Chapter II: Back home
Ruby was not sure when exactly she had finally crossed the line betwixt her dreamless sleep and being awake, stuck somewhere in the timeless in-between for what could have been a few minutes just as well as hours. What she did know, however, was that her whole body felt as if she'd just woken up after some sort of a Nora-level-of-insane workout, and that she really could use a good massage — a sensation Ruby had gotten all too familiar with since the fall of Beacon two years ago.
She let out a long sigh and started slowly rubbing her eyelids, covering her face with both of her hands. 'So, what did I freeze this time?' she mused, trying to recall her latest memories.
Ruby remembered walking in darkness for what seemed like hours, haunted by the wind that carried sounds of a battle from afar. Her, Blake and Yang talked in hushed voices as led by Oscar they ventured deeper into the enemy territory, passing by ponds of black and crystal spires that felt just wrong. They kept moving forward, quickly dispatching every single Grimm that stood in their way, until they reached the foot of a small hill. There, they found Her, waiting for them — a dark silhouette that overshadowed the shattered moon shining above the equally shattered land, with red eyes glowing like red embers in the dead of the night.
Circular motions of Ruby's fingers stopped in an instant as her eyelids snapped wide open, a chill of terror washing over her whole body. 'Oh. Yeah, that explains a lot.'
Her mind kicked into overdrive as she desperately tried to recollect everything that had happened before she blacked — or rather whited — out. She recalled how a veritable sea of Grimm had raged all around them, hundreds of blood-red lights flickering in the darkness, swallowing all hope. How Qrow had entered the fray moments before their group got overwhelmed. How Blake had gotten knocked out... and even though she remembered all that, and many other things she wished she could forget, no matter how hard she struggled, seeing Blake fall was her last clear memory — after that, everything got hazy.
'Alright.' Ruby closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then another, trying to calm her rampaging heart. 'Get a hold of yourself at once, Ruby Rose. They are fine. Completely fine until proven otherwise. Yep. There's no need for premature despair. No, nope, nada.'
Slowly but surely, the wild pounding in her chest slowed its beat a little as she mulled over those words, unable to assume her teammates' good health just like that, but fully aware that succumbing to fear would lead her nowhere.
'Besides, it's not like you can change anything — surely everything has been said and done by now... there's no rush, Ruby.'
"No rush," she let out with all the air she had been holding.
Ruby sat up in her bed and stretched, hiding a small yawn behind her hand. After one move too many, a sharp hiss made its way through her clenched teeth, her tender muscles finally screaming in protest. 'Ouch. Staring back at death sure does leave you strained.' Still wincing, she threw a sweeping glance at her surroundings. 'Now, where am I? And where could be...'
Before she could finish that thought, the answer for her yet unformed question casually walked past the privacy screen and into her view with all its white-haired splendor. And a toast in the mouth.
Weiss, looking a little bit weak but otherwise content and — much to Ruby's great relief — wonderfully alive. There was only one thing about her that was really out of ordinary: the rare sight of the alabaster mane left loose, which made Ruby wonder in what kind of alternate dimension had she woken up in. 'Yup, I definitely died.'
She did like the picture, though.
In that moment, Weiss' gaze detached itself from the message she'd been typing on her Scroll and turned in the general direction of the bed, only to notice Ruby staring right back at her. Her fingers suddenly froze an inch away from the screen as she stared at Ruby with eyes wide and mouth agape, completely oblivious to the fact that her breakfast had just fallen to the floor.
The Scroll in Weiss' hand was snapped shut and she all but pounced at Ruby, strangling the sore thing in a hug. Ruby needed a while to recover from the initial surprise that unexpectedly animate display of affection had caused, but soon found herself returning the squeeze with both a wide smile and a small flush coloring her features, clutching Weiss as if she was the most precious thing in the world.
"Hi, Weiss," she spoke softly as she buried her face in the white tresses, her warm breath tickling Weiss' neck and sending a small shiver down the girl's spine.
The two of them stayed like that for a longer while, locked in an embrace and unwilling to part, basking in each other's presence. Eventually, a quiet giggle resounded right next to Weiss' ear.
"So, did we make it through, or did we both die and you just waited for me? Coz if it's the latter, then I'm gonna tell you that I'm really, really sore for a dead lady," Ruby asked, trying her best to sound battered — and succeeding spectacularly — while her eyes were taking in her surroundings. After a few seconds spent on scanning the room, something finally clicked in her mind. "And seriously, of all the places I thought I'd end up after death, Beacon was not one of them."
Weiss let out a small laugh, its melody warm and bright. "I asked myself a similar question. And as unbelievable as it might be, it actually seems that our whole team will be able to tell the tale." To her satisfaction, Ruby relaxed bit by bit as the meaning of those words continued to sink in, silencing the remainder of her fears.
Two lithe arms slightly tightened their hold around Ruby's neck when Weiss spoke again, her voice much more quiet. "Thank you, Ruby. I owe you, big time."
She was well aware that simple words of thanks didn't amount to much, but it didn't make expressing her gratitude any less important to her. Besides, it was not like she was planning on just stopping there and calling it a job done, was she.
"Don't mention it. It's not like you didn't save my sorry butt many times over the past few years. Comes with our line of work, I guess," Ruby replied with a small shrug and a similarly nonchalant tone. After a brief pause, she grasped a handful of white tresses and added, her words barely above a whisper: "I'm just really, really happy you are okay. You really scared me back then, you know?"
Weiss deflated a little bit in Ruby's arms. "I'm sorry. I really am. I messed up, and left you three on your own right at the end. If any of you died because I wasn't there, I—" she said, only to pause when she felt Ruby pull back from the embrace.
Suddenly, a warm finger pressed against Weiss' lips.
"No," Ruby said with force, looking straight into Weiss' eyes. "Nuh-uh. Nope. Negative. Don't go there."
Seeing the look of protest begin forming on Weiss' face, Ruby frowned and let out a sigh. "Look, I get you. If you died because I was too slow to kill that Beowolf before it got you, I…" She said that in a soft murmur; a few heartfelt words spoken in a slightly shaken voice, only to trail off into painful silence. Rather than finish the thought, Ruby closed her eyelids and simply shook her head, visibly having to swallow the bile she felt rising in her mouth.
She gently pulled Weiss closer and made their foreheads touch, silver eyes locking with the ones of blue. "There's no point getting hung up on what-ifs. It seems that we're all alive, and that's all that really matters. You did nothing wrong, Weiss — you saved our collective ass. Don't blame yourself that you didn't fight Salem with the rest of the gang; you had your own battle to win for us. And win you did. There's no reason for you to feel guilty, got it?" the team leader asked, head-butting Weiss lightly for good measure.
The only thing Weiss had wanted to do while Ruby had been speaking was to look away; she'd been startled by both the sheer intensity of the stare that was pointed her way and the close proximity of their faces, but there was something in Ruby's eyes that made her unable to do so, leaving her at Ruby's mercy. When Ruby finally fell silent, waiting, Weiss found herself speechless, and as such a single nod was the only response she could muster.
"Great. Now, be a dearie and shut up, you're ruining the moment," Ruby deadpanned and, apparently satisfied with the silent answer, promptly got back to nuzzling Weiss' white mane, expertly defusing all the tension between the two of them in an instant. A purposefully loud sniff that came shortly after was the last blow needed to completely shatter Weiss' composure, and even though she tried — really tried — she couldn't help but laugh.
Neither of them said a word for a long while, not seeing a reason to. They remained entwined in their embrace under a blanket of comfortable silence, caring not for time while the world around them slowly faded into obscurity. That kind of closeness wasn't something Weiss experienced often, but quietly yearned for; in that void where only she, Ruby and their shared warmth existed, she found herself at peace, wanting it to linger.
"Besides," Ruby spoke after a while that seemed long and yet all too short at the same time, "for some reason it didn't feel like you weren't with us, y'know?"
There was something peculiar about the way Ruby had said it that drew Weiss back to reality — a subtle hint of hesitancy, just begging to give it her full attention.
"What do you mean?" Weiss asked, begrudgingly pulling away from Ruby to have a better look at her.
Ruby seemed… puzzled, her eyes downcast while she was trying to come up with a good explanation. After a short while, she looked up at Weiss and her lips parted as if she was about to speak, but, before any word could pass through, a sound of footsteps echoed in the infirmary. Alerted, the girls waited as the footfalls grew closer, limbs untangled and heads turned towards the noise.
A chipper voice that undoubtedly belonged to Yang could be heard half a second before its owner came into the view of the pair positioned on the bed. "Eyy Weiss, how's goi—" The moment her lilac eyes settled on the happy and very much awake Ruby, Yang stopped dead in her tracks, only to let out an overjoyed squeal as she darted towards her little sister a heartbeat later. "RUBY!"
It was a heartwarming picture of hugs being given and ribs being crushed that Weiss witnessed, feeling as if some semblance of normalcy had found its way back into her life. It seemed so surreal, like it was too good to be true... and yet, somehow, Weiss couldn't help but feel that it were the last two years that had been the bad dream, and that just then was she truly awake.
Only after a while did she notice that Blake was also present; corners of the girl's mouth were twitching involuntarily upwards as she watched the scene in silence, slowly forming a smile of a sort that had not been seen on her face since quite some time ago. Blake was standing right next to the nearby privacy screen, with her cat ears perked up and her white coat tucked under her armpit, arms bare and the midriff exposed.
It didn't take much time before Blake's amber eyes turned in Weiss' direction, sensing her gaze; the usually mellow girl beamed at Weiss and waved her hand in a greeting, and when the two of them exchanged meaningful looks and relieved smiles, they both knew they were thinking the exact same thing.
They were back home.
"C'mere, Weiss," Yang chirped after she had finally won the sisterly contest of squeezing the life out of each other; her arms were wide open, and the look on her face so disturbingly innocent that it made Weiss back off in fear for her own life.
"No bear hugs," Weiss commanded, threatening her with a finger.
"But..." A pout appeared on Yang's face.
"I have two broken ribs."
"But!" Yang whined and tried to mimic her sister's puppy stare in hope of weakening Weiss' resolve, but to no avail — fortunately for the latter, Yang couldn't even hold a candle to Ruby and her mastery of the art. When it became apparent to everyone that all Yang would gain from her efforts was an arched eyebrow and unfaltering glare, she groaned in defeat. "Fiiiine. Now come and gimme that damned hug."
Yang was a woman of her word. Her embrace was firm, sure, but not uncomfortably so, making one feel protected and cared for. In a way, it was much like her sister's, considerate and soothing, and yet it was not. In Yang's case, it was a hug from a good friend, plain and simple. With Ruby, the sensation was… funny. Different. It made Weiss feel more alive, for whatever reason.
Why? Weiss could not tell, and was not really sure if she even cared.
In the meantime, Blake took advantage of the distraction Yang had unintentionally provided and silently positioned herself behind Ruby and Weiss, going by completely unnoticed. When Yang had finally pulled away from the hug, another pair of arms promptly wrapped around Ruby's and Weiss' necks, giving them no time to react.
"It's so good to have you back," Blake cooed, pulling the surprised pair into a warm embrace.
Yang, who had plopped down on the bedside chair, smiled at the sight, feeling like a great weight had been lifted from her chest and shoulders. She was all too well aware that none of them was in the clear just yet; that the demons of the past would follow them, and that nightmares would come in the silence of the night. Right in that very moment, though, watching her loved ones smiling and safe and sound was like seeing that one ray of sunshine on a cloudy day, made all the more beautiful and bright by the contrast. It wasn't much, she knew, but it gave her the much needed hope.
They were weary and scarred, yes, but not yet broken; come hell, come high water, never stop — as long as they had each other, they would beat every obstacle into submission and heal their wounds in peace. Either that, or her name wasn't Yang Xiao Long.
"So, how do ya feel now, Weiss?" Yang asked after Blake had finally released the girls from the hug and found herself a comfortable spot on the bed beside them.
A pair of white eyebrows raised curiously at that question. Weiss had fully expected Yang to check up on Ruby first; the fact that she didn't only went to show how big of a scare Weiss had put them all through. In a way, it was kind of touching… but at the same time, it also fanned the flame of guilt that Weiss felt in her stomach.
"I feel alright, I suppose..." Weiss said, just barely able to maintain eye contact with Yang, "at least compared to last night. Now I'm just miserable. Back then..." she trailed off and looked to the side, not really knowing what to say. "Well, you get the idea."
"Yeah, I think I do," Yang agreed with a slow nod, her voice uncharacteristically solemn as she recalled the image of the not-so-distant past.
Eventually, her gaze shifted towards Ruby and her expression softened, a small smirk appearing on Yang's lips. "And you, sis? How are you after your little two-day-long power nap?"
"Hale and hearty!" Ruby chirped and threw both of her arms up in the air, only to regret her theatrics immediately as the sudden movement caused her to visibly wince in pain. When three pairs of eyes fixed on her their visibly concerned stares, Ruby chuckled and sheepishly scratched the back of her head. "…and maaaybe a lil' bit hurting all over."
"Standard package of side effects, eh?" Yang asked with a wry smile plastered on her face.
"I guess. I do feel worse than I did after Kevin, but..." Ruby shrugged dismissively. "I'm just sore and a little weak, is all. And, uh, did you say two days?"
Yang smiled wryly, but there was no glee to it; she'd clearly been worried. "Yep."
"Crap." A mere second after that word had left Ruby's mouth, a loud growl resounded in the vicinity, informing everyone present that her stomach was done with being neglected and demanded their immediate attention. Ruby giggled, putting a hand over her abdomen. "Sounds about right, though."
"So, breakfast time?"
"Yes please," Ruby immediately agreed, her hands clasped together as if she was about to beg. A moment later, she proceeded to start searching for something with fervor in the general proximity of the bed. "Just lemme chan... ge." She cut off, then took a wide look around. "Where's my stuff?" Ruby asked after a few seconds of unsuccessful investigation, sitting up straight on her bed in apparent confusion. Several mildly troubled looks later, she added: "Actually, better question: where the heck is my baby?"
"Chill, Rubes. Dad's got everything. Crescent Rose included."
"And of course he forgot to leave me at least some clothes so I could change." Ruby shook her head and cast a meaningful glance at the ceiling as she groaned in exasperation. "Daaad."
Yang chuckled. "Tell you what — screw your clothes. You're coming with in your PJ's; not like anyone is gonna care. Besides, Beacon is basically empty right now, anyway. We'll talk, we'll eat, then we'll go and grab your stuff. Sounds good?"
"No," Ruby deadpanned and cast Yang an unamused look, seemingly not at all impressed by both the idea and her sister's enthusiastic, toothy grin. Before long, however, she just shook her head and laughed, the sound of her voice soft and clear as she got out of the bed. "But sure, let's roll with that."
She didn't even try to hide her smile when she led her team forward and out of the room.
Author's Note:
Better late than never, eh?
Damn, it sure did take me longer to update than I thought. At first I was being lazy, then the real life drama caught up with me, then I was being lazy again and then I kinda came to the conclusion that it might be a good idea to wait a little and see what happens in Volume 4 (and it's a damn good thing that I did so! #noregrets). I apologise for the length of this one — initially it was supposed to be two times longer, but I decided that it's been long enough since the last update and divided one large chapter into two smaller ones. On a brighter note — the second part is about halfway done, so it shouldn't take me long to update.
Oh, yeah, I suppose I should mention that I did some minor edits to the previous chapter. Sorry, some stuff just didn't let me sleep at night, lol.
Well, that's all for now. I hope you liked it. c:
2017-01-09