A/N: Chapter 1 was basically to set the stage. This is the story. Before anyone says characters are OoC, remember, this is after two years of a very violent and bloody war.

Shoutout to my wonderful betas, RantoJax and iAMwhatIamK

To the guest who reviewed chapter I: Thank you! I appreciate that. I'm sorry for the long wait for this. Hope it lives up to expectations.

Chapter II

Ren stood there, frozen, arms still extended. It was over, they had won. It didn't feel like a victory, but maybe that was because it really wasn't. Yes, they had stopped Cinder's tirade, but they'd had to sacrifice almost everything to do it. Even Beacon was in ruins. The school that had been a center of liveliness and training, warriors and protectors, ever since the Great War, was largely destroyed.

He straightened slowly, woozily, and had to plant the butt of Crescent Rose in the dirt to avoid falling.

"You're in bad shape. Sit down, I'll take them inside. Hopefully we can figure out what happened." Ren nodded in agreement. His side had over a dozen holes in it and still burned like fire. Not knowing how long his legs would support him, he quickly sat down at the base of a pillar with his head resting on the stone support.

It was over. Cinder and her henchmen were dead; had Nora killed Mercury; Blake had killed Adam; Torchwick had ironically been eaten by a Grimm; and he had killed Cinder. Emerald was technically still a threat, but now she was like a wounded animal- plenty of fighting ability, no direction however, no purpose. She had been part of the team that killed Nora though.

Ren was going to track her down, and kill her.

Maybe some recovery time, forge his own weapons again now that StormFlower was gone. Ah well, at least Ruby would probably help him. The girl had always been such a weapons geek and Crescent Rose was a work of art.

Ren looked up at the blade, much too large for him. He preferred something small and maneuverable that could be concealed.

His muscles ached blissfully, direct evidence of the hard fought win. Ren nodded, slowly got to his feet, and made his way toward the staircase. One more target. One more kill. Then Nora could rest in peace.

Half buried in the rubble of the north staircase was Jaune. Ren inhaled slowly, held it, and then released it. The blond had been crushed. His head was free but there were several large stones pressing down on his stomach and legs. Ren knew he was going to have to tell the girls. He bowed his head as a memory came back to him. Back when they were all happy at Beacon, Jaune had grabbed him right as he exited the shower. They were sitting there on the bed, one dressed, one in a towel, and Jaune started looking for girl advice. Damn, things were simpler then.

The war had been hard fought, it had destroyed their team. With Jaune's death, he was the last alive of JNPR. Weiss and Ruby were still here, from RWBY, but Yang had lost an arm and nobody knew where Blake was, or even if she was still alive.

Ren knelt down, body screaming in pain, and sadly closed his friend's eyes.

Garrett made his way to Weiss, who was spread-eagle on the ground. She looked so… delicate. The soul of a lion inside a beautiful girl. A girl that had been given everything she could have asked for, and still she chose to fight for those less fortunate.

He crouched down by her and softly tapped her cheek. "Weiss. Weiss. Come on Weiss, look at me."

The first time he had seen Weiss was when she had saved his life. He had been hunting Minos, one of Cinder's lieutenants, and had walked into an ambush. The White Fang was interrogating him, violently, when Weiss got him out. She had nursed him back to health, had armed him, and had given him a purpose, a way to kill Cinder.

The girl didn't react to her name and his jaw tightened. Weiss had been the one to pull him out of his mania a few months ago. Asher, his older sister, his guardian, had been killed and he had lost it. His sister had gotten him out of the White Fang camp when he was a child and then he had failed to help her when she had needed him most. He wasn't going to fail Weiss too.

He anxiously ran his hand through his hair. Her eyes were staring straight ahead, almost catatonic. Garrett lifted her head, carefully releasing her satiny hair from the ponytail. It cascaded over his hand and to the cold stone floor. "Let's get you out of the rain," he murmured.

Cautiously sliding one arm under her shoulders, the other arm going behind her knees, he stood up. Her head lolled over his arm, revealing a creamy neck, and her silvery hair almost reached the ground with the still drizzling rain running down her face and through her long platinum locks. He carried her back into the circular tiled room and laid her down on one of the benches, took his hoodie off, and dabbed softly to dry her smooth face. He had never before looked at a girl; he remembered Adam who'd been like a brother, chased after girls in the White Fang but he hadn't understood the draw. It was like he was seeing Weiss for the first time; he realized how alluring she was, how feminine.

"I hope your friend is okay with me taking her out of the rain."

Garrett returned outside and walked over to the other girl; Ruby, was her name. He made eye contact with Ren, and received a nod. Turning back to the girl, he noted her features. A rosy complexion, heart-shaped face, wide silver eyes, and a still open mouth. She was young, a little younger than Weiss, he guessed. A little taller than Weiss too.

Cradling her the same way he had carried Weiss, he brought her under the roof and laid her down on a bench beside the older girl. Retrieving Myrtenaster's sheath from Weiss' hip he went back outside and clipped the Dust enhanced sword to his belt.

"Why are you moving around with those injuries?" He called out to Ren, who was near one of the tower staircases, the one where his friend had fallen. The reason they'd had to find an alternate path.

"We should cover him." Ren said, doing his best to cover a wince as he straightened.

Garrett, evidently seeing the wince, hurried over, sliding Ren's arm across his shoulders and guiding the man, and Crescent Rose, inside.

"I'll cover him after I get you and the girls to beds."

Weiss gasped, hands instinctively clutching golden sheets. Her chest heaved as she greedily gulped in air. She thrashed, trying to get her bearings when two hands grabbed her shoulders and held her still, steadying her. The adrenaline receded and she hissed at the pain that knifed again up her back. She blinked rapidly and Garrett's face came into focus, his usually dead eyes looking down at her with… concern?

"How are you feeling?" He asked as she stilled, prompting him to let go of her.

Weiss was silent for a moment, her breathing going from frantic to deliberate. "Blast! What the hell was that?" She said, almost talking to herself.

Garrett returned to the chair he had clearly been occupying and remained silent.

"She's dead then?" Weiss asked jerkingly, still not fully recovered.

"Yes." Garrett said, nearly grinning. It was odd; it made him look younger, her age.

"What the hell happened to me?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that."

Weiss cautiously drew her hands up to her face, bracing for pain that never came, and rubbed her eyes. She had no idea what to think. Cinder had screamed and then everything had stopped. Not exactly though, because she had still seen what was going on. She had felt the rain and heard the fight. Her body just stopped moving, she didn't remember breathing, but she was still alive. She had fought to move, demanding her body obey her, but nothing had responded.

"I'm sorry I couldn't engage sooner." Garrett was looking at her apologetically. "You and Ruby-

"Ruby!" Weiss interrupted. "Is she alright?"

"I assume, if you woke up, that she is going to too, you two experienced the same thing. Anyway, you and Ruby were winning already and I didn't want to reveal our ace in the hole. Then she screamed and you both went down. I-

"Why weren't you affected as we were?" Weiss interrupted again.

Garrett shrugged, but before he could continue, the girl remembered their last member. "Wait, is Ren alright?"

"Yes, he's recovering. Are you going to let me explain to you what happened or keep interrupting?"

I know what happened, I saw it. I just got knocked down and couldn't move, it was like I was paralyzed but I could still see-" Weiss stopped.

She didn't know what she had seen. She had been called the Ice Queen a fair few times in her life, due to her hair and clothing, but Garrett was the truly cold one. She remembered when she had rescued him, the first words out of his mouth hadn't been thank you. He had said, "I'm killing her."

They had spent the last four months together, fighting Cinder's forces and trying to track down Ruby. In all that time, she had gleaned nothing about his past. Neither she, nor Ren, knew where he had come from, why he had been being interrogated by the White Fang, or why he had such a burning desire to kill Cinder.

He was an enigma, and spoke of only their next move. She had never seen him smile before, not that they'd had much reason to. The only big thing Weiss knew about him was his Semblance; he used it often enough. Scared the hell out of her the first time; she remembered it clearly. Ren, Garrett, and her were waiting for Atlas, one of Cinder's lieutenants, to pass their hiding place. She was in the middle with Ren on her right, Garrett on her left. Or at least until he disappeared, leaving just her and Ren lying there. Weiss had hissed so well that Blake would have been proud, and Garrett had reappeared as he turned toward her. Apparently he could turn invisible if he remained completely still.

But then Cinder had died, and when he picked her up he was so careful and deliberate. When she would normally have been angry to be treated like she was delicate, this was just too weird, too out of character of him. And again when he was waiting in her room for her to 'wake up'.

Weiss saw that he was gazing at her with an expectant look on his face, one eyebrow raised, and she realized she had been staring at him. "I was paralyzed but I was still aware. I saw and felt you pick me up and carry me to the bed, and then you left for a while before coming back and sitting down. I knew what was going on, I just couldn't move."

Garrett's brow lowered and he stroked his chin, evidently thinking.

"Okay, would you seriously go check on Ruby? I want to get out of this sopping bed and I would like to get into dry clothes. I suppose our bags are still in the amphitheater?"

Wordlessly, Garrett made his way to the base of the bed and grabbed her bag, tossing it to her. "I'll see if Ruby has recovered," he said, and was gone.

Weiss had time to think about all that had happened. They'd reached Beacon a few hours ago and saw Cinder's fire atop the center tower. All three of them had charged forward, but Ren had outpaced her and Garrett with ease. They'd gotten to the top, Garrett had gone dark and after a vicious battle they had killed Cinder. Both she and Ruby had been taken down and Ren was injured. Garrett, the only one still on his feet, had lifted her with such… tenderness, and carried her inside.

Then there was Ruby. Weiss was torn on her feelings. She feared the reunion with the younger girl, but she was also desperate for friendship. A girl to talk to; anyone to talk to. Ren and Garrett weren't bad company- belay that, they were awful company. Ren hadn't talked and there had always been rage simmering in his eyes. Garrett had just been a machine- he hadn't seemed to care about anything.

Weiss struggled to her feet, gritting her teeth at the stabbing pain in her back, and started to get dressed. It wasn't nearly as bad as it had been when she first regained the ability to move; her Aura was working on it, but it still hurt something fierce.

When dressed, she went to exit the room and froze, hand on the doorknob. If Ruby held Winter's actions against her, she was in for a rough time. Yes, technically Weiss had supported her sister at the time, but that was reflex. She'd looked up to Winter so much and the older Schnee had taught her basically everything she knew. Winter's choice that night had started a seed of doubt, but Ruby couldn't expect Weiss to just throw her sister to the dogs! That seed had grown through, and Winter had seen it. Soon enough, Weiss had been rejected by her partner and then spurned by her sister.

She didn't know what to do.

Ruby inhaled sharply, every muscle in her body locking up. Thankfully, that guy had thought to put her on her stomach, but her back still stung fiercer than anything she had ever felt before. She remembered a time when she was a child; she and Yang had been playing hide and seek and she was lucky enough to step on a wasps nest. That had been before Qrow had activated her Aura and boy it had hurt.

This was similar; struck in the back by Dust-enhanced hail. Her Aura was out, she had nothing left. She was exhausted and wet.

The injured girl turned her head to look the other way, and immediately regretted it. Apparently, turning your head used muscles all the way down your spine. She managed it but the pain was excruciating. Her eyes squeezed shut, teeth grinding, and she couldn't prevent a soft whimper from escaping.

Impulsive Weiss. Impulsive and overconfident. Always sure her plan would work and damn the consequences, damn the other people that would be hurt… or killed. Typical Schnee. Ruby was stuck, she didn't know what shape her back was in and couldn't move without agonizing pain.

Ruby, thankfully facing the right way, saw the door opening. The stranger that had carried her to this bed entered. "You're awake too," came the carefully measured voice.

Ruby's face morphed into an almost snarl, "I've been awake this whole time, just a little too busy hurting to get up."

The stranger's eyes widened and he quickly strode forward. "May I?" He asked, his hands hovering over her back.

"Please," she ground out.

His hands lowered to her back for a second of blinding pain, then sweet relief flooded through her from where the hands were. She felt the energy jump to each hole in her back, up her neck, and then it finished at her ear.

Ruby, feeling almost as healthy as she'd felt before fighting Cinder, carefully turned over so she was on her back, propped up on her elbows. "Thank you," she said with a smile. A contrite look flitted across her face, "I'm sorry for snapping at you."

The stranger's lip twitched and he looked youthful for a second. His hair seemed to go from militant to styled depending on his expression. Furrowed brows and tight jaw made him look like a soldier, and when his face relaxed he looked like a friendly young man. A few years older than her, maybe around Jaune's-

Oh shit. Jaune! Ruby sat up quickly, causing her head to spin and her hands grabbed the bed to steady her. "Jaune! That boy that was with me!" The redhead opened her mouth to continue, to ask if he was alive, if he was alright. The stranger's eyes told her though.

The words caught in her throat. No no no. Jaune had been the one that was always by her side; always coming up with a crazy plan for them to escape Cinder's clutches. Jaune had been the only one left when Nora… and then Ren. That boy had been able to make fun and laughter in the most dire and depressing of situations. He was a dweeb who eventually gained the ability, and the looks, to live up to his confidence; and she was a weapons geek, hardened by war. They both had been changed, and not for the better.

They had seen so much loss together, and now he left her THE LAST NIGHT! Fuck!

"He didn't make it." The stranger's dark eyes were solemn.

Grief was quickly replaced by anger. "Ren was in that fight too! Where is he!?" Ruby had thought she'd lost Ren for good when he had disappeared; she had come to terms with it. She couldn't lose him again, not right after finding him.

"He's alright, resting. He ate, that got his Aura going."

"Who are you?"

There was a long pause where Ruby stared at the stranger and he stared back. Her tired body didn't have much energy left though, and her arms started to shake from holding her up. The stranger noticed and moved forward, "Let's get you to a dry bed."

Ruby's eyes narrowed. He had better not be about to pick her up again. She was a romantic, yes, but she wasn't a damsel in distress. She may be injured but he was in for a rude awakening if he tried to carry her.

He lowered his shoulder, however, prompting her to sling her arm across. He was too tall for this to properly work, though, and was forced to stoop awkwardly to support her.

Ruby appreciated the effort, but this was ridiculous. "Stand up straight," she commanded, "and hold your arm out." The young man did and she looped her arm over it, allowing them to easily go down the hall to another bedroom.

This was definitely where the professors stayed; the accommodations were way too nice for students.

He lowered her to an armchair and abruptly left. What now? She was still wet and that oh so comfortable looking bed was across the room.

Not a minute later though, he returned. "These should fit you. Change and get some sleep." He handed her a big t-shirt and a pair of shorts embroidered with the Schnee Dust Company logo. He also stood Crescent Rose by the chair. Ruby's eyes lit up when she saw her hand crafted weapon. The stranger then made his way out.

"Who are you?" Ruby tried once more.

The helpful stranger, who was currently nameless, stopped and turned his head toward her. They were silent, watching each other. Ruby's eyes, alight with curiosity and yet, at the same time, shadowed by grief. The stranger's eyes were right between the yin and the yang. There was no joy, but there also was no sadness.

"I don't know." He said, and walked out.

Garrett didn't move from outside the door he'd closed behind him. Who was he? His life had been so simple before, so straightforward. Yet now... now that he was successful, he didn't know what to do. He walked to the room Weiss was in and found her sitting, arms folded, clearly impatient.

"She's okay, sleeping now."

Weiss nodded and opened her mouth.

Garrett spoke again, "So is Ren. Their Auras just need some rest to recover." He left before she could say anything, he needed solitude. He made his way back up to the tower top, grabbing a blanket along the way. When he got up there he covered the other guy, Jaune.

He then made his way to the low wall, climbed into a crenel, and sat down. His feet dangled as he stared east. The rain had stopped and the fast moving clouds were flying overhead. A tiny glint of light started to show in the far east, where the clouds ended. Dawn was coming.

A new day, a new life. Weiss might welcome him if he decided to stick with them, but there was no real friendship, no real reason for her to. The two of them, three counting Ren, were so much more than friends, and so much less. Each of them perceived each other as means to an end, no more, no less; least that was how he thought. Ren and Weiss did have a past, but seemed to treat each other the same way they treated him.

It was amazing, how one could finally reach freedom from obligations, and be stuck not knowing what to do. His life used to be so simple. Asher and he had been born into Adam's father's debt. He had been such a close friend with the bull faunus before the leader of the White Fang had decided to train Adam as his heir. His mother had died and his father had owed the faunus something; he never knew what. After a childhood of cleaning up after her goons, Asher had decided she'd had enough and made a plan for them to escape the crew. It worked but things eventually caught up to her.

Garrett remembered it perfectly. They had been on the run still, away from the White Fang for less than two days, when Adam had caught up to them. The young leader was grieving over his father's murder and his fury was terrible; Garrett had bolted. He had left his sister, without realizing she hadn't run with him. Where was she?

His stomach had plummeted as he turned around. He slowly made his way back to their campsite, listening for enemies every step. He had gotten back, and Asher was there, dead; the violent redhead saying his sister's death was a tribute of her good will. That had been the beginning of his mania to kill Cinder. Asher had been his life, his rock, his friend. He'd abandoned her when she needed him.

She could rest now, in peace. Killing Cinder didn't bring her back, but it eased the pain somehow. Rather than a gaping hole of emptiness and guilt, there was only emptiness. Garrett let out a sad sigh and his head fell against the wet stone battlement.

When he awoke, his eyes automatically squinted, the sun was just breaking the horizon-

"Are you alright?"

He turned and Weiss was not ten feet away. Her still wet hair shone with the early morning rays hitting it. She was clearly tired and was leaning on a broken pillar, back at the doorway of the battlement. She wasn't in one of her all white outfits and it suited her. It added a little contrast, in this case, around her collar and waist, and it reminded him of how attractive she was. She wasn't an ice queen, not once you got to know her, evidenced by the fact that she was up here when she was obviously tired.

Garrett didn't want her pity or sympathy, though, so he jerked his chin over at where the blanket covered her friend.

Weiss' face twisted upon seeing the blanket. "Oh Jaune."

She rushed over to him, lifted the blanket, and saw her one time friend. They hadn't spoken since Ruby had started to hate her, but Jaune had never taken sides.

She remembered when they were first at Beacon, he wouldn't leave her alone. He just hadn't understood what no, I'm not interested meant. He had come up with all of these stupid plans to try and win her affection, and that had made her into the bad guy, breaking his heart over and over.

The turning point of that had been Beacon's dance. Weiss had been interested in a guy, Neptune, but he had refused to go to the dance with her. He did eventually join her, and when asked, he had credited Jaune for his change of heart. Jaune, who'd been in a dress doing a fast dance with Pyrrha. The boy had confidence in spades and the awkwardness to rival it.

After that dance, he had stopped chasing after her and she had been able to stop wincing, and having to brace herself, whenever team JNPR entered the room. In the end, he was a good strategist, a loyal teammate, and a great friend.

Weiss settled to her knees by his torso and let the memories assault her. Jaune had been the epitome of innocence. He'd always wanted what was best for others and had never seemed to have a deceitful bone in his body.

Weiss reached down and brushed his hair out of his eyes, the long blond strands seeming dark in contrast to her pale skin. She caressed his cheek and gritted her teeth, trying to keep it together. "I guess this is goodbye Jaune," she choked out, "we weren't friends for long, but you were a good guy."

She had to look away, letting out an explosive angry sigh at everything the war had taken, and recovered him with the blanket. "When the others wake up, we're giving him a proper send off." She said to Garrett as she stood up. His head nodded, still looking east and he, unsurprisingly, didn't respond. Weiss sighed and walked over to him.

"You need to get some sleep." She commanded. He turned his head, with one eyebrow raised.

"You are in no shape to be telling me what to do." He said as he climbed out of the crenel, such that when he stood up, he loomed over her.

"When you don't have to fight to keep your eyes open, then you can take over watch." He then shocked her by poking her in the nose. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open.

"Get some more sleep." He tapped under her chin with his knuckle, prompting it to snap shut.

"I think I can sit outside, not watching for anyone, just as well as you." She snapped, annoyed at his dismissive attitude. "You're not guarding anything anyway."

Weiss carefully opened Ruby's door, well oiled hinges sliding soundlessly. Slipping inside, she stopped at the head of the bed Ruby was laying in. The younger girl was curled up on her side, one hand stretched out, holding Crescent Rose. Her crimson short-ish hair was across her face, disheveled.

"No! Not Jaune!" A keening whine came from the redhead in her sleep, evidently reliving the previous day in her dreams. Weiss hesitated, torn by indecision. She knew that she would want to be awakened if she was having a bad dream, but she also didn't want to have the argument yet… the one she knew was coming. She now understood she was in the wrong all those months ago, but she didn't think Ruby would that quickly accept and forgive.

The decision was made for her when Ruby's body tensed and her eyes snapped open. After a moment of complete stillness, the other girl twisted onto her back, bringing Crescent Rose around and aggressively swinging at Weiss.

"Why are you here?" Came the biting question as Weiss jumped back. Ruby's face was a mangled mask of grief and anger.

"I… " Weiss couldn't find her voice. She didn't know how to express the regret she felt, nor the sorrow. Not when Ruby was so angry and being so aggressive.

"Is thanks what you're looking for? Then fine. Thanks so much for helping kill Cinder." The derisive words were spit out vehemently. The fiery redhead sprang to her feet and stalked toward Weiss, Crescent Rose going back and forth in the air like a snake charmer.

"I miss you… I wanted-"

"You wanted!?" Ruby almost shrieked. "Winter killed Qrow! I saw it, and I saw how you just stood there! What you want doesn't count! Not when you let your sister murder my uncle in cold blood!"

"They had fought. It wasn't cold blood." Weiss snapped back, her own anger starting to rise. Why couldn't Ruby see it from her perspective? The younger girl had used to be so understanding, so willing to give the benefit of the doubt. War had definitely changed her.

"Sure, they had fought. Winter won and Qrow was at her mercy. Then she said some bullshit about it being his fault Cinder had the power of the Fall Maiden and…" Ruby choked and turned her head away. She couldn't finish the sentence.

Weiss was a firm believer in ripping off the band-aide. "And executed him." She said softly, ashamed of what her sister had done. Of what she had let happen.

With a sound of distress, Ruby shoved past the Schnee and sprinted out of the room.

Weiss' head fell and she sighed.

Ruby tore through Beacon. She had to get away. Away from Schnee. Away from Jaune. Away from all the grief that Cinder brought to the world. She ran, and she cried. The tears freely falling down her face. The Fall Maiden was dead; peculiar that her death was a good thing, but it was. Now there was time to grieve.

She thought about Qrow: the man who had taught her to fight; who had taught her why to fight; who had helped her craft Crescent Rose; who had always done everything in his power to protect those unable or less able to protect themselves shamelessly executed by that cold bitch Schnee.

She thought about Yang- Her sister, her strength, practically her mother. Yang had always fought valiantly for her, viciously defended her. The sister who'd held her when her heart was first broken. The sister who'd made the brave journey to try and find them a mother when Ruby was but a baby. Her hero- reduced to a shadow of her former self when Adam cut off her arm, depressed and lost.

She thought about Blake, the faunus who had so firmly believed in equality. More importantly, her friend. Blake had been a firm believer in right and wrong. A quiet girl, who ran from her problems. In the end, though, she had avenged Yang's arm and tried her hardest to correct her past mistakes.

She thought about Pyrrha, Vale's finest. The soft spoken humble girl who'd had a crush on Jaune. Always surrounded by popularity and craziness, Jaune had been the first to offer normalcy. Pyrrha, the brave fighter who was always willing to jump in front of a fallen friend- who gave her life to buy the city of Vale some time.

She thought about Nora, the Valkyrie that was always there to pick you up if you were down. The girl that had endless energy and a matching amount of loyalty. The girl that had fought by Ruby in the Dark Days. The girl that had killed Mercury, and had nearly gotten Emerald too.

Most of all, she thought about Jaune. Her friend, her partner until the end. Anytime Ruby was overwhelmed, he was there supporting her, helping her, calming her. They'd saved each others lives so much over the last two years and through the Dark Days. He always had a plan, a strategy, that either hurt Cinder forces or kept them alive. He had infinite determination and no matter how many times they were brought down, he'd been the one that encouraged them, and her, to get up again. They were closer than romance, closer than siblings. Their relationship had been one that started in insecurity, had been built in joy, and had been hardened in the fires Cinder brought to the world.

She slowed, panting. She was in the hall of dormitories, which had been heavily damaged by Grimm. Ruby gasped, it was their hall. She cautiously make her way forward, dreading what she might find. Had Grimm ravaged it? Was it just as they'd left it? They hadn't had time to take their stuff with them two years ago, and she hadn't returned.

Ruby grasped the handle, and hesitated. Did she really want to see what was in there? Did she really want to bring back all of those painful memories? She let go of the handle-

"Do it."

Ruby spun around and instinctively went into a crouch, ready for a fight. Across the hall stood her quietest friend. Ren was clearly tired, his feet were spread shoulder-width for steadiness and he had dark bags beneath his eyes.

The last time she had seen him had been the night before he'd disappeared, just a few days after Nora's death. His eyes had been lifeless since her death and he hadn't spoken either. He was still ragged, a testament to the hard fought victory they'd had against Cinder, but a light shone in his eyes that hadn't been there since before Nora died.

"Ren!" Ruby squeaked and charged him… or rather, tried to charge him. She hadn't recovered enough yet and ended up stumbling at him like an aggressive drunk, the world spinning. He caught her with a hiss of effort and stopped her from falling, a small smile in the way that only he could do it, on his face.

"You're alive! You're here!" She squealed, roughly pulling him down into a hug. He was healed, but the pull plus gravity was enough for his still tired body to lose balance and they both tumbled to the ground in a jumble of limbs.

"Ohh! I'm sorry!" She yelped as he collapsed on her.

"I think we should wait on the rough hugs until we're recovered a bit." Ren said, rolling off of her.

Ruby flushed, but smiled shyly at the sparkle in his eyes. It was so good to see Ren happy again, and looking like he was ready to take on the world. When Nora had died, he had looked like there were a thousand pounds on his back, bowed by grief.

"How are you doing!? What happened!? How did you get out!? Where did you get this outfit!? Where did StormFlower go!?" The questions came with the machine fire rapidity that only Ruby, or a five year old, could manage.

Ren's arm snapped out, with but a sad impression of his usual speed, and covered her mouth. "One question at a time. Weiss broke me out, a few weeks after I was caught. We've been trying to track you ever since, to join forces."

Ruby's eyes darkened at the mention of the murdering collaborator. Ren must have seen her glare though, for he continued with barely a pause. "Don't be so hard on her. She lost her friends just like you, except all she could do was watch it on the news. Tracking you down was easily the hardest I've ever seen her focused. It became all she thought about after being kicked out of her family's mansion."

"Why was she kicked out?" Ruby asked, not really caring.

"Going against Winter, apparently. Weiss told me all of this, it was before… it was when I was still with you. It's sad to say, but she was the only one of our trio tracking you for a positive resolution."

"What do you mean?" Ruby's curiosity was piqued, despite her better judgement. She remembered the one time Winter had come to Beacon. Weiss had been totally starstruck, following her older sister like a puppy, looking for gratification.

"I wanted to kill Cinder, Garrett wanted to kill Cinder, but Weiss, Weiss was looking for you."

Ruby scrunched her eyes shut and shook her head wildly. Weiss, and what she did, no, it was too much to think about right now.

"Garrett, is that the other guy?"

Ren nodded, storytelling evidently over.

"What can you tell me about him?"

"Stop running. Ask him yourself."

Ruby nodded, and went to walk past Ren. When she got back up to the tower she would talk to Garrett; Weiss could be dealt with later. Ren's arm barred her passage, however.

"First, open that door."

Ruby's eyes widened and she looked back, almost fearfully. She didn't know which of their personal belongings would have survived, if any. Opening that door meant being slapped in the face by memories, good or bad, she had no way of knowing. Ren nudged her back and she slowly made her way forward, stopping at the door. She took a deep breath and opened it.

Their room was exactly as they'd left it. It seemed that when the Grimm had stormed through, they had missed everything but that which was in their path. Weiss' suitcases were still in the corner and one of the bunkbeds was still precariously balanced on Blake's books. Ruby stepped in, nostalgia rising strong in her chest. She closed her eyes, and the sound of Ren's breathing sent her back to her days at Beacon. Laying on her bunk, listening to the other girls' breathe and staring at the ceiling. She hadn't been able to believe it those first few days. She was at Beacon! Two years ahead of schedule. She had been about to be trained in the greatest fighting techniques Vale could offer, little had she known what the future held. Ruby inhaled, slowly, a dusty smell, evidence that they hadn't been there in years. There was still that tiny scent though, that reminded her of the best days of her life. Training, at Beacon. She'd had her sister, as close as ever. She had eventually been accepted by Weiss, and Blake came along for the ride as Yang's partner.

Ruby turned around, a brilliant smile breaking across her face. "Open your door." She said earnestly.

Ren shook his head, an inscrutable look on his face. "There's nothing left for me here. Let's go back upstairs."

Ruby wanted to protest, as they walked the long, damaged halls, but she realized just how right he was. Pyrrha had been dead since the Battle of Beacon. Nora had fallen fighting Mercury and Emerald. Jaune-

"Jaune!" She exclaimed, horror shot across her face.

She heard Ren sigh; a comforting arm dropped across her shoulders and pulled her close. He then guided a near catatonic Ruby up the stairs, back to the keep.

"No..." The soft moan came from Ruby, and she ran to Jaune's final resting place. She dropped to her knees by his head and cradled his face in her hands.

"Why did this have to happen?" She whispered to herself, a tear leaking out, desperately trying to keep control. She bent over so that their foreheads were touching and stopped fighting the sobs. Her body racked with them as tears fell unhindered to his face.

They had met on her first day of Beacon. He'd had motion sickness on the transport, but had been the only one to talk to her after Yang went with her friends. He'd had that sword, Crocea Mors, that he looked so awkward with. The family heirloom he'd said, that he'd clearly been uncomfortable with. He was clumsy… and cute. They had both been made into team leaders, and so RWBY and JNPR had worked together flawlessly.

He was one of the people that had joined her to take down Cinder after Beacon fell, and he was the one that had survived the whole war… until now. He was her friend!

Ruby pulled back to her haunches and covered her face with her hands. She didn't want to see him, not dead. Her head was shaking back and forth in denial.

Then a hand landed on her shoulder, and she was pulled into a hug. White clothing, the scent of pine- Weiss.

"I'm so sorry." The older girl said, her voice trembling. Ruby let herself relax into the hug and tried to forget. Whatever Weiss had or hadn't done, she was here now. She had been the one to save Ruby's life and it was her team that deserved credit for killing Cinder. They knelt there, and watched the sun slowly rise further into the sky. It betrayed the fact that there had been such a storm the previous night. The storm that would be in their hearts forever.

Ren and Garrett each, at some point, joined them in a semicircle and watched the great glowing ball of fire. It signified a new chapter in every one of their lives. A chapter that would have a huge hole, but maybe they could move on. He got them here, and was integral in ending Cinder.

The redhead let herself shudder one last time. Enough was enough. Jaune wouldn't want them to grieve over him, he would want them to smile and be happy, to remember the good times; to think of the future that could be because of the few good things that came out of the previous night.

Ruby shook herself. Weiss withdrew her arm and stood up. She looked at the guys and jerked her head, asking to talk. They got some space from Ruby, who was still on the ground by Jaune; hair obscuring whatever expression was on her face.

"Bring wood from inside, everything out here is wet. Stack it around him and we have a funeral pyre. We can't lift that rock." Ren said matter-of-factly.

Weiss raised her eyebrows. Ren, who hadn't spoken in months, was talking again like nothing ever happened. She didn't want to jinx it so she just nodded and Garrett led the way inside where they broke chairs and dressers for dry wood. The simple, but hard work was liberating. Despite all the losses in this war, they were still alive. They were still breathing in the, admittedly, stale castle air. They could still walk and run as they pleased. Cinder had taken many of their loved ones and two years of their lives, but she would never take their hope. The hope for a brighter future. One where the Grimm wouldn't be a problem and there wouldn't be a psychopathic pyromancer trying to take over the world. Maybe one where their kids could live and be happy in.

They got the wood back upstairs and had much more than needed. Ruby had joined in at some point, Weiss didn't know when, and had reveled in the work. The calmness of the morning was over; a breeze was blowing briskly over the tower top.

Weiss caught Garrett watching her and self-consciously followed Ren's example, ponytailing her hair again so it wouldn't keep blowing in her face.

When they had the big pieces of the teepee in place, Garrett got in close and used Jaune's chest as a staging platform for the kindling. He went about it with a mechanical efficiency, undoubtedly born of not knowing the fallen. Ruby turned away, hiding herself behind the crimson locks that blew across her face.

"Match," came Garrett's gruff, yet respectively quiet voice; his hand held out expectantly. Weis handed him the pack, biting her lip; the pain acting brilliantly to center her. Garrett struck the match, and held it close to the wood, but pulled back before the kindling could light. He jerked his head at Ruby, and Ren, who seemed have an almost telepathic connection with their mostly silent friend, walked over to the girl.

"The pyre is set." He said quietly, "We think you should be the one to light it."

Ruby's head rose and her silver eyes met the pale pink orbs. "He was your teammate when we were all together here…" She responded uncertainly.

Ren shook his head without hesitation. "Of us, you were the closest to him."

Ruby nodded and slowly made her way to the pyre, every step seemed to be an immense effort. Garrett wordlessly handed her the matchbox and drew back. The girl knelt by the pile, her hand diving through the wood to comb Jaune's hair clear of his forehead. The wind screamed across the unfeeling stone. The sun rose still higher, more distant, seeming to hold none of the warmth of possibility it held this morning.

Weiss shivered when she heard Ruby's soft-spoken words. "I love you." The redhead said, and dropped the lit match on the kindling. Weiss again made her way forward, and companionably threw an arm around the younger girl's shoulders. Ren did the same on the other side and they watched as Jaune went up in smoke, physically. He would never leave their memories, though, or their hearts.

She and Ren respectively pretended not to notice when Ruby's head bowed, again hiding her face behind the red protection that her hair provided, and her shoulders started to shake.

Weiss glanced around, looking for where Garrett went. When she couldn't find him, she sighed. He was doubtlessly using his Semblance again to avoid intruding on the grieving. He didn't seem to understand that he was their friend too; and that while he had never known Jaune, that didn't mean he couldn't be present.

Or maybe not, for when the fire died low, he was there, putting fresh wood on. Jaune was doing them one last service, providing them warmth on a chilly windy day.

"Why did you let her do it?" Ruby's head rose back up and she stared hard at Weiss. It was obvious she was talking about Qrow. Ren discreetly separated himself and backed away. Weiss stared back at Ruby for a long moment before turning away, gesturing at the younger girl to follow. They sat on one of the benches outside, in the section that hadn't been smashed.

"I didn't let her do anything. Winter listens to no one, other than Father."

Ruby nodded, accepting. "And you were kicked out for telling her it wasn't right?"

Weiss felt a jolt of surprise. "How do you know about that?"

Ruby nodded at Ren and Weiss' eyes narrowed in response. "That rat," she said, without any heat, "I told him those things in confidence."

"Do you miss them?"

Weiss looked away. "I miss who Winter was when I was a child. I miss the older sister that would teach me and drive me to be my best. She was wrong about Qrow though, and she couldn't see it. I don't know, maybe she was always that way."

"You've made a new family for yourself though. Those two guys are clearly willing to follow you into anything." Ruby said bracingly.

The Schnee realized with a pang Ruby hadn't included herself. Ren and Garrett weren't really family. Ren kind of was.. He had been so driven to kill Cinder, though, that he never relaxed or slowed. He never really conversed. He listened to her story when she first got him out, but Weiss was honestly surprised that he'd remembered it with how little he had seemed to pay attention. And then there was Garrett, the robot. He didn't seem to be capable of liking someone, let alone considering them family. That was why Weiss had been so surprised at his actions when she was 'frozen' and right after she 'unfroze'.

The older girl snorted. "Follow me? Ren lead the way into the fight; he left me in the dust and blew any surprise strategy we could have used."

"He saved my life." Ruby said quietly. At Weiss' look of surprise, she explained, "The rubble got slippery when it started raining. I went down; his intervention gave me time to recover."

It was a good thing, then, that he had left her behind. Ruby was her only real friend left. She hadn't seen Yang since the Battle of Beacon, and Blake had briefly resurfaced to kill Adam, then disappeared again.

"Where did your other friend go?"

Weiss looked around. Sure enough, Garrett had disappeared. It was more than likely that he was still by the wall, looking over Vale, but she was lying if she said she didn't look forward to Ruby's realization of his Semblance. She just shrugged, "He can take care of himself."

The redhead's voice dropped, "Who is he?"

Weiss leaned back, settling against the cold stone. "Ren and I found him being interrogated by the White Fang. We broke him out and he's been with us ever since. We had a mutual understanding that nothing mattered more than killing Cinder. Hell, he may have left completely, mission complete." Weiss finished nonchalantly, not really believing any of what she said, but wanting to see how Ruby reacted.

The younger girl's eyebrows shot up. "That's cold," and they fell into a comfortable silence.

The two girls watched the fire die to just embers. Ren hadn't moved from his spot on the wall, by where Garrett had been. Ruby didn't understand how someone could do what Garrett had done. You spend all your time with a few others, getting into danger with them, saving each others lives. Then you just leave?

She stood up and walked to the coals, staring down at them. This is where he died. This is where we won. This is where it all started, and it all ended. A full circle. "Goodbye Jaune." She whispered.

Ren's hand fell on her shoulder and squeezed. Weiss, who was just a tiny bit shorter when not wearing heels, came up and rested her head on Ruby's other shoulder. For the first time in two years, the seventeen year old felt like part of a family.

A deep breath in, and then a slow release; Garrett closed his eyes and concentrated. He knew when he opened them that he was invisible. He loved his Semblance, he had always been able to eavesdrop extremely well- Asher had used his ability to gather intel many times when she was preparing for their escape.

Asher. He could let her go now; she could rest in the Afterlife. Adam, the leader of the White Fang, had been killed by that black haired girl. Now Cinder was dead too. It was over, he needed to think though.

He was sitting, unmoving, his back against the dome wall. The girls were right outside by the dying fire. "What happened to your other friend?" He heard the redhead ask Weiss. His ears strained reflexively, hoping for a good answer. Hoping that she would say he could join them, that he was welcome. He had never felt this insecure before, and he didn't like it.

"He can take care of himself." The older girl said. Garrett's heart plummeted; there was his answer. He sighed sadly, and shifted, preparing to get up when the redhead asked about who he was. He waited for the response, wanting his one time rescuer to say he was valued.

He cringed when he heard Weiss' unemotional tone. "Ren and I found him being interrogated by the White Fang. We broke him out and he's been with us ever since. We had a mutual understanding that nothing mattered more than killing Cinder. Hell, he may have left completely, mission complete." Not that he deserved the friendship. He hadn't cared about them the past few months, other than how they could help him kill Cinder. Karma is a bitch.

So he had been right before, when he had been looking at things objectively. She didn't really care, he could assume the same about Ren who had shown even less concern, as was the Eastern boy's nature.

If she didn't want him around, then he was better off leaving before they got up. Garrett shook his head sadly, reappearing. That was one option for his future, his favorite option, not really a choice anymore.

He got up slowly. It was amazing how such a good event, his sister's vengeance, could have a shadow of this size placed over it by such a little thing as rejection by a pretty girl. His body felt sluggish and unresponsive as he quietly made his way back into the school and to where the girls had recovered.

When he reached the gear, he drew one of his throwing knives and placed it on top. Weiss would understand that he had left. He shook himself angrily, willing energy back into his body, and left.

"Okay Garrett, you can reveal yourself." Weiss said. There was a pregnant silence.

Ruby's brow furrowed. He wasn't here, why did Weiss say that? She had said before that there was a good chance he had left, completely. Both her and Ren were looking around so expectantly too. It's like they thought he was invisible.

Ruby watched, politely silent, as the expectant look on Weiss' face faded and a look of realization crossed her face, followed quickly by one of surprise.

"Holy shit… he actually did leave." Weiss said quietly, almost to herself.

Ruby silently shook her head and descended the stairs to the rooms they had 'unfrozen' in. The other two followed. When Weiss entered her room, there was a throwing knife on her bag. Her jaw tightened and her eyes closed. He had actually left them.

She grabbed the knife and slung the bag across her back. That bastard. After everything Ren and she had done for him, after all the times they'd saved each others' lives, he'd just bailed.

Her footsteps carried her down the many flights of stairs in the castle until the damaged front door loomed in front of them.

"Is that his knife?" Ruby probed.

Weiss looked down at the blade, it's oddly shaped handle digging into her palm. "Yeah." Weiss shook her head sadly, "I didn't think he'd really leave."

Ruby callously shrugged, and not waiting any longer, exited the building. Weiss and Ren followed her across the plaza and down the long road, completely silent. The pine trees on either side loomed over, offering shade and solitude from the bright sun and lost friendships.

They reached the split and Ruby, without hesitation, turned right. "Where are you going?" Weiss called out, stopping. She missed having female friends, but this was not the Ruby she remembered.

"Yang," came the response, her voice discouraging the idea of traveling together.

Ruby never looked back.

A/N: So that's the end. Let me know if you did or didn't like it, and more importantly, why.