Forever Fall

[Disclaimer, this is a RWBY AU and RWBY belongs to Roosterteeth and the dearly departed Monty Oum. This is inspired by artwork on Dishwasher1910s Deviantart Page, IE the Team PJRP, Future Ruby, Future Jaune, Penny Persephone, and Pyrrha the Fall Maiden.]

"I'll do what I do best: lie, steal, cheat and survive!"- Roman Torchwick

Chapter 07: I May Fall

Winter

What's going on… Why can't I feel my left side… My… my thoughts…. They're swimming about… where was I… Penny… She was talking to me… Boarbatusk… Dust… I can't remember. What… happened?

"Pe…" I struggle to say, the mere effort of doing that though sends pain shooting through my body and causes me to cough violently, only making the pain worse.

"WINTER! Don't move! You were injured and badly… its best if you don't move and just let them fix you up, okay?" Penny says from somewhere off to my right.

"How…" I struggle out. A hand places itself on my shoulder and my eyes flicker open for a second only to see a blood red cross near my face.

"General, Persephone is right. Stop moving and attempting to talk, you were badly injured holding the flank so we could retreat to this position. There's a Boarbatusk tusk broken off in your abdomen, too many movements will start the bleeding up again. Even with the tusk still in your body it's all we can do to keep you from bleeding out. Too much movement and you might…" The man goes silent as I hear the same thing he does. Dust engines! Sure enough the familiar screech of Dust Twin Jet Engines soars overhead, signaling the arrival of help.

"Captain we've got a Repulsor squad inbound! It's got the markings of Lieutenant Colonel Spade's troops! We're reinforced!" A random soldier shouts, I can't see anything with my eyes closed and honestly don't have the energy to open them right now.

"Stay with us a bit longer General… You'll be home with your family shortly, no need to worry," the medic states before I once more lose consciousness.

I come to and feel the shake of being on a vehicle, my eyes crack open and I can see the landscape flashing by me faster than I can track. Greens and browns are blurring together as I notice the hum of a repulsor bike engine filling my ears. What's going on?... Where am I? The thoughts swirl about in my head as I…

"ETA is 15 Mikes to Outer Defenses, we have critical wounded and need immediate medical treatment for everyone we're bringing in. General Schnee is hurt badly and has lost quite a bit of blood so you do what you have to to get her help," growls a voice over the channel above me. That voice sounds familiar… I try to draw myself together to bring my thoughts into one, but the effort is futile as pain sears through my mind shattering my attempts to coalesce the thoughts within my head.

Two Days Later

Beep… Beep… Beep… Beep… The sound rouses me from my sleep and my eyes flicker open again. Bright lights cause me to close my and try to hide from the light, moaning at the pain caused by the lights and the lance which went through my thoughts as well.

"Winter?" a raspy voice questions from somewhere to my right. That sounds like Weiss… but why is her voice so raspy? I manage another groan in response my brain not yet capable of speech. "Winter I… we thought we'd lost you."

"I-it's g-going… going to t-take a lot more… than that… to… t-to get r-rid of m-me," I struggle out as two pairs of hands wrap around my lower arm on either side.

"You promised Winter… I'll hold you to that promise," I hear Ruby say off to my left while the grip on my right arm tightens slightly.

"What… What happened?" I gasp out at the pair. My breathing feels laboured and pain is starting to swell in my abdomen. I'm getting too old for this… where's Penny… Why does Weiss sound so raspy?

"Well… your division was attacked by a large number of converted forces. You and Penny were driven to retreat and then surrounded. A Boarbatusk got lucky and managed to ram one of its tusks into your side, you fought it off and the tusk broke in the struggle leaving you impaled and leaning on a tree. Penny… Penny went back for you… when she found you… when she found you, you were bleeding out. Silver got there just in time and managed to get you back to Vale's walls for treatment… Winter… we… we both agree that you and Qrow should take a break… you should let Penny have some time off and take that same time to recover…" Weiss rasps her grip on my arm ever tightening… just like the hugs that Yang sought to give me after Weiss and Ruby married.

"Do… Do you think I'm going somewhere?" I question lightly, finally managing to open my eyes I look to my right to see Weiss' red rimmed eyes and mussed up hair, on my left is a similar looking Ruby her silver eyes marred by water that is threatening to spill out at any moment.

"… No… because… because you made me a promise," Weiss gasps before burying her face in my arm, her shoulders shaking and muffled sobs escaping her trembling form. The motions cause Ruby to give my other arm a tight squeeze before she went to the other side of the bed and began comforting her wife.

"It's alright Weiss… Winter is going to take that vacation and get better… either that or she'll be living in our home until she does," Ruby says cooing Weiss as she looks up at me and gives a simple stare. The stare says only one thing… that I'm going to be living with my sister and her wife until I get the workaholic act purged from my being or fixed just like Weiss did… Dust Damn it.

Author's Note:

Hey I'm not dead, I'm just dealing with a lot of stuff between midterms, work, and just classes in general. Hope you like this segment of Forever Fall, I'm trying to get some Shambling Shadows or something else out right now, but I've kinda been trying to do some cover images and stuff.