Now, And Forever

Another White Rose commission for spicybon!! This one is a bit of a throwback, set right after the fall of Beacon.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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														Now, And Forever

Even long after Weiss had cast a trail of glyphs to get Ruby to the top of Beacon Tower, she'd never stopped trying to follow her.

But the Grimm just keep coming, wave after wave of them - relentlessly. She has no choice but to fight them. If they get past her, they may try to follow Ruby up the tower.

So rather than stay here, Weiss uses herself as bait, luring them all as far away as possible.

But it brings her farther and farther away from Ruby, too.

Her heart never stops throbbing with the fear that she may be making a terrible mistake.

She fights, having lost track of how many hours she's been doing this, how many Grimm she's killed. Her Dust eventually runs out, as does her energy to create glyphs, and soon all she has left is her rapier.

The natural barrier of protection her aura structures around herself is also mostly depleted, but the beasts keep coming. Her body aches in the worst kind of pain, the worst kind of fear. She looks skyward, to the tower, but there's nothing that tells her how Ruby might be fairing. The dragon looms where it clings, as if waiting on some command to strike-

"Ah-!"

Weiss is bowled over by a heavy swing of claws. The wolves pounce, but she's still faster, kicking one in the jaw as her blade pierces another's throat.

She fights. To her limit, and then beyond that.

She can't give up here.

Not when her teammates still need her.

Not when Ruby-

And suddenly the sky turns white.

No – silver.

It's blinding.

Even after Weiss is forced to close her eyes, she can still see that burning silver.

The Grimm howl, and she wonders if this is the end.

But after the great light dissipates, so do the monsters. Weiss' eyes flutter open to catch the last glimpses of the beasts disappearing into thin air. The dragon above is frozen in some silvery prison, and the sounds of fighting have stopped.

It's over.

It's over.

But-

"Ruby..."

Her voice sounds as ashen as she appears, covered in Dust and blood and dirt. Her rapier clatters to the ground, and Weiss collapses to her knees.

She doesn't even feel herself hit the ground as darkness swallows her.

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When Weiss next wakes, it's almost as if she's in a different world.

A nightmarish one.

As she pushes herself up, terror strikes through her heart as she finds herself surrounded by wounded friends and classmates.

The campus has been more or less destroyed, and all around her people are sobbing. Medics scurry frantically to try and tend to as many as possible.

Weiss feels sick, nauseous with fear. Her stomach feels like it's twisted itself into a churning bile, gnarled with despair. She scans the faces of those around her, and when she recognizes a few of them it's but a droplet of relief in an ocean of dismay.

But she can't find the people she wants to see the most. She can't find them anywhere-

"Weiss!"

Someone calls her name, but it isn't one of the three voices she'd been hoping to hear most.

But it's still a relief to know Nora and Ren are okay. The pair hurries over to her with Nora at the head.

"Thank goodness you're awake!"

"Good to see you two," she grunts. A dizzy spell hits her like a brick to the temple. With a groan she drops her head into her hands.

"Take it easy," Ren says. "You did a lot of fighting."

"We all did," she huffs. "Where's Jaune?"

Nora nods toward a newly-arrived air ship. "Helping the medics. There are a lot of people injured."

Weiss nods. "And Pyrrha?"

And suddenly, neither Ren or Nora can look her in the eyes. They don't say a word.

Whatever relief Weiss had been beginning to feel shatters to irreparable pieces. Her voice hitches in the back of her throat, a broken whisper.

"No..."

The dread grips her like talons - squeezing, crushing - until she feels she might break apart. Tears form behind her eyes.

She wants to cry. She wants to grieve.

But she can't. Not yet.

She still has people to find. She can't let the sorrow swallow her.

Weiss begins pushing herself up, and only then does Nora tearfully speak up again.

"Whoa, whoa, missy! You haven't been treated yet!"

"It doesn't matter..." Weiss gasps. "I have to... find my team..."

Nora and Ren can tell there's no stopping her, so they both crouch down to support her and get her to her feet. Weiss winces at the pain of her own weight, feeling twice the ache without her aura to help. She staggers and bites back a whimper.

"Easy," Ren soothes.

"I can't-" Weiss chokes. "Not until I... know they're safe..." She struggles for her breath, and during that time their silence only makes her feel sicker. She lifts her head and looks to each of them. "What?" she demands. "What is it? Tell me-" She breaks off coughing and tastes the tang of blood.

Nora pats her back gently.

"Weiss..." For even Nora Valkyrie to sound so solemn and defeated, Weiss knows it can't be good news. She shakes her head and lifts it again, blue eyes burning.

"Tell me."

Nora sighs, unable to look at her directly.

"Blake... Blake is gone."

"Wh-" Weiss would've fallen if not for the two of them. Whatever shreds of strength she had left drain from her in an instant. Ren dives to keep her on her feet.

"Easy!" he says. "Not like you're thinking. Blake's disappeared. She... She ran off on her own... No one really knows where she went..."

Weiss hardly takes comfort in the news, but it's better than what she'd initially thought had become of her.

Blake is gone. She's on her own. But if Weiss knows anything about her, it's that alone is how Blake works best.

Weiss might never see her again – and based on her family's history with the Faunus, that might just be for the best.

But at least she's still alive, and for now, that's good enough for Weiss.

She catches her breath enough to ask about the others.

"What about Yang...? Ruby...?"

"They're injured," Nora warns her. "But they're gonna be okay."

"Well take you to them."

Weiss feels just a few of the thorns in her stomach come loose. She remembers how Yang had looked when she'd last seen her, with only one arm. She gets nauseous all over again to imagine something similar might have happened to Ruby.

Nora and Ren bring her to an air ship bustling with medics and patients. She hears bits and pieces of frantic conversations, how communications throughout the kingdoms are down, how they can't fly to certain facilities for urgent care, how they're running low on supplies and the shipments aren't coming in...

People are laid out on the floor because there aren't enough beds. Fighters who, when Weiss looks past the blood and the bandages, she recognizes as her own fellow students and teachers.

Weiss leans more and more on her guides with every step, her own strength diminishing by the second. She hobbles along, vision blurring, until she hears a familiar voice, deep and gruff.

"I'm taking my nieces back to Patch with me."

Weiss recognizes Qrow's voice. Ren and Nora stop. The heiress finally lifts her head again.

And they're there – both of them – lying in beds like broken dolls.

Yang is incomplete, and blood is still seeping through the bandages around what's left of her arm. Weiss' only solace is to find that Ruby looks to be the same as she'd been before the fighting had started. She still has all her pieces, and most of the blood that's splattered on her clothing isn't her own.

But she's so still, looks so much smaller than Weiss knows her to be...

The tears rise up again, but still Weiss pushes them back. With a soft whisper of gratitude, she thanks Nora and Ren, and they let her go. She hopes she'll see them again one day.

It's then when Qrow turns from his conversation with the healers to face her.

"Oh. Good to see you made it, kid. Same can't be said for everyone. But Ruby and Yang are gonna be all right. Eventually."

"I'm glad to hear it," she rasps. "Believe me."

"Oh, I do. But you know, I heard your father just landed. He's lookin' for you. Wants to collect you and bring you back to Atlas."

His words strike a whole new kind of fear in Weiss' heart. She shudders and has to hold onto the edge of Ruby's bed.

"I won't-" she growls. "I won't go with him. Not when my team is-"

"Hey, listen." For once, hearing his voice doesn't annoy her. When Weiss looks up to him, she doesn't see the same man who's been pestering her sister for years, but instead she sees a sad, caring uncle. Until he continues speaking-

"It might be best for you to go back. Get the high-class treatment and care Atlas has to offer."

Weiss recoils instantly.

"How do you know what's good for me?" she snaps. "I can't go with that man. I won't go back to Atlas. I'm going to Patch. With you. With them." She nods firmly toward the two beds.

But Qrow narrows his eyes.

"All right, listen. If this is just some scheme of yours to run away from home-"

"How dare you!" Weiss doesn't even give him the chance to finish. She swings back her hand and slaps him across the face so hard it draws several people's attention. Qrow staggers and mutters something under his breath, but Weiss won't hear it.

"How dare you imply this is about me? I'm not trying to run away and save myself!" She feels the tears finally spilling over now, and she can't do anything to stop them. "I've already lost people... They're dead or they've run off... I am not losing Ruby and Yang too, do you hear me? I'm coming to Patch whether you let me or not!"

She's all but shouting by the end of it, fury and desperation burning in her veins and spilling from her eyes. Qrow rubs his cheek and heaves a sigh.

"You're a Schnee through and through, that's for sure. And I know that once you've set your mind on something, nothing's gonna stop you anyway." He turns away and gives a dismissive wave. "Come to Patch if you want. But if that father of yours comes chasing you down, don't drag my nieces into it." He slinks off, hunched over and hands in his pockets like always.

Weiss almost cracks a smile for half a second before it wobbles and the tears take hold once again. She all but collapses to sit on the edge of Ruby's bed, taking her hand and squeezing gently. She almost reaches for Yang's too, until she remembers she can't hold her hand anymore.

From there it's a matter of praying her father won't track her down before the ship leaves. But even if he did, Weiss would fight tooth and nail, and even turn her rapier on him if she had to.

She's already lost a part of her team. She isn't about to be taken from the rest of it.

Ruby and Yang are going to need each other, and she has to hope they'll need her, too.

If anything good comes of all this, it's that Weiss' father never makes it to search the ship before the doors close. They take off, set to land at several different places to bring the wounded back home.

Throughout the hours on board the ship, Weiss gets treated, though she doesn't allow it until everyone else has been seen to first. They bandage up her wounds, give her clean clothes, and a bit of food. Someone brings her a chair so she can sit between her teammates' beds and watch over them.

As they land in different places, she hears a lot of the news; Remnant is in chaos, kingdoms are closing their doors to others, communication and travel is limited.

It's all a horrible mess. Whatever delicate tolerances had been in place between certain islands and kingdoms have either shattered or nearly shattered.

Beacon had fallen. Students are dead and missing, and Ozpin is nowhere to be found.

Weiss turns back and forth between Yang and Ruby, diving her attention to repent over each of them. She only rests when she's completely exhausted herself and can't keep her eyes open any longer.

She doesn't know how much time passes before she wakes and finds herself on Patch. Ruby and Yang's father hurries onto the ship in tears to pick up his youngest, while Qrow carries Yang. Weiss timidly follows them off the ship, thanking the nurses for all they've done as she goes.

They make their way to Tai Yang's house, and Weiss helps the brothers with the sisters. When both Ruby and Yang are in their childhood beds, Qrow, Tai Yang, and Weiss gather in the living room to discuss the events that had transpired. Weiss mostly listens, and teardrops fall into her tea cup more than once.

Tai Yang formally invites her to stay, and she humbly accepts the offer.

When she can tell the two of them want to be alone to discuss certain matters, Weiss retreats upstairs. Even though she'd eaten a bit recently, her stomach feels painfully hollow, and there's a heavy limp in her gait.

She staggers first toward Yang's room, leaning against the wall all the while. When she reaches the doorway, she doesn't enter. She merely peers through, gazing at the girl in the bed.

Living with her at Beacon had made it easy to forget. But the truth is painfully clear now; that strong, passionate, fiery teammate Weiss had always known is nothing more than a normal girl.

The gauntlet rests on the mantle nearby, and Weiss' chest tightens. She can't go in. She wouldn't even know what to say to Yang if she were to wake in her presence.

So as much as she wants to stay – and as much as it hurts her to go – Weiss turns away.

She believes there's someone else who might need her even more.

By the time she makes it to her partner's room, it's all Weiss can do to tiptoe in, pull up a chair for herself, and collapse into it at Ruby's bedside.

Had the situation been any different, Weiss might've chuckled at the sight of her dressed in her childish old pajamas, the same ones she'd worn in their first semesters at Beacon. Weiss would like to believe she's still the same hyperactive dunce of a girl.

But this battle has changed them all. With Yang injured and Blake missing, she doesn't know what to expect from Ruby waking. It scares her to the point of fresh tears.

Weiss raises her arm and weeps quietly into her shoulder, wiping her eyes. When she's calmed, she reaches out to clear the loose hair away from Ruby's pale face.

"You have me..." she rasps, reaching for her hand. "No matter what, you'll always have me..."

And just seeing her face so still and solemn, without the usual beaming smile or rosy tint in her cheeks, has Weiss' heart breaking all over again. She falls forward onto the edge of the bed, curling her arms at Ruby's side and burying her face in them. She cries until she falls asleep, but even then she never lets go of her hand.

Weiss regains consciousness a while later to a slight movement in her hand. It isn't much – barely anything, really – but she feels the faintest twitch of fingertips brushing against her palm. As she raises herself back up, more tears dribble down her cheeks.

She glances to Ruby's face and finds her brow furrowed with effort, her eyelashes fluttering. Weiss' heart catches in her throat for several reasons.

Firstly, she has no idea what to say to Ruby when she wakes, how to explain the situation or all of the terrible things that've happened.

Secondly, she'd seen that blinding silver light for herself, and she knows it had something to do with Ruby. One of her greatest fears is that Ruby might've gone blind. She shudders to think of seeing nothing but dull grayness behind those eyes once she opens them.

But finally... her heart catches because it's happy. Too happy to explain. Happy in a mix of a million other worse emotions, so it doesn't feel like the one positive one fits. But Weiss wants her to wake up. She wants to see her...

"Mm..."

Weiss brings her free hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp. Her other hand squeezes Ruby's by means of encouragement.

"You've got this," she mutters. "Please, Ruby..."

She waits, giving Ruby all the time she needs to gather her strength. It truly is heartbreaking. The girl who had all but single-handedly ended the battle of Beacon can now hardly open her eyes...

But she does.

It's just a flash of silver to begin with, weak and feeble as if the sunlight in the room hurts her eyes. It's barely anything, but to Weiss it's the most beautiful color in the world.

Ruby must've realized she has a visitor, because as soon as her eyelids fall shut, she forces them back open again. Weiss can see a glaze there, but it isn't one of blindness, only confusion and exhaustion.

Ruby shakes her head a little, moaning in the process, as if she can't believe what she's seeing. So Weiss helps her understand it's real. She squeezes her hand again to prove it.

"Ruby..."

Weiss' voice saying her partner's name is the final push Ruby needs. Clarity sparks somewhere in her gaze, somewhere past all the other things. She blinks.

"W... Weiss...?"

Weiss' heart lifts and begins beating quickly, as though it'd been frozen for a few moments.

"Yes... It's me... I'm here, Ruby."

The girl shakes her head again, in disbelief this time.

"Weiss... Weiss-"

And Weiss can see it in Ruby's eyes, the very second that surprise reverts to dismay as the memories come rushing back to her. Weiss fights back more tears. She wants to be strong for her.

"I'm here," she whispers again. "I'm here, Ruby..."

Ruby begins to tremble, and her lips begin to wobble before even a ghost of a smile can cross them.

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

All at once, Ruby pushes herself up out of bed in spite of the aches it causes. She slips her hand free from Weiss', only to throw both arms around her, squeezing her as tightly as she physically can.

"Weiss! Weiss-! Thank goodness..."

Ruby breaks down instantly, sobbing heavily into Weiss' shoulder.

And that's what breaks the heiress all over again. She clings onto Ruby's back, doing her best to provide more support than she takes. She cries much more softly than Ruby does, but with no less emotion.

She's just glad that – after everything that had happened – Weiss could be the first thing Ruby saw after she woke up.

They cry together for a long moment, Weiss struggling to regain her composure. She wants – needs – to be there for Ruby. She can grieve on her own time.

She cries only from the relief now, and once that's run its course she all but forces herself to stop.

But Ruby keeps going, understandably.

Carefully, Weiss moves herself over onto the bed with her, more or less cradling the girl in her arms now, holding her up. She hushes her gently, tracing her hands up and down Ruby's back, carding gingerly through her hair.

Ruby cries for a while longer, but her desire for answers eventually overcomes all else. She eases away from Weiss, her face a wet puffy mess. Weiss brushes her fingers across her forehead to clear her bangs again.

"Take it easy," she murmurs. "A lot... A lot's happened, Ruby..."

"I know-" she chokes, and a flash of panic comes into her eyes. "Y-Yang- Wh-What happened to Yang? I-Is she okay? Wh-What about-"

"Ruby, please..." Weiss pulls her closer into a softer hug, a little less powerful than the first, but equally as desperate. "Yang is... she's hurt... but she should be okay-"

"Should be?!" Ruby cries. She pulls away from Weiss' embrace so quickly it makes Weiss flinch. Ruby looks about to bolt off into her older sister's room.

"Ruby, please-" Weiss begs her. "Just try to stay calm. Take a breath. Yang... Yang isn't awake yet, but... judging by what happened to her... it's going to take some time for her to process things..."

Ruby shakes her head slowly, eyes hollow.

"N-No, no, no... I-I have to be there for her-! I have to-!"

"Ruby!" The only way to stop her from wrenching herself out of her recovery bed is to restrain her in another hug. Ruby struggles for only a second before stopping, not wanting to hurt Weiss. The tears rise up all over again.

"B... But Weiss, she's... she's my sister-"

"I know she is," Weiss whispers. "And you can be with her all she needs... all you need... But right now she's still resting, and you should be, too..." She tightens her hold around Ruby's shoulders just a little, pleading. "Please, Ruby... just... rest now, so you can be there for her when she wakes up."

"Yang... Yang..." Ruby blubbers like a child. She clings to Weiss so tightly it hurts, but Weiss doesn't say a word. She just holds her, like Yang might've held her, trying to make her feel as safe as possible. Ruby buries herself in Weiss' collar, sobbing like the broken young girl she is.

It takes some time, but eventually she stops trembling so hard. Weiss gives her another squeeze before letting her ease back again. Ruby sniffles and swallows and wipes her eyes.

"What... What about Blake...? Where is she...?"

Weiss sighs.

"We don't know. She took off on her own. But she's Blake. I'm sure she's fine..." She hopes she sounds more convincing than she feels.

Ruby just nods, trying to act brave. But more tears fall. More and more. They tumble down her face as the words tumble from her lips.

"Blake... Blake's gone... Yang is hurt... and P-Pyrrha... Penny..."

Each name feels like another arrow through Weiss' heart. But the worst part of all of it is the fact that Ruby is still in such terrible pain. She'd arguably lost the most from that fight. The last thing Weiss wants to do right now is to make it all worse, but Ruby has a right to know.

"Ozpin too," she sighs. "He's missing... he might be-"

"No-" Ruby chokes on her rasp of a voice. "No... no, i-it's not fair... it's not fair, Weiss..." Her voice cracks, breaks, shatters, and she falls back into her partner's arms. Weiss catches her, holds her firmly, tries to put some of the pieces back together.

"I know..." She curls her arms around Ruby and brings her close – closer than she's ever let anyone get before. "I know... I'm sorry, Ruby..."

Ruby wails like she deserves to, lost and confused and in pain. Harder than she'd cried in the past several years. She probably hasn't cried this hard since Summer had died.

It's all Weiss can do to keep herself from breaking down, too. She needs to be strong for Ruby. She needs to-

"Weiss..."

The sound of her name has the heiress looking up. Ruby is gazing back at her, her eyes still brimming and overflowing. But there's something else in them now amongst the sorrow and the grief.

"Weiss..."

Relief.

"Weiss-!" Ruby throws her arms around her partner all over again, nearly bowling Weiss off the bed.

"R-Ruby-?" Weiss barely manages to hold them both up and regain her posture. "What is it...?"

Ruby lets out something that's half-sob and half-sigh.

"You're here-" she croaks. "You're still here... You didn't leave me... You came back with me... I mean at first I didn't even realize what that means... When I woke up and saw you, my mind just... kind of accepted it. Like I expected you to be here, like you always are for me... B-But now I realize just how difficult it must've been for you... D-Didn't your dad-?"

"Yes," Weiss huffs. "He came for me. But I took off with you and your sister before he could find me. Which reminds me, I should probably apologize to your uncle later..."

"To Uncle Qrow? Why?"

"I may have gotten a bit... upset with him... but in the end he let me come along. Though even if he hadn't, I'd still have come anyway."

"S-So you... you ran away from your dad? Won't he be... mad...?" Ruby looks up at her with worried round watery eyes. Weiss cracks the tiniest smile, reaching out to ruffle the girl's hair.

"Probably. But I couldn't care less about him. I'm here for you, Ruby. For you and for Yang."

And Ruby doesn't say it, but Weiss can read it in her expression that she knows; she knows just how risky this move is for Weiss. Her father will catch up to her eventually, and he won't be happy when he does. But Weiss' concern for her teammates far outweighs her concern about her disgruntled father.

"Don't worry," she murmurs, easing Ruby into yet another hug. "I made my choice a long time ago, Ruby. It's you. It's always been you... I'm your best teammate, remember...?"

Ruby nods so hard and so quickly she nearly gives herself a headache.

"Yeah-! You're the best... the b-best teammate ever, Weiss-! Thank you... thank you..."

Weiss breathes out a long, long breath. Ruby finally seems to understand now; that no matter how much she's lost, she'll always have her. No matter how many people leave or disappear, Weiss will always remain after the last shadow has faded.

When they'd first made eye contact back in the Emerald Forest, it had been fate. A lifelong bond had begun in that moment, and it's their destiny to continue forging it.

Weiss draws Ruby in again and kisses her temple.

She waits until her partner has cried all she can, then helps Ruby lie back down again. Weiss lies beside her, refusing to let her go, and Ruby is the same way. She hides herself in Weiss' neck, which is already plenty damp by now, but Weiss doesn't care. She's cried a good amount into Ruby's hair in return.

"Rest," she breathes. "Whatever happens next, Ruby, I'll be here with you. We'll get through this. All of us. I promise."

And she slips a hand down between them, finding one of Ruby's. She curls their pinky fingers together – a gesture Ruby herself had taught Weiss within their first few weeks as teammates.

Ruby's sniffles finally taper off. She squeezes Weiss' pinky back.

"Thanks, Weiss... for everything..."

"Don't thank me yet," she murmurs. "My role as your best teammate ever has only just begun."

Ruby sighs and snuggles into her, finally closing her eyes once again.

"Then I look forward... to whatever's waiting for us... "

Weiss kisses the top of her head.

"Me, too."

With everything that's happened now, the future isn't going to be as bright as they once might've envisioned it.

They've lost people, in more ways than one.

They've lost their school, the place they could call home together.

They've lost so much, and more is sure to come...

But they can't change the past – only the future.

And that future starts with the present.

As Ruby falls asleep in her arms, Weiss vows to stay by her side no matter what that future may throw at them.

Weiss is Ruby's best teammate and her only partner – now, and forever.

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A/N: Aaahhh so the request was to have Weiss go with Ruby after the Fall but there's just... so much to address so this ended up being too long, but oh well! I know there should probably a lot more angst and conversation, but I had to stop at some point.

The good thing about writing about vol 4 when the canon is currently nearing 7 is that since we already know what happens, I can't let my imagination run too far into 8000 different directions haha