Locked Out
Chapter 10: Ballroom Blitz
A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the lack of updating! I've been busy. This chapter will be edited by me in post since my Beta Reader isn't able right now. Hopefully I can do anywhere near as well as he does when it come to fixing my errors. You're amazing!
But enough of that, hope you enjoy!
Review time!
knight7572: It sure does! Thanks for the review!
RWBYGuy2015: That she is! Thanks!
Vanitas Lunar: Mercury is so evil! Hopefully Ruby and Weiss can realize their doubts! Hope you enjoy!
GrnDrgnzrd: Thank you! These bad guys sure don't know when to let up!
MorgothII: Thank you! Hope you are enjoying it.
Grossly Incandescent: Sorry for tugging on your heart with whiterose! They must make out!
MrFox7189: We shall soon see!
True Support: Hope you have a good week too! Thanks for the review. We shall soon see about Crescent Rose, perhaps!
BlakJakXXI: That is the concern with the necklace. Hopefully all goes well! Mercury sure did a beating. But we all know Weiss won't back down! Thanks!
Cinder was absolutely livid.
Her plan was perfect! Flawless, brilliant, and carefully planned out. Every little detail was prodded and scoped out, allowing her merry band of infiltrators to perform marvelously up to par.
Yet, they failed.
She failed.
Utterly.
"Cinder, we-"
"Quiet!" Emerald snapped her maw shut, sitting silent on her bed. Neo sat atop a bookshelf with her legs crossed, just listening to their conversation, or rather lack there of. Cinder scolded her two followers, and the ice cream girl found it utterly delightful.
"You two had one job. One!" Cinder crossed her slender arms in disgrace. "The thief and the butcher couldn't perform the simplistic of tasks? Is that what I am being lead to believe."
"I had it in the bag. My boot was going right through that dense skull of the Schnee when someone didn't do her job!" Mercury confidently spoke, sitting on the floor as he repaired his leg from Glynda's telepathic lock.
"Is that so?" Cinder narrowed her fiery eyes upon Emerald once more, heavy with disapproval.
"I-I didn't have a choice! The professor saw me. She had to of suspected something. There was no way I could warp her when she was watching me without being detected." Emerald reasoned while Mercury scoffed.
"Who exactly?" Cinder raised a brow.
"Goodwitch."
The partial-Fall Maiden growled at the name.
"The Huntress from the Dust shop..." Cinder spat. "We need to reevaluate. Slip-ups cannot happen at a time like this. The Festival is right around the corner."
"What's the plan then?" Mercury asked as Neo snickered quietly at the whole situation. The boy took notice. "Why not send in our little friend?"
"No. This is far too important for your hands, I now see. I'll deal with the Schnee myself." Cinder growled before regaining her composure. She couldn't let herself go in front of her fold. She would look weak. Salem didn't value weak. "You two, prepare for the dance. I feel as though the next few days will be... quite fun."
Weiss gasped as she was sat down on her bed, hissing as her lungs still refused to cooperate. Her Aura would spawn back in time, and she would begin to heal to full strength, but that would take time. She didn't have time for time.
"Ugh..." The heiress groaned, gagging on nothing as Blake pat her back gently. Yang stood off by the door, arms crossed in annoyance as to what Mercury had done while Ruby sat quietly on Blake's bed. The Rose's head pounded with pain, almost to the point of tears. This was so strange for her, to feel so much in this situation. It was almost ironic, she realized.
She should have stopped Weiss from going down there. She should have stopped her. She should have. She should have!
Ruby mentally beat herself to pieces as Weiss took another sip of water, managing to get it to stay down as she breathed harshly. Everyone watched the heiress with concern and interest until a small tapping on the door drew attention.
"Knock knock." Ren spoke as blunt as possible. "I need to speak to Blake."
The cat Faunus quickly gathered herself and stood tall, moving out to speak to her ally in the hall as Yang shut the door behind them.
"It's done." Ren stated, pressing the box into her hands. The Faunus blinked slowly, realizing his words.
"Already?"
The ninja nodded.
"It goes on first, then the ring comes off. She should remain fine, physically, but... I can't say for the emotions she will feel with the news. The pain with fade but... well, the ring was containing the issue. Making her emote more often than not." He expressed, crossing his arms after the delivery. "The rest will be up to her to decide."
Black hair ruffled as Blake nodded. "Thank you, Ren. I appreciate it. So does Weiss."
"None of this happened." He stated, pink eyes firm in resolve.
"Agreed." Blake nodded her head, offering another word of thanks before returning to her room as quickly as she had left it.
Yang raised a brow as she followed Blake with her eyes, noticing the Faunus stuff something behind her bookshelf as she moved back over to the heiress. Interest ate at her for a moment, narrowing her eyes upon the raven themed girl.
"What did he need?" The brute inquired, the Faunus waving it off in response.
"Nothing to note. Just checking up on Weiss. He gives his condolences." She lied through her teeth, as Ruby was sitting just a few feet away. Even if she wasn't listening, the risks were too great to openly discuss.
Yang shrugged, accepting this as truth. Turning back to Ruby, the older sibling bit her lip in worry. Ruby was being quiet. Very quiet, even comparing to the days after the hospital. Something was on her mind. Something big. Her big-sister instincts began to kick in, wanting to talk to her like they did ask kids, but knowing it would be mundane from what Blake had told her. Ruby wasn't herself at this point, she now knew this. All she could do is put faith in Weiss and trust she would do the right thing in the end to set things right. This was all out of her hands, and it annoyed her to no end.
Ruby continued to sit quietly, silently screaming at herself within her head as there was so much happening that she couldn't even trust herself.
I didn't stop her, she thought. I let her go. I let her go. I let her go. I let her go. She got hurt because of me. How could I have let this happen?
All of this ate away at her core, chewing her to pieces mentally as she tried not to cry. Her whole body hurt so, so badly. She just wanted it to stop. How... How could she have been so blind? How could she have let this happen? She let Weiss go, and she condemned her to pain.
Weiss caught her breath from a drink of more water, eyes tearing up for a moment as she let out a sigh of relief. The pain was subsiding, luckily, but not as fast as she wished. It hurt to even breathe at times, like someone was slowly forcing a knife into her stomach.
The Schnee looked over to Ruby, who was looking down at her lap sitting upon Blake's bed still. She had barely moved an inch since they arrived back in the dorm, and hadn't said anything.
The Rose slowly raised her head as she felt someone was watching her, or glaring or something. Hurting silver met piercing blue as the duo made contact, Ruby feeling her lips tremble. She didn't know what to do, if she should say something or apologize for not stopping Weiss? What was she to do? She felt lost, and so very horrible.
Then Weiss smiled, and all of that started to fade.
It was a simple gesture, followed by a series of violent coughs, but a gesture nonetheless. It gave Ruby the breath of fresh air that she so desperately needed. She needed it so badly, and Weiss just gave it to her.
Ruby gave a broken smile back to the Schnee as Blake spoke something into her ear about bedrest, the heiress complying and lowering herself down with assistance. A nap would help immensely, even as her spine contorted in pain upon touchdown with the body of the mattress. Drifting off soon to a peaceful slumber, Weiss was so glad to doze off for once. Blake and Yang left soon after to talk about something clear from the earshot of Ruby, but she didn't care. The Rose remained in the dorm, watching the Schnee like a hawk as she thought on herself, and soon too wilted away.
"Not so tight!" Weiss grunted in discomfort, a slight whimper to her voice.
"You are gaining some weight, little Miss Schnee." Yang teased as she helped the heiress with her dress, tugging on a portion. "You need a diet."
"Like you need medication. I swear, you are more hyperactive than ever." Weiss sighed in defeat. Her sigh soon turned to a screech as Yang toyed with the ends of Weiss's white dress.
"Whatcha hiding down here?" The brawler teased towards her rear.
"Yang." From her bed, Blake read her book. "Behave."
A smack of the hand drew Yang away, who gave a dramatic sigh. "How dare you! I would do nothing so lewd! I am hurt!"
"Scathing." Blake bluntly spoke, rolling her eyes. "Did you plant Crescent Rose?"
"Right side balcony on the first floor, behind the potted plants." Yang spoke proudly. "You guys did good work with that. It practically weighed nothing."
"That is the goal, after all." Weiss crossed her arms as she sucked in, taking a deep breath before releasing it. A full length mirror met her eyes, reflecting an image of a girl she had come to both adore and hate. She was better now. She would do better, by Ruby and everyone else she had dragged into this nightmare. Hopefully this would all end tonight.
All anyone talked about was the dance. Port even needed to end class early as no one was listening to his stories. Not that anyone did typically, but this time it was apparently by the chatter in the auditorium that he was alone in his interests. Ruby seemed excited, Yang having sent her over with Pyrrha and Nora to get ready so they could discuss things in private.
"You know the plan?" Blake asked Weiss.
"Of course I do." She snapped, then realizing what she had done. "S-Sorry. Nerves..."
"Well, I don't want the nerves intercepting the plan and ruining everything. So tell me again." Blake set her book to the side after folding a corner of the page.
"Get her to socialize and keep the night about her. Then later on, bring her out to the balcony and present the goods." Weiss stated.
"Phrasing." Yang teased.
"Quiet, you." Weiss huffed. "Necklace, then the scythe. Then... the ring." Weiss sighed deeply at the final part of the plan. "What if something goes wrong?"
"We will be nearby, don't you worry. You aren't alone in this." Blake reassured her of this. "Although don't count on her falling out with you. Be optimistic."
"Optimistic... sure." Weiss took another deep breath.
Leaving the room, the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company was left alone in the hall. There were a few hours left until the dance began, but she needed some alone time to think. This had been such an ordeal, and finally the end was in sight. She just had to reach out and grab it.
The door to Team JNPR's room gently pulled open to dump out Jaune and Ren, both nearly falling on their faces as Nora shouted something behind them with a slam of the oak. Weiss raised an amused brow their way as the duo groaned, Jaune rubbing his head which had met Ren's elbow on the way down. The heiress chuckled to herself as the pair caught her gaze, struggling to separate their limbs.
"What did you two do this time?" Weiss asked with a smirk.
"Nora and Pyrrha are still working with Ruby. They finished her hair and when it came time for her dress..." Jaune trailed off, not really having to say anything more.
"I get the picture." Weiss nodded, noticing the fancy suits they wore. "I wasn't aware that you two were going to the dance?"
"Nora asked Ren here." Jaune offered as Ren gave a small nod.
"Together?" Weiss asked.
"Not together, together." Ren already knew where this line of questioning was going.
"How quant." The Schnee hummed. "And you, Jaune?"
"Alone, as per usual." He sighed. "I asked a fair few people. Guess my mom was wrong about being confident gets you girls."
"Jaune..." Weiss groaned, pained by his blindness. Ren too offered some sort of discomfort at the boy's obviousness.
"What? Is something on my face?" He wondered, touching his skin for any sort of scuff.
"Why don't you ask... Pyrrha?" She suggested with a flick of the wrist.
"Pyrrha? Nah. She... No... She has a date I bet." The blonde boy shook his head.
"No, she doesn't. Go ask her. It will make up for that time you called me 'snow angel' in public." Weiss teased. "Once they are done with Ruby, I mean."
"Fine, fine. I'll just brace to be told 'no' again." He sighed deeply.
Weiss chuckled to herself once more, enjoying the return to old dynamic. A faint glimmer of green caught her eye as she looked down the hall to her right, spotting that Emerald girl walking side by side with Mercury, who wore a suit. Another just passed the corner as Weiss looked their way, spotting the fabric of a black gown before the group disappeared around the same corner. The Schnee shrugged it off, at this point having forgiven Mercury for his actions. Accidents happen, don't they?
Oh, how wrong she was.
Weiss gently tapped her foot at the doors to the ballroom, pacing around outside as she paused every few seconds. Blake and Yang had long since gone inside, as well as Pyrrha and Nora along with everyone else. Here she remained, alone and forgotten.
"Did she get cold feet...?" Weiss frowned as she considered the possibility of Ruby refusing to come after all. She looked to her waist at the small clipped-on purse attached to her dress, containing the much needed necklace for later in the evening. Things weren't looking so well.
"Um..."
Ruby looked beautiful, to say the least.
Nora and Pyrrha had changed her hair, forcing it to comb slightly over to the side in a far more regal manner. However, her bangs sliced over her forehead in a perfectly unbroken crescent, reminiscent of her former scythe. Her chest filled the dress nicely, a tad bit out of character of the girl but the female duo of JNPR members insisted she add some form of 'sexiness' to her pose. The black mesh clung to her lower collar, matching the black streaks of her styled hair. A pair of charcoal high heel boots cut by Pyrrha's sword clung to her feet, ending just above her ankle. A white corsage, modified and clipped to her left shoulder, refracted the light of the posts above.
It was the white rose, the very same from so long ago.
"Sorry I'm late... My legs don't really care for heels." Ruby rubbed her head, then yanking it away to avoid messing up her well done hair.
Ruby examined Weiss.
Not much had changed. Her ponytail still sat off-balance to her symmetric body build. Her collarbone was exclusively shown off, the defined lines of the area presented sharply with a tad bit of makeup done by Yang. Weiss too wore a corsage, yet upon her left wrist with a solid silver and gold bracelet holding it firm. The two opening around the lower back of the dress blew cold air upon her exposed skin, and to her lengthy legs held by a pair of glass heels. Her scar, previously displayed for all to see, was covered up by snow white makeup, making her appearance nearly perfect.
"You look beautiful." Weiss gulped slowly, locking eyes with Ruby for a moment.
Ruby hummed, looking Weiss over. The Rose stepped in and reached into the hidden back pocket of the dress, producing a red cloth. Carefully and without warning, she dabbed the area around Weiss's eye, much to the heiress's surprise as she tried to stand still.
The scar now exposed, Ruby tucked the fabric away with a smile.
"Now, now you look great." Ruby smiled for a moment long before hiding it, looking off to the ballroom.
"You ready for a wonderful night?" Weiss asked as she offered a hand.
Ruby took it with some hesitation, yet putting trust into Weiss.
Silver and blue orbs locked together.
"I am." The Rose spoke softly, and the duo moved in to the building.
A few yards away, a woman in a starry black gown hummed as the clicking of her glass slippers came to a stop. She watched with interest at the duo of teammates as they moved in on the ballroom, eyes full of concentration.
Amber eyes flashed with light and the hue of a stoked fire, and a smile formed with her slender lips.
Cinder Fall couldn't wait to get to work.
Coming Soon: Chapter 11: A Bleeding Heart