Beyond The Stables (ch10)

EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS! THANK YOU!

Everything came crashing down last chapter. Weiss has a broken arm and her father is intent on getting rid of Zuri. Does this mean Ruby will be forced to leave as well?

Just remember I wrote this entire fic long before we knew of Weiss' canon family.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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													Chapter 10. Running Free

When Weiss woke several hours later, the white room was dyed in a pale yellow glow.

Her cheeks were still stained with tear trails, and the soft snoring at her side told her that Ruby was still asleep beside her. When she heard footsteps in the hallway, Weiss pretended to sleep.

Two nurses came in to check the IV drip, and as they went about their work, Weiss overheard their conversation.

"That stablehand girl's still here, huh?"

"Not for long. Mr. Schnee was livid when he heard his daughter was riding horses at night behind his back. And since that girl helped her do it, I'm sure he's going to fire her if he hasn't already."

"And that horse..."

"He's confined to his stall. This whole incident had Mr. Schnee move up the euthanization to tomorrow. He wants that beast gone, and quite frankly so does everybody else."

Weiss tried to control the erratic pulse in her chest, not wanting it to transfer onto the IV and indicate her stress. But the nurses left shortly afterward, still murmuring to one another.

Weiss steeled herself; she'd already formed a plan in her mind, and she needed to act quickly.

Ruby had fallen asleep in a small chair nearby, her head and arms resting on the bed by Weiss' hip. Thankfully, it was at her good side, so Weiss used her right arm to thread fingers through the girl's hair.

"Ruby..." she whispered. "Ruby... I need your help..."

She watched fondly as the stablehand's silver eyes were revealed to the world. Ruby quickly shook her head and sat up straight, her eyes traveling up Weiss' body to her face.

"Weiss!" she cried softly. "Are you okay? Did something happen?"

"No. Nothing new," she soothed. "But I do need your help."

"Of course. Anything." Ruby stood up. "Should I get you some water or food?"

"No," Weiss murmured. "Not that kind of help."

Slowly, she positioned her right arm so it was at her side, then pushed her palm flat against the mattress and began lifting herself up. Ruby cried out in alarm and swiftly dove forward to wrap an arm around her back.

"Waah, Weiss! What are you doing? You've gotta lie down!"

"Not when my father plans to kill Zuri tomorrow."

Ruby swallowed, her eyes growing wide.

"To... tomorrow?"

"Because of what happened... he moved up the date, or so those nurses said."

"That's awful!" Ruby whimpered. "I-I mean, at least if we'd had the few extra days like we originally planned, maybe we could've thought of something-"

"It doesn't matter," Weiss said. "I've already thought of something. And it's our last shot, Ruby."

The brunette didn't miss the implication in her words.

"Our...?"

Weiss closed her eyes for a second and inhaled before continuing.

"My father plans to fire you. And I don't know how much time you'll have left to remain on this ranch before he sends you packing. So I need your help now."

Ruby gulped, looking Weiss over again. Dressed as she was in all white robes, her hair down and her left arm confined to a cast across her chest, Weiss appeared frail, weak.

It... wasn't right at all.

Ruby knew she was so much more than that – a girl confined to a bed because her father said she had to be. Just the fact that she had already devised a new plan of action and was intent to go through with it despite her injuries was proof enough of just how determined and courageous Weiss was.

Not even a broken arm and fractured ribs could stop her, and Ruby knew that even if she'd broken every bone in her body Weiss would still be fighting for her cause. Her eyes were flaring with blue fire, and it ignited a similar passion in Ruby when she saw it.

After a moment of pondering, the brunette gave a sigh.

"Even if I didn't help you, I wouldn't be able to stop you, would I?"

Weiss considered the suggestion before shrugging.

"You could try to. But I don't think you'd be able to best me."

"Yeah... I thought so!" With a grin, Ruby leaned forward, wrapping her arm loosely around Weiss' good side in a soft embrace. Weiss savored that moment, breathing in the musky scent of hay and grass.

A moment later, Ruby pulled away, her eyes shining in the same way as Weiss' were.

"All right. So what do you need me to do?"

Her first task was to help Weiss change out of those robes. The clothes they had been wearing last night had been washed and dried and were now clean of mud or grime.

Ruby changed herself first, easily slipping into her usual pants and shirt. Weiss slid her legs over the side of the bed, using her right hand to slide her bare legs into her pants. Ruby helped her with the button, removed Weiss' IV drip, then eased her out of her robe, taking great care with her arm.

Once they were dressed, Ruby slipped a spare hair tie off from her wrist and secured Weiss' hair in a ponytail to keep it out of her way. Ruby stuffed her feet into her boots and tied Weiss' for her as well. After that, Weiss' request was to stand.

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked firmly.

Weiss replied with equal sternness.

"I've never been surer, Ruby."

So the stablehand slipped an arm around her back, being mindful of her ribs.

Weiss could walk on her own, but Ruby's presence was simply a means of support.

Naturally, the second they exited the room, several nurses and other medical aids cried out in surprise and ordered them to go back.

"Miss Weiss, your injuries require at least several more days of bed rest," one man said.

Weiss gave him a piercing glare.

"And the results I've strived weeks to obtain require that I act now."

"Miss Weiss, we cannot allow you to go outside in your condition." The man reached forward and touched her shoulder.

Immediately, Weiss rounded on him, swiftly enough to cause a slight pain in her ribs.

"Don't touch me," she growled. "If any of you so much as lay a hand on me, I'll thrash about until I've broken something else. Would you like me to tell my father that his medical staff were so rough with me that they broke my other arm?"

Silence fell over the entire room, and even Ruby shivered at the threat. Weiss wasn't playing around.

Ruby took her to the doors, and they weren't intercepted again.

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Outside, the morning was just getting underway. The voices of riding students greeting one another rose up from the corral nearby, and the familiar whinny of energetic horses provided a soundtrack of its own.

Ruby could feel Weiss leading her to where she needed to go, but she asked the question nonetheless.

"Where are we going?"

Weiss didn't even look at her, her gaze dead-set on her destination as she replied.

"The stables."

Ruby had known it all along, but still, hearing the answer made her more than a little uneasy.

No one noticed the pair until they entered the stables. A man and a woman were standing in the middle of the hall, and neither Weiss nor Ruby had to spare a second in wondering which stall they were guarding.

They passed by the other horses until they'd reached the two guards, who were clearly shocked to see them.

"Miss Weiss-"

"Spare me," she snapped. "You can try to restrain me, but I wouldn't recommend it."

She broke away from Ruby's support and limped over toward the stall, brushing past the male guard. She reached for the key to the stall and hooked it around her finger before drawing it close to her. The guard grunted disapprovingly.

"Miss Weiss-"

"If you're going to try and stop me, I can't guarantee I won't slip and fall and cause further damage to my arm. If you'd like to try me, go right ahead."

Her threat was just as vehement as before, and she met both of the guards' gazes fiercely. They shared a look as well, but seemed to sense Weiss' animosity. They stepped away from the stall door as Ruby helped Weiss, taking the key from her and opening the door to let them slip inside.

The guard called in to them in a low voice.

"I'll have to call your father, Miss Weiss."

"Oh, please do," she said curtly.

Ruby could hear as the guard went through with his threat and pulled out a small walkie-talkie, speaking into it to radio his boss.

But Weiss didn't care. She only had eyes for one thing right now.

Zuri was standing against the side of his stall. He still had the bridle from last night over his head. His ears perked up when he recognized Weiss, and he stepped forward to greet her. Weiss lost her threatening aura only for a moment to caress his cheek with her good hand.

"Hello, handsome," she murmured.

Ruby reached out to pet him as well, though her eyes were still trained on Weiss. The display she was putting on now only made Ruby fall for her all over again.

She wasn't afraid to make threats and fight for what she wanted – for what was right. She'd stood up to so many figures of authority already this morning, and undoubtedly that wasn't over yet. She'd even endangered her own wellbeing for something she knew was worth fighting for.

And yet, now when that something was staring her in the face, she was so gentle, so calm.

Ruby kept a hand at the small of her back, waiting until Weiss was ready to move again. Those two pools of blue locked with silver, and Weiss gave a nod.

"Let's go, Ruby."

Ruby didn't need to ask where. She took the stallion's reins with one hand, keeping the other on Weiss. Together, the trio made their way to the opened door, where the two guards watched in horror.

"Miss Weiss," the woman said. "We mustn't allow you to take-"

"You've already notified my father, haven't you?" she growled. "If anyone should try and stop me, it should be him. Don't waste my time." She brushed past both guards, never even sparing them so much as a passing glance. When Ruby walked by, she stuck her tongue out at them.

They led Zuri to the exit doors, then stepped outside.

But they weren't bound for the abandoned corral this time.

Instead, they headed straight for the main one, where lines of students and horses were waiting to begin the day's lessons. Surely, news of Weiss' accident the previous night had spread like wildfire, because the second someone spotted her, a shocked murmur surged through the crowds.

"Isn't that-?"

"What's she doing with that horse?"

"What's she doing out of bed? Her arm's broken!"

They all gossiped and twittered like birds, but none of the students approached her. They must've had some sense in them.

The adults were the ones who rushed at Weiss, blocking her path and trying to take the reins from Ruby.

All it took was one vicious snarl from Weiss.

"Out of my way."

She wasn't asking.

With the obstructing adults paralyzed, Weiss and Ruby led the stallion past them.

Ruby opened the gate, and when it was clear they intended to enter, the students inside all moved their horses away to make room. They lined the corral on either side of the gate, dumbfounded as all their eyes went to Weiss and the notorious white stallion.

"She's not going to-"

"But how would she?"

Weiss and Ruby came to a halt, and the whispers died away, inviting silence for only a brief moment. A booming voice broke it just seconds later.

"What is going on here?"

Weiss straightened up and turned around to face her father on the other side of the fence. His eyes met hers sternly, but Ruby was surprised to find more fear than anger there.

"Why are you out of bed?" he demanded. "Why are you out here with that horse?"

Ruby expected the response to be venomous, but Weiss surprised her by using a softer tone.

"Because I need to show you, Father."

Then, she turned her back to him. Her eyes flashed to Ruby and she released a clipped breath.

"I need your help."

Ruby didn't need to ask if Weiss was absolutely sure about this. They'd come this far, a there was no way Weiss was going to stop here. With a nod, Ruby pulled her in for a brief second to kiss her cheek – unashamedly – for all to see.

"You got it."

She could feel Weiss' heartbeat at her back, fast and thick, the realization of what she was about to do finally hitting her. Ruby rubbed her back gently.

"You can do this, Weiss. I know you can. I believe in you."

Her words of encouragement served to be the final push Weiss needed.

"Thank you, Ruby." Weiss kissed her temple. "For everything."

The brunette nodded, then set to work on her final task in all of this. Keeping a firm grip on the reins, she supported Weiss with her other hand.

Weiss braced herself, slinging her good arm up over the horse's back. She hissed in pain as an ache shot up her left side, and Ruby ran a hand through her ponytail.

"Easy," she murmured. "You can do it, Weiss. Take a breath."

With her father shouting at her to stop just a few yards away, it was difficult not to succumb to the anxiety.

But again, Ruby's gentle touched helped Weiss focus on what she truly needed to do.

Weiss gave a small jump, and the second she did so, Ruby boosted her up onto the horse's back. Weiss clung to his mane with her non-dominant hand as she swung her leg over his flank and settled.

Gasps of shock slithered through the crowd, rendering even her father speechless.

"No saddle?!"

"How did she do that?"

"She can ride him?"

Ruby passed the reins up to Weiss, her eyes wishing only the very best for her. Then, Ruby stepped away.

"Go show 'em, Weiss. Show 'em what you can do."

Weiss looked down at her and smiled sweetly.

"Thank you, Ruby."

Once the brunette had moved to the side of the fence, where the other horses and riding students still stood rooted to the soil, another wave of silence fell over the entire ranch. Even Weiss' father had stopped shouting.

All eyes were on Weiss.

She took a deep breath, one that made her ribs ache, but she ignored it. She only had one arm to use, only one hand to hold the reins with, and it wasn't her dominant one. But she trusted this horse with her life.

"Come on, boy," she murmured. "Let's go."

She gave a light kick to his flank, just as she'd practiced.

In response to her signal, Zuri began to walk forward. He passed before all the other horses, rendering every human speechless.

This corral was much more spacious than the old one, and it was only a moment before Weiss brought the stallion to a gallop.

That familiar rush of air hit her face, making her hair whip out behind her, her heart pounding in time with the hooves beneath her. The movement of his body sent little shockwaves into hers, but the pain in her side and in her arm was bearable if it meant she'd get to prove her point.

She angled the reins, turning him, directing him toward the center. There was a jump two dozen yards away from them, and it must have been at least half a foot higher than the one they'd cleared last night.

But Zuri seemed as intent to show off as she did.

Weiss gave him the necessary leeway, and he headed for the hurdle.

It felt as though everyone present and watching wanted to scream, but no one dared to.

Ruby clutched her hands together as the horse neared the jump, wanting to both watch and close her eyes. She settled for closing only one, but kept the other one on Weiss.

The stallion leapt, and Weiss held her breath, once more suspended in midair with nothing to anchor her down. She didn't think anyone breathed in those few seconds.

But gravity soon took them back down, and Zuri landed flawlessly, continuing in a trot for a moment longer before Weiss slowed him to a halt.

There was a beat of silence as she straightened up, then surveyed her audience.

Then, the air erupted in cheers and applause.

"Oh my god! Did you see that?"

"She rode Zuri!"

"I've never seen a horse clear that jump so neatly!"

"What the heck? I can't even do that and neither of my arms are broken!"

Weiss' gaze traveled to Ruby who was jumping up and down, clapping and squealing excitedly. Weiss smiled down at her.

But ultimately, her gaze went to one man in particular.

She brought Zuri to a stop on the other side of the fence right near where he stood.

"Father..." she said as the voices died down. "I'm sorry I disobeyed you. I'm sorry I snuck out. But I needed to let you see for yourself what he can do."

She couldn't read his expression, and for a long moment, he didn't move.

Weiss stiffened when he finally moved his feet, pushing through the crowds of people outside the fence to get to the gates. He entered the corral, stopping at the white horse's flank.

Weiss gasped as she looked down at her father.

He was crying.

"Come here..." He opened his arms and reached up for her.

Carefully, Weiss let go of the reins and slipped down into his arms. He caught her, absorbing the shock from her fall as to not hurt her arm any more. Weiss was still as he pulled her in and listened to his voice, thick with emotion.

"Never in a million years did I think that horse could be ridden," he muttered. "And yet, you came out here in the middle of the night and did what no one else could. I was so angry that you'd gotten hurt. I was so rash in deciding to have him put down. If not for what you just did, I would have gone through with it."

Weiss felt her heart lift hopefully.

"So... you won't...?"

He pulled away, looked down at her, and smiled.

"I'll cancel the appointment immediately."

Weiss put her good hand to her mouth and sobbed in relief.

"Thank you, Father. Thank you..."

Ruby had slipped her way through the crowds by now to stand nearby, and she squealed out loud at the news. Her voice had Weiss' father turning around to look at her.

"And you, young lady."

Ruby jumped and straightened her back.

"Y-Yes, sir!"

"You helped my daughter with those nighttime lessons?"

"I-I uh-"

"She did," Weiss answered. "But everything was my idea. Ruby was only helping me with my selfish request. She's the one who taught me how to approach a horse in the first place. Without her help, I never would have been able to touch him, let alone ride him."

"I see..." He cast his gaze around the corral, at all the crowds of people who were still chattering excitedly, taking pictures with their phones and making calls. "Then with all the excitement this has caused this morning, I can't see how I could ever fire you."

Ruby put both hands to her mouth and whimpered in relief.

"Oh, thank you sir, thank you so much!"

"Do not thank me," he said. "Thank my daughter." He met Weiss' eyes again, and she felt she might cry as well. "She has taught us so much today. She has demonstrated great courage and perseverance, going so far as to endanger her health all just to show the world that this horse wasn't better off dead. She has saved an innocent life, and I couldn't be prouder."

That was the word that unlocked Weiss' tears. Finally, her father was proud of her.

She bowed her head and cried, but not a second later, Ruby was at her side, patting her back gently.

"Chin up, Weiss," her father said. "You're the only one who can ride him, that much is clear. So I'll have to arrange lessons for you."

Weiss looked up, her vision hazy past the tears.

"Father..."

This was all she'd ever wanted. Just this.

Her father smiled, then turned away to address the crowds. He ordered the euthanization to be called off at once, then encouraged the students to share the videos and photographs of what they'd just witnessed here with everyone they knew. He intended to let the world know what his youngest daughter had accomplished here today.

Cheers went up all around Weiss and Ruby as the two girls dried one another's tears. Zuri trotted up behind Weiss and nipped at her ponytail. She laughed and turned around to swing her arm around his head.

A moment later, Ruby spun her back around and kissed her on the lips. A few squeals went up from around them, and she chuckled into Weiss' mouth.

"You did it," she murmured. "You did it, Weiss."

Weiss kissed back, then pressed their cheeks together.

"No. We did it, Ruby."

The lessons were temporarily cancelled for the morning as people went up to Weiss to speak to her. Winter had pushed her way through the crowds to hug her younger sister and praise her to no end.

A few of the maids brought Weiss and Ruby some food and water, and they ate outside beside their future riding classmates.

They let their horses roam freely in the corral as they all spoke, snapping pictures on their phones all the while. Weiss leaned into Ruby and sighed, the smile never having left her lips for over an hour now. Ruby hugged her waist, beaming brightly.

"From here on out, you'll be living your dream, Weiss."

"I will," she agreed. "And it will be even better than I imagined."

"Why's that?"

Weiss bumped her cheek affectionately into Ruby's.

"Because I'll have you there beside me, you dolt."

"Oh~!"

Ruby blushed, and Weiss kissed her again.

At last, the shackles were lifted, the chains that had once held them down now dissolved in the face of pure hearts. It felt like the gates that had once held them in had been opened, like after so many years of breathing stagnant air, they could finally feel the wind.

They were free. Their dreams were laid out before them.

From here, it was just a matter of running out to catch them.

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A/N: I'd planned for this to be a cliche happy ending from the start. It's just a bit odd now that we know of Weiss' canon family and their personalities (though I'm glad I didn't know of Whitley to include him in this fic haha. I wrote this so long ago, I had assumed Winter was the younger sister, and had to make a few changes about that in the story itself).

There's an epilogue left! Stay tuned!