Chapter 32

Mirror, Mirror, Tell Me Whose Blood is Red Like Roses?

*Uuurrp!*

The rumblings of Yang's belch could be heard as far and wide as Mt. Glenn and she shamelessly took a bow having just given her sister and friends the performance of a lifetime. Blake gave no indication of having heard the impressive eruption despite hiding an extra pair of ears atop her head, and quietly turned the page of her book which she'd unsurprisingly brought along on their picnic. Ruby also didn't seem to take notice as she stared into the lake with a glazed-over look in her eyes, but Weiss on the other hand noticeably turned a shade of green and paused in her ministration of Zwei's ears, causing him to paw at her skirt impatiently.

While Yang was sprawled out on the picnic blanket seemingly trying to take up as much room as possible, the cool weather and sun setting had caused her teammates to all gather around their portable space heater. Blake seemed content with her back facing the wind but Weiss in all likelihood hadn't noticed the falling temperature, and only tolerated Yang's close proximity because of Ruby who without an aura shield had long since bundled up in her cloak, which unbeknownst to Weiss was in part due to her naturally chilly aura.

"I'm bored," Yang whined to no one in particular. Blake glanced up from her novel and shared a nervous look with Weiss. Nothing good ever came from Yang being bored. Wars had been started over less...

"Why don't you go for a swim," Weiss suggested. "See if you can't make it to the other side in one breath. I'll wait here and play lifeguard with Zwei."

"You're going to wait until she's in the middle of the lake and use a gravity glyph to drag her to the bottom, aren't you?" Blake asked with the heiress' answer coming in the form of a not-so-innocent smile. "The only problem is that Ruby would want her body back, meaning one of us would have to drag her back to shore. And we both know she'd be naked."

"Only problem?" Yang asked, dramatically clutching her chest as though they'd just stabbed it. "For your information I came prepared today wearing my favorite swimsuit, and if you think I hold grudges now go ahead and murder me and see what happens. I'd be like 'CSPR the Vengeful Ghost' on steroids."

"Unfortunately your revenge wouldn't be killing us."

Weiss nodded. "It'd be making ghost puns for the rest of our miserable lives. Being stuck with you until graduation is bad enough, but the rest of our lives is a fate worse than death."

"I'm so glad that we're friends," Yang gushed. "Hey, Rubes. Aren't you glad we got saddled with an ice queen and a terrorist for partners? Rubes?"

When there wasn't an immediate response Yang sat up ready to pounce as did Weiss and Blake whose keen eyes were already scanning the landscape for anything amiss. They'd chosen a particularly secluded location for their picnic with lots of nearby trees and bushes obscuring them, meaning someone would have to silently navigate though fairly dense brush in order to sneak up on them, which with Blake's ears on a swivel was virtually impossible. The only other possibility was to sneak down the hill immediately behind them, but with little to no cover a mind manipulator wouldn't be able to get close enough without being seen.

The pair stood up about to draw their weapons when Yang called out her sister's name again and grabbed her ankle.

"Huh?" Ruby turned startled and surprised to see half the team on their feet and everyone staring at her. "Oh, sorry. Y'all go ahead. I don't really feel like swimming today."

They sighed in relief that as usual Ruby just hadn't been listening, but Blake continued scanning the area anyway just to be safe. Once a thorough search had been completed she nodded at Yang and Weiss, signaling that the coast was clear.

Opening her gaping mouth pretending to yawn, Yang held her bare arms against her semi-exposed chest as if suddenly cold. "How about we head on back to the room? It's getting dark and it's only gonna get colder. Don't wanna get caught after curfew, am I right?"

"Curfew?" Weiss asked incredulously. "Since when have you ever cared about breaking curfew? Or any of us for that matter?" Despite it just being an obvious excuse to get their leader back to the room, the girls couldn't help staring at Yang as though there was still fuzz stuck between her teeth.

"Next you're going to lecture us about Beacon being a non-alcoholic campus," Blake teased.

Yang blew a strand of hair out of her face not quite as amused as her teammates. "I started caring when the school started doubling security. The teachers might not care if we're out late but I'm tired of robots with guns and snooty Atlesian accents telling me what to do. Plus they don't appreciate good humor when they hear it."

"You're just mad about not being able to charm your way out of trouble anymore. Finally, someone or something Yang Xiao Long can't seduce."

A devilish grin spread across her face hearing a challenge. "There's no such thing and you know it. Want me to prove it?"

As Yang tried getting to her feet Blake playfully pushed her back down onto the picnic blanket doing her best not to laugh. "I believe you, but Weiss here could probably use some convincing."

Weiss took a step back and both girls suddenly found themselves trying to use the other as a makeshift shield. Yang's grin widened as she got back into pouncing position but Ruby letting out a sharp yelp caused everyone to immediately forget their antics and hover over her worriedly.

"You alright, Rubes?" Leaving a few new scars on her tongue and blinking back tears Ruby nodded affirmatively. While the pain was bad enough it was beyond maddening to not even be able to do the most mundane of everyday tasks on her own.

Carefully, Yang and Weiss helped her up once again fighting over who got to carry her weight, which to nobody's surprise left the heiress flat on her back staring up at the sky. With an arm around one another the sisters walked up the hill a little ways so that Blake and Weiss could clear off the picnic blanket and start packing up.

"Into the puppy-carrier you go, puppy-tart," Weiss cooed, helping the lethargic, full-bellied corgi into the backpack. "If the teachers see you then Weiss-y-woo might have to threaten to cut Beacon's funding again, and nobody wants that."

Once everything had been packed away Yang adjusted her grip around Ruby so that her feet barely touched the ground and started walking in the relative direction of the dorm. "I don't know about y'all but I'm ready for a nap. Why don't we take the bunk beds down, pop in a movie and have ourselves a Team RWBY cuddle puddle? How does that sound, Rubes?"

Surprising her sister by twisting out of her grasp, Ruby backed away out of arm's reach until she stood shoulder to shoulder with her startled partner. "You and Blake go on ahead. We'll catch up." She glanced at Weiss then back at her sister. "There's something I need to talk to Weiss about first. Alone."

While Weiss stared at her perplexed and mildly anxious, a myriad of emotions brewed in Yang's aura before finally settling on giddiness and pride. Bouncing on the balls of her feet she clapped her hands together excitedly. "I'M SO PROUD OF YOU!" Running over she wrapped her arms around Ruby and lifted her off the ground, spinning her until dizzy. "Take your time but don't stay out past midnight, and come back in the mood to talk because I'll have questions. Lots of questions."

"W-wha-huh?" With brain activity slowing to a halt Weiss turned to Blake for an explanation but all she could manage was a shrug and bemused grin.

Letting go of her sister Yang practically fluttered over to the statue-like heiress. Taking the backpack and picnic basket off her hands she gave Weiss an almost congratulatory embrace before turning back to Ruby who was stumbling around dizzily. "Way to go, sis! And here I always thought I was the gold digger in the family!"

Weiss made a sound reminiscent of someone choking on their tongue and nearly collapsed when Blake patted her on the back. "Just so you know, I am never going to let you forget about this. Ever."

With those words of encouragement ringing in her ears Weiss suddenly found herself pressed up against Ruby so that their noses were touching, and with another squeal and clapping of hands Yang grabbed Blake by the wrist and dragged her up the hill. "Come on, let's buzz off and give the love birds privacy. If y'all need us we'll be going on a ride for some Bumblebee on Bumblebee be action!"

As the uncontrollable giggling passed over the hill Ruby and Weiss were left staring into one another's eyes, eyelashes practically touching. After a moment or two of awkward silence Ruby took a step back appearing to be having difficulty breathing which mirrored her partner.

"R-Ruby," her voice cracked, "I-I don't know what's gotten into you, but-"

"Hold that thought..." Frowning, Ruby pulled out her scroll and dialed a number before turning toward the grove of bushes and trees.

*'I BURN!'*

A string of not-so-quiet curses and rustling came from the foliage as someone hunted through an overstuffed ammo belt for the source of music currently blaring over the lake and across campus, the volume turned to the max due to the scroll's owner being hard of hearing and her not particularly caring if such a disturbance was bothersome to others.

"Go home, Yang," Ruby called, hanging up due to her sister being even closer than expected. "You too, Blake. It was a good hiding place, really. I just know my sister too well."

From the brushes a pair of heads popped out with twigs and what may have been a bird's nest tangled in their hair. While Yang looked as though her birthday had just been cancelled Blake appeared to be more embarrassed than anything, likely because of how much pride she took in being stealthy and because she'd been forced into this by her partner, whose bright aura in the waning sunlight was like a beacon even with her shadow attempting to obscure it.

"Come on, Rubes!" Yang pleaded, hands together as if saying a prayer. "You can't blame me for wanting to listen in, and you know, film your first non-me kiss."

"W-WHAT!?" Weiss' face turned scarlet but Ruby's simply shook her head and pointed back the way they originally left.

"Blake, promise me that you'll take her back to the room and that you'll warn us if she tries sneaking back here again. And that you won't spy on us either."

Although reluctant Blake nodded and this time it was her turn to grab Yang and start dragging her away.

"No! Please! Just a couple of pictures! I'll be quiet I swear! I'll even tape my mouth shut!"

"You'll die of asphyxiation, mouth-breather," Blake warned, her shadow becoming corporeal to help carry Yang. "Told you I should've come alone..."

"Remember what I taught you!" She shouted atop the hill. "Weiss, Ruby, I'm sorry it won't be as good and that everything after me is downhill but just relax and try to enjoy it! Aahhh!"

Once the sobbing and screaming began to fade in the distance Ruby turned to her still scarlet partner and practically fell atop of her.

"Ruby!"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she reassured, standing back up on her own. "Come on, let's go somewhere a little more private. I have something I need to show you."

Leaning on Weiss for support but leading the way as best she could, Ruby brought them into the grove of trees where they quickly disappeared. It didn't take long into their journey however before Weiss was having to traverse and maneuver through the uneven, overgrown terrain for them both, only stopping when Ruby was satisfied with the density of the foliage. Catching her breath she leaned against a nearby tree while Weiss instinctively began surveying the area, her huntress training finding the location suitable cover from Grimm and bandits until she saw something in the bushes that made her scream.

In the blink of an eye Ruby leaped forward ready to blow the threat into tiny pieces, but looking through her rifle's scope she blinked and peeked over the barrel, sighing at what had her partner so agitated.

"It's just underwear, Weiss. Somebody must've gone swimming and lost them. Two somebody's actually. Never mind, I'm starting to get flashbacks of being at Signal." Taking her eyes off the branches above which were decorated like a Christmas tree, Ruby found a different tree to lean against but otherwise didn't seem surprised and particularly bothered by their surroundings. "It's actually kinda pretty. Oh look, I think I see one of Yang's bras up there."

Despite her partner's lackadaisical attitude Weiss continued surveying the area with rising levels of concern, her rapier hand twitching. "Ruby," she squeaked, "I-I don't know what this is about but your sister has a big mouth, and if even whispers of us being here together at night get across campus it'll be the cover story of every single gossip magazine from here to Atlas. Can't we just kick Yang and Blake out of the room and do this there? N-not that I'm suggesting we go actually go through with anything, or that it's even crossed my mind, b-but what if Team ABRN are still lurking around?"

Ruby smiled weakly. "Don't worry. I told Blake to take Yang back to the dorm. I didn't tell her to go straight there. They're still around, and nobody's gonna be able to sneak up on us with Blake watching our backs."

"Sounds like you've given this some thought..." she noted.

"It's why I wanted to go on a picnic in the first place. If we did this back in the room there's no way either of them would be able to resist listening in, and I wouldn't be too worried about Yang spreading rumors right now. She might tease us later but my sister's not dumb. Well, not as dumb as she pretends anyway. She knows I didn't want to be alone with you just to confess my love." Her smile widened as Weiss' head jerked around.

"W-wait, are you saying you brought me here to say that along with something else, or-"

"I need aboard Polaris' airship, Weiss," she said flatly, taking a step toward her, "and you're the only person I know that can do that for me."

Weiss also took a step forward glowering over her partner. "You brought me here for that!?" she yelled, pointing toward the bushes then up at the branches above. "You nearly gave me a heart attack! You put your sister on cloud nine all because you want a tour of an airship!?"

With the need for an explanation seemingly being the only thing keeping the indignant heiress from immediately storming out of the undergrowth Ruby as a precaution reached out and grabbed her hand. She wouldn't be getting another opportunity like this again, not unless she wanted to corner her partner in the bathroom with Yang and Blake's ears pressed against the door, and Ruby highly doubted she would be able to walk back to the dorm on her own, much less out of this heavy brush.

"Weiss, I need aboard that airship. Please." As she stood there hunched over gasping for breath on the verge of tears, Weiss' indignation melted away and she squeezed Ruby's hand.

"Oh my God," she whispered, covering her mouth. "Ruby, what's wrong? Something's wrong, isn't it? Tell me."

She tried to swallow but found her mouth dry and ashy tasting. "I'm falling apart, Weiss, and it's happening sooner than I thought it would. At this rate I'm not even gonna make it to the Vytal Festival."

"If this is about the tournament again I swear I'll-"

"It's not about the tournament," Ruby said, shaking her heard tiredly. "I can feel something pulling me toward it, I don't know how else to explain it, but at this rate I'm not even gonna see the opening ceremony. That's why I dragged us out on a picnic and wanted to be alone with you. If I don't get aboard that airship tomorrow I'm going to die, and it's going to be an even slower, more painful death than it already is."

What little color there was to Weiss' face drained and she laid a hand atop Ruby's shoulder as if making sure she was still there. "Don't say things like that," she snapped angrily, her eyes beginning to water. "Just because you're injured and in pain doesn't mean you're dying! You can't be dying!"

Almost reflexively Ruby embraced her partner who gladly accepted before pulling away and looking at her expectantly. With Weiss' hand still on her shoulder Ruby nestled it with her cheek.

"I don't suppose you'd let me on the airship without telling you why, would you?" Weiss shook her head, causing Ruby to let out a deep breath and smile as though something heavy had just been lifted off her shoulders. "Good, because it's about time somebody started talking, and in case you haven't noticed I'm not very good at not talking."

Weiss continued studying her partner confused but mostly worried and frightened. Ruby meanwhile remained silent as she gathered her thoughts and caught her breath, suddenly unable to look her in the eye.

"I don't know how else to tell you this, Weiss, other than to come out and say it. When Patchwork fell and my mom died, I-I didn't exactly just walk away..." When she didn't respond or even react Ruby glanced up and sighed. "But you already knew that, didn't you? It was Blake wasn't it? Yang would probably rather shave her head than talk about Patchwork."

Weiss nodded but quickly began shaking her head. "I-I guessed some time ago that you might have been caught up in the attack, but after you started hallucinating-I-mean-passed-out-in-the-training-hall Blake told us about your scars and what you told her, and Yang filled in the rest."

At the mention of hallucinations Ruby's expression soured, and Weiss began awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck. "I-I swear Blake didn't want to tell us but she was scared. We all were. Just like I am now..."

Unable to look at her partner Weiss cast her gaze down at her shoes, only occasionally glancing out the corner of her eye to see Ruby's stoic expression looking back. Reaching behind her, Ruby began undoing the ties of her waist cincher, grimacing as her arm didn't appreciate bending that way. "Weiss, there's something I need to show you. You won't believe me otherwise..."

With a deep breath Ruby's corset-like waist cincher fell to the ground and she laid Crescent Rose against a nearby tree. Loosening her ammo belt she grimaced and bit her tongue removing her blouse and undershirt, and turned to Weiss who had looked away for the sake of her partner's modesty.

"Weiss..."

Begrudgingly she glanced out the corner of her eye before quickly looking away again, and glanced back several more times before comprehending what she was seeing. Ruby's entire midsection was covered in bandages with minor scarlet stains across the front. As Weiss watched in horror Ruby carefully began unwinding herself leaving just her breasts covered, revealing gauze that were practically dripping with blood both old and fresh.

"Oh my God," Weiss gasped, covering her mouth. "Ruby, w-why didn't you say anything? H-how did this happen?"

Instead of answering Ruby picked at the tape that appeared to be quite literally holding her together. "I already told you how," she said in a hollow voice. "I didn't say anything because it would mean admitting to myself what happened. I was scared. I'm not supposed to remember what the Beowolves did to me, a-and I thought I still had more time. Here, help me get the tape off in the back. I can't get it myself without scissors."

Reluctantly and with more hesitation than she had ever experienced in her life, Weiss reached out but Ruby had to physically place her hands where she needed them. A moment later the tape was off and they carefully began unwrapping her.

Once the gauze was pulled away and lying on the ground Weiss stumbled backward fighting the urge to vomit. Ruby's once fair, supple skin was now a giant, ugly bruise with deep canyons carved into it. Gashes from claws and teeth marred her flesh from her hips all the way up to her shoulders, the most grisly of which were on her stomach appearing as though something had tried disemboweling her and very nearly succeeded.

Using the semi-soiled bandages Ruby covered the worst of the injuries but blood slowly began trickling between her fingers regardless. "I-I didn't make it," her voice cracked. "Patchwork. I died underneath the tire swing tree Uncle Qrow made for me..."

"D-don't be ridiculous," Weiss snapped. "C-come on, I'm taking you to the hospital. It's where we should've taken you in the first place."

She grabbed her partner's wrist as if she were going to drag her there without even letting her get dressed first but Ruby planted her feet and yanked her back so they were facing each other.

"Doctors and medicine can't help me now," she said simply. "I've already tried stitching them shut but they just reopen again. I even tried cauterizing one while I was in the bathroom the other day but when I came to it'd already reopened. These aren't just normal claw marks and bites, Weiss. We've both had plenty of those. This is the way my body's supposed to be. It's reverting back to the way it was when I died, and sewing me up would do about as much good as sewing up a body for a funeral."

"R-Ruby, w-what are you saying? Y-you couldn't have died! Stop saying that you died! You're not dead and you're not dying!" Rivers of tears began pouring down her cheeks and Ruby had to catch her before she could fall to the ground. "You can't be..."

Ruby cupped her hands and squeezed, doing her best to smile reassuringly. "Listen carefully, Weiss. Eight years ago when Patchwork was overrun by Beowolves I died, but something's been holding my body together and keeping me from remembering what exactly happened that day. My mom did something terrible, almost unforgivable. She brought me back to life and her aura's the only reason this hasn't started sooner. A-and I think I may have undone everything last month when I transferred my aura over to Penny."

Weiss stared at her confused, a mild snow flurry beginning to swirl around them. Finally understanding what Ruby was saying she shook her head. "Bringing someone back to life like you're suggesting with a transference glyph is impossible," she said dazedly. "Yang told us about your mother healing your injuries which I can believe and see for myself are very real, but you did not die. Y-you couldn't have..."

"Weiss, I-"

"And why did you give Penny your aura in the first place!?" Another wintry flurry buffed at the caped-girl causing her to shiver and wince. "What did she do!?"

Ruby squeezed her hands again. "I wanted to prove a point to her and show that she could trust me. I didn't know about my mom's aura at the time and I didn't know that the Beowolves from my nightmares were real. Me walking out of the hospital the day before the mission wasn't a miracle. Not exactly anyway. I think Penny may have tried returning the favor by transferring aura back to me, but neither of us knew what we were doing and my own aura had already started deteriorating by then. You've noticed them, haven't you? My rose petals, they're wilting."

Weiss tried to speak but all she could do was repeat her partner's name and shake her head in denial. At last she said the only words she could think of. "You. Are. Not. Dying."

"I know you don't want to believe me, Weiss," she sighed tiredly. "Trust me, I don't wanna believe it either but I need your help. I need aboard that airship tomorrow, a-and I'm prepared to do something that'll prove I'm telling you the truth and get all my other secrets out of the way." With a deep breath Ruby stepped closer so they were inches apart. "I don't have any aura left to share with you, which is why I'm giving you permission to enter my soul and merge with it."

A moment of silence passed between them, the only sound being the rustling of the foliage and the crickets chirping. "W-what!?" Weiss shouted at last, her eyes widening. "R-Ruby, do you even realize what you're suggesting?"

She nodded. "If I wasn't freely willing to do this it'd be dangerous for us both, but I am and I don't have anything to hide from you. Not anymore."

"Even without aura it's still dangerous, for you, but besides that you won't have anymore privacy! A-and it'll be like having another person living inside my head! An irritating voice at that! I-I'm not sure if I'm ready for that..."

Ruby squeezed her hands tighter, pressing their foreheads together. "Weiss, we were always going to reach this point eventually, except now we're running out of time. At this rate we may never get this opportunity ever again, which means when I die all I'll leave behind is a body, my belongings, and y'all's memories of me. And all you'll have left of my aura are vague thoughts and feelings, and a few of my memories, and take it from me those don't take long to fade from a person's mind. After tonight everything will be yours. Every good day and every bad day, and everything in between. I know it'll be awkward for us at first, but-"

"Then why are you suggesting something so serious?"

"Because this is serious, Weiss." She gestured down at her open wounds still trickling blood. "And because I'm desperate. If my plan doesn't work tomorrow I'm going to be dead before the tournament in two weeks. I'm scared but deep down a part of me knows I'm supposed to be dead. It started a couple weeks ago, but when I look in the mirror I see something that's unnatural and wrong."

Weiss released herself from Ruby's clammy grip and raised a hand as if to slap her but stopped herself short a couple inches from her face. "You did not die and you are not dying," she stated firmly, her eyes cold yet somehow fiery at the same time. "Your mother died saving your life and-"

"Mom died because she saved my life," Ruby snapped back, raising her voice. "I was the only person who was supposed to die that day but instead I'm the only person who lived. It's not fair. And pretty soon everything she did, everyone she sacrificed, will go to waste."

"Go to waste? Ruby, your mother and the rest of Patchwork sacrificed their lives for you! I don't know how you got it in your head that you're supposed to be dead but the fact remains that you're not. You're at Beacon Academy honoring their sacrifices by wanting to make the world a better place! Going through what you did and how you got here is incredible, but to not honor their sacrifices would be selfish, and you are the most selfless person I know."

Although her tone had been gentle there had been more than a hint of admonishment, and Ruby shook her head feeling as though her words were falling on deaf ears.

"Weiss, what my mom did was selfish. She never wanted me to be a huntress so I can't really say if she would be proud of me right now, but if she'd wanted to honor me she would've killed every last Beowolf in Patchwork and made sure I was the only one that died that day, and afterward she would've kept being a mom to Yang. I love her and I miss her, but I-I don't think I'll ever be able to completely forgive her." She paused for a moment to wipe her eyes on her cape and catch her breath.

"I don't want to die, Weiss, but even if things work out the way I hope tomorrow I'll just be delaying the inevitable. My mom's aura shouldn't have lasted this long. And if it doesn't run out first then it'll be the Grimm that kill me. Just living isn't good enough for me. Every life I save and every Grimm I kill is like a weight being lifted off my shoulders, and don't ask me how I know this but there's something I'm supposed to do before I die. Something important. I-I think it's whatever was meant for my mom but is up to me now, but if I die everything will have been a waste. I promise that I have every intention of living, but if I die I want you to finish what my mom and I couldn't. Can you do that for me?"

The girl in white stared at her breathlessly, unable to move or even blink.

"I don't want to die with regrets and I don't want you to have to live the rest of your life with them. By merging with my soul a part of me will always be with you. I-I'm beginning to remember what it was like when my mom died and how lonely I felt hiding underneath the bed with her voice slowly fading from my mind. I never want to feel that lonely ever again, and I'd like to remember you as having been there with me. I won't force you to do this if you don't want to, but I wanna do it before it's too late."

Ruby took Weiss' right hand and laid it over her heart and pressed their foreheads together. After a deep breath silver eyes dimly lit up and she began reciting the vows they'd taken together the day they officially accepted each other as partners. "Weiss Schnee, from this day forward my soul and spirit are yours to keep. My burdens are yours to carry, and my vessel yours to seek refuge. I am now a part of you and you a part of me. Death no longer has dominion over either of us for we are daughters of light and will be entwined together for eternity. Amen..."

Her smile turned infectious as they fondly remembered the day they had stood before all of Beacon and nervously repeated words they didn't truly understand the meaning of at the time, and that Ruby had flubbed no less than eight times. Back then four years of being stuck together had sounded like an eternity, but now even eternity itself felt too short.

As they took shallow breaths staring into each other's eyes Weiss took Ruby's hand and laid it over her own heart, their other hands covering the worst of Ruby's wounds. "A-are you sure about this? Because I'm definitely not. What if the strain's too much for you? What if I see something you don't want me to?"

Ruby's smile brightened and she brushed a strand of hair out of Weiss' scarred eye. "Weiss, I trust you more than I've ever trusted anyone my entire life, including my sister. I'll be fine, and the point of us doing this is that I don't want to keep anymore secrets from you. After tonight you'll never be lonely again. Neither of us will..."

Weiss made a choking sound reminiscent of a whimper causing even more tears to flow. To never be lonely again sounded impossibly wonderful, a little girl's dream come true. "I-I think I'd like that..."

She nodded, struggling to maintain her reassuring smile. "I have to warn you though. The deeper you go the worse the memories will get. That's where Patchwork is buried along with other days I'd like to forget. A-and I'm sorry..."

The girl in white hesitantly nodded back, and after a series of deep breaths Weiss closed her eyes and flared her aura, surrounding Ruby like a blanket of snow. She winced and bit her tongue trying to hide the pain in her stomach and to keep her teeth from chattering. Weiss' aura seemed to be instinctually trying to intertwine with her own which was absent, and clearing her mind Ruby began welcoming the familiar presence into her soul, not just some byproduct of it.

Their eyes opened in unison revealing blue and silver glowing orbs that alternated back and forth. They continued flickering randomly as if unable to make up their minds until eventually turning blue in sync with each other. Soon after their breathing and even heartbeats mirrored one other, and after a moment of disorientation the partners found they were looking at each other through the other's eyes before a bright light flashed in front of them.

The light transitioned into a teenage girl with long flowing white hair and piercing blue eyes. An ugly scar traveling from her left brow nearly to the corner of her mouth marred what was otherwise a rather dignified and graceful-looking face. Perhaps her cheekbones were a bit sunken in and her chin sharp enough to cut glass with, but there was something strangely angelic about her appearance that not even the multiple layers of makeup or her judgmental glare could take away from.

Ruby's earliest memories of her were of constant fear and anxiety that she'd say or do the wrong thing in front of her and be scolded for it. People not liking her or having patience for her wasn't anything new, but something about this girl's words cut deeper than anyone else's. In the past people had simply wanted to hurt Ruby, but when this girl spoke she didn't necessarily want to hurt anybody, usually, she simply told the ugly truth about people, which in Ruby's experience was often far worse.

After a day or two however the fear transitioned into wanting nothing more than to impress the Schnee Dust Company's youngest heiress, and hatched a plan to do so with only one tiny flaw. Not even the sunrise seemed to impress Weiss Schnee. Perhaps for a few short hours Ruby's combat prowess and ingenious use of a giant slingshot had mildly impressed her, but once she was named team leader all that hard earned respect was lost and wasn't found until some time later.

Despite what Ruby thought of her and her appearance Weiss found herself not liking this girl very much. She was a pompous know-it-all with a tongue nearly as sharp as her chin, and while thinking of clever insults to call this glorified DSNY princess wearing clown makeup, Weiss had to remind herself that she was this girl, or at least had been once upon a time. This realization didn't change her opinion of the witch however, not even when she gradually began losing her snooty accent and started trying to act nicer, with mixed results of course.

Occasionally memories would replay themselves but this time Ruby and the other girl had been best friends since their first fateful encounter outside the academy, which didn't make sense because they had already known each other and been best friends their entire lives. One of her favorite memories seemed to be of the time she and Weiss slaughtered a pack of Alpha Beowolves in The Emerald Forest during initiation, where despite teaming up for the very first time they had been in perfect harmony with each other and hadn't started any forest fires.

These memories were always more vivid than the others yet strangely less coherent, almost as though they were incomplete or had somehow been tampered with. It didn't take long for Weiss to realize this was how Ruby often chose to remember their time together. She didn't dwell on their rough start or spend time wishing things had been different between them. Instead Ruby seemed to focus solely on what made her happy in life even if it was sometimes stretching the truth or even an outright lie.

Soon other happy memories began flooding her mind, these of her family. Ruby's family she reminded herself before quickly forgetting again. A woman in a white cloak cradled her in her arms in one vague memory, and in the next they were baking cookies together. There were a lot of memories of them baking cookies together actually, so many that they all seemed to run together. The woman had the most beautiful voice in the whole world and seemed to always know what to say and when to say it, and unsurprisingly had a lovely singing voice which she always shared with her daughters before bedtime, sometimes even making up songs with made up words for their amusement.

Most of the memories though involved her big sis, the strongest, smartest, and most beautiful girl on Remnant, and who every year on Mother's Day received a not-so-anonymous card from her baby sister.

The other most numerous memories were of four girls and a corgi sharing a small bedroom together, constantly fighting over bathroom privileges and the chore chart. Ruby looked up to each of them, wanting to be just like them, sometimes even pretending she was them while repairing their weapons.

They were all so happy, even the bittersweet and sad memories.

Her two years spent attending Signal Academy for combat training had been beyond grueling and more than once pushed her to the point of wanting to quit, the objective of every combat instructor in order to find out who was actually worth the time and effort to train. Ruby hadn't needed a voice whispering in the back of her head telling her she wasn't good enough, she'd had plenty of classmates to do that for her, but she also had her family shouting encouragement whenever she needed it, which was often.

More than even her sister and father however, her Uncle Qrow was the real person who deserved the praise and accolades her combat prowess had earned her. In Ruby's mind she wasn't some kind of prodigy like others believed her to be. She had simply worked hard and had the best teachers and machine shop a huntress in-training could've asked for, and wished people would stop thinking of her as being special. She wasn't special, she was just Ruby.

It was during basics prior to combat training that Ruby started experiencing bullying for the first time. She had always been different, but many also viewed her as a teacher's pet due to her father and uncle teaching at the academy, and Yang being Yang often rubbed people the wrong way but especially back then. And because getting even with a tenured professor or Yang Xiao Long was out of the question, kids would set their sights on little Ruby Rose...

Sometimes it went beyond forgivable, adolescent bullying however. Sometimes it bordered on an emotion that Ruby still didn't fully understand. Absolute hatred for somebody...

A girl a few years older, perhaps eleven or twelve at the time, with dark skin and brown hair slapped Ruby across the face before running away in tears. Ruby watched her go with a thousand yard stare before running in the opposite direction toward her crying closet where she spent the rest of the day and most of the next.

Ruby hadn't blamed Amber or any of the other kids for wishing she were dead instead of their loved ones lost in Patchwork. She often wished the same, but Yang would always find her newest hiding place and make things better, and make her forget such terrible thoughts. Willingly though usually unwillingly, over time the other kids all apologized to Ruby and some even attempted to earn her forgiveness. In some cases they even became her friends, or Yang's friends to be specific. After all, there wasn't a person alive on Remnant that could stay mad at Yang forever.

There was another flash of memories and suddenly Weiss felt herself descending into a cold, dark place rarely visited.

When her mom and dad would get together and thought Ruby was asleep or couldn't hear they would fight. They argued seemingly over everything but especially over her, and that's when Ruby first began to realize that she had torn her family apart not long after being born. She represented everything that had gone wrong for her family. In a perfect world Ruby wouldn't have existed and Yang would've had a mother growing up, and their father would've still had his one true love and not be so absent minded. And perhaps in a truly perfect world Ruby's mother and her Uncle Qrow would've fallen in love together...

The further she fell the more her memories seemed to resemble actual nightmares.

One morning while taking Zwei potting outside a hawk nearly flew off with him.

The other kids made fun of her and refused to sit beside her on field trips believing she was some kind of Grimm magnet or bad luck charm.

Her dad didn't show up for work again, just sat at home in the dark staring at the floor.

Uncle Qrow showed up to class drunk again, slurring his words and falling in front of her classmates, and was put on temporary leave by the headmaster.

Dad forgot her birthday again, and Uncle Qrow missed it again.

Yang was mad at her again. Everything seemed to make her mad lately, and if she wasn't yelling she was crying, and Ruby didn't know what to do other than blame herself and pray.

She had failed as both a partner and leader, and very nearly gotten her team killed.

The Mimic hadn't just been threatening to cut out her eyes and eat her. It had been a promise...

Everything was terrible and happening at once. In the fleeting moments that Weiss remembered who she was, she was conscious that she was falling in a never ending abyss, the only sound being of faint growls that were growing in intensity the further she fell. They sounded angry yet strangely joyous, some even sounding as though they were playing.

A sudden jolt and she found herself pinned to the ground with razor sharp claws tearing into her flesh and powerful jaws attempting to rip her limbs off. The pain was impossible, unspeakable, but the horror of looking down and seeing what they were doing to her was somehow even worse. She screamed for her mother, begging her to make the monsters go away like she did every night before bedtime, but she never came for her.

Not soon enough the world became darkness again but this time she felt herself soaring through the air and heard the sound of massive wings beating. Looking down she saw her home blurry and out of focus, but in the blink of an eye and another jolt she was looking up at her mother, tears falling from her face onto her own.

Another moment later and she was suddenly standing at her bedroom window watching as the monsters tore her mother apart, a strangely familiar visual. Seemingly on it's own accord her body turned and crawled back underneath the bed and waited with her mother's voice keeping her company until becoming whispers and eventually fading. There she waited for an eternity until someone smelling of blood and alcohol dug her out of the wrecked cottage and picked her up in his arms, apologizing profusely and promising to never let her down again...

Despite his promise however she continued falling in the abyss, fragmented memories replaying without rhyme or reason. Fifteen and a half years passed in either a matter of seconds or an eternity, and when she finally landed on something solid she heard two pairs of feet hitting the ground.

Looking around she found that at the bottom on the abyss was a familiar snowy hillside overlooking a tree with a tire swing. Underneath was a large bloodstain, and looking down she found her feet sinking in an even larger puddle of blood.

Glancing around she saw her great-grandmother's cottage partially collapsed and all of the rose bushes and strawberries in the garden in the process of rotting. The snowman she and her mother built while Yang watched from inside was now nothing more than a half-melted head missing an eye, and the once pristine landscape had turned to slush revealing dead grass underneath. Even the once mighty tire swing tree seemed to be not long for this world. A bitter chill ran up her spine and she reflexively pulled her hood up only to realize her mother's white cloak had been dyed red in her own blood...

A voice screamed as their consciousness was violently ripped in two like a sheet of paper and returned to a familiar yet incorrect body. The girl in white knew from the start that the scream had been her own, though she struggled figuring out whether she was Ruby Rose or Weiss Schnee, and crossed her fingers that she wasn't the latter.

Letting out several more agonized wails she staggered a short distance and vomited in the bushes, and continued dry heaving for several minutes.

Ruby on the other hand fell to her knees feeling herself drifting in and out of consciousness but caught herself in time before the underwear tree could become her final resting place. Perhaps it was the unsettling sound of retching a few feet away that made sleep so difficult, or the familiar voice occasionally murmuring her name, but eventually her eyelids fluttered open and she saw her partner white as a sheet and covered in sweat, and with a faraway look in her eye as though she wasn't actually seeing what was in front of her.

"She's gone," her voice cracked. How could she be gone? How could Ruby be dead and herself still alive?

The world had gone mad and stopped making sense. Her mother, her home, and her Ruby had all been taken from her, but hadn't they all been together just a moment ago? Wait, wasn't she Ruby? No, Ruby was dead, she'd been there when the Beowolves killed her. She'd seen her disemboweled, mangled corpse for herself through her mother's eyes. She'd felt their teeth and claws, as well as the moment Ruby's spirit left her body...

Through the dense brush the girl in white caught a glimpse of the lake glowing silver in the moonlight and found herself stumbling toward it. Perhaps Ruby was just playing another prank on her, hiding at the bottom waiting to surprise her.

They'd be together again, forever this time...

The lake seemed to be teasing her however by pulling itself further and further away, and the thick foliage was only delaying their reunion. Her heart had already been broken but every moment without Ruby felt as though it were breaking into smaller and smaller pieces until it wasn't even recognizable anymore. Slowly she unhooked Myrtenaster from her belt and studied her imperfect reflection in its immaculate blade. Apparently she hadn't crossed her fingers hard enough.

How ever painful it felt didn't matter because she was no longer capable of feeling. The desolate loneliness she had fought all her life had finally won after playing the cruelest joke in history, ripping away what she had unknowingly been missing all her life.

After lowering her aura shield Weiss held the blade up having settled on her wrists. It seemed simple enough, and it also wouldn't ruin her beautiful dress. It had always been one of Ruby's favorites.

She lowered the blade...

"NO!" Without warning the heiress found herself pinned to the ground with her weapon flying out of her hand. The surprise stunned her for a moment as her sluggish mind struggled to understand what was happening, but as soon as it caught up a bitter snowstorm brewed. Someone was trying to keep her from reuniting with her Ruby. That simply wouldn't do.

It wasn't difficult to toss her aura-less attacker some feet away and crawl toward her weapon, the only shame of it being that killing them would be a waste of precious time.

"WEISS, STOP!" they cried hysterically, grabbing her foot. "It's me! RUBY! I'm not dead! I'm right here!"

The high-pitched voice was a cruel liar. Weiss had both seen and experienced firsthand the Beowolves tearing her Ruby apart and beginning to devour her, as well as the very moment her soul and spirit departed her mutilated body. Kicking the liar in the face she continued crawling toward her blade, promising her partner that she'd be joining her shortly.

When she finally reached Myrtenaster Weiss didn't waste anymore time and turned the razor sharp blade toward her right wrist. When the edge slid harmlessly against her flesh however she nearly laughed as she'd forgotten to sharpen the lingering aura of the blade to cut her skin, something that was heresy between a huntress and weapon. Ruby might've even laughed if she'd been there.

A moment later an electrical shock went up her arm and she was blinded by crimson, and once again she found herself lying on the dirt. She closed her eyes expecting to be swiftly losing consciousness but instead was greeted by the stench of wilting roses.

She opened a curious eye as someone sat her upright and embraced her so tightly she could hardly breathe. "R-Ruby?" she squeaked. "RUBY!"

Weiss wrapped her arms around her partner weeping bitterly as sensation slowly returned to her body. She buried her face in the crook of her partner's neck wailing incoherently while Ruby soothingly played with her hair.

"It's okay," she kept repeating. "It's okay. I'm right here."

Just hearing Ruby's voice again was like music to her ears, and it wasn't long before Weiss' sobs became sniffles as she ran out of tears to shed.

"Weiss, I want you to promise me something," Ruby said in a gentle yet firm voice. "Promise me that you'll never try that again. Promise me that if I do die that you'll keep on living."

"No!" she cried, pulling away so they were looking at each other. Weiss' scarred eye was dull in color and twitching unnaturally, and didn't sparkle with tears quite like the other. "P-promise me that nothing bad will ever happen to you! Promise t-that you'll never leave me again! Promise me that you're not like everyone else!"

The embrace suddenly tightened causing Ruby to grimace. "You know I can't keep that promise," she said, her frown turning into a weak smile. "Not right now. It's the same promise my mom made in Patchwork. What I can promise though is that no matter what happens I'll always be with you now."

Weiss tried to speak but all that came out was a raspy voice that sounded on the verge of drowning. After cleaning her partner's face with her cape Ruby retrieved a juice box from her ammo belt and handed it to Weiss who graciously accepted the gift although seemed confused by what she was looking at. Only after Ruby punched the straw through the top did Weiss recognize what she was supposed to do and greedily begin drinking and washing the taste of bile out of her mouth.

For the next several minutes the pair sat in silence unsure what to say or if anything actually needed to be said anymore. While incredibly vivid, Weiss was having difficulty piecing together and making sense of all the foreign thoughts and memories, as well as separating them from her own. She and Ruby had shared auras countless times in the past so the sensation wasn't entirely new, but thoughts and memories had always been fragmented and vague, as well as mostly devoid of emotion. This however had been like actually experiencing Ruby's life alongside her. A wonderful, terrible experience.

"Right now everything's still working its way through your subconscious," Ruby explained, reading her mind. "At least that's what Professor Goodwitch says happens when partners share souls like we did. My memories will gradually start becoming your own, and the more soul dives we do the easier it'll be for both of us. I mean, it's not like I have anything to hide anymore so I guess it's up to you if you ever want to do it again..."

Weiss nodded, listening intently to her partner's every word but having difficulty actually understanding her. She was confused, and too preoccupied reliving memories and systematically cataloging them, or at least attempting to. Occasionally she'd giggle at a funny or embarrassing memory randomly popping in her head, but mostly she just smiled reliving Ruby's most cherished memories, many of which involved herself.

There were few omissions however that appeared in Weiss' mind like blurry photos rather than vivid video recordings. At first she thought these might've just been due to concussions which weren't uncommon for huntsmen in-training, and went along with her long standing theory of Ruby having taken one too many hits to the head, but while a few memories were hazy like that they were far fewer than expected. No, these memories had been purposely edited just like the memory of them fighting Beowolves during initiation, as well as the true culprit that caused the purple stain outside their room.

It was like a punch to the gut there being something Ruby hadn't trusted her with, but Weiss quickly reminded herself she hadn't shared anything and it was entirely Ruby's own business what she did and didn't share.

"I'm sorry I can't share everything with you," Ruby said as if still reading her mind, which at that moment was very possible. "I think you know all of my secrets now, along with everything that makes me, well, me. Anything I left out is because it's someone else's secret, a-and they're not really mine to give. Not yet anyway."

"Even how you feel about Penny?" Weiss asked. She quickly cursed herself and hung her head ashamed. "I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't have said anything..."

Ruby took a deep breath and was quiet for a moment. "Penny's one of those people with a secret, a big one, and I'm just trying to be a good friend by keeping it." She moved so that she was in Weiss' line of sight and smiled reassuringly at her. "Penny's special. Actually she's incredible and I've never met another person like her. She's also the only one who might be able to help me right now, and the more I think about her the more I think we might have a lot in common."

"I take it she has a screw loose too?" she said dryly.

Ruby snorted as though she'd unknowingly said something funny. "I don't know, but I could check if you'd like."

Weiss' head snapped to attention and her face turned bright red. "And just what exactly is that supposed to mean!?

"What does what mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean, Ruby Rose! I just spent an eternity in that spacious cavern you call a brain so don't pretend to be completely innocent or oblivious! Clearly your sister's warped sense of humor has corrupted you more than I thought!"

Ruby smiled and began laughing at her scarlet faced partner who looked away again but soon began smiling. "I'm sorry," she said once she had calmed down. "If you haven't noticed by now I don't exactly think very highly of Penny, and not just because she annoys me or because running into her that day was like running into a brick wall. A part of me is jealous that the two of you hit it off so quickly when it took us weeks to even stand being in the same room together."

"Really? I don't remember that."

"Okay, so the feelings of contempt were a little one-sided. My point is that lately I've been picking up your thoughts of Penny in your aura, and while I realize now why you've been thinking about her so much, a part of me has been scared that maybe you'd rather have her as a partner instead of me. I-I could never blame you, but it hurt to think about, and I'm sorry. A-and the thought of sharing you with someone, anyone, but especially someone you might've been in love with, well, made me uncomfortable..."

Weiss flinched and closed her eyes as she waited for Ruby's response, and continued waiting even when she began pulling away.

"Weiss, please look at me." Reluctantly the heiress turned and after blinking several times saw Ruby looking serious but also teary-eyed, and with a lump and possibly the makings of a bruise over her right eye. "I'm not like you, my sister, or even Blake. All I've ever wanted is to be a huntress. That's it. For Yang being a huntress is just something to do before she finds the right guy to start a family with. She wants someone who'll always be there for her, and she wants to be the mom that her mom never got the chance to be. That's her happily-ever-after. You want to be one of the few people in your family to marry for love and not political or financial gain, and you'd prefer it if they fell in love with you before knowing that you're a Schnee. Along with taking over the SDC that's your happily-ever-after. Being a huntress has always just been a stepping stone to something greater for you, and a way to get away from your dad. You also wanna make your Papa proud, and from the brief glimpses I've seen of him I know you already have."

The girl in white sniffled and felt a fresh new wave of tears in her right eye. She tried thanking her partner but the words wouldn't quite come.

"I'm not like y'all. I'm going to be a huntress until it either kills me or forces me to retire, and I'd honestly rather it be the former."

"Ruby! Don't say that! Not right now..."

Ruby smiled and wiped away her partner's tears. "You know better than anyone it's true. I don't belong here, and I don't know if I could ever truly be happy not being a huntress. A lot of girls like you and my sister have spent your entire lives imagining what your wedding day will be like and how you'll look in their wedding dresses but that was never me. I imagined myself graduating from Beacon and how I'd look in my huntress gear. I used to spend hours imagining what my team would be like someday. Yang was always my partner and leader, which is funny to think about now, but I'm so glad that person turned out to be you, Weiss. I couldn't imagine my life any differently."

Weiss stared at her partner in awe, her mouth hanging open unable to form coherent words. Ruby just smiled at her as though it should've been obvious, especially after rooting around inside her head.

"Believe it or not I was a little jealous when your aura started reacting to Neptune. I've never really felt the kind of feelings for someone you feel for him, a-and it was a little awkward when some of your thoughts started bleeding into my own. I didn't want to say anything because you were happy and I didn't want to take that away from you, and because being partners means sharing more than just a bunk bed."

"I-I never thought about my thoughts or feelings of Neptune being in my aura," Weiss said slowly, her face brightening. "Oh my God! How much do you know!?"

As Weiss stared wondering whether or not she should let Ruby live she let out a chuckle. "It's fine, Weiss, really. It's nothing I haven't felt in Yang's aura before, or seen or read or heard elsewhere. I'm not that naive or oblivious. I'm really happy for you and I hope you get to see Neptune again soon. I'm not saying that I won't ever find someone that I fall in love with, but I promise that nobody will ever replace you. All I've ever wanted is to be a huntress and have a partner that I can share a soul with. That person is you, Weiss. You're the person I've been dreaming of all my life."

"Ruby..." Staring into her partner's eyes Weiss bridged the gap between them seemingly about to go for another embrace before changing her trajectory at the last second. She pressed her lips against Ruby's, softly and gently, and lingered just long enough for Ruby to kiss her back. After separating Ruby stifled a giggle while Weiss let out a deep breath before glancing away blushing. Whenever they'd catch each other's eye they'd laugh infectiously but eventually they both sighed feeling the exhaustion of the night taking its toll. Seeing that Ruby's cloak had begun slipping off one of her shoulders Weiss began studying her partner's tattered, almost rotten flesh resisting the urge to vomit when her eyes suddenly widened.

"Oh my God! Ruby, you're bleeding!"

Ruby let out a darkly humored chuckle about to state the obvious that she'd been bleeding this entire time, but adjusting her cloak to see for herself she discovered more blood than there should've been. Their breaths caught and before their very eyes fresh claw marks began appearing on Ruby's midsection, slowly tearing through her flesh as though an invisible Beowolf was looming over her. Perhaps it was because of the lingering effects of their soul dive but the absolute agony she should've been experiencing didn't register immediately, and with unsteady hands she began frantically digging through her ammo belt for fresh bandages and gauze despite knowing it was already too late.

She looked up at Weiss and laid a hand on her cheek, tears falling from her face. "I'm sorry, Weiss. I-I screwed up, but at least I'll get to keep that promise..."

Once again Ruby would die in the cold torn apart by Beowolves, but at least this time she wouldn't be alone, and neither would her partner.

Weiss carefully laid her on the ground and using the gauze began applying pressure to the expanding claw marks, her hands soon becoming covered in blood. "No-no-no! You're not leaving me!" she snapped, using her forearm to wipe away tears. "Not now, not ever!"

She looked around for something, anything to stop the bleeding when her eyes locked onto Myrtenaster lying beside them. Her hand reached out and she instinctively chambered a white dust vial, an idea that only a fast-talking lunatic with a death wish would think of. "Ruby, I'm going to attempt a transference glyph. Since I'm not an aura match I can't directly heal you but after our soul dive I might be able to cover the wounds with my aura."

All Ruby could do was nod while writhing involuntarily. The agony and horror was all too familiar to her, but at least in Patchwork the suffering had been over quickly.

Placing the hilt over Ruby's stomach they each grabbed ahold while their other hand attempted to keep as much blood from pouring out as possible. With just a moment of hesitation Weiss pulled the trigger causing the blade and its many runes to begin glowing white. Glyphs appeared all around them each one more intricate than the last, and Ruby let out a sharp cry as a bitter chill took away all feeling in her body, another familiar sensation.

In the brief moments that Ruby's eyes opened they were icy blue and in her mind she saw visions of an elderly man and woman with stark white hair bending down to give her a kiss. Ruby was sure she had never met them before and yet they seemed strangely familiar to her.

"Papa, Nana..."

She then heard a man with a beautiful voice singing to her before bedtime in perfect harmony with the music box beside her bed. 'I love you, snow angel,' her father said before kissing her goodnight.

There were other faces and fleeting memories, but none more numerous or vivid as a rambunctious teenage girl wearing a red cloak that ran everywhere and talked so fast it was sometimes impossible to understand her. Most of the time she was sweet, childlike, and incredibly frustrating to be around, but something about her changed during combat, which was where their bond had been forged and constantly tested. The girl became an entirely different person while fighting, and together with her oversized gardening tool she was like a relentless buzz-saw, an emotionless machine hell bent on butchering Grimm.

She was unnerving to watch, terrifying even...

At first glance the prodigy's stoic guise might've been attributed to her huntress training making herself more difficult for Grimm to sense, and her slaughtering of Grimm retribution for everything they had done to her, but Weiss knew better. Both might've true to an extent but there was also an emptiness inside her partner that only revealed itself when facing down nightmares of Remnant, an insatiable desire of a little girl to make sure no other little girl lost their mom ever again.

In the blink of an eye however that emptiness would lull itself back into hibernation and she'd be back to being herself, sweet and childlike and testing the patience of everyone around her. In almost every way imaginable Ruby was Weiss' polar opposite and seemingly found new ways of annoying her on an hourly basis, but she was her Ruby, and nothing was ever going to take her Ruby away from her ever again.

Once the familiar thoughts and memories began separating from her own Ruby's eyes shot open and she found herself desperately gasping for air. Instinctively her hands found themselves exploring her midsection, finding what felt like a thin layer of ice covering her and also repelling her probing. Once the threats of asphyxiation lessened and the agonizing pain diminished enough to let her think, she looked around for Weiss and found her kneeling an arm's length away with her rapier plunged into the dirt and her head resting against the pommel.

She watched Ruby out her right eye, the left only occasionally flickering to life. "You alright?" she asked weakly, sounding on the verge of passing out.

Ruby seemed to ponder the question for a moment before eventually nodding. "I-I think so. You?"

Instead of answering, the heiress sighed in relief before collapsing, just catching herself in time before she could land face first in the dirt. Another moment or two of breathing heavily and she crawled over to her partner and retrieved more bandages and gauze from Ruby's ammo belt. "The transfer won't last long, only a few hours at most. Fortunately reapplying my aura shouldn't be nearly as difficult as transferring it and creating what's essentially cryogenic stasis. Just think of it as a particularly powerful aura shield, only much more sophisticated and impressive."

Knocking on it a few more times only to come away with numb fingers Ruby looked up at her in amazement. "Weiss, this is incredible!"

She gave her a wry smile. "I know, but don't thank me just yet. Like I said I can't actually heal you without there being serious repercussions. All I did was cover the wounds with my aura, which took the aid of an entire vial of white dust might I add." She swatted Ruby's hand away and helped her sit up. "Come on, let's get you dressed before either of us passes out. I can see the headlines now, 'Weiss Schnee found in bushes with her half-naked, underage partner', or worse, 'Weiss Schnee, heiress to Schnee Dust Company found crying'. Either way I'd have to kill you which would defeat the purpose of tonight. Come on, oof."

Helping Ruby to her knees the team's unofficial field medic began applying fresh gauze and bandages around her chest and midsection, doing a better job of it than Ruby ever could. Although she was still only partially dressed and in the presence of her partner's chilly aura on an already cool evening, Ruby couldn't help feeling strangely warm as Weiss finished retying her waist cincher.

"There, much better." After a final inspection Weiss turned to the bloodstained wrappings but quickly looked away again gagging. Spinning Myrtenaster's cylinder she pulled the trigger causing the blade to erupt in flames and turn the evidence to ash.

"Ooh, toasty," Ruby said, rubbing her hands in front of the fire.

Thoroughly satisfied though sorely tempted to also burn the surrounding trees down, Weiss turned to her partner with a scowl and held up a finger. "Now, I'm only saying this because of the situation, but I think we should share a bed tonight. I can reapply my aura less conspicuously than say going into the bathroom together every few hours, and it should also help you sleep."

Ruby smiled. "Something tells me Yang won't mind, and it's not like we haven't been sharing a bed already." When Weiss began rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly Ruby gave her a hug. "Listen, I know it's only because you've been scared the past couple days. I've been scared too, and I really appreciate you and Yang keeping me company. I've been crawling into her bed since I can remember, and she still occasionally crawls in mine even if she won't admit why. And to be honest it's been nice to share a bed with someone who doesn't take up over half the mattress and make me sweat most of the night. In a full sized bed we can practically sleep shoulder to shoulder. I mean, if we wanted to."

Weiss' face brightened. "D-don't mention it. Seriously, please don't mention it again to anybody ever..."

"Deal, but since you mentioned it, would you mind putting on some pajama bottoms tonight? It's like snuggling with a butterball turkey down there."

"E-excuse you!?"

"Kidding. I kinda like it actually." Laughter turned into high-pitched giggles and after an exasperated sigh Weiss turned away hiding a smile.

"Don't be surprised if you wake up with frostbite in the morning, and don't expect these sleeping arrangements to continue. You kick in your sleep, and the noxious stench of roses has been hell on my allergies."

Ruby laughed again but grimaced holding her stomach. "I'm sorry to ask, but I'm going to need some help getting ready tomorrow. Would you mind-" She trailed off as Weiss stared at her grimacing. "I-if you don't want to or it makes you too uncomfortable that's alright too! I-I'm sure I'll manage!"

She grinned reassuringly but Weiss just shook her head. "Ruby, I just helped you get dressed after diving headfirst into your soul. I've seen parts of you I never wanted to see, and if there's been a single silver-lining tonight it's that I'm now immune to you making me feel uncomfortable. So long as you keep your hands to yourself and don't start acting like your sister I think I'll manage just fine. Now, what do you say about making our leave?"

Ruby nodded and despite taking the first step back the way they'd come, away the underwear tree, Weiss quickly took the lead using her rapier to cut an easier path to follow. "You don't need your painkillers, do you?" she called back.

"No, I'll be alright. Ow! I need to save my last one for tomorrow. Ow! Wait, how did you-" Ruby froze in her tracks causing Weiss to stumble backward.

When she regained her footing Weiss stared at her partner with twinkling eyes. "You neglected to keep that a secret while I was in your brain. There have also been a few times you've slipped and made us wonder if you were still taking them, but given the circumstances we figured you'd only be taking them if you needed them. However-" Weiss glowered over her waving Myrtenaster in Ruby's face threateningly- "from now on you are NOT allowed to keep secrets like that from me, understand?"

Ruby averted her gaze but nodded. "I'm not sure I could if I tried..."

"Hey, look at me." Weiss moved so that they were facing one another again, but just as Ruby was about to shut her eyes afraid of another sharp admonishment her partner's expression softened. "Next time tell me what the problem is so that I can fix it. If you needed more painkillers all you had to do is ask."

"Huh?" Ruby blinked still waiting for her head to be chewed off.

"The SDC supplies hospitals with everything from x-ray machines to prescription drugs. You'd be surprised what the Schnee name alone can get you, but especially when money and threats are involved. Not that I think something so drastic would be necessary. All of us were prescribed a bottle of painkillers after the mission, and I'm sure I could convince someone that you don't need the standard check up in order to get a refill. I also know you took our bottles out of the trashcan when we didn't need them anymore, and that you've been taking my extra strength aspirin and anything else you could find in the medicine cabinet."

Looking down at the ground she nodded. "I will. I promise."

Weiss brought her in for a hug. "You better...dolt..."

When they finally separated again Weiss picked a twig out of her partner's hair and with great dissatisfaction began inspecting their unkempt appearances. She'd have to wait until they were in better lighting to give a proper inspection and remove any hint of foul play in the bushes, but even in the dark could see wet, scarlet stains on Ruby's cloak. And with Patchwork still fresh in her mind Weiss began feeling nauseous again remembering why Summer's cloak had been dyed red in the first place.

Both their hands and arms were also stained scarlet, along with Weiss' clothes which was particularly noticeable being white. Opening Myrtenaster's cylinder she removed the now empty dust vial and exchanged it for a purple one from her pouch.

"What are you doing?" Ruby asked curiously.

Chambering the vial Weiss pulled the trigger causing the blade to glow dark violet and for intricate runes to appear along the blade. "Cleaning your cape," she said softly. "Now hold still. This could go very poorly very quickly if I make a mistake."

With a flourish of the blade and flick of her wrist, purple glyphs surrounded them and the blood began evaporating. With a vein protruding on the side of her skull Weiss took steady breaths as she concentrated on the red mist forming above them. Ruby doing her best to stand still nearly fell over when Weiss suddenly stumbled into her.

"Weiss! You alright!?"

"I did it," she murmured, drenched in sweat and gasping for air. Despite her haggard appearance she had a wide grin on her face. "I'm...getting...better...I...think..."

"You shouldn't have done that!"

After a few more deep breaths Weiss righted herself and hooked Myrtenaster back to her belt. Afterward she removed a small handful of aspirin from her dust pouch offering Ruby her share. Using the last remaining juice box from Ruby's ammo belt they swallowed, with Weiss saving one or two to chew on.

Once the world stopped spinning and her head no longer felt as though it were about to explode Weiss regarded her partner tiredly. "We were both covered in blood, Ruby. Somebody was going to ask whose it was, and if we didn't say yours they'd want to know what we did with the body. This also keeps us from having to visit the laundry room tonight which is scary enough during the day. Come on, enough wasting time. I'm not looking forward to being interrogated by your sister, but the longer we make her wait the worse it'll be."

The girls took turns leading themselves out of the thicket but before exiting completely they checked to make sure the coast was absolutely clear. Atlesian Knights were patrolling on the other side of the lake facing away from them, but other than them the campus seemed to be deserted.

After one final inspection and adjustment of their clothes they began traveling back up the bank where they'd had their picnic when Ruby let out a sudden high-pitched yelp and very nearly turned inside out. She danced around trying to get the ice cube out of her blouse but let out another shriek when it landed down the back of her shorts.

Hearing her partner's uncontrollable laughter Ruby unhooked Crescent Rose from her belt and chambered a round. "If you do that in bed tonight I'll shoot you!" she threatened through chattering teeth. "I hate it when you do that!"

Weiss continued laughing doubled over and holding her sides. Eventually when she was able to stand upright again but not look at Ruby without giggling she held out her hand. "Actually, I know for a fact you don't."

With an embarrassed smile beginning to form Ruby accepted the hand, shivering as goosebumps traveled up her arm. Watching her Weiss winced slightly as her left eye darkened.

"I really wish you'd have that looked at," Ruby said, rubbing the area around the eye until it lit up again.

Weiss ignored her and instead paused to admire the scenery, forcing Ruby to do the same. To their right was The Emerald Tower and Beacon Academy's imposing spires, and to their left was Lake Sovereignty shimmering underneath the shattered moon.

"Ruby," Weiss said, her voice cracking. "I don't believe for a second that you're going to die, b-but just in case tomorrow doesn't go the way we want I don't want to live the rest of my life regretting something that I've done." She took a deep breath and swallowed. "Even if tomorrow does go our way I don't want to remember either of our first kisses, discounting family and your bullish sister, as having been in the bushes with you on the verge of bleeding to death and me with the taste of vomit still in my mouth. I'd much rather remember it here where we had our picnic."

Ruby let out a snort as she seemed to be perfectly content with the humorous memory but nodded. With their eyes partially closed their lips met again, more affectionate than passionate, and lingered for just a few moments before separating again, their cheeks pink and both giggling at each other and themselves.

Afterward Weiss pulled her in for another embrace and kissed her on the cheek. "I-I love you, Ruby, and I honestly don't know what I would do without you. I couldn't have asked for a better partner, and I swear someday I'll share my soul with you too."

"I love you too, Weiss, and I'm looking forward to it."

With an arm around one another and grins possibly forever plastered on their faces the partners began making the slow trek back to the dorm where Yang was no doubt waiting impatiently for them, or more likely watching them through binoculars. Not long into their journey however Ruby began having difficulty breathing let alone keeping up, forcing Weiss to occasionally pause and carry even more of her weight once she was ready to continue.

"Don't worry," Weiss said. "I know the perfect place to sit and catch our breath."

"Really? Where?"

Her eyes sparkled. "You know that rusty old swing set outside our window?"

(A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. I've had this chapter in mind for a long time and I'm happy to finally be able to share it with you. I view it as a sequel of sorts to Chapter 29 of "The Petals Scatter Now" where Ruby and Weiss had their talk in The Lost City, and where their powerful bond first really started developing. I don't necessarily view this chapter as the culmination of what their relationship has been building toward as there's obviously still more story to tell, but if Ruby is going to die and tomorrow has a chance of breaking their hearts then I think this was the natural course their relationship would take. Sharing her soul is Ruby's "goodbye" gift to her partner and best friend, and also her way of helping Weiss through her fear of loneliness. It manifested itself after they finished the soul dive with Weiss thinking Ruby was dead and how she might react to such terrible news, and hopefully this keeps her from reacting the same way if the unthinkable actually happens. Ruby may die but Weiss will never truly be lonely ever again, and I think that's the greatest gift Ruby could've given her.

This is probably the closest to "WhiteRose" you'll ever get from me, but whether anything romantic could ever sprout between Ruby and Weiss is entirely up to you. I personally view huntsmen/huntress partners as being beyond something romantic relationships. They're something even more intimate, and in this chapter's case the burdens of Ruby's secrets and the horrors of her past are no longer her own. We've all overcome trials and tribulations in our lives, so much so that we tend to not even realize how strong we actually are. Overcoming them on our own can be incredibly difficult if not impossible, and I like to think that's partially why partners are so special in this universe. Ruby and Weiss are no longer two individuals dealing with their own hardships while doing their best to shoulder someone else's, but two people with a single soul shouldering them together. They also perfectly understand each other and there's no real judgement between them, meaning there's nothing to get in the way of love and feeling loved.

Ruby's worst days don't represent her as a person. We've all had bad days, some even nightmarish, but while they may be a part of us they don't have to define us as people. I like the idea that she looks back with rose tinted lenses at some of the "not-so-great" times in her life, like when she and Weiss teamed up for the first time. She's the definition of an optimist always trying to look on the bright side, but she's only human and sometimes she can't help but need a helping hand.

All credit goes to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has blessed me with this story and with all of you wonderful readers. God bless)