Murder Game XV: Civil War

[Midnight Maiden]

Epilogue Part One: Thawing Heart

Well. This all had been quite the rollercoaster ride, and in all honesty, Weiss's head was reeling from it all- even having blacked out for a short time, only now seeming to come to. Even with her aura, she was mildly battered and felt completely drained, possessing no desire to do anything at the moment but lie down and rest. Food would be nice, as well, but that could wait. And so could rest, at that. Amidst all of the chaos, the heiress had lost sight of Ruby, and even Winter. And that fact was the first thing that needed mended. So it was with a couple of coughs and heavy eyelids that Weiss brought herself to her feet, shoulders briefly slumping in a display that was uncommonly seen by the typically tall(or, well, tall-standing, for a short person) and proud huntress-in-training. After a clear of her throat and a deep breath, she regained her composure, straightening to the best of her ability and trudging on in search of her friend in the rubble.

All around were faces that were before foreign, but now stood out as familiar, all absorbed in their own worlds and conversations, carrying on about their own activities while Weiss herself could only be described as panicky and scared. Her friend and her sister, the two she was searching for, were not within sight, and after all that transpired... She couldn't help fearing for the worst. Which was why with every step, every scanned face that was not belonging to Ruby Rose or Winter Schnee, every nonchalant, cheerful conversation and lighthearted topic caused her to feel more worried... And agitated. How was the world going on so calmly with all of these horrors around? And one of the few friends she'd ever managed to have in her lifetime, and her only sister, missing?

So she did her best to block it all out. To ignore the words and the smiles here and there, and keep searching, with only the sound of her own beating heart filling her ears. Surely her leader was alright. And her sister, too. After all, she was a military specialist- and people didn't go around handing out that title to just anyone. Not even members of the Schnee family, themselves. And Ruby? Well, airheaded as she might be at times, she was more than capable.

Yet somehow, Weiss felt a wave of relief come over her when she finally spotted her friend, as though her heart had sunk at the mere idea of having lost her and the sight had caused it to spring back up, like it'd done a front flip on a trampoline.

"Ruby!"

As Weiss found her pace picking up, until she was jogging towards her friend, she only realized what she was doing when she'd already arrived at her friend's side and pulled her into a hug. "You shouldn't have run off, you dunce..." And that just... Wouldn't do. Not at all. Clearing her throat and hurriedly stepping back as though she hadn't embraced the other girl in the first place. "...I thought we agreed at the start of this that we'd stick together. You could've gotten hurt." Only then did she notice the blonde that accompanied Ruby, whom she had gone off at and treated poorly what didn't feel like much long ago. "...Oh. It's you," she spoke, dryly, regarding Ilona with considerably less enthusiasm. But for some inexplicable reason, considering she knew her words had been completely justified with the havoc this blonde had caused, Weiss actually felt slightly guilty. ...And okay, maybe her words hadn't been completely justified... But still!

Oh, fine.

"Listen, I... I suppose I shouldn't have gone off at you in such a manner before. What happened was hardly your fault, and I should have taken that into consideration when choosing my approach," she spoke, sounding even more curt than usual as she crossed her arms and looked away. "I..."

She probably meant to say she was sorry, but the words weren't really coming out. But hey, at least she was trying. In any case, however, she shook her head and abruptly changed the topic. "...Anyways. We should get going. It doesn't seem there's much we can do for this place, with it's current, ahh," Weiss paused, glancing around and wincing at the state of disarray everything was in. The rubble, the blood, the injured people and figures of authority that had surrendered their power... "...Condition. Besides, I can't seem to find Winter, and we need her before we can leave," she reasoned before pausing in thought. "Wasn't your ins--... uncle here, too?"

@york @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Epilogue Part One: Thawing Heart

Well. This all had been quite the rollercoaster ride, and in all honesty, Weiss's head was reeling from it all- even having blacked out for a short time, only now seeming to come to. Even with her aura, she was mildly battered and felt completely drained, possessing no desire to do anything at the moment but lie down and rest. Food would be nice, as well, but that could wait. And so could rest, at that. Amidst all of the chaos, the heiress had lost sight of Ruby, and even Winter. And that fact was the first thing that needed mended. So it was with a couple of coughs and heavy eyelids that Weiss brought herself to her feet, shoulders briefly slumping in a display that was uncommonly seen by the typically tall(or, well, tall-standing, for a short person) and proud huntress-in-training. After a clear of her throat and a deep breath, she regained her composure, straightening to the best of her ability and trudging on in search of her friend in the rubble.

All around were faces that were before foreign, but now stood out as familiar, all absorbed in their own worlds and conversations, carrying on about their own activities while Weiss herself could only be described as panicky and scared. Her friend and her sister, the two she was searching for, were not within sight, and after all that transpired... She couldn't help fearing for the worst. Which was why with every step, every scanned face that was not belonging to Ruby Rose or Winter Schnee, every nonchalant, cheerful conversation and lighthearted topic caused her to feel more worried... And agitated. How was the world going on so calmly with all of these horrors around? And one of the few friends she'd ever managed to have in her lifetime, and her only sister, missing?

So she did her best to block it all out. To ignore the words and the smiles here and there, and keep searching, with only the sound of her own beating heart filling her ears. Surely her leader was alright. And her sister, too. After all, she was a military specialist- and people didn't go around handing out that title to just anyone. Not even members of the Schnee family, themselves. And Ruby? Well, airheaded as she might be at times, she was more than capable.

Yet somehow, Weiss felt a wave of relief come over her when she finally spotted her friend, as though her heart had sunk at the mere idea of having lost her and the sight had caused it to spring back up, like it'd done a front flip on a trampoline.

"Ruby!"

As Weiss found her pace picking up, until she was jogging towards her friend, she only realized what she was doing when she'd already arrived at her friend's side and pulled her into a hug. "You shouldn't have run off, you dunce..." And that just... Wouldn't do. Not at all. Clearing her throat and hurriedly stepping back as though she hadn't embraced the other girl in the first place. "...I thought we agreed at the start of this that we'd stick together. You could've gotten hurt." Only then did she notice the blonde that accompanied Ruby, whom she had gone off at and treated poorly what didn't feel like much long ago. "...Oh. It's you," she spoke, dryly, regarding Ilona with considerably less enthusiasm. But for some inexplicable reason, considering she knew her words had been completely justified with the havoc this blonde had caused, Weiss actually felt slightly guilty. ...And okay, maybe her words hadn't been completely justified... But still!

Oh, fine.

"Listen, I... I suppose I shouldn't have gone off at you in such a manner before. What happened was hardly your fault, and I should have taken that into consideration when choosing my approach," she spoke, sounding even more curt than usual as she crossed her arms and looked away. "I..."

She probably meant to say she was sorry, but the words weren't really coming out. But hey, at least she was trying. In any case, however, she shook her head and abruptly changed the topic. "...Anyways. We should get going. It doesn't seem there's much we can do for this place, with it's current, ahh," Weiss paused, glancing around and wincing at the state of disarray everything was in. The rubble, the blood, the injured people and figures of authority that had surrendered their power... "...Condition. Besides, I can't seem to find Winter, and we need her before we can leave," she reasoned before pausing in thought. "Wasn't your ins--... uncle here, too?"

@york @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

Just when she was certain Ruby would leave her side, Ilona was surprised to see Weiss approach. When the white haired girl addressed her with a dry, monotone voice Ilona smiled sheepishly and glanced to the floor, rubbing the back of her head. The greeting she presented Ilona with made the blonde think Weiss would scold her again, but that wasn't the case. She seemed a bit apologetic without apologizing, but that didn't matter to Ilona. The blonde perked her head up and smiled brightly, as if Weiss had given her the biggest compliment in the universe.

"There is no need to say such things. You were merely voicing your opinions on the matter. It was good for me to hear what you had to say about me. My thoughts were jumbled, so it was helpful for me to hear honest thoughts such as your own. Thank you," Ilona replied, bowing her head politely. When she lifted her head back up, she extended a hand to Weiss. "No hard feelings. I do hope we may be friends, Lady Weiss."

@Hospes @york​

 

[York]

​

Replies

Ilona only held a small, sad smile on her lips at first when she heard Ruby speak. Of course, like the others, Ruby really did intend to return home. While she promised herself she wouldn't dwell on the idea of missing them, the young time traveler couldn't help but feel just a bit gloomy. "Ah, there is no need to call me ma'am. From this day forward I only hope to be treated as a commoner, not a princess. Anyhow, I shall miss you, dear Miss Ruby. Thank you for assisting me and being a kind friend," Ilona said, offering the girl a bow.

Any gloomy traces on her face vanished, however, when Ilona would hear Ruby mention Sophie. The blonde would gasp and reach forward to grab Ruby's hands, her eyes sparkling.

"A-A FRIEND OF MY MOTHER'S!? ANOTHER ONE OF MY HEROS LIKE SIR SHIKI!? WHY YES, I WOULD LOVE TO MEET HER! PLEASE DO BRING HER!" Ilona exclaimed, her voice mistakenly growing loud again. Any bit of formal posture between the two had likely vanished in the face of Ilona's excitement. But the girl couldn't really help herself. She was a bit of a fangirl when it came to the people from her mother's stories.

@york @Atomyk​

Epilogue Part One: Thawing Heart

Well. This all had been quite the rollercoaster ride, and in all honesty, Weiss's head was reeling from it all- even having blacked out for a short time, only now seeming to come to. Even with her aura, she was mildly battered and felt completely drained, possessing no desire to do anything at the moment but lie down and rest. Food would be nice, as well, but that could wait. And so could rest, at that. Amidst all of the chaos, the heiress had lost sight of Ruby, and even Winter. And that fact was the first thing that needed mended. So it was with a couple of coughs and heavy eyelids that Weiss brought herself to her feet, shoulders briefly slumping in a display that was uncommonly seen by the typically tall(or, well, tall-standing, for a short person) and proud huntress-in-training. After a clear of her throat and a deep breath, she regained her composure, straightening to the best of her ability and trudging on in search of her friend in the rubble.

All around were faces that were before foreign, but now stood out as familiar, all absorbed in their own worlds and conversations, carrying on about their own activities while Weiss herself could only be described as panicky and scared. Her friend and her sister, the two she was searching for, were not within sight, and after all that transpired... She couldn't help fearing for the worst. Which was why with every step, every scanned face that was not belonging to Ruby Rose or Winter Schnee, every nonchalant, cheerful conversation and lighthearted topic caused her to feel more worried... And agitated. How was the world going on so calmly with all of these horrors around? And one of the few friends she'd ever managed to have in her lifetime, and her only sister, missing?

So she did her best to block it all out. To ignore the words and the smiles here and there, and keep searching, with only the sound of her own beating heart filling her ears. Surely her leader was alright. And her sister, too. After all, she was a military specialist- and people didn't go around handing out that title to just anyone. Not even members of the Schnee family, themselves. And Ruby? Well, airheaded as she might be at times, she was more than capable.

Yet somehow, Weiss felt a wave of relief come over her when she finally spotted her friend, as though her heart had sunk at the mere idea of having lost her and the sight had caused it to spring back up, like it'd done a front flip on a trampoline.

"Ruby!"

As Weiss found her pace picking up, until she was jogging towards her friend, she only realized what she was doing when she'd already arrived at her friend's side and pulled her into a hug. "You shouldn't have run off, you dunce..." And that just... Wouldn't do. Not at all. Clearing her throat and hurriedly stepping back as though she hadn't embraced the other girl in the first place. "...I thought we agreed at the start of this that we'd stick together. You could've gotten hurt." Only then did she notice the blonde that accompanied Ruby, whom she had gone off at and treated poorly what didn't feel like much long ago. "...Oh. It's you," she spoke, dryly, regarding Ilona with considerably less enthusiasm. But for some inexplicable reason, considering she knew her words had been completely justified with the havoc this blonde had caused, Weiss actually felt slightly guilty. ...And okay, maybe her words hadn't been completely justified... But still!

Oh, fine.

"Listen, I... I suppose I shouldn't have gone off at you in such a manner before. What happened was hardly your fault, and I should have taken that into consideration when choosing my approach," she spoke, sounding even more curt than usual as she crossed her arms and looked away. "I..."

She probably meant to say she was sorry, but the words weren't really coming out. But hey, at least she was trying. In any case, however, she shook her head and abruptly changed the topic. "...Anyways. We should get going. It doesn't seem there's much we can do for this place, with it's current, ahh," Weiss paused, glancing around and wincing at the state of disarray everything was in. The rubble, the blood, the injured people and figures of authority that had surrendered their power... "...Condition. Besides, I can't seem to find Winter, and we need her before we can leave," she reasoned before pausing in thought. "Wasn't your ins--... uncle here, too?"

@york @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

Just when she was certain Ruby would leave her side, Ilona was surprised to see Weiss approach. When the white haired girl addressed her with a dry, monotone voice Ilona smiled sheepishly and glanced to the floor, rubbing the back of her head. The greeting she presented Ilona with made the blonde think Weiss would scold her again, but that wasn't the case. She seemed a bit apologetic without apologizing, but that didn't matter to Ilona. The blonde perked her head up and smiled brightly, as if Weiss had given her the biggest compliment in the universe.

"There is no need to say such things. You were merely voicing your opinions on the matter. It was good for me to hear what you had to say about me. My thoughts were jumbled, so it was helpful for me to hear honest thoughts such as your own. Thank you," Ilona replied, bowing her head politely. When she lifted her head back up, she extended a hand to Weiss. "No hard feelings. I do hope we may be friends, Lady Weiss."

@Hospes @york​

Ruby Rose & Zwei - Epilogue; The Innocence of Youth
@Hospes @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Others?

Ruby held Ilona in that hug for quite some time, before they both finally pulled away, and she herself, prepared to leave with Zwei... But just then, a distant call to her, causing Zwei's ears to prick up as he started to wag his tail excitedly drew her attention, and she froze, turning towards the direction the voice had come from... And that's when she realized who it was...

"Weiss! You came baaaaack!!!" She cried excitedly.

"Arf! Arf!" Barked an excited Zwei, who Ruby was struggling to keep ahold of.

Looks like they were both quite excited to see their good friend again... Though, the mention of her Uncle, and Winter, made Ruby blink a few times, rubbing her chin before she spoke.

"Um... Yeah! They're here!... Somewhere... ..." She said, trailing off a little.

It was just then that she remembered that her Uncle was still in the Coalition Headquarters... Unconscious as well. She had stopped by not too long ago actually, to check on him briefly before moving onto Jennifer, but with any luck... He'd be able to come out of that state sooner or later.

"Hey! I know! Let's go find Winter! Uncle told me he'd be... ... A while before he came back with us..." She suggested, deciding not to tell Weiss the... Full story yet.

That could wait until they were back at Beacon, and they let all of this sink in for a while.

Before they left though, Ruby turned back to Ilona, giving her a warm, but somewhat sad smile.

"I promise I'll come visit you! I think our terms at Beacon are supposed to be ending soon, so uh... I'll find a way!"

Ruby seemed a little unsure of how she'd find a way, but well... It wouldn't be the first time she somehow snuck under the radar, and suddenly disappeared from Beacon for a while, so... Perhaps it was just a matter of time before they would meet again, maybe even with Sophie by Ilona's side this time.

In either case... Once she and Weiss shared their parting words with Ilona, they, perhaps with some scuffles here and there, eventually found Winter, and headed back home... To Remnant, on the Magic School Bus no less.

All along the ride, Ruby couldn't quite keep her thoughts off of Qrow, or Jennifer, or all that had happened during this event... But before long, she found herself fast asleep, snoring somewhat noticeably (at least enough to possibly irritate Weiss), with Zwei tucked delicately in her arms, who had long since drifted off some point before the ride.

...

Sooner or later, Ruby awoke to the familiar feeling of a bed underneath her, and the seemingly endless warmth of a blanket, wrapped around her. Her senses slowly but surely began to return to her, and when they did, she began to realize exactly where she was; the familiar sound of her team-mates snoring away, and the distinct movements of the bed underneath her as she began to turn around a little where she was quickly gave it away.

At last, she opened her eyes, and sure enough... She was back at home... At beacon.

Though she had only been away at the Coalition for maybe a week at the most, it felt like it had been years upon years, considering all the crazy fights she had over there... And all the chaos surrounding Ilona...

It looks like someone had tucked both her, and Zwei in after she had fallen asleep on the bus, judging from Zwei's sleeping form on his pillow in the corner of the room... Or maybe she had done it herself, and had just been too tired to remember it.

In either case, it was the crack of dawn, and surprisingly enough... She was up hours before classes started, which was... Actually perfect this time.

Quietly hopping out of bed (literally, since you kind of have to do that for top bunk stuff), she headed down the hall, to Sophie's room, where she was staying, alone. Surprisingly enough, Ozpin let Sophie go solo, since she was a considerably older arrival to the Academy, and was largely fine tuning her skills on her own...

Though, as much progress as she had made, Ruby could almost sense that she didn't feel like she belonged here quite as much as Ruby herself might have thought. Perhaps it was just the contrast between their worlds; a fantasy like world, filled with monsters, magic, and more... In comparison to a bleak, desolate world, a recent addition to the Silent Earth.

After a few knocks on the door, Sophie finally answered, looking a little sleepy, with bags under her eyes... As if she hadn't slept at all...

"Are you... Okay?" She asked, tilting her head.

It appeared that her friend was showing some obvious signs of sleep deprivation, which meant that she had been up all night, for one reason or another.

"I'm... Fine... Just a little... Restless last night." Sophie responded, managing a rather weak smile.

Evidently she wasn't fine, but... Perhaps she was just too embarrassed about it to remember.

"Since you're awake... Um... I'd like to... Ask you something..." She said, twiddling her thumbs a little.

Given Sophie's current state, Ruby wasn't sure how she was going to take this, but at least she was able to talk coherently and all that, but Sophie just appeared to raise a brow tiredly, seeming curious to see what Ruby had to say... So, she figured she'd cut right to the chase.

"Well... You remember Elsa, right? She... Um... She has a daughter! Yeah! We had this crazy adventure... She has these amazing powers, evenifshecan'tcontrolthemyet... It it's... Just... Amazing!" Ruby squeaked, clasping her hands together.


"... Elsa's... Daughter?" Sophie's eyes widened as she appeared almost wide awake by now.

Opening her door all the way, her normally calm, collected demeanor seemed to have gone away for a moment, as a sudden feeling of excitement... And yet, nervousness coursed through her body.

"Do you... Know her name?" She asked.

"Of course!" Ruby shouted, her voice echoing down the hallway.

Whoops... Too loud... Ruby clamped her hands over her mouth, looking around briefly.

"Here! Let's... Talk inside!" She said, quickly tugging on Sophie's hand, and kicking the room door shut.

...

Their conversation lasted a few good hours, as Ruby shared all the details she had about her encounter with Ilona, and her fight for her freedom, which semi-worked.

It still took Sophie some convincing, even with the incentive of meeting Ilona before she finally agreed to join the Coalition... But, to Ruby's surprise, her decision was to become more than just a reserve member; she was permanently moving to the Coalition, bunking with Ilona for a while to keep her company... And help her keep her powers in check.

The strangest thing of all was that she had left all the technology she had acquired from Beacon Academy behind... Save for a communicator, so she could keep in contact with Ruby.

But nonetheless, Ruby was just happy that Sophie had finally found her place... Even if it wasn't with her at Beacon Academy...

...

Sometime after Sophie had left, after having mulled over the events at the Coalition multiple times, as well as the fate of Jennifer, and her own Uncle, seeing as they had both been left in an unconscious state... She finally worked up the courage to approach Weiss about it.

Admittedly, she had been spending a little time away from her team during that whole thing with Sophie... Even worrying over Zwei every now and then, who seemed to have spent alot of his time staring out the window at Beacon, and up in the sky with this longing look.

Perhaps he hoped to meet his beloved Len once again?

Though unfortunately, Ruby didn't seem to have figured out just how close they had gotten during that short time they had together, even if she did recognize he missed her in some way...

Seeing that Weiss was the only other team member she knew that had partaken in the events of Civil War, she figured she would be the best person to talk these things over with, even if she was a little cold.

Tentatively, poked her head down off the bed she had been laying on, towards the one below, where Weiss had been laying on, giving a darting glance around the room to make sure the rest of her team was asleep, before she knocked on the wooden frame of her own bed lightly.

"Hey... Weiss? We need to... Talk..." She whispered.

...

End - Homecoming

*Roll Credits*

Also This Thing Because... Zwei Not

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Just when she was certain Ruby would leave her side, Ilona was surprised to see Weiss approach. When the white haired girl addressed her with a dry, monotone voice Ilona smiled sheepishly and glanced to the floor, rubbing the back of her head. The greeting she presented Ilona with made the blonde think Weiss would scold her again, but that wasn't the case. She seemed a bit apologetic without apologizing, but that didn't matter to Ilona. The blonde perked her head up and smiled brightly, as if Weiss had given her the biggest compliment in the universe.

"There is no need to say such things. You were merely voicing your opinions on the matter. It was good for me to hear what you had to say about me. My thoughts were jumbled, so it was helpful for me to hear honest thoughts such as your own. Thank you," Ilona replied, bowing her head politely. When she lifted her head back up, she extended a hand to Weiss. "No hard feelings. I do hope we may be friends, Lady Weiss."

@Hospes @york​

​

Ruby Rose & Zwei - Epilogue; The Innocence of Youth
@Hospes @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Others?

Ruby held Ilona in that hug for quite some time, before they both finally pulled away, and she herself, prepared to leave with Zwei... But just then, a distant call to her, causing Zwei's ears to prick up as he started to wag his tail excitedly drew her attention, and she froze, turning towards the direction the voice had come from... And that's when she realized who it was...

"Weiss! You came baaaaack!!!" She cried excitedly.

"Arf! Arf!" Barked an excited Zwei, who Ruby was struggling to keep ahold of.

Looks like they were both quite excited to see their good friend again... Though, the mention of her Uncle, and Winter, made Ruby blink a few times, rubbing her chin before she spoke.

"Um... Yeah! They're here!... Somewhere... ..." She said, trailing off a little.

It was just then that she remembered that her Uncle was still in the Coalition Headquarters... Unconscious as well. She had stopped by not too long ago actually, to check on him briefly before moving onto Jennifer, but with any luck... He'd be able to come out of that state sooner or later.

"Hey! I know! Let's go find Winter! Uncle told me he'd be... ... A while before he came back with us..." She suggested, deciding not to tell Weiss the... Full story yet.

That could wait until they were back at Beacon, and they let all of this sink in for a while.

Before they left though, Ruby turned back to Ilona, giving her a warm, but somewhat sad smile.

"I promise I'll come visit you! I think our terms at Beacon are supposed to be ending soon, so uh... I'll find a way!"

Ruby seemed a little unsure of how she'd find a way, but well... It wouldn't be the first time she somehow snuck under the radar, and suddenly disappeared from Beacon for a while, so... Perhaps it was just a matter of time before they would meet again, maybe even with Sophie by Ilona's side this time.

In either case... Once she and Weiss shared their parting words with Ilona, they, perhaps with some scuffles here and there, eventually found Winter, and headed back home... To Remnant, on the Magic School Bus no less.

All along the ride, Ruby couldn't quite keep her thoughts off of Qrow, or Jennifer, or all that had happened during this event... But before long, she found herself fast asleep, snoring somewhat noticeably (at least enough to possibly irritate Weiss), with Zwei tucked delicately in her arms, who had long since drifted off some point before the ride.

...

Sooner or later, Ruby awoke to the familiar feeling of a bed underneath her, and the seemingly endless warmth of a blanket, wrapped around her. Her senses slowly but surely began to return to her, and when they did, she began to realize exactly where she was; the familiar sound of her team-mates snoring away, and the distinct movements of the bed underneath her as she began to turn around a little where she was quickly gave it away.

At last, she opened her eyes, and sure enough... She was back at home... At beacon.

Though she had only been away at the Coalition for maybe a week at the most, it felt like it had been years upon years, considering all the crazy fights she had over there... And all the chaos surrounding Ilona...

It looks like someone had tucked both her, and Zwei in after she had fallen asleep on the bus, judging from Zwei's sleeping form on his pillow in the corner of the room... Or maybe she had done it herself, and had just been too tired to remember it.

In either case, it was the crack of dawn, and surprisingly enough... She was up hours before classes started, which was... Actually perfect this time.

Quietly hopping out of bed (literally, since you kind of have to do that for top bunk stuff), she headed down the hall, to Sophie's room, where she was staying, alone. Surprisingly enough, Ozpin let Sophie go solo, since she was a considerably older arrival to the Academy, and was largely fine tuning her skills on her own...

Though, as much progress as she had made, Ruby could almost sense that she didn't feel like she belonged here quite as much as Ruby herself might have thought. Perhaps it was just the contrast between their worlds; a fantasy like world, filled with monsters, magic, and more... In comparison to a bleak, desolate world, a recent addition to the Silent Earth.

After a few knocks on the door, Sophie finally answered, looking a little sleepy, with bags under her eyes... As if she hadn't slept at all...

"Are you... Okay?" She asked, tilting her head.

It appeared that her friend was showing some obvious signs of sleep deprivation, which meant that she had been up all night, for one reason or another.

"I'm... Fine... Just a little... Restless last night." Sophie responded, managing a rather weak smile.

Evidently she wasn't fine, but... Perhaps she was just too embarrassed about it to remember.

"Since you're awake... Um... I'd like to... Ask you something..." She said, twiddling her thumbs a little.

Given Sophie's current state, Ruby wasn't sure how she was going to take this, but at least she was able to talk coherently and all that, but Sophie just appeared to raise a brow tiredly, seeming curious to see what Ruby had to say... So, she figured she'd cut right to the chase.

"Well... You remember Elsa, right? She... Um... She has a daughter! Yeah! We had this crazy adventure... She has these amazing powers, evenifshecan'tcontrolthemyet... It it's... Just... Amazing!" Ruby squeaked, clasping her hands together.


"... Elsa's... Daughter?" Sophie's eyes widened as she appeared almost wide awake by now.

Opening her door all the way, her normally calm, collected demeanor seemed to have gone away for a moment, as a sudden feeling of excitement... And yet, nervousness coursed through her body.

"Do you... Know her name?" She asked.

"Of course!" Ruby shouted, her voice echoing down the hallway.

Whoops... Too loud... Ruby clamped her hands over her mouth, looking around briefly.

"Here! Let's... Talk inside!" She said, quickly tugging on Sophie's hand, and kicking the room door shut.

...

Their conversation lasted a few good hours, as Ruby shared all the details she had about her encounter with Ilona, and her fight for her freedom, which semi-worked.

It still took Sophie some convincing, even with the incentive of meeting Ilona before she finally agreed to join the Coalition... But, to Ruby's surprise, her decision was to become more than just a reserve member; she was permanently moving to the Coalition, bunking with Ilona for a while to keep her company... And help her keep her powers in check.

The strangest thing of all was that she had left all the technology she had acquired from Beacon Academy behind... Save for a communicator, so she could keep in contact with Ruby.

But nonetheless, Ruby was just happy that Sophie had finally found her place... Even if it wasn't with her at Beacon Academy...

...

Sometime after Sophie had left, after having mulled over the events at the Coalition multiple times, as well as the fate of Jennifer, and her own Uncle, seeing as they had both been left in an unconscious state... She finally worked up the courage to approach Weiss about it.

Admittedly, she had been spending a little time away from her team during that whole thing with Sophie... Even worrying over Zwei every now and then, who seemed to have spent alot of his time staring out the window at Beacon, and up in the sky with this longing look.

Perhaps he hoped to meet his beloved Len once again?

Though unfortunately, Ruby didn't seem to have figured out just how close they had gotten during that short time they had together, even if she did recognize he missed her in some way...

Seeing that Weiss was the only other team member she knew that had partaken in the events of Civil War, she figured she would be the best person to talk these things over with, even if she was a little cold.

Tentatively, poked her head down off the bed she had been laying on, towards the one below, where Weiss had been laying on, giving a darting glance around the room to make sure the rest of her team was asleep, before she knocked on the wooden frame of her own bed lightly.

"Hey... Weiss? We need to... Talk..." She whispered.

...

End - Homecoming

*Roll Credits*

Also This Thing Because... Zwei Not

Epilogue Part Two: Just The Beginning

Well, that reaction was enough to make Weiss look back to Ilona with mild surprise, evidently not expecting such a reaction to be given to her. For a long few moments, she simply stared at Ilona with wide eyes, uncertain what to say at first. At least, until her expression changed to a slightly saddened one. "...Why are you thanking me?" she asked, out of nowhere. "I was horrible to you. I said and did things I shouldn't have, that you didn't deserve!" she stated, closing her eyes shamefully with hands briefly clenching at her sides. "So why? Why are you still so nice to me?" It was meant to be a demand, but came out more a hurt inquiry as her eyes reopened.

Regardless, she didn't have time to get a proper answer, finding herself instead faced with a happily bouncing Ruby, cheering for her return. Sighing heavily and shaking her head, doing her best to rid herself of her feelings of regret, she pulled her typical nonchalant facade back together to regard her friend. "...Of course I came back. Don't be ridiculous," she chided lightly, crossing her arms over her chest. It was hard for her to act indifferent, when all she really wanted to do was hug Ruby and apologize for all she'd done and voice how glad she was to see she was okay. Which, to be quite honest? Was a very new, very unnerving feeling to her. Thankfully, she was spared thinking about it too much, Ruby mentioning that Qrow would be a while and that they should find her sister.

"Right... Good idea," she replied, calmly. Hesitantly, she glanced to Ilona one final time, offering an awkward nod of acknowledgement. "It's been a pleasure, Ilona. I look forward to when we meet again." Perhaps then Weiss would know why the blonde acted in such a way. But for now...

This is goodbye.

And so, Ruby at her side, Weiss found her way back to her sister, who regarded the girls with her usual seriousness about her. But she was quieter than usual, even throughout the ride home.. Which, Weiss understood the latter part. After all, it wasn't exactly ideal or normal, riding some dimensional school bus back home with a bunch of random, odd people and creatures. Nonetheless, Weiss at least found comfort in being seated by Ruby. Hesitantly, after being seated, she went as far as to take the other girl's hand, holding it through the entire ride as though she were afraid that if she let go, she would lose her friend. Of course, Ruby drifting off had not been expected, and Weiss briefly donned an astonished expression as her friend's head drooped onto her shoulder.

...Before a small smile came to her feats, followed by a small yawn. In all of the chaos, she had forgotten how tired she herself was, reminded only by Ruby's own sleeping figure. Before she knew it, she, herself, found her eyes beginning to droop closed, head drooping to the side to rest atop Ruby's as she drifted into a world of dreams more peaceful than any she'd had in a very long time.

Having kept a close eye on the girls the whole way, Winter's lips parted in a small sigh at the sight. For the rest of the, em... 'Flight', if one could call it that, she continued to keep an eye on the two, vigilant as ever. At least they'd survived the war and seemed to find peace, despite the harshness of it all. It was something she envied slightly, such a close bond and support, and the childlike ability to find happiness and peace in the harshest circumstances. Perhaps that was why when they'd arrived back home, she decided not to stir the two, opting to return them to their room on her own and tuck them back in. Let them rest... They deserved it.

Afterwards, she, of course, had her own things to face.

It was a few hours before Weiss awoke, herself, groggy and slightly confused. Blinking her eyes open slowly, she glanced around, surprised to find herself back in her room, in her own bed and under the covers. "Ruby...?" she muttered, shuffling to uncover herself and peer at the bed above her own to be sure her friend was safe as well. But it was empty... How odd. Before Weiss had the chance to panic, she heard a familiar voice. "I'm afraid your friend is tending to her own affairs, at the moment."

"Ahh!"

Surprised by the voice of none other than her own sister, her grip on the top bunk having been the only thing holding her up and quickly slipping in her surprise, Weiss lost her balance and fell to the floor with a thud. Realizing from how little light there was coming into the room, she knew it was still early, and as she scurried to her feet she quickly glanced to be sure she hadn't woken her teammates. Satisfied, she looked to her sister, heavily embarrassed by her little slip-up. But, there was no amusement on Winter's face, meaning one of two things. She wasn't going to tease Weiss for it, or she was but wasn't going to do so in an amused or playful manner.

It turned out it was the first, as the Military Specialist rose from her seat, hands folded behind her back. "Come. We have something to discuss, and your comrades have no piece in it."

...

"You're... leaving?" Weiss uttered, shoulders slumping slightly as she stared at her older sibling, who in turn glanced down calmly.

"I'm afraid so," the specialist replied, hands clasped neatly in front of her where she sat. "I've informed the general of this incident, and have received permission to investigate further despite my minor... deviation, from orders," she explained, briefly glancing away upon mention of her deviation. Not that it was anything too big- she'd had no current task, merely downtime. Luckily, though, it hadn't cost her anything- and she had managed to cover for her sibling and Ruby Rose. Not that she was going to mention that piece. Not waiting for any sort of response, Winter continued, glancing to the side. "I've received intel of a situation on another planet... As insane as that may have sounded before all of this. Ash, I believe it was called. I am to depart as soon as possible, but I saw it fit to at least inform you, first."

Hanging her head slightly, Weiss hesitated a moment before speaking. "..I understand. How long will you be gone?" she asked, knowing full well that it was unlikely she'd get a proper answer out of her sibling. But it was worth a try- anything was worth a try. But, sadly, her suspicions were confirmed. "I believe you're well aware I cannot answer that, sister," Winter replied with the faintest trace of a smile. All this earned from Weiss was a sigh, which in turn led to Winter lightly placing her gloved hand over Weiss's own. "I will be fine. And I'm certain you will, as well," she assure. "You and your teammates are perfectly capable of taking care of yourselves, and, more than that? Each other. I'm certain this is just the beginning of your adventures, though I cannot truthfully say they will be as romantic as they can be portrayed as in the tales," she mused. With a smile, the militant slowly rose to her feet, Weiss doing the same after a moment. "Now, then, you ought to return to bed. You've earned a break, and you'll need the rest."

"I suppose you're right... Goodbye, Winter." Before she could stop herself, Weiss suddenly hugged Winter, seeming to surprise the elder Schnee who at first didn't know how to react... Before smiling and carefully returning the embrace.

"Farewell, Weiss."

It wasn't long after that Weiss had trudged back to bed, more or less flopping onto it out of exhaustion. It was so much to take in, everything that had happened, and she was so tired... Perhaps she'd close her eyes like Winter had suggested, after all. Just for a few minutes.. At least, that was what it felt like before she jolted awake to the sound of Ruby's voice,

"Ruby..?" she muttered, tiredly, reluctantly opening her eyes to peer at the girl. Man, she was even more tired than before- how had that happened? "Ugh, fine.. Just come down here," she replied, sidling over on her bed to make more room.

~Fin(for now)~