Disclaimer: All character belong to Rooster Teeth Productions
Co-Authored with ToxicExotic
Closure
Pulling a black shawl over her shoulders, Blake let out a long yawn and sat down on the edge of her bed. Despite it not even being noon, the day had already been a long one. Before light had even begun to spill through the curtains, she'd been woken by Ruby giving up on sleep and choosing to work instead. She didn't blame the girl of course, understanding what it was like to go to the funeral of a friend, but she really did wish the girl would get some real sleep. Even as she stood on the other side of the room fastening her corset, Blake could tell from how frequently she was having to restart that the lack of sleep was starting to wear on her.
"Are you doing okay?" She asked, breaking the silence that had filled the room for the past ten minutes.
"Mhm." The reaper hummed with a nod. "Stupid lace just won't behave."
"Here." Yang muttered softly and moved over to her. "Lemme help."
"Thanks."
Dressed in a dark brown jacket and pants that only made her hair stand out even more, the woman quickly went about tying the lace with practised ease. "You don't have to go, you know."
"I do." The girl said with a shake of her head. "I want to go, I just… I just don't know how I'm gunna face her." She looked down at Yang's hands. "I let him suffer and put her in danger."
"I don't think Petilly blames you for anything that happened." Blake offered, feeling a small sickness in her stomach. "If she's gunna be mad at any of us it then it'll be m-"
"Okay, can you both just stop it?" Yang scowled in her direction. "Neither of you did anything wrong, and if Petilly thought you did then she wouldn't want you there. So can you stop with the mopiness? Today's gunna suck enough as it is."
"Sorr-"
She was cut off again as the bathroom door opened and Weiss stepped out wearing a knee-length dress coloured somewhere between a light blue and green. "Why are you raising your voice?"
"Because they're being silly." Yang sighed and looked the woman up and down. "Why're you wearing bright colours? You're aware we're going to a funeral, right?"
"I am." The heiress replied in an offended tone. "Verdigris is a mourning colour in Atlas."
"Oh…" Yang backtracked. "I didn't know that. Sorry."
Weiss squinted at the girl, but seemingly thought better of starting an argument and instead moved over to her bed to brush her hair. "We should be going in a few minutes."
"We still have an hour." Blake replied and fixed her jacket.
"And we need to catch an airship and drive through midday traffic. I would rather not risk being late."
"No point arguing, Blake." Yang sighed. "You know what she's like with her punctuality."
Letting out a sigh, Blake laid back on her bed. She wasn't exactly looking forward to the funeral herself. Though she knew it had saved the girl's life, she still hated what she had done that day; but more so what she had been prepared to do. So, much like Ruby, she too shared that same innate fear of facing the grieving girl. How would she react? Would she be scared of her? Would she resent her? She didn't know, but that feeling persisted. So much so that she was still unable to pick up her weapon without checking the grip for remnants of her actions.
"Aright, Rubes." Yang said as she finished tying off the lace. "All done."
Glancing up from her bed, Blake looked over and surveyed her girlfriend. It was weird to see her without an ounce of red on her body. Almost every single part of her clothing was pure black, and even the red cloak that had been present every day she had known her was missing. The only hint of colour that remained was the red tips of her hair, the usually windswept locks having been smoothed out to frame her face.
"You look great." She offered as the leader inspected herself in the mirror.
"Thanks."
"Alright." Weiss grumbled and stood up. "Are we all ready to go?"
A murmuring of agreement ran throughout the room, and Weiss gave a satisfied nod before making her way to the door. Pushing herself off the bed, Blake moved to join her, only to feel a strong hand catch her shoulder.
"Wait." She turned to see Yang glancing just above her head. "Where's your bow?"
"Oh…" Blake felt one of her ears fold and gave a small shrug. "Well… it's rude to cover your trait at a funeral, so I decided… I decided not to wear it."
Feeling her teammates' eyes on her as they registered what she'd just said, Blake rubbed the top of her arm anxiously. She would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous about leaving the room uncovered and displaying her ears to her fellow students; especially with how they had treated her over the last week. However, she wasn't even sure what the point of wearing her bow even was anymore. Everyone already knew she was a faunus, and the original reason for opting to wear it felt foolish in hindsight.
In fact, she was beginning to agree with Weiss more and more over the last few days. Wearing it just felt stupid, and no longer served any purpose except to irritate her ears.
"Well I think you look better like this." Ruby said, her hand slipping into hers and a warm smile beaming up at her.
"Same." Weiss echoed from behind her. "Now can we go?"
"Alright, relax." Yang sighed. "We're coming."
With a relieved breath, Weiss left the room and Ruby took off after her. However, before Blake could follow, she felt the hand on her shoulder tighten and pull her into the blonde's arms. Just like always, the warmth that exuded from her partner was comforting enough to rival her mother's.
"I'm proud of you." The woman uttered into her ear.
It was a small gesture, but Blake still felt a lump form in her throat. Raising her arms, she wrapped them around her best friend and allowed herself to enjoy the moment. It didn't last long though, and the two soon parted to give each other a grateful look. Just like with Ruby and Weiss, Blake really didn't know where she would be without the blonde's unwavering support.
"Took you long enough th-"
"Yang!"
"ALRIGHT!" Yang bellowed back and shook her head. "Holy Oum. Remind me to set her stupid clock back the next time any big event comes up."
Feeling a wet chuckle leave her throat, Blake reached up and wiped her eyes. "I'll help you do it."
"And we can blame it on Ruby when she finds out." Yang grinned, slipping her arm around her shoulder and steering them towards the door. "Now come on. Let's go show the world those adorable ears of yours."
The small chapel was busier than Ruby expected. With it having been nearly two weeks since the mission had ended, she had forgotten just how large the group travelling with her had been, but there she was sat in a room filled with almost forty people. Of course, Kali and Ghira were there; roaming around the room and greeting everyone as they entered, but to Ruby's surprise, so were the guards. Or at least the guards that had made it to Vale.
Scattered among them though were the few families that had been traveling with them. Mr Fern and his daughter were sitting on one of the pews, the look of misery on their face unsurprising as Ghira had informed her that they had memorialised Mrs Fern the day before. With no body to bury, the woman's name had instead been added to the ever-growing Wall of the Lost that stood in the center of Vale. Dotty and her grandson sat across from them, seemingly offering words of support. A few other families that she hadn't really interacted with during the mission also sat nearby, too; and even the Slates, a young married couple who had not been particularly fond of the man, had arrived to pay their respects.
The only person who wasn't there however, was Petilly. The girl had yet to leave the back room of the chapel, not that Ruby blamed her, but with only twenty minutes until the service began, she knew the girl would be out any moment.
"No matter how many funerals I go to, they never stop being uncomfortable." Blake sighed, plonking down in the seat beside her.
"Same." Ruby grumbled, within she had her cloak to wrap herself in. "How're your parents?"
"Busy." The faunus let out a small yawn, and a pang of guilt ran through her for once again waking her up in the middle of the night. "I'll catch up with them later."
Ruby merely gave a small nod in return and remained silent. Talking felt uncomfortable, like a small ball was lodging itself in her throat and expanding with every word. Thankfully, Blake didn't seem to be in the mood for conversation either, so taking her hand, Ruby simply rested her head against her girlfriend's shoulder and let the silence calm her nerves.
It didn't last long though, as a few minutes later Petilly finally emerged from the back room wearing a dark green dress and Ruby stifled a small groan. The girl looked so much worse than the last time she had seen her. The usually pale skin was starting to turn grey, only making her bright red hair stand out even more, along with the innumerable red scars that covered her face. Beside her was a man with pale brown hair that Ruby didn't know, but his smile was warm as he placed a hand on the top of the girl's head and ruffled her hair.
As the grieving girl's tired eyes glanced around the room, their eyes caught and Ruby felt a wave of nerves pulse through her. Nevertheless, she raised a hand to greet her.
"Here she comes." Blake mumbled as the girl began to weave her way through the crowd, only giving those who greeted her a polite nod in return. "She doesn't look good."
"I doubt I looked better after my mom died." Ruby muttered sympathetically.
Lifting her head off of Blake's shoulder, Ruby stood to her feet and straightened out her dress. Once again, the feeling of having something lodged in her throat returned, but she swallowed to force it down as the girl grew close enough for Ruby to see her freckles. Sadly, the closer she came, the worse the scars that littered her face appeared to be. Though some were thin enough to easily be ignored, more than a few of the cuts had been deep enough to leave angry, red lines along her skin.
"Hey…" She gave the young girl a meek smile.
"Hi." Petilly replied in an uncharacteristically dull voice.
A moment of silence passed between them as the smaller redhead's arms folded around herself.
"You uhh…" The man said in a soothing tone and put a hand on her shoulder. "You wanna introduce me, Tilly?"
The girl stayed quiet again, looking down at her shoes. The man didn't seem to mind though, and he gave her an understanding nod before turning to them both.
"Parchamel." He said and held his free hand out.
"Blake."
"Ruby." She took the hand and shook it.
"Ahh, now those are familiar names."
Despite the calm smile on his face, Ruby still felt a little nervous, and couldn't help but wonder what Petilly had been saying about them.
"You're Prince's ex, right?" Ruby replied, his name also being familiar. "He mentioned you a few times."
"Uhh…" He scratched the back of his head. "Something like that. Though I suppose it would be more accurate to say we were just on a break." His face fell a little and sadness entered his eyes. "Though I also suppose that doesn't really matter now, I guess… Sorry."
"I'm sorry for your loss." Blake offered.
The man gave a weak smile in return. "Thanks." Taking a deep breath, Parchamel shook his head. "Anyway, I believe Tilly has something to say to you. Right, Tilly?"
Glancing down at the girl, Ruby saw her idly picking at the sleeve of her dress. Almost instinctively, a part of her wanted to reach out and give her a hug just as Yang did whenever she was feeling down, but she figured that would likely be overstepping a boundary. So instead she merely stood there and waited for the girl to feel comfortable. It took a few minutes, but eventually she took a shuddering breath.
"I…"
She raised a hand to wipe away a tear that was forming in her eyes. As she did, the sleeve fell back and for the brief moment that her skin was visible, Ruby saw that her arm was also covered in scars.
"I just wanted to… to thank ya both." Petilly's voice sounded rough, each word coming out like nails on a chalkboard. "You tried to save P-Prince, and ya saved me… and I… I 'preciate it"
"Oh."
Ruby was taken aback. She had been sure that the girl would resent them for letting her brother suffer needlessly. However, standing before the girl and watching a small tear fall down her eyes, she could see that there wasn't actually a hint of resentment within her. Ever since returning to Vale, the idea that all she did that day was make things worse had remained a constant in the back of her head, but maybe she was wrong. She might not have been able to save anyone, but she had at least done something that somebody appreciated.
"I…" She paused and let her shoulders drop. "I just wish I could've saved him."
"But from what I hear, you tried." Parchamel smiled. "And we're grateful for that. And I'm grateful that you kept Tilly here alive. That's all Prince would have asked you to do if he could've."
"It's no problem." Ruby heard the faunus say, though a single glance in her eyes showed that Blake's mind was thinking through things just as much as hers. "I'm sorry about the throat though."
"It's fine." Petilly shrugged sullenly. "I don't even know which scar it is."
With only a few scars reaching down to her neck, it was obviously a lie to make Blake feel better; but it seemed to work. Though faint, an appreciative smile tugged at the faunus' lips and she gave the redhead a slight tilt of her head. Taking the woman's hand, Ruby moved in closer to add a little more support; and to accept some herself.
"Alright." Parchamel said, placing his hand on the girl's head and affectionately ruffling her hair. "Me and Tilly should be heading out. It's almost time for the committal."
Ruby gave a small nod of her head. "Good luck. And thank you for inviting us. Prince seemed like a really good guy."
"He is…"
Petilly's raw voice trailed off as she clearly caught her error, but before she could correct it, the tears that had been swimming in her eyes finally overflowed. With a soft look at the girl, Parchamel knelt down before the girl and pulled a slip of paper from his pocket, upon which was drawn a bright orange cloak. A quick flick of his wrist, the paper faded away and a familiar cloak sprawled out into his hands. Wrapping it around the crying girl's shoulders, he reached up and used his thumb to wipe a tear away.
"Is, is correct." The man said in a soft voice. "Though he's no longer here on Remnant and you might not be able to see him, he will always be with you. Death is never the end, merely the chance to watch over the ones we love for eternity. Never forget that."
Ruby recognised the words. Her dad had said them to her and Yang so many years ago as they stood side by side at their mom's grave, and though she wasn't particularly religious herself, she'd always clung tightly to the hope that her mom was still looking over her. And apparently the words resonated with Petilly too, as with a small sniffle to herself, the girl let herself be pulled into a hug and wrapped her arms around the man. The hug didn't last long though, and before long the two parted and gave them a small wave before heading towards the door.
As they disappeared around the corner, Ruby let out a sad sigh and slumped back into her chair, quickly followed by Blake, who let out a small groan.
"I suppose Yang was right." The faunus mumbled.
Ruby glanced over at her sister, who was standing with Weiss talking to a pair of guards. "She usually is." She admitted.
"It does get infuriating." Blake hummed. A short silence followed, during which Ruby leaned her head back against her girlfriend's shoulder. "Is it stupid that I almost wish Petilly was mad at me for what I did?"
Ruby shook her head, feeling the exact same way.
"Maybe, but I get it. It would be simpler, I guess." She looked up at her girlfriend. "Would you change what you did if you could?"
Blake stayed quiet for a moment, but eventually shook her head. "I don't like it, but it saved her life. Angry, grateful; she couldn't be either if she wasn't alive. What about you?"
"I…"
Despite all the thinking she had been doing, Ruby still didn't know. Unlike Blake, her actions did have consequences. While she had done what she did to give someone the best possible chance at life, her actions had doomed even more. No matter what action she had taken, someone would have died.
"I don't know." She grumbled. "This time? No. But… I know that needs to change."
"It does." The woman's tone was understanding. "Just don't feel like you have to change too much. Learning to accept that you can't save everyone is good, but forgetting who you are because of it would not. We all kinda want to keep that hopeful girl who's always encouraging us to see the best in the world."
"Don't worry," Ruby smiled and nestled her head deeper into Blake's shoulder. "She's not going anywhere."
"Goo-"
"Alright, everyone." A loud voice interrupted her, and they both turned to look at the priest. "The service and burial is about to begin. If you would please follow me."
Exhaling a small breath as the sound of shuffling filled the room, Ruby stood to her feet and wrapped an arm around her girlfriend's. Remembering that the final goodbyes of her mom's funeral had without a doubt the worst part of the whole thing, a renewed sense of melancholy fell upon her.
"Here we go." She muttered.
The service itself had been a rather nice one with many stories exchanged, even a few that caused chuckles to ring through the crowd. However, once the body had been buried and Petilly had left to go home with Parchamel, the crowd had been quick to disperse and return to their day. All except Blake, who had wandered through the halls of the chapel in search of her parents while her team went to buy some drinks from a nearby store.
"Mom?" She called, not even sure her parents were even still in the building.
"In here, dear."
Following her mother's voice around the corner, Blake finally found her parents standing before the altar with the priest. Much to her surprise, she saw the older man muttering a prayer while swinging an incense burner over their clasped hands, the two faunus' wedding cloth wrapped around its metal frame.
"Sorry…" She muttered, stipping in the doorway and crossing her arms. "I didn't know you wer-"
"Nonsense, dear." Her mother said, reaching out to beckon her over. Obeying, she walked over and let her mom link their arms. "Your father and I have gone too many blessings without you by our side as it is."
"We would have invited you to this one, but we thought you were heading out with your team?" Her dad said with a happy smile.
"Weiss and Yang went to get drinks, and Ruby wanted to be alone for a bit."
"Understandable." Kali nodded. "Funerals are not the nicest of occasions."
"Mmm." She hummed, the strong smell of incense already flooding her nose and making her feel a little light headed. "Well I'm glad something nice is happening today."
"As am I." Said the aged priest in a shaky voice, his free hand reaching out to stop the burner. "You may retrieve your bands."
"Thank you, Reverend." Ghira reached out and took the purple and black bands back, quickly tying his wife's back to her arm.
With a nod to them all, the elder man trotted away, and Blake felt her mom begin to pull her towards the door. Looking across at the older woman's face, she saw a sly grin pulling at her lips and let out a groan.
"It's only been three months, mom."
"I know, I know." The woman said, entirely unconvincingly. "But I'm your mother, I'm allowed to imagine, am I not?"
"We both know that even if she says no, you will anyway." Ghira chuckled.
Despite the day, a smile curled on Blake's lips. "So long as it stays in your head, I suppose. Besides, we haven't even said 'I love you' yet."
"But it's clear you both feel it."
"It is?"
"Tell her, Ghir."
"You two did remind me of your mother and myself in our youth." The man hummed fondly. "Miss Rose clearly cares deeply for you."
"Oh…"
Feeling her cheek warm a little, Blake lowered her head a little and avoided her parents' gaze. In truth, the words had already almost slipped out on more than one occasion; however she'd stopped herself at the last minute. Not because she wanted to be sure herself, because after weeks of thought she already knew where she landed on that, but because it just hadn't felt like the right time. With everything going on in Ruby's life and everything she was having to figure out, it just hadn't felt right to potentially add more confusion on top if she wasn't quite there yet.
"I know. Just haven't really had the time to talk about us in a while, you know. And she hasn't really been in the mood lately."
"Oh you're just like your father." Her mom chuckled and hugged her arm even closer. "Both of you worry too much. When we were dating, he spent weeks trying to find the best time to say those words."
"And how did you do it?"
"It was perfect." The man replied fondly. "A nice evergreen and tuna picnic on the Kau La Bay. I still remember the way your mother's eyes gleamed in the setting sun."
The older woman cast the man an adoring gaze and pulled her even closer as a smile appeared on her face.
"Isn't he charming?" She said, her voice almost youthful again. "But, as perfect as that was, he could have told me the same thing while we cleaned the floor and I would have loved it just as much."
The two shared an affectionate glance and Kali reached out to link her other arm with his.
"Had my younger self known that, he could have saved himself so much time; though could and would are two very different things." He pulled his wife's hand to his lips and pressed a kiss against it, causing the woman to let out a small giggle. "Have you maybe thought about bringing Miss Rose to the spring festival? Your spring break is coming up and it would be nice to have you home for a few days."
The idea definitely sounded nice. Just the thought of going home again was enough to reignite the little bit of homesickness she had begun to feel over the last few days, and she did remember the spring festival quite fondly. However, as much as she would have loved to accept that offer, she couldn't.
"I'd love to." Blake said with an apologetic grimace. "But I already have plans for the spring break. But… I promise to be home for summer."
"Summer works perfectly for us." Her mom smiled happily. "We are just happy that you will be returning at some point. The library has come along amazingly recently."
"I can't wait to see it." She replied, reaching out to push the door open. "And to go home again."
"We cannot wait either." Kali hummed constantly. "Now, let us go and find that wandering Rose of yours. With so much going on, we haven't had the time to meet her properly."
"Mooom."
"I will be good… Mostly."
With a roll of her eyes and a shake of her head, Blake let out a soft chuckle and relented. "Okay, fine. There's a bakery this way, so that's our best bet."
"Lead the way."
More than happy to do so, Blake let herself fall into a comfortable stride beside her parents as a smile tugged at her lips. Despite all the horrible things that had come out of the mission, she was very happy that it had at least allowed her to fix things with her parents. So, as her mother began to talk a little more about the new library in Menagerie, Blake listened intently and steered them around the corner towards the bakery in search of her girlfriend.
"You doing okay, Rubes?"
"Yeah. Just been a long day."
Letting out a yawn, Ruby dropped onto the bar stool while her sister ordered some drinks from a familiar looking, raven-haired girl in a white dress. Under normal circumstances Ruby would have preferred not to to be spending her time in a nightclub, especially one that she was certain was owned by a criminal; however, not much choice had been given. Thankfully the place wasn't technically open, but Yang's connection to the staff meant they had been allowed in to have a quiet drink by themselves.
"Tell me about it." The blonde groaned, sitting down as the bartender walked. "Today bought back a few too many memories for my liking."
"Same." She pulled a cookie that Kali had bought her earlier from her pocket and slowly nibbled at it. "Watch the coffin go down… It felt like Mom's all over again."
It had definitely been a difficult sight to watch. So much so that she had needed a few minutes to herself afterwards to decompress. Her solitude had not lasted long though, as less than thirty minutes into it Blake had appeared with her parents. Fortunately, while she still didn't entirely agree with it, reading Blake's diary had helped her see a little more of what Weiss had meant about the two potentially making things worse had they tried to take Blake home, and she found it to be much easier to relax around them both.
"D'you think funerals ever get easier?"
"Not really." Ruby felt Yang's arm pull her into a warm, sidelong hug. "Pretty sure they're something that always sucks, no matter what."
"Thought so." She sighed as the girl returned and placed four drinks on the table.
"Thanks, Mels." Yang smiled at the girl.
"Sure." The ravenette said in a bored, droning tone and glanced over to an identical girl in a red dress over in the corner of the room. "Word of advice, stay away from Miltia. She's in a super bitchy mood today and she's still mad at you."
"Isn't she always?" Yang remarked. "Thanks for the heads up though."
Without another word, the girl flicked her hair over her shoulder and walked away. Looking across at her sister, she saw a relieved look on Yang's face. It was confusing, especially since the woman had just found out that her friend's sister didn't like her.
"Why doesn't her sister like you?" She asked and picked up two of the drinks.
The blonde scratched her head. "I was stupid a little while ago, but Miltia doesn't hate me. Anger means she cares. It's when she ignores you that you know you've fucked things up."
"Oh… So like Weiss?"
"Pretty much, yeah." Yang chuckled and grabbed the two remaining drinks.
Pushing away from the bar, the two of them walked back over to the table where Blake and Weiss were having a casual conversation. Sitting down beside her girlfriend, Ruby placed the woman's drink down and took a sip of her own strawberry lemonade.
"So how long till she talks to you again?" Blake asked as they sat down, happily accepting the black drink and taking her hand in the process.
"I dunno. She's kinda sensitive about Mels due to their semblances." Yang sighed.
"What's their semblances?" Ruby asked curiously.
"I dunno, but it only works on each other. Miltia can feel Melanie's feelings, and Melanie knows all of Miltia's thoughts."
"Really? Didn't the twins Mom fought have joined semblances too?"
"It's rather common, actually." Weiss interrupted, sipping her white and pink drink. "Especially amongst identical twins. A business associate of my father has a pair of boys who can swap places with each other no matter where they are."
"Huh." That was something Ruby hadn't known, but something definitely worth noting for the future.
"Anyway, enough about my troubles." Yang hummed. "What were you two talking about?"
"The service." Blake replied. "It was different from what we're used to."
"Nice, quiet, and basic." Yang nodded. "Just like Vale likes them."
"Still sucks that she had to bury him in the first place." Ruby grimaced. "That's two funerals we've attended this year already."
"Well with the Grimm getting more dangerous, I'm pretty sure that number is only going to continue increasing."
Ruby knew her partner was right. Though she still believed that one day the people of Remnant would be in a position to defeat the Grimm, that day was certainly not going to arrive for a while. Unfortunately, the Grimm were definitely not waiting around for that day to come, and barely a day would pass where she wasn't reminded of the creatures growing numbers. But with recent events, that was something that only encouraged her to continue her training more, so that when she was ready, she could save as many people as she could.
"Especially if the more secure towns like Securay can barely hold off a horde." Yang added.
"It just means we have to make fewer mistakes." Ruby reasoned, all head turning to her. "That… That I need to make fewer mistakes."
"I thought you said earlier that you wouldn-"
"I still wouldn't." Ruby cut off her girlfriend. "But that wasn't the mistake I made."
Ruby took a deep breath. While the service had not exactly been the most fun thing ever, it had been during that hour where the realisation had come to her. It hadn't been the first time, however this time she knew it was true. And the thirty minutes she had spent thinking about it before Kali showed up had only convinced her more of that fact.
"The mistake I made was accepting the mission."
The team was silent, and Ruby gave her girlfriend an apologetic look.
"We weren't ready." She explained further. "I really wanted to help, to make sure you didn't have to worry about your parents… but there were other options. CFVY, ONYX, any of the fourth years… Anybody but us. But I let my emotions get the better of me, just like I did with the Hellk, and insisted that we go, and Prince died because we weren't experienced enough. That was my fault."
Her team were silent, and Ruby watched as they exchanged looks between themselves.
"Ruby, that's no-"
"Ruby's right." Much to Ruby's surprise, it was Blake who cut Yang off. "We shouldn't have gone. But…" She turned back to face her. "That wasn't just your fault. We all pushed for that, and I approved it."
"But you all followed my lead." Ruby retorted with a shake of her head. "I'm the leader. I'm the one who should be keeping a level head, but I didn't. I need to work on that."
"You may be the leader, Ruby, but you have never run this team as a dictatorship." Weiss countered her. "And neither should you. We've told you before, we respect you because you take our opinions into consideration, and we all decided to take on that mission. The fault is with all of us."
A muttering of agreement ran across the table from Ruby's other two teammates, and she let out a small, resigned sigh. Though Weiss was right that she always took her team's feelings into consideration, it was still ultimately her who decided what action they took. However, knowing that none of them were going to budge, she decided it was best to not argue with them.
"Alright." She breathed. "Well no matter whose fault it is, we can't make the same mistake again. The next time we take a mission, we have to be sure we are ready."
"So I'm guessing that means more training?" Yang said, stretching her arms above her head.
"And more studying." Ruby confirmed. "The Chill showed us that even if we know how to fight, it means nothing if we don't know what we are fighting against. Can you sort out a schedule for that, Weiss?"
"I can."
"And I can sort out a training program." Yang added. "Starting with finally getting you more comfortable with hand-to-hand."
Ruby gave her sister a nod, knowing that was an area where she definitely needed help.
"If Blake wouldn't mind, I would actually like some dual wielding training?" Weiss questioned. "If I can summon a second sword, there is no reason I shouldn't have it in my arsenal."
"I can do that." Blake smiled at the heiress.
"Sounds like we have a plan then." Yang smiled and leaned back in her seat.
"Mhm." Ruby nodded. "I know that sometimes we won't be able to save everyone, and I'm going to work on accepting that, but until then, we can at least work on being the best team we can be."
"I would really like to take back our top spot from JNPR."
"Me too." Yang agreed with Weiss. "Before we start getting all of that sorted though, I recommend we take the night to relax. Today has sucked, and we need to unwind as a team."
"This time I agree with Yang."
"About damn time." The blonde cheered. "So time to get this party started." Reaching out, the woman grabbed her drink and raised it. "To becoming the best team ever."
"To becom-"
"No." Ruby interrupted her partner, raising her own drink towards her sister's. "To Prince."
"To Prince." The rest of the team said after a moment, their glasses clinking into hers.
Blake still found it weird that she had become so accustomed to the loud, head-thumping music of the night club. Less than a year ago, the mere thought of being sat in such a place surrounded by people dancing with such fervor that the smell of sweat clung to the air would have been incredibly distressing. However, after having been dragged around town by her partner for the better part of the last year, that was no longer the case.
Instead, she had grown to quite enjoy it. While it definitely wasn't relaxing by any means, it was undeniable that everytime she was there she did end up having a good time. Unwinding with her friends, forgetting her worries, burning off some excess energy; Blake had long since accepted the merits to her partner's favourite pastime, and had therefore not been opposed when she had suggested staying at the club for the rest of the night.
Much to her surprise, neither had the rest of the team. As such, the past few hours had passed in a whirr of dancing and laughter. However, after having had more than enough of dancing for a while, Blake had retired to their cubicle to sit beside Weiss. While the heiress had not yet got up to join the throngs of people swarming the center stage, she too seemed to be enjoying herself as she watched Ruby and Yang enjoying themselves across the room.
"It's good seeing her smile again." Blake commented over the loud music, watching as Ruby visibly laughed at something her sister had said.
"Mhm." Weiss hummed in agreement as she sipped her drink. "If there is one thing Yang excels at, it is taking people's mind off of things."
"It's not been a bad thing to have this past week."
"True, though she's been more angry than joyful this week."
"You haven't exactly been better."
The woman gave a dismissive shrug. "If people are willing to badmouth my friend, then they should be ready for me to badmouth them. The difference is that I do it to their face."
Blake couldn't deny that both of the women definitely had a good reason to be angry. As much as she was preaching peaceful actions to her friends, she wasn't exactly happy with her treatment at the hands of her fellow students either. However, as much as she appreciated their desire to help her, she knew that being aggressive was not going to fix things.
"And I'd like you to stop." Weiss raised an eyebrow. "With the hostility, at least. Feel free to keep calling them out, that's something more people should be doing, but making them cry is a little too far. Also… We're friends, and I know that's not who you want to be."
"Hmm, I suppose you are right." The white-haired woman nodded. "Though I make no promises. I tend not to have the patience to suffer fools."
"Just do your best." Blake smiled and took a sip of her martini. "That's all I ask."
"Mhm." Weiss returned the smile. "So what is it like not having your ears hidden?"
"Scary." Blake laughed, her answer an honest one. "But… I like it."
It was true. As scary as it had been to leave the dorm room and have people openly gaze at her ears while whispering to each other, it had also felt rather liberating. No longer did she have to keep her ears perfectly still, no longer were words slightly muffled, no longer did she constantly feel like she was having to make sure her ribbon was in place. Instead, she felt free. Despite the comments and the looks, she was at the very least able to relax.
"Well we all feel the same." Weiss sipped her drink. "Hiding who you are will never do you any good. It will only internalise your problems."
"I dunno, it was comforting for a while." Blake shrugged. "But I suppose you're right."
"I usually am." The heiress replied with a smug grin.
"Not very humble though."
"I work hard to not need to be."
Shaking her head, Blake laughed at her friend. Though she knew Weiss faced plenty of her own issues, the sheer amount of confidence the girl had in herself was something she'd always admired.
"Is that a pity laugh, or did Weiss finally say something funny?" Yang asked as she slipped into the booth, Blake shuffling aside so that a sweaty Ruby could drop down beside her.
"Haha." The white-haired girl said sardonically.
"Relax, Vanilla Bean. I'm kidding. Your puns are getting better."
"Oooo, I like that nam-"
"None of you are to call me Vanilla Bean."
"Saving that one for Flynt, huh? So when are you gunna tell him that you're accepting his date?"
"Yaaang, leave Weiss alone." Ruby chuckled. "She'll ask Flynt out when she's ready."
"Actually," Weiss replied with a scowl. "I have already accepted."
"Really?" Blake asked, unable to keep the surprise from her voice. "When?"
"I called him after the service. There is a music festival on Saturday, so I told him that he is taking me."
"Yes!" Yang whooped. "Guess who just won a new pair of shades."
"You bet on me accepting?"
"Please, it was hardly a bet. I knew you'd say yes. He presses all your buttons in the right way."
Blake watched as Weiss fixed her friend with a small scowl… Or at least tried to. Clearly unphased, the woman merely stuck out her tongue and downed the rest of her drink.
"First my little sis and my best friend, then you and Flynt." Yang grinned smugly. "You all doubted me, but you gotta accept that I'm a great matchmaker. For my next couple, I'm thinking Ilia and Melanie would work we-"
"Please no." Blake cut her friend off. "Ilia's had enough bad influences in her life."
"Hey, that's my friend you're talking about." Blake raised an eyebrow. "Alright, alright. You have a point."
"Thank you." Blake breathed a sigh of relief. "Besides, when we go to Mistral, I intend to introduce her to Reese. I'm pretty sure they will get along very well."
"Mistral?" Ruby questioned. "Who's going to Mistral?"
"Oh…" Blake hesitated. "I thought you might have…"
"We're going to see Raven." Yang replied to her sister with a scratch of her head. "You're still okay with that, right?"
"Oh. I mean, so long as you're not going alone." The reaper replied without hesitation "And you're careful."
"When am I not careful?"
"I don't think you want her to answer that." Weiss jabbed and finished her drink.
"Wow, rude." Yang said in an insulted tone and pushed herself off the bench. "For that one, you owe me a dance."
"Wha-"
"Nope. This is a team outing, and you have been sitting here all night. Now, C'mon. Let's go and have some fun and leave the lovebirds to talk."
Before Weiss could even try to argue, Yang's hand closed around her wrist and pulled her off of the bench. Despite her protests however, the heiress dutifully followed the blonde and the two quickly disappeared into the crowd. Left alone with her girlfriend, Blake flashed the redhead a smile.
"Wanna grab some air?"
"Oum yes." The reaper breathed, sliding off of the seat and holding out her hand.
More than happy to take the girl's hand, Blake let herself be pulled up from the bench. However, seeing no reason to let go of it after she was on her feet, she entwined their fingers and slowly led her girlfriend across the sticky dance floor and out of the main doors. As soon as they left the building all together and the music faded away, she felt a soft breeze blow across her ears and let out a sigh of relief.
"That is so much better." She mumbled.
"It is a little too loud in there. I could barely think."
"I'm pretty sure that's why your sister likes it so much." Blake quipped.
"It wouldn't surprise me." Ruby chuckled.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself though." She grinned as the girl hopped up onto a small wall and began to balance herself. "Did Yang buy you alcohol?"
"Only one drink." The leader smiled down at her. "I'm just…" She stopped on the wall and spun around to face her. "I'm just happy that things can still be like this. You know, fun."
With a soft hum of agreement, Blake stepped a little closer to the girl and wrapped an arm around her waist. Looking up at her, she found herself captivated for a few moments at the way the girl's silver eyes reflected the moonlight, but quickly shook herself free of the thoughts that formed in her head.
"And I'm just happy to see you happy again." She admitted. "I was a little worried about you for a bit."
"I'm fine." Ruby shook her head, her arms wrapping around the back of Blake's neck. "I just needed some time to think things through." Blake gave an understanding nod. "Thanks for being patient with me."
"No need to thank me."
Ruby shook her head, her face turning a little more serious. "There is. I know I've been keeping you awake, and that I haven't exactly been the most fun to be around, but you've still supported me. Even when you were going through your own stuff. You… You helped me stay hopeful."
"Well, I learned from the best." Blake teased, earning a soft smile in return. "Seriously though, you really don't have to thank me. You've done the same for me on multiple occasions already. Besides..."
Blake paused as a strong pulse of anxiety rushed through her. She was still hesitant to finish that sentence. Not because she wasn't sure on how she felt, but because she wanted the moment to be right, and she definitely wasn't sure that hanging out in front of a nightclub was that. However, even as that thought entered her mind, as did her mom's voice telling her that she was worrying too much.
And maybe she was right. Maybe there really wasn't a perfect time to say what she wanted. Maybe simply saying it was enough, regardless of what they were doing or where they were. After all, Ruby had never really cared for the grand displays of affection, always more than happy to merely spend a night watching movies with a takeaway than going out to a fancy restaurant.
"Besides what?"
Seeing the look of curiosity on her girlfriend's face, the way her eyes shined with inquisitiveness, Blake finally felt her hesitancy break. Her mom was right. It didn't matter. So, taking a deep breath to settle her nerves, Blake looked up at the reaper, feeling her heart begin to race in her chest, and gave her a warm smile.
"I don't… I don't need to be thanked for helping the girl I love."
The second the word left her mouth, Ruby's eyes widened. Frozen in place, Blake could see the thoughts rushing through her head, and with each passing second she felt her nerves grow and her head begin to spin with her own possibilities. Maybe she had said it too soon. Maybe Ruby wasn't ready to say it back yet. Which was fine, but where did they go from there?
After what felt like an eternity though, the redhead finally replied.
"Y-You love me?"
That was her chance. If she really wanted to, she could take it back and avoid all the awkwardness. However, the very thought of doing such a thing felt wrong. Like she would be lying. Worse still, if Ruby did feel the same, then she would be hurting her feelings. And that certainly would not do.
"I…" She swallowed her doubts. "I do." She fiddled slightly with the back of Ruby's top. "And it's fine if you aren't ready to say it yet, I don't mind, bu-"
"I d-do too."
"You do?"
It was Blake's turn to be stunned. Butterflies exploded in her stomach, and a feeling of intense happiness descended upon her. Never in her life had she felt anything so strongly. It was like warmth was radiating out from her chest and spreading to every part of her body. And as Ruby's face broke into a wide, albeit shy, smile and she gave a nod, that heat only grew more intense. So much so that she couldn't resist her urges anymore.
Letting the happiness overwhelm her, she pushed herself up on her toes and pressed her lips against her girlfriend's. The instant they met, the world fell away and a feeling of content bliss descended upon her. Even as they pulled away, the feeling remained.
"So uhh…" Ruby smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of her head. "What do we do now?"
A nervous chuckle forced its way out of Blake's throat. "I dunno. Ummm, maybe we can go for a walk?"
"Yes. A walk does sound good. I like walking." The girl seemed to realise her awkwardness and deflated a little. "That sounded stupid. Sorry."
"It's fine." Blake laughed. "There is a late night coffee shop nearby. We can go there and maybe… you know… talk a bit?"
"Talking sou-" Catching herself, Ruby let out a sigh and shook her head. "I'd like that. Just umm… Let me go and tell Yang."
"Sure." She smiled, stepping back as the girl leapt down from the wall and activated her semblance to boost back into the club.
Waiting for the girl to return, Blake sat down on the wall and thought about what had just happened. After weeks of doubt and hesitation, of pain and nightmares, there was finally a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds. Despite everything that had happened, she was happy. And from how flustered the girl had been, she knew that Ruby was too. And though there was undoubtedly still a lot of things to do, both in terms of their relationship and their future as huntresses, Blake knew that so long as they were at each other's side, all of that would without a doubt be so much easier.
So as the girl re-emerged from the doors with their bags in hand, she stood up from the wall with a smile on her face and held out her hand.
"Ready to go?"
"Yup!" The girl beamed, taking it and leaning up to press a brief kiss against her lips.
"Alright then." Blake grinned down at the girl and began to lead the way towards the store. "Let's go."
Raalm's Note
And so, another multi-year story comes to an end.
So, for the most part, we mostly wanted to try and end off on a balanced note. A little bit of fluff, but also the serious note that show they understand what their future holds. it was especially important to me to try and show the characters, especially Ruby, accepting that latter fact over the course of this series, and I really hope I have done a good enough job.
As for Blake, we wanted most of her arc to focus on leaving her past behind and moving on to her future prospects, and we really wanted the ribbon to signify that. Though many things in this story changed from the beginning, from the moment we decided to make this a series the action of her taking the ribbon off for good was always the final action for Blake. Hopefully that was paced well too, and hopefully the conversations that were discussed were handled respectfully.
Of course, this series wouldn't be complete with Weiss and Yang. Although they never received as much focus as the main pair, Toxic will attest to the fact that I always make a point in every fic to make sure that the side characters get the time they deserve too, and that all the relationships are as fleshed out as I can make them without ruining the pace.
Anyway, that's all I'm going to say on the story, as I do think a little bit of Death Of The Author is healthy. But I just really want to thank each and every one of you that has taken the time to read this story. You guys are wonderful, and even though Ladybug is not my main pairing, it was been wonderful to be able to provide you with a story that you seem to enjoy.
A huge thank you to Toxic as well. Just as with most of the stuff I wrote, I got carried away with a lot of things. Both the Patch arc and the Mission arc were not supposed to be as long as they were, but he let me run with it and explore them, and I'm grateful for that. He is also the reason for many of the fluffy scenes, so make sure to thank him for those xD
But anyway, that's it for me. Thank you so much for joining us on this story. Every single kudo and comment has meant so much to us, and this story definitely wouldn't have been what it was without you.
I do want to say though, there is one more chapter to come. It isn't listed in the chapter total because I don't know when it will be done and it is a little separate from the main story, but it will just be added onto here as the 69th (Nice) chapter, so stay tuned there.
Anyway, that's all. Thank you so much for reading, and if you enjoyed then please check out my other work.
Toxic's Note
Soooooo, a little more than 2 years after the start of this fic, it's ending. Wow, to be honest this was meant to be a small little thing that I had suggested to Raalm to help him not burn out on warmth. Nor was this meant to be anything more than the start of their relationship, or them confronting, (read: thrown into a closet), their feelings for one another and that was it. Instead this little plot rabbit got away from myself, Raalm's muse took it and ran, as it usually does when he lets it play.
Where am I going with this, *sigh* I guess what I'm trying to say is this: Thank you for reading, as I don't think this story would have been as long as it is without you all making comments and giving feedback to us on every chapter. The support has been amazing. On another note, there are other things planned for this world, this isn't the last time You'll see this pair, or this AU. However it will be a bit before we even get started writing that, let alone posting it, so keep posted, We'll let you know. Toxic out for now.