Yang. And Penny. And Pyrrha too, to some extent. Something was just off about all of this.

"Ruby."

Neither twin knew who spoke first, but the one word grounded them both. Ruby had left before the match about wanting to 'check something out'. Now Penny was gone, and the voice on the screen was inciting people's fear and anger. As the Grimm began to attack, Melanie and Miltiades bolted from their seats to begin a frantic search for their girlfriend.

A lot had happened in what felt like a very short amount of time. Since Penny's…. Since… Penny's…

Ruby chocked back another sob at the thoughts she didn't want or need right now.

Since Penny, Grimm had invaded the school, a giant nevermore had been destroyed, and Ruby had launched herself onto Ironwood's flagship. She sent Neopolitan flying and watched Roman Torchwick get eaten alive by a Griffon. She dispatched the Griffon quickly after, accidently sending it through the airship's drive core. The warship began to fall from the sky, and Ruby had to escape the wreck quickly. Using Crescent Rose's intense recoil, it was easy to safely fall to the ground.

Ruby may have escaped the crashing warship, but it seemed she didn't escape her own bad luck. She finally landed on the fairground right in the middle of a pack of Beowolves. The dark beasts all turned to look at the human that had appeared between them. Ruby readied herself for combat. The three weakest – and most impatient – lashed out immediately. Ruby was ready, swinging her scythe in wide, powerful arcs, slicing clean through each beast and destroying them in single strikes.

The next few Beowolves were older and subsequently stronger. One charged forward, and Ruby dealt two heavy cleaves across its chest. It swung it's claw in retaliation. Ruby anticipated this and fired Crescent Rose to empower her counter, severing the attacking claw. The red reaper spun her scythe around her to bring the blade quickly around the Beowolf's neck, aimed at another Beowolf behind them. With a single pull of the trigger, she decapitated the first while blowing a hole in the second's head.

One Beowolf was left, the oldest of the bunch. Not quite an Alpha, but certainly no slouch. Ruby prepared for its charge. She began swinging her scythe as it neared, pulling the trigger halfway through the swing. The tip of her scythe embedded itself in the monster's side… and stuck there. Ruby panicked, realizing quickly why Crescent Rose didn't slice right through. Her scythe didn't get its extra propulsion because her magazine had already been spent. She had forgotten about the bullets she spent slowing her descent from Ironwood's warship.

She was out of ammo.

She tried to wrench her weapon free, but the beast was faster. The back of its hand came down and knocked Crescent Rose away. The same claw used that motion to rear back and attack Ruby, sending the girl across the field. Ruby found she could only watch as the Beowolf charged her one last time…

Shlick

Shinnk

Thud

Two blurs of color and a flash of silver, and suddenly the beast was bisected at Ruby's feet. The Beowolf dissolved away, and Ruby turned her eyes to her saviors. "Girls?"

"Ruby!" Miltiades rushed forward, throwing herself down and wrapping her arms tightly around the redhead. "We've been looking all over for you! Ever since Penny… Ever since Pyrrha…"

"Ever since the match ended," Melanie took over tactfully. She knelt down next to her sister, drawing them both into her own arms. "Are you okay?"

At those simple words, Ruby wanted nothing more than to break down and weep into her girlfriends' arms. Instead she steeled herself, pushing them away so she could stand. "I'm not okay. But I can't be not okay here, or it will just draw more Grimm," she explained. "We need to get to the airship pads."

"We're with you, Gem."

"Always."

"Thank you, girls…" Ruby wiped the small hint of tears from her eyes before she could break. "Let's go."

It didn't take long for the trio to reach the airship pads. Zwei saw them first, his barking inciting Weiss to turn. "Ruby! Melanie, Miltia!" the heiress ran forward to meet them. "Are you all okay?"

"We're fine," Ruby told her. She didn't miss the look of sorrow in her partner's eyes. "What is it? What's going on?"

Rather than answer with words, Weiss simply stepped to the sided. Behind her Ruby saw Blake sprawled out with heavy bandages around her gut. She also saw Yang, unconscious and missing an arm. "Yang…" Ruby reached out feebly, not knowing what to do.

Sun stepped forward to assure them, "hey, she's gonna be okay. The soldiers have a ship ready to take you guys to Vale."

"But Jaune and Pyrrha are still missing!" Nora argued.

Ruby's attention snapped away from her sister's injury. "What!?"

"Look, guys, that giant Grimm is circling the school!" Sun shouted. "Even the White Fang are pulling out! We all have to go, now!"

"We're not leaving!" Ren tried to stand valiantly but succumbed to his own injury and collapsed.

Ruby's scan told her one thing above all. No one was in a position to go running off after the missing pair. No one… except her. "I'll find them. I'll find them, and I'll bring them back."

"No," Weiss stood at her partner's side, "we will find them." She turned to the larger group, "look after each other. We'll be back."

Ruby and Weiss started to run back toward Beacon. They were interrupted when a hand gripped Ruby's wrist. The redhead looked back, right into worries emerald eyes. "Take us with you," Miltiades insisted.

Ruby frowned, "I can't."

"We're not just letting you go!" Melanie argued.

Ruby took a deep breath, placing her free hand over the hand grabbing her. "I love you girls. And I appreciate you coming to help earlier. But right now, you're civilians and I'm a huntress in training. You don't have the training I do for this, and I will have my partner. I won't be going alone. You two need to evacuate into Vale. Please."

As hard as it was to accept, the pair knew Ruby was right. Melanie looked to Weiss. "You better keep her safe."

"If you think I'll be keeping her safe, you really don't know how strong she is," Weiss smirked. Her teasing smile fell as the moment passed, "regardless, I'll do my best."

Letting go of Ruby's wrist was the hardest thing Miltiades had ever done. The huntresses-in-training ran into the fray and were quickly swallowed by the chaos. The twins filed into line for the airships, taking several minutes to reach the front. As they were about to step on, they took one last look toward Beacon tower. Just in time to see a massive silver light explode across the sky…

Two weeks later

Ruby stood shaking across the street from Junior's Club. Her fingers gripped the straps of her backpack tightly. She was nervous about what was next.

Jaune stepped up beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure about this?"

Ruby took a deep breath a relaxed her grip. She was nervous about what was next. But she knew it had to be done. "Yeah."

"Alright," Jaune accepted and retreated back to Ren and Nora's side behind her.

Ruby took those tentative steps across the street, approaching the man guarding the door. "Lil' Red! You're awake!"

"Hey, Javier," Ruby smiled. "Are the girls in?"

"Yeah, I'll go get them," the bouncer offered. "They'll be happy to see you. They've been worried sick."

"Yeah…" Ruby muttered to herself, her hands fidgeting. "I'll bet they have…"

She was nervous about what was next. She knew it had to be done. But that didn't make it any easier to do.

"Ruby!" The twins called in unison. Before the redhead could respond, she was cocooned by four arms wrapping themselves tightly around her. "We were so worried! We kept every ear out for news of you!" Miltiades explained.

"We even visited Patch after you were recovered," Melanie informed her. "You were still asleep, though, and we could only stay so long…" The white-dressed twin finally spotted Ruby's friends across the street, along with the bags they all wore. "What's going on?"

Ruby lightly pushed the girl's off, avoiding their eyes while she explained. "Atlas didn't attack Beacon. We all know that, but the rest of the world doesn't and they're not looking for other assailants. I do know who attacked Beacon, though… and their trail leads to Haven. I think they want to do to Haven what they did to Beacon. And no one else is trying to stop them. No one else even knows…"

"You're going to Mistral, then?" Melanie crossed her arms. "And this… is a goodbye?"

"I'm sorry," Ruby pleaded. "But I have to do this. Not just as a huntress, but as Ruby Rose. What happened on top of Beacon Tower… my eyes did something. I'm not sure what it is, but I know I can help. So, I have to go help. Whatever is going on… it's bigger than all of us."

"So… there's no way we can talk you out of this?" Miltiades asked.

Ruby's only response was to repeat, "I'm sorry."

Melanie and Miltiades looked to each other, having another of their legendary silent conversations. Ruby had seen enough that sometimes she could follow along. This, however, was not one of those times. Miltiades turned around without a word and nearly ran back into the Club.

"Miltia!" Ruby cried out, not wanting to see the girl in pain.

"Don't worry about her," Melanie told Ruby.

Ruby frowned at the implication.

"She'll be right back down with our bags."

Ruby blinked. "Uhh… What?"

Melanie turned up her smirk, aiming it right at the young leader. "You didn't really think we were just going to let you go, do you?"

"But… it'll be dangerous," Ruby reminded them.

"Exactly," Melanie shrugged. "And with Cross-Continental Communication down, you can't call us. How are we supposed to know you're okay if we don't come with?"

"You guys don't have the training we do to last in the wilds," Ruby argued.

"So teach us," Melanie countered easily.

"T-teach you?" Ruby's confusion climbed ever higher. "I-I don't…"

"Ruby," Melanie captured her girlfriend's attention with a genuine smile. "We love you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to us. And because of that, we refuse to let you leave without us. We're not just going to sit back and worry about you while you go to war half a world away."

Ruby didn't know what to think. "If you come with us, there might not be any turning back."

"We'll follow you to the end of the world," Melanie assured. "We love you, and we're not letting you go."

Miltiades emerged from the club with two backpacks and a large envelope in her hand. She approached her sister and her girlfriend with a serious look on her face. "What's the verdict?"

"I think she's coming to terms with it," Melanie answered her sister.

"Good," Miltiades turned to Ruby with a smirk, "because you don't get a choice this time, Gem."

As her mind came around to the twins thinking, Ruby couldn't help but chuckle. "I love you two so much."

"We love you, too, Gem," the twins replied in unison. The trio walked across the street to the others waiting for them. Nora's smile was getting bigger and bigger.

"I TOLD YOU!" She suddenly cried once they were all grouped up. "I knew they would come with! Pay up, Ren!"

"Nora, no one took that bet," Ren reminded her.

Nora huffed. "Well, I should get something for calling it!"

"How about new gear?" Miltiades offered. She held up the envelope, "Junior gave us our final pay along with what he called a 'good-fucking-luck bonus'. We'll all need traveling clothes at the very least."

Nora's eyes went wide. "I knew I liked you two for a reason! Let's go!"

"Nora!" Ren tried calling after the hyper girl, but she was already halfway down the street. He turned to the twins, "I apologize pre-emptively for whatever Nora may do. Welcome aboard."

"Yeah," Jaune smiled, "we're all glad to have you. Maybe not as much as Ruby, but glad nonetheless."

"Jaune!" Ruby blushed. The twins laughed.

The group made their way to Vale's market for their new gear, with Ruby, Melanie, and Miltiades trailing slightly behind. "As worried as I am, I'm glad you two are coming," Ruby spoke up. "Thank you."

The twins smiled.

"Thank you, Ruby,"

"For everything you've done for us."

None of them knew what the future held. But all of them were all the more confident now that they would be facing that future together.

And this is the official end to 'Both of Them, and Only Them'!

The main reason this ends here of all places is because anything beyond this would just be a re-telling of canon with the twins shoehorned in at every opportunity, and I have no interest in doing that.

There is a connected one-shot I wrote which I intend to upload to FF tomorrow. It's not technically part of this story, and as such I will be uploading it as it's own piece, so be sure to keep an eye out tomorrow for 'The Malachite's Shady Past.'

Much like the coming one-shot, there may still be other unique scenes worth exploring in this world, but if I do so they will also be self-contained one-shots. This specific work will see no more updates.

I hope you all have enjoyed this work, and I hope you consider checking out my other stories!

- Vengfulfate