Content Warning for verbal and emotional abuse, referenced/implied physical abuse, and a panic attack

Chapter Ten
In the Shadow of a Legacy

Weiss' heart pounds in her ears as her scroll rings. For a moment, just a moment, she considers ignoring it entirely and going on with her day. The next, she answers in a panic and a greeting, "Hello, Father. How are you and Mother?" she keeps her tone carefully even, sounding just pleased enough to appease him without making it too emotional.

"I was worried you wouldn't pick up for a moment," he chuckles, low and without humour. It's as if she's right back in Atlas, not a whole kingdom away in a secluded courtyard at Beacon. She stands ramrod straight, chin held up and gaze lowered respectfully. "I take it you've already claimed the top marks in your classes?"

Her throat clog for a second. "No, I have not," she shamefully admits, her hand itching to run down her braid. "The Champion of Mistral is attending and she's taken the top in nearly every class." She squashes down the admiration threatening to leak out of her. She wishes she could just be angry at Pyrrha Nikos for it, but finds it nearly impossible to stay mad when just the thought of her makes her heart flutter in awe. "But I am the best in Dust Studies and-"

"I do hope you aren't playing games down there," Father says and she shuts her mouth with a clack. "Winter had achieved top of her entire school in less time, at a harder academy no less, and yet you cannot even reach the same in your year?"

She tenses, shoulders rising slightly as her brain scrambles to think of a reason behind her failure. Something that would appease Father. Her eye itches and she absently traces her scar. "I am still adjusting to my injury," she grasps, making sure she sounds confident and at ease, as if she is disheartened from it rather than proud. "It has hindered me slightly."

"I suppose that's true," he hums thoughtfully, and she can imagine him rubbing his chin. "You were already slower than your siblings, a handicap such as yours would of course make you slower than those beneath us. Although if you had gotten a prosthetic to cover it up as I suggested that wouldn't be the case."

You won't take this from me, she thinks bitterly. Aloud, she says, "The surgery would cost me more time to recover and hinder my academics."

"Speaking of surgeries," ice fills her veins, "I have already scheduled your appointment for the day after your next birthday. I trust that you will request for the appropriate time off for it. Once your birth defect is dealt with, we can revisit your claim to the company." He says it so casually, as if discussing the weather. Weiss cannot stop her foot from tapping anxiously and begins to pace, worried he might hear it over the scroll. "And, perhaps, your mother will end her indulgence once the mark of her shame is gone."

Her heart thuds painfully with longing. What a delightful thought that is, it even brings a smile to Weiss' face and causes her eyes to sting. Of course she doesn't allow something as childish as tears to fall, but she can admit the idea that she may help Mother by going through with it makes her emotional.

"You have at least stamped out those little habits of yours?"

"Yes," she lies smoothly. "And nobody knows about my," she glances around, afraid somebody may be nearby, "birth defect."

"Excellent. It seems you can do something right," he laughs that humourless laugh. She hears the squeak of his chair and knows he's stood, now pacing slowly in front of his desk. She stills her own pacing, back to standing still like a statue. "While you have failed to meet my expectations, you have accomplished enough for the time being. I'd best hear you're no longer failing next time we chat. I didn't allow you to leave just so you could slack off."

"Yes, Father," she says through the knot in her throat. "Thank you, Father."

"But Weiss," his voice lowers and her heart rate skyrockets, "do not mistake my generosity for charity. I have graciously allowed you to be the heiress to this company and should you fail to convince me why you deserve such a chance, we both know the measures I must take to keep this company alive."

She's in a dark tunnel. Coughing clouds of Dust fill the air, the rasping gasp of skeletal figures, the cursing agony of aching phantom limbs, eyes aglow with loathing glaring at her from all directions.

And the promise of what awaited her being whispered in her ear.

"I'll not fail you, Father," she says with conviction, suppressing a shutter. "I will make you proud."

"Ah, I had almost forgotten. I have reviewed your theory on gravity Dust. It was a well crafted thesis," he says. "We must run tests, of course, but we shall see if it bears any positive results."

"Thank you," she whispers, smiling feebly in hope. "I shall research more topics and find new theories-"

"Yes, yes. I must go," she flinches when he hangs up abruptly, the dial almost drowning out the ringing in her ears.

"Goodbye," she says into the silence, lowering her scroll with shaking hands. A strange concoction of shame and pride swirl in her stomach and she closes her eyes as her vision sways.

That was better than you expected, she tells herself, inhaling deeply to settle the nausea. You can remain at Beacon for a while longer. If you finally succeed and achieve top marks, you won't need to return to Atlas until your birthday. And then...

And then the next step to her goal will be realized. Her position as heiress will be secure. Then the guilt sitting like a stone in her gut may lift, she may be forgiven for causing such strife to her family. Maybe Father is right and Mother will look at her with eyes clear of fog and regret. Maybe Father will even smile proudly at her, as he does Whitley, as he did Winter.

She opens her eyes, witnessing the world spinning around her and forcing herself to remain standing with her head held high. She won't succumb to such a frivolous dizzy spell. She can't let it slow her down. With a deep breath, she marches out of the courtyard, turning off the locator on her scroll.

Located a little ways into where Forever Fall meets the Emerald Forest, beyond a small veil of ivy, lies a small hidden grotto. She'd stumbled across it by accident during the first week and smiles in relief when she enters, the last of her dizziness dispersing. As far as she knows, no one else has found it, leaving it the perfect place for her to practice her summoning in peace.

Not that she's improved at all, but at least her colossal failures aren't being witnessed by the whole academy.

Smiling in spite of herself, she takes a deep breath and prepares herself for her next training session.

"First," she murmurs, "see it in your mind..."

0o0o0

"Inspiration," Professor Oobleck said, "is what carries a Huntsmen career. This is a dreary and exhausting job, oftentimes you won't be recognized for your hard work and what it took for you to get as far as you have. Understanding your inspiration, the reasons why you continue on beyond just personal goals, is integral to keeping you from burning out. I've seen dozens of Huntsmen quit simply because the weight of their choice was too heavy to bear. I implore you to reflect on what keeps you going. This is not part of your grade, but should be kept in mind as you move forward."

Ruby plays with her hands as she walks down the aisle, coming to a stop at the books labelled from twenty years ago. Beacon has an extensive record of every student who has ever passed through its halls, so much so that an entire section of it is comprised of those records. With an almost paranoid glance at her surroundings, she stands on her toes to pull one of the books from the shelf and begins to leaf through it.

Her breathing hitches at first and she slams it shut on her thumb, muttering a little 'ow', before slowly opening it to gaze at the photo of her mother, Summer Rose. It shocks her how alike they look and she slowly sits down in the aisle. Uncle Qrow might have encouraged her, Dad might have supported her, but it was always hearing about Mom that 'inspired' Ruby. Her end goals are pretty simple, hunting Grimm and all, and no one did that better than Mom and her team.

They'd had an eighty percent success rate, the highest of any Huntsmen team in history, and most of those failures happened early into their careers before they settled into a rhythm. They'd travelled across nearly all of Remnant, helping anyone who asked even if the reward given wasn't a lot. Under Mom's leadership, it was as if they could turn the tide in this endless war with the Grimm, that maybe it was possible to actually win it.

Her throat feels clogged as she brushes the edge of the photo with her thumb, wondering what could have gone so wrong to destroy them. Now Mom was gone, presumed dead after going on a mysterious mission she told nobody about. Uncle Qrow was always on solo hunts and when he was visiting he'd be drinking or drunk. And their fourth member, the taboo subject of their family, is MIA. Only Dad had eventually settled, but after losing not one but two women he loved in quick succession it took him a few years to recover.

Team STRQ had been the best, but they'd broken apart so utterly just a few years into their careers. It was an acknowledgement in their house, but Ruby realizes she never put real thought into that. She just heard the stories and was filled with awe. They still do, and her heart still swells in hope and joy and bitter sadness at the mere thought of Mom. What would she say to her now? Be proud like Dad is, like Yang is?

Probably. She hopes so, at least.

But how is Ruby supposed to follow in her footsteps when she feels miles behind? Her team is only barely starting to get along, the highlight with Bella actually eating with them this morning and making a few comments when spoken to. But that hadn't been because of Ruby, it was because of Yang.

Yang has always been the one Ruby could rely on. From applying band-aids to cooking whole meals, Yang had taken on the challenge of caring for her little sister with nothing but a smile on her face. She cheered when Ruby found her semblance, she baked her a cake when she went to the store on her own for the first time, and always pushed her out of her comfort zone at a pace that was still somehow patient.

Now that she's older, Ruby can only marvel in wonder at how hard it must have been for Yang. She'd been so young when she took on the responsibility, that sort of stress couldn't possibly be healthy for a child. Yet she never complained, never showed any frustration. She took it on like she did everything else in life, head-on and without holding back. How had she done it? Ruby can't even begin to fathom it. But fathom it she must, because now their roles were kinda reversed.

Now Ruby is the one in charge, and here she is unable to keep herself held together. She's barely keeping her head above the proverbial water, and it's as if every step forward she takes she gets beaten further back. Like every moment of confidence must be counterbalanced by entire days of self-doubt and anxiety.

She has to get past this, somehow. She has to step up and become the leader she needs to be. But it's just so hard when she's struck by how much Yang should have been leader in the first place. So she's hoping that something in the book will give her some insight, and finally answer why Ozpin had chosen her.

Because what on Remnant had he seen in her that apparently wasn't there in Yang?

"You have silver eyes."

Ruby dismisses the thought the moment it crops up. What a silly thing to consider, even for a moment. While the comment was notably strange, it's not like eye colour marks the quality of a leader.

Besides, Mom had silver eyes.

Oh...maybe the reason she was chosen as leader, and why Ozpin made such a comment, is because he saw a part of Summer Rose in Ruby. The thought warms her and she blinks away the sting from her eyes. But if that is the case, why wouldn't Yang also be a candidate? While Mom isn't Yang's birth mom, her sister still had more time with her than Ruby had. If anybody should have a part of Summer Rose in them, it should be her.

Ruby pinches her nose, recognizing when her brain is just working in circles. Doubt gets Huntsmen killed and she has to get past it, sooner rather than later. The only aspect she has confidence in is fighting Grimm, and even that isn't all that great.

Oh! But fighting Grimm is like solving a problem! If her brain is so stuck on brute forcing a reason internally, why not look at it in a different angle? Qualities of a leader won't shine in every day activities like homework and meals, it reveals itself under duress. She's already reflected on the Bauson, but she never really thought back to initiation (besides her lingering troubles with befriending Weiss) and it probably would have been recorded. If she watches the footage, maybe that can help her understand Ozpin's reasoning.

Ruby checks the time. Professor Fall should still be in her classroom, would she mind helping her? Ruby puts the book back where it was and fast-walks out of the library, body buzzing with energy. The moment she passes the threshold of the library, she bursts her way towards the school building, a trail of petals in her wake that buffet students, who shout at her. She shouts apologies back, only slowing down when she reaches the door to Tales of Remnant.

Absently brushing petals out of her hair (even as they fade on their own), Ruby timidly knocks.

"Come in." Ruby pokes her head through, feeling still a little timid around her professor still. "Hello, Miss Rose. Have you had a good afternoon?"

"Yep!" Ruby chirps, walking in and leaning on the closed door. "I had a question, if you have time?"

"Yes, I do," Professor Fall puts away the papers she was writing and gestures to the chair. Ruby settles down, drumming her legs.

"Do you know if I can look at the initiation footage? My head keeps getting caught up in my self-doubt about being team leader," she admits, a little shamefully. After all Professor Fall has told her about such a thing being deadly, it feels like the biggest failure admitting she can't follow her advice.

If Professor Fall is disappointment at all, she doesn't show it. She just nods with a thoughtful smile. "Yes, it can be very easy to get caught up in one's own head. I can procure it for you, but it will take a day or two. Do you wish to share why you are so fixated on it?"

"Do you know about Team STRQ?" Ruby asks.

"Yes. I was just a child, but I remember hearing about their exploits in Mistral. I was quite inspired by them," Professor Fall smiles, small and fond.

"They're my family," Ruby blushes, feeling like it's some kind of boast rather than a fact. "My mom was the leader and she's been my inspiration for a long time. I want to be just like her, but my brain keeps telling me that I can't be. That all I'm good for is fighting Grimm and a...well, a really, really stupid idea," she giggles, rubbing the back of her head.

"A 'stupid' idea?" Professor Fall asks.

"Yeah it's just...something Ozpin said to me. I don't need to waste your time with it!" Ruby waves her hands a little, blushing deeply.

"It wouldn't be a waste at all. You'd be surprised at what insight there is in ideas we deem inadequate. But if you wish to keep it to yourself, then I shall not push. This only works if you are comfortable."

Ruby smiles a little. Out of anyone, Professor Fall won't judge her. "He mentioned I have silver eyes when we first met, and for a moment I thought that was the reason." Despite asking, her face still turns hot. "Like, in my head it's all I can connect to the reason Yang isn't team leader instead because she's always been really good with people and taking care of others but Ozpin mentioned it when we first met and my mind won't let it go because I can't see what I could have done to prove I was worthy of this other than fighting Grimm but anyone here can do that so I wanted to see it from the footage so I could maybe understand better and I'm sorry it's so dumb I don't wanna waste your time."

Ruby curls in on herself, hood flipped up and tying the knot to seal herself in the soft darkness of her cloak.

"You certainly do not give yourself enough credit, Miss Rose," Professor Fall says bluntly, but lightly. "But we are always our own worst critics and when we don't understand something, our minds stretch to rationalize it for us. While I get the footage for your review, I want you to think back to the initiation and go through the whole experience. Talk it out loud to yourself or someone else, but verbally speak it. It may give you some insight to your thoughts as well."

Ruby peaks out from her hood, smiling a little. "Th-thanks."

"I will do everything to ease your burden, Miss Rose. That is my job as a teacher," she smiles. "You've certainly been dealt quite the unique hand. A lineage of Huntsmen is nothing to scoff at and I can see why this is all so wonderful and terrifying for you. But just as you shouldn't compare yourself to others, do not fall too deep into the shadows of legacies. This is your life and yours alone. Inspiration is a wonderful tool, but it can also be a double-edged sword of drowning in inadequacy. So be careful."

"I will, Professor," Ruby says. "I'll get there, someday."

"That's the spirit," Professor Fall says, clearly pleased. With a final goodbye, and a brief apology for taking up her time, Ruby leaves the classroom as she usually does; shoulders light and thoughts heavy. But the good-heavy.

0o0o0

She should have known that attempting to summon wouldn't improve her mood. The tension coiled tightly in her body hasn't lessened in the slightest and now she feels mere moments away from exploding. Gritting her teeth, she enters the dorm and finds it mercifully empty and quiet. She leans back against the door for a moment, before sitting down at her desk to do some studying.

She needs to work harder. Even if her body aches, even if her head pounds, she needs to just keep working.

She can't go back to Atlas so soon.

Her brief time in silence is ruined when the door slams open, causing her to flinch and startle to her feet. She glares at Ruby, who stops sheepishly a few steps in and gives a small wave. "Oh, sorry Weiss! Didn't mean to scare you."

"I wasn't scared," Weiss rolls her eyes, ignoring her pounding heart. "You ruined my concentration. What has you acting so hyper anyway?" she sits back down, trying to find where she was. Ah, it appears she hadn't gotten as much work done as she had hoped.

"I think I've got an idea to get past the mind block I've been having!" Ruby explains, dropping her bag by the window and climbing into her bunk. "I'm still not sure about being team leader, but Professor Fall is gonna lemme watch initiation in a couple of days. I wanna see why Ozpin chose me over Yang."

Weiss stills, tension building. She never even thought about the possibility of Yang being leader.

Of course you wouldn't even be the second choice, the voice of Father whispers. She's far more powerful than you. You will always be the last choice.

She fights to keep calm and controlled. Like Winter. "Considering all the trouble she gets into," she begins, voice thankfully steady, "it would be an ill match."

Honestly, if the people on this team quit being in trouble that would be fantastic. Sooner or later (and most likely sooner) this team will have a reputation of being irresponsible delinquents. The whispers of the Bauson are only just starting to fade.

"That's not true!" Ruby pouts. "Well, it's true she gets in trouble," she backtracks, "but not that she wouldn't be a good leader! She's always taken care of me and is super kind and good with people."

"Being kind and good with people isn't enough to make a good leader," Weiss feels her foot tapping. She's too exhausted to bother stopping it. "You also need to present yourself in the best way possible. And I doubt Yang would be able to keep her emotions to herself."

"Well, yeah but is that such a bad thing? Then people would know they can trust her to be honest!"

That's so painfully naive it makes Weiss' headache worse. She pinches her nose, taking deep breaths. "Being honest isn't what will help you be respected. And respect is a leader's best tool. Even more so than a weapon."

"But if you're good at something, won't people respect you for that?"

"No." Her eye pulses in time with her heartbeat. Is it bleeding? It feels like it is. She brushes her cheek, but it comes back clean. Her palm is shaky, clammy. "It isn't enough. You can't just be good, you need to be perfect. Perfect speech, perfect appearance, perfect temperament." Her own words feel far away. Her body feels cold. That isn't right. She's never cold. "Perfection is required to be respected. To lead." Her-her vision, the edges of her vision is darkening. No, no no no. She's going blind in her right eye, too. That can't happen. If that happens her goals will be lost-

A hand falls onto her shoulder and she flinches away, forcing her aura from jumping to her defence as she braces for the coming strike. When it doesn't come, she turns in confusion to meet Ruby's concerned eyes, the younger girl playing with her hands.

"S-sorry. No touching, then. Are you okay? Do you need anything? Water, snacks?"

"I-I am perfectly fine," Weiss ignores her stutter, blinking quickly. Her vision clears and she suddenly feels a fool for having such a childish tantrum, in company no less! "My apologies. As I was saying, when you're a leader you must project this sense of authority and self-confidence. Which you lack." That sounds harsh. But, she can't soften it, can she? Not if she wants to maintain some dignity.

"Yeah, I know I lack that," Ruby mumbles, hurt. "But that's what I'm trying to learn. And even if I'm not perfect, is that really so wrong? Image can't be that important."

Something in Weiss...snaps. The tension in her body breaks and she stands up so quickly from her chair it tips, startling Ruby back. "You don't get it, Ruby!" Weiss yells, foot tapping so fast it's nearly a blur. "Image is everything when it comes to leading! You show this confidence and expertise when in a fight, but from the start all everyone has seen is either you acting hyperactive and immature, or timid and spineless! If you can't stand up in the face of some rumours, how are you supposed to protect people from Grimm?"

"But I can fight Grimm!" Ruby shouts back, face flushing in anger. "Fighting Grimm is the one thing I know I can do!"

"But outsiders won't see it that way! When a civilian is being evacuated, they won't think to look back and see you killing Grimm effectively, they won't care that you are helping them, they won't care that you are sacrificing yourself to get them out alive!" Weiss jabs her shoulder for emphasis. "All they'll care about is what they'll see before and after, and all they'll see is a coward who they can't trust!"

"Well it can't be worse than having a team that doesn't like you!" Ruby fires back, tears down her face. "If you don't trust or like the people who are supposed to be family, how can you get anything done?"

"That's a very nice fairy tale, but how many Huntsmen teams actually stay together post graduation?" Weiss crosses her arms. "Is that your idea of family?"

"Not all of them break apart!" Ruby thumps her chest. "And if you're so sure you won't be a part of that, then why does it matter to you that I don't project this perfect image?"

"Because when your associated with a group, everyone will believe you're exactly like the one in charge!" Weiss' voice cracks as she all but snarls.

"Hey!" A third voice causes both of them to jump and whirl to the door, where Yang stands with eyes blazing red and glaring at Weiss. "Don't yell at my sister like that!"

Weiss, breath heaving, snaps her attention between the sisters and Bella, who peaks her head around the corner cautiously watching her. All at once, the fight drains from her. Of course, of course this is all her fault, isn't it? She couldn't keep her damned emotions under control and now she's just a bully, isn't she? Just another cruel, putrid Schnee.

You knew this would happen eventually. You aren't Winter. No matter how hard you try, you will never achieve that.

Wordlessly, Weiss marches out of the dorm, ducking under Yang's arm. She doesn't look back when she yells at her to get back there, and when she turns the corner of the hallway she all but sprints out of the building.

Maybe if she's fast enough, she can outrun the dread of returning to Atlas.

0o0o0

Ruby wipes at her eyes, not realizing she'd started crying until Yang is hugging her. As she shivers, she feels dread seep into her body and can't understanding how that got so out of hand. Where did her own anger even come from? She can't remember ever getting angry at someone. Not to the point she fought with them.

"What was her deal?" Yang asks, pulling away to hold Ruby by the shoulders.

"We, we were just talking. About leadership stuff. She," Ruby shuffles on her feet, "I think she was having a panic attack. Then she just started yelling about images. I got heated, and yelled back." Shame quickly flows in. How could she let herself get so mad? Weiss had obviously been tense since she walked in, so of course she would have a limit. Ruby still doesn't get why it set her off as it did, but she should have at least tried to deescalate.

The red also quickly leaves Yang's eyes, replaced with concern, even if she's still vibrating from anger. "Yeah, sounds like a recipe for a fight. Honestly, I thought this would happen sooner or later. Kinda wished it would hold itself off. Here, sit down and I'll grab you some water," she sits Ruby down on the dresser under the window, then enter the kitchenette.

The dorm is stiffly quiet, save for the clinking of glass. Bella lingers at the doorway, gaze fixed out into the hall with a thoughtful expression. Yang comes back with the water and Ruby drinks it slowly, ignoring how it's warm from Yang's still-shimmering semblance.

"What did she have to say about image?" Bella asks, leaning on the doorway. Tension lingers in the dorm and she must not like it.

"That it's everything for a leader. I didn't really understand and I guess she feels very strongly about it," Ruby shifts awkwardly. She still doesn't get it. "Is it really so important?"

"Yes. Being a leader in any capacity puts a spotlight on you. It's best to put on a performance when it is. Unfortunately that's a skill that can't be taught, you can only learn it for yourself given enough time in it," she looks back down the hall, tilting her head to the side. "And Weiss is a Schnee. She's been in that spotlight all her life."

"Oh," Ruby whispers. To be honest, she'd forgotten what Weiss' last name means. To her, she's just Weiss; the girl who can sometimes be mean but also sometimes be nice and confusing Ruby all the while. The reality that she's the heiress to the richest corporation on Remnant flew over her head. "I should go find her. I gotta apologize."

"If you're sure," Yang says, unsure herself but her trust in Ruby makes her feel a little better. "I'll text you if she comes back before you. Just be careful."

"Yeah, I will. Thanks, Bella," she chirps as she passes her, turning on her scroll. Weiss forgot to turn her signal off and from the looks of it she's heading towards the edge of Forever Fall. Confused, and more worried, Ruby starts bursting across campus. She's thankful that, while there's a curfew, it's rather lenient so long as students don't try to enter facilities.

In hindsight, that whole fight could have been avoided if Ruby had really just listened a little better, but something in the back of Ruby's mind was telling her to go on the defensive. Telling her that Weiss was just trying to undermine her by becoming leader herself. Why would she think like that? Weiss hasn't really gone out of her way lately to take her place.

She's bursting past a courtyard when she bumps into someone, falling harshly onto her tailbone before she can call up her aura. "Oh! Ruby, are you okay?" Pyrrha crouches and lends a hand, which Ruby takes sheepishly. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"Ah. Me 'n Weiss had a fight," she admits, blushing with shame. "I wanted to fix it."

"What did you fight about?" Pyrrha furrows her brow. "I thought you two were starting to get along."

Ruby considers Pyrrha for a moment. She's a champion, she knows all about this spotlight stuff. Bella helped make it make sense, but she needs to know more details if she wants to say the right things when she meets up with Weiss. "Why is image so important to being a leader?"

"Pardon?" Pyrrha blinks.

"We fought about appearances and what it means for leadership. I see how it is, now, but I don't know why. If you're good at something, shouldn't that speak for itself?" she asks, quiet and desperate.

Pyrrha smiles, and it's bitter. "You would certainly think so. As leaders, all of Remnant is watching us. But the thing about people watching you is that they expect you to be something more. Something better. And if you don't reach those standards, you're considered a failure," she holds her arm, eyes distant.

Ruby fidgets, worrying her lip. "And...that really extends to anybody associated with you?"

Pyrrha nods, suddenly looking very, very tired. "Yes. If you're seen as 'undesirable', anyone you are seen with will fall with you. And on the flip-side, you overshadow them simply by being front and center," she nearly scoffs.

"But...why? That isn't fair."

"I've asked myself the same question all my life," Pyrrha sighs, gazing at the clouds. "I've yet to find a real answer that goes beyond 'that's just the way things are'. Maybe I should have a chat with Weiss about it sometime," she says thoughtfully, lifting herself out of her dour mood by becoming confused. "Although it's difficult with her being so busy. She's often red-faced when talking to me and rushes off in a hurry, so I try not to keep her."

Ruby blinks. She has...no idea what to say to that. From the sounds of it Weiss has a crush on Pyrrha, and Pyrrha has no idea. Which is strange, if true. She would think Pyrrha would be more aware of crushes with how popular she is.

She files that away for later.

"Thanks, Pyrrha. I really gotta find her now, and please take care of yourself. You can come talk to me whenever you want!" Ruby offers, smiling. "One leader to another!"

Pyrrha nods and Ruby takes off again, sorting through her thoughts quickly. Weiss' signal is still on, and she follows it to a little grotto. She hears a sound she can only describe as glistening and peaks through a wall of ivy to see Weiss standing in front of a giant glyph, hands in front of her.

The glyph breaks with the sound of shattering glass and Weiss crying out in pain. Ruby jolts and rushes to her side, kneeling and quickly reminding herself to keep her hands back. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she says, voice clipped. "Go away."

"Weiss, can we talk? Please? No fighting, no yelling, I promise."

Weiss keeps her face down, bangs obscuring her eyes. She sighs, standing up briskly and turning her scroll light on. She squints at Ruby, who stands as well. "What is there to talk about? You wouldn't listen to me anyway."

"I'm sorry I didn't understand." Weiss is openly shocked by the apology, but quickly schools her features. "My whole life my family has lived by 'actions speak louder than words'. Whenever I'd hear stories about them, they'd always be about their missions and battles. I thought that alone was what made them respected. I never had to deal with standing out, in fact I've always hated it. I just wanted to be normal."

"If you wanted to be normal then you chose a terrible career," Weiss says, although it has no real bite to it.

"Yeah," Ruby giggles lightly. "I should have listened to you instead of getting angry."

Weiss regards her for a moment, then sighs, shoulders sagging a little. "You and I were raised complete opposites; words are a weapon in Atlas and often cut worse than any knife. I should have tried to explain that to you in a better way than just yelling. I..." she crosses her arms, "I apologize." She says it quickly, like she wouldn't be able to get the words out if she didn't do it fast enough.

"This image stuff, is that why you think me or Yang wouldn't make good leaders?"

Weiss taps her foot idly, contemplating. "Of course," she eventually answers. "I know how to keep up appearances. I stand by what I said, even if I said it poorly. Image is vital to leadership and should be on your mind at all times."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean you sacrifice your bonds with your teammates to do it. If you can't trust each other then you'll never be able to pull off team attacks or synchronize. We're supposed to look out for each other."

Weiss frowns, deeply. "That sounds like wishful thinking. Trusting someone else with your safety seems like a foolish way to get yourself killed."

"Most Huntsmen who survive until retirement are those who stuck with their teams," Ruby says. "And you're my partner. I want us to be friends and trust each other. I want to be a good leader. But it all seems so far out of reach. I have no idea what I'm doing and I don't know how to learn, yet. The only thing, the one thing, I'm good at is killing Grimm. Everything else is...I'm terrible at."

"Why don't you have more confidence in yourself?" Weiss asks, softer than she means to. But she's already started so she may as well continue. "Your sister certainly doesn't let up on the praise, and several of our professors have been impressed by your questions. You clearly have a good understanding of your own limits and work to accommodate for them and even if you think you're behind academically you really aren't."

Ruby fiddles with her hood and sits cross-legged on the grass. "I want to be the best Huntress I can be, but...I don't think I can do that by being myself. So I try to be like Yang, or...or like my mom," the flash of a white cape, but Ruby holds onto it this time.

"Your mom?" Weiss inquires, kneeling next to Ruby. She's never heard Yang or Ruby bringing her up, so she's likely gone or...like Mother.

Ruby wipes her nose on her sleeve. "She was the leader of her team, which had my dad and Uncle Qrow on it. From everything they've told me, she was the very best of any Huntress they'd ever met. She was brave and strong and kind and smart, and she never let the odds discourage her or her teammates. She held them together through all the good and bad," Ruby's wistful smile falls. "Until she left on a solo mission and never came home."

She swallows a thick sob, but can't stop the sorrowful whimper that escapes. She lowers her head. "I want to be just like her. And I'm not. And if someone like that could-could fail, then what does that say about me? What if I'm not as cut out for this as I wanna be? Dad and Uncle Qrow and Yang, I can never not see them as amazing Huntsmen, but me? I look in a mirror and I just see...nothing," she curls her legs up, shivering as she hugs them and buries her face. "I'm just nobody. I'm just a-a mistake."

Weiss flinches harshly, the words like a spear to her heart as Ruby breaks down into tears. Her loud wails cause Weiss to glance around in panic, afraid somebody might hear, unlikely as it is so late at night in her hidden sanctuary.

Weiss' first instinct is to reach a hand out, and she almost touches Ruby's shoulder before snatching it back as if burned. Holding her wrist, she looks away and tries to ignore the tightens in her own chest, tries to remain stoic and unmoved. Crying is a shameful act, used only to seek attention. Tears are a sign of vulnerability and weakness.

And you can't be weak, Weiss clamps her hands down on her head, the crying reminding her of her mistake of being soft again. Just leave her to her tantrum, she stays rooted to the spot. She grits her teeth, closing her eyes as if that will shut off all her senses so she won't have to listen to the painful wailing.

You need to be strong-willed. Like Father, like Winter, like Whitley. Like a Schnee.

And she is a Schnee.

She stands. She stops.

Tap tap tap.

And slaps her leg still, hard enough to sting. A particularly harsh sob makes her flinch. Ruby has fallen onto her side, curling herself into an even smaller ball as if to block out all of Remnant, heaving as if she's unable to breath.

And for a split second, all Weiss can see is a mirror.

Ruby jolts when arms suddenly wrap around her shoulders, easing her into a sit. It shocks her into silence when those arms wrap around her and she stares ahead through blurred vision in utter confusion. Weiss is hugging her. She glances to the side, but Weiss has put her on her left shoulder so as to not look at her, face visibly red even in the dim light.

"Just breathe for a moment," Weiss mumbles. Ruby realizes they're both trembling.

Ruby just nods, unable to form words as she leans into Weiss. Weiss' hug is nothing like the big warm ones Ruby's used to; she's less hugging and more just draping her arms loosely around Ruby, hands sticking out as if unsure to make contact, and her body is cold and bony. But Ruby sinks into it all the same, hearing Weiss' fast heartbeat and practically feeling the awkwardness radiating from the heiress.

It's as if she's never hugged anyone before.

"You aren't a mistake, Ruby," Weiss says softly. Ruby's breath shutters. "And I'm sorry I made you think you were."

Fresh tears spill and Ruby hides her face in Weiss' shoulder, hugging her back. Weiss flinches a little, not expecting the reciprocation nor the sudden renewing of tears. She shivers at the contact and she's half tempted to shove Ruby away, but the pleasant tingling coursing through her body stops her.

"Thank you," Ruby whispers.

"Why are you thanking me? I said really horrid things to you," she says guiltily.

"But you've done so much for me. You saved me from the Nevermore, you pulled those bullies' hair for me. You've been pushing me to be better and even if I wasn't good at listening, I could see it. And you just apologized, which I don't get a lot."

She wasn't kidding about the actions over words. Weiss sighs, eye absently falling to the spot her latest summon had failed. She's tired, she realizes. Just, so tired of pushing Ruby away when she's trying so hard to be her friend. And Brothers damn it all, it's working. It shouldn't, Ruby is everything Weiss finds irritating in a person, but it is.

She...wants to try, too. Wants to make amends. She'd just witnessed Ruby spill her soul, so after a moment's deliberation she rationalizes she should do the same. The words are like razors in her throat. "How much do you know about my family?"

Ruby startles a bit, not expecting the question. She pulls away and wipes her face. Weiss wonders why her skin still tingles in the aftermath. "Not much," Ruby says. "The first I heard about it was from Bella."

Weiss blushes at the reminder of the incredibly bad first impression. "I have an elder sister as well, her name is Winter. She was always calm and stoic, she always knew what to do and seemed so carry our family name with such pride as if it weren't so heavy. When I was little I would follow her around trying to emulate her."

Ruby coos softly, squishing her face in delight. Weiss blushes, but continues, "As you might imagine carrying the Schnee surname is a hefty legacy. So large and imposing that I thought, if anyone could bring the company back from the twisted state it's become, it was my strong-willed sister. She was the perfect heir," Weiss smiles, somewhat bitter despite her attempt to hide it. "Until she joined the military and was disinherited by my father."

Any delight Ruby had vanishes like the wind. "Why would he do that?"

"She disobeyed him. That was enough in his eyes." And Winter had known. She'd known completely what leaving would do and yet she still did it. But her actions are also what encouraged Weiss to do the same, in her own way. She can't hold it against her. "I became the heiress after that. I'm still unsure why," she runs a hand down her braid, "as I'm not a prodigy like Winter or my younger brother Whitley. I had to work harder than either of them all my life, but I wouldn't let that stop me. Because suddenly I was the heiress," a steely resolve shines in Weiss' eye and Ruby's own widen in awe. "I could now make the changes I wanted to see. I could restore the family name. Even if I had to work myself to the bone, even if I had to go beyond my own limits, I would achieve what I set out to do."

Weiss stands, pacing and talking with her hands. "And to do that I had to become a Huntress. Unlike the military Huntsmen can work alone, and what better propaganda for a company than a CEO who can also defend you? Of course, father expected me to enter Atlas academy, but..." Weiss slows, sitting back down heavily and hanging her head, "Father would expect me to be the leader of my team, and I'm not cut out for that environment. As much as I try, I'm not considered the 'perfect Atlesian' in their eyes. So I figured if I went somewhere else, I could manage it."

"Beacon," Ruby nods sadly. "And when you got here and lost to me, some kid who goofed off and didn't take it seriously..." Ruby trails off, a pit in her stomach.

Weiss nods back. "It was like a slap to the face. I worked so hard to get to where I am and it felt unfair I failed to somebody who, in my eyes, got in on a fluke. I had no right to treat you as terribly as I did, though. I truly am sorry for it."

"No, no I get it. It couldn't have been easy," Ruby plays with her skirt hem.

"I doubt it matters, now," Weiss sighs. "After our fight, Yang and Bella likely hate me. It's not like it would have taken much, so I've likely just ruined us." Like you break everything.

"You haven't ruined anything, I promise. They weren't mad when I left and I can explain, if you want."

Oh. Odd. "I see. Thank you."

Ruby wipes the last of her tears away, a beaming smile now on her face. "You're welcome. Weiss, I still gotta lot to learn about being a good leader and Huntress," Ruby hops into a stand, the clouds parting to reveal the moon, the shattered pieces perfectly aligning to appear whole once more. "But I promise I'll become the very best team leader on all of Remnant, one day!" she pumps her fists, the silver light of the Mended Moon casting her aglow.

"I have much to learn, as well," Weiss admits as she stands, the words difficult to say. "But I suppose that is what being partners is about, learning from one another. If you're going to be the best leader, then it's only fair that I'll be the best partner on Remnant," she says with a tiny smirk.

Ruby wiggles and Weiss sighs, recognizing her desire for a hug. Rather reluctantly, she opens her arms and grunts when Ruby tackles into her, squeezing her around her midsection and squealing into her ear. She slowly hugs back, still unsure if she should really rely on someone else for aid. A Schnee must do everything alone.

But she has always made for a pretty poor Schnee.

A/N: And with that both pairs of RWBY have become friends! Ruby and Weiss' fight and subsequent talk about their insecurities was one of the first drafts I wrote when I started this project, so I've been really excited to finally get to this point (even though I lost the original draft and had to start from scratch)! The biggest challenge was making the fight seem fair for both sides, so hopefully I managed that ^^ Now I can officially move on to the RWBY fluff and bonding :D

Ruby caught me completely by surprise by semi connecting the dots about her eye colour, I just hope it didn't seem to come out of left field in the narrative