A/N: So, I may have totally made myself cry while writing this. Please enjoy and leave opinions and constructive criticism.
Your ears are ringing, and your vision is blurry as your eyes flicker open. You groan, attempting to sit up, pressing your hand to the side of your head, your hair slick and matted. You drop your hand back into your sight, noting the blood covering your skin, and you release a shaky breath as you try not to panic. What happened? You force your eyes to focus the best you can and look around, trying to find your teammates.
You see Weiss a short distance away, her rapier a flash as she fights off the grimm heading toward you, Yang punching her way through a mass of grimm beyond her, and Blake is off to the side fighting her own mass. You grunt as you force yourself to your feet, wobbling as you stagger toward Crescent Rose where she sits a few feet away. The ringing in your ears is inconvenient, cutting off an important sense, and you move toward Weiss. At her side, you struggle to keep yourself on your feet as you swing your scythe, slicing down grimm.
You see her lips move out of the corner of your eye, but you can't hear what she says. She's speaking too quickly for you to follow, and you refocus on the battle in front of you. You swipe at an ursa's paw as it swings at your partner, but you fail to block the claws that drag through your right shoulder, your jaw clenched as Weiss destroys your attacker.
Her hand grasps yours and squeezes tightly, drawing your attention. She points behind you, and you realize she's asking to fall back. You nod, and she pulls you with her, running far enough to leave space between the two of you and the grimm, before you turn and ground Crescent Rose, shooting at the mass. Ice joins your bullets, wiping out everything you hit, and Yang and Blake join you when the clearing is void of enemies.
You drop Crescent Rose and fall to your knees, your body heavy as you fight to stay awake. Your teammates are panicked around you as you collapse completely, and you're engulfed in darkness.
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You awake to a consistent slow beeping and groan as you open your eyes. You feel a hand squeeze your left and try to return the action, but your body is so heavy. Turning your head slowly to the left to avoid worsening your headache, you find Weiss crying as she stares at you from her seat beside the bed. "Weiss," you murmur weakly, coughing. Your throat feels as though you've swallowed razor blades.
"You're okay," she assures you, leaning over you and kissing your forehead. "Rest, my love."
You nod slowly and close your eyes, allowing sleep to overtake you once again.
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The next time you awake, Yang is in the chair beside the bed. She looks as though she hasn't slept in weeks, and you wonder how long you've actually been here. "Yang," you whisper hoarsely, and she glances at you.
"Hey, Rubes. How are you feeling?"
"Better," you respond, tired. "Is it over?"
"Yeah, sis, it's over. Somehow you and Ozpin defeated her together, which kind of angered the grimm, almost like she was trying one last time to take us out. We really thought we were losing you in the end."
You chuckle weakly. "I won't ever leave any of you."
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"Come on, Ruby, you can do this," Blake says quietly, your left arm draped over her shoulders as you lean against her, forcing your legs to listen to you. "No matter how long it takes, we'll all be here to help you get better."
You wipe the sweat from your forehead with the back of your right hand, frowning at the lack of feeling. You'd found out shortly after you could stay awake for long periods of time that the damage to your right shoulder had been too extensive and you would likely never completely feel anything through the arm or hand, however, there were moments when you could feel pressure. Your right ear had been mangled, as well as destroying your eardrum, and you had only been able to stomach looking at your wounds once. Scars litter your face, the longest scar across the right side of your jaw and your ear where you'd been unfortunate to receive a swipe from an ursa. The gash on your right shoulder is worse than the side of your head, but at least you're able to hide that one.
Blake pats your back as you take the few steps toward the bed, and you sit, slowly turning and lifting your legs onto the bed. She hands you the blanket and you pull it up to your waist. "Are you hungry? I can call for some food," she offers, but you shake your head.
"No, thanks. I'm too tired to eat right now." You lean back against the raised bed and watch whatever cartoon is currently on the small tv mounted on the wall in front of you. The door opens, and Yang and Weiss enter, smiling at you. You immediately notice the red draped over Weiss's arm and sigh in relief. "You found it," you breathe, and Weiss nods as she leans forward and kisses you.
"We washed it as well. There was far too much blood and dirt on it for us to allow you to have it so soon," your girlfriend murmurs as she wraps your cloak around your shoulders, and you sink into its comfort. "How did you do today?"
"Made it to the door and back," you reply as she lies next to you, head on your shoulder. "It took a lot of effort and wore me out."
Yang joins Blake on the couch by the window, wrapping her arm around her shoulders and pulling her close, whispering something to her. You're too content to care about anything as you drift to sleep, your last conscious memory of Weiss kissing your cheek.
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Days pass before you can walk without assistance from your teammates. When you're released from the hospital with a warning to take it easy, Yang drives the four of you to the house in Patch, and your heart stops. You remember Dad and Qrow joining the fight against Salem, along with a lot of other huntsman and huntresses, and a lot of them hadn't survived. You were unsure of whether Dad and Uncle Qrow had, after you and your teammates had been forced to leave them behind to confront Salem, and Yang hadn't been able to communicate with them.
The house is quiet when you enter, and you sit on the couch, hood pulled over your head. Weiss joins you, pressed against your side, and Yang and Blake move to the kitchen to find something to cook for dinner. You hear a gasp and the drop of keys, and you're on your feet in a heartbeat, rushing to their side, Weiss behind you.
Sitting at the table are Dad and Qrow, and you leap forward to hug both of them, crying. Yang joins the hug, and then the rest of your team joins, and you all just stand in the hug silently for a few moments. You hop up onto the counter as Yang cooks, and Dad and Qrow alternate informing them of the events that transpired after you had gone forward. Quietly, you examine their scars, much less prominent than your own but still there.
"We only just got back this morning," Dad says, staring at you. "If we had known you were safe and back in Vale, we would have—"
"It's okay, Dad. You wouldn't have been able to do much anyway. I'm just glad you're both alive," you assure him, and Qrow nods.
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Years later, you stand at the cliff, five stones in front of you. You smile, speaking to each one individually, as though your family can still hear you. You're sure they can, with changes in the air as you address each one, and you sit before the final stone, reaching out and placing your hand flat on its surface.
You're ready to join them, closing your eyes as you feel another shift in the air. A hand settles on your shoulder and you open your eyes, tilting your head back. Weiss smiles down at you, and you stand. "We've been waiting for you, my love."
As you kiss her, rose petals scatter away in the wind.