A Loyal Companion (Epilogue)

Please enjoy this little epilogue!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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								Epilogue

Three days after their mission, a knock came on Team RWBY's door.

They had been given a temporary break from classes in order to recuperate, so all four girls had been idling in the room at the time; Ruby and Weiss had been cleaning while Yang was checking on her bedridden partner's wounds.

Ruby had jumped up at the opportunity to get out of chores and raced to the door to open it.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

"Indeed you can, my dear girl!" Dr. Oobleck's unmistakable voice said. "If you wouldn't mind, you've got a guest here to see you, straight from the hospital wing!"

In his arms was a familiar face. Zwei barked happily at the sight of his owner, his ears standing tall and paws kneading the air.

Ruby gasped and rushed forward.

"Zweeeii!" she squealed, scooping him into her arms. "You're back! We've missed you so much these past three days! C'mere and gimme a kiss!" She dipped her head down and nuzzled his nose. Zwei barked excitedly and licked her face, wiggling happily in her arms.

As the rest of her team went to the door, Ruby spun the dog around and around. "Thank you, Dr. Oobleck! Thanks for bringing him here!"

"He looks great!" Yang said.

And it was true. The fur that had been so messy and covered with blood just days ago was now back to its usual shine. He was plump as ever, and twice as energetic to be home.

But Blake's eyes could only travel to one spot.

Ruby read her mind and spoke up.

"Let's see that paw..."

She held him up, and the others peered over her shoulder.

Dr. Oobleck clapped his hands together.

"Perfect! Isn't it just perfect? Can't even tell the difference, can you? You've got Miss Schnee to thank for that. She got the best team in Remnant to construct that paw for him. Absolutely splendid!"

"Doc's right!" Yang announced. "It's even got his fur grown right in. It looks as good as new!"

"Only difference is it's not as squishy," Ruby observed. As opposed to the softness of of his left paw, the right was harder, but that was all. "Other than that, you'd never be able to tell! How does it feel, Zwei? D'you like the new robot paw?"

He yipped and wagged his tail in response.

"Good!" Ruby cheered. "That's awesome! How many other dogs can say they got a cool robot paw? Er... I mean, how many people can say their dog's got a cool robot paw? No one else I know, that's for sure!" She spun Zwei around a few more times, kissing his nose and face and receiving multiple licks in return.

The others watched her fondly, more than happy to see Ruby back to her old self.

Oobleck motioned Yang forward to have a brief word with her.

Ruby stopped her spinning to look at Weiss.

"Thanks again, Weiss. For paying, and stuff."

"It was my pleasure."

Ruby handed Zwei off to Blake so she may hug the heiress again.

In that moment, Blake was alone with Zwei. She was cradling him in the same manner she had been the last time she'd held him, with his belly exposed. When she looked now, she could still see a faint line of pink past the fur, but she knew it would disappear in just a few more days.

For a brief instant, her mind flashed back to the gruesome images of that day. Zwei was suddenly covered in blood again, whining in agony.

Blake jolted, feeling a pang shoot through her chest, even at the present.

But Zwei strained up and gently ran his tongue over her cheek, bringing her back to the reality before her.

She didn't even care that he'd licked her. Blake lifted him up to her chest and hugged him softly.

"Welcome back, Zwei," she murmured.

He wiggled again, and she could feel his stumpy tail wagging against her arm.

A moment later, Ruby had released Weiss, leaving her to fix her hair and clothes after the tight embrace. Blake handed Zwei back over to his owner, watching happily as Ruby continued to spin around with him.

Dr. Oobleck finished his conversation with Yang and then wished them well before taking his leave. Weiss closed the door behind him as Yang called for everyone's attention.

"Hey, guys! Lemme tell you what he said!"

Ruby had been rolling on the floor with Zwei at that point, and Blake helped her up before bringing her over to Yang. The blonde was eager to speak, her lavender gaze traveling to each of theirs.

"He said Ozpin's gonna make an official announcement to the whole school. There's gonna be a special assembly tomorrow and we've gotta attend. Everyone's okay with that, right?"

There were nods all around, even from Blake.

"What's the assembly for, though?" Ruby wondered.

"Not sure," Yang shrugged. "But Dr. Oobleck said to bring Zwei, too."

"What?" Weiss was clearly shocked. "But... does the rest of the school even know about him? Are we even allowed to have him with us in the first place?"

"Ahaha..." Yang chuckled sheepishly and put a hand behind her head. "Nooot too sure about that either. But Oobleck said not to worry about it."

"I wonder what Professor Ozpin is gonna tell us?" Ruby wondered.

"I guess we'll find out tomorrow," Blake said.

The others all agreed.

For the remainder of the evening, they wound down and relaxed.

Blake showered, Yang insisted Weiss take a break from cleaning, and Ruby fed Zwei a big can of food.

After supper, the four girls spent an hour playing with the dog in their dorm room, tossing his toy balls into the air for him, playing fetch, and ultimately spoiling him with gentle tummy-rubs.

Even Blake happily partook in every activity, and the others were more than happy to see she'd finally warmed up to the dog.

Once bedtime rolled around, Weiss made sure they got some rest early so they could be attentive at the assembly tomorrow. Ruby climbed up into bed, and Yang lifted Zwei up, handing him to her little sister to cuddle. Blake watched fondly as Ruby curled up with the dog.

They all said their goodnights, and the lights went out to let sleep blanket them.

With all of Team RWBY now fully healed and recovered from their mission, the four girls got dressed the following morning and prepared to attend the assembly.

They were still free from classes, so they left their uniforms and merely dressed in their washed and dried combat attire once again. They had breakfast, and then headed out the door, Ruby carrying Zwei in her arms.

A reminder of the assembly was spoken over the intercom, and soon, dozens of students were filling the halls on their way to the auditorium.

Ozpin stood at his usual spot in the center of the stage, microphone waiting. Glynda and Dr. Oobleck were at his side, and as soon as he spotted Ruby and her team, Ozpin waved them forward.

Ruby walked a bit nervously through the crowd, clutching Zwei to her chest. Yang slipped in front of her to clear the way first, and after a minute, they'd all reached the stage.

Ozpin called for silence, and the thousands of students below stopped speaking.

Ruby and her team stood beside Ozpin, looking various combinations of confused, nervous, and excited. Yang was more confused, Blake was more nervous, Weiss was acting professional and poised, and Ruby was clearly excited, but trying to contain it.

Zwei never stopped wagging his tail in her arms, even when Ozpin began speaking.

"Welcome. I trust you all had an enjoyable morning, since I canceled all classes for this occasion," he said, addressing the audience. Then, he turned to Ruby and her team. "And thank you, Team RWBY, for attending as requested. We wouldn't be holding this little ceremony without you."

The four girls shared baffled looks, but said nothing.

Ozpin continued. "I'll keep this brief without taking away any inappropriate amount of time that need be dedicated to such an occasion. Now, as you all can clearly see, Miss Rose is holding something we don't normally see here at Beacon."

Ruby swallowed, and it must have bee audible, because Ozpin turned to her with a smile.

"Don't worry. We're not here to confiscate him. Quite something else," he reassured her. "It has come to my attention..." Here, his eyes flashed sideways to Oobleck. "...That this dog has saved the lives of several of my students not only once, but twice now. Most recently, he nearly sacrificed his own life to save Miss Belladonna, and even before that was fighting when the Grimm invaded from Mountain Glenn.

"Several times now, he has nearly given his life to save those of my students. I have heard the reports of his actions in detail, and realize the intelligence and loyalty he possesses."

Ozpin looked out across the audience once more. "Here at Beacon, we train students of any and every heritage - Faunus, human, or otherwise. But rarely – if ever – do we acknowledge the accomplishments of our companions and familiars. Today, I would like to change that, starting with this one."

He reached out to the side and put his palm at Zwei's nose. The dog barked and licked Ozpin's fingers.

The headmaster chuckled and continued his discourse.

"Now then, as I've said. This dog, who goes by the name of Zwei, had demonstrated extreme bravery and loyalty to his companions and my students. Which is why I've called you all here today."

He motioned to the side, and Glynda stepped forward, handing Ozpin a small object. Ruby and her team watched curiously as Ozpin turned to them, his gaze on Zwei.

"Let it be known that I, as headmaster of Beacon Academy, am officially recognizing Zwei as a member of team RWBY, and as an honorary member of my school."

Ruby was too baffled by his words to comprehend them right away.

But she soon realized what the object in Ozpin's hand was.

It was a small green collar with Beacon Academy's silver emblem on the front, and Zwei's name carved underneath, and all around the back were printed the letters R-W-B-Y.

Ruby held still as Ozpin fastened the collar around Zwei's neck, then stepped back.

"From this day forward, Zwei carves the path for animal companions here at Beacon Academy. Please welcome him as the very first."

The room erupted with cheers and applause.

Team RWBY stood flabbergasted for a moment, until Ozpin met all of their gazes with a kind smile.

"Congratulations," he said simply.

And then, all four girls had come together once again in a group hug.

Chants of Zwei's name rose up from the excited audience. With a wide grin on her face, Ruby lifted Zwei up for all to see, his new collar catching in the light. He barked, tail wagging, and he waved his mechanical paw.

Ozpin dismissed the assembly, and retreated back to Team RWBY.

"Wow!" Ruby was still gushing. "I'm sooooo proud of you, Zwei! You're an official member of team RWBY now! ...Wait. Does this mean he has to go to classes with us now?"

Weiss put a hand to her face, while Blake and Yang chuckled.

"No, you dunce," the heiress sighed good-heartedly. "It just means he's recognized as someone under Ozpin's name and crest. He's affiliated with Beacon now. That's quite the honor, if I must say."

"You bet it is!" Yang cheered. She bent down to kiss Zwei's nose. "Congrats, little guy!"

"He deserves it," Blake said. She willingly opened her arms, and Ruby happily passed Zwei to her.

Ozpin reached them all, sharing more congratulatory words.

"I'll admit..." he said. "Your dog hadn't gone unnoticed under my radar, but I saw no harm in his staying. I'm certainly glad he did."

"Thank you, Professor Ozpin!" Ruby beamed. "Oh! Just one question, though. Since Zwei's an official member of our team now, should we change it to Team RWBYZ?"

That caused all of her team to laugh, the headmaster as well.

"That won't be necessary," he said.

That evening, Ruby gave Zwei another special meal to celebrate his achievement.

As they'd been leaving the auditorium that afternoon, they'd been stopped by various students who wanted to meet Zwei and hear about him. The little corgi was quite famous now, and Ruby was intent about flaunting him.

The team played with him before bed once again, but when it came time for sleep, Weiss made sure they were all in bed.

"Tomorrow is our last day of rest, then it's back to classes," she reminded them.

Ruby climbed up to bed, and Yang handed Zwei to her once again.

Goodnight wishes were murmured, the lights were turned off, and the room went silent.

Blake stayed awake for a while longer, reflecting on everything that had transpired within the past few weeks, since the day she'd been sick and Zwei had been there to help her get better.

She hadn't realized how much time had passed until she heard Ruby and Yang both snoring. It had been nearly half an hour, and Blake turned over onto her side, closing her eyes.

But her ears flicked up at the sound of a small thud, and she quickly turned back over.

She could see clearly through the darkness, and realized Zwei had jumped down from Ruby's bed. Blake was about to call out to him, wondering if he needed to go outside.

But she realized he was waddling over to Weiss' bed. Now that Ruby was asleep, he was seeking to share his companionship with the others.

Blake smiled and closed her eyes once more, willing sleep to come.

However, another half hour or so passed, and she heard the little thud again. Zwei was back on the floor, and Blake assumed that meant Weiss had fallen asleep at last.

She kept her voice low as the dog waddled over to her.

"Want me to put you up on Yang's bed?" she wondered.

But Zwei didn't response – he only looked at her.

Blake tried again.

"Want to go back on Ruby's bed?"

Again, he was silent.

Blake smiled as the realization swept over her.

She patted the space beside her and called softly to him.

"C'mere, boy."

Zwei instantly perked up, yipping softly as he jumped onto her bed, excited at having been invited up.

Blake couldn't believe it. A few weeks ago, she'd been hissing at him, rolling her eyes and only begrudgingly patting his head.

And now here she was, eager for his companionship.

There was no hesitance now as she lifted the blankets, letting Zwei cuddle up right at her chest. She draped her arms around him, bumping her nose to his, no longer caring about how cold or wet it was.

Blake even dared to kiss the top of his head, and at long last, she closed her eyes.

"Goodnight, Zwei."

And she held him until she fell asleep, until his tail stopped wagging and he could finally rest beside her.

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed! Thank you to all of my patrons! You will all get another fic later today!