"Yang, wake up."
Yang shifted in her sleep, ignoring the verbal intrusion that threatened to sp-
"Yang!"
She lazily flopped over, groping for covers to pull o-
A finger poked sharply into her side.
She shifted to the-
Three more jabs came sharply to her side.
"Weiss, come on….."
She groaned. She was going to wake-
A veritable barrage of prodding came from the offending digit and Yang grunted, flinging a spare pillow wildly and hearing a satisfying yelp. Now she could hopefully get back to -
"Yang, it's about Ruby!"
Blake's voice finally pierced through the veil of half sleep that had clung to Yang. Her eyes flashed open and she bolted upright, looking at her two teammates. Blake was still in her pajamas, standing next to her bed, while a fully dressed Weiss was sprawled on the floor, Yang's discarded pillow lying next to her.
"What about Ruby?" she flung herself out of bed, grogginess evaporating under her concern.
It was Weiss who responded, pulling herself off the floor and brushing herself off. "I woke up at my usual time to find Ruby was already out of bed and gone. I sent her a message on my scroll but she still hasn't responded, and it's been an hour. Normally I wouldn't be so immediately suspicious but … did anyone else here notice Ruby acting strangely? Asking odd questions?"
"No… I noticed too. She was way too spacey, seemed a bit on edge and totally hiding something?" Yang looked at the other girls who both nodded a yes in response. "She came to me last night cause something was bothering her too much to sleep. I was thinking it was just something Uncle Qrow had talked with us about before and the team's disqualification. What did she ask you, Weiss?" Yang said as she quickly got dressed
"Well… She asked me about how I dealt with being the heiress when my sister was passed over. We talked about duty and how it became a part of me and my future goals even if I didn't always want it... Ruby said it was something to do with whatever secret she had talked with Ozpin. I asked whether it was serious or not and if she would tell the team if it was and… well, Ruby isn't exactly the best at lying. I wanted to give her privacy but combined with everything else it's far too concerning to just ignore."
"She... also asked me something of that nature, before she asked me to help with the party." Blake said. "She asked about my time in the White Fang and… how I was able to get myself to leave despite it being my whole life. I told her I just eventually made a decision then and there, and how overthinking it just made things worse."
Yang's brow furrowed as she listened to her friends. "So let's connect everything here. Ruby has a meeting with Ozpin, she isn't able to tell us what it was about. She then asks Blake about 'how do I leave my old life behind.'" Blake cringed at that. "Then she later asks Weiss how to accept a duty forced onto her before finally coming to me at night with worries about the team and how the 'attention' will affect us right?"
Weiss and Blake were both looking at her with eyes widening.
"That's…" Weiss trailed off.
"What should we do?" Blake said.
"What team RWBY always does. Get involved in stuff we probably shouldn't but will do anyways, and also stop any teammates when they have problems they don't want to share but should share! And I already have a plan!" Yang said but It felt wrong to be the one giving the motivational speech instead of her sister.
"Well spit it out then, I'm just as concerned as you are."
Blake nodded in agreement with Weiss.
"Alright. So I'll look for her in any places she'd usually be and ask Uncle Qrow if he knows what's up and if not fill him in. Weiss." Yang points at her. "Will see if she is with the Headmaster, and if not try and see how much he knows. Blake." Yang's other hand gestured to her. "Is going to see if JNPR saw her leave and if no luck there see if maybe Goodwitch or someone else knows. Any objections?"
/
Weiss felt her scroll vibrate, and she pulled it out, seeing if her teammates had any positive updates while she kept up a steady pace, the Beacon Tower looming up ahead.
Jaune and Ren dont know anything need to ask Pyrrha and Nora as they are sparring at the moment.
No lck with Qrow, cant gt a hld of him. Weiss?
A flash of red cape moving up the stairs to the Beacon Tower stopped her response cold and Weiss quickly sped up to a brisk run as she sought to catch her partner. Beacon Tower's double duty as the CCT Tower was a double edged sword for her. She couldn't just use her semblance to speed along to reach Ruby, but the large amounts of foot traffic around and into the building meant Ruby probably wouldn't see her.
Weiss raced up the stairs, her shout to Ruby being cut short by her leader making her way through the doors. Weiss's pace slowed down to a fast walk as she approached the building to avoid arousing suspicion from the guards
As she made her way through the glass doors, her eyes quickly locked onto Ruby walking into the all too familiar elevator that led to Ozpin's office.
It disturbed Weiss just how quickly she resorted to questionable plans as she summoned a glyph into existence behind her.
Either I make it inside, or splatter onto the wall and likely get apprehended. Ruby really has been a bad influence on me!
Weiss released, flying forward and through the doors, her ponytail just barely avoiding getting caught by the closing doors. She straightened herself, taking in a deep breath before shooting her stunned partner a particularly icy glare.
Silence reigned for a few more seconds, the only sound being the slight whir of the elevator moving upwards, before Ruby was finally able to work up a response. "W-Weiss! What the heck- how the heck? You can't-"
Weiss cut her off "You have a lot of explaining to do Ruby Rose! Asking us weird questions, being all spacey, and lying to my face. Making me engage in reckless behavior to find you, and keeping your team in the dark! Do you know how worried we are?! You better…"
Her tirade stopped in its tracks as she heard a sniffle and realized those were tears pooling up in Ruby's eyes.
Weiss's voice immediately softened apologetically. "Ruby, I'm not mad, just…."
"I-I don't like lying either… it really really hurts, I just wasn't allowed to tell you and I didn't want the team to worry too much. I'm the team leader so I can't be worrying you guys! We don't know if it's dangerous, I could come out fine and it would just be a bump. But I have to do this Weiss, I can't let someone else get hurt…."
"Do what Ruby? I don't even know what it is. And if you tell me one more time you can't tell me because Ozpin said no, because when we get up there I will ring him for answers!"
"Is that so Miss Schnee?"
The voice of the headmaster caused both girls to whip their heads over in panicked surprise, their conversation having distracted them from the elevator reaching its destination. It wasn't just Ozpin there too, there was General Ironwood, Professor Goodwitch, and even Ruby's Uncle all staring at them, shock in their eyes.
"And Miss Rose, what do you think you were doing bringing Miss Schnee up here?"
Ruby was trying to shrink back into her cape, clearly just as much caught off guard as Weiss was at the uncharacteristic edge in his voice.
"I-I can explain! I just uh-"
"Don't bother trying to cover for me Ruby, I was the one who followed you here."
The immediate focus on Weiss from everyone including the General made her also want to hide in her team leader's cape, but she pushed onwards, her concern for Ruby overcoming any sort of reservations.
"I followed Ruby here despite her best efforts to try and lie to me and her teammates about whatever it is this is all about." She waved her hand dramatically. "All I know is Professor Ozpin is doing something with Ruby who said it could get her hurt and as her teammate and partner it's my job to protect her, even-even from everyone here."
Ruby was looking wide eyed at Weiss, and the headmaster was clearly deep in thought. It was Qrow beginning to chuckle that broke the silence.
"I already like you a hell of a lot better than your sister." His attention shifted to Ozpin. "Well, I say we let her in on it. She's already here and is probably gonna learn in the future anyways, isn't that right Jimmy?"
Ironwood scowled at Qrow before answering. "While I don't appreciate this unscheduled leak of information, Miss Schnee would likely have become informed anyways in the future. Glynda?"
"This was to be expected given Team RWBY's past escapades." She shot Weiss and Ruby a glare that subsequently softened. "And Miss Rose should have a confidante beyond just us. The path she has chosen is a fraught one afterall, but ultimately the decision lies with Ozpin."
Everyone's gaze shifted to Ozpin. "Miss Schnee's willingness to stand up to even us to protect her friend is all the proof I need that she can be trusted with this. Miss Rose will need such people in the days to come."
Weiss gave a slight bow "I appreciate the trust you are giving me, and I assure you that all of Team RWBY would do the same as I would. I apologize for any earlier rudeness."
Ruby quickly followed up. "Thank you so much Professor Ozpin! Sh-should I tell her about well, everything?"
"Do the honors Miss Rose."
Ruby spun back around to face Weiss. "WellWeiss it'sprettycrazy butmagicisreal andImgonnainherit magicpowers butthemagicwassplit bythepersonwhose beenbehindthe BreechandTorchwick soIamgoingto gettheremaing powersthroughascarymachine thattransfers thesoulofapersonand hermagicpowers tome anditsveryscary!"
"What?"
"You're gonna need to slow down there kiddo if you want her to understand you." Qrow said.
Weiss shook her head. "No it's not that, being Ruby's partner means I can understand her just fine, but just, magic? Soul transferring? You can understand my skepticism of such things, right?"
"I understand your confusion, Miss Schnee. There will be plenty of time to elaborate on the elevator ride to the vault, and once we arrive there, I will explain further"
/
Weiss couldn't help but gasp as the doors opened and the vast expanse of the Beacon Vault loomed ahead. The ornate architecture and flooring, faintly glowing crystals of raw dust above her, and just the sheer scale was magnificent. It was hard to think this was under the school, completely secret except for a few.
As she looked at Ruby, though, her partner's pale-faced, shaking visage strangled her wonder.
Weiss's hand gently clenched Ruby's own, which greedily clasped it back.
"You shouldn't have to do this Ruby…."
Ruby shook her head. "Weiss, you know why I have to do this. Not only to stop whoever is behind everything from getting the powers, but to keep Pyrrha from having to do this!"
"I personally think that telling you they were going to choose Pyrrha is manipulative. They know well enough you would do anything for a friend and used that to make sure you'd say yes. You're too good for this kind of secrecy, especially when it involves something that messes with your soul!"
"I'm glad they told me rather than keep me in the dark about who they'd choose next Weiss. It'd be a lie of omission. I'm not sure about the ethics of the whole thing but…. It's the same kind of tech that got Penny to be alive and even if he says he's worried, my Uncle Qrow wouldn't let me do it if he really didn't trust Ozpin!"
Weiss wanted to fire back, but feeling Ruby's clammy hand clench her own she realized this bout of optimism was as much for Ruby herself as it was for Weiss, so she swallowed her complaints.
"Besides Weiss, I will be able to do magic! Maybe I could shoot lightning with my hands, make it rain on jerkfaces like Cardin, or make my own fire for when we go camping!"
Ruby provided a faint grin, one that didn't reach to her eyes, but her brevity was still enough to make Weiss smile.
"Of course the first thing you think to do with the magic of the seasons is use it for the most childish reasons possible."
Any further banter was stopped as they reached the end of the vault, where the aura transfer device and the injured Fall Maiden lay in a coma. Weiss's eyes flicked over to her briefly before peeling away, not wanting to think about what the girl whose aura they would be cramming into Ruby.
Weiss escorted Ruby to just outside the empty pod, their hands still interlocked. Before Ruby could enter, Qrow intercepted her, bending down to look her in the eyes.
"Hey kid… I'd tell you this is the last chance you have to stop… but I know you'd just say no. You're too much like your mom to just give in when something like this comes up."
Ruby let go of Weiss's hand and she gripped her uncle's torso in a big hug.
"Thanks, Uncle Qrow."
Qrow gently reciprocated for a brief moment before he let go, and Ruby turned back to face Weiss.
"T-thanks for being here Weiss, it helps a lot."
"Of course Ruby, I promise you I'll be with you the whole way, okay? No matter what happens."
Ruby gave her a nod before she went in to hug Weiss. Weiss could feel Ruby's breathing steady and her body begin to relax as she held her. Ruby slowly pulled away, far too soon for Weiss's liking.
"Are you ready Miss Rose?"
She gave the headmaster a brief affirmative, and the glass seal opened up with a quick press of a button from General Ironwood.
Weiss gingerly helped Ruby into the pod, lifting her into the cold metal container that reminded her all too much of a coffin. Once the glass-enclosed her partner, Weiss put her palm onto it, which Ruby reciprocated on the other side, giving her a warm smile.
"Aura Transfer begins in T-Minus, 3…2…1…Now!" The General's clinical voice called out as he flipped the switch.
The machine thrummed to life, and Weiss watched in horror as Amber's orange aura started to be torn from her and Ruby's bright red aura flared into existence.
That was when the screaming began.
/
And finally what everyone was waiting for has begun! I hope this chapter helps alleviate some of the new hiatus drought syndrome y'all are probably also dealing with. And I hope for all yee WR fans out here I fed ya good with the stuff w Ruby and Weiss. They just are so fun to bounce off one another! As always thoughts, critique and speculation is appreciated.