What Defines Us - Chapter 43 (Patreon)

It wasn’t long ago that Weiss dreaded Beacon’s expansive grounds.  Every meticulously groomed lawn, sparkling pathway, and towering building seemed permanently attached to memories she’d spent the last year running from.  During her time away, she physically avoided the campus like it carried some new version of plague, but she also did her best to block any thought or news of the school from entering her mind.  

Yet for the second time in a few days, she was stepping off the airship’s ramp and looking towards the buildings which had served as her safe harbor for many years.  

The visual greeting was the same as it had always been, but every time she returned it seemed as if so much had changed.  From her first step onto campus, to graduation, to the most recent Beacon Invite they participated in, to now. Every time she stepped off that airship’s ramp, she felt the magnitude of the changes in her life that had occurred while she was away.  

This time was no exception.

Although her absence had been significantly shorter, so much had changed - and for the better.  As she exited the airship hand-in-hand with Ruby, she could only imagine her previous anxiety of telling Ruby the truth.  She could only vaguely recall her deeply-rooted fear of losing everything once again. 

“Beacon, Beacon, Beacon,” Ruby chanted under her breath while they walked the wide pathways leading to the main campus.

The closer they grew to the heart of Beacon, the faster Weiss’ heart beat in her chest.  While her memories of the past weren’t as acutely painful as they once were, they were still present.  She felt them lurking just underneath the surface, although it was difficult to tell if they were lying in wait or simply...lying around.  Would they suddenly spring to life and overwhelm her with their intensity? Or would they continue to be nothing more than a soft, ever-present undercurrent in her life?  

Today was a challenge for which she was unprepared but also determined to tackle with every bit of courage she could find within her.  She’d never done well with uncertainty - that’s why she trained and studied and planned so meticulously her entire life. Today was no exception, but for Ruby...she was willing to try her best.

“We should start at the beginning!” Ruby chirped while swinging their joined hands.  “When we first met!”

“Even though I already told you that story?” Weiss asked while her eyes scanned their surroundings.  Since it was a school day, the campus was much less crowded than the day of The Invite, but there were a few groups of students roving the grounds on their way to and from class or practice.

“You told me, but I wanna see it!” 

Sighing in resignation, Weiss squeezed Ruby’s hand and led them towards the spot of their unfortunate introduction.  At the time, running into Ruby had been nothing more than an annoying blip on the first day of her intended conquest of Beacon’s hall of records.  But now...the inauspicious beginning was a marker Weiss used for the moment her life had changed for the better.

If she could go back in time, she’d give the past version of herself a good slap on the back of the head and say, ‘That girl - yes, the one you were just extremely rude to - is going to be the most important person in your life in just a few months.  So behave.’ 

Unfortunately, the past version of herself would have merely scoffed at the advice.

The pathway widened in front of them, branching out into the wide, circular space that marked the start of every student’s journey through Beacon.  The main gates towered up ahead, but Weiss paused and stared at the ground under their feet.

“This is it,” she said in nothing more than a whisper while nerves trembled through her hands.  

She considered it a tiny silver lining that Ruby couldn’t remember the person she once was.  Did she really want to undo one of the only benefits of what they’d been through?

Of course she didn’t, but she was committed to seeing this through.  Plus...Ruby’s hand was still clasped around her own - an ever-present reminder that she had support through this day.

“Imagine my suitcases are here -” she explained while gesturing towards the ground near where she believed they were standing at the time.  “And you just fell into them - spilling vials of Dust all over the ground.”

Looking at the empty ground, Ruby giggled.  “Did I completely fall over?”

“What do you think?” Weiss asked with a grin.  

With a little giggle, Ruby dropped Weiss’ hand and did a little hop and tumble that landed her on the ground.  When she rubbed at her elbow in apparent pain, Weiss immediately worried that she accidentally hurt herself, but she didn’t say a word.  Instead, she remained seated and looked up at Weiss with shining silver eyes.

“What next?”

What was next?  A memory that still filled Weiss with guilt and regret...which she would now recreate for Ruby to see and hopefully not judge too harshly.  

Straightening her posture and squaring her shoulders, Weiss searched within herself for the vein of self-righteousness that would likely never leave - ingrained in her through years and years of near-constant scoldings.

“What are you doing?” she snapped at Ruby.  “Do you have any idea the damage you could have caused??  This -” Reaching down, she picked up an invisible vial from the ground.  “Is Dust - from my own family’s quarry.  Are you even listening? Is any of this sinking in?  What do you have to say for yourself?”

While Weiss waited for an answer, Ruby stared up at her with wide eyes.  After blinking several times, Ruby finally laughed, popped back to her feet, and swiped a hand across her pants to brush off any dirt.

“Oh my Grimm - that was so cute!” Ruby squealed, taking Weiss’ hands and spinning them in a circle.

Taken aback by the response, Weiss could only reply, “What?”

“Yeah, you’re all...bossy!”

“I was bossy,” she agreed, still miffed by the positive response to what had been a very rude introduction.  “But I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that.”

“Naw, I partially deserved it.  If I fell into a bunch of Dust, I could’ve blown us sky high!”

“Well...there is that…” Weiss replied with a grateful smile, a swell of relief washing through her as she searched around them for more details to provide.   “This is where you met Blake, too. She walked up from over there. She heard the entire thing and stuck up for you.”

“She did?” Ruby asked, turning in the direction Weiss had pointed.  

“Yes.  She was actually pretty insulting to me, but I ignored her and stomped off with my butlers.”

“Your butlers??”

“Of course.  Did you think I would carry my own bags to the dorm?”

“Uh...no?  I mean, I thought that’s what the unicorns were for.”

Laughing at the joke, Weiss retook Ruby’s hand and led them away from that memory and towards another.  

The initial wave of uncertainty seemed to have left her - especially now that she’d gotten through that without so much as a dent in Ruby’s cheerful grin.  If Ruby wasn’t disappointed by one of their worst encounters, then Weiss had reason to believe the rest of their day would only get better from here.

Maybe this would actually be a little fun.

“Why don’t we go see our dorm next?” she offered.

“Yes!  The place where we first lived together.”  Ruby hopped forward in excitement, partially dragging Weiss along with her.  “I’m so ready!”

“Don’t get too excited.  We’ll probably only get to see the building.  Plus, the rooms were criminally small for four people.”

“Probably on purpose!” Ruby quipped while they walked towards the main auditorium before taking a left towards the dorms.  “Nothing says ‘team bonding’ like being forced to live on top of each other!”

“You know...I never thought of it that way.”  

Glancing around, Weiss took in the ample green spaces and sparkling new buildings constructed after their graduation - none of them for student housing.  Beacon had plenty of space and plenty of funds to build more dormitories, yet they used the same set of buildings for years. 

“You could be right.”

Unintentional genius.  That’s what Weiss called Ruby’s random musings that normally turned out to be far more brilliant than initially expected.  It was a subject Weiss was fond of trying to demystify - spending hours hypothesizing what it was that made Ruby’s incredible intellect seem so...well, surprising.  After years of careful study and research, Weiss had deduced that it was Ruby’s delivery which undermined her well-placed insight. The grin and ever-present smile reduced the weight of her wisdom, and her younger age didn’t help.

“That building right there,” Weiss pointed out as they turned off one of the main paths and headed towards a long, tall building with rows and rows of uniform windows.  The entrance consisted of double doors made entirely of glass, through which several students disappeared up ahead of them.

“Right!  I remember this one, kinda.”

“There’s another one right over there,” Weiss mentioned while gesturing that way.  “We used to have competitions between the two buildings - we usually won, of course.”

“That sounds like a lot of fun!”  As Ruby said the words, she skipped forward and opened the door for Weiss.  

Later, Weiss would give Ruby details on the competitions that had been held, and how exactly they won so many of them.  But right now, she stepped through the doorway, took a deep breath, and felt familiarity wash over her like a wave of incredible homesickness.  

The warm lights spaced along the walls and hung from the ceiling, the industrially tan carpet, the well-worn chairs in the lobby - some occupied by students either studying or chatting - the smell of whatever cleaner was still used, the soft noises of future huntsmen relaxing before or after a hard day’s work…

It was as if they’d never left.

“Wow,” Ruby whispered, stopping just inside the door while her eyes took in the sights.  “This looks...awesome.”

“We spent time here after classes,” Weiss said softly, not wanting to draw attention their way.  “Watching TV or...well, there used to be some game tables in that corner until it became a bit too competitive.”

When Ruby did nothing more than nod her head, Weiss gently pulled her partner up the staircase on the left towards the hall leading to their old room.  Nothing inside the building seemed to have changed since they’d been gone. In fact, it was so similar that this could easily be the two of them walking back to their room after class or practice, not the two of them visiting again after years of being away.

Turning into the hallway – their hallway - Weiss’ feet tried to slow her down as their destination approached.  They might have succeeded too if her hand wasn’t still connected to Ruby’s - and Ruby hardly slowed down for anything.  

“This is it.”  

Pulling Ruby to a stop, Weiss nodded towards the closed door on the left side of the hall.  It looked the same as all of the other doors in the building, but it was more than just a door.  It was more than just a room. This was where she’d learned the value of friendship and comradery.  This was where she’d discovered that success was more than just being top of the class.

Ruby took a step closer, looking at the door before turning to Weiss and then to the door again.

“Are we gonna go in?” she finally asked, pulling Weiss a step closer with their still joined hands.

“Ruby, this isn’t our room anymore.  Someone else lives here now.”

“Yeah, but we can knock and ask!” Ruby replied, to which Weiss chuckled and gestured for Ruby to do as she wanted.  It was unlikely anyone would be home during the middle of a weekday anyway. First years usually had classes all day.

That wouldn’t stop Ruby though, who walked right up to the door and knocked three times.  Several seconds later, Weiss was surprised when the handle turned and the door opened - revealing a young girl standing inside.  She was medium height with a slender build and short, dark hair that was on the edge of pure black, but her most defining feature was her eyes - a deep purple that would make Yang jealous.

“Hi!” Ruby said when the girl looked between them somewhat warily.  “My name’s Ruby, and this is Weiss. This used to be our dorm room like...a lot of years ago...and we were just wondering if we could take a look inside!”

“You’re...Ruby Rose?  The huntress?” the girl asked, her eyes losing all caution as they grew wide in recognition.

“Yup!  Wait, did I say that?” Ruby asked, turning to Weiss in confusion.

“No,” the girl replied before motioning them inside and pointing to a spot on the wall above the door.  

Curious, Ruby glanced at Weiss before walking into their old room.  Already knowing precisely what the girl was pointing at, Weiss took a deep breath and followed Ruby inside before turning around to look up at the wall.

‘Team RWBY was here!’ was scrawled above the doorway in permanent marker, accompanied by a slew of designs Ruby had drawn herself.  Underneath, they’d signed their names - after being ordered to do so by their team leader on the day they moved out. Yang had written her name above Blake’s with a heart in between them.  Ruby had connected her name to Weiss’ with an intricate set of petals that created a beautiful snowflake encapsulating both of their names.

“I’m surprised that wasn’t cleaned off,” Weiss commented while looking up at the memory she’d assumed was washed away years ago.  

“No one lets them,” the girl explained with a small smile.  “Everyone wants Team RWBY’s room.”

“I mean, who wouldn’t!” Ruby exclaimed, spinning around and throwing her arms out towards the beds.  “Look at this place - it’s awesome!”

Following Ruby’s gaze, Weiss took a good look at the new room while a small ache blossomed in her chest.  

The beds had been raised as bunk beds using far more structurally-sound methods.  Gone were Yang’s posters of the AchieveMen and Blake’s stacks of finished and unfinished books.  Gone were Ruby’s haphazard piles of spare weapon parts and Weiss’ meticulously organized school materials.  In its place was someone else’s life - someone else’s belongings. But their names remained...a vibrant reminder of what once was.

“Oh cool!  I love bunk beds!”  Spinning back around - moving quickly out of excitement - Ruby found their host and smiled.  “Uh, sorry I don’t think I got your name?”

“I’m Violet,” the girl introduced herself with a nod.

“Violet!  What a cute name!” Ruby replied, beaming all the while.  “So, Violet, which one is yours?”

“That one,” Violet replied, pointing to the bed on the bottom left of the room - which was very appropriately covered in a lavender bedspread.

“That’s where mine was,” Weiss added, smiling when both of them turned her way.  “Ruby was up top. Then Yang and Blake.”

As she pointed out the beds, she heard a soft humming drifting through the open door before another set of footsteps padded into the room.

“Hey Vi, I got you a -”

The words abruptly stopped when a second team member walked into the room, her eyes widening and her mouth falling open.

“No way,” the canine Faunus said while pointing a cookie towards Ruby.  “You’re Ruby Rose!”

“Uh, guilty?” 

“Holy - Grimm!  And you’re Weiss Schnee!” the girl continued while turning to Weiss.  “You’re like, half of Team RWBY! Vi - half of Team RWBY is in our room - I mean, their room.”  Pausing to shake her head, throwing her dark brown ponytail in a swirl, the girl grinned when Violet laughed at the starstruck response.  

“Oh man, Russ and Lil are gonna be so bummed they didn’t get to meet you guys!”

“This is Skyler,” Violet said while the newest arrival looked at them with a giddy, open-mouthed smile - her dark brown tail swaying happily back and forth.  “She’s our team leader.”

“But you can call me Sky!” the girl was quick to add.

Russ, Lil, Skyler, Violet.

Skyler, Lil, Violet, Russ.

“SLVR?” Weiss asked, to which both girls nodded in unison.  

“That’s us!” Sky replied with a grin.  “Only the best team at Beacon!”

“The best?” Violet asked with a disbelieving look.

“Ok, best in our year - is that better?” Sky corrected before turning to Ruby.  “Will you race me??”

“Uh…” Ruby replied, looking at Weiss for help.

“I’m pretty fast!  Like one of the fastest in our year!” Sky added as an incentive.  “Please? I’ve always wanted to race you! They say you’re the fastest girl in the history of the school!”

“What?  Really??  Is that true?”

When Ruby looked at Weiss again, she nodded in agreement with the lofty praise.  

“You were.  No one could touch you.”

“Until Sky came along, apparently,” Violet replied with a shake of her head.

“Ok, obviously I’m not gonna beat Ruby freaking Rose in a race, but I can still try!”

While the two girls bantered, Ruby gave Weiss a look that asked what they should do next.  When Weiss nodded encouragingly, Ruby broke into a huge smile and turned back to the two girls that she probably saw more as peers than students.

“That sounds like fun!  We can race down the hall and back?” Ruby asked with a grin that only grew when both girls’ jaws dropped open in surprise.

“Y-yeah!  That sounds great!” Sky managed to reply while Violet numbly nodded her head.  Weiss fought the urge to smile at their starstruck reactions while the four of them walked into the hall, which had seen its fair share of foot races in their day.  Unbeknownst to Ruby, she had, at one time or another, raced every single person who lived on this floor with them - and beaten them all.

“Vi.  Vi. Please tell me you’ll record this.”

“You getting your butt kicked by Ruby Rose?  Absolutely.”

While Violet held up her scroll, Sky said, “Yes!” and bounced around the hall with the energy of a puppy before finally standing right beside Ruby - looking at Ruby with unmistakable admiration in her eyes.

“Down and back just once?” Ruby asked, not seeming to realize just how big of a deal this was to the younger girls.

“Yeah!  I mean, unless you wanna race further or something.”

“I think down and back will be good enough,” Weiss added while giving Ruby a quick wink.  “We don’t want to tire them out too much. I’m sure they have classes they’re missing out on.”

With a knowing smile, Weiss turned towards the two members of Team SLVR and watched the dismay grow on their faces while Sky’s tail abruptly ceased its wagging.

“Uh...we’re...sick, you see?  Vi and I woke up with bad colds,” Sky sputtered before faking a cough into one hand.

“Oh!  If you’re sick, we probably shouldn’t race -” Ruby said with genuine concern but a hint of playfulness in her eyes.

“What?  No, I’m not that sick!”  As Sky backtracked, she waved both hands through the air before extending one towards Ruby.  “Uh - do you want a cookie?”

Letting out a delighted sound at the offer, Ruby accepted the cookie and ate half of it in one bite.

“Sorry Vi - I just gave your cookie to Ruby Rose,” Sky whispered out of the corner of her mouth towards her teammate.

“Completely ok with that,” Vi whispered back, still recording the entire thing for posterity.  After Ruby polished off the cookie, she wiped the crumbs from her hands and clapped them together.

“That was great!  Ok, you ready?”

“Yes!  Totally!”  Hopping forward, Sky struck a sprinter’s pose on the floor.  As her concentration narrowed in on the hall in front of her, her tail finally came to a complete stop while her muscles quivered in anticipation.  Meanwhile, Ruby brushed a fuzz off of her shoulder and gave Weiss a blinding grin.

The grin said more than words ever could - Ruby was having a lot of fun.  Then again, she’d always loved meeting new people, especially new huntsmen - something she now seemed ready and able to do after her injuries faded into the past.

“Violet?  Why don’t you say ‘go?’” Ruby asked, directing her words towards the girl still hiding behind her scroll.

“Oh, ok!  Ready...set...go!”  

As soon as the word left Violet’s mouth, Sky shot out of her stance and took off down the hall - her long legs carrying her swiftly towards the opposite wall.  Ruby watched the girl run with a goofy grin on her lips, turning towards Weiss and nodding in appreciation. Meanwhile, Violet stared at Ruby - the scroll still recording - and waited for her to do something.

“She is fast,” Ruby commented with a nod of respect.

“I agree,” Weiss answered, watching Sky break out of the turn and come flying back towards them.

Leaning into Weiss’ shoulder, Ruby whispered, “Should I let her win?”

Chuckling, Weiss shook her head.  “They want you to impress them,” she replied in a low voice, patting Ruby’s arm in reassurance.

Nodding to herself, Ruby looked over and found that Sky was practically back to them - with only a quarter of the hallway left to go.  The next second Ruby was gone, shooting off in a stream of rose petals before skidding to a stop in front of them an instant later. Sky returned a split second after, putting her hands on her hips and staring at Ruby in shock.

“Did you - even move?” she huffed while sucking in deep breaths of air.

“Uh, Sky…”  

Catching her leader’s attention, Violet nodded towards the hall.  When Sky turned around, she found the fresh petals marking a clear path where Ruby had just been.

“Holy...Grimm…”

“So when they said you were fast, what they apparently meant was supersonic,” Violet clarified, shaking her head before an idea popped into her mind.  “Can we spar you guys?”

“Yeah!” Sky immediately piped in, her tail going full force again.  “Team SLVR versus Team RWBY!”

“That sounds like fun!” Ruby replied, this time without turning to Weiss for assistance and taking the lead on her own.  “But how about after you graduate?”

“Yes!  I wanna go toe-to-toe with Yang Xiao Long,” Sky said, rubbing her hands together in excitement.

“She’s going to wipe the floor with you.”  

“Nuh uh!  I’ve got a plan!”

“Really?  What is it?”  

“I can’t tell you right now,” Sky said while blatantly motioning her head towards Ruby and Weiss.  “That’ll give it away!”

While the two teammates playfully bickered, Weiss chuckled.  The interaction brought back memories of when they were in school - when the four of them teasingly squabbled over practically everything.

“I hope you’re not planning on using her semblance against her!” Ruby commented, smiling when Sky’s eyes widened in surprise.  “Because that’s been tried before, and I can personally tell you that it hurts.”

“I’m sure you weren’t planning on doing that,” Violet teased while elbowing her leader in the side.

“Uh...yeah, definitely wasn’t my plan.”

Giggling at the obvious lie, Ruby took her place by Weiss’ side and reached down to hold her hand.

“Guess we should let you guys get to class, but thanks for letting us see our old room!  Looks like it’s in good hands.” 

“It is!  We’ll take good care of it for you guys!”

“I appreciate that,” Ruby replied in a teasingly serious tone.  “And thanks for the race - that was fun. We’ll see you guys in a couple years, so you better study hard!”

The two members of Team SLVR shared a quick glance before resolutely nodding their heads.  When Ruby and Weiss turned to walk away, she overheard Sky hurriedly whisper, “We should go to class,” before both girls ran back into the room.

“You just made their year,” Weiss commented while they headed towards the staircase. 

“I can’t wait to spar against them!” Ruby replied with a cheerful hop.  “We need to get really good before they graduate.”

“Yes, because that’s why we should practice.  Nothing to do with Grimm or keeping the city safe, but to ensure we can beat a group of recent graduates.”

“That and keeping the city safe and stuff!”  Throwing a grin Weiss’ way, Ruby tried to jog down the steps way too quickly, but thankfully slowed down when she realized that Weiss would be dragged along with her.

“That was so much fun though!” Backing into the door leading them outside, Ruby again held it open for Weiss.  “I can see what you mean about the rooms being tiny. I can’t believe all four of us lived in there at the same time.”

“There was a serious adjustment period, believe me.”  Thinking back on their first few days spent as a team, Weiss shook her head.  “Especially between Yang and me.”

“You two didn’t get along??”

Noticing the way Ruby’s eyes sparkled with unconcealed eagerness at hearing some drama from their past, Weiss shook her head again.  

“She takes way too much time getting ready in the morning,” Weiss explained.  And somehow, the complaint still came out as a whine after all these years.  “Other people need to get ready too! She’s not the only one who wants to look nice for class.”

Pausing their aimless amble away from the dorm building, Ruby gave Weiss a sympathetic expression that worked wonders in soothing away a minor annoyance which had stuck with her all this time.

“Yang does take forever getting ready,” Ruby agreed with a diplomatic nod.  “Why didn’t we like...enforce a time limit on everyone? That way it’s fair.”

The solution instantly brought a smile to Weiss’ face.

“You know, that’s exactly what you suggested the first time,” she replied, giving Ruby’s hand a loving squeeze.  “And it worked. There were hardly any fights over the bathroom after that.”

“Almost like I’m the same person!”  Ruby’s next step was a joyful skip before she came to a stop and turned in nearly a complete circle.  “But where are we going now?”

With a smile locked in place, Weiss took a deep breath of the warm midday air and searched around them.  On the walk away from the airship, she’d hoped the memories would stay at bay, but now she was inviting them out into the open - beckoning them back into the light.  Everywhere she looked, she saw them clamoring for her attention. ‘Pick me, pick me’ each seemed to say. Unfortunately, there wasn’t time to get through even a fraction of them today, but she could choose some of the highlights.

“Would you like to see where you asked me out?” Weiss asked when her eyes fell upon the building up ahead.

“I asked you out?  Wow, way to go past me!”

Smiling at the genuine surprise in Ruby’s tone, Weiss led them towards their next destination.  It was one of the classroom buildings, but its location across from the dining hall meant that there was almost always a steady stream of students milling around outside.  Ruby probably chose the location for this reason - that, or she’d wanted to see the cafeteria at the same time she asked Weiss out.

“Yes, you’re the one who asked.  Although, if I’d been able to summon the courage, I might’ve asked earlier.”

“Awww were you nervous?  I bet that was super cute!!”

“I was...unsure.”  Leading them between two buildings, Weiss pulled them to a stop and waved towards the location forever burned in her memories.  “Here it is.”

The two of them looked up at the slanted roof for a few moments while Weiss fondly remembered that day from so many years ago.

“So...I asked you after class or something?” Ruby finally asked, cutting into the memory and reminding Weiss that she needed to share her thoughts out loud.

“It was after dinner, actually.”

“Like right here?  Out in the open?”

“Well, I was standing right about…”  Looking around, Weiss took three steps backward.  “Here,” she finished.

“And where was I?”

Weiss grinned at the question and nodded towards the roof of the building.

“You were up there.”

When Ruby’s eyes followed the direction Weiss gestured in, her expression filled with confusion.

“I was up there?  Why was I on the roof?”

“That’s how you decided to ask me,” Weiss explained, thoroughly enjoying telling Ruby this story of their past.  “We’d just walked out of dinner - for the life of me, I can’t remember if anything special happened during dinner - and when we came outside, you told me that you had something important to ask.  ‘Very important’ you said.”

At that time, Ruby had been practically vibrating with untapped energy.  Knowing better than to deny a request when Ruby was prepared to bounce off the walls, Weiss had sighed and acquiesced. 

“I was a little annoyed because we had a big project to work on, but said ‘sure’ and you told me to wait right here,” she continued explaining.  “Then you climbed on top of the roof. I yelled at you to get down, but you wouldn’t listen. Instead, you started shouting for the entire world to hear…”

“What did I say??” 

The eager question made Weiss chuckle while remembering that day.

“‘Weiss,’” she repeated as best she could from memory.  “‘You’re the best partner ever - and I like you a lot. Like a lot.  I want you to be my girlfriend - will you go out with me?  I’m not coming down until you say you’ll go out with me!’”

“Really??  I did that?”

Smiling, Weiss turned to Ruby and nodded.

“You did.  It was one of the best moments of my life.  Mortally embarrassing, but also wonderful.”

Biting her lip, Ruby looked at the roof and then nodded with an air of finality.  The next second, she dropped Weiss' hand and jogged towards the corner of the building.

“Ruby!” Weiss yelped, reaching out but missing her chance to grab Ruby’s arm, and instead chasing after her and watching her clamber up the staggered bricks in the wall.  “What are you doing? You can’t go up there!”

But Ruby was already pulling herself over the ledge to the roof and standing unsteadily on her feet.

“Get back down here!” Weiss called up to her.  “You could hurt yourself!”

“We’re re-enacting, Weiss!” Ruby replied with a big grin before glancing towards a group of students walking across the lawn.  With another grin, she stood up straight and cupped her hands around her mouth.

“Ruby, don’t you dare!” Weiss yelled.

But it was too late.

“Listen up Beacon!” Ruby bellowed across the ground, drawing every eye within hearing distance her way.  “I - Ruby Rose - am in love with Weiss Schnee! That’s right - that beautiful girl standing right there!”

When Ruby pointed down from the roof, Weiss felt her cheeks grow atomically hot in no time.

“Ruby!” she tried again, but Ruby just beamed down at her while someone in the background whistled in approval.  

“She’s the best partner ever!” Ruby called out to a group of “Here here!”s in the distance.  “And I’m so happy she’s my partner!”

“Ruby, get down here right now!” Weiss demanded, stomping her foot once while steam very nearly rolled off her burning cheeks.  Still grinning, Ruby finally dropped down to join her.

So much had changed, but that was just as embarrassing as it had been the first time.

Grabbing Ruby’s hand, Weiss dragged her partner into the building to escape the curious eyes that were now glued upon them.  Once inside, she lowered her voice in the sudden quiet.

“I can’t believe you did that,” she muttered - turning around with a huff, only to find Ruby beaming with pride.

“I can’t believe I did that either!” Ruby squealed, lowering her voice when Weiss gestured for her to be quiet.  “Oh man. That was awesome. I’m definitely gonna remember that forever.  Or...at least until my next head injury.”

Even though Weiss was pretending to be disgruntled by the healthy dose of embarrassment, her mind kept repeating what Ruby had just shouted for the world to hear.  ‘I’m so happy she’s my partner!’

If Weiss’ heart belonged to anyone, it was Ruby.  She didn’t care who knew about it, but the fact that Ruby also didn’t care...it was more than Weiss could ever ask for.

Breaking from her adoration-filled daze, she quickly glanced around the lobby of the building and found it empty at the moment.  Classes must still be in session.

“We had quite a few classes in here,” she explained while gesturing towards one of the hallways.  “Want to take a look?”

“You read my mind!” 

Shaking her head at the obvious answer, Weiss took Ruby’s hand and led them down a hall with closed doors on either side.  Stopping at the first door, Weiss peeked through the small window and found a classroom filled with students raptly paying attention to their lesson.  At least, some students were paying attention. Others were very clearly drawing doodles in their notebooks instead of taking notes.

“Beacon wasn’t only about training with our semblances and weapons,” Weiss whispered while Ruby crept up to the door and peered through the glass.  “We were also instructed on subjects that would help us after leaving the school. Dust Theory, History of Vale and Remnant, Grimm Anatomy, Team Strategy…”

“We should sneak in!” Ruby whispered excitedly.

“We probably shouldn’t,” Weiss answered, glancing through the window one more time.  “They’re in the middle of a lesson.”

“But I wanna hear it!”

“Ruby…”

“Please?  Come on; I forgot all of the lessons I learned - let me catch half of one!”

Pursing her lips, Weiss thought over her options.  She could stand her ground, but then Ruby would be disappointed that she missed out on a true Beacon experience.  Or she could agree and they could try to sneak in, but most likely they’d be caught and then who knew what would happen.

There was an obvious answer to this predicament...and it wasn’t the one where Weiss turned down Ruby’s request.  Because at this point, it didn’t seem like she was able to turn down any of Ruby’s requests.

“Fine.  But we have to be quiet.”

Raising one fist in excitement, Ruby brought it towards her and mouthed ‘yes!’ without making a sound.  Shaking her head, but taking the lack of words as acceptance of the direction, Weiss carefully twisted the knob on the door.  Once the latch released, she pushed it open just far enough for her to slip inside, with Ruby right on her heels.  

Finding a pair of empty seats in the back row, Weiss gestured with her head and crouched while sneaking over to them.

“Ruuuuby Rose!” Professor Port’s loud voice almost immediately bellowed out, freezing them in their tracks mere feet inside the door.  “And Weiss Schnee! What an unexpected pleasure.”

When every eye in the room turned their way, Weiss straightened and softly cleared her throat while her cheeks burned at the intense attention they were receiving.  Seemingly at a loss for what to do, Ruby waved her hand and said, “Uh, hello, sir.”

“‘Sir?’” Professor Port repeated before chuckling.  “My father was Sir - you can call me Professor.”

“Uh, yes sir - professor!” Ruby stammered.  Reaching over, Weiss touched Ruby’s arm in a silent signal that she would try to talk them out of this.

“Sorry to have interrupted, Professor,” she said politely.  “We were curious about the subject matter for today, but we’ll get out of your hair now.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she grabbed Ruby’s arm and tried to lead them back to the door.

“Well, wait a minute -”

Cringing at the words, Weiss threw on another polite smile and turned back towards Professor Port, who was now using one hand to smooth both ends of his mustache.

“It’s not often we’re blessed with such esteemed guests,” he said before waving a hand towards the floor beside him.  “I’m sure my students would love a demonstration of what a true huntsman is capable of.”

Resisting the urge to sigh out loud, Weiss gestured for Ruby to follow her down the steps.  They’d already been caught red-handed and had their graceful exit dashed...and she couldn’t think of another way to remove themselves from the situation while saving face.  Their best option would be to oblige in their former teacher’s direction.

While walking down the aisle towards the section of room the Professor used as his pulpit, Weiss didn’t miss the looks of dismay they garnered.  And she certainly didn’t miss the whispers of excitement that were spreading throughout the room.

At least everyone was paying attention now.

“Uh, Weiss,” Ruby whispered while they passed between rows of students.  “I totally agree with you. Sneaking in is a bad idea.”

Shaking her head, Weiss couldn’t resist smiling when they met Professor Port in the middle of the room.  Drawing up to his full height, he smiled at Weiss before positively beaming at Ruby.

“Miss Rose,” he said in a quieter voice while dipping his head in respect.  “It’s an honor to have you here in my classroom today.”

“Thank you, s-uh, Mr. Professor,” Ruby stammered.  When Weiss reached out and touched Ruby’s elbow in assurance, Ruby shook her head and found a true smile.  “I’m happy to be here!”

“Now let’s show everyone how true partners work together,” he called out before gesturing grandly for Ruby and Weiss to take the floor.  Stepping off to one side, he nodded at them.

“Uh...what do we do?” Ruby whispered out of the side of her mouth while everyone stared at them in expectation.

“We show them how true partners work together,” Weiss repeated while her mind raced to think of something worthy of displaying.  Ruby’s speed was always impressive, but how could Weiss factor into the equation?

“I have an idea,” she whispered.  “Use your semblance in a circle.” As she spoke, she motioned quickly around the room.  “Keep a steady pace and be prepared to stop.”

With no further instruction, Ruby nodded and jogged over to the edge of the floor while Weiss moved into the center.  As she took a deep breath, she watched Ruby disappear into a cloud of petals that made several students murmur in surprise.

A steady wind picked up, swirling around Weiss while a red blur made lap after lap around her.  Petals flew in all directions, and the students watched raptly now, some with jaws dropped as Ruby showed them why she’d earned the title of fastest huntress on Remnant.  

Grinning at the respect Ruby rightfully deserved, Weiss took another deep, calming breath and closed her eyes.  Focusing her mind and reaching out into the darkness, she found Ruby’s presence in the room. There. There. There.  There. 

The laps were completed as steady a metronome - never changing pace, always beginning and ending at exactly the same time.  It was precisely what Weiss needed Ruby to do.

With Ruby’s position blipping like a dot on her radar, Weiss focused on her own semblance and summoned her soldier into creation once more.  Drawing him up, she threw him towards the ceiling until he towered far above her head, filling the room while more murmurs of surprise swept the space beyond her concentration.

With her eyes closed, she could feel the sword clutched in Ronnie’s hands.  Within her mind, she watched as he passed the hilt from one hand to the other before raising it high above his head, nearly scraping the ceiling in the process.

There.  There. There.  There.

The instant Weiss felt Ruby’s presence pass the point directly in front of her, Ronnie slammed the sword into the ground and gasps of surprise swept through the room.  The wind died down, but the smell of roses remained...and when Weiss opened her eyes, she was greeted by Ruby’s cheerful grin - with Ronnie’s sword stuck into the floor a mere inch from her feet.

“Bravo!” Professor Port called out, clapping his hands together twice while joining them in the middle of the room.  Turning to the dumbfounded students, he said, “Let that be a lesson to you all - teamwork takes years of practice, but can lead to extraordinary results if fostered appropriately.”

When he turned back to Ruby and Weiss, he gave them a slight bow.  “Thank you both for the demonstration.”

“Thank you, Professor,” Weiss replied before grabbing Ruby’s hand, offering a quick curtsy to the onlookers, and leading Ruby up the steps and out of the room.  Excited whispers followed them out while Professor Port loudly cleared his throat to regain the attention of his class. 

“Students -”

When the door shut behind them, closing out Professor Port’s booming voice, Weiss finally let out a sigh of relief.  Of course, Ruby was beaming as if that had been the best thing to ever happen to them.

“He seemed really cool!” she said while obediently following Weiss back to the lobby and away from any more classroom forays.  “Man...I wish I could go to a school like this. Having real huntsmen drop in and give demonstrations…”

“Ruby, you did go to school here,” Weiss reminded her.

“I know, but...it seems super awesome, and I wish I remembered.”

“I wish you did too,” Weiss admitted as a pinprick of guilt appeared.  Pausing in the lobby, she took Ruby’s other hand and looked into her silver eyes.  “I’m sorry that you don’t remember, but I’ll explain everything to you. In as much detail as you want.  If you want to go through every single day we spent here, I’ll try my best to remember for you.”

When Ruby smiled at the offer, unbridled relief flowed through Weiss’ veins.  For as much as she’d wished away her memories from Beacon, now she was eternally grateful to still have them in her possession.  She would use them to give Ruby back as much as possible.

“But how did you know where I was?” Ruby suddenly asked, nodding towards the classroom they’d left behind.  “I saw you - you had your eyes closed! How did you time it so perfectly?”

“I don’t always need to see you to know where you are.”

The response made Ruby’s jaw drop in surprise before she hopped between her feet in excitement.  “Then it’s true then?? We can...feel each other??”

“Yes,” Weiss answered, her amusement growing as she watched Ruby continue to bounce on her toes.  “In a way. It becomes easier with steady training. Although I’m not sure if it’s actually sensing you or just being intimately familiar with your tendencies.”

“Either way!”  Turning to fall in step with Weiss, Ruby shoved the door open and led them into the sun.  Once outside, she turned and gave Weiss a shy smile. “I thought that I could feel you yesterday.  When we were fighting in the combat room.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.  But then when I focused too much on it, it went away.”

Feeling her brow crease in thought, Weiss looked at Ruby to ensure she was serious - which, of course she was, because it wasn’t like Ruby to make something like this up.

“Wow,” Weiss remarked when the news fully sank in.  “That’s -”

Surprising?  Amazing? Early?  It had taken them years to develop that link at Beacon, yet Ruby had already grasped onto it after a handful of fights together?  

It was realizations like these that led Weiss to believe that their connection hadn’t been as severed as she believed.  Sure, Ruby had no actual recollection of their time together, but something within her seemed to have maintained ties to their training.  The years of effort they’d poured into becoming the best partners Remnant had ever seen...that work hadn’t completely vanished. Bits and pieces had survived, hidden deep within Ruby’s mind just waiting to be unearthed.

The memories of Weiss had been wiped from Ruby’s mind, but their bond hadn’t been fully broken.  Just look at how quickly they’d grown this close once more...

“Oh, I promised you this one,” Weiss suddenly said, pulling Ruby off the main path and around the corner of the cafeteria.  Since there were no entrances or exits on this side of the building, it wasn’t a path used by many students on a typical day.  Instead, it was just a smooth strip of green hidden from view.

In the short moment of privacy, Weiss pulled Ruby closer - so they hugged the wall of the building and were even more out of sight.  Rolling up to her tiptoes, Weiss kissed Ruby softly on the lips before falling back to her heels and feeling a blush grow.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” she whispered, recalling her words from that day.  “I hope that was alright.”

“That was -” Ruby started to say before clearing her throat and grinning like a fool.  “That was more than ok.”

Smiling slyly, Weiss reached up and straightened Ruby’s collar.

“I thought you lost your memories from Beacon,” she teased, allowing her hands to rest on Ruby’s shoulders.  “But you seemed to have remembered that one.”

“Actually, now that you mention it...”

Rolling her eyes when she realized what Ruby would say next, Weiss tilted her chin up and accepted Ruby’s kiss - wrapping her arms around Ruby’s neck and pulling her even closer.  It might not be a decent action while in public, but each time they kissed, she was finding it harder and harder to stop.

After the three hundred and thirty-seven Beowolves Ruby managed to personally destroy yesterday and the ensuing reward (which hadn’t even approached fulfilling that entire amount), Weiss deserved a medal for her efforts in maintaining Ruby’s innocence.  Multiple medals. Of course, the last thing she wanted was a medal…

Breaking away and pressing one hand to Ruby’s collar to prevent pursuit, Weiss turned to the side and tried to slow her heart to a more normal pace.

“It didn’t go quite like that,” she mumbled, turning back when she heard Ruby’s pleased giggle.

“I dunno, I kinda liked that version!”  As Ruby grinned, her eyes quickly scanned their surroundings before landing once more on Weiss.  “This was where we had our first kiss.”

The words were issued like a statement, but Ruby’s eyes asked them as a question that she wanted to be confirmed out loud.

“Yes,” Weiss replied with a nod.  “This was where we had our first kiss.”

Feeling Ruby’s fingers curl against her waist, Weiss shivered as tingles traveled down her spine.

“Our first kiss,” Ruby repeated with that same goofy grin.  “And I asked you out right over there -” Briefly glancing over her shoulder towards the classroom building they couldn’t see anymore, Ruby turned back to Weiss with that same grin set in place.  “Beacon has everything, doesn’t it?”

Laughing at Ruby’s happiness, Weiss nodded in agreement.

“Something for just about everyone, yes.”

The words caused Ruby’s eyes to light up with an idea.

“Oh!  Blake told me the story about how Yang asked her out.  She said there was this clearing in the woods - do you know where it is?”

“I do,” Weiss replied.  “Do you want to see it?”

“Kinda.  So I can complain to Yang about it!”

While Ruby smiled, Weiss took her hand and led them away from their secluded hiding place.

“Follow me.”

“How do you know where it is?” Ruby asked while they backtracked across campus.

“Because I watched you fill it with petals,” Weiss answered, leading them away from the main buildings and down a well-worn path towards the outer reaches of the Emerald Forest.  This particular clearing was well known across Beacon because it was remote, but in a section of woods that was considered ‘safe.’ She could only imagine the number of confessions that had occurred there...away from the prying eyes and ears of fellow team members.

The path away from Beacon led directly to a break in the massive trees edging the forest in front of them, but Weiss stopped before setting foot inside.

“We really shouldn’t go out there unarmed,” she said regretfully.

“Then let’s get our weapons!”  Racing forward several steps, Ruby spun around and put both hands on her cheeks.  “Oh my god. I’ve never used a locker before!”

“Now’s as good a time as any,” Weiss remarked while nodding for Ruby to call Crescent Rose and Thorn - who’d been safely stored in the weapon locker last night after they finished with their training.  Squealing in delight, Ruby dug her scroll out of her pocket and tapped several buttons before Weiss heard the telltale whistling of a locker about to plummet into the earth at their feet.

Taking one step back as an extra precaution, Weiss smiled when Ruby let out a loud “whoop!” of excitement as the locker lodged itself in the ground between them.  Another ‘first’ that Weiss had the immense pleasure of witnessing a second time around - Ruby’s undisguised joy in such ‘trivial’ matters still found a way to warm Weiss’ heart.

While Ruby gleefully retrieved her weapon, Weiss turned to the side and summoned Myrtenaster as well.  Seconds later, they were fully armed and prepared to walk into the trees.

“It’s not far.”  Stepping under the shaded canopy, Weiss turned to make sure Ruby was right behind her.  “There probably aren’t any Grimm this close, but…”

“Better to be safe than sorry!” Ruby replied.

“Exactly.”

Studying the ground at their feet, Weiss picked out several paths taken by students when they headed out on various training missions.  Straight ahead led deeper into the forest for lessons that would almost certainly involve real Grimm. The path to the left led to a stream and cornucopia of wildflowers and fruits used for survival lessons.  And to the right - the clearing Ruby wanted to see for herself.

“So a locker can follow your scroll, right?” Ruby whispered while trailing Weiss along the narrow pathway broken between various shrubs and aged trees.

“Yes.”

“Then theoretically...if I held my scroll and kept moving...the locker would follow me?”

Quickly connecting the dots for what was not-at-all an innocent question, Weiss stopped walking and turned around.

“Please don’t have a locker chase you.  That sounds incredibly unsafe.”

“It’d only be unsafe if it caught me!”

“And what would happen then?”

Deliberating for several moments, Ruby pondered the ramifications of a several hundred pound rocket-powered metal tube ‘catching’ her.  Eventually, she shook her head and smiled.

“I can dodge bullets!  No way that thing could get me!”

“And how do you know you can dodge bullets?” Weiss asked, her alarm growing right along with Ruby’s sheepish expression.

“Ruby!” she exclaimed when no response came within a reasonable period.  “Alright - which one was it? Blake or Yang? It was Yang, wasn’t it? How could she possibly think that was a good idea -”

“Woah woah!  It wasn’t Yang - it was totally me!  I rigged up a little contraption for myself!” 

“Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?” Weiss retorted, lowering her voice when she thought she heard a twig snap nearby.

“Kinda...ok, I won’t do it again, ‘k?”

Pursing her lips and straightening her posture, Weiss finally determined that the response was satisfactory and nodded to symbolize as much.

“You’re very important,” she said in a gentle tone.  “Not only to me, but to many other people as well. I hope you’ve seen that today.”

“You’re right.  I’ll be more careful - promise!”  When Ruby took both of Weiss’ hands in earnestness, Weiss smiled and pulled Ruby forward.

“Good.  And we’re here.”  As Weiss stepped backwards through the trees, she watched Ruby’s eyes widen in amazement at what she saw.

It seemed like such a simple thing - a clearing in the midst of the forest - but what made it so worthy of marvel?  Was it the way its circular shape seemed too perfect to be real? Was it the tall, majestic white tree trunks hemming them in on all sides?  Was it the angle of the afternoon sun, which shone down on them and illuminated half the space with ease? Or was it that they were out here together - in the peace only afforded when the buildings and city lights fell away?

“Now imagine it filled with petals,” Weiss said, leading them to the center of the clearing before releasing Ruby’s hands.  “Every single inch of the ground covered in red.”

Biting her bottom lip and turning in a full circle, Ruby eventually returned her gaze to Weiss.

“I wanna try something out!” 

No sooner had the words appeared did Ruby disappear in a breath of roses.  Curious, Weiss watched while Ruby zoomed in rapid circles around the clearing, sending petals everywhere.  It was just as Weiss had seen all those years ago...when Ruby had been on a mission to help her big sister in any way that she could.

When a fair amount of petals littered the forest floor, Ruby suddenly spiraled into the air, creating a vortex of wind that moved quickly upward.  Following her partner’s movements, Weiss stared in wonder as the sky above her filled with petals - as if she was standing inside a whirlwind of roses.

Seconds late, the wind abruptly stopped and Ruby dropped down from the sky - landing in front of Weiss in a crouch before reaching out to take both of her hands.  Meanwhile, Weiss watched the petals drift back to earth from far above the treetops...looking as if it was snowing roses around them.

“Would it be lame if I told you that I love you now?” Ruby asked, finally drawing Weiss’ gaze downward.  The feeling of smooth metal against her skin was a reminder of Thorn’s presence, but the glowing lines of perfectly-painted thorns were also a reminder of the connection that ran between them.

“No.”

Weiss’ breath caught in her chest while looking at Ruby’s beautiful silver eyes with a backdrop of rose-colored snow falling behind her.

“I love you,” Ruby said with an easy smile. 

“I love you too.”  

Dropping Ruby’s hands, Weiss threw her arms around Ruby’s neck and hugged her close.  She held Ruby until the last of the petals fell to the ground, and only then retreated to find Ruby’s eyes.

“That was beautiful,” she admitted, much to Ruby’s delight.

“You’re beautiful,” Ruby replied before immediately blushing - as if she hadn’t expected those words to slip out.  “But, uh, thanks for coming back here with me. I had a lot of fun today.”

“Surprisingly, I did too.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes,” Weiss answered before looking around at the petal-strewn ground and sighing in content.  Today had gone better than she could have ever expected. 

“But how are you feeling?” she asked when realizing that she hadn’t been the only one participating in this potentially stressful day.  “Are you feeling at all...overwhelmed?”

“No, not really.  It’s weird...maybe it’s because I’ve already accepted that you’re my partner and stuff, but it’s like being told a really nice story.  I don’t feel super connected to it right now, but I’d still like to believe it’s true.”

“It is true.”

Weiss might have expected Ruby to smile at the response, but instead she bit her lip and allowed her eyes to briefly flit away before returning with an earnest expression. 

“I think it might be more important for you to tell me this stuff than for me to hear it,” Ruby admitted with a caring smile.  “It would drive me crazy if I was the only one holding all these memories and had no one to share them with.”

Unintentional genius.  The way Ruby could deduce unspoken feelings was nearly in line with Yang’s ability to read people.  And she was right. Sharing and recreating the past was cathartic in a way Weiss could never have imagined.  Walking through these memories again, not alone, but with company, made them feel less...isolated and painful. Even if Ruby didn’t remember, the mere act of acknowledging the past lifted the heavy weight that had bogged down memories of this place.

Not only were they able to return to the stories of their past, but they’d also created new memories to take forward from here.  And, regardless of how it sometimes felt, not all had been lost.

“Let’s go home?” Ruby asked, meeting Weiss’ eyes with silver that asked the same question.

Glancing at the clearing covered in petals, Weiss nodded and allowed Ruby to take her hand and lead them out of the forest.  Back to Beacon...and then back to their life together. 

There was no longer any question in her mind where ‘home’ was because, after spending months adrift in a sea of unknown, she’d finally made it back.  She’d finally made it home.