Play Pretend (ch3)

2-day early release for patrons! Thank you all so much for sticking with me when times are tough!

A lot of you had guesses as to what this wish might be, but it isn't as most of you were thinking. From the beginning, I've been saying how the lesson/message of this story is a bit different from others, so I hope you understand it.

Please keep in mind the inspiration song.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

-----------------

							Chapter 3.

Ruby couldn't be quite certain about what she'd heard.

That androgynous, guttural voice had gone silent for the moment, and yet it still echoed in her ears.

"One wish...?" she said again, still disbelieving. Her eyes flashed around to meet her teammates' gazes to silently consult them about their thoughts on the matter.

Weiss' expression was dubious, her blue eyes narrowed and lips pursed in a firm, unwavering line.

Blake's countenance was much the same, and her ears were flat. She gave Ruby the tiniest shake of her head.

Yang was clearly suspicious as well, and she was the one who addressed the Weaver next.

"What the hell kinda crap are you spewing?" she growled. "You tryin' to trick us? How the hell could you grant wishes, huh? I've never heard of a Grimm that could do that."

There was a moment of silence as the spider's body continued to slowly disintegrate. The beast's voice made a sighing sound before forming coherent words once more.

"We are not like other Grimm," it uttered. "You've managed to slaughter my entire clan, including myself. I was their ruler for centuries. But the second we breached the surface and revealed ourselves to humans, our clocks were already ticking and running out of time.

"I trust you know by now that not all Grimm are after human blood, and while that might not have been the case with my kind, it's not impossible for me to grant a reward for such a feat as wiping out an entire hoard in just a few hours."

The four girls exchanged looks once again, but all still looked skeptical.

It was Weiss who stepped forward next to speak.

"Even if we should believe what you say is the truth, how can we be certain you won't twist the words of whatever wish we might make and manipulate us?"

It was a valid question, and the other three stiffened at the thought of that even having been a possibility.

Weiss' gaze was stern and hard as she glared through the flickering darkness at the body of the beast. Its voice grunted again.

"White Huntress," it chuckled. "Believe me when I tell you that I was a beast who enjoyed the spectacle of watching my prey squirm and struggle before perishing. But now, thanks to you four, my time is up. Whatever wish you could possibly ask of me, I won't live long enough to see it fulfilled. So I gain nothing from lying to you or twisting your words. If I'd been alive to see it, I might've done just that, but as things are now, that won't be an option. It wouldn't be worth it if I missed the fun parts."

Weiss let out a small growl and turned back to Ruby.

"I don't like this. Let's just get out of here. We don't need some wish-"

But she stopped herself, her jaw hanging open slightly as she realized something.

Perhaps she told herself that she didn't need this wish, but... but maybe Ruby did.

Or at least, she thought she did.

Promptly, Weiss grabbed the girl's shoulders and bore her own gaze into silver.

"Ruby, whatever it is you plan on asking for, just please-" Her voice cracked and she swallowed, inhaling shakily before continuing. "Please don't... ask for Sum-"

"Weiss..." Ruby lifted her hands and placed them gently on her partner's wrists. Her lips curved up into a small, sad smile. "I'd... be lying if I said that wasn't my first thought... but I know I can't do that. My mom's gone and I accepted that a long, long time ago. It wouldn't be right to ask for her back. I don't think fate would like that."

She chuckled softly, but Weiss could see the pain in her eyes, the burden that the prospect of getting Summer back had weighted on her heart. Weiss felt the girl's shoulders tremble as Ruby released a small sigh.

But the heiress was just glad Ruby understood. She pulled the younger girl in to her chest, wrapping her in a soft embrace that needed no words.

Yang watched the scene with a nod of approval – whatever she'd been wanting to say to Ruby, Weiss had just done it with much more composure.

The blonde turned to look at the Faunus girl beside her and made a small request of her.

"Can you tell if this guy's lying?"

Blake flicked her ears and they swiveled forward once more.

"I think so."

Yang nodded.

"Alright then." She then raised her voice to address the dying spider. "I want you to make that offer again so we can tell if it's legit."

The spider let out a weary laugh of sorts.

"Very well. I have offered to grant you one wish. The magics this body possesses will keep me alive until they are spent, but my body has already perished. It would defy the laws of nature for a beast – even a Grimm – to linger after death. Therefore, I offer to use my magics to grant those who have slain me a single wish."

The entire time, Blake listened with her eyes closed and ears perked. She caught every word the spider said easily. Its tone never faltered or hesitated and remained at a constant volume all the while.

There were no traces of a lie that she could decipher.

Reopening her eyes, she found Yang's curious lavender pools gazing back.

"It seems genuine," Blake reported. "I can only hope it's not a good liar."

"As I stated," the beast rumbled. "I cannot perish until the magics I've withheld inside of my body are released. With my clan dead and body no more, there isn't reason for me to linger in this world. Your making this wish benefits both parties."

Yang looked to the spider and then to Blake again. The Faunus girl gave one simple nod to affirm the creature was being truthful. Biting her lip, Yang looked back to the others.

Weiss and Ruby had parted, though the heiress kept a steadying hand on her partner's back. Ruby had heard it all when Blake had confirmed the Weaver's offer being genuine. When she addressed the spider next, it was with a childish chuckle.

"Guess I can't wish for more wishes, huh?"

The spider grunted in agreement.

"Were you to do so, my magics would bestow upon me the ability to grant more wishes. But as soon as that first wish was fulfilled, I would perish, and there would be no one left to fulfill the ability of granting more. Wishing for more would be a wasted opportunity, but perhaps the safest bet if you distrust me."

"No," Ruby said. "I trust you."

A sweeping look to her teammates suggested they weren't as convinced as she was, but once Ruby had set her heart on something, she was going for it.

But she didn't want to be selfish with this.

Turning to her companions, she met each of their gazes.

"Is there... anything you guys need from this? I mean, I'm sure there is, but... is there anything you really need?"

When she offered, the others couldn't help but consider. A moment passed where each of them pondered.

They all had regrets.

They all had braved events in their lives that had been less-than-favorable.

They all had suffered – perhaps more than what they deserved.

They all had burdens to bear and secrets to keep.

They all had things they could never hope to change until now.

And yet... they didn't need to change those things.

Everything in their lives up until this point – the good and bad times alike – had shaped them into who they were now. Changing the past might drastically alter who they were now, and they voiced as much to Ruby, declaring how the risk wasn't worth it, even should a dark part of their pasts cease to exist.

"I love who I am now," Blake said. "I don't want that to be altered."

"Same here, sis," Yang agreed. "Changing the past or bringing back people we lost will only jeopardize what we have now. But I like what we have now."

"Therefore," Weiss picked up on the discourse. "Whatever wish we decide on, I think we can all agree that it shouldn't be something that could potentially endanger or alter the past."

"Right," Ruby nodded. "So that also limits us about changing the future. Because we'd need to alter events of the past in order to change the future we'll soon know. We can't wish to wipe out Grimm or anything like that. 'Cause then we'd all never have had a reason to become huntresses and meet one another.

"I think a wish that would risk changing the past or the future is off the table. So that just leaves one thing..."

The others looked to her curiously, and Ruby smiled.

"The present," she clarified.

She'd already thought of the wish she'd wanted to make and thought it through ten times over, then an eleventh time just to be safe.

It could work.

And the others could see in her gaze that she had come to a decision, and that she was set on it – mind, body, and soul.

Weiss exhaled a shaky breath, but she trusted her partner and leader of seven years. With a light pat to the girl's back, she sent Ruby forward toward the Weaver.

But Yang couldn't keep her voice down.

"Ruby-" she all but whimpered. "I-I don't know. I don't think-"

"Yang..." It was Blake who cajoled her with a gentle hand to her arm, rubbing softly. "I know she'll always be your baby sister, but she's not a kid anymore. She knows what she's doing. Trust her."

The blonde trembled, clinging to her partner for support, but she said nothing more, her eyes trained on her sister as she approached the spider's skeleton.

"Have you come to a decision, Red Huntress?"

"Yes." Ruby's chin was held high, her eyes narrowed and focused, voice firm. "I want us-" She turned back and indicated her teammates, and then herself. "To be able to start over."

Silence ensued yet again. Her teammates were nervous with confusion, but opted to hold tightly to their trust in Ruby.

The Weaver grumbled.

"Elaborate."

Ruby nodded.

"I don't mean start over as a team, or even as friends. I don't want to change our pasts together or risk our futures. I just want to enjoy the moment," she stated.

"So that's why I want to start over. Just for a day. I want to go back to a time when we didn't have all of these responsibilities. I want to go back to a time when we didn't have to worry about things. A time when we could live freely and without a care in the world. I want to have that. Just for a day."

Another moment of silence.

Another moment to digest her words.

The spider hummed.

"I see. So you wish not to alter your individual set pasts twenty-odd years ago, but to take the present day and rewind."

"In body, not mind," Ruby affirmed. "If our minds forgot everything we're doing now, it would be the same as giving up the present and redoing the past, and I don't want that."

"You merely want a day to be children again, and after that day has run its course, you want to be returned to this present life."

"Is that possible?" Ruby asked.

The Weaver grumbled again.

"Dear Huntress. There is only one way to find out. Is this your wish?"

Ruby looked back to her team, wide-eyed with shock, and gave a charismatic smirk.

"Yes."

Without another word, the cave began to quiver.

The air suddenly shifted around her, and Ruby could feel it. She envisioned what she wanted to happen in order to fulfill her wish, to better assist the magics in making it a reality.

She heard the gasps of her companions, but Ruby merely closed her eyes, silently reassuring them that all would be well.

For a moment, it felt as though she were spiraling, spinning on the merry-go-round she'd once loved so dearly to ride on when her mother had taken her to the carnival in her youngest years.

And then all was still.

. .

.

. .

Even before Ruby opened her eyes, she could tell where she was.

She'd envisioned this place, after all. She'd been the one to guide the magics into creating it.

Her memories were all intact, and she knew full-well that she was no longer inside that dark, dank cave that smelled of death. No...

It was warm here, and past the shields of her eyelids, she could determine that it was bright as well, and the ground beneath her body was soft.

She could also feel something else. Or rather... not feel.

There was no weight on her hip – Crescent Rose was gone.

But that meant she didn't need it where she was right now.

And that meant her wish had been granted.

Slowly, she blinked open her eyes and found herself in a replica of the place she'd imagined back in the Bone Weaver's cave.

It was a lush green field decorated with various vibrant flowers. There were a few trees dotted here and there, and even a large pond in the distance down a hill. To the side was the rest of the park, and behind her was a small town – Vale.

But it wasn't the same Vale she'd left behind earlier that morning.

The best way to describe this world would be an alternate universe. But it would only last for twenty-four hours.

When Ruby sat up, she noticed her scythe really was gone, her clothes altered to fit her smaller body. She was a kid once more, probably about eight years old.

And she wasn't alone here.

Sounds of movement and little gasps from her left caused her to turn her head.

They were there, too – all three of them – miniature versions of the teammates she'd come to know and love.

Yang was the most familiar to her, as Ruby had been with her in all the years she could remember. She'd seen Yang as her ten-year-old self in reality, and even now she appeared to be exactly the same as she had been thirteen years ago. Her blonde hair only reached the middle of her back now, and her lavender eyes were ridden with confusion as she looked herself over.

"Wh-What the-"

But when her eyes looked up to meet silver, Yang understood.

Ruby smiled and nodded, crawling a bit closer to her.

Together, they looked up as Blake and Weiss roused themselves from the grass as well.

Blake's hair was a bit shorter as well, and she wore a bandana around her upper left arm. Her Faunus ears were exposed and very small, but her eyes were still that beautiful golden color.

Weiss' hair was in its usual ponytail, her white dress a bit long on her. Her left cheek was still scarred, but again, the dazzling blue of her eyes out-shined all else.

The two girls first looked to one another, then to the two sisters present.

"Ruby..." Weiss murmured, and her voice was a bit higher-pitched than what her mature tone at the age of twenty-three was.

Blake's voice was a bit more childish as well.

"Is this... your wish?" she wondered.

Those words proved to Ruby that her wish had indeed been granted without any tricks. They all still retained their memories of their current, real lives.

But their bodies had rewound thirteen years.

They'd been placed in a world without danger.

They had no responsibilities to uphold, no battles to fight, no pasts to regret.

They were free.

It was nothing short of surreal. Had they all not heard the Grimm's words for themselves, they might've considered themselves insane.

There was still confusion clear in all of their expressions – the inability to fully comprehend that this had truly happened. They all kept looking around themselves in this newly-forged world, created solely for the purpose of granting Ruby's wish.

There were other people here too, walking their dogs or eating ice cream or fishing in the pond. It was certainly real enough to fool them.

Ruby wasn't quite sure if their actual bodies had been left behind in the cave and they were all simply dreaming in some kind of virtual reality of sorts, or if they had actually been physically altered and sent to another universe.

Either way, their experience here was certain to be real, and not something they would simply forget.

After a few minutes of silent bafflement, Ruby pushed herself up to her feet, picking off blades of grass from her skirt. She offered her hand to Weiss and pulled her up as well, and Yang did the same for Blake.

The Faunus girl was clearly the most unsettled of them all. But it was less because of the very-nearly magical, logic-defying journey they had gone through to get here, and more due to the fact that her Faunus ears were exposed.

Ruby and Weiss understood without words, and swiftly started looking about for something that might be able to cover them for her.

But Yang spotted a group of Faunus sauntering happily through the park not far off, and nudged Blake to have her observe.

"See?" Yang grinned. "There's nothin' to be afraid of in this world. Faunus are free here, too."

Blake's flattened ears slowly began to rise in relief.

Even so, Ruby and Weiss were already working together on something to help their teammate out.

They picked the wildflowers around them, weaving and tying the stems together, helping one another hold the flowers in place. Blake watched them curiously from over Ruby's shoulder, and it was only another minute before the brunette popped up wearing a wide, toothy grin.

"Here you go!" she chirped. "A flower crown!"

Gently, she slipped it on over Blake's Faunus ears, resting it atop her human ones to keep it secure. It was made of mostly purple and a few yellow flowers.

The other three stood back to examine the results and all nodded in approval.

"Looks great!" Yang said, giving a thumbs-up.

"Adorable," Weiss commented.

"Yeah!" Ruby agreed. "You look super cute!"

Blake blushed redder and redder at each compliment before she had to turn her face away.

"We... we should make them for you guys, too," she mumbled. "So we can match."

Ruby's face lit up even more – if that was even possible – as she looked to Weiss and her sister.

"Whaddaya say, guys? Flower crowns for all?"

"Sounds good to me!" Yang nodded.

"I mean, all things considered," Weiss said. "We're supposed to be enjoying ourselves to the fullest here without worrying about anything, right? So that sounds like a very nice idea."

With all of them in agreement, they began collecting as many wildflowers as they could hold in their arms – pink, white, purple, and yellow. They scoured the large grassy area of the park, finding the flowers with the longest stems before plucking them.

Once they'd gathered enough for three more crowns, they sat down and set to work.

Ruby made a crown for Weiss entirely out of white flowers. Weiss made one for Yang that was mostly yellow, with a bit of purple – just the opposite of Blake's. And the Faunus girl helped the blonde make a yellow and pink crown for Ruby.

Once they'd all finished their creations, they put them on for their respective friends.

Before long, they were all adorning colorful crowns and nodding in satisfaction.

"We look great!" Yang cheered.

"I'll say!" Ruby agreed.

They helped one another up from the grass and dusted each other off.

It was then the four of them realized they had completed their first "task."

"Well..." Ruby went on. "We still have until sunrise. What should we do for the rest of the day? What have you guys... always wanted to do?"

She wasn't asking just for the sake of asking. She was asking because this was their wish, too.

Ruby had made it for all of their sakes; she wanted them all to be able to do the things their current lives had denied them.

She looked to each of them in turn, and it was her sister who ended up speaking first.

"Heh, y'know... I'm kinda thirsty, but no way in heck am I in the mood for a beer," she joked. "I wouldn't mind... some juice, or soda or something..." She knew it sounded silly, but it was all she could think of right now.

But the others understood. The drinks they drank as adults were for the purpose of staving off regret with bitterness, be it alcohol to forget or coffee to gain forced energy.

It would be nice to drink something sugary again – just for fun, just because they were kids.

Even Weiss agreed with the blonde's proposal.

"I'm sick of wine," she said. "I've never had soda before, but-"

"What?!" The sisters gasped dramatically together. Ruby went on quickly. "Alright, that's it we're all getting soda! Let's go!"

Together, they began marching off toward the nearby town.

Within just a few minutes of passing people and looking over the available shops, Ruby spotted what they were looking for. It was a small deli with an ice cream store nearby.

Eagerly, she ushered her team inside so they may view their options of beverages.

Yang went to the small glass fridge and pulled out a bottle of soda. She handed one to Weiss, but the young heiress refused and took a lemonade instead. Ever the same, Blake got a bottle of water. Ruby went up to the ice cream counter and requested a chocolate milkshake.

It was only after they all had their drinks in-hand when they realized they had no money here. The four girl's hearts sank as they reluctantly went to put back their drinks and apologize.

"Sorry, guys," Yang sighed. "I wasn't thinking. I got everyone's hopes up..."

But the man behind the counter stopped them.

"Just take them," he said. "Don't worry about it."

The four girls' faces lit up like fireworks in the night sky.

"Really?" Ruby gasped. "Thank you sososososoooo much!"

"Thank you!" Yang added, and Weiss and Blake dipped their heads gratefully.

The four headed out of the shop together to enjoy their drinks.

			//Remember the time we had soda for wine and got by on gratitude?//

They found an empty table and pulled up four chairs, placing their respective drinks and bottles down.

Ruby slurped at her milkshake, just as she still did as her twenty-one-year-old self, going a bit too quickly right off the bat and giving herself brain-freeze. She whimpered and yelped before Weiss reached over to pinch her nose for her. Yang merely laughed out loud as Blake hid a smaller chuckle.

They sipped at their own drinks for a while, and eventually, Weiss let go of Ruby after scolding her to slow down a bit with drinking.

The heiress went to her lemonade and sipped daintily at it. Yang slid close and waggled her eyebrows.

"Wanna try some soda?"

"Not on your life!" Weiss snapped. "That sugary garbage will be the death of you, you know."

"Aw, c'mon! This is only my first one in like seven years!" Yang whined pitifully.

"Try it, Weiss!" Ruby urged her. "You might like it!"

"Plus," Blake added. "If you don't like it, you can wash it down with some of my water."

With all three of them looking at her like that, Weiss couldn't refuse.

"Fine..."

She wiped the rim of Yang's bottle with a napkin before taking a cautious sip. Yang was almost tempted to tip the bottle back to make her spill, but Blake elbowed her away.

Weiss shuddered as she swallowed and put the bottle down.

"Well~?" Ruby prompted.

Weiss stuck out her tongue a bit.

"It's so fizzy! But... not all that bad. I just don't understand how you could drink that in excess."

"Soooo you like?" Yang smirked.

"Not really," Weiss shrugged. "But I guess I don't hate it."

"Aww, lighten up, princess!" Yang chuckled. "But no, seriously though. Why d'ya have to sit all straight up and proper like that? Take a breather," she said, noting the heiress' stiff posture. "I mean, you're always like this, I know. But even now? With what we've been granted? Take a load off!"

Weiss looked away.

"It's not that simple to break such habits," she huffed, taking another sip of lemonade as an excuse to stop talking.

Ruby's smile faded, and Blake's ears twitched in concern behind the barrier of flowers. Weiss heaved a sigh and decided to elaborate after all.

"I was raised this way all my life," she explained. "I feel you all know as much by now. You've heard me go on and on about it enough times, I'm sure. It was always 'Sit up straight, chin up, eyes forward.' When I was younger, they trained me for how I should behave when I grew older. If I were to make a mistake when I was over the age of ten, I was punished and ridiculed.

"But before then... in simpler times..." She trailed off for a moment, a small smile curling her lips. Subconsciously, her posture slumped – just a bit, just enough to visibly be considered comfortable.

"Perhaps... just for today..."

Yang grinned again, and Blake nodded happily.

Ruby scooched her chair over and hugged Weiss softly.

			//The worst they could do to you was check your attitude//

Once they'd all finished their drinks and had thrown away their garbage, the four continued to walk the streets of the sunny day.

They paused several times to allow Ruby to pet a passing dog, and Weiss joined her a few times, although Blake clung to Yang's arm and stood a few feet away.

As they continued to saunter, they could all feel it - feel the carefree air that danced around them on a warm breeze. There were no thoughts tugging at the backs of their minds, no regrets to dwell on or stress to hold them back from enjoying themselves.

They passed a small toy store, outside of which were several large buckets of toy animals, dolls, and other colorful things. On the buckets were signs that read "FREE" and then a few strings of sentences explaining how the store was restocking newer items and giving these away without charge.

Ruby ran to the buckets and began rummaging about while the others looked through things a bit more slowly.

Weiss found a doll with long shaggy hair and used a small brush from one of the toy horses to comb it neat again.

Blake found a stuffed cat that had lost an eye. She tore off a small bit of her bandana to wrap it around the cat's face, giving it an eyepatch of sorts.

Yang found a bunch of building toys, things she'd adored as a child and had always helped Ruby with in building things – hence how she had gotten so passionate about weapons.

But it was Ruby who squeaked loudest of all as she triumphed in her search.

"Guys, look what I found!" She stood up, holding four small, green squirt guns, all filled with water. She distributed them to her teammates, wearing a wide grin all the while. "We gotta have a battle!"

"Excuse me?" Weiss quirked an eyebrow. "How exactly are we supposed to-"

"Like this!" Without any more warning than that, Yang spray the heiress' back. She shrieked out loud and rounded on the blonde.

"Why- Why you! Ugh!"

"Yang, no fair!" Ruby whined. "No surprise attacks!"

"Well, it's not a surprise anymore!" she declared, squirting Ruby's shirt.

"Hey! You're gonna get it!"

"Uh, Yang?" Blake tugged her sleeve. "I think you should run."

"You're comin' with me!"

"Wh-What-"

"Run!" Yang grabbed her partner's arm and tore off down the sidewalk.

Ruby shared a look with Weiss and smirked.

"Let's get 'em!"

They gave chase and started squirting water whenever they could take aim, dodging the counter attacks Blake and Yang shot back at them.

Shrieks and laughter filled the air as the four of them got progressively soaked, but they just kept running with smiles on their faces.

			//When fights were for fun, with water in guns//

They chased one another for a long time, even after their water guns had run out of ammunition.

By then, they had left their toys on the sidewalk for some other group of children to claim.

The four girls ran around town, letting the warm sun and air dry off their clothes, playing tag and "I Spy" and all sorts of games.

By the time the sun had gone down, they had found themselves back in the park. A purple twilight was creeping in, and the girls returned to the flower field where they had first found themselves in this world.

Their flower crowns were a bit disheveled by now, but still somehow intact.

They walked slowly, all in a line. Yang held onto Blake's hand, and Blake held hers and Ruby's. Ruby held Blake's and Weiss'.

They walked and walked until the birdsong was replaced by the chirping of crickets. That was when Blake stopped walking, causing the others to halt as well.

"What's the matter?" Yang wondered.

Blake flicked her ears a bit nervously.

"Are we... supposed to go back now?"

Ruby shook her head.

"Not until sunrise, I think. We have all night."

Blake swallowed.

"You want to go back?" Weiss asked softly.

The Faunus girl sighed a little shakily.

"It's just... nighttime was always hard for me. For a long time, I never had a place to stay. Finding shelter was hard, but even then, it was scary to be alone."

The others were silent.

Yang spoke up first.

"Well, you're not alone this time, Blake. You've got us."

She let go of her partner's hand, only to embrace her instead. Ruby tugged Weiss along as well, and together, the three enveloped Blake in a gentle warmth.

It was the safest Blake had ever felt in all her life. She felt protected, and unconditionally loved.

After a long moment, Yang slowly pulled away, keeping hold of Blake's hands.

"C'mere," she murmured.

She led Blake toward a large tree in the park, Ruby and Weiss keeping to each of the Faunus girl's sides to guide her. They paused beneath the shelter of the tree.

"This'll be our spot," Yang decided. "Just for tonight. Just for us."

Blake looked to the others, and there were reassuring smiles all around.

A single tear slipped down her cheek, and she pulled them all back into her arms.

				//And a place we could call our own...//

They laid down in the cool grass and gazed up at the sky.

Past the swaying leaves of the tree above them, they could make out the stars winking to life in the dark, vast ocean of the sky. The constellations were humbling, filling their minds with wonder and questions.

And yet, at the same time, they felt as though they didn't truly need answers.

Looking up at the night sky as adults would have brought on thoughts of troubles, trials to come or regrets that hadn't yet passed. They all had experienced it more than their fair share of times.

And yet... looking at it now only gave them comfort, a peace of mind present in their temporary innocence. It was an innate enjoyment of the raw universe, untainted and purely organic by nature.

The moon hung overhead, shattered as always, breaking apart slightly like an unmoving puzzle.

The girls curled up together on their backs and on their sides. Ruby clung to her sister's side while still managing to keep an arm around Weiss. Blake curled at Yang's other side, secure in the blonde's loose, half-embrace.

The night air was cool, but they were nothing but warm.

They didn't think about the dawn and what was to come with it. They just remembered their day of freedom together, and enjoyed the moment.

Before long, eyelids began to flutter and close.

But before they all closed their eyes, a small streak of white tore across the sky for all of them to witness.

Without words, they all closed their eyes and made wishes upon that shooting star.

Once it had passed, the four girls faded off into slumber, cherishing the day they'd shared, and awaiting the morning when they could wake together once more.

				//It would be nice to start over again...//

When they regained consciousness, their bodies had returned to normal.

They woke together in the early dawn light of the forest rather than the stifling darkness of the Weaver's cave.

When they pushed themselves up and stretched, the usual lethargic weight was absent from their muscles. Instead, their bodies felt oddly rejuvenated, as though the energy they'd received during their experience had lingered.

Looking up into the trees, they found no remnants of the Weavers' webs or kills – likely, when the hoard had been wiped out, all of their crafts had disintegrated not long afterward.

The trees were free to let their leaves and branches dance on the breeze once more, unbound by the destructive, restrictive threads. Birds were chirping once more, and life had been restored and placed back into the hands of nature as it should have been, without the presence of monsters.

The four huntresses didn't say much as they roused themselves. Most things could be communicated simply through the wondrous looks they exchanged:

/Was that real? Was it all in our heads?/

It had certainly felt real, that was for certain.

But there seemed to be a message within their collective consciousness, an unspoken agreement that if they were to candidly discuss the events that had befallen them, that it might disappear from their memories.

What they had gone through in the past twenty-four hours wasn't something people came across every day in the world of Remnant.

There were rumors of magics, but few legends existed telling of such tales.

It seemed best to keep this little ordeal between the four of them; there was nothing much the rest of the world would gain from hearing it, after all.

The spider was dead and could grant no more wishes, so why give others false hopes?

Ruby's wish had been for herself and her teammates, and no one else. It was their special secret, one they would be able to look back on fondly for the rest of their lives, and never need anything more than a mischievous smile to draw attention to.

Once the initial confusion had worn off, and they all finally realized they were back in their present lives, Ruby was certain to get back into the role of the leader.

"Is everyone alright? Blake, how's your arm?"

"Healed," she reported.

"Weiss, your back?"

"It doesn't hurt at all."

"Yang? No concussions?"

"Nope. All's well with this ol' noggin!"

A small wave of relief washed over Ruby when she was certain none of her treasured friends were seriously injured.

It was then Ruby's scroll buzzed within her dress pocket. When she opened it, she found it only had 6% battery left. That in addition to the date in the corner of the screen reassured her that she and her teammates had only been gone on this mission for about thirty hours.

She answered the call, and it was her boss demanding to know the status of their mission. Ruby apologized for not having called him sooner, saying they'd only just finished the fight but had emerged victorious. The man grunted but gave an approving nod of his head, informing her to head back to Mountain Glenn for the Air Ship to take them home. She agreed and hung up.

The four girls shared quick glances with one another, and that was when they each caught sight of something.

Weiss reached out first, pulling a small pink flower from Ruby's hair. Blake revealed the white one that had been caught in Weiss' tresses, Yang plucked the purple one from Blake's, and Ruby cradled Yang's yellow one in her palm.

Without words, they handed each person her respective flower. Carefully, they slipped them into pockets and pouches securely.

Before they could begin to head out, Ruby found she needed to pause. Weiss wrapped her in a soft embrace, sighing happily into her shoulder. Blake followed shortly afterward, putting a hand behind Ruby's and Weiss' backs and pressing close to them. They braced themselves as the final piece to their puzzle joined in, and Yang squeezed Blake and Weiss as she pressed to her sister's back.

With a surge of strength, the blonde picked all three of them up a few inches off the ground, earning a few huffs and chuckles before their boots found grass once more.

They simply enjoyed each other's close company for a few minutes, eyes closed in a temporary rest of sorts, breathing together as they supported their friends and found their own support in one another.

When they parted, fingers slipped down arms and wrists to entwine, each of them taking hold of the other's hands, and they began to walk just as they had as children.

Getting to have their lives rewound for a day had been an indescribable experience.

But it had helped prove some things to their current selves.

Whatever hardships they were facing right now, or would surely face in the future, they would always have this secret memory to share.

And they would always have each other.

-----------------


A/N: This story was a way to combine several of my ideas into one. I think it worked rather nicely, though I understand it might've been odd for some of you. Even so, that's all there is to it. I hope you enjoyed!