The Story Of Zwei (Bad End)

This was the original ending idea given to me by ChuckleBrotherz. He'd asked for the bad end, so I guess you can say this is the "original" ending.

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							Bad End

"NO!"

The echo of Ruby's distraught voice seemed to shake the entire school.

But right now, the rest of the school faded from her senses.

Now, there was only her precious little doggie being run through until the floor was soaked with red.

And that was all Ruby could see.

Red.

Her vision was hazed over with it – the blood, her own scythe...

And then there was Cinder.

Her red shoes, red dress, red smile.

She enjoyed Zwei's pain.

She enjoyed the feeling of stabbing him.

She enjoyed watching the life drain from his eyes.

Like a panther toying with her prey, Cinder tightened her grip on the arrow and began to pull it.

Ruby screamed again.

"NO! If you pull it out, he'll bleed to death!"

Cinder turned an uncaring gaze upon her.

"Now wouldn't that be a shame..."

Her hand twitched again.

Ruby froze in place, tears already spilling down her face.

"No..." she whimpered. "N-No, please-!"

But Cinder's mind was already made up.

She braced her heel on Zwei's little belly, and Ruby heard him yelp. She screamed one last time for mercy, but Cinder was deaf to such pleas.

With a tug, she tore the arrow free.

Zwei howled in agony as a stream of blood gushed from the wound, spilling out onto the white tiled floor without stopping.

Ruby's voice almost seemed to shatter the building.

"NO!"

Heat and rage twisted the blood inside of her, and it took control. She extended Crescent Rose to its fullest form and charged forward at her greatest speed, swinging wildly at Cinder.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" she screeched. "GET AWAY!"

At that point, even Cinder must have realized she'd made a grave mistake in attacking this dog. Ruby wasn't an innocent child any longer. She would kill if she had to.

And now she had to.

The woman had no choice but to heed Ruby's warning and jump back.

But she was met with an all-too familiar resistance.

Ruby could see it too, the faint outline of a blue circle pinning Cinder in place for the moment. Through the smoke, she could see Weiss, staggering and breathless. But her fingers were pointed directly at Cinder as the heiress concentrated to maintain the thin, glitchy circle.

And her eyes were cold fury.

There were curses spat from the woman's mouth, then a furious order to her men.

"Kill them!"

At her command, the smoke came alive once more. The White Fang members as well as Mercury and Emerald reappeared, more ferocious than ever. They charged at Ruby, giving her no choice but to engage them.

"No!" she screamed. "Get away!"

She did her best to cut a path through them to reach Zwei, terrified that he might get trampled in the chaos. Weiss held Cinder in place for as long as possible, until Emerald slunk up from behind and took aim with her blades.

However, just before she could strike Weiss, the smoke whirled as Blake appeared, blocking the blow intended for her teammate. She shoved Emerald back into Yang's chest, and the blonde wasted no time in swinging at her.

The girl hissed and retreated into the smoke, spouting curses behind herself.

By that time, Weiss' glyph was fading quickly. When the others weren't attending to her, a White Fang member managed to deal Weiss a devastating blow to her back, sending her reeling to the ground.

The glyph holding Cinder vanished.

But before she could hope to escape, her legs were suddenly bound by black string.

Blake darted around the woman, disturbing the smoke as she bound her with Gambol Shroud's ribbon.

"You're not getting away!" Blake growled. "Not this time!"

Cinder snorted.

"We'll see about that!"

With a furious shout, Blake yanked on her end of the ribbon. Cinder was promptly unbalanced, left spiraling for a brief instance.

It was just long enough.

Yang rushed her, fists raised and at the ready. With a raging cry she threw her punch with perfect aim.

It connected, and their adversary of many years was sent flying across the building, until a dull collision was heard.

At that point, the fighting stopped, and the assailants who were able rushed to recover their leader.

They didn't come back after that.

Panting, Yang was still steaming with anger, her eyes crimson.

But that soon started to fade once she dropped her gaze down to Weiss, lying still on the floor. Yang knelt down beside her and touched her shoulder gently.

"Hey... princess? You alright?"

The response was a feeble moan, but it was better than nothing. Yang slipped an arm around the girl and helped her sit up, tucking Weiss against her side and coaxing her to catch her breath.

Blake watched them for a moment before casting her gaze around to seek their leader.

When she found her, Blake's heart nearly stopped.

A small figure stood amidst the smoke, covered in red. Her cape, her clothes, her weapon, her shoes... if it wasn't embroidered on, it had been splattered.

Even from this distance, Blake could hear the little broken phrases falling from her lips.

"No... n-no no no... please..."

There was a loud clatter as she dropped her scythe, leaving it behind as she limped toward something more important.

Blake's voice tangled in her throat as she caught sight of him.

Zwei was lying motionless at the source of a river of red. The old wound in his belly had been torn anew.

Blake's heart began to pound even harder and more painfully than it had even during the heat of the battle.

Helplessly, she dropped her gaze back to her partner.

Yang had looked up at the sound of Crescent Rose being discarded, and she could see her little sister now, too.

Blake's tears were already falling, and a sob from her had Yang looking up. Her lavender eyes were wrought with questions, fear, and pain. Blake merely shook her head.

"Yang..."

Blake choked and put a hand to her mouth, then looked away. Her partner blinked, and suddenly there were tears in her eyes as well.

"No..." she mumbled. "No-"

She slipped away from Weiss' side, and Blake knelt down to take her place there.

Yang stumbled to her feet, but her legs were shaking so badly that she fell several times before reaching her little sister.

What she found there horrified her.

"Oh, no..."

Yang's voice was barely audible, nothing more than a wisp of air. She shook her head, unable to tear her gaze away from Zwei's mangled body. Her legs shook uncontrollably until they gave out.

Yang fell to her knees, staining her clothes in her beloved dog's lifeblood.

Ruby was close beside her, but she didn't even look at Yang. She could only see Zwei.

"Zwei..." she rasped. "No... no you... you can't... you can't..." She crawled forward on her hands and knees, her skirt and cape dragging through the puddle of blood, staining them darker red. She reached out with hands that trembled violently, and her fingertips brushed his matted fur.

But a shaking hand stopped her.

Yang was there, head bowed until the tips of her hair caught in the crimson below. She didn't look at Ruby, but merely held her hand, preventing her from touching Zwei.

"Don't..." she whispered. "Ruby, please-"

"N-No!" Ruby shrieked. "He's not dead, Yang! He can't be dead! Zwei!"

In all their years together at Beacon, Ruby had never lost a friend. Not like this.

To Yang, her little sister was just the same as she'd always been when it came to heartbreak and sorrow. She'd scream and cry and deny it all.

Yang had always dreaded the day when Ruby would be forced to watch someone she loved slip away. She'd just never imagined it would be like this.

They'd had Zwei since he was a puppy, since their father had brought him home one stormy night and the girls had squealed and ran around and jumped up happily and clapped and hugged him.

Zwei had been there for as long as Ruby could remember. It wasn't right that she had to say goodbye. Not now. Not like this.

"No..." she was still saying. "No... no-"

"Ruby-"

"NO!" she screamed again. She went so far as to shove Yang away, refusing her contact altogether.

Yang wasn't sure if that rejection or seeing Zwei like this hurt her more. She bowed her head and cried softly.

But Ruby was still reaching out for the dog. When her fingertips touched his fur, it was hot with blood.

But she froze when she felt a small ripple of movement.

Ruby gasped and looked to Zwei's muzzle. It was faint, but his tongue was still moving as he tried to pant for breath.

Her heart leapt to her throat.

"He's alive!" Without wasting a second, she began to emit her aura onto him. She shot a glance at Yang and beckoned her as well. "Yang, come on! We can save him!"

But Yang knew.

She just knew.

"Ruby..." she sniffed. "Ruby, he's... he's lost too much blood-"

"It doesn't matter!" she shrieked. "He's alive! We can save him!"

"Ruby-"

"Yang, just shut up! Shut up and help me!"

"It's cruel, Ruby!" Yang shouted back. "You're prolonging it! He'll suffer more!"

"No! I can save him!"

"Ruby-!"

This time, Yang didn't give her an option. She reached out and pulled Ruby away from the dog and into her arms. Ruby thrashed and tried to shove her away, but Yang was stronger. Empowered by the unwillingness to let her little sister inflict such pain on Zwei and on herself, Yang was stronger.

She clung tightly to Ruby's back and kept her close, though she wasn't immune to the pain of Ruby's punches.

"Yang! Yang!" she shouted. "Let me go! I can still save him! Damn it, Yang!"

But the blonde didn't falter. She held tightly to Ruby, welcoming the pain of her blows. She deserved such punishment when she'd allowed this to happen, and she wasn't even making an effort to save Zwei.

But it would've been a pretty lie to make an attempt.

It was time for her baby sister to face the awful truth of reality in the worst way.

The sisters continued to struggle and sob against one another, their legs soaked in their little dog's blood.

By that point, Blake had staggered over with Weiss and the two collapsed softly to their knees beside their partners. Blake coaxed Yang back, and Weiss held onto Ruby.

The leader still struggled, though, and she accidentally sent an elbow into her partner's ribs. Weiss gasped and fell sideways, just barely managing to support herself with one hand. That seemed to be what snapped Ruby out of it.

"Weiss? I-I'm sorry..." She reached out, but didn't touch her friend, scared that she'd hurt her more even after all she'd been through in the recent weeks.

But the heiress was shaking her head, and now Ruby could see that she was crying as well.

They all were.

And none of them could look at him.

Even Weiss and Blake had loved him for four years. Considering all the things they'd done together in that amount of time, it felt like much longer.

None of them could bear to see him go.

As Ruby recoiled her hands, she allowed herself to be pulled into Weiss' embrace now.

"It was me..." she rasped. "He died saving me. He saved me... It's my-"

"Hush..." Weiss croaked. "Ruby, hush."

She petted through the girl's hair slowly, rubbing all up and down her back. She kissed her hair with quivering lips, and held Ruby close.

Blake did the same for Yang, pulling her in and letting her bury her face in Blake's chest.

Yang's entire body shook with the effort she was putting into swallow the sobs. She bit into the material of Blake's shirt to quiet herself as best she could. But when that wasn't enough, her teeth sunk into her own lip and let it bleed.

Blake couldn't even muster up the strength to purr to make her feel better. She was hollow. She knew Yang was, too.

But her partner felt so heavy, like deadweight. Blake was too weak from the fight and too overwhelmed by her own grief now that she could hardly hold Yang up.

Had Yang not been supporting a bit of Blake's weight as well, they both would've swayed and collapsed.

Ruby and Weiss were no better off.

The brunette was shaking, gulping down air past the aching lump in her throat. Her tears fell freely and seeped into Weiss' clothes while her fingers struggled to find a grip on her partner's back.

And Weiss was in pain, too. Ruby could tell her partner was trying to hide it, but it was no use, not like this. As she pressed herself close, she could hear it in the way Weiss' breath kept hitching, in the way her heart was beating rapidly against her chest.

It hurt.

All of them hurt.

But not as much as he did.

For a moment, they simply cried, clinging to one another as though for dear life, unable to stop the tears or the shaking.

It was an impossibly small sound that had them all looking up.

A tiny whine escaped Zwei's jaws, and a flicker of motion showed his eyes opening.

They didn't miss it.

Ruby pulled away from Weiss and went to her dog.

None of them had expected him to still be alive at this point. But it was clear that it wouldn't be this way for very much longer.

He'd been storing up his energy all this time, enough to simply make a sound and open his eyes to get their attention.

Ruby fumbled for words as her team crowded around her, each of them with a hand on her back or her shoulders to support her. She looked down at him – her beloved puppy – and her heart broke all over again.

His innocent eyes looked up into hers, and it was more than she could take. She turned away and collapsed into Yang's arms, sobbing full force.

The others watched as a shudder ran through his body, and Zwei wheezed out a whine. A trickle of blood followed it between his teeth.

Yang choked, and Weiss had to look away. But Blake reached forward.

Gently, she touched his belly and unlocked her aura.

At first, Yang almost spoke up to have her stop, but she could see what Blake was trying to do.

She wasn't trying to save him. She knew it wouldn't work. She was merely trying to keep him here a moment longer.

Because he wanted to say goodbye.

Blake was closest to him, so she found his gaze and held it. He moved his head ever so slightly, and Blake understood the cue.

With her free hand, she guided it towards his nose.

Zwei reached out his tongue and gave a weak lick to the back of her hand.

Blake shook her head and lost herself to the unimaginable grief.

"I'm so sorry..."

Initially, she'd hated Zwei, or at the very least had wanted nothing whatsoever to do with him. She'd avoided him at all costs, as much as possible.

But over time, he'd gotten closer to her.

Ever since the day she'd fallen ill and he had been the one to fetch her medicine, keep her company, and curl up beside her. He'd valiantly gone into battle with her, and had nearly lost his life back then at the claws of an Ursa in an effort to shield Blake.

They'd made it through all of that and so much more.

And now it had come to this.

It wasn't right.

This shouldn't have been how it ended.

He should have lived a long, healthy life together with the rest of them.

He should have played more games of fetch with them all.

He should have eaten more good food, grown older, and passed away peacefully in a long nap.

Not like this...

Blake couldn't stop her voice from slipping out.

"I'm sorry-"

It was followed by a wail of her own, a loud, broken sound she hadn't let slip in over a decade.

Zwei merely nudged her hand with his nose, and all she'd never been blamed for was forgiven.

Blake cried harder, hunching forward as she tried to keep her aura flowing.

A small hand on her back told her that Weiss was taking her turn now.

The heiress kept one hand on Blake's back, rubbing softly. The other hand was lowered toward Zwei's nose.

Weiss didn't bother wiping her tears. But she did her best to smile for him.

He licked her hand as well.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For... sharing your life with us."

Whenever she'd been overly stressed about something – be it an exam, a mission, or even drama with her family – Zwei had always been there at her feet to give a playful bark.

The nights he'd curled up at her hip had been some of the most peaceful, as though he'd fought off nightmares somehow.

And it wasn't just Weiss he'd always made smile. It was all of them, and their joy had brought Weiss the same results.

Zwei had done countless times what Weiss couldn't always do on her own.

He'd made them smile.

He'd made them happy.

And for that she was grateful.

She ran her hand over his head, scratching lightly, just like he'd always loved. Zwei closed his eyes in a moment of bliss and seemed to smile back at her.

Weiss lingered for a moment, until her heart was too pained to stay any longer. She turned away, wrapped her arms around Blake, and sobbed softly into the Faunus girl's shoulder.

By that point, Yang had resolved herself as best as she ever would.

She kept Ruby in her arms and slid a bit closer, until she could reach out one arm and give Zwei her fingers. He didn't need to sniff them to know who it was.

Zwei looked up at her and blinked, then happily licked her hand without hesitation. Yang bit back a curse and looked up at the ceiling, but the tears never stopped.

Ultimately, she bowed her head once more and looked at him. She swallowed thickly and ran her knuckles lightly along Zwei's muzzle.

"I'm gonna miss ya, buddy..."

Always.

She'd never stop missing him for as long as she lived.

She'd never forget all the fond memories of him, playing together with Ruby and herself and their father.

The day TaiYang had sent Zwei to Beacon with them to look after, Yang bet her father never would have guessed their little corgi would work his way up to be crowned the first ever animal companion there at Beacon. He'd paved the path for a new generation of fighters, and created a new style of training.

Zwei's work here was over now, cut short all too soon.

Another shudder went through his little body, and a glance at Blake told Yang that there wasn't much time left. Not even her partner's aura was going to suffice in keeping him alive for much longer.

Gently – more gently than ever before – Yang nudged Ruby toward their beloved dog.

Ruby tried to cling to her.

She didn't want to see.

But Yang kissed her forehead and urged her.

"Come on, Ruby. You gotta... say goodbye."

"No, Yang, n-no," she begged. "I-I can't-"

Yang wiped her arm over her eyes, then used her fingers to wipe her sister's tears.

"Then at least let him."

Gingerly, she turned her little sister toward the friend who had been beside them for so many years. Ruby whimpered, but she couldn't look away.

His eyes were fixed on hers in a silent plea.

She couldn't refuse him. Since day one all the way up until the end now, that had always been the case.

Ruby reached out to him, but her vision was so badly blurred by the stinging tears that her hand wasn't close enough to his nose. So Yang steadied her arm as best she could and helped guide Ruby's hand.

Zwei meekly reached out his tongue, but he wasn't strong enough to get to her. He gave a weak little bark, one that broke off halfway through as more blood gurgled in his throat.

Ruby bit back another sob as she felt Yang nudged her.

This was it.

Zwei's last moment.

Ruby couldn't think properly.

There was... so much, she needed to say to him.

Too much.

She needed to make him understand how much she loved him.

But there wasn't any time left.

All she could do was let her tears fall and seep into his fur.

"Zwei..." she whispered. "Zwe...i... my good boy... I love you..." She gulped down a needy breath as another sob fought its way out. Ruby coughed on it and expelled more of her tears in hopes she could see him clearly just one last time.

"I love you..." she said again, praying that he heard, that he understood.

Ruby felt a tiny lick on the back of her hand, but it only traveled halfway before it came to a stop and never finished.

Her voice rose into a high-pitched wail.

"Goodbye-"

And then it was over.

Nearly ten years of fun, friendship, and love.

All over.

Ruby sent out one last desperate scream in hopes that it could catch his spirit.

"Wait for me-! I know you will!"

One day she'd be with him again.

It wouldn't be anytime soon.

But one day.

With that, Ruby turned away from his lifeless body and cried.

Yang pulled her in and spewed countless words to her, but four in particular repeated more than others.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Ruby..."

Aside from fragments of her big sister's name, Ruby couldn't form words any longer. She merely sobbed, screamed, and whimpered freely into Yang's shirt with no signs of stopping.

Weiss had taken both of Blake's hands away from the little body of Zwei. The flow of aura stopped altogether, and Blake slumped into her arms. The heiress held her close and wept into Blake's hair, just as the Faunus girl sobbed into Weiss' chest.

Every beat of their heavy hearts was a throb of pain, another second they could have been living together with Zwei.

But now it was over.

It was too late.

And things would never be the same.

Zwei would never move again.

Never scamper about their dorm room again.

Never play fetch with them in the field again.

Never give that little burp after gobbling up his food again.

Never go into battle with them again.

Never curl up with them at night again.

It was all over.

The four broken girls continued to cry with no end in sight.

Even long after the alarms had been shut off, they cried.

Even after their colleagues and professors found them, they cried.

Even when they fell unconscious from the exhaustion, they cried.

Ruby managed to stay awake, just long enough to see people crowding around Zwei's body.

They picked him up and took him away.

And that was the last she ever saw of him.

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She didn't want to get out of bed.

Even when her whole team gathered gently around her with soft, careful hands and sympathetic eyes, Ruby didn't want to get up.

It had been two days since then, since the attack, and Ozpin had called for a school-wide assembly this afternoon.

But all Ruby wanted to do was curl up on her pillow and sleep. She'd cried herself to sleep the past two nights and hadn't gotten a bit of rest, not without Zwei there to curl up with her.

By now, the tears had run dry, and she was just a hollow shell.

Even so, her teammates urged her. Yang crouched on the floor beside her little sister's face and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Ruby? If you don't feel up for it, then you can stay here, alright? I'll hang back with you. Weiss and Blake can bring us back all the announcements and stuff, right?" She looked up to her partner and the heiress, and the two nodded solemnly. Still, they seemed hesitant.

"Ruby..." Weiss murmured. "Are you sure you... don't want to come? I know it's hard..." She trailed off, not wanting to push her grieving friend. Blake stepped in and put on hand on Weiss' shoulder as she addressed their leader.

"Either way, just feel better soon."

The Faunus girl then reached down to tap Yang's shoulder, sending her silent promises to be attentive during the assembly in her partner's place. The blonde gave a weak smile and nodded her gratitude.

"You guys take it slow," she said to the other pair. "You're still healing. Make sure the crowds don't jostle you or nothin'."

"We'll be fine," Blake assured her. She extended one arm towards Weiss – they both still needed a bit of support while walking.

As the heiress slipped in beside the Faunus girl, she shot Yang a pleading glance:

Please take care of her.

The blonde nodded and shifted to sit down cross-legged on the floor beside her sister's bed. She gave a wave and wished the other two good luck.

But just before Blake and Weiss could begin hobbling across the room, the creaking of a mattress made them freeze and turn back around.

"No..." a small voice mumbled. "Hold on..."

Yang stood slowly as Ruby pushed herself up from the bed. She reached down a bit to help her sister turn around to face her team.

"Ruby?" she asked. "Do you need something?"

Of course there was one clear answer to that question, but the one thing Ruby needed right now was no longer here.

The brunette shook her head, keeping her gaze lowered into her lap. Her voice was tired and raspy as she spoke, but her team listened intently.

"Zwei..." She began, then sighed, then tried again. "He would... he'd want me to go. He wouldn't want me to lie around here all day and be sad. I'll come."

Her words both lifted and pained the others' hearts. They winced, but smiled, and all moved closer to their leader's bed. Yang was closest to her, and therefore she was the first to pull Ruby into her arms.

"I'm so proud of you, sis. Zwei is, too. You're a tough cookie."

Normally, such a comment would elicit a joke about desserts from her sweet-toothed sister. But now, it was as though Ruby hadn't heard her at all.

Her hands curled tentatively around Yang's back, a frail contrast to her sister's stronger, firmer grip. Ruby sighed and ducked her face into her shoulder, breathing in her familiar scent.

"Yang..." she rasped. "A few days ago... after it happened... I..." She started to cry again, but the words kept tumbling out. "I-I was so upset... I yelled at you a-and I hit you and I'm so-"

"Hey, hey..." Yang hushed her, petting long, soothing strokes of her hands all up and down Ruby's back. "Shhh... easy," Yang murmured. "You don't have to apologize for anything, y'hear me? Don't worry about it. You're forgiven, okay? I love you, Ruby."

Yang kissed the side of her head and squeezed her a little tighter. She felt Ruby nod and return the embrace as hard as she could.

"Okay. Love you, Yang..."

For a moment, they stayed that way, cradling one another and crying softly. Blake and Weiss stood at the foot of the bed, also fighting back tears at the sight of their partners like this.

Like any wound, it hurt, but... at least it was beginning to heal.

A moment later, Yang pulled back and released her sister, and then it was Blake's turn to hold her. She didn't say anything, but merely pulled Ruby close and kissed her cheek.

As Blake moved away, she turned her embrace to Yang while Weiss limped toward her leader. She sighed as she hugged Ruby fiercely, doing her best to keep her resolve to no avail. She cried into Ruby's shoulder as Ruby cried into hers.

For a moment they all cried, releasing unspoken lamentations that would otherwise twist them apart from the inside.

Eventually, they were able to move back and wipe each others' tears. Ruby mumbled heartfelt thanks to all of them, and offered the first smile she'd shown in days.

They helped her up, fetched her a change of clothes, then waited for her as she changed into them.

In the meantime, the three older girls went about walking slowly around the room, picking up all of Zwei's little toys that had been scattered on the floor and beneath the beds or dressers. They collected them into a small bag that Yang held in one hand.

Ruby emerged from the bathroom dressed a few minutes later, and her team went to her side.

At last they headed out together, their collective gait somewhat slower than it'd used to be.

It was the first time of many to come when they wouldn't have the patter of tiny, excited paws following behind them.

The hallways were crowded, but oddly silent. Every word that was uttered was done so in a low, solemn tone. Almost everyone was grieving the loss of Zwei.

As team RWBY made their way to the courtyard, other students made way for them. Some offered a few words of condolences, others timidly handed sympathy cards to Ruby, and others cried.

They crossed paths with JNPR near the exit that would lead them outside the school, and even Nora was acting reserved.

Pyrrha's immediate reaction was to break down into tears, spouting apologizes as she hugged Ruby first, then moved onto the rest of them in turn. Ren and Nora offered quiet words of comfort, and Jaune made a poor attempt to hide his own tears.

The eight of them filed out together and merged with the large group that had already begun forming beneath the weak sunlight.

The two teams moved their way to the front of the crowd, and the other students willingly let them through.

At last, they could see the green grass of the courtyard where Zwei had always loved to play fetch.

Now, instead of a wide, empty field, the space was filled with mourning people.

Near the center of the field, the grass had been cut low now to reveal a small, grey marble headstone. Behind that was a larger blue tarp that concealed something yet unseen beneath it.

At the sight of his grave, Ruby felt another wave of tears swell up behind her eyes, and she ducked her face into her shoulder. Blake was closest to her now, and pulled her leader in close.

Once they'd stopped shuffling through the crowd, they could see Glynda and Ozpin already there, standing several feet in front of the little headstone. Their eyes that were typically so serious and stern were downcast now.

The gathered crowds didn't talk much above mumbles and whispers. No one seemed to have any energy.

Ruby stayed silent in her spot between Weiss and Yang and in front of Blake, occasionally leaning sideways or backward against one or the other for a bit of support.

It wasn't long after their arrival when the Headmaster called for attention at a respectful volume.

Ozpin wore a neutral expression on his face, though if you looked closely, you could tell it was closer to sadness than anything else. He raised his voice, though out here it carried easily through the somber crowd even without the assistance of a microphone.

"Dearest students," he began. "I've asked that you gather here this afternoon for a very rare occasion in Beacon's history. The first – and hopefully the last – of its kind.

"As you all know, this most recent attack was perhaps the most destructive to our campus and faculty buildings. But aside from the damages to the school itself, there was also a great deal of emotional damage to us all. This attack on our Academy resulted in the highest number of casualties ever during such an event: one."

At this point, Ruby was doing her best to keep her eyes open and trained on her trusted Headmaster. But she let slip a little sob and brought an arm to her eyes.

Almost instantly, she felt a hand around her waist, one around her shoulders, and one on her back. Her team moved closer to her and enveloped her in small, warm hugs as Ozpin went on.

"All of our senior students who engaged the attackers in battle did our school a great service at a high risk. It is at this time that I wish to formally offer my thanks to all of those students and officially recognize what you have done in the way of protecting our school and your fellows.

"And I would like to thank the extensive staff, as well as all other students who cooperated and demonstrated great courage and strength during one of Beacon's darkest hours. I thank you all.

"But unfortunately, it is not only to commend you all that I have called you all here today. As a school, we must do what is necessary to honor those who lost their lives defending us, no matter their species."

He paused for a moment to direct his gaze back to the little gravestone behind him, and all gazes followed his. Ozpin continued to speak in a steady voice.

"I'll not soon forget the first time I ever laid eyes on that exceptional dog. He was always so full of life and brought a great amount of energy to those around him. He often would sneak onto missions in the beginning-"

Here, the crowd chuckled fondly at the thought.

"But when necessary – as my colleagues tell me – he would always pull through to the best of his abilities. And what amazing abilities they were indeed.

Your Professor Oobleck would recount to me for quite some time how outstanding Zwei acted on a particular mission, and even without having seen the dog myself for longer than a few minutes, I quickly grew attached to him.

"So as you can all imagine, I wasn't surprised to hear that he'd thrown himself in front of an Ursa's claws in order to take the damage meant for Miss Belladonna. It's an incident we all know very well by now. Zwei's unflagging courage and loyalty to his teammates and his ability to always bring smiles to their faces were few of many reasons why I decided to discuss with my colleagues making animal companions and official part of Beacon's courses."

At this point, he gave a nod to a particular section of the crowd. When Ruby blinked away some of the tears and looked up, she noticed that on the far end, there was a group of familiar students.

Ruby and all of her team had trained with them quite a bit over the years. They were the ones ranging from freshmen to seniors who were skilled enough to have gotten their own animals recognized by the academy since Zwei had first opened up the path for them.

Their animals were with them now, as well. Bigger dogs stood at their master's ankles or thighs, and even some of the horses had been brought out to honor Zwei. A few highly-trained birds and mice sat on shoulders, while other students held their animals in their hands.

Those students looked especially upset, forced to think about what it might be like for one of their beloved animals to end up like their founder. Ozpin continued addressing that group for a moment.

"You all see the risks of bringing your animals into the equation now. To our deepest dismay, things do not always turn out well in the end. They must be ready to pay the ultimate price for you, just as Zwei did for his team. His family.

"However, it is essential to understand that they are not tools to be used in battle. They are not disposable by any means. And I hope that you will all continue to train in such a way where we can ensure something like this will not happen again."

There were nods all around, and many of those students hugged their animals and began to cry.

Ruby felt as though a wrench had twisted around her heart as she watched them. She wanted to hug Zwei...

At the very least, her teammates seemed to understand and they all pulled her in closer.

Ozpin went on, once more addressing the entire crowd.

"Zwei paved the way for all animal companions of Beacon Academy. He set the standards for what it means to be an exceptional asset to our students in battle. Over the years, he has fought alongside his team in many battles, and saved just as many lives on his own accord. It is because of his noble achievements and unyielding loyalty that I have had this monument constructed in his honor."

Ozpin gave a nod to Glynda, who was standing beside the gravestone. She pulled away the blue tarp to reveal a silver, three-foot statue in the form of Zwei.

In that image, Zwei stood in his prime, with his chest puffed out proudly, and a wide smile behind his lolling tongue. His mechanical front paw was raised off the ground and on display. The statue was entirely silver aside from the collar engraved around his neck, which had been painted green just like the real thing.

And there was a new addition as well.

A little green material cape had been tied around the statue's shoulders and presently billowed in the wind.

The instant Ruby caught sight of the statue, she broke down into tears once again. Yang pulled her in and cried into her sister's shoulder as well.

But it wasn't so much the sadness anymore. Rather, it was the joy of remembering him and the happy life he'd led.

As the students marveled at the statue, Ozpin went on speaking a bit about Zwei's accomplishments and recounted many stories of him. His speech went on for several more minutes.

It was then when Ruby composed herself enough to pull back from her sister and look around. Almost everyone around her was crying now. Even the professors seemed close.

Ruby's eyes traveled back to the statue beside the little headstone, where her precious doggie now rested. She felt compelled to do something.

Slowly, she began making her way towards Ozpin. Her teammates didn't question her, nor did they make an attempt to stop her. But rather, they followed her by means of support.

Seeing their approach, Ozpin dipped his head to Ruby.

"Miss Rose. Would you like to say something to Beacon?"

She inhaled slowly, then gave a decisive nod.

"Yes, sir."

"Then please, by all means." Ozpin stepped back as Ruby took his place.

Weiss, Blake, and Yang flanked her, their eyes downcast but their ears open to hear what their leader had to say.

The rest of the school looked up at Ruby with respect and sympathy and remained quiet as she gathered herself. It took her a moment, but eventually she found her voice and raised it so everyone could hear her.

"First of all..." she began. "I want to thank Headmaster Ozpin and all of our professors for preparing this really lovely memorial in Zwei's honor. It's beautiful."

She met her gaze to all of the adults gathered around, ending with Ozpin. Then, she looked back out to her fellow students.

"And I want to thank everyone here for coming to honor Zwei's memory. The truth is, he died saving me. But I know he wouldn't want me to blame myself for it. Zwei did it because he loved me. That's all there is to it."

Yang put a hand on her little sister's shoulder as she went on.

"Yang and I've had Zwei since he was a puppy, so we both know better than anyone that he lived a good life. He died a hero's death, and we'll always remember him that way.

"But I know he wouldn't want us all to be sad for too long. We should try to remember his life, not his death. Remember what Zwei gave us, accept what he would've wanted us to take away from all this, and let's... let's remember him, but let's move on."

She fell silent and couldn't stop another swell of tears from rising up. But the crowds all began to clap and voice their agreement to her words.

After a moment, Ruby led her team towards Zwei's grave and monument. She collapsed to her knees in front of the little plaque in the ground there and read the words carved in large letters:

Zwei, beloved pet, treasured companion, true hero.

Ruby bowed her head and let her tears fall once again.

"I'm gonna miss you so much," she mumbled. "I already do... I'll come visit e-every day... Just... have a good sleep, Zwei. You deserve it."

Weiss knelt down beside her and closed her eyes, offering her own silent prayers.

Yang knelt on Ruby's other side and offered her the little bag she'd brought along, the one she'd filled with Zwei's toys.

Yang herself pulled out Zwei's food dish and placed it before his grave, then spoke softly to him.

"I hope you're eating as much as you can up there. You deserve a big feast."

Ruby nodded in agreement and leaned into her sister's side.

Next, Weiss took out Zwei's leash from the bag and folded it neatly before placing it next to the food bowl.

"I'll miss going on walks with you," she whispered. "It'll never be the same now. I hope you've got plenty of space to play."

When she'd finished, Ruby and Yang both moved closer to embrace the heiress.

When it was Blake's turn, she didn't extract anything from the bag, however. Instead, she revealed her left wrist, where a familiar black ribbon was tied. It was the ribbon she'd once concealed her Faunus ears with.

Now, for the first time since she'd put it around her arm, she pulled it free.

It was something very precious to her that symbolized a very fragile time in her life. That ribbon had kept her safe from harm many times. It felt only right to give it up for Zwei now.

"I hope it keeps you safe on the other side," she murmured.

She tied the ribbon around the statue of Zwei, around his lifted paw.

When she was finished, Yang pulled her partner into the small group hug.

At last, Ruby reached her hand into the bag and took out an object many of the gathered students were familiar with; they'd often see her playing fetch with Zwei and his favorite red ball.

Now, she laid that ball at the center of his gravestone in the grass.

"I hope there are a lot of toys for you up there," she chuckled. Her smile trembled and soon wavered as more tears rushed down. "I'll... never forget you," she promised.

For a moment, the entire crowd was silent, aside from a few gentle sobs. A warm breeze passed through, lightly brushing against them all in turn.

At last, team RWBY stood together, leaving behind all of their little gifts for Zwei.

As they moved away from his grave, other students slowly began lining up to take their turns there. Some offered little cards, some offered prayers, some offered toys or photos.

Ruby and the others all stood back a little ways and witnessed just how many people loved their little dog. Despite her tears, Ruby did her best to keep smiling. They all did.

It wasn't long before Ozpin appeared again and approached them. The girls didn't even bother wiping their tears this time, but merely looked up to him expectantly. The man stopped in front of them and heaved a sigh.

"I'm sure you girls can understand that I don't know exactly what to say. There is never anything we can say in the face of such a devastating loss that will make everything better. But I offer you my deepest condolences on behalf of Beacon and on my own behalf. And I hope you can all take the proper time to recover from this ordeal.

"That's why I've decided to close the Academy for one week starting tomorrow. I want to let my students recuperate and have repairs done to the school. I'll make the school-wide announcement this evening.

"But for now I just wanted you girls to know how grateful I am to Zwei for the deeds he has fulfilled in his time here with us at Beacon Academy. He taught us many things over the years alongside you girls, and it pains me that you won't be able to graduate with him at your side...

"But I hope you can continue to work hard in his honor and make the world we live in a safer place for us all. I shall do my part in commemorating him and by honoring him as the founder of Beacon's animal companion program. He'll never be forgotten, and I can assure you of that."

Weiss, Blake, and Yang all dipped their heads to him, murmuring quiet, grateful words. But Ruby was too choked-up to speak, and too tired to express herself in any other way than the one she knew best.

So she ran forward and threw her arms around her Headmaster, sobbing into his vest. The man merely smiled sadly and put a hand to her shoulder.

"Now then, Ruby," he said. "There are a few people here whom I believe would like to see you." He directed her gaze to the back of the crowd gathered there.

Slowly, Ruby turned around, and her team followed suit.

Two tall male figures were standing there, slowly making their way up towards her. Ruby's jaw dropped as she gasped, and she brought her hands to her mouth. Ozpin's voice spoke gently behind her.

"I called them here for you today. Please go and see them."

She didn't need any more coaxing than that.

Ruby tore off through the crowds as fast as her legs could carry her, and a surprised cry told her Yang wasn't far behind.

The two men with grey and blonde hair opened their arms to the girls. Ruby threw herself at her uncle Qrow, and he caught her firmly. Yang did the same to their father, who kissed her head without a word.

"Dad..." she sighed. "Dad... I'm so sorry..."

TaiYang held her close, his kind eyes sad, but all-too understanding.

"It's alright, Yang."

Ruby couldn't even speak as she bawled into her uncle's shirt. It had been a long time since she'd last seen him. Sadness and joy filled her to the brim now and overflowed.

As the two sisters cried into their uncle's and father's chests, Weiss and Blake approached more slowly, somewhat confused as to how they should be acting right now. They hung back a few paces, letting the family have their moment.

Ruby continued to cry for another moment or so, whereas Yang pulled away from her father and wiped her eyes.

"Oh yeah..." she said. "Weiss, Blake... this is our dad. And that's our Uncle Qrow."

The two girls quickly bowed to the two men.

"It's very nice to meet you," Weiss said politely.

"Yang and Ruby are always talking about you," Blake added.

TaiYang smiled at them.

"It's the same with me. They're always talking about you girls. Thank you for taking such good care of them all this time. I trust you'll continue to do so in the future."

Next, it was Qrow who spoke, still patting Ruby on the back as he did so.

"TaiYang and I were called here today by your Headmaster. He told us what happened. I'm very sorry to hear it. Zwei was a good dog."

"Always was," TaiYang added. "Since day one. Even as a pup, that little rascal never had a mean bone in his body. He had a good spirit. I want to thank you all for taking such good care of him until his final hours."

Here, Yang swallowed thickly.

"Dad... I'm sorry. I couldn't-"

"I know you did all you could, Yang. You and Ruby and your team gave him the best life he ever could've wished for. I know he was happy to give up his life for yours. You did very well. Thank you for giving him such a good, long life. You let him become a hero."

He pulled her into another hug, then reached out to take Ruby into his arms as well.

For a moment, he held both of his daughters as they cried, then gently kissed them both before letting Qrow take over once again.

TaiYang instead went to Weiss and Blake, pausing a few feet away from them. He still wore that sad smile, but his eyes were calm and reserved.

First, he looked to Blake.

"Miss Belladonna, I presume? I know all about the incident with the Ursa many years back. Yang and Ruby both told me how you'd been with Zwei back then, and how you saved his life by giving him your aura.

"I wanted to thank you for being so selfless at the time. Had he not survived past that incident, your Headmaster never would have recognized the animals at this school or allowed them to work with people here. And Zwei wouldn't have been around long enough to protect so many people and to make them smile."

His eyes flashed briefly back to his two daughters before he extended his hand toward Blake. The Faunus girl dipped her head and proudly shook his hand.

"It was my honor to be able to train with him, sir."

TaiYang nodded as he withdrew his hand.

Next, he turned to Weiss, who met his gaze with equal seriousness.

"You must be Miss Schnee. I heard all about your efforts at the time to pay for Zwei's new paw. I understand such a feat wasn't simple for your to accomplish, nor was it inexpensive. With your sacrifice, you ensured Zwei could have the highest quality of life possible, given the circumstances. And for that, I thank you."

He offered his hand to her, and Weiss accepted it.

"In light of all Zwei has done for us, it was a small sacrifice, sir."

He nodded, still smiling as he pulled away.

By then, Ruby and Yang had stepped away from Qrow and were holding one another. TaiYang swept his gaze around the four girls and addressed them all.

"I understand you will be given a week-long vacation now in Zwei's honor and to allow repairs the school. That's why I'd like to invite you all back to my home for the break. If it's at all possible, I think it best for your team to stay together."

Ruby and Yang both nodded quickly.

"Yeah," the blonde said. "I wanna come home for a bit."

"Me, too," Ruby agreed.

"Your uncle Qrow and I would love to have you," TaiYang assured them. "And what of your partners?"

Blake was first to speak up.

"I would love to come with you, sir."

"And I'd love to have you, Miss Belladonna."

Finally, Weiss spoke her part.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble to impose, I'd like to come along as well."

The man's smile widened a bit.

"It's settled then. Tomorrow, we'll all go back to Patch for a little time to rest. I'm sure there's plenty Ruby and Yang can show you."

"But for now," Qrow said. "If you'd all like, we can take you to Vale for some lunch. How does that sound?"

The girls all shared glances with one another. They agreed to come along after they'd gotten a few minutes to wash up in the dorm room. The two men readily agreed to the terms.

Together, the group turned back toward the school building.

By now, the crowds around Zwei's memorial had dwindled, though his gravestone and statue were covered in gifts of all kinds. Tons of wildflowers had been laid out all around, blanketing the grass at his statue's paws in vibrant rainbows.

Yang stayed between her father and uncle as they headed off, and Weiss and Blake stuck together close behind her. Ruby was at her sister's side until she halted in her spot.

"Hold on," she said quickly.

Ruby slipped away from the group for a moment, and they all turned to watch her.

She darted back through the lines of grieving students, weaving amongst them until she came to a stop, standing before Zwei's grave once more.

The headstone, plaque, and statue were all now decorated with toys, photos, cards, flowers, and all kinds of gifts for him. Ruby dropped to one knee before his statue and carefully wrapped her arms around him. She sniffled once, then whispered for Zwei alone.

"Good boy."

She kissed his nose.

With that, Ruby stood once again and hurried off to rejoin the others.

That warm breeze continued to grace Beacon for a long while to come.

It danced around the campus, playing with the flowers and running through the grass.

It became a permanent part of the academy where a precious pet had fallen.

But now, it was the place where a treasured and beloved hero watched over them.

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A/N: After discussing it further with ChuckleBrotherz, I decided to not make the bad end the only option, as it's just too sad. We agreed that the "true" ending for this series will be the 'good end' chapter. So if you want to read the next fic in the saga, The Huntress' Vacation (which will be posted soon), you might want to read the good end after all.

If you decided to read this one, then I commend you, because I teared up several times when writing and revising it.