Rose Petals in the Snow

RWBY

(Epilogue)

Ruby eyed the incoming helicopter through the scope in her rifle. It was loaded, as always, though her finger was resting away from the trigger. Despite how close up the vehicle looked through her scope it would still be at least ten minutes before it actually reached her. She zoomed out ever so slightly so she could see the crate dangling from under.

Painted on the ground far below her perch on top of the ten-story building was a red 'X' inside of a circle. It was in a nice, open area where there wasn't a lot of cover for anything to be lurking in the shadows.

"Seems clear from my end."

Ruby grabbed the two-way radio resting on top of her pack and pushed the button. "Same."

The sound of the helicopter's propellers echoed through the city as it neared. When it reached the marked spot on the ground the crate detached and smashed into the ground, though it held itself together. The pilot had known exactly how low he had needed to fly to release it safely.

A group of people rushed towards the crate after it landed, Yang and Blake among them. They pried open the crate, taking the canned food and supplies within.

"Anything good?" Ruby asked into the two-way.

"Looks like there's some of those chocolates you like," Yang said.

Ruby kept an eye out for any Grimm, but it looked like it would be a slow day. Which she couldn't complain about. After the food had been dispersed to everybody, Ruby collapsed back her rifle and headed into the apartment complex. A few people waved to her as she walked past them and a kid even offered her a lollipop. She accepted of course.

Lollipops were delicious.

She didn't actually live in there, she lived in Yang's place across the street. When Ruby arrived she found Blake and Yang in the middle of some discussion while Weiss stood in the kitchen, a bored look on her face.

"Good work," she said when Ruby entered.

"You too."

Weiss held out a cup of coffee. "Here. Just brewed it from what we got from the relief drop."

Ruby gladly took a sip before setting it down so she could unload all her gear. After the collapse of Vale its neighbors offered emergency relief supplies, though they wouldn't last forever. And if Weiss was to be believed, they would run out significantly earlier than they should.

But it was better than nothing.

Weiss sat down next to Ruby on the couch but unfortunately they couldn't watch the television. Even though they had power, they didn't have cable. Just relaxing on the couch was okay too though. Ruby leaned back and took another sip from her mug.

"Looks like the last of the snow's melted," Weiss commented.

Ruby glanced outside the window. There wasn't anything to see but the metal jungle of the city. Back outside the wall—or what's left of it—would start getting very green and very beautiful soon. Farmers would start planting their crops, animals would thrive and the world would be full of life.

But still full of Grimm.

"Hey Ruby..."

Blake walked over to the couch and sat in one of the adjacent chairs. Yang was a little less polite and shoved her way onto the couch next to Ruby, squishing the three of them together in a couch really made for two.

"How come you haven't said 'I told you so?'"

"I'm sorry?"

"Back when—" Blake eyed Weiss and sighed. "Back when we were on the train, you seemed to know this would happen. Or something. So..."

Ruby leaned back in her seat and stared up at the ceiling. It was cracked but thankfully not leaking. "It doesn't feel like I was right. I kinda, you know, had an inkling. But I didn't help prevent it at all, I was completely wrong." She twiddled her thumbs. "If anything I'm... I'm ashamed that I predicted it and didn't do anything to stop it."

"Oh Rubes." Yang grabbed Ruby around her waist and held her tight. "Plenty of people knew we weren't living sustainably. It was always a problem for another day though."

The apartment was silent. The whole city was silent, really. Ruby had always been bothered by the hustle and bustle of the city but now that it was gone it only made her nervous. It only solidified that fact that things were terribly terribly wrong with the world.

The outlying villages were fine for the most part. As fine as they ever were which Ruby didn't think was very fine at all, but the 'catastrophe' was limited purely to the city of Vale. It was tempting to just leave and go back to how she was living. Or go find some small village somewhere and start a new life there. Maybe that isolated village in the mountains.

Blake picked up a book and starting flipping through it.

"So now what?" Weiss asked. "The guild is in shambles, the city is in ruins and it's everyone for themselves out there."

Ruby closed her eyes. "I would have said let's just get through today and tomorrow. But that's how we got into this mess in the first place, right?"

The others slowly nodded.

"So... I think we have to think bigger. Huge. Long-term. Like wiping out the Grimm completely or something. I dunno, I'm not good at this sort of thing."

Weiss put her hand on Ruby's shoulder. "You don't have to be."

Ruby looked over. Weiss smiled.

"You have us to help, after all."