She couldn't sleep. She couldn't since it happened.

So much blood

Because every time she closed her eyes she relieved that horrible day.

Polished steel stained crimson and black

Three screams: An unholy, deafening wail. Her own cry of tortured agony.

And a muffled, pained yell.

A sound that would always haunt her. It still rang in her ears.

The piece fabric she clutched tightly in her arms the only small comfort she had on night such as this. But even this, most of it dyed a different hue than she knew it used to be, served as a dark reminder. A reminder of why she had it now at all.

"Please don't go! Don't leave me!"

"At least you're safe now. . ."

She would never forget the way tears mixed with blood.

The princess sat up in her dark room, only one candle driving away some of the shadows. Were it not for the walls being painted as white as her hair it would have still been too inky to see.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, again she felt the pull she had felt before. And again not sure if she was imagining that it felt like something else was pulling at her soul. She couldn't convince herself it wasn't her imagination; an excuse so she could cope with what she had done.

She tried to fight the urge, fight what she saw as her own selfishness. But she had tried before, so she knew she would lose and gave in quickly. The princess held out a shaking hand to the floor in front of her.

Magic lit the room in a pale glow, a large rune danced along the floor directly in front of her. A power she had once seen as a gift, but now it was a curse.

And from it arose a human figure, slightly larger and taller than herself, quickly taking form. Around its shoulders she gingerly placed the cloak she had been holding.

This was where it belonged anyway.

Now in front of her, all stained a light blue was something very familiar. Something that should have never been that color.

Someone she knew very well, and cared very dearly for.

And she could hardly bare to look upon what she had done.

The first time this had happened, she had wondered if it was really the woman she knew. Or if it a figment of her powers, imagination, and guilt. A mere copy like all of her other summons.

But when Blanche looked in to those silver eyes. Eyes that should have been blue, like on her and everything she created, she knew.

She knew that Garnet really was there.

Or part of her. . .

Her soul was at least. . . .

There had been no other way, she knew that.

But that didn't make it hurt any less.

They had done it, completed their quest, but it was a terrible price to pay.

Even with all this, the smile looking back at her said that it was going to be okay.

But she couldn't keep Garnet here. She shouldn't. It wouldn't be right, it wasn't right.

That smile that Blanche knew she didn't deserve.

It hurt to look at Garnet like this. A shadow of who she used to be.

The princess put on a soft smile, banishing the remorse and pain, instead letting show through the happiness she always felt seeing this woman, even now. It was so Garnet wouldn't worry. She had hurt her enough already.

"H-hello Garnet," She tried to keep her voice steady, to hide the sorrow.

Garnet smiled, and held up one finger. She was gone for a split second, but quickly found what she wanted; a quill and parchment.

Her voice was a privilege that Garnet no longer had.

Just one of so many things ripped away.

The quill moved as she wrote her reply.

Hey Blanche! How are you?

The penmanship was atrocious as always, but Blanche had long learned how to interpret those marks and had substantial practice doing so. Those little things brought back memories, memories now held even more dear now that they hurt.

"I'm fine," She lied, though Blanche knew that the Garnet would be able to tell that it was, both because of how well they knew one another and Garnet's condition. "How are you doing?" Blanche asked timidly, fearing the worst answer.

I'm doing okay. It still feels a little weird but I'm used to it. Was written in front of her.

You shouldn't have to get used to this Blanche thought, guilt further seeping in to her. Loud scribbling pull her from those thoughts.

How's your kingdom doing? The smile had never Garnet's face, a sight that still brought more joy than pain. But the pain still came.

"It's not my kingdom yet, the Queen is very much still alive and mother does plan to keep it that way for a while. Though it's doing great," Blanche said, thankful she didn't have to lie this time, "With the evil gone, its prospering again. And everyone in the kingdom has you to thank for that." Her eyes started to water, her mind drawn once again back to that day.

We did it together! You, me, Noir, Yin, and the others, none of us could have fought Salem alone.

But we all made it back. Blanche thought for a second before seeing Garnet write something else.

How is Yin doing?

That was the first time that Garnet looked concerned that day, a different sparkle in those silver eyes.

"It's been hard, but your sister's doing okay," That was an overstatement. Yin had taken this all as hard as Blanche had. If she didn't have Noir to help her through it, they all may have lost two friends that day. She had made a promise, to herself and their mother, that she would protect Garnet. And at least to Yin, she had failed.

No thanks to me Seeing what it had done to Yin was terrible. Yet she had never blamed Blanche, saying that she understood there wasn't a choice. Yin only sought fit to condemn herself, that she should have been able to do something.

"She and Noir are still the best guards and friends I could ever have."

They were the only other people who knew about how Garnet was now. Though they hadn't talked to or seen her. Unless garnet wanted to say goodbye, they didn't want to make it any harder for her.

And Yin trusted Blanche with her sister, to do what Garnet wanted and what was best for her. The princess knew that even as a queen, she could never be given a higher honor.

Garnet again looked more at ease after hearing her sister was fine. But then she noticed Blanche.

The princess had tears running down her face, despite making an effort to stop them. A few fell to the paper below.

What's wrong?

"I-. . I need to let you go." Blanche was able to choke out, "You deserve to finally rest." There lives had been hard, now at least one of them could stop fighting.

And so she put her head down and Blanche started to weep, now not an uncommon sight like it use to be.

For a moment the woman before her took a hold of her hands.

Every other summon felt cold, eternally frozen ice molded by the sorceress.

But Garnet was warm, like she had always been.

Hands again held hands when the quill stilled.

Do you want me here?

Blanche lifted her head to read those words, made difficult by her tears, the gloom, and the handwriting.

And the message made it all hurt even more. What could she say? What should she say?

On the face in front of her was only care and concern.

Garnet knew nothing else to feel for her friend, someone more than a friend, so clearly in need.

Blanche could always lie. She had many times before. But that never made anything better, so with what little strength she had she replied.

"I do." Voice shaking, tears still falling, "But you shouldn't stay here just for me. Not in this world that has already taken so much. You would never have to hurt again. Never have to fight again. You can be at peace."

I made a promise didn't I? The characters were bold, the smiling face adamant.

But it only served as another bittersweet reminder.

"We both did." They had made that promise just before the end, just in case anything happened. But this wasn't part of it.

I'll stay with you as long as you need me.

And once again the words stung deeper than any wound she had received. And again she thought to lie; lies that Blanche didn't were either selfish or selfless, but one that might make some of the guilt go away.

But Garnet deserved better than that.

Garnet's face showed the unwavering conviction that she almost always had, especially now when she had to be strong for someone she cared for. It was one of the things Blanche adored about her so much.

"I-I. . . I think I always will."

And Blanche looked into to silver once more, scared of any answer she might find. But their softness and the smile not far beneath revealed what Garnet was writing before the quill even stopped.

Then I'll never leave you.

And the blue woman wrapped her arms around the princess, a warm embrace that they had both once feared they would never share again. Garnet freed one hand for a moment;

I love you.

How could so few words make so much torment go away?

"I love you too."

And they had their happily ever after, not the one they had hoped, but they were happy.

After all, they had each other.

The Queendom would learn to live with one of their queens being blue.

Ruby found herself a bit teary-eyed when she finished the story and closed her little story book.

The two children in front of her were still in a slight trance after having listened to intently.

And then she looked up for the first time in what was probably many minutes; to see her wife had returned from her errands with the amount of groceries one would expect for Ruby Rose and her offspring. Which meant it was a good thing she had the strength of a trained huntress.

How long she had been standing there, Ruby did not know.

"So you turned my worst nightmare about us in to a story for our kids?" Weiss asked somewhat amused.

"I don't know what you are talking about. Neither of us are even in the story at all." Ruby responded sheepishly, clearly not telling the whole truth, arms folded across her chest.

"The white-haired princess-sorceress 'Blanche' together with her partner turned girlfriend, a huntress named 'Garnet' go off and fight to save the world. Of course together with the huntress's sister, a blonde brawler named 'Yin', and her eventual girlfriend, the cat faunus assassin Noir. Among many other things." Apparently she had been standing there long enough. Weiss raised her eyebrow and looked inquisitively at her spouse.

Admittedly, it had not been hard to figure out. The children probably recognized it.

Still, Ruby grinned and blushed, looked somewhat embarrassed at having been found out.

"Well I still liked it," Weiss said with a smile, "But it still is a school night," looking to her now evidently sleepy children between the two of them "so you are both going to bed." Turning her attention back to Ruby, "I'll tuck them in while you put away the groceries"

The children made their complaints to going to sleep now, but they knew that it almost never worked so the whining was merely a token resistance. Weiss picked up the younger Wilda while Summer followed close behind up stairs. They were both in their pajamas already, so they just needed to be put to bed.

As Ruby listened to her wife whom she loved so dearly singing one of her lullabies in that sweet voice she loved so much, to their little whiterosebuds that she also loved with all her heart, Ruby wondered:

What had they done to deserve such a happily ever after?

Hope y'all liked it! This was inspired by art by Weisscoldglare (who made the cover), check out their stuff on Tumblr