Sunrays spilled into her bedroom from the single open window and the early morning air was pleasantly cool. As Ruby laid in a light slumber, a pair of soft lilac eyes gazed upon the room from the doorway.

She was quiet enough coming up the creaky stairs of their childhood home. Although her father had taken great care of it, the cabin was beginning to show its age. When the wind blew, the old boards sometimes groaned in response. She could truly feel the weight of thunderstorms and heavy rain alike. The thunder itself kept Ruby awake for hours when she was little.

Yang took a deep breath at that thought. Seeing her little sister so afraid made her heart ache back then, and still did. Even though she looked peaceful in the physical aspect, there was no telling what she was dreaming about. That would change soon enough. Yang was eager to make today a special day, one that Ruby would take in her heart for the foreseeable future.

Hopefully.

As the wind blew a chill into the room, Yang moved to close the window. She carefully stepped around Ruby's bedside and pulled it down just enough to break the onslaught.

Yang heard the shifting of Ruby's sheets, having turned in time to see tired, half open silver eyes looking back at her.

"...Yang, is that you?" The small girl rubbed at her eyes, squinting in the sunlight.

Yang reached up and pulled the curtain towards her.

"Sure is, pipsqueak." Yang smiled and flew to Ruby's bedside, wrapping her sister up in a warm hug. Ruby returned the hug, her arms tight against Yang's broad shoulders.

When Yang heard sniffling and Ruby's sudden sobbing, she immediately but gently pulled back to look her in the eyes.

"Shhhh, it's okay. I'm here this time. Okay?"

"I- I know, it's just so good to see you and hug you and I was so worried-"

Yang lovingly cupped Ruby's cheek. Her sister's raging tears wet her gloved hand, but she didnt waver. She could feel the springs of her own eyes threaten to reveal her heartache as well.

"It's okay" Yang whispered, "you don't need to worry now. Do you want to get up? I have a whole day planned for us."

"You do?" Ruby's hopeful tone vindicated her older sister as she nodded.

"Yep!" She said, "let's get you out of bed first. How about a bath?"

Ruby nodded and wrapped her torso around Yang's. Once she had a good grip, Yang effortlessly lifted Ruby out of bed, legs uselessly following along but supported nonetheless by Yang's forearm, bridal style.

A rejoicing in Ruby's heart forced a particularly prominent thought to arise as they crossed the thresholds of her bedroom and then bathroom.

Yang was here. But for how long?

She was set down on the shower bench and beamed at her older sister. Ruby couldn't stop the sudden thoughts flooding her mind.

"Yang…" She started, lowering her head. "How long are you… You know?"

Yang knelt in front of her, raising her sister's head up by her chin. "As long as you need me to."

"Promise?" Ruby's look of suspicion struck Yang in the chest, a kind of pain she could feel but beat back in her face. She wasn't against showing Ruby weakness, but she knew her own strengths. One thing was for certain; she definitely didn't want to start a fight in the first hour she was home.

"I know I haven't been a good sister," she admitted, "I've been… very caught up in huntress work, but that doesn't mean I love you any less. I'll stay as long as I can, but I can't stay forever."

Ruby knew she was being honest, and she was aware that huntsmen and huntresses were expected to be on roll call at all times. That didnt quite help the doubt in her heart, but it would lessen the impact later down the road that she already knew was coming.

She firmly planted her hands on the bench at her sides and took a deep breath. She gave Yang a bright smile with the best Ruby-eyes she could manage. She had practice with Dad, and she was grateful for that.

"Ahem, uhh… Can I have some privacy?"

Yang nodded, "Do you want me to leave the room or behind the curtain?"

"Behind the curtain, in case I...you know, like last time."

Yang internally shuddered at the thought. It was enough of a heartache that Ruby required so much help to live a normal life. It was another to know that she had, at some point, almost cracked her skull open during a fall.

Taiyang's overhaul of their home was a subtle one, but there were many things he didnt quite understand about Ruby's paraplegia. Even then, his loyal love never ceased. Yang saw it even in the bathroom, where extra railings had been installed, along with a bench that lined most of the shower so Ruby could wash without worry that there wouldn't be a surface to grip. After her accident Taiyang found many ways to support her in her endeavors to become more independent.

From what Yang understood, Ruby had grown quite so around the house. Her wheelchair was a bit dated, as Yang had seen in her bedroom in its condition, but that didnt stop a hopeful soul like her little sister. No, Ruby lived quite the normal life. The chances of her having another accident were slim, but she would stay so there would be less of a chance, which was ultimately what Ruby wanted.

"We dont need another accident," Yang supported, "I'll sit right here on the seat while you wash up."

Ruby smiled, "Thank you."

Yang took a seat and pulled the curtain shut behind her. Ruby tossed her clothing over the curtain rod, landing just shy of Yang's feet. Once the water was on and the heat of it started to warm the bathroom, Yang relaxed.

Things were going fine so far. She laid her head on the wall and closed her eyes.

"Yang?"

"Yeah?"

"What are your plans for today?"

"Dad has been telling me you've been wanting to see the festival, so I thought we might go to Vale and do some sight seeing while its in town."

"That sounds great!" She joyed, "It's been like four years since I've gone to one. I bet there's all kinds of games and goodies to be had!"

"Heheh, there sure is, Sis. Aaaaand I might have convinced two others to tag along with us."

Ruby paused as she drove a soapy loofa over her shoulder. An infinite well of excitement bubbled up her stomach and into her brain. She beat back the feeling when she considered just who exactly Yang could be referring to, though she was eager to make every sort of friend that was humanly possible.

Maybe they even had cool weapons for her to look at!

The pictures Yang had sent her over the last four years were…interesting, and mind blowing! Pictures of Forever Fall, Beacon, and some of the surrounding rural areas. And together with her pics of travel, there were plenty of others to be found alongside her big sister, all with their unique styles and weapons and apparent semblances.

One in particular had her quite confused.

Sitting next to Yang in the photo was a haughty looking girl dressed in an all white combat skirt and blouse. She had a particularly nasty looking gash across her left eye, though the eye itself looked undamaged. Her family crest was prominent on her clothing, a crest of a high class Atlas lineage. Not to mention, her weapon itself looked like it could just about pierce through the fourth wall of a photo. From what Ruby could tell by the photo it was some sort of rapier.

The first time Ruby saw her was on a broadcast nearly a decade earlier, on the newly constructed CCTV stations across Remnant. She began performing vocally before her family revealed they were sending her to Beacon. The PR of Atlas went nuts when they found out, as her older sister, Winter, had been a hugely important figure at Atlas Academy and beyond. According to her father, who was vehemently against all of it, it was his daughter's decision to go to Vale. He made it very clear she was still the Heiress, however, a title that she likely used in every way possible. Why Weiss had decided to go to Beacon while under that tutelage was one very confusing aspect to Ruby.

The Heiress was an undeniably well-off and lucky teenager who got to choose how her life was going to proceed. While Ruby was just learning how to use a wheelchair, Weiss was slaying Grimm and achieving a stellar GPA at Beacon.

The amount of resentment she had in her heart for The Heiress used to frighten Ruby. She knew they'd never be friends or even teammates if such an unfortunate meeting were to occur.

Ruby's voice dropped as the implication came to mind. "Is that Schnee heiress one of them?"

Yang's eyes popped open, "You mean Weiss?"

"Yeah…" Ruby took a deep breath and continued washing up. "She couldn't possibly like someone like me. Be kind of silly, don't you think?"

"Not at all," Yang said confidently. "I'm sure you two will get along just fine."

Of course, her worst fears had been realized. Yang and the Heiress? No way they had gotten along. But if they had...

"How can you be sure?"

"She's not like you think. Have some faith, I choose my friends very carefully."

Friends. Yang considered Weiss a friend. Even Ruby thought that was far from a possibility but it was a good sign.

Her mind brought her back to another photo. One where Yang was sitting very comfortably close to a girl draped in black, with a large bowtie on her head. She was clearly a faunus, even Ruby could tell by the amber eyes and precariously placed cloth that covered her ears. The girl was fit, only slightly smaller than Yang, and had quite the sharp features to match. She imagined such an individual was ninja-like, and was likely as quiet as one too.

She looked exactly like one of Yang's friends. And if she were being honest, a love interest as well.

If these two were the supporting characters of Ruby's exodus, courtesy of Yang, she was in for a rough day. Not only would she be a third wheel, but she would have to deal with a greedy bitch, too.


The thousand yard stare that developed on Ruby's face was transfixed on the ice cream in her hands. The warmth of Vale melted it into a sugary soup, and she surmised the cookie had gone soft. She didn't dare try to eat it. The ripples her rickety wheelchair sent through the liquid was the only reminder to her that if it spilled it would be a hell of a mess to clean up.

Thoughts from earlier this morning had her in a trance. She felt guilty having assumed so much about Weiss, or Blake for that matter, but what else could she do? There were plenty of negative things to be had about Her. The Schnee Dust Company, while supportive of Remnant's society, had some undoubtedly bad business practices.

Her disquieted mind had troubled over what it meant that Weiss had been so kind as to have bought her ice cream. She could have bought all of the ice cream, the recipe, the machines, the people working there, the franchise, the business, -dust- even the land on which it sat. And she would try and sell it to someone else for a profit! That's how Schnee's worked, so why was this one so different?

'Calm yourself' Ruby said in her mind. She needed to evaluate the situation honestly. Her assumptions weren't starting to add up, and yes the Schnee's might have been crafty buttheads but that didnt mean they were bad people.

Ruby took a deep breath and set herself back into reality. She watched with a child like curiosity as Yang drove her through the Valeian Fairgrounds.

Yang's humming was comforting behind her; a fleeting reminder that just maybe she would stay this time. They were passing by the festival stands now, all manners of games and shops pulling her attention this way and that.

When she was suddenly reminded of the ice cream that had pretty much been obliterated by the sun, Ruby thought to look for the nearest trash can. No amount of sugar, spice, or everything nice could fool her that easily.

"There they are!" Yang called. Ruby's eyes simultaneously found her newfound "friends". They were partaking in a game, Weiss holding a rifle and Blake calmly watching from the sidelines. The faunus's eyes found them easily, but Weiss' gaze down her ironsights hadn't moved a centimeter. A second later, a shot rang out from where Weiss stood.

Ruby jumped.

"Good job," the attendant said, "most people don't have as much patience as you do, Miss Schnee."

Weiss beamed with a knowing face. Her work was complete. She gently sat the rifle onto the table.

The attendant cleared the rifle and reached under the desk, pulling out a large Beowulf plushy that was pristinely kept in a clear bag.

"Thank you," she smiled, retrieving her prize. Even Blake cracked a smirk as Weiss hugged it, bag on and everything.

Ruby's heart ached as she watched. Even though they were only feet away, she couldn't help but look at the plushy longingly. She hoped the others didnt notice. Weiss would probably try to give it to her, and that just wouldn't do. She didn't have much she could return a favor like that with, except… well, her own Grimm plushies maybe.

Damn her. Not like she would want such a thing from Weiss anyway.

"I hope we didnt miss much," Yang started.

"Just Weiss expertly handling the last three shooting games." Blake held up a large bag of all sorts of goodies. Ruby's eyes gleamed at the bag; there was a manner of all sorts of goodies inside of it!

"I try," Weiss said proudly with a hand spidered over her chest, "it's the only place you can find all the plushies. Atlas doesn't sell them anywhere. I asked Winter to come with so I could stock up on them, but she's always pulled away to assignments before I get the chance."

When Weiss suddenly looked deflated Ruby felt something pop off in her heart. A small spark of energy originating in her stomach shot up into her brain.

Perhaps...

"Not surprising, she must have Ironwood down her neck all the time." Yang said.

"She is very busy, unfortunately." Weiss deflated a bit. "But as long as I have company I'm happy, even if I don't see my sister more than once a year."

And there it was.

"As am I," Blake added, "but we should probably get out of the way of the stand. There's others that want to play."

"I want to find that hammer game!" Yang exclaimed, pushing on Ruby's chair once again.

Blake groaned as the trio began to walk further into the festival. "Yang, you literally demolished it last time. I highly doubt they'll let you wreck it again."

"Nonsense! If they don't want me to do it they wouldn't have it. Besides, it was in the paper, it's not like they can afford to leave it at home this year to begin with."

Ruby let out a giggle, prompting Weiss to smile in response.

"Yang, why don't we let Ruby decide?"

"M-me?" She blushed. "I'm just along for the ride, Weiss. This is the first festival I've been to in five years."

Yang leaned down to speak into her ear. "All the more reason you should pick, Rubes."

She definitely hadn't planned for this!

The sudden shift in things made her wildly uncomfortable. Ruby's lack of a response held all the eyes on her, and to make matters worse they had stopped in the middle of the walkway where droves of people had been slinking by. The pressure was on, and if Ruby was being honest she didn't even have a clue as to what the festival was offering.

And Weiss put her on the spot.

In order to combat her crippling anxiety, Ruby held her soupy ice cream up to her lips, only to miss and spill the entire concoction on her chin, chest, and lap. And, in her struggle to catch it, splattered all over Yang.

Yang gasped and let go of her chair. "Ruby!"

"I-I I'm so sorry Yang!"

Yang let out a growl, relinquishing the handles.

As Yang surveyed her clothing, Weiss suddenly took charge and guided Ruby off to the side where they weren't in the way.

"I think now would be a good time for a break, don't you think?" Blake asked in Yang's direction. Yang raised an eyebrow at Blake, looking obviously very frustrated.

She looked back at Ruby whose face was downcast. She was an absolute mess. Again, Ruby refused to meet her stare. Instead, Yang caught Weiss'.

There was a moment of silent understanding between them then. Blake handed Weiss the rest of her goodies.

"We wont be long," she said, dragging Yang into a nearby bathroom.

Weiss gently leaned over to talk to Ruby.

"Let's find another. That one looks packed."

Ruby hesitantly nodded, but the anxiety in her limbs didn't go away. This was the moment she never thought would come. Alone, with Weiss Schnee. Any distance from Yang was difficult already, but with the Heiress?

Weiss dutifully pushed her along. It wasn't like anything could go any worse. Besides, if Ruby wanted to see if Weiss could be trusted, now was the chance. The Heiress had to have known so much about her to know her favorite ice cream. It was her most well kept secret!

The duo finally arrived at a different restroom, a few feet away from the outer stands, with much less traffic.

"Are you comfortable waiting while I get some towels?" Weiss asked, parking Ruby next to the entrance.

Ruby nodded and dared to let a smile show. Weiss put her bag of goodies down next to a wheel and nodded, diligently entering the bathroom in search.

"Where do you see yourself, Ruby?""I don't know. I'm stuck either at home or in a chair, so I guess one of those two places.""And do you feel stuck?""I mean... you could say that. It wouldn't be so bad if Yang was around... Or anyone, for that matter."

If this facade continued, Ruby would surely owe Weiss something. That was how the Schnee's operated, and that feeling of doubt Ruby harbored about Weiss kept growing despite her kindness. She spent hours reading about the Schnee family history. It was chock full of vipers and haughty entrepreneurs. Winter seemed to be the only exception, though Weiss was becoming a different image.

What struck her was how non-conformative the heiress really was. Ice cream, plushies, and toys? From a festival in Vale? Couldn't she just buy anything she wanted instead of getting it the hard way?

Still, perhaps if this was the way things were meant to be, then they could be friends! The idea excited Ruby, but she couldn't get ahead of herself. That girl could turn on her the second she got the chance. She likely even slinked away as Ruby argued to herself about her, still covered in sticky strawberry ice cream.

Weiss returned a moment later with a stack of paper towels and a plastic cup of water. She knelt in front of Ruby and offered a largely friendly expression.

"May I?" Weiss asked, holding up the cloth.

Weiss was asking to help clean her? She looked at her hesitantly. She seemed to be genuine...

"Y-yeah, that's okay."

Weiss smiled and gently cupped Ruby's face with the cloth. The Heiress' face was still beholden of that all too loving expression, one surprisingly similar to Yang's.

"Don't worry, everything is going to be fine."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I also have a sister I don't see very often."

"H-how do you know that?"

"Ruby, I know a lot more than you think. Yang confided in me some things and…well, it reminds me of the relationship Winter and I have. And while I don't have a disabled sibling, I did my research."

"Was I..how you expected?"

"To be honest I didn't know, but I'm glad things are okay. That's all I ever hope for."

The more Weiss spoke to her in that sisterly, loving voice, the less Ruby could find as an appropriate response. And on top of it all, Weiss was helping her wash up. She could feel tears of appreciation forming behind her eyes. Weiss was like another Yang, only with a lot less bravado and reckless confidence. Some things remained to be seen obviously, but Ruby's hopeful heart began to tear down its walls for her.

But she would leave at soonest opportunity, just like Yang.

"There, good as new!" Weiss proclaimed.

"Thank you" Ruby said, "I feel bad I got Yang's clothes dirty...and ruined the ice cream."

"She'll get over it. Might not want to get covered in ice cream again though." Weiss shrugged and stood up. The way she had said that didnt seem at all vindictive. She was also smiling the whole time.

If only she knew what Ruby was thinking. That way she could get a feel for the heiress, a true representation of what she was really like. But this would have to do for now.

"Shall we go find the others?" Weiss asked, in an unusually higher pitched and proper voice. Ruby just nodded, suddenly content with wherever her and Weiss would end up.

Weiss dutifully pushed her along, returning to the path of people before them.

Many apologies for being gone so long; I loved this idea when I was working a huge amount of hours and just barely scraped enough time to get the first chapter out to you who are reading/reviewing. So happy I found the time to get the second one out. I'm no longer at my other job so don't fret, regular updates are on the way, but I won't promise a concrete schedule.

Thank you for reading. Stay safe out there. Until next time :)