A/N: I'll preface this chapter by saying that it's not really a happy one. Given the sudden, shocking news of Monty Oum's passing, I almost didn't release this chapter, but Monty always advocated creativity. He always wanted people to create. Even if it's bad, even if no one likes it, at least people are trying. So I decided that I'd release this chapter anyway. It's a horribly unfortunate coincidence that this week was the chapter in which I was going to detail Weiss' funeral. So if the idea of reading about a funeral sounds like it's too much for you right now, I'd advise waiting a while to read this chapter. No judgement. It was hard for me to write—Monty's passing shook me up as well—I'll understand if it's hard to read. That being said, I did try to end this chapter on a somewhat positive, hopeful note. And this will be the last chapter dealing with Weiss' death. Next week, we'll be back to the usual mystery-and-action-packed story that we had before.
Weiss' funeral was a simple affair. The amphitheatre at Beacon was filled with rows of chairs, and almost all of those seats were filled an hour before the service was set to begin. Beacon faculty, Huntsmen, Huntresses, Beacon students who had known Weiss before she had graduated; there were hundreds of people there to wish her farewell.
Blake sat in the front row, with Jaune and Pyrrha sitting to her left, and two empty seats on her right. Ruby and Yang had yet to arrive, and Blake was getting worried. The service was set to start in five minutes. Once the service started, no one would be allowed to approach the casket, and once it was over, the casket would be closed and taken for burial.
The casket was on a table on the stage, next to the lectern that Ozpin would speak from. It was barely ten metres away from where Blake sat, and she could almost feel Weiss calling out to her. An empty, cavernous maw opened up in her stomach, and she fought back more tears as she thought—once again—that one of her best friends was lying in that box. Blake had refused to approach the casket; she didn't want that to be her last memory of Weiss.
The last time she'd seen Weiss had been in their last video call, before Weiss had gone to Mistral. They'd ended that conversation with Weiss deciding to call Ruby later that day, to try and fix their relationship. She'd seemed so happy; grinning from ear to ear and barely able to contain it. She'd been so full of hope. That was how Blake wanted to remember her.
She got out of her chair and glanced towards the door, but Yang and Ruby were still nowhere to be seen. Damn it. Where the hell are they? Blake had talked to Yang earlier that morning and made sure that the pair were coming. She had been a little worried when Yang didn't come home, but had managed to convince herself that Ruby needed Yang more than she did.
As she moved to sit down, she glanced over the crowd once again. This wasn't the first time she'd browsed through the other attendees, but Blake still hadn't caught sight of Weiss' family. She'd expected them to be in the front row, but they could well be hidden in the mix of people further back. And she'd have no chance of picking them out of that; there were just too many people here. They're here, she told herself. Of course they're here. They wouldn't miss her funeral.
Pyrrha laid a hand on her arm and gave her a concerned look. Blake shook her head and sat forward, placing her hands on her stomach. She felt sick; the hole in her stomach felt like it was getting wider by the second. Nothing she did made her feel any better. How could it? Weiss was gone; she couldn't change that. Pyrrha's hand lingered on her shoulder for a moment, and then pulled away.
Footsteps approached and—as Blake turned towards them—another hand touched her other shoulder. Yang smiled down at her and slipped into the adjacent seat.
"Told you we'd make it," Yang whispered as she wrapped an arm around Blake.
The faunus pressed herself into Yang and took comfort in her familiar warmth. The gaping pit inside her seemed to close up and she wrapped her own arms around Yang's midriff and squeezed. This was what she needed. With Weiss gone… she needed Yang.
"You cut it a bit close," she replied. She pulled a small measure of her usual cheer as she scolded Yang.
"Sorry about that." Yang turned around to look behind her. "Ruby… uh… took a while to get ready."
Blake looked up, worried. "How is she?"
Yang looked back down and gave her a small smile. "How are any of us?" she asked with a hint of bitterness. "But she's not any worse off. She's holding it together."
Blake smiled. That was good. Ruby had been bad enough when Weiss had left; she'd been worried how much worse things could get now that Weiss was… Stopping the thought there, Blake dashed away a tear.
Yang got to her feet and turned towards the door. Blake looked up at her for a moment and followed suit. Across the crowd of people, Ruby was looking in through the door. Yang waved at her, gesturing her to come in. Blake glanced to the other side of the room and saw Professor Ozpin getting up. It was time to start. He met Blake's eyes and gave her a questioning look. Blake nodded towards Ruby, who was now taking a step inside. Ozpin followed Yang's gaze, saw the nervous Huntress and nodded before sitting back down. Blake silently thanked him. Of all of them, Ruby needed to be able to say goodbye before she lost the chance.
Ruby's footsteps echoed like drums in the silence of the amphitheatre as she walked down the aisle. She seemed to fold in on her herself as she walked, looking to each side at all the people gathered; she'd never dealt well with crowds of people.
Yang took a step towards her and held out a hand. Ruby hurried the last few metres and took it. Yang murmured into Ruby's ear; Blake couldn't make out what she was saying. Ruby hesitated for a moment, glanced towards the stage, and nodded. Yang patted her on the shoulder and sat back down, pulling Blake down with her.
Ruby looked towards the casket and took in a breath. She approached it slowly. Blake watched in fear as Ruby laid a hand on the side of the casket. Something glittered on Ruby's cheek and fell to the floor. She reached a hand into the casket and smile sadly. Her lips moved. Then her brow furrowed and she leaned in, as if to inspect something.
Before anyone could react, a heaving sob racked her. Ruby's shoulders trembled as she began to cry, and it wasn't long before her whole body was shaking. Her legs gave out, and Ruby slumped to the floor, letting out a howl of grief. The sudden destruction of the silence that had lingered in the room until now made it all the worse.
Yang and Blake leapt towards the stage. They each took one of her arms and pulled her to her feet. Her whole body was shaking violently, like a terrified rabbit, or a person with hypothermia. Tears ran down her face, and she choked out sobs.
"Come on, Ruby," Yang whispered. "Hey, come on, we're here. It'll be okay."
Ruby slumped to the ground again; her legs seemed incapable of supporting her own weight. Somewhere in her sobbing, Blake heard her calling Weiss' name. Tears sprang into her own eyes, and it took everything she had to keep it together. With Ruby breaking down like this, the last thing anyone needed was Blake joining in.
Yang met her gaze and nodded towards the door. Blake nodded, and Yang swung Ruby into her arms and carried her back down the aisle and out the door. Blake met Ozpin's gaze and nodded for him to start the service. The headmaster had been halfway to the stage already, and merely nodded. As Blake passed him, moving to follow Yang, he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
"Look after her, Blake." That was all he said, but his eyes showed the depth of his sorrow.
The faunus nodded and hurried out of the amphitheatre.
Yang was sitting against the wall a few metres away, with Ruby on her lap. Ruby's face was pressed into Yang's shoulder and her body was trembling; even from where Blake stood, she could hear the sobs. Yang's arms enfolded her sister and held her close. She looked up at Blake for a moment, her expression hopeless.
The faunus hurried over and knelt next to Yang. She put a hand on Ruby's back and tried to console the weeping Huntress while she met Yang's gaze.
"I thought she was okay," Blake muttered.
"She was," Yang replied, looking down at Ruby. "I don't know…" At a loss for words, Yang tightened her arms around Ruby. She began to sway forward and back, talking quietly to Ruby. "Come on, Sis. It'll be okay. It'll all be okay."
Surprising both of them, Ruby pushed away from Yang and glared at her. Yang gaped back at her, unsure of what to say to the anger that blazed in Ruby's eyes.
"You're lying!" Ruby hissed. "How can it be okay? Weiss is gone, Yang! How can anything be okay? Now that… Weiss…" Her furious words dissolved into sobs. When Yang tried to pull her close again, Ruby pushed the blonde away. She toppled off Yang and hit the floor on all fours, sobbing. Her hair hung down, obscuring her face, but Blake could see tears dripping onto the floor beneath her.
Ruby swung a fist up and, before Blake or Yang could stop her, brought it slamming into the concrete floor. Blake was on her in a flash, pinning both of Ruby's arms in place, and flipped around and pulled Ruby into her lap, where she wrapped her arms around the still-sobbing Huntress. Ruby struggled to break free, but Blake just squeezed tighter.
"Let me go!" Ruby hissed. The faunus pressed her forehead against Ruby's back and shook her head. "Blake, let go of me!" Blake just tightened her grip again.
She buried her face in Ruby's back, hoping it would hide her own tears. They'd known that Ruby would be heartbroken, but knowing it and seeing it were two completely different things. Seeing Ruby like this… it was enough to break Blake's heart all over again.
Yang sat down next to them. "Sis, calm down. It'll be okay."
"It's not going to be okay, Yang!" Ruby snarled. "How can you be so 'okay' right now? Weiss is dead! Why am I the only one that seems the least bit upset about that!?"
A sob escaped Blake. She couldn't help it. She's been heartbroken ever since she'd found out; Weiss had been one of her best friends. And Ruby thought she wasn't the least bit upset? Her arms went limp; Ruby slipped from her grasp; Yang was there to catch her.
Yang planted her hands on either side of Ruby's head and pressed their foreheads together. "Don't be an idiot, Ruby. You're smarter than that. You know we cared about Weiss too. None of us had what you had with her, but we all cared. All of us. Look at Blake."
Yang twisted Ruby around and forced her to look down at the faunus. Blake was lying limp on the floor, looking up at the ceiling, tears running down her cheeks. A sob escaped her, and Ruby began to struggle again. Yang was the stronger however, and pulled her back around.
"You're not the only one who's heartbroken," Yang continued. "And don't you dare say that none of us care! None of us are okay. We're just holding it together because we want to be here for you!"
Yang brought their foreheads together again with force; neither of them winced at the impact. The sisters stared into each other's eyes, saying nothing. Blake composed herself, wiping away her tears, and sat up. Voices reached her ears, coming from the amphitheatre; Ozpin must have started the service. Neither Yang nor Ruby seemed to notice.
Blake reached a hand towards the two, but stopped. Something in the intensity of Yang's gaze—even though it wasn't directed at her—made her falter. It was the same face Yang wore whenever she was fighting. Even though Blake was behind Ruby, and she couldn't see the younger Huntresses face, she knew that Ruby would be the same.
Seconds ticked by, and neither spoke. Neither moved.
Ruby broke first.
A shudder ran through her body, and she collapsed against Yang. Yang's only reaction was to wrap her arms around her sister; her face never changed.
"It hurts, Yang." Ruby's voice was muffled by Yang's clothes, but it was still audible. "It hurts so much."
Yang's arms tightened around Ruby. "I know it does, Sis. I know."
"Why won't it stop?" A shudder ran through Ruby's body.
"Because you loved her."
Ruby nodded. "I… just… I can't do this, Yang. I keep losing people. First Mom, now Weiss… I don't want to lose anyone else…"
Yang pulled Ruby up and looked into her eyes. "Hey, enough of that. You've got me and Blake. We're not going anywhere."
Ruby blinked through her tears. "You promise?"
Yang's battle face broke into a smile. "Of course. And when have I ever broken a promise?"
Ruby smiled back. "Never."
"Damn straight. Isn't that right, Blake?"
Blake nodded. "Of course. We're right here, Ruby." Ruby glanced over her shoulder at the faunus and smiled. On a whim, Blake stepped toward the two and reached out. They opened their arms to let her in, and the three wrapped their arms around each other, pressing their heads together in the centre of the small circle they formed.
"I don't want to lose you two as well," Ruby said, her voice almost a whisper.
"We're not going anywhere," Yang and Blake replied in unison.
The three smiled at each other—though none of the smiles carried the joy their bearer usually had—and stepped back. A few more tears ran down Ruby's cheeks, and she didn't bother to wipe the away. Blake gave her another sad smile. Those tears wouldn't stop for a long time, they all knew that, but at least Ruby looked better. She was holding it together.
They sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. Blake sat on the left, Yang on the right, and Ruby in the middle. Both Blake and Yang held one of Ruby's hands, squeezing reassuringly. Now that they were calming down, Ozpin's voice was more audible as it reached them from behind the door to the amphitheatre.
"For all who knew her, Weiss Schnee was an inspiration, and those who didn't are lessened by having never met her. It is rare that someone who already has a path in life chooses to abandon it for the life of a Huntress. It is not an easy life we lead, but Weiss chose it above any other. And rare is the student who displays the ability that she possessed. Beacon was lucky to have her as a student, and Vale—no—all of Remnant was lucky to have her as a guardian.
"But even more than being a gifted Huntress, Weiss Schnee was a singularly incredible person. Any who met her in these halls can attest to her determination, her drive, her passion for learning and her constant striving for success. She set a shining example for any students following behind her, and will be remembered as one of Beacon's finest for years to come. And she wasn't only passionate in her studies; she showed those same qualities in anything and everything that she ever sought to do in her life.
"She was renowned for being… difficult to approach, and it took her a while to really become close to anyone. However, she was a dear friend to those few, and did whatever she could to ensure they were happy, even if it meant pain for herself.
"We here are lucky to have met Miss Schnee, and will remember her until the end of our days. Let us not mourn her passing, sad as it may be. Instead, let us celebrate the life she led; one such as her would rather have us smile than cry. As short a life as she may have led, she lived more in her brief span of years than many do in a full century. So let us remember the good times, the cheer, the smiles, and the laughter. Let's remember how we loved her, and how she loved us. Let us smile as we go about our lives, knowing that she watches over us, and let her continue to inspire us in all of our endeavours."
Ozpin ended his speech and silence took its place. Blake felt a tear run down her cheek and wiped it away. The motion of wiping her cheek swung her head to the side, and she caught sight of Ruby. The young Huntress was sitting against the wall, looking up at the ceiling above them. Both of her hands were grasping Blake and Yang's; she had nothing to wipe away her own tears. It looked like twin rivers carving their way down her face, so heavy was the flow of her tears. With a smile, Blake reached over with her free hand and wiped away the tears on Ruby's left cheek. Yang noticed and did the same on the right. Ruby smiled her thanks at the pair of them, and looked back up as more tears began to flow.
Blake leant in and rested her head on Ruby's shoulder. The young Huntress tilted her head to the side and rested it on top of Blake's. They sat like this for a few seconds, saying nothing.
"We love you, Ruby," Blake said, breaking the silence that had hung since Ozpin's speech had ended.
"I love you guys," Ruby whispered in return.
They stayed like this—leaning against the wall, holding one another—until the service came to a close, and people started filing out of the amphitheatre.
Weiss was buried near the top of a hill in Beacon's own cemetery. Situated near the school, the cemetery was reserved solely for Huntsmen and Huntresses. It was on the same level of elevation as Beacon, and all the gravestones faced towards the city; all the Huntsmen and Huntresses continued their vigil—standing watch over Vale—even in death.
Blake, Ruby and Yang watched from a distance; they didn't want to run the risk of Ruby breaking down again in the middle of the crowd, though Ruby managed to hold it together. She cried through the whole thing, but no more than Blake did. She held Yang' hand the entire time, and Blake could tell that the contact between the two was the only thing keeping her together.
As the sun was setting, they dropped Ruby back at her apartment. They'd asked her if she'd wanted to come along with them to the reading of Weiss' will. The solicitor from Atlas had flown in that morning; Weiss had left some of her belongings to her friends in Vale. But Ruby had said she wanted to go home and rest. Wanting to give her space, Blake and Yang agreed, but had said they would return after the reading. They didn't want to leave Ruby alone for too long.
It was over quickly; none of them wanted to dwell on it for long. Yang, Blake, Neptune, and three quarters of Team JNPR—Ren was still nowhere to be seen—sat around a long table with the solicitor as he read out Weiss' last will and testament. Each of them received something that Weiss had deemed important to their relationship with her.
Blake received a portion of Weiss' small book collection, and a stipulation that she read all the ones Weiss hadn't gotten around to finishing.
Pyrrha received a gilded photo frame that held a photo of her and Weiss at their graduation, where the two of them had been top of the class.
Nora got two hundred lien, with the stipulation that she spend it in bandages and first-aid gear. Weiss had taken to carrying around a small first-aid kit whenever she'd been on a mission with Nora; Nora had been prone to hurting herself in her exuberance. Nora laughed at the joke, but Blake saw a tear drop onto the table as the solicitor moved on to the next item.
Jaune received the acoustic guitar Weiss had 'confiscated' from him in their second year. Something about it had always annoyed her, and she left him a short note telling him to learn to play it properly before he try serenading anyone.
Neptune got Weiss' car. He'd always liked it, the will read, so it would be best off going to someone who'll take care of it. The Huntsman scoffed and muttered a joking complaint about how he'd have to ship it to Mistral, but he also had tears in his eyes.
Yang received a small, stuffed Ursa that she and Weiss had competed for during a past Vytal Festival. Weiss had win the game of skill by the slimmest of margins and Yang's competitive side had set the pair at odds for the next few days. Yang laughed when she received the bear, and smiled sadly as she cradled it in her hands.
For Ruby—though she wasn't present—there was a small, silver pendant in the shape of her rose-shaped emblem, and a letter. Yang accepted them as Ruby's sister, promising to deliver them as soon as possible.
The whole meeting took a little under an hour, and they left as soon as it was over. Yang and Blake drove with Neptune to a landing pad where an airship waited for him.
"Sorry, guys," he said as he got out of the car. "I'd love to stay for a few days, but I… I want to get back to work. There's still this whole thing that Weiss and I were investigating, and someone needs to do something about it. I might not be able to do much now… without her… but at least I'll be doing something to take my mind off things."
"Don't worry about it," Yang replied with a reassuring smile. "We get it. You do what you've gotta do."
"Thanks," he said with a smile. "I'll come by again soon. I haven't seen you guys in ages, and I'd rather not count this as a visit."
"We look forward to it," Blake said.
They stayed, waving goodbye, until the airship lifted off, then headed back to Ruby's apartment. There was a spare bed in Ruby's guest room for Blake and Yang—a remnant of the days when the four of them had spent many a night with each other—and they were planning on spending the next few days with Ruby, making sure she was okay.
Ruby was sitting on the lounge again when they arrived. A half-empty box of tissues sat on the coffee table, and she was gazing out a nearby window, watching the sun set. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her nose was turning red from all the tissues she'd used.
She gave them a small smile as they walked in the door. "Hey." Her voice was a croak; she's clearly been crying her heart out the entire time they were gone.
Yang didn't reply, just crossed the room and wrapped Ruby in a hug. Ruby smiled over Yang's shoulder and hugged her back. Blake was glad to see that Ruby was holding it together. There was nothing wrong with taking the time to mourn—if there was one thing the faunus had learnt in her past, it was that—but it was also important to not let that grief take control of you. Take moment of sadness here and there, but do your best to move on as well; even if it's just a façade, and inside you're dying, it's still an effort.
Blake peeled Yang off Ruby and fished the letter out of Yang's coat pocket. She placed it—and the pendant—in Ruby's lap and pulled Yang into the kitchen, where they began preparing dinner.
"Give her time to read it alone," she whispered in Yang's ear. "We'll be here if anything happens. But she needs to deal with this on her own now and again, or she'll never fully recover."
Yang nodded, though the worry was clearly painted across her face. They forced themselves away, leaving Ruby alone.
Unsure, confused, and a little scared. That was all Ruby felt as she looked down at the letter. She's stopped her crazed sobbing minutes ago, barely managing to control herself in front of Blake and Yang, and she knew that this was likely to break the levies once again.
Taking a deep breath, she broke the wax seal. A jab of pain ran through her chest as she split the Schnee crest in half, and the trepidation that replaced it as she opened the envelope was even worse.
With another shuddering breath, Ruby slid the paper out and unfolded it. The sight of Weiss clear, neat, delicate handwriting brought new tears to her eyes, but she blinked them away. No use crying now, she scolded herself. How am I supposed to read it?
A moment later, she composed herself and began to read:
My Dearest Ruby,
I have to admit to you that I don't really know why I'm writing this. I guess I just need to set this on paper—have it recorded somewhere—so that I can function. If I can write these words down, then maybe they'll get out of my head.
I'll leave this to you so that, if I should die, you'll know everything. And if, by some miracle, things get better between us, then I guess there's really no need for this letter after all. So if you're reading this, then I guess I went and died.
Ruby wiped away tears. That was so like Weiss: no euphemisms, no softening the blow; she just said what needed to be said.
I'm writing this at my desk, in my bedroom, in Atlas. I arrived here a few days ago, after having left Vale. I don't know how long it's been for you since then; long enough to get over me I hope. If not, then I can only apologise. I seem to be doing a lot of that lately… I guess there's no harm in continuing now.
I hurt you. I know that to be true. I've hurt you more in the last few days than I've ever hurt anyone else in my life, and for that I am truly sorry. If I die before reconciling with you, and you read this, then just know that hurting you is the biggest regret of my life.
I know there's no excuse for my actions—none that will satisfy—but I keep telling myself that I did what I did with the best of intentions. My time with you was the best thing in my life; you were the best thing that ever happened to me. I would never want to put a stop to what we had unless it was for the best, or what I thought was the best. I'm not so sure anymore.
I wanted you to be strong. That was what I told myself. I saw how you clung to me—how you depended on me so much—and I couldn't stand it. You were our leader. You were supposed to be in command, in control. I knew you could be; everyone who knows you knows the greatness you're capable of. And I couldn't stand the thought that you were getting so dependent on me that you might not be able to achieve all your potential promised. It sounds stupid now that I'm writing it—it sounds so selfish—but that's honestly how I felt at the time. There was nothing you could have done to change my mind—though I know how hard you tried—because I was stuck in this emotional pit of second-guessing everything, and it only ever got worse.
I won't ask you to forgive me my mistakes; I know how much I hurt you, and I won't be selfish enough to ask you for forgiveness. My selfishness was what caused this; I won't let it hurt you again.
Though, who knows, maybe it's been so long for you that you've already moved on. Maybe you've forgotten me, and this letter will mean nothing to you. Maybe it will only hurt you all the more… If that's the case, then I apologise. I guess I'll have break my promise already: I'll have to ask you to indulge my selfishness, just this once.
Ruby touched the paper below this paragraph. There was a large blank space on the page, where the paper was stained dark. Tears, she realised.
I love you, Ruby. There. I said it. I know it may not seem like it to you, or it may not matter to you, but I swear on the lives of those we protect that it's the truth. I have no other words to describe how I feel other than, 'I love you', but even those fall short. You were like a storm, a swirling flurry of rose petals. You brought me such joy, such happiness; happiness that I never thought I'd achieve. And for that, I repayed you only with pain.
So take this letter as an apology, or a declaration of love, or whatever you wish. Let these be my last words, if I should die: I love you, Ruby Rose. No matter how much you may hate me now. No matter how far apart we are, or how long it's been since we've last seen one another. With you, I received more love than any Huntress—any woman—can imagine. You are the most loving, caring, kind, amazing individual I have ever had the pleasure to meet.
And though this may fall on deaf ears, should—by some miracle—you hold any remaining affection for me, and my death is a loss to you, then I beg you to move on. After all the suffering I've caused you in life, I could not rest knowing that I caused you more in death.
Who am I kidding? There's no way you'd still feel the same way for me after what I did.
In any case, I wish you all the best in life, Ruby. If any gods look down on us from on high, I offer them my prayers that you may live a life of joy. I hope that you find love. I hope you find happiness. I hope that you forget me, in time.
Live the life we both strove for, Ruby. Protect the people of Vale; be the greatest Huntress you can be. But most of all, if I can have a single wish, be happy.
Give my best to Yang and Blake. Tell them I love them both as well. The three of you are all in my thoughts; though it's only been a week since I left, I miss you all already.
I love you, Ruby.
A thousand times: I love you.
Yours in this world, and whichever should follow,
Weiss Schnee
Ruby looked down at the letter, frozen. Tear brimmed along the bottom of her eyes, but didn't spill. It wasn't until she blinked—almost a minute later—that they finally overflowed and ran down her cheeks. She looked down at the pendant she'd given Weiss years ago—the one that Weiss had kept all this time—and couldn't stop a sob from escaping her.
She dropped the letter onto the table, curled her hands into fists—the nails digging into her palms—and pressed them against the table as hard as she could. Tears dropped off her cheeks and onto the table.
"You… idiot," she whispered. "You idiot." Of course I forgive you. Of course!
Ruby slammed a fist into the table, then sat up and took a deep, shuddering breath. She looked over the letter once more, and then looked back out at the setting sun.
The majority of Ruby cried out in pain—in agony—at the sudden burst of loss and regret she felt. Weiss had loved her, and they'd let themselves stay apart. If only she'd been brave enough to try and make contact, then none of this would ever have happened.
But a part of her—a small, fragile part—smiled. Weiss loved her—died loving her—and wished for her to be happy. This part of Ruby was doing all it could to honour that wish. And it was that part that Ruby let out; a small, sad smile pulled at her lips as she touched the letter once again, as if reminding herself it was there.
The sadness was overwhelming; the pain was almost unbearable. But Ruby clung to that small part of her that smiled. She looked down at the letter and read the words again.
But most of all, if I can have a single wish, be happy.
Ruby's smile spread—just a little, but enough to show her teeth—and she whispered her own promise to Weiss.
"I'll do my best."