What Remains ~ RWBY

Part 11

Yang's P.O.V.

Party planning has been a particularly effective way of distracting myself from the fact that my sister is in love. I'm thrilled for her, don't get me wrong. I'm so so happy. But I'm also terrified.

"Yang, which doily?" Weiss pipes, holding up two identical pieces of fabric.

"Weiss I swear to god they are the exact same, you asked me this exact question five years ago."

She humphs angrily and rests her hands on her hips.

"Oh pardon me for hoping your taste had improved since then." She sighs.

"Oh it has. My taste in music that is." I grin. She laughs, throwing her head back and smiling in a way that seems so natural to her now. It's funny really, that its when she's happy that she seems the most grown up. Pain and loss makes too many people cold, but not Weiss. She's warmer than she ever was.

"Hey Weiss?" I ask. She raises her eyebrows expectingly. "Have you seen any of your family since...Winter?"

She almost drops the doily's in shock, pain spreading across her face. Regret immediate rips through my chest. Why the hell did I ask, she was so happy a moment ago...She takes a deep breath in and meets my eyes.

"Only Whitley. Our relationship was never the strongest, but after losing Winter I knew someone had to get him out of Atlas. He's staying in Vacuo last I heard."

I nod. I'm glad the little rat is getting a chance at a normal life, away from his parents.

"And your mom and dad?"

Weiss pauses, a flash of red sparking in her icy blue eyes, turning them a swirling pale purple.

"Can rot in hell for all I care."

Ruby's P.O.V.

The dance tomorrow has got everyone more excited than I've seen them in...well...years. Everyone's acting like teenagers again, running around comparing suits, song choices and hairstyles while jumping over the growing mess of mattresses that is accumulating on the floor. The arrival of Sun and Neptune was only the start. Soon after came Velvet and Coco with their daughter Maybelle, Neon and Flynt, Illia (much to Blake's joy and Sun's dismay) and even Penny. Sure enough, floor space was growing few and far between.

Seeing everyone again, friends I haven't seen in what feels like a lifetime, is a much needed reminder that the world goes on. While we've been out fighting the war, their existence continued, even when they weren't present in ours. Life can be lived beyond our mission, they've been doing it for years, so we surely we can do it too.

None of us get much sleep that night, distracted by the laughter that we are growing more and more familiar with. So when the next day rolls around, it's adrenaline keeping us awake.

I mosey out of my room, covering a yawn with my hand, and meet Oscar in the hallway looking just as tired.

"Hey," I smile groggily.

"Hey," he replies.

We stand at the doorway into the living room, watching as the ever growing group of people sleep peacefully.

"I'm glad I got to meet them all." Oscar says.

I nod. "You know, for a while there I thought you wouldn't get to."

"Yeah, I bet it must be a relief to see they're all okay." He agrees.

"It wasn't them I was worried about."

Oscar stares at the ground, realising what I'd meant. The shame in his eyes sends an immediate wave of guilt over me. My mind still fuzzy from lack of sleep has brought my anger back to the surface, even though I know that anger is unjustified.

"I'm sorry, I don't blame you for what happened, I know you did what you had to do. I was just scared."

Oscar orders this for a moment, and I know there's something he wants to say, something that's been on his mind for a while.

"Ruby..." he asks carefully, "If I hadn't woken up..."

I turn away from him in defiance, averting my attention to the silence of my friends as they sleep.

He sighs. "I'm sorry, I just need to know that if things had have gone differently, you'd still be okay."

I turn back to him, my face closer to his than I had anticipated, but I'm too frustrated to pull back now.

"No! You don't get to say things like that. I know what you want me to say: that I'd still live a full and happy life without you. I know that's what you need from me to ease your conscience, but I'm sorry, I won't lie to you."

Oscar watches me in silence long after I've stopped talking. The anger fades and I catch my breath, and soon we're just two people again. I don't know what to say, what to do, I don't know. I just want to stand here where its quiet, where its safe, where I don't need to do anything.

Oscar puts a hand on the back of my head softly and pulls me into his chest, closing the gap between us. He's so stable, like he'll always catch me. I bury my face into his shirt as he wraps his other arm around my back, holding me upright.

"I just...I cant lose you too."

Oscars P.O.V.

It's a conflicting feeling, to know someone cares about you so much they'd break if they lost you. Right now, she's here with me, we're here, and I'm happy. I'm happy that she's okay. But I know how easily everything could've been different. I don't ever want to cause her pain, I don't ever want her to feel the sadness that would consume me if she disappeared.

"Am I uh...interrupting something?" Sun blinks.

Ruby and I pull away from each other sheepishly and Sun grins.

"Hey, don't let me spoil the fun. Rubes, Tiny Oz." He says, bowing his head at each of us as he walks past, "But save some for the dance tonight okay?"

The rest of the day is a mess of scattered thoughts and fabrics. Yang and Weiss left straight after breakfast to add the finishing touches to the hall at Beacon, and everyone else has been running around frantically getting ready.

"Nora did you steal my hair ties again?" Blake whines.

"Why ya asking me? It was probably Illia!" Nora shoots back.

"Oh please, as if Blakes hair ties could hold up all this. Where the hell are my shoes?"

"Why on earth do they have spikes on them?" Sun gasps, holding them up in shock.

"Because they're heels you idiot." Illia groans, stealing them from him and shoving them on her feet.

"They don't seem very practical," Penny says, tilting her head in confusion.

"I agree Penny," Jaune nods, sporting his classic converse along with his sleek black suit.

"Who's buying the booze?" Nora yells.

"NO BOOZE." Qrow booms, kicking open the door in a black vest and maroon tie.

I laugh to myself, watching them all squabble amongst themselves.

"Ruby, shouldn't you be getting ready?" Velvet asks.

I shrug, "I guess you're right. Make sure they don't kill each other will you?" I giggle.

"You got it captain," she smiles.

I retreat to my room and revel in the silence for a moment, a smile still spread across my face. The mirror stares back at me, and I laugh to myself. The pyjamas and unbrushed hair indicate I'm not exactly dance ready just yet.

I sit down at my dresser, the unused makeup and accessories Yang gifted me sitting patiently under piles of dust. I never really cared much for being pretty. It always seemed superficial to me. And then when I became a huntress, it was just never really important I guess.

I force a brush through my spiky hair and pull it back in a high ponytail, leaving out the messy bangs that I've been cutting myself all my life. Taking a deep breath, I open my wardrobe and pull the dress from the hanger, my fingers still tingling at the resemblance to my hood  sitting untouched in the shelf above. I swallow my fear. I deserve this. We deserve this. I'm not in danger anymore. I'm not fighting anymore. It's time to be a kid.