A Little Help From Friends

Velvet couldn't have been happier for her best friend when she told her she was getting married. Coco and Fox had been dating for so long, and finally, finally, they were going to tie the knot. When Coco told Velvet, the two girls screamed and hugged and hopped up and down with huge grins on their faces.

And their smiles only grew as Coco told Velvet that she and Fox were planning a wedding in Hawaii, and Coco wanted Velvet to be the Maid of Honor. Velvet wasn't ashamed to admit that she cried when Coco told her that little piece of info…

Of course, the happy moment was kind of ruined when Velvet asked Coco if Cardin Winchester could come with them.

The same Cardin Winchester that bullied Velvet, Jaune, and about a dozen other kids in high school. The most stereotypical, arrogant jock either of them had ever met. Someone Coco said on multiple occasions that she would love to 'put a few holes in him.'

Coco almost put her foot down. She had never been happy about Velvet taking Cardin in and being his friend. She fought with Velvet, but Velvet fought back, and eventually she won. Coco clearly wasn't happy about it, but Cardin was invited to her wedding…

Of course, Velvet wished Cardin would act a little bit more grateful about that fact. Velvet stuck her neck out for him. The least he could do was be more courteous with Coco and the others…

Of course, not even Cardin's bad attitude was enough to ruin this nature walk for Velvet.

"Oh, wow! Cardin, look! Isn't this place beautiful?!" Velvet beamed as she took a picture of a colorful flower. She looked around the path, grinning ear to ear at the many tall trees and exotic flowers that littered the path.

She walked forward with the taller man keeping pace just behind her. He looked at the same trees she was staring at it, but his face was an almost flat frown as he shrugged.

"Yeah. Trees and dirt. Amazing. Don't got those in America." The brunette came to a stop, and Cardin bumped into her back. Despite her smaller frame, she was like a rock, and he actually stepped back and raised his brow in confusion.

"Cardin." Frustration and disappointment dripped from her voice like venom off a snake's fang. She turned her eyes to glare at him and Cardin didn't bother putting up any kind of bravado. He didn't bother with her anymore.

He placed a hand on the back of his head, scratching at it as his eyes fell to the ground. "Er, sorry," he mumbled.

Cardin was quiet, and no one else heard him but the girl standing before him. "What's wrong?" she asked, holding her camera with one hand as she crossed her arms.

"Nothing," he huffed, and Velvet narrowed her eyes, lifting one of her brows to give him her best 'don't lie to me, buster,' look.

It worked quickly, and Cardin grumbled as he caved under it. "Just hard to enjoy anything when everyone's pissed at you."

"Can you really blame them for being uncomfortable around you?" Velvet asked, trying not to sound too harsh to the man.

"Highschool was years ago. You got over it, why can't they?" he huffed, and Velvet sighed again.

She got over it… Yeah, that was a nice way of putting it. She got over years of bullying from someone a year younger than her. She got over his insults, and his mocking, and his bullying… She just got over it, without any sort of lingering pain or emotional scars.

Velvet's ear twitched, before she took a deep breath and sighed. "Not everyone just 'gets over' being bullied and picked on for years, Cardin."

Cardin didn't say anything. He just shook his head. "Whatever. Come on, let's keep going. Look at trees and stuff…" He tried walking past her, and Velvet palmed her face in her hand. She rubbed her cheeks, before turning around to follow Cardin.

He walked ahead of her, stepping down a steep hill with her behind him. He grunted as his foot slid down the dirt path, and Velvet raised her brow.

"How's your leg?"

"Fine," was his automatic response. After a moment, his eyes avoided hers as he muttered, "Hurts a bit."

"Come on. I want to take pictures of those flowers over there." Her hand caught his sleeve, and took the lead again. He followed behind her as she led him to some brightly colored flowers. She got down on one knee, and she patted the ground beside her.

He fell by her side, sitting with her as he took a deep breath. He rubbed at his leg as Velvet slowly took pictures of the flower, taking her time as the others walked by them.


Meanwhile, just a few feet ahead of them, Ruby walked down the same path. She didn't smile, she barely looked where she was going. Her thoughts were too consumed by her alts, listening to Blake recount to Weiss what exactly happened between the former and Yang.

Ruby cringed as she heard Weiss' response. "I can't believe you said that," she spat. "What is wrong with you?!"

"I'm just stating the obvious. Facts that should have been obvious from the start."

"And Yang calls me Ice Queen… You couldn't have been a tad more courteous about it?"

"I'm not going to sugar coat facts, Weiss. We're a mental illness. We don't have any right to control Ruby's-"

"We're not-!" Weiss growled, before she went silent. Ruby could feel her trying to reign in her emotions, before Weiss spoke again in an even, if cold tone. "Yes, I agree with you, we shouldn't control Ruby's life, but the way you're talking, it's like we're not even people!"

"Technically speaking, we're not."

"AH! You are just impossible to talk to! Clearly you don't see yourself as a person, because it's impossible talking to you like one!"

"Weiss-" Ruby tried chiming in, tried playing mediator, but she was ignored as Weiss angrily shouted at Blake.

"I'm not just going to stand here and be insulted. I'm leaving!" And then Weiss was gone, leaving Ruby and Blake in the 'front' of the mind.

Ruby could hear Blake sigh. "It's like talking to children…"

"Blake, I… You know I don't see any of you guys like that. You're my family. I love you, girls."

"How you feel about us doesn't change reality, Ruby. Maybe it's time you stopped babying those two and accept the reality of the situation." And then Blake was gone, and Ruby was all alone.

The dark-haired woman sighed, rubbing at her eyes. She took in a shaky breath, before a familiar voice echoed in her mind.

"Is she gone?"


"Weiss?"

The youngest alt had returned, returning to the front of Ruby's mind once Blake had left. The young alt waited, searching for any trace of Blake, before sighing in relief.

"Good. She's gone…"

"Weiss? Are… are you okay?"

No. She wasn't. She felt attacked, and spat on, and pissed off. She wanted to yell at Blake, but that like yelling at a brick wall. With just about as much personality… No, Weiss wasn't okay, but at least Ruby was easier to talk to than Blake.

"Ruby, do… do you really just think of us as a mental illness?"

"No! Of course not!" Ruby sounded like she meant it too, but Weiss wasn't convinced.

She was quiet for a moment, before continuing. "But Blake clearly does, and Blake is you, so…"

From day one of being born, each of the alts struggled with this question. Where did one begin and the other end? At what part of the mind did Weiss become Yang? Or Ruby? If one believed something, did that mean they all did?

Clearly not, because Weiss was damn sure she wasn't just a symptom of mental illness. She was her own person, someone who wanted to sing, and dance, and live her own life. Even if it was as just one small piece of a puzzle…

"Blake's… Blake isn't me, Weiss. She's her, just like you're you. She has her own beliefs, just like how you and I have ours. She doesn't speak for me."

Weiss felt a sense of relief from the words, but it wasn't enough to settle her uneasy… mind? Fraction of mind? Weiss sighed as she continued. "Nor me. I don't… I'm not just a symptom. I'm a person."

"Yeah! Totally!" Ruby didn't sound entirely convinced, but maybe that was just Weiss' cynicism talking. There was a moment of silence, before Ruby spoke again. "Weiss…? Are you mad at me for telling Jaune about dad? Or mom? Or Adam?"

Weiss pondered the question for a moment, before speaking slowly. "He's not my father, and she's not my mother. I never even met Adam. None of that really feels like it pertains to me."

For Weiss, all that mattered at first was excelling at school. That's what triggered her creation, in a way. Adam broke the other three's heart, Weiss stepped in to keep the sinking ship going until it reached land.

Weiss was born years after Summer was taken away. She never spoke to Adam, never even saw him face to face, and Tai… Tai was just the stranger in her house she'd occasionally pass by.

The alt knew what had happened regarding all three, but the fact was that none of it felt real to were other people's emotions, other people's memories. Not hers.

"No. I don't think I am…"

"Oh, thank goodness…"

"But I do have a question, Ruby. Do you plan on telling Jaune about us?" Weiss waited for an answer, but honestly, she wasn't sure what she wanted to hear.

If Ruby told Jaune about her little secret, then… great. Right? She'd have someone to talk to, someone to be happy with, and that'd be great for Weiss. Less stress trying to take care of the little dunce…

"I… I don't know." Weiss scowled at that answer. She could have settled for a yes, or a no, but maybe? That was limbo, an unknown possibility, and Weiss hated it. "Maybe?"

"I hope you figure out an answer soon. Ruby, I… I don't want to control your life. I hope you know that," Weiss admitted. "I don't want to be like Yang and act like you have to pass everything you do through me, but I…"

It felt like Weiss' stomach was twisting. If she had cheeks, they might be blushing right now. All the little things she imagined she felt if she had a body and mind of her own…

Of course, that's all she was, but Weiss said it again to fight the reality of her life away. Her voice wavered, but she refused to let Ruby hear her cry or whine.

Weiss was strong. She wouldn't just cry like some kind of… of child. "I'm alive."

"I know, Weiss. I know…" That same sort of vindication, that acknowledgement that she was a person brought a wave of relief over Weiss.

Blake might have been impossible to talk to, but at least Weiss could rely on Ruby not to be some unfeeling… thing. Weiss let out a sigh of relief, before she faded back into Ruby's mind, finally leaving the dark-haired girl alone.


Ruby didn't feel relief when Weiss finally went silent. She felt exhaustion. She felt like she just wanted to go back home and fall on her bed and sleep the week away. She just wanted to curl up in a hole and just… wait for all this stress and fatigued to go away.

She didn't even want to talk to Jaune. It wasn't his fault, but she just… she just wanted to avoid causing another argument in her own head. She just wanted to go find a bed and lay on it, alone, really, truly alone...

Then Nora threw herself onto Ruby, wrapping an arm around the other girl's neck.

"Hey, Ruby!"

"Oh. Hey, Nora." Ruby wanted to kick herself. She sounded so tired, but she really was just tired.

She tried to stretch out her smile, tried to stand up straight, but everything felt so damn fake. All she wanted was to go back to the hotel room and hide. Wallow away in the silence of her mind.

Ruby tried to pull away from the ginger, tried to walk away from even the possibility of conversation. "Bye, Nora."

"Hey, hey, where you going!?" Nora caught Ruby's arm, forcing the shorter girl to walk by Nora's side. "Stick around! We hardly ever get to talk, you and me!"

"Yeah, I… I guess," Ruby mumbled.


Contrary to popular belief, Nora wasn't an idiot.

She knew something was bothering Ruby, and for a moment she considered just leaving her alone. But Nora wasn't the type to just walk away from a problem, or from a sad friend. The ginger grinned, clapping a hand against Ruby's back, making her almost stumble.

"So, how are you enjoying the trip? You having a good time?"

"Yeah. I mean, how could I not? It's Hawaii…"

Nora had no idea where this negativity was coming from, but she intended on fixing it. She'd take a hammer to it and reduce it to rubble, or her name wasn't Nora Valkyrie!

"You know, the bachelorette's party is coming up! Just us girls hanging out, talking about boys, shooting stuff, maybe going clubbing."

Ruby blinked, and Nora knew she had her attention. "Wait, what was that middle thing?"

"Shooting stuff. Yeah, Coco's dad owns a bunch of guns. I bet he'll totally loan us some for the party!"

"You're joking, right?" Ruby asked, but Nora just shook her head as she began to skip.

"Nope. I think he gave Coco a minigun for her fourth birthday. Told her, use it on anyone who bothers her."

Nora stopped and held up her hands, pretending to carry a large minigun, before 'firing it' around her. "Pew pew pew pew pew! Auugh! Get to dah choppah!" she shouted, deepening her voice and putting on an accent as she motioned Ruby forward.

Ruby stared at the strange woman, before snorting, and letting out a quiet, small laugh, but a laugh nonetheless. It might have been just because Nora looked or sounded stupid, but damn it, that was a step in the right direction!

Nora beamed at her victory. People underestimated her a lot due to her goofball nature, but that was the thing about her. Yeah, she was goofy, but being goofy didn't mean she wasn't smart.

It didn't mean she couldn't tell when someone was upset, and it certainly didn't mean Nora couldn't help that sad person.

Yeah, Nora acted silly sometimes. If people took that to mean she was dumb, that was their problem. Nora would happily play the fool for the rest of her life if it meant she could make people like Ruby, Ren, and Jaune smile.

"Uaughugh!"

"W-what is that?" Ruby giggled.

"It's my Arnold Schwartzeneger impersonation! Pretty good, huh?"

"It's… it's really good," she replied with a smile.

"Thanks. Been working on it for years," Nora joked, beaming with pride. Not at the impersonation, though she knew it was amazing, but rather because of Ruby's smile.

If Nora could prove just the tiniest bit of a distraction from whatever was eating at Ruby, well…. She'd do it in a heartbeat.


Jaune noticed Ruby and Nora talking to one another. He could hear the two laughing at one of Nora's antics, and he smiled at the sight.

"They seem to be bonding well," Ren commented, walking towards Jaune.

"Yeah," he agreed. "So, should I be worried?"

"Hm?"

Jaune turned his head, his arms crossed as he smiled at Ren. "She's talking to Ruby, you're talking to me… Can you blame me for thinking you two have something planned?"

Ren blinked, before chuckling. "If you're worried about a repeat of the movie incident, don't worry. That's not happening. No bad horror movies anywhere near us."

Jaune didn't seem to appreciate the joke. He just looked at the two, his smile long gone. "Nora wants us to start dating, doesn't she?"

"She's not the only one," Ren admitted. Jaune shook his head as Ren continued. "We can both see how happy you two make each other. Jaune, I haven't seen you smile this much in a long time. You're already acting like best friends despite only knowing each other for a few months."

Jaune said nothing in response, quietly walking forward through the forest. His feet crushed dirt and patches of fauna under them as Ren watched him. He followed just behind the blonde.

"If if you gave me at least one good reason as to why you're reluctant to date her, I could reel Nora back and we'd leave you two to work out things naturally, but you haven't. You and Ruby seem really happy together, yet whenever the idea of actually dating her pops up, you seem… upset."

And Jaune knew Ren meant what he said about backing off if Jaune gave him a reason. The two were like brothers, after all. Ren knew Jaune, and Jaune knew that Ren would never push too far.

Though Ren would certainly toe the line at times...

"I made a promise."

"Oh." Ren couldn't hide his annoyance at the simple statement. If Jaune admitted to not liking something about Ruby, or even being scared of entering a new relationship after Pyrrha, he would have been sympathetic. But a promise? A Jaune Arc Promise…?

"Tell me you didn't swear on your family name," the dark-haired man sighed. Jaune didn't reply at first.

"Not… that time."

Ren shook his head side to side. "What exactly did you promise?"

"It's complicated."

"Simplify it."

"I promised Ruby I wouldn't date her."

"You promised Ruby… that you wouldn't date Ruby?" Jaune nodded his head, and Ren glanced at the woman in question. She was laughing with Nora, smiling widely. "Can I ask what the context was?"

Jaune didn't answer for a moment. "Remember when Ruby and I went to that club? And I was kind of quiet the next day about it?"

"We still haven't talked about it. I'm assuming this is what you were upset about?"

"I'm not some guy who only makes friends with girls to date them, you know that, Ren." The darker-haired man lifted a brow. It sounded like Jaune was talking more to himself than him. Trying to justify something.

"So I thought I'd be fine making that promise to Ruby, but the more I hang out with her, the more I want… to be more than friends."

"You still haven't explained why she would even make you promise that."

"She said that she wasn't looking for a boyfriend. That I was nice, but she didn't want to date me, and that she would never want to date me."

Ren couldn't help but flinch slightly. Anger burned in his eyes, before he relaxed and gave Jaune a sympathetic, if confused look. "That seems a bit harsh…"

"Yeah," he bitterly chuckled. "Trust me, she made it clear she didn't want to date me. She even asked me to reject her if she was ever desperate enough to ask me out."

Ren's eyes widened, before narrowing into another glare. His eyes slowly turned to Ruby, zeroing in on her as he frowned. "Did she use that word…?"

Jaune nodded his head, not realizing the fallout from the simple gesture.

When Ren first met Ruby, he thought of her as a nice and sweet young woman. She seemed like a good person, and a great influence on Jaune. Now, he wasn't so sure.

What many might not realize when talking to Ren was just how protective he was, especially when it came to matters of his surrogate family. Jaune was his brother, and if someone thought themselves too good for Jaune, well, even a man as in control of his emotions as Ren had limits.

"Ren. You okay?"

"I'm fine." He failed to hide the annoyance in his voice again, and Jaune began to realize his mistake.

"Please don't be mad at Ruby," Jaune groaned.

"I…" Ren closed his eyes for a brief moment, suppressing his feelings once again. "I'm not mad. I'm just disappointed in her."

"Look, Ruby's opened up to me recently about some… personal stuff. She's been through a lot, Ren. I can't say I blame her for not wanting to date anyone right now."

"That's understandable. What isn't understandable is the arrogance of thinking my brother is below her."

"She isn't being arrogant." Ren wasn't sure to chalk it up to genuine belief or just Jaune's kind nature, but he dropped the issue entirely. He clearly didn't have all the details. It wasn't fair to judge something without the proper details.

He tried to remind himself of that fact as he took a heavy breath. "I'm sorry," Ren apologized.

Jaune nodded his head, accepting the quiet apology. He knew his 'brother' meant well, but… Well, Ren had a tendency to be emotional when it came to the safety and well-being of his family.

"So, I'm assuming Nora's talking to Ruby about dating me or something?" He blushed slightly at the idea, feeling his gut twist as he chewed his lip.

"She's supposed to be. Looks like they're just talking right now, though. Nora just did her Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonation."

"Poor Ruby," Jaune snickered.

Ren said nothing, merely watching Nora and Ruby continue to talk. For all of the young man's intellect and wit, he wasn't sure what to say now. He came here to convince Jaune to finally ask Ruby out, but now he couldn't help but wonder if the young woman was worthy of being Jaune's girlfriend.

The young man let out a sigh, deciding the solution to this problem will come in time. He placed a hand on the blonde's back, gently patting him.

"Plenty of fish in the sea, Jaune."

"Yeah. I'm sure I'll find another nice, quirky girl to talk to right around the corner," Jaune chuckled, shaking his head as Ren gave a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry about me, Ren. I'll get over it."

Ren really hoped he wasn't lying.


Nora and Ruby didn't talk about Jaune for most of their walk. They talked about each other, their favorite movies, their favorite games, and just… one another.

The mission objective was to get Ruby to get with Jaune, but honestly? Right now Nora's primary objective was making her friend feel better, a job that she was succeeding at with flying

colors.

"Thor, God of Thunder. Best superhero ever. He's awesome! Great hair, a magical hammer, lightning powers, and I think crossdressed once. Totally my type!" Nora beamed.

Ruby chuckled at the other woman's infectious energy, before blinking. She raised her brow as she asked, "Wait, does that mean Ren…?"

"Ren what?" Nora replied, and the dark-haired woman just shook her head with a laugh.

"Nothing. Never mind."

"Okay-dokei. So, my turn to ask you a question." Nora placed a hand to her chin, closing her eyes as she walked.

"Hey, Nora, be careful-"

She tripped, and Ruby let out a tiny scream as she rushed to catch her friend, but Nora needed no saving. She landed on her hands, cartwheeling and bringing herself back onto her feet in one quick motion. Her eyes were still closed as Ruby's jaw hit the ground.

"W-whoa! Nora, that was awesome!"

Nora snickered, before she beamed with pride at the act. "I fell over like twenty thousand times practicing that move back in highschool. Good to see I can still pull off my old cheerleading routine."

"You were a cheerleader?"

"Yep! I was the only student in my school who was part of both the cheer and football team. I'd cheer and hype myself up, then I tackled dudes twenty times bigger than me! It was awesome!"

"Are you serious?" Ruby blinked.

"Yep. I'm pretty aweso-ohmygod!" Nora stumbled, tripping on a rock. She reached for Ruby's outstretched hand, but all that accomplished was bringing both girls down onto the ground.

"Oof!"

Nora opened her eyes, and looked at Ruby's face as the two laid on the ground. Ruby was the first to laugh, chuckling and snorting as Nora followed, laughing right along with the other woman.

"That was part of my old routine."

"Oh, I'm sure." The two stood up and dusted each other off, continuing their walk with cheerful grins. "Still, you're pretty cool, Nora."

"You too, Rubes. Jaune's a lucky guy." Nora didn't meant for that to sound like… Well, she kind of meant it to sound like Jaune and Ruby were dating, but that was only because the two acted so friendly with one another!

The words just slipped out of Nora's mouth, and she cringed as she saw Ruby's blushing, nervous face. "W-what's that supposed to mean? Lucky how?"

"N-nothing! Just that you two are really good together. As friends! Great friends! Just like me and Ren. Okay, bad example. Like Coco and Fox! Ooh, worse example!" Nora wanted to slap herself on the forehead as Ruby continued to blush.

Nora had wanted to bring Jaune up eventually, but she was hoping to actually have a plan for when she did. Instead her fast talking mouth and slow thinking brain had thrown her into a minefield without any idea of what to actually do.

"I…" Ruby didn't say anything at first. She was just blushing, before she looked away. "Jaune and I are just friends," she mumbled.

"I-I know! But, I mean, you don't always have to be just friends, right?"

Ruby didn't say anything. She just turned away. "Nora, can… can we not talk about this…?"

Nora wanted to make Ruby happy, she really, really did, but part of her couldn't help but try and take advantage of the situation, hoping that her words would reach Ruby.

"I… It's just you two always look so happy together! Jaune's a great catch, and so are you! You guys already act like you're dating, I mean you went on a long, romantic walk together last night!"

"Nora…." Ruby actually sounded… mad. She growled out the word through clenched teeth, but Nora threw caution to the wind and kept trying, hoping she could convince her.

"I've known Jaune for years. I knew him when he was friends with Pyrrha, when he started dating her, and after Pyrrha broke up with him. I saw how down and depressed he was, but you made him smile again! You make him happy! Before you, he was super depressed and-"

"Nora, just stop." Ruby stomped her foot down, and for a moment Nora was terrified someone had her Ruby's outburst. Nora looked up and down the path, relieved to find Ren and Jaune were too far away to hear the other woman.

They were lucky, something Ruby was ignorant of as she continued, lips curled into a deep frown "Jaune doesn't want to date me. Alright? So can we just drop this?"

"He doesn't want to… why the heck do you think that?! The guy's head over heels for you, I can tell, he-"

"No, he doesn't." Ruby's eyes glanced down the path. She realized Jaune and Ren were far enough away that they might not hear the two, but she didn't want to chance it. She started moving, walking down the path as Nora practically glued herself to Ruby's side.

Ruby's voice was hushed as she glared into the dirt path. "Jaune doesn't want to date me. Now can you please stop?"

"But… I don't understand."

Ruby didn't want to answer. She was back to square one, back to just wanting the day to pass her by.

She wanted to just walk away and forget this ever happened, but Nora's hand caught her wrist. She didn't pull on the shorter girl, but Nora kept herself right by Ruby's side, walking in time with her so she couldn't pull away.

Despite trying not to say anything, Nora put two and two together, and she asked the question that Ruby had been dreading. "Ruby, did something happen last night between you and Jaune?" Her voice was low, quiet, but it weighed heavy with concern.

Ruby didn't say anything in response. She tried to feel if any of her alts were out, but as far as she could tell, they were still leaving her alone. They would have no idea about what she would say to Nora. There was a good chance Ruby would never have this chance again, to talk to Nora without the voices in Ruby's head listening in, hearing her little secrets…

Ruby looked away, staring down a separate path that led to a nearby lake. Nora followed her silver eyes, and before Ruby could stop her, Nora put on a smile and shouted out to the others, waving at them.

"Rubes and I are gonna go check out the cool lake over there! See if we can find any sea creatures! You guys keep going! We'll catch up!" It was strange to hear how different Nora could sound in a single moment. From a concerned friend to a hyperactive, silly child.

Nora pulled Ruby towards the small lake, where there were less people and the two would have a bit more privacy. Ruby couldn't even muster up a defense. Nora was shockingly strong, practically lifting Ruby off of the floor as they dashed to the lake.

When the ginger-haired woman stopped, Ruby honestly had no idea what to even say. Nora looked at her, waiting for an answer that would never come as the dark-haired girl blushed and chewed the inside of her cheek.

"Ruby… What happened last night?"

"Nora, why do you care so much?" Ruby groaned, trying to pull her hand free. Nora's grip didn't give at first, but the stronger girl eventually released her, letting Ruby have her hand back. Ruby took her hand and placed it on her head, taking a deep breath.

It was too much. Jaune didn't want to date her, Yang was mad at her, Blake was being mean, Weiss was probably depressed, Ruby was insane, and she didn't know what to do.

She was lost, overwhelmed with everything that her life had become. Just a few months ago, she lived a quiet life alone. A lonely, but quiet life where she didn't have so much weighing down on her!

Nora placed her hands on Ruby's shoulder, shaking her slightly. Ruby looked at the other girl, and was shocked by the frown on Nora's usually beaming face.

"Why do I care? Ruby, I'm your friend. This isn't about Jaune. This isn't about me. It's about you. I care about you!" Nora's words carried an edge to them that Ruby had never heard before. In all the time she knew her, Nora seemed like a goofy, fun-loving ball of energy.

The kind of person to crack a joke and just want to have fun. Silly, weird, and uncaring about how the rest of the world saw her.

But when Ruby looked into Nora's eyes, all she saw were the concerned eyes of a friend. Just like Sun had looked at her. Those same eyes stabbed at Ruby's heart as she swallowed spit down her throat. She didn't listen to Sun years ago when he told her his worries about Adam, and she paid for it.

In that single moment, she asked herself a simple question. Would she make the same mistake?

"I... " Ruby sighed, pulling away from Nora. The cyan-eyed woman opened her mouth, but Ruby shook her head, sitting on the ground. "I think I messed up last night," she muttered, her voice hushed and weak. "With Jaune…"

"It's okay, Ruby." Nora placed her hand on her friend's shoulder, giving it a squeeze, before she slowly led her down to sit on the ground.

"Tell Auntie Nora." Even now, she cracked jokes. Ruby snickered at that, smiling at the older woman. The laugh was weak, and it only took Nora a moment to realize Ruby was holding back tears.

"I was stupid." The dark-haired woman sighed, wiping at her eyes. "I was so stupid, Nora..." Nora gave Ruby's shoulder a sympathetic squeeze, before she continued. Ruby bit the bullet, and she told Nora something that not even Yang knew.

"I tried kissing him last night. We were on the beach, and we were watching fireworks, and I-" She stopped herself, almost mentioning Adam and her parents. She bit the inside of her cheek, fighting back tears as held her head in her hands. She tried to suck in air through her cries as Nora held her tighter.

She closed her eyes and ground her teeth. She couldn't. She just wasn't ready to tell Nora about how broken and pathetic Ruby was…

"I tried kissing him, and he stopped me. He doesn't want to date me, Nora. It's just that simple." She felt tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. Not because of Jaune, well… not just because of him.

Just from everything. There was only so much a single person could take. She felt like breaking. She felt like she just wanted to go home, and leave this 'vacation' as far behind her as possible.

Ruby was pulled out of her thoughts by Nora, who suddenly pulled her into a hug. The smaller girl's eyes widened at the embrace. She was frozen as Nora stroked her back.

"Ruby, I'm so, so sorry that happened…" She squeezed Ruby in her arms, and the young woman blinked as she felt vulnerable again.

Here she was, opening up, throwing her secrets out on the table. First Jaune, now Nora, and once again, that person showed her such… kindness. They held her, and comforted her, and Ruby didn't feel so alone any longer.

Maybe there really was something to this place. Or maybe it really was just the company…

"Jaune's an idiot for rejecting you like that. I'm sorry you had to go through that…" Ruby's arm slowly rose up, before falling onto Nora's back.

"I just… I felt so stupid after he rejected me. I know I shouldn't, but-"

"Hey, who says what you're supposed to feel?!" Nora pulled back, keeping her hands on Ruby's shoulders as the ginger glared at her friend. "This is your heart! It wants what it wants! No one can tell you how to feel, but you!"

The other woman shook Ruby gently, surprising the younger girl as her friend continued. "If you feel sad, be sad." Nora grinned at Ruby, flashing her pearly whites. "You got friends to pick you up when you're feeling down. Not just Jaune, but you got me too!"

Ruby stared at Nora, before she embraced her, resting her head on Nora's shoulder as the other woman held her tightly. They hugged one another as Ruby crumpled under the weight of her life.

"Let it out, Ruby… It's okay."

"I just… I-" Ruby failed to stop her tears as she quietly gasped. "I just feel like so much stuff is falling on me, and I feel… I feel alone, and no matter what I do, everyone's upset. I can't make anyone happy, and-"

"You aren't alone, Ruby. You got me, and you got Ren too. We'll always be happy to help you, if you need us. We'll be happy to take some of that weight off of you, because that's what friends do."

Ruby chuckled, weakly laughing through her tears. She wiped her eyes as Nora continued to smile. "Thanks, Nora…" She pulled away, ending the hug as Nora kept a hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"No problem, Rubes. I'm always here if you need a pal!" Ruby nodded at the promise, before the two simply enjoyed one another's company. They sat by the small lake and Nora kept an arm over Ruby, giving her a one-armed hug as they sat in the peaceful serenity of nature.

Nora didn't say anything, giving Ruby a moment of silence that the younger girl didn't know she needed. No alts, no Jaune, just a moment to center herself again.

Ruby enjoyed the moment for as long as she could. She listened to the sound of birds singing, the peace of not having to hide her emotions, and the simple joy of company.

She continued to wipe her eyes, brushing away the last of her tears as Nora gave her the occasional squeeze. Finally Ruby broke the silence.

"Thanks, Nora. I… I guess I just needed to vent."

"Totally fine, Rubes. Everyone does sooner or later. It's not healthy to bottle all that stuff in, y'know."

"Mmmhm."

"You ready to get back on the trail? Any longer and the others will probably abandon us here. We'd have to eat each other to survive, and I'm not gonna lie, I'll probably betray and eat you first." Nora and Ruby laughed, but the younger of the two didn't move.

Ruby sat on the ground, looking at the ground as she chewed her lower lips. "Nora?"

"Hm?"

"Why do you think Jaune rejected me last night?" Ruby sighed, hanging her head low. "I wish it didn't bother me, but I can't stop thinking about it! Does he just want to be friends? Does he not like me that way? Did I do something wrong?"

"Ruby." Nora was, again, the voice of reason, and a calming influence on her friend. She smiled at Ruby as she spoke. "I can't tell you what was going through Jaune's head that night, but I can tell you this. If you want to be happy, pursue that happiness. Shoot your shot. Talk to him about it!"

"T-talk to him? I-I can't do that!" Ruby argued.

"Sure, you can! It's easy!" Judging by her frozen expression, Ruby disagreed. "Okay, maybe not easy, but it is possible. You deserve the truth to know why he won't date you, at least. I mean, I would have never gotten together with Ren if I gave up"

"I'm not you, Nora," Ruby huffed. "Besides, I don't want to ruin what we have. I just… I want us to keep being friends, even if we can't be… y'know."

"But you'd both be so happy together! You'd be like the cutest couple ever!"

"Nora." Ruby ground her teeth, glaring into the lake in front of them. She saw her reflection, but her expression only wrinkled, turning bitter as she saw into her own silver eyes. "I just don't know what to do…"

Damned if she did, damned if she didn't. She could confront Jaune about it, and do what? Ruin their friendship? Or she can keep her mouth shut, and just deal with this pain in her chest, hoping it would go away, hoping that not knowing would be easier for her.

Maybe it would be. Because if for some godforsaken chance he actually wanted to date her, how long would it take for her to be thrown into a nuthouse just like her mother?

Maybe she was better off there...

Nora saw her friend's expression, and it broke her heart, but like always, she put on a smile. Nora embraced Ruby, pulling the other girl into a gentle hug. "Look, Ruby, I… I don't know what the future has in store. I've got no clue, but I do know this."

Ruby didn't say anything, and so Nora continued. "Whatever happens between you and Jaune? You and I are still friends. You ever need me, you come talk to me, okay, Ruby?"

The younger woman didn't answer at first. She wouldn't know what to say if she did. As Nora hugged her, Ruby stared into her reflection. She saw her bright, shimmering silver eyes.

A rare eye color that she had inherited from her mother… It tore at her heart to know that they weren't just hers.

Ruby was a freak, and part of her couldn't help but wonder, was Jaune better off without her?

She felt Nora squeeze her, and the dark-haired woman pressed her face against Nora's shoulder. She enjoyed the warm, tight embrace for the moment, soon returning the hug.

"Thanks, Nora…"


Eventually the walk had ended, and everyone regrouped together to talk about their next move. Most were ready to head back to the hotel, though some clearly wanted to enjoy the nightlife that Hawaii had to offer.

Eventually it was agreed that the group would split up. Those who wanted to go back to the hotel could, while the rest went off to enjoy the night.

Ruby and Jaune didn't speak to each. They both wanted to, but something else held them back. For Ruby, it was that pain in her heart, the one she felt whenever she thought a future with the man. As friends or lovers, she knew they were probably on borrowed time.

For Jaune, he could see something was bothering Ruby, but every attempt to start a conversation just ended in small talk and conversations that ended in dead ends. He sighed, unsure of what to do as they were driven back to their hotel.

As they both stared out their windows into the night sky, both of them returned to their night together. 'What could have beens' plagued their minds.

She didn't even have the benefit of her alts talking to one another. Yang, Blake, and Weiss were all silent, and while Ruby used to appreciate these rare moments of silence, considering how the day went… She just wasn't sure what she should feel.

The group arrived at the hotel, and like lifeless machines, they returned to their room in silence. Ruby and Jaune soon changed into their pajamas, one at a time, before they both looked at their shared bed. Their eyes met, and their faces burned as they looked back at the bed between them.

"Um… Do you want me to sleep somewhere else, or something?" Jaune offered.

"Yes," Weiss grumbled.

"No!" Ruby argued, surprising Jaune with the sudden shout. "Er, I mean, no. No. I don't want you to get a bad night's sleep or something. We can share the bed again."

"Is that okay with you guys?" Ruby asked the others.

"Ugh, whatever."

"Doesn't matter to me."

Yang didn't bother answering.


It was late now. The sky was almost black, and the clouds a dark, dark shade of navy as they flowed over the island. Ruby and Jaune were asleep, their bodies by side with one another, but with several inches of empty space keeping them apart.

The two slept the night away, but that didn't mean there wasn't someone awake in the room.

Yang sat within her sister's mind, quietly contemplating as her hand hovered over a metaphorical button. That was just how her mind perceived it, at least. The reality of the matter wasn't nearly as cinematic, or literal.

The alt could feel her sister's dreams, just beyond a thin veil in their mind. It was hard to describe, but it was like the world within Ruby's mind was made up of emotions and thoughts, like those were solid things in their mental, metaphorical mind.

Yang could feel Ruby's dreams, dreaming of Jaune and all the friends they had met. It was a good dream, a happy one.

One that Yang considered ruining. It would be an easy thing to do. She could rekindle old memories, make Ruby remember Adam and all the terrible things he made her experience. She could make Ruby relive all that pain, and maybe that would be enough to scare her away from Jaune.

If Yang played off of Ruby's trauma and pain, she could ruin what Ruby and Jaune were building between them. She could end their romance before it ever began. The nightmares would make Ruby pull away from Jaune, drive a wedge between them that would keep them from ever being more than friends.

She tried justifying it to herself. That this was the right thing to do. What any big sister would do for her little sister. She was sparing Ruby from future heartbreak, saving her from being betrayed again…

Jaune would hurt Ruby just like Adam, just like Tai, just like everyone did sooner or later. Yang was saving Ruby, that's why she had to hurt her little sister...

In that moment, in that single moment, Yang hated herself. She truly, truly loathed herself. What kind of monster would even consider making their little sister relive the worst moments of her life, just to destroy her chances with a good man?

It was wrong. It was sick. Yet Yang couldn't stop herself from considering it.

The alt felt a stir in the back of Ruby's mind, and she called out to the darkness. She couldn't see, couldn't hear, but she could feel the presence of another.

"Who's there?"

"What… what are you doing, Yang?" Weiss' voice spoke out to her, and just like how Yang could feel her presence, Weiss could feel Yang's 'fingers' tracing the outline of Ruby's dream. Just a pinch, and the oldest alt could change it into a nightmare.

"Weiss…?" Yang didn't say anything at first, before she called out to the dark again. "You're awake too, aren't you, Blake?"

"I am."

"How long have you been up?"

"Long enough to know what you're thinking about doing."

"And you've just been watching me?"

"I was only going to act if I thought you'd actually do it."

"Can someone tell me what's going on? What is Yang doing, exactly?" Weiss asked.

It was easy to forget how young Weiss was compared to the others. She acted their age, but she knew nothing of the inner workings of the mind. She had no idea how to manipulate Ruby's dreams.

Yang waited for Blake to answer Weiss, but when she didn't, Yang did instead. "When we lost mom, Ruby would have these really bad nightmares. It got so bad, I used to stay up and change them, or block them so she wouldn't have to experience them."

"You can do that?"

"We all can," Blake explained. "Just something that comes with being mental constructs, but that isn't what Yang is considering doing tonight." Somehow Yang could feel Blake's eyes glaring at her. "Do you want to tell her, or shall I?"

"Tell me what?"

"It works the other way too. We can turn happy dreams into nightmares. I…" Yang felt the words choke her non-existing throat as her non-existent teeth ground against one another. She probably would have felt tears pooling in her eyes if she had them.

"Yang was going to make Ruby relive her worst moments with Adam."

"What…? Why?! What possible reason could you have to do that?! What is wrong with you?!" Weiss screamed, and Yang felt herself shaking from the outburst. .

Yang didn't answer for a while, but when she did, the answer was quiet. Almost a whimper as she uttered one word. "Integration."

"What?"

"The process is called 'Integration,'" Blake explained. "It's where alternate personalities are reabsorbed by the main identity, creating a single, whole person. Yang and I learned about it a… a long time ago. Before your time." For a moment, Blake's voice wavered. She then continued on as Weiss listened.

The young alt's heart would have been racing, if she had one.

Her tone was cold, stoic, with a level of understanding that neither of the alts could comprehend. "Alternate personalities like us are made when Ruby is dealt a trauma. It's a self defense mechanism. I was born from Summer being put into an asylum, you were made after Adam… hurt Ruby, Yang, and myself. That is how we are made. A trigger, a trauma. We are a reaction made to help the main personality deal with the problem."

"As you know, Jaune has been helping Ruby. He's helping her out of her shell, they even spoke about Summer and Adam last night. She trusted him enough to tell him one of her greatest secrets. It's likely that if they start dating, they'll only get closer, and Ruby's pain will finally begin to fade away."

Weiss was slowly putting the pieces together. The same pieces Blake and Yang had put together a long time ago. The youngest alt felt herself shaking as Blake spelled it out for her.

"If Ruby doesn't need us to help her process her pain and trauma, then we won't have a reason to exist anymore, and there is a very good chance we will be reintegrated back into Ruby's mind."

"We'll be dead," Yang spat.

"We were never alive to begin with," Blake stated.

"That… that can't be right! You're wrong! You can't know that!" Weiss argued, but Blake's calm voice was a clear indicator of how confident Blake was in this outcome.

"Integration is only a theory, but we don't know anyone else with DID. From what research I could make, it is simply the most likely outcome." Blake paused, before continuing.

The other girls could feel Blake's uncertainty in her voice. This was all running on a theory, but it was like hearing that they 'might die any second.' The possibility of death was almost worst than a promise of it.

"Maybe Jaune and Ruby's relationship will crumble from their own actions and faults. Maybe not. You have to realize, there is a very real possibility that if they become closer, Ruby's trauma and pain will fade, and we will all be dead within a few years."

There was silence in Ruby's mind. None of the three spoke as they swallowed down the realization. Yang was the first to speak up, and her voice was harsh, on the edge of breaking down.

"And you're okay with this, aren't you, Blake…?" Yang couldn't hide the bitterness in her voice. The jealousy. The very idea of accepting this fate was… it was revolting to her.

Blake shared none of her fire. "I always knew it was a possibility. Either Ruby would overcome her trauma and we would cease to exist, or she would not. We're alts. This is just how things are."

"No!" Yang shouted. "I wasn't born just to take care of Ruby! I was born for more than that!"

"You were never born. You were made. You're not even really alive, Yang. Not in the biological sense."

"Go to hell! I have thoughts! I have hopes, and dreams! I want to fall in love, to live my life, to be someone! I have every right to want to live!"

"No. You don't. We are alts. Our only purpose is to help Ruby. We can't be selfish."

"Don't talk to me about being selfish! I knew Ruby before either of you! I loved her before any of you! She's my sister!"

"No. She isn't. You're a voice in her head, a symptom of mental illness. You're not-"

"Fuck. You!" Yang spat, and despite not having the ability to cry, both Weiss and Blake could hear her choking back sobs.

There was silence. Neither Weiss or Blake spoke for a moment as Yang fought back non-existent tears. Ruby's body and mind continued to slumber, ignorant of the turmoil swirling within her mindscape.

"If you're really her sister, you should be happy to help her," Blake finally uttered, but her words only enraged the other alt.

"Damn it, Blake! I love Ruby, but I want to live too! She shouldn't be the only one allowed to be happy, to fall in love! I want to be alive too!" The waiver in Yang's voice was impossible to miss. She screamed through tears, roaring at the two, leaving them in silence. It was quiet as Yang's quivering voice whimpered, "I want to live…"

"We don't always get what we want, Yang." An ounce of sympathy was in Blake's voice. It felt like forever since Yang last heard Blake speak with such care.

Silence, until Weiss' voice broke the tension between the two. "Does… does that mean that Ruby can only get better if we stop existing?" Blake and Yang's silence was enough to answer the question.

"This… this is…."

"Utter crap?" Yang offered with a bitter chuckle.

"This isn't fair," Weiss whimpered. "I… I had plans. I was going to meet Pyrrha, a-and sing for someone, and… and be happy."

"No, it isn't fair. None of this is fair! This is bullshit!" Yang roared.

"Then turn her dream into a nightmare. Ruin her chance at a happy, stable relationship." Blake dared Yang to pull the trigger, and Weiss spoke up immediately.

"No! We can't do that!"

"It's the only way, Weiss," Blake explained, with a mocking, venomous tone. "For us to avoid the risk of Integration, Ruby needs to be unable to accept her trauma. She has to be in pain for us to live."

Yang had a trigger in her hand. Either she hurt Ruby, or Yang could die. Either she did this now, or suffered for it later. Her breath was shaky as she wrestled with herself, fighting with herself. She could feel tears going down her face, her face, not Ruby's! Her tears...

"You don't know that," Weiss' voice growled.

Blake and Yang turned their attention to the youngest personality. Weiss spoke with a quivering voice, soft, but shaken. "Ruby promised me that I'm not just a voice in her head. I'm alive. I… I think if Ruby gets better, we won't die."

"You don't know that," Blake sighed. "Integration has evidence, it's a real theory put forth by actual experts."

"But it could be wrong! F-for us."

"If Ruby gets better, any of us could die at any moment," Yang mumbled. Blake and Weiss said nothing, before the oldest of them ground her teeth and sighed. "Let's put it to a vote. All in favor of me… of me hurting Ruby?"

No one spoke.

Not even Yang.

"It's unanimous," Yang bitterly declared.

"Yang…?" Weiss spoke up, but Yang interrupted her.

"I can't… I can't do it. I thought I could, but I can't," she cried. "I just can't…" Her hand dropped the trigger, and Yang cried as she felt Weiss' presence press against her. It was as close to an embrace as they could manage as Yang wept.

Yang didn't want to die. She wanted to live. She wanted to be a person, not a stepping stone to Ruby's recovery.

All it would take was a small shift. It'd be so easy to turn Ruby's dream into a nightmare, but Yang just couldn't do it. No matter how much she wanted to live, she couldn't betray her sister like that.

Guilt. Shame. All of her sins, all of her mistakes welled up inside of her, and burst out like lava from a volcano. Weiss stayed with Yang, trying to comfort the alt as Blake faded away into the subconscious.

Yang felt the full weight of her actions hit her like a freight train. All that she had done to her little sister, and all that she had wanted to do. She was guilty of so much, and she would soon beg Ruby and the others for forgiveness, but that was for another day.

For now, Yang cried as Weiss stayed by her side. Both of them thought of the future, but Weiss dared to hope for a better tomorrow, as Yang struggled to accept her possible end.

END

I went into this chapter with two big focuses. Nora wanted to be Ruby's friend, and not just treat Ruby as a new Pyrrha, while Yang struggled to accept the possibility of her death.

I like to think of this chapter as Yang's almost Moral Event Horizon. For those who know their tropes, the MEH is the line in the sand that determines if a character can come back to good. If Yang had betrayed Ruby and sabotaged her sister's life to that degree, I feel like a lot of you would want her head.

But she didn't, and now begins her little path to redemption. Meanwhile, Weiss tries to be hopeful about the future (funny, with Ruby not in their dynamic, Weiss ends up being the optimistic one. Weird), while Blake is just accepting of their eventual end.

Next chapter involves some character development for Yang and Weiss, a little bit of light hearted fun with RNJR, some fluff, and some drama. Ah, it's good to be back.

See ya next time, folks. Love you, stay safe, and remember, you are loved.