Chapter 8: Dear Diary

Weiss unwrapped the blue ribbon that was so perfectly tied in a bow around her tiny white book. It was a secret she kept closer to her than any personal relationship she'd ever had. It was a childhood friend. It was a father who spent his evenings with her after work. Now, it was a way to cope with the tragedy that had befallen not only herself, but her entire world. She sat down on one of the benches in the armored transport ship, her legs shaking. It was now twelve hours since her last meal which, coincidentally, wasn't a meal at all. Coffee had it's benefits, but sustaining oneself for half of a day at a time was not one of them. In those twelve hours, Weiss had been completely drained. Physically. Emotionally. Every sound was muffled, every vision blurred.

Qrow was near the front of the ship, where a makeshift bed fashioned from blankets and extra articles of clothing had been sprawled out for the still unconscious Ruby. Her small frame was so still, so peaceful. But Weiss knew from the experience of lugging her down an elevator shaft, that she wasn't as small and frail as she looked. The soldiers who had remained behind to protect the transport reported very limited contact with the Grimm. Qrow lamented the fates of the other soldiers, taking the complete responsibility for their deaths.

Turning back to her secret, Weiss struggled with trying to unravel the bow that had been so delicately formed on the front of the book. Her hands shook, and the memories of the last night raced around her mind. She wasn't sure how to organize them into words. Not now, anyway. Everything was too fresh, too raw. Nonetheless, she managed to break into her secret book. It opened up to the middle, as books tend to do, marked by the staples pushed through all of the pages, into the spine. For no reason at all, Weiss began to read.

Dear Diary,

It's finally happened! I got a letter in the mail today confirming my acceptance to Beacon Academy. The groundskeepers were clearly baffled by my insistence upon personally retrieving my family's mail every day, but efforts to keep my intention to enroll at the academy a secret came second to none. The only ones that know are myself, Winter and of course, you. Father would not be pleased if he knew. His preference would always be for me to follow in his footsteps. His company comes before everything. It is his first love. No, his only love. Perhaps some day I can hope to underst-

She slammed the small book shut. The presence looming over her was by no means subtle, but Weiss was basically only awake because her mind was too busy processing everything to allow her to sleep. "Whatcha got there?" Qrow inquired. He knew it wasn't his business, but he intended to make sure that Weiss was coping well with everything that had fallen on to her shoulders.

"It's a day planner. For… planning my days." She could practically see the words stumbling out of her mouth. Weiss immediately wished that she could pull the sounds back inside and try again.

Qrow clearly understood what the book was, but didn't have interest in trying to pry its secrets away. "Rrrriiiight. I just wanted you to know that I probably owe you my life from earlier today. And by extension, Ruby does too. So, if you ever need anything, just know that you can count on me to help. I don't do this for everybody, but to be fair, everybody doesn't do what you did for me. Sound good?"

This kind of conversation with Qrow didn't surprise Weiss anymore. Back in the courtyard at Beacon, she'd thought he was just some rogue huntsman with no civility or class. Through their shared experiences, she now considered him to be a close friend. An uncle, maybe. "I was just doing what any honorable huntress would do in that situation." She smiled, "But since you offered, I'll keep your proposition in mind. Thank you."

Everyone was finally fastened in, save for those choosing to stand, so the ship lifted off the ground, pivoted and began its reasonably short journey to Vale. Weiss had been one of those choosing to forego the safety buckles, instead opting to lay on her bench. Her hands were still shaking. As she inspected them, she noticed that they were covered in dirt. Upon further analysis, her combat skirt was smudged and frayed at the bottom, and the pure white sheen of her heels was worn away. "This is the life we chose," she reiterated as she re-opened her now dirt-smeared book to a random page.

Dear Diary,

Beacon is amazing. As in, the school is amazing. As in, the people… not so much. I think one girl actually tried to kill me today on the grounds. She triggered one of my dust cartridges-

"I'm SUCH an IDIOT," Qrow shouted from across the ship, to no one in particular. Weiss sat herself up to see what all the fuss was about, and noticed the huntsman patting himself down from head to toe. In her haze, she wasn't sure what he was doing, but it clicked when Qrow put his head in his hands and sat silently, defeated.

She took a pen that was always nestled away in her belt compartment, and flipped to the last page of her 'day planner'. She would be making a quick entry.

Dear Diary,

Qrow lost his flask in that basement. I'll see about getting him a new one as thanks for helping me through the horrors of the last few hours.

Weiss closed her book, and looked around the cabin for a moment. The mood was somber. The only sound coming from the handful of soldiers on board was the clatter of their weapons and equipment coming together in the turbulent miracle that they had come to know as flight. Qrow had reluctantly taken a canteen from one of the soldiers. She was unsure if he had asked the soldier first, but it wasn't important. They would be in Vale soon, and then things would be better. She reconsidered. Better probably wasn't a good choice of words. Things would become clearer. That was more realistic.

She looked down towards her team's leader, still not certain what had happened to poor Ruby that she was in such a critical condition. Against the will of every fiber of her being, Weiss decided that she had to get herself up and walk over to Ruby. There was something she had to do. The turbulence was negligible, but the exhaustion in her legs amplified it significantly. At the end of the longest thirteen foot journey in recorded history, Weiss lay down next to Ruby. She wasn't on the makeshift cot, there wasn't enough space. Instead, she took up residence on the cold metal floor. With one hand, she reached for her tiny book, and began to leaf through the pages. With her free hand, she brushed Ruby's hair out of her face, and took her hand.

"You need to hear this one."

Dear Diary,

You... are a book. Your composition is of paper, leather and staples. I dress you with a bow, but it does not define you. Though you have always been there for me, I cannot consider you a friend. Friend. That word. It has haunted me for years. The one thing that no amount of money or influence could bring me. My last name is both a gift and a curse. With it, comes fame, fortune and power. But I experienced only loneliness, sadness and fear. I am a Schnee, but it does not define me.

By enrolling at Beacon, I set out to prove to the world that being a Schnee means more than money and power. I wanted to make sure that my name could be synonymous with more than a dust empire. In truth, I want nothing more than to light up the shadow that my father's company cast over me. As I've learned, being a huntress means more than fighting the good fight and catching the bad guys. I have to fight for more than my own motivations. I have to fight because my team needs me to fight. I have to fight because the people I love need me to fight. My… friends… need me to fight.

Friends. There's that word again. Now it has substance to me. The bonds I've formed with the people around me make us stronger. Blake, Yang, Ruby… the three of you are the friends I never had. I wouldn't trade the our shared experiences for the world. Each of you holds a special place in my heart.

Blake, you are a Freedom Fighter. Your composition is reconciliation, experience and intensity. You fight to correct the injustices of your past. You wear a bow, but it does not define you. Our heritage separates us, but our differences only forge a stronger friendship between us. You keep me grounded in reality, honest to a fault.

Yang, you are Passion. Your composition is strength, adventure and energy. You watch over us like a mother bird watches over her young. Your beauty sustains you, but it does not define you. Your true character is shown through unbreakable willpower and the compassion you show for the rest of your team.

Ruby, you are a Leader. Our leader. Your composition is loyalty, kindness and understanding. But you embody so much more than just that. You push ahead when the rest back away. You're the first to jump headlong into a fight. All of your crazy plans end up being the best course of action. There is no other person I would rather have as a leader and as a friend.

So, Diary, I'm afraid that your time as my closest friend has come and gone. I cherish the time that we spent together, but my life has become an open book now. I can no longer keep myself wrapped in a bow and locked up in secrecy. I owe myself more than that. I owe my team more than that. I owe the world... more than that.

She had written that entry upon their return from Mountain Glenn, after the incident in Vale. Weiss was unsure if Ruby was receptive to any of this in her current state, but she didn't really care. There was a fear inside of her that for some reason, this could be the last chance Weiss had to open up to her teammate about the influence she'd had on her previously uptight, sniveling self. Just to be sure, she carefully tore the page out of her little book, wrapped it in the blue ribbon that had adorned her old best friend, and tucked it behind Ruby's belt. Now she'd know. One way or the other.

The reading had a therapeutic effect. Her mind was at ease, if only because she wasn't thinking about the tribulations of the past few hours. She knew there would be difficult times ahead, but for now her main focus was to do whatever she could to help her friend. Her singular focus allowed her to finally close her eyes. Still holding Ruby's hand in her own, Weiss finally allowed herself to rest.