Weiss panted as she ran through the corridors of the Schnee Manor. She wanted to get away, escape as far as her little feet could take her. Since Winter left, things had been… suffocating, hard and borderline hellish. Her parents never ceased to argue, snarky comments and verbal jabs rapidly escalated to insulting and yelling. To top it all, the heiress position along with all the responsibilities that came attached to the title had fallen without notice on Weiss's tiny shoulder. All her tutors were replaced, she had a new schedule, new lessons, new wardrobe. She was now under the spotlight of her father's cold calculated gaze, filled with impossibly high expectations. It was all too much for an 8 years old little girl.
So, the little white haired girl ran. She wanted to go to a place far away from the echo of her parent's fighting, where she couldn't feel the looming presence of her father calling out on her slightest missteps, where she couldn't feel the burning stigma of her family name. She just wanted a place where she could just be free and simply be Weiss.
She eventually found herself in the garden, it was her favourite spot. She would come regularly here with her older sister whether it was to drink tea, fence or simply admire the multitude of different flowers and plants. It even seemed like their mother used to join them at some point.
Weiss walked under the archway entry and shuffled her way on the green grass letting the light breeze of the night carry her. She began humming the song from that fairytale her mother used to read to her until a flash of white caught her eye. Her baby blue eyes fell into a peculiar rosebush, the full moon lit the petals of the white roses rendering them an ethereal glow. The white roses bloomed proudly on that beautiful spring night.
The little heiress was in awe as she approached the bush, she lightly touched the petals and enjoyed its fragrance. Then her expression dropped as a lonesome tear fell down her cheeks.
"... Mirror, mirror… who's the loneliest of all…" she sang, words coming out barely as a whisper.
"Why are you crying?"
Weiss shrieked and jumped away from the rosebush falling hard on the green grass. She tilted her head up in the direction of where the voice came from and was surprised to see a little girl around her age, maybe younger. She didn't know what it was about this girl but something about her made her seem otherworldly, maybe it was her beaming smile that carried no malice, or her big wondrous silver eyes that appeared to hold the moon and the stars in a frame, or even her short dark hair with red tips that fluttered in every direction.
"W-who are you?!" Weiss stuttered, her voice coming out loud and squeaky. Something that would probably make her father's moustache twist in annoyance, she was glad he wasn't here.
"I'm Ruby!" The girl giggled as she lightly jumped on her feet.
"What are you doing here?! How did you even get in?!"
Ruby tilted her head. "Huh? But you called for me."
"What do you mean? I don't even know you!"
"But you do Weiss! We're friends! Besties even!"
Weiss, who still sat on the grass, was completely perplexed by this girl who apparently knew her name and claimed to be her friend. Friends...a term her father would sneer at. Schnees didn't make friends, they were above that. No, they made connections through business partners and useful acquaintances. Winter thought otherwise though, she always wanted Weiss to break out of her shell.
Weiss blinked as Ruby extended her hand and smiled brightly at her. "Come on Weiss! We're gonna go on an adventure!"
Something about it all seemed incredibly alluring to Weiss, whether it was the chubby hand or Ruby's grin, It all was so inviting. At that moment the silver eyed girl looked like a fairy who came to grant Weiss her greatest wish. Be free. So she decided not to think at all, to take a leap of faith by grasping that hand. Real or not, she was allowed to have a few moments of freedom and dream about adventure under the moonlit sky of a spring night.
Ruby's grin widened even more as she hosted Weiss on her feet. They began laughing as they ran through the garden, Ruby dragging Weiss deeper and deeper.
"Where are we going?"
Ruby abruptly stopped and spinned around, spreading her arms wide. "To the world of Remnant!"
"The…world of… Remnant?"
Ruby nodded as she vibrated which made Weiss snort, she had such puppy energy.
"Yes! There is a Grimm attack and they need huntresses like you and me!" She took Weiss's hand again. "Come! I'll show you!"
They went at the far end of the garden where hardly anyone came by. There, behind the bushes, was a hole in the wall. Weiss was surprised, the Schnee Manor was kept impeccable at all times, from the pristine white marbled floor to the ornate walls along with crystal chandeliers, Jacques liked to flaunt his wealth in a demonstration of power. So seeing a hole in the wall was a contrast to the ostentatious image her father liked to give.
As Ruby was about to crouch and go through the hole, Weiss grabbed onto her red hoodie. The white haired seemed hesitant and uneasy.
"Ruby… there's nothing behind that wall…"
"What are you talking about! We're going to Remnant!"
"But…"
Ruby held both of Weiss's hands and stared at her for a few moments, then her expression melted into a soft smile.
"Come on bestie. Don't you trust me."
Weiss's heart skipped a bit at that. In that moment as Ruby was bathed in the shimmering rays of the moon, she really did look lik a fairy.
Ruby stepped closer and rested her forehead with Weiss's. "Anything is possible, you simply got to believe…" she leaned away giggling and tugging Weiss toward the hole. "Now, I will show you a whole new world!"
And Ruby really did show her a new world. Remnant, as the silver eyed girl liked to call it, was an enchanted universe filled with mystical creatures and an atypical environment, even the moon was different and although shattered, it still remained beautiful. They had powers, unique to each of them, called semblances that they used to fight off the darkness. Ruby called them Grimm, evil creatures that lurked menacingly and feeded on negative emotions. She said as huntresses, their ultimate goal was to defeat all of the Grimm.
Of course even if all of that wasn't real, Weiss didn't really care. She liked the idea of fending off monsters with her imaginary friend in a fantasy universe. Because it was only in those times she could finally breathe and be herself. It didn't matter if she didn't maintain a good posture or said the wrong thing or simply made a mistake. She was just a child having fun with her best friend. Those fleeting moments of freedom helped her get through a day spent with strict tutors and bear the harsh reprimandations of her father.
But sometimes even the euphoria from a night of reveries isn't enough to face the harsh reality. And Weiss was brutally reminded of that on her tenth birthday.
Her father took advantage of the occasion to throw a grand party, but it was only an excuse to parade her as his new heir or doll would be more accurate. He already plotted in his mind more than one way for her to be useful. However, things didn't exactly go the way he expected. Her mother knew how to pick her moments and she chose that time to make a scene while completely drunk. While her father tried to subdue her, he eventually snapped and his choice of words weren't pleasant.
He fully admitted that he never loved her, that she was just a tool, a means to gain power. But that only railed her mother even more and things escalated. Weiss didn't really remember how it happened, her feet just moved on their own to get between her parents. And now she was in her room sitting on her bed with a bandage on her left eye.
She vaguely recalled Jacques' disdainful eyes staring down at her in a silent scolding. Klein was there too, always so sweet. He was talking to her, comforting her surely but she couldn't really hear anything.
"...eiss…. Weiss!"
The heiress blinked and refocused her eyes on what was in front of her only to meet a pair of concerned silver eyes.
"Ruby…?" Weiss's voice cracked slightly.
"Oh thank the cookies!" Ruby grasped her hands and knelt in front of her. "I called like a billionth times but you weren't answering." She squeezed her hands. "Are you okay?"
Maybe it was the genuine worry in Ruby's eyes but Weiss just couldn't take it anymore, so she cried. Ruby had immediately enveloped her in a warm hug which only caused her to lash out completely. But her friend just tightened her grip and whispered to her sweet words of comfort.
Weiss eventually stopped crying and found herself cuddled with Ruby, she melted in her embrace and basked in the scent of roses.
"I think it's going to leave a scar." she lightly touched her bandage.
"Heh you're gonna look so cool."
"... You think so? Father looked upset by it."
"Hey! Scars are the coolest! More than cookies! And your daddy is a buttface."
Weiss broke in a fit of giggles, Ruby said the last statement with such a disgruntled expression. It was more amusing than anything and she also found the way the younger girl scrunched her nose really cute.
"I wish you were real…" Weiss sighed as her eyelids slowly began to flutter close.
"But I am real."
The white haired girl simply hummed as she slowly drifted to sleep.
One would think that children would grow out of the imaginary friend phase, but it wasn't the case for Weiss. Ruby had become such a huge part of her life, she was always there for her, be it sad or happy moments. She dried her tears for her and made her laugh, she dreamed with her and designed universes where she could be anything she wanted.
But over the years a special kind of feeling budded inside her chest. Falling for her imaginary friend, the rational part of her mind thought it was pathetic that it was time for her to face reality and leave that childish part of herself behind. That silly infatuation wasn't meant to be, besides she would have to say goodbye to Ruby eventually. That was a part of growing up….still, despite knowing all of that, it didn't make it any less painful. And her resolve dwindled every time she saw Ruby's smiling face.
"Whatcha ya thinking of?" Ruby asked. She was spread out on her bed, head at the edge and looking upside down at Weiss.
The white haired girl blinked out of her thoughts, she was standing in front of her closet trying to find the perfect outfit for tomorrow since she was beginning highschool. She was to attend Beacon highschool, her father was strongly against it at the beginning but with Ruby's pep talk and encouragements, she stood her ground. She was quite stubborn when she wanted to be, and it was also the perfect opportunity to rebel against her father. Ruby had been so proud of her.
"Nothing. I just have nothing to wear."
"Umm…" the silver eyed girl sat and pointed at the immense closet full of all kinds of clothes and shoes. "Say that again. You have enough clothes to last you a lifetime."
Weiss huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "That is not the point."
"You're right. The point is that you would look good in anything princess."
"You're such a dolt." Weiss said as she faced away to hide her furious blush. Her breath hitched as she felt a pair of arms hug her from behind.
"Hey." Ruby whispered. "I know you're nervous but there's no reason for you to be. You've worked hard to go to Beacon and you're gonna do just fine! It's gonna be awesome and you'll make tons of other friends!"
Weiss snickered. "You mean real ones."
"Weiss, I already told you, I'm real."
"No you're not!"
Weiss didn't mean to snap like but she did anyway. Those negative thoughts were spiralling again in her head and it was just too much. She shut her eyes as she felt the arms around her tightening.
"Weiss-"
"Stop! You have no idea how much I wish this was all real. But it's not! And it hurts! more than anything! The warmth I feel when you hug me is the warmth I always wanted to feel from someone, the way you touch me is the way I've always wanted to be touched and the way you treat me with so much care and kindness… you're everything I ever wanted and I love you! But in the end you're just a product of my own imagination…"
Few years escaped Weiss's eyes as she let out everything that was in her heart. For a few moments, everything was silent. She could only hear the rattling sound of her beating heart. Then she realized that Ruby was no longer hugging her.
"R-Ruby…?" Her voice came out so small as if she was afraid of uttering that name.
She dared to open one eye to glance around only for both of her eyes to widen as she frantically looked everywhere in her room. Ruby was gone.
Her shoulders slumped as she let out a wry laugh. "Well I guess it was about time for me to get back to reality. Took me long enough."
Two weeks had passed since then and Weiss never saw Ruby again. The heiress thought it was for the best even if it did sting a little bit. She was adjusting quite well to her school, Beacon was a remarkable establishment after all and she even made some friends. She got along really well with a certain black haired girl called Blake who, at first, had a lot to say about her family business and her father's practices. It was the first person who dared to be so blatant and wasn't afraid to point out all of Jacques's wrongdoings. But what Blake didn't expect was for Weiss to just smile knowingly at her and say that she was absolutely right, since then they hit it off.
It was the beginning of the third week and still no sign of Ruby. Weiss was starting to think that she was really never going to see her again.
"What got you so moody?" Blake asked as they walked down the halls of Beacon.
Weiss huffed. "I'm not moody."
"You are, you've been moody and broody since earlier."
"Well then I guess you're finally rubbing off on me." Weiss smirked as Blake rolled her eyes.
"Haha really funny Schnee."
"Whatever like just get-"
Before Weiss could finish her sentence, she suddenly saw a red blur coming right at her and colliding with her which caused her to fall hard on the floor. She grunted as she sat up and glared up ready to spit venoms at the imbecile who couldn't see where they were going. But her barrage of insults got stuck in her throat at the sight of familiar silver eyes.
"Weiss! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?! I just got really excited when I saw you and couldn't control my speed." Ruby was in front of her, fretting over her and she seemed… real.
"Y-you!" Weiss pointed a shaky finger at her.
"Oh um I guess we never got to do the presentation officially hehe." Ruby sheepishly rubbed the back of her. "Hi! I'm Ruby Rose and this is my first day in highschool!" She beamed at her. "I was supposed to start the same as everyone else but since I got bumped up two years, there has been a little bit of a delay…"
"... you… you're real…" Weiss breathed out, completely baffled.
"Of course I'm real! I've always been real!"
Weiss began to tear up as she jumped at Ruby who easily caught her and hugged her tightly. "I missed you so much."
"I missed you too." Ruby nuzzled her neck before leaning away to cup her cheeks. She stared deeply in her blue eyes then slowly got closer and kissed her lips gently.
Weiss was surprised at first but she quickly melted into the kiss and deepened it. Ruby was the first to break away and beamed at Weiss.
"And I love you too!"
They laughed happily as they rested on each other's forehead.
"Um… what is exactly happening here?"
Right, Blake was still here.