On My Way To You (ch5)

EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL PATRONS! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Final chapter! Dedicated to dasaethelwulf! And thank you so much to all of the people who helped support and pay for this commission where the original customers backed out! I really appreciate it and hope you'll enjoy the last chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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											Chapter 5. Across The Snowy Moor

She'd waited for the safest, smartest moment before she'd taken off across the moor towards the mansion.

Some of the men outside had gotten into one of the cars and driven off, while the others stayed close to the main doors. She wasn't within their line of sight, but even so, Ruby made a rapid run towards the white mansion, her partner's prison.

/I'm coming, Weiss! Just wait for me!/

She didn't even need to guess which window led to Weiss' room. Ruby just instinctively knew it was on the top floor, facing her direction. Weiss had once told her she could see the little forest from her room, and at night she could see the distant lights of the city beyond.

Ruby blew across the snowy fields like a breeze, leaving only faint footprints in her wake as she stole through the quiet night. She recalled having hopped a fence a while back, and considered herself lucky that it had been the only fence on the property. Now, the mansion before her stood widely unguarded in terms of barriers.

But she skidded to a halt a few yards shy of it, and scoured the corners for cameras, just in case. She couldn't see any, but that didn't mean they weren't there.

/Well... if they are there, that means there's no one watching them right now. 'Cuz if there was, they'd already be out here trying to get me./

That meant if she was quiet and eluded detection, she should have at least until morning before anyone was checking potential security tapes or walking around the house.

So she raced onward over that final expanse of white ground. Weiss' room was very high up, and Ruby could think of only one way to get there from her position.

Drawing Crescent Rose, she extended it to its scythe form and hurried on until she was at an appropriate distance.

Then, she jumped up as high as she could, given her running start, and reached up to swing her weapon's blade higher than herself, embedding the curved tip into the white brick of the mansion. It connected about five feet beneath her target window.

Ruby dangled at the end of the handle, her boots hanging halfway up the mansion now thanks to her powerful jump. She let out a small sigh of relief that her plan had worked, then reached up with her other hand to grab the handle for extra support of her weight.

From there, she used her weapon as a ladder of sorts, climbing up the length of the staff using only her hands, until she reached the crescent of the blade. Once there, she gave herself another little jump and let go, landing in a crouch on top of her scythe.

She'd made it this far. Now came the trickiest part.

Slowly, leaning her hands against the mansion itself, she started to stand up and straighten her back, pressing herself against the wall as she distributed her weight as evenly as possible.

If she was discovered now, it would all be over, not only for herself, but for Weiss as well.

Ruby wouldn't let that happen.

Besides, if her theory was correct, she still had several hours before dawn when anyone would start walking around to look for signs of anything amiss.

From where she was now, standing at her full height against the mansion's side, teetering precariously on top of her massive scythe two-thirds of the way up, she must have looked like some kind of criminal.

/Maybe I am, though. 'Cuz I plan on taking something from this place tonight./

Her heart was beating quickly now, both from the rush of adrenaline and from a mixture of excitement and fear of what she was about to do. She just prayed that Weiss was still there and hadn't been taken away yet.

Ruby swallowed, whimpering softly as she strained up onto her tip-toes and reached up with one hand towards the closed window. Her fingertips only barely brushed the bottom of the sill.

Biting her lower lip, Ruby began scraping her nails against the cold hard surface, making as little noise as possible, but just enough of it.

/Come on, Weiss. It's time to get you out of here./

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Weiss had been on the verge of passing out.

She'd lain there on her bed, sobbing and shaking for hours, dreading the thought of being shipped off to Atlas Academy like the prisoner they were making her out to be.

On her previous nights like this, she would've pushed herself up and spent some time training with Myrtenaster within the confines of her room, casting small glyphs and practicing her techniques quietly.

But now, she didn't have the strength for it, mentally or physically. Her stomach didn't go a second without growling, every tremor of sobs that ran through her body making it feel more and more empty.

Now that she'd been severely exhausted in both mind and body, she could feel herself beginning to slip towards the dark nothingness of unintentional slumber.

But perhaps that was better. Staying awake would only ensure that she kept feeling this biting cold, this painful hunger, and these awful sobs. At least when she was asleep, she couldn't feel any pain; only be scared by nightmares.

But nightmares hardly bothered her in her sleep anymore. She was already living one, after all.

More tears squeezed out past her closed eyelids and ran down her cheeks to join the others in the damp puddle seeped into her pillow. She'd sleep now in knowing these would be her final hours before she'd be taken away.

Once she got to the Academy, she didn't plan to conform, however. She'd find a way out somehow, keep track of who was in charge when and for what reasons, watch when they took a moment for a break or looked the other way. She'd learn how the security around campus worked, and what it would take to get herself up in an air ship back to Vale without being questioned.

She planned to slip away just as quickly as she'd come, except leaving would be her own intent rather than someone else's imposed will.

The thoughts of her planning served to calm her down a bit now, just enough for her to release one last sigh...

//Clnk//

A sudden sound jolted her awake, her heart leaping up into her throat as a horrible panic seized her chest. Her eyes flashed instantly towards the door, fearful that someone was coming to get her earlier than intended.

/N-No! They're supposed to wait until sunrise! Please no.../

The thought that her final night of solitude here would be cut short dismayed her to the point of more tears. She'd be leaving one prison for another, but at least she knew this one.

However, the first thud wasn't followed by any others, not like the consistent patter of footsteps would be. It sounded alone and no others followed it.

Weiss stayed still where she was on her bed, sitting up partially and looking over her shoulder with wide, terrified eyes, like a wounded deer.

But the hunters never came for her as she'd been expecting.

She waited for several suffocating minutes, fearing the beat of her own heart was far too loud and would soon alert them to come find her.

But there was no movement from beyond her door, nor anywhere else within the house.

She let out an unsteady breath, only to realize that though the inside of the house was quiet, the outside was another story.

Another sound soon reached her ears, but it wasn't as big or loud as the first one had been. This time, it was much smaller, thinner, like the edges of coins scraping over a marble table.

Still, Weiss didn't move. In all the years she'd lived in this mansion, she'd gotten used to the sounds of people moving about in different rooms, or the way the wind slipped in through tiny cracks in the window sill sometimes.

But she'd never heard this sound before. It wasn't coming from the roof, so any kind of bird that had landed for a rest was out of the question.

As she tried to get ahold of herself, she pinpointed the source of the sound to be just outside her own window.

It sounded like... something was trying to get in.

She stayed put, once again neglecting to draw air into her lungs for fear she'd be making too much noise. She waited a minute, then two, but all the while the scratching hardly ever came to a pause.

Her mind told her not to pay it any heed, or if she must, to call for a maid to come and investigate.

But her heart told her otherwise.

Something compelled her to slide off her bed, her boots clicking lightly on her wooden floor. As she moved, the cold air of the room hit her bare shoulders and formed bumps along her upper arms.

She walked one step at a time towards her window, her heart beating harder with each one, until it was louder than her footsteps, drumming in her ears.

She paused at her window and peered out through the blurred glass, but it only allowed her to see straight out across the fields at this angle. Like this, she could see the city lights in the distance, but nothing more.

The sound was coming from beneath the sill, and if she wanted to look below, she had only one option.

Weiss hugged herself briefly, just to try and feel some semblance of warmth on her stiff skin again. She then uncurled her hands and reached out, one leaning against the sill and the other reaching for the small lock.

Her fingers trembled, as did her baited breath, her heart a jolting mess amidst the rest of the turmoil inside of her. Her nail pushed against the knob of the lock and slid it over to release it.

The window opened vertically down the middle, pushing out to either side, letting in the freezing wind of the night.

With her palms braced on the edge, Weiss peered down-

-and started to cry.

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The second Ruby heard the click of the lock, she moved her fingers aside a little, so they wouldn't be hit when the window was opened.

She held herself up against the side of the mansion, leaning herself back against it for a moment. Her unblinking eyes were locked on the window above as it opened outward, waiting...

And like a miracle, a figure appeared.

She was caught directly in a swathe of moonlight which dyed her porcelain-white skin silver. It was the first time Ruby had ever seen her with her shoulders and collar bare, save for the small necklace that dangled around her neck, and its pendant that rested just above her heart.

Her hair was still tied in its alabaster ponytail which streamed gently in the breeze over her right shoulder. The blue fabrics of her dress were highlighted by the moonlit glow as well, giving her an overall ethereal presence.

Ruby couldn't move.

She could only gaze up at her in wonder, joy, and the utmost relief.

A swell of emotion rose up behind her eyes as her gaze met with those familiar blue pools.

The once-vibrant color of the sky had turned dull and bleak, with countless stains of tears running down her cheeks and as far as her neck.

But as soon as their eyes met, Ruby watched for herself as a spark was lit within Weiss'.

That blue gaze widened in disbelief, as though she were looking at a ghost.

For all Ruby knew, Weiss might've thought she truly was.

Judging by her partner's stunned reaction, she could infer that Weiss had seriously considered the heavy, heartbreaking possibility that Ruby and the others might very well have been dead.

But now she could see for herself.

Ruby couldn't speak just yet. She could only stand on her precarious perch on the side of the mansion, frozen in this situation that would have seemed ridiculous to anyone else.

But to her, it was one of the greatest moments of her life.

She watched as a fresh wave of tears crashed over her partner. Weiss lifted a hand to her mouth to conceal a gasp, and the tears started pouring down in rivulets, dripping down off her chin and falling, some of them to land on Ruby's own face.

Weiss' tears merged with hers as they traveled down her cheeks. Ruby was already sniffling and doing her best not to blubber as loudly as she could. She tried to keep her voice quiet as she reached up with both hands.

"Wuh... W-Weiss..."

It felt so good to say her name and to know this time she could hear it.

And hearing it was what seemed to break her partner.

Weiss broke down into sobs, letting them spill and tumble out, her chest and shoulders shuddering as she tried to keep control of herself.

She gazed down at Ruby, standing there on top of Crescent Rose, which was embedded into the side of her house.

How utterly ridiculous this was.

And yet, the thought of it being ridiculous never once crossed her mind.

This was Ruby Rose, after all.

It was all Weiss could do to move her hand away from her lips long enough to whisper her name between gasps.

"R... Ruby..." Weiss wiped her forearm across her face, trying to swallow back the sobs to little success. "Wh-What... do you think you're doing there...? You dolt..."

Ruby only smiled sheepishly up at her, grinning toothily despite the tears on her face.

"I came to get you!"

She spoke softly, but her words were finalized and full of pride.

Weiss knew in that instance that she'd be leaving here tonight, long before the dawn broke and anyone could hope to come fetch her and drag her away.

By the time the maids unlocked her door to find the room vacant, Weiss and Ruby would be halfway to anywhere.

She knew in that instant that she was being rescued, like she'd always dreamed of.

She knew she was safe.

Finally.

/Finally./

For the first time in her life, she felt safe within her own home.

Because the right person would be leading her out of it.

Weiss leaned over the ledge of the window with both arms and held her hands out to her partner. Ruby wiped her eyes so she could see clearly, then reached up towards her.

The tips of their fingers brushed, Ruby's slightly dirty nails now meeting Weiss' clean, polished ones. Their fingers curled as they grasped one another's wrists tightly, surely.

Ruby jumped, and Weiss pulled.

The young leader scaled the last few feet of the mansion's wall, her life resting solely and quite literally in Weiss' hands.

The heiress pulled her with all her might, boots skidding over the floor as she realized the weight of what she was supporting was so much more than just her partner's body.

But Ruby had no one else in the world she'd rather trust herself with, and Weiss knew there was no one else fit for the role other than herself.

Together, with their combined efforts, Ruby managed to scramble onto the ledge of the window in a crouch. From there, with both of her hands still in Weiss', she was guided into the room with a small hop.

Both girls were left standing face to face now, still staring teary-eyed at one another.

It was all still there – the utter shock in Weiss' gaze at seeing someone she'd considered she may never see again, and the relief in Ruby's gaze of seeing someone she'd known would have thought herself to be dead.

There was an ounce of fear shared between them as well, pressure in knowing that whatever they were going to do, they'd need to do it quickly, before someone discovered them at sunrise.

But even that panic was snuffed out by something much greater, much gentler.

Neither of them stopped crying for a second as they came together in a desperate embrace.

Ruby latched onto Weiss' small, shuddering back, squeezing her tightly. But when she did as much, she could feel Weiss gasp a little, and realized it was painful for her. Ruby loosened her grip slightly, sobbing a tiny, inaudible apology into Weiss' shoulder.

Now that she could feel her in her arms and be close to her again, Ruby realized just how thin Weiss felt. She'd hugged her many times in the past, back at Beacon, and Ruby knew her partner to be of slender build by nature.

But this wasn't the same. This was a much more delicate and dangerous form of gauntness.

She could feel Weiss struggling to return the embrace with half as much strength as Ruby herself was giving it.

Ruby's legs trembled from the relief of reaching her on time. But she only swayed when she felt Weiss' knees buckle.

With a strangled sob, Weiss collapsed, and Ruby went down with her, keeping her arms around Weiss to steady her as best she could.

Weiss was weeping too hard to talk just yet, clinging tightly to Ruby's clothes as she buried her face in her shoulder.

Ruby smelled of snowy moors, forest soil, and midnight wind. The very essence of freedom itself. It was a breath of fresh air within the stagnant, stifling walls of her prison cell.

It was difficult to breathe properly with all of the emotions swirling inside her chest and all of the hiccups and sobs jumping in her throat.

But even despite all the physical pain and the emotional torment she'd endured, Weiss felt more at ease than ever in Ruby's embrace.

Croaked sounds of her voice kept tumbling out with the sobs and labored breaths, but eventually, Weiss managed to force out a few words.

"You... Y-You're alive... Ruby, you're a-alive..." She hugged her tighter for a second, then suddenly sat back with a gasp, pulling away and looking fearfully into her eyes. "Wh-What about-"

"Weiss, Weiss!" Ruby whispered. "Shh, it's okay! Take it easy. Just take a deep breath, okay?"

Ruby moved both of her hands up to rest on Weiss' bare shoulders, rubbing gently. She felt as Weiss tried to do her best to inhale, felt her body shaking from the inside out as she exhaled.

Ruby couldn't bear to see her so frightened and weak like this. She pulled Weiss back in to her, letting her partner rest her chin on her shoulder. Weiss was still shivering as she circled her arms around Ruby's back once again.

The brunette then noticed Weiss' long-sleeved blue bolero lying crumpled on the floor across the room.

It looked very unsettling.

Weiss never threw her laundry around so haphazardly. She always folded it neatly and put it in its proper place.

Seeing that article lying there told Ruby that something awful must have happened, and considering the late hour of the night, it must've happened a while ago.

The fact that Weiss hadn't even had the strength or the will to pick up her bolero and put it back on spoke volumes louder than the heiress' sobs did.

Ruby's stomach clenched and flipped – she wanted to know what had happened, but felt it wasn't the right time or place to ask.

Weiss was shivering so much, both from crying so hard and from the cold night air. Ruby knew she couldn't force her to stand again to retrieve her jacket, nor was Ruby going to leave her side for a second to fetch it for her.

But there was still something she could do to help.

Sidling a little closer, Ruby pulled her cloak over her shoulder and wrapped it instead around Weiss', covering her exposed back and upper arms.

Weiss whimpered as her skin adjusted to the warmth, the precious, sacred comfort of Ruby's presence at her side. She tried to thank her, but instead of words, only more sobs came out. Ruby hushed her softly, assuring Weiss she knew what she'd been trying to say.

Ruby took the moment to let out the rest of her tears now as she threaded her fingers through Weiss' mussed ponytail. But it wasn't long before Weiss was attempting speech again.

"Ruby..." she wheezed. "I'm... I'm so glad you're okay. I... didn't think I'd get to see you again..."

Ruby felt as though her heart was about to break, because she knew Weiss' already had a thousand times over.

"Weiss..." Ruby pulled her close again, savoring her embrace. The heiress shuddered once more, though the bouts of shivering had begun to die down now that Ruby's cloak was shielding her.

"Please..." She paused for breath, then tried again. "Please... tell me about Blake and Yang."

Weiss lifted her face to meet Ruby's gaze, determined to prove that she was capable of handling the truth, whatever it may be.

Ruby offered a small smile and reached up to cup her partner's scarred cheek, wiping away some of the fresh tears only to discover the trails that had been seemingly stitched permanently into her skin.

Ruby could guess there had hardly been a second when Weiss hadn't been crying since her father had come to take her from Beacon.

"Okay," she promised. "I'll tell you. So don't worry, Weiss. It's okay."

Her partner nodded, fighting back the next wave of tears that was threatening to surge forth.

Ruby kept one hand on her cheek and the other at her opposite hip to help support her. She spoke softly as she recounted all she knew about their teammates.

"Blake... Blake went somewhere on her own. No one really knows where, but... but she knows places none of us could ever imagine. She can take care of herself. She's somewhere out there and I know that we'll find her again someday."

Her words sounded hopeful, but there was uncertainty in her eyes. They both knew Blake was highly skilled in the art of disappearing. She knew how to run, how to cover her tracks, and how to conceal herself.

And they both knew that they'd only ever find her again if Blake herself was willing to let them.

Weiss felt her gnarled stomach twist even tighter. Ruby could only offer solace by means of shifting a little closer and rubbing Weiss' side.

When she continued, her tone had taken on a bit of a lighter note again.

"Yang... Yang's alright. She's gonna be alright. She's back at home with Dad, recovering. She'll be alright."

The way she kept repeating that phrase made it seem as though she were trying to convince both Weiss and herself.

The heiress lifted her hand to touch Ruby's over her own cheek.

"You... you told them you were leaving, right? They know where you are... right...?"

Weiss asked as much, but she already knew the answer. The fact that Yang wasn't with her right now was indication enough that Ruby had run off on her own without telling her family where she'd be going. If she'd mentioned it, Yang either would've tried to stop Ruby, or insisted on coming with her, despite her condition.

The way Ruby looked guiltily down into her lap now only confirmed Weiss' dismay.

"Well... I, uh..."

"You... You dolt..." Weiss shook her head slowly. "You'll worry them sick..."

"B-But I had to, Weiss!" she blurted. "I had to! B-Because... 'c-cuz I was worried sick about you!"

She revealed her dripping silver eyes now, pleading and earnest.

Weiss recoiled a bit. She hadn't been made to consider how Ruby must've felt in all of this until now. If their positions had been reversed, and she knew Ruby was just wallowing in grief assuming the rest of them were dead, Weiss would've done everything within her power to get to her as well.

Another breath left her lungs in a sigh as she shook her head.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't be scolding you at a time like this, when you came all this way to get me..."

Ruby sniffled and passed the back of her hand over her eyes.

"I'm sorry, too..." she murmured rubbing up and down Weiss' sides. "I'm sorry y-you... had to be alone all this time... thinking bad things had happened to us... It must've been so scary..."

Weiss said nothing. She didn't deny that she'd been terrified, and her silence implied the blatant truth anyway.

Ruby whined softly and ducked her head, nestling herself beneath Weiss' chin. Her cheek rested against her collar, where her skin was still chilled to the touch. She could hear Weiss' heartbeat, hard and frantic, still terrified of what they were doing and what the consequences could be if they were caught.

"Weiss..."

Ruby hugged her around the waist, adjusting her cloak around her partner's shoulders. She hated that Weiss always had to be so scared in her own home, the one place where she was supposed to be safe.

Ruby felt Weiss' hands on her back again, holding her close. She was happy to share her warmth and support as best she could.

She listened to Weiss' scared heart as it pounded beneath her ear. Ruby knew it must've hurt.

"Weiss... are you okay...? I-I mean I know that... th-that you don't wanna be here and you don't wanna stay, but..."

She tapered off, her voice thinning out. She wasn't sure how to ask it in the way she wanted to without making Weiss upset.

But the heiress knew exactly what she was referring to. As if to confirm it, her stomach let out another growl a few seconds later.

Ruby sniffled and tried to hold her gaze, but Weiss only looked away.

Ruby said nothing and merely hugged her again.

Weiss savored the feeling of Ruby's weight against her chest. It was a subtle, welcome pressure that calmed her heart, to the point where it didn't feel like it would burst out of her chest.

Ruby pulled back all too quickly and reached into her dress pocket.

"Wait... here!" She pulled out the bag of cookies she'd taken with her, and then the small bottle of water. She placed both items in Weiss' hands and urged her to accept. "I have more. Lots more. I-In my backpack. I left it outside, b-but please take these, Weiss. Please."

The heiress looked down at the items she now held. She hadn't realized just how thirsty she was until now. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she'd drank anything more than a dribble of shower water as it fell pasted her mouth.

The bag contained bite-sized chocolate-chip cookies. She couldn't help but attempt a smile at that.

Ruby had been watching her closely, and didn't miss the tiny twitch of her lips. She hadn't seen Weiss smile since the last time they'd been at Beacon together and they'd found one another unharmed.

Ruby couldn't help but smile again as she urged Weiss to eat. She opened the little baggie for her and then twisted the bottle cap off as well.

Weiss drank half the bottle right away, letting the cold liquid quench an arid thirst she hadn't acknowledged until now.

She then picked out a cookie and bit into it slowly. The sugary flavors blessed her tongue instantly, and the ache in her stomach began to lessen as soon as she swallowed.

Ruby stayed by her side and offered her soothing encouragement as she ate, huddling close to her side.

Weiss couldn't eat very quickly unless she wanted to risk upsetting her stomach. She was forced to take her time, knowing they didn't have very much of it, but also knowing her body would need the energy for what lie ahead of her now.

As she bit into her second cookie, she'd calmed down enough to let her mind wander. She began with the most prominent question.

"How did you find me?"

Her eyes were filled with a genuine curiosity. She'd never told Ruby where she lived exactly.

So Ruby told her tale of how she'd run away from home and taken the air ship to Atlas. From there, she told how she'd found the girls at the library, and ultimately, how she'd found Weiss.

The heiress raised her eyebrows, clearly impressed. Ruby giggled.

"It was a little tough, but I wasn't gonna give up! I'm lucky I ended up in a place close to where you live, though. Atlas is huge and I could've landed anywhere." She hugged her partner again. "And... then there was something else I heard those girls say. How they'd heard you were going to be attending Atlas' school from now on.

"And how they're... they're moving the students somewhere else in some secret operation or something. It's like... they wanna keep you guys where no one else knows about and train you in secret. I knew I'd never find you if they took you... I was so scared..."

She turned her face into Weiss' shoulder and let a few more tears slip out.

Weiss patted the back of her head softly.

"I was scared, too. For a lot of reasons. But even if they had managed to take me away, I'd already started planning on how I'd get out."

Ruby sat up again and tilted her head.

"Really? Well, I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less from you, Weiss. You're always thinking ahead. I guess I didn't have to worry about you too much then, huh?"

To her surprise, Weiss shook her head, wearing a tiny, sad smile.

"No... thank you for worrying, Ruby. It's nice to have someone who will do that for me."

Ruby whimpered and hugged her again.

"Of course! I'll always worry about you, Weiss! You're my best friend and my best teammate!"

Weiss couldn't stop the tears from falling again. But crying didn't hurt this time.

She ate several more of the cookies, but was unable to finish the last one. She placed it into Ruby's hand and beseeched her to eat something as well. Ruby gobbled the cookie up in a second, then bargained that Weiss needed to finish the water.

Once she had, Ruby took the trash and stuffed it back into her pockets to discard elsewhere, not wanting to leave any more evidence behind than she already had with Crescent Rose's crack in the wall.

From there, there was only one thing left to do.

Both girls directed their attention to the sky outside the open window. It was still dark, but the broken moon had shifted in position by now. The dark purple shade of the firmament had altered ever so slightly, and was just a tiny bit lighter now.

Ruby squeezed Weiss' hand, and the message was clear.

It was time to go.

Ruby pulled away from her partner, her cloak consequentially slipping off Weiss' shoulders in the process.

"Can you stand? Here, hold onto me."

Ruby braced Weiss' forearms in her palms and stood herself up first, then gradually helped Weiss find her balance. She wasn't shaking so terribly anymore, and with the food and water now rejuvenating her body, she seemed much steadier than before.

In addition to all of that, there was also the thrill that beat around her heart now, the excitement and nervousness at the thought of running away from home in the middle of the night.

Weiss had considered it herself in previous nights, but she'd never known for sure if any of her teammates had actually still been alive or not. She'd thought it would be easier to be taken to Atlas Academy and sneak out there, where she'd already be far away from her father.

But now that Ruby was here for her, there was no reason to wait a second longer.

Once she was on her feet, Weiss made her way across the room to pick up her rapier where she'd left it leaning against her dresser. There was a small bag that she'd been meant to pack with clothes for the Academy, but now she packed it for another reason.

She only took a few essential articles for this weather, then went to her vanity and opened a drawer there. From the back corner, she took out a small stack of credit cards and lien, which she tucked into her bag.

Ruby, who had been picking up her partner's ruffled bolero in the meantime, perked up at the sight of Weiss' find. The heiress gave a little smirk.

"Don't worry about funds. My father may have control over most of the finances, but Winter recently opened a secret account for me. You won't be sleeping in the forests or on air ships when I'm around."

Ruby grinned and hugged her again, then helped her slip into her bolero again. Weiss felt much better with herself properly covered now.

She secured her bag on her shoulder, then took one last look at her room. She wiped her face, clearing away the tears for good this time.

Ruby stepped up beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

Together, the made for the open window.

Weiss used her rapier to cast a trail of glyphs leading down the side of the mansion, making it much easier to get down than it had been for Ruby to climb up. The young leader grabbed Crescent Rose on the way down, and together, the two of them landed in the snow.

A small white cloud floated up around their boots as they caught their breath, still holding onto one another. They put their weapons away and prepared to take off the way Ruby had come, across the open field, until they made it to the forest where her backpack was hidden.

"Are you ready?" Ruby asked, casting a sideways glance at her partner.

Weiss hesitated only for a moment, and only for the sake of taking a deep, steadying breath. The cold winter night air filled her lungs, then left her lips in a puff of white.

"Yes."

Ruby couldn't help but stare at her a moment longer, though.

The snow surrounded her figure, as did the white air produced by her breath. Her pale skin and silver hair glowed in the moonlight, and her sky-blue dress seemed to sparkle with the residual particles of tiny snowflakes. A slight rosy tinge had returned to her cheeks, and the vibrant, lively blue had returned to her eyes.

Weiss was so gorgeous.

Ruby couldn't stop herself from stepping close to her again.

She didn't think. She only acted on what her heart told her to do.

Softly, shyly, she pressed her lips against Weiss' cheek, just for a second. A second later, she stepped away, hoping she hadn't messed it up.

But Weiss only smiled back at her. She motioned for Ruby to come close again.

"Let me show you how it's done, you dolt."

Weiss pulled her in again, and this time kissed her lips.

It felt so right.

It felt like... finding something they'd always been searching for, realizing it had been right beside them all this time.

Ruby kissed her in return.

It lasted only for a moment, but it was long enough.

When they parted, their eyelids lifted to let silver meet with blue once again.

They didn't need to say any more.

They'd escape together, leave no traces behind them, then find a place to stay.

From there, they'd make plans to find Blake, and once they'd tracked her down and seen her again, they'd go back to Yang.

And from there, they'd try to find answers.

It was a long, tedious, and dangerous journey that lie ahead of them.

But they'd already overcome so much alone.

Now that they were together, they could accomplish anything.

Weiss lifted her hand to cast a long trail of glyphs across the snow, which would allow them to travel swiftly and without leaving footprints.

Ruby gazed out over the lighted path, then turned to her partner.

There were better tears in their eyes now as their hands came together and squeezed, gently but firmly.

And together, they took that first shared step onto the path that would set them on a new journey.

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A/N: Thank you for reading! I'll be finishing this story here, as there's just way too much that could possibly happen from this point onward. I'll just let the canon do its thing. Though I do just want hugs when all the RWBY girls are eventually reunited. That's all I ask.