Author's Note:
I had originally intended to write this all as a single novel before posting any. However, due to personal circumstances, I am going to write this (and all future fanfictions) as I did my first few. That is, I will be writing chapters and subsequently posting them. I hope you will all enjoy this tale as we go along, and that my efforts at improving my craft are not in vain.
Without further ado, I present to you all...
Chapter 1
Of Songbirds and Letters
Ϯ – A Forward Note
This all began with a question. A pondering on destiny, and the meaning of our endless struggle to exert dominance over that indominable force. Fate, oh hallowed, harrowed Siren. Oh, briefly noticed ghost…
Two Roses, one of red and one of white, began a dance in that question. A merry tune enveloped them and eclipsed their lives, which began separate but became intertwined. That tune—that sweetly hollow serenade—is what we call love. A gentle creature, one that comes and goes of its own volition only. A sickly flame that we must encapsulate, and thereafter nourish in our bosoms, if it is ever to properly enkindle.
What, then, does Fate play as part of this tale? Could any such role go beyond the trite and contrived, the overstated platitude and overused cliché?
Perhaps. And perhaps we shall see that, as we now reengage the tale of these two Roses. For they do dance on, into a deeper role that they themselves must play. Love is the catalyst that binds them to this, what will terminate as a mournful melody within the fabric of Creation and what lies beyond. They must play this part well. They must find deeper of themselves and of that briefly glimpsed ghost, and also of that gentle creature that now stirs lively within them.
A Rose dreams only of the warm sun, under which it may unfurl its bright petals and praise the day with all its glorious splendor. For these Roses, that sun is each other. They will dream of it long, and we will follow them into that dream.
And that dream, as so very many others, will be long and harrowing. Yet, not unrewarding…
α
And so it came to pass, the last day of post-finals break. It was another sunny day. Another indicator that Spring was indeed early and had no intention of retreating. No, Spring was here to stay, and in all honesty, every inhabitant of the University City said thank you. Few with mouth and word, but all with their thoughts.
Even Ruby, over whose head the specter of her departed sister still hung. That passage had left a hole in her heart—one that might never fully fill—but its effect this day was greatly diminished. Birds sang in the air, trees and bushes and flowers of all sorts bloomed with many-colored buds. Blue skies were smattered here and there with fluffy cotton puffs of cloud, lazily passing on the faintest breeze. Even the air smelled cleaner, despite the distinct mark of civilization and all its terrible odors. Sunshine, fresh air, gorgeous sky, and colorful scenery.
It was as if the very world itself were singing glory in the highest for her. For what she now had, to cherish and eagerly watch grow. A sweet, gentle anodyne to her ailing heart. Succoring water for that harrowing flame. A new flame; a White flame. A gentle push to let go of the hurt and believe it would go away, even if only to somewhere much deeper within her.
To Ruby, the woman walking across the street toward her—silver hair glinting in the unhindered sun, icy blue eyes sparkling with vigor—was a panacea.
Ah, but maybe that was just the coffee talking…
Ͼ
Weiss had awoken early this day to butterflies in her stomach and fresh crimson on her face. A lingering dream still danced playfully in her mind, its picturesque presentation of her inner wishes a very welcome reprieve.
She had gone to bed the previous night worrying a little. The last two weeks had done much to set that about, but it had taken until only the last couple days to really strike her. Ruby's words, that is, and what truth lay within them. Of the risks Weiss took saying what she had said. Of the possible travesty her choice might bring about. Worst of all however, of the possible—and intentional—slaying of one dream to replace it with another.
And so, when Weiss had gone to bed at last, her thoughts were chasing those things. Bringing her visions of her father and his disappointment. Making her to look upon the family name she so desperately wished to pull from the mud, and realize that might be a bygone aspiration. Screaming at her in the muted breath of twilight pre-sleep how audacious, how simply unheard of this path she'd now chosen was.
But with sleep came dreams. With those dreams came brief glimpses of hope, of a possible brightness awaiting her at the end of the tunnel. With that hope came her refreshed, albeit embarrassedly blushing, awakening.
When she awoke, she greeted the day in a manner unbefitting of the old Weiss Schnee. She sat up and stretched, truly excited to see the sun casting golden eyelashes through her window shades. She simply sat there for a while, breathing the flowery scent of the air in her room, enjoying the muted sweetness of it. When she did finally stand to dress, Weiss did so humming a little tune—one she'd once been forced to sing to for one of her father's galas, hosted to raise money for the company. Even in the hallway, walking to the exit and the beautiful day beyond, she continued to hum.
For once in a very long time, Weiss was truly happy. To be alive. To be off and about. To be headed into the city, for to see someone now very dear to her. Most of all perhaps, she was happy just to have Ruby. A friend oh so close, oh so cherished, oh so dear…
Could we get a Hallelujah?
Ђ
Café Atlas is what the locals called it. In truth, the place was just another little coffee shop with another forgettable little name. Weiss and Ruby weren't much different toward it. The place was conveniently located about halfway between the both of them, facing a nice little park with a small lake. It was picturesque. It was relaxing and laidback. One might find snobby or prudish folk here—the hipsters and elite of the University City—but such was the same for any other establishment save for the dives and truly out-of-the-way places.
A quarter past noon was when Weiss finally showed up. Ruby had already been there for a good half hour, her first cup of coffee drained and her second now half gone. Ruby's silver eyes excitedly watched Weiss cross the street, clearly none too put out for the wait.
"Hi Weiss!" She called.
Weiss only waved back, not wanting to raise her voice.
It was a bit windy this day, and a sudden gust arose out of nowhere. The breeze played with both women's hair, tossing Ruby's across her eyes and Weiss's toward her right shoulder. Ruby snorted a giggle at the sight as Weiss's ponytail appeared to swat at something—alive, if you will.
The heiress hurried on over, wondering what Ruby was giggling at, and took a seat.
"I see you went ahead and ordered." Weiss said.
"I'm a little sleepy. Needed a pick-me-up."
Ruby took a sip of her coffee and Weiss flagged down a barista. She gave her order, then looked at her friend across the table. There was something particularly pronounced about her eyes today, Weiss could see. Like an extra glimmer or sparkle.
"You said you wanted to talk to me?"
"Yup!" Ruby answered, quick and chipper.
Weiss watched her for a moment, then pressed, "Anything in particular?"
She watched Ruby fidget around before producing a book and laying it on the table between them. 'Blood of Elves' its title read, and about two-thirds the way through, an envelope stuck out as a rudimentary or hasty bookmark. Weiss couldn't tell which.
"Another good book for me to read?" Weiss asked.
"No, not the book." Ruby opened it and removed the envelope, replaced it with a napkin. "I wanted to ask you a favor is all."
Now, Weiss was getting a bit curious. The envelope looked familiar somehow—yellowed paper, stained here and there with water or something similar, sealed with wax of all things—but she couldn't recall why right that moment. Ruby looked almost reverent sitting there, the way she was staring at it. Like the thing might bite her if she didn't handle it just properly, and she would deserve every bit of it. A remorseful, almost penitent look, face poorly hiding a grimace.
But still, that sparkle in her silver eyes.
"You know I'm not going to turn you down." Weiss said, briefly stealing Ruby's gaze back. "Let me hear it."
For a moment, it seemed Ruby might think better of her request. As though she would simply return the envelope to her book and brush the subject off. She rubbed the edges between her thumb and forefinger, looking at it. Then she looked up at Weiss.
"I want you to stay the night at my place." Ruby said, almost declared.
Poor Weiss had no idea whatsoeverhow to respond to that. Her mouth dropped open and she made no notice of the returning barista, steaming cup of tea in hand. Oh, her mind certainly had notions of what Ruby intended. They were wrong for the most part, but they were certainly discomfiting all the same.
"Why?" Weiss managed to choke out at last.
Now it was Ruby's turn to blush and fall silent, though not for long.
Perhaps a minute passed before she said, "Because, I think I'm going to need you tonight," and placed the envelope on the table to point at it.
"Is that for me?" Weiss asked, looking at the worn thing.
"No!"
Ruby snatched it up, hugged it to herself. Frightfully almost, as though Weiss had threatened to eat it. At first, Weiss nearly laughed at this. Then she saw the truly fearful look in Ruby's (still glimmering) eyes, and held the giggles back.
"What is it, then?" Weiss persisted. "You need me to read a letter with you?"
"I know we just got together and all," Ruby started, returning the envelope to her book as she went, "and I know it's kinda sudden. But, I don't think I can read this alone. The letter, I mean. Don't you remember where I got it?"
Ruby gave Weiss a pleading look, and the heiress felt more than a little guilty to shake her head no.
"When we met my sister's partner—Blake—in Patch. Just before the funeral…"
Suddenly, Weiss realized what the glimmer was. Tears hiding behind a sunny day, mournful thoughts held back by a gorgeous clime. Oh, the shame.
"Wait… It's that letter?" Weiss asked, afraid to hear an answer.
Ruby gave none, only nodded her head once. She put the book back on her lap, under the table, and tried to give Weiss a strong smile.
"Will you come stay the night with me?" Ruby asked again, trying to hide the pleading behind her off kilter grin.
Weiss's answer was voiceless. She reached across the table to take hold of Ruby's hands in both of her own, locked eyes with her…
And nodded also.
Ђ
Weiss was more than a little nervous when she first arrived at Ruby's apartment. She'd only gone to her own long enough to pack a few sundries and a change of clothes, and so had little time to mentally ready herself.
Of course, one might think the whole ordeal something simple. And in all truth, it really was. They were newly declared in their relationship and this stayover amounted to little more than a friendly thing, yet there was that burning intensity to it as well. A tension onset by the source of their flame, off in the seedier portion of the University City. When Weiss and Ruby had both remained hidden from the other, and where the former had seen most all there was to see of the latter.
Thus, at three in the afternoon when Weiss arrived, her pale face was shaded scarlet and her whole body felt ready to burst aflame. Sweat trickled down her temples in soft runners, little enough to keep from showing but more than enough for her to feel. Of course, Ruby had opened the door with another of her usual goofy smiles and yet more of her cheerful vigor and that did settle Weiss a little at least.
"Welcome, welcome!" Ruby declared happily.
Weiss smiled in return.
"I got some tea boiling. Go find a seat and I'll bring yours." Ruby motioned toward the inside and Weiss stepped in.
The heiress looked around for a seat as Ruby ran off toward the little nook of a kitchen. Wasn't far to run, but she seemed a bit more energetic than earlier and did so anyway. Weiss smiled again at this. Turning away, her gaze found the futon couch and she decided it would do fine.
"Hey, Ruby!"
"Uh huh?"
"Where should I put my bag?" Weiss held up the thing, though Ruby couldn't see it.
"You brought a bag?!" Ruby yelled with a hardly hidden snort of laughter.
Feeling a tad embarrassed for heavens knew why, Weiss dropped it back to her lap. She thought about not responding at first but decided this would be rude.
"One needs their essentials…" Weiss muttered to herself. Then, loud enough for Ruby to hear, "Yeah, I brought a bag! Now where can I put it?!"
Of course, most of this shouting—or slightly-raised-voice speaking as it were—was not wholly necessary, even at first. But somehow, they'd both set to it and Ruby found it to be a wonderful joke. She returned to Weiss with two mugs of tea steaming angrily—and most pleasingly aromatic to boot—and a wide grin across her soft features.
The heiress did not see her, looking instead at something else in the other direction, so Ruby leaned in close.
"Anywhere's fine!" Ruby shouted playfully.
Weiss jumped and almost fell over. Ruby burst into giggles, quite pleased with herself, and nearly spilled both their drinks.
"Ruby you dolt!" Weiss seethed, turning to face her. "You'll give someone a heart attack!"
"Oh, don't be so melodramatic, Weiss." Ruby handed the fuming woman her tea and sat down on the futon. "So, what'cha wanna do tonight?"
The heiress gave her another ireful look before sitting down. She tried to take a sip of the tea, then set it on the little table before them when she found it too hot.
"I came over for you, remember? You do still want me with you for that letter, right?"
Ruby didn't bother with her own tea, only set it beside Weiss's and said, "Yeah. I do. But before things get heavy, why don't we watch a movie or play a game? Or something…"
The woman began to fidget nervously. Weiss watched her from the corner of her eye, one end of her mouth trying to twitch into a half grin. She wouldn't let it, of course, as she felt she'd come here in a more businesslike capacity. Which is not to say she didn't enjoy the idea of watching a movie with Ruby.
It's what I would do with my girlfriend, right?
Weiss shivered when this thought raced briefly through her mind. The concept wasn't off putting, but it was still unfamiliar and a little uncomfortable. Like a new pair of good boots—odd at first, off kilter and foreign, but cherished once settled into.
"You there, Weiss?"
Hearing her name, Weiss shook her head a bit and looked over. Ruby sat there staring at her, blinking comically.
"Did you go off somewhere?" Ruby asked, smirking coyly.
"Yes, as a matter of fact." Weiss answered with a sigh. "Off to visit my senses and ask them to come home. It's dreadful here in my mind without them, you know?"
It took a moment for the joke to sink in. So long in fact, Weiss had time to consider trying her tea to see if it might be drinkable yet. She began to wonder if it had gone over Ruby's head until the raven-headed beauty blushed and turned to stare at her own mug of tea. With that, Weiss knew it had broken through.
"I'll… keep that in mind."
Ruby stood, crossed the small living area to her smaller tele and the stand beneath it. She knelt down and opened it up, then began to dig around for something. Weiss watched her for a moment, wondering what she was looking for, before realizing where her eyes had affixed themselves.
The heiress averted her gaze quickly and kept it so until Ruby's voice drew her back.
"Aha!" The woman exclaimed. She came back to Weiss with four blue boxes in her arms. "Here," she said, and handed them to her.
"What are these?" Weiss asked with earnest curiosity, already reading the titles.
"My favorite games ever!" Ruby answered proudly. "Morrowind, Demon's Souls, Dragon's Dogma, and Mass Effect Three."
Weiss looked from these to the woman before her.
"You're giving them to me?"
Of course, Ruby gave her a perplexed look for this. Surely even Weiss—sheltered and introverted though she may have been—couldn't be so obtuse. But the silver-haired woman gave her only a confused look in return, so Ruby sat down beside her and calmly removed the games from her grasp.
"You're kidding, right?" Ruby pondered aloud. "Please tell me you know what a videogame is…"
"Of course I do!" Weiss was almost immediately defensive. "I'm just curious why you're showing me these, handing them to me, if you're not giving them to me."
Ruby burst into laughter, sudden and loud. It went on for nearly half a minute.
"You really are serious." Ruby said, wiping tears away. "I want you to play them with me, you big silly!"
Weiss gave a perfunctory harrumph and said, "I knew that. I was just… just testing you, is all."
The heiress looked away for a moment, arms crossed in feigned temper. When she chanced to sneak a peek at Ruby, she saw those silver eyes staring at her with incredulity. Weiss looked away again, but only for a moment this time as both burst into laughter shortly thereafter.
When it passed them, Ruby was first to speak.
"I brought these with me from Patch thinking I'd get to play them during my downtime. I had no idea this school wasn't going to give me any."
"You came here, knowing what this place was, thinking you'd have downtime?" Weiss sounded honestly surprised.
"Yes." Ruby answered simply.
Weiss looked at the games in Ruby's lap. All four, fanned out like a hand of cards, looked worn and well-used. Not neglected or poorly cared for, but obviously opened and closed many times, taken from and returned to their resting places many and more times. And in the now-fading light of the sun crawling through Ruby's window—made weaker by her apartment's poor location to begin with, and setting early due to it still technically being Winter—Weiss believed she could almost make out something recently scratched off on one of them.
Faint traces of permanent marker, likely wiped down with alcohol and scrubbed off with a coin or some such. One letter was almost legible, looking a bit like a 'Y' to the heiress.
"I suppose I could give them a go." Weiss said at last. She looked from the games to Ruby, curiosity on her own face this time. "Which one should I try first, then?"
For a moment, Ruby considered being kind and suggesting one of the two easier ones. Then she considered the slightly harder Morrowind, remembering the beauty of its locales and the serenity of its musical score. However, the raven-headed beauty at last settled on being a bit mischievous with her now much closer friend.
Your girlfriend…
Ruby heard this (or perhaps thought this?) like a passing whisper in her head. She only barely noticed it.
"I think you'd like this one best." Ruby answered, holding out the worn copy of Demon's Souls.
The heiress took it and turned it over to read the description on the back. The last time she'd played a game was when everything was blatantly made of pixels and scrolled sideways. At the time, most games could be broken down to 'go right and jump,' with corny music numbers synthesized on computers that sounded like screeching banshees to Weiss's discerning ears. Unforgiving difficulty had at the time nearly turned her off the medium for good.
She had no idea what she was about to get into when Ruby took the game back and handed her a controller, one shaped nothing like what Weiss remembered.
"The story's pretty long and easy to miss." Ruby said as she began to set it all up. "Just concentrate on having some fun with it, ok? We don't have close to enough time to try and progress through the whole thing for narrative."
Maybe the heiress would have played anyway, even if Ruby had been upfront about the game's difficulty. Like as not she would have, considering how much she was already enjoying just being over. Since their mutual confession and acceptance, neither woman had really had much to do with the other. Sure, they had sent texts and talked over their scrolls twice, but they had not been around each other in person.
If nothing else did, this feeling alone told Weiss her dreams from that morning might not be unrealistic. She still recalled her harrowing thoughts before bed from the previous night, as well as the remnants of those soothing dreams. Perhaps she could truly see this all through, despite having no real experience or logic to guide her feet on this unknown path, through this unknown door.
Now if Weiss could have applied this thought-process to her gaming session this eve, she might not have gotten so flustered…
Ђ
It was almost six in the evening when Weiss had finally had enough.
"Bullshit!" She shouted, raising the controller as if she would throw it.
Ruby was almost too busy laughing to snatch the thing from her hand before the heiress could, but somehow still managed. Never had she seen Weiss come so completely unglued—excepting, of course, that terrible time in the alley, where their relationship had truly begun—and the spectacle was duly amusing. Even Weiss was more than a little into it, though her current temper kept her from expressing or realizing this.
"Are there no safe corners in this stupid game?!" Weiss shouted again.
"Nothing's safe in a Souls game, Weiss."
The heiress sat back down, visibly seething. She looked like a teakettle ready to boil over, a cluster of veins beating noticeably on her right temple. Her face was almost as red as Ruby's cloak, for fury this time rather than embarrassment.
"I honestly don't know how you could ever consider this fun." Weiss went on. "There's simply no point to it! You run around forever to find anything, getting lost at every turn, only for some little shit to pop out of nowhere and kill you in one go! How is that fun, I ask you?!"
Weiss looked at Ruby, who only sat there grinning from ear to ear.
"Wanna see?" Ruby offered, sly twinkle in her eye.
Weiss gave a harrumphing, almost pouty gesture and crossed her arms. She leaned back on the futon couch, muttering something or other.
"What was that?" Ruby pressed.
"I said sure! Show me!"
Weiss sounded like a petulant child, but Ruby could see she was enraged and perhaps a bit ashamed of her underperformance. Knowing the heiress and her unusually high standards for herself, Ruby felt a little sorry for tricking her. It was all in good fun, aye, but it might have been a bit far.
"It's all about timing, Weiss." Ruby said, turning her attention to the screen. "Watch me and I'll show you."
So, Weiss observed Ruby's deft execution of movement, swift and nimble dodging of enemy attacks. It was like a different person had come out, one who understood the finer details of careful and conservative actions taken to achieve a long-term goal.
Before long, Ruby reached the point that had become Weiss's bane. The heiress watched her roll into the room rather than running or walking, thereby dodging the tricky ambusher. Ruby then turned the character and engaged a different foe—one Weiss hadn't lived long enough to see—and made short work of it before dealing with the first. Though she had taken no time in dispatching her initial target, Ruby danced around the ambusher until the proper moment presented.
"And now…" Ruby started, lunging in to take her shot. "See? You gotta wait for the right moment, stay away from the hits rather than trying to avoid or weather through them. Bait your enemy, then strike when he's open."
What was this? Ruby showing Weiss how to properly perform something? Oh sure, it was something Weiss had little experience with, but that made it no less surprising.
"You made that look easy…" Weiss mused aloud.
"Nah, not really." Ruby shyly scratched the back of her head. "I've put a lot of hours into this. I'm rusty though, so it's pretty surprising I can still manage. Souls games aren't forgiving of even the slightest mistakes."
"So I see…"
"Your turn again."
Weiss looked to the woman beside her, controller in hand. The smile was gone from her face but the energy of the moment was still there. That slightly glowing enjoyment of someone very special showing an interest in a much-enjoyed hobby. At first Weiss took the little plastic instrument, even turned back to the screen and started going at it again. She got maybe halfway to another encounter before she decided it was time.
"Ruby…" Weiss muttered at first, setting the controller in her lap as her arms went slack, "I came here to help you, remember? With something hard. Something you really shouldn't do alone…"
She leaned forward and set the controller by their forgotten mugs of tea, now thoroughly cold and settled. Sitting back up slowly, Weiss turned her gaze to Ruby. She wasn't too terribly surprised to see the woman's cheery air mostly gone.
For a little while, Weiss just studied Ruby's face. Ruby in return fidgeted a bit but did nothing else. It was just a sort of silence between them for a time, Demon's Souls playing its muted sound effects as a sort of background theme to it all. During this, Weiss thought about her own childhood briefly. The long, unpleasant nights of study and practice—stringed instruments, foreign languages, myriad other tasks and drills—would never really leave the back of her mind. But tonight, this served as a boon to her. A little spark found its way into Weiss's head as she stared into Ruby's eyes, lost in her memories and her love's beauty.
The heiress began to softly hum a tune. Ruby nearly didn't hear it over the wind billowing in the game. When the soft tune finally caught Ruby's ears it was cut short and Weiss filled the silence between them instead with words.
Oh my, they were haunting.
Λ
Lost in her head. Lost in her memories. Lost in the silver eyes staring back at her…
Weiss recalled a night when, after failing to meet her father's expectations at a practice recital, she found her way into her room a teary, bleary mess. The door swung open violently and shook the wall, knocking askew some few portraits hanging just to the left. The little heiress—hardly two months past her twelfth birthday—rushed in and began to stumble after only four steps. She tripped over her own feet and fell, knocking her elbow on the hard floor.
It would leave a miserable bruise on the morrow.
Heaving and panting, pawing tenderly at the red mark on her face from her father's hand, she just lay there. Tears were stinging now and drying sticky on her face. They were uncomfortable and embarrassing, but thankfully no one was here to see it. She just took a moment and lay there, trying to compose herself.
Maybe five minutes passed, maybe ten, but whichever it was enough. Able to breathe a little better and able to pick herself up—hissing at the blooming pain in her elbow—Weiss got to her feet and sauntered to her vanity. She sat on her fancy stool and looked at herself in the mirror.
By Jove, she was a mess. Hair askew and flyaways poking out at all points, formerly sleek ponytail now all but loosed from her jewel-studded hairband. Mascara running down her cheeks like dark, oily tears. Lips swollen a tad on the left side, as though the scar she already had weren't something to be afraid of repeating. Whole face splotchy and red with fury, embarrassment, and indignation.
Then, staring into the mirror, that tune came to her. It was a distorted form of the one she'd been singing to earlier, before her stressed outburst had caused her father to so violently express his disappointment. But, perhaps distorted wasn't quite right…
Sure, it was different. Slower and calmer, and nowhere near so insistent of itself in her head. Yet, it wasn't bad in its difference. In fact, one might could argue it was better.
Trying to calm herself more, Weiss hummed the tune. It worked. She could quite immediately feel her heart slowing and her blood cooling, even the throbbing in her cheek and elbow started to abate a tad. So, she put more of herself into it. Let the breath flow evenly from her lungs which were only minutes earlier hiccupping with tears. Let the superior version of that drab melody play through her mind and perform through her teeth and tongue and lips.
Then inspiration struck in a most strange manner and Weiss began to add words to it. First in her head, but before long she found herself performing this new song for her vanity mirror.
How did it go again?
Ͼ
"Mirror, mirror, what's behind you? Will you save me from the things I see?"
Perhaps even Weiss didn't realize she was singing, and perhaps more, Ruby didn't either. The words just flowed into the heiress from that deep-seated memory, passing her mind and heading straight for her vocal chords. Then over her tongue and between her lips, only to come out as some sort of seraphic cry. Oh, but Weiss did feel the tears that came with it, yet made no move to wipe them away.
"Years of scorn will leave you cold… Forget your dreams, do what you're told…"
Weiss went on, for she could do little else. No idea why and no inclination to even question it.
"When disapproval is all you're shown, the safest place becomes alone. Isolation is the price I paid; no need for friendship, just pushed away…"
Her tears got in the way finally and Weiss choked up, halting her melancholic performance. She stopped and breathed a few deep breaths to try and bid it away. She was shaking now and really had no clue why.
But then, a warmth on her leg. Her knee to be specific, and when Weiss looked up she saw Ruby was only a foot from her at the most. Weiss smiled at this and found her volition again, and so tried to let that serenade fill her once more. It came as natural as a blink.
"But bit by bit now, a step each day… I'm slowly starting to find my way."
Ruby scooted closer, leaned in and silenced the heiress before she could utter another verse. Lips pressed together softly, gently hushing. Weiss let herself melt into it.
Then Ruby pulled away, as suddenly as she had engaged. Weiss watched her, wanting that meeting to commence again. Instead, Ruby surprised her. She began to hum, a much more upbeat sort of thing it was. And lo, she was smiling as she did. Such a vibrant thing that Weiss couldn't help but to return it, finally wiping the tears from her cheeks.
She hummed for a little while just as the heiress had, swaying side to side as she did. This entranced Weiss, and she did not notice at first when Ruby's voice turned from hummed tune to quietly chanted verse.
"Waiting on the sunrise… One to guide me home…
"It's a dark night and I don't want to go alone…
"When the sun hides and that night stays long…
"I'll sit down… I'll sing this song…"
Ruby stopped there for a breath. Her chest felt tight, despite how releasing it was to relive this memory. Oh, it was no light or painless thing, but recalling happiness from sorrow was very soothing all the same.
She took a deep breath and started humming again, carrying on for a while before singing once more.
"Waiting on the sunrise… Watching those shadowed hills…
"When it's dark and that wind harshly chills…
"Make a bed of tinder and strike some matchsticks…
"Sit there calm… Watch the fire's tricks…
"It's a dark night and I don't want to go alone…
"By the fire, I'll wait for the sunrise…
"One to carry me home…"
Ђ
Ruby let the last verse hang on her breath, then fell silent. Weiss was awestruck. She'd heard her sing at the Siren's Call, but it was nothing like this. There it had been a haunting melody and verse, both; here it was an emotional thing, a peek into Ruby's very soul so far as the heiress could tell.
About a minute after Ruby finished, she turned around abruptly and fell onto Weiss's lap. This startled the heiress at first but she settled into it as well without much hesitation. She even leaned a little closer and pulled Ruby into something of a hug, though it was too bent and awkward to truly be called such.
"Your voice is pretty, Weiss."
"You're not so bad either."
On another day, Ruby would've giggled at that. Weiss too for that matter. But today was not one of those other days, though there was no longer a malaise or pallor hanging around them. It was just a sort of tired silence. Neither could find laughter in that, though they did find content warmth in each other's arms.
The heiress held her love and Ruby let herself drift a little in that embrace. It felt like she was being cradled almost. As they sat like this, a few strands of Weiss's hair slipped free of the band holding it in her signature ponytail. These loose strands flittered down to tickle Ruby's nose and she sneezed after only a moment of it. A squeaky but loud sneeze, one she barely managed to cover.
"Bless you." Weiss cooed, flashing a soft grin.
Ruby opened her eyes and looked into the staring, icy eyes above her.
"You're awfully warm for an Ice Queen, you know?"
"And you're incredibly strong for a Rose." Weiss answered. Hearing her old nickname—which Ruby likely picked up around campus, considering it followed Weiss everywhere like a lost puppy—didn't bother her in the slightest. Matter of fact, the heiress didn't find the idea of Ruby calling her this all that awful.
"No, I'm not, not really…" Ruby muttered.
"Oh?" Weiss brushed her hair behind her ear so she could see Ruby clearer. "So you're telling me I'm wrong?"
"I am."
"And why is that, then?"
At this, Ruby looked away. She even tried to turn over so she could hide her face from the heiress. Weiss, of course, was not about to have that, not after coming so far with this.
If one had asked her at that very moment, and if Weiss had answered in truth, she'd have vehemently declared the situation to be wholly taxing and unnerving. She was in a territory of human closeness she honestly had never known to exist, at least not in a way she believed. Sure, she'd held some stock in the fairytales that all young girls are fond of, once upon a time…
But here, Weiss Schnee was in open ocean so far as her experience and firsthand knowledge was concerned. She'd come this far like that and would brook no deterrence to her forward progress.
Gentle but firm, Weiss took hold of Ruby's right shoulder and pulled. It took a little effort, but Ruby relented and rolled onto her back again without a fuss.
"I really miss her." Ruby said almost immediately. She still wouldn't look Weiss in the eye.
Weiss said nothing, only ran her hand softly down Ruby's cheek. It was so warm.
"I should be happy right now, shouldn't I?"
Ruby's eyes were pleading, but Weiss still would not answer. Instead, she ran her hand along Ruby's face once more, and another time after that. The woman in her lap found this very soothing and was oh so thankful for how Weiss's touch seemed to frighten the tears away.
"I'm at a fantastic school, I've got such an amazing fri—" Ruby stopped and began to blush. "Such an amazing girlfriend…" She finished, wanting sorely to hide her face again.
"Don't forget that loving father of yours." Weiss added. There was a tiny touch of venom in her voice that neither noticed, thankfully.
"Oh, yeah. And my Uncle Qrow…"
Weiss tilted her head at that but didn't ask. Inexperienced as she might have been, even she knew this wasn't the time to pry. This was the time to let Ruby get whatever was on her chest off, at her own pace and in her own way.
It relieved Weiss to see her crack a small smile.
"I really should be happy, right Weiss?" Ruby pleaded again, and again Weiss only answered with a slow caress of her cheek.
They sat in quiet for a few minutes. Weiss continued to run her hand along Ruby's cheek, moving to hold Ruby's left hand with her free one. Every time she performed that motion, Weiss could feel Ruby gently squeeze her other hand. At first, all of this was marked by Ruby's breath hitching now and again, as though she were holding back a veritable torrent behind her eyes. But this gave way to Ruby's fully calming, settling if you will.
Once Ruby had, she only enjoyed her spot for a moment more before standing suddenly. Weiss made no move to stop her or pull her back, only watched Ruby cross the room to her desk. There she picked up a book—which Weiss saw to be 'Blood of Elves'—before returning to the futon couch.
Ruby sat back down and curled up where she had been.
"I wanted to be a huntress. Did I ever tell you that?" Ruby opened up her book as she asked this.
"I think so." Weiss answered.
"Did I tell you why I couldn't?"
Weiss tilted her head and tried to remember. She drew a blank and said: "No, I don't think you did."
With letter grasped carefully in her left hand and book in her right, Ruby softly brushed Weiss's hand from her face and sat up. She scooted around until she was comfy again—snuggled up to Weiss a bit—and placed the book on the table in front of them.
"Yang taught me that song—the one I sang earlier—when it happened." Ruby fidgeted with the letter as she spoke. "We have different mothers. Mine died when I was really little, but Yang's… Well, we don't know what happened to her. Yang though, she thought she was out there somewhere. And you know how little kids can be, right?"
She looked at Weiss and the heiress nodded, though she truly had no idea how most kids were. She herself had been quite afraid to do anything she wasn't expressly told to, knowing either yelling, a swift slap, or both would greet her for it. But Weiss made no indication of this thought in her head, so Ruby assumed the nod to be a yes and went on.
"For a long time, she talked about trying to find her one day. Sometimes she'd be up all night, drawing out plans," Ruby made air-quotes as she said the word, "and plotting her way to sneak out of the house. She even got Uncle Qrow to teach her a little about fighting when he dropped by for one of his extended visits. 'Never too young to learn how to hunt,' he used to say…
"I think I was eight when it happened. I remember being very excited that night—cuz Dad had taken me to apply for Signal academy early, said I might get in as an exception—and it wasn't hard for Yang to talk me into having a little adventure."
"You know, that does sound a lot like you." Weiss mused aloud, not quite meaning to voice herself.
Ruby smiled at this, and when Weiss realized she'd spoken aloud, she was quick to apologize.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. Please, continue."
But instead of going on immediately, Ruby set the letter on her lap and leaned toward the table. She took her mug of tea—now cold as ice—and drank it down. Weiss watched this bemused, so Ruby picked up the other and held it out to her.
"It's good even if it's cold."
At another time the heiress might have protested this. This night however, she was so far along on the high of exploring unfound experiences that she paid no heed to her predispositions. Weiss took the mug and sipped, finding the taste even sweeter than usual. She made a very audible hum of approval.
"Jasmine gets sweeter as it cools." Ruby said, watching Weiss's face light up with satisfaction.
"So, I see." Weiss agreed before taking another sip. And another after that.
With a very faint chuckle, Ruby sat her mug back on the table and snuggled close to Weiss again.
"That night, me and Yang stayed up after Dad tucked us in." Ruby began after a deep sigh. "We talked about some of the cute boys at school and how awesome it would be to make our own weapons at Signal. Then, probably somewhere around midnight—we didn't have a clock to look at—we got out of bed and packed some things as quietly as we could.
"Yang had a pair of training gauntlets Uncle Qrow had given her. I had an old, worn baseball bat. Between the two of us, we'd managed to squirrel away a few weeks' worth of snacks from school and home, all of which we thought would hold us for a few days. Gosh, we were so naïve to think tracking a person down would only take a few days…"
Ruby ended that statement with a sharp laugh, one full of regret and remorse.
"Anyway, once we had everything together and our play-clothes on, we grabbed a couple of flashlights. We snuck out through a window in the guestroom and jumped into a pile of leaves beneath the front awning. It was Fall and the pile was huge, Weiss. It smelled so good and felt so soft.
"After we crawled out we went around back and got this little red wagon to put all our stuff in. Then we started off, into the woods and toward who-knows-where. That's how we went for a while, maybe two hours, until it got really dark. Like, darker than dark. Can you imagine that?"
She looked up at Weiss, who only looked back with a confused stare.
"Yeah, I guess not. Maybe it was just because we got far enough away from the city or something, but it felt like that." Ruby sighed again and shifted. "Yang acted brave but I'm sure she was terrified. We both had dreams of being huntresses, but at that moment we were just a couple of little girls in the woods at night, slowly realizing we were lost and scared and very sorry for trying this harebrained scheme in the first place.
"We went on for maybe another hour before Yang finally lost her nerve. By that point, I was ready to sit down and cry—I'm not gonna try and sound tough—so you can imagine how cool Yang looked to me, staying so calm and brave.
"She turned to me and said, 'Maybe this is far enough.' Boy, I couldn't nod my head fast enough. Too scared to even talk by that point. So, Yang turned us around to try and get back, only to realize she had no idea where back was. And that's when it all fell apart…"
Ψ
Yang's heart is beating in her throat. Her skin is clammy and cold, and the little girl beside her—little sister Ruby—is only barely keeping the loud wails of a frightened child at bay. Neither remains composed due to bravado or stalwartness, but instead because they know what Grimm are and how fearful cries attract them.
Both these children want to be huntresses, and both of them have gone to great lengths to try and start that process early. Yang Xiao Long has already begun training with her Uncle, going on a year now. Ruby Rose has just started, but she's shown enough promise to be taken to Signal for consideration as an early enrollee.
Here though—deep in the wooded wilds of Patch, off the coast of Vale—none of that matters. Here they're just a couple of frightened children, terribly lost and miserably cold.
Yang puts a hand on her sister's tiny shoulder. Ruby looks up at her, tears already peeking at the corners of her eyes, and Yang says, "It's going to be ok, Rubes."
Ruby smiles, but it's crooked and forced.
With a very deep, very forcedly brave breath, Yang slips her hand down to grab Ruby's. She starts walking in the direction she thinks is home. Of course, on this moonless night in the middle of the woods, all directions look the same. What's worse, the wind is cold and coming along in constant gusts. It rustles leaves every which way, and combined with the racket of their little wagon, it's all miserably loud.
Already there's a bond forming between these two, one that will last even after the grave. Ruby is presently budding a reverence for her elder sister that will never be quenched, and Yang, for her part, is nurturing a protective instinct that will one day send her to the clearing at the end of the path. But for now, these emotions are only nascent—whispering things that serve to bond the sisters together. Thankfully so, too.
They only go along a little way before a rustle catches Yang's ear. She turns abruptly, almost dragging Ruby from her feet, and watches the dark.
"Ruby," she whispers, "get your flashlight and hand it to me."
The little sister obeys without a thought. She turns to the wagon and feels around for her bag, then begins to rummage within. Touch is all she has to go on so it's not a terribly fast process.
"And get your bat." Yang adds suddenly, just as Ruby finds the requested torch.
Little Ruby hands the flashlight to her sister and turns back to find her bat. Thankfully, that one is attained much quicker.
As Ruby shuffles up beside her sister, sloppily holding the bat at a sort of semi-ready stance, Yang flips the switch on the torch. The direction of the strange rustle is suddenly bright as daytime, and in the distance—perhaps twenty feet—Yang can see the shape of exactly what she'd hoped not to see.
When the light strikes it, it begins moving closer and growling. All seven feet of the Grimm is now visible for both these frightened girls. It is a Beowolf, and Yang's heart damn near stops at the sight of it. Poor little Ruby can't help but to wet herself, faced with what can only be described as a living nightmare.
Yang tries to reach down for her training gauntlets—hanging loosely off either of her slender hips—but she's nowhere near quick enough. The Beowolf roars mighty and fearsome, charging not a moment after. The little blonde is directly in its path and has no time to move on her own. It is only a miracle—one leaving rose petals in its wake—that stops Yang from being bisected by the Grimm.
She flies through the air and lands hard on a nearby tree. The Beowolf misses, instead managing to slam itself into the girls' wagon. As Yang tries to sit up, perhaps intending to flee with her sister, she feels a very heavy lump across her legs and looks down. There Ruby lays, motionless and breathing most shallow.
"Ruby!" Yang cries out, now going numb at the extremities. "Ruby! Ruby! Move! Get up!"
Yang shakes her sister but gets no response. She looks up, sees the Grimm approaching slowly and confident, lit from the underside by the dropped flashlight. And in that moment, it all goes blank for the little blonde who will one day face down a creature claiming to be Death himself.
Just before memory fails her, Yang hears a voice gently whispering in her ear. It is caring and it is warm, reminding her very much of her father.
"Not here; Not yet."
Ђ
When Ruby stopped for a breath the hour had just reached nine in the evening. Weiss was absolutely entranced with the story. Neither knew how exactly, but as Ruby told her version of it (as she recalled it, that is), they almost seemed to share a hallucination. Like both were taken back to those dark woods, shivering cold along with the two little girls looking for the older sister's mother. What's more, both nearly also had the sensation of seeing it through Yang's eyes.
And yet, no sooner than Ruby stopped for breath, the feeling left them both entirely.
"How did you get away from it?" Weiss asked. She took a sip of her tea—finishing it—and set the mug on the table.
"We didn't." Ruby answered, frank and even. "I came to a while after, I'm not sure how long really. Yang was slapping me and shaking me hard. I think I scared her even more when I came out of it, cuz all I can remember about waking up is screaming in pain."
Ruby reached down to rub her right leg without realizing it.
"Once the fright wore off, Yang started crying and hugging me—which made it hurt even worse—and didn't stop crying for a good while. I'd say ten minutes, if I had to guess. But when she finally stopped, the first thing she did was tear open the leg of my pants to see what was wrong with me. Uncle Qrow and Dad both taught us a little bit of first aid and I'm pretty sure Yang was flying on autopilot.
"I guess what she saw was pretty bad. She wouldn't let me look. It didn't really matter though; I wasn't thinking about much of anything besides how bad it all hurt."
"Did you break your leg?" Weiss pressed. More of concern than anything, as one may feel when hearing a truly terrible tale, but there was curiosity in there as well.
"A couple days after Dad found us, I found out it was a torn ligament, one that would never fully heal right."
Weiss leaned in a little and hugged Ruby.
"How in blazes have you been dancing then? Or walking, for that matter?"
"I push through the pain until I can't anymore." Ruby answered flatly, returning the hug. "That's the only way to do things, isn't it? Not dead, can't quit, right?"
The heiress's heart was swelling with pride for Ruby, yet also breaking for sorrow. How could she ever have thought ill of such a strong person? Oh, the shame of it was as lead on Weiss's shoulders…
"But yeah, Yang was pretty upset and shaken." Ruby said, picking up her tale again. "She just sat there with me in her lap for a while. Gosh, it seemed like that night would never end…
"Eventually, she started humming this funny little tune. It was calm and invigorating, if you can imagine that. She hummed for a little while before starting to sing. That's when she taught me what I sang earlier. Yang knew her mom, you see, and her mom taught her that song before vanishing."
Ruby took another deep breath, one that seemed to shake her whole form. At some point during her tale, she'd come to lay on Weiss's lap again. Now she sat up and turned, leaned over to take the letter from the table.
"Me and Yang, we sang that song to each other until sunrise. I think that's what kept us together, kept us from falling apart until Dad found us, you know?" She rubbed the edges of the letter, failing to stop a single tear from staining the already dirtied paper. "Thanks for letting me get that off my chest, Weiss. I really needed this…"
For a moment, Weiss considered saying something. No real idea what, just anything to try and add to the talk. When nothing came to mind, the heiress settled for action instead.
Carefully, slowly, tenderly, Weiss reached for the letter in Ruby's hands. Two fingers and a thumb grasped it when Ruby stiffened, almost yanking it away. Weiss waited, motionless, and Ruby eventually relaxed. Once she had, Weiss gripped the letter a little tighter and slipped it slowly from Ruby's fingers.
The heiress only looked at first, unsure what she intended to do—if she intended to do anything at all.
"Open it." Ruby said. The tone of her voice was so grave, it almost didn't sound like her.
"Are you sure?" Weiss was earnestly worried. "You don't have to do this tonight if you don't want to, Ruby. I'll come over again when you're ready. Anytime, just tell me…"
Weiss might have gone on if not for Ruby's firm grasp on her wrist. They met gazes and Weiss was quickly floored by the look of resolve in Ruby's eyes. So very silver, yet blazing so much like the sun.
"Open it."
This time, Ruby didn't wait for the heiress to protest or acquiesce. She took hold of the end of the envelope with her thumb and pointer. Weiss understood and joined her other hand over Ruby's. Together they opened the letter with a nearly fearful motion.
After ripping the end off of it, Weiss turned the envelope and let a terribly yellow piece of parchment slip out into Ruby's hand.
Ψ
Rubes,
How's it going?
We're in Mistral now, me and my partner. You've met her. Blake? With the adorable kitty ears under that silly bow? I know she scared you a little bit but she's really nice once you get to know her. Like, really nice. Sweet and kind and just a very good friend.
Heh, guess I'm not gonna keep the secret. Don't tell Dad yet, I still want that, but we're dating! Isn't that neat?
Oh! I got you something too! Before coming to Mistral, me and Blake had to stop at this amazing place called Constance—you know, that giant city built around that Schnee school—and I saw the most amazing things there. We were signing up with this outfit called ColdWater. It's some hoity-toity group of hunters that dates back to before the war.
Anyway, I got you this cape and a broach. I'm not sure why I'm telling you here—I mean, I could just tell you when I see you—but, I guess it's just in case. I'm sure it'll be nothing, but, well, we signed up with ColdWater cuz we're on a really important assignment. It's not Grimm this time, see. We're after some nutter that's going around killing folks. Guess he's pretty bad if they're contracting hunters to go after him.
I guess that's why I'm writing this, just in case something happens. I'm sure it won't—your big sis is too tough for one little baddie—but safe is better than sorry. So, yeah…
I love you, Ruby. I know you got screwed over pretty bad because of me. We were kids, but I still got you hurt and smashed your dreams. You might not hold it against me cuz you're just that awesome, but I'm not letting it go. I'll be the best damn huntress there ever was! Not for me but for you.
I'm working really hard on that. I also got a little something else waiting for you, to help with that new dream of yours. You do still want to be a therapist, right? Like, the talk-out-your-problems kind of doctor? I really hope so cuz I think I found just the thing for you.
Ah, this letter's getting too long! Sorry kiddo but I'm gonna have to end it here. I'll see you when this hunt's over and we'll go grab some ice cream, then check out Patch's Pocket. I'll even have a good bonus for us to blow on some awesome books! So stay safe and keep your chin up and nose to the grinding wheel while I'm gone. Got me?
I love you, sis. Don't ever forget that.
-Sunshine
Ђ
Weiss ended up being the one to read the letter. Demon's Souls was still howling its odd sort of ambience in the background, providing a morbidly fitting bit of white noise. No more sunlight came through any of the windows by now. Weiss had choked up a few times while reading and ended up taking almost thirty minutes to finish, nothing more than the flashing tele to light the paper.
Surprisingly though, Ruby seemed unfazed for a while after Weiss finished. Oh, the heiress was certainly shedding some quiet tears, but Ruby looked to be holding it well for herself. This was a front however, a farce if you will. Inside she was a wreck.
And yet, in a way this was like raw iron being thrown into the crucible. Ruby was indeed torn up by this, but there was a sort of closure to it as well—embers to begin smelting the pieces of her back into a solid billet. Something that could be worked back into a functioning, healthy person once more.
"Jeez, she always wrote like she was talking to you…" Ruby muttered, more to herself than anything.
At first, Weiss had no words, only another impulse to hug Ruby which she did not deny in the slightest. During that hug though, words did indeed come to her.
"Yang would be so very proud of you…" Weiss whispered.
And at that, Ruby lost it. Nothing could have held back what came spilling forth from her. All the emotion withheld, all the hurt kept back with the fire of perseverance. She'd done an admirable job, none could gainsay, but with Weiss's sweet words—placed perfectly as they were—there was no recourse but to submit.
Ruby leaned her into Weiss's arm—holding her from behind—and started bawling, hard and violent. This degraded into wailing screams before long, but those lasted only a few minutes at most. It all came roundabout to body-shaking sobs as Ruby excised the pent-up vitriol, Weiss stroking her hair the entire time.
It went on this way until around eleven. By then, Ruby simply had no tears left to shed, but she was by no means out of the woods. And so, Weiss decided to press herself one last mote before the day could end.
The heiress summoned all her strength—which was not much by then, we say sorry—and lifted Ruby. One arm under her legs and the other cradling her shoulders. Ruby might have protested if there was any gumption left in her to do so, but lacking that she could only allow herself to be carried like a princess. Weiss did this, spiriting her to the bed where she laid her down.
Weiss then turned away to return to the futon couch. She was stopped however, upon feeling a tug at her sleeve. She turned around.
"Please don't go." Ruby pleaded, voice torn and hoarse.
Weiss smiled gently. "Of course not, you dolt."
Ruby released Weiss's sleeve and watched her fetch her bag. From it, Weiss took out a stuffed whippoorwill, so tiny it was almost lost in her hand. She came back and rested herself beside Ruby, inching close enough to wrap an arm around her. Then, as one last thought, Weiss sat back up and looked around.
"On the desk." Ruby managed to croak. By the sound of it, she likely wouldn't have any voice at all on the morrow.
But Weiss heard and looked to the desk. There the teddy sat, watching the two with its beady black eyes. Were they sad, too? Oh, it almost looked so, say true.
The heiress stood and quickly went to grab the teddy, then came back and resumed her place beside Ruby. She handed the stuffy over and put her arm back around her love. Thus they settled for the night, both giving into the exhausted sleep that visits the emotionally drained.
Good dreams found them both.