A Walk Through The Clouds

EARLY RELEASE FOR HIGHER-PLEDGING PATRONS!

I realize I haven't posted a lot of White Rose recently, so here it is, the yearly Christmas fic, dedicated to them this year! Romance if you want! Doesn't have to be!

Thanks to all those who have supported me through another year!!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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													A Walk Through The Clouds

For weeks, Weiss had been deliberating what she should get Ruby for Christmas.

Naturally, she'd wanted to let her wallet do the talking, but Blake and Yang had persuaded her otherwise. And Weiss should've known by now that Ruby would rather receive something from the heart rather than something from the store.

But she couldn't bake her cookies, because Blake and Yang had teamed up to do that themselves. Rather, after they'd all finished opening presents on Christmas morning, the whole team was going to take Ruby down to the kitchens to make cookies and chocolate-chip pancakes for breakfast.

But the way Weiss saw it, that was more of a gift from everyone. As Ruby's partner, she felt that she needed to give her something else, something special that only she could give.

Weiss was glad she started the internal debate early on, because it took her weeks to think of something. But just a few days before Christmas, the idea hit her.

They'd been in the middle of one of their last classes before winter recess. Weiss had been thinking more about Ruby's gift than the lecture, and when she thought of the perfect idea, a smile curled her lips. Yang had to nudge her and ask if she was okay. Weiss assured her she was just fine, then proceeded to give her attention back to the professor, but the smile didn't leave her lips until the bell rang.

As the four of them convened in the aisle, Ruby made a quick announcement.

"I'm gonna run to the bathroom so don't wait up for me!" And with that she was off in a streak of red.

Blake and Yang came up on either side of Weiss.

"Soooo~?" the blonde hummed. "What was all that smiling about?"

"Did you decide what you're going to get her?" Blake guessed.

Weiss still hadn't lost the triumphant grin as she turned to face them.

"It's less of what I'm going to get her," she replied. "And more of what I'm going to show her."

She didn't tell Blake and Yang any more than that. Weiss didn't want to risk them accidentally spilling the beans to Ruby somehow, or having their leader overhear things if the other two decided to discuss it.

And besides, Weiss wanted Ruby to know her own gift before anyone else knew it. That seemed only fair.

But she had to make absolutely certain everything would work out perfectly in order for her gift to be a success. Her main concern was the weather, and as such, she was checking it on her scroll daily until the night before Christmas.

Their winter recess had already started by then, so the girls spent the day enjoying themselves. They decorated the dorm room with festive little garlands and streamers, complete with cut-out snowflakes and authentic jingle bells.

Yang pulled out a tiny constructible pine tree from the confines of her closet, and the four of them got to decorating that with lights and tinsel.

Zwei selected a red ornament from the box and decided it was his plaything now. He rolled it around, yipping joyfully as the girls finished with the tree.

After that, they got to work on completing little chores and errands ahead of time, so they wouldn't have to do anything of the sort tomorrow on Christmas day itself.

Ruby and Yang took care of everyone's laundry. While they were waiting for the round of clothes to be finished, they peeled the bedsheets off and made a makeshift blanket fort between Weiss and Blake's beds.

Their partners busied themselves with cleaning the room, dusting, freshening, vacuuming and things of that nature.

With all of their combined efforts, the room was entirely clean before suppertime. They ate together in the cafeteria with team JNPR.

The two teams had a small gift exchange with each other now, as they planned to spend tomorrow with their own teammates. Everyone received little presents, like trinkets or homemade goodie bags or gift cards for their favorite places to shop.

Once everyone had opened their gifts, the eight friends all shared hugs before wishing each other goodnight.

When team RWBY got back to their room, they took turns changing into their sleepwear. Yang grabbed the remote and spun around to face the others.

"All right! So Christmas movie marathon! Who's with me?"

But the others all frowned.

"Uh, sorry, Yang," Blake shrugged. "I'm actually kind of tired. We did a lot today."

"Yeah..." Ruby mumbled. "Besides, Yang! We gotta sleep early on Christmas Eve! That way we'll have energy for tomorrow~!"

"Exactly," Weiss agreed. "We're going to need plenty of sleep." She said this while flashing a look to Ruby in particular. Yang sighed and admitted defeat.

"All right. But we're gonna marathon movies all day tomorrow."

"Deal!" her sister promised.

Ruby scurried across the room to hug her big sister goodnight, and Yang scooped her up and twirled her around. It wasn't often they did this, usually only after an exhausting mission or on certain anniversaries. But it was the season for caring and spreading warmth, so it worked perfectly now.

Their joyful embrace made Blake and Weiss a little envious, and they shared a quick glance.

"It's cold tonight," Blake reasoned.

"Indeed it is," Weiss agreed.

With that, they found a little excuse to share a hug of their own, though it was much quieter and had much less static-charged hair-ruffling.

When the sisters parted, they were both grinning with their hair unkempt. Their partners went to fix them up and exchange hugs as well. While Blake was trying to catch her breath after Yang's zealous hug, Weiss murmured something to her leader.

"Make sure you get plenty of rest tonight. You'll thank me for it tomorrow."

"Huh? What's that mean?" Ruby wondered.

But Weiss said nothing more on the matter. She went to give her final hug of the night to Yang, warning her to take it easy, while Blake relaxed and let out a purr in Ruby's arms.

At last, the four of them parted ways and went to climb into their respective beds. But not before Yang turned off the main light, leaving the room illuminated in the rainbow glow of the Christmas tree lights.

They all took a moment to appreciate the innocent, wondrous sight, something that really only had such a calming effect this time of year. They soon wrapped themselves up in the warmth of their blankets, and Ruby cuddled up with Zwei.

Weiss made sure to check on her alarm for tomorrow. She checked the weather on her scroll to ensure tomorrow would be clear. Satisfied, she closed her scroll and put it aside.

They all fell asleep that night under the soft, colorful light of their Christmas tree, with a sense of joy and calmness wrapped warmly around their hearts.

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Weiss woke before her alarm went off, which was for the better since it didn't risk waking up any of the others.

She took a few minutes to wake herself up, opening her eyes to find the room still aglow from the lights on the tree. But there was a faint light coming in from behind the curtains as well, so she knew she didn't have much time to waste.

Slowly, as not to make her bed creak, she pushed herself up and got to her feet. Judging by the silence in the room, she succeeded in not waking up anyone else.

Weiss tiptoed her way to the bathroom, picking up the clothes she'd laid out in advance last night. She didn't bother to tie up her hair – it would act as a makeshift scarf of sorts if she left it down. She slipped into a pair of warm black leggings and a light-blue sweater.

Once she was ready, she crept back over to her bed and climbed up over the side. Moving the curtain of blankets aside, she finally caught a glimpse of her partner, sound asleep. She was curled up on her side, drooling a little, though not as much as Zwei who was on his back with his paws in the air. Weiss reached out and over the dog to tap her leader gently.

"Ruby... Wake up..." She kept her voice to a whisper and tapped her again, repeating the process until Ruby stirred on her own. Moaning, she rubbed her eyes and managed to open them.

"Mmn... Weiss? What's going on?"

"It's Christmas, you dolt," she huffed. "Or have you forgotten? Now get up and get dressed. We don't have much time."

"W-What? Where are we going?"

"You can waste time asking questions, or you can do as I say and get answers."

"O-Okay!" Hastily, but with an excited smile already on her lips, Ruby pushed herself out of bed. She tucked the blankets around Zwei and left him there as she hopped quietly down from her bunk. "W-What should I wear?"

"It doesn't matter. Just something to keep warm in."

"Okay!"

So Ruby decided that the quickest way to get ready was to stay in her pajamas and simply pull on a warm coat over herself. She stuffed her fuzzy socks into a pair of snow boots and wrapped a red scarf around her shoulders, then pulled on a pair of matching mittens. She was ready even before Weiss had finished getting her own boots on.

"I'm ready! I'm ready! Where are we going, Weiss? And what about Blake and Yang?"

"Don't worry about them. Their present for now is to sleep in. But you're coming with me. Come on."

She headed for the door and quietly went out into the hallway. Ruby followed just as quietly, though her aura was absolutely bursting with excitement. Weiss urged her to keep quiet, lest they wake up other people.

They made their way through the empty halls and to the nearest exit doors. Weiss took a deep breath and savored the last of the warmth before stepping out.

The world outside was blanketed in a layer of snow, most of which was leftover from previous nights. But there was a very light, soft flurry even now, drifting lazily down through the air like powder.

The school itself and the trees surrounding it were coated in cold white that was only just beginning to shimmer. Icicles dangled off the edges of the buildings and tree branches, and whenever the wind blew, they knocked together and tinkled like wind chimes. The sky was light grey and cloudy, but there was a hint of pale milky sunlight appearing just over the horizon.

Weiss took a moment to appreciate it all, watching as her white breath rose up and drifted away. Ruby also marveled at the sight and was quiet for a moment to enjoy it.

"Wow..." she said at last. "It's so pretty~" She looked to her partner, whose gaze was still sky-bound. "Is this... your present for me, Weiss? I love it! It's super pretty and-"

"Hold on," she huffed. "Did I say this was your present? To wake you up and have you walk outside?"

"Well, I mean-"

"Just be quiet and let me focus."

Ruby clammed up as requested and took a step back.

Weiss closed her eyes and took in a breath, then let it out in a wisp of white. Within seconds, the snow beneath her boots was glowing faintly blue. It took Ruby a second to recognize that her partner had cast a glyph. Before she could inquire, Weiss reached out her hand.

"Come on. It's almost time."

Ruby didn't ask her what she meant. She was sure she'd find out soon enough.

So she stepped forward again, slipping her red glove into Weiss' bare palm. Weiss coaxed her closer, until Ruby was standing beside her on the glyph.

When she was ready, Weiss waved her free hand and cast another glyph, and then another. Ruby watched as a glowing blue staircase of circles was formed on thin air, each one leading up a little higher than the last. Weiss gave a nod and led her forward.

Ruby was all but bursting with excitement and wonder as she followed her partner up along the trail of glyphs. Step by step they ascended, and Ruby watched the world get farther and farther away from her.

But as her height increased, so too did her view. With every glyph she and Weiss bested, she got to see another portion of the school she'd never seen before from this angle, and another section of the snow-covered forests. Her heart was soaring as high as she was now, as little snowflakes found their way onto her tongue.

Weiss concentrated on her glyphs, keeping each one steady while letting the ones they'd already used disappear.

In this manner, they made it up to what Weiss decided to be a reasonable height, a little higher up than the tallest trees.

Ruby was in absolute awe. The sky was becoming brighter with each passing second, and the snowflakes were beginning to take on a golden highlight. The greyness of the sky soon turned to a light, refreshing blue before fading into a swirl of pink and purple and yellow. The clouds cleared, and the sun became visible. From this height, it didn't seem all that far away.

Ruby was speechless for a long time, standing up there on that glyph beside Weiss, high above the school and the world around it. She'd seen Christmas morning many times before, but never like this.

It was still the same school she'd come to know and love, but she was gazing down on it from the clouds. And the colors and the angles of the light were all coming in at brand new perspectives. It was almost like being on another planet, in another world.

Weiss let her take it all in for a few moments, until she gave a slight tug to Ruby's hand. Weiss cast another glyph right in front of the one they were standing on, and created a more level path this time.

Instead of climbing up, now they walked forward across the sky, just as though they were taking a stroll through the forest on solid ground.

Ruby was bubbling with joy, her hand squeezing Weiss' in fervent excitement. Still, Weiss was certain to keep her from the edge of the glyphs, or from stepping forward too early.

"Are you all right?" she checked. "If this is too high, just say the word."

"No!" Ruby squealed. "This-! This is perfect! This is wonderful! Gosh, Weiss, this is amaaaaziiiing!" She let go of Weiss' hand only for a second in order to squeeze her around the stomach. Weiss smiled fondly and patted her head.

"I'm glad you like it. Merry Christmas, Ruby."

"Thanks, Weiss."

They stayed there for a moment, high above the rest of the world. Their cheeks were rosy and their heads were white from a dusting of flurries. Weiss petted through Ruby's hair as her leader nuzzled into her chest.

"Ahhh, I never thought it could be so warm up here..." She sighed, feeling as the sunlight hit her just right, reaching the two of them before anything else that morning. But the sun wasn't the only thing keeping her warm.

Ruby kept close to Weiss' side as they continued their private little Christmas morning walk among the clouds.

They walked all around the school, until the sunlight flooded the sky with color.

Ruby could guess Weiss must've been getting tired from casting all of these glyphs, not to mention waking up so early to prepare all of this. So she hugged her partner again, savoring the feeling of the wind and the sun from where they were.

"Heehee~ I'll bet I'm the first person to ever hug you three hundred feet above the school!"

"Yes, you'd be the first," Weiss agreed, returning the embrace. "Did you have fun? Was it worth waking up early for?"

"Weiss, are you kidding?" Ruby beamed up at her. "This was the coolest present ever! Well, like... cool as in awesome! It was actually pretty warm up here with the sun and everything."

"I think I understand," she chuckled. "I'm glad you liked it."

"I did, Weiss. I really, really did." She couldn't think of anything else to do to express her gratitude other than hug her again, and Weiss happily accepted.

At last, when they were both ready, Weiss cast a new trail of glyphs that would lead them back down. She gave Ruby a bit of leeway now, allowing her to twirl and spin on the glyphs as she hopped her way down ahead of Weiss.

But her leader paused about five glyphs away from the last one with a sparkle in her eyes.

"Weiss, c'mere!" She hurriedly grabbed Weiss' hand, drawing out the question.

"What is it?"

"Let's jump from here! Ready? One, two-"

"Ruby-"

"Threeeee!"

With that, she jumped off the side of the glyph and took Weiss with her. The heiress' shriek rose up along with her leader's girlish giggles.

Seconds later, they landed in the snow, but the awkward pull of their weight caused them to lose their footing. They ended up on top of one another with Ruby on the bottom, laughing and waving her arms and legs to make a snow angel. Weiss huffed as her heart rate dropped back to normal.

"You dolt..."

"Heehee, now we're both wide awake!"

"Now we're both going to need showers," Weiss corrected her.

"Okay, you can go first!"

Weiss rolled her eyes and pushed herself up off her partner, then dusted herself off. She grabbed Ruby's hand and helped her up as well, then gave an extra chiding ruffle to her hair.

"You're lucky you didn't get a broken ankle for Christmas..."

"Even if I did, it would've been worth it! That was soooo incredible Weiss!" She threw her arms around the heiress once again, squeezing her tightly.

Weiss couldn't stay irked at her for long, especially not today. She pulled Ruby close and let out a breath.

"I'm glad. Merry Christmas, Ruby," she murmured again.

"Thank yoooou, Weeeiissss!"

She snuggled into Weiss' collar for a moment, sharing her warmth and taking some of Weiss' in return.

They helped one another warm up after the morning walk on the wind and consequent snowy landing. When they parted, their cheeks were still flushed pink, and their smiles were warm.

"Come on," Weiss said. "Let's get back inside and warm up."

"And then you can get your present from me!"

Ruby took her hand again, and Weiss squeezed it back.

"I look forward to it."

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A/N: Short and sweet! Happy holidays, everyone! See you in 2017!