Weiss Schnee

A conversation that they needed to have. But not yet, first came breakfast.

Pulling herself up, Weiss kept her body up with her hands as she looked out the window. Through the white curtains, the unfamiliar sight of forest lay not far from the window. Sunlight drifted into the room as if carried by the early morning breeze... It was strange, despite how peaceful it felt, despite how beautiful it was... Weiss felt sombre. There was a cold nostalgia that wormed its way through her gut, headed for her mind. She had only been here once or twice, and never stayed for long. But that wasn't the source of this feeling... Rather, it was waking up here alone.

Weiss was no stranger to waking up alone, not after twelve years. But, this place, this island, Patch, it was somewhere she associated with Ruby more than anyone else. Even Tai, who actually owned the house they were staying in. The urge to escape Vale was a common feeling, but never before had she acted on it. Today, yesterday, this weekend at least... She was going to. A kingdom could survive three days without its queen, Weiss was sure of it. No one save for the council really knew she was gone anyway; she hadn't announced it. They'd simply packed their bags, Argus conjured a gateway, and they were here.

Just her, and her children.

Tai's home had no shortage of spare bedrooms, not with how many children he apparently had. Obviously, no room he had to offer could match or even come close to her room at home, and in his panic about that fact, Weiss had simply chosen a room of her own. The kids, meanwhile, were sharing a room. Not because they had to, rather, Argus didn't want to leave Summer alone right now. Weiss wasn't sure if Argus was actually getting any sleep or if he was staying up all night watching for danger... Though, she wasn't much better. Her Arma Gigas was standing outside all night long.

Stretching her arms as she practically crawled out of bed, her eyes flickered across the room back and forth. This one was different to the others. For one, there was a lock on the door, a rather tough looking one. Unlike the usual brown or black blankets, her bed had a red one. And in the closet, Weiss saw only dark-coloured clothing, sometimes with red accents. If they hadn't been for a child, Weiss would have wanted to try them on. This had been Ruby's room when she lived on Patch, a room to herself. She had to have one, being a Human growing up in a house of Hellhounds.

There was nothing else of hers here besides the clothes, any other possessions she had would have been taken to Vale when she moved there with Summer, Yang, and Blake.

Turning, she pulled one of her bags out of the closet, withdrawing some clothes for the day before dumping it back inside. She was always the proper queen, dressing elegantly and beautifully... Right now, though, she didn't care about her appearance. Too much, anyway. Throwing on some pants, and a shirt she would argue wasn't one of Ruby's, Weiss set out of the room and moved down the hall a bit before knocking on the kid's door. When she got no response, she opened the door to find that no one was inside.

"Probably already getting breakfast." Argus usually woke up a little earlier than her, but Summer always woke up at a reasonable hour... So, much later than the both of them.

Turning back and heading for the stairs, Weiss heard them at the table before she even reached the bottom. Peeking around the corner, she smiled when she saw Summer devouring some pancakes of her grandfather's making. Argus' eating was much more reserved, even now he did his best to remain the proper and regal prince. Stepping out into the room, she casually lifted a pancake off of her son's plate and ate a third of it in one bite before even saying good morning.

The sight of the queen eating in such an unsavoury way made her daughter laugh midway through eating, and her son stared up at her mortified. It was as if his very image of her had been shattered, and all she gave him in response was a smirk and a calm, "Good morning."

"Morning Weiss." She was glad that Tai used her name. Glancing at him, she barely contained a laugh at the sight of his pink and frilly apron. Seeing her expression, he glanced down at it and shrugged. "I refuse to reject a gift, no matter how strange. This particular one was from Qrow."

"How long have you been wearing-"

"Forty-six years." And that was what finally got a laugh out of her.

It was peaceful, being there. No stresses of Vale to deal with, no threat to worry about, they could just live like a family. Of course, there were crucial pieces missing, but Weiss loved her children more than enough to ignore that while they were happy together. "It's a shame aunt Yang and Blake couldn't join us." Even if they didn't.

Turning to Argus, Weiss replied as she took her seat next to Summer. "The queen, the heir to the throne, and two council members can't just leave the capital all at once." Not unless it was for something important, such as the Vytal festival. "Next time, maybe." Weiss did want to come back, she enjoyed the quiet, the peace. Long ago, when Argus had still been a baby, Ruby had told her of a dream she had, one where they lived in Patch together. Sitting here, now... Weiss wondered if that would have been a happier path to take.

If they had moved here, if they had left Vale behind... Would all that had happened, have happened anyway?

No. She knew it wouldn't of. The future wasn't so simple, it wasn't written. Specific things had to happen in order for other things to happen. Something as simple as what Weiss had for breakfast one morning could influence a decision she made years later; something as drastic as leaving the throne behind would make their future completely unrecognisable. If they had moved... They would still have Ruby.

But then they wouldn't have Summer, either. Glancing at her daughter, Weiss knew that if she had to make the choice again, she would make the same one. She loved Ruby with all her heart. But she wouldn't save her from this if it meant erasing their daughter. Weiss knew, of course, that Ruby would make the same choice. There could never be a doubt about that. Besides, she thought, Ruby would be back. It would take time, but patience was something she was becoming extremely good at.

"So, Summer, how're you doing?" Tai's voice and expression showed his concern, and it made the princess shrink a little in her seat. It had only been a few days since she'd been kidnapped... But that wasn't what had shaken her the most.

It was still fresh in all their minds; how heartbroken Summer had been. Weiss hadn't even known her daughter was that desperate to meet Ruby... And maybe neither had she. Still, it didn't change how she felt. Summer had been a mess when she returned, her tears didn't stop for hours, her little body trembling with fear and despair. All she had wanted that night after catching that scent was to throw herself into Ruby's arms... But all she had gotten was her smell. She didn't get to hear her voice, see her face, feel her warmth... All she got was the smell, the same one she could get whenever she wanted from that necklace.

Weiss wasn't sure how to help her through this. She wasn't even sure how to begin. Summer felt like she had been abandoned, it was a miracle Argus didn't feel that way either. Or perhaps he did, and just refused to show it. Rose had essentially teased her, done nothing but made things worse for the girl by making her think there was some semblance of a chance that she might meet her mum. But it wasn't meant to be... Not yet. Fate, The World, time... They were all part of the cruelness of reality.

So, Weiss would do what she could. She would give Summer all the love she could, she would give her the best life she could... And she would tell her everything she wanted to know. There would be no more secrets, not from her children. Summer was still a child, that much was certain, but that wouldn't stop Weiss from recognising how smart she could be. All the mistakes she made, it was because of inexperience, a lack of knowledge. Weiss didn't want to leave her daughter so handicapped when it came to making her way through life.

Putting her cutlery down, Weiss turned to Tai. Summer hadn't responded to his earlier question. "Is there anything you want me to take there?"

Face dropping for a moment, Tai nodded. "Yeah, I picked some flowers for her." Getting up, he walked over to a nearby pot. "Her favourites..." A bunch of roses.

Say what you will about her children or how she had raised them, neither of them complained during the long walk.

Even Weiss was surprised. She had expected at least one 'why can't we fly there' or 'can't I just open a gateway there?' but she heard none of it. Both of them were rather silent on the way. The only times they spoke was when Summer had initially asked where they were going, and whenever Summer wanted to point out something she saw to them. A few times during the walk, they had even spotted some Grimm. The creatures were far away, no doubt watching them from a distance... But Weiss wasn't worried.

Both she and Argus could easily defeat any that might come at them, and nothing but the strongest kind of Grimm would be able to hurt Summer. That being said, only the strongest kinds would even dare approach three Dragons, even if only one were fully grown. All the Grimm they saw were distant, and they vanished quickly to avoid their sights. It was actually rather empowering, knowing they were scared.

After an hour of walking, they eventually came to the place. Weiss tightened her grip on the bouquet she was holding, the roses were truly beautiful, Tai had prepared them with the utmost care.

Stepping out of the tree line, the forest ended on the edge of a rather large cliff that hung over the sea. Stretching out a bit further, a bit of the cliff pointed out like a spike. Just before the tip, sitting in the grass, there was a small, flat gravestone. Walking over to it, Weiss spotted a single rose sitting nearby. Probably one someone had left earlier. Tai had mentioned that someone else liked to leave flowers sometimes.

Getting closer, Weiss read the engraved words. "Summer Rose... Thus Kindly I Scatter..." Crouching down, she gently placed the flowers by the edge of the stone. "Your grandmother." Weiss whispered to her children. "Ruby's mother."

Moving closer, Summer stood next to Weiss. "I'm named after her." Now that she thought about it, Weiss wasn't sure if she had ever told Summer why she had that name. Though, names didn't always have to serve a purpose.

"And I was named after a dumb fort..." Argus mumbled, much to Weiss and Summer's amusement.

Reaching down, Weiss gently wiped a leaf off of the stone. "I never met her... She was gone long before I met Ruby. But she was what drove your mum... For the longest time, she was all that Ruby could think about, all that pushed her to go on." Weiss still remembered the first time Ruby mentioned her. "Without her... Ruby never would have chased so hard after the Dragon Formula... She never would have tried with all she had."

Smiling gently, Weiss let out a gentle sigh. "Until... One day... She started chasing it even harder... Because she was also chasing me." It was strange, to talk about Ruby in this way. "I loved her... I loved her much too fast... And that led to fear, fear of never having the chance of being together. But... That love was what pushed us so hard to fight for our future... And just before I was taken away... Ruby grabbed my hand as a Dragon and refused to let go." That day in the cathedral... She remembered it like it was yesterday, she always would.

"But our troubles weren't over yet. There was a curse placed on the Title of the Rose Dragon by the last user, one that filled Ruby's mind with his memories, his personality." Rory... Oh, that had been so long ago. Weiss was so weak then, and despite not having done much training, she was confident she could defeat him with ease now. "He hated Dragons with all of his heart, all of his Soul. But Ruby overcame it, stopping the curse and sealing the last of his memories away deep inside of her. Because she knew, if she saw that last memory, he would finally get full control." It was more complicated than that, but that was fine enough for now.

"Not long after that, I became pregnant with you, Argus." She glanced at her son with a smile. "Ruby hadn't been sure if she wanted children, I could tell. Yet, when she found out, she cried with joy. Before you were born, though, Ruby took on her role as my Royal Wizard. She grew in power and knowledge, quickly becoming integral to Vale. When the Vytal Festival took place, she fought against the Golden High Wizard, the woman who - at the time - was called the strongest non-Harbinger in The World." That had been a very eventful day. "She lost... But after, her mind was taken from her yet again. This time, having lost herself to the Dragon's Pride." Weiss had on numerous occasions explained the dangers of that ability to her children. Even if she herself didn't have it.

Her face grew sombre during this part of the story, Weiss stared out over the top of the gravestone. "Ruby, controlled by Pride, attacked her foe. It was terrible, and when she got her mind back, she was horrified by what she had done." The specifics weren't necessary, not about this. "Mistral and Vacuo were outraged, so, she had to be confined to the castle." Even if Weiss had been a little loose with that. "Too late did we find out that Ruby had given herself to Pride because the Golden High Wizard accidentally revealed herself as our enemy..." Thinking back on that, Weiss wondered why she herself never asked why Ruby attacked Carmine... It seemed like such a stupid mistake in hindsight...

"Maybe The World had something to do with that... Or Ozma, anyway..."

Continuing on, Weiss said, "As time passed, Ruby grew stronger and stronger. She was betrayed by friends, she lost people she didn't even know she cared about... And we nearly lost you, Summer." Turning to her daughter, Weiss gave a gentle smile. "My own mistake nearly ripped you away from us. If not for your great grandmother..." Weiss shook her head, she didn't want to think about it.

"A war with Vacuo and Mistral ravaged Remnant. Ruby was integral to our strategy. She sealed off Vacuo's access to Vale by land, she armed our forces, strengthened our defences, and she was one of our best fighters." By then, only Yang, Qrow, and Pyrrha were stronger than her. "When the assault on Vacuo began, Ruby remained in Vale. She was trusted with the defence of our home... Her, and her alone. It was by far our biggest mistake..."

Weiss had to contain herself, she didn't want to cry, not now. "I couldn't fight, not pregnant. Argus was only a child, and we couldn't trust anyone else. Ruby had to handle the threat that knocked on our door... Alone." Weiss often thought back on that, wondering if she could have done anything to change how things happened. "She wasn't strong enough... So, she needed a way to get stronger... A way to protect us. But, in the back of her mind, buried in her Soul... She had one. The last memory of the previous Rose Dragon, the one she had sealed away."

"In his final hours, he had created a weapon, one that made him stronger than any boost less than the Title of a Harbinger. Ruby needed to see how he did it. But she couldn't see the final memory, not without becoming him. So... She made an item, a cloak. One that would control her Dragon's Pride, one that would force her to protect us. When she saw the memory, when she became him to save us, that cloak took over, controlling him while he controlled her." She wasn't even sure if Summer was following anymore.

Regardless, she had to finish. "They became something else, someone else. With their knowledge on how he created that weapon, and with Ruby's otherwise far superior ability to make Magical items... They made a new Relic. The most powerful weapon in The World." Crescent Rose, the scythe of absolution; as Qrow had called it. "They defeated the enemy at our door... But they weren't Ruby. They couldn't stay by our side, knowing how much it would hurt us to see her like that. So... They left. But, even now, they work to protect us. To keep us safe. Thanks to your mum, the most powerful person in The World is our guardian."

Neither Qrow nor Pyrrha would deny it, they couldn't beat Rose.

Looking to her daughter again, Weiss waited, she waited for longer than she was comfortable with. For something, anything. Until, finally, "Why are you telling me all this...?" Summer asked quietly.

"Because I want you to understand." Reaching out, Weiss drew Summer closer. "Your mum... She didn't have a happy life. For as long as I could, I tried to make her smile as much as possible... But, none of my efforts came close to how happy she was when she found out I was pregnant with Argus, or when your great grandmother saved your life." Weiss - despite her best efforts - hadn't been able to read Ruby's mind. She didn't actually know if Weiss had made her happier than their kids, or the opposite, or if they were even. In the end, it didn't really matter. "All of the happiness we gave her... Ruby gave it all up to save us, to make sure we'd be safe."

Weiss needed Summer to understand what Rose was. "The thing walking around out there, the one that looks and smells like your mother... It isn't her. No matter how much we wish for it to be... But..." Smiling gently, Weiss whispered, "It is proof of her love for us. It's a sign of what she would do for you." It hurt to say all of this. Weiss wanted to tell her children, both of them, so badly that Ruby would return, that they needed only to wait for her. But... She couldn't. Because of this damned bargain, she couldn't tell them no matter how much she wished for it.

That spot in her heart, the one that belonged to Ruby... It would only ever be hers. But... There were other spots in her heart, spots for her children. Weiss had to protect them, had to make them happy. She wanted the both of them to live the best that they could... Even if that meant doing something she hated.

No doubt, telling Summer all of this, telling the both of them that story... She had sent her children down the path to accept that their mum was gone, and never coming back. Weiss didn't know if it was the right thing to do... But, without being able to tell them the truth, this was the best she could do. At least this way, they had closure. Summer and Argus had been trudging through life, hoping beyond hope that one day their mum would return. But Weiss knew those hopes were in vain, because she knew when Ruby would be back. And in the meantime... She needed to let her children move on, to experience life without losing themselves to hope and disappointment.

No longer could she reassure them that Ruby would be back, no longer could she do her best to keep that space for her in their hearts. It was unfair to Ruby; she knew that with every fibre of her being and hated herself for it... But the opposite would be just as unfair to her children.

In her mind, Weiss cried. She wept and she cursed The World and all of creation...

"Rose... She's what your mum left behind to protect us... Now that she's gone." Saying that broke her heart, it shattered her Soul and filled her with the urge to vomit.

"I'm sorry... Ruby..." Weiss just couldn't let them wither away while they waited for her. "I'm so... So sorry..." All she could do was wait; all she could do was make sure that their children were happy. But... "Even if it's only me... I'd wait two-hundred times this for you... I promise... You'll always have me to come home to."

Maybe Weiss was a monster, she certainly felt like one now. But, in the end... Ruby would have wanted this, too. No matter how much it would hurt her... Ruby wouldn't want them wasting their lives waiting.

It hurt, it hurt more than could be said.

But sometimes things had to hurt to get better.