Chapter 4: Shattered Soul

Ruby wasn't sure what to think as she slowly approached Weiss. Her thoughts were just one big jumble of feelings. On one end, she was awestruck and amazed by Weiss' singing ability. She'd never known Weiss could sing, let alone never hearing her. More importantly though, Ruby was extremely concerned for Weiss. Ruby heard the lyrics, and she wasn't oblivious to what it meant or what that song said about Weiss. She was hurting, and Ruby had already obliged herself to maintain and improve the well-being of her team. She wasn't sure what Weiss was going to say or do, but Ruby had no choice but to find out directly. Ruby just hoped Weiss wouldn't yell at her this time…

Blake just sat on her bed. She tried to go back to sleep, but all she could do was worry. She spent the time thinking furiously about the teammates who weren't in their room with her and the snoring blonde above. Blake wondered about Weiss. She knew Weiss was a big girl and could take care of herself, but the possibility of Weiss having some kind of mental malady that ailed her seemed all but certain, and if it was, it was beyond what she could do on her own. So how did it begin, Blake thought. The fight between Weiss and her was her first thought. The two had somewhat opened themselves up to make arguments concerning each other's feelings about the Faunus. Blake remembered the words Weiss hissed at her about her life and ran through all of them until she got to the part where

"…and every day, my father would come home furious, and that made for a very difficult childhood!"

Blake snapped out of her train of thought in her realization.

"Her family!" she loudly blurted out. She covered her mouth quickly, hoping she didn't wake Yang, but somehow she slept thought that. Blake sighed in relief as she uncovered her mouth and got out of bed. She stared at the clock near their door. 1:34 AM. "Hasn't been two hours yet. C'mon Ruby, get back here!" Blake was having difficulty controlling her emotions, strange since she was by far the coolest-headed of the four. She just didn't want to lose more people she cared about. She herself didn't want to remember those days.

Meanwhile, Yang was still soundly asleep, utterly unaware of the turmoil her three teammates were going through.

"Um…Weiss?"

Ruby was nervous and shaking when she first made contact with her partner on the balcony. Weiss didn't look at her. "Ruby. What are you doing here?" she asked flatly, attempting to veil her mixed emotions of what were mainly shock and dismay. Ruby just took this as Weiss being Weiss, with her icy façade and her impossible attitude. She couldn't hold her concern any longer. It spilled out in anger.

"Weiss, what the hell are YOU doing here? That's the real question here! What's the point of moping like this? What about all that 'come to your teammates' stuff you said to Blake that one time before? Does that not apply to you? What makes you so damn special, huh?"

Weiss kept her face frozen in the same look it was before, but she really felt bad inside. Ruby had never cursed at her, and she was doing it out of concern. Ruby kept speaking.

"Weiss, it's okay for you to come to us. We want to help you, you know. You don't have to cry anymo-"

Weiss covered Ruby's mouth and gave her a death glare. "How did you know that?" she asked with equal parts anger and panic. Ruby removed the hand over her mouth and held it with both of hers. "Weiss, I bunk right above you, and I study late at night. Don't think that I can't hear you from up there." Ruby paused for a moment to wipe a tear from her face, as Weiss wordlessly looked on. Ruby's composure was failing and they both knew it. "I…I can never say anything to you, because I don't want you to yell at me. I always…feel really, really guilty…for just…for just not doing anything to help…what I'm trying to say is…I care, okay? Please Weiss…" and Ruby just broke down. She collapsed in Weiss' arms and cried, and all Weiss could do was hold her and stroke her hair. She didn't dare say anything that could set Ruby off until she calmed down. Eventually, she did calm down. Weiss mustered the most soothing voice she could as she stroked Ruby's hair and gave Ruby something she was never looking for.

"Ruby, I…I'm jealous of you, you know."

Ruby's head snapped up from Weiss' collarbone and looked straight into Weiss' eyes with a quizzical look. What was going on? Was Weiss going crazy?

"Ruby, you…you just remind me of…I guess…what I could've been. If my life wasn't the way it was, y'know? If I was raised differently, maybe I wouldn't…be like this, I guess."

Weiss let go of Ruby and turned around, her back facing Team RWBY's leader. She needed another moment to herself. She had said too much, and it was all too much for her at that point. Ruby remained silent, still trying to ponder the statement Weiss had said. Was it true? Was the impossibly proud and vastly powerful heiress Weiss Schnee…jealous of her? Before she could really understand it all, Weiss started to walk away from Ruby and towards the door. Ruby was having none of it.

"Weiss, just where do you think you're going?" Ruby asked in a very annoyed tone. Hopefully Weiss would snap out of her trance and start yelling at Ruby to not speak to her in that tone. Anything sounded better than the sad and hurt Weiss that showed herself tonight.

"I'm gonna be out for a bit. I'll be back in the morning." And with that Weiss just left without so much as a protest from a stunned Ruby. Ruby stood there on the open balcony for what seemed like ages, staring at the door that Weiss had left her from. The wind picked up again and the snow began to reemerge from the sky as each flake descended softly towards the ground beneath her. Ruby sank to her knees as the bad weather whipped around her, sullenly thinking about her teammate.

"Oh, Weiss…where are you even gonna go?" Ruby was fighting tears again and her head just sunk down. She felt so helpless. Another person she had sworn to herself to protect was broken and she couldn't do anything. All she could do was tie Weiss together with someone else. Someone who Ruby could never forget in any way. And Ruby just feared the worst.

Weiss kept walking, thinking to herself. How was she going to prove herself worthy of the Schnee name, of perfection, of her teammates, her friends? She really didn't know, even after all this. She just smiled thinking about her partners. She really loved them dearly, even though she never showed it. Amidst the snow and wind, she turned back towards Beacon.

"I'll make it up to you guys, I promise." And with that, she kept walking towards the forest of Forever Fall.

A/N: I'm back, finally. Holiday time with the family, you know how that is, so sorry for this coming so late. This story (and every other story I will write) will be updated on Tuesdays starting next week, for consistency. I may have a potential RWBY one-shot up tomorrow...

It kinda scares me how much I made Weiss sink here, but the feels must continue! I'm an evil person.

Plus, I have a deviantArt account! Actually, I've had it for a bit, it's just been inactive until the past few days. Couple photos is all that's up now. Hopefully that changes soon.

And as always, all feedback is appreciated. People who have given me feedback, I will reply to you guys, I'm sorry I haven't done that before, and I'm gonna to a better job of doing that. Until next time, everyone!