A Long Way To Go

2-DAY EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS! My final (planned) RWBY Tuesday story!

This was a story I wrote over a year ago, meant for a zine that never ended up happening. I waited a year and held out hope for it, but it never pulled through, so I'm finally just sharing this story as it is with you all.

It's sort of got the 'good old times' feel to it. This is the kind of story I always enjoyed writing for RWBY.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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														A Long Way To Go

There comes a time in the journey for answers when Weiss nearly forgets exactly where they are, and exactly where they're headed. They've traveled for days and weeks and months, and somewhere along the lines it becomes easier to forget the names of places and to simply consider the group to be somewhere between Point A and Point B.

If there's anything she's learned in her time with team RWBY, it's that sometimes it's better not to worry about the future, and to just live in the moment.

The group arrives at a rest point, a discreet cabin in the heart of some woods, a residence no one knows about except for those who should. One night's rest was all they'd needed, and hardly anyone is surprised by Ruby's suggestion to go out training the day after.

Since being reunited, the team has fought plenty side-by-side, but admittedly has done little training together. Weiss in particular wants to know exactly what new techniques they've all picked up, and she herself wouldn't mind honing her Summoning skills a bit.

Naturally everyone accepts Ruby's offer, and after a few cautioning words from Qrow, the team is heading off into the forest. They walk in a line, all shoulder to shoulder, and while they've never minded the company of JNPR or Oscar or anyone else, it's rather nice to have time together as their own team.

Being in the forest together with them brings back Weiss' memories of Beacon Academy, of the Emerald Forest and of Forever Fall, of times that were simpler and a little more fun. They've come a long way, but they still have a long way to go.

As they walk, Weiss gets lost in thought until her teammates' voices bring her back to the present.

"Honestly," Blake says. "I don't really have that many new techniques. Nothing you guys haven't seen already."

"Yeah..." Ruby admits, grinning sheepishly. "I only really have, like, one new move. And it's kind of similar to my old move."

"But-" Yang cuts in. "We all know there's someone here who has a very cool new technique."

All eyes turn to Weiss, and she almost stumbles.

"Huh? Me?"

"Yeah!" Yang moves over to sling an arm around her shoulders. "All that Summoning stuff is crazy cool and you know it."

"It isn't a new technique," Weiss protests.

"But you've expanded it," Blake reminds her. "You used to only be able to control one Summon, or part of one. Now you can handle multiple things at once."

"That's right!" Ruby bounds over to her partner, beaming proudly. "You could always do such cool stuff, but now you can do even more cool stuff, Weiss!"

Weiss can't help but feel flattered, even if that wasn't their intention. Just the fact that they've noticed her improvements at all is enough to make her heart feel warm.

So with a flip of her ponytail and a puff of her chest, she gives an invitation.

"Well then, shall we?"

It's a unanimous answer of "yay," "yeah," and "yes."

Once they come to a clearing that's easy to move in, they set to work. Just the sounds of their weapons clicking and moving in time together is enough to wash the girls over in waves of nostalgia. Even though adjustments and improvements have been made over the years, the same base models have stayed true to the originals.

It's decided today's training focus will be on Weiss and her Summonings. With no real Grimm here for them to fight against, they'll be sparring with hers.

Weiss stands at the heart of the clearing, poised and steady as ever, drawing in a breath that fills her entire body. She feels Myrtenaster's weight in her fingers and swings it into a perfect circle before aiming the tip at the ground. A glowing white glyph etches itself into the dirt before her, encompassing the clearing in a faint light. Weiss sweeps her gaze around at her waiting teammates and smirks.

"All right, who's first?"

"Oh!" Ruby jumps up and down while flailing her hand around. "Me, me, me!"

Weiss rolls her eyes before closing them, concentrating on the power within herself, that unique and unmistakable connection she has with her Summonings. Every time she does it, it reminds her of Winter, and a bittersweet pang migrates through her chest. She gently pushes it aside and paints the image of a Grimm in her mind.

She gives Ruby her favorite – Beowulves, though Weiss' of course emit a brilliant white aura rather than the smoggy black clouds of the originals.

She brings out first one, then two, and eventually half a dozen of them, making a mental chain to each one. Though she can't control their exact movements, she has the last say in when they should dissipate and return fully to her command.

Even with her eyes closed, she sees Ruby through the Summons, feels her through their movements and from the areas of impact when she swings Crescent Rose. Perhaps the most difficult part of Summoning is to divide her attention on the white Grimm; to maintain a mental connection with each of them.

But today is a day for training, so what better time to try new things?

Therefore, while still leaving Ruby with the wolves, Weiss begins conjuring up more Grimm. Naturally, when her team realizes what she's doing, they have their doubts.

"Uh, Weiss?" Yang calls. "You sure you're okay with that?"

"Don't push yourself," Blake says.

Weiss doesn't look up.

"I'm fine. Besides, without pushing myself, I'll never improve. You're up, Blake."

With this, Weiss sends a wave of Boarbatusk her way, trampling over the ground and squealing shrilly.

Blake had used to be a little thrown off by their volume, but over time she'd trained her ears not to listen to anything more than what she needed to hear. She leaps high and starts shooting, joining Ruby in the fray of white beasts. Weiss opens one eye to check on things and finds Yang waiting with arms crossed.

"Don't worry, Yang. I've got something for you, too."

Weiss brings up her final Grimm, a pair of Ursa major, backs spiked high with bone. Yang licks her lips and slams her fists together.

"Let's do it."

Weiss establishes her connection with the Ursai and sends them out.

It's a bit odd for her. Normally she'd be there beside them fighting together, but just for the purposes of training today, Weiss stays back, providing them with their opponents instead of helping to fend them off.

She has to remind herself it's as good of a training regime for herself as it is for the others. The Summonings take a lot of mental control and dedicated focus, but there is a physical toll it takes as well. Her goal is to increase the efficiency of her Grimms' movements, expand their numbers and the time she can utilize them, and to reduce the strain it puts on her body in order to do so.

And of course, it lets the others work off some steam as well.

Normal Grimm would disappear after one good swing, but Weiss has trained hers well. They stay standing even after multiple hits, which not only provides more endurance training for her teammates, but for Weiss herself. Of course Weiss won't allow her Grimm to land any blows or cause any harm to her friends, but if a situation were ever to arise when she needed them to, she could let them loose.

The sounds of combat echo around the forest, Grimm roaring, bullets firing, the sounds of her teammates' voices as they call to one another.

But what makes Weiss smile is that there's laughter amongst it all.

Ruby squeals as she whirls herself into a rose tornado, Blake chuckles as she grabs hold of Yang's hand and throws her forward, and Yang gives a trademark holler of triumph that sends chills up everyone's spine.

Weiss can't help but muse to herself about how much they've changed... and how much they haven't changed, and probably never will.

As the training continues, Weiss replaces the downed Grimm with new ones, which requires an entirely different level of focus. She paints the mental image of a different species this time, and brings up a Queen Lancer; her personal favorite. There's just something about the deadly sharpness of its talons, the venom of its stinger, and the overall sense of fear its design sends coursing through a person that speaks to Weiss.

She listens attentively to the voices of her teammates, trying not to go too easy on them, but also not wanting to overwhelm them.

What's nice to know is that they've been keeping an eye on her, too. With so many mental links to keep track of, she can hardly pay attention to anything else. The quiet chaos in her mind, accompanied by the noise throughout the clearing, eventually culminates as a stifling presence in the back of her skull.

It's just a slight dizzy spell, nothing she can't handle, but it's enough to bring her down to one knee. Instantly, the others break away from their fights to rush to her side.

"Weiss?"

"Are you okay?"

"Something happen?"

Weiss opens her eyes to find the central glyph still present, if not a bit faded. She looks up to her teammates, finding their concern all too familiar. But that still doesn't make it any less touching. She smiles.

"I'm fine. It's actually a bit easier to control things this way."

It's the truth. If she could crouch and not have to worry about supporting her own weight while standing, it meant she'd have that much more focus to give to her Summonings.

Of course the others still seem a bit skeptical, and Weiss supposed she can't blame them. A scrutinizing eye can tell they've all become a bit exhausted from the training, and the heiress is just the same. They all seem to be thinking the same thing, but Blake is the one who gives it voice.

"Maybe we should head back soon?"

"Guess so," Yang sighs. "This was a lotta fun, but if we're gone too long, Qrow'll send a search party for us."

"Okay," Ruby agrees. "But can we just fight the King Taijitu Weiss made first?"

Weiss stiffens.

"The what-?"

Not a second later, the herd of white Grimm shifts and heaves. A massive white snake's head lifts itself high, towering above all the others. It hisses with deafening impact, revealing killer fangs.

Blake covers her ears and grimaces. Yang puts a hand to her partner's back to keep her steady.

"Whoa, easy there. Could ya take it down a notch, Weiss?"

"Let's get him!" Ruby readies her scythe and prepares to leap forward.

Weiss scrambles for breath.

"Ruby, wait! That isn't mine-!"

"Huh?"

Another splitting hiss, and the snake lunges directly at them.

It's a snap decision, but one they all agree on. Weiss is immobilized by her Summonings and can't dodge, so her teammates throw themselves in front of her to block. With Crescent Rose, Gambol Shroud, and Ember Cylica fending it off, the Taijitu bites down on nothing but metal and bullets, and is forced to recoil.

It effectively decimates half of Weiss' Summonings in the ruckus, and being they're destroyed without her consent, each one takes a toll on her. Wincing, she does her best to keep control over the rest of her pack; she can't withdraw them now, or else it'll drain her energy all at once, and that's something she can't afford in a real fight. Her best option is to keep fighting, but not with her blade.

Weiss turns her remaining Grimm on the Taijitu as it shakes itself off, spitting. As the white head recovers, the black head rears itself from behind, eyes burning red.

Weiss glares up at it, annoyed it had intruded on her recreational time with her team. She sends her Summonings at it for a diversion, giving the girls a few seconds to think and react. Weiss feels a hand on her shoulder and finds Blake crouching over her.

"Can you get up?"

Weiss exhales, and it only shakes a little.

"I have an idea. But I'm going to need cover."

"I've got her." Ruby volunteers without missing a beat. She takes up a defensive stance in front of Weiss, shielding her with Crescent Rose. "You guys go."

Yang and Blake share a look and a smile.

"You got it, sis." Yang readies her gauntlets and waits for Blake to get into position to flank her.

They take off running, and when the white snake comes at them they split apart to confuse it. Blake adds in a few clones to amplify the chaos as Yang starts throwing punches.

Weiss watches them for a second, trying to assess the situation. She doesn't have any Dust on her, so if she were to cancel her Summoning spell, she'd be more or less unable to fight properly, since it would enervate her. That was the only downside to multiple Summonings, unfortunately.

Her only option now is to maintain the spell until the threat has been eliminated. And what better time to hone her skills than an actual fight?

She begins to gather her energy as the sounds of the fight continue. The Taijitu might be big, but it's quick, and it isn't afraid to throw its weight around. It crashes around the clearing, swinging its heads and lashing out with impossible speed, never allowing Blake or Yang or any of the Summoned Grimm to get in many solid strikes.

Ruby holds her position firmly in front of Weiss, ready to tackle anything that comes their way. Even with her eyes closed, Weiss can sense her presence, and it helps her concentrate. To have a team that would follow Weiss' instructions and trust her without a second thought is still something she feels she can't fathom sometimes.

Ruby keeps her eyes trained on the Taijitu, firing a round at one of the heads to turn it away for Blake and Yang to handle. She glances back at Weiss briefly and worriedly.

"Weiss? Are you sure you're okay to do this?"

Weiss doesn't open her eyes to look up, but she heaves a sigh loud enough for her partner to hear.

"Ruby Rose, just who do you think you're talking to?"

There's a chuckle.

"Right! Silly me!"

Weiss digs deep inside her memories for one specific Grimm. Winter had never mentioned this, but it's her own personal theory that defeated enemies that have been with Weiss the longest will be her most loyal allies. Because she's had it under her belt for longer than any of the others, Weiss pulls up that Grimm in particular.

She drowns out the hissing and the shouting and the snapping of trees and tries to focus. Each of her other Summons that gets destroyed is another pang in her head, but she pushes past it all. Her pulse aches in her chest, and eventually through her entire body as she pushes past her limits.

She feels her Summon coming into existence. It's one she's never used before, but the one she's held the longest.

Ruby backs away from the glyph as a massive white beak emerges. Then it's the head, the wings, the body, the tail-

"Whoa..."

The Giant Nevermore shrieks as it unfolds its wings and shoots up into the sky. It's the first one they'd defeated together as a team back at their initiation at Beacon. Weiss had chosen it not only for its seniority, but also for logical reasons; after all, birds prey on snakes.

The Nevermore shrieks again as it dives, talons outstretched. The Taijitu hisses and one head strikes, but Weiss steers her Grimm away, then lets it loose. The bird grabs one head of the snake between its claws and wrestles it, causing the entire body to writhe.

The huntress' take their chance and move in on the other head, Blake and Yang at close range and Ruby firing bullets from her standpoint guarding Weiss.

The whole forests erupts in sounds of battle, but eventually the hissing dies down. Yang breaks off the poisonous fangs while Blake pins the thrashing body. Weiss' Nevermore pecks at the snakes' eyes and crushes them with its weight. Then, all at once, it gives a shudder and starts to disintegrate.

Blake and Yang stagger back. Blake smiles, and Yang returns it with a thumbs-up.

Ruby watches as all the Grimm start to disappear, shrouding the clearing in white sparkles. She marvels for a second before snapping out of it. Sheathing Crescent Rose, she whirls around.

"Weiss! Holy cow, that was so awesome! Are you okay?"

Weiss can barely make sense of her leader's words at the moment. She can barely even open her eyes, and what she does see is blurry. She finally releases her hold on her Summonings, and the glyph beneath her rapier flickers and fades. With it goes most of her energy, which leaves her like a rush of water passing over her from head to toe. She falls, but she never hits the ground. She finds Ruby grinning back at her before giving her a squeeze.

"Weiss, that was amazing! I can't even believe it!"

Weiss chuckles a bit wryly as Blake and Yang make it over.

"That was incredible," Blake agrees. "I didn't know you could handle so many Summons at once."

"Seriously," Yang whistles. "That's some crazy stuff. You okay?"

Weiss feels a gentle hand on her back, then another on her shoulder. Ruby is still hugging her too, and she finally eases back a little to let Weiss get her bearings.

"Fine..." Weiss stammers, staggering to her feet. "I'm fine. Just give me a minute." Everything is sore and her legs are a bit shaky, but her teammates never let her sway. When she's finally steady, Ruby lets her go.

"Hey, Weiss? Was that Giant Nevermore-?"

"As a matter of fact, it was," she says proudly.

"Really?" Blake flicks an ear. "The one from the initiation exam?"

"Gosh, that feels like so long ago..." Yang tapers off, and for a moment the four of them get pulled into the memories.

Weiss remembers a time she wouldn't have dreamed to work with any of them, and they probably wouldn't have wanted to work with her either.

And now they're putting their lives on the line for her and trusting her with everything they've got.

They've come a long way.

And there's still a long way to go.

But just like they started, they'll finish it together.

Weiss' team comes around her in a brief group hug, and the contact seems to recharge her energy levels. Once they've all had a moment, they move back.

"Well, come on, gang," Ruby says. "We should head on back."

"Right," Blake nods. "I could use a nap."

"And a shower," Yang tacks on.

"I wholeheartedly agree." Weiss turns and begins walking first. Her teammates jog to catch up, walking along next to her in the usual line.

"Hey!" Ruby pipes up. "Maybe we should give the Nevermore a name!"

"Honestly, Ruby-"

"Aw, c'mon, Weiss! He's special to us, right?"

"I think he deserves a name," Yang agrees. "What do you think, Blake?"

"I don't see why not."

"Great! Oh, oh! How about Mr. Nevermore?"

Weiss rolls her eyes and heaves a groaning sigh as they all go off chatting. But the smile never once leaves her lips.

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A/N: As you may have heard, this is my final planned RWBY Tuesday fic. I felt it was only right to have my final planned story be like the good old days: Team RWBY fighting Grimm. Centered on Weiss, of course, because that's my jam.

I'd been wanting to write this for so long, and post it for even longer, but since the Zine fell through I had to wait and and wait and wait until now. I wanted to have Weiss bring back their first ever Grimm for them, and to fight together properly as a team.

I hope to see you in future RWBY fics soon, even if they aren't every single week anymore!