Alright! Finally time for some action! And some other things~ Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

Chapter 5. Silent Battle

The soldiers got into formation, and after Ozpin and Glynda had accepted Ruby's and Yang's wishes to join in the battle, the two princesses and their aides were put at the heart of the troops for ensured protection.

The four of them did have battle training after all, and when the future Queen herself requested to go into battle, following precisely in her mother's footsteps, there was no way she could be denied.

They'd all mounted their horses who moved restlessly in place; even their steeds could sense the oncoming battle and were eager to get moving.

Despite the sisters' griping, Weiss had managed to get them into the bare minimum of armor. Ruby was handed her scarlet-hilted sword which she sheathed at her hip. Likewise, Yang and Blake did the same for their blades.

Weiss was the only one of the four who carried her weapon - her special rapier - at all times, though it was clear that Blake could hide an occasional dagger on her person quite often if not constantly.

But it was impossible to deny that it felt good to have her team beside her going into battle. The sense of companionship here was second to none, and Weiss loved the rapport and the chemistry it all demonstrated. She could trust her companions with her life, but she was also under oath to give her own for Ruby.

And Ruby was well-aware of this, which was why she was always nervous about going into battle, scared she would make some kind of foolish mistake and Weiss would be the one to pay for it.

But she shook her head and forced herself not to think about such things. She could handle herself.

Weiss kept her horse beside Ruby's as Glynda called for attention and began giving a brief overview of the situation at hand; about 50 reported Grimm, mostly the usual Ursai and Beowulves, but allegedly Boarbatusk as well.

Overall, they were the common types; it was the rarer Death Stalkers and King Taijitu that were worrying, and even more so than that were the Giant Nevermores. But judging by what she said, it sounded like a fairly easy fight.

"And remember," Glynda was saying quickly as she finished up her speech. "We are not aiming to kill the Grimm, but merely deflect them and keep them out of Vale. Keep to your ranks and do not be caught alone. Move out!"

The order was given, and the cheers and roars went up before the front lines took off after their commanding officers.

Blake trotted up beside Yang, moving their horses close enough so she could lean over and quickly kiss her princess' cheek for good measure before they directed their steeds to the gates.

The horses followed in fast lines down a specific path that cut through the streets of Vale. The town was already starting to clear now as the citizens retreated to their homes to find shelter, providing an easy run for the horses as they charged toward the outskirts of the town, bound for the surrounding forests.

Overall, there were ten troops dispatched, with a total of one hundred and twenty soldiers going into battle while the renaming number stayed behind to defend the town should any beasts slip through the ranks. Soldiers who had been injured in training incidents and were still recovering, or newer recruits stayed in the barracks.

But for the rest of them, it was exhilarating to finally be able to get a chance to fight again.

The Emerald forest was soon in sight, and there was no need for silence or stealth as the trampling hooves thundered over the red clay earth. The soldiers split up into groups of twelve and fanned out in different directions based on Ozpin's orders.

RWBY stuck close to JNPR and CFVY, and the latter two teams were certain to keep the two princesses at the center of the formation.

Ruby was silent as she tried to contain her bubbling excitement at finally being able to fight alongside her friends again.

As she rode, she glanced to the sides, noticing fallen trees and unnatural clearings, evidence of previous battles. Ahead of her, Velvet – a rabbit Faunus – shouted something to Pyrrha who then addressed them all, yelling over her shoulder.

"About one hundred more feet and we'll engage them! Everyone stay together and don't die!"

The unanimous, "Yes, ma'am!" echoed out over the sounds of the thundering hooves, and it was not much longer before the human ear picked up on the sounds of snarling and howling not far ahead.

Weiss met Ruby's eye and called a plea to her.

"Please, Princess. Don't run off on your own. Stay beside me or wherever it's safest."

"Don't worry~!" Ruby smiled.

"Saying that has the opposite effect!"

Ruby might have laughed a little bit, but Weiss couldn't be certain, for just then was when the Grimm appeared before them. Their black bodies tore through the trees, furious roars shaking the air that was already trembling from the constant motion all around.

Whinnies went up as the riders hollered battle cries, similar sounds easily heard dozens of yards to either side as other troops engaged the beasts as well.

Depending on their skill level, some soldiers preferred to stay on horseback for added speed and power with their attacks.

Jaune and Pyrrha were two of such fighters, charging directly into the oncoming creatures, with swords out to either side, swerving sideways and crouching low behind their horses until their blades made contact with thick, black flesh.

Likewise, Nora chose to keep to her horse, using the animal's back as a propulsion to jump off high into the air. She was one of few soldiers who had a specialized weapon - a giant war hammer. She'd soar high above the monsters before bringing the weapon down onto tails or haunches, sending them crumpling to the ground before they scurried off back from whence they came. Sometimes, she'd strike the earth, shaking the ground and startling the beasts back into hiding. She would grab onto her horse again, remount, and repeat the process, while Ren would slashed with his dual swords at the stragglers she missed.

But the princesses and their aides always dismounted and sent their horses off to collect them later, and now was no different.

Ruby had just jumped down and tapped her palm to Crescent's haunches to send her off, immediately drawing her sword and casting her silver gaze into the trees around her. Weiss dismounted beside her, rapier in hand, already having cast repulsion glyphs to send any straying Grimm back in the opposite direction.

Blake jumped off her horse beside Yang, drawing her sword as the half-princess pounded her knuckles together and did the same, giving a holler:

"I've been waiting for this for a while!" She bent down to tear off the excess length of her dress up to her knees and tossed the material aside, giving her much better mobility on foot. Her hair took on a heated glow, and within seconds, flames licked at the air around her, her eyes going red.

Seeing her odd semblance in action always startled most people other than Blake, and even now, the Grimm came to a halt as they regarded her warily.

Yang selected her first target and charged, and the Ursa's ears flattened as it let out a defiant roar. Blake slashed at the surrounding beasts, utilizing her swift semblance to disorient them, aiming not for throats but for paws and hooves, doing her best not to kill them.

Yang settled for aiming at legs, struck hindquarters, and sending flames down the length of her sword to burn tails until the beasts retreated, though there were several that were too persistent that she ended up killing.

Ruby watched her sister and the Faunus girl, eager to get moving herself.

But when she tried, she found Weiss had cast ice on her shoes to immobilize her, and the brunette looked up at her knight with a pout.

"Weeiissss! No fair! I'm allowed to fight!"

"Not if I can help it. You're not getting a scratch on you, and if I have anything to say about it, you're not even going to break a sweat."

"But my skills will get rusty!"

"Then let them!" Weiss snapped, focusing on more of her repulsion glyphs. "It's better than risking your getting hurt!"

"Weiss, come on! Just one?"

"...Maybe."

With a grunt, Weiss continued casting her glyphs, staying close to Ruby. However, most of the beasts were avoiding hers and Ruby's general direction, so she focused on aiming blasts at the Grimm attacking her companions.

Weiss used a minimum amount of Dust, only casting it when absolutely necessary. She shot a round of fire to stop a pack of wolves in their tracks. Instantly afterward, she shot out a blast of ice to stifle the flames, and the resulting hiss of thick steam blinded the beasts, providing the perfect opportunity for JNPR to take over.

But when her semblance started wearing thin from overuse, Weiss resorted to using her rapier to parry the claws that came at them, few as they were.

Ruby stayed where she was, having cut away the ice at her feet a while ago, but opting to stay put as not to cause Weiss more trouble. She felt it was odd that the Grimm seemed to be attacking all of the other teams, but for the most part left hers alone.

Yang had hardly touched five of the beasts, perhaps because Blake had taken care of most before they could reach her, but Ruby felt there was something strange about it all.

Weiss was more focused on helping the other teams than her own, due to the lack of attackers on their end, though she simultaneously managed to keep one eye on Ruby.

By the time the Grimm started to retreat, Ruby had hardly moved a single step.

But there was one last wolf prowling before them, and Weiss had just turned her attention to it. Before she could act however, Ruby tugged on her sleeve and whimpered pleadingly. The white-haired knight met her silver eyes for a brief moment before letting out a sigh.

"Fine."

She supposed there would be no harm coming from one last wolf, and Ruby was more than capable of handling it.

Still, Weiss took up her stance, rapier aimed ahead should anything go amiss.

Ruby jumped up and down in place and squealed out "Thank you, Weiss!" before readying her sword and charging forward at breakneck speed, her speed semblance activated at long last. Her red cloak snapped out behind her, and any persons left of the generation that had fought alongside Summer Rose would clearly see her image in the girl now.

Rose petals swirled out in a storm behind her, sword pointed readily at her side.

But as Ruby neared the wolf, it merely turned tail and fled, leaving behind a very miffed and pouting princess who directed her weapon at the ground instead.

Weiss breathed a sigh of relief as she sheathed her rapier, though her charge was stomping her foot in disappointment.

"Awww come on! I didn't even get to fight one! Why'd it run away like that?"

"Bummer," Yang sympathized as her eyes gradually faded back to lavender. "Lousy luck that you got the chicken of the group."

"It's because Weiss wouldn't let me fight!" Ruby complained, sheathing her sword.

Weiss huffed indifferently.

"If you were in my position, you'd know why I do what I have to do."

"Yeah, yeah..." Ruby slumped her shoulders as she trudged back to her companions. "But I feel like this happened last time we got to fight, too! It was like four months ago, but I'm pretty sure back then too I didn't even get to fight! They all just ran away!"

"Sorry," Weiss shrugged. "But to me, that's better than you risking injury."

"But still..." Blake spoke up softly as she sheathed her weapon as well. "These tactics... it's all so counterproductive. We come in to fend them off, but we can't kill them unless we have to. For the majority of them, we expend our energy and let them get away only to come back and ambush us another day."

"I know..." Ruby mumbled. "But it's what my mom wanted. That's why she made it law. We've got to let the Grimm reproduce and grow in numbers again to bring balance back to Remnant."

"Right," Weiss nodded. "The theory is that once their numbers aren't in danger any longer, they become docile again and cease the attacks on people."

"Yeah..." Yang agreed. "But more of them are still being killed off thanks to the White Fang's illegal covert hunts. So as long as that keeps happening, they only get more hostile..."

"In the end," Weiss murmured. "It's a tough situation, but we don't exactly have any other choice."

"Yeah," Ruby nodded, making a circle in the dirt with the tip of her shoe. "I still just wanna know why these past few years I've hardly been able to fight at all before they run away."

Her sister offered a small smile and sauntered over, slinging an arm around her shoulders.

"Don't think too much into it. It's probably just because you're such a great huntress they could sense it or somethin' and got scared outta their wits!"

Weiss angled her face away and muttered under her breath.

"And maybe that's why you saw so little action, as well."

"What was that, Weiss?"

"Nothing," she said sharply. "Pay me no mind. I'm simply thinking aloud to myself."

Yang narrowed her eyes at the white knight, but before any further comments could be made, there was a rustle among the bushes as JNPR reached them.

"How is everyone?" Pyrrha wondered, her eyes going instantly to Ruby. "No injuries I presume?"

"Not even a scratch..." The future queen sounded almost disappointed.

"Well, that's good! After scouting around to the other troops, it's been reported that there were only a few serious injuries today, and with the help of our medical squad, even those have been tended to! It's almost like you were a good luck charm to us today, Princesses!"

"Yeah..." Ruby shrugged.

It was clear she was dejected, but Weiss was just glad she was still in one piece.

The knight brought her fingers to her lips and blew out a long whistle, and within moments, their horses came trotting back to them, also unharmed.

"It was a successful day," Pyrrha announced as the four girls mounted. "Despite all the mischief that seems to be brewing lately, today was a sign that things will be okay!"

Her smile then was contagious, and even the pouting princess reflected it.

Once the soldiers had all been rounded up and healed as best the medics could handle out in the forest, they set off for Vale again. One squad trumpeted horns to let the citizens know the battle was victorious in their favor.

Ruby was still in a bit of a daze as she trotted her horse alongside Weiss', so Yang took the liberty of taking her sister's mind off of things. She directed Ember to Crescent's other side and leaned over casually to Ruby.

"Soooo, what'cha gonna write about in your three-page paper?"

"Ew, Yaaaang!" she hissed. "Why'd you have to bring that up?"

"I hadn't forgotten about it," Weiss informed her. "So if you were hoping I had, you're out of luck."

Ruby grumbled something under her breath.

Pyrrha, who rode just ahead of them, looked back over her shoulder in interest.

"I'd love to help if I can, Princess Rose!"

Blake brought her horse up beside Yang's and offered her thoughts.

"What better way to get information than from the commander of a squad herself? You can ask Pyrrha how the medics handled things, or if there were any new recruits."

"Oh!" The crimson-haired girl perked up. "That reminds me, there were a few new soldiers brought along this time and they handled things splendidly! I suspect they had training previously from wherever they came from."

"See?" Yang nudged her sister. "That's one thing to write about. Don't sweat it, you'll be fine."

"And," Weiss put in. "Of course I'll help you, too."

Ruby finally cracked a tiny smile up at her.

"Thanks!"

By then, they had reached Vale once more, and the lines of soldiers retreated back to the training camp grounds to wind down. Pyrrha's team offered to take RWBY's horses and weapons to secure them again.

"At least until your next combat lesson's in a few days!" Pyrrha smiled.

The girls dismounted and shed what little armor they had worn, save for Weiss who left her armor and weapon as it was.

Then, they headed back to the castle on foot, through the streets that were already starting to fill with citizens again.

It took a while to get back, considering the amounts of people – mainly children – who crowded them, asking about every minuscule detail of the battle.

Ruby recounted her story to them like a fairytale, and the children gathered with sparkling, eager eyes to listen:

"The trees were suuuper spooky-looking, and the clouds seemed to swallow up the sun whole! As we rode into the forest, there were glowing eyes aaaall around us..."

Weiss stood not too far off with Blake and Yang.

"Except it wasn't dark at all," she mumbled. "And they were only in front of us, not all around."

"Aww, c'mon Weiss!" Yang laughed. "Let 'em have their fun!"

And she did, but only for another hour or so, as that was when the sun started to sink toward the horizon.

It was then the parents started to take their children's hands or scruffs and lead them away to head for home. Weiss acted in a similar fashion, pinching Ruby's hood and giving a tug before leading her back to the castle.

"You can tell them more tomorrow," she promised. "But for now you've got a paper to write."

"Awwwww!"

Ruby whimpered all the way back, leaving Yang and Blake to stifle chuckles behind her.

After getting back inside the castle, the four of them were served supper as the sisters recounted the events of the day to their father. He listened attentively and even offered a few tidbits about the times he had fought in battles beside Summer in years long passed.

But when Yang brought up the peculiarity of them hardly getting to touch a single beast, he fell silent before quickly changing the subject.

Weiss and Blake took notice of this while the sisters simply continued to talk with the King. The two aides made eye contact, a silent message shared between them, but for now they simply continued to eat quietly.

Once the meal was finished, Blake and Yang headed off together to the half-princess' room to clean themselves and prepare for bed.

"Mmm yeah...!" Ruby agreed. "Bed sounds good about now-"

"Not so fast," Weiss quipped. "You've still got a paper to write."

"Darn it..."

Luckily, Weiss had the princess bathe first, telling Ruby to gather her thoughts during that time and think about what she wanted to write.

Afterward, Ruby dressed herself in her red nightgown, hoping to emerge from the bathroom to find Weiss also in her sleepwear. She was disappointed to find her still in her armor, hands folded behind her back – as professional and Weiss-like as ever.

"Weeeiissss, it's almost sundown! You should change into something comfy!"

"Later," she said. "But for now I'll help you with your writing."

She led Ruby back to her quarters, and the younger girl sat down at the desk off to one side. She took up her feather pen and a few sheets of paper and set to work right away.

This was hardly the first time she had to make reports about the going-ons of the kingdom, and despite how much she complained beforehand every time, Weiss believed that deep down, Ruby enjoyed doing such things. It let her connect with her kingdom and its people, and writing things down helped her commit information to memory better.

When she sat there writing under the lamplight, Ruby never once complained, though sometimes she asked Weiss for assistance with word choice, or discussed with her first what she should put before she wrote it.

When she went to work on assignments like these, she never rested until she had completed them, as she felt it was her duty to the people of Vale to work hard for them, before and behind the castle walls.

Of course, when she finally put her pen down, the loud, groaning voice came back.

"Uuugh I'm finally finiiiiished!" Ruby sighed dramatically. She leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms up above her head until her shoulders popped.

Weiss winced at the sound before crossing the room and accepting the paper she was handed. She scanned it over, mumbling about a few spelling errors here and there, but was overall satisfied with it.

"Very good. I'll submit it to the King and then have it put away in your documentation archives."

"Okay, okay..." Ruby yawned. "But when you finish all that, could you come back here for a minute? I wanna talk to you."

Weiss instinctively stiffened at those words, but she dipped her head nonetheless.

"Of course."

She left the room, intent to return quickly.

Ruby stood and stretched her numbed limbs a bit more until they got feeling back. She limped to the window and pushed the curtains aside, lucky enough to catch the last few glimpses of the sunset as it graced her kingdom.

Orange light illuminated the sky, the clouds outlined in gold. The buildings took on a reddish hue, the ground below even more so. The sun only remained in sight for a few minutes longer before it slipped behind the distant mountains.

By the time it had vanished, Weiss had returned with a soft knock to the door that was already ajar. Ruby turned around and headed over to her, motioning for her to close it. Weiss obeyed, and the room was left with only a faint lamplight to see by.

Weiss straightened up as best she could, hands folded behind her back as she met Ruby's eyes directly.

"What is it you would like to discuss with me, Pri- …Ruby?" she corrected herself.

When she made the change of title-calling, Ruby smiled a little. But she did not provide an answer right away, and instead took Weiss' hand and led her over to the bed, having her sit down beside her.

There were several topics Weiss could imagine this being about – the Grimm, the White Fang, Yang...

But the thing Ruby addressed was probably the last thing Weiss was expecting.

"Just go to bed!"

"...I beg your pardon?"

"Weiss!" She sounded exasperated. "Just sleep! You're always working too hard, you only sleep five hours a night, and on top of all that you're always taking care of me! You haven't even changed out of your armor or bathed since the battle today! You're going to fall ill and then what will I do?"

Weiss was still baffled that the topic at hand was herself, and she shook her head slowly.

"No, I'm fine, Ruby. I intend to-"

"You may think you're fine now, and maybe you are! But if you keep overworking yourself, you're not going to be fine later!"

"I'm not overworking myself!" she snapped.

It had reached the point of the evening where their titles of princess and knight were all but forgotten; now, they were simply old friends-

-and perhaps more.

Ruby sighed.

"You may do an exceptional job during the day – all day, every day. But it's at times like these when it's obvious how exhausted you are."

Ruby took both of Weiss' hands in hers and slowly began removing the white gloves that covered them. It was hard for Weiss not to pull away as her mind told her to, but her heart told her she wanted to do just the opposite and stay put.

Ruby brought her knight's bare hands to her lips and placed soft kisses over the backs of Weiss' taut knuckles. She looked up into mist-blue eyes, and her knight's expression was unreadable. Ruby squeezed her hands imploringly.

"Please stay the night, Weiss. Just this once. I want you to get some proper rest. You know I worry about you..."

Her confession made Weiss' breath hitch, and she wanted more than anything to take her princess up on the offer.

But-

"I can't..." she sighed.

"Yes you can."

"I have so much to attend to tonight, what with the banquet coming up-"

"Do I need to make it an order?" Ruby challenged.

Weiss pursed her lips instantly. She could tell Ruby was serious about making it an official order for her to stay, and if she did, Weiss did not have the slightest clue as to what she was supposed to do.

If she was missed by the other guards around the castle, and it was discovered she had spent the knight in the Princess' room, it would surely be deemed scandalous and improper.

People hardly cared that Blake took residence in Yang's bed every night – because Yang was only a half-princess.

But Ruby...

Surely if they were discovered, Weiss potentially risked a termination of position, and she could not bear the thought.

"Ruby..." Her voice wavered.

It reminded Ruby that at the end of the day, Weiss was just a girl like her.

Her knight continued in a hesitant voice, her tone sad.

"I can't... Do you understand? If someone found out-"

"It's not like we'd be doing anything bad!" Ruby cut her off. "I just want you to rest!"

"I know," Weiss sighed. "But to the rest of the kingdom, I assure you it will only look like something else."

Ruby growled.

"Is that all people think about? That as soon as someone's in my room after sunset I'm sleeping with them? Why can't I just lay down next to my best friend?"

"I know..." Weiss mumbled. "But that's how it is. I could be dismissed as your knight, and I can't... I can't live without you beside me. You know that."

Ruby tried to keep her resolve, but she could not deny what her knight was saying. She heaved a sigh.

"I know. I'm sorry I threatened to make it an order. I don't want to trap you, Weiss, I just... I want to make sure you're okay..." She bowed her head, and Weiss felt warm droplets cover the backs of her hands.

"I am okay, Ruby. I am. And I always will be so long as you're beside me," she promised. "But I really do have other things I must do tonight, though I promise you I'll do my best to complete them quickly and sleep a while longer."

Ruby sniffled and wiped her arm across her face.

"Okay. Just at least... let me help you out of your armor before you go."

Weiss imaged she could allow that much.

She stood and gave Ruby her back, and the princess set to work in removing every piece that was not sewn into Weiss' clothing. She removed the rapier as well, and leaned it against the side of her bed.

She had Weiss kneel before her, and Ruby untied her ponytail, letting loose the cascades of snow-like silver.

It left Weiss in just her boots, pants, and dress shirt that fanned out around her knees like a skirt, all materials white and lined with blue.

Ruby helped her back onto the bed and reached up, brushing her fingers lightly across the pink scar over her left eye - an old wound Weiss had sustained while defending her princess' life.

Ruby kissed it briefly, and it was hard for Weiss not to return the gesture; but the princess knew she wanted to, and that would suffice.

Weiss bit her lip and gazed into her eyes.

"You... You know what I want, don't you Ruby?"

The princess nodded.

"I know, Weiss. I want it, too. But I know it's hard for you. We can't have what Blake and Yang have. Not yet, at least. Some day. We can discuss things with my father, I'll let him know how I feel about you, and maybe then we won't have to hide things anymore...

"But we've got to think about what we want to say and how we want to say it. If we mess up... that could be the end of it. I think he'd be okay with it, but it's the rest of Vale I'm worried about... But for now..." She kissed Weiss' cheek again. "We can settle for this, right? We've waited long enough; we just have to wait a little longer."

Weiss nodded, forcing herself not to return Ruby's kisses. She felt that if she did, she would not be able to contain her pent-up affections any longer, and it was clear that they needed to wait. This was the silent battle the two of them shared; for now, they were restricted only to dreaming of the day they could declare a favorable resolution.

Luckily for Weiss, Ruby gave her something else to hold her over. She wrapped her arms around Weiss and pulled her into a gentle embrace, sighing in bliss as she rested her chin over the older girl's shoulder.

"This is so much nicer than hugging you with all that armor on. You're so soft, Weiss..." Like this, she could feel the other girl's heartbeat thrumming against her chest.

Weiss decided this was something she would allow herself to have.

She returned the embrace, loving every second of it, loving Ruby's warmth and her scent like wild strawberries mixed with roses.

They stayed like that for a few moments, but Weiss soon realized if she did not let go soon, she never would.

Reluctantly, she had them part, reaching up to tuck a lock of brown hair behind Ruby's ear.

"Thank you, Ruby. Really. I didn't realize how much I needed that... But I've got to go now."

She retied her hair and slipped back into her armor, putting her rapier back at her hip.

"Okay..."

Ruby watched her transform back from a delicate girl to a prestigious knight. She loved both sides of Weiss – she just wished her softer side did not have to be hidden away so much.

And yet, Ruby felt special in knowing she was the only person in the world to be blessed with witnessing that side of Weiss.

She stood from her bed and refrained from kissing her one more time, instead taking hold of her gloved hands and giving a squeeze.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Weiss."

"Likewise. Sleep well, Ruby."

"You, too. Sleep well."

And as Weiss went to the hallway and closed the door behind her, Ruby knew she had every intention to.

A/N: Next chapter is an intermission of sorts, but you'll understand, I'm sure.

Chapter 6 preview: They could see the golden glow of Dust off her crimson dress even from far away, and as the neared, they bowed their heads.

"Good evening, Cinder," Emerald greeted her. The woman's eyes lit up with interest, and she ran a hand through her ashen hair.

"My, my..." Her voice was thick and slow and sweet, like poisonous honey that no one would be opposed to swallowing. "How are the new recruits doing this fine night? I trust Ozpin and his troops treated you well?"

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