Weapons Modifications (Part III):

Characters: Weiss, Ruby

Pairings: Whiterose

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or settings, these belong to Rooserteeth and Monty Oum, may he rest in peace.

Summary:

Ruby comes across Weiss working in the workshop, and she decides she has some time to watch a very intriguing thing happen.

Beacon Academy Rebuilt, Weapons Workshop

After a short break for ice cream, and weeks of planning, blueprinting, and arguing the White Rose pair was ready to begin their project. Weiss and Ruby were now sitting before the work benches with what remained of Myrtenaster's blade and the completely assembled guard.

"So how exactly are we going to do this?" Ruby questioned. Sparing a glance at her partner Ruby was worried to say the least. We've spent weeks coming up with these plans, but to actually start them we need to melt down Myrtenaster's blade as well as reconstructing a new Dust cylinder, neither of which is going to be easy for Weiss. Weiss picks up a single small fragment of the blade and inspects it, a single tear wells in Weiss' eyes before she throws the fragment into the boiler directly beside the workbench.

"Same way we'll do it if we ever have to replace Crescent Rose," Weiss says with a slight sarcastic smirk. Ruby groans in response as she playfully smacks Weiss' shoulder for the comment. The pair's spirits raise up a bit after that and they continue to meltdown Myrtenaster's broken blade as well as some new metals that Ruby had calculated mixing into the makeup will strengthen the overall product. Ruby watches as the metal continues to boil before rubbing her girlfriend's back, the other woman trying to maintain an emotionless expression.

"You know I'll never forget initiation, you saved my life with that blade, and from what you've told me it wasn't the first time you'd saved something with it either. It's okay to be sad that it broke Weiss, I hate to say it but things like this happen. I'll have to rebuild Crescent one day, I'll even bet you on it, and I'll cry the whole time I'm dismantling my baby. I wouldn't have it anyother way," Ruby is hushed before she can continue as Weiss wraps her arms around her.

"Sh-sh-shut u-up y-you Dolt," Weiss hics between her sobs as she cries into Ruby's shoulder. "T-th-... She got me through so much from just making it to Beacon… to getting through the Fall… getting away from Atlas… Myr-Myrtenaster saved my life… just as much as you did with that Dragon."

Ruby doesn't say a word, just continues to rub soothing circles on Weiss' shoulder, having taken over holding the Heiress. The pair leaves the workshop to take a break from the smelter, and get something to eat.

When they return Ruby and Weiss set up the blade's mold and pour the molten metal in and then Ruby sets about showing Weiss how to cool, pound, and reset the blade. Weiss hisses as she slowly gets the hang of it, Ruby stepping in and correcting any mistakes, but staying for the most part out of the process, this was Weiss' trial after all.

Ruby continued to monitor and watch Weiss' work carefully, but after an hour or so it was clear that Weiss was binding her Aura to the blade and working the hot metal without issue. Smiling at the success of the once prim and proper Heiress as she sweats and swears at the metal under her hammer. Before long Ruby is merely sitting on another stool her cloak and jacket discarded due to the stifling heat in the room.

Weiss finally rested the blade in some water before pulling it out and inspecting her handy work. Ruby steps closer, forgetting her seat so that she could gaze upon Weiss' handy work. Ruby smiles widely before gingerly moving Weiss to set down the blade.

"Alright Weiss, let's give it a bit of time to cool properly then you can watch me work," Ruby stated, slowly pulling Weiss out of the room with her. The pair had decided Weiss should the main work, but when it came to the details and transformation matrices it was up to Ruby to make certain it was done without incident.

After a couple of hours the pair of Huntresses-in-Training returned to the workshop to finish up their work. The blade was finished and it would be time for Ruby to finish up the blade and work on helping Weiss with the Dust cylinder.

Ruby had meticulously memorised the symbols running along Myrtenaster's guard and blade, symbols meant to air Weiss in the use of her Glyphs. She now sat carving the runes and symbols into the blade while Weiss focused on binding her Aura to the weapon once more, making it possible for the runes to aid her Semblance. The pair was surprisingly silent, a few students had entered and when they'd started to make any sort of noise they cringed. The air within the workshop was peaceful and undisturbed, the students who entered to keep that peace, knowing all too well what it meant.

Peace settles across rooms when someone's Aura is dispersed, not a common occurrence unless someone is trying to avoid Aura detection, or the even simply trying to forge/reforge their weapon. The couple worked tirelessly, Ruby switching to making the separable Dust cylinder and guard mechanism after hours of carving symbols into the blade.

The next day

After spending the night dead to the world due to their tiredness the white and red pair got up early the next morning to complete the assembly of Weiss' new weapon and head back to bed. They'd been excused from classes after the staff found out Myrtenaster had been broken.

Reaching their destination Ruby opens up the pair's shared storage locker to pull out her tools, while Weiss took great care to removed the finished pieces of her new weapon. Moving over to the benches once more the duo sits next to each other.

"Alright Weiss, this is all you. I am not going to interfere, if you want my help assembling her you'te going to have to ask," Ruby explained before sliding the tool box across. Weiss' eyes inspect the beaten and battered tools she had offered to replace, of course her girlfriend had scoffed at her and said that this tools wouldn't get replaced over her dead body. Weiss had attempted to argue the decision until Ruby had said they were her mother's tool, and the same tools she'd used to design and build Crescent Rose. Weiss has to will herself to touch the very tools her girlfriend held sacred, when Weiss had finally picked one up though there was a sharp error sound made by Ruby.

Weiss glared at the other teenager before placing the tool back and looking for the next. Another tool and another annoying sound, the process continued for another minute before Weiss yelled in frustration and nearly threw the tool box. Slamming her fists into the work bench Weiss lowered her head to join them.

"Weiss, you okay?" Ruby asks. The younger had thought it was a fun game, she had no idea it might mean something else to Weiss.

"No im not okay Ruby. You can tell what tools need to be used just by looking at them, you can make an annoying sound to tell me I'm wrong while doing this and it never seems like you're paying any actual attention… primarily because I catch you staring at me the entire time," Weiss answers angrily, the sound of her voice muffled by the bench.

Ruby was shocked to say the least, she'd never thought about any of that. To her all of this was easy and simple, the tools went with their parts and just by sound and studying she knew what went with what. It was quite often that Ruby forgot that Weiss wasn't the best when it came to making things, cooking or otherwise. Reaching out Ruby rubs circles into Weiss' back to try and soothe her girlfriend.

"Weissy, baby?" Ruby begins, continuing to rub Weiss' back. "I'm sorry if I was stressing you out. I remember how frustrated you got just trying to take apart and maintenance Myrtenaster, so let's use the same strategy we did there?"

"Huh?" Weiss asked, less from misunderstanding than from shock.

"Let's do it this way. Like we used to we'll do a building/study session. I'll ask you which tool to use and then correct you if you're wrong. Then you ask me some question about any subject and do the same."

"But Ruby you don't need the…"

"Weiss, we did that because I needed to learn and catch up, and you needed to know how to maintenance Myrtenaster. Now you need to learn how to work with these tools, and I might need some help with… history," Ruby finished. The glare she received managed to get her to explain getting a bad grays on the last assessment.

Three Hours Later

Weiss held the new weapon before her girlfriend smiling at her, surprised by her ability to actually assemble the weapon. Ruby was happy as well, the look on Weiss' face was the same as a child who'd just gotten what's they wanted for Christmas.

"Ready to try out the transformation matrix?" Ruby questions and Weiss carefully depresses the button, and much like her sister's sabre an estoc style blade shoots out of the slide for Weiss to catch in her right hand. Even better the estoc contained a small Dust cylinder and would give Weiss a more pinpoint accurate weapon than her already accurate rapier.

"Thank you Ruby," Weiss says with a smile.

"Of course, oh an FYI… I got an A on the last History Assessment, I just said I got a C so you wouldn't feel as bad," Ruby stares as she begins backing towards the door, knowing all too well the work Weiss had put in to get an A on the last test, and the work she'd put in.

Weiss' eyebrow begins twitching as she slowly turns around to see her one eyed girlfriend spinning on her heel and running out the workshop door.

"RUUUUBBBBBBBBYYYYYYYYYY ROOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Author's Note:

So I haven't forgotten about any of my stories, I just posted some Forever Fall this morning right before my computer committed suicide, so I have no idea when this or any other story will come out. I'm writing this more as an apology, I make figure out a way to post and if I do I'll get this out there. I'll keep working on other stories in the interim.

In other news I'm considering taking my So Far AU and creating one massive set of stories which I'll post in the somewhat correct order, no idea yet. If you have an idea about that please tell me I'd love to hear it. Until next time.