To Weiss' surprise, Ruby was excellent at retracing her footsteps, even when guided by scant moonlight and the dim glow from Weiss' fingertips. Apparently Yang and Blake had seen fit to simply leave them alone in the dark forest, but they'd been kind enough to leave a few flames to mark their trail.

'Don't even think about dropping me, I will come for you.'

Weiss wasn't stupid, she'd read a lot of books— the reality of her situation had only occurred when her mind was free of panic. Many accounts, both historical and mythical, spoke of cursed objects; even inanimate objects could, by some magical means, take on a personality of their own. Overly powerful and stupid wizards were the most common cause, so infatuated with their own enchanting skill that they neglected to respect the magic's inherent desire for freedom. Any magicks could develop a consciousness of their own with sufficient power and concentration.

She recognized what was happening with this weapon. It explained how it had influence over her body and spoke directly into her mind, but she couldn't detect any traces of magic she was familiar with. And that shouldn't matter anyway, since this was a fay weapon. They had no capacity for such magic, so how could a fay weapon be magically cursed?

'Quite the mystery, isn't it?' Gods, it sounded so damn pleased with itself. It mimicked well what little she knew of fay personalities. 'Mimic? Listen here, you little—'

"Shut up!" Weiss commanded with a sidelong hiss, hoping to keep Ruby from noticing.

"Weiss?" Of course she noticed. "Who are you talking to? And why are you so skittish?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe it's because I was just ambushed and almost eaten by a creature of my nightmares?" Weiss sharply deflected.

Ruby tutted, then winced as her leg barely touched the ground. Crimson sparks were throwing themselves over the gash as her Aura healed it, but the process wasn't exactly quick.

Ruby hissed through her teeth, but continued their trek with Weiss' support, mumbling, "That's fair, I suppose…"

Weiss relaxed. At least her years of toxic nobility had given her a good grasp of deception.

"Still, who're you talking to? It's just us."

Weiss groaned internally. Of course Ruby was immune to her tricks. Reluctantly, she held the sword in front of them. She'd managed to convince the thing to let her ring and pinky fingers free to light their path, but it obstinately refused to be fully unhanded.

'I am not 'obstinate', you heartless dick. I've been trapped in a fucking Grimm for an Imperator's age.' Weiss' eyebrows rose at the statement. She could only hope it was hyperbole— Imperators lived as long as their fay constituents permitted. 'I can feel your revulsion, filia ferrea, and I know you'd cast me into the dirt, given the chance.'

"Weiss?" Ruby was staring at her, concern gleaming in her silver eyes. "You're staring at the sword again. Is something wrong? I get that it's a nice piece, but it's not really your thing."

"I've dueled with sabers before." The lie slipped naturally past her lips, but Ruby's brow rose in doubt.

"Have you?"

"Of course I have!"

Ruby's brow rose higher, though her look of intense doubt was slightly hindered as her features tightened with pain.

Weiss bent down so she could bear more of Ruby's weight, which the smith gratefully obliged. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine with some rest," Ruby muttered, waving off her concern. "So, you've dueled with sabers?"

"W-well…" Weiss looked away, knowing she wouldn't get away by repeating the same lie. "I've dueled against sabers, and fighting against them is quite similar to fighting with them, so…"

Ruby's tilted head and pursed lips were enough to showcase her disbelief, so Weiss just sagged in defeat.

"Fine! I hate them! They're ugly and stupid and only wielded by those who are too clumsy to use a rapier or too cowardly to use a longsword! There!" She threw a look of frustrated finality at the smith. "Happy now?"

'Well fuck you too, Weiss.'

The heiress whipped her head around, furious gaze affixing solely on the sword in her hand. "You do not get to use my name!" The angry words shot out too fast for her to stop, and she knew all hope of deception was lost.

Ruby pulled them both to a stop. "Seriously, you're talking to your sword. Is it cursed, or something?"

Weiss was sure she'd get whiplash with how violently she threw her head to and fro. "I— uh…"

"Weiss, I'm a blacksmith. I've been one for more than half my years. I know I'm not exactly smart, but I've heard my fair share of stories." A wistful, distant look glazed over her features as her face turned skyward. "Legendary artificers and their legendary works, weapons that could sunder mountains and split the heavens. My mom even had one— according to my uncle, at least. A scythe that could split metal like wheat, and grew more powerful with each Grimm slain…" her eyes fell sadly to her feet. "I always wanted to craft one myself, but, well… I can't read!"

She threw Weiss a fake laugh and dead smile that cracked the heiress' heart. She couldn't find any words of comfort for the girl, not before she continued. Ruby turned her gaze back to the ground.

"Not that it matters, anyways. It's like Blake said, I'm just a… a medial, or whatever she called it. I'll never cast a spell, I'll never forge a legend, and I'll never be like her." She kicked the dirt and scoffed, then looked back up at Weiss with that same corpse of a smile. "They were right, I really am a black sheep."

The crushing silence of the night took its reign once more, even the crickets holding their breath as her words washed over the heiress. It was… strange, looking at Ruby like this. She was close— she had to be, in this darkness— close enough that she could see the tears in her eyes, and her lip quivering with barely-restrained sobs.

The flames from Weiss' fingers only made her silver eyes brighter, and made her scars contrast clearly against her pale skin.

She looked like the same girl Weiss had chased through the night, begging for mercy in that alleyway. The same girl who she'd whiled away the night with, talking about things that her father would kill her for— had tried to kill Ruby for. The girl with nails in her arms and death in her eyes, looking at Weiss like she'd come to escort her to the Shepherd's flock. The girl who had stood up to Willow Schnee, a noble woman leagues above her own standing, just to support someone she barely knew.

This was the girl she had run away for, and it was the girl she had run away from, looking up at Weiss with more anguish and suffering than could ever be caused by a blade to the face, a spur to the brow, or a sword through the thigh. Just a blacksmith, one who had fled home to make a name for herself, now forced to bear the burdens of someone who had never quite shouldered their own; Ruby was too good not to.

It had all been for Weiss, just to indulge her selfish desire for more freedom than she had ever earned. Ruby deserved better. She deserved never to look like this again.

'You need to say something,' the stupid sword rang in her head again. 'This girl is clearly in—'

Weiss leaned forward, and took Ruby's lips in her own.

A/N: sorry, just one chapter this weekend- and a cliffhanger at that! im terrible. my original work, one i wanna actually try making money off, has completely enraptured me. its turning into a real beast, full of blood mechas, sci-fi shit, and a fun enemies-to-lovers dynamic! thankfully, ive still got 5 more knights chapters to be edited and, like 7 or 8 TC chapters waiting for edit, so there'll be more to come. maybe i can bug my editor to push through a midweek chapter, though i wouldn't be too hopeful.

anyways, im really glad i got to put the smooch on a good, even chapter like 50. maybe it can even qualify as a slowburn now, depending on how one perceives chapter length vs quantity.

as always, thanks for reading!