What Defines Us - Ch. 14 (Patreon)

Ruby was excited.  Excited.  It wasn’t every day that she got to check out a new weapon!  Not just any weapon either - a huntress’ weapon.  Not just any huntress either!  It was Weiss’ weapon!

A few minutes ago Ruby hadn’t even known that Weiss was a huntress.  But why would she when she’d never asked?  Which was dumb.  Why hadn’t she asked?  Note to self, that should be one of the first questions she asked a new potential friend.  ‘Hi, nice to meet you.  Would you happen to be a huntress or a huntsmen with a super cool weapon I could take a look at?’ 

Yeah, that would totally work and keep this type of life-altering, unexpected reveal from happening again.  Although she was kind of a fan of surprises…but at least now she knew for sure how Weiss and Yang knew each other!  They must’ve been in some of the same classes at Signal.

It was kinda funny though...Weiss didn’t give off a ‘huntress’ vibe.  If Yang, Blake, and Weiss stood in a line and Ruby guessed their occupations, she’d say: huntress, ninja, princess.  Not huntress, huntress, huntress.  Weiss was just so refined and proper!  Could anyone really imagine her fighting a full grown Ursa that was about a hundred million times her size?

Yes, Ruby could imagine that and it was awesome.  Pretty and able to kill Grimm?  She didn’t even know girls like that existed!

...but don’t tell Yang that.

“Alright…” Weiss muttered as they both stood in the middle of the backyard.  “On its way.”

“Awesome,” Ruby replied as casually as possible, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice.

Be cool - be cool, she reminded herself while struggling to stand motionlessly by Weiss’ side, trying to mimic Weiss’ ultra-perfect posture.  A part of her didn’t want Weiss to see what a huge weapons geek she was, but anticipation couldn’t even begin to describe her current emotional state.  Her current level of jitters was somewhere between five and ten chocolate cakes - the big ones with three layers, none of that double layer nonsense.  

Sure, she was a big nerd, but most people didn’t understand just how fascinating a huntsman’s weapon could be.  They were all different.  They were all unique.  And because of how long and often they were trained with, each one told a story about the person who used them.  

Like Ember Celica...the gauntlets were very clearly Yang’s.  They were flashy, loud, and constantly marred with cuts and grooves from getting way too close to the action - the result of Yang’s more brash and thrill-seeking fighting style.  And Gambol Shroud...well, Ruby didn’t have much information about Gambol because Blake wouldn’t let her take the weapon apart - which only added to the mystery that was Blake in general.  Very few people, if any, would ever know what went on in Blake’s mind.  That and the blade was black.  Blake liked to wear black.  Coincidence?

But Weiss’ weapon...Ruby had no idea what to expect.  Would Weiss be like Blake - hesitant to let Ruby examine or even touch it?  Or would Weiss be more like Yang - willing to let Ruby take it apart and poke around?  It wasn’t like she couldn’t put it back together again!  Because she totally could.  Most likely.

And, besides being ultra-dangerous and ultra-personal, there was a slight chance that the weapon might have some secrets to tell about Weiss.  What mysteries would Mr. Myrtenaster solve?  Ruby couldn’t wait to find out!

A small squeal of delight escaped her as a weapon locker fell from the sky and lodged itself in the middle of the yard with a loud ‘thunk’ announcing its arrival.  Racing over the second it appeared, she screeched to a stop with one hand already reaching out to open the locker door.

Manners! she silently scolded herself.  This wasn’t one of her sister’s things.  She shouldn’t touch someone else’s weapon without permission.  Unless she wanted to make them upset - which she didn’t.  

Turning back to Weiss, Ruby received the smile and nod of approval she’d been hoping for.  This time she didn’t hesitate to pull open the locker and look inside.

The mere sight of the shimmering sword resting in the latches made her heart pound in her ears.  Like really pound.  Reaching in, she delicately removed Myrtenaster from the clasps, with goosebumps rising on her arms the instant she felt cool metal underneath her fingertips.  

It must be the evening air and her short-sleeved shirt, but as she held the weapon up a weirdly-pleasant shiver ran through her bones.  The late afternoon sun cut through the clouds just enough to make the silver sparkle majestically in her hands - the same exact shade as the ring hanging around her neck.

It was...gorgeous.  But that wasn’t surprising since Weiss was super beautiful...

Ruby’s cheeks flushed at the thought while she held the weapon in her hands and continued to marvel at it.  She’s never seen such a pretty weapon.  Like...exquisitely pretty in a very girly way.  Because it was a girl - definitely a girl. 

And it was perfect, so it obviously belonged to Weiss.

“Excuse me, Miss Myrtenaster,” Ruby whispered to the blade in apology, before turning around to find Weiss watching intently.  “It’s...incredible…”  

Ruby held the weapon with her fingertips like she shouldn’t actually be allowed to touch it, but what she really wanted to do was grasp the handle and whip it through the air.  Slowly turning the weapon over in her hands, she glanced at Weiss to make sure she wasn’t overstepping any bounds.  Thankfully, Weiss seemed perfectly fine with what Ruby was doing.

“Why don’t you try it out?” Weiss even suggested, nodding her head in encouragement when Ruby looked at her for confirmation.

Because that’s exactly what Ruby wanted to do!  Trying different types of weapons was always a thrill.  Maybe she’d find one she liked better than Crescent Rose!

That would never, ever, ever happen.  Never.  But she could have a second favorite weapon.

Slipping her hand around the grip, which was far more comfortable than it looked, she curled her fingers into a fist and let Myrtenaster fall to her side.  First - wow, the weight.  Compared to Crescent Rose it was like holding a feather.

“So light!” she exclaimed gleefully, holding the weapon upright and poking it a few times through the air like she’d seen fencers do on TV when she was a kid.  It was the lightest weapon she’d ever held - like some fluffy clouds held together with a layer of silver paint - but its lack of weight didn’t make it feel at all brittle.  It wasn’t brittle at all - it actually felt quite sturdy.  There was a certain stiffness to it that let out a satisfying snap if swished through the air just right.  

After waving Myrtenaster around for a few minutes, it began to feel more comfortable in her grasp.  It was weird to use a weapon that had such a single direction.  Because Crescent Rose was all curved and swoopy, Ruby was able to attack using many different angles.  Myrtenaster was direct and straightforward.

Probably the only weapon vaguely similar that Ruby had tried before was Gambol Shroud, but Gambol felt like fighting with a live worm or something.  It was such a weird weapon...and maybe that was why Blake was so possessive of it.  Although why anyone would be possessive of a worm, Ruby had no idea...

But Myrtenaster...Myrtenaster seemed like it would be far easier to learn how to wield.  There was something about the motions of the weapon that felt...right.  Like how Ruby had known hand-to-hand combat wouldn’t come easily to her, she knew that Myrtenaster would.

After twirling the weapon around for a little longer, drawing her name in quick air letters, she dropped her arm to her side and giggled. 

“I feel like a princess,” she admitted, the comment making Weiss smile.

“A very pretty one at that.”

The compliment made Ruby blush while Weiss immediately looked towards the house. 

“Anyway, you wanted to look at it in the garage?”

“Oh yeah!  That’s where my tools are!” Ruby called out, shaking her head to get rid of the heat in her cheeks.  It wasn’t often that she was called pretty - or ever, really.  Besides from Yang, but Ruby was pretty sure that her sister just loved to boost people’s egos.  Probably in an attempt to get someone else’s to match her own.

Hopefully Yang hadn’t just heard Ruby think that.  It totally wasn’t true!  Yang only had a pretend huge ego!  She was actually the most modest person in the entire world!

Glancing towards the back door, expecting Yang to come barrelling outside at any second, Ruby was pleasantly surprised when a few seconds passed and nothing happened.  Nothing except Weiss staring at her expectantly, of course.

“Right!  The garage!” she repeated.  When she offered Myrtenaster to Weiss, Weiss waved Ruby off and let her carry the weapon instead.  

Which was interesting.  What Ruby had learned so far was that Myrtenaster was gorgeous, super light, and that Weiss seemed to have no difficulty parting with it.  From what Ruby knew about the bond between a huntress and their weapon, it was unusual for a huntress to be so willing to entrust it to someone else.  There were stories out there about huntsmen who were very protective of their weapons - like they’d go berserk if someone stole it and go on some crazy killing spree to get it back.  Just look at Blake and Gambol!  Not that Blake would go on a crazy killing spree, but...well, you never know sometimes.

For whatever reason, Weiss didn’t seem to fall into those molds - there seemed to be no lack of trust or psychotic tendencies in sight.  Not that Ruby would’ve minded!  The lack of trust part, not the...other one.  But they hadn’t known each other for that long, so it would be reasonable if Weiss didn’t completely trust Ruby yet.

But this was way better!  Now she could pour over Myrtenaster without feeling like she was invading Weiss’ privacy, and knew that Weiss sorta, kinda, maybe trusted her!  And, again, there were those potential secrets...Ruby really wanted to know those.  She’d be happy with just one!  Because right now Weiss was still a big mystery.  One itty, bitty little secret would probably tell Ruby boatloads!

Heading into the house, they were walking into the living room just as Yang stood up from the dining room table.

“Hold up,” Yang instructed them, walking over while holding her scroll in one hand.

“I didn’t mean it!” Ruby immediately blurted out, drawing Yang’s eyes away from her scroll in surprise. 

“What?”

“What?” Ruby asked.  Realizing her mistake, she turned to Weiss - who was giving her a curious expression - before looking back at Yang.  “Uh, I mean, hey!  What do you need?”

The sequence of events had clearly confused Yang, but she shrugged it off and started tapping on the screen of her scroll instead.

“Let me show you somethin’ real quick,” she said before holding out the device so Ruby and Weiss could read it.

At the top of the screen was a bolded title, ‘Medical Information Recovery,’ with lines directly below that listing a location, date, and a status of ‘accepted.’  Underneath the information there were three names of the huntsmen who had accepted the mission.  Dropping Myrtenaster to her side in one hand, Ruby grinned and took the scroll from Yang in the other.  Pulling the device closer to her eyes, she read the names closely.

Blake Belladonna.

Yang Xiao Long.

And below that…

“Roby Rose?” she whined.  “Yang!”

“What?” Yang asked in confusion, taking the scroll and reading it before laughing.  “Oh...whoops!  Well, we can’t really change that now…”

When Ruby’s brow knit together in a pout, Yang immediately dropped the joke.  

“I’m kidding!  I can totally fix it!  I have to add Weiss anyway.”

Happy with that response, Ruby grinned again.  That was her name on there!  Kind of.  Not quite yet, but it would be!  She was official.

“Thank you!”

“No problem, Roby,” Yang smirked while walking away.  Pretending to be annoyed, Ruby held up Myrtenaster and turned the weapon over in her hand.

“Does this thing have a stun mode or something?” she joked, playfully aiming it at her sister’s back.

“Sure,” Weiss replied, leaning towards her.  “It’s right…”

The instant Weiss touched the weapon, a small stream of light blue shot out of Myrtenaster and hit Yang squarely in the back.  The ice did nothing more than make Yang to flinch in surprise, before she slowly spun around and pointed one finger at Ruby.  Glancing down at the weapon still grasped in her hand, directed at her sister, she gave Yang what she hoped would be an apologetic smile. 

Dang.  Caught red-handed.

Yang narrowed her eyes at the two of them before shaking her head and walking into her room.  As soon as she was gone, Ruby’s jaw dropped in surprise.

“I can’t believe you just did that!” she gasped.

The expression Weiss gave her in return was one of utmost innocence, but Ruby could see right through it.  There was the slightest quirk in Weiss’ lip that suggested a smile was being held at bay.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Weiss replied.  She was so good at this.  Her tone was practically bored by the conversation.  If Ruby hadn’t known any better, she’d totally fall for it.  But she did know better!

Narrowing her own eyes, she redirected the weapon towards Weiss - who merely looked down at it curiously.

“I’m watching you,” Ruby teased.  Her words broke through Weiss’ unflappable exterior and succeeded in making her look quite amused. 

“Be careful where you point that,” Weiss replied with a smirk, touching one finger to the tip of the blade.  A burst of cold sparks suddenly flew into Ruby’s face and she jumped backwards with a yelp of surprise.  Swiping at her face, the flakes of ice had already melted into cold water that she wiped from her brow.  As she did so, a sound caught her attention and froze her faster than ten feet of ice would.

Weiss was laughing.  

For the briefest second, the girl standing in front of Ruby was completely different from the one who’d walked into their house for dinner all those nights ago.  It was incredible - like Weiss had just been replaced by a cloned version of herself.  Only the clone had lived a much happier life and was more willing to laugh, tease, and have fun.  

The sight made Ruby grin while her heart did this strange little ba-dump in her chest.

This Weiss.  This was the real one.  

But before Ruby could grasp onto that copy of Weiss, she’d already slipped away - back into her shell, or behind her walls, or wherever it was she was hiding.  The composed mask slid back into place while icy blue eyes watched Ruby intently - only a hint of that smile remaining.

The moment had been short-lived, but that was ok.  Now Ruby knew there was a happy Weiss in there somewhere just waiting to be brought out.  Maybe if they became better friends, Ruby would get to see that other version of Weiss more often.  That was going to be her new goal.

“To the garage?” Weiss asked after a few too many seconds of silence, waving one hand towards the door.

“To the garage!” Ruby exclaimed, before heading through the living room and hopping through the doorway.  The lights clicked on automatically when they walked inside, where it was still just as messy as it had been when Ruby showed Weiss the failing-to-recall dagger.  Except now there was a large empty stretch of the workbench waiting for them.  All of the junk that had been sitting in that space was now piled at the edge of the bench in a big mess that would be fun to sort out later.

Maybe Ruby should build some sort of shop cleaning robot.  Naw.  That’d make Yang too happy!  What Ruby should really build is a shoe organizing robot.  Or a shoe eating robot!  That’d be much more fun.  It would gobble up any shoe it came across while prowling around the house.  Except...she’d have to make sure it wouldn’t try to eat someone’s shoe while they were wearing it.  That’d be kinda bad…

“So, you’re a huntress!” Ruby proclaimed, heading over to the workbench with Weiss following close behind.  

“I suppose I am.”

Opening a nearby cupboard and pulling out two small weapon stands that were stacked inside, Ruby giggled at the reply before gasping.

“Oh!  Does that mean you have cool stories from out in the forest??” 

While Ruby was hopeful that she did, Weiss looked taken aback by the question.

“Oh.  I, well…”

“Yang has tons of cool stories,” Ruby added, thinking she might’ve just put Weiss on the spot a little bit.  “Giant Grimm, blowing up caves, jumping off waterfalls...if you think of any, I’d love to hear them!”

Weiss finally smiled and gave Ruby a slight nod.  “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

Satisfied with that answer, Ruby turned her attention to the pieces of metal in her hand and placed the stands an appropriate distance apart on the workbench.  They held Myrtenaster perfectly when she placed the weapon upon them.

“Just right,” she commented to herself, dusting off her hands and glancing over at Weiss.  This entire time Weiss had watched Ruby closely, but didn’t seem at all concerned about what Ruby was doing with the weapon.  She could probably steal it and Weiss wouldn’t bat an eye.  Not that Ruby would ever do that, but it was nice to have options!

“Yang really tells you her stories?” Weiss asked.

“Yup!  She exaggerates, but if you cut everything in half it should be true.  Like if she says there were one billion Grimm, it was probably more like five hundred million.”  Grinning at the joke, Ruby was pleasantly surprised when Weiss gave a soft chuckle and shook her head.

Once the joyful sound disappeared, Ruby glanced at Myrtenaster before realizing that she needed some more light.  Reaching across the length of the bench, and accidentally making Weiss step back in surprise, Ruby switched the light onto a brighter setting before giving Weiss an apologetic smile.  

“It’s easier to see,” Ruby explained while gesturing to the lamp. 

“It is,” was all Weiss said as she stepped back up to the bench, looking a little embarrassed at what she’d just done.  After waiting a few more seconds and getting nothing more, Ruby turned her full attention to the task at hand - examining Myrtenaster.

First, she analyzed the weapon from tip to tail using just her eyes - the eyeball test, as Yang called it.  Actually, that’s what Yang had called out while chucking a fake eyeball at Ruby’s face to see if she could react quickly enough to catch it.  She had caught it, and then repurposed the name because it was cool.  The fake eyeball was still around here somewhere...maybe it was time she dug that out to see if Yang could pass the eyeball test.

But Myrtenaster!  Myrtenaster looked like it was made of a super high grade alloy metal and had been forged as a single piece.  The etchings covering the blade and hilt were flawless and glinted under the light.  The design was extremely intricate and probably had some special meaning, but it was difficult to determine what that meaning might be without any contextual clues.  

Everything about the weapon was exquisite - so exquisite that she actually felt like she shouldn’t touch it.  This was like...a high class lady weapon...and Ruby really, really wanted to lift up her skirt.

Oh Grimm...Yang was really ruining Ruby’s mind…

Hesitantly turning to the side, Ruby tapped her fingers together while capturing Weiss’ attention.

“You don’t mind if I, you know, fiddle with it a little bit?” she asked while gesturing towards the bench.

“Of course not.  I trust you.”

An unbelievable warmth filled Ruby’s chest as she turned her eyes back to Myrtenaster.  Sneaking one more look at Weiss, Ruby grinned before letting go of her reservations and examining the weapon like she really wanted to.  When she got up close and personal, pouring over every bit of silver, little observations began to jump out at her.

“Now I could’ve told you you’re a lefty!” she remarked, pointing to a nearly unnoticeable wear mark where the holder’s thumb would rest.  The mark was slanting in the opposite direction of how it would if it were being held in someone’s right hand.

Something else immediately caught Ruby’s eye.  Shifting position, she focused on a tiny, nearly invisible seam that hid a past modification.

“Did someone modify the revolver?” she asked, nearly pressing her nose to the weapon in an effort to see better.  

“Yes,” Weiss replied from above her.  “I’ve never had a problem with a jam since.  Made it easier to clean too.”

“They did a really good job!” Ruby remarked while analyzing the minute welding and stitching that had been done.  It was some pretty top notch craftsmanship. 

After her eyes scanned the entire weapon three times, Ruby started over again with her hands.  Running her fingers slowly and carefully across the blade, she searched for modifications that might be invisible to the naked eye.  That’s how the best weapons worked - they looked simple, but hidden inside simplicity were an abundance of upgrades.  Those were the weapons that Ruby liked best.  She thought they added a nice element of surprise to any battle.  Here’s a dagger, but gotcha!  It’s also a rocket launcher!

Not that a rocket launcher could be hidden inside a dagger, but something like that.  Although...maybe if there were smaller rockets...

After a few more seconds of searching, her fingertips found a seam in the hilt.  It was concealed so well that she almost missed it the first time and had to double-check the area.  Running her index finger in tiny up-down motions across the location, she could just barely feel the miniscule line where metal had been fused back together.  Lifting the weapon closer to her face and waiting impatiently for her eyes to focus on the area, she let out a gasp of surprise.

“You have a Dust mixer in here!” she exclaimed, gaping at Weiss while she smiled back.  “Those things cost a fortune!”

“Worth every penny.”

“I didn’t even know they made them this small...” Ruby mused, tapping and prodding at the seam.  It could only be an inch at the most in order to fit into the space...

“They don’t.  It was specifically retrofitted to Myrtenaster,” Weiss explained.

Openly gawking at the explanation, Ruby finally got a grip of herself and shook her head in disbelief.  It was incredible to think of what could be possible if not for the constraints of money.  Weiss’ weapon was clearly the best of the best of the best - worth more than Ruby could dream of making in a lifetime.  Well, she could dream of making that much, but it wouldn’t be very realistic.

“It’s well done, isn’t it?” Weiss asked with a proud smile.

“Are you kidding me?  This is more than well done - this is a freaking masterpiece is what it is!  Like, it should be in a museum of weaponry.”

Crescent Rose had a few expensive upgrades too, but as Ruby understood it most of the expensive parts were birthday gifts she’d collected over the last few years.  The underlying components were still awesome, of course, but...basically, Myrtenaster was the type of impressive that fit Weiss’ family - from the base metal all the way through to the polish still gleaming on the handle.

Looking for anything she’d missed, Ruby practically put her nose to metal examining the weapon.  Sometimes she wished she was a tiny little ant, so that she could walk along the weapons and see every nook and cranny like it was larger than life.  Instead, she was forced to rely on her weak human eyes to do the work for her. 

“Who did this stuff for you?” she asked after finding another minor upgrade to the weighting of the blade.  “It’s incredible.  And it looks like they spent a ton of time making sure it was perfect.”

“There...was a girl here in Vale who used to do it for me.”

“What’s her name?  Does she still work here?” Ruby asked, excitement instantly bubbling in her chest.  She wanted to meet the person who’d done all this.  And maybe ask for a job.  Or beg for one.  They didn’t even have to pay her!  Just let her learn their expert ways and maybe let her walk away with a new weapon or five.

“Oh, well...she retired actually.  Just over a year ago.”

The reply was disappointing, but made Ruby chuckle at the thought of a little old lady working on this incredibly high-powered and sophisticated weapon.

“Was she old??  She must’ve had superhuman eyesight to make welds this small!” she joked, holding up the blade for Weiss to see one of the spots that had been welded back together.  As Ruby did so, the light in the garage hit another patch of welding and glinted back at her in a way that drew her attention.  It didn’t glint properly...which wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense unless it was caught by someone like her, who spent a lot of time looking at glinting things.

Lifting Myrtenaster up until it was nearly touching her eyeball, Ruby couldn’t see anything out of place.  Furrowing her brow, she set the weapon down and tapped her fingers against the bench while searching for a solution.  

“Oh!” she exclaimed.  “I totally forgot!”

Scooting past Weiss and heading to a tall cabinet on the other side of the garage, Ruby opened just about every drawer before she found what she was looking for.  A magnifying glass!  How had she forgotten she had this?

Rushing back to Myrtenaster, Ruby held the magnifying glass above the weapon.

“What are you looking at?” Weiss asked curiously.

“I think there’s something written here…” Ruby murmured, moving the magnifying glass closer and further way to bring the letters into focus.

And she was right.  Etched into a weld, impossibly small and in no way legible without magnification, where the words -

“‘Believe in yourself.’”

Huh...well, that was nice and motivational, but she’d really been hoping for some secret codes or passwords or something...

“What?” Weiss yelped in surprise before moving closer.  “Can I see that?”

Using one finger to point out where she’d been looking, Ruby held the magnifying glass steady while Weiss looked through it.  A strand of white hair fell across Weiss’ shoulder as she leaned over the bench and Ruby resisted the urge to reach out and tuck it back in place.  But she took the opportunity to look at Weiss closely - marveling at her cute eyelashes and pristine white skin.  

Weiss was pretty, but in this strange way that made Ruby feel a little breathless sometimes.  Weiss was also pretty in the way that models and actresses were, but there was something else about her...

When Weiss straightened, Ruby quickly diverted her gaze back to Weiss’ eyes - finding that she was at a loss for what to say.  

“Ruby…” she whispered, looking at Ruby as if seeing someone else entirely.  There was something different in Weiss’ expression - something that made Ruby hold that blue gaze and absorb the feeling, afraid to look away.

It was Weiss who finally broke eye contact when she turned back to her weapon, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

“I had no idea that was there...” she murmured, picking up the rapier and staring at it without the magnifying glass as if she should be able to see something.

“They made it so small - there’s no way you could’ve seen it without knowing it was there!” Ruby explained, trying to cheer Weiss’ mood suddenly dampened mood back up.

“But how did I not know?”  

The question was so disheartened and Weiss’ tone was so sad that Ruby actually frowned.  Something was wrong - she could see it in the way Weiss was standing so still, her chest rising and falling with short sniffs of breath while her eyes blinked rapidly.  It looked like...she was trying to keep herself from crying.

“Are you ok?” Ruby asked, gently tapping Weiss’s shoulder with one hand.  Even though Ruby hardly brushed her, Weiss jumped away as if Ruby had just given her a giant shove.

“Yes, I’m…” Weiss immediately began to say before trailing off, spinning Myrtenaster absentmindedly in her hands with a confident familiarity that came with holding one’s own weapon.  “I’m fine…”

“Are you sure?” Ruby pressed, taking a step closer.  A part of her really wanted to reach out and console Weiss, but another part of her was unsure if Weiss would accept the attempt at comfort.  Ruby wanted to hug Weiss though, she really did.  Hugs made everything better. 

“I mean, you can talk to me, you know?  I can try to help!”

Weiss glanced at Ruby only briefly before shaking her head almost imperceptibly - the tiny motion enough to make Ruby feel a little disappointed.  When someone was sad it was normal to want to help make them feel better, which was what Ruby wanted to do.  The last thing she wanted was for Weiss to cry over anything.  She wanted Weiss to trust her enough to talk about what was wrong, but she wasn’t going to pry...

“Well if you ever want to talk, I want to listen!” she offered as cheerfully as possible.  “I know a thing or two about scars - mostly physical ones, but yeah…” 

As Ruby’s voice trailed off, Weiss finally made eye contact - her own eyes still shimmering with a hint of tears being held at bay.  She opened her mouth to speak, only to close and open it again before turning away completely.

“Have you...have you ever had a memory that feels so vivid, it could be real?”

While Weiss stared at her weapon, Ruby thought about the question carefully.  Her relationship with memories was shaky, at best.  Once upon she’d wished for some of them to come back, kind of like what Weiss was talking about, but that had never happened.  So Ruby gave up and moved on without them.  

“I’ve had dreams like that!” she answered.  “They seem real when I’m having them, but then I wake up and forget.”

“Yes...something like that.  Only instead of dreaming, you’re awake.”  When Weiss shook her head as if trying to clear the thoughts away, Ruby edged a little closer - close enough that their shoulders were just barely touching.  Weiss always seemed like she was in control, but right now she looked so fragile Ruby was afraid that if she moved too quickly Weiss might break into pieces.

“Are they good memories or bad memories?”

“Both.  The good memories are painful to relive and the bad ones are...bad.  I just…”  Weiss still wouldn’t look at Ruby, but raised one hand before letting it fall to her side in defeat.  “Everyone says to move on...but how do you let go of the past when it’s always right there trying to confuse you?  How do you know what’s real and what’s fake…?”

It felt like Weiss was speaking more to herself than to Ruby, but Ruby was still trying to understand as best she could.  It didn’t really explain much about anything that was going on, but this was the first time Weiss had seemed so uncertain - like she could actually use Ruby’s help in answering those questions.

Trying to come up with a solution, Ruby was quiet for a long time - a lot longer than she was normally capable of.  Because she was really terrible at being quiet.  It was literally the thing she was worst at.  That and being slow.  But Weiss needed help and Ruby was determined to help, even if that meant she needed to be quiet for a little bit.

Weiss wanted to keep the past away and know what was real.  Well, the first part was a little hard to do, but maybe Ruby could help with the second part.  It was easy to tell what was real or not!  Weiss was real.  Ruby was real.  Myrtenaster, the garage, the house, the street - all real.

Hesitantly, Ruby reached out towards Weiss before stopping herself.  It was a stupid idea, but...sometimes those were the best ideas, weren’t they?  

Reaching out, Ruby grabbed ahold of Weiss’ hand, immediately getting Weiss’ full attention.

“Can you feel my hand?” Ruby asked.  Weiss stared down at their joined hands for a second before looking up.

“Y-yes.”

“And that’s real, right?”  

The question made Weiss’ brow furrow.  

“I hope so.”  

Ruby shook Weiss’ hand lightly at the response.

“It is!” she replied with a giggle.  “I’m real, Weiss.  We’re real.  And you can feel it - I know you can!”

So many emotions were flashing through Weiss’ eyes, Ruby had no idea if Weiss was happy, sad, upset, or maybe just thirsty.  But Ruby had an idea, and she hoped it was something that could help.  

“How about...whenever you feel sad or don’t know what’s real or not, you can grab my hand and then you’ll know that you’re not just reliving something.”

“But why -”

“I can keep you here!” Ruby said, excited at the possibility of being helpful before her eyes widened at how the phrase sounded.  “I mean, not in a creepy kinda way, but like...keep you grounded, ya know?”

The fact that Weiss was willing to partially open up about something so personal made Ruby feel extra special.  She wanted to repay that trust by being helpful, supportive, and worthy of the vote of confidence.  Basically, Ruby wanted to be anything and everything Weiss needed.

Noticing Weiss staring at their hands, Ruby squeezed her hand and Weiss immediately locked eyes with her, making her grin in success.

“See?  It works!”

“It...actually does,” Weiss replied, appearing genuinely surprised by the revelation.

“You don’t have to go through this alone,” Ruby said softly, lightly swinging their joined hands back and forth.  “I’ll help you.”

This time it was pain in Weiss’ eyes.

“Why would you help me?” 

The reaction made Ruby’s brow knit together in confusion.

“Because we’re friends!” she replied regardless.  “That’s what friends do.”

“Right.  Friends,” Weiss said, attempting a half-hearted smile before lowering her gaze to the floor.

Before Weiss could say anything more, Ruby dropped her hand and took a step away.  A small part of her immediately regretted it because now it felt like her hand was missing something, but there was something she wanted to see.

“Can you do something for me?” she asked hopefully.  The question brought Weiss’ eyes back to hers.

“Anything.”

“Can you hold Myrtenaster like you would for a fight?  Pretend I’m a Grimm!”  Ruby raised both arms above her head.  “Rawrrrrr,” she growled, taking one step towards Weiss and grinning when Weiss finally smiled again.

Playing along, Weiss brought Myrtenaster up in front of her while squaring her shoulders to one side and centering herself above her feet.  Her left foot was in front, her right foot planted behind.  Her arm was relaxed, but firm enough to hold the weapon steadily with minimal effort.  Perfect posture, perfect stance - Ruby could definitely see that Weiss was a huntress now.

Walking right up to the tip of Myrtenaster, Ruby stopped when a half inch further would poke a hole in her shirt.  Dropping her arms, she smiled at Weiss.

“Can I try something?”

When Weiss nodded, Ruby rubbed her hands together in anticipation.  This was something she’d seen Yang and Blake do once or twice and she’d always wanted to try it out for herself.  Yang would press her palms flat to each side of Gambol and both girls would close their eyes for a really long time.  When Ruby had asked what they were doing, Yang explained that when a huntress was in their fighting stance it was possible to feel their aura running through their weapon.  And what did someone else’s aura feel like?  That’s what Ruby was about to find out!

Holding up both hands, she took a deep breath before pressing them carefully together on either side of Myrtenaster.  If Ruby or Weiss moved too much her palms would get cut, but she trusted that Weiss would never let that happen.  Closing her eyes, Ruby tried to find that mysterious aura.  She could feel the cold metal against her skin and her own exhales hitting her hands, but other than that…

When she felt it, she sucked in a breath in surprise.  There was something there - a tingle of energy flowing through her palms.  Grasping onto the feeling, she felt it worm its way through her arms and straight to her heart, wrapping around it and filling her with a warmth unlike anything she’d ever felt before.  Every single one of her cells came to life - dancing and having a little party like it was the first day of summer vacation.  And an unmistakable sense of contentedness washed over her, like she’d just found the safest place in the world to be.

It was incredible.  

It was hard to say how long she stood perfectly still and savored that soothing feeling, but when she finally opened her eyes she found that Weiss’ were still closed.  It was only when Ruby released Myrtenaster completely that Weiss’ eyelashes fluttered open and icy blue orbs stared back at her.  Instantly blushing, Ruby looked away.

Note to self - next time maybe consider that the things Yang and Blake did together were not to be recreated on a whim.  That had been...deeply personal.  It felt like she’d connected with Weiss on a level stronger than a traditional bond - like she’d allowed Weiss deep in her heart, where she’d always been alone.

Personal, but amazing.  Embarrassing, but...she also wanted to do it again.  Having that type of connection with another person...it had never occurred to her that that could be something missing from her life.

“So…” she said with a soft cough, running one hand through her hair while the feeling of Weiss’ aura quickly drained out of her.  “Um...thanks for...humoring me.”

“Absolutely.  I hope that was...what you were expecting?”

Honestly she’d had no idea what to expect!  Part of her always thought Yang was just messing with her and had convinced Blake to play along.

“Better,” she answered with a bob of her head.  “Way better.”

It was probably Ruby’s imagination that Weiss blushed before turning away, because when she turned back there was no change in her normal expression.

“I’ve been looking for a new weaponsmith ever since mine retired,” she said.  “Would you be willing to take care of Myrtenaster for me?”

“Really?” Ruby practically squeaked at the unexpected request.  “But I’m nowhere near as good as she was!”

When Weiss smiled it was one of those true smiles - the ones that made Ruby’s heart beat a little faster.

“I believe in you,” Weiss replied with a small grin.

Looking at the weapon still clutched in Weiss’ hand and then back to her eyes, Ruby couldn’t help but grin in return.  Taking care of Myrtenaster meant that she’d get to discover even more of the weapon’s secrets, but it also meant that Weiss would come over more often...

“I’d love to!”

The acceptance clearly made Weiss happy, until her eyes drifted above Ruby’s head to the clock hanging over the garage door.  Following Weiss’ gaze, Ruby discovered that it had gotten kinda late without either of them noticing.

“I should probably be going…” Weiss commented quietly.  However, she made no motion to leave and Ruby really didn't want her too.  They were having a good time!  At least Ruby was.  She hoped Weiss was too.  So what if it was really late?  Sleep was for the well-rested!

Which should probably be Weiss since she had work and stuff that she needed to do, unlike Ruby.  

“Want me to put Myrtenaster away for you?” Ruby offered.  Nodding, Weiss handed the weapon over without a second thought.  The instant it touched Ruby’s hands she shot into the house, through the hall and out into the yard.  Only then did she slow to a crawl and delicately place Weiss’ weapon inside the weapon locker - making doubly sure it was seated properly before closing the door and pressing the ‘home’ button to send it shooting into the air.  Ruby watched until it disappeared in the night sky before dashing back to the garage and Weiss’ side.

“All done!”

“Thank you,” Weiss replied while they walked into the house at a normal speed.  

“No problem!  Saved you a few steps, ya know?”  Swinging her arms happily, Ruby noticed that Yang was sitting on the sofa peering at her scroll, but she didn’t even look up when they entered the room.

“Goodnight, Yang,” Weiss said politely while walking past, but instead of saying goodnight in return Yang merely huffed and kept working on her scroll.  

Not wanting to be rude, Ruby opened the front door and held it open for Weiss to head outside.

“Thanks for coming over!” she said while Weiss stepped out and paused on the front stoop.  “I had a really great time.”

“I did too.  Thank you for...everything.”

With another small smile, Weiss turned and hurried down the front path away from Ruby - who watched Weiss’ retreat until she was no longer in view.  Pushing the door shut, Ruby stared at the blank wood for several seconds in thought.

It seemed like Weiss liked being over here, but then sometimes it seemed like she was in a rush to leave.  Maybe it was something Ruby was doing?  Maybe she could be more welcoming somehow?  Or convince Yang to be.

“What did Weiss do?” Ruby suddenly asked, turning towards her sister.  “To make you so mad.” 

She’d been curious since the day Weiss had walked into their lives, but hadn’t wanted to pry too much.  After tonight though, after getting a closer glimpse at who Weiss really was, Ruby couldn’t keep the curiosity at bay any longer.

Lowering her scroll, Yang thought about the question for a long time before answering.

“You remember what Mom always said?” she began.  “That family is more important than anything?”

Ruby nodded, clearly remembering all the times Mom had sat down with Ruby on her lap and Yang by her side.

“We count on each other,” she finished and Yang nodded.

“Right.  Well, at one time I considered Weiss part of my family, but when it came time to count on her…” After letting the sentence drift off, Yang sighed and shook her head.  “Let’s just say she chose the other side of Remnant for a reason.”

While not exactly the detailed explanation Ruby had been hoping for, it was enough to help her understand why Yang was so upset.  Family was supposed to always be there.  When you had no one else, you still had your family - through thick or thin, through life or death.

“But you know what Dad would say,” Ruby quipped in return, waiting until Yang raised her eyebrows before saying the phrase with a grin.  “Better late than never.”

Yang clearly hadn’t expected the response because she stared for several long seconds before chuckling.  Standing up, she walked over and ruffled Ruby’s hair.

“Maybe you’re right, Ruby.  Maybe you’re right...” she said before leaning down to place a light kiss to the top of Ruby’s head.  “I sent the hunt information to your scroll - make sure to read it carefully.  But don’t stay up too late.  We’ve got plenty of time to go over it.”

“Mmk!” Ruby agreed before watching her sister trudge off to her room, where Blake was most likely reading.  Racing to her own room, Ruby found her scroll and opened the message Yang had forwarded.  The screen popped open to the page Yang had shown her earlier, but now Ruby could read every single detail!

Hopping onto the bed, she scooted backwards until her back was against the wall and propped her scroll up on her bent knees - ready to start studying - but her eyes unfocused immediately after the title.  

She was glad she asked about Weiss again because now she understood more of where Yang’s hostility came from.  They’d already had enough people leave them - Yang especially.  She’d been forced to grow up too fast, but she still believed - and she still searched for that fairy tale family Mom had told them stories about.  But there were only so many times someone could be disappointed by those closest to them before deciding that enough was enough.  

Be there for each other, no matter what.  Stand up for each other.  Be prepared to make sacrifices for each other.  Those were the promises they were supposed to keep, and Yang took them very seriously.  If Weiss broke one of those promises, Ruby could see why Yang would be so angry.  Even though it hadn’t exactly been her choice, that’s exactly what Mom had done...leaving both of them behind.  And that’s what Raven had done - not standing by Yang’s side.

But there were reasons for everything.  Ruby knew that Mom would be here for them, if she could be.  And maybe Raven had great reasons to leave.  Maybe Weiss also had good reasons to leave, but should that even matter?  Weiss was here.  She was trying to fix things.  That alone should count for something.

Shaking her head and refocusing her eyes, Ruby tried to shift her attention back to the words on the screen.  A couple weeks ago nothing could’ve dragged her attention away from a hunt - especially not now that she was actually going on one!  But tonight it kind of seemed...less important.  

It mattered that Weiss was trying to fix things!  That was the first step in accomplishing anything worth doing - first, you have to try.  That’s how it worked.  That’s what Yang had told Ruby a million times over the past year.  ‘Just try, Ruby.  Just try.’  It was only a three letter word, but sometimes it was the hardest thing in the world to do.  Especially when there was so much to be afraid of.

But Weiss didn’t need to be afraid.  She was trying to fix her mistakes, and Ruby was going to help her succeed.  It might take a while, but...Ruby was a pretty patient person!  Sometimes.

She could be patient for this.  It would be worth it...especially if that other version of Weiss would come back and stay.