Hours of training. The burn in her muscles, screaming for her to stop. No, she can't stop. The feeling of adrenaline flowing through her veins.
Her last mission with the rest of her team went terrible. Ruby froze while fighting. She just went blank. People yelling her name, but she can't make out whose voices it is.
Silence. It's beautiful. Euphoric.
A beowolf makes their way towards Ruby. Ruby doesn't react. It's not like she can't. She won't.
"Ruby, move!"
Her ears are ringing. A gunshot snaps her out of it. She's bleeding. From where?
The beowolf dissolves.
"Ruby, what the f*ck? Are you okay?" A cluster of questions asked by Yang. Of course.
"You're bleeding, Ruby." Weiss says.
Oh.. Right. Ruby looks down at her torso. A huge gash staring right back at her.
A scar she knows she won't heal with her aura.
Ruby tries to stand, but fails. Embarrassing.
Ruby grunts.
"We need to get this checked out, Ruby." Blake crouches behind Yang.
"I'm okay. It's nothing. Seriously." Ruby's lying and Yang knows it.
"Ruby, you've been doing this for weeks! You're not okay." Weiss blurts out.
"Weiss-"
"No, Ruby, listen to me. We know something's on your mind. You can talk to me, to us. You're not alone in this."
"If everyone stopped acting like everything is okay, which everything is clearly not okay! Can't you see what's going on. We failed- I failed to save Mantle."
"But look at all the people we've saved. Ruby, you haven't failed us."
"Don't you see how many people look up to you? Now the whole world knows what danger lies below." Blake Interjects.
---
"Hey Rubes!" Ruby doesn't even respond. Doesn't care to see who it is.
"Ruby, you've been here for hours. Give the others a chance. We're supposed to be resting before--"
"Oh! , Yang, my bad. I didn't even notice you were in here." Ruby gave a strained smile. Yang could tell something's not right.
"You okay Rubes? You've been off for a while now. Something on your mind?" Yang knew Ruby wouldn't tell her, but it didn't hurt to ask. To try.
"I'm fine, Yang. Really. I'll see you in the dorm later, Alright?"
"Wait--"
Ruby leaves before Yang can even respond.
Ruby enters RWBY's room and puts Crescent Rose away.
In the bathroom, Ruby stood in front of the mirror, her sweat-drenched hair clinging to her face. Her muscles ached, but it wasn’t the physical pain that wore her down. She gazed at her reflection, her silver eyes hollow and distant. The determination she once saw in her gaze was now replaced by a deep-seated weariness. Despite the endless hours of training, she couldn’t shake the gnawing feeling that all her efforts were in vain. The mirror offered no answers, only a stark reminder of the gap between who she was and who she wanted to be.
Ruby undressed slowly, her movements mechanical and drained of energy. The bathroom was dim, the only light casting long shadows across the floor. She sank onto the edge of the toilet, her fingers trembling as she pulled out a small packet. Dust. The reality of her situation hit her with a cold clarity; the training, the sacrifices, Penny.. It all seemed pointless now. As she prepared the dust, she stared blankly at the wall. The fleeting relief she sought felt like the only escape from the relentless pressure that seemed to define her existence-
"Ruby! You're hogging the bathroom! I need to pee!"
"I'll be out in a minute!"
Ruby stood under the lukewarm water, feeling nothing as it streamed down her weary body. The steam hung heavy in the air, suffocating rather than soothing. She eventually turned off the water, the silence pressing in around her. Wrapping a towel around herself, she stepped out of the bathroom, her damp hair clinging to her face.
"Knock yourself out, Weiss." Ruby snickered.
Ruby dressed herself and laid down on her bunk waiting for her high. Lost in her own thoughts; she started to drift off.
Tainted by a creeping sense of guilt that she couldn’t shake. She felt disconnected, lost in the haze of her own mind, until she felt the weight shift on her bed. It's Weiss; only Weiss. Weiss’s arms wrapped around her, grounding her in the present, but the shame clung to Ruby like a shadow. As Weiss held her close, Ruby's thoughts tumbled over themselves—regret mingling with the fading thrill, leaving her caught between wanting to confess and fearing the consequences.
"You okay, Ruby? You seem out of it today." As she runs a few fingers through Ruby's red tipped hair.
"I'm okay, Weiss. How was your day? Have you gotten to talk to Willow?" Trying not to expose herself, Ruby doesn't turn around to face her.
"Ruby, look at me." As she tries to turn Ruby's face toward her own. "Don't try to make this about me, Ruby. I know you're not okay. I can see it on your face."
"I'm okay, Weiss; really. I'm just tired." She's fidgeting with her fingers. Weiss notices. f*ck, she wasn't supposed to notice.
Weiss sat up, her eyes fixed on Ruby, sensing that something was off but unable to find what. Ruby's distant gaze and restless movements left Weiss worried, though she had no idea about the dust. Gently, she reached for Ruby's hands, noticing the small scars that told stories of past battles. Weiss pressed a soft kiss to each scar, hoping to bring Ruby some comfort. But Ruby's mind was elsewhere, tangled in guilt and the fog of her high. As Weiss held her hands, Ruby felt a sharp pang of remorse, knowing she wasn’t truly there with the person who meant the most to her.
Weiss gently caressed Ruby's cheek, her worry deepening as she searched Ruby's distant eyes. "Ruby... are you on something?" she asked softly, her voice laced with concern. Ruby’s heart sank, the guilt crashing over her in waves. She couldn’t bring herself to meet Weiss’s gaze, her eyes dropping to the floor as silence hung between them. The truth lingered on the tip of her tongue, but the weight of her shame kept her from speaking, leaving Weiss to piece together the painful reality on her own.
"Ruby, answer me." Weiss looks and Ruby, tears swelling in her eyes.
"Weiss, I.. I'm sorry." Ruby's voice quivered as she admitted, "Please, don’t tell Yang." Her gaze remained fixed on the bed, unable to meet Weiss’s concerned eyes. "We’re already drifting apart. I can’t handle it if she finds out and pulls away even more." The weight of her confession hung heavily in the air, her heart aching with both regret and fear. Weiss held Ruby's hands tightly, struggling with the painful decision of whether to respect Ruby’s wish or confront the truth.
"Ruby, there's no way I can't just not tell Yang. She'll find out either way."
Ruby tries to get up from the bed, but Weiss grasped her arm firmly. Revealing more than just battle scars. Her gaze fell upon the needle marks, can't be older than three weeks on Ruby's skin.
Ruby's voice cracked as she begged, "Let me go."
Weiss’s tears streamed down her face as she asked, "Where are you going?" Her plea was a mix of desperation and heartbreak, the sight of Ruby's self-destruction unraveling her from within.
Ruby yanked her arm free from Weiss’s grasp and, without a backward glance, grabbed Crescent Rose from where it lay. She walked out of the dorm, the door slamming behind her. Weiss sat frozen, tears streaming down her face, unable to move as she watched Ruby disappear.
Watching her fade away..
