Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“The sky is so beautiful; I wish I had a book to enjoy the gorgeous weather with.” Blake thought as she lay on the ground “What is that?” she wondered, noticing the wet sticky substance that clung to her person and pooled around her unmoving form. She wasn’t able to think clearly and she hurt, there was pain everywhere. She was broken from her dazed thoughts when she heard unsteady steps approaching, boots crunching the dirt underneath as they drew closer, but Blake couldn’t find the energy to turn her head and discover who was causing the noise. A strangled cry emanated from nearby, and then Blake’s favorite person came into sight. “Ruby” Blake thought, a smile breaking through her grimace of pain as her girlfriend and team leader stepped closer to Blake on shaky unsure feet. As she got closer Blake noticed through the haze of pain that clouded her thoughts that as Ruby looked down upon the Faunus girl, her eyes were wide in horror as tears brimmed in the wide silver orbs, threatening to spill over. Ruby sat down at Blake’s side and looked the Faunus girl up and down, before her gaze settled on matching the concerned amber eyes of Blake.

“What’s wrong Ruby?” Blake asked her voice quiet as she found it hard to muster the strength to speak. “I’m so tired.” Ruby took a few calming breaths to little avail before she spoke.

“Why did you do it Blake?” she asked on the verge of tears. Through the fog of discomfort Blake recalled how they had ended up there.

The red and black haired girls had been sent on a mission to clear out a pack of Beowolves; a standard affair for the two huntresses. They had tracked the pack into a clearing of the forest of Forever Fall and after coming up with a simple plan to attack from two sides and make the most of their speed they had quickly launched into the group of unaware Grimm. The pack was larger than originally thought; it was still not too much trouble for the experienced huntresses. Ruby had dashed into the heart of the pack slicing left and right in wide graceful arcs with Crescent Rose, while Blake had remained on the edges darting around to keep the Grimm from overwhelming the scythe-wielder. It had taken more time than they had anticipated but soon the creatures of darkness had been vanquished and Ruby and Blake stood together in the clearing, tired but successful in their mission and they had passed caring smiles.

Then hell broke loose. An Ursa Major had burst into the clearing, disturbed by the noise from the fight and eager to kill. The Grimm was easily 13ft tall on its hind legs, with the bony protrusions on its back reaching 3-4 ft and ending in a wicked sharp points. It’s claws were the size of large knives and razor sharp, both girls prepared to fight but knew it would be difficult, they were weary from the previous encounter and a quick glance at their scrolls showed that both their Aura’s were running low. The Grimm was ferocious and well rested and soon Ruby and Blake were on the defensive avoiding the heavy blows swung at them. Blake was knocked aside, her Aura taking the brunt of the damage. The Ursa, having separated the girls, began focusing on Ruby whose movements were slowing down. Using her semblance to avoid a fatal blow Ruby vanished in a flurry of rose petals, reappearing a few feet away, but the Ursa quickly recovered and swung again. Blake saw that Ruby would be too slow to block the claw speeding to her and she was too tired to use her semblance again. Blake knew that she would be too slow to stop the Grimm from attacking Ruby and in an instant knew what she had to do, using her afterimage semblance to teleport next to Ruby and push her out of the way. Ruby had screamed in horror as she realized what Blake was doing, Blake whispered to Ruby as the cloaked girl fell away.

“I’m sorry Ruby.”

She was too slow to bring up Gambol Shroud to defend herself and her Aura was completely drained, so when the massive claws made contact they shredded Blake’s clothes as well as sliding through her torso rending the skin and breaking ribs. Blake had been thrown to the ground near one of the many red leafed trees and had faded out of consciousness. When she had come to she was staring up at the sky.

As Blake recalled this she understood that the substance she had noticed earlier was in fact her own blood spilling out and pooling around her, the pain she felt was her life coming to a close. Looking at Ruby, Blake smiled again and managed to bring her hands up and cup the younger girls face.

“Don’t cry Ruby, I don’t regret what I did and I would do it again.” Blake said weakly. Ruby placed her hands over Blake’s and despite what Blake had said, the tears in her eyes flowed down her face as she leaned in and kissed her girlfriend.

“Why?” was all she asked, needing to know why Blake had traded her life for Ruby’s.

“Because you are the most important thing in this world to me, and I will protect you however I can, no matter the cost.” Blake answered firmly despite the pain she felt. “I’m so tired.”

“Blake...” Ruby said between the sobs that shook her body. “What will I do without you? I need you.” Blake had a weak smile as she thumbed the tears away from Ruby’s face gingerly.

“Oh my precious rose… you’ll be fine without me….You are the strongest, most beautiful, loyal, and loving leader and girlfriend I could have asked for.” she said between coughs that brought up blood to her mouth.

Ruby threatened to start crying before she got some semblance of a hold on herself and weakly laughed.

“Blake as your team leader I forbid you from dying on me.” She said, earning a painful laugh out of the dying Faunus.

“I’m sorry but this is one order I’m afraid I can’t follow.” Blake said while trying to muster the strength to bring Ruby closer “I’m so tired,” she couldn’t, but the other girl got the hint and came closer resting her head on the tired Faunus’ shoulder.

“Ruby I’m sorry it ended this way.”

“No Blake you’ll be fine I promise.” Though they both knew the truth, Blake had lost a substantial amount of blood and they were miles from the nearest hospital.

“Ruby I’ll always love you.”

“Blake I’ll always love you.” they said together

Blake felt at peace like this with Ruby close by in her arms and gathering the last of her strength she started singing in a quiet voice a song she had sung to Ruby before.

“Don't worry, I've got you; Nothing will ever harm you. I'm close by, I'll stay here; through all things, I will be near. Close your eyes, don’t you cry. Love's around you…..” Her voice trailed off as she took her breath with one thought on her mind “I love you Ruby.” Ruby had felt the tears welling in her eyes when she heard Blake sing. The Faunus girl was singing the lullaby she had learned from Yang, who had sung it to Ruby when she was younger on the nights when the girl’s nightmares woke her in the night. As she listened to the other girl singing, silence filled the spot where the last line should have gone and she looked up and saw Blake with her eyes closed a blissful expression of serenity on her face. “It’s my fault….if I hadn’t been slow, she wouldn’t have had to save me” Ruby hollowly thought as she felt the tears flow once more down her face with renewed strength as her heart clenched, “No she can’t be gone” she thought in anguish as she buried her face in the dead Faunus’ shoulder, not wanting to accept the truth. “I’m alone again,” she thought as she cried loudly knowing that no one was around to hear her and the pain she felt. “This isn’t how the fairy tale is supposed to end.”

“Blake you can’t go, we had so much to live for” She said hoping this would somehow help but her words were in vain and she knew it.

“Why did you have to leave me Blake? I love you, just please come back to me” she cried, her tears staining her face and dampening the clothes of her deceased lover as Ruby sat and cried for hours, long into the night over her lost love and the life they would never have.

Chapter Text

Ruby was tired. Her muscles ached and her battered body hurt from the cuts and bruises that adorned her from the fight in Forever Falls. More than physically Ruby was in pain emotionally, her heart still freshly broken following the death of her beloved girlfriend Blake Belladonna. After her death Ruby had sat over her body and cried for hours, long into the night until she had passed out from exhaustion. For whatever reason her and the body of her love were not disturbed while she slept and when she awoke still in Blake's arms she had the faint hope that it was all a nightmare. This hope was quickly and painfully extinguished as she saw the blood that had dried on and around them, and felt the cold touch of her girlfriend; the touch that not even a day ago was warm and full of love, always able to comfort Ruby in her darkest moments.

"I'll never talk to her about books again." Ruby thought, her grief renewed as more tears spilled over as she forced her weary body to move. She still had something to do. Gathering Blake's body in her arms Ruby walked. She walked for miles that seemed to stretch on for eternity, past when her legs started to burn and screamed at her to stop but she continued on. She knew that she should know where she was heading, but the name escaped her anguished mind. After an unbearable amount of time walking Ruby reached her destination: Beacon Academy. But even then she still walked, hoping beyond hope that if she could just walk far enough, even if it killed her that if she willed herself to move farther she could escape this horrible thing called reality that was worse than any nightmare. Eventually her legs gave out beneath her as she collapsed on one of the paths that crisscrossed the Beacon campus. Ruby just stayed there on her knees with Blake in her arms, wanting to keep moving but her body refusing her. Dimly she heard a concerned voice calling out to her. The voice kept drawing closer and increased in volume as Ruby saw the edges of her vision closing in. Before she passed out again Ruby said one thing.

"I'm sorry Blake."

Ruby felt her pain before anything else. It had receded, but it was still there. A dull throb throughout her body that seemed to refuse to leave. As she opened her eyes Ruby was unsure of where she was. It looked to be a hospital from the surroundings, but she had no idea how she had got there. Her memory was fuzzy; there was something she should remember, but it denied her when she tried to think of it. Before she could put more thought into it she heard footsteps approaching. Ruby sat up groggily as Headmaster Ozpin and Ms. Goodwitch approached her bed.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Rose, sleep well?" Ozpin asked calmly as he took a sip from his coffee mug that he was rarely seen without.

"Good afternoon, Headmaster. Where am I?" Ruby asked confused, still unsure of her surroundings.

"You are in the Beacon Academy Infirmary. You have been here for one day." Ms. Goodwitch informed Ruby as the teacher looked up from her scroll.

"A day? How did I get here?"

"Mr. Arc and Ms. Nikos found you on the grounds as you collapsed and brought you here." Glynda told her. As Ruby thought about this she remembered more and more of before she got here.

"Where's Blake?" Ruby asked quietly. Glynda looked to Ozpin waiting for him to speak.

"Ms. Belladonna was beyond our help when you brought her here." Ozpin stated slowly. "Her wounds had already taken their toll, she was already dead. I am very sorry." He said while studying Ruby's expression. Ruby just stared straight ahead, she had already known this. She had seen the blood flowing had carried the cold body of Blake. Hearing it though from Ozpin and having it finally sink in made Ruby shake in anger. Anger at this world for its cruelty, anger at the Grimm for taking her love away, most of all she was angry at herself. When it truly had counted she had been unable to protect the one she loved just like with her mother. Ruby threw off the blankets covering her as she worked to stand up, her legs fighting against her.

"Ms. Rose you should rest..." Glynda started before she was cut off.

"I don't care. Where is she?" Ruby asked harshly as she stood on wobbly legs.

"Ms. Rose we can take you to Ms. Belladonna later" Ozpin stated calmly.

"NO YOU"LL TAKE ME NOW!" Ruby shouted her anger briefly directed at the man who would deny her seeing Blake.

" ! You will speak to headmast—"

"It's alright Glynda," Ozpin said placating the teacher. "Alright Ms. Rose, we'll take you to Ms. Belladonna. Wait one moment while a cane is brought here. Despite your insistence you are still not at full health." He said motioning for someone out of Ruby's vision to get the cane. A few moments later it was brought by a nurse. A simple nondescript black cane, which Ruby took silently as she started walking with the assistance.

"Let's go" Was all she said as Ozpin and Glynda led the way.

After a short walk they were standing outside of a plain door, unremarkable from any of the others except for what it contained. This was the Beacon Academy morgue where the bodies of fallen students lied until final preparations could be made. The trio stood outside the door, the two teachers waiting for Ruby to enter first.

"We can come back another time if you are not feeling well," Ozpin offered, but he knew what the answer would be.

"No, I'm going now." Was all Ruby said, the anger in her voice barely contained as she pushed the door open and walked in. The room was small and on the main table, the center of the room was a body covered by a white sheet, and Ruby instinctively went to that body and gently pulled the cover off. It was Blake. Her normally pale skin ghostly white, the blood had been cleaned off of her body and the wounds healed. The most noticeable thing though was her face. The smile she had worn when she died was still present. Ruby felt tears fill her eyes once again as she looked upon the body of her love, looking no worse than she had a few days ago, but Ruby knew the truth she had seen it.

"I'm sorry Blake, this is my fault" Ruby cried, her shoulders shaking from the force of her sobs as she kept repeating that phrase. Ozpin came up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder

"I understand how you feel Ms. Rose..." He started before Ruby pulled away quickly from him.

"AHHHHHHH!" she screamed as her tears streamed down her face while she started destroying everything in the room. She started knocking down jars and flipping tables and chairs, flipping the cane over she started hitting it against the wall and everything within reach, wishing that this mindless destruction could help alleviate her pain.

CRACK!

The cane sounded as it split into pieces after Ruby put all of her strength into smashing it against the wall. Ruby collapsed to the ground in front of Blake's body crying. She was lost, unsure what purpose her life had anymore without Blake. Ozpin and Glynda had just sat back and watched the red haired girl cause this destruction around the body of her fallen teammate.

"This world is unfair. First Summer and now you Blake." Ruby said between grief-racked sobs "Professor Ozpin, do you remember why I wanted to come to Beacon?" She asked him without turning to face the man.

"You said you wanted to help people" He replied recalling their first meeting after Ruby had stopped Roman Torchwick at a dust store.

"Well that was only part of it. I came to Beacon to get strong, to hone my skills so I would have the power to protect those I love, like I couldn't do for my mom." She said, her cries subsiding and replaced by the anger that had briefly been pushed aside, now regaining its hold on the girl. "I've trained here for three years now, I've gotten stronger, I've honed my skills, most importantly I found someone to love and protect. I did my best but it didn't matter, when it really counted I was still the little helpless girl I was when my mom died, still needing others to protect her." She said to her audience of two as she stood up and turned around to face them, her face a mask of pain and anger. "Tell me Headmaster, what is the point of going on?" She said nearly spitting the last words out as if they were poison. Ozpin merely looked at her unfazed by her actions and tone.

"I'm afraid I cannot give you that answer, that is something you must find for yourself," he said much to the displeasure of Ruby, who just rushed out of the room as fast as she could and heading for her room.

Ruby rushed past other students. It was the weekend so everyone was out of class. They all moved out of her way with worried looks as she was still wearing the gown the infirmary had put on her for her extended stay. She didn't care, she only had one goal in mind and it was too get to her room. As she hurried past the doors to other people's room she stopped at her room, the room she shared with Blake. The thought brought her more pain, like another stab to the heart. Opening the door she was immediately assailed by pain as she looked around the room. There was the bed she shared with Blake, where she laid in the loving embrace of the Faunus the night before their last mission. The room was adorned with trophies, trophies that Blake had helped Ruby earned and pictures of the two girls together, either with each other or with the other half of Team RWBY. Ruby picked up one picture that stood framed on her dresser. It was her and Blake on their first date two years ago. Ruby wasn't even looking at the picture as a whole only taking in the sight of Blake captured in all her beauty. "What more can this world take from me?" Ruby though bitterly as she put her back to the wall and sank to the floor still holding the picture. She wallowed in her sadness; the only thing that kept her floating was the knowledge that she was not entirely alone; she still had her sister and Weiss.

Weiss was tired. The pain she felt physically not matching the anguish she felt mentally as she sat in Professor Ozpin's office. She had returned earlier that day carrying Yang's body. She had immediately gone to the Headmaster's office, where Yang's body had been taken from her to be attended to at the morgue. She had then been debriefed by Ozpin, though she was only present in body. "I wish I could have done more to save you, Yang," she thought not listening to Ozpin as he spoke to her until some words broke through.

"... Ms. Rose returned a day ago after her mission with Ms. Belladonna." He said causing Weiss to pay attention remembering her promise to her violet-eyed love.

"How did their mission go?" she asked, causing Professor Ozpin to pause as he gathered his thoughts.

"Ms. Rose returned injured but not severely she was found by Mr. Arc and Ms. Nikos as she passed out on Beacon grounds," he said though Weiss noticed something he was omitting.

"What of Blake?" she asked fearful of the answer.

"She was carried onto the grounds by Ms. Rose; her wounds were much more severe. She had several broken ribs, a punctured lung, and severe bleeding she was already dead when she arrived. There was nothing we could do." He said this being the second time he had to deliver this news. Weiss was stunned into silence by this information. "Blake is…dead?" Weiss thought before she was filled with dread about Ruby. "How will I tell her? How can I tell her that not only has the love of her life died but her sister as well?" Weiss thought before talking to Ozpin.

"I understand headmaster. I will tell Ruby about…Yang." Her words were clipped and she felt her breath hitch on the last word.

"Again I am sorry for your losses." He said before he took another sip from his coffee. Weiss just nodded as she stood to leave. As Weiss stood outside his office she just wanted to go to her room, curl up, and let the tears flow down her face, but she had one last mission and she was a Schnee so her priorities were clear, her pain could wait. Walking down the hall past all the other smiling students, the sight made her sick "These fools, all of them happy. What did I and Ruby do to this world for it to be so cruel?" she thought bitterly as she pushed past them her dark thoughts filling her mind as she went to Ruby's room.

Ruby's door was nondescript the only thing that set it apart was the number on the side that identified it. Weiss gently knocked on the door unsure what she would say. Ruby came to the door slower than usual, but when she opened the door and saw Weiss her expression grew lighter.

"Weiss you're back!" she said giving Weiss a hug that the other girl did not have the heart to reciprocate.

"Yes I am, I'm sorry Ozpin just told me about Blake." She said softly, at the mention of her Ruby grew more somber

"Yes... Where's Yang I really need to talk to her" she said after a pause, Weiss' heart panged at this as she worked herself up to speaking.

"Yang… is..." she started before tears started brimming in her blue eyes; Ruby noticed this and realized what it meant.

"No…no it can't...no she's just hurt, right Weiss?" Ruby said pleading, more to herself than to Weiss who had started crying against her will. The tears not listening to her internal pleading or her Schnee upbringing.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry Ruby," Weiss said in between her sobs.

Ruby felt her world collapsing around her. "Yang...is dead?" she thought numbly as she sank to her knees, her legs unwilling to hold her up longer anymore. Not only was Blake dead, but so was Yang. As Ruby sat there on her knees with Weiss crying in front of her, the world seemed darker and the purpose of it seemed so futile now. "What's the point of living anymore?" she thought as she robotically stood up and just closed the door on Weiss, not wanting to be a part of the world that had done nothing but take from her anymore as she went and just curled up on the floor. She was too numb to even cry over her losses. "What's the point anymore?"

Chapter Text

Ruby was running through a forest. There were people she was looking for, but she was having trouble finding them even with her speed. Eventually though she ran into a clearing in the forest and saw the two people she was looking for: Blake and Yang. The two girls were lounging by a tree, but when they saw Ruby they both stood up and started walking over to her, Ruby was stunned by the sight of the two in perfect health. She started walking slowly over to them, but as she walked she started picking up speed until she was practically running.

"Oh my god Blake, Yang, I thought you two were dead, but you aren't. You're fine!" She started rambling as she threw her arms around Blake in a bear hug that would make Yang proud.

"Yes, everyone is fine," Ruby kept repeating to her as she buried in face in Blake's long black hair. Though as she held her girlfriend close she noticed something wrong. Her arms were growing slick with some unknown liquid. "Blake what is this?" She asked a sense of dread coiling in her gut. Blake began to answer, but soon all Ruby heard was a gurgling sound being emitted from Blake's mouth. Looking up Ruby was horrified to find that blood was pouring out of Blake's mouth and her eyes had glazed over. Backing away, Ruby found that the slick liquid covering her arms was blood and that it had come from several large gashes along Blake's torso.

"No...No…please no," Ruby started muttering as Blake slowly stumbled her way towards Ruby. "YANG HELP!" Ruby screamed, "We need to help Blake." Ruby was swiveling her head around trying to find her sister. When she saw Yang she realized that she could not help. Her sister was also walking toward her, Ruby did not see any wounds, but Yang's eyes had been changed from the normal lilac to a pitch black. "No Yang…not you…no," Ruby cried, tears staining her face as she backed away from the two girls who were closing in on her

"Where were you Ruby?" Yang asked, "I thought I could count on you."

"I'm sorry sis… please, I wanted to help," Ruby pleaded. Backing up she felt her back hit a tree as the black and yellow girls closed in. Somehow through the blood Blake began speaking

"Why couldn't you defend yourself Ruby? I'm dead now because you were weak," She said as she closed in.

"I tried…oh god I tried…please, I'm so sorry Blake… I wish I could have helped." Ruby sobbed as she slid down the tree until she was sitting. Looking up, the last thing she noticed before Blake and Yang surrounded her was that the leaves of the tree were red.

Ruby awoke with a cry. She was covered in a cold sweat and she was out of breath. Looking around she realized she was in her dorm room at Beacon. She was curled up on the floor like she had been for a vast majority of her time in the last few weeks. Standing up Ruby walked to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was drawn from exhaustion, and her hair was matted owing to the fact that she hadn't bathed in weeks. To be fair she hadn't left her room in weeks merely spending her time curled up on the floor in depression. The most noticeable thing though was her eyes. The skin around them was dark and bagged despite the amount of time she spent asleep. Ruby had not felt rested in weeks. She would lie curled on the floor passing from consciousness and sleep and not being able to decide which was the bigger nightmare. Her normally shining silver eyes, normally filled with excitement and joy were dim having lost her joy. Ruby continued staring at her reflection at in the mirror and she was disgusted by what she saw.

"They see you as small and helpless"

Ruby was depressed, what reason did she have to live? The two most important people in her life had been taken from her in such a short time and now the world seemed so empty.

"They see you as just a child"

Ruby looked at herself in the mirror and hated the person she saw looking back. A weak child masquerading as a warrior. "What a warrior," she thought in derision as images flashed behind her eyes. Falling back as she was pushed by Blake, the other girl taking her place and then the cold gleam of the Ursa's claws as they slid through Blake's torso before the force of the impact threw Blake to the forest floor. Ruby didn't hear it, but she knew that was the moment when her scream had pierced the silence that followed, everything else was lost in the red haze of her rage as she had found a new found strength to attack the surprised Ursa with reckless abandon, not caring whether she lived or died.

Ruby couldn't stand the sight of herself in the mirror and lashed out, punching the mirror and fracturing it into shards that cut her knuckles on her right hand. Blood flowed from the cuts on her knuckles but Ruby didn't care as she just sat on the floor of the bathroom. She just let the blood flow from her hand staining it crimson. Even the sight of her blood made her think of Blake

"It's your blood that's red like rose,"

She hit her head back against the wall. "I don't deserve to live at the cost of Blake's life," she thought. This was a thought that had constantly assailed her since the day of Blake's death. "Why would I want to live without Blake?" Another thought that had filled her head every day. Ruby stood up and walked back into the main part of her room. It was a mess; different things were just lying around. The object that caught her eye was a picture. Walking slowly over she dropped to her knees to pick the picture up, a picture of Blake reading that Ruby had taken during the first week that her and Blake had started dating. The thought of that week had kindled a small ember of happiness in the barren wasteland that was Ruby's heart.

Blake was sitting on her bed in Team RWBY's dorm. She was reading a new book that she had just gotten. She was so immersed in the fantasy setting and the character that even with her enhanced Faunus hearing she didn't notice the cloaked figure that drew near to her.

CLICK!

Blake jumped at the sudden noise and looked around until she saw Ruby standing a few feet with a camera in her hands and a broad smile on her face.

"Ruby, can I ask why you just took a picture of me reading?" Blake asked in confusion, Ruby sat down on the bed next to Blake.

"Because you're cute when you're concentrating on a book." Ruby said it like it was completely obvious. Blake just looked at her new girlfriend. The thought was still new to her, but it filled her with joy; something her life had not seen much of.

"Ruby that is… really adorable." Blake said as she tousled Ruby's hair. Ruby leaned over and rested her head on Blake's shoulder.

"Hey Blake could you read to me?" she asked innocently. Blake thought for a moment before she smiled

"Sure" she said as she picked up in the story where she had left off, only this time she spoke aloud to her new audience who was enraptured by the story.

Ruby smiled at this memory. It was one of the many she had with Blake in the three years they had dated, but then the ember was smothered like it was doused in ice water as Ruby remembered that she would never have any more of these memories with Blake. It was made worse as she sank deeper into her depression as this thought also occurred with Yang, her brawler of a sister who she had not even said goodbye to before they had left on their respective missions.

Ruby just slumped to her side and curled up back into a ball, not even bothering to do anything about her still bleeding hand. She drifted off back into sleep, back into her recurring nightmare and was once again awoken in a fright. This cycle constantly repeated itself. Ruby's waking hours as few as they were, were as horrifying as her nightmares as she faced the emptiness that filled her.

"And no matter what I do. Nothing ever takes the place of you."

The thought haunted her because of its startling accuracy. Nothing Ruby had done since the deaths of Blake and Yang had filled the void in her soul. Yes, she had gotten angry, sad, and very rarely a fleeting ember of nostalgic joy, but these had all been short and disappeared as soon as they had come, leaving Ruby as empty as they had found her.

Ruby was interrupted from her brooding by a knock at her door.

"Ruby?" A high thin voice came from the other side of the door. Ruby didn't feel like answering. She didn't want to interact with other people. "Ruby, I know you're in there." The voice called from the other side, it was weak and Ruby realized it was Weiss. "Maybe if I just ignore her she will go away", Ruby thought as she curled up tighter in the fetal position hoping to just shut Weiss out. It wasn't working

"Please Ruby, talk to me," the white-themed girl pleaded. Ruby could hear the weakness and sadness in her voice. "She's barely holding it together, how is she holding it together?" Ruby thought angrily "How can she be like that when Blake and Yang are gone? Does she even care?"

"Ruby, I'm coming in," Weiss said, her voice soft. The door opened and Weiss stepped in. She was a barely contained wreck. Her normally perfect ponytail was disheveled, her eyes were bloodshot from crying, and her normally well maintained clothes were wrinkled. Weiss looked around at Ruby's room and then at the curled form of said girl. "Ruby come on you need to stand up and get of this room." Weiss said gently as she kneeled down to try and rouse Ruby.

"No," was the only thing Ruby said.

"Come on Ruby, when was the last time you left this room or ate? You need to come out." Weiss said her normally commanding voice barely above a whisper.

"No, I don't want to, "Ruby said, waving her hand, the one that was still bleeding from her knuckles.

"Ruby! You're bleeding! Come on, let's get that cleaned up." Weiss urged gently as she pulled Ruby up, the girl unresponsive and merely dead weight. Weiss took Ruby to the bathroom and looked at horror at the broken mirror, some of the shards still red with blood. Weiss didn't say anything she just cleaned Ruby's hand and dressed the cuts.

As Ruby looked at the mirror multiple reflections now looking at her a thought came to her mind. "Mirror, tell me something. Tell me who's the loneliest of all? Fear of what's inside of me. Tell me can a heart be turned to stone?" But just like Ozpin and Weiss the mirror did not have any answers to give her.

Weiss realized that it would be impossible to get Ruby to leave her room today, but she hadn't given up. "Alright Ruby, I'm going to go get you some food, and after that I'll come back tomorrow, okay?" she asked as Ruby just stared back at her. Weiss just left. She barely had the energy to hold herself together, but she came back within the hour to leave food in Ruby's room only to find the cloaked girl curled up on the floor back into the fetal position. "Ruby, I promise things will get better…they have to. The last part was a whisper as she left. Ruby had different thoughts on that statement.

"Things will never get better, how can they when I don't want to keep going? How can they when I don't even deserve to live?"