n the moments between her telling Yang to talk to her, and Yang responding, Ruby felt more concerned for her older sister than she ever thought possible. This wasn't like her. The last time Ruby had seen Yang so torn was after she'd lost her arm. When she did hear Yang respond, Ruby let out a quiet sigh of relief. Though, that thermos looked a bit concerning, and when she smelled the contents of the thermos, she frowned yet again. And the crack in her voice...Oh god. Ruby's lips curled inward, listening as intently as she could to Yang as she talked to her, spilling her heart for her. It was the second crack, and the welling of tears in Yang's eyes that made Ruby scoot closer, an arm slipping around Yang's shoulders, squeezing her close, but when Yang finally brought to light what was tearing her up, Ruby let her go for a moment as she doubled over. The way Yang clutched at her middle, she could tell she was hurting. Well, in more ways than one. She listened to her sister stil

l, and a look of absolute dread flooded Ruby's features at hearing that Yang went and killed the creature. Knowing Yang, and knowing how absolutely furious she must've been, Ruby held no doubt in her mind that the field with which Yang killed- No, destroyed the Grimm, was likely nothing more than an ashen wasteland. Ruby held her sister once more when Yang pulled her close, and Ruby took a deep breath. "Yang....It wasn't your fault." Her voice was quiet, but then her brow furrowed. Her concern and sympathy for her sister had started to get a little old. She loved Yang. Her sister....Who'd been by her side all her life.... But when Yang was so guilt-wrapped to the point where she started harming herself, started beating herself up to the point where it drove her to drink, and lose sleep? Ruby wouldn't have it. But even so....scolding her sister for feeling the guilt that she did? That wouldn't help anyone. If anything, it'd make the situation worse. So Ruby did what she could. "You

WERE there." She stroked the back of Yang's head lightly, fingers running through golden tresses in an effort to calm her sister. "You came to rescue me, Yang. Look at it this way. If I hadn't gone to face that thing that day, if I hadn't discovered it when I did, then....Then who else? Someone else could have died, and there would be....there would be more pain, a-and...." Ruby was finding it difficult to phrase this in a way that would make Yang feel better. "My...My point is....Be glad. I am. I'm relieved that I have the best sister, who saved me from what I thought was death." She squeezed Yang. "Look at me." She gently pat Yang's back, trying to get her to back off to look at her. And when she did, Ruby looked Yang in the eyes, smiling brightly at her. "I'm fine. I'm more than fine. I'm alive thanks to you, Yang." She leaned in and pressed her forehead to her sister's. "What's happened as happened. There's no sense in staying in the past, and forgetting to live, Yang."