En Garde! A RWBY White Rose Fanfiction

Chapter 34: Waking Up

Yang pushed her little sister against the garage wall, trapping the smaller girl with her body. "Alright, what the hell, Ruby? You haven't said a word since we left, and you're usually telling me all about what you did at Weiss' place."

To the tough blonde's surprise, Ruby didn't put up a fight. "I ruined her life," she mumbled, staring at her shoes.

"What? How could you, the most adorable little sister in the world, make someone that upset?" Yang easily scooped Ruby into her comforting arms and gave her an Eskimo kiss.

"Quit it, Yang," Ruby giggled. "This is serious."

"I just can't stand to see you all depressed like that," Yang reasoned. "Tell me everything that happened."

•••

"After I said sorry and she told me there wasn't much I could do about it anyways, we didn't talk to each other at all. She just grabbed a book and started reading on her bed, and I messed around on my phone. It was a good thing you came so soon."

"Wow," Yang responded when Ruby finished her story. "Not even I get that pissed when someone kicks my ass."

"That wasn't why she was upset!" Ruby exclaimed. "It's because that was the last time she ever had a match. Her dad forced her to hang it up because she came in second place."

The blonde made a guilty face. "...Oh..."

"All this time, we've been fencing behind his back," Ruby continued, "and I had no idea that Weiss was using me as an excuse to go back to doing what she loved. And now, she's super mad at herself for it."

"That's not why she did it," Yang replied.

Ruby looked at her sister quizzically. "How do you know?"

Yang tapped her chin. "I don't think someone like her would spend so much time with you just so she could earn your trust. Think about it! Fencing isn't all you've done together. You've hung out a few times, on top of that. You talk to each other, even through text. I've seen you make her smile. And now, you've seen her cry, twice, and not by coincidence. She let you. You said she even kicked Blake out of the room before she broke down this afternoon!"

"You aren't just her tool, Ruby," Yang concluded. "You're her friend. She's convinced herself, out of guilt, that she's been using you. She can fool herself, but not me. I know what friends are, and you do, too. I'm... not sure if she does."

"Yang, that makes me feel even worse," Ruby whimpered.

Her older sister chuckled. "I'm saying that she needs you, Ruby. You're the only one who can show her what friendship really is. Who knows whether she's let anyone else close enough to experience that?"

"You know what?... You're right! Thanks, sis!" Ruby suddenly sprung off the couch and ran towards her room.

"Ruby, what're you doing?" Yang called, laughing.

"I'm gonna show Weiss what friendship is!" Ruby shouted back.

•••

Monday. It was usually the worst day of the week, but today felt even more dreadful. Monday meant school, and school meant Ruby.