Ruby

Friday quickly showed its bright face. The girls all greeted the day with more enthusiasm than normal thanks to their knowledge that the night would come soon enough for them to enjoy. Not even classes could stand in their way. Even Port's class didn't drop Yang's face onto her books. We had planned to all go out together and enjoy what the town had to offer. Yang mostly wanted to go see if there were any clubs that would fill her itch to dance. Weiss and I just wanted to take in the nighttime sights and sounds. But until then, classes came first. Thankfully my grade had been improving so Weiss was a bit more lenient with me about our relaxation time.

With every new class I would start bouncing in my chair even more than the last, anxious about our time out together. There had been a severe lack of togetherness in the last month or so. It was nice to have plans with others outside of battle plans for training exercises. Blake was as calm as ever but she would look at us every now and then and give us a smile which was out of the normal for her in class. Weiss, like usual, was a shining example of a student, taking notes and listening diligently to the teacher without question. I do admit that I may have used her notes once or twice for studying though. They were just written so well and I loved her handwriting.

The end of the school day came by much sooner than normal, it seemed. As the professor dismissed us, we all looked at each other and raced out the room. We all agreed to meet in our room before we left so we could make sure everything was in order. Yang and I had raced back to the dorm while Weiss and Blake simply walked faster than usual. When Yang and I made it, we immediately began getting dressed for the night. Just as I finished putting on my boots, Weiss and Blake walked in. They seemed content to take their sweet time, no doubt purposely trying toy with me and Yang.

Yang was getting impatient. "You guys are making us wait on purpose."
Blake was quick to snap right back at her. "Don't you talk to me about waiting!"
Yang looking sheepish. "..Sorry Blake, but we have been planning this almost all week."
I spoke up. "Yang's right. Is it possible to speed it up ladies?"
Weiss poked her head out of the bathroom. "Ruby Rose! It's either all or nothing when it comes to getting ready. We're trying to look our best."
Yang let out a grown. "This is excruciating."

Yang and I just sat and waited for the girls to get ready. As bad as waiting was, I had to admit I wanted Weiss to look her best for the night. She didn't get many excuses to try and look good. It wasn't long though, Blake put on her bow and Weiss walked out of the bathroom putting her hair up in her signature slightly sideways ponytail.

"You ladies finally ready?" Yang almost ready to bust down the door.
Blake sighed. "I guess. You seem a little energetic Yang."
Yang smiled. "I'm ready to see the potential clubs."

"If you can get in." Weiss couldn't help but point out.
Yang laughed. "If I had Ruby's figure, yea I would have trouble. But with this.." She waved her hand down her body. "I'm sure they wouldn't doubt my age."
Blake rolled her eyes. "Just don't cause trouble with bouncers. Also, on my way to the room, I heard some students talking about that Torchwick guy. Something about him showing up in town randomly lately. Everyone should have their weapons with them."
Yang looked almost shattered. "But what about the clubs? I doubt they let weapons in."
"You'll be fine, Yang. Your weapon isn't as obvious as ours." Blake smiled reassuringly.

Yang nodded and put on her gauntlets. I grabbed Crescent Rose and put her on my hip. Weiss didn't seem keen on carrying her sword but she took it to be safe. We all got up and began our journey to town, passing by Team JNPR along the way who wished us a good time. I think they were about to get ready to train for the night since they were a little low in the teamwork department. We left the main entrance behind an began our walk to town and the night of our lives.

When we finally arrived, it was safe to say that everyone was ready to do what they wanted. Weiss was nice enough to help me keep everyone together so we could all stop at our cafe so we could at least plan things. And she knew I wanted some sweets to start off the night.

"So what's everyone's plans?" I asked while basically inhaling cookies.
Yang was smiling and acting very hyper. "Clubs! I've got to dance and shake my money maker."
"You better not be making money with that thing." Blake said while eyeing her.
Yang laughed. "It's just a phrase, Blake. Just calm down. Tonight is party night."
Weiss finally entered the conversation. "I was just planning on enjoying the town. Aside from shopping here and other errands, I've never really gotten a chance to sight see."

I pretty much agreed with Weiss. I liked dancing but clubs were too much for me. The loud music and all the people being pushed against each other didn't sit well with me, and I knew it didn't with Weiss. After we all settled our plans, we walked outside and began to say our temporary goodbyes to each other. Blake didn't like the idea of the clubs but she couldn't help but follow along with whatever Yang had planned.

"Alright, see you guys." Yang looked ready for a race.
I waved after her. "Have fun you two, and Yang, no drinking!"
"No promises, Sis." Yang laughed out.
I sighed and looked at Blank. "Don't worry, Ruby. I'll keep her on a leash." Blake reassured.
"Thanks, Blake." The couple turned a corner. "Well, it's just you and me now, Weiss."
Weiss smiled at me. "Good, you're a lot easier to manage than the other two."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I fake pouted.
"Just that I enjoy your company better. Now lets go see the sights." She grabbed my hand and began to pull me along.

It was a nice night for enjoying the town though. No random breezes to freeze us and no rain to keep us indoors. It was perfect. We walked through the entertainment section of the town. There were tons of lights and sounds with music barely making it outside the doors to whatever bar, club, or lounge it was originating from. I would occasionally stop and look through windows and basically spy on whoever was inside, wondering how their lives got them where they were right now. Some of the people I saw had bright, hip clothes and looked like they were having the time of their lives with friends, while others sat alone in dreary clothes like they just lost someone close to them. I could imagine their pain, but thankfully, I've never been driven to act like they are now. Sat alone in some bar, drinking their sorrow away. Instead, I had Weiss to keep me in the real world and always aware of those who need me.

Weiss would always end up pulling me away from the windows after a minute or two. She didn't like the idea of just standing around on a sidewalk while I stared like a child at strangers, and didn't want me to cause trouble. Eventually, she managed to completely pull me out of the area and up to the docks where the moon was still a little low in the sky. The water looked so calm, waves gently rocked small boats and simply made slapping sounds against the larger ships. It was definitely a beautiful night to hit the town.

"Everything is so calm." Weiss said as she leaned against the railing.
"I would hope so. I don't exactly want our night to be ruined." I pointed out.
"Me neither but our lives are rarely ever this peaceful." Weiss smiled.
I nodded absentmindedly. "True that, between Yang and just general life, we have been pretty busy."
"I wouldn't call it a bad life though. I've got you guys as family now, so that's worth a lot of what I've been through." Weiss turned and looked at me.
I laughed. "What's worth the rest of it?"
Weiss picked up my hand and kissed it. "You are. Times can turn bad but I'm happy that I'll always have you."
I felt my face flare up. "You really know how to make someone feel special, Weiss."
"I do what I can." She checked the time. "Well it seems like time to go meet up with Blake and Yang."
"You're right. Hopefully Blake kept Yang from drinking." I thought out loud.
"I'm sure Blake kept her under control." Weiss agreed. "Lets go."

Yang and Blake were patiently waiting at a bench on the corner of street for me and Weiss. They looked like they had a good time at whatever hole in the wall club they found. Yang's hair was messier than usual and they both looked a little sweaty from dancing. Yang had a big smile on her face so I guess she finally got rid of her pent up energy which may mean that she won't bother us that much for awhile.

I spoke the second we walked up. "Well did you two have fun?"
Blake spoke for Yang. "Yea, we found some kind of rave place and Yang basically went insane with dancing. She tried to sneak a drink by me but I thankfully slapped it away. She didn't need anything to help her act crazy."
Yang was taken back. "Well thanks for the flattery, Blake. You're a real buzz kill sometimes."
"Says who exactly?" Blake gave Yang a loaded stare.
I wanted to break the tension. "Well, at least everyone had fun. Are you guys ready to head back? It's pretty late already."
Weiss checked her watch again. "Ruby is right. I doubt it's a good idea to stay out later than midnight."

With a nod from both Yang and Blake, we began walking along the road towards Beacon. We ended up going through downtown as we headed back. It was really quiet compared to the entertainment district of Vale. Closed shops and some that stayed open late in hopes of catching the late night crowd pretty much made up the majority of what was to be found in the area. As we crossed a street, we heard a crash nearby.

Our training kicked in and we rushed towards the sound. When we rounded a corner we saw a dust shop and a broken window. A man stood up with a bat in hand and an apron. No doubt he was accidentally pushed through his window defending his store. There were goons all around the store, taking what they could. In the middle of them all was the unmistakable, Roman Torchwick with his orange hair and white coat. We rushed to the shop, with Blake stopping to make sure the shop keeper was okay. She told him to call the police and joined us inside. A henchman tried to grab Yang which earned him a sucker-punch to the face. The yelling man finally earned Roman's attention as he turned around and almost didn't act surprised to see us there.

Roman began with a sigh before speaking. "I see Little Red has graced me with her presence, yet again."
I wasn't in the mood. "Still acting like a small time criminal?"
He covered a fake wound on his chest. "I'm hurt, I really am. I thought you would have more respect for me after I got away last time. Maybe your friends are a little more friendly to a career thief."
Yang was ready to fight. "Try again you piece of filth."
Roman simply laughed. "Well so much for that." He turned to a henchman on his left. "Hey tall, dark, and dumb. Go attack one of them for me."

And he did exactly that, rushing straight for me since I'm the smallest most likely. I pulled out Crescent Rose and spun using the blunt side to send the goon flying. Not a single sign of shock showing on Roman's face.

"Okay everyone. Did you learn a lesson from that idiot? It's a bad idea to go one on one with these huntresses, so that means what?" They all stood around looking at each other. Roman started waving his arms. "Just go attack all at once!" The henchmen finally understood and they all charged towards us. It was a challenge to keep track of so many men but we managed to keep the numbers thin between all of us. I could hear Yang letting loose tons of blasts from her gauntlets not even breaking a sweat. Blake and Weiss were working together with Weiss using her glyphs to stun enemies while Blake used her shadow-step to attack them. I was handling all of them relatively well but I was mostly trying to find Torchwick in all of this mess. I didn't want him to get away again and cause more trouble but his men kept distracting me. One of them nearly got me with a punch but Yang had rushed in and swatted him away. "Ruby! Watch your back!" Yang had yelled before moving on to others.

As the henchmen's numbers began to dwindle, I finally found Torchwick. He was outside the shop where Weiss was fighting a resilient goon. He was walking up behind her with his cane pointed right at her back. She was too absorbed with the other fighter to notice presence and couldn't react. I felt my stomach drop and my muscles tense up. I couldn't let her get hurt again but my body was threatening to freeze up. I forced my body to react and with my semblance, I dashed and did what I had to do.

Blake

The rush of the battle had gotten to me. I had quickly abandoned Weiss in favor of taking the fight to every person I could. It was a mistake though. Weiss had gotten led outside and away from the others without any of us noticing. When I did, Roman was behind her, ready to fire whatever his cane shot out. Right as I saw him click the trigger, Ruby had appeared and pushed Weiss away and Roman's shot hit her right in the dead center of her chest. An explosion rang out and dust went everywhere.

"RUBY!" It was Weiss crying out. The dust settled and I could see Weiss bent over Ruby with blood covering the ground. I didn't know what has going on completely but Torchwick was ready for another shot as he stood back up.

"What a shame. Little Red was taken down by the Big Bad Wolf. Such a sad scene but I must bid farewell." Roman tried walking away but Yang had finally seen what happened.
"Ruby are you okay?" She asked out loud but no answer came from the figure on the ground. "Ruby!? RUBY!" Still no answer. Yang's eyes turned red and focused right on Roman. "YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!" And with that, Yang launched herself forward towards the criminal. He tried to run but Yang was too fast and she knocked him to the ground. She trapped him and began launching punch after punch into him. The police finally arrived, sirens ringing out into the silent town. As they began to get onto the scene Yang had clearly knocked Roman unconscious but she didn't give any sign of giving up. I ran over and pulled her off of the man. She tried to get back to him but I couldn't let her.

I started trying to calm her down. "Yang, it's over! It's over!"
Her eyes returned to normal. "But Ruby!"
I hugged her as best I can. "It's done, Yang. You can't do anything else. Let's go check on Weiss."

I almost regretted it. Weiss was over Ruby crying, with every part of her body shaking intensely. Yang and I ran over to see what was wrong with Ruby but the reason was immediately visible. Ruby had what was basically a hole in her chest. The explosion had hit her dead center and did it's job. The sight was horrific and nearly caused me to vomit. How Weiss managed to stay there by her was a mystery. But she stayed there, never letting go of her love.

Yang was finally hit by the situation at hand. "RUBY! OH GOD, RUBY! NO! NO! NO!"

The rest of the evening was a blur. The police immediately called for an ambulance before putting Torchwick in the back of one of their cars. As soon as the ambulance arrived, they carried Ruby and the rest of us to the hospital where we were forced to wait and see what the doctors could say about Ruby's condition. I don't know if it was a good or bad thing but we didn't have to wait long. We were sitting silently in some chairs outside the emergency operating room. Well, almost silently. Weiss was inconsolable, and hadn't stopped crying the whole way to the hospital. The main surgeon came out the door with his head hung low. It was bad news and we all knew it.

He began talking. "I'm sorry to say this but, we couldn't do anything. The explosion caused massive burns across her body which alone would have been difficult to recover from but the blast also opened her chest and damaged her heart and lungs beyond repair. The only thing we could do to help was put her to sleep and let her pass on." I could tell this news was heavy on his heart. He walked away without any other words. Yang broke down and started crying without reserve. All I could do was hold her and let it all happen. Surprisingly, Weiss had stopped crying and just looked at the ground. She was apparently broken and had no idea how to process this event.

We eventually had to leave the hospital and head back to Beacon. The days went by and Weiss refused to speak. She handled classes and everything fine but she had lost her emotion. Yang was depressed as well but she eventually came around. Ozpin wanted to assign us a new member but we refused out of respect to Ruby and her influence on us. The times we had at Beacon afterwards was hard but we pushed through it. Weiss gained her voice back but it took until graduating year for her to say something. The day we all began to pack up our room for the next wave of students to take over, Weiss had found the scarf Ruby had given her. Me and Yang watched as she put it to hear cheek and let out a single tear.

"I'm sorry, Ruby. It was my fault."

Well, yea... I hope you guys had enjoyed reading this chapter. I had thought long and hard about to take this story and this is where that idea went. I've had fun writing this will be the second-to-last chapter before I finish it. I didn't say it last time because of what it contained but as always, reviews are welcome. Until next time, friends!