#we'll see more on how this is playing with Ruby's insecurities and fears later

[bridgyrose]

Ruby walked through the ruined halls of Beacon as a few vines crept behind her and started to place the bricks back into the school one by one. The echoes of the students and professors laughing at her and scolding her could be heard through the empty halls as she passed each door. Each step she took was a reminder of how out of place she felt, that no matter how hard she tried, she was never going to fit in. 

“I… I can fix this,” Ruby muttered to herself. “I can fix this and still become the hero that I want to be.” 

“Are you sure you’re up to the task?” 

Ruby paused as she passed by a statue of her mother and slowly looked it over as she placed a hand on the plaque. “I can still be a hero like you were. I dont know how, but I know I can do it.” 

The statue moved to embrace Ruby, cold bronze pressed against the girl’s skin. It spoke with a motherly voice that echoed through the halls. “A hero has to die at the end of their story. Are you sure you want to be a hero like me?” 

Ruby stayed quiet as she thought about what her mother had just told her. Of course she still wanted to be a hero, even if it meant dying. With a slow nod, she finally answered her mother. “Yes. I still want to be a hero just like you were.” 

The Summer statue seemed to smile as it pulled away from Ruby and the base of her pedestal started to open up. A passageway leading to the depths of Beacon revealed itself to her daughter as the statue spoke one last time. “You’ll find what you need to make things right here.” 

With a quiet nod, Ruby started to make her way down the stairway and used the light of her scroll to keep her path illuminated as the statue moved back into place. Her eyes stayed trained on the steps ahead of her as she continued to make her way down. Piece by piece, her clothing had started to match her mother’s as her desire was granted. 

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weiss made her way to the gravestone and gently placed her hand against the faded writing to try to feel which letters she could make out. “I… dont understand, why wont she look for us here? With the way the two of you talk about home, I figured this would be the first place she’d look for us.” 

“Because she hates that mom died when she was so little.” Yang made her way over to the gravestone and sat down next to it. With a heavy breath, she wiped a tear away and kept her voice steady as she continued. “Mom disappeared when we were little and Ruby could barely talk. We were told she had died that day Ozpin came to tell us, though we all know that grave is empty. And while Ruby puts on a smile every time she comes out here to talk to mom, deep down, she resents her for not being here. Training to be a huntress is the only way she knows how to be close to mom. Though, the only version of mom she really knows is through the stories that dad and Qrow tell us.” 

Weiss quietly nodded and traced the few, remaining letters to put together the name on the headstone. She quietly sat down as she put everything together and realized just how little of her partner she knew. All she saw was the child who she thought snuck her way into Beacon and didnt think deserved to be there, unaware of the burden she carried or the pain she held inside. That the smile her team leader kept on her face and the insistence to help others was a way to try to get to know the mother she never really knew. Weiss slowly ran her fingers through the grass around the tombstone. “Then… I’ll make sure I do things better.” 

“I know you will. You have ever since our first day at Beacon. Though, I cant say I’ve helped make things easier for her either.” 

“What do you mean?” 

Yang leaned back and looked up at the clouds in the rose-red sky. “I’ll admit, I’ve coddled her a bit. Always there for her to fall back on ever since dad shut down. I picked up the pieces where I could, helped when I needed to in order to make sure Ruby had someone there. Read stories when dad was too tired, helped her with homework when dad had to go away for work… like I said before, she sees me as a mother figure. And when we started at Beacon, she was terrified to be on her own. Dad wanted her to make a few friends on her own so she could learn how to get along with others and be able to look after herself and I… ditched her until orientation.” 

Weiss nodded and stood up as she gripped the hilt of her rapier. “I… I think I know how we can save her.” 

“You do?” Yang looked up at Weiss curiously, a brow raised. “And what exactly do you have in mind?” 

Weiss smiled and started to make her way back to the door that Yang had created. “We show her she’s already a hero.” 

Yang stood up and followed after Weiss. “You know we only have one shot at this, right? If this fails, we’re going to lose her.” 

“Which is exactly why we wont fail.” Weiss opened the door and stared at the re-built hallway of Beacon and took a step through the threshold. “I’ll go find Ruby and distract her while you and Blake find where the nightmare is hiding.” 

Yang let out a heavy sigh as the door shut in front of her. “I really hope you know what you’re doing…” 

Blake put a hand on Yang’s shoulder and smiled at her. “We’ll make sure Ruby is saved.” 

“I know we will.” 

“Any ideas where to look for the nightmare?” 

Yang stood up and looked out the window. “I think I do, but we’ll want to hurry.”

Prev